Search results for: fundamental natural bending frequency.

Authors: Mariam Azam, Sajjad Ur Rahman, Mukarram Bashir, Muhammad Tahir, Seemal Javaid, Jawad, Aoun Muhammad, Muhammad Zohaib, Hannan Khan

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Products of microbial origin are of great importance as they have proved their value in healthcare and nutrition, use of these microbial metabolites acquired from partially fermented soya hulls and wheat bran along with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (DL-22 S/N) substantiates to be a great source for an increase in the total milk production and quality yield.1×109 CFU/ml cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (DL-22 S/N) were further grown under in-vivo conditions for the assessment of quality milk production. Two groups with twelve cows, each having the same physical characteristics (Group A and Group B), were under study, Group A was daily fed with 12gm of biological metabolites and 22% protein-pelleted feed. On the other hand, the animals of Group B were provided with no metabolites in their feed. In thirty days of trial, improvement in the overall health, body score, milk protein, milk fat, yield, incidence rate of mastitis, ash, and solid not fat (SNF) was observed. The collected data showed that the average quality milk production was elevated up to 0.45 liter/h/d. However, a reduction in the milk fats up to 0.45% and uplift in the SNF value up to 0.53% of cow milk was also observed. At the same time, the incidence rate of mastitis recorded for the animals under trial was reduced to half, and improved non specific immunity was reported.

Keywords: microbial metabolites, post-biotics, animal supplements, animal nutrition, proteins, animal production, fermentation

Procedia PDF Downloads 95

Authors: F. Fatoye, C. E. Mbada, T. Gebrye, A. O. Ogunsola, C. Fatoye, O. Oyewole

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Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a major cause of pain and disability. It is likely to become a greater economic and public health burden that is unnecessary. Thus, reliable prevalence figures are important for both clinicians and policy-makers to plan health care needs for those affected with the disease. This study estimated hospital based real-world prevalence of MSDs in Nigeria. A review of medical charts for adult patients attending Physiotherapy Outpatient Clinic at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Osun State, Nigeria between 2009 and 2018 was carried out to identify common MSDs including low back pain (LBP), cervical spondylosis (CSD), post immobilization stiffness (PIS), sprain, osteoarthritis (OA), and other conditions. Occupational class of the patients was determined using the International Labour Classification (ILO). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency and percentages. Overall, medical charts of 3,340 patients were reviewed within the span of ten years (2009 to 2018). Majority of the patients (62.8%) were in the middle class, and the remaining were in low class (25.1%) and high class (10.5%) category. An overall prevalence of 47.35% of MSD was found within the span of ten years. Of this, the prevalence of LBP, CSD, PIS, sprain, OA, and other conditions was 21.6%, 10%, 18.9%, 2%, 6.3%, and 41.3%, respectively. The highest (14.2%) and lowest (10.5%) prevalence of MSDs was recorded in the year of 2012 and 2018, respectively. The prevalence of MSDs is considerably high among Nigerian patients attending outpatient a physiotherapy clinic. The high prevalence of MSDs underscores the need for clinicians and decision makers to put in place appropriate strategies to reduce the prevalence of these conditions. In addition, they should plan and evaluate healthcare services to improve the health outcomes of patients with MSDs. Further studies are required to determine the economic burden of the condition and examine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions for patients with MSDs.

Keywords: musculoskeletal disorders, Nigeria, prevalence, real world

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Authors: Anna Citterbergova

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This study explores the safeguards and guarantees to children’s personal data protection under the current EU and US legislative framework, namely the GDPR (2018) and COPPA (2000). Considering that children are online for the majority of their free time, one cannot overlook the negative side effects that may be associated with online participation, which may put children’s wellbeing and their fundamental rights at risk. The question of whether the current relevant legislative framework in relation to the responsibilities of the internet service providers (ISPs) are adequate safeguards and guarantees to children’s personal data protection has been an evolving debate both in the US and in the EU. From a children’s rights perspective, processors of personal data have certain obligations that must meet the international human rights principles (e. g. the CRC, ECHR), which require taking into account the best interest of the child. Accordingly, the need to protect children’s privacy online remains strong and relevant with the expansion of the number and importance of social media platforms to human life. At the same time, the landscape of the internet is rapidly evolving, and commercial interests are taking a more targeted approach in seeking children’s data. Therefore, it is essential to constantly evaluate the ongoing and evolving newly adopted market policies of ISPs that may misuse the gap in the current letter of the law. Previous studies in the field have already pointed out that both GDPR and COPPA may theoretically not be sufficient in protecting children’s personal data. With the focus on social media platforms, this study uses the doctrinal-descriptive method to identifiy the mechanisms enshrined in the GDPR and COPPA designed to protect children’s personal data. In its second part, the study includes a data gathering phase by the national data protection authorities responsible for monitoring and supervision of the GDPR in relation to children’s personal data protection who monitor the enforcement of the data protection rules throughout the European Union an contribute to their consistent application. These gathered primary source of data will later be used to outline the series of benefits and challenges to children’s persona lata protection faced by these institutes and the analysis that aims to suggest if and/or how to hold ISPs accountable while striking a fair balance between the commercial rights and the right to protection of the personal data of children. The preliminary results can be divided into two categories. First, conclusions in the doctrinal-descriptive part of the study. Second, specific cases and situations from the practice of national data protection authorities. While for the first part, concrete conclusions can already be presented, the second part is currently still in the data gathering phase. The result of this research is a comprehensive analysis on the safeguards and guarantees to children’s personal data protection under the current EU and US legislative framework, based on doctrinal-descriptive approach and original empirical data.

Keywords: personal data of children, personal data protection, GDPR, COPPA, ISPs, social media

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Authors: Astrid Bagireanu, Julio Bros-Williamson, Mila Duncheva, John Currie

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Digital Twins (DTs) have entered the built environment from more established industries like aviation and manufacturing, although there has never been a common goal for utilising DTs at scale. Defined as the cyber-physical integration of data between an asset and its virtual counterpart, DT has been identified in literature from an operational standpoint – in addition to monitoring the performance of a built asset. However, this has never been translated into how DTs should be implemented into a project and what responsibilities each project stakeholder holds in the realisation of a DT. What is needed is an approach to translate these requirements into actionable DT dimensions. This paper presents a foundation for an overarching framework specific to the built environment. For the purposes of this research, the UK widely used the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Plan of Work from 2020 is used as a basis for itemising project stages. The RIBA Plan of Work consists of eight stages designed to inform on the definition, briefing, design, coordination, construction, handover, and use of a built asset. Similar project stages are utilised in other countries; therefore, the recommendations from the interviews presented in this paper are applicable internationally. Simultaneously, there is not a single mainstream software resource that leverages DT abilities. This ambiguity meets an unparalleled ambition from governments and industries worldwide to achieve a national grid of interconnected DTs. For the construction industry to access these benefits, it necessitates a defined starting point. This research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential applications and ramifications of DT in the context of the built environment. This paper is an integral part of a larger research aimed at developing a conceptual framework for the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector following a conventional project timeline. Therefore, this paper plays a pivotal role in providing practical insights and a tangible foundation for developing a stage-by-stage approach to assimilate the potential of DT within the built environment. First, the research focuses on a review of relevant literature, albeit acknowledging the inherent constraint of limited sources available. Secondly, a qualitative study compiling the views of 14 DT experts is presented, concluding with an inductive analysis of the interview findings - ultimately highlighting the barriers and strengths of DT in the context of framework development. As parallel developments aim to progress net-zero-centred design and improve project efficiencies across the built environment, the limited resources available to support DTs should be leveraged to propel the industry to reach its digitalisation era, in which AEC stakeholders have a fundamental role in understanding this, from the earliest stages of a project.

Keywords: digital twins, decision-making, design, net-zero, built environment

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Authors: Lixin Tian, Wei Xue

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Many jobs in society go underground, such as mine mining, tunnel construction and subways, which are vital to the development of society. Once accidents occur in these places, the interruption of traditional wired communication is not conducive to the development of rescue work. In order to realize the positioning, early warning and command functions of underground personnel and improve rescue efficiency, it is necessary to develop and design an emergency ground communication system. It is easy to be subjected to narrowband interference when performing conventional underground communication. Spreading communication can be used for this problem. However, general spread spectrum methods such as direct spread communication are inefficient, so it is proposed to use parallel combined spread spectrum (PCSS) communication to improve efficiency. The PCSS communication not only has the anti-interference ability and the good concealment of the traditional spread spectrum system, but also has a relatively high frequency band utilization rate and a strong information transmission capability. So, this technology has been widely used in practice. This paper presents a PCSS communication model-multiple detection parallel combined spread spectrum (MDPCSS) communication system. In this paper, the principle of MDPCSS communication system is described, that is, the sequence at the transmitting end is processed in blocks and cyclically shifted to facilitate multiple detection at the receiving end. The block diagrams of the transmitter and receiver of the MDPCSS communication system are introduced. At the same time, the calculation formula of the system bit error rate (BER) is introduced, and the simulation and analysis of the BER of the system are completed. By comparing with the common parallel PCSS communication, we can draw a conclusion that it is indeed possible to reduce the BER and improve the system performance. Furthermore, the influence of different pseudo-code lengths selected on the system BER is simulated and analyzed, and the conclusion is that the larger the pseudo-code length is, the smaller the system error rate is.

Keywords: cyclic shift, multiple detection, parallel combined spread spectrum, PN code

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Authors: M. M. Atashi, P. Malekzadeh

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A first known formulation for the out-of-plane free vibration analysis of functionally graded (FG) circular curved beams in thermal environment and with temperature dependent material properties is presented. The formulation is based on the first order shear deformation theory (FSDT), which includes the effects of shear deformation and rotary inertia due to both torsional and flexural vibrations. The material properties are assumed to be temperature dependent and graded in the direction normal to the plane of the beam curvature. The equations of motion and the related boundary conditions, which include the effects of initial thermal stresses, are derived using the Hamilton’s principle. Differential quadrature method (DQM), as an efficient and accurate numerical method, is adopted to solve the thermoelastic equilibrium equations and the equations of motion. The fast rate of convergence of the method is investigated and the formulations are validated by comparing the results in the limit cases with the available solutions in the literature for isotropic circular curved beams. In addition, for FG circular curved beams with soft simply supported edges, the results are compared with the obtained exact solutions. Then, the effects of temperature rise, boundary conditions, material and geometrical parameters on the natural frequencies are investigated.

Keywords: out of plane, free vibration, curved beams, functionally graded, thermal environment

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Authors: Nancy Awuor Oduor, Nils Moosdorf

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Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) are a threat to coastal water quality, marine biodiversity, and human health. The attention on HABs and associated phycotoxins is still very low in tropical coastal developing countries despite the high dependence of local communities on coastal and marine resources for food and livelihoods and the growing evidence of the global increase in HABs frequency, toxicity, and geographical expansion. Lack of HABs monitoring thus creates a high risk of exposure due to uncertainty. This study assessed the spatial and temporal variability and effects of potential HAB-forming species in Kenya’s coastal waters. The preliminary results from 463 sampled collected over a series of 10 coastal surveys conducted over 267 Km of Kenya’s coastline between August 2021 and July 2022 revealed the presence of 87 potential algal blooming species belonging to 47 genera dominated by species capable of producing toxins, causing physical harm and high biomass at 41, 31 and 21 % respectively. The taxonomic composition was also dominated by dinoflagellates at 47%, followed by diatoms, cyanobacteria, and silicoflagellates at 39, 12, and 2%, respectively. About 92 % of the toxin-producing species were established in the creek waters. However, there were no significant variations established in species richness between the dry and wet seasons. Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxin-producing dinoflagellates Alexandrium spp., Aphanizomenon spp., Gonyaulax spp., Gymnodinium spp., and Brachydinium capitatum, and Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) Toxin producing diatoms Amphora spp., Nitzschia spp. and Pseudo-nitzschia spp. Frequented the area in low cell densities ranging between 5 and 1500 cells/L. However, no domoic acid (DA) and saxitoxins (SXTs) were detected during the July surveys. This does not mean that the toxins are absent in the area, and longer studies are recommended.

Keywords: harmful algal blooms, phycotoxins, saxitoxin, domoic acid, Kenya

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Authors: Jagdish S. Patel, Piyush Chudasama

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Context: Over-expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) plays critical role in absorption of many drug candidates which results into lower bioavailability of the drug. P-glycoprotein also over expresses in many pathological conditions like diabetes, affecting the drug therapy. Modulation of P-gp expression using inhibitors can help in designing novel formulation enhancing the bioavailability of the drug in question. Objectives: The main focus of the study was to develop advanced glycation end products (AGEs) induced P-gp over expression in Caco-2 cells. Curcumin, piperine and epigallocatechin gallate were used to evaluate their P-gp inhibitory action using combinatorial approach. Materials and methods: Methylglyoxal (MG) induced P-gp over expression was checked in Caco-2 cells using real time PCR. P-gp inhibitory effects of the phytochemicals were measured after induction with MG alone and in combination of any two compounds. Cytotoxicity of each of the phytochemical was evaluated using MTT assay. Results: Induction with MG (100mM) significantly induced the over expression of P-glycoprotein in Caco-2 cells after 24 hr. Curcumin, piperine and epigallocatechin gallate alone significantly reduced the level of P-gp within 6 hr of treatment period monitored by real time PCR. The combination of any two phytochemical also down regulated the expression of P-gp in cells. Combinations of Curcumin and epigallocatechin gallate have shown significant down regulation when compared with other two combinations. Conclusions: Combinatorial approach for down regulating the expression of P-gp, in pathological conditions like diabetes, has demonstrated promising approach for therapeutic purpose.

Keywords: p-glycoprotein, curcumin, piperine, epigallocatechin gallate, p-gp inhibition

Procedia PDF Downloads 330

Authors: Adrian Ionut Nicoara, Denisa Ionela Ene, Alina Maria Holban, Cristina Busuioc

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At present, the development of materials with biomedical applications is a domain of interest that will produce a full series of benefits in engineering and medicine. In this sense, it is required to use a natural material, and this paper is focused on the development of a composite material based on bacterial cellulose – hydroxyapatite and silver nanoparticles with applications in hard tissue. Bacterial cellulose own features like biocompatibility, non-toxicity character and flexibility. Moreover, the bacterial cellulose can be conjugated with different forms of active silver to possess antimicrobial activity. Hydroxyapatite is well known that can mimic at a significant level the activity of the initial bone. The material was synthesized by using an ultrasound probe and finally characterized by several methods. Thereby, the morphological properties were analyzed by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Because the synthesized material has medical application in restore the tissue and to fight against microbial invasion, the samples were tested from the biological point of view by evaluating the biodegradability in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and simulated body fluid (SBF) and moreover the antimicrobial effect was performed on Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli, and fungi Candida albicans. The results reveal that the obtained material has specific characteristics for bone regeneration.

Keywords: bacterial cellulose, biomaterials, hydroxyapatite, scaffolds materials

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Authors: Arife Simsek, Gulfem Bakan

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Sediment refers to the accumulation of varying amounts of sediment material in natural waters and the formation of bottom sludge. Sediments are the most important sources of pollutants as well as important future sources and carriers of pollutants. The accumulation of pollutants in sediments can cause serious environmental problems for the surrounding areas. Heavy metals (such as Cr, Cd, Al, Pb, Cu, Al, Zn) disrupt the water quality, affect the useful use of sediment, affect the ecosystem and have a toxic effect on the life of the sediment layer. This effect, which accumulates in the aquatic organisms, can enter the human body with the food chain and affect health seriously. Potential metal toxicity can be determined by comparing acid volatile sulfides (AVS) – simultaneously extracted metal (SEM) ratio in anoxic sediments to determine the effect of metals. Determination of the concentration of SEM and AVS is useful in screening sediments for potential toxicity due to the high metal concentration. In the case of SEM/AVS < 0 (anoxic sediment); in terms of AVS biomass production, its toxicity can be controlled. No toxic effects may be observed when SEM / AVS < 0. SEM / AVS > 0 (in the case of oxic sediment); metals with sensitive fraction such as Cu, As, Ag, Zn are stored. In this study, AVS and SEM measurements of sediment samples collected from five different points in the district of Tekkeköy in Samsun province were performed. The SEM - AVS ratio was greater than 0 in all samples. Therefore, it is necessary to test the toxicity against the risks that may occur in the ecosystem.

Keywords: AVS-SEM, Black Sea, heavy metal, sediment, toxicity

Procedia PDF Downloads 133

Authors: Vladyslav Povoroznyuk, Larysa Martynyuk, Iryna Syzonenko, Liliya Martynyuk

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Medical, social, and economic relevance of osteoporosis is caused by reducing quality of life, increasing disability and mortality of the patients as a result of fractures due to the low-energy trauma. This study is aimed to examine the associations of metabolic syndrome components, bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone score (TBS) in menopausal women with non-vertebral fractures. 1161 menopausal women aged 50-79 year-old were examined and divided into three groups: A included 419 women with increased body weight (BMI - 25.0-29.9 kg/m²), B – 442 females with obesity (BMI >29.9 kg/m²)i and C – 300 women with metabolic syndrome (diagnosis according to IDF criteria, 2005). BMD of lumbar spine (L1-L4), femoral neck, total body and forearm was investigated with usage of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The bone quality indexes were measured according to Med-Imaps installation. All analyses were performed using Statistical Package 6.0. BMD of lumbar spine (L1-L4), femoral neck, total body, and ultradistal radius was significant higher in women with obesity and metabolic syndrome compared to the pre-obese ones (p<0.001). TBS was significantly higher in women with increased body weight compared to obese and metabolic syndrome patients. Analysis showed significant positive correlation between waist circumference, triglycerides level and BMD of lumbar spine and femur. Significant negative association between serum HDL level and BMD of investigated sites was established. The TBS (L1-L4) indexes positively correlated with HDL (high-density lipoprotein) level. Despite the fact that BMD indexes were better in women with metabolic syndrome, the frequency of non-vertebral fractures was significantly higher in this group of patients.

Keywords: bone mineral density, trabecular bone score, metabolic syndrome, fracture

Procedia PDF Downloads 203

Authors: Tzipi Eshet

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The importance of environmental education as part of a national strategy to promote the environment is recognized around the world. Lecturers at colleges of teacher education have considerable responsibility, directly and indirectly, for the environmental literacy of students who will end up teaching in the school system. This study examined whether lecturers in colleges of teacher education and teacher training in Israel, are able and willing to develop among the students, environmental literacy. Capability and readiness is assessed by evaluating the level of environmental literacy dimensions that include knowledge on environmental issues, positions related to the environmental agenda and "green" patterns of behavior in everyday life. The survey included 230 lecturers from 22 state colleges coming from various sectors (secular, religious, and Arab), from different academic fields and different personal backgrounds. Firstly, the results show that the higher the commitment to environmental issues, the lower the satisfaction with the current situation. In general, the respondents show positive environmental attitudes in all categories examined, they feel that they can personally influence responsible environmental behavior of others and are able to internalize environmental education in schools and colleges; they also report positive environmental behavior. There are no significant differences between teachers of different background characteristics when it comes to behavior patterns that generate personal income funds (e.g. returning bottles for deposit). Women show a more responsible environmental behavior than men. Jewish lecturers, in most categories, show more responsible behavior than Druze and Arab lecturers; however, when referring to positions, Arabs and Druze have a better sense in their ability to influence the environmental agenda. The Knowledge test, which included 15 questions, was mostly based on basic environmental issues. The average score was adequate - 83.6. Science lecturers' environmental literacy is higher than the other lecturers significantly. The larger the environmental knowledge base is, they are more environmental in their attitudes, and they feel more responsible toward the environment. It can be concluded from the research findings, that knowledge is a fundamental basis for developing environmental literacy. Environmental knowledge has a positive effect on the development of environmental commitment that is reflected in attitudes and behavior. This conclusion is probably also true of the general public. Hence, there is a great importance to the expansion of knowledge among the general public and teacher educators in particular on environmental. From the open questions in the survey, it is evident that most of the lecturers are interested in the subject and understand the need to integrate environmental issues in the colleges, either directly by teaching courses on the environment or indirectly by integrating environmental issues in different professions as well as asking the students to set an example (such as, avoid unnecessary printing, keeping the environment clean). The curriculum at colleges should include a variety of options for the development and enhancement of environmental literacy of student teachers, but first there must be a focus on bringing their teachers to a high literacy level so they can meet the difficult and important task they face.

Keywords: colleges of teacher education, environmental literacy, environmental education, teacher's teachers

Procedia PDF Downloads 278

Authors: Eni Rahmi, Rasmi Rikmasari, Taufik Soemarsongko

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Background: One of the bad habits that requires a treatment and viewed as a risk factor of the temporomandibular disorder is bruxism. Bruxism defined as an awake and/or asleep parafunctional activities include grinding, gnashing, bracing or clenching of the teeth. In particular circumstances such as an increased frequency of episode, duration and the intensity of masseter contractions, caused phenomenon with pathological consequences, i.e., mandibular remodeling. The remodeling in mandibular angle was associated with the masseter and pterygoid medial muscles attachment which in its insertion area. The aim of this study was to compare the mandibular remodeling between bruxers and non-bruxers with ramus height, gonial angle and bigonial width as parameters, and to identify correlation among those parameters in bruxers, using panoramic radiographic. Methods: This study was conducted on 35 bruxers (10 phasic bruxism patients, 6 tonic bruxism patients, and 19 mixed bruxism patients) and 20 non-bruxers as control group. The data were obtained by using questionary, clinical examination, and radiographic measurement. Panoramic radiograph measurement was done using soft CBCT EPX Impla (E-Woo Korea). The data was analyzed by using Paired T-Test to see differences between parameters in both group and Pearson Correlation Test to evaluate correlation among parameters. Result: There was significant differences between bruxers and non-bruxers in ramus heights (p=0,04), bigonial widths (p=0,001), and gonial angles(p=0,015). The bruxers showed increased ramus heights and bigonial widths, in other hand, the gonial angles decreased. This study also found that there was highly correlation among ramus height, gonial angles, and bigonial widths. Conclusion: the bone remodeling occurred on inferior and posterior border of mandibular angle in bruxism patient, indicated by the form and size differences between bruxers (phasic bruxism, tonic bruxism, and mixed bruxism) with non-bruxers, which shown by panoramic radiograph.

Keywords: bruxism, ramus height, gonial angle, bigonial width

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Authors: Neda Jebellie

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New information and communication technologies (ICT) not only has revolutionized the world of communication but has also strongly impacted the state of international terrorism. Using the potential of social media, the new wave of terrorism easily can recruit new jihadi members, spread their violent ideology and garner financial support. IS (Islamic State) as the most dangerous terrorist group has already conquered a great deal of social media space and has deployed sophisticated web-based strategies to promote its extremist doctrine. In this respect the vastly popular social media are the perfect tools for IS to establish its virtual Caliphate (e-caliphate) and e-Ommah (e-citizen).Using social media to release violent videos of beheading journalists, burning their hostages alive and mass killing of prisoners are IS strategies to terrorize and subjugate its enemies. Several Twitter and Facebook accounts which are IS affiliations have targeted young generation of Muslims all around the world. In fact IS terrorists use modern resources of communication not only to share information and conduct operations but also justify their violent acts. The strict Wahhabi doctrine of ISIS is based on a fundamental interpretation of Islam in which religious war against non Muslims (Jihad) and killing infidels (Qatal) have been praised and recommended. Via social media IS disseminates its propaganda to inspire sympathizers across the globe. Combating this new wave of terrorism which is exploiting new communication technologies is the most significant challenge for authorities. Before the rise of internet and social media governments had to control only mosques and religious gathering such as Friday sermons(Jamaah Pray) to prevent spreading extremism among Muslims community in their country. ICT and new communication technologies have heighten the challenge of dealing with Islamic radicalism and have amplified its threat .According to the official reports even some of the governments such as UK have created a special force of Facebook warriors to engage in unconventional warfare in digital age. In compare with other terrorist groups, IS has effectively grasped social media potential. Their horrifying released videos on YouTube easily got viral and were re-twitted and shared by thousands of social media users. While some of the social media such as Twitter and Facebook have shut down many accounts alleged to IS but new ones create immediately so only blocking their websites and suspending their accounts cannot solve the problem as terrorists recreate new accounts. To combat cyber terrorism focusing on disseminating counter narrative strategies can be a solution. Creating websites and providing online materials to propagate peaceful and moderate interpretation of Islam can provide a cogent alternative to extremist views.

Keywords: IS-islamic state, cyber terrorism, social media, terrorism, information, communication technologies

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Authors: Petcharat Kerdonfag, Surasak Taneepanichskul, Winai Wadwongtham

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Background: Although there have not been effective treatments for Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), it can be definitely preventable with promoting the use of Hearing Protection devices (HPDs) among workers who have been exposed to excessive noise for a long period. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to explore the use of HPDs among steel industrial workers in the high noise level zone in Samut Prakan province, Thailand and to examine the relationships of the HPDs use and hearing loss. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, eligible ninety-three participants were recruited in the designated zone of higher noise (> 85dBA) of two factories, using simple random sampling. The use of HPDs was gathered by the self-record form, examined and confirmed by the researcher team. Hearing loss was assessed by the audiometric screening at the regional Samut Prakan hospital. If an average threshold level exceeds 25 dBA at high frequency (4 and 6 Hz) in each ear, participants would be lost of hearing. Data were collected from October to December, 2016. All participants were examined by the same examiners for the validity. An Audiometric testing was performed with the participants who have been exposed to high noise levels at least 14 hours from workplace. Results: Sixty participants (64.5%) had secondary level of education. The average mean score of percent time of using HPDs was 60.5% (SD = 25.34). Sixty-seven participants (72.0%) had abnormal hearing which they have still needed to increase lower percent time of using HPDs (Mean = 37.01, SD = 23.81) than those having normal hearing (Mean = 45.77, SD = 28.44). However, there was no difference in the mean average of percent time of using HPDs between these two groups.Conclusion: The findings of this study have confirmed that the steel industrial workers still need to be motivated to use HPDs regularly. Future research should pay more attentions for creating a meaningful innovation to steel industrial workers.

Keywords: hearing protection devices, noise induced hearing loss, audiometric testing, steel industry

Procedia PDF Downloads 249

Authors: Evangeline Mbah, Margret Okeke, Agbo Joseph

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Agriculture was primarily a rural activity in Nigeria, but due to increasing demand for food and jobs for many urban dwellers, it became necessary for urban households to embark on farming as a means of improving household food security and additional income for economic empowerment. Urban agriculture serves as a veritable tool for poverty reduction among people living in urban areas mostly low-income earners and unemployed. The survey was conducted to identify key challenges encountered by households in Makurdi metropolis of Benue state, Nigeria who are engaged in urban agriculture. A well-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of respondents used for the study. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean score and standard deviation. Results show that a greater percentage (46.0%) of the respondents engaged in cultivation of leafy vegetable, 22.0% cultivated cassava, 21.0% planted sweet potato, 18.0% cultivated tomato while 56.0% reared poultry, 23.0% kept goat, among others. Sources of agricultural information indicated by the respondents were family members/relations (85.0%), friends/neighbours (73.0%), radio (68.0%), extension agents (57.0%), etc. Major challenges encountered by the respondents in urban agriculture include inadequate size of farmland (M= 2.72), lack of access to credit facilities (M= 2.63), lack of funds (M= 2.50), high cost of labour (M= 2.49), insecurity of lands (M= 2.46), theft of crops at maturity (M= 2.38), lack of farm inputs such as improved varieties of seeds, fertilizer and exotic breeds of livestock (M= 2.23), destruction of crops by stray farm animals (M= 1.96), among others. The study recommends that there is a need for adequate provision of farm inputs by the government at all levels at a subsidized rate in order to reduce the cost of production and enhance optimum productivity.

Keywords: urban, agriculture, household, challenges, Makurdi, Nigeria

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Authors: Aslanova Aida Ramiz

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One of the important aspects of rheophysical problems in oil and gas extraction is the regulation of thermohydrodynamic properties of liquid systems using physical and physicochemical methods. It is known that the constituent parts of real fluid systems in oil and gas production are practically non-conducting, non-magnetically active components. Real heterogeneous hydrocarbon systems, from the structural point of view, consist of an infinite number of microscopic local ion-electrostatic cores distributed in the volume of the dispersion medium. According to Cohen's rule, double electric layers are formed at the contact boundaries of components in contact (oil-gas, oil-water, water-condensate, etc.) in a heterogeneous system, and as a result, each real fluid system can be represented as a complex composition of a set of local electrostatic fields. The electrokinetic properties of this structure are characterized by a certain electrode potential. Prof. F.H. Valiyev called this potential the α-factor and came up with the idea that many natural and technological rheophysical processes (effects) are essentially electrokinetic in nature, and by changing the α-factor, it is possible to adjust the physical properties of real hydraulic systems, including thermohydrodynamic parameters. Based on this idea, extensive research work was conducted, and the possibility of reducing hydraulic resistances and improving rheological properties was experimentally discovered in real liquid systems by reducing the electrical potential with various physical and chemical methods.

Keywords: microcracked, electrode potential, hydraulic resistance, Newtonian fluid, rheophysical properties

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Authors: Thomas Compton

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As Decolonialism becomes an important topic in Political Theory, the rupture between the colonized and the colonist relation has lost attention. Focusing on the anti-colonial activist Madhi Amel, we shall consider his attention to the permanence of the colonial relation and how it preempts Frank Wilderson’s formulation of (white) culturally necessary Anti-Black violence. Both projects draw attention away from empirical accounts of oppression, instead focusing on the structural relation which precipitates them. As Amel says that we should stop thinking of the ‘underdeveloped’ as beyond the colonial relation, Wilderson says we should stop think of the Black rights that have surpassed the role of the slave. However, Amel moves beyond his idol Althusser’s Structuralism toward a formulation of the colonial relation as source of domination. Our analysis will take a Lacanian turn in considering how this non-relation was formulated as a relation how this space of negativity became a ideological opportunity for Colonial domination. Wilderson’s work shall problematise this as we conclude with his criticisms of Structural accounts for the failure to consider how Black social death exists as more than necessity but a cite of white desire. Amel, a Lebanese activist and scholar (re)discovered by Hicham Safieddine, argues colonialism is more than the theft of land, but instead a privatization of collective property and form of investment which (re)produces the status of the capitalist in spaces ‘outside’ the market. Although Amel was a true Marxist-Leninsist, who exposited the economic determinacy of the Colonial Mode of Production, we are reading this account through Alenka Zupančič’s reformulation of the ‘invisible hand job of the market’. Amel points to the signifier ‘underdeveloped’ as buttressed on a pre-colonial epistemic break, as the Western investor (debt collector) sees the (post?) colony narcissistic image. However, the colony can never become site of class conflict, as the workers are not unified but existing between two countries. In industry, they are paid in Colonial subjectivisation, the promise of market (self)pleasure, at home, they are refugees. They are not, as Wilderson states, in the permanent social death of the slave, but they are less than the white worker. This is formulated as citizen (white), non-citizen (colonized), anti-citizen (Black/slave). Here we may also think of how indentured Indians were used as instruments of colonial violence. Wilderson’s aphorism “there is no analogy to anti-Black violence” lays bare his fundamental opposition between colonial and specifically anti-Black violence. It is not only that the debt collector, landowner, or other owners of production pleasures themselves as if their hand is invisible. The absolute negativity between colony and colonized provides a new frontier for desire, the development of a colonial mode of production. An invention inside the colonial structure that is generative of class substitution. We shall explore how Amel ignores the role of the slave but how Wilderson forecloses the history African anti-colonial.

Keywords: afropessimism, fanon, marxism, postcolonialism

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Authors: Sihem Bazid, Meriem El Kolli, Aicha Medjahed

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Proteins and polysaccharides are the two types of biopolymers most frequently used in the food industry to control the mechanical properties and structural stability and organoleptic properties of the products. The textural and structural properties of these two types of blend polymers depend on their interaction and their ability to form organized structures. From an industrial point of view, a better understanding of mixtures protein / polysaccharide is an important issue since they are already heavily involved in processed food. It is in this context that we have chosen to work on a model system composed of a fibrous protein mixture (gelatin)/anionic polysaccharide (sodium carboxymethylcellulose). Gelatin, one of the most popular biopolymers, is widely used in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and photographic applications, because of its unique functional and technological properties. Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) is an anionic linear polysaccharide derived from cellulose. It is an important industrial polymer with a wide range of applications. The functional properties of this anionic polysaccharide can be modified by the presence of proteins with which it might interact. Another factor may also manage the interaction of protein-polysaccharide mixtures is the triple helix of the gelatin. Its complex synthesis method results in an extracellular assembly containing several levels. Collagen can be in a soluble state or associate into fibrils, which can associate in fiber. Each level corresponds to an organization recognized by the cellular and metabolic system. Gelatin allows this approach, the formation of gelatin gel has triple helical folding of denatured collagen chains, this gel has been the subject of numerous studies, and it is now known that the properties depend only on the rate of triple helices forming the network. Chemical modification of this system is quite controlled. Observe the dynamics of the triple helix may be relevant in understanding the interactions involved in protein-polysaccharides mixtures. Gelatin is central to any industrial process, understand and analyze the molecular dynamics induced by the triple helix in the transitions gelatin, can have great economic importance in all fields and especially the food. The goal is to understand the possible mechanisms involved depending on the nature of the mixtures obtained. From a fundamental point of view, it is clear that the protective effect of NaCMC on gelatin and conformational changes of the α helix are strongly influenced by the nature of the medium. Our goal is to minimize the maximum the α helix structure changes to maintain more stable gelatin and protect against denaturation that occurs during such conversion processes in the food industry. In order to study the nature of interactions and assess the properties of mixtures, polarimetry was used to monitor the optical parameters and to assess the rate of helicity gelatin.

Keywords: gelatin, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, interaction gelatin-NaCMC, the rate of helicity, polarimetry

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Authors: John P. Ulhøi

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Firms are faced with pressure to stay innovative and entrepreneurial while at the same time leaving lighter ecological footprints. Traditionally inspiration for new product development (NPD) has come from the creative in-house staff and from the marketplace. Often NPD offered by this approach has proven to be (far from) optimal for its purpose or highly (resource and energy) efficient. More recently, a bio-inspired NPD approach has surfaced under the banner of biomimetics. Biomimetics refers to inspiration from and translations of designs, systems, processes, and or specific properties that exist in nature. The principles and structures working in nature have evolved over a long period of time enable them to be optimized for the purpose and resource and energy-efficient. These characteristics reflect the raison d'être behind the field of biomimetics. While biological expertise is required to understand and explain such natural and biological principles and structures, engineers are needed to translate biological design and processes into synthetic applications. It can, therefore, hardly be surprising, biomimetics long has gained a solid foothold in both biology and engineering. The commercial adoption of biomimetic applications in new production development (NDP) in industry, however, does not quite reflect a similar growth. Differently put, this situation suggests that something is missing in the biomimetic-NPD-equation, thus acting as a brake towards the wider commercial application of biomimetics and thus the use of eco-materials and design in the industry. This paper closes some of that gap. Before concluding, avenues for future research and implications for practice will be briefly sketched out.

Keywords: biomimetics, eco-materials, NPD, commercialization

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Authors: Yake Zhang, Peng Xu

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The development of building energy models (BEM) required for architectural design and analysis is a time-consuming and complex process, demanding a deep understanding and proficient use of simulation software. To streamline the generation of complex building energy models, this study proposes an automated method for generating building energy models using a large language model and the BEM library aimed at improving the efficiency of model generation. This method leverages a large language model to parse user-specified requirements for target building models, extracting key features such as building location, window-to-wall ratio, and thermal performance of the building envelope. The BEM library is utilized to retrieve energy models that match the target building’s characteristics, serving as reference information for the large language model to enhance the accuracy and relevance of the generated model, allowing for the creation of a building energy model that adapts to the user’s modeling requirements. This study enables the automatic creation of building energy models based on natural language inputs, reducing the professional expertise required for model development while significantly decreasing the time and complexity of manual configuration. In summary, this study provides an efficient and intelligent solution for building energy analysis and simulation, demonstrating the potential of a large language model in the field of building simulation and performance modeling.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, building energy modelling, building simulation, large language model

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Authors: Magdalena Blachnio, Viktor Bogatyrov, Mariia Galaburda, Anna Derylo-Marczewska

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Agricultural waste materials from traditional oil mill and after extraction of natural raw materials in supercritical conditions were used for the preparation of carbon nanomaterials (activated carbons) by two various methods. Chemical activation using acetic acid and physical activation with a gaseous agent (carbon dioxide) were chosen as mild and environmentally friendly ones. The effect of influential factors: type of raw material, temperature and activation agent on the porous structure characteristics of the materials was discussed by using N₂ adsorption/desorption isotherms at 77 K. Furthermore scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to examine the physicochemical properties of the obtained sorbents. Selection of a raw material and an optimization of the conditions of the synthesis process, allowed to obtain the cheap sorbents with a targeted distribution of pores enabling effective adsorption of the model organic pollutants carried out in the multicomponent systems. Adsorption behavior (capacity and rate) of the chosen activated carbons was estimated by utilizing Crystal violet (CV), 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4-CPA), 2.4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2.4-D) as the adsorbates. Both rate and adsorption capacity of the organics on the sorbents evidenced that the activated carbons could be effectively used in sewage treatment plants. The mechanisms of organics adsorption were studied and correlated with activated carbons properties.

Keywords: activated carbon, adsorption equilibrium, adsorption kinetics, organics adsorption

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Authors: Lopita Pal, Suresh V. Madha

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Wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peat land or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres. The rapidly expanding human population, large scale changes in land use/land cover, burgeoning development projects and improper use of watersheds all has caused a substantial decline of wetland resources in the world. Major degradations have been impacted from agricultural, industrial and urban developments leading to various types of pollutions and hydrological perturbations. Regular fishing activities and unsustainable grazing of animals are degrading the wetlands in a slow pace. The paper focuses on the spatio-temporal change detection of the area of the water body and the main cause of this depletion. The total area under study (22°19’87’’ N, 88°20’23’’ E) is a wetland region in West Bengal of 213 sq.km. The procedure used is the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) from multi-spectral imagery and Landsat to detect the presence of surface water, and the datasets have been compared of the years 2016, 2006 and 1996. The result shows a sharp decline in the area of water body due to a rapid increase in the agricultural practices and the growing urbanization.

Keywords: spatio-temporal change, NDWI, urbanization, wetland

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Authors: Woosik Jang, Seung Heon Han, Seung Won Baek

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Natural gas (NG) is an energy resource in a few countries, and most NG producers do business in politically unstable countries. In addition, as 90% of the LNG market is controlled by a small number of international oil companies (IOCs) and national oil companies (NOCs), entry of latecomers into the market is extremely limited. To meet these challenges, project viability needs to be assessed based on limited information from a project screening perspective. However, the early stages of the project have the following difficulties: (1) What are the factors to consider? (2) How many professionals do you need to decide? (3) How to make the best decision with limited information? To address this problem, this study proposes a model for evaluating LNG project viability based on the Dempster-Shafer theory (DST). A total of 11 indicators for analyzing the gas field, reflecting the characteristics of the LNG industry, and 23 indicators for analyzing the market environment, were identified. The proposed model also evaluates the LNG project based on the survey and provides uncertainty of the results based on DST as well as quantified results. Thus, the proposed model is expected to be able to support the decision-making process of the gas field project using quantitative results as a systematic framework, and it was developed as a stand-alone system to improve its usefulness in practice. Consequently, the amount of information and the mathematical approach are expected to improve the quality and opportunity of decision making for LNG projects for enterprises.

Keywords: project screen, energy enterprise, decision support system, Dempster-Shafer theory

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Authors: Osama Sassi, Manal Eltorki, Iftikhar Ahmad

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Poor integrity is one of the major causes of leaks and accidents in gas transmission pipelines. To ensure safe operation, it is must to have efficient and effective pipeline integrity management (PIM) system. The corrosion management is one of the important aspects of successful pipeline integrity management program together design, material selection, operations, risk evaluation and communication aspects to maintain pipelines in a fit-for-service condition. The objective of a corrosion management plan is to design corrosion mitigation, monitoring, and inspection strategy, and for maintenance in a timely manner. This paper presents the experience of corrosion management of a gas transmission pipeline from Wafa field to Mellitah gas plant in Libya. The pipeline is 525.5 km long and having 32 inches diameter. It is a buried pipeline. External corrosion on pipeline is controlled with a combination of coatings and cathodic protection while internal corrosion is controlled with a combination of chemical inhibitors, periodic cleaning and process control. The monitoring and inspection techniques provide a way to measure the effectiveness of corrosion control systems and provide an early warning when changing conditions may be causing a corrosion problem. This paper describes corrosion management system used in Mellitah Oil & Gas BV for its gas transmission pipeline based on standard practices of corrosion mitigation and inspection.

Keywords: corrosion mitigation on gas transmission pipelines, pipeline integrity management, corrosion management of gas pipelines, prevention and inspection of corrosion

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Authors: Farouq Sule Garo, Yahaya Yusuf

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The purpose of this study is to investigate why there is a general lack of successful adoption of sustainable energy in Nigeria. This is particularly important given the current global campaign for net-zero emissions. The 26th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP26), held in 2021, was hosted by the UK, in Glasgow, where, amongst other things, countries including Nigeria agreed to a zero emissions pact. There is, therefore, an obligation on the part of Nigeria for transition from fossil fuel-based economy to a sustainable net-zero emissions economy. The adoption of renewable energy is fundamental to achieving this ambitious target if decarbonisation of economic activities were to become a reality. Nigeria has an abundance of sources of renewable energy and yet there has been poor uptake and where attempts have been made to develop and harness renewable energy resources, there has been limited success. It is not entirely clear why this is the case. When analysts allude to corruption as the reason for failure for successful adoption of renewable energy or project implementation, it is arguable that corruption alone cannot explain the situation. Therefore, there is the need for a thorough investigation into the underlying issues surrounding poor uptake of renewable energy in Nigeria. This pilot study, drawing upon stakeholders’ theory, adopts a multi-stakeholder’ perspectives to investigate the influence and impacts of economic, political, technological, social factors in adoption of renewable energy in Nigeria. The research will also investigate how these factors shape (or fail to shape) strategies for achieving successful adoption of renewable energy in the country. A qualitative research methodology has been adopted given the nature of the research requiring in-depth studies in specific settings rather than a general population survey. There will be a number of interviews and each interview will allow thorough probing of sources. This, in addition to the six interviews that have already been conducted, primarily focused on economic dimensions of the challenges in adoption of renewable energy. The six participants in these initial interviews were all connected to the Katsina Wind Farm Project that was conceived and built with the view to diversifying Nigeria's energy mix and capitalise on the vast wind energy resources in the northern region. The findings from the six interviews provide insights into how the economic factors impacts on the wind farm project. Some key drivers have been identified, including strong governmental support and the recognition of the need for energy diversification. These drivers have played crucial roles in initiating and advancing the Katsina Wind Farm Project. In addition, the initial analysis has highlighted various challenges encountered during the project's implementation, including financial, regulatory, and environmental aspects. These challenges provide valuable lessons that can inform strategies to mitigate risks and improve future wind energy projects.

Keywords: challenges in adoption of renewable energy, economic factors, net-zero emission, political factors

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Authors: Ali Abdelnabi, Nermeen Hamza

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Coral calcium is a boasting natural product and dietary supplement which is considered a source of alkaline calcium carbonate, this study is a comparative study, comparing the remineralization effect of the new product of coral calcium with that of nano-hydroxyapatite. Methodology: a total of 35 extracted molars were collected, examined and sectioned to obtain 70 sound enamel discs, all discs were numbered and examined by scanning electron microscope coupled with Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays(EDAX) for mineral content, subjected to artificial caries, and mineral content was re-measured, discs were divided into seven groups according to the remineralizing agent used, where groups 1 to 3 used 10%, 20%, 30% nanohydroxyapatite gel respectively, groups 4 to 6 used 10%, 20%, 30% coral calcium gel and group 7 with no remineralizing agent (control group). All groups were re-examined by EDAX after remineralization; data were calculated and tabulated. Results: All groups showed a statistically significant drop in calcium level after artificial caries; all groups showed a statistically significant rise in calcium content after remineralization except for the control group; groups 1 and 5 showed the highest increase in calcium level after remineralization. Conclusion: coral calcium can be considered a comparative product to nano-hydroxyapatite regarding the remineralization of enamel initial carious lesions.

Keywords: artificial caries, coral calcium, nanohydroxyapatite, re-mineralization

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Authors: A. Vinod Kumar, G. Sunny Deol, Rakesh Kumar, B. Chandra

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Application of fiber reinforcement in road construction is gaining some interest in enhancing soil strength. In this paper, the natural geotextile material obtained from gunny bags was used due to its vast local availability. Construction of flexible pavement on weaker soil such as clay soils is a significant problem in construction as well as in design due to its expansive characteristics. Jute geotextile (JGT) was used on a foundation layer of flexible pavement on rural roads. This problem will be conquered by increasing the subgrade strength by decreasing sub-base layer thickness by improving their overall pavement strength characteristics which ultimately reduces the cost of construction and leads to an economical design. California Bearing Ratio (CBR), unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and triaxial laboratory tests were conducted on two different soil samples, CI and MI. Weaker soil is reinforced with JGT, JGT+Bitumen. JGT+polythene sheet was varied with heights while performing the laboratory tests. Subgrade strength evaluation was investigated by conducting soak CBR test in the laboratory for clayey and silt soils. Laboratory results reveal that reinforced soak CBR value of clayey soil (CI) observed was 10.35%, and silty soil (MI) was 15.6%. This study intends to develop new technique for reinforcing weaker soil with JGT varying parameters for the need of low volume flexible pavements. It was observed that the performance of JGT is inferior when used with bitumen and polyethylene sheets.

Keywords: CBR, jute geotextile, low volume road, weaker soil

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Authors: Cleopatra Oluseye Ibukun

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Following the endogenous growth theory, entrepreneurship has been considered pivotal to economic growth and development, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria. Meanwhile, efforts to reduce unemployment has yielded minimal result with over 36% of youth unemployment and a dwindling economic growth despite the country’s natural and human resource endowment. This study, therefore, investigates the effects of entrepreneurship and institutional quality on economic growth and unemployment in Nigeria over the period 1996 to 2018. The data is obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), World Bank’s World Development Indicators (WDI), and the World Bank’s World Governance Indicators (WGI). The study period is guided by the availability of data, and the study employs both descriptive and econometric techniques of analysis (specifically, the Auto-regressive Distributed Lag Approach). This approach is preferable given that the variables are stationary at the first difference, while the bounds test suggests the existence of co-integration among the variables. By implication, an increase in entrepreneurship significantly improves economic growth, and it reduces unemployment in both the short-run and the long-run. Besides, institutional quality proxied by the control of corruption, political stability, and government effectiveness significantly mediates the interaction between entrepreneurship and macroeconomic performance. This study concludes that improved institutional quality enhances the effect of entrepreneurship on economic growth and unemployment in Nigeria, and it recommends an improvement in Nigeria’s institutional quality because it can jeopardise or augment the effect of entrepreneurship on macroeconomic performance.

Keywords: entrepreneurship, institutional quality, unemployment, gross domestic product, Nigeria

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Authors: Mariel L. Alonzo, Patricia Mae T. Chi, Juliana Patrice P. Mayormita, Sanjana A. Sorio

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Compassion fade proposes an inverse relationship between the magnitude of stimuli to elicited compassion. This phenomenon is viewed within a framework that integrates a 3-Act Compassion structure with Latané and Darley’s Unresponsive Bystander Model and Prospect Theory of Decision-making under risk. Students (N=211) from Ateneo de Davao were sampled to examine the effects of mass perception (increasing number of needy persons) and intertemporal choice (soon versus later) on volunteering behavior. Collegiate classes in their natural setting were randomly assigned to five different treatment groups and were presented with audiovisual presentations featuring an increasing number of needy persons. The students were deceived to believe that two hypothetical feeding programs for Marawi refugees, taking place in 1 month and 6 months, were in need of volunteers for its preparatory phase. Results show a statistically significant (p=0.000; p=0.013) non-linear trend consistently for both feeding programs. There was a decrease in volunteered time means as identifiable victims increased from 0-47 and an increase as it progressed towards 267 non-identifiable victims. Highest interest was expressed for the 0 needy people shown and least for 47. The 0 hours volunteered was consistently the mode and median in all treatments. There was no statistically significant temporal discounting effect.

Keywords: compassion, group perception, identifiable victim, intertemporal choice, prosocial behavior, unresponsive bystander

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