Search results for: bet analysis

Authors: Maria Boile, Eirini Sifaki

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This study, based on desktop research and the analysis of questionnaires completed by a representative sample of museums, adopts the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory of Everett Rogers as a theoretical basis to figure out the perceived benefits that occur for any organization after the adoption of an official website, and identify the factors that affect its diffusion process. The most important conclusion is that Greek archaeological museums are far away from involving such technologies in their strategies, mainly because of the bureaucracy, the lack of necessary funds, and the lack of personnel.

Keywords: dDiffusion of innovation, websites, archaeological museums, economic crisis

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Authors: Chalise Kiran

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The prime idea of inclusive education is to mainstream every child in education. However, it will be challenging for implementation when there are policy and practice gaps. It will be even more challenging when children have disabilities. Generally, the focus will be on the policy gap, but the problem may not always be with policy. The proper practice could be a challenge in the countries like Nepal. In determining practice, the teachers’ perceptions toward inclusive will play a vital role. Nepal has categorized disability in 7 types (physical, visual, hearing, vision/hearing, speech, mental, and multiple). Out of these, hearing impairment is the study realm. In the context of a limited number of researches on children with disabilities and rare researches on CWHI and their education in Nepal, this study is a pioneering effort in knowing basically the problems and challenges of CWHI focused on inclusive education in the schools including gaps and barriers in its proper implementation. Philosophically, the paradigm of the study is post-positivism. In the post-positivist worldview, the quantitative approach with the description of the situation and inferential relationship are revealed out in the study. This is related to the natural model of objective reality. The data were collected from an individual survey with the teachers and head teachers of 35 schools in Nepal. The survey questionnaire was prepared and filled by the respondents from the schools where the CWHI study in 7 provincial 20 districts of Nepal. Through these considerations, the perceptions of CWHI focused inclusive education were explored in the study. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential tools on which the Likert scale-based analysis was done for descriptive analysis, and chi-square mathematical tool was used to know the significant relationship between dependent variables and independent variables. The descriptive analysis showed that the majority of teachers have positive perceptions toward implementing CWHI focused inclusive education, and the majority of them have positive perceptions toward CWHI focused inclusive education, though there are some problems and challenges. The study has found out the major challenges and problems categorically. Some of them are: a large number of students in a single class; availability of generic textbooks for CWHI and no availability of textbooks to all students; less opportunity for teachers to acquire knowledge on CWHI; not adequate teachers in the schools; no flexibility in the curriculum; less information system in schools; no availability of educational consular; disaster-prone students; no child abuse control strategy; no disabled-friendly schools; no free health check-up facility; no participation of the students in school activities and in child clubs and so on. By and large, it is found that teachers’ age, gender, years of experience, position, employment status, and disability with him or her show no statistically significant relation to successfully implement CWHI focused inclusive education and perceptions to CWHI focused inclusive education in schools. However, in some of the cases, the set null hypothesis was rejected, and some are completely retained. The study has suggested policy implications, implications for educational authority, and implications for teachers and parents categorically.

Keywords: children with hearing impairment, disability, inclusive education, perception

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Authors: Naima Bouslah, Leila Bounabi, Farid Ouazib, Nabila Haddadine

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Conventional release dosage forms are known to provide an immediate release of the drug. Controlling the rate of drug release from polymeric matrices is very important for a number of applications, particularly in the pharmaceutical area. Hydrogels are polymers in three-dimensional network arrangement, which can absorb and retain large amounts of water without dissolution. They have been frequently used to develop controlled released formulations for oral administration because they can extend the duration of drug release and thus reduce dose to be administrated improving patient compliance. Tramadol is an opioid pain medication used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain. When taken as an immediate-release oral formulation, the onset of pain relief usually occurs within about an hour. In the present work, we synthesized pH-responsive hydrogels of (hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate-co-acrylic acid), (HEMA-AA) for control drug delivery of tramadol in the gastro-intestinal tractus. The hydrogels with different acrylic acid content, were synthesized by free radical polymerization and characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, X ray diffraction analysis (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). FTIR spectroscopy has shown specific hydrogen bonding interactions between the carbonyl groups of the hydrogels and hydroxyl groups of tramadol. Both the XRD and DSC studies revealed that the introduction of tramadol in the hydrogel network induced the amorphization of the drug. The swelling behaviour, absorptive kinetics and the release kinetics of tramadol in simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2) and in simulated intestinal fluid (pH 7.4) were also investigated. The hydrogels exhibited pH-responsive behavior in the swelling study. The (HEMA-AA) hydrogel swelling was much higher in pH =7.4 medium. The tramadol release was significantly increased when pH of the medium was changed from simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2) to simulated intestinal fluid (pH 7.4). Using suitable mathematical models, the apparent diffusional coefficients and the corresponding kinetic parameters have been calculated.

Keywords: biopolymres, drug delivery, hydrogels, tramadol

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Authors: Jigg Pelayo, Ricardo Villar

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The Philippines is long considered as a valuable producer of high value crops globally. The country’s employment and economy have been dependent on agriculture, thus increasing its demand for the efficient agricultural mechanism. Remote sensing and geographic information technology have proven to effectively provide applications for precision agriculture through image-processing technique considering the development of the aerial scanning technology in the country. Accurate information concerning the spatial correlation within the field is very important for precision farming of high value crops, especially. The availability of height information and high spatial resolution images obtained from aerial scanning together with the development of new image analysis methods are offering relevant influence to precision agriculture techniques and applications. In this study, an algorithm was developed and implemented to detect and count high value crops simultaneously through adaptive scaling of support vector machine (SVM) algorithm subjected to object-oriented approach combining watershed transformation and local maxima filter in enhancing tree counting and detection. The methodology is compared to cutting-edge template matching algorithm procedures to demonstrate its effectiveness on a demanding tree is counting recognition and delineation problem. Since common data and image processing techniques are utilized, thus can be easily implemented in production processes to cover large agricultural areas. The algorithm is tested on high value crops like Palm, Mango and Coconut located in Misamis Oriental, Philippines - showing a good performance in particular for young adult and adult trees, significantly 90% above. The s inventories or database updating, allowing for the reduction of field work and manual interpretation tasks.

Keywords: high value crop, LiDAR, OBIA, precision agriculture

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Authors: Krasimira N. Zhilkova, Mariya K. Kyulavska, Roza P. Mateva

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The anionic polymerization of -caprolactam (CL) with bifunctional activators has been extensively studied as an effective and beneficial method of improving chemical and impact resistances, elasticity and other mechanical properties of polyamide (PA6). In presence of activators or macroactivators (MAs) also called polymeric activators (PACs) the anionic polymerization of lactams proceeds rapidly at a temperature range of 130-180C, well below the melting point of PA-6 (220C) permitting thus the direct manufacturing of copolymer product together with desired modifications of polyamide properties. Copolymers of PA6 with an elastic polypropylene glycol (PPG) middle block into main chain were successfully synthesized via activated anionic ring opening polymerization (ROP) of CL. Using novel PACs based on PPG polyols (with differ molecular weight) the anionic ROP of CL was realized and investigated in the presence of a basic initiator sodium salt of CL (NaCL). The PACs were synthesized as N-carbamoyllactam derivatives of hydroxyl terminated PPG functionalized with isophorone diisocyanate [IPh, 5-Isocyanato-1-(isocyanatomethyl)-1,3,3-trimethylcyclohexane] and blocked then with CL units via an addition reaction. The block copolymers were analyzed and proved with 1H-NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy. The influence of the CL/PACs ratio in feed, the length of the PPG segments and polymerization conditions on the kinetics of anionic ROP, on average molecular weight, and on the structure of the obtained block copolymers were investigated. The structure and phase behaviour of the copolymers were explored with differential scanning calorimetry, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The crystallinity dependence of PPG content incorporated into copolymers main backbone was estimate. Additionally, the mechanical properties of the obtained copolymers were studied by notched impact test. From the performed investigation in this study could be concluded that using PPG based PACs at the chosen ROP conditions leads to obtaining well-defined PA6-b-PPG-b-PA6 copolymers with improved impact resistance.

Keywords: anionic ring opening polymerization, caprolactam, polyamide copolymers, polypropylene glycol

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Authors: Davut Disci

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Objective: to measure the factors affecting expectations and intentions of using mobile phone in educational contexts by university students, using advanced equations and modeling techniques. Design and Methodology: According to the literature, Mobile Addiction, Parental Surveillance-Safety/Security, Social Relations, and Mobile Behavior are most used terms of defining mobile use of people. Therefore, these variables are tried to be measured to find and estimate their effects on expectations and intentions of using mobile phone in educational context. 421 university students participated in this study and there are 229 Female and 192 Male students. For the purpose of examining the mobile behavior and educational expectations and intentions, a questionnaire is prepared and applied to the participants who had to answer all the questions online. Furthermore, responses to close-ended questions are analyzed by using The Statistical Package for Social Sciences(SPSS) software, reliabilities are measured by Cronbach’s Alpha analysis and hypothesis are examined via using Multiple Regression and Linear Regression analysis and the model is tested with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique which is important for testing the model scientifically. Besides these responses, open-ended questions are taken into consideration. Results: When analyzing data gathered from close-ended questions, it is found that Mobile Addiction, Parental Surveillance, Social Relations and Frequency of Using Mobile Phone Applications are affecting the mobile behavior of the participants in different levels, helping them to use mobile phone in educational context. Moreover, as for open-ended questions, participants stated that they use many mobile applications in their learning environment in terms of contacting with friends, watching educational videos, finding course material via internet. They also agree in that mobile phone brings greater flexibility to their lives. According to the SEM results the model is not evaluated and it can be said that it may be improved to show in SEM besides in multiple regression. Conclusion: This study shows that the specified model can be used by educationalist, school authorities to improve their learning environment.

Keywords: learning technology, instructional technology, mobile learning, technology

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Authors: Wen Zhen

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Compared to content words, function words have been relatively overlooked by English learners especially articles. The article system, to a certain extent, becomes a resistance to know English better, driven by different elements. Three principal factors can be summarized in term of the nature of the articles when referring to the difficulty of the English article system. However, making the article system more complex are difficulties in the second acquisition process, for [-ART] learners have to create another category, causing even most non-native speakers at proficiency level to make errors. According to the sequences of acquisition of the English article, it is showed that the zero article is first acquired and in high inaccuracy. The zero article is often overused in the early stages of L2 acquisition. Although learners at the intermediate level move to underuse the zero article for they realize that the zero article does not cover any case, overproduction of the zero article even occurs among advanced L2 learners. The aim of the study is to investigate noun-phrase factors which give rise to incorrect usage or overuse of the zero article, thus providing suggestions for L2 English acquisition. Moreover, it enables teachers to carry out effective instruction that activate conscious learning of students. The research question will be answered through a corpus-based, data- driven approach to analyze the noun-phrase elements from the semantic context and countability of noun-phrases. Based on the analysis of the International Thurber Thesis corpus, the results show that: (1) Although context of [-definite,-specific] favored the zero article, both[-definite,+specific] and [+definite,-specific] showed less influence. When we reflect on the frequency order of the zero article , prototypicality plays a vital role in it .(2)EFL learners in this study have trouble classifying abstract nouns as countable. We can find that it will bring about overuse of the zero article when learners can not make clear judgements on countability altered from (+definite ) to (-definite).Once a noun is perceived as uncountable by learners, the choice would fall back on the zero article. These findings suggest that learners should be engaged in recognition of the countability of new vocabulary by explaining nouns in lexical phrases and explore more complex aspects such as analysis dependent on discourse.

Keywords: noun phrase, zero article, corpus, second language acquisition

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Authors: R. Meier, M. Pander

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In accordance with the industry 4.0 concept, manufacturing process steps as well as the materials themselves are going to be more and more digitalized within the next years. The “digital twin” representing the simulated and measured dataset of the (semi-finished) product can be used to control and optimize the individual processing steps and help to reduce costs and expenditure of time in product development, manufacturing, and recycling. In the present work, two material characterization methods based on Lamb waves were evaluated and compared. For demonstration purpose, both methods were shown at a standard industrial product - copper ribbons, often used in photovoltaic modules as well as in high-current microelectronic devices. By numerical approximation of the Rayleigh-Lamb dispersion model on measured phase velocities second order elastic constants (Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio) were determined. Furthermore, the effective third order elastic constants were evaluated by applying elastic, “non-destructive”, mechanical stress on the samples. In this way, small microstructural variations due to mechanical preconditioning could be detected for the first time. Both methods were compared with respect to precision and inline application capabilities. Microstructure of the samples was systematically varied by mechanical loading and annealing. Changes in the elastic ultrasound transport properties were correlated with results from microstructural analysis and mechanical testing. In summary, monitoring the elastic material properties of plate-like structures using Lamb waves is valuable for inline and non-destructive material characterization and manufacturing process control. Second order elastic constants analysis is robust over wide environmental and sample conditions, whereas the effective third order elastic constants highly increase the sensitivity with respect to small microstructural changes. Both Lamb wave based characterization methods are fitting perfectly into the industry 4.0 concept.

Keywords: lamb waves, industry 4.0, process control, elasticity, acoustoelasticity, microstructure

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Authors: Harold P. Villota, Alejandro Osorio B.

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The energy meteorology is an area for study energy complementarity and the use of renewable sources in interconnected systems. Due to diversify the energy matrix in Colombia with wind sources, is necessary to know the data bases about this one. However, the time series given by 260 automatic weather stations have empty, and no apply data, so the purpose is to fill the time series selecting two years to characterize, impute and use like base to complete the data between 2005 and 2020.

Keywords: complementarity, wind speed, renewable, colombia, characteri, characterization, imputation

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Authors: Thi Phuong Pham

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This paper explores the intricate relationships between Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) practices, digital transformation (DT), and enterprise performance within the context of Vietnam. Over the past two decades, there has been a paradigm shift in supply chain management, with sustainability gaining prominence due to increasing concerns about climate change, labor practices, and the environmental impact of business operations. In the ever-evolving realm of global business, sustainability and digital transformation (DT) intersecting dynamics have become pivotal catalysts for organizational success. This research investigates how integrating SSCM with DT can enhance enterprise performance, a subject of significant relevance as Vietnam undergoes rapid economic growth and digital transformation. The primary objectives of this research are twofold: (1) to examine the effects of SSCM practices on enterprise performance in three critical aspects: economic, environmental, and social performance in Vietnam and (2) to explore the mediating role of DT in this relationship. By analyzing these dynamics, the study aims to provide valuable insights for policymakers and the academic community regarding the potential benefits of aligning SSCM principles with digital technologies. To achieve these objectives, the research employs a robust mixed-method approach. The research begins with a comprehensive literature review to establish a theoretical framework that underpins the empirical analysis. Data collection was conducted through a structured survey targeting Vietnamese enterprises, with the survey instrument designed to measure SSCM practices, DT, and enterprise performance using a five-point Likert scale. The reliability and validity of the survey were ensured by pre-testing with industry practitioners and refining the questionnaire based on their feedback. For data analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to quantify the direct effects of SSCM on enterprise performance, while mediation analysis using the PROCESS Macro 4.0 in SPSS was conducted to assess the mediating role of DT. The findings reveal that SSCM practices positively influence enterprise performance by enhancing operational efficiency, reducing costs, and improving sustainability metrics. Furthermore, DT acts as a significant mediator, amplifying the positive impacts of SSCM practices through improved data management, enhanced communication, and more agile supply chain processes. These results underscore the critical role of DT in maximizing the benefits of SSCM practices, particularly in a developing economy like Vietnam. This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by highlighting the synergistic effects of SSCM and DT on enterprise performance. It offers practical implications for businesses that enhance their sustainability and digital capabilities, providing a roadmap for integrating these two pivotal aspects to achieve competitive advantage. The study's insights can also inform governmental policies designed to foster sustainable economic growth and digital innovation in Vietnam.

Keywords: sustainable supply chain management, digital transformation, enterprise performance, Vietnam

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Authors: Nadezda Pizika

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The paper discusses possible approaches of embedding the development of employability skills in the program curriculum. This paper contains analysis of the problem areas raised by employers regarding new graduates’ readiness to join workforce, the ways of possible improvements, and the actions required from different stakeholders. The case discussed in the paper is related to Computer and Information Science (CIS) Program offered at Higher Colleges of Technology (UAE).

Keywords: curriculum design, employability skills, employers, graduates, education, entrepreneurship

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Authors: Kaleb Shiferaw, Berhanu Geberemedhin

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Ethiopian farmers have a long tradition of beekeeping and the country has huge potential for honey production. However traditional mode of production still dominates the sub sector which negatively affect the total production and productivity. A number of studies have been conducted to better understand the working honey production, however, none of them systematically investigate the extent of technical efficiency of the sub-sector. This paper uses Stochastic Frontier production model to quantifying the extent of technical efficiency and identify exogenous determinant of inefficiency. The result showed that consistent with other studies traditional practice dominate small scale honey production in Ethiopia. The finding also revealed that use of purchased inputs such as bee forage and other supplement is very limited among honey producers indicating that natural bee forage is the primary source of bee forage. The immediate consequence of all these is low production and productivity. The number of hives the household owns, whether the household used improved apiculture technologies, availability of natural forest which is the primary sources of nectar for bees and amount of land owned by the households were found to have a significant influence on the amount of honey produced by beekeeper. Our result further showed that the mean technical efficiency of honey producers is 0.79 implying that, on average honey producer produce 80 percent of the maximum output. The implication is that 20 percent of the potential output is lost due to technical inefficiency. Number of hives owned by a honey produces, distance to district town-a proxy to market access, household wealth, and whether the household head has a leadership role in the PA affect the technical efficiency of honey producers. The finding suggest that policies that aim to expand the use of improved hives is expected to increase the honey production at household level. The result also suggest that investment on rural infrastructure would be instrumental in improving technical efficiency of honey producer.

Keywords: small-scale honey producer, Ethiopia, technical efficiency in apiculture, stochastic frontier analysis

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Authors: Solomon Yokamo, Dianjun Lu, Xiaoqin Chen, Huoyan Wang

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The current ‘high input-high output’ nutrient management model based on homogenous spreading over the entire soil surface remains a key challenge in China’s farming systems, leading to low fertilizer use efficiency and environmental pollution. Localized placement of fertilizer (LPF) to crop root zones has been proposed as a viable approach to boost crop production while protecting environmental pollution. To assess the potential benefits of LPF on three major crops—wheat, rice, and maize—a comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted, encompassing 85 field studies published from 2002-2023. We further validated the practicability and feasibility of one-time root zone N management based on LPF for the three field crops. The meta-analysis revealed that LPF significantly increased the yields of the selected crops (13.62%) and nitrogen recovery efficiency (REN) (33.09%) while reducing cumulative nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission (17.37%) and ammonia (NH₃) volatilization (60.14%) compared to the conventional surface application (CSA). Higher grain yield and REN were achieved with an optimal fertilization depth (FD) of 5-15 cm, moderate N rates, combined NPK application, one-time deep fertilization, and coarse-textured and slightly acidic soils. Field validation experiments showed that localized one-time root zone N management without topdressing increased maize (6.2%), rice (34.6%), and wheat (2.9%) yields while saving N fertilizer (3%) and also increased the net economic benefits (23.71%) compared to CSA. A soil incubation study further proved the potential of LPF to enhance the retention and availability of mineral N in the root zone over an extended period. Thus, LPF could be an important fertilizer management strategy and should be extended to other less-developed and developing regions to win the triple benefit of food security, environmental quality, and economic gains.

Keywords: grain yield, LPF, NH₃ volatilization, N₂O emission, N recovery efficiency

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Authors: Tomola Obamuyi

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The banking system in Nigeria adopted innovative banking, with the aim of enhancing financial inclusion, and making financial services readily and cheaply available to majority of the people, and to contribute to the efficiency of the financial system. Some of the innovative services include: Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs), National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT), Point of Sale (PoS), internet (Web) banking, Mobile Money payment (MMO), Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), agent banking, among others. The introduction of these payment systems is expected to increase bank efficiency and customers' satisfaction, culminating in better performance for the commercial banks. However, opinions differ on the possible effects of the various innovative payment systems on the performance of commercial banks in the country. Thus, this study empirically determines how commercial banks use innovation to gain competitive advantage in the specific context of Nigeria's finance and business. The study also analyses the effects of financial innovation on the performance of commercial banks, when different periods of analysis are considered. The study employed secondary data from 2009 to 2018, the period that witnessed aggressive innovation in the financial sector of the country. The Vector Autoregression (VAR) estimation technique forecasts the relative variance of each random innovation to the variables in the VAR, examine the effect of standard deviation shock to one of the innovations on current and future values of the impulse response and determine the causal relationship between the variables (VAR granger causality test). The study also employed the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) to rank the innovations and the performance criteria of Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE). The entropy method of MCDM was used to determine which of the performance criteria better reflect the contributions of the various innovations in the banking sector. On the other hand, the Range of Values (ROV) method was used to rank the contributions of the seven innovations to performance. The analysis was done based on medium term (five years) and long run (ten years) of innovations in the sector. The impulse response function derived from the VAR system indicated that the response of ROA to the values of cheques transaction, values of NEFT transactions, values of POS transactions was positive and significant in the periods of analysis. The paper also confirmed with entropy and range of value that, in the long run, both the CHEQUE and MMO performed best while NEFT was next in performance. The paper concluded that commercial banks would enhance their performance by continuously improving on the services provided through Cheques, National Electronic Fund Transfer and Point of Sale since these instruments have long run effects on their performance. This will increase the confidence of the populace and encourage more usage/patronage of these services. The banking sector will in turn experience better performance which will improve the economy of the country. Keywords: Bank performance, financial innovation, multi-criteria decision making, vector autoregression,

Keywords: Bank performance, financial innovation, multi-criteria decision making, vector autoregression

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Authors: Shpetim Rezniqi

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Over the years has increased, and increasingly has become necessary to make audit of financial statements. An auditor to perform an audit, should plan its audit in order to provide a high-quality audit and to be performed in an economic, efficient, effective and timely. This phase of the audit is also important stages of reach to the final goal of an audit to be professional and based in Kosovo and International Standards on Auditing. Always considering Kosovo as a new state and once out of war, where everything in its entrepreneurship started from the lowest stage of economic development and aim at development and regional and European integration, planning and performing audit becomes even more important.

Keywords: control, accounting, planning, analysis

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Authors: M. Naidoo

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AI in healthcare can have a massive positive effect in low-resource states like South Africa, where patients outnumber personnel greatly. However, the complexity and ‘black box’ aspects of these technologies pose challenges for the liability regimes of states. This is currently being discussed at the international level. This research finds that within the South African medical negligence context, the current common law fault-based inquiry proves to be wholly inadequate for patient redress. As a solution to this, this research paper culminates in legal reform recommendations designed to solve these issues.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, law, liability, policy

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Authors: Yamma Rose, Kone Martine, Yonli Arsène, Wanko Ngnien Adrien

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Soil pollution and, consequently, water resources by micropollutants from gold mine tailings constitute a major threat in developing countries due to the lack of waste treatment. Phytoremediation is an alternative for extracting or trapping micropollutants from contaminated soils by mining residues. The potentialities of Chrysopogon zizanioides (acclimated plant) and Andropogon gayanus (native plant) to accumulate arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) were studied in artisanal gold mine in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The phytoremediation effectiveness of two plant species was studied in 75 pots of 30 liters each, containing mining residues from the artisanal gold processing site in the rural commune of Nimbrogo. The experiments cover three modalities: Tn - planted unpolluted soils; To – unplanted mine tailings and Tp – planted mine tailings arranged in a randomized manner. The pots were amended quarterly with compost to provide nutrients to the plants. The phytoremediation assessment consists of comparing the growth, biomass and capacity of these two herbaceous plants to extract or to trap Hg, Fe, Zn and As in mining residues in a controlled environment. The analysis of plant species parameters cultivated in mine tailings shows indices of relative growth of A. gayanus very significantly high (34.38%) compared to 20.37% for C.zizanioides. While biomass analysis reveals that C. zizanioides has greater foliage and root system growth than A. gayanus. The results after a culture time of 6 months showed that C. zizanioides and A. gayanus have the potential to accumulate Hg, Fe, Zn and As. Root biomass has a more significant accumulation than aboveground biomass for both herbaceous species. Although the BCF bioaccumulation factor values for both plants together are low (<1), the removal efficiency of Hg, Fe, Zn and As is 45.13%, 42.26%, 21.5% and 2.87% respectively in 24 weeks of culture with C. zizanioides. However, pots grown with A. gayanus gives an effectiveness rate of 43.55%; 41.52%; 2.87% and 1.35% respectively for Fe, Zn, Hg and As. The results indicate that the plant species studied have a strong phytoremediation potential, although that of A. gayanus is relatively less than C. zizanioides.

Keywords: artisanal gold mine tailings, andropogon gayanus, chrysopogon zizanioides, phytoremediation

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Authors: Eman Abdullah Morsi, Hend Okasha, Heba Abdel Hady, Mortada El-Sayed, Mohamed Abbas Shemis

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Context: Linum usitatissimum (Linn), known as Flaxseed, is one of the most important medicinal plants traditionally used for various health as nutritional purposes. Objective: Estimation of total phenolic and flavonoid contents as well as evaluate the antioxidant using α, α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2-2'azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assay and investigation of anti-inflammatory by Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and anticancer activities of hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2) and breast cancer cell line (MCF7) have been applied on hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and methanol extracts and also, fractions of methonal extract (hexane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol). Materials and Methods: Phenolic and flavonoid contents were detected using spectrophotometric and colorimetric assays. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were estimated in-vitro. Anticancer activity of extracts and fractions of methanolic extract were tested on (HepG2) and (MCF7). Results: Methanolic extract and its ethyl acetate fraction contain higher contents of total phenols and flavonoids. In addition, methanolic extract had higher antioxidant activity. Butanolic and ethyl acetate fractions yielded higher percent of inhibition of protein denaturation. Meanwhile, ethyl acetate fraction and methanolic extract had anticancer activity against HepG2 and MCF7 (IC50=60 ± 0.24 and 29.4 ± 0.12µg.mL⁻¹) and (IC50=94.7 ± 0.21 and 227 ± 0.48µg.mL⁻¹), respectively. In Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, methanolic extract has 32 compounds, whereas; ethyl acetate and butanol fractions contain 40 and 36 compounds, respectively. Conclusion: Flaxseed contains totally different biologically active compounds that have been found to possess good variable activities, which can protect human body against several diseases.

Keywords: phenolic content, flavonoid content, HepG2, MCF7, hemolysis-assay, flaxseed

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Authors: Harshit Vallecha, Prabha Bhola

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‘Energy for all’, is a global issue of concern for the past many years. Despite the number of technological advancements and innovations, significant numbers of people are living without access to electricity around the world. India, an emerging economy, tops the list of nations having the maximum number of residents living off the grid, thus raising global attention in past few years to provide clean and sustainable energy access solutions to all of its residents. It is evident from developed economies that centralized planning and electrification alone is not sufficient for meeting energy security. Implementation of off-grid and consumer-driven energy models like Decentralized Renewable Energy (DRE) systems have played a significant role in meeting the national energy demand in developed nations. Cases of DRE systems have been reported in developing countries like India for the past few years. This paper attempts to profile the status of DRE projects in the Indian context with their scope and relevance to ensure universal electrification. Diversified cases of DRE projects, particularly solar, biomass and micro hydro are identified in different Indian states. Critical factors affecting the sustainability of DRE projects are extracted with their interlinkages in the context of developers, beneficiaries and promoters involved in such projects. Socio-techno-economic indicators are identified through similar cases in the context of DRE projects. Exploratory factor analysis is performed to evaluate the critical sustainability factors followed by regression analysis to establish the relationship between the dependent and independent factors. The generated EFA-Regression model provides a basis to develop the sustainability and replicability framework for broader coverage of DRE projects in developing nations in order to attain the goal of universal electrification with least carbon emissions.

Keywords: climate change, decentralized generation, electricity access, renewable energy

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Authors: Susmita Ghosh

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Catchment area of Damodar River, India experiences seasonal rains due to the south-west monsoon every year and depending upon the intensity of the storms, floods occur. During the monsoon season, the rainfall in the area is mainly due to active monsoon conditions. The upstream reach of Damodar river system has five dams store the water for utilization for various purposes viz, irrigation, hydro-power generation, municipal supplies and last but not the least flood moderation. But, in the downstream reach of Damodar River, known as Lower Damodar region, is severely and frequently suffering from flood due to heavy monsoon rainfall and also release from upstream reservoirs. Therefore, an effective flood management study is required to know in depth the nature and extent of flood, water logging, and erosion related problems, affected area, and damages in the Lower Damodar region, by conducting mathematical model study. The design flood or discharge is needed to decide to assign the respective model for getting several scenarios from the simulation runs. The ultimate aim is to achieve a sustainable flood management scheme from the several alternatives. there are various methods for estimating flood discharges to be carried through the rivers and their tributaries for quick drainage from inundated areas due to drainage congestion and excess rainfall. In the present study, the flood frequency analysis is performed to decide the design flood discharge of the study area. This, on the other hand, has limitations in respect of availability of long peak flood data record for determining long type of probability density function correctly. If sufficient past records are available, the maximum flood on a river with a given frequency can safely be determined. The floods of different frequency for the Damodar has been calculated by five candidate distributions i.e., generalized extreme value, extreme value-I, Pearson type III, Log Pearson and normal. Annual peak discharge series are available at Durgapur barrage for the period of 1979 to 2013 (35 years). The available series are subjected to frequency analysis. The primary objective of the flood frequency analysis is to relate the magnitude of extreme events to their frequencies of occurrence through the use of probability distributions. The design flood for return periods of 10, 15 and 25 years return period at Durgapur barrage are estimated by flood frequency method. It is necessary to develop flood hydrographs for the above floods to facilitate the mathematical model studies to find the depth and extent of inundation etc. Null hypothesis that the distributions fit the data at 95% confidence is checked with goodness of fit test, i.e., Chi Square Test. It is revealed from the goodness of fit test that the all five distributions do show a good fit on the sample population and is therefore accepted. However, it is seen that there is considerable variation in the estimation of frequency flood. It is therefore considered prudent to average out the results of these five distributions for required frequencies. The inundated area from past data is well matched using this flood.

Keywords: design discharge, flood frequency, goodness of fit, sustainable flood management

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Authors: Hercules Argyropoulos, Thomas F. Johnson, Nigel B Jackson, Kalliopi Zourna, Daniel G. Bracewell

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Lipid encapsulation has become essential in drug delivery, notably for mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, their sterile filtration poses challenges due to the risk of deformation, filter fouling and product loss from adsorption onto the membrane. Choosing the right filtration membrane is crucial to maintain sterility and integrity while minimizing product loss. The objective of this study is to develop a rigorous analytical framework utilizing confocal microscopy and filtration blocking models to elucidate the fouling mechanisms of liposomes as a model system for this class of delivery vehicle during sterile filtration, particularly in response to variations in transmembrane pressure (TMP) during the filtration process. Experiments were conducted using fluorescent Lipoid S100 PC liposomes formulated by micro fluidization and characterized by Multi-Angle Dynamic Light Scattering. Dual-layer PES/PES and PES/PVDF membranes with 0.2 μm pores were used for filtration under constant pressure, cycling from 30 psi to 5 psi and back to 30 psi, with 5, 6, and 5-minute intervals. Cross-sectional membrane samples were prepared by microtome slicing and analyzed with confocal microscopy. Liposome characterization revealed a particle size range of 100-140 nm and an average concentration of 2.93x10¹¹ particles/mL. Goodness-of-fit analysis of flux decline data at varying TMPs identified the intermediate blocking model as most accurate at 30 psi and the cake filtration model at 5 psi. Membrane resistance analysis showed atypical behavior compared to therapeutic proteins, with resistance remaining below 1.38×10¹¹ m⁻¹ at 30 psi, increasing over fourfold at 5 psi, and then decreasing to 1-1.3-fold when pressure was returned to 30 psi. This suggests that increased flow/shear deforms liposomes enabling them to more effectively navigate membrane pores. Confocal microscopy indicated that liposome fouling mainly occurred in the upper parts of the dual-layer membrane.

Keywords: sterile filtration, membrane resistance, microfluidization, confocal microscopy, liposomes, filtration blocking models

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Authors: Jesus Argueta

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This study aims to explore the Business Demography Phenomena along the Central American context, through the examination of its theoretical background, and the revision of Central American corporations success stories, that will eventually guide this research towards the business Demography Key Performance Indicators, across the Central American Business Ambiance. Considering that this analysis will support the development of a Small and Medium Business Observatory over the Honduran commercial landscapes, as platform for the reinforcement of this global topic.

Keywords: business demography, economic dynamism, small, medium and large enterprises, corporate demography

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Authors: Harunori Kawabe, Hideyuki Aoshima, Koji Murakami, Minoru Kawakami, Yuka Nakano, David D. Ordinario, C. W. Crawford, Iri Sato-Baran

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With the recent advances in gene editing technologies allowing the rewriting of genetic sequences, additional market growth in the global floriculture market beyond previous trends is anticipated through increasingly sophisticated plant breeding techniques. As a prerequisite for gene editing, the gene sequence of the target plant must first be identified. This necessitates the genetic analysis of plants with unknown gene sequences, the extraction of RNA, and comprehensive expression analysis. Consequently, a technology capable of consistently and effectively extracting high-purity DNA and RNA from plants is of paramount importance. Although model plants, such as Arabidopsis and tobacco, have established methods for DNA and RNA extraction, floricultural species such as roses present unique challenges. Different techniques to extract DNA and RNA from various floricultural species were investigated. Upon sampling and grinding the petals of several floricultural species, it was observed that nucleic acid extraction from the ground petal solutions of low viscosity was straightforward; solutions of high viscosity presented a significant challenge. It is postulated that the presence of substantial quantities of polysaccharides and polyphenols in the plant tissue was responsible for the inhibition of nucleic acid extraction. Consequently, attempts were made to extract high-purity DNA and RNA by improving the CTAB method and combining it with commercially available nucleic acid extraction kits. The quality of the total extracted DNA and RNA was evaluated using standard methods. Finally, the effectiveness of the extraction method was assessed by determining whether it was possible to create a library that could be applied as a suitable template for a next-generation sequencer. In conclusion, a method was developed for consistent and accurate nucleic acid extraction from high-viscosity floricultural samples. These results demonstrate improved techniques for DNA and RNA extraction from flowers, help facilitate gene editing of floricultural species and expand the boundaries of research and commercial opportunities.

Keywords: floriculture, gene editing, next-generation sequencing, nucleic acid extraction

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Authors: Nilufer Turksoy

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Social media tools successfully connect people from different milieu to each other. This easy access allows politicians with populist attitude to circulate any kind of political opinion or message, which will hardly appear in conventional media. Populism is a relevant concept, especially, in political communication research. In the last decade, populism in social media has been researched extensively. The present study focuses on how social media is used as a playground by Turkish Cypriot politicians to perform populism in Northern Cyprus. It aims to determine and understand the relationship between politicians and social media, and how they employ social media in their political lives. Northern Cyprus’s multi-faced character provides politicians with many possible frames and topics they can make demagogy about ongoing political deadlock, international isolation, economic instability or social and cultural life in the north part of the island. Thus, Northern Cyprus, bizarrely branded as a 'no man's land', is a case par excellence to show how politically and economically unstable geographies are inclined to perform populism. Northern Cyprus is legally invalid territory recognized by no member of the international community other than Turkey and a phantom state, just like Abkhazia and South Ossetia or Nagorno-Karabakh. Five ideological key elements of populism are employed in the theoretical framework of this study: (1) highlighting the sovereignty of the people, (2) attacking the elites, (3) advocacy for the people, (4) excluding others, and (5) invoking the heartland. A qualitative text analysis of typical Facebook posts was conducted. Profiles of popular political leaders who occupy top positions (e.g. member of parliament, minister, chairman, party secretary), who have different political views, and who use their profiles for political expression on daily bases are selected. All official Facebook pages of the selected politicians are examined during a period of five months (1 September 2017-31 January 2018). This period is selected since it was prior to the parliamentary elections. Finding revealed that majority of the Turkish Cypriot politicians use their social media profile to propagate their political ideology in a populist fashion. Populist statements are found across parties. Facebook give especially the left-wing political actors the freedom to spread their messages in manipulative ways, mostly by using a satiric, ironic and slandering jargon that refers to the pseudo-state, the phantom state, the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus state. While most of the political leaders advocate for the people, invoking the heartland are preferred by right-wing politicians. A broad range of left-wing politicians predominantly conducted attack on the economic elites and ostracism of others. The finding concluded that different politicians use social media differently according to their political standpoint. Overall, the study offers a thorough analysis of populism on social media. Considering the large role social media plays in the daily life today, the finding will shed some light on the political influence of social media and the social media usage among politicians.

Keywords: Northern Cyprus, populism, politics, qualitative text analysis, social media

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Authors: Andrea Musumeci

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General theory of translation has suffered the lack of a homogeneous academic dialect, a holistic methodology to account for the diversity of factors involved in the discipline. An underlying pattern amongst theories of translation belonging to different periods and schools has been identified. Such pattern, which is linguistics oriented, could play a role towards unified academic and professional environments, both in terms of research and as a professional category. The implementation of such an approach has also led to a critique of the concept of equivalence, as being not the best of ways to account for translating phenomena.

Keywords: optimal, translating, research translation theory, methodology, descriptive analysis

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Authors: Katja Siefken, Astrid Junge

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Background: Research indicates that physical activity (PA) protects us from developing mental disorders. The knowledge regarding optimal domain, intensity, type, context, and amount of PA promotion for the prevention of mental disorders is sparse and incoherent. The objective of this study is to determine the relationship between PA domains and mental well-being, and whether associations vary by domain, amount, context, intensity, and type of PA. Methods: 310 individuals (age: 25 yrs., SD 7; 73% female) completed a questionnaire on personal patterns of their PA behaviour (IPQA) and their mental health (Centre of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, the subjective physical well-being (FEW-16)). Linear and multiple regression were used for analysis. Findings: Individuals who met the PA recommendation (N=269) reported higher scores on subjective physical well-being than those who did not meet the PA recommendations (N=41). Whilst vigorous intensity PA predicts subjective well-being (β = .122, p = .028), it also correlates with depression. The more vigorously physically active a person is, the higher the depression score (β = .127, p = .026). The strongest impact of PA on mental well-being can be seen in the transport domain. A positive linear correlation on subjective physical well-being (β =.175, p = .002), and a negative linear correlation for anxiety (β =-.142, p = .011) and depression (β = -.164, p = .004) was found. Multiple regression analysis indicates similar results: Time spent in active transport on the bicycle significantly lowers anxiety and depression scores and enhances subjective physical well-being. The more time a participant spends using the bicycle for transport, the lower the depression (β = -.143, p = .013) and anxiety scores (β = -.111,p = .050). Conclusions: Meeting the PA recommendations enhances subjective physical well-being. Active transport has a substantial impact on mental well-being. Findings have implications for policymakers, employers, public health experts and civil society. A stronger focus on the promotion and protection of health through active transport is recommended. Inter-sectoral exchange, outside the health sector, is required. Health systems must engage other sectors in adopting policies that maximize possible health gains.

Keywords: active transport, mental well-being, health promotion, psychological disorders

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Authors: Zhenzhen Xu, Chunfu Shao, Shengyou Wang, Chunjiao Dong

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To improve the satisfaction of residents' travel, this paper analyzes the characteristics and influencing factors of urban residents' travel behavior. First, a Multinominal Logit Model (MNL) model is built to analyze the characteristics of residents' travel behavior, reveal the influence of individual attributes, family attributes and travel characteristics on the choice of travel mode, and identify the significant factors. Then put forward suggestions for policy improvement. Finally, Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) models are introduced to evaluate the policy effect. This paper selects Futian Street in Futian District, Shenzhen City for investigation and research. The results show that gender, age, education, income, number of cars owned, travel purpose, departure time, journey time, travel distance and times all have a significant influence on residents' choice of travel mode. Based on the above results, two policy improvement suggestions are put forward from reducing public transportation and non-motor vehicle travel time, and the policy effect is evaluated. Before the evaluation, the prediction effect of MNL, SVM and MLP models was evaluated. After parameter optimization, it was found that the prediction accuracy of the three models was 72.80%, 71.42%, and 76.42%, respectively. The MLP model with the highest prediction accuracy was selected to evaluate the effect of policy improvement. The results showed that after the implementation of the policy, the proportion of public transportation in plan 1 and plan 2 increased by 14.04% and 9.86%, respectively, while the proportion of private cars decreased by 3.47% and 2.54%, respectively. The proportion of car trips decreased obviously, while the proportion of public transport trips increased. It can be considered that the measures have a positive effect on promoting green trips and improving the satisfaction of urban residents, and can provide a reference for relevant departments to formulate transportation policies.

Keywords: neural network, travel characteristics analysis, transportation choice, travel sharing rate, traffic resource allocation

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Authors: Sudkhanoung Ritruechai, Somrak Choovanichwong, Kruawon Tiengtom, Peanchanan Leeudomwong

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The purposes of this qualitative research were to study the recovery experience of people with bipolar disorder and also to propose a development approach to the Bipolar Friends Club. The participants were eight people with bipolar disorder for six to twenty years (four women and four men). They have been members of the Bipolar Friends Club for two to ten years. They have no mental symptoms in order to provide sufficient information about their recovery experiences and have returned to everyday life with their family, community, and work. The data were collected by doing an in-depth interview. Two interviews were done, each from 45-90 minutes and four to five weeks apart. The researcher sent the results of the preliminary data analysis to the participants two to three days beforehand. Confirmation of the results of the preliminary data analysis from the first interview was done at the second interview. The research study found that the participants had a positive experience of being a Bipolar Club member. The club continued its activities following Recovery Oriented Service: ROS to the participants. As a result, they recovered in eight areas as follows. 1) Intellectual: The wisdom of joining the group has brought knowledge and experiences from an exchange with others in self-care as well as a positive thinking in life. 2) Social: The participants have set up a group to take care of each other and to do activities which have brought warmth. Their social network which was normally little has also been increased. 3) Spiritual: The concept of religion has been used to lead the life of the participants. 4) Occupational: One participant is a student while the others do work. All of them have done well. 5) Environmental: The participants would be able to adapt to the environment and cope with their problems better. 6) Physical: Most female participants have difficulties with losing weight which leads them saying that they are ‘not fully recovered’. 7) Emotional: The participants feel calmer than before entering the club. They have also developed more tolerance to problems. 8) Financial: The participants would be able to control their spending by themselves and with the help of their family members. The people with bipolar disorder have suggested that the services of the club are perfect and should be continued. The results of the study encourage the Bipolar Friends Club, as well as other clubs/associations that support the recovery of patients. Consideration of the recovery has highlighted the need for ongoing and various life-enhancing programs for the caregivers and their loved ones with bipolar disorder. Then, they would be able to choose the program that suits their needs to improve their life.

Keywords: people with bipolar disorder, recovery, club, experience

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Authors: Kali Prasad Sarma, Nibedita Baul, Jinu Deka

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In the present study, pollution level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) in surface soil of historic Tezpur town located in the north bank of the River Brahmaputra were evaluated. In order to determine the seasonal distribution and concentration level of 16 USEPA priority PAHs surface soil samples were collected from 12 different sampling sites with various land use type. The total concentrations of 16 PAHs (∑16 PAHs) varied from 242.68µgkg-1to 7901.89µgkg-1. Concentration of total probable carcinogenic PAH ranged between 7.285µgkg-1 and 479.184 µgkg-1 in different seasons. However, the concentration of BaP, the most carcinogenic PAH, was found in the range of BDL to 50.01 µgkg-1. The composition profiles of PAHs in 3 different seasons were characterized by following two different types of ring: (1) 4-ring PAHs, contributed to highest percentage of total PAHs (43.75%) (2) while in pre- and post- monsoon season 3- ring compounds dominated the PAH profile, contributing 65.58% and 74.41% respectively. A high PAHs concentration with significant seasonality and high abundance of LMWPAHs was observed in Tezpur town. Soil PAHs toxicity was evaluated taking toxic equivalency factors (TEFs), which quantify the carcinogenic potential of other PAHs relative to BaP and estimate benzo[a]pyrene-equivalent concentration (BaPeq). The calculated BaPeq value signifies considerable risk to contact with soil PAHs. We applied cluster analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) with multivariate linear regression (MLR) to apportion sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface soil of Tezpur town, based on the measured PAH concentrations. The results indicate that petrogenic and pyrogenic sources are the important sources of PAHs. A combination of chemometric and molecular indices were used to identify the sources of PAHs, which could be attributed to vehicle emissions, a mixed source input, natural gas combustion, wood or biomass burning and coal combustion. Source apportionment using absolute principle component scores–multiple linear regression showed that the main sources of PAHs are 22.3% mix sources comprising of diesel and biomass combustion and petroleum spill,13.55% from vehicle emission, 9.15% from diesel and natural gas burning, 38.05% from wood and biomass burning and 16.95% contribute coal combustion. Pyrogenic input was found to dominate source of PAHs origin with more contribution from vehicular exhaust. PAHs have often been found to co-emit with other environmental pollutants like heavy metals due to similar source of origin. A positive correlation was observed between PAH with Cr and Pb (r2 = 0.54 and 0.55 respectively) in monsoon season and PAH with Cd and Pb (r2 = 0.54 and 0.61 respectively) indicating their common source. Strong correlation was observed between PAH and OC during pre- and post- monsoon (r2=0.46 and r2=0.65 respectively) whereas during monsoon season no significant correlation was observed (r2=0.24).

Keywords: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, Tezpur town, chemometric analysis, ecological risk assessment, pollution

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Authors: Yaghoubi N., Moore Z., Van Der Veen S. M., Pidcoe P. E., Thomas J. S., Dexheimer B.

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Optoelectronic 3D motion capture systems, such as the Vicon kinematic system, are widely utilized in biomedical research to track joint motion. These systems are considered powerful and accurate measurement tools with <2 mm average error. However, these systems are costly and may be difficult to implement and utilize in a clinical setting. 3D virtual reality (VR) is gaining popularity as an affordable and accessible tool to investigate motor control and perception in a controlled, immersive environment. The HTC Vive VR system includes puck-style trackers that seamlessly integrate into its VR environments. These affordable, wireless, lightweight trackers may be more feasible for clinical kinematic data collection. However, the accuracy of HTC Vive Trackers (3.0), when compared to optoelectronic 3D motion capture systems, remains unclear. In this preliminary study, we compared the HTC Vive Tracker system to a Vicon kinematic system in a simulated lumbar flexion task. A 6-DOF robot arm (SCORBOT ER VII, Eshed Robotec/RoboGroup, Rosh Ha’Ayin, Israel) completed various reaching movements to mimic increasing levels of hip flexion (15°, 30°, 45°). Light reflective markers, along with one HTC Vive Tracker (3.0), were placed on the rigid segment separating the elbow and shoulder of the robot. We compared position measures simultaneously collected from both systems. Our preliminary analysis shows no significant differences between the Vicon motion capture system and the HTC Vive tracker in the Z axis, regardless of hip flexion. In the X axis, we found no significant differences between the two systems at 15 degrees of hip flexion but minimal differences at 30 and 45 degrees, ranging from .047 cm ± .02 SE (p = .03) at 30 degrees hip flexion to .194 cm ± .024 SE (p < .0001) at 45 degrees of hip flexion. In the Y axis, we found a minimal difference for 15 degrees of hip flexion only (.743 cm ± .275 SE; p = .007). This preliminary analysis shows that the HTC Vive Tracker may be an appropriate, affordable option for gross motor motion capture when the Vicon system is not available, such as in clinical settings. Further research is needed to compare these two motion capture systems in different body poses and for different body segments.

Keywords: lumbar, vivetracker, viconsystem, 3dmotion, ROM

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