Search results for: life and earth sciences

Authors: Ujjawal Kumar Bhagat, Kamaluddin, Rama Krishna Peddinti

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The Huisgen’s 1,3-dipolar [3+2] cycloaddition of organic azides and alkynes often give the mixtures of both the regioisomers 1,4- and 1,5- disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles. Later, in presence of metal salts (click chemistry) such as copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) was used for the synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles as a sole products regioselectively. Also, the ‘click reactions’ of Ruthenium-catalyzed azides-alkynes cycloaddition (RuAAC) is used for the synthesis of 1,5-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles as a single isomer. The synthesis of 1,4- and 1.5-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles has become the gold standard of ‘click chemistry’ due to its reliability, specificity, and biocompatibility. The 1,4- and 1,5-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles have emerged as one of the most powerful entities in the varieties of biological properties like antibacterial, antitubercular, antitumor, antifungal and antiprotozoal activities. Some of the 1,4,5-trisubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles exhibit Hsp90 inhibiting properties. The 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles also play a big role in the area of material sciences. The triazole-derived oligomeric, polymeric structures are the potential materials for the preparation of organic optoelectronics, silicon elastomers and unimolecular block copolymers. By the virtue of hydrogen bonding and dipole interactions, the 1,2,3-triazole moiety readily associates with the biological targets. Since, the 4-aryl-1H-1,2,3-triazoles are stable entities, they are chemically robust and very less reactive. In this regard, the addition of 4-aryl-1H-1,2,3-triazoles as nucleophiles to α,β-unsaturated carbonyls and nucleophilic substitution with the epoxides constitutes a powerful and challenging synthetic approach for the generation of disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles. Herein, we have developed aza-Michael addition of 4-aryl-1H-1,2,3-triazoles to 2-cycloalken-1-ones in the presence of an organic base (DABCO) in acetonotrile solvent leading to the formation of disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles. The reaction provides 1,4-disubstituted triazoles, 3-(4-aryl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)cycloalkanones in major amount along with 1,5-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles, minor regioisomers with excellent combined chemical yields (upto99%). The nucleophilic behavior of 4-aryl-1H-1,2,3-triazoles was also tested in the ring opening of meso-epoxides in the presence of organic bases (DABCO/Et3N) in acetonotrile solvent furnishing the two regioisomers1,4- and 1,5-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles. Thus, the novelty of this methodology is synthesis of diversified disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles under metal free condition.The results will be presented in detail.

Keywords: aza-Michael addition, cycloalkenones, epoxides, triazoles

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Authors: Muhammad Tahir Hassan, Stas Burek, Muhammad Asif, Mohamed Emad

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Industrial sector in Pakistan accounts for 25% of total energy consumption in the country. The performance of this sector has been severely affected due to the adverse effect of current energy crises in the country. Energy conservation potentials of Pakistan’s industrial sectors through energy management can save wasted energy which would ultimately leads to economic and environmental benefits. However due to lack of financial incentives of energy efficiency and absence of energy benchmarking within same industrial sectors are some of the main challenges in the implementation of energy management. In Pakistan, this area has not been adequately explored, and there is a lack of focus on the need for industrial energy efficiency and proper management. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the current energy management performance of Pakistani industrial sector and empirical investigation of the existence of various barriers to industrial energy efficiency. Data was collected from the respondents of 192 small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s) of Pakistan i.e. foundries, textile, plastic industries, light engineering, auto and spare parts and ceramic manufacturers and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Current energy management performance of manufacturing SME’s in Pakistan has been evaluated by employing two significant indicators, ‘Energy Management Matrix’ and ‘pay-off criteria’, with modified approach. Using the energy management matrix, energy management profiles of overall industry and the individual sectors have been drawn to assess the energy management performance and identify the weak and strong areas as well. Results reveal that, energy management practices in overall surveyed industries are at very low level. Energy management profiles drawn against each sector suggest that performance of textile sector is better among all the surveyed manufacturing SME’s. The empirical barriers to industrial energy efficiency have also been ranked according to the overall responses. The results further reveal that there is a significant relationship exists among the industrial size, sector type and nature of barriers to industrial energy efficiency for the manufacturing SME’s in Pakistan. The findings of this study may help the industries and policy makers in Pakistan to formulate a sustainable energy policy to support industrial energy efficiency keeping in view the actual existing energy efficiency scenario in the industrial sector.

Keywords: barriers, energy conservation, energy management profile, environment, manufacturing SME's of Pakistan

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Authors: Binaya Tamang, Buddhhi Raj Pokhrel, Narayan Gautam

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Background: There may be a connection between thyroid function and vitamin D status since both bind to similar nuclear hormone receptors and have similar response regions on gene promoters. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between thyroid hormones and vitamin D levels in females who were attending a tertiary care center in western Nepal and were either hypothyroid or euthyroid. Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out between March 2020 and March 2021 by the Biochemistry department of the Universal College of Medical Sciences (UCMS), Bhairahawa, Province No. 5, Nepal, in cooperation with Internal medicine. Prior to the study, institutional review committee approval (UCMS/IRC/008/20) was acquired from UCMS. Women who visited the Internal Medicine OPD of UCMS and were advised to get a thyroid function test (TFT) were included in the study population. Only those who were willing to participate in the study were enrolled after the goals and advantages of the study had been explained to them. Participants who had recently used vitamin D supplements and medications that affected thyroid hormones were excluded. The participants gave their consent verbally and in writing. After getting the consent, a convenient sample technique was applied. Serum was isolated after drawing 3 ml of blood in a plain vial. Chemiluminescence assay was used to analyze vitamin D and thyroid hormones (MAGLUMI 2000). SPSS version 16.0 for Windows was used to conduct the statistical analysis. Statistical significance was defined as a P-value < 0.05. Results: Majority of the study population (n=214, 71%) had insufficient serum vitamin D levels. Among the thyroid groups, the median Vitamin D levels were significantly lower in hypothyroid (16.88 ng/ml) as compared to the euthyroid groups (25.01 ng/ml) (P<0.001). Similarly, serum Vitamin D levels were considerably lower in the obese population (16.86 ng/ml) as compared to the normal BMI group (24.90 ng/ml) (P<0.001) as well as in the vegetarian (15.43 ng.ml) than mixed diet consumer (24.89 ng/ml) (P<0.01). Even after the adjustment for these variables, the Vitamin D levels were significantly lower in the hypothyroid population than in the euthyroid group (P<0.001). Conclusion: Comparing the hypothyroid population to the euthyroid, the median serum vitamin D levels were considerably lower. We were alarmed to see that the majority of euthyroid participants also had low levels of vitamin D. Therefore if left untreated, low vitamin D levels in hypothyroid patients could worsen their health further.

Keywords: vitamin D, thyroid hormones, euthyroid, hypothyroid, Nepal

Procedia PDF Downloads 143

Authors: Marisa P. De Brito

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The internet is affecting the way the industry operates and communicates. It is also becoming a customary means for leisure, tourism, and hospitality consumers to seek and exchange information and views on hotels, destinations events and attractions, or to develop social ties with other users. On the one hand, the internet is a rich field to conduct leisure, tourism, and hospitality research; on the other hand, however, there are few researchers formally embracing online methods of research, such as netnography. Within social sciences, netnography falls under the interpretative/ethnographic research methods umbrella. It is an adaptation of anthropological techniques such as participant and non-participant observation, used to study online interactions happening on social media platforms, such as Facebook. It is, therefore, a research method applied to the study of online communities, being the term itself a contraction of the words network (as on internet), and ethnography. It was developed in the context of marketing research in the nineties, and in the last twenty years, it has spread to other contexts such as education, psychology, or urban studies. Since netnography is not universally known, it may discourage researchers and educators from using it. This work offers guidelines for researchers wanting to apply this method in the field of leisure, tourism, and hospitality or for educators wanting to teach about it. This is done by means of a double approach: a content analysis of the literature side-by-side with educational data, on the use of netnography. The content analysis is of the incidental research using netnography in leisure, tourism, and hospitality in the last twenty years. The educational data is the author and her colleagues’ experience in coaching students throughout the process of writing a paper using primary netnographic data - from identifying the phenomenon to be studied, selecting an online community, collecting and analyzing data to writing their findings. In the end, this work puts forward, on the one hand, a research agenda, and on the other hand, an educational roadmap for those wanting to apply netnography in the field or the classroom. The educator’s roadmap will summarise what can be expected from mini-netnographies conducted by students and how to set it up. The research agenda will highlight for which issues and research questions the method is most suitable; what are the most common bottlenecks and drawbacks of the method and of its application, but also where most knowledge opportunities lay.

Keywords: netnography, online research, research agenda, educator's roadmap

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Authors: Ayda Youssef, Tarek Rafaat, Iman zaky

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Purpose: Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis (LCH) is not uncommon pathology that implies aberrant proliferation of a specific dendritic (Langerhans) cell. These atypical but mature cells of monoclonal origin can infiltrate many sites of the body and may occur as localized lesions or as widespread systemic disease. Liver is one of the uncommon sites of affection. The twofold objective of this study is to illustrate the radiological presentation of this disease, and to compare these results with previously reported series. Methods and Materials: Between 2007 and 2012, 150 patients with biopsy-proven LCH were treated in our hospital, a paediatric cancer tertiary care center. A retrospective review of radiographic images and reports was performed. There were 33 patients with liver affection are stratified. All patients underwent imaging studies, mostly US and CT. A chart review was performed to obtain demographic, clinical and radiological data. They were analyzed and compared to other published series. Results: Retrospective assessment of 150 patients with LCH was performed, among them 33 patients were identified who had liver involvement. All these patients developed multisystemic disease; They were 12 females and 21 males with (n= 32), seven of them had marked hepatomegaly. Diffuse hypodense liver parenchyma was encountered in five cases, the periportal location has a certain predilection in cases of focal affection where three cases has a hypodense periportal soft tissue sheets, one of them associated with dilated biliary radicals, only one case has multiple focal lesions unrelated to portal tracts. On follow up of the patients, two cases show abnormal morphology of liver with bossy outline. Conclusion: LCH is a not infrequent disease. A high-index suspicion should be raised in the context of diagnosis of liver affection. A biopsy is recommended in the presence of radiological suspicion. Chemotherapy is the preferred therapeutic modality. Liver histiocytosis are not disease specific features but should be interpreted in conjunction with the clinical history and the results of biopsy. Clinical Relevance/Application: Radiologist should be aware of different patterns of hepatobiliary histiocytosis, Thus early diagnosis and proper management of patient can be conducted.

Keywords: langerhans’ cell histiocytosis, liver, medical and health sciences, radiology

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Authors: Margarida Porfírio Tomás, Paula Pereira, José Palma Oliveira

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Robotic grasping is advancing rapidly, but transferring techniques from rigid to deformable objects remains a challenge. Deformable and flexible items, such as food containers, demand nuanced handling due to their changing shapes. Bridging this gap is crucial for applications in food processing, surgical robotics, and household assistance. AGILEHAND, a Horizon project, focuses on developing advanced technologies for sorting, handling, and packaging soft and deformable products autonomously. These technologies serve as strategic tools to enhance flexibility, agility, and reconfigurability within the production and logistics systems of European manufacturing companies. Key components include intelligent detection, self-adaptive handling, efficient sorting, and agile, rapid reconfiguration. The overarching goal is to optimize work environments and equipment, ensuring both efficiency and safety. As new technologies emerge in the food industry, there will be some implications, such as labour force, safety problems and acceptance of the new technologies. To overcome these implications, AGILEHAND emphasizes the integration of social sciences and humanities, for example, the application of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The project aims to create a change management manual, that will outline strategies for developing digital skills and managing health and safety transitions. It will also provide best practices and models for organizational change. Additionally, AGILEHAND will design effective training programs to enhance employee skills and knowledge. This information will be obtained through a combination of case studies, structured interviews, questionnaires, and a comprehensive literature review. The project will explore how organizations adapt during periods of change and identify factors influencing employee motivation and job satisfaction. This project received funding from European Union’s Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement No101092043 (AGILEHAND).

Keywords: change management, technology acceptance model, organizational change, health and safety

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Authors: N. Dunleavy, E. Lovemore, K. Siljeur, D. Jackson, M. Hendricks, M. Hoosain, N. Plastow, S. Marais

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Background: The work requirements of sewing machine operators cause physical and emotional strain. Past ergonomic interventions have been provided to alleviate physical concerns; however, a holistic, multimodal intervention was needed to improve these factors. Aim: The study aimed to examine the effect of an occupational therapy programme on sewing machine operators’ pain, mental health, and productivity within a factory in the South African context. Methods: A pilot randomised control trial was conducted with 22 sewing machine operators within a single factory. Stratified randomisation was used to determine the experimental (EG) and control groups (CG), using measures for pain intensity, level of depression (mental health), and productivity rates as stratification variables. The EG received the multimodal intervention, incorporating education, seating adaptations, and mental health intervention. In three months, the CG will receive the same intervention. Pre- and post-intervention testing have occurred with upcoming three- and six-month follow-ups. Results: Immediate results indicate a statistically significant decrease in pain in both experimental and control groups; no change in productivity scores and depression between the two groups. This may be attributed to external factors. The values for depression further showed no statistical significance between the two groups and within pre-and post-test results. The Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS) version-24 was used as the data analysis testing, where all the tests will be evaluated at a 5% significance level. Contribution of research: The research adds to the body of knowledge informing the Occupational Therapy role in work settings, providing evidence on the effectiveness of workplace-based multimodal interventions. Conclusion: The study provides initial data on the effectiveness of a pilot randomised control trial on pain and mental health in South Africa. Results indicated no quantitative change between the experimental and control groups; however, qualitative data suggest a clinical significance of the findings.

Keywords: ergonomics programme, occupational therapy, sewing machine operators, workplace-based multimodal interventions

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Authors: Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza

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Environmental stresses are one of the major reasons for poor crop yield across the globe. Among the various environmental stresses, drought stress is the most damaging one, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Wheat is the major staple food of many countries of the world, which is badly affected by drought stress. In order to fulfill the dietary needs of increasing population with depleting water resources there is a need to adopt technologies which result in sufficient crop yield with less water consumption. One of them is partial root zone drying. Keeping in view these conditions, a wire house experiment was conducted at agronomic research area of University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, The Islamia University Bahawalpur during 2015, to screen out the different wheat varieties for partial root zone drying (PRD). Five approved local wheat varieties (V1= Galaxy-2013, V2= Punjab-2011, V3 = Faisalabad-2008, V4 = Lasani-2008 and V5 = V.8200) and two irrigation levels (I1= control irrigation and I2 = PRD irrigation) with completely randomized design having four replications were used in the experiment. Among the varieties, Galaxy-2013 performed the best and attained maximum plant height, leaf area, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, total sugars, proline contents and antioxidant enzymes activities and minimum values of growth and physiological parameters were recorded in variety V.8200. For irrigation levels, higher values of growth, physiological and water related parameters were recorded in control treatment (I1) except leaf water potential, osmotic potential, total sugars and proline contents. However, enzyme activities were higher under PRD treatment for all varieties. It was concluded that Galaxy-2013 is the most compatible and V.8200 is the most susceptible variety for PRD, respectively and more quality traits and enzymatic activities were recorded under PRD irrigation as compared to control treatment.

Keywords: antioxidant enzymes activities, osmolytes concentration, partial root zone drying, photosynthetic rate, water relations, wheat

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Authors: Laxmi Paudyal, Indira Adhikari Poudel, Muna Bhattarai

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Introduction: Numerous factors can affect how pregnancies and births turn out. One of these is adolescent pregnancy, which is a worldwide issue with known causes, harmful impacts on both the mother's and the child's health, as well as various negative social and economic consequences. Objective: The study was carried out to compare the maternal and neonatal outcomes between adolescents and adult pregnancy. Methods: This retrospective hospital-based cohort study was conducted at Madan Bhandari Academy of Health of Health Sciences, Hetauda Hospital at Makwanpur. The study population was pregnant women who delivered at selected hospital within 1 year study period from 2079 Shrawan (July 2022) to 2080 Ashad (June 2023). A total of 479 mothers aged 20-30 years and 53 mothers aged 15-19 years were study participants, and they were selected using a simple random sampling lottery method. Data were collected from the hospital’s electronic database and the register maintained at the maternity ward and neonatal ward. Result: The findings indicate that 6.51% of the 3273 mothers who gave birth in a single year were in the adolescent age range. When comparing the two mother groups, more adult mothers than teenage mothers skipped the complete antenatal checkup. Compared to adult mothers, the mothers of adolescents were found to be underweight and to have less iron and folic acid supplement intake. Anaemia, UTI, and placental abnormalities during pregnancy have been reported by a greater percentage of teenage mothers than adult mothers, with p=0.032, p=0.025, and p=0.041, respectively. When compared to adult pregnancies, vaginal delivery and complicated delivery were both shown to be more common in teenage pregnancies (p=0.001 and p=0.012, respectively). Adolescent pregnancies were associated with higher rates of NICU admission (p=0.037), low birth weight (p=0.034), premature birth (p=0.001), and fetal deaths (p=0.024) than adult pregnancies. Conclusion: According to this study, there are some notable variations in obstetric and neonatal outcomes by the age of the mother. It was discovered that there were a considerable number of adverse effects on adolescent mothers both during their pregnancies and after giving birth. Need for strategic planning in preventing adolescent females from getting pregnant is recommended.

Keywords: adolescent, antenatal, natal, postnatal, neonatal, outcome

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Authors: Chiara Magliacane

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This project aims to analyse the relationship between the post-conflict Northern Irish environment and youth trauma in deprived areas. Using an anthropological perspective and methodology, the study investigates the possible contribution that a socio-cultural perspective can give to the current research on the field, with a special focus on the role of transgenerational trauma. The recognition of the role that socio-economic determinants have on health is usually a challenge for social researchers. In post-conflict Northern Ireland, the overall lack of research about connections between the social context and youth trauma opens the way to the present project. Anthropological studies on social implications of mental disorders have achieved impressive results in many societies; they show how conditions of sufferance and poverty are not intrinsically given, but are the products of historical processes and events. The continuum of violence and the politics of victimhood sustains a culture of silence and fear in deprived areas; this implies the need of investigating the structural and symbolic violence that lies behind the diffusion of mental suffering. The project refers to these concepts from Medical Anthropology and looks at connections between trauma and social, political and economic structures. Accordingly, the study considers factors such as poverty, unemployment, social inequality and gender and class perspectives. At the same time, the project problematises categories such as youth and trauma. 'Trauma' is currently debated within the social sciences since the 'invention' of the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in 1980. Current critics made to its clinical conception show how trauma has been mainly analysed as a memory of the past. On the contrary, medical anthropological research focuses on wider perspectives on society and its structures; this is a new and original approach to the study of youth trauma considering that, to author’s best knowledge, there is no research of this kind regarding Northern Ireland. Methods: Qualitative interviews, participant observation. Expected Impact: Local Northern Ireland organizations, i.e. specific charities that provide mental health support. Ongoing and present connections will ensure they will hear about this research.

Keywords: health and social inequalities, Northern Ireland, structural violence, youth

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Authors: Farideh Doostan, Sahar Mohseni Taklloo, Mohammad Nosrati

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Chronic diseases are non-communicable and largely preventable by lifestyle changes including healthy diet consumption. They are the most common cause of death in the world and projected to increase by 15% globally between 2010 and 2020.The hazardous effects of behavioral and dietary risk factors on chronic disease have been established in prospective cohort studies and randomized trials. Because of some changes occur in college students’ lifestyle, assessment of dietary risk factors is important in these populations. Objective: This research was the first study that conducted to evaluate dietary intakes of Kermanian college students with WHO/FAO nutritional objectives. Material and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 229 healthy college students of health faculty in Kerman University of Medical Sciences that do not intake any medical drugs were recruited using multistage sampling in 2013.Usual dietary intake was collected using a valid Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and diet quality was calculated based on WHO nutrient goals. To analysis of data between two groups, independent sample t. test and man whitney were applied. Results: Two hundred and twenty-nine college students; 151 females (65.9%) and 78 males (34.1%), the mean age of 21.9 years were studied. The mean of the Body Mass Index (Kg/m2) and Waist Circumference (cm) in males were 22.34 ±3.52 and 80.76±11.16 and in females were 21.19±2.62 and 73.67±7.65 respectively. Mean of daily cholesterol intake in males was significantly more than females (305±101 VS 268±98; P=0.008) and more than WHO/FAO recommendation (less than 300 mg/day). The mean of daily sodium intake in men and women were 10.4±1 and 10.9±5.3 respectively. These amounts were more than WHO/FAO recommendation (less than 2g/day). In addition, women were consumed fruit and vegetables more than men (839±336 VS 638±281; p ‹ 0.001) and these amounts were more than WHO/FAO recommendation (more than 400g/day) in both groups. Other intake indices were in the range of WHO/FAO recommendations, So that Percent of calories intake from total fat, saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and added sugar were in compliance with WHO/FAO recommendations. Conclusion: Cholesterol intake in men and sodium intake in all participants were more than WHO/FAO recommendation. These dietary components are the most important causes of cardiovascular disease (one of the main causes of death in our population). These results indicated that proper nutritional education and interventions are needed in this population.

Keywords: college students, food intake, WHO /FAO nutrient intake goals, Kerman

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Authors: Katerina H. Takova, Ivan N. Minkov, Gergana G. Zahmanova

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Molecular farming is the production of recombinant proteins in plants with the aim to use the protein as a purified product, crude extract or directly in the planta. Plants gain more attention as expression systems compared to other ones due to the cost effective production of pharmaceutically important proteins, appropriate post-translational modifications, assembly of complex proteins, absence of human pathogens to name a few. In addition, transient expression in plant leaves enables production of recombinant proteins within few weeks. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a causative agent of acute hepatitis. HEV causes epidemics in developing countries and is primarily transmitted through the fecal-oral route. Presently, all efforts for development of Hepatitis E vaccine are focused on the Open Read Frame 2 (ORF2) capsid protein as it contains epitopes that can induce neutralizing antibodies. For our purpose, we used the CMPV-based vector-pEAQ-HT for transient expression of HEV ORF2 in Nicotiana benthamina. Different molecular analysis (Western blot and ELISA) showed that HEV ORF2 capsid protein was expressed in plant tissue in high-yield up to 1g/kg of fresh leaf tissue. Electron microscopy showed that the capsid protein spontaneously assembled in low abundance virus-like particles (VLPs), which are highly immunogenic structures and suitable for vaccine development. The expressed protein was recognized by both human and swine HEV positive sera and can be used as a diagnostic reagent for the detection of HEV infection. Production of HEV capsid protein in plants is a promising technology for further HEV vaccine investigations. Here, we reported for a rapid high-yield transient expression of a recombinant protein in plants suitable for vaccine production as well as a diagnostic reagent. Acknowledgments -The authors’ research on HEV is supported with grants from the Project PlantaSYST under the Widening Program, H2020 as well as under the UK Biotechnological and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Institute Strategic Programme Grant ‘Understanding and Exploiting Plant and Microbial Secondary Metabolism’ (BB/J004596/1). The authors want to thank Prof. George Lomonossoff (JIC, Norwich, UK) for his contribution.

Keywords: hepatitis E virus, plant molecular farming, transient expression, vaccines

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Authors: S. Yeo, M. Mathur

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Introduction: Obesity, defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than or equal to 30kg/m, is associated with an increased risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery. During labour, obese mothers often require greater intervention and have higher rates of caesarean section. Despite a low overall rate of serious complications following caesarean section, a high BMI predisposes to a higher risk of postoperative complications. Our study, therefore, aimed to investigate the impact of antenatal obesity on adverse outcomes following caesarean section, particularly wound-related infections. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study of all caesarean deliveries during the first quarter of a chosen year was undertaken in our hospital, which is a tertiary referral centre with > 12,000 deliveries per year. Patients’ health records and data from our hospital’s electronic labour and delivery database were reviewed. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and odds ratios plus adjusted odd ratios were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: A total of 1829 deliveries were reviewed during our study period. Of these, 180 (9.8%) patients were obese. The rate of caesarean delivery was 48.9% in obese patients versus 28.1% in non-obese patients. Post-operatively, 17% of obese patients experienced wound infection versus 0.2% of non-obese patients. Obese patients were also more likely to experience major postpartum haemorrhage (4.6% vs. 0.2%) and postpartum pyrexia (18.2% vs. 5.0%) in comparison to non-obese patients. Conclusions: Obesity is a significant risk factor in the development of postoperative complications following caesarean section. Wound infection remains a major concern for obese patients undergoing major surgery and results in extensive morbidity during the postnatal period. Postpartum infection can prolong recovery and affect maternal mental health, leading to reduced perinatal bonding with long-term implications on breastfeeding and parenting confidence. This study supports the need for the development of standardized protocols specifically for obese patients undergoing caesarean section. Multidisciplinary team care, in conjunction with anaesthesia, family physicians, and plastic surgery counterparts, early on in the antenatal journey, may be beneficial where wound complications are anticipated and to minimize the burden of postoperative infection in obese mothers.

Keywords: pregnancy, obesity, caesarean, infection

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Authors: Mahnaz Seyedoshohadaee

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Background and Aims: Hospitalization of one of the family members in the hospital, especially in the emergency department, causes anxiety and psychological problems in family members and others. The way nurses interact with patients and their companions can play an important role in controlling and managing their anxiety. This study aims to determine the relationship between the anxiety of family members of patients referring to emergency departments and their views on the communication skills of nurses. Materials and Methods: The current research was a descriptive-correlation cross-sectional study on 263 family members of patients referred to the department. The emergency of two selected medical training centers affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences was performed. The samples were selected continuously in 2018 based on the inclusion criteria. Information was collected using the Health Communication Questionnaire (HCCQ) and Beck Anxiety Questionnaire (BAI). To analyze the data, Pearson's correlation coefficient, independent t-tests, analysis of variance, and Kruskal-Wallis were used at a significance level of 0.05. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 16 statistical software. Results: The mean score of communication skills of emergency department nurses from the point of view of patients' companions was at a low level (74.36 with a standard deviation of 3.7). 3.75% of patients' companions had anxiety at a mild level. There was no statistically significant correlation between the anxieties of the patient's companions. The anxiety of the patient's companions had a statistically significant relationship with the educational level (P=0.039), economic status (P=0.033), and family relationship with the patient (P=0.001). Also, the average anxiety score in children was significantly higher than that of patients' wives (P=0.008). The triage level of the patient also had a statistically significant relationship with the anxiety of the patient's companions (P>0.001). Conclusion: Most of the family members of the patients referred to the emergency room experienced mild anxiety. Also, from their point of view, the communication skills of emergency nurses were at a weak level. Despite the fact that there was no statistically significant relationship between the patient's family member's anxiety and their opinion about nurses' communication skills in this study, it seems that the weak communication skills of nurses from the patient's family member's point of view need special attention. The results of the present study can provide the necessary grounds for planning to improve the communication skills of nurses and also control the anxiety of patient caregivers through in-service training or other incentive mechanisms.

Keywords: anxiety, family, emergency department, communication skills, nurse

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Authors: Khosro Barkhordari, Fateme Sadr, Mina Pashang

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Back ground: Blood transfusion is one of the major issues in cardiac surgery patients. Transfusing patients based on fixed cut-off points of hemoglobin is the current protocol in most institutions. The hemoglobin level of 7- 10 has been suggested for blood transfusion in cardiac surgery patients. We aimed to evaluate if blood transfusion based on change in percentage of hematocrit has different outcomes. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we investigated the early postoperative outcome of cardiac surgery patients who received blood transfusions at Tehran Heart Center Hospital, IRAN. We reviewed and analyzed the basic characteristics and clinical data of 700 patients who met our exclusion and inclusion criteria. The two groups of blood transfused patients were compared, those who have 30-50 percent decrease in basal hematocrit versus those with 10 -29 percent decrease. Results: This is ongoing study, and the results would be completed in two weeks after analysis of the date. Conclusion: Early analysis has shown no difference in early post-operative outcomes between the two groups, but final analysis will be completed in two weeks. 1-Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IRAN 2- Department of Research, Tehran Heart Center, Tehran, IRAN Quantitative variables were compared using the Student t-test or the Mann‐Whitney U test, as appropriate, while categorical variables were compared using the χ2 or the Fisher exact test, as required. Our intention was to compare the early postoperative outcomes between the two groups, which include 30 days mortality, Length of ICU stay, Length of hospital stay, Intubation time, Infection rate, acute kidney injury, and respiratory complications. The main goal was to find if transfusing blood based on changes in hematocrit from a basal level was better than to fixed cut-off point regarding early post-operative outcomes. This has not been studied enough and may need randomized control trials.

Keywords: post-operative, cardiac surgery, outcomes, blood transfusion

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Authors: Connie Edang, Siti Arpah Noordin, Shamila Mohamed Shuhidan

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For the past few decades, there are growing numbers of knowledge based industries in Malaysia. As competitive edge has become so important nowadays, the consideration of research and development (R&D) should be put at the highest priority. Alike other industries, HEIs are also contributors to the nation’s development and wealth. Hence, to become a hub for creating a knowledge-based society, HEIs not only responsible for producing skillful human capital, but also to get involved in R&D. With the importance of R&D in today’s modern economy and the rise of Science and Technology, it gives opportunities for researchers to explore this sector as to place Malaysia as a provider in some key strategic industries, including medical and health sciences field. Academic researchers/medical researchers possess unique tacit and skills based in accordance with their experience and professional expert areas. In completing a collaborative research work, there must be platforms to enable the conversion of their knowledge hence beneficial towards creation of new knowledge. The objectives of this study are to: i) explore the knowledge creation activities of medical researchers in the Malaysian Higher Education Institution (HEI); ii) explore the driving forces for knowledge creation activities among the researchers; and iii) explore the interpretation of medical researchers on the establishment of ‘ba’ in the creation of knowledge. Based on the SECI model was introduced by Nonaka and Takeuchi and the Japanese concept of ‘ba’, a qualitative study whereby semi structured interview was used as to gather the informants’ viewpoints and insights based on their experience capitalizing ‘ba’ to support their knowledge creation activities. A single the study was conducted at one of the HEIs located in Sabah. From this study, both face to face and the ICT-assisted tools are found to be significant to support interaction of their knowledge. ICT seems to ease their interaction with other research collaborator. However, this study revealed that interaction conducted in physical settings is still be best preferred by the medical researchers especially situations of whereby their knowledge is hard to be externalized. Moreover, it revealed that motivational factors play important roles as for driving forces affecting their knowledge creation activities. Other than that, the medical researchers addressed that the mix interaction bring forth value in terms of facilitating knowledge creation. Therefore this study would benefit the institution to highly optimize the utilization of good platform so that knowledge can be transferred and be made used by others in appropriate ways.

Keywords: ‘ba’, knowledge creation dynamics, Malaysia, higher education institution, medical researchers

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Authors: Ander Pomposo

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Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact that dialogue has on the relationship between shared leadership and innovative behavior and the importance of dialogue in innovation. This study wants to contribute to the literature by providing theorists and researchers a better understanding of how to move forward in the studies of moderator variables in the relationship between shared leadership and team outcomes such as innovation. Methodology: A systematic review of the literature, originally adopted from the medical sciences but also used in management and leadership studies, was conducted to synthesize research in a systematic, transparent and reproducible manner. A final sample of 48 empirical studies was scientifically synthesized. Findings: Shared leadership gives a better solution to team management challenges and goes beyond the classical, hierarchical, or vertical leadership models based on the individual leader approach. One of the outcomes that emerge from shared leadership is team innovative behavior. To intensify the relationship between shared leadership and team innovative behavior, and understand when is more effective, the moderating effects of other variables in this relationship should be examined. This synthesis of the empirical studies revealed that dialogue is a moderator variable that has an impact on the relationship between shared leadership and team innovative behavior when leadership is understood as a relational process. Dialogue is an activity between at least two speech partners trying to fulfill a collective goal and is a way of living open to people and ideas through interaction. Dialogue is productive when team members engage relationally with one another. When this happens, participants are more likely to take responsibility for the tasks they are involved and for the relationships they have with others. In this relational engagement, participants are likely to establish high-quality connections with a high degree of generativity. This study suggests that organizations should facilitate the dialogue of team members in shared leadership which has a positive impact on innovation and offers a more adaptive framework for the leadership that is needed in teams working in complex work tasks. These results uncover the necessity of more research on the role that dialogue plays in contributing to important organizational outcomes such as innovation. Case studies describing both best practices and obstacles of dialogue in team innovative behavior are necessary to gain a more detailed insight into the field. It will be interesting to see how all these fields of research evolve and are implemented in dialogue practices in the organizations that use team-based structures to deal with uncertainty, fast-changing environments, globalization and increasingly complex work.

Keywords: dialogue, innovation, leadership, shared leadership, team innovative behavior

Procedia PDF Downloads 183

Authors: Obiajulu Anthony Ugochukwu Nnedum, Bernard Chukwukelue Chine, Jerome Ogochukwu Ezisi

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A notable challenge of organizational citizenship behavior in Nigerian organizations is the prevalence of individualistic work cultures among employees, as this mindset can result in employees being less willing to go beyond their formal job requirements to contribute to the organization overall success. However, the dearth and scarce research on the antecedents of organizational citizenship behavior, such as paternalistic leadership and employee loyalty to supervisors in sub-Saharan African cultures such as Nigeria, motivated the current study to take a deep investigation into the moderating role of employee loyalty to supervisor on the relationship between paternalistic leadership and organizational citizenship behavior. The relevance of the current study ensures that when employees are loyal to their paternalistic leaders who show care and support, they are more likely to exhibit organizational citizenship behavior. The current study employed a sample size of four hundred and twenty participants (one hundred and five managers and three hundred and five subordinates) from eleven large organizations randomly selected through lucky dip from twenty-two large organizations from the directory of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Anambra state, south-eastern Nigeria. Also, a twelve-item organizational citizenship behavior scale, a thirty-nine-item paternalistic leadership scale, and a six-item loyalty to supervisor scale were employed for the collection of data for the current study. Adopting a one manager/Leader by triad subordinates cross-sectional survey design, Hayes process micro model and statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version twenty-five, the findings from the result of the analysis of the hypotheses demonstrated that loyalty to supervisor moderated the relationship between paternalistic leadership and organizational citizenship behavior-conscientiousness. Also, the findings from the result revealed that loyalty to the supervisor moderated the relationship between authoritative leadership and organizational citizenship behavior identification. Furthermore, the findings from the result showed that loyalty to the supervisor moderated the relationship between moral leadership and organizational citizenship behavior. Accordingly, the result from the analysis implies that when employees are loyal to their supervisors, they are more likely to exhibit organizational citizenship behavior by going above and beyond their formal job requirements, as this loyalty can be fostered through a paternalistic leadership style that emphasizes a supportive and caring relationship between supervisors and subordinates.

Keywords: authoritative leadership, moral leadership, loyalty to supervisor, organizational citizenship behavior

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Authors: Roseliza Mat Alipiah, David Raffaelli, J. C. R. Smart

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This research is a new approach as it integrates information from both environmental and social sciences to inform effective management of the wetlands. A three-stage research framework was developed for modelling the drivers and pressures imposed on the wetlands and their impacts to the ecosystem and the local communities. Firstly, a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) was used to predict the probability of anthropogenic activities affecting the delivery of different key wetland ecosystem services under different management scenarios. Secondly, Choice Experiments (CEs) were used to quantify the relative preferences which key wetland stakeholder group (aquaculturists) held for delivery of different levels of these key ecosystem services. Thirdly, a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was applied to produce an ordinal ranking of the alternative management scenarios accounting for their impacts upon ecosystem service delivery as perceived through the preferences of the aquaculturists. This integrated ecosystem management approach was applied to a wetland ecosystem in Setiu, Terengganu, Malaysia which currently supports a significant level of aquaculture activities. This research has produced clear guidelines to inform policy makers considering alternative wetland management scenarios: Intensive Aquaculture, Conservation or Ecotourism, in addition to the Status Quo. The findings of this research are as follows: The BBN revealed that current aquaculture activity is likely to have significant impacts on water column nutrient enrichment, but trivial impacts on caged fish biomass, especially under the Intensive Aquaculture scenario. Secondly, the best fitting CE models identified several stakeholder sub-groups for aquaculturists, each with distinct sets of preferences for the delivery of key ecosystem services. Thirdly, the MCDA identified Conservation as the most desirable scenario overall based on ordinal ranking in the eyes of most of the stakeholder sub-groups. Ecotourism and Status Quo scenarios were the next most preferred and Intensive Aquaculture was the least desirable scenario. The methodologies developed through this research provide an opportunity for improving planning and decision making processes that aim to deliver sustainable management of wetland ecosystems in Malaysia.

Keywords: Bayesian belief network (BBN), choice experiments (CE), multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), aquaculture

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Authors: U. K. Hulihalli, Shantveerayya

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Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is an annual crop belongs to family Poligonaceae. The cultivated buckwheat species are notable for their exceptional nutritive values. It is an important source of carbohydrates, fibre, macro, and microelements such as K, Ca, Mg, Na and Mn, Zn, Se, and Cu. It also contains rutin, flavonoids, riboflavin, pyridoxine and many amino acids which have beneficial effects on human health, including lowering both blood lipid and sugar levels. Rutin, quercetin and some other polyphenols are potent carcinogens against colon and other cancers. Buckwheat has significant nutritive value and plenty of uses. Cultivation of buckwheat in Sothern part of India is very meager. Hence, a study was planned with an objective to know the performance of buckwheat genotypes to different planting geometries and fertility levels. The field experiment was conducted at Main Agriculture Research Station, University of Agriculture Sciences, Dharwad, India, during 2017 Kharif. The experiment was laid-out in split-plot design with three replications having three planting geometries as main plots, two genotypes as sub plots and three fertility levels as sub-sub plot treatments. The soil of the experimental site was vertisol. The standard procedures are followed to record the observations. The planting geometry of 30*10 cm was recorded significantly higher seed yield (893 kg/ha⁻¹), stover yield (1507 kg ha⁻¹), clusters plant⁻¹ (7.4), seeds clusters⁻¹ (7.9) and 1000 seed weight (26.1 g) as compared to 40*10 cm and 20*10 cm planting geometries. Between the genotypes, significantly higher seed yield (943 kg ha⁻¹) and harvest index (45.1) was observed with genotype IC-79147 as compared to PRB-1 genotype (687 kg ha⁻¹ and 34.2, respectively). However, the genotype PRB-1 recorded significantly higher stover yield (1344 kg ha⁻¹) as compared to genotype IC-79147 (1173 kg ha⁻¹). The genotype IC-79147 was recorded significantly higher clusters plant⁻¹ (7.1), seeds clusters⁻¹ (7.9) and 1000 seed weight (24.5 g) as compared PRB-1 (5.4, 5.8 and 22.3 g, respectively). Among the fertility levels tried, the fertility level of 60:30 NP kg ha⁻¹ recorded significantly higher seed yield (845 kg ha^-1) and stover yield (1359 kg ha⁻¹) as compared to 40:20 NP kg ha^-1 (808 and 1259 kg ha⁻¹ respectively) and 20:10 NP kg ha^-1 (793 and 1144 kg ha⁻¹ respectively). Within the treatment combinations, IC 79147 genotype having 30*10 cm planting geometry with 60:30 NP kg ha⁻¹ recorded significantly higher seed yield (1070 kg ha⁻¹), clusters plant⁻¹ (10.3), seeds clusters⁻¹ (9.9) and 1000 seed weight (27.3 g) compared to other treatment combinations.

Keywords: buckwheat, planting geometry, genotypes, fertility levels

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Authors: Abbas Sheikhtaheri, Nasim Hashemi

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Health information systems have great benefits for clinical and managerial processes of health care organizations. However, identifying and removing constraints and barriers of implementing and using health information systems before any implementation is essential. Physicians are one of the main users of health information systems, therefore, identifying the causes of their resistance and concerns about the barriers of the implementation of these systems is very important. So the purpose of this study was to determine the barriers of the development and implementation of health information systems in terms of the Iranian physicians’ perspectives. In this study conducted in 8 selected hospitals affiliated to Tehran and Iran Universities of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran in 2014, physicians (GPs, residents, interns, specialists) in these hospitals were surveyed. In order to collect data, a research made questionnaire was used (Cronbach’s α = 0.95). The instrument included 25 about organizational (9), personal (4), moral and legal (3) and technical barriers (9). Participants were asked to answer the questions using 5 point scale Likert (completely disagree=1 to completely agree=5). By using a simple random sampling method, 200 physicians (from 600) were invited to study that eventually 163 questionnaires were returned. We used mean score and t-test and ANOVA to analyze the data using SPSS software version 17. 52.1% of respondents were female. The mean age was 30.18 ± 7.29. The work experience years for most of them were between 1 to 5 years (80.4 percent). The most important barriers were organizational ones (3.4 ± 0.89), followed by ethical (3.18 ± 0.98), technical (3.06 ± 0.8) and personal (3.04 ± 1.2). Lack of easy access to a fast Internet (3.67±1.91) and the lack of exchanging information (3.61±1.2) were the most important technical barriers. Among organizational barriers, the lack of efficient planning for the development and implementation systems (3.56±1.32) and was the most important ones. Lack of awareness and knowledge of health care providers about the health information systems features (3.33±1.28) and the lack of physician participation in planning phase (3.27±1.2) as well as concerns regarding the security and confidentiality of health information (3.15 ± 1.31) were the most important personal and ethical barriers, respectively. Women (P = 0.02) and those with less experience (P = 0.002) were more concerned about personal barriers. GPs also were more concerned about technical barriers (P = 0.02). According to the study, technical and ethics barriers were considered as the most important barriers however, lack of awareness in target population is also considered as one of the main barriers. Ignoring issues such as personal and ethical barriers, even if the necessary infrastructure and technical requirements were provided, may result in failure. Therefore, along with the creating infrastructure and resolving organizational barriers, special attention to education and awareness of physicians and providing solution for ethics concerns are necessary.

Keywords: barriers, development health information systems, implementation, physicians

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Authors: Peter Adly Hamdy Fahmy

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The aim of the study was to examine the effects of a physical education program on student learning by combining the teaching of personal and social responsibility (TPSR) with a physical education model and TPSR with a traditional teaching model, these learning outcomes involving self-learning. -Study. Athletic performance, enthusiasm for sport, group cohesion, sense of responsibility and game performance. The participants were 3 secondary school physical education teachers and 6 physical education classes, 133 participants with students from the experimental group with 75 students and the control group with 58 students, and each teacher taught the experimental group and the control group for 16 weeks. The research methods used surveys, interviews and focus group meetings. Research instruments included the Personal and Social Responsibility Questionnaire, Sports Enthusiasm Scale, Group Cohesion Scale, Sports Self-Efficacy Scale, and Game Performance Assessment Tool. Multivariate analyzes of covariance and repeated measures ANOVA were used to examine differences in student learning outcomes between combining the TPSR with a physical education model and the TPSR with a traditional teaching model. The research findings are as follows: 1) The TPSR sports education model can improve students' learning outcomes, including sports self-efficacy, game performance, sports enthusiasm, team cohesion, group awareness and responsibility. 2) A traditional teaching model with TPSR could improve student learning outcomes, including sports self-efficacy, responsibility, and game performance. 3) The sports education model with TPSR could improve learning outcomes more than the traditional teaching model with TPSR, including sports self-efficacy, sports enthusiasm, responsibility and game performance. 4) Based on qualitative data on teachers' and students' learning experience, the physical education model with TPSR significantly improves learning motivation, group interaction and sense of play. The results suggest that physical education with TPSR could further improve learning outcomes in the physical education program. On the other hand, the hybrid model curriculum projects TPSR - Physical Education and TPSR - Traditional Education are good curriculum projects for moral character education that can be used in school physics.

Keywords: approach competencies, physical, education, teachers employment, graduate, physical education and sport sciences, SWOT analysis character education, sport season, game performance, sport competence

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Authors: Nadia Soledad Peralta

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Within the framework of socio-cognitive interaction, argumentation is understood as a psychological process that supports and induces reasoning and learning. Most authors emphasize the great potential of argumentation to negotiate with contradictions and complex decisions. So argumentation is a target for researchers who highlight the importance of social and cognitive processes in learning. In the context of social interaction among university students, different types of arguments are analyzed according to group size (dyads and triads) and the type of task (reading of frequency tables, causal explanation of physical phenomena, the decision regarding moral dilemma situations, and causal explanation of social phenomena). Eighty-nine first-year social sciences students of the National University of Rosario participated. Two groups were formed from the results of a pre-test that ensured the heterogeneity of points of view between participants. Group 1 consisted of 56 participants (performance in dyads, total: 28), and group 2 was formed of 33 participants (performance in triads, total: 11). A quasi-experimental design was performed in which effects of the two variables (group size and type of task) on the argumentation were analyzed. Three types of argumentation are described: authentic dialogical argumentative resolutions, individualistic argumentative resolutions, and non-argumentative resolutions. The results indicate that individualistic arguments prevail in dyads. That is, although people express their own arguments, there is no authentic argumentative interaction. Given that, there are few reciprocal evaluations and counter-arguments in dyads. By contrast, the authentically dialogical argument prevails in triads, showing constant feedback between participants’ points of view. It was observed that, in general, the type of task generates specific types of argumentative interactions. However, it is possible to emphasize that the authentically dialogic arguments predominate in the logical tasks, whereas the individualists or pseudo-dialogical are more frequent in opinion tasks. Nerveless, these relationships between task type and argumentative mode are best clarified in an interactive analysis based on group size. Finally, it is important to stress the value of dialogical argumentation in educational domains. Argumentative function not only allows a metacognitive reflection about their own point of view but also allows people to benefit from exchanging points of view in interactive contexts.

Keywords: sociocognitive interaction, argumentation, university students, size of the grup

Procedia PDF Downloads 84

Authors: Peter Adly Hamdy Fahmy

Abstract:

The aim of the study was to examine the effects of a physical education program on student learning by combining the teaching of personal and social responsibility (TPSR) with a physical education model and TPSR with a traditional teaching model, these learning outcomes involving self-learning. -Study. Athletic performance, enthusiasm for sport, group cohesion, sense of responsibility and game performance. The participants were 3 secondary school physical education teachers and 6 physical education classes, 133 participants with students from the experimental group with 75 students and the control group with 58 students, and each teacher taught the experimental group and the control group for 16 weeks. The research methods used surveys, interviews and focus group meetings. Research instruments included the Personal and Social Responsibility Questionnaire, Sports Enthusiasm Scale, Group Cohesion Scale, Sports Self-Efficacy Scale, and Game Performance Assessment Tool. Multivariate analyzes of covariance and repeated measures ANOVA were used to examine differences in student learning outcomes between combining the TPSR with a physical education model and the TPSR with a traditional teaching model. The research findings are as follows: 1) The TPSR sports education model can improve students' learning outcomes, including sports self-efficacy, game performance, sports enthusiasm, team cohesion, group awareness and responsibility. 2) A traditional teaching model with TPSR could improve student learning outcomes, including sports self-efficacy, responsibility, and game performance. 3) The sports education model with TPSR could improve learning outcomes more than the traditional teaching model with TPSR, including sports self-efficacy, sports enthusiasm, responsibility and game performance. 4) Based on qualitative data on teachers' and students' learning experience, the physical education model with TPSR significantly improves learning motivation, group interaction and sense of play. The results suggest that physical education with TPSR could further improve learning outcomes in the physical education program. On the other hand, the hybrid model curriculum projects TPSR - Physical Education and TPSR - Traditional Education are good curriculum projects for moral character education that can be used in school physics.

Keywords: approach competencies, physical, education, teachers employment, graduate, physical education and sport sciences, SWOT analysis character education, sport season, game performance, sport competence

Procedia PDF Downloads 60

Authors: Byung Lee, Charles Perschau

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This study analyzes the development of a communication journal, the Journal of Advertising Education (JAE) over the past 20 years by examining citations of all research articles there. The purpose of a journal is to offer a stable and transparent forum for the presentation, scrutiny, and discussion of research in a targeted domain. This study asks whether JAE has fulfilled this purpose. The authors and readers who are involved in a journal need to have common research topics of their interest. In the case of the discipline of communication, scholars have a variety of backgrounds beyond communication itself since the social scientific study of communication is a relatively recent development, one that emerged after World War II, and the discipline has been heavily indebted to other social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, social psychology, and political science. When authors impart their findings and knowledge to others, their work is not done in isolation. They have to stand on previous studies, which are listed as sources in the bibliography. Since communication has heavily piggybacked on other disciplines, cited sources should be as diverse as the resources it taps into. This paper analyzes 4,244 articles that were cited by JAE articles in the past 36 issues. Since journal article authors reveal their intellectual linkage by using bibliographic citations, the analysis of citations in journal articles will reveal various networks of relationships among authors, journal types, and fields in an objective and quantitative manner. The study found that an easier access to information sources because of the development of electronic databases and the growing competition among scholars for publication seemed to influence authors to increase the number of articles cited even though some variations existed during the examined period. The types of articles cited have also changed. Authors have more often cited journal articles, periodicals (most of them available online), and web site sources, while decreased their dependence on books, conference papers, and reports. To provide a forum for discussion, a journal needs a common topic or theme. This can be realized when an author writes an article about a topic, and that article is cited and discussed in another article. Thus, the citation of articles in the same journal is vital for a journal to form a forum for discussion. JAE has gradually increased the citations of in-house articles with a few fluctuations over the years. The study also examines not only specific articles that are often cited, but also specific authors often cited. The analysis of citations in journal articles shows how JAE has developed into a full academic journal while offering a communal forum even though the speed of its formation is not as fast as desired probably because of its interdisciplinary nature.

Keywords: citation, co-citation, the Journal of Advertising Education, development of a journal

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Authors: Ling-Lang Huang

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Background: The holistic health care should ideally cover physical, mental, spiritual, and social aspects of a patient. With very constrained time in current clinical practice system, medical decisions often tip the balance in favor of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in comparison to patient's personal values. Even in the era of competence-based medical education (CBME), when scrutinizing the items of entrustable professional activities (EPAs), we found that EPAs of establishing doctor-patient relationship remained incomplete or even missing. This phenomenon prompted us to raise this project aiming at advocating value-based medicine (VBM), which emphasizes the importance of patient’s values in medical decisions. A true and effective doctor-patient communication and relationship should be a well-balanced harmony of EBM and VBM. By constructing VBM into current EPAs, we can further promote genuine shared decision making (SDM) and fix the missing link in holistic health care. Methods: In this project, we are going to find out EPA elements crucial for establishing an ideal doctor-patient relationship through three distinct pairs of doctor-patient relationships: patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (relatively young but with grave disease), patients undergoing surgery (facing critical medical decisions), and patients with terminal diseases (facing forthcoming death). We’ll search for important EPA elements through the following steps: 1. Narrative approach to delineate patients’ values among 2. distinct groups. 3.Hermeneutics-based interview: semi-structured interview will be conducted for both patients and physicians, followed by qualitative analysis of collected information by compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding. 4. Preliminarily construct those VBM elements into EPAs for doctor-patient relationships in 3 groups. Expected Outcomes: The results of this project are going to give us invaluable information regarding the impact of patients’ values, while facing different medical situations, on the final medical decision. The competence of well-blending and -balanced both values from patients and evidence from clinical sciences is the missing link in holistic health care and should be established in future EPAs to enhance an effective SDM.

Keywords: value-based medicine, shared decision making, entrustable professional activities, holistic health care

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Authors: Meskure Pak, Nihal Buyukuslu

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During Ramadan Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset. Transformation of the eating habits cause profound changes in body composition. This study was performed during Ramadan of June-July 2015 with the regular fasting healthy adults (15 women and 15 men). The participants who were not fasting the whole month, have chronic diseases, pregnant and lactated were excluded. All attendances were informed about study. Written informed consent was taken from the voluntary participants. The work was approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of Istanbul Medipol University, Turkey. A questionnaire was conducted to determine the nutritional status, demographic and anthropometric data at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of Ramadan. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 18.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) was used for analyses. The mean ages of women and men were 34.4±9.45 and 28.9±10.55 years respectively. The BMI values (kg/m2) were slightly increased in men (26.5±3.9 to 26.2±3.7) and decreased in women (22.5±3.5 to 23.3±4.5). However the differences in BMI values between genders were not significant. Waist circumferences (WC) (cm) decreased in both women (80.2±14.6 to 79.4±17.7) and men (98.9±8.4 to 95.2±11.0) through the Ramadan. Fat percentages of women (27.0±71) increased in the middle of Ramadan (28.4±7.8) and decreased at the end of Ramadan (27.8±8.3). The fat percentages of men (21.5±6.3) were not affected in the middle of Ramadan (21.5±6.4) however decreased at the end of Ramadan (20.8±6.2). The total change in fat mass from beginning to end of Ramadan was higher in women than in men. The daily energy intake was higher in men than in women during Ramadan. In the middle of Ramadan energy intake (kcal) was reached to the highest level (2057.8±693.1) and at the end of Ramadan it decreased to the beginning level (1656.7±553.2) for men. However, daily energy intake of women slightly decreased from the beginning (1410.0±359.7) to the end (1409.2±366.7) of Ramadan. The comparison of energy intake between men and women was significant in the middle of Ramadan (p < 0.05). Water consumptions for both groups were increased in Ramadan fasting period. In comparison with the beginning of Ramadan, daily carbohydrate and fat consumptions increased and the consumption of protein decreased for men and for women at the end of Ramadan. The gender comparison resulted in a significant increase for protein and carbohydrate consumption of men in the middle of Ramadan (p < 0.05). In the first two weeks, the daily energy intake, the consumption of carbohydrates and fats seemed to increase for both men and women. However the later days of Ramadan daily fat consumption decreased to the level of beginning consumption levels which may indicate the nutritional adaptation period. In spite of the consumption of protein sources such as meat, poultry and egg increased, the decrease in the total amount of protein consumed in Ramadan may be due to a decrease in the consumption of milk and dairy products. In conclusion, the nutritional habits and preferred foods changed during Ramadan as a result affected the body composition.

Keywords: body composition, fasting, nutritional status, Ramadan

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Authors: Lunthita M. Duthely, John T. Avella, John Ganapati Coleman

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For as many as one in three adolescents living in the United States, the adolescent years is a period of low well-being and mental health challenges—from depressive symptoms to mild to moderate psychological diagnoses. Longitudinal population health studies demonstrated that these challenges persist in young adulthood, and beyond. The positive psychology (PS) approach is a more preventative approach to well-being, which contrasts the traditional, deficits approach to curing mental illness. The research among adult populations formed the basis for PS studies among adolescents. The empirical evidence for the effectiveness of PS interventions exists for both adult and youth populations. Positive Psychology interventions target individuals’ strengths, such as hope and optimism, and positive emotions, such as gratitude. Positive psychology interventions such as increasing gratitude, proved effective in many outcomes among youth, including psychological, social, and academically-related outcomes. Although gratitude-inducing studies have been conducted for the past decade in the United States, few studies have been conducted among samples of urban youth, particularly youth of diverse cultural backgrounds. For nearly two decades, the secular practice of meditation has been tested among adults and more recently among youth, focused mostly among clinical samples. The field of Contemplative Sciences explores practices such as Hatha Yoga, Tai Chi, and Meditation, as preventative practices among children and adolescents. A more recent initiative is to explore Contemplative Practices in the school environment. Contemplative Practices yield a variety of positive outcomes, including academic, social, psychological, physiological, and neurological changes among children and adolescents. Again, few studies were conducted among adolescents of diverse cultural backgrounds. The purpose of this doctoral dissertation research study was to test a gratitude-meditation intervention among middle school students attending a public charter school, located in an urban region of Metropolitan Miami. The objective of this presentation is to summarize the challenges and success of bringing a positive psychology and meditation intervention into an urban middle school. Also, the most recent findings on positive psychology and meditation interventions conducted in school environments will be presented as well.

Keywords: adolescents, contemplative intervention, gratitude, secular meditation, positive psychology, school engagement, Sri Chinmoy

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Authors: Wei Ting Han, Shiann-Far Kung

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In the early time, most of the arable land is dry farming and using rainfall as water sources for irrigation in Tainan county. After the Chia-nan Irrigation System (CIS) was completed in 1930, Chia-nan Plain was more efficient allocation of limited water sources or irrigation, because of the benefit from irrigation systems, drainage systems, and land improvement projects. The problem of long-term drought, flood and salt damage in the past were also improved by CIS. The canal greatly improved the paddy field area and agricultural output, Tainan county has become one of the important agricultural producing areas in Taiwan. With the development of water conservancy facilities, affected by national policies and other factors, many agricultural communities and settlements are formed indirectly, also promoted the change of settlement patterns and internal structures. With the development of historical geographic information system (HGIS), Academia Sinica developed the WebGIS theme with the century old maps of Taiwan which is the most complete historical map of database in Taiwan. It can be used to overlay historical figures of different periods, present the timeline of the settlement change, also grasp the changes in the natural environment or social sciences and humanities, and the changes in the settlements presented by the visualized areas. This study will explore the historical development and spatial characteristics of the settlements in various areas of Tainan County. Using of large-scale areas to explore the settlement changes and spatial patterns of the entire county, through the dynamic time and space evolution from Japanese rule to the present day. Then, digitizing the settlement of different periods to perform overlay analysis by using Taiwan historical topographic maps in 1904, 1921, 1956 and 1989. Moreover, using document analysis to analyze the temporal and spatial changes of regional environment and settlement structure. In addition, the comparison analysis method is used to classify the spatial characteristics and differences between the settlements. Exploring the influence of external environments in different time and space backgrounds, such as government policies, major construction, and industrial development. This paper helps to understand the evolution of the settlement space and the internal structural changes in Tainan County.

Keywords: historical geographic information system, overlay analysis, settlement change, Tainan County

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Authors: Petra Suchovska

Abstract:

The spirit of post-modernity remains chaotic and obscure. Geopolitical rivalries raging at the more extreme levels and the ability of intellectual community to explain the entropy of global affairs has been diminishing. The Western-led idea of globalisation imposed upon the world does not seem to bring the bright future for human progress anymore, and its architects lose much of global control, as the strong non-western cultural entities develop new forms of post-modern establishments. The overall growing cultural misunderstanding and mistrust are expressions of political impotence to deal with the inner contradictions within the contemporary phenomenon (capitalism, economic globalisation) that embrace global society. The drivers and effects of global restructuring must be understood in the context of systems and principles reflecting on true complexity of society. The purpose of this paper is to set out some ideas about how cybernetics can contribute to understanding international system structure and analyse possible world futures. “IS Cybernetics” would apply to system thinking and cybernetic principles in IR in order to analyse and handle the complexity of social phenomena from global perspective. “IS cybernetics” would be, for now, the subfield of IR, concerned with applying theories and methodologies from cybernetics and system sciences by offering concepts and tools for addressing problems holistically. It would bring order to the complex relations between disciplines that IR touches upon. One of its tasks would be to map, measure, tackle and find the principles of dynamics and structure of social forces that influence human behaviour and consequently cause political, technological and economic structural reordering, forming and reforming the international system. “IS cyberneticists” task would be to understand the control mechanisms that govern the operation of international society (and the sub-systems in their interconnection) and only then suggest better ways operate these mechanisms on sublevels as cultural, political, technological, religious and other. “IS cybernetics” would also strive to capture the mechanism of social-structural changes in time, which would open space for syntheses between IR and historical sociology. With the cybernetic distinction between first order studies of observed systems and the second order study of observing systems, IS cybernetics would also provide a unifying epistemological and methodological, conceptual framework for multilateralism and multiple modernities theory.

Keywords: cybernetics, historical sociology, international system, systems theory

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