Search results for: role of media

Authors: Muhammad Sajjad-ur-Rehman

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Pakistan was meant to be a progressive modern Muslim nation state since its inception in 1947. Its birth was a big hope for the Muslims of Sub-continent to transform their societies on Islamic lines—the promise which made them unite and vote for Pakistan during independence movement. This was the vision put forwarded by Allama Iqbal and Muhammad Ali Jinnah—the two founding fathers of Pakistan. Dwelling on interpretive/ analytical approach, this paper analyzes the thoughts and reflections of Iqbal and Jinnah to understand the issues of collective identity formation in Pakistan. It argues that there may be traced two distinct identity models in the thoughts and reflections of these two leading figures of Pakistan movement: First may be called as ‘faith-based identity model’ while the other may be named as ‘interests-based identity model’. These can also be entitled as ‘Islam-as-faith model’ and ‘Islam-as-ideology model’. Former seeks the diffusion of power by cultural/ faith based means and thus society remains independent in determining its change. While the later goes on to open and expand the power realm by maximizing the role of state in determining the social change. With the help of these models, it can better be explained that what made Pakistani society fail in the collective political identity construction, hindering thus the political potential of the society to be utilized for initiating state formation and societal growth. As a result, today, we see a state that is often rebelled and resisted on the name of ethnicity, religion and sectarianism on one hand and by the ordinary folk when and wherever possible.

Keywords: idealogy, Iqbal, Jinnah, identity

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Authors: Vasanth Narayanan

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The mid-nineteenth century saw the Japanese elite and townsfolk alike undergo the now-infamous Ansei Edo earthquakes. The quakes decimated Japan in the final decades of the Tokugawa Era and, perhaps more consequentially, birthed a new genre of politically inspired artwork, the most notable of which are the namazu-e. This essay advocates an understanding of the 1855 Catfish Prints (namazu-e) that prioritizes the function of iconography and anthropomorphic deity in shaping the namazu-e into a wholly political experience that makes the censorship of the time part of its argument. The visual program is defined as the creation of a politically profitable experience, crafted through the union of explicit religion, highly masked commentary, and the impositions of censorship. The strategies by which the works are designed, in the face of censorship, to engage a less educated, pedestrian audience with its theme, including considerations of iconography, depictions of the working class, anthropomorphism, and the relationship between textual and visual elements, are discussed herein. The essay then takes up the question of the role of tense Japan–United States relations in fostering censorship and as a driver of the production of namazu-e. It is ultimately understood that the marriage of hefty censorship protocol, the explicitly religious medium, and inimical sentiment towards United States efforts at diplomacy renders the production of namazu-e an offspring of the censorship and deeply held frustrations of the time, cementing its status as a primitive form of peaceful protest against a seemingly apathetic government.

Keywords: Japan, Ansei Earthquake, Namazu, prints, censorship, religion

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Authors: Bander Alzahrani

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Information-centric networking (ICN) using architectures such as Publish-Subscribe Internet Routing Paradigm (PSIRP) is one of the promising candidates for a future Internet, has recently been under the spotlight by the research community to investigate the possibility of redesigning the current Internet architecture to solve many issues such as routing scalability, security, and quality of services issues.. The Bloom filter-based forwarding is a source-routing approach that is used in the PSIRP architecture. This mechanism is vulnerable to brute force attacks which may lead to denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. In this work, we present a new forwarding approach that keeps the advantages of Bloom filter-based forwarding while mitigates attacks on the forwarding mechanism. In practice, we introduce a special type of forwarding nodes called Edge-FW to be placed at the edge of the network. The role of these node is to add an extra security layer by validating and inspecting packets at the edge of the network against brute-force attacks and check whether the packet contains a legitimate forwarding identifier (FId) or not. We leverage Certificateless Aggregate Signature (CLAS) scheme with a small size of 64-bit which is used to sign the FId. Hence, this signature becomes bound to a specific FId. Therefore, malicious nodes that inject packets with random FIds will be easily detected and dropped at the Edge-FW node when the signature verification fails. Our preliminary security analysis suggests that with the proposed approach, the forwarding plane is able to resist attacks such as DoS with very high probability.

Keywords: bloom filter, certificateless aggregate signature, denial-of-service, information centric network

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Authors: Jennifer A. Barrowclough, Caroline A. Crowther, Bridget Kool

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Fetal malposition in labour is associated with adverse maternal and infant health outcomes. Evidence for effective interventions for fetal malposition is inconclusive. The feasibility and design of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of maternal posture to improve maternal and infant outcomes of malposition should be considered, based on the hypothesis that gravity corrects malposition. The aim was to assess pregnant women’s views on the acceptability of a future trial of maternal posture for fetal malposition in labour, and the enablers and barriers of participation. Method: An online anonymous survey of pregnant women was conducted in Auckland during 2020. Descriptive summaries of quantitative data used chi-square to assess differences in proportions. The influence of maternal characteristics on women’s responses was assessed using cross-tabulation. Free text responses were analysed thematically. Results: Respondents (n=206) were mostly aged26-35 years (75%), of 29-38 weeks gestation (71%), of European (40%) or Asian (36%) ethnicity, were evenly nulliparous or multiparous. Most women (76%) had heard of fetal malposition in labour however only 28% were aware of the use of maternal posture to correct this. Most women (86%) were interested in labour research. Although 37% indicated they would participate in a future RCT of posture for fetal malposition, nearly half (47%) were unsure and a further quarter (15%) indicated they would not participate. Comfort was the predominant concern (22%). Almost half of the respondents (49%) indicated they would consult their partner before deciding on participation in an RCT. Conclusions: Participation in a trial of maternal posture in labour can be enabled through measures to enhance maternal comfort, increased awareness of malposition and the role of posture, and the involvement of partners during trial counselling and recruitment.

Keywords: pregnant women, labour, presentation, posture, randomized controlled trial, survey

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Authors: Rebecca Hafner, David Elmes, Daniel Read

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The current research applies decision-making theory to the problem of increasing uptake of energy efficient technologies in the market place, where uptake is currently slower than one might predict following rational choice models. We apply the alignable/non-alignable features effect and explore the impact of varying information structure on the consumers’ preference for standard versus energy efficient technologies. In two studies we present participants with a choice between similar (boiler vs. boiler) vs. dissimilar (boiler vs. heat pump) technologies, described by a list of alignable and non-alignable attributes. In study One there is a preference for alignability when options are similar; an effect mediated by an increased tendency to infer missing information is the same. No effects of alignability on preference are found when options differ. One explanation for this split-shift in attentional focus is a change in construal levels potentially induced by the added consideration of environmental concern. Study two was designed to explore the interplay between alignability and construal level in greater detail. We manipulated construal level via a thought prime task prior to taking part in the same heating systems choice task, and find that there is a general preference for non-alignability, regardless of option type. We draw theoretical and applied implications for the type of information structure best suited for the promotion of energy efficient technologies.

Keywords: alignability effects, decision making, energy-efficient technologies, sustainable behaviour change

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Authors: Soebowo Musa

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Mining industries are known to be very volatile due to their sensitive nature toward changes in the environment, particularly coal mining. Heavy equipment distributors and coal mining contractors are among heavily affected by such volatility. They are facing more uncertainty on the sustainability of the coal mining industry. Strategic alliances and organizational capabilities such as innovation capability have long been seen as ways to stay competitive with a focus more on the strategic alliances partner-to-partner in serving their customers. In today’s rapid change in the environment, a shift in consumer behaviors, and the human-centric business approach, this study looks at the strategic alliance partner-to-customer relationship in both the industrial organization and resource-based theories. This study was conducted based on 250 respondents from the strategic alliances partner-to-customer between heavy equipment distributors and coal mining contractors in Indonesia. This study finds strategic alliances have the highest association toward cost reduction, a proxy of operational efficiency followed by its association toward innovation capability. Further, strategic alliances and innovation capability have a positive relationship with customer loyalty, while innovation capability and customer loyalty have no significant relationships toward the firm’s competitive advantage. This study also indicates that cost reduction is not a condition to develop customer loyalty in the strategic alliance partner-to-customer relationship. It confirms strategic alliances are a strategy that creates a firm’s operational efficiency, innovation capability that develops customer loyalty, and competitive advantage.

Keywords: strategic alliance, innovation capability, cost reduction, customer loyalty, competitive advantage

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Authors: Seyilnan Hannah Wadak, Dangway Monica Clement

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This theoretical study explores distinct teaching methods and practices for integrating sustainable development principles into vocational education. It examines how vocational institutions can prepare students for a sustainability-oriented workforce while addressing environmental and social challenges. The research analyzes current literature, case studies, and emerging trends to identify effective strategies for incorporating sustainability across various vocational disciplines. Key approaches discussed include experiential learning, green skills training, and interdisciplinary projects that simulate real-world sustainability challenges. The study also investigates the role of technology, such as virtual reality and online collaboration tools, in enhancing sustainability education. Additionally, it addresses the importance of industry partnerships and community engagement in creating relevant, practical learning experiences. The paper highlights potential barriers to implementation and proposes solutions for overcoming them, including professional development for educators and curriculum redesign. Findings suggest that integrating sustainability into vocational education not only enhances students’ employability but also contributes to broader societal goals of sustainable development. This research provides a comprehensive framework for educational institutions and policymakers to transform vocational programs, ensuring they meet the evolving demands of a sustainable future.

Keywords: vocational education, sustainable development, teaching methods, experiential learning, green skills, curriculum integration, industry partnerships, educational technology

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Authors: Dorit Olenik-Shemesh, Tali Heiman

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The rapid increase in the massive use of the internet in recent yearshas led to an increase in the prevalence of a phenomenon called 'Problematic Internet use' (PIU), an emerging, growing health problem, especially during adolescents, that poses a challenge for mental health research and practitioners. Problematic Internet use (PIU) is defined as an excessive overuse of the internet, including an inability to control time spent on the internet, cognitivepreoccupation with the Internet, and continued use in spite of the adverse consequences, which may lead to psychological, social, and academic difficulties in one's life and daily functioning. However, little is known about the nature of the nexusbetween PIU and subjective well-being among adolescents. The main purpose of the current study was to explore in depth the network of connections between PIU, sense of well-being, and fourpersonal-emotional factors (resilience, self-control, depressive mood, and loneliness) that may mediate these relationships. A total sample of 433 adolescents, 214 (49.4%) girls and 219 (50.6%) boys between the ages of 12–17 (mean = 14.9, SD = 2.16), completed self-reportquestionnaires relating to the study variables. In line with the hypothesis, analysis of a Structural Equation modeling (SEM) revealed the main following results: high levels of PIU predicted low levels of well-being among adolescents. In addition, low levels of resilience and high levels of depressivemood (together), as well as low levels of self control and high levels of depressivemood (together), as well as low levels of resilience and high levels of loneliness, mediated the relationships between PIU and well-being. In general, girls were found to be higher in PIU and inresilience than boys. The study results revealed specific implications for developing intervention programs for adolescents in the context of PIU; aiming at more balanced adjusted use of the Internet along withpreventingthe decrease in well being.

Keywords: probelmatic inetrent Use, well-being, adolescents, SEM model

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Authors: Sarah Kalaouze, Maxine Iannucelli, Kristen Dunfield

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Children’s implicit beliefs regarding intelligence (i.e., intelligence mindsets) influence their motivation, perseverance, and success. Previous research suggests that the way parents perceive failure influences the development of their child’s intelligence mindsets. We invited 151 children-parent dyads (Age= 5–6 years) to complete a series of difficult puzzles over zoom. We assessed parents’ intelligence and failure mindsets using questionnaires and recorded parents’ person/performance-oriented (e.g., “you are smart” or "you were almost able to complete that one) and process-oriented (e.g., “you are trying really hard” or "maybe if you place the bigger pieces first") failure feedback. We were interested in observing the relation between parental mindsets and the type of feedback provided. We found that parents’ intelligence mindsets were not predictive of the feedback they provided children. Failure mindsets, on the other hand, were predictive of failure feedback. Parents who view failure-as-debilitating provided more person-oriented feedback, focusing on performance and personal ability. Whereas parents who view failure-as-enhancing provided process-oriented feedback, focusing on effort and strategies. Taken all together, our results allow us to determine that although parents might already have a growth intelligence mindset, they don’t necessarily have a failure-as-enhancing mindset. Parents adopting a failure-as-enhancing mindset would influence their children to view failure as a learning opportunity, further promoting practice, effort, and perseverance during challenging tasks. The focus placed on a child’s learning, rather than their performance, encourages them to perceive intelligence as malleable (growth mindset) rather than fix (fixed mindset). This implies that parents should not only hold a growth mindset but thoroughly understand their role in the transmission of intelligence beliefs.

Keywords: mindset(s), failure, intelligence, parental feedback, parents

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Authors: J. M. Counsell, Y. Khalid, M. J. Stewart

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Achieving nearly zero carbon heating continues to be identified by UK government analysis as an important feature of any lowest cost pathway to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Heat currently accounts for 48% of UK energy consumption and approximately one third of UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. Heat Networks are being promoted by UK investment policies as one means of supporting hybrid heat pump based solutions. To this effect the RISE (Renewable Integrated and Sustainable Electric) heating system project is investigating how an all-electric heating sourceshybrid configuration could play a key role in long-term decarbonisation of heat.  For the purposes of this study, hybrid systems are defined as systems combining the technologies of an electric driven air source heat pump, electric powered thermal storage, a thermal vessel and micro-heat network as an integrated system.  This hybrid strategy allows for the system to store up energy during periods of low electricity demand from the national grid, turning it into a dynamic supply of low cost heat which is utilized only when required. Currently a prototype of such a system is being tested in a modern house integrated with advanced controls and sensors. This paper presents the virtual performance analysis of the system and its design for a micro heat network with multiple dwelling units. The results show that the RISE system is controllable and can reduce carbon emissions whilst being competitive in running costs with a conventional gas boiler heating system.

Keywords: gas boilers, heat pumps, hybrid heating and thermal storage, renewable integrated and sustainable electric

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Authors: Ammani K., Glory M.

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Demands of traditional herbal medicines are increasing day by day over the world. Considering the growing demand of medicinal plants in curative treatments and the role of VAM fungi in augmentation of the production of active secondary metabolites by the medicinal plants, the present work has been undertaken to survey the mycorrhizal status in 30 different medicinal plants belonging to various families from Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh. The roots were collected carefully and stained by the Phillips & Hayman technique. Basing on the occurrence of vesicles and arbuscules, categorized into four grades; Excellent: mycelia, vesicles or arbuscules present more than 75% of root bits, Good: mycelia, vesicles or arbuscules present 50-75% in surface of root bits, moderate: mycelia, vesicles or arbuscules present 25-50% in surface of root bits, and poor: mycelia, vesicles or arbuscules present 1-25% in surface of root bits. The study reveals that the roots of all plants were colonized by AM fungi. Percentage of root colonization by AM fungi was more in Aloe vera, Phylanthus emblica, Azadiracta indica and least in plants such as Aerva lanata, Vinca rosea, Crotalaria verrucosa among the 30 medicinal plants in present study. The enhancement of growth and vigour and increased production of bioactive compounds of the medicinal plants is desirable which may be achieved by inoculation of the roots with Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. There is a steady increase in the cultivation of medicinal plants to maintain a steady supply to support the increasing demand but corresponding researches of VAM fungi and their association in medicinal plants have received very little attention as compared to the studies on forest species and field crops. So a vast research on this field is necessary for a better tomorrow.

Keywords: Arbuscular mycorrhizae, colonization, categories, medicinal plants

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Authors: Jocelyn Cohen

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This paper identifies a powerful synchronicity of two traditions of life-story writing in the autobiographies of ritual abuse (RA) survivors, the Christian conversion narrative and the memoir of healing from childhood sexual trauma. Using methodologies from literary studies, history, and psychology, a close reading of three RA memoirs sheds light on a taboo and deeply suspect form of violence. Treatment of RA survivors and the unique role of psychotherapists, in particular, deserve far greater attention from multi-disciplinary scholars. Each story reflects salient characteristics of the Christian conversion narrative, a genre which originated in the US in the early 19th century with the serendipitous confluence of the simultaneous emergence of print culture and the basic structures of evangelicalism during the Second Great Awakening. The impulse of writing is thus to give testimony against the sin they witnessed and endured as young children during ritual violence perpetrated within the church. Importantly, RA is seen as an inherent if obscure aspect of Christian discourse itself, not in opposition to it, and not as an aberration. In RA's memoir, healing comes in part from the Christian narrative praxis of personal redemption, framed as prevailing in a war between good and evil. In other words, storytelling itself affects the healing, much as it does by means of each writer’s 'talking cure,' in the relationship with a psychotherapist who guides her through a repair of the life-story through the excavation of traumatic memories and their integration into the writer’s psyche. Integrating literary techniques into the psychotherapeutic relationship, therapists leverage the deep linguistic structures that clients possess as a resource to aid in their healing.

Keywords: memoir, psychotherapy, religion, trauma

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Authors: Mrinalini Amritkar, Disha Patil, Swapna Kulkarni, Sukratu Barve, Suresh Gosavi

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Micro-mixers play an important role in the lab-on-a-chip applications and micro total analysis systems to acquire the correct level of mixing for any given process. The mixing process can be classified as active or passive according to the use of external energy. Literature of microfluidics reports that most of the work is done on the models of steady laminar flow; however, the study of unsteady laminar flow is an active area of research at present. There are wide applications of this, out of which, we consider nanoparticle synthesis in micro-mixers. In this work, we have developed a model for unsteady flow to study the mixing performance of a passive micro mixer for reactants used for such synthesis. The model is developed in Finite Volume Method (FVM)-based software, OpenFOAM. The model is tested by carrying out the simulations at Re of 0.5. Mixing performance of the micro-mixer is investigated using simulated concentration values of mixed species across the width of the micro-mixer and calculating the variance across a line profile. Experimental validation is done by passing dyes through a Y shape micro-mixer fabricated using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer and comparing variances with the simulated ones. Gold nanoparticles are later synthesized through the micro-mixer and collected at two different times leading to significantly different size distributions. These times match with the time scales over which reactant concentrations vary as obtained from simulations. Our simulations could thus be used to create design aids for passive micro-mixers used in nanoparticle synthesis.

Keywords: Lab-on-chip, LOC, micro-mixer, OpenFOAM, PDMS

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Authors: Pragya Pandey

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A major discussion in the 21st -century international affairs has been around the shifting economic and political center of gravity to Asia. In the maritime realm, it translates into a shift in focus from the Atlantic to the Pacific-Indian Ocean region or what is now popularly called the Indo-Pacific region. The Indo-Pacific is rapidly eclipsing once dominant Asia-Pacific as center of trade, investment, competition and cooperation. The growing inter-connectivity between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean is bringing forth the ‘confluence of the two seas’. Therefore, the Indo-Pacific strategic arc is acquiring greater salience in consonance with the changing realities of the time. The region is undergoing unprecedented transformation in its security outlook. At present, the region is at an interesting historic epoch- witnessing the simultaneous rise India and China, their economic growth, naval modernization and power projection capabilities, alongside the continued presence of the United States, particularly with its rebalancing strategy. Besides the interplay among the three major stakeholders, other regional players like Japan, Australia, and Indonesia, would play a crucial role in the geopolitical re-arrangement of the Indo-Pacific region. The region will be the future theater of activities to determine the shifts and distribution of sea power, by the virtue of its strategic location, intrinsic value of the energy resources and significant maritime trade routes of the region. Therefore, the central theme of the paper would be to scrutinize the maritime security environment of the region against the backdrop of the tricky geopolitical landscape, contributing to the change in the regional and global balance of power.

Keywords: China, geopolitics, India, United States

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Authors: Ana Fouto

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Background: Continuing Personal Development (CPD) enables professionals to keep up to date with the professional requirements, broadening their knowledge and expertise. However, much of the research explores the registered professionals’ experiences and the factors that influence their choice of engaging, despite the unregistered staff providing the majority of the direct patient care. Aim: To explore the Nursing/Midwifery Assistants’ (NAs) perception of the concept of CPD, as well as explore the factors that influence the NAs to engage (or not) with CPD experiences. Methodology: This pilot study used a qualitative approach through a case study, where a semi-structured interview was applied to three NAs to explore the factors that influence the decision-making of process of CPD engagement. Thematic analysis was used to analyse their answers and interpret patterns and associations. Findings: All the participants agreed that CPD is important and relevant to their practice and personal lives. Five main categories were identified: NAs’ scope of practice, the impact of CPD; decision-making process; challenges; changes required. Although similar findings to the registered nurses were identified, the lack of CPD regulation for NAs and the rapid evolution of their role make the CPD engagement more problematic. Conclusion: Engagement with CPD is influenced by a wide range of professional (organisational and national) and personal factors. NAs perceive lack of management support at different stages of the CPD activities as a main influence. Organisations should be more flexible in the recruitment, offer of CPD choices, content, delivery, and contractual arrangements of NAs, which may increase engagement.

Keywords: nursing assistants, engagement, factors, pilot, continuing professional development (CPD)

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Authors: Marina Kapsali, John S. Anagnostopoulos

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Greek islands’ interconnection (IC) with larger power systems, such as the mainland grid, is a crucial issue that has attracted a lot of interest; however, the recent economic recession that the country undergoes together with the highly capital intensive nature of this kind of projects have stalled or sifted the development of many of those on a more long-term basis. On the other hand, most of Greek islands are still heavily dependent on the lengthy and costly supply chain of oil imports whilst the majority of them exhibit excellent potential for wind energy (WE) applications. In this respect, the main purpose of the present work is to investigate −through a parametric study which varies both in wind farm (WF) and submarine IC capacities− the impact of large-scale WE development on the IC of the third in size island of Greece (Lesbos) with the mainland system. The energy and economic performance of the system is simulated over a 25-year evaluation period assuming two possible scenarios, i.e. S(a): without the contribution of the local Thermal Power Plant (TPP) and S(b): the TPP is maintained to ensure electrification of the island. The economic feasibility of the two options is investigated in terms of determining their Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) including also a sensitivity analysis on the worst/reference/best Cases. According to the results, Lesbos island IC presents considerable economic interest for covering part of island’s future electrification needs with WE having a vital role in this challenging venture.

Keywords: electricity generation cost, levelized cost of energy, mainland grid, wind energy rejection

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Authors: Ganiyat Soliu, Glen Bright, Chiemela Onunka

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Performance optimization plays a key role in controlling the waiting time during manufacturing in an advanced manufacturing environment to improve productivity. Queuing mathematical modeling theory was used to examine the performance of the multi-stage production line. Robotics as a disruptive technology was implemented into a virtual manufacturing scenario during the packaging process to study the effect of waiting time on productivity. The queuing mathematical model was used to determine the optimum service rate required by robots during the packaging stage of manufacturing to yield an optimum production cost. Different rates of production were assumed in a virtual manufacturing environment, cost of packaging was estimated with optimum production cost. An equation was generated using queuing mathematical modeling theory and the theorem adopted for analysis of the scenario is the Newton Raphson theorem. Queuing theory presented here provides an adequate analysis of the number of robots required to regulate waiting time in order to increase the number of output. Arrival rate of the product was fast which shows that queuing mathematical model was effective in minimizing service cost and the waiting time during manufacturing. At a reduced waiting time, there was an improvement in the number of products obtained per hour. The overall productivity was improved based on the assumptions used in the queuing modeling theory implemented in the virtual manufacturing scenario.

Keywords: performance optimization, productivity, queuing theory, robotics

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Authors: Tsegay Giday Woldu, Haibin Zhang, Xin Zhang, Yemane Hailu Fissuh

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It is well known that nonlinear conjugate gradient method is one of the widely used first order methods to solve large scale unconstrained smooth optimization problems. Because of the low memory requirement, attractive theoretical features, practical computational efficiency and nice convergence properties, nonlinear conjugate gradient methods have a special role for solving large scale unconstrained optimization problems. Large scale optimization problems are with important applications in practical and scientific world. However, nonlinear conjugate gradient methods have restricted information about the curvature of the objective function and they are likely less efficient and robust compared to some second order algorithms. To overcome these drawbacks, the new modified nonlinear conjugate gradient method is presented. The noticeable features of our work are that the new search direction possesses the sufficient descent property independent of any line search and it belongs to a trust region. Under mild assumptions and standard Wolfe line search technique, the global convergence property of the proposed algorithm is established. Furthermore, to test the practical computational performance of our new algorithm, numerical experiments are provided and implemented on the set of some large dimensional unconstrained problems. The numerical results show that the proposed algorithm is an efficient and robust compared with other similar algorithms.

Keywords: conjugate gradient method, global convergence, large scale optimization, sufficient descent property

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Authors: Chul Lee, Seoae Cho, Erich D. Jarvis, Heebal Kim

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Vocal learning, the ability to imitate vocalizations based on auditory experience, is a homoplastic character state observed in different independent lineages of animals such as songbirds, parrots, hummingbirds and human. It has now become possible to perform genome-wide molecular analyses across vocal learners and vocal non-learners with the recent expansion of avian genome data. It was analyzed the whole genomes of human and 48 avian species including those belonging to the three avian vocal learning lineages, to determine if behavior and neural convergence are associated with molecular convergence in divergent species of vocal learners. Analyses of 8295 orthologous genes across bird species revealed 141 genes with amino acid substitutions specific to vocal learners. Out of these, 25 genes have vocal learner specific genetic homoplasies, and their functions were enriched for learning. Several sites in these genes are estimated under convergent evolution and positive selection. A potential role for a subset of these genes in vocal learning was supported by associations with gene expression profiles in vocal learning brain regions of songbirds and human disease that cause language dysfunctions. The key candidate gene with multiple independent lines of the evidences specific to vocal learners was DRD5. Our findings suggest cAMP-based learning pathway in avian vocal learners, indicating molecular homoplastic changes associated with a complex behavioral trait, vocal learning.

Keywords: amino acid substitutions, convergent evolution, positive selection, vocal learning

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Authors: Palanisamy Sivanandy, Tan Tyng Wei, Tan Wee Loon, Lim Chong Yee

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Background: Patient safety has become a major concern over recent years with elevated medication errors; particularly prescribing and dispensing errors. Meticulous prescription screening and diligent drug dispensing is therefore important to prevent drug-related adverse events from inflicting harm to patients. Hence, pharmacists play a significant role in this scenario. The evaluation of patient safety in a pharmacy setup is crucial to contemplate current practices, attitude and perception of pharmacists towards patient safety. Method: The questionnaire for Pharmacy Survey on Patient Safety Culture developed by the Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality (AHRQ) was used to assess patient safety. Main objectives of the study was to evaluate the attitude and perception of pharmacists towards patient safety in retail pharmacies setup in Malaysia. Results: 417 questionnaire were distributed via convenience sampling in three different states of Malaysia, where 390 participants were responded and the response rate was 93.52%. The overall positive response rate (PRR) was ranged from 31.20% to 87.43% and the average PRR was found to be 67%. The overall patient safety grade for our pharmacies was appreciable and it ranges from good to very good. The study found a significant difference in the perception of senior and junior pharmacists towards patient safety. The internal consistency of the questionnaire contents /dimensions was satisfactory (Cronbach’s alpha - 0.92). Conclusion: Our results reflect that there was positive attitude and perception of retail pharmacists towards patient safety. Despite this, various efforts can be implemented in the future to amplify patient safety in retail pharmacies setup.

Keywords: patient safety, attitude, perception, positive response rate, medication errors

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Authors: Jiazhen Liao, Xiaolan Zeng

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A series of BiOCl nanoplates with different oxygen vacancies (OVs) concentrations were successfully synthesized via a facile solvothermal method. The concentration of OVs of BiOCl can be tuned by the ratios of water/ethylene glycol. Such nanoplates containing oxygen vacancies served as an efficient visible-light-driven photocatalyst for NO oxidation. Compared with pure BiOCl, the enhanced photocatalytic performance was mainly attributed to the introduction of OVs, which greatly enhanced light absorption, promoted electron transfer, activated oxygen molecules. The present work could provide insights into the understanding of the role of OVs in photocatalysts for reference. Combined with characterization analysis, such as XRD（X-ray diffraction）, XPS（X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), TEM（Transmission Electron Microscopy）, PL（Fluorescence Spectroscopy）, and DFT (Density Functional Theory) calculations, the effect of vacancies on photoelectrochemical properties of BiOCl photocatalysts are shown. Furthermore, the possible reaction mechanisms of photocatalytic NO oxidation were also revealed. According to the results of in situ DRIFTS （ Diffused Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy）, various intermediates were produced during different time intervals of NO photodegradation. The possible pathways are summarized below. First, visible light irradiation induces electron-hole pairs on the surface of OV-BOC (BiOCl with oxygen vacancies). Second, photogenerated electrons form superoxide radical with the contacted oxygen. Then, the NO molecules adsorbed on the surface of OV-BOC are attacked by superoxide radical and form nitrate instead of NO₂ (by-products). Oxygen vacancies greatly improve the photocatalytic oxidation activity of NO and effectively inhibit the production of harmful by-products during the oxidation of NO.

Keywords: OVs-BiOCl nanoplate, oxygen vacancies, NO oxidation, photocatalysis

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Authors: Ida Fatimawati Adi Badiozaman, Augustus Raymond Segar

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The Covid-19 pandemic transformed teaching contexts at an unprecedented level. Although studies have focused mainly on its impact on students, little is known about how emergency online teaching affects faculty members in higher education. Given that the pandemic has robbed teachers of opportunities for adequate preparation, it is vital to understand how teaching competencies were perceived in the crisis-response transition to online teaching and learning (OTL). Therefore, the study explores how academics perceive their readiness for OTL and what competencies were perceived to be central. Therefore, through a mixed-methods design, the study first explores through a survey how academics perceive their readiness for OTL and what competencies were perceived to be central. Emerging trends from the quantitative data of 330 academics (three public and three private Higher learning institutions) led to the formulation of interview guides for the subsequent qualitative phase. The authors use critical sensemaking (CSM) to analyse interviews with twenty-two teachers (n = 22) (three public; three private HEs) toward understanding the interconnected layers of influences they draw from as they make sense of their teaching competence. The sensemaking process reframed competence and readiness in that agentic competency emerged as crucial in shaping resilience and adaptability during the transition to OTL. The findings also highlight professional learningcriticalto teacher competence: course design, communication, time management, technological competence, and identity (re)construction. The findings highlight opportunities for strategic orientation to change during crisis. Implications for pedagogy and policy are discussed.

Keywords: online teaching, pedagogical competence, agentic competence, agency, technological competence

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Authors: Lisdey Espinoza Pedraza

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In places from Latin America to Africa, a big number of authoritarian regimes have given way to democratic forces and increasingly responsive and open societies. Many countries have embarked upon a process of democratisation for the first time while many others have moved to restore their democratic roots. Mexico is one of these countries, and although the Mexican state is not democratic neither dictatorial in the strict sense the Anglo-Saxon and European tradition has defined these concepts, it is possible to find elements that combine both concepts. History helps us understand and study the past, interpret the present and predict the future. In the case of the Mexican political system, history has had a very specific effect in each of the areas that comprise the making of what it is now the contemporary Mexican system. Each of the different historical periods has left a legacy that has marked the way the political system has evolved. The historical periods that Mexico has undergone since its emergence as an independent state, have permeated until modern days and some of these legacies are the ones which will help us understand and interpret many of the structures of the current Mexican political system. The most notorious characteristic of contemporary Latin America is its dependency, underdevelopment and economic disparity once this region if compared with Europe and North America. There is a widespread persistence of economic dependence and social problems despite the creation of independent countries. The role of the state is to supervise the development of relations among actors. The political phenomenon is full of a constant process of transitions and the particular case of the formation of the Mexican state evidences this.

Keywords: Mexico, democratisation process, PRI, authoritarian regimes, political transitions, Latin America

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Authors: Fatemeh Kourkinejad Gharaei, Tahereh Safari, Zahra Saebinasab

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Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a set of risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most important liver disorder in metabolic syndrome. High fructose consumption increases the risk of NAFLD. Eugenol shows anti-thrombotic, insulin-sensitive, fat-reducing effects. This study was designed to investigate the protective role of eugenol in NAFLD caused by metabolic syndrome. Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups; group 1, drinking water intake animals; group 2, fructose, group 3, fructose+eugenol solvent; group 4, fructose+ eugenol 50mg/kg and group 5, fructose+ eugenol 100mg/kg. At the end of the experiment, after 12 hours of fasting and under anesthesia, blood samples were taken for measurement of fast blood glucose (FBS), SGOT, AGPT, LDL, HDL, cholesterol, triglyceride. Results: FBG significantly increased in group 2 compared to group 1 (p < 0.001); however, it significantly decreased in groups 4 and 5 compared to group 2 (p < 0.05). SGOT and SGPT levels significantly increased in group 2 compared to drinking water alone (p < 0.001). However, SGOT and SGPT levels significantly decreased in groups 4 and 5. MDA and LTDS significantly increased in group 2 compared with drinking water alone (p < 0.01), while MDA and LTDS decreased in 4 and 5 groups compared to group 2 (p < 0.05), which confirms the pathology results related to the liver damage. Conclusion: Eugenol has protective effects on the liver and fat accumulation in liver cells.

Keywords: eugenol, fructose, metabolic syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

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Authors: Asma Alhuqail, Nagwa Aref

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Programmed cell death resembles a real nature active defense in Datura metel against TMV after three days of virus infection. Physiological plant response was assessed for asymptomatic healthy and symptomatic infected detached leaves. The results indicated H2O2 and Chlorophyll-a as the most potential parameters. Chlorophyll-a was considered the only significant predictor variant for the H2O2 dependent variant with a P value of 0.001 and R-square of 0.900. The plant immune response was measured within three days of virus infection using the cutoff value of H2O2 (61.095 lmol/100 mg) and (63.201 units) for the tail moment in the Comet Assay. Their percentage changes were 255.12% and 522.40% respectively which reflects the stress of virus infection in the plant. Moreover, H2O2 showed 100% specificity and sensitivity in the symptomatic infected group using the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC). All tested parameters in the symptomatic infected group had significant correlations with twenty-five positive and thirty-one negative correlations where the P value was <0.05 and 0.01. Chlorophyll-a parameter had a crucial role of highly significant correlation between total protein and salicylic acid. Contrarily, this correlation with tail moment unit was (r = _0.930, P <0.01) where the P value was < 0.01. The strongest significant negative correlation was between Chlorophyll-a and H2O2 at P < 0.01, while moderate negative significant correlation was seen for Chlorophyll-b where the P value < 0.05. The present study discloses the secret of the three days of rapid transient production of activated oxygen species (AOS) that was enough for having potential quantitative physiological parameters for defensive plant response toward the virus.

Keywords: programmed cell death, plant–adaptive immune response, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), physiological parameters

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Authors: Abdalla Abdelnabi, Yousf Abushalah

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The G Formation is a major gas producing reservoir in the SM Field, eastern, Libya. It is called G limestone because it consists of shallow marine limestone. Well data and 3D-Seismic in conjunction with the results of a previous study were used to delineate the hydrocarbon reservoir of Middle Eocene G-Formation of SM Field area. The data include three-dimensional seismic data acquired in 2009. It covers approximately an area of 75 mi² and with more than 9 wells penetrating the reservoir. Seismic data are used to identify any stratigraphic and structural and features such as channels and faults and which may play a significant role in hydrocarbon traps. The well data are used to calculation petrophysical analysis of S field. The average porosity of the Middle Eocene G Formation is very good with porosity reaching 24% especially around well W 6. Average water saturation was calculated for each well from porosity and resistivity logs using Archie’s formula. The average water saturation for the whole well is 25%. Structural mapping of top and bottom of Middle Eocene G formation revealed the highest area in the SM field is at 4800 ft subsea around wells W4, W5, W6, and W7 and the deepest point is at 4950 ft subsea. Correlation between wells using well data and structural maps created from seismic data revealed that net thickness of G Formation range from 0 ft in the north part of the field to 235 ft in southwest and south part of the field. The gas water contact is found at 4860 ft using the resistivity log. The net isopach map using both the trapezoidal and pyramid rules are used to calculate the total bulk volume. The original gas in place and the recoverable gas were calculated volumetrically to be 890 Billion Standard Cubic Feet (BSCF) and 630 (BSCF) respectively.

Keywords: 3D seismic data, well logging, petrel, kingdom suite

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Authors: Seyed Davar Siadat, Samira Tarashi, Abolfazl Fateh, Arfa Moshiri

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Background: The global health issue of tuberculosis (TB) still affects patients in every country. TB control may not be as effective as it should be, especially when resistant strains are involved. In this regard, mycobacterial MTases play a major role in tuberculosis, but the mechanisms underlying their function have yet to be fully deciphered. Methods: Five resistant isolates of M.tb were accumulated. As a reference strain, M.tb H37Rv (ATCC 27249) was used. For this analysis, seven putative mycobacterial MTase genes (Rv0645c, Rv1694, Rv2966c, Rv3919c, Rv2756c, Rv1988, and Rv3263), as well as Rv1392 as SAM synthase, were selected. Comparing mutations and expression levels of MTases in different strains was accomplished by PCR-sequencing and qRT-PCR. The relative expression levels of these genes were calculated using the 2 -ΔΔCt method. Results: The Rv3919c gene (T to G in codon 341) and Rv1392 gene (G to A in codon 97) were the only mutations found in the INHR strain. In all sensitive and resistant isolates, Rv0645c, Rv3263, Rv2756c, and Rv2966c were overexpressed. However, the expression of Rv1988 and Rv3919c decreased in the sensitive strains, whereas the expression of Rv1694 increased. There was also a decreased expression of Rv1392 in the INHR isolate. Conclusion: The presence of mycobacterial MTases as well as resistance to antibiotics were found to be correlated in M.tb strains. Undoubtedly, there are some MTases that are associated with the virulence process. It is necessary to conduct additional studies to fully explore the impact of mycobacterial MTases within specific strains of M.tb to develop novel diagnostic and treatment strategies.

Keywords: mycobacterium tuberculosis, drug resistance, methyltransferases, s-adenosylmethionine

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Authors: Nubwimana Rachel, Mugabowindekwe Maurice

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Trees play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and providing various ecological services. Traditional methods of counting trees are time-consuming, and there is a need for more efficient techniques. However, deep learning makes it feasible to identify the multi-scale elements hidden in aerial imagery. This research focuses on the application of deep learning techniques for tree detection and counting in both forest and non-forest areas through the exploration of the deep learning application for automated tree detection and counting using satellite imagery. The objective is to identify the most effective model for automated tree counting. We used different deep learning models such as YOLOV7, SSD, and UNET, along with Generative Adversarial Networks to generate synthetic samples for training and other augmentation techniques, including Random Resized Crop, AutoAugment, and Linear Contrast Enhancement. These models were trained and fine-tuned using satellite imagery to identify and count trees. The performance of the models was assessed through multiple trials; after training and fine-tuning the models, UNET demonstrated the best performance with a validation loss of 0.1211, validation accuracy of 0.9509, and validation precision of 0.9799. This research showcases the success of deep learning in accurate tree counting through remote sensing, particularly with the UNET model. It represents a significant contribution to the field by offering an efficient and precise alternative to conventional tree-counting methods.

Keywords: remote sensing, deep learning, tree counting, image segmentation, object detection, visualization

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Authors: Yadav R. K., Baral S.

Abstract:

Introduction: Nepal is one of the world’s least developed countries and has a high incidence of tuberculosis (TB). The TB prevalence survey in 2019 showed 69,000 Nepalese is developing TB and 4,000 die every year. Given its disproportionate impact on the impoverished segments of society, TB often thrusts patients into extreme poverty or exacerbates their existing economic struggles. Consequently, not only the patients but also their families suffer from the loss of livelihood. This study aims to assess the support of nutritional allowance on treatment compliance among retreatment tuberculosis patients in Nepal. This is a secondary analysis of data from HMIS (Health Management Information System) to investigate treatment compliance among tuberculosis patients and its association with nutritional allowance. The study population consisted of all individuals (N=2972) who had received services from July 16, 2021, to December 14, 2022. The SPSS 21version was used to conduct descriptive and bivariate analysis. Out of the total TB patients (n=2972), a third-fourth (65.9%) of TB patients were male. More than one-tenth (12.3%) of respondents received a nutrition support allowance. The TB treatment compliance rate was more (89.91%) in the nutrition support allowance group compared to the non-nutritional support group (87.98%). TB patients who received the nutritional support allowance were nearly twice as likely to have a higher TB treatment compliance rate compared to those who did not receive the nutritional support allowance. Providing nutritional allowance support to tuberculosis (TB) patients can play a significant role in improving treatment compliance and outcomes. Age and the type of TB are important factors that have shown statistical significance in relation to treatment compliance. Therefore, it is recommended to provide nutritional allowance support to both new and retreatment TB patients. To enhance treatment compliance among TB patients, it is beneficial to provide timely nutrition allowances and arrange home visits by TB focal persons.

Keywords: nutrition, support, treatment compliance, TB, Nepal

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Authors: Samiya Siddique, Taslima Akter Elma, Shahrina Mahzabin, Tamanna Jerin, Mohammed Russedul Islam

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In the maneuver and designing of highway engineering, pavement performance is a principal concern. Quality of construction and materials, traffic volume, climate, etc. are the factors that affect the performance of asphalt concrete. Modified asphalt requires to attain greater strength and stability even at inimical circumstances. In this point of view, pyrolytic carbon black (PCB), which is a by-product of waste tire pyrolysis, holds incomparable properties that individualizes it from other conventional fillers by making it an imminent modifier of bitumen. Optimum asphalt content of 60/70 penetration grade asphalt is determined 5% through the Marshall Stability and Flow test for the wearing course of flexible pavement. 5, 10, and 15 percentages of PCB are then used with neat asphalt for modification. Deviations of physical and rheological properties are investigated on both PCB modified and neat asphalt by going through several laboratory tests such as penetration, softening point, and ductility tests. The obtained results reveal that the performance of paving asphalt can be upgraded by modifying it with PCB. With the increasing percentage of PCB, ductility is gradually decreased, and also penetration grade is gradually reduced from 60/70 to 30/40. Furthermore, asphalt mixtures modified with PCB demonstrate higher stability and lower flow values. The research discloses that the apposite percentage of PCB used in asphalt concrete plays a significant role in the advancement of pavement performances and reutilizing of waste tires.

Keywords: asphalt modification, pavement performances, pyrolytic carbon black, marshall stability, wearing course

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