Search results for: effective laws

Authors: Nebiat Lemenih Lenger

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Today, the digital economy is evolving faster than ever in Ethiopia. Platforms that provide a ride-hailing service are growing fast in the country. The market welcomed them as they disrupt it with quality services and lower prices. This revolution is, however, not without challenges. These include cybersecurity breaches, facilitating illegal economic activities, and challenging concepts of privacy. To mitigate the risks and utilize the benefits, appropriate regulation should be introduced in the economy. By identifying legal and institutional gaps in Ethiopia`s digital economy, this research work assists the government`s effort to create a better digital economy. Moreover, this study, being a pioneer study in the area, will be an input for further studies in academia. The research employs a qualitative legal research method and analyzes various legal and policy instruments in Ethiopia in comparison with best international experiences. As this research applies a qualitative research method, a grounded theory method of data analysis is used. The research concluded that Ethiopia is far from designing appropriate legal and regulatory infrastructures. Due to the government monopoly of the sector, there is poor digital infrastructure in the country. The existing labor laws have no specific provisions on the rights and obligations of gig workers.

Keywords: Ethiopia, gig economy, digital, ride-hailing, regulation

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Authors: Oljana Hoxhaj

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The integration process of Albania into the European family carries many difficulties. In this context, the Albanian legislator is inclined to implement in the domestic legal framework models which have been successful in other countries. Our paper aims to present an analytical and comparative approach to the health system in Albania and France, mainly focusing on citizen’s access to these services. Different standards and cultures between states, in the context of an approximate model, will be the first challenge of our paper. Over the last few years, the Albanian government has undertaken concrete reforms in this sector, aiming to transform the vision on which the previous health system was structured. In this perspective, the state fulfills not only an obligation to its citizens, but also consolidates progressive steps toward alignment with European Union standards. The necessity to undertake a genuine reform in this area has come as an exigency of society, which has permanently identified problems within this sector, considering it ineffective, out of standards, and corrupt. The inclusion of health services on the Albanian government agenda reflects its will in the function of good governance, transparency, and broadening access to the provision of quality health services in the public and private sectors. The success of any initiative in the health system consists of giving priority to patient needs. Another objective that should be in the state's consideration is to create the premise to provide a comprehensive process on whose foundations partnership and broader co-operation with beneficiary entities are established in any decision-making that is directly related to their interests. Some other important and widespread impacts on the effective realization of citizens' access to the healthcare system coincide with the construction of appropriate infrastructure, increasing the professionalism and qualification of medical staff, and the allocation of a higher budget. France has one of the most effective healthcare models in Europe. That is why we have chosen to analyze this country, aiming to highlight the advantages of this system, as well as the commitment of the French state to drafting effective health policies. In the framework of the process of harmonization of the Albanian legislation with that of the European Union, through our work, we aim to identify the space to implement the whole of these legislative innovations in the Albanian legislation.

Keywords: effective service, harmonization level, innovation, reform

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Authors: Alieh Farshbaf

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Introduction: Current anti-retroviral drugs have some restrictions for treatment of HIV-1 infection. The efficacy of retroviral drugs is not same in different infected patients and the virus rebound from latent reservoirs after stopping them. Recently, the engineering of stem cells and gene therapy provide new approaches to eliminate some drug problems by induction of resistance to HIV-1. Literature review: Up to now, AIDS-restriction genes (ARGs) were suitable candidate for gene and cell therapies, such as cc-chemokine receptor-5 (CCR5). In this manner, CCR5 provide effective cure in Berlin and Boston patients by inducing of HIV-1 resistance with allogeneic stem cell transplantation. It is showed that Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) could induce HIV-1 resistance in stem cells of infected patients by homologous recombination or non-end joining mechanism and eliminate virus loading after returning the modified cells. Then, gene modification by HIV restriction factors, as TRIM5, introduced another gene candidate for HIV by interfering in infection process. These gene modifications/editing provided by stem cell futures that improve treatment in refractory disease such as HIV-1. Conclusion: Although stem cell transplantation has some complications, but in compare to retro-viral drugs demonstrated effective cure by elimination of virus loading. On the other hand, gene therapy is cost-effective for an infected patient than retroviral drugs payment in a person life-long. The results of umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation showed that gene and cell therapy will be applied easier than previous treatment of AIDS with high efficacy.

Keywords: stem cell, AIDS, gene modification, cell engineering

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Authors: Adrian Morris, Rodney Phillips, Mattia Tabacchi

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Minimizing construction noise and vibration impacts is a key challenge for major infrastructure projects in urban environments. Before commencing construction works, Construction Noise and Vibration Management Plan (CNVMP) and Construction Noise and Vibration Impact Statements (CNVIS) are required to be prepared and submitted to the relevant government authorities for review and approval. However, the assessment of potential impacts from work activities at pre-approval stage may be inaccurate as works methodology and scheduling are yet to be determined. In response, noise and vibration management tools have been developed to refine and supplement the CNVIS as works progress. These tools have been successfully implemented in major infrastructure projects allowing contractors to plan and assess construction works in a cost effective and timely manner. As a result, noise and vibration management tools have been incorporated into management plans and are increasingly required by regulators.

Keywords: noise management, environmental noise, infrastructure projects, construction, vibration, cost effective

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Authors: Mahasa Zahirnia

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The purpose of this paper is to explore new and effective ways of optimizing satellite images using artificial intelligence, and the process of implementing reinforcement learning to enhance the quality of data captured within the image. In our implementation of Bellman's Reinforcement Learning equations, associated state diagrams, and multi-stage image processing, we were able to enhance image quality, detect and define objects. Reinforcement learning is the differentiator in the area of artificial intelligence, and Q-Learning relies on trial and error to achieve its goals. The reward system that is embedded in Q-Learning allows the agent to self-evaluate its performance and decide on the best possible course of action based on the current and future environment. Results show that within a simulated environment, built on the images that are commercially available, the rate of detection was 40-90%. Reinforcement learning through Q-Learning algorithm is not just desired but required design criteria for image optimization and enhancements. The proposed methods presented are a cost effective method of resolving uncertainty of the data because reinforcement learning finds ideal policies to manage the process using a smaller sample of images.

Keywords: Q-learning, image optimization, reinforcement learning, Markov decision process

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Authors: Elizabeth Waleola Afolabi-Soyemi

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As the population of older adults continues to grow, improving health outcomes for this demographic has become an increasingly important public health goal. Health promotion interventions have been developed to address the unique health needs and challenges faced by older adults. This abstract reviews the literature on health promotion interventions for older adults and their effectiveness in improving health outcomes. Various interventions have been found to be effective, including physical activity programs, nutrition education, medication management, and social support programs. These interventions have been shown to improve outcomes such as functional status, quality of life, and disease management. Despite the success of these interventions, there are still barriers to their implementation, such as a lack of access to resources and inadequate funding. Further research is needed to identify effective strategies for overcoming these barriers and to develop more tailored interventions for specific populations of older adults. Overall, health promotion interventions have great potential to improve the health outcomes and quality of life of older adults and should be a priority for public health efforts.

Keywords: health, humanity, health promotion, older adults

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Authors: Hyun-Woo Cho

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The monitoring of industrial production quality has to be implemented to alarm early warning for unusual operating conditions. Furthermore, identification of their assignable causes is necessary for a quality control purpose. For such tasks many multivariate statistical techniques have been applied and shown to be quite effective tools. This work presents a process data-based monitoring scheme for production processes. For more reliable results some additional steps of noise filtering and preprocessing are considered. It may lead to enhanced performance by eliminating unwanted variation of the data. The performance evaluation is executed using data sets from test processes. The proposed method is shown to provide reliable quality control results, and thus is more effective in quality monitoring in the example. For practical implementation of the method, an on-line data system must be available to gather historical and on-line data. Recently large amounts of data are collected on-line in most processes and implementation of the current scheme is feasible and does not give additional burdens to users.

Keywords: detection, filtering, monitoring, process data

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Authors: Maryam Najafi, Mahdi Rajabi

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Although the rural cooperatives are an effective way for rural development in Iran, their potential is not applied effectively. The investigation of the failures of rural cooperatives helps the authorities to improve the routine procedures and eliminate the current barriers to the success of these cooperatives, and to remove the defects in order to have a more efficient policy. Therefore, this research aims to prioritize the failure factors of rural cooperatives in Isfahan province via the survey research method. For this purpose, the effective factors of these failures were investigated by the available research documents and then by the new information which was obtained from 20 questionnaires from the experts of Central Organization Rural Cooperatives in Isfahan province. The questionnaire results were analyzed by Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Excel, and Expert Choice software. The results of this research showed that the most important failure factor of these cooperatives is the lack of the participation culture of cooperative members and then the performance of Central Organization Rural Cooperatives, and also loss of confidence of the members in the cooperation.

Keywords: cooperative, rural cooperatives, failure factors, analytical hierarchy process

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Authors: Anandkumar S. Purohit

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Introduction: Amblyopia is a serious condition resulting in monocular impairment of vision. Although traditional treatment improves vision, we attempted the results of perceptual learning in this study. Methods: The prospective cohort study included all patients with amblyopia who were subjected to perceptual learning. The presenting data on vision, stereopsis, and contrast sensitivity were documented in a pretested online format, and the pre‑ and post‑treatment information was compared using descriptive, cross‑tabulation, and comparative methods on SPSS 22. Results: The cohort consisted of 47 patients (23 females and 24 males) with a mean age of 14.11 ± 7.13 years. A significant improvement was detected in visual acuity after the PL sessions, and the median follow‑up period was 17 days. Stereopsis improved significantly in all age groups. Conclusion: PL with hand-eye coordination is an effective method for managing amblyopia. This approach can improve vision in all age groups.

Keywords: amblyopia, perceptual learning, hand-eye coordination, visual acuity, stereopsis, contrast sensitivity, ophthalmology

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Authors: G. Ravi Kiran, G. Radhakrishnamacharya

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This paper investigates the effects of slip boundary condition and wall properties on the dispersion of a solute matter in peristaltic flow of an incompressible micropolar fluid through a porous medium. Long wavelength approximation, Taylor's limiting condition and dynamic boundary conditions at the flexible walls are used to obtain the average effective dispersion coefficient in the presence of combined homogeneous and heterogeneous chemical reactions. The effects of various pertinent parameters on the effective dispersion coefficient are discussed. It is observed that peristalsis enhances dispersion. It also increases with micropolar parameter, cross viscosity coefficient, Darcy number, slip parameter and wall parameters. Further, dispersion decreases with homogenous chemical reaction rate and heterogeneous chemical reaction rate.

Keywords: chemical reaction, dispersion, peristalsis, slip condition, wall properties

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Authors: Vasuki Rayapati, Bhanu Duggal

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Trans catheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is the recommended treatment over surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for high-risk groups, patients >75 years of age with severe symptomatic Aortic stenosis (AS). In high income countries TAVR is more cost effective because of – i) Reduction in total length of stay including less number of days in ICU ii) Non-procedural costs like cost of general anaesthesia are higher for SAVR. In India, there are two kinds of hospitals – Public and Private. Most patients visit public sector hospitals than private sector hospitals. In a LMIC like India, especially in the Public health sector cost of TAVR is prohibitive. In a small study from three (public) hospitals in India, it was envisaged that cost of TAVR should decrease at least by 2/3 to be a cost effective option in Public health sector for severe AS.

Keywords: cost effectiveness, TAVR vs SAVR, LMIC, HTA

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Authors: Hattie Hope Makumbe, Bhekisisa Dlamini, Frederick Tabit

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Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most important foodborne pathogens associated with ready-to-eat (RTE) food. This study investigated the incidence of Listeria monocytogenes in 80 RTE food sold in the formal (dairy and processed meat) and informal markets (vegetable salads, beef stew, and rice) of Johannesburg, South Africa. High Enterobacteriaceae, S. aureus, and E. coli counts were obtained, which ranged from 1.9-7.5 log CFU/g. Listeria monocytogenes microbial counts in the food samples ranged from 3.5-6.0 log colony forming unit per gram except in cooked rice. The Listeria monocytogenes isolates were identified using biochemical tests and confirmed with the Biolog identification system and PCR analyses. The percentage incidence for Listeria monocytogenes in ready to eat food was 12.5%. When Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations were under consideration, all disinfectants were effective against Listeria monocytogenes strains. For antimicrobial work, rates of resistance amongst the antibiotics ranged from 17-100%. Therefore, more effective preventive control strategies for Listeria monocytogenes are needed to reduce the prevalence of the pathogen in RTE food that is sold in Johannesburg.

Keywords: Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria species, ready to eat food, sanitiser efficacy

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Authors: K. C. R. Perera, B. M. Hapuwatte

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This paper presents an effective method to divide panels for mesh-less methods of source, vortex and doublet panel methods. In this research study the physical domain of air-foils were transformed into computational domain of a circle using conformal mapping technique of Joukowsky transformation. Then the circle is divided into panels of equal length and the co-ordinates were remapped into physical domain of the air-foil. With this method the leading edge and the trailing edge of the air-foil is panelled with a high density of panels and the rest of the body is panelled with low density of panels. The high density of panels in the leading edge and the trailing edge will increase the accuracy of the solutions obtained from panel methods where the fluid flow at the leading and trailing edges are complex.

Keywords: conformal mapping, Joukowsky transformation, physical domain, computational domain

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Authors: Saidu I. Rambo, Emmanuel O. Ibam, Sunday O. Adewale

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The configuration of routers for effective communication in the Nigerian Navy (NN) enables the navy to improve on the current communication systems. The current system is faced with challenges that make the systems partially effective. The major implementation of the system is to configure routers using hierarchical model and obtaining a VSAT option on C-band platform. These routers will act as a link between Naval Headquarters and the Commands under it. The routers main responsibilities are to forward packets from source location to destination using a Link State Routing Protocol (LSRP). Also using the Point to Point Protocol (PPP), creates a strong encrypted password using Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) which uses one-way hash function of Message Digest 5 (MD5) to provide complete protection against hackers/intruders. Routers can be configured using a Linux operating system or internet work operating system in the Microsoft platform. With this, system packets can be forwarded to various locations more effectively than the present system being used.

Keywords: C-band, communication, router, VSAT

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Authors: Zhidong Zhang, Yingchen Yang

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In this study, a diagnostic assessment model for Mastery Engineering Learning was established based on a group of undergraduate students who studied in an engineering course. A diagnostic assessment model can examine both students' learning process and report achievement results. One very unique characteristic is that the diagnostic assessment model can recognize the errors and anything blocking students in their learning processes. The feedback is provided to help students to know how to solve the learning problems with alternative strategies and help the instructor to find alternative pedagogical strategies in the instructional designs. Dynamics is a core course in which is a common course being shared by several engineering programs. This course is a very challenging for engineering students to solve the problems. Thus knowledge acquisition and problem-solving skills are crucial for student success. Therefore, developing an effective and valid assessment model for student learning are of great importance. Diagnostic assessment is such a model which can provide effective feedback for both students and instructor in the mastery of engineering learning.

Keywords: diagnostic assessment, mastery learning, engineering, bayesian network model, learning processes

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Authors: Rungrot Trongsakul

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This paper was aimed to study the strategic cooperation development of Thailand in accordance with the door open policy of Myanmar, by use of DIMES Model: Diplomacy, Information, Military and Economics, Socio-Culture. This research employed qualitative method, aiming to study, analyze and synthesize the content of laws, policies, relevant research papers and documents, and relevant theories, and to study external environment and national power based on DIMES Model. The five steps of strategic development utilized in this study included (1) conceptual framework and definition; (2) environmental scanning; (3) assessing; (4) determining; and (5) drafting strategic plan. The suggested strategies were based on the concept of 'Soft Power'. Therefore, the determination of measures, action plans or projects as strategic means of public and private organizations should be based on sincere participation among people and communities living on the borders shared by both countries. Adoption of education, learning and sharing process is a key to building sustainability of the countries’ strategic cooperation, while an application of 'Soft Power' in all dimensions of the cooperation between the two countries was suggested.

Keywords: education, strategic cooperation, Thailand-Myanmar borders, sustainability

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Authors: Joseph Levodo, Ndimbarafine Young Tobin, E. Messina, P. Edouma

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Energy efficiency can contribute significantly towards increasing clean energy access to modern energy services. Many developing countries have largely focused on expanding energy access by increasing supply. This is due to the fact the links between energy efficiency and clean energy access are often unnoticed. Energy efficiency measures offer the promise of reducing energy use and saving money on electricity bills, as well as reducing negative environmental externalities associated with the production of electricity. This paper seeks to address the economic and effectiveness of reducing energy consumption by integrating energy efficiency as a priority to meet energy access examines the barriers to energy efficient in sub-Saharan African countries. The findings from this study reveal that an appropriate policy can promote the development of more energy-efficient buildings, products and strengthen incentives for consumers, businesses, and industrial customers to pursue cost-effective energy-efficiency measures and to make investments that will provide future energy-efficiency improvements.

Keywords: barriers, Sub-Saharan Africa, cost effective, energy savings, clean energy

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Authors: Jungkyun Im

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Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are effective for relieving pain and reducing inflammation. They are nonselective inhibitors of two isoforms of COX, cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and thereby inhibiting the production of hormone-like lipid compounds such as, prostaglandins and thromboxanes which cause inflammation, pain, fever, platelet aggregation, etc. In addition, recently there are many research articles reporting the neuroprotective effect of NSAIDs in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the clinical use of NSAIDs in these diseases is limited by low brain distribution. Therefore, in order to assist the in-depth investigation on the pharmaceutical mechanism of flurbiprofen in neuroprotection and to make flurbiprofen a more potent drug to prevent or alleviate neurodegenerative diseases, delivery of flurbiprofen to brain should be effective and sufficient amount of flurbiprofen must penetrate the BBB thus gaining access into the patient’s brain. We have recently developed several types of guanidine-rich molecular carriers with high molecular weights and good water solubility that readily cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and display efficient distributions in the mouse brain. The G8 (having eight guanidine groups) molecular carrier based on D-sorbitol was found to be very effective in delivering anticancer drugs to a mouse brain. In the present study, employing the same molecular carrier, we prepared the flurbiprofen conjugate and studied its BBB permeation by mouse tissue distribution study. Flurbiprofen was attached to a molecular carrier with a fluorescein probe and multiple terminal guanidiniums. The conjugate was found to internalize into live cells and readily cross the BBB to enter the mouse brain. Our novel synthetic flurbiprofen conjugate will hopefully delivery NSAIDs into brain, and is therefore applicable to the neurodegenerative diseases treatment or prevention.

Keywords: flurbiprofen, drug delivery, molecular carrier, organic synthesis

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Authors: Ida Shafinaz Mohamed Kamil, Mohd Dahlan Abdul Malek

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Today, the whole world is facing a catastrophe called the novel coronavirus disease known as COVID-19. As of October 2021, it has been reported that more than 248 million cases and 5 million deaths have been recorded worldwide. In Malaysia, 2,466,663 cases were reported, with 28,876 deaths recorded on 30 October 2021. Unfortunately, the world is not only facing the COVID-19 pandemic but the COVID-19 infodemic as well, where fake news about COVID-19 disease is spreading faster and more widely than from the virus itself. The spread of fake news is amplified through various social media platforms, which is causing concern among the community. The uncertainty in understanding what fake news really is has caused difficulties and challenges in providing a solution to the hazards that it creates. This article discusses what constitutes fake news and examines the current legal framework put in place to combat fake news in Malaysia. Employing a doctrinal research methodology, this article thoroughly analyzes the relevant legal provisions under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, the Penal Code and the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance (No.2) 2021, which came into force on 12 March 2021 as well as related case laws, for offenses and punishments with regards to fake news. The findings from the analysis indicate that there is still room for improvement in regulating fake news, in particular concerning COVID-19.

Keywords: fake news, legal pespective, covid 19, pendemic

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Authors: Bienvenu Gael Fouda Mbanga, Zikhona Tywabi-Ngeva, Kriveshini Pillay

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This work highlighted a new method for preparing Nitrogen carbon nanoparticles fused on zinc oxide nanoparticle nanocomposite (N-CNPs/ZnONPsNC) to remove copper ions (Cu²+) from wastewater by sol-gel method and applying the metal-loaded adsorbent in latent fingerprint application. The N-CNPs/ZnONPsNC showed to be an effective sorbent for optimum Cu²+ sorption at pH 8 and 0.05 g dose. The Langmuir isotherm was found to best fit the process, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 285.71 mg/g, which was higher than most values found in other research for Cu²+ removal. Adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic at 25oC. In addition, the Cu²+-N-CNPs/ZnONPsNC was found to be sensitive and selective for latent fingerprint (LFP) recognition on a range of porous surfaces. As a result, in forensic research, it is an effective distinguishing chemical for latent fingerprint detection.

Keywords: latent fingerprint, nanocomposite, adsorption, copper ions, metal loaded adsorption, adsorbent

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Authors: Katarzyna Stoklosa

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Introduction: European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is an independent office in European Union which was established under the article 86 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union by the Treaty of Lisbon following the method of enhanced cooperation. EPPO is aimed at combating crimes against the EU’s financial interest et fraud against the EU budgets on the one hand, EPPO will give a chance to effective fight with organized criminality, on the other it seems to be a threat for member-states which bound with justice the problem of sovereignty. It is a new institution that will become effective from 2020, which is why it requires prior analysis. Methodology: The author uses statistical and comparative methods by collecting and analyzing the work of current institutions such as Europol, Eurojust, as well as the future impact of EPPO on detection and prosecution of crimes. The author will also conduct questionnaire among students and academic staff involved in the perception of EU institutions and the need to create new entities dealing with inter-agency cooperation in criminal matters. Thanks to these research the author will draw up present ways of cooperation between member-states and changes in fighting with financial crimes which will grow up under new regulation. Major Finding of the Study: Analysis and research show that EPPO is an institution based on the principle of mutual recognition, which often does not work in cooperation between Member States. Distrust and problems with the recognition of judgments of other EU Member States may significantly affect the functioning of EPPO. Poland is not part of the EPPO, because arguments have been raised that the European Public Prosecutor's Office interferes too much with the Member States’ pro-active sovereignty and duplicates competences. The research and analyzes carried out by the author show that EPPO has completely new competences, for example, it may file indictments against perpetrators of financial crimes. However, according to the research carried out by the author, such competences may undermine the sovereignty and the principle of protecting the public order of the EU. Conclusion: After the analysis, it will be possible to set following thesis: EPPO is only possible way to effective fight with organized financial criminality. However in conclusion Polish doubts should not be criticized at all. Institutions as EPPO must properly respect sovereignty of member-states. Even instruments like that cannot provoke political contraventions, because there are no other ways to effective resolving of international criminality problem.

Keywords: criminal trial, economic crimes, European Public Prosecutor's Office, European Union

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Authors: Ziwei Huang

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In order to promote Inventory development in Shenzhen, the market-oriented real estate development mode has occupied a dominant position in the urban renewal activities of Shenzhen. This research is based on the theory of role relationship and urban regime, taking the Mutoulong community as the research object. Carries on the case depth analysis found that: Under the situation of absence and dislocation of the government's role, land property rights disputes and lack of communication platforms is the main reason for the problems of nail households and market failures, and the long-term delay in the progress of old city reconstruction. Through the analysis of the cause of the transformation problem and the upper planning and interest coordination mechanism, the optimization strategy of the old city transformation is finally proposed as follows: the establishment of interest coordination platform, the risk assessment of the government's intervention in the preliminary construction of the land, the adaptive construction of laws and regulations, and the re-examination of the interest relationship between the government and the market.

Keywords: Shenzhen city, Mutoulong community, urban regeneration, urban regime theory, role relationship theory

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Authors: An Chengrui, Yin Zi, Wu Bingbing, Ma Yuanzhu, Jin Kaixiu, Chen Xiao, Ouyang Hongwei

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Single cell RNA sequence (scRNA-seq) is one of the effective tools to study transcriptomics of biological processes. Recently, similarity measurement of cells is Euclidian distance or its derivatives. However, the process of scRNA-seq is a multi-variate Bernoulli event model, thus we hypothesize that it would be more efficient when the divergence between cells is valued with relative entropy than Euclidian distance. In this study, we compared the performances of Euclidian distance, Spearman correlation distance and Relative Entropy using scRNA-seq data of the early, medial and late stage of limb development generated in our lab. Relative Entropy is better than other methods according to cluster potential test. Furthermore, we developed KL-SNE, an algorithm modifying t-SNE whose definition of divergence between cells Euclidian distance to Kullback–Leibler divergence. Results showed that KL-SNE was more effective to dissect cell heterogeneity than t-SNE, indicating the better performance of relative entropy than Euclidian distance. Specifically, the chondrocyte expressing Comp was clustered together with KL-SNE but not with t-SNE. Surprisingly, cells in early stage were surrounded by cells in medial stage in the processing of KL-SNE while medial cells neighbored to late stage with the process of t-SNE. This results parallel to Heatmap which showed cells in medial stage were more heterogenic than cells in other stages. In addition, we also found that results of KL-SNE tend to follow Gaussian distribution compared with those of the t-SNE, which could also be verified with the analysis of scRNA-seq data from another study on human embryo development. Therefore, it is also an effective way to convert non-Gaussian distribution to Gaussian distribution and facilitate the subsequent statistic possesses. Thus, relative entropy is potentially a better way to determine the divergence of cells in scRNA-seq data analysis.

Keywords: Single cell RNA sequence, Similarity measurement, Relative Entropy, KL-SNE, t-SNE

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Authors: Dongfang Qiu, Yilin Lu

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The measurement of enterprise-university-research cooperative efficiency has important meanings in improving the cooperative efficiency, strengthening the effective integration of regional resource, enhancing the ability of regional innovation and promoting the development of regional economy. The paper constructs the DEA method and DEA-Malmquist productivity index method to research the cooperation efficiency of Hubei by making comparisons with other provinces in China. The study found out the index of technology efficiency is 0.52 and the enterprise-university- research cooperative efficiency is Non-DEA efficient. To realize the DEA efficiency of Hubei province, the amount of 1652.596 R&D employees and 638.368 R&D employees’ full time equivalence should be reduced or 137.89 billion yuan of new products’ sales income be increased. Finally, it puts forward policy recommendations on existing problems to strengthen the standings of the cooperation, realize the effective application of the research results, and improve the level of management of enterprise-university-research cooperation efficiency.

Keywords: cooperation ability, DEA method, enterprise-university-research cooperation, Malmquist efficiency index

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Authors: Ashley Andrew

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Over the years, there have been drastic developments in technology that have altered the ways we interact with and utilize technology. Social media platforms have expanded, access to information is easily accessible on cellular devices, ways of banking have changed, and virtual meetings/work have become the norm. The COVID-19 pandemic also highlighted the importance of pivoting and adapting to the benefits that technology provides, including Accessibility (services are more available to people living in remote areas and/or with mobility concerns), Convenience (technology has allowed easier options for booking appointments and connecting with loved ones), Availability (People can attend services that best meet their availability/schedule). Although there have been large improvements in accessibility to services and resources with the evolution of technology, there are also some major concerns that are not being addressed when it comes to technology and intimate partner violence. This study explores how the growth in technology has changed the way people are being abused and harmed and the sad reality that regulations and laws have not caught up with the advances in technology. The study will also explore cyberstalking, social media triggers, and location-tracking devices and applications. By exploring how technology impacts intimate partner violence, clinicians will learn how to better assess and safety plan for these risk factors.

Keywords: abuse, intimate partner violence, safety planning, technology

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Authors: Stanley Yap Peng Lok, Chong Wei Ying, Leow Hon Wei, Fatemeh Kimiyaghalam

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Purpose: This paper examines how people treat on the importance of financial planning for their retirement. There is lack of standard instrument that enable us to access the retirement planning behavior. This paper studies the reliability and validity of a proposed scale for accessing this behavior. Design/methodology/approach: The Retirement Planning Behavior scale (RPB) is developed from the results of reviewing different papers on this topic. A total of 900 Malaysians from the age of 18 and above are used as the sample. Findings: Our results show, firstly, the RPB meets all criteria from the instrument reliability and validity which based on the theory of planned behavior. Second, our findings propose two components for this RPB scale; attitude toward planning for retirement and intention towards retirement planning behavior. Practical implication: An effective retirement planning achieves financial independence after the retirement. Our findings have important implications for the scope and significance of the retirement planning behavior measurement, especially for retirees. Originality/value: This study proposes a new approach to cater consumers’ needs for retirement planning. Therefore, consumers are able to achieve financial independence in their retirement age.

Keywords: retirement planning behavior (RPB) scale, reliability, validity, retirement planning, financial independence

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Authors: Mehrdad Hosseinishakib, Mozhgan Chakani, Gholamreza Babaei

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This study aims to investigate the relationship between the bilateral communication channels, communication technologies with effective communications and communication technologies, employee participation in motivated decision-making of employees using the EFQM excellence model in Education Organization of Area 4 in Karaj. This research is an applied research in terms of the purpose and is a descriptive survey research in terms of nature and method and assesses the current situation using field studies. The statistical population consists of all employees and managers of Education Organization of Area 4 in Karaj including 5442 persons and random sampling was used and sample size is 359 using Cochran formula. Measurement tool is a researcher-made questionnaire with 20 questions including two categories of expertise and general questions. The first category includes general questions about respondents' personal characteristics such as gender and level of education, work experience and courses of study. The second category includes expertise questions of the questionnaire that have been designed to test research hypotheses that its reliability was approved by Cronbach's alpha coefficient 0.916 and its validity was approved according to the vies of teachers and some senior managers of Education Organization of Area 4 in Karaj. The results of the analysis of the findings show that there is a significant relationship between mutual communication channels, communication technologies with effective communication between employees and management. There is also a significant relationship between communication technologies and employee motivation and employee participation in their motivated decision-making in Education Organization of Area 4 in Karaj.

Keywords: communication channels, effective communication, EFQM model, ANOVA

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Authors: Thi V. S. Nguyen, Kevin Laws

Abstract:

This study investigates the construction of higher education teachers’ roles from the perspectives of participants in a compulsory teachers’ professional development for Vietnamese higher education teachers. Constructivist grounded theory was used as methodology and analysis of the study. Fifteen program participants were semi-structured interviewed before they started the professional development program for higher education teachers. Five trainers of the program were interviewed and documents related to teachers’ standards in Vietnam were analysed to supplement participants’ perspectives. Standards and roles of higher education teachers emerged as two categories grounded from data. Standard category involves moral and professional criteria, whereas roles of higher education teachers category consists of specific roles related to guiding student learning, and advising their academic, moral and social activities. A model of higher education teachers’ conceptions of their roles in a Vietnamese context addressing both professional (techne) and moral (praxis) responsibilities is constructed from this study. A discussion on teachers’ roles in higher education is put forward and insightful implications for the design and possible restructure of teachers’ professional development for early career higher education teachers is suggested.

Keywords: higher education teachers' roles and standards, moral roles, teachers' professional development, teachers' conceptions of their roles

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Authors: Inayatullah Jan, Sidra Pervez

Abstract:

Effective institutional arrangements at local and national levels are quintessential for promotion of renewable energy in a country. This study attempts to examine the institutional arrangements for development of domestic renewable energy in rural northwest Pakistan. The study describes that very limited number of public and private organizations were working on clean development in the area. Surprisingly, no institutional arrangements exclusively meant for domestic clean energy promotion were observed in the area. The study concludes that the objectives of Kyoto Protocol in Pakistan can be achieved only if the government and non-governmental organizations work together to launch cost-effective renewable energy interventions, particularly in rural areas. The need is to have a coordinated, consistent, and focused cooperation of all stakeholders involved in promotion of domestic renewable energy at all levels. This will not only improve the socioeconomic and environmental conditions in the local context, but will play a key role in achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals(MDGs).

Keywords: governance, clean energy, greenhouse gases, CDM, Northwest Pakistan

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Authors: Evariste Boj, Jan Schee

Abstract:

We present the temperature anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation due to the inhomogeneity region constructed on a 3-brane in the framework of a Randall-Sundrum one brane immersed into a 5D bulk $AdS_5$ spacetime. We employ the Brane-World Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) cosmological model to describe the cosmic expansion on the brane. The inhomogeneity is modeled by the static, spherically symmetric spacetime that replaces the spherically symmetric part of a dust-filled universe and is connected to the FLRW spacetime through the junction conditions. As the vacuum region expands it induces an additional frequency shift to a CMBR photon passing through this inhomogeneity in comparison to the case of a photon propagating through a pure FLRW spacetime. This frequency shift is associated with the effective temperature change of the CMBR in the corresponding direction. We give an estimate of the CMBR effective temperature changes with the change of the value of the tidal charge parameter.

Keywords: CMBR, Randall-Sundrum model, Rees-Sciama effect, Braneworld

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