Search results for: Management Science

Authors: E. K. Soyele

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This study is on capacity building and motivation as determinants of productivity among library personnel in colleges of education in South West, Nigeria. This study made use of a descriptive research design of survey type. A total enumeration sampling technique was used for the selected sample. The research sample consisted of 40 library personnel. The instrument used for the study was a structured questionnaire divided into four parts. Statistics data analysis used were descriptive statistics with frequencies, percentages, and regression statistics analysis. Findings from this study revealed that capacity building and motivation have positive impact on library personnel productivity with their percentages greater than 50% acceptance level. A test of null hypotheses at P < 0.05 significant level was tested to see the significance between capacity building and productivity, which was positive at P < 0.05 significant level. This implies that capacity building and motivation significantly determine productivity among library personnel in selected college libraries in Nigeria. The study concluded that there is need for institutions to equip their library personnel via training programmes, in-service, digital training, ICT training, seminars, and conferences, etc. Incentives should be provided to motivate personnel for high productivity. The study, therefore, recommends that government, institutions and library management should fund college libraries adequately so as to enhance capacity building, staff commitment and training for further education

Keywords: capacity building, library personnel, motivation, productivity

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Authors: Muhammad Awais Kiani, Abdul Basit Kiani, Maryam Kiani

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Synergizing Sales and Marketing for Electronics Engineering with Web Development, explores the dynamic relationship between sales, marketing, and web development within the electronics engineering industry. This study is important for the power of digital platforms to connect with customers. Which increases brand visibility and drives sales. It highlights the need for collaboration between sales and marketing teams, as well as the integration of web development strategies to create seamless user experiences and effective lead generation. Furthermore, It also emphasizes the role of data analytics and customer insights in optimizing sales and marketing efforts in the ever-evolving landscape of electronics engineering. Sales and marketing play a crucial role in driving business growth, and in today's digital landscape, web development has become an integral part of these strategies. Web development enables businesses to create visually appealing and user-friendly websites that effectively showcase their products or services. It allows for the integration of e-commerce functionalities, enabling seamless online transactions. Furthermore, web development helps businesses optimize their online presence through search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, social media integration, and content management systems. This abstract highlights the symbiotic relationship between sales marketing in the electronics industry and web development, emphasizing the importance of a strong online presence in achieving business success.

Keywords: electronics industry, web development, sales, marketing

Procedia PDF Downloads 116

Authors: Nedjar Abdelhadi

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The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most important structures and foundations for the management and development of the modern world, especially the advanced part of it, meaning that there are some exceptions for third-world countries. The world today has witnessed radical transformations and changes, some of which made it better and some of which affected the path of its growth. At the beginning of my research, there was a detailed presentation overview of the current situation of the world in terms of growth and development, and it proceeded through that overview as the introduction to my research. The first chapter had divided into three sections; each topic was unique to one of the new methods of manufacturing, deducing and developing medicines Several examples of various recently developed medicines were used The second chapter dealt with the defects and shortcomings that pioneers and drug makers at various levels, as well as various regions and major companies, suffer from on the basis that they are international, especially those specialized in the manufacture of medicines related to viruses and chronic diseases, as well as incurable. As for the third chapter, it was devoted to marketing methods, methods of achieving sales, as well as the basics of spreading medicines and preparing the minds of consumers. Through my research, the one concluded that the current world has become completely different from the world we used to know, and it means by saying the field of manufacturing, selling and marketing medicines. It was noted that one of the biggest factors that affected the change in the field of medicine was the corona disaster. At the end of my research, I was left with nothing but to show the importance and necessity of the pharmaceutical industry and its effective role, not only in the development of mankind, but its main role is in the survival of mankind.

Keywords: health, diseases, medicine, epidemics

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Authors: Ansong Richard Omari, Yosei Oikawa, Yoshiharu Fujii, Dorothea Sonoko Bellingrath-Kimura

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Renewed interest in soil management aimed at improving the productive capacity of Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) soils has called for the need to analyse the long term effect of different fertilization systems on soil. This study was conducted in two agroecological zones (i.e., Guinea Savannah (GS) and Deciduous forest (DF)) of Ghana to evaluate the impacts of long term (> 5 years) fertilization schemes on soil chemical and microbial properties. Soil samples under four different fertilization schemes (inorganic, inorganic and organic, organic, and no fertilization) were collected from 20 farmers` field in both agroecological zones. Soil analyses were conducted using standard procedures. All average soil quality parameters except extractable C, potential mineralizable nitrogen and CEC were significantly higher in DF sites compared to GS. Inorganic fertilization proved superior in soil chemical and microbial biomass especially in GS zone. In GS, soil deterioration index (DI) revealed that soil quality deteriorated significantly (−26%) under only organic fertilization system whereas soil improvement was observed under inorganic and no fertilization sites. In DF, either inorganic or organic and inorganic fertilization showed significant positive effects on soil quality. The high soil chemical composition and enhanced microbial biomass in DF were associated with the high rate of inorganic fertilization.

Keywords: deterioration index, fertilization scheme, microbial biomass, tropical agroecological zone

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Authors: Nana Benma Osei

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Patient discharge can be a hectic process. Patients are sometimes sent to the wrong location or forgotten in lounges in the waiting room. This ends up compromising patient care because the delay in picking the patients can affect how they adhere to medication. Patients may fail to take their medication, and this will lead to negative outcomes. The situation highlights the demands of modern-day healthcare, and the use of technology can help in reducing such challenges and in enhancing the patient’s experience, leading to greater satisfaction with the care provided. The paper contains the proposed changes to a healthcare facility by introducing the clinical decision support system, which will be needed to improve coordination and communication during patient discharge. This will be done under Kurt Lewin’s Change Management Model, which recognizes the different phases in the change process. A pilot program is proposed initially before the program can be implemented in the entire organization. This allows for the identification of challenges and ways of managing them. The paper anticipates some of the possible challenges that may arise during implementation, and a multi-disciplinary approach is considered the most effective. Opposition to the change is likely to arise because staff members may lack information on how the changes will affect them and the skills they will need to learn to use the new system. Training will occur before the technology can be implemented. Every member will go for training, and adequate time is allocated for training purposes. A comparison of data will determine whether the project has succeeded.

Keywords: patient discharge, clinical decision support system, communication, collaboration

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Authors: Elżbieta Antczak

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Cities offer important opportunities for economic development and for expanding access to basic services, including health care and education, for large numbers of people. Moreover, green areas (as an integral part of sustainable urban development) present a major opportunity for improving urban environments, quality of lives and livelihoods. This paper examines, using spatial concentration and spatial taxonomic measures, regional diversification of greenery in the cities of Poland. The analysis includes location quotients, Lorenz curve, Locational Gini Index, and the synthetic index of greenery and spatial statistics tools: (1) To verify the occurrence of strong concentration or dispersion of the phenomenon in time and space depending on the variable category, and, (2) To study if the level of greenery depends on the spatial autocorrelation. The data includes the greatest Polish cities, categories of the urban greenery (parks, lawns, street greenery, and green areas on housing estates, cemeteries, and forests) and the time span 2004-2015. According to the obtained estimations, most of cites in Poland are already taking measures to become greener. However, in the country there are still many barriers to well-balanced urban greenery development (e.g. uncontrolled urban sprawl, poor management as well as lack of spatial urban planning systems).

Keywords: greenery, urban areas, regional spatial diversification and concentration, spatial taxonomic measure

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Authors: D. Garg, S. Luthra, A. Haleem

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Due to growing concern about environmental and social consequences throughout the world, a need has been felt to incorporate sustainability concepts in conventional manufacturing. This paper is an attempt to identify and evaluate drivers in implementing sustainable manufacturing in Indian context. Nine possible drivers for successful implementation of sustainable manufacturing have been identified from extensive review. Further, Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) approach has been utilized to evaluate and categorize these identified drivers for implementing sustainable manufacturing in to the cause and effect groups. Five drivers (Societal Pressure and Public Concerns; Regulations and Government Policies; Top Management Involvement, Commitment and Support; Effective Strategies and Activities towards Socially Responsible Manufacturing and Market Trends) have been categorized into the cause group and four drivers (Holistic View in Manufacturing Systems; Supplier Participation; Building Sustainable culture in Organization; and Corporate Image and Benefits) have been categorized into the effect group. “Societal Pressure and Public Concerns” has been found the most critical driver and “Corporate Image and Benefits” as least critical or the most easily influenced driver to implementing sustainable manufacturing in Indian context. This paper may surely help practitioners in better understanding of these drivers and their priorities towards effective implementation of sustainable manufacturing.

Keywords: drivers, decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), India, sustainable manufacturing

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Authors: Elona Saliaj

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The registration of real estate in Albania after the 90's has been a long process in time and with high cost for the country. Passing the registration system from a centralized system to a free market private system, it’s accompanied by legal uncertainties that have led to economic instability. The reforms that have been undertaken in terms of property rights have been numerous and continuous throughout the years. But despite the reforms, the system of registration of real estate, has failed to be standards requirements established by the European Union. The completion of initial registration of real estate, legal treatment of previous owners or legalization of illegal constructions remain among the main problems that prevent the development of the country in its economic sector. The performance of the registration of real estate system and dealing with issues that have appeared in the Court of First Instance, the civil section of the Albanian constitute the core of handling this analysis. This paper presents a detailed analysis on the registration system that is chosen to be applied in our country for real estate. In its content it is also determined the institution that administrates these properties, the management technique and the law that determinate its functionality. The strategy is determined for creating a modern and functional registration system and for the country remains a challenge to achieve. Identifying practical problems and providing their solutions are also the focus of reference in order to improve and modernize this important system to a state law that aims to become a member of the European Union.

Keywords: real estates registration system, comparative aspects, cadastral area, property certificate, legal reform

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Authors: Sai Rajeev Reddy, Ishita Roy, M. Anji Reddy

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The paper describes the importance of preventive measures and immediate Emergency logistics during accidents and unfortunate Disasters for the Hyderabad Metro Rails in their various stages of construction. This is the need of the modern generation where accidents, explosions, attacks and sudden crisis are frequent casualties which take huge tolls of life in the present world. The paper utilizes the workflow and application of Geographical information System (GIS) to provide information about problems and crisis structures for efficient Metro Transportation in the city. The study analyzes the difficulties and problems which cause accidents during operation and maintenance stages of the Metro Rail. The paper focuses upon the intermediate and firsthand information of Crisis with the help of GIS technology to share Disaster data for effective measures by the Cyber Police stations, Emergency Responders, Hospitals and First Aid Centre to act immediately and save lives. The results and conclusions have nevertheless proved very informative and useful for the safety board authorities of the Hyderabad Metro Rail. The operation and Maintenance are integral stages in the development of any Multipurpose transportation Projects and are usually prone to various Disasters and tragedies. Hence, the GIS technologies help in distribution of information among the masses with the web Technologies and advanced software developed to prevent and manage crisis widely and in a cost-benefits manner.

Keywords: Geographical Information System, emergency assessment, accident zones, surveillance

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Authors: Niamh Herlihy, Helen Fischer, Rainer Sauerborn, Anneliese Depoux, Avner Bar-Hen, Antoine Flauhault, Stefanie Schütte

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In the recent decades, there has been an increase in the number of publications both in the scientific and grey literature on the potential health risks associated with climate change. Though interest in climate change and health is growing, there are still many gaps to adequately assess our future health needs in a warmer world. Generating a greater understanding of the health impacts of climate change could be a key step in inciting the changes necessary to decelerate global warming and to target new strategies to mitigate the consequences on health systems. A long term and broad overview of existing scientific literature in the field of climate change and health is currently missing in order to ensure that all priority areas are being adequately addressed. We conducted a scoping review of published peer-reviewed literature on climate change and health from two large databases, PubMed and Web of Science, between 1990 and 2015. A scoping review allowed for a broad analysis of this complex topic on a meta-level as opposed to a thematically refined literature review. A detailed search strategy including specific climate and health terminology was used to search the two databases. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied in order to capture the most relevant literature on the human health impact of climate change within the chosen timeframe. Two reviewers screened the papers independently and any differences arising were resolved by a third party. Data was extracted, categorized and coded both manually and using R software. Analytics and infographics were developed from results. There were 7269 articles identified between the two databases following the removal of duplicates. After screening of the articles by both reviewers 3751 were included. As expected, preliminary results indicate that the number of publications on the topic has increased over time. Geographically, the majority of publications address the impact of climate change and health in Europe and North America, This is particularly alarming given that countries in the Global South will bear the greatest health burden. Concerning health outcomes, infectious diseases, particularly dengue fever and other mosquito transmitted infections are the most frequently cited. We highlight research gaps in certain areas e.g climate migration and mental health issues. We are developing a database of the identified climate change and health publications and are compiling a report for publication and dissemination of the findings. As health is a major co-beneficiary to climate change mitigation strategies, our results may serve as a useful source of information for research funders and investors when considering future research needs as well as the cost-effectiveness of climate change strategies. This study is part of an interdisciplinary project called 4CHealth that confronts results of the research done on scientific, political and press literature to better understand how the knowledge on climate change and health circulates within those different fields and whether and how it is translated to real world change.

Keywords: climate change, health, review, mapping

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Authors: Mahmoud Ahmed Farrag, Ali Zain Elabdeen Heikal, Mohamed Shawky Ahmed, Ahmed Osama Amer

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Crowd-sourced data refers to data that is collected and shared by a large number of individuals or organizations, often through the use of digital technologies such as mobile devices and social media. The shortage in crash data collection in developing countries makes it difficult to fully understand and address road safety issues in these regions. In developing countries, crowd-sourced data can be a valuable tool for improving road safety, particularly in urban areas where the majority of road crashes occur. This study is -to our best knowledge- the first to develop safety performance functions using crowd-sourced data by adopting a negative binomial structure model and the Full Bayes model to investigate traffic safety for urban road networks and provide insights into the impact of roadway characteristics. Furthermore, as a part of the safety management process, network screening has been undergone through applying two different methods to rank the most hazardous road segments: PCR method (adopted in the Highway Capacity Manual HCM) as well as a graphical method using GIS tools to compare and validate. Lastly, recommendations were suggested for policymakers to ensure safer roads.

Keywords: crowdsourced data, road crashes, safety performance functions, Full Bayes models, network screening

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Authors: Rita U. Onolemhemhen, Saheed L. Bello, Akin P. Iwayemi

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The effectiveness of energy demand policy depends on identifying the key drivers of energy demand both in the short-run and the long-run. This paper examines the influence of regional differences on the link between energy demand and other explanatory variables for Nigeria, China and USA using the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) approach. This study employed annual time series data on energy consumption (ED), real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (RGDP), real energy prices (P) and urbanization (N) for a thirty-six-year sample period. The utilized time-series data are sourced from World Bank’s World Development Indicators (WDI, 2016) and US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Results from the study, shows that all the independent variables (income, urbanization, and price) substantially affect the long-run energy consumption in Nigeria, USA and China, whereas, income has no significant effect on short-run energy demand in USA and Nigeria. In addition, the long-run effect of urbanization is relatively stronger in China. Urbanization is a key factor in energy demand, it therefore recommended that more attention should be given to the development of rural communities to reduce the inflow of migrants into urban communities which causes the increase in energy demand and energy excesses should be penalized while energy management should be incentivized.

Keywords: economic growth, energy demand, income, real GDP, urbanization, VECM

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Authors: Livia Guerini, Christian Paglia

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In Switzerland, only a fraction of plastic waste from food packaging is collected and recycled for further use in the food industry. Therefore, reusing these waste plastics for building applications can be an attractive alternative to disposal in order to reduce the problem of waste management and to make up for the depletion of raw materials needed for construction. In this study, experiments were conducted on the mechanical properties (compressive and flexural strength, elastic modulus), physical properties (density, workability, porosity, and water permeability) and durability (freeze/thaw resistance) of cementitious mortars with additions of recycled low-/high-density polyethylene (LDPE/HDPE)/ polypropylene (PP) regrind (addition of 5% and 10% by weight) and LDPE sheets (addition of 0.5% and 1.5% by weight) coming from food packaging. The results show that as the addition of plastic material increases, the density and mechanical properties of the mortars decrease compared to conventional ones. Porosity is similar in all the mixtures made, while the workability and the permeability are affected not only by the amount added but also by the shape of the plastic aggregate. Freeze/thaw resistance, on the other hand, is significantly higher in mortars with plastic aggregates than in traditional mortar. This feature may be interesting for the realization of outdoor mortars in cold environments.

Keywords: food packaging waste, durability properties, mechanical properties, mortar, recycled PE, recycled PP

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Authors: Sasan Aryaee, Mahdi Ravanshadnia

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Naturally, any activity is associated with risk, and humans have understood this concept from very long times ago and seek to identify its factors and sources. On the one hand, proper risk management can cause problems such as delays and unforeseen costs in the development projects, temporary or permanent loss of services, getting lost or information theft, complexity and limitations in processes, unreliable information caused by rework, holes in the systems and many such problems. In the present study, a model has been presented to rank the environmental risks of oil and gas projects. The statistical population of the study consists of all executives active in the oil and gas fields, that the statistical sample is selected randomly. In the framework of the proposed method, environmental risks of oil and gas projects were first extracted, then a questionnaire based on these indicators was designed based on Likert scale and distributed among the statistical sample. After assessing the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, environmental risks of oil and gas projects were ranked using the VIKOR method of multiple-criteria decision-making. The results showed that the best options for HSE planning of oil and gas projects that caused the reduction of risks and personal injury and casualties and less than other options is costly for the project and it will add less time to the duration of implementing the project is the entering of dye to the environment when painting the generator pond and the presence of the rigger near the crane.

Keywords: ranking, multi-criteria decision making, oil and gas projects, HSEmanagement, environmental risks

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Authors: Mirjana Dragas, Marli Gonan Bozac, Morena Paulisic

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Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a balance between strategic and financial goals of companies, as well as social needs. The integration of competitive strategy and CSR in food and beverage industry has allowed companies to find new sources of competitive advantage. The paper discusses the fact that socially responsible companies encourage co-operation with socially responsible suppliers in order to strengthen market competitiveness. In addition to the descriptive interpretation of the results obtained by a questionnaire, factor analysis was used, while principal components analysis was applied as a factor extraction method. The research results based on two multiple regression analyses show that: (1) selecting the CSR supplier explains a statistically significant part of the variance of the results on the scale of financial aspects of competitiveness (as much as 44.7% of the explained variance); and (2) selecting the CSR supplier is a significant predictor of non-financial aspects of competitiveness (explains 43.9% of the variance of the results on the scale of non-financial aspects of competitiveness). A successful competitive strategy must ultimately support the growth strategy. This implies an analytical approach to finding factors that influence competitiveness through socially sustainable solutions and satisfactory top management decisions.

Keywords: competitiveness, corporate social responsibility, food and beverage industry, supply chain decision making

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Authors: Vathsala Kaluarachchi, Oshani Wimalarathna, Charith Vandebona, Gayani Chandrarathna, Lakmal Rupasinghe, Windhya Rankothge

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It is the fundamental function of a monitoring system to allow users to collect and process data. A worldwide threat, the corona outbreak has wreaked havoc in Sri Lanka, and the situation has gotten out of hand. Since the epidemic, the Sri Lankan government has been unable to establish a systematic system for monitoring corona patients and providing emergency care in the event of an outbreak. Most patients have been held at home because of the high number of patients reported in the nation, but they do not yet have access to a functioning medical system. It has resulted in an increase in the number of patients who have been left untreated because of a lack of medical care. The absence of competent medical monitoring is the biggest cause of mortality for many people nowadays, according to our survey. As a result, a smartphone app for analyzing the patient's state and determining whether they should be hospitalized will be developed. Using the data supplied, we are aiming to send an alarm letter or SMS to the hospital once the system recognizes them. Since we know what those patients need and when they need it, we will put up a desktop program at the hospital to monitor their progress. Deep learning, image processing and application development, natural language processing, and blockchain management are some of the components of the research solution. The purpose of this research paper is to introduce a mechanism to connect hospitals and patients even when they are physically apart. Further data security and user-friendliness are enhanced through blockchain and NLP.

Keywords: blockchain, deep learning, NLP, monitoring system

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Authors: Shang-Hua Wu, Rong-Chi Chang, Horng–Twu Liaw

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Nowadays, competencies of e-learning project personnel are very important in assisting them in offering courses, serving students in an effective way, leveraging advantages, strengthen their relationships with potential students, etc. among e-learning platforms, MOOCs has recently attracted increasing focuses in distance education since it can be conducted for a large numbers of virtual learners. Nonetheless, since MOOCs is a relatively new e-learning platform, top concerns have been paid to what competencies are important for e-learning personnel to consider. Taking this need, this research aimed to carry out an in-depth exploration of competency requirements of MOOCs (e-learning) project personnel in Taiwan vocational schools. Data were collected through thorough literature reviews and discussions and competency analysis was carried out using Delphi technique questionnaires. The results show that that MOOCs (e-learning) project personnel’ professional competency lie in three main dimensions, among which ‘demand analysis competency’ (i.e., containing 10 major competences and 48 subordinate capabilities) is the most important competency, followed by ‘project management competency’ (i.e., comprising 6 major competences and 31 secondary capabilities), and finally ‘digital content production competency’ (i.e., including 12 major competences and 79 secondary capabilities). As such, in Taiwan context with different organizational scales and market sizes, the e-learning competency items and unique experience/ achievements throughout the promotion process obtained in this research will provide useful references for academic institutions in promoting e-learning.

Keywords: competency analysis, Delphi technique questionnaire, e-learning, massive open online courses

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Authors: Jasmine Adela Mutang, Rosnah Ismail, Chua Bee Seok, Ferlis Bahari, Lailawati Madlan, Walton Wider, Rickless Das

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Waste projection is increasing and most landfills in Malaysia are running out of space. Due to that, waste management is now becoming a major challenge. The most sustainable solution is by practicing sustainable practices such as recycling. Since 1993 the government has launched several recycling campaigns and implemented the National Recycling Policy. However, public participation is still very low. Only 10.5% of solid waste was recycled up to now which is far below than of in developed countries. Nevertheless the government is optimistic that the target of 22% recycling by 2020 will be achieved if there is a positive flow pattern in sustainable practices in particular recycling behavior among Malaysian. Understanding public motivations towards recycling domestic waste are important to improve current recycling rate. Thus this study attempts to identify what are the possible motivations and hindrances for the public to recycle. Open-ended questions format were administered to 484 people in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Two specific questions we asked to explore their general determinants and barriers in practicing recycling: “What motivates you to recycle?” and “What are the barriers you encountered in doing recycling activities?” Thematic analysis was conducted on the open-ended questions in which themes were created with the raw comments. It was found that the underlying recycling motivations are awareness’ towards the environment, benefits to the society and individual, and social influence. Non participations are influence by attitudes, commitment, facilities, knowledge, inconvenience, and enforcement.

Keywords: recycling motivation, recycling barrier, sustainable, household waste

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Authors: Mazlum Çelik, Burcu Gürkan Ercan, Ahmet Ayaz, Hilal Yakut İpekoğlu, Furkan Baltacı, Mustafa Kurtoğlu, Bilge Kalkavan, Sinem Küçükyılmaz, Hikmet Çağrı Yardımcı, Şeyma Sevgican, Cemile Gökçe Elkovan, Bilal Çayır, Mehmet Emin Düzcan

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The earthquake research literature generally examines emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses after an earthquake. Studies concerning the behavioral responses to earthquakes reveal that after the earthquake, people either flee in a panic or do not act according to the stereotype that they act irrationally and anti-socially and sometimes give rational and adaptive reactions. However, the rareness of research dealing with human behavior experiencing the earthquake moment makes it necessary to pay particular attention to these behavior patterns. In this direction, this study aims to examine human behavior indoors in case of rising earthquake intensity. In Turkey, located on geography in the earthquake zone, devastating earthquakes took place, such as in "Istanbul" with a magnitude of 7.4 in 1999 and in "Elazığ" with a magnitude of 6.8 in 2020. Occurred recently, the "Kahramanmaraş" earthquake affected 11 provinces, with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6 in 2023. In addition, there is expected to be a devastating earthquake in Istanbul, experts warn. For this reason, it is essential to understand human behavior for disaster risk. Management and pre-disaster preparedness to be effective and efficient and to take realistic measures to protect human life. Mazlum Çelik, Burcu Gürkan Ercan, Ahmet Ayaz, Hilal Yakut İpekoğlu, Furkan Baltacı, Mustafa Kurtoğlu, Bilge Kalkavan, Sinem Küçükyılmaz, Hikmet Çağrı Yardımcı, Şeyma Sevgican, Cemile Gökçe Elkovan, Bilal Çayır, Mehmet Emin Düzcan. In this study, which is currently part of a project supported by The Scientific and Technological Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), the indoor recordings during the earthquakes in Elazig on January 24, 2020, and in İzmir on October 30, 2020, are examined, and the people's behavior during the earthquake is analyzed. In this direction, video recordings taken from the YouTube archives of İzmir and Elazığ Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) Directorates and metropolitan municipalities are examined. The researchers have created an observation form in line with the information in the relevant literature to classify people's behavior during an earthquake. It is intended to determine the behavioral patterns by classifying according to the form and video analysis of the people heading toward the door, remaining stable, taking protective measures, turning to people, and engaging in "other" behaviors outside of these behaviors during the earthquake. A total of 60 video analyzes are carried out from Elazığ and İzmir. The descriptive statistic has been used with the SPSS 23.0 package program in the data analysis. It is found that in the event of an increase in the severity of the earthquake, unlike Elazığ, in İzmir, protective action is preferred to the act of remaining stable. In addition, it is observed that with the increase in the earthquake's intensity, women attempt to take more protective action while men head toward the door. In contrast, a rise is observed in the behavior of young people heading toward the door and taking protective actions, while there is a decrease in their behavior directing to people. These findings, unlike the literature, reveal that human behavior during earthquakes cannot be reduced to a single behavior pattern, such as drop-cover-hold-on. The results show that it is necessary to understand the behaviors of individuals during the earthquake and to develop practical policy proposals for combating earthquakes by considering sociocultural, geographical, and demographic variables.

Keywords: descriptive analysis, earthquake, human behaviour, disaster policy.

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Authors: Hayder H. Kareem, Ayad K. Hussein, Aseel A. Alkatib

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Groundwater accumulated at geological formations constitutes a worldwide vital water resource component which can be used to supply agriculture, industry, and domestic uses. The subsurface environment is affected by human activities; consequently, planning and sustainable management of aquifers require serious attention, especially as the world is exposed to the problem of global warming. Establishing accurate and efficient groundwater models will provide confident results for the behavior of the aquifer's system. The new approach, 'Distributed Value Property Zones,' available in Visual MODFLOW, is used to reconstruct the subsurface zones of the Al-Najaf region aquifer, and then its effect is compared with those manual and automated (PEST) approaches. Results show that the model has become more accurate with the use of the new approach, as the calibration and results analyses revealed. The assessment of the Al-Najaf region groundwater aquifer has revealed a degree of insufficiency of the required pumping demand, which reflects dry areas in both of the aquifer's layers. In addition, with pumping, the Euphrates River loses water of 7458 m³/day to the aquifer, while without pumping, it gains 28837 m³/day from the rainfall's recharge. The distributed value property zones approach achieves a precise groundwater model to assess the state of the Al-Najaf region aquifer.

Keywords: Al-Najaf region, distributed value property zones approach, hydraulic conductivity, groundwater modelling using visual MODFLOW

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Authors: Adam Fheed

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Carbonate porosity can be deceptive in the aspect of hydrocarbon exploration due to pore geometry variations, which are to some extent controlled by fossils. Therefore, the main aim of this paper was to assess the dependence of pore geometry and reservoir quality on fossils. The Permian Zechstein Limestone (Ca1) carbonates from the Brońsko Reef, located on the Wolsztyn Ridge in West Poland, were examined. Seventy meters of drill cores were described along with well log examination and transmitted-light microscope research. The archival porosity-permeability data was utilized to calibrate the well logs and look for the potential petrophysical trends. Several organism assemblages were recognized in the reef. Its bottom was colonized by the branched bryozoans which were fragmented and dissolved leaving poorly connected molds. Subsequently, numerous bivalves and gastropods appeared and their shells were heavily dissolved to form huge, albeit poorly communicated caverns. Such pores were also typical for local brachiopod occurrences. Although the caverns were widespread, and probably linked to the meteoric dissolution or freshwater flushing, severe anhydrite cementation has destroyed the majority of pores. Close to the top of Ca1, near the center of the reef, the fossil-rich zone comprising fenestrate bryozoans, extremely abundant encrusting foraminifers, bivalves, brachiopods, gastropods and ostracods, was identified. The zone contained extremely frequent dissolution channels formed within former shells of foraminifers, which had previously encrusted the bryozoans. The deposition of Ca1 strata has ultimately terminated with a poorly porous and generally impermeable stromatolitic layer containing scarce fossils. In general, the permeability of the reef rocks studied turned out to be the highest under the presence of foraminifer-related channels. In such cases, it frequently approached 100 mD. The presence of channels and other pores gave the average effective porosity derived from shallow resistivity and helium porosimetry of around 16 and 18 %, respectively. The highest porosity (over 18 %), often co-occurring with relatively low permeability (chiefly below 20 mD) was noted for the bottommost zone of the reef, represented by branched bryozoans. This is probably owing to a large amount of unconnected bryozoan-related molds. It was concluded that fossils played a major role in porosity formation and controlled the pore geometry significantly. While the dissolution of bivalves and brachiopods resulted in cavernous porosity formation, numerous molds were typically related with the alteration of branched bryozoans, gastropods and ostracods. Importantly, the bendy dissolution channels after the encrusting foraminifers appeared to be decisive in improving reservoir quality – specifically when permeability is considered. Acknowledgment: The research was financed by the Polish National Science Centre’s project No. UMO-2016/23/N/ST10/00350.

Keywords: dissolution channels, fossils, Permian, porosity

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Authors: Leman Korkmaz, Bahar Bahtiyar-Saygan

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Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting the whole world since the beginning of 2020. In addition to health-related and financial effects, there seem to be significant psychological effects as well, among them those related to people’s views and representations of marriage and divorce. Background: Although various impacts of COVID-19 have been investigated since the beginning of the pandemic, there is a limited number of studies on its effects concerning relationships. This research aims to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the views on and representations of marriage and divorce by conducting two studies. Method: In the first study, one-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 participants (20 single and 11 married individuals) to investigate their evaluations regarding the effect of COVID-19 on people’s views of marriage in general and their own views of marriage in particular. In the second study, 298 entries on the most frequently used online social platform in Turkey (EkşiSözlük) under two separate headings for COVID-19 impact on marriage and divorce were analyzed, and meaningful thematic units were formed. Results: The findings of the thematic analysis indicated that participants mostly mentioned both the positive and negative effects of COVID-19 on the views and representations of marriage. There were both common (e.g., loneliness, violence, etc.) and distinct (e.g., sexuality, positive and negative effects on attitudes towards marriage, etc.) thematic units between the results of the two studies. Implications: There are considerable implications discussed in light of the literature on Terror Management Theory, Attachment Theory, stress research, and growth perspective.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, divorce, marriage, relationships, representations, views

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Authors: Anna Makuch, Grzegorz Kokot, Konstanty Skalski, Jakub Banczorowski

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Cancellous bone is a porous composite of a hierarchical structure and anisotropic properties. The biological tissue is considered to be a viscoelastic material, but many studies based on a nanoindentation method have focused on their elasticity and microhardness. However, the response of many organic materials depends not only on the load magnitude, but also on its duration and time course. Depth Sensing Indentation (DSI) technique has been used for examination of creep in polymers, metals and composites. In the indentation tests on biological samples, the mechanical properties are most frequently determined for animal tissues (of an ox, a monkey, a pig, a rat, a mouse, a bovine). However, there are rare reports of studies of the bone viscoelastic properties on microstructural level. Various rheological models were used to describe the viscoelastic behaviours of bone, identified in the indentation process (e. g Burgers model, linear model, two-dashpot Kelvin model, Maxwell-Voigt model). The goal of the study was to determine the influence of creep effect on the mechanical properties of human cancellous bone in indentation tests. The aim of this research was also the assessment of the material properties of bone structures, having in mind the energy aspects of the curve (penetrator loading-depth) obtained in the loading/unloading cycle. There was considered how the different holding times affected the results within trabecular bone.As a result, indentation creep (CIT), hardness (HM, HIT, HV) and elasticity are obtained. Human trabecular bone samples (n=21; mean age 63±15yrs) from the femoral heads replaced during hip alloplasty were removed and drained from alcohol of 1h before the experiment. The indentation process was conducted using CSM Microhardness Tester equipped with Vickers indenter. Each sample was indented 35 times (7 times for 5 different hold times: t1=0.1s, t2=1s, t3=10s, t4=100s and t5=1000s). The indenter was advanced at a rate of 10mN/s to 500mN. There was used Oliver-Pharr method in calculation process. The increase of hold time is associated with the decrease of hardness parameters (HIT(t1)=418±34 MPa, HIT(t2)=390±50 MPa, HIT(t3)= 313±54 MPa, HIT(t4)=305±54 MPa, HIT(t5)=276±90 MPa) and elasticity (EIT(t1)=7.7±1.2 GPa, EIT(t2)=8.0±1.5 GPa, EIT(t3)=7.0±0.9 GPa, EIT(t4)=7.2±0.9 GPa, EIT(t5)=6.2±1.8 GPa) as well as with the increase of the elastic (Welastic(t1)=4.11∙10-7±4.2∙10-8Nm, Welastic(t2)= 4.12∙10-7±6.4∙10-8 Nm, Welastic(t3)=4.71∙10-7±6.0∙10-9 Nm, Welastic(t4)= 4.33∙10-7±5.5∙10-9Nm, Welastic(t5)=5.11∙10-7±7.4∙10-8Nm) and inelastic (Winelastic(t1)=1.05∙10-6±1.2∙10-7 Nm, Winelastic(t2) =1.07∙10-6±7.6∙10-8 Nm, Winelastic(t3)=1.26∙10-6±1.9∙10-7Nm, Winelastic(t4)=1.56∙10-6± 1.9∙10-7 Nm, Winelastic(t5)=1.67∙10-6±2.6∙10-7)) reaction of materials. The indentation creep increased logarithmically (R2=0.901) with increasing hold time: CIT(t1) = 0.08±0.01%, CIT(t2) = 0.7±0.1%, CIT(t3) = 3.7±0.3%, CIT(t4) = 12.2±1.5%, CIT(t5) = 13.5±3.8%. The pronounced impact of creep effect on the mechanical properties of human cancellous bone was observed in experimental studies. While the description elastic-inelastic, and thus the Oliver-Pharr method for data analysis, may apply in few limited cases, most biological tissues do not exhibit elastic-inelastic indentation responses. Viscoelastic properties of tissues may play a significant role in remodelling. The aspect is still under an analysis and numerical simulations. Acknowledgements: The presented results are part of the research project founded by National Science Centre (NCN), Poland, no.2014/15/B/ST7/03244.

Keywords: bone, creep, indentation, mechanical properties

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Authors: Anette Hay, Zama Simamane

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Capacity-building and integration of practical activities is one of the key SDGs of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This paper will focus on SDG# 17 – “the means of implementation” - and the role of systems thinking in practice (STiP) in supporting both competence and SDG implementation capability in teacher education curricula at North-West University, South Africa. The “Environmental Management for Sustainability” module (EDTM 312), which is compulsory for all students enrolled in the education program at North-West University, will be used as a case study. There is a need for higher education to implement and practically integrate SDG goals into their curricula, and one way to achieve this is through the development of competencies. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has the potential to offer approaches that can be useful in the development of capacity-building activities to foster sustainability. The methodological approach adopted is based on a participatory paradigm followed by two cycles and reflection. This paper focuses on systems thinking in practice demonstrating how students apply and reflect on competencies to situations and how praxis captures the actual experiences. The results of this research indicated how to re-orientate the EDTM 312 curriculum to include an environmental justice focus. This research shares practical knowledge of systems thinking as a sustainability competency.

Keywords: education for sustainable development, environmental justice competencies, sustainable development goals, systems thinking in practice

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Authors: Abdessalam Hijab, Eric Henry, Hafida Boulekbache

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The complexity of the city makes sustainable management of the urban environment more difficult. Managers are required to make significant human and technical investments, particularly in household waste collection (focus of our research). The aim of this communication is to propose a collaborative geographic multi-actor device (MGCD) based on the link between information and communication technologies (ICT) and geo-web tools in order to involve urban residents in household waste collection processes. Our method is based on a collaborative/motivational concept between the city and its residents. It is a geographic collaboration dedicated to the general public (citizens, residents, and any other participant), based on real-time allocation and geographic location of topological, geographic, and multimedia data in the form of local geo-alerts (location-specific problems) related to household waste in an urban environment. This contribution allows us to understand the extent to which residents can assist and contribute to the development of household waste collection processes for a better protected urban environment. This suggestion provides a good idea of how residents can contribute to the data bank for future uses. Moreover, it will contribute to the transformation of the population into a smart inhabitant as an essential component of a smart city. The proposed model will be tested in the Lamkansa sampling district in Casablanca, Morocco.

Keywords: information and communication technologies, ICTs, GeoWeb, geo-collaboration, city, inhabitant, waste, collection, environment

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Authors: I. S. R. Butswat, D. Zahraddeen

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This study identified and described some skill-based and necessity-driven entrepreneurship in animal agriculture (AA). AA is an integral segment of the world food industry, and provides a good and rapid source of income. The contribution of AA to the Sub-Saharan economy is quite significant, and there are still large opportunities that remain untapped in the sector. However, it is imperative to understand, simplify and package the various components of AA in order to pave way for rapid wealth creation, poverty eradication and women empowerment programmes in sub-Saharan Africa and other developing countries. The entrepreneurial areas of AA highlighted were animal breeding, livestock fattening, dairy production, poultry farming, meat production (beef, mutton, chevon, etc.), rabbit farming, wool/leather production, animal traction, animal feed industry, commercial pasture management, fish farming, sport animals, micro livestock production, private ownership of abattoirs, slaughter slabs, animal parks and zoos, among others. This study concludes that reproductive biotechnology such as oestrous synchronization, super-/multiple ovulation, artificial insemination and embryo transfer can be employed as a tool for improvement of genetic make-up of low-yielding animals in terms of milk, meat, egg, wool, leather production and other economic traits that will necessitate sustainable job and wealth creations.

Keywords: animal, agriculture, entreprenurship, wealth

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Authors: Raj Kumar, Navjyoti Dhingra

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Academic libraries are the hubs in which knowledge is a major resource and the performances of these knowledge in terms of adding and delivering value to their users depend upon their ability and effectiveness in engendering, arranging, managing, and using this knowledge. Developments in Information and Communication Technology’s (ICT), the libraries have been incorporated at the electronic edge to facilitate a rapid transfer of information on a global scale. Web2.0 refers to the development of online services that encourage collaboration, communication and information sharing. Web 2.0 reflects changes in how one can use the web rather than describing any technical or structural change. Libraries provide manifold channels of Information access to its e-users. The rapid expansion of tools, formats, services and technologies has presented many options to unfold Library Collection. Academic libraries must develop ways and means to meet their user’s expectations and remain viable. Web 2.0 tools are the first step on that journey. Web 2.0 has been widely used by the libraries to promote functional services like access to catalogue or for external activities like information or photographs of library events, enhancement of usage of library resources and bringing users closer to the library. The purpose of this paper is to provide a reconnaissance of Web 2.0 tools for enhancing library services in India. The study shows that a lot of user-friendly tools can be adopted by information professionals to effectively cater to information needs of its users. The authors have suggested a roadmap towards a revitalized future for providing various information opportunities to techno-savvy users.

Keywords: academic libraries, change management, social media, Web 2.0

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Authors: Vladimir A. Todiras

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Spatio-temporal models provide new possibilities for real-time action in pest risk analysis. It should be noted that estimation of the possibility and probability of introduction of a pest and of its economic consequences involves many uncertainties. We present a new mapping technique that assesses pest invasion risk using online BioClass software. BioClass is a GIS tool designed to solve multiple-criteria classification and optimization problems based on fuzzy logic and level set methods. This research describes a method for predicting the potential establishment and spread of a plant pest into new areas using a case study: corn rootworm (Diabrotica spp.), tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta) and plum fruit moth (Grapholita funebrana). Our study demonstrated that in BioClass we can combine fuzzy logic and geographic information systems with knowledge of pest biology and environmental data to derive new information for decision making. Pests are sensitive to a warming climate, as temperature greatly affects their survival and reproductive rate and capacity. Changes have been observed in the distribution, frequency and severity of outbreaks of Helicoverpa armigera on tomato. BioClass has demonstrated to be a powerful tool for applying dynamic models and map the potential future distribution of a species, enable resource to make decisions about dangerous and invasive species management and control.

Keywords: classification, model, pest, risk

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Authors: Pinar Ercan, Sedef N. El

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The goals of this study were to determine the total anthocyanin and procyanidin contents and their in vitro bioaccessibilities of apple, red grape and cinnamon by a static in vitro digestion method reported by the COST FA1005 Action INFOGEST, as well as in vitro inhibitory effects of these food samples on starch and lipid digestive enzymes. While the highest total anthocyanin content was found in red grape (164.76 ± 2.51 mg/100 g), the highest procyanidin content was found in cinnamon (6432.54±177.31 mg/100 g) among the selected food samples (p<0.05). The anthocyanin bioaccessibilities were found as 10.23±1 %, 8.23±0.64 %, and 8.73±0.70 % in apple, red grape, and cinnamon, respectively. The procyanidin bioaccessibilities of apple, red grape, and cinnamon were found as 17.57±0.71 %, 14.08±0.74 % and 18.75±1.49 %, respectively. The analyzed apple, red grape and cinnamon showed the inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase (IC50 544.27±21.94, 445.63±15.67, 1592±17.58 μg/mL, respectively), α-amylase (IC50 38.41±7.26, 56.12±3.60, 3.54±0.86 μg/mL, respectively), and lipase (IC50 52.65±2.05, 581.70±54.14, 49.63±2.72 μg/mL, respectively). Red grape sample showed the highest inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase, cinnamon showed the highest inhibitory activity against α-amylase and lipase according to IC50 (concentration of inhibitor required to produce a 50% inhibition of the initial rate of reaction) and Catechin equivalent inhibition capacity (CEIC50) values. This study reported that apple, grape and cinnamon samples can inhibit the activity of digestive enzymes in vitro. The consumption of these samples would be used in conjunction with a low-calorie diet for body weight management.

Keywords: anthocyanin, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, lipase, procyanidin

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Authors: Minase Yitbarek Mengistu, Abrham Melkamu, Dawit Yisfaw, Bisrat Belihu, Abdulhakim Lalega

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This research was aimed at reducing and recycling waste paper and sawdust from our environment, thereby reducing environmental pollution resulting from the management/disposal of these waste materials. In this research, some mechanical properties of composite ceiling board materials made from waste paper, sawdust, and pineapple leaf fibers were investigated to determine their suitability for use in low-cost construction work. The ceiling board was obtained from the waste of paper, sawdust chips, and pineapple leaf fibers by manual mechanical bonding techniques using dissolved polystyrene films as a binding agent. The results obtained showed that the water absorption values of between 6 % and 8.1 %; as well as density values of 500 kg/mm3 and 611.1 kg/mm3.From our result, the better one is a ratio of pineapple leaf fiber 25%, sawdust 40%, binder 25%, and waste paper 10%. The composite ceiling boards were successfully nailed with firm grips. These values obtained were compared with those of the conventional ceiling boards and it was observed that these composite materials can be used for internal low-cost construction work and Insulation (acoustic and thermal) performance. It is highly recommended that small and medium enterprises be encouraged to venture into waste recycling and the production of these composite ceiling materials to create jobs for skilled and unskilled labor that are locally available.

Keywords: composite material, environment, textile, ceiling board

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