Search results for: Majority Oji

Authors: Samson F. Agberotimi, Rachel B. Asagba, Choja Oduaran

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Disturbing rate of use of different substances such as cannabis, alcohol, as well as pharmaceutical drugs among Nigerian youth in recent times has been affirmed in the literature. There is, however, a paucity of literature addressing the pattern of usage of such drugs, especially for clinical relevance and intervention planning. The present study investigated the prevalence and pattern of drug usage among youth in Ogbomoso, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey involving 92 purposively selected participants comprising of 82 males and 10 females aged between 15 and 24 years was conducted. A measure of drug involvement and demographic characteristics was administered to the participants. Descriptive analysis was done using the SPSS v.21. Cannabis (79.4%), alcohol (77.2%), codeine (70.7%), tobacco (65.2%) and tramadol (47.8%) are the five most frequently used substances. However, the majority of the users of tobacco (68.3%) and alcohol (62.0%) are casual users indicating a mild level of use of the substances among the participants. On the other hand, 49.2% of the codeine users, 27.3% of the tramadol users, and 21.9% of the cannabis users reported harmful/intensive levels of use. Furthermore, the results revealed individuals at the pathological level of use as 28.8% for cannabis, 25.0% for tramadol, and 21.6% for codeine, and thus require clinical/therapeutic intervention. In conclusion, cannabis remains the most frequently used substance among youths. However, there appears to be a shift from the use of conventional psychoactive substances to pharmaceutical/prescription drugs such as codeine and tramadol. The findings of this study raised the need for both preventive and therapeutic interventions addressing the problem of substance use disorder among youth in contemporary society.

Keywords: Ogbomoso, pattern of drug use, prevalence of drug use, youth

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Authors: Ieva Gaide, Violeta Makareviciene

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Increasing environmental pollution is caused by various factors, including the usage of vehicles. Legislation is focused on the increased usage of renewable energy sources for fuel production. Electric car usage is also important; however, it is relatively new and expensive transport. It is necessary to increase the amount of renewable energy in the production of diesel fuel, whereas many agricultural machineries are powered by diesel, as are water vehicles. For this reason, research on biodiesel production is relevant. The majority of studies globally are related to the improvement of conventional biofuel production technologies by applying the transesterification process of oil using alcohol and catalyst. Some of the more recent methods to produce biodiesel are based on heterogeneous catalysis, which has the advantage of easy separation of catalyst from the final product. It is known that a large amount of eggshells is treated as waste; therefore, it is eliminated in landfills without any or with minimal pre-treatment. CaO, which is known as a good catalyst for biodiesel synthesis, is a key component of eggshells. In the present work, we evaluated the catalytic efficiency of eggshells and determined the optimal transesterification conditions to obtain biodiesel that meets the standards. Content CaO in eggshells was investigated. Response surface methodology was used to determine the optimal reaction conditions. Three independent variables were investigated: the molar ratio of alcohol to oil, the amount of the catalyst, and the duration of the reaction. It was obtained that the optimum transesterification conditions when the methanol and eggshells as a heterogeneous catalyst are used and the process temperature is 64°C are the following: the alcohol-to-oil molar ratio 10.93:1, the reaction duration 9.48 h, and the catalyst amount 6.80 wt%. Under these conditions, 97.79 wt% of the ester yield was obtained.

Keywords: heterogeneous catalysis, eggshells, biodiesel, oil

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Authors: Grzegorz Mazurek, Michal Kucia

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The following study of a preliminary character, presents a first step of multifaceted study on the usage of social media in HEIs. It examines a significance, potential, and managerial implications of social media marketing and blogs usage in HEIs – namely in the sphere of business schools. Social media – particularly: blogging and virtual platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram have been covered at length in publications of both theoretical and practical nature as of late. Still, the amount of information related to the framework of application of social media in HEIs is rather limited. A pre-designed observation matrix has been used to collect primary data found at websites of different HEIs and to include blog observations. Additionally, a pilot study based on on-line questionnaires with marketing officers of HEI schools has been conducted. The main aim of the study was to identify and elaborate on matters like the scope of social media usage (and blogs in particular) in practice, recognition of the functions fulfilled by social media and blogs, or the anticipated potential of social media for HEIs. The study reveals that the majority of business schools highly ranked in Financial Times rankings use social media and interactive functionalities of their web sites, however, mostly for promotional reasons, and they are targeted at new students. The usage of blogs, though, is not so common and in most cases, blogs are independent platforms, not managed but supported by organizations. Managers and specialists point to lack of resources, insufficient users’ engagement and lack of strategic approach to social media as the main reasons of not advancing in the usage of blogs and social media platforms.

Keywords: blogs, social media marketing, higher education institutions, business schools, value co-creation

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Authors: Ermias Melake Tesfay

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The importance of evaluation practice and feedback to student advancement and retention has gained importance in the literature over the past ten years. So many issues and cases have been raised about the quality and types of evaluation carried out in higher education and the quality and quantity of student feedback. The aim of this study was to explore the students’ perspectives on the quality of course evaluation practice and feedback in College of Education and College of Science. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data. Data were collected from third-year and fourth-year students of 13 departments in the College of Education and College of Science in Eritrea. A modified Service Performance (SERVPERF) questionnaire and focus group discussions were used to collect the data. The sample population comprised of 135 third-year and fourth-year students’ from both Colleges. A questionnaire using a 5 point Likert-scale was administered to all respondents whilst two focus group discussions were conducted. Findings from survey data and focus group discussions showed that the majority of students hold a positive perception of the quality of course evaluation practice but had a negative perception of methods of awarding grades and administrators’ role in listening to the students complain about the course. Furthermore, the analysis from the questionnaire showed that there is no statistically significant difference between third-year and fourth-year students, College of Education and College of Science and male and female students on the quality of course evaluation practice and feedback. The study recommends that colleges improve the quality of fairness and feedback during course assessment.

Keywords: evaluation, feedback, quality, students' perception

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Authors: G. S. Sumanasekara, W. M. P. B. Weerasingheg

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The major problem associated with concentrate feeds used for feeding cattle is declining quality by contamination with Aflatoxins. Objective: The aim of the study was to detect levels of Aflatoxin M1(AFM1) in cow milk , AFM1 levels present in milk related to different feed types and to identify the relationship between feed type and Aflatoxin M1 in milk. Design: cross sectional study design. Milk samples from each farm assessed for presence of AFM1 using High Performance Liquid Chromatographic method. Setting: Ten dairy farms located in Nuwara-Eliya district were randomly selected.AFM1 analysis was done using High Performance Liquid Chromatography(HPLC). Results: The results indicated that AFM1 was present in 50% of samples. Coconut poonac shown the most significant relationship among individual feeds having a correlation of 0.65 and P value of 0.042 . Among feed combinations, coconut poonac and beer pulp combination showed the highest correlation of 0.77 and P value of 0.05. Grasses had shown a very poor relationship with the AFM1 occurrence in milk (r=0.053, P=0.885). Relationship between overall concentrate feeds in the study and AFM1 in milk, it was clear that they had a significant relationship having correlation of 0.65 and P value of 0.042. Majority of samples lied between 0-10 ng L-1 of AFM1 and one sample exceeded above 30 ng L-1. Two samples had AFM1 concentrations between 22-32 ng L-1. One sample lied between 32-42ng L-1, did not exceed the EU recommended level of 50 ng L-1. The presence of AFM1 in milk under various management and feeding conditions is yet to be investigated in Sri Lanka.

Keywords: aflatoxin M1, aspergillus, cattle feed, concentrates, cow milk, high perforamance liquid chromatography

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Authors: E. Manikandan, C. Chilambarasan, M. Sulthan Ariff Rahman, S. Kanagaraj, V. R. Sanal Kumar

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The noise regulations around the major airports and rocket launching stations due to the environmental concern have made jet noise a crucial problem in the present day aero-acoustics research. The three main acoustic sources in jet nozzles are aerodynamics noise, noise from craft systems and engine and mechanical noise. Note that the majority of engine noise is due to the jet noise coming out from the exhaust nozzle. The previous studies reveal that the potential of chevron nozzles for aircraft engines noise reduction is promising owing to the fact that the jet noise continues to be the dominant noise component, especially during take-off. In this paper parametric analytical studies have been carried out for optimizing the number of chevron lobes, the lobe length and tip shape, and the level of penetration of the chevrons into the flow over a variety of flow conditions for various aerospace applications. The numerical studies have been carried out using a validated steady 3D density based, SST k-ω turbulence model with enhanced wall functions. In the numerical study, a fully implicit finite volume scheme of the compressible, Navier–Stokes equations is employed. We inferred that the geometry optimization of an environmental friendly chevron nozzle with a suitable number of chevron lobes with aerodynamically efficient tip contours for facilitating silent exit flow will enable a commendable sound reduction without much thrust penalty while comparing with the conventional supersonic nozzles with same area ratio.

Keywords: chevron nozzle, jet acoustic level, jet noise suppression, shape optimization of chevron nozzles

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Authors: Ebele V. Okoli, Emmanuel Nwobi, Dozie Ezechukwu, Ijeoma Itanyi

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One in seven people worldwide suffer from a disability. 80% of people with disabilities live in developing countries. Negative attitudes and misconceptions among health-care providers constitute barri¬ers to optimal health care for people with disabilities. This underscores the relevance of a study of the attitude of Nigerian medical students towards disability and their willingness to work in the disability sector. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among 254 penultimate and final year medical students of a university in southeastern Nigeria. The mean age of the students was 24.8 ± 3.12 years. Majority of the students were male (75.2%), single (96.9%), of the Igbo tribe (86.6%), Christian (97.6%) and grew up in urban areas (68.1%). Results indicated that the medical students had a predominantly positive attitude towards people with disability as 73.8% had a positive attitude and mean attitude score was 67.03 ± 0.14 (positive attitude = 61 – 120, negative attitude = 0 - 60). Chi-square analysis did not show any significant effect of demographic and social factors on the students’ attitude towards People with Disabilities. The students were mostly willing to work in areas that address the challenges of people with disability (70.4%) but a greater proportion had never heard about Disability Studies (67.5%). About a third of the students (33.2%) would like to travel abroad to practice in the disability sector. Conclusions: The students generally had a positive attitude towards people with disability and a greater percentage were willing to work in the disability sector in their future career. About two-thirds had however, never heard about disability studies. There was some potential for brain drain among the students as a third of the population intended to practice abroad on graduation.

Keywords: attitudes, career interest, disability, medical students

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Authors: Funmilayo L. Amao, Amos O. Amao

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It has been observed that majority of the people are living in poor housing quality or totally homeless in urban center despite all governmental policies to provide housing to the public. On the supply side, various government policies in the past have been formulated towards overcoming the huge shortage through several Housing Reform Programmes. Despite these past efforts, housing continues to be a mirage to ordinary Nigerian. Currently, there are various mass housing delivery programmes such as the affordable housing scheme that utilize the Public Private Partnership effort and several Private Finance Initiative models could only provide for about 3% of the required stock. This suggests the need for a holistic solution in approaching the problem. The aim of this research is to find out the problems hindering the delivery of housing in Nigeria and its effects on housing affordability. The specific objectives are to identify the causes of housing delivery problems, to examine different housing policies over years and to suggest a way out for sustainable housing delivery. This paper also reviews the past and current housing delivery programmes in Nigeria and analyses the demand and supply side issues. It identifies the various housing delivery mechanisms in current practice. The objective of this paper, therefore, is to give you an insight into the delivery option for the sustainability of housing in Nigeria, given the existing delivery structures and the framework specified in the New National Housing Policy. The secondary data were obtained from books, journals and seminar papers. The conclusion is that we cannot copy models from other nations, but should rather evolve workable models based on our socio-cultural background to address the huge housing shortage in Nigeria. Recommendations are made in this regard.

Keywords: housing, sustainability, housing delivery, housing policy, housing affordability

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Authors: Pratishtha Singh

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Gender-based violence (GBV) or gendered violence refers to violence inflicted on a person because of their gender. Majority of men who perpetrate gender-based violence, first do so during their teenage years. Further, the first sexual experience of most girls is coerced. In order to reduce the widespread occurrence of GBV, it is vital to intervene and reach people, especially boys, when their attitudes and beliefs about sexuality and gender are developing. This study aims to understand GBV through an adolescent lens, focusing on their knowledge, attitudes and experiences regarding gendered abuse. This is a cross-sectional, qualitative study. The respondents are Delhi based students in grades 11th and 12th, recruited via snowball sampling. Sixteen in-depth, telephonic interviews were carried out in the month of April, 2020. The data was transcribed verbatim into MS Word and qualitative coding was undertaken in Atlas.ti 8. Twelve out of sixteen respondents admitted experiencing sexual GBV. Out of these, a little more than half of the victims reported it to somebody. Thematic analysis revealed key themes of: (i) Introduction and reinforcement of a patriarchal structure (ii) Violence in teen dating (iii) Acceptability and normalization of violence and (iv) Justice System. Findings reflect a process wherein GBV becomes an intricate part of adolescents’ lives. Participants showed a moderately well-informed understanding of gendered abuse whereas attitudes reflected a complex combination of internalized patriarchy and a desire to bring positive societal reform. The results of this study highlight a need for health promoting, gender-equitable interventions.

Keywords: adolescents, gender, health, violence

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Authors: Shabeer Khan

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The main objective of Islamic Finance is to promote social justice thorough financial inclusion and redistribution of economic resources between rich and poor. The approach of Islamic finance is more comprehensive in nature and covers both formal and informal sectors of the economy, first, through reducing the gap between both sectors, and second by using specific Islamic values to reallocate the wealth between formal and informal sectors. Applying Generalized Method of Movements (GMM) to the annual data spanning from 1995-2015 for 141 countries, this study explores the determinants of informal business sector in Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries and then compares with Non-OIC countries. Economic freedom and institutions variables as well as economic growth and money supply are found to reduce informal business sector in both OIC and Non-OIC nations while government expenditure are found to increase informal business sector in both group of nations. Informal Business sector remain the same in both types of countries but still the majority Muslim population in OIC economies create main difference between both groups of nations and justify the potential role of Islamic Finance in informal business sector in OIC nations. The study suggests that institutions quality should be improved and entrepreneurs’ friendly business environment must be provided. This study refines the main features of informal business sector and discuss their implications on policy designing and implementation, particularly in the context of Islamic finance fight against poverty, inequality and improving living standards of informal sector participants in OIC countries.

Keywords: Islamic finance, informal Business Sector, Generalized Method of Movements (GMM) and OIC

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Authors: Aloysius Colman Chukwuemeka Ezeabasili, Chibuike Patrick Ezeabasili

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Medium Sized Construction Companies in Nigeria are those employing 50-250 workers that are mostly involved in roads, Commercial and domestic building Construction, among others. These companies are in the majority and contribute immensely to infrastructural development in Nigeria. Despite the last eight years of economic downturn and the past years of COVID-19 pandemic, signs of these Companies recovering from the economic recession and pandemic seem bright. Nigeria has recorded 213,000 confirmed cases 3968 deaths from COVID-19 as at now. These medium sized companies are currently trying to explore various opportunities to grow their businesses to achieve competitive advantages over others by studying and improving on their bidding efficiency, Strategies for selecting businesses, bidding markup Strategies, and cash flow. These strategies were studied through the recruitment of construction experts and professionals. Many of them have acquired new technologies that have impacted positively on their strategies. The impact of these technologies like the BIM, e-tendering, conditions of contract, and claim management strategies are advantages to them and has given them good advantages over their peers. Monte Carlo solution, Swot analysis, and average bid methods have also clearly added advantages to bidding practices. New and existing strategies are Scrutinized, and training of young Nigerians in advanced countries to acquire knowledge in best practices have elevated some of these companies. The Covid-19 has not been very harsh to Nigeria, and the country is surely not as devastated as the advanced countries. Nigeria has therefore been able to cope with the combination of the downturn and the pandemic.

Keywords: medium sized construction companies, competitive advantage, new bidding technologies, Nigeria

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Authors: Aadita Chaudhury

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Since at least the early 2000s, DNA profiling has achieved a preeminent status in forensic investigations into criminal acts. While the criminal justice system has a long history of using forensic evidence and testing them through establish technoscientific means, the primacy of DNA in establishing 'truth' or reconstructing a series of events is unparalleled in the history of forensic science. This paper seeks to elucidate the ways in which DNA profiling has become the most authoritative instrument of 'truth' in criminal investigations, and how it is used in the legal process to ascertain culpability, create the notion of infallible evidence, and advance the search for justice. It is argued that DNA profiling has created a paradigm shift in how the legal system and the general public understands crime and culpability, but not without limitations. There are indications that even trace amounts of DNA evidence can point to causal links in a criminal investigation, however, there still remains many rooms to create confusion and doubt from empirical evidence within the narrative of crimes. Many of the shortcomings of DNA-based forensic investigations are explored and evaluated with regards to claims of the authority of biological evidence and implications for the public understanding of the elusive concepts of truth and justice in the present era. Public misinformation about the forensic analysis processes could produce doubt or faith in the judgements rooted in them, depending on other variables presented at the trial. A positivist understanding of forensic science that is shared by the majority of the population does not take into consideration that DNA evidence is far from definitive, and can be used to support any theories of culpability, to create doubt and to deflect blame.

Keywords: DNA profiling, epistemology of forensic science, philosophy of forensic science, sociology of scientific knowledge

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Authors: Tsung Chieh Ma, I-Ling Chen

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Disclosing family origins to adoptees is an important topic in the adoption process. Adoption agencies usually educate adoptive parents on how to disclose to adoptees, but many adoptive parents worry that the disclosure will affect the parent–child relationship. Thus, how adoptees would like to receive the disclosure and whether they subjectively feel that the parent–child relationship is affected are both topics worthy of further discussion. This research takes a qualitative approach and connects with adoption agencies to interview six adoptees who are now adults. The purpose of the interviews is to learn about their experience receiving disclosures and their subjective feelings after learning of their family origins. The aim is to reveal the changes disclosure brought to the parent–child relationship and whether common concerns are raised due to the adoptive status. We also want to know about factors that affect their identification with their adopted status so that we can consequently give advice to other adoptive families. in this study finds that adoptees see disclosure as a process rather than an isolated event. The majority want to be told their family origin as early and proactively as possible and expect to learn the reasons they were given up for adoption and taken in as adoptees. The disclosure does not necessarily influence the parent–child relationship, and adoptees care more about the positive experiences they had with adoptive parents in their childhood. Moreover, adopted children seek contact with their original family mostly to understand why they were given up for adoption. The effects of disclosure depend on how the adoptive parents or other significant people in the lives of adoptees interpret the identity of the adoptees. That is, their response and attitude toward the identity have a lasting impact on the adoptees. The study suggests that early disclosure gives adoptees a chance to internalize the experience in the process and find self-identification.

Keywords: adoption, adoptees, disclosure of family origins, parent–child relationship, self-identity

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Authors: Kaavya Chandrasekar

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Healthy eating is essential to maintain good health and stable mental status regardless of age. WHO describes that a healthy diet consists of incorporating more fruits and vegetables and reducing the consumption of sugary and salty foods into a regularly scheduled healthy diet. Although this attitude is rather uncommon among all age groups, it is notably uncommon among the teens being a very vulnerable state in a man’s life. Faulty dietary habits, in the long run, interfere with health, leading to obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and mental instability. This study collates a discussion on the barriers prevailing among adolescents, to inculcate healthy eating practices by means of the socioecological model. The studies consisted of teens aged 13 to 19 years from schools and colleges of both sexes. The socio-ecological model emphasizes the interplay and interconnectedness of elements at all levels of health behavior, acknowledging that the majority of public health issues are just too complicated to be solved from a single-level perspective. As a result, it necessitates that people are not considered in isolation from bigger social groups. According to the studies retrieved from ten articles studies conducted globally, more than five articles suggest that socioeconomic class, lack of adult supervision and easy access to fast food stores and schools affect their decision of healthy eating. Awareness via personalized intervention has been tried and found successful. Future research is still needed to address various dimensions of the issue.

Keywords: socio ecological model, healthy eating, adolescents, fast food consumption, interventions.

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Authors: Yesha Devi Mahadeo-Doorgakant

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The Mauritian landscape is well-known for its multilingualism with the daily interaction of the number of languages that are used in the island; namely Kreol Morisien, the European languages (English and French) and the Oriental/Asian languages (Hindi, Arabic/Urdu, Tamil, Telegu, Marathi, Mandarin, etc.). However, within Mauritius’ multilingual educational system, English is the official medium of instruction while French is taught as compulsory subject till upper secondary and oriental languages are offered as optional languages at primary level. Usually, Mauritians choose one oriental language based on their ethnic/religious identity, when they start their primary schooling as an additional language to learn. In January 2012, Kreol Morisien, which is the considered the language of daily interaction of the majority of Mauritians, was introduced as an optional subject at primary level, taught at the same time as the oriental languages. The introduction of Kreol Morisien has spurred linguistic debates about the issue of multilingualism within the curriculum. Taking this into account, researchers have started pondering on the multilingual educational system of the country and questioning whether the current language curriculum caters for the complex everyday linguistic reality of the multilingual Mauritian learner, given most learners are embedded within an environment where the different languages interact with each other daily. This paper, therefore, proposes translanguaging as being a more befitting theoretical lens through which the multilingualism and the linguistic repertoire of Mauritian learners’ can best be understood.

Keywords: multilingualism, translanguaging, multilingual learner, linguistic ethnography

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Authors: Sushil Kumar Singh, Vivek Tewarson, Sarvesh Kumar, Shobhit Kumar

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Objective: ‘Beating Heart coronary artery bypass grafting on Intermittent Pump Support’ is a more reliable method of coronary revascularization that takes advantage of off and on-pump CABG while eliminating the disadvantage of both techniques. Methods: From January 2015 to December 2021, a new technique, “Intermittent On pump beating heart CABG” using a suction stabilizer was used by putting aortic and venous cannulas electively in all the patients. Patients were supported by a pump intermittently, as and when required (Group 1, n=254). Retrospective data were collected from our record of the patients who underwent off-pump CABG electively by the same surgeon and team (Group 2, n=254). Results: Significant advantage was noted in Group 1 patients in terms of the number of grafts (3.31 ± 1.16 vs. 2.30 ±0.66), grafting of lateral vessels (316 vs.202), mean operating time (1.37 ± 0.23 hrs vs. 2.22 ± 0.45 hrs) and postoperative blood loss (406.30 ± 257.90 ml vs. 567.41 ± 265.20 ml).CPB support time was less than 15 minutes in the majority of patients (n=179, 70.37 %), with a mean of 16.81 minutes. It was required, particularly during the grafting of lateral vessels. A rise in enzymes level (CRP, CKMB, Trop I, and NTPro BNP) was noted in Group 1 patients. But, these did not affect the postoperative course in patients. There was no mortality in Group 1 patients, while four patients in Group 2 died. Coclusions: Intermittent on-pump CABG technique is a promising method of surgical revascularization for all patients requiring CABG. It has shown its superiority in terms of safety, the number of grafts, operating time, and better perioperative course.

Keywords: cardiopulmonary bypass, CABG, beating heart CABG, on-pump CABG

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Authors: Umar D. M., Aminu A. M., Izaddeen K. Y.

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Deployments of mini macrocell base stations also referred to as femtocells, improve the quality of service of indoor and outdoor users. Nevertheless, mobility management remains a key issue with regards to their deployment. This paper is leaned towards this issue, with an in-depth focus on the most important aspect of mobility management -handover. In handover management, making a handover decision in the LTE two-tier macrocell femtocell network is a crucial research area. Decision algorithms in this research are classified and comparatively analyzed according to received signal strength, user equipment speed, cost function, and interference. However, it was observed that most of the discussed decision algorithms fail to consider cell selection with hybrid access policy in a single macrocell multiple femtocell scenario, another observation was a majority of these algorithms lack the incorporation of user equipment residence parameter. Not including this parameter boosts the number of unnecessary handover occurrence. To deal with these issues, a sophisticated handover decision algorithm is proposed. The proposed algorithm considers the user’s velocity, received signal strength, residence time, as well as the femtocell base station’s access policy. Simulation results have shown that the proposed algorithm reduces the number of unnecessary handovers when compared to conventional received signal strength-based handover decision algorithm.

Keywords: user-equipment, radio signal service, long term evolution, mobility management, handoff

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Authors: Abdollah Jamshidi, Tayebeh Zeinali, Mehrnaz Rad, Jamshid Razmyar

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Listeria infections occur worldwide in variety of animals and man. Listeriae are widely distributed in nature. The organism has been isolated from the feces of humans and several animals, different soils, plants, aquatic environments and food of animal and vegetable origin. Listeria monocytogenes is recognized as important food-borne pathogens due to its high mortality rate. This organism is able to growth at refrigeration temperature, and high osmotic pressure. Poultry can become contaminated environmentally or through healthy carrier birds. In recent decades, prophylactic use of antimicrobial agents may be lead to emergence of antibiotic resistant organisms, which can be transmitted to human through consumption of contaminated foods. In this study, from 200 fresh chicken carcasses samples which were collected randomly from different supermarkets and butcheries, 80 samples were detected as contaminate with Listeria spp. and 19% of the isolates identified as Listeria monocytogene using multiplex PCR assay. Conventional methods were used to differentiate other species of the listeria genus. The results showed the most prevalent isolates as L. monocytogenes (48.75%). Other isolates were detected as Listeria innocua (28.75%), Listeria murrayi (20%), Listeria grayi (3.75%) and Listeria welshimeri (2.5%).The Majority of the isolates had multidrug resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Most of them were resistant to erythromycin (50%), followed by Tetracycline (44.44%), Clindamycin (41.66%), and Trimethoprim (25%). Some of them showed resistance to chloramphenicol (17.65%). The results indicate the resistance of the isolates to antimicrobials commonly used to treat human listeriosis, which could be a potential health hazard for consumers.

Keywords: listeria species, L. monocytogenes, antibiotic resistance, chicken carcass

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Authors: Tulika Bhattacharyya, Suhita Chopra Chatterjee

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Family caregivers are vital in providing physical and emotional care to the aged. Providing care to aged involves physical as well as psycho-socio-economic challenges, compels the caregiver to fit in manifold roles, feel overburdened; which in turn requires them to change their priorities in life. The study conducted on family caregivers of the hospitalized elderly explores caregiver’s burden using Zarit Burden Scale (ZBS). The data has been collected from two randomly selected Multispecialty Hospitals in Kolkata (India), after obtaining ethical clearance from the Institutional Review Board of both the hospitals. The predictors of burden were also assessed using interview schedules. Among fifty-seven caregivers who participated in the study, caregiver’s burden was identified among thirty respondents with twenty-six having mild to moderate burden and four having moderate to severe burden. Majority of the caregivers were found to be female, reflecting the gendered nature of caregiving. Family caregivers spent more than six hours per day on caregiving, which severely disturbed their work-life including loss of job. The study revealed that the caregivers’ marital status, family structure, academic qualification, occupation and time spent on caregiving are related to family caregivers’ burden. The burden of care giving was accentuated by poor access to information, counseling, and lack of supportive services. The paper concludes by indicating the need for greater state interventions for caregivers.

Keywords: caregivers burden, family caregiving, hospitalized elderly, elderly in Kolkata, India, Zarit Burden Scale

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Authors: B. G. Abiona, A. A. Onaseso, T. D. Odetayo, J. Yila, O. E. Fapojuwo, K. G. Adeosun

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This study determines the perceived effects of work-family balance on employees’ job satisfaction among Extension Agents in the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) in southwest Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 256 respondents for the study. Data on personal characteristics, work-family balance domain, and job satisfaction were collected. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC), multiple linear regression, and Student T-test. Results revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 40 years; the majority (59.3%) of the respondents were male, and slightly above half (51.6%) of the respondents had MSc as their highest academic qualification. Findings revealed that turnover intention (x ̅ = 3.20) and work-role conflict (x ̅ = 3.06) were the major perceived work-family balance domain in the studied areas. Further, the result showed that the respondents have a high (79%) level of job satisfaction. Multiple linear regression revealed that job involvement (ß=0.167, p<0.01) and work-role conflict (ß= -0.221, p<0.05) contributed significantly to employees’ level of job satisfaction. The results of the Student T-test revealed a significant difference in the perceived work-family balance domain (t = 0.43, p<0.05) between the two studied areas. The study concluded that work-role conflict among employees causes work-family imbalance and, therefore, negatively affects employees’ job satisfaction. The definition of job design among the respondents that will create a balance between work and family is highly recommended.

Keywords: work-life, conflict, job satisfaction, extension agent

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Authors: Komal Saeed

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Introduction: Rhinoplasty is considered one of the challenging aesthetic procedures. Psychosocial concerns motivate the urge for aesthetic procedures especially rhinoplasty. Males who fall in this category are designated as single, immature, male, over expectant and narcissistic (SIMON) in literature. As of yet, there is no term that depicts females showing similar characteristics. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in females seeking rhinoplasty and to introduce a term for such individuals. Materials and Methods: A prospective, questionnaire based, qualitative study was conducted in the Department Of Plastic Surgery between March 2018 and March 2020. 110 female candidates seeking aesthetic rhinoplasty were included in the study. BDD was evaluated using the Dysmorphic Concerns Questionnaire, DCQ. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 software and correlation between the groups was evaluated. Results: Out of 110 female subjects, 77.3% (n=85) were single, 16.4% (n=18) were married and 6.4% (n=7) were divorced. BDD was found in 41.8% (n=46) of the candidates, majority being single (n=41, 89.1%) and having educational status above diploma (n=39, 84.8%). There was a statistically higher percentage of young adults between 24 and 28 years (n=33, 71.7%) having BDD (p= 0.0001). Conclusion: Considering the high frequency of BDD among females seeking rhinoplasty, a standardized term ‘SIFON’ is introduced to describe such individuals who are S; single, I; immature, F; female, O; over expectant, N; narcissistic as apposed to SIMON in males. These individuals perceive aesthetic procedures as a solution to their body dissatisfaction. Therefore, preoperative counseling seems necessary to avoid unsatisfactory outcomes secondary to mental health.

Keywords: aesthetic rhinoplasty, body dismorphic disorder, single, immature, obsessive

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Authors: Preeti Khanna, Bani T. Aeri

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Background: Recent studies have indicated challenges that hamper health and wellbeing of a vast majority of adolescents in developing countries. Many modifiable factors like behavior and temperament related to food intake among adolescents have not been adequately explored. The aim of the proposed research is to study the impact of behavior and temperament on food intake and diet quality of adolescents. Objectives: In the present study data on dietary behavior and anthropometry of adolescent boys & girls (aged 13-16 years) studying in public schools of Delhi will be gathered to ascertain the quality of diet among adolescent boys and girls and to study the effect of behavior and temperament on diet quality of adolescents. Methods: In total, 400 adolescents will participate in this cross-sectional study. Weight and height of adolescents will be measured and BMI will be calculated. Information will be obtained on their socio-demographic profile and various factors influencing their Food Choices and diet quality such as body image perception, Behavior, temperament, locus of control and parental influence. Expected results: Several direct effects of adolescent traits and behavior on food intake will be observed. Maturational patterns and gender differences in behavior traits will be assessed. By profiling of the behavior and temperament traits, we will have a better understanding of impact of these factors on weight and eating behaviors in overweight/obese or even underweight adolescents. Conclusions: The proposed study will highlight the association of behavioral factors with nutritional status of adolescents. It will also serve as a strategic approach for the obesity prevention and health management policies designed for adolescents.

Keywords: behaviour, temperament, food intake, adolescents

Procedia PDF Downloads 242

Authors: Rafat Alwazna

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Translation teaching is a particular activity that includes translators and interpreters training either inside or outside institutionalised settings, such as universities. It can also serve as a means of teaching other fields, such as foreign languages. Translation teaching began in the twentieth century. Teachers of translation hold the responsibilities of educating students, developing their translation competence and training them to be professional translators. The activity of translation teaching involves various tasks, including curriculum design, course delivery, material writing as well as application and implementation. The present paper addresses translation teaching during COVID-19 outbreak, seeking to find out the challenges encountered by translation teachers in online translation teaching and the discoveries/solutions arrived at to resolve them. The paper makes use of a comprehensive questionnaire, containing closed-ended and open-ended questions to elicit both quantitative as well as qualitative data from about sixty translation teachers who have been teaching translation at BA and MA levels during COVID-19 outbreak. The data shows that about 40% of the participants evaluate their online translation teaching experience during COVID-19 outbreak as enjoyable and exhilarating. On the contrary, no participant has evaluated his/her online translation teaching experience as being not good, nor has any participant evaluated his/her online translation teaching experience as being terrible. The data also presents that about 23.33% of the participants evaluate their online translation teaching experience as very good, and the same percentage applies to those who evaluate their online translation teaching experience as good to some extent. Moreover, the data indicates that around 13.33% of the participants evaluate their online translation teaching experience as good. The data also demonstrates that the majority of the participants have encountered obstacles in online translation teaching and have concurrently proposed solutions to resolve them.

Keywords: online translation teaching, electronic learning platform, COVID-19 outbreak, challenges, solutions

Procedia PDF Downloads 223

Authors: M. N. Yahaya, K. A. Salako, U. Z. Magawata

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Vertical electrical sounding (VES) method was used to investigate the groundwater potential at the southern part of Gulumbe district, Kebbi State, north-western part of Nigeria. The study was carried out with the aim of determining the subsurface layer’s parameters (resistivity and thickness) and uses the same to characterize the groundwater potential of the study area. The Schlumberger configuration was used for data acquisition. A total number of thirty-three (33) sounding points (VES) were surveyed over six profiles. The software IPI2WIN was used to obtain n-layered geo-electric sections. The geo-electric section drawn from the results of the interpretation revealed that three subsurface layers could be delineated, which comprise of top soil, sand, sandstone, coarse sand, limestone, and gravelly sand. The results of the resistivity sounding were correlated with the lithological logs of nearby boreholes that expose cross-section geologic units around the study area. We found out that the area is dominated by three subsurface layers. The coarse sand layers constituted the aquifer zones in the majority of sounding stations. Thus, this present study concluded that the depth of any borehole in the study area should be located between the depth of 18.5 to 39 m. The study further classified the VES points penetrated based on their conductivity content as highly suitable, suitable, moderately suitably, and poor zones for groundwater exploration. Hence, from this research, we recommended that boreholes can be sited in high conductivity zones across VES 2, 11, 13, 16, 20, 21, 27, and 33, respectively.

Keywords: vertical electrical sounding, resistivity, geo-electric, resistivity, aquifer and groundwater

Procedia PDF Downloads 164

Authors: Olga Guseynova

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Being an individual activity, the memorizing process is affected to a greater degree by the individual variables; therefore, one of the decisive factors influencing the memorization is students’ individual characteristics. Based on an extensive literature study in the domains of piano education, psychology, and neuroscience, this comprehensive research was designed in order to develop three memorizing strategies that are reflective of individual students’ learning modalities (visual, kinesthetic and auditory) applied to the piano education. The design of the study required an interdisciplinary approach which incorporated the outcome of neuropsychological and pedagogic experiments. The objectives were to determine the interaction between the process of perception and the process of memorizing music; to systematize the methods of memorizing piano sheet music in accordance with the specifics of perception types; to develop Piano Memorization Inventory (PMI) and the Three Memorizing Strategies (TMS). The following research methods were applied: a method of interdisciplinary analysis and synthesis, a method of non-participant observation. As a result of literature analysis, the following conclusions were made: the majority of piano teachers and piano students participated in the surveys, had not used and usually had not known any memorizing strategy regarding learning styles. As a result, they had used drilling as the main strategy of memorizing. The Piano Memorization Inventory and Three Memorizing Strategies developed by the author of the research were based on the observation and findings of the previous researches and considered the experience of pedagogical and neuropsychological studies.

Keywords: interdisciplinary approach, memorizing strategies, perceptual learning styles, piano memorization inventory

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Authors: Prakash Singh, Piet Maphodisa Kgohlo

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Knowledge-worker productivity is one of the biggest leadership challenges facing all organizations in the twenty-first century. It cannot be denied that knowledge-worker productivity affects all organizations. The work and the workforce are both undergoing greater changes currently than at any time, since the beginning of the industrial revolution two centuries ago. Employees welcome collegial teaming (CT) as an innovative way to develop their work-integrated learning competencies. Human resource development policies must evoke the symbiotic relationship between CT and work-integrated learning, seeing that employees need to be endowed with the competence to move from one skill to another, as each one becomes obsolete, and to simultaneously develop their cognitive and emotional intelligence. The outcome of this relationship must culminate in the development of highly productive knowledge-workers. While this study focuses on teachers, the conceptual framework and the findings of this research can be beneficial for any organization, public or private sector, business or non-business. Therefore, in this quantitative study, the benefits of CT are considered in developing human resources to sustain knowledge-worker productivity. The ANOVA p-values reveal that the majority of teachers agree that CT can empower them to overcome the challenges of managing curriculum change. CT can equip them with continuous and sustained learning, growth and improvement, necessary for knowledge-worker productivity. This study, therefore, confirms that CT benefits all workers, immaterial of their age, gender or experience. Hence, this exploratory research provides a new perspective of CT in addressing knowledge-worker productivity when organizational change alters the vision of the organization.

Keywords: collegial teaming, human resource development, knowledge-worker productivity, work-integrated learning

Procedia PDF Downloads 277

Authors: Meenakshi Srivastava, A. K. Mishra

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This study characterizes the metabolic versatility of denitrifying bacterial communities residing in the paddy soil using the GC-MS based Phospholipid Fatty Acid (PLFA) analyses simultaneously with nosZ gene based PCR-DGGE (Polymerase Chain Reaction-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) and real time Q-PCR analysis. We have analyzed the abundance of nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) genes, which was subsequently related to soil PLFA profile and DGGE based denitrifier community structure. Soil denitrifying bacterial community comprised majority or dominance of Ochrobactrum sp. following Cupriavidus and uncultured bacteria strains in paddy soil of selected sites. Initially, we have analyzed the abundance of the nitrous oxide reductase gene (nosZ), which was found to be related with PLFA based lipid profile. Chandauli of Eastern UP, India represented greater amount of lipid content (C18-C20) and denitrifier’s diversity. This study suggests the positive co-relation between soil PLFA profiles, DGGE, and Q-PCR data. Thus, a close networking among metabolic abilities and taxonomic composition of soil microbial communities existed, and subsequently, such work at greater extent could be helpful in managing nutrient dynamics as well as microbial dynamics of paddy soil ecosystem.

Keywords: denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, DGGE, nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria, PLFA, Q-PCR

Procedia PDF Downloads 124

Authors: Mahjabeen Akbar

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Dental aesthetics and its associated psychosocial influence have a significant impact on individuals. Correcting malocclusions is a key motivating factor for majority patients; however, psychosocial factors have been rarely incorporated in evaluating malocclusions. Therefore, it is necessary to study the psychosocial influence of malocclusion in patients. The study aimed to determine the psychosocial influence of dental aesthetics in dental students by the ‘Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire’ and self-rated Aesthetic Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). This was a quantitative study using a cross-sectional study design. One hundred twenty dental students (71 females and 49 males; mean age 24.5) were selected via purposive sampling from July to August 2019. Dental students with no former orthodontic treatment were requested to fill out the ‘Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire.’ Variables including; self-confidence/insecurity, social influence, psychological influence and self-perception of the need of an orthodontic treatment were evaluated by a sequence of statements, while dental aesthetics were evaluated by using the IOTN Aesthetic Component. To determine the significance, the Kruskal-Wallis test was utilized. The results show that all four variables measuring psychosocial impact indicated significant correlations with the perceived malocclusions with a p-value of less than 0.01. The results conclude there is a strong psychological and social influence of altered dental aesthetics on an individual. Moreover, the relationship between the IOTN-AC grading with the psychosocial wellbeing of an individual stands proven, indicating that the perception of altered dental aesthetics is as important as a factor in treatment need as the amount of malocclusion.

Keywords: dental aesthetics, malocclusion, psychosocial influence, dental students

Procedia PDF Downloads 151

Authors: Amina Aquil, Abdeljalil El Got

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Background: Sleep quality is one of the most important indicators related to the quality of life of patients suffering from cancer. Many factors could affect this quality of sleep and then be considered as associated predictors. Methods: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of sleep disorders and the associated factors with impaired sleep quality in Moroccan women with gynecological cancer. A cross-sectional study was carried out within the oncology department of the Ibn Rochd University Hospital, Casablanca, on Moroccan women who had undergone radical surgery for gynecological cancer (n=100). Translated and validated Arabic versions of the following international scales were used: Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Rosenberg's self-esteem scale (RSES), and Body image scale (BIS). Results: 78% of participants were considered poor sleepers. Most of the patients exhibited very poor subjective quality, low sleep latency, a short period of sleep, and a low rate of usual sleep efficiency. The vast majority of these patients were in poor shape during the day and did not use sleep medication. Waking up in the middle of the night or early in the morning and getting up to use the bathroom were the main reasons for poor sleep quality. PSQI scores were positively correlated with anxiety, depression, body image dissatisfaction, and lower self-esteem (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Sleep quality and its predictors require a systematic evaluation and adequate management to prevent sleep disturbances and mental distress as well as to improve the quality of life of these patients.

Keywords: body image, gynecological cancer, self esteem, sleep quality

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Authors: Ghoul Rachid Brahim

Abstract:

Introduction: Back pain is a real public health problem with a significant socio-economic impact. It is the consequence of a degeneration of the lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD). This often asymptomatic pathology is compatible with an active life. As soon as it becomes symptomatic, conservative treatment is recommended in the majority of cases. The physical or functional disability is resistant to well-monitored conservative treatment, which justifies a surgical alternative which imposes a well-studied reflection on the objectives to be achieved. Objective: Evaluate the indication and short and medium term contribution of surgery in the management of painful degenerative lumbar disc disease. To prove the effectiveness of surgical treatment in the management of painful lumbar degenerative disc disease. Materials and methods: This is a prospective descriptive mono-centric study without comparison group, comprising a series of 104 patients suffering from lumbar painful degenerative disc disease treated surgically. Retrospective analysis of data collected prospectively. Comparison between pre and postoperative clinical status, by pain self-assessment scores and on the impact on pre and postoperative quality of life (3, 6 to 12 months). Results: This study showed that patients who received surgical treatment had great improvements in symptoms, function and several health-related quality of life in the first year after surgery. Conclusions: The surgery had a significantly positive impact on patients' pain, disability and quality of life. Overall, 97% of the patients were satisfied.

Keywords: degenerative disc disease, intervertebral disc, several health-related quality, lumbar painful

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