Search results for: environmental social governance (ESG)

Authors: Mozhde Shafie, Nahid Naderi, Mandana Mangeli

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Is it true to say that Saadi was an idealized embodiment of his moral teachings in Gulistan and Boustan? The body of criticism on Saadi’s works suggests that his biography provides no clear and valid information to judge about the extent to which Saadi acted what he preached. His moral teachings depict a sort of individual and social morality which is defined in relation to power and falls in the category of political ethics. Political ethics appear as for the noble and the subordinate in Gulistan and Boustan. Ethics for the noble include all his teachings for governors and rulers in eulogies. On the other hand, ethics for the subordinate include all his suggestions for the public in relation to power position. Here, Saadi puts forward some conservative recommendations that trigger some contemporary critical commentaries. However, there are some cases where he takes up a third person narrative position to narrate the story of a king and a mendicant. In these stories, the mendicant is a witty man with bitter criticism on society, implying that one should relinquish earthly pleasures and advantages if he wants his criticism to be acceptable. First person narratives fall in two categories determinate and indeterminate narratives. Indirect speeches reflecting biographical facts are indeterminate narratives which give no information about the poet’s personality. Other narratives are more of an autobiography that report probable observations. These latter narratives demonstrate Saadi as a man quick at repartee that feels free to disclose his poverty and some cases of impiety. Therefore, they provide no idealized picture of the poet in terms of ethical principles.

Keywords: Saadi, ethics, Boustan, Gulistan, first-person narrative

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Authors: Haleden Chiririwa, Sandile S. Gwebu

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The coatings industry is a million dollar business, and it is easy and inexpensive to set-up but it is growing very slowly in developing countries, and this study developed a paint formulation which gives better quality and good application properties. The effect of rheology modifiers, i.e. non-ionic polymers hydrophobically-modified ethoxylated urethanes (HEUR), anionic polymers hydrophobically-modified alkali soluble emulsions (HASE) and hydroxyl ethyl cellulose (HEC) on the quality and properties of water-based paints have been investigated. HEC provides the in-can viscosity and increases open working time while HASE improves application properties like spatter resistance and brush loading and HEUR provides excellent scrub resistance. Four paint recipes were prepared using four different thickeners HEC, HASE (carbopol) and Cellulose nitrate. The fourth formulation was thickened with a combination of HASE and HEC, this aimed at improving quality and at the same time reducing cost. The four samples were tested for quality tests such viscosity, sag resistance, volatile matter, tinter effect, drying times, hiding power, scrub resistance and stability on storage. Environmental factors were incorporated in the attempt to formulate an economic and green product. Hydroxyl ethyl cellulose and cellulose nitrate gave high quality and good properties of the paint. HEC and Cellulose nitrate showed stability on storage whereas carbopol thickener was very unstable.

Keywords: properties, thickeners, rheology modifiers, water based paints

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Authors: Rene Kasper, Hyago Ribeiro, Marcelo Curth

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Electronic sports, or just e-sports, boast an exponential growth in the interest of the public and large investors. The e-sports teams are equal to classic sports teams, like football, since in their structure they have, besides the athletes, administrators, coaches and even doctors. The concept of team games arises with a very strong social interaction, as it is perceived that users interact with real peers rather than competing with intelligent software. In this sense, electronic games are established as a sociocultural phenomenon and as multidimensional media. Thus, the research aims to identify the profile of users and the importance of brands in the Brazilian electronic sports scene, as well as the relationship of consumers (called fans) with the products and services that occupy the media spaces of the transmissions of sports championships. The research used descriptive quantitative methodology, applied in different e-sports communities, with 160 respondents. The data collection instrument was a survey containing seven questions, which addressed the profile of the participants and their perception on the proposed theme in research. Regarding the profile, the age ranged from 17 to 31 years, of which 93.3% were male and 6.7% female. It was found that 93.3% of the participants had contact with the Brazilian electronic sports scene for at least 2 years, of which 26.7% played between 6 and 12 hours a week and 46.7% played more than 12 hours a week. In addition, it was noticed that income was not a deciding factor to enjoy electronic sports games, because the percentage distribution of participants ranged from 1 to 3 minimum wages (33.3%) and greater than 6 salaries (46.7 %). Regarding the brands, 85.6% emphasized that brands should support the scenario through sponsorship and publicity and 28.6% are attracted to consume brands that advertise in e-sports championships.

Keywords: brands, consumer behavior, e-sports, virtual games

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Authors: Mitsuo Yoshida

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A significant mercury contamination of soil/sediment was unveiled by an environmental monitoring program in a wetland along La Plata River, west to Montevideo City, Uruguay. The mercury contamination was caused by industrial wastewater discharged from a chlor-alkali plant using a mercury-cell process. The contamination level is above 60 mg/kg in soil/sediment. Most of mercury (Hg) in the environment is inorganic, but some fractions are converted by bacteria to methylmercury (MeHg), a toxic organic compound. MeHg biologically accumulates through a food-chain and become serious public health risk. In order to clarify the contaminated part for countermeasure operation, an intervention value of mercury contamination of sediment/soil was defined as 15 mg/kg (total Hg) by the authority. According to the intervention value, mercury contaminated area in the La Plata site is approximately 48,280 m² and estimated total volume of contaminated sediments/soils was around 18,750 m³. The countermeasures to contaminated zone were proposed in two stages; (i) mitigation of risks for public health and (ii) site remediation. The first stage is an installation of fens and net around the contamination zone, for mitigating risks of exposure, inhalation, and intake. The food chain among wetland-river ecosystem was also interrupted by the installation of net and fens. The state of mercury contamination in La Plata site and plan of countermeasure was disclosed to local people and the public, and consensus on setting off-limit area was successfully achieved. Mass media also contribute to share the information on the contamination site. The cost for countermeasures was borne by the industry under the polluter-pay-principle.

Keywords: chlor-alkali plant, mercury contamination, polluter pay principle, Uruguay, wetland

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Authors: Devi Srinivas, K. Sindhuja

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This paper presents architecture to improve surveillance applications based on the usage of the service oriented paradigm, with smart phones as user terminals, allowing application dynamic composition and increasing the flexibility of the system. According to the result of moving object detection research on video sequences, the movement of the people is tracked using video surveillance. The moving object is identified using the image subtraction method. The background image is subtracted from the foreground image, from that the moving object is derived. So the Background subtraction algorithm and the threshold value is calculated to find the moving image by using background subtraction algorithm the moving frame is identified. Then, by the threshold value the movement of the frame is identified and tracked. Hence, the movement of the object is identified accurately. This paper deals with low-cost intelligent mobile phone-based wireless video surveillance solution using moving object recognition technology. The proposed solution can be useful in various security systems and environmental surveillance. The fundamental rule of moving object detecting is given in the paper, then, a self-adaptive background representation that can update automatically and timely to adapt to the slow and slight changes of normal surroundings is detailed. While the subtraction of the present captured image and the background reaches a certain threshold, a moving object is measured to be in the current view, and the mobile phone will automatically notify the central control unit or the user through SMS (Short Message System). The main advantage of this system is when an unknown image is captured by the system it will alert the user automatically by sending an SMS to user’s mobile.

Keywords: security, graphical password, persuasive cued click points

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Authors: Subbarao Pichuka, Amar Balakrishna Tej, Vikas Vemula

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In recent years, the frequency and intensity of urban floods have increased due to climate change all over the world provoking a significant loss in terms of human lives and property. This study investigates the effect of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes and population growth on the urban environmental conditions in the Indian metropolitan city namely Hyderabad. The centennial built-up area data have been downloaded from the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) web portal for various periods (1975 to 2014). The ArcGIS version 10.8 software is employed to convert the GHSL data into shape files and also to calculate the amount of built-up area in the study locations. The decadal population data are obtained from the Census from 1971 to 2011 and forecasted for the required years (1975 and 2014) utilizing the Geometric Increase Method. Next, the analysis has been carried out with respect to the increase in population and the corresponding rise in the built-up area. Further the effects of extreme rainfall events, which exacerbate urban flooding have also been reviewed. Results demonstrate that the population growth was the primary cause of the increase in impervious surfaces in the urban regions. It in turn leads to the intensification of surface runoff and thereby leads to Urban flooding. The built-up area has been doubled from 1975 to 2014 and the population growth has been observed between 109.24% to 400% for the past four decades (1971 to 2014) in the study area (Hyderabad). Overall, this study provides the hindsight on the current urban flooding scenarios, and the findings of this study can be used in the future planning of cities.

Keywords: urban LULC change, urban flooding, GHSL built-up data, climate change, ArcGIS

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Authors: Catalina Sau Man Ng

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Workplace bullying is generally defined as a form of direct and indirect maltreatment at work including harassing, offending, socially isolating someone or negatively affecting someone’s work tasks. Workplace bullying is unfortunately commonplace around the world, which makes it a social phenomenon worth researching. However, the measurements and estimation methods of workplace bullying seem to be diverse in different studies, leading to dubious results. Hence, this paper attempts to examine the prevalence of workplace bullying in Hong Kong using the latent class analysis approach. It is often argued that the traditional classification of workplace bullying into the dichotomous 'victims' and 'non-victims' may not be able to fully represent the complex phenomenon of bullying. By treating workplace bullying as one latent variable and examining the potential categorical distribution within the latent variable, a more thorough understanding of workplace bullying in real-life situations may hence be provided. As a result, this study adopts a latent class analysis method, which was tested to demonstrate higher construct and higher predictive validity previously. In the present study, a representative sample of 2814 employees (Male: 54.7%, Female: 45.3%) in Hong Kong was recruited. The participants were asked to fill in a self-reported questionnaire which included measurements such as Chinese Workplace Bullying Scale (CWBS) and Chinese Version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). It is estimated that four latent classes will emerge: 'non-victims', 'seldom bullied', 'sometimes bullied', and 'victims'. The results of each latent class and implications of the study will also be discussed in this working paper.

Keywords: latent class analysis, prevalence, survey, workplace bullying

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Authors: Morgan Dempsey, Sam Lewis, Maggie Pierce, Alex Goodman

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This research investigates the impact of equine-assisted therapy programs on occupational engagement for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. There is a general lack of evidence for equine-based services for this population, so this research aims to decrease gaps in the current literature. To gain comprehensive insight, data will be collected from both the child and their caregiver. This study takes a qualitative approach utilizing online surveys and in-person guided interviews. The participants are individuals ages 4-17 with a diagnosed intellectual or developmental disability who are currently participating in a PATH int. certified equine-assisted therapy program. Also, caregivers of individuals who meet this criterion are included. This study decreases gaps in the literature by providing comprehensive data regarding the impacts of these services on occupational engagement. The addressed domains are physical, behavioral, emotional, and social functioning, as well as overall activity engagement and impacts in everyday life. With a better understanding of how equine-assisted therapy affects relevant outcomes for children with disabilities, an increased number of occupational therapists can implement these uniquely effective services while adhering to standards of evidence-based practice. Ultimately, this research strives to contribute to generalizable data in occupational therapy by supporting the implementation of equine-assisted services for children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and their caregivers/families.

Keywords: occupational therapy, pediatric, rehabilitation, hippotherapy

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Authors: Hyang Lim, Sungwon Choi

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Many previous studies in area of adolescents' depression have used a longitudinal design. The previous studies have found that the developmental trajectory of them is only one. But it needs to be examined whether the trajectory is applied to all adolescents. Some factors in their home and/or school have an effect on adolescents' depression and more likely to be specific groups. The present study was a longitudinal study aimed to identify the trajectories and to explore the predictors of adolescents' depression. The study used Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) data. In this study, 2,351 second and third-year of middle school and first of high school students' data was analyzed by using semi-parametric group modeling (SGM). There were 5 trajectory groups for adolescents; low depressed stables, low depressed risers, moderately depressed decreases, moderately depressed stables, severe depressed decreases. The predictors of adolescents' depression were parental abuse, parental neglect, annual family income, parental academic background, friendship at school, and teacher-student relationship at school. All predictors had the significant difference across trajectory group profile for adolescents. The findings of the present study recommend to promote the socioeconomic status and to train social skill for the interpersonal relationship at the home and school. And the results suggest that the proper prevention programs for each group in the middle adolescents that target selected factors may be helpful in reducing the level of depression.

Keywords: adolescent, depression, KCYPS, school life, semi-parametric group-based modeling

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Authors: Dolores Hidalgo, Jesús M. Martín-Marroquín, Francisco Corona

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Municipal waste consist of a variety of items that are everyday discarded by the population. They are usually collected by municipalities and include waste generated by households, commercial activities (local shops) and public buildings. The composition of municipal waste varies greatly from place to place, being mostly related to levels and patterns of consumption, rates of urbanization, lifestyles, and local or national waste management practices. Each year, a huge amount of resources is consumed in the EU, and according to that, also a huge amount of waste is produced. The environmental problems derived from the management and processing of these waste streams are well known, and include impacts on land, water and air. The situation in remote areas is even worst. Difficult access when climatic conditions are adverse, remoteness of centralized municipal treatment systems or dispersion of the population, are all factors that make remote areas a real municipal waste treatment challenge. Furthermore, the scope of the problem increases significantly because the total lack of awareness of the existing risks in this area together with the poor implementation of advanced culture on waste minimization and recycling responsibly. The aim of this work is to analyze the existing situation in remote areas in reference to the production of municipal waste and evaluate the efficiency of different management alternatives. Ideas for improving waste management in remote areas include, for example: the implementation of self-management systems for the organic fraction; establish door-to-door collection models; promote small-scale treatment facilities or adjust the rates of waste generation thereof.

Keywords: door to door collection, islands, isolated areas, municipal waste, remote areas, rural communities

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Authors: Nodi Islam

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This paper critically reads Rumi’s poems in The Masnavi (Book One) and the philosophy of master-disciple relationship, as reflected as a medium to attain the higher consciousness in the poems which is considered as spiritual by the Sufi practitioners. This paper further applies the concept of collective consciousness introduced by Durkheim, which stands for a set of beliefs, ideas, moral attitudes that operate as a unifying force in a certain society, in reading Rumi’s poems. According to Sufi philosophy, in order to reach to the beloved who is the Higher Being, a lover has to be a disciple of a master and dedicate himself completely even if it means to give up the earthly desires. When the process is completed, he achieves the divinity which is the utmost happiness to be one with the beloved. As this process is considered spiritual by the Sufi practitioners, this paper suggests that, apart from being spiritual, this is a reflection of collective consciousness also. This process plays a part to construct the collectivity as a means to create masters and disciples. Collective consciousness operates in this particular belief system of Sufis who tend to follow this phenomenon as a rule of obedience and accepts the rule because this is how their particular community proceeds on. This paper offers a view of Rumi’s poems which reflect such relationship and tends to offer a general discussion on the hegemonic approach of the Sufi society especially of the Mevlevi order. Finally, this paper offers a constructive representation of Mevlevi society based upon the idea of spirituality which could be an outcome of psychological and social issues and practices.

Keywords: collective consciousness, divinity, master-disciple relationship, Mevlevi order

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Authors: Agnė Kairyte, Saulius Vaitkus

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The gradual depletion of fossil feedstock and growing environmental concerns attracted extensive attention to natural resources due to their low cost, high abundance, renewability, sustainability, and biodegradability. Lignin is a significant by-product of the pulp and paper industry, having unique functional groups. Recently it became interesting for the manufacturing of high value-added products such as polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foams. This study focuses on the development of high-performance polyurethane foams with various amounts of lignin as a filler. It is determined that the incorporation of lignin as a filler material results in brittle and hard products due to the low molecular mobility of isocyanates and the inherent stiffness of lignin. Therefore, the current study analyses new techniques and possibilities of liquid glass infusion onto the surface of lignin particles to reduce the negative aspects and improve the performance characteristics of the modified foams. The foams modified with sole lignin and liquid glass-infused lignin had an apparent density ranging from 35 kg/m3 to 45 kg/m3 and closed-cell content (80–90%). The incorporation of sole lignin reduced the compressive and tensile strengths and increased dimensional stability and water absorption, while the contrary results were observed for polyurethane foams with liquid glass-infused lignin particles. The effect on rheological parameters of lignin and liquid glass infused lignin modified polyurethane premixes and morphology of polyurethane foam products were monitored to optimize the conditions and reveal the significant influence of the interaction between particles and polymer matrix.

Keywords: filler, lignin waste, liquid glass, polymer matrix, polyurethane foam, sustainability

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Authors: Faith Samkange, Juliet Chipumuro, Henry Wanyama

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Business development and entrepreneurship constitute a major part of economic and human development for many countries within the Southern Africa Development Communities (SADC). While a marked increase in entrepreneurship activity has been registered, more than 70% of these business enterprises are still failing particularly in their conceptual years. One of the major reasons for this failure is that project process trends have tended to be fragmented and linear in approach while focusing primarily on isolated articulation of development aspects such as marketing, operations, accounting and human resources management with limited integration. Given the complexity of environmental, economic and human development issues in the SADC region, a multi-disciplinary, transformative, systematic and coordinated approach towards entrepreneurship development may be a more useful approach. This paper develops a proposed conceptual framework for an innovative and sustainable food production and food consumption Agritech entrepreneurship project in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa based on a systematic review of existing literature. A thematic analysis of the literature reviewed is applied to develop this theoretical contribution to knowledge. The conceptual framework will be tested in a research driven intervention project designed to improve the quality of life for marginalized indigenous African communities by addressing poverty alleviation, unemployment and gender inequality as stipulated in the global sustainable development goals by the United Nations in 2018.

Keywords: innovative entrepreneurship, sustainability, food production and consumption, marginalised communities, poverty alleviation

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Authors: Sisay Shine, Frew Tadesse, Zemenu Shiferaw, Lema Mideksa

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Background: Stunting is one of the most important public health problems in Ethiopia with an estimated 44.4% of children less than five years of age are stunted. Thus, this study aimed to assess prevalence and associated factors of stunting among 6-59 months children in pastoral community of Korahay Zone, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia. Objective of the study: To assess prevalence and associated factors of stunting among 6-59 months children in pastoral community of Korahay Zone, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia, 2016. Methods: Community based cross sectional study design was done among 770 children in pastoral community of Korahay Zone. Systematic sampling techniques were used to select households and took child mother pair from each selected households. Data was collected using pre-tested and structured questionnaire. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was used to assess level of significance. Result: Prevalence of stunting among 6-59 months age children was 31.9%. Sex (AOR: 1.47, 95%CI 1.02, 2.11), age (AOR: 2.10, 95%CI 1.16, 3.80), maternal education (AOR: 3.42, 95%CI 1.58, 7.41), maternal occupation (AOR: 3.10, 95%CI 1.85, 5.19), monthly income (AOR: 1.47, 95%CI 1.03, 2.09), PNC visits (AOR: 1.59, 95%CI 1.07, 2.37), source of water (AOR: 3.41, 95%CI 1.96, 5.93), toilet availability (AOR: 1.71, 95%CI 1.13, 2.58), first milk feeding (AOR: 3.37, 95%CI 2.27, 5.02) and bottle feeding (AOR: 2.07, 95%CI 1.34, 3.18) were significant predictors of stunting. Conclusion and recommendations: Prevalence of stunting among 6-59 months children was high 31.9%. Lack maternal education, not feeding first milk, unsafe water supply, absence toilet availability and bottle feeding can increase the risk of stunting. So, educating mothers on child feeding practice, sanitation and important of first milk can reduce stunting.

Keywords: dietary, environmental, healthcare, socio-demographic, stunting

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Authors: Vijay S. Katta, Vinod Kushwah, Rudraksh Tiwari, Mulayam Singh Gaur, Priti Dimri, Ashok Kumar Sharma

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The formation process of seismic activities because of abrupt slip on faults, tectonic plate moments due to accumulated stress in the Earth’s crust. The prediction of seismic activity is a very challenging task. We have studied the changes in surface latent heat temperatures which are observed prior to significant earthquakes have been investigated and could be considered for short term earthquake prediction. We analyzed the surface latent heat temperature (SLHT) variation for inland earthquakes occurred in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh (32.5 N, 76.1E, M-4.5, depth-5km) nearby the main boundary fault region, the data of SLHT have been taken from National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). In this analysis, we have calculated daily variations with surface latent heat temperature (0C) in the range area 1⁰x1⁰ (~120/KM²) with the pixel covering epicenter of earthquake at the center for a three months period prior to and after the seismic activities. The mean value during that period has been considered in order to take account of the seasonal effect. The monthly mean has been subtracted from daily value to study anomalous behavior (∆SLHT) of SLHT during the earthquakes. The results found that the SLHTs adjacent the epicenters all are anomalous high value 3-5 days before the seismic activities. The abundant surface water and groundwater in the epicenter and its adjacent region can provide the necessary condition for the change of SLHT. To further confirm the reliability of SLHT anomaly, it is necessary to explore its physical mechanism in depth by more earthquakes cases.

Keywords: surface latent heat temperature, satellite data, earthquake, magnetic storm

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Authors: Emery Jr. Coppola

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Water resources are being depleted and degraded at an alarming and non-sustainable rate worldwide. In some areas, it is progressing more slowly. In other areas, irreversible damage has already occurred, rendering regions largely unsuitable for human existence with destruction of the environment and the economy. Today, 2.5 billion people or 36 percent of the world population live in water-stressed areas. The convergence of factors that created this global water crisis includes local, regional, and global failures. In this paper, a survey of some of these factors is presented. They include abuse of political power and regulatory acquiescence, improper planning and design, ignoring good science and models, systemic failures, and division between the powerful and the powerless. Increasing water demand imposed by exploding human populations and growing economies with short-falls exacerbated by climate change and continuing water quality degradation will accelerate this growing water crisis in many areas. Without regional measures to improve water efficiencies and protect dwindling and vulnerable water resources, environmental and economic displacement of populations and conflict over water resources will only grow. Perhaps more challenging, a global commitment is necessary to curtail if not reverse the devastating effects of climate change. Factors will be illustrated by real-world examples, followed by some partial solutions offered by water experts for helping to mitigate the growing water crisis. These solutions include more water efficient technologies, education and incentivization for water conservation, wastewater treatment for reuse, and improved data collection and utilization.

Keywords: climate change, water conservation, water crisis, water technologies

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Authors: Kara Terki Ibtissem, Hassaine Hafida, Bellifa Samia

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Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus is one of the species that are most frequently isolated from urinary catheters. The ability to produce a biofilm is an important step in the pathogenesis of these staphylococci; biofilm formation is strongly dependent on the environmental conditions it also depends on the different parameters these biofilms are subjected to. Antiseptics, including ethanol and betadine, are used in clinical practice for disinfection and infection prevention. Recent studies, however, demonstrate that disinfectants may enhance biofilm production in Staphylococci. Methods: In this study, 48 staphylococcus aureus isolated from urinary catheters at the University Hospital Center of Sidi Bel Abbes (in Northwestern Algeria) were analyzed to detect the formation of biofilm by culture on Red Congo Agar (RCA), the Tube Method (TM) and tissue Culture Plate (TCP) techniques, this last was also used to investigate the effect of ethanol and Betadine on the preformed biofilm In a second time to know which environment is most favorable to the formation of the biofilm we perform a statistical test based on the student test by the software R. Results: It has been found that 23 strains produced a bacterial slime on the Congo red medium, 5 strains produced a biofilm by the tube method, 2 of which are highly productive. In addition, 7 strains produced a biofilm on polystyrene micro-plates; this number was higher in the presence of ethanol 70% and ethanol 90% with 19 and 11 biofilm-producing strains, respectively. On the other hand, no biofilm was formed in the presence of Betadine. Conclusion: It is important to examine the response of biofilms following an imposed external constraint, such as disinfectants, in order to develop new strategies to combat bacterial biofilms but also to better control their formation.

Keywords: staphylococcus aureus, biofilm, urinary catheter, ethanol

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Authors: Andile Mkhohlakali, Tien-Chien Jen, James Tshilongo, Happy Mabowa

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Among different parameters, oxygen is one of the most important analytes of interest, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration is very crucial and significant for various areas of physical, chemical, and environmental monitoring. Herein we report oxygen-sensitive luminophores -based lanthanum(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate), [La]³⁺ was encapsulated into SiO₂-based xerogel matrix. The nanosensor is composed of organically modified silica nanoparticles, doped with the luminescent oxygen–sensitive lanthanum(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate complex. The precursor materials used for sensing film were triethyl ethoxy silane (TEOS) and (3-Mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane) (MPTMS- TEOS) used for SiO2-baed matrices. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and BJH indicate that the SiO₂ transformed from microporous to mesoporous upon the addition of La³⁺ luminophore with increased surface area (SBET). The typical amorphous SiO₂ based xerogels were revealed with X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED) analysis. Scanning electron microscope- (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) showed the porous morphology and reduced particle for SiO₂ and La-SiO₂ xerogels respectively. The existence of elements, siloxane networks, and thermal stability of xerogel was confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Thermographic analysis (TGA). UV-Vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) have been used to characterize the optical properties of xerogels. La-SiO₂ demonstrates promising characteristic features of an active sensing film for dissolved oxygen in the water. Keywords: Sol-gel, ORMOSILs, encapsulation, Luminophores quenching, O₂-sensing

Keywords: sol-gel, ORMOSILs, luminophores quenching, O₂-sensing

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Authors: Thilivhali E. Rasimphi, David Tinarwo

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Access to energy is crucial in poverty alleviation, economic growth, education, and agricultural improvement. The best renewable energy source is one which is locally available, affordable, and can easily be used and managed by local communities. The usage of renewable energy technology has the potential to alleviate many of the current problems facing rural areas. To address energy poverty, biogas technology has become an important part of resolving such. This study, therefore, examines the performance of digesters in Gawula village; it also identifies the contributing factors to the adoption and use of the technology. Data was collected using an open-ended questionnaire from biogas users. To evaluate the performance of the digesters, a data envelopment analysis (DEA) non-parametric technique was used, and to identify key factors affecting adoption, a logit model was applied. The reviewed critical barriers to biogas development in the area seem to be a poor institutional framework, poor infrastructure, a lack of technical support, user training on maintenance and operation, and as such, the implemented plants have failed to make the desired impact. Thus most digesters were abandoned. To create awareness amongst rural communities, government involvement is key, and there is a need for national programs. Biogas technology does what few other renewable energy technologies do, which is to integrate waste management and energy. This creates a substantial opportunity for biogas generation and penetration. That is, a promising pathway towards achieving sustainable development through biogas technology.

Keywords: domestic biogas technology, economic, sustainable, social, rural development

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Authors: Sifatullah Bahij, Safiullah Omary, Francoise Feugeas, Amanullah Faqiri

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Plastic packages have been broadly used for a long time. Such widespread usage of plastic has resulted in an increased amount of plastic wastes and many environmental impacts. Plastic wastes are one of the most significant types of waste materials because of their non-degradation and low biodegradability. It is why many researchers tried to find a safe and environmentally friendly solution for plastic wastes. In this goal, in the civil engineering industry, many types of plastic wastes have been incorporated, as a partial substitution of aggregates or as additive materials (fibers) in concrete mixtures because of their lengthier lifetime and lower weight. This work aims to study the mechanical properties (compressive, split tensile and flexural strengths) of concrete with a water-cement ratio (w/c) of 0.45 and with the incorporation of non-woven PET plastic sheets. Five configurations -without PET (reference), 1-layer sheet, 2-side, 3-side, and full sample wrapping- were applied. The 7, 14 and 28-days samples’ compressive strengths, flexural strength and split tensile strength were measured. The outcomes of the study show that the compressive strength was improved for the wrapped samples, particularly for the cylindrical specimens. Also, split tensile and flexural behaviors of the wrapped samples improved significantly compared to the reference ones. Moreover, reference samples were damaged into many parts after mechanical testing, while wrapped specimens were taken by the applied configurations and were not divided into many small fragments. Therefore, non-woven fabrics appeared to improve some properties of the concrete.

Keywords: solid waste plastic, non-woven polyethylene terephthalate sheets, mechanical behaviors, crack pattern

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Authors: Odunjo Oluronke Omolola, Okanlawon Simon Ayorinde

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This study examines the relationship between house characteristics and socio-economic characteristics of developers in Ibadan, southwest, Nigeria. The research is borne out of the fact that social housing has not done much as a result of finance and housing poverty is on the increase in the country. Multistage random sampling was used in selecting 2,646 respondents in the area. The questionnaire forms the basic instrument for data collection and was administered to heads of households to collect information on socio-economic and demographic characteristics as well as characteristics of development. Both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were employed in the presentation of the findings; MANOVA was used to analyse the relationship between house characteristics measured by wall materials (Y1-Yn) and socio-economic characteristics of developers measured by gender (X1), religion (X2), educational background (X3) and employment status (X4).The study found out that the bulk of the respondents (65.7%) were male, while 51.7% practiced Christianity. Also, 35.9% had HND/1st/Postgraduate degree, while 43.9% were self employed; Most households however, had membership size of 5 (26.9%). The significant wall material in the area was sandcrete block (71.2%) as opposed to mud (19.1%) and brick (0.6%). Multiple Analysis of Variance shows that there is a significant relationship between sandcrete block and each of gender (X1) and employment status (X3). The factor adduced to this is accessibility to cooperative societies which serve as the gravitational force of attraction for housing finance. The study suggests among others that, there should be re-invigoration of existing cooperative societies, while more should be established for the provision of housing finance.

Keywords: relationship, house development, developers, sandcrete block, cooperative societies

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Authors: Wieland Hoppe, Nadine Wachter, Stefan Bringezu

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Carbon dioxide (CO2) utilization might be a promising way to substitute fossil raw materials like coal, oil or natural gas as carbon source of chemical production. While first life cycle assessments indicate a positive environmental performance of CO2-based process routes, a commercialization of CO2 is limited by several economic obstacles up to now. We, therefore, analyzed the economic performance of the three CO2-based chemicals methane and methanol as basic chemicals and polyoxymethylene as polymer on a cradle-to-gate basis. Our approach is oriented towards life cycle costing. The focus lies on the cost drivers of CO2-based technologies and options to stimulate a CO2-based economy by changing regulative factors. In this way, we analyze various modes of operation and give an outlook for the potentially cost-effective development in the next decades. Biogas, waste gases of a cement plant, and flue gases of a waste incineration plant are considered as CO2-sources. The energy needed to convert CO2 into hydrocarbons via electrolysis is assumed to be supplied by wind power, which is increasingly available in Germany. Economic data originates from both industrial processes and process simulations. The results indicate that CO2-based production technologies are not competitive with conventional production methods under present conditions. This is mainly due to high electricity generation costs and regulative factors like the German Renewable Energy Act (EEG). While the decrease in production costs of CO2-based chemicals might be limited in the next decades, a modification of relevant regulative factors could potentially promote an earlier commercialization.

Keywords: carbon capture and utilization (CCU), economic assessment, life cycle costing (LCC), power-to-X

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Authors: S. S. Sravanthi, Swati Ghosh Acharyya

Abstract:

Automotive light weighting is of major prominence in the current times due to its contribution in improved fuel economy and reduced environmental pollution. Various arc welding technologies are being employed in the production of automobile components with reduced weight. The present study is of practical importance since it involves preferential substitution of Zinc coated mild steel with a light weight alloy such as 6061 Aluminium by means of Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) – Brazing technique at different processing parameters. However, the fabricated joints have shown the generation of Al – Fe layer at the interfacial regions which was confirmed by the Scanning Electron Microscope and Energy Dispersion Spectroscopy. These Al-Fe compounds not only affect the mechanical strength, but also predominantly deteriorate the corrosion resistance of the joints. Hence, it is essential to understand the phases formed in this layer and their crystal structure. Micro area X - ray diffraction technique has been exclusively used for this study. Moreover, the crevice corrosion analysis at the joint interfaces was done by exposing the joints to 5 wt.% FeCl₃ solution at regular time intervals as per ASTM G 48-03. The joints have shown a decreased crevice corrosion resistance with increased heat intensity. Inner surfaces of welds have shown severe oxide cracking and a remarkable weight loss when exposed to concentrated FeCl₃. The weight loss was enhanced with decreased filler wire feed rate and increased heat intensity. 

Keywords: automobiles, welding, corrosion, lap joints, Micro XRD

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Authors: Malihe Ahmadi

Abstract:

Nowadays, stress, tension and neural problems are among the most important concerns of the present age. The environment plays key role on improving mental health and reducing stress of citizens. Establishing balance and appropriate relationship between city and natural environment is of the most important approaches of present century. Type of approach and logical planning for urban green spaces as one of the basic sections of integration with nature, not only plays key role on quality and efficiency of comprehensive urban planning; but also it increases the system of distributing social activities and happiness and lively property of urban environments that leads to permanent urban development. The main purpose of recovering urban identity is considering culture, history and human life style in past. This is a documentary-library research that evaluates the historical properties of Iranian gardens in compliance with climate condition. Results of this research reveal that in addition to following Iranian gardens from common principles of land lot, structure of flowers and plants, water, specific buildings during different ages, the role of climate at different urban areas is among the basics of determining method of designing green spaces and different buildings located at diverse areas i.e. Iranian gardens are a space for merging natural and artificial elements that has inseparable connection with semantic principles and guarantees different functions. Some of the necessities of designing present urban gardens are including: recognition and recreation.

Keywords: historical gardens, climate, properties of Iranian gardens, Iran

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Authors: Ahmad Samim Ranjbar, Shoshi Mizokami

Abstract:

Kabul is the heart of political, commercial, cultural, educational and social life in Afghanistan and the Kabul fifth fastest growing city in the world, since 2001 with the establishment of new government Lack of adequate employment opportunities and basic utility services in remote provinces have prompted people to move to Kabul and other urban areas. From 2001 to the present, a rapid increase in population, and also less income of the people most of residence tend to use public transport, especially buses, however there is no proper bus system exist in Kabul city, because of wars, from 1992 to 2001 Kabul suffered damage and destruction of its transportation facilities including pavements, sidewalks, traffic circles, drainage systems, traffic signs and signals, trolleybuses and almost all of the public transit buses (e.g. Millie bus). This research is a primary and very important phase into Kabul city transportation and especially an initial and important step toward using large bus in Kabul city, which the main purpose of this research is to find the demand of Kabul city residence for public transport (Large Bus) and compare it with the actual supply from government. Finding of this research shows that the demand of Kabul city residence for the public transport (Large Bus) exceed the supply from the government, means that current public transportation (Large Bus) is not sufficient to serve people of Kabul city, it is mentionable that according to this research there is no need to build a new road or exclusive way for bus, this research propose to government for investment on the public transportation and exceed the number of large buses to can handle the current demand for public transport.

Keywords: transportation, planning, public transport, large bus, Kabul, Afghanistan

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Authors: Lady Salvador Purganan, Jojo M. Villamin, Noel L. Lansang

Abstract:

Tourism is a multifaceted but interdependent industry. This industry is composed of four major players, the public sector, the private sector, the local community, and the tourists. Each player has a vital role in the success of delivering high-quality tourism products and activities. There are various manifestations of positive economic outcomes that benefit the local community. Pro-poor tourism development approach has a great potential to serve as an avenue for capacity building leading to economic independence since natural attractions and cultural resources are assets that can be capitalized on, especially by the poor, because it is more accessible to them compared to financial resources. In the National Tourism Development Plan 2016-2022, specific mechanisms are not reflected to combat and lower poverty incidence through tourism. The researcher used the multidimensional poverty theory and sustainable tourism theory to formulate indicators in the research instrument and social exchange theory. The expected output of the study is to unlock opportunities, specifically in Brgy. Sta. Lucia, Guimba, Nueva Ecija, by crafting policies taking into utmost consideration local community involvement and participation in the process of tourism development which is essential in attaining inclusive growth and sustainability. This study will apply the sequential explanatory design mixed-method approach.

Keywords: pro-poor tourism, poverty alleviation, livelihood opportunities, tourism development plan

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

Abstract:

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: Abhinandan Singh Gill

Abstract:

Paper mill sludge is one of the major economic and environmental problems for paper and board industry, million tonnes quantity of sludge is produced in the world. It is essential to dispose these wastes safely without affecting health of human being, environment, fertile land; sources of water bodies, economy as it adversely affect the strength, durability and other properties of building materials based on them. Moreover, in developing countries like India where there is low availability of non-renewable resources and large need of building material like cement therefore it is essential to develop eco-efficient utilization of paper sludge. Primarily in functional terms paper sludge comprises of cellulose fibers, calcium carbonate, china clay, low silica, residual chemical bonds with water. The material is sticky and full of moisture content which is hard to dry. The manufacturing of paper usually produce loads of solid waste. These paper fibers are recycled in paper mills to limited number of times till they become weak to produce high quality paper. Thereafter, these left out small and weak pieces called as low quality paper fibers are detached out to become paper sludge. The material is by-product of de-inking and re-pulping of paper. This hypo sludge includes all kinds of inks, dyes, coating etc inscribed on the paper. This paper presents an overview of the published work on the use of hypo sludge in M25 concrete formulations as a supplementary cementitious material exploring its properties such as compressive strength, splitting and parameters like modulus of elasticity, density, applications and most importantly investigation of low cost concrete by using hypo sludge are presented.

Keywords: concrete, sludge waste, hypo sludge, supplementary cementitious material

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Authors: Muhammed Rabiu, Moses S. Oluyomi, Joshua Olorundare

Abstract:

Quarry activities are important to modern day life and the socio-economic development of local communities. Unfortunately, this industry is usually associated with air pollution. To assess the impact of quarry dust on plant biodiversity and agriculture, PM2.5, PM10 and some meteorological parameters were measured using Gas analyzer, handheld thermometer and Multifunction Anemometer (PCE-EM 888) as well as taking a social survey. High amount of particulate matters that exceeded the international standard were recorded at the study locations which include the Julius Berger Quarry and 1km away from the quarry site which serve as the base for the farmlands. The correlation coefficient between the particulate matters with the meteorological parameters of the locations all show a strong relationship with temperature recording a stronger value of 0.952 and 0.931 for PM2.5 and PM10 respectively. Similarly, the coefficient of determination 0.906 and 0.866 shows that temperature has the highest meteorological percentage variation on PM2.5 and PM10. Furthermore, a notable negative impact of quarrying on plant biodiversity and local farm crops are also revealed based on respondents’ results where wide range of local plants were affected with Maize and Azadiracta indica (Neem) been the most with respondent of 31.5% and 27.5%. According to the obtained results, it is highly recommended to develop green belt surrounding the quarrying using pollutant-tolerant trees (usually with broad leaves) in order to restrict spreading of quarrying dust via intercepting, filtering and absorbing pollutants.

Keywords: agriculture, air pollution, biodiversity, quarry

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Authors: ⁠Safira Hanun Nabila

Abstract:

Fatherlessness is an increasingly prevalent phenomenon worldwide, with significant implications for individual development. In many countries, a substantial portion of children grow up without a father figure, and this absence has been shown to negatively impact various aspects of emotional, social, psychological, and physical development. This study investigates the effects of fatherlessness on resilience and leadership tendencies, specifically autocratic and transactional leadership, in female leaders. The study involved 153 female leaders aged 21-44 years (M = 29). To measure the relevant variables, several instruments were used: a self-constructed father-love absence scale, the Resilience Evaluation Scale, the Autocratic Leadership Scale, and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire for transactional leadership. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed for data analysis. The results indicate that fatherlessness significantly reduces resilience (β = -0.225, p < 0.001), with higher levels of father absence corresponding to lower resilience. Resilience, in turn, was found to positively influence both autocratic leadership (β = 0.441, p < 0.001) and transactional leadership (β = 0.447, p < 0.001). Regarding the direct impact of fatherlessness on leadership styles, no significant direct effect was found for autocratic leadership (β = 0.350, p = 0.350), but an indirect effect was observed through resilience (β = -0.099, p < 0.001). For transactional leadership, the direct effect of fatherlessness remained significant (β = -0.172, p < 0.001), with an additional indirect effect through resilience (β = -0.101, p < 0.001). These findings highlight that resilience serves as a crucial mediator between fatherlessness and leadership style, particularly in autocratic leadership. In transactional leadership, the impact of fatherlessness remains significant even without resilience mediation. The results underscore the importance of interventions aimed at enhancing resilience in women affected by fatherlessness, in order to optimize their leadership potential.

Keywords: fatherlessness, father absence, resiliency, woman leadership

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