Search results for: epidemic potential disease

Authors: Hyeon Sop Baek

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This paper will investigate the Korean concept of han and suggest that the feeling of han is essentially inseparable from the central project of the Korean neo-Confucian philosophical tradition. Han is a complex sentiment, but one may characterize it as an internally directed complex of sentiments of frustration, sadness, and anger. In particular, this paper aims to demonstrate that the Korean neo-Confucian project's ultimate objective was to build a pluralistic world – where different people can coexist together in harmony and participate in building the ideal world. Nevertheless, the confrontation between the neo-Confucian idea – that every person has the intrinsic potential to be moral – and the bleakness of reality that made their objective virtually impossible to achieve led to the formation and development of the feeling of han. The paper will first examine the concept of han and what it entails and then investigate the core elements of Korean neo-Confucianism, examining the works of Korean neo-Confucians, including Toegye, Yulgok, and Jeong Dojeon. Furthermore, the concept of plurality will be drawn from the political theory of Hannah Arendt. While the Arendtian and Korean neo-Confucian philosophies are ultimately different, this paper will contend that the two philosophies' broader aims share many resonating points. Specifically, within both philosophies, the human plurality – that all humans are equal but not the same – underlies the foundation of an ideal political realm. From there, an argument that the difficulty faced by the neo-Confucians in Korea in constructing a polity based on the ideal of respect and human moral capacity ultimately contributed to the emergence of the sentiment han will be presented. In conclusion, this paper will demonstrate that the ultimate objectives of Korean Confucianism lie in closing the gap between the ideal and reality in moral cultivation as well as its political project of building an ideal, pluralistic world, and han emerges from the realization of the difficulty of achieving that goal. Finally, this paper will contest that han needs not be perceived negatively, and han can be a driving force for political participation in the contemporary democratic, pluralistic society.

Keywords: Korea, Confucianism, neo-Confucianism, philosophy, han, Korean philosophy

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Authors: Virakti Dhaval Shah

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Advances in technology and the changes in lifestyle and work expectations amid the COVID-19 pandemic are requiring changes to vocational assessment, provision of vocational training, and identification of job matches for individuals with intellectual disability. Vocational assessment involves the assessment of interests, skills, abilities, and strengths/weaknesses, as well as a detailed understanding of healthcare, familial, social, community, workplace-related and policy-level protective and risk factors impacting the individual. In India, vocational assessment procedures such as interviews play a major role in vocational placement today. Unfortunately, many of the most widely used vocational assessment instruments in India were developed in the 1970s to 2000s and have not been revised since. Hence, there is a dire need to update existing tools and prepare a structured approach for vocational service providers to meet the unique employment needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities. To address this need, this project designed a multi-domain assessment toolkit for a structured approach to vocational assessment, training, and job placement for individuals with intellectual disabilities in India. Methods included conducting an empirical review of the available tools currently in use in India for the vocational assessment of persons with intellectual disabilities. Domains addressed in the instrument review were organized into a structured system, and additional items related to contemporary technology, pandemic-related experiences of persons with disabilities, and changes in lifestyle and work expectations due to the pandemic were added. Items assessing behaviors, provision of vocational training, and identification of job matches for individuals with intellectual disabilities were developed. The proposed tool has the potential to benefit organizations working with and preparing individuals with intellectual disabilities to find successful employment by undertaking a structured approach to vocational assessment, rehabilitation, training, and placement. It can be particularly useful for guiding new professionals doing vocational rehabilitation in India.

Keywords: intellectual disability, rehabilitation, vocational assessment, vocational rehabilitation

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Authors: Guo Rui, Cao Xinhu

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In recent decades, the world has endured severe challenges in light of climate change, epidemics, geopolitics, terrorism, economic uncertainties, as well as regional conflicts and rivalries. The appropriate use of critical infrastructures (Cis) is confronted. Ports, as typical Cis cover more than 80% of the global freight movement. Within this context, even the minimal disruption of port operations could cause malfunction of the holistic supply chain network and substantial economic losses. Hence, it is crucial to evaluate port performance from the perspective of resilience. Research on resilience and risk/safety management has been increasing, however, it needs more attention, as it could prevent potential socio-economic losses and inspire decision-makers to make resilience-based decisions to answer the challenges, such as COVID-19. To facilitate better moves from decision-makers, ports need to identify proper factors influencing port resilience. Inappropriately influenced factor selection could have a cascading effect on undesirable port performances. Thus, a systematic evaluation of factors is essential to stimulate the improvement process of port resilience investigation. This study zooms into container ports considering their critical role in international trade and global supply chains. 440 articles are selected after relevance ranking, and consequently, 62 articles are scrutinized after the title and abstract screening. Forty-one articles are included for bibliographic analysis in the end. It is found that there is no standardized index system to measure port resilience. And most studies evaluate port resilience merely in the recovery phase. Only two articles cover absorption, adaption and recovery state. However, no literature involves the prevention state. Hence, a uniform resilience index system is expected with a clear resilience definition. And port safety and security should also be considered while evaluating port resilience.

Keywords: port resilience, port safety and security, literature review, index system, port performance

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Authors: Abdullah Kaya, Muammer Koc

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A levelized cost analysis of solar energy powered seawater desalination in The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is conducted to show that clean and renewable desalination is economically viable. The Emirate heavily relies on seawater desalination for its freshwater needs due to limited freshwater resources available. This trend is expected to increase further due to growing population and economic activity, rapid decline in limited freshwater reserves, and aggravating effects of climate change. Seawater desalination in Abu Dhabi is currently done through thermal desalination technologies such as multi-stage flash (MSF) and multi-effect distillation (MED) which are coupled with thermal power plants known as co-generation. Our analysis indicates that these thermal desalination methods are inefficient regarding energy consumption and harmful to the environment due to CO₂ emissions and other dangerous byproducts. Therefore, utilization of clean and renewable desalination options has become a must for The Emirate for the transition to a sustainable future. The rapid decline in the cost of solar PV system for energy production and RO technology for desalination makes the combination of these two an ideal option for a future of sustainable desalination in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. A Levelized cost analysis for water produced by solar PV + RO system indicates that Abu Dhabi is well positioned to utilize this technological combination for cheap and clean desalination for the coming years. It has been shown that cap-ex cost of solar PV powered RO system has potential to go as low as to 101 million US $ (1111 $/m³) at best case considering the recent technological developments. The levelized cost of water (LCW) values fluctuate between 0.34 $/m³ for the baseline case and 0.27 $/m³ for the best case. Even the highly conservative case yields LCW cheaper than 100% from all thermal desalination methods currently employed in the Emirate. Exponential cost decreases in both solar PV and RO sectors along with increasing economic scale globally signal the fact that a cheap and clean desalination can be achieved by the combination of these technologies.

Keywords: solar PV, RO desalination, sustainable desalination, levelized cost of analysis, Emirate of Abu Dhabi

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Authors: Navpreet Kaur, Randhir Singh

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Diabetic neuropathy is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus which affects more than 50% of diabetic patients. The present study targeted oxidative stress mediated nerve damage in diabetic rats using a hydro-alcohol extract of Cucurbita pepo L. (Family: Cucurbitaceae) and its potential in treatment of diabetic neuropathy. Diabetes neuropathy was induced in Wistar rats by injection of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg, i.p.) 15 min after Nicotinamide (230 mg/kg, i.p.) administration. Hydro-alcohol extract of C. pepo seeds was assessed by oral administration at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg in STZ-nicotinamide induced diabetic rats. Thermal hyperalgesia (Eddy's hot plate and tail immersion), mechanical hyperalgesia (Randall-Selitto) and tactile allodynia (Von Frey hair tests) were evaluated in all groups of streptozotocin diabetic rats to assess the extent of neuropathy. Tissue (sciatic nerve) antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GSH and LPO) levels were measured along with the formation of AGEs in serum to assess the effect of hydro-alcohol extract of C. pepo in ameliorating oxidative stress. Diabetic rats exhibited significantly decreased tail-flick latency in the tail-immersion test and decreased paw withdrawal threshold in both Randall-Selitto and von-Frey hair test. A decrease in the nociceptive threshold was accompanied by significantly increased oxidative stress in sciatic nerve of diabetic rats. Treatment with the C. pepo hydro-alcohol extract significantly attenuated all the behavioral and biochemical alterations in a dose-dependent manner. C. pepo attenuated the diabetic condition and also reversed neuropathic pain through modulation of oxidative stress and thus it may find application as a possible therapeutic agent against diabetic neuropathy.

Keywords: advanced glycation end products, antioxidant enzymes, cucurbita pepo, hyperglycemia

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Authors: Nacera Yassa, Abdelmalek Saidoune, Ghania Ouadfel, Hamza Houassine

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The rapid advancement in electrical technologies has underscored the increasing importance of multiphase machines across various industrial sectors. These machines offer significant advantages in terms of efficiency, compactness, and reliability compared to their single-phase counterparts. However, early detection and diagnosis of electrical faults remain critical challenges to ensure the durability and safety of these complex systems. This paper presents an advanced analytical model for multiphase machines, with a particular focus on dual stator asynchronous machines. The primary objective is to develop a robust diagnostic tool capable of effectively detecting and locating electrical faults in these machines, including short circuits, winding faults, and voltage imbalances. The proposed methodology relies on an analytical approach combining electrical machine theory, modeling of magnetic and electrical circuits, and advanced signal analysis techniques. By employing detailed analytical equations, the developed model accurately simulates the behavior of multiphase machines in the presence of electrical faults. The effectiveness of the proposed model is demonstrated through a series of case studies and numerical simulations. In particular, special attention is given to analyzing the dynamic behavior of machines under different types of faults, as well as optimizing diagnostic and recovery strategies. The obtained results pave the way for new advancements in the field of multiphase machine diagnostics, with potential applications in various sectors such as automotive, aerospace, and renewable energies. By providing precise and reliable tools for early fault detection, this research contributes to improving the reliability and durability of complex electrical systems while reducing maintenance and operation costs.

Keywords: faults, diagnosis, modelling, multiphase machine

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Authors: Haroon Khan, Chul Min Kim, Sung Yeol Kim, Sanket Goel, Prabhat K. Dwivedi, Ashutosh Sharma, Gyu Man Kim

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Enzymatic biofuel cells (EBFCs) have drawn the attention of researchers due to its demanding application in medical implants. In EBFCs, electricity is produced with the help of redox enzymes. In this study, we report the fabrication of membraneless EBFC with new design of electrodes to overcome microchannel related limitations. The device consists of double layer of electrodes on both sides of Y-shaped microchannel to reduce the effect of oxygen depletion layer and diffusion of fuel and oxidant at the end of microchannel. Moreover, the length of microchannel was reduced by half keeping the same area of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) electrodes. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stencils were used to pattern MWCNT electrodes on etched Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) glass. PDMS casting was used to fabricate microchannel of the device. Both anode and cathode were modified with glucose oxidase and laccase. Furthermore, these enzymes were covalently bound to carboxyl MWCNTs with the help of EDC/NHS. Glucose used as fuel was oxidized by glucose oxidase at anode while oxygen was reduced to water at the cathode side. The resulted devices were investigated with the help of polarization curves obtained from Chronopotentiometry technique by using potentiostat. From results, we conclude that the performance of double layer EBFC is improved 15 % as compared to single layer EBFC delivering maximum power density of 71.25 µW cm-2 at a cell potential of 0.3 V and current density of 250 µA cm-2 at micro channel height of 450-µm and flow rate of 25 ml hr-1. However, the new device was stable only for three days after which its power output was rapidly dropped by 75 %. This work demonstrates that the power output of membraneless EBFC is improved comparatively, but still efforts will be needed to make the device stable over long period of time.

Keywords: EBFC, glucose, MWCNT, microfluidic

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Authors: Kartik Gupta, Virendra Kumar, Sanjeev Sinha, N. Jagannathan

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Introduction: A significant number of patients having human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection show a neurocognitive decline (NCD) ranging from minor cognitive impairment to severe dementia. The possible causes of NCD in HIV-infected patients include brain injury by HIV before cART, neurotoxic viral proteins and metabolic abnormalities. In the present study, we compared the level of NCD in asymptomatic HIV-infected patients with changes in brain metabolites measured by using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Methods: 43 HIV-positive patients (30 males and 13 females) coming to ART center of the hospital and HIV-seronegative healthy subjects were recruited for the study. All the participants completed MRI and MRS examination, detailed clinical assessments and a battery of neuropsychological tests. All the MR investigations were carried out at 3.0T MRI scanner (Ingenia/Achieva, Philips, Netherlands). MRI examination protocol included the acquisition of T2-weighted imaging in axial, coronal and sagittal planes, T1-weighted, FLAIR, and DWI images in the axial plane. Patients who showed any apparent lesion on MRI were excluded from the study. T2-weighted images in three orthogonal planes were used to localize the voxel in left frontal lobe white matter (FWM) and left basal ganglia (BG) for single voxel MRS. Single voxel MRS spectra were acquired with a point resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) localization pulse sequence at an echo time (TE) of 35 ms and a repetition time (TR) of 2000 ms with 64 or 128 scans. Automated preprocessing and determination of absolute concentrations of metabolites were estimated using LCModel by water scaling method and the Cramer-Rao lower bounds for all metabolites analyzed in the study were below 15\%. Levels of total N-acetyl aspartate (tNAA), total choline (tCho), glutamate + glutamine (Glx), total creatine (tCr), were measured. Cognition was tested using a battery of tests validated for Indian population. The cognitive domains tested were the memory, attention-information processing, abstraction-executive, simple and complex perceptual motor skills. Z-scores normalized according to age, sex and education standard were used to calculate dysfunction in these individual domains. The NCD was defined as dysfunction with Z-score ≤ 2 in at least two domains. One-way ANOVA was used to compare the difference in brain metabolites between the patients and healthy subjects. Results: NCD was found in 23 (53%) patients. There was no significant difference in age, CD4 count and viral load between the two groups. Maximum impairment was found in the domains of memory and simple motor skills i.e., 19/43 (44%). The prevalence of deficit in attention-information processing, complex perceptual motor skills and abstraction-executive function was 37%, 35%, 33% respectively. Subjects with NCD had a higher level of Glutamate in the Frontal region (8.03 ± 2.30 v/s. 10.26 ± 5.24, p-value 0.001). Conclusion: Among newly diagnosed, ART-naïve retroviral disease patients from India, cognitive decline was found in 53\% patients using tests validated for this population. Those with neurocognitive decline had a significantly higher level of Glutamate in the left frontal region. There was no significant difference in age, CD4 count and viral load at initiation of ART between the two groups.

Keywords: HIV, neurocognitive decline, neurometabolites, magnetic resonance spectroscopy

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Authors: Kahlouche Amal, Touzene F. Zohra, Betatache Fatihaet Nouani Abdelouahab

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The development of the world production of the cheese these last decades, as well as agents' greater request cheap coagulants, accentuated the search for new surrogates of the rennet. What about the interest to explore the vegetable biodiversity, the source well cheap of many naturals metabolites that the scientists today praise it (thistle, latex of fig tree, Cardoon, seeds of melon). Indeed, a big interest is concerned the search for surrogates of vegetable origin. The objective of the study is to show the possibility of extracting a protease coagulant the milk from the cake of Sunflower, available raw material and the potential source of surrogates of rennet. so, the determination of the proteolytic activity of raw extracts, the purification, the elimination of the pigments of tint of the enzymatic preparations, a better knowledge of the coagulative properties through study of the effect of certain factors (temperature, pH, concentration in CaCl2) are so many factors which contribute to value milk particularly those produced by the small ruminants of the Algerian dairy exploitations. Otherwise, extracts coagulants of vegetable origin allowed today to value traditional, in addition, although the extract coagulants of vegetable origin made it possible today to develop traditional cheeses whose Iberian peninsula is the promoter, but the test of 'pressed paste not cooked' cheese manufacturing led to the semi-scale pilot; and that, by using the enzymatic extract of sunflower (Helianthus annus) which gave satisfactory results as well to the level of outputs as on the sensory level,which, statistically,did not give any significant difference between studied cheeses. These results confirm the possibility of use of this coagulase as a substitute of rennet commercial on an industrial scale.

Keywords: characterization, cheese, Rennet, sunflower

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Authors: Alokananda Nath

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Land is an important issue anywhere in the world as it is one of the fundamental elements in human settlements. Since the urban areas are considered to be the drivers of economy for any country across the world and the phenomenon of ‘urbanization’ happening everywhere, there is always a greater pressure on urban land and its management. Many states in India have realized the importance of land as a valuable resource and have implemented certain framework for managing and developing land. But in West Bengal no such statutory framework has been formulated till now and a very out dated model of land acquisition for public purpose is practiced. Due to the lop-sided character of urban growth in the entire eastern region of India, the city of Kolkata continues to bear the burden of excessive growth of population and consequent urbanization of the adjoining areas at a rapid pace. This research tries to look into these conflicts with respect to the present pattern of development in the context of Kolkata and suggest a system for land management in order to implement the planning processes. For this purpose, five case study areas were taken up within the Kolkata Metropolitan Area and subsequent analysis of their present land management and development techniques was done. The findings reveal that there is a lack of political will as well as administrative inefficiency on part of both the development authority and the local bodies. Mostly the local bodies lack the financial resources and technical expertise to work out any kind of land management framework or work out any kind of model in order to manage the development that is happening. All these place undue strain on city infrastructure systems and reduce the potential of cities to contribute as engines of economic growth. The focus of reforms, therefore, ought to be on streamlining the urban planning process, judicious and optimal land use, efficient plan implementation mechanisms, improvement of titling and registration processes.

Keywords: urbanization, land management framework, land development, policy reforms, land-use planning processes

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Authors: Weiwei Cao, Xiaodong Xing

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In order to effectively resolve the microbial pollution and contamination, synthetic nano-antibacterial materials are widely used in daily life. Among them, nanodiamonds (NDs) have recently been demonstrated to hold promise as useful materials in biomedical applications due to their high specific surface area and biocompatibility. In this work, the copolymer, poly(4-vinylpyridine-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) was applied for the surface functionalization of NDs to produce the quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-functionalized NDs (QNDs). Then, QNDs were used as a substrate for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to produce a QND@Ag hybrid. The composition and morphology of the resultant nanostructures were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The mass fraction of AgNPs in the nanocomposites was about 35.7%. The antibacterial performances of the prepared nanocomposites were evaluated with Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), inhibition zone testing and time-kill study. As a result, due to the synergistic antibacterial activity of QND and AgNPs, this hybrid showed substantially higher antibacterial activity than QND and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)-stabilized AgNPs, and the AgNPs on QND@Ag were more stable than the Ag NPs on PVP, resulting in long-term antibacterial effects. More importantly, this hybrid showed excellent water solubility and low cytotoxicity, suggesting the great potential application in biomedical applications. The present work provided a simple strategy that successfully turned NDs into nanosized antibiotics with simultaneous superior stability and biocompatibility, which would broaden the applications of NDs and advance the development of novel antibacterial agents.

Keywords: cationic copolymer, nanodiamonds, silver nanoparticles, dual antibacterial activity, lower cytotoxicity

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Authors: Genesis Julyus T. Agcaoili, Esperanza C. Cabrera

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Thirty (30) isolates of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from traditionally-prepared fermented products specifically fermented soy-bean paste, fermented mustard and fermented rice-fish mixture were studied for their in vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. Seventeen (17) isolates were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, while 13 isolates were identified as Enterococcus spp using 16s rDNA sequences. Disc diffusion method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of LAB against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), while the modified agar overlay method was used to determine the antifungal activity of LAB isolates on the yeast Candida albicans, and the dermatophytes Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton rubrum and Epidermophyton floccosum. The filter-sterilized LAB supernatants were evaluated for their cytotoxicity to mammalian colon cancer cell lines (HT-29 and HCT116) and normal human dermal fibrolasts (HDFn) using resazurin assay (PrestoBlueTM). Colchicine was the positive control. No antimicrobial activity was observed against the bacterial test organisms and the yeast Candida albicans. On the other hand, all of the tested LAB strains were fungicidal for all the test dermatophytes. Cytotoxicity index profiles of the supernatants of the 15 randomly picked LABs and negative control (brain heart infussion broth) suggest nontoxicity to the cells when compared to colchicine, whereas all LAB supernatants were found to be cytotoxic to HT-29 and HCT116 colon cancer cell lines. Results provide strong support for the role of the lactic acid bacteria studied in antimicrobial treatment and anticancer therapy.

Keywords: antimicrobial, fermented products, fungicidal activity, lactic acid bacteria, probiotics

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Authors: Bishnu Prasad Dulal, Sushil Chandra Baral, Radheshyam Bhattarai, Meera Tandan

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Background: Non-use of contraceptives is a leading cause of unintended pregnancy. This study was done to explore the potential predictors of contraceptive used by young women, and the findings can inform policy makers to design the program to reduce unintended pregnancy for younger women who have a longer time of fecundity. Methodology: A nationally representative cross-sectional household survey was conducted by Health Research and Social Development Forum in 2012. Total 2259 currently married young women (15-24 years) were selected for the analysis out of 8578 women of reproductive age interviewed from the total 10260 households using systematic sampling. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the use of modern contraceptive methods. Findings: The prevalence of modern contraceptive methods among young women was 25.2 %. Use of contraceptives was significantly associated with age at first marriage <15 year of age (OR:1.95) and ever delivered (OR: 1.8). Muslim women were significantly less likely to use contraceptives. Development region, wealth quintile, and awareness of abortion site were also statistically associated factors to use of contraceptives. Conclusion: The prevalence of contraceptives uses among young married women (25.2%) was lower than national prevalence (43%) of contraceptives use among married women of reproductive age. Our analysis focused on examining the association between women’s characteristics-related factors and use and nonuse of modern contraceptives. Awareness of safe abortion site is significantly associated while level of education was not. It is an interesting finding but difficult to interpret which needs further analysis on the basis of education. Maybe due to the underlying socio-religious practice of Muslim people, they had lower use of contraceptives. Programmers and policy makers could better help young women by increasing intervention activities to have a regular use of contraceptive-covering poor, Dalit and Muslim, and low aged women in order to reduce unintended pregnancy.

Keywords: unintended pregnancy, contraceptive, young women, Nepal

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Authors: Naouel Boussoualim, Hayat Trabsa, Imane Krache, Seddik Khennouf, Noureddine Charef, Lekhmici Arrar, Abderrahmane Baghiani

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Purpose: To evaluate the in-vitro inhibition of xanthine oxidase (purified from bovine milk) by extracts of Lycium arabicum, as well as it is in vivo hypouricemic and renal protective effects. Methods: Four extracts of Lycium arabicum, methanol (CrE), chloroform (ChE), ethyl acetate (EaE) and aqueous (AqE) extracts, were screened for their total phenolics and potential inhibitory effects on purified bovine milk xanthine oxidase (XO) activity by measuring the formation of uric acid or superoxide radical. The mode of inhibition was investigated and compared with the standard drugs, allopurinol, quercitin, and catechin. To evaluate their hypouricemic effect, the extracts were administered to potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricemic mice at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight. Results: The results showed that EaE had the highest content of phenolic compounds and was the most potent inhibitor of uric acid formation (IC50 = 0.017 ± 0.001 mg/mL) and formation of superoxide (IC50 = 0.035 ± 0.001 mg/ml). Lineweaver-Burk analysis showed that CrE and EaE inhibited XO competitively, whereas the inhibitory activities exerted by ChE and AqE were of a mixed type. Intraperetoneal injection of L. arabicum extracts (50 mg/kg) elicited hypouricemic actions in hyperuricemic mice. Hyperuricemic mice presented a serum uric acid concentration of 4.71 ± 0.29 mg/L but this was reduced to 1.78 ± 0.11 mg/L by EaE, which was the most potent hyporuricemic extract. Conclusion: L. arabicum fractions have a strong inhibitory effect on xanthine oxidase and and also have a significantly lowering effect on serum and liver creatinine and urea levels in hyperuricemic mice.

Keywords: lycium arabicum, uric acid, creatinine, superoxide, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, hyperuricemia

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Authors: Rachmat Mauludin, Nurmazidah

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Background and purpose: Famotidine is an H2 receptor blocker. Absorption orally is rapid enough, but famotidine can be degraded by stomach acid causing dose reduction until 35.8% after 50 minutes. This drug also undergoes first-pass metabolism which reduced its bio availability only until 40-50%. To overcome these problems, Solid Lipid Nano particles (SLNs) as alternative delivery systems can be formulated. SLNs is a lipid-based drug delivery technology with 50-1000 nm particle size, where the drug incorporated into the bio compatible lipids and the lipid particles are stabilized using appropriate stabilizers. When the particle size is 200 nm or below, lipid containing famotidine can be absorbed through the lymphatic vessels to the subclavian vein, so first-pass metabolism can be avoided. Method: Famotidine SLNs with various compositions of stabilizer was prepared using a high-speed homogenization and sonication method. Then, the particle size distribution, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, particle morphology and in vitro release profiles were evaluated. Optimization of sonication time also carried out. Result: Particle size of SLN by Particle Size Analyzer was in range 114.6 up to 455.267 nm. Ultrasonicated SLNs within 5 minutes generated smaller particle size than SLNs which was ultrasonicated for 10 and 15 minutes. Entrapment efficiency of SLNs were 74.17 up to 79.45%. Particle morphology of the SLNs was spherical and distributed individually. Release study of Famotidine revealed that in acid medium, 28.89 up to 80.55% of famotidine could be released after 2 hours. Nevertheless in basic medium, famotidine was released 40.5 up to 86.88% in the same period. Conclusion: The best formula was SLNs which stabilized by 4% Poloxamer 188 and 1 % Span 20, that had particle size 114.6 nm in diameter, 77.14% famotidine entrapped, and the particle morphology was spherical and distributed individually. SLNs with the best drug release profile was SLNs which stabilized by 4% Eudragit L 100-55 and 1% Tween 80 which had released 36.34 % in pH 1.2 solution, and 74.13% in pH 7.4 solution after 2 hours. The optimum sonication time was 5 minutes.

Keywords: famotodine, SLN, high speed homogenization, particle size, release study

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Authors: Eric Noe Hernandez Rodriguez, Cristian Esneider Penuela Cruz

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Magnesium is a biocompatible and biodegradable material that has gained increased interest for application in resorbable orthopedic implants. However, to date, much research is being conducted to overcome the main disadvantage: its low corrosion resistance. In this work, we report our findings on the development and application of TiO₂-MgO coatings to improve and modulate the corrosion resistance of magnesium pieces. The plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technique was employed to obtain the TiO₂-MgO coatings. The effect of the experimental parameters on the modulation of the TiO₂:MgO ratio was investigated. The most critical parameters were the chemical composition of the precursor electrolytic solution and the current density. According to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, the coatings were porous; however, they become more compact as the current density increases. XRD measurements showed that the coatings are formed by a composite consisting of TiO₂ and MgO oxides, whose ratio can be changed by the experimental conditions. TiO₂ had the anatase crystalline structure, while the MgO had the FCC crystalline structure. The corrosion resistance was evaluated through the corrosion current (Icorr) measured at room temperature by the polarization technique (Tafel). For doing it, Hank's solution was used in order to simulate the body fluids. Also, immersion tests were conducted. Tafel curves showed an improvement of the corrosion resistance at some coated magnesium pieces in contrast to control pieces (uncoated). Corrosion currents were lower, and the corrosion potential changed to positive values. It was observed that the experimental parameters allowed to modulate the protective capacity of the coatings by changing the TiO₂:MgO ratio. Coatings with a higher content of TiO₂ (measured by energy dispersive spectroscopy) showed higher corrosion resistance. Results showed that TiO₂-MgO coatings can be successfully applied to improve the corrosion resistance of Mg pieces in simulated body fluid; even more, the corrosion resistance can be tuned by changing the TiO₂:MgO ratio.

Keywords: biomaterials, PEO, corrosion resistance, magnesium

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Authors: Angel Adams

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In Australia, the contemporary social construction of hatred against the Islamic community was facilitated through the mainstream media. Australian public figures who have depicted Muslims and Islam not only as potential terrorists but also as incompatible with the country’s values and identities have helped to increase the level of fear against the Islamic community, leading sympathetic far-right movements to shift discussions towards anti-Islamic and anti-Muslim rhetoric. Political opportunities combined with a socially constructed narrative of fear of the ‘other’, introduced during the White Australia Policy of 1901, has allowed extreme and radical far-right movements to justify hate against the contemporary Australian Islamic community. This study aims to answer the following question: How does Australia’s founding provide a fertile environment to the spread of hatred against the contemporary Islamic community? The paper demonstrates that a forged social construct of grievances concerning the Islamic community in Australia has led to a surge in supply of far-right activism to combat what has become a perceived ‘national threat’. In essence, Australia’s history of a fear of the ‘other’ brings challenges to a multicultural society, and can potentially lead to a more unstable socio-political environment where abuse and violence are normalized and more likely to develop. Furthermore, the paper aims to bring a more nuanced understanding of what is considered ‘new far-right’ discourses with shared anti-Islam and anti-Muslim agendas in Australia. The political opportunity structures theory was the mechanism used to determine how new forms of far-right groups have become more mainstream in Australia. Previous studies on far-right groups in Australia have relied on qualitative data, but further empirical research in this area is sorely needed. Above all, this paper clarifies how hatred against minorities can have a negative impact on wider communities and allow a global narrative of ‘us’ versus ‘them’ to erupt from the fringes of society in Australia.

Keywords: Australia, Islamophobia, far-right, nationalism, political opportunity structures, political violence, social construction

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Authors: Pinky Mae O. De Leon, Franchezka S. P. Flores

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This study focuses on applying an enhanced density-based spatial clustering algorithm with noise for fire risk assessments and warnings in Metro Manila. Unlike other clustering algorithms, DBSCAN is known for its ability to identify arbitrary-shaped clusters and its resistance to noise. However, its performance diminishes when handling high dimensional data, wherein it can read the noise points as relevant data points. Also, the algorithm is dependent on the parameters (eps & minPts) set by the user; choosing the wrong parameters can greatly affect its clustering result. To overcome these challenges, the study proposes three key enhancements: first is to utilize multiple MinHash and locality-sensitive hashing to decrease the dimensionality of the data set, second is to implement Jaccard Similarity before applying the parameter Epsilon to ensure that only similar data points are considered neighbors, and third is to use the concept of Jaccard Neighborhood along with the parameter MinPts to improve in classifying core points and identifying noise in the data set. The results show that the modified DBSCAN algorithm outperformed three other clustering methods, achieving fewer outliers, which facilitated a clearer identification of fire-prone areas, high Silhouette score, indicating well-separated clusters that distinctly identify areas with potential fire hazards and exceptionally achieved a low Davies-Bouldin Index and a high Calinski-Harabasz score, highlighting its ability to form compact and well-defined clusters, making it an effective tool for assessing fire hazard zones. This study is intended for assessing areas in Metro Manila that are most prone to fire risk.

Keywords: DBSCAN, clustering, Jaccard similarity, MinHash LSH, fires

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Authors: Robin V. Cupido

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Online dispute resolution has been identified in many countries as a viable alternative for resolving conflicts which have arisen in the so-called digital age. This system of dispute resolution is developing alongside the Internet, and as new types of transactions are made possible by our increased connectivity, new ways of resolving disputes must be explored. Developed nations, such as the United States of America and the European Union, have been involved in creating these online dispute resolution mechanisms from the outset, and currently have sophisticated systems in place to deal with conflicts arising in a number of different fields, such as e-commerce, domain name disputes, labour disputes and conflicts arising from family law. Specifically, in the field of e-commerce, the Internet’s borderless nature has served as a way to promote cross-border trade, and has created a global marketplace. Participation in this marketplace boosts a country’s economy, as new markets are now available, and consumers can transact from anywhere in the world. It would be especially advantageous for developing nations to be a part of this global marketplace, as it could stimulate much-needed investment in these nations, and encourage international co-operation and trade. However, for these types of transactions to proliferate, an effective system for resolving the inevitable disputes arising from such an increase in e-commerce is needed. Online dispute resolution scholarship and practice is flourishing in developed nations, and it is clear that the gap is widening between developed and developing nations in this regard. The potential for implementing online dispute resolution in developing countries has been discussed, but there are a number of obstacles that have thus far prevented its continued development. This paper aims to evaluate the various political, infrastructural and socio-economic challenges faced in developing nations, and to question how these have impacted the acceptance and development of online dispute resolution, scholarship and training of online dispute resolution practitioners and, ultimately, developing nations’ readiness to participate in cross-border e-commerce.

Keywords: developing countries, feasibility, online dispute resolution, progress

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Authors: Nhi Ngoc Thien

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Franchising is a popular trend in Vietnam retail industry, especially in fast food industry. Several famous foreign fast food brands such as KFC, Lotteria, Jollibee or Pizza Hut invested on this potential market since the 1990s. Following this trend, in 2011, Burger King - the second largest fast food hamburger chain all over the world - entered Vietnam with its first store located in Tan Son Nhat International Airport, with the expectation to become the leading brand in the country. However, the business performance of Burger King was not going well in the first few years making it questioned about its strategy. The given assumption was that its business performance was affected negatively by its store location selection strategy. This research aims to investigate the current performance of Burger King Vietnam in terms of the controllable variables like store location as well as to explore the key factors influencing customer decision to choose Burger King. Therefore, a case study research method was conducted to approach deeply on the opinions and evaluations of 10 Burger King’s customers, Burger King's staffs and other fast food experts on Burger King’s performance through in-depth interview, direct observation and documentary analysis. Findings show that there are 8 determinants affecting the decision-making of Burger King’s customers, which are store location, quality of food, service quality, store atmosphere, price, promotion, menu and brand reputation. Moreover, findings present that Burger King’s staffs and fast food experts also mentioned the main problems of Burger King, which are about store location and food quality. As a result, there are some recommendations for Burger King Vietnam to improve its performance in the market and attract more Vietnamese target customers by giving suitable promotional activities among its customers and being differentiated itself from other fast food brands.

Keywords: overall retail strategy, controllable variables, store location, quality of food

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Authors: Zahrasadat Hosseini, Jie Yuan

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Point-of-care (POC) diagnostic devices based on lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technology have the potential to revolutionize medical diagnostics. However, the development of an ideal microfluidic system based on LOC technology for diagnostics purposes requires overcoming several obstacles, such as improving sensitivity, selectivity, portability, cost-effectiveness, and prototyping methods. While numerous studies have introduced technologies and systems that advance these criteria, existing systems still have limitations. Electrochemical enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (e-ELISA) in a LOC device offers numerous advantages, including enhanced sensitivity, decreased turnaround time, minimized sample and analyte consumption, reduced cost, disposability, and suitability for miniaturization, integration, and multiplexing. In this study, we present a novel design and fabrication method for a microfluidic diagnostic platform that integrates screen-printed electrochemical carbon/silver chloride electrodes on flexible printed circuit boards with flexible, multilayer, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic networks to accurately manipulate and pre-immobilize analytes for performing electrochemical enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (e-ELISA) for multiplexed quantification of blood serum biomarkers. We further demonstrate fast, cost-effective prototyping, as well as accurate and reliable detection performance of this device for quantification of interleukin-6-spiked samples through electrochemical analytics methods. We anticipate that our invention represents a significant step towards the development of user-friendly, portable, medical-grade, POC diagnostic devices.

Keywords: lab-on-a-chip, point-of-care diagnostics, electrochemical ELISA, biomarker quantification, fast prototyping

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Authors: Zahrasadat Hosseini, Jie Yuan

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Point-of-care (POC) diagnostic devices based on lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technology have the potential to revolutionize medical diagnostics. However, the development of an ideal microfluidic system based on LOC technology for diagnostics purposes requires overcoming several obstacles, such as improving sensitivity, selectivity, portability, cost-effectiveness, and prototyping methods. While numerous studies have introduced technologies and systems that advance these criteria, existing systems still have limitations. Electrochemical enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (e-ELISA) in a LOC device offers numerous advantages, including enhanced sensitivity, decreased turnaround time, minimized sample and analyte consumption, reduced cost, disposability, and suitability for miniaturization, integration, and multiplexing. In this study, we present a novel design and fabrication method for a microfluidic diagnostic platform that integrates screen-printed electrochemical carbon/silver chloride electrodes on flexible printed circuit boards with flexible, multilayer, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic networks to accurately manipulate and pre-immobilize analytes for performing electrochemical enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (e-ELISA) for multiplexed quantification of blood serum biomarkers. We further demonstrate fast, cost-effective prototyping, as well as accurate and reliable detection performance of this device for quantification of interleukin-6-spiked samples through electrochemical analytics methods. We anticipate that our invention represents a significant step towards the development of user-friendly, portable, medical-grade POC diagnostic devices.

Keywords: lab-on-a-chip, point-of-care diagnostics, electrochemical ELISA, biomarker quantification, fast prototyping

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Authors: Wen-Chyan Tsai, Syed S. H. Rizvi

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Organic solvent residues are always associated with liposomes produced by the traditional techniques like the thin film hydration and reverse phase evaporation methods, which limit the applications of these vesicles in the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries. Our objective was to develop a novel and benign process of liposomal microencapsulation by using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) as the sole phospholipid-dissolving medium and a green substitute for organic solvents. This process consists of supercritical fluid extraction followed by rapid expansion via a nozzle and automatic cargo suction. Lecithin and cholesterol mixed in 10:1 mass ratio were dissolved in SC-CO2 at 20 ± 0.5 MPa and 60 oC. After at least two hours of equilibrium, the lecithin/cholesterol-laden SC-CO2 was passed through a 1000-micron nozzle and immediately mixed with the cargo solution to form liposomes. Liposomal micro-encapsulation was conducted at three pressures (8.27, 12.41, 16.55 MPa), three temperatures (75, 83 and 90 oC) and two flow rates (0.25 ml/sec and 0.5 ml/sec). Liposome size, zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency were characterized as functions of the operating parameters. The average liposomal size varied from 400-500 nm to 1000-1200 nm when the pressure was increased from 8.27 to 16.55 MPa. At 12.41 MPa, 90 oC and 0.25 ml per second of 0.2 M glucose cargo loading rate, the highest encapsulation efficiency of 31.65 % was achieved. Under a confocal laser scanning microscope, large unilamellar vesicles and multivesicular vesicles were observed to make up a majority of the liposomal emulsion. This new approach is a rapid and continuous process for bulk production of liposomes using a green solvent. Based on the results to date, it is feasible to apply this technique to encapsulate hydrophilic compounds inside the aqueous core as well as lipophilic compounds in the phospholipid bilayers of the liposomes for controlled release, solubility improvement and targeted therapy of bioactive compounds.

Keywords: liposome, micro encapsulation, supercritical carbon dioxide, non-toxic process

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Authors: Adane Gebresilassie Hailemariam, Belete Yilma Hirpaye

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The enhanced concentrations of heavy metals, especially in sediments, may indicate human-induced perturbations rather than natural enrichment through geological weathering. Heavy metals are non-biodegradable, persist in the environment, and are concentrated up to the food chain, leading to enhanced levels in the liver and muscle tissues of fishes, aquatic bryophytes, and aquatic biota. Marine organisms, in general fish in particular, accumulate metals to concentrations many times higher than present in water or sediment as they can take up metals in their organs and concentrate at different levels. Thus, metals acquired through the food chain due to pollution are potential chemical hazards, threatening consumers. The Nile tilapia (oreochromic niloticus), catfish (clarius garpinus), and water samples were collected from five sampling sites, namely, inlet-1, inlet-2, center, outlet-1 and outlet-2 of Lake Chamo. The concentration of major and trace metals Na, K, Mg, Ca, Cr, Co, Ni, Mn and Cu in the two fish muscles, gill and liver, was determined using an atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) and flame photometer (FP). Metal concentrations in the water have also been evaluated within the two consecutive seasons, winter (dry) and spring (wet). The results revealed that the concentration of those metals in Tilapia’s (O. niloticus) muscle, gill, and liver were Na 44.5, 35.1, 28, Mg 2.8, 8.41, 4.61, K 43, 32, 30, Ca 1.5, 6.0, 5.5, Cr 0.91, 1.2, 3.5, Co 3.0, 2.89, 2.62, Ni 0.94, 1.99, 2.2, Mn 1.23, 1.51, 1.6 and Cu 1.1, 1.99, 3.5 mg kg-1 respectively and in catfish’s muscle, gill and liver Na 25, 39, 41.5, Mg 4.8, 2.87, 6, K 29, 38, 40, Ca 2.5, 8.10, 3.0, Cr 0.65, 3.5, 5.0, Co 2.62, 1.86, 1.73, Ni 1.10, 2.3, 3.1, Mn 1.54, 1.57, 1.59 and Cu 1.01, 1.10, 3.70 mg kg-1 respectively. The highest accumulation of Na and K were observed for tilapia muscle and catfish gill, Mg and Ca got higher in tilapia gill and catfish liver, while Co is higher in muscle of the two fish. The Cr, Ni, Mn and Cu levels were higher in the livers of the two fish species. In conculusion, metal toxicity through food chain is the current dangerous issue for human and othe animals. This needs deep focus to promot the health of living animals. The Details of the work are going to be discussed at the conference.

Keywords: bioaccumulation, catfish, essential metals, nile tilapia

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Authors: Tesfaye Walle Mekonnen

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Maize is one of the most important staple food crops for most low-income households in the Sub-Saharan (SSA). Combined heat and drought stress is the major production threats that reduce the yield potential of biofortified maize and restrain various macro and micronutrient deficiencies highly prevalent in low-income people who rely solely on maize-based diets, SSA. This problem can be alleviated by crossing the biofortified inbred lines with different nutritional attributes, Fe, Zn, Protein, and Provitamin A, and developing agronomically superior and stable multi-nutrient maize of various genetic backgrounds. This aimed to understand the correlation between biofortified inbred lines per se and hybrid performance under combined heat and drought stress conditions (CSC). The experiment was conducted at CIMMYT, Zimbabwe, using α-lattice design with three replications. The hybrid effect was highly significant for zein fractions (α-, β-, γ- and δ-zein) zinc, (Zn), and iron (Fe) provitamin A, phytic acid, and grain yield. Under CSC, Fe, Zn concentration, provitamin A in grain and grain yield of hybrids were significantly decreased, however, the zein fraction content and phytic acid content increases in grain were increased under CSC. The phenotypic correlation between grain yield with Zn, Fe concentration, and Provitamin A in grain was strongly positive and higher under CSC than in well-watered conditions. The present investigation confirmed that under CSC, Fe, and Zn-enhanced hybrids could be forecasted to a certain scope based on the performance of and scientifically selected for desirable grain yield and related traits with CSC tolerance during hybrid development programs. In conclusion, the development of high-yielding and micronutrient-dense maize variety is possible under CSC, which could reduce the highly prevalent micronutrient in SSA.

Keywords: drought, Fe, heat, maize, protein, zein fractions, Zn

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Authors: Rukhsana Kausar, Issam Malki

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The integration and assimilation of ethnic minority immigrants (EMIs) and their subsequent generations remains a serious unsettled issue in most of the host countries. This study conducts the labour market gender analysis to investigate specifically whether second generation of ethnic minority immigrants in the UK is gaining access to professional and managerial employment and advantaged occupational positions on par with their native counterparts. The data used to examine the labour market achievements of EMIs is taken from Labour Force Survey (LFS) for the period 2014-2018. We apply a multivalued treatment under ignorability as proposed by Cattaneo (2010), which refers to treatment effects under the assumptions of (i) selection – on – observables and (ii) common support. We report estimates of Average Treatment Effect (ATE), Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATET), and Potential Outcomes Means (POM) using three estimators, including the Regression Adjustment (RA), Augmented Inverse Probability Weighting (AIPW) and Inverse Probability Weighting- Regression Adjustment (IPWRA). We consider two cases: the case with four categories where the first-generation natives are the base category, the second case combine all natives as a base group. Our findings suggest the following. Under Case 1, the estimated probabilities and differences across groups are consistently similar and highly significant. As expected, first generation natives have the highest probability for higher career attainment among both men and women. The findings also suggest that first generation immigrants perform better than the remaining two groups, including the second-generation natives and immigrants. Furthermore, second generation immigrants have higher probability to attain higher professional career, while this is lower for a managerial career. Similar conclusions are reached under Case 2. That is to say that both first – generation and second – generation immigrants have a lower probability for higher career and managerial attainment. First – generation immigrants are found to perform better than second – generation immigrants.

Keywords: immigrnats, second generation, occupational attainment, ethnicity

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Authors: Ho-Hsin Lee, Yue-Min Jiang, Shu-Hui Tsai, Jian-Ren Chen, Mei-Yu XU, Wen-Tien Wu

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This project presents an AI-based method and system for wound status analysis. The system uses a three-in-one sensor device to analyze wound status, including color, temperature, and a 3D sensor to provide wound information up to 2mm below the surface, such as redness, heat, and blood circulation information. The system has a 90% accuracy rate, requiring only one manual correction in 70% of cases, with a one-second delay. The system also provides an offline application that allows for manual correction of the wound bed range using color-based guidance to estimate wound bed size with 96% accuracy and a maximum of one manual correction in 96% of cases, with a one-second delay. Additionally, AI-assisted wound bed range selection achieves 100% of cases without manual intervention, with an accuracy rate of 76%, while AI-based wound tissue type classification achieves an 85.3% accuracy rate for five categories. The AI system also includes similar case search and expert recommendation capabilities. For AI-assisted wound range selection, the system uses WIFI6 technology, increasing data transmission speeds by 22 times. The project aims to save up to 64% of the time required for human wound record keeping and reduce the estimated time to assess wound status by 96%, with an 80% accuracy rate. Overall, the proposed AI method and system integrate multiple sensors to provide accurate wound information and offer offline and online AI-assisted wound bed size estimation and wound tissue type classification. The system decreases delay time to one second, reduces the number of manual corrections required, saves time on wound record keeping, and increases data transmission speed, all of which have the potential to significantly improve wound care and management efficiency and accuracy.

Keywords: wound status analysis, AI-based system, multi-sensor integration, color-based guidance

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Authors: Paulo Roberto Vasconcellos-Silva

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The "Janeiro Roxo" (Purple January) campaign in Brazil aims to promote awareness of leprosy and its early symptoms. The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected institutional campaigns, mostly considering leprosy a neglected disease by the media. Google Trends (GT) is a tool that tracks user searches on Google, providing insights into the popularity of specific search terms. Our prior research has categorized online searches into two types: "Reactive searches," driven by transient campaign-related stimuli, and "Proactive searches," driven by personal interest in early symptoms and self-diagnosis. Using GT we studied: (i) the impact of "Janeiro Roxo" on public interest in leprosy (assessed through reactive searches) and its early symptoms (evaluated through proactive searches) over the past five years; (ii) changes in public interest during and after the COVID-19 pandemic; (iii) patterns in the dynamics of reactive and proactive searches Methods: We used GT's "Relative Search Volume" (RSV) to gauge public interest on a scale from 0 to 100. "HANSENÍASE" (HAN) was a proxy for reactive searches, and "HANSENÍASE SINTOMAS" (leprosy symptoms) (H.SIN) for proactive searches (interest in leprosy or in self-diagnosis). We analyzed 261 weeks of data from 2018 to 2023, using polynomial trend lines to model trends over this period. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to compare weekly RSV, monthly (MM) and annual means (AM). Results: Over a span of 261 weeks, there was consistently higher Relative Search Volume (RSV) for HAN compared to H.SIN. Both search terms exhibited their highest (MM) in January months during all periods. COVID-19 pandemic: a decline was observed during the pandemic years (2020-2021). There was a 24% decrease in RSV for HAN and a 32.5% decrease for H.SIN. Both HAN and H.SIN regained their pre-pandemic search levels in January 2022-2023. Breakpoints indicated abrupt changes - in the 26th week (February 2019), 55th and 213th weeks (September 2019 and 2022) related to September regional campaigns (interrupted in 2020-2021). Trend lines for HAN exhibited an upward curve between 33rd-45th week (April to June 2019), a pandemic-related downward trend between 120th-136th week (December 2020 to March 2021), and an upward trend between 220th-240th week (November 2022 to March 2023). Conclusion: The "Janeiro Roxo" campaign, along with other media-driven activities, exerts a notable influence on both reactive and proactive searches related to leprosy topics. Reactive searches, driven by campaign stimuli, significantly outnumber proactive searches. Despite the interruption of the campaign due to the pandemic, there was a subsequent resurgence in both types of searches. The recovery observed in reactive and proactive searches post-campaign interruption underscores the effectiveness of such initiatives, particularly at the national level. This suggests that regional campaigns aimed at leprosy awareness can be considered highly successful in stimulating proactive public engagement. The evaluation of internet-based campaign programs proves valuable not only for assessing their impact but also for identifying the needs of vulnerable regions. These programs can play a crucial role in integrating regions and highlighting their needs for assistance services in the context of leprosy awareness.

Keywords: health communication, leprosy, health campaigns, information seeking behavior, Google Trends, reactive searches, proactive searches, leprosy early identification

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Authors: Arburim Iseni, Afrim Aliti, Nagri Rexhepi

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This paper focuses mainly on an important aspect of student-linguistic errors. It aims to explore the nature of Albanian intermediate level or B1 students’ language errors and mistakes and attempts to trace the possible sources or causes by classifying the error samples into both inter lingual and intra lingual errors. The hypothesis that intra lingua errors may be determined or induced somehow by the native language influence seems to be confirmed by the significant number of errors found in Albanian EFL students in the Study Program of the English Language and Literature at the State University of Tetova. Findings of this study have revealed that L1 interference first and then ignorance of the English Language grammar rules constitute the main sources or causes of errors, even though carelessness cannot be ruled out. Although we have conducted our study with 300 students of intermediate or B1 level, we believe that this hypothesis would need to be confirmed by further research, maybe with a larger number of students with different levels in order to draw more steady and accurate conclusions. The analysis of the questionnaires was done according to quantitative and qualitative research methods. This study was also conducted by taking written samples on different topics from our students and then distributing them with comments to the students and University teachers as well. These questionnaires were designed to gather information among 300 students and 48 EFL teachers, all of whom teach in the Study Program of English Language and Literature at the State University of Tetova. From the analyzed written samples of the students and face-to-face interviews, we could get useful insights into some important aspects of students’ error-making and error-correction. These different research methodologies were used in order to comprise a holistic research and the findings of the questionnaires helped us to come up with some more steady solutions in order to minimize the potential gap between students and teachers.

Keywords: L1 & L2, Linguistics, Applied linguistics, SLA, Albanian EFL students and teachers, Errors and Mistakes, Students’ Assessment and Self-Assessment

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Authors: Ruchi Jain, Chinnakonda S. Gopinath

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The CO oxidation is a primary reaction in heterogeneous catalysis due to its potential to overcome the air pollution caused by various reasons. Indeed, in the study of sustainable catalysis, the role played by water is very important. The present work is focused on studying the effect of moisture on the sustainability of Co3O4 NR catalyst for CO oxidation reaction at ambient temperature. The catalytic activity, electronic structure and the mechanistic aspects of spinel Co3O4 nanorod surfaces have been explored in dry and wet atmosphere by near-ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopic techniques (NAP-PES) with conventional x-ray (Al kα) and ultraviolet sources (He-I).Comparative NAPPES studies have been employed to understand the elucidation of the catalytic reaction pathway and the evolution of various surface species. The presence of water with CO+O2 plummet the catalytic activity due to the change in electronic nature from predominantly oxidic (without water in the feed) to few intermediates covered Co3O4 surface. However, ≥ 375 K Co3O4 surface recovers and regain oxidation activity, at least partially, even in the presence of water. Above mentioned observations are fully supported by the changes observed in the work function of Co3O4 in the presence of wet (H2O+CO+O2) compared to dry (CO+O2) conditions. Various type of surface species, such as CO(ads), carbonate, formate, are found to be on the catalyst surface depending on the reaction conditions. Under dry condition, CO couples with labile O atoms to form CO2, however under wet conditions it also interacts with surface OH groups results in the formation carbonate and formate intermediate. The carbonate acts at reaction inhibitor at room temperature, however proves as active intermediate at temperature 375 K or above. On the other hand, formate has proved to be reaction spectator due to its high stability. The intrinsic role of these species to suppress the oxidation has been demonstrated through a possible reaction mechanism under different reaction conditions.

Keywords: heterogeneous catalysis, surface chemistry, photoelectron spectroscopy, ambient oxidation

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