Search results for: special regressor

Authors: Abdiwahab Guled

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that emanates from a broad range of conditions, which affect the communication skills, social skills. It causes restrictive and repetitive behaviors to individuals. The number of children with ASD is an increasing prevalence around the world. Virtual reality (VR) is an assistive technology, which puts the learner in an immersive learning environment. It allows the learner to interact with that environment in a seemingly real or physical way using special electronic equipment, such as headsets. This exploratory study examines the potential benefits that VR may provide to improving the communication skills of children with ASD. Educating a child with ASD is challenging because access to services, resources, and support for autistic children is inadequate. Therefore, this study intends to investigate the challenges of teaching children with ASD and how VR might help teachers to improve the communication skills of these children with ASD. Online research and literature review were used as a method to gather previously published studies to identify the research gap and provide the groundwork for future studies. Results show that VR offers potential benefits to improving the communication skills of children with ASD but there is a gap in our understanding of the functionalities of all the features of VR technology and how we can utilize it to improve the communication skills of children with ASD. Communication is a broad subject and it is impossible for one study to evidently define the speech challenges of autistic children and provide an irrefutable solution. Therefore, this study proposes further research to dissect how can VR be used to improve the different communication challenges that impede the everyday functioning of autistic children.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), autistic, Asperger, Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), virtual reality (VR).

Procedia PDF Downloads 115

Authors: Tansel Comoglu

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Orally fast disintegrating tablets (FDTs or ODTs) have become popular during the last decade, and manufacturing of ODTs is getting a rapidly growing area in the pharmaceutical industry. The concept of ODTs has emerged from the desire to provide patients with more conventional means of taking their medication. Drugs, that have satisfactory absorption from the oral mucosa or aimed for immediate therapeutic activity can be formulated in ODTs. After placing the ODT into the mouth, these tablets dissolve or disintegrate in the mouth usullay less than a minute, in the absence of additional water. Even though the ODT technology has taken an important path, as proved by a large group of commercial products on the drug market, there are so many problems to be solved in ODT formulations such as; formulation of hydrophobic drugs is stil a challenge, especially when the amount of drug is high. As these tablets dissolve or disintegrate in the mouth without the need of additional water, taste masking of active ingredients becomes essential in these systems because the drug is entirely released in the mouth. In ODT technology, coping with the taste of drugs is still a challenge. Resins or sweeteners or other techniques are also used in the formulation to aid taste-masking of the API. Another important factor to consider is whether they can be manufactured using conventional equipment and processes, as this will have a positive influence on manufacturing costs. Some products, however, may require a more costly, special unitdose packaging if the dosage form is fragile. In this overview, benefits, various formulation technologies, clinical studies and some future research trends of ODTs will be discussed.

Keywords: orally fast disintegrating tablets, benefits, formulation technologies, future research trends

Procedia PDF Downloads 362

Authors: Abu Zafor Sadek

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Pharmaceuticals were one of the least impacted business sectors during the corona pandemic as they are the center point of Covid-19 fight. Emergency use authorization, unproven indication of some commonly used drugs, self-medication, research and production capacity of an individual country, capacity of producing vaccine by many countries, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) related uncertainty, information gap among manufacturer, practitioners and user, export restriction, duration of lock-down, lack of harmony in transportation, disruption in the regulatory approval process, sudden increased demand of hospital items and protective equipment, panic buying, difficulties in in-person product promotion, e-prescription, geo-politics and associated issues added a new dimension to this industry. Although the industry maintains a reasonable growth throughout Covid-19 days; however, it has been characterized by both long- and short-term effects. Short-term effects have already been visible to so many countries, especially those who are import-dependent and have limited research capacity. On the other hand, it will take a few more time to see the long-term effects. Nevertheless, supply chain disruption, changes in strategic planning, new communication model, squeezing of job opportunity, rapid digitalization are the major short-term effects, whereas long-term effects include a shift towards self-sufficiency, growth pattern changes of certain products, special attention towards clinical studies, automation in operations, the increased arena of ethical issues etc. Therefore, this qualitative and exploratory study identifies the post-covid-19 landscape of the global pharmaceutical industry.

Keywords: covid-19, pharmaceutical, businees, landscape

Procedia PDF Downloads 93

Authors: Rania Mousa, Peterson Ozili

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A key agenda of policymakers in developed and developing countries is to increase the level of financial inclusion. Microlending institutions have been recognized as important agents of financial inclusion, which have the potential to achieve this objective and help move toward a more accessible, inclusive, and equitable path to financial sustainability. In that respect, this case study attempts to identify and assess the key initiatives undertaken by Grameen America as it responded to the COVID-19 pandemic within the framework of selected United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals (UN’s SD Goals). This study goes beyond the stated objective by using the vulnerable group theory and special agent theory of financial inclusion to support the analysis of financial and non-financial information collected from Grameen America’s Annual Reports and audited financial statements. The study follows a qualitative content analysis method to precisely gauge the shift in Grameen’s strategy and focus, as well as to assess the impact of its initiatives on the small business community before and after the pandemic. The findings showcase that Grameen’s longstanding mission to alleviate poverty is in line with the UN’s Sustainability Development Goal 1. Furthermore, Grameen’s commitment to creating partnerships with external organizations to offer credit and non-credit services and support is consistent with UN’s Sustainability Development Goal 17. The study suggests that policymakers should foster the creation of more member-based financial and non-financial institutions which are ethically and morally responsible to their members in both good and bad times.

Keywords: COVID-19, financial inclusion, microfinance, sustainable development, microlending

Procedia PDF Downloads 70

Authors: Natalia Selezneva

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The level of crime depends on a number of factors, such as political and economic instability, social inequality and ineffective legislation. A special place in the overall level of crime takes juvenile delinquency. United Nations Standard Minimum developed rules for the administration of juvenile justice (The Beijing Rules), in order to ensure the rights of juvenile offenders under the various legal systems. Most countries support these recommendations, and Russia is no exception. Russia's criminal code establishes the minimum age of criminal liability; types of crimes for which the possible involvement of minors to justice; punishment; sentencing and execution of punishment for minors. However, these provisions cause heated debates in the scientific literature. The high level of juvenile crime indicates the ineffectiveness of legal regulation of criminal liability of minors. In order to ensure compliance with international standards require new and modern approaches to improve national legislation and practice of its application. Achieving this goal will be achieved through the following tasks: 1. Create sub-branches of law regulating the legal status of minors; 2. Improving the types of penalties; 3. The possibility of using alternative measures; 4. The introduction of the procedure of extrajudicial settlement of the conflict. The criminal law of each country depends on the historical, national and cultural characteristics. The development of the Russian legislation taking into account international experience is extremely essential and will be a new stage in the formation of a legal state, especially in the sphere of protection of the rights of juvenile offenders.

Keywords: criminal law, juvenile offender, punishment, the age of criminal responsibility

Procedia PDF Downloads 545

Authors: H.Karnezi, K. Tierney

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Childhood fears that persist over time and interfere with the children’s normal functioning may have detrimental effects on their social and emotional development. Cognitive behavior therapy is considered highly effective in treating fears and anxieties. However, given that many childhood fears are based on fantasy, the applicability of CBT may be hindered by cognitive immaturity. Furthermore, a lack of motivation to engage in therapy is another commonly encountered obstacle. The purpose of this study was to introduce and evaluate a more developmentally appropriate intervention model, specifically designed to provide phobic children with the motivation to overcome their fears. To this end, principles and techniques from cognitive and behavior therapies are incorporated into the ‘Drama in Education’ model. The Cognitive Behaviour Drama (CBD) method involves using the phobic children’s creativity to involve them in the therapeutic process. The children are invited to engage in exciting fictional scenarios tailored around their strengths and special interests. Once their commitment to the drama is established, a problem that they will feel motivated to solve is introduced. To resolve it, the children will have to overcome a number of obstacles culminating in an in vivo confrontation with the fear stimulus. The study examined the application of the CBD model in three single cases. Results in all three cases shown complete elimination of all fear-related symptoms. Preliminary results justify further evaluation of the Cognitive Behaviour Drama model. It is time and cost-effective, ensuring the clients' immediate engagement in the therapeutic process.

Keywords: phobias, autism, intervention, drama

Procedia PDF Downloads 129

Authors: Efi Koutantou

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The foundation of successful therapy is the bond between the psychotherapist and the patient, Psychoanalysis would argue. The present study explores lived experiences of a psychotherapeutic relationship in different moments, initial and final with special reference to the transference love developed through the process. The fight between moments of ‘leaving a self’ behind and following ‘lines of flight’ in the process of creating a new subjectivity and ‘becoming-other’ will be explored. Moments between de-territorialisation – surpassing given constraints such as gender, family and religion, kinship bonds - freeing the space in favor of re-territorialisation – creation of oneself creation of oneself will also be analyzed. The generation of new possibilities of being, new ways of self-actualization for this patient will be discussed. The second part of this study will explore the extent to which this ‘transference love’ results for this specific patient to become ‘the discourse of the other’; it is a desideratum whether the patient finally becomes a subject of his/her own through his/her own self-exploration of new possibilities of existence or becomes alienated within the thought of the therapist. The way in which the patient uses or is (ab)used by the transference love in order to experience and undergo alienation from an ‘authority’ which may or may not sacrifice his/her own thought in favor of satisfying the therapist will be investigated. Finally, from an observer’s perspective and from the analysis of the results of this therapeutic relationship, the counter-transference will also be analyzed, in terms of an attempt of the analyst to relive and satisfy his/her own desires through the life of the analysand. The accession and fall of an idealized self will be analyzed, the turn of the transference love into ‘hate’ will conclude this case study through a lived experience in the therapeutic procedure; a relationship which can be called to be a mixture of a real relationship and remnants from a past object relationship.

Keywords: alienation, authority, counter-transference, hate, transference love

Procedia PDF Downloads 211

Authors: G. Erkomaishvili, M. Kobalava, T. Lazariashvili, N. Damenia

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Current state of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Georgia is analyzed and evaluated in the paper, the existing legislative background for regulating investments and stimulating policies to attract investments are shown. It is noted that in developing countries encouragement of investment activity, support and implementation are of the most important tasks, implying a consistent investment policy, investor-friendly tax regime and the legal system, reducing administrative barriers and restrictions, fare competitive conditions and business development infrastructure. The work deals with the determining factor of FDIs and the main directions of stimulation, as well as prospective industries where new investments are needed. Contributing and hindering factors and stimulating measures are analyzed. As a result of the research, the direct and indirect factors attracting FDI have been identified. Facilitating factors to FDI inflow are as follows: simplicity of starting business, geopolitical location, low taxes, access to credit, ease of ownership registration, natural resources, low burden of regulations, low level of corruption and low crime rates. Hindering factors to FDI inflow are as follows: small market, lack of policy for attracting investments, low qualification of the workforce (despite the large number of unemployed people it is difficult to find workers with necessary special skills and qualifications), high interest rates, instability of national currency exchange rate, presence of conflict zones within the country and so forth.

Keywords: foreign direct investment, investor, investment attracting marketing policies, reinvestment

Procedia PDF Downloads 261

Authors: Andrej Golowin, Viktor Denk, Axel Riepe

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Solid fan blades and discs in aero engines are subjected to high combined low and high cycle fatigue loads especially around the contact areas between blade and disc. Therefore, special coatings (e.g. dry film lubricant) and surface treatments (e.g. shot peening or laser shock peening) are applied to increase the strength with respect to combined cyclic fatigue and fretting fatigue, but also to improve damage tolerance capability. The traditional deterministic damage tolerance assessment based on fracture mechanics analysis, which treats service damage as an initial crack, often gives overly conservative results especially in the presence of vibratory stresses. A probabilistic damage tolerance methodology using crack initiation data has been developed for fan discs exposed to relatively high vibratory stresses in cross- and tail-wind conditions at certain resonance speeds for limited time periods. This Monte-Carlo based method uses a damage databank from similar designs, measured vibration levels at typical aircraft operations and wind conditions and experimental crack initiation data derived from testing of artificially damaged specimens with representative surface treatment under combined fatigue conditions. The proposed methodology leads to a more realistic prediction of the minimum damage tolerance life for the most critical locations applicable to modern fan disc designs.

Keywords: combined fatigue, damage tolerance, engine, surface treatment

Procedia PDF Downloads 501

Authors: Rui Liu, Klaus Greve

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The navigation information is a kind of dynamic geographic information, and the navigation information system is a kind of special geographic information system. At present, there are many researches on the application of centralized management and cross-integration application of basic geographic information. However, the idea of information integration and sharing is not deeply applied into the research of navigation information service. And the imperfection of navigation target coordination and navigation information sharing mechanism under certain navigation tasks has greatly affected the reliability and scientificity of navigation service such as path planning. Considering this, the project intends to study the multi-source information fusion and multi-objective united navigation information interaction mechanism: first of all, investigate the actual needs of navigation users in different areas, and establish the preliminary navigation information classification and importance level model; and then analyze the characteristics of the remote sensing and GIS vector data, and design the fusion algorithm from the aspect of improving the positioning accuracy and extracting the navigation environment data. At last, the project intends to analyze the feature of navigation information of the land, sea and air navigation targets, and design the united navigation data standard and navigation information sharing model under certain navigation tasks, and establish a test navigation system for united navigation simulation experiment. The aim of this study is to explore the theory of united navigation service and optimize the navigation information service model, which will lay the theory and technology foundation for the united navigation of land, sea and air targets.

Keywords: information fusion, united navigation, dynamic path planning, navigation information visualization

Procedia PDF Downloads 289

Authors: Mostafa Refat Ismail, Hazem Eldaly

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The adaptation of architecture design to building function is getting highly needed in contemporary designs, especially with the great progression in design methods and tools. This, in turn, requires great flexibility in design strategies, as well as a wider spectrum of space settings to achieve the required environment that special activities imply. Acoustics is an essential factor influencing cognitive acts and behavior as well as, on the extreme end, the physical well-being inside a space. The complexity of this constrain is fueled up by the extended geometric dimensions of multipurpose halls, making acoustic adequateness a great concern that could not easily be achieved for each purpose. To achieve a performance oriented acoustic environment, various parametric shaped false ceilings based on origami folded notion are simulated. These parametric origami shapes are able to fold and unfold forming an interactive structure that changes the mutual acoustic environment according to the geometric shapes' position and its changing exposed surface areas. The mobility of the facets in the origami surface can stretch up the range from a complete plain surface to an unfolded element where a considerable amount of absorption is added to the space. The behavior of the parametric origami shapes are being modeled employing a ray tracing computer simulation package for various shapes topology. The conclusion shows a great variation in the acoustical performance due to the variation in folding faces of the origami surfaces, which cause different reflections and consequently large variations in decay curves.

Keywords: parametric, origami, acoustics, architecture

Procedia PDF Downloads 285

Authors: Elham Dehghan, A. Shirzadi Javid, Mohsen Tadayon

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Labor productivity is very important and gained special concerns among professionals in the construction industry, worldwide. Productivity improvements on labors achieve higher cost savings with minimal investment. Due to the fact that profit margins are small on construction projects, cost savings associated with productivity are crucial to become a successful contractor. This research program studies and highlights the factors affecting labor productivity in Iranian construction industry. A questionnaire was used to gather the relevant data from respondents who involve in managing various types of projects in wide areas in Iran. It involved ranking 57 predefined factors divided into 5 categories: Human/Labor; Financial; Management; Equipments/Materials and Environmental. Total 62 feedbacks were analyzed through the Relative Importance Index (RII) technique. The top ten factors affecting construction labor productivity in Iran are: 1) Professional capability of contractor project manager, 2) skills of contractor’s project management team, 3) professional capability of owner project manager, 4) professional capability of Consulting Project manager, 5) discipline working, 6) delay payments by the owner, 7) material shortages, 8) delays in delivery of materials, 9) turnover power of the owner, 10) poor site management. Recommendations have been made in the study to address these factors. The research has direct benefits to key stakeholders in Iranian construction industry.

Keywords: Iranian construction projects, labor, productivity, relative importance index

Procedia PDF Downloads 264

Authors: M. F. Alrubaie, S. A. Salih, W. A. Abbas

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Slurry infiltrated fiber concrete (SIFCON) is considered as a special type of high strength high-performance fiber reinforced concrete, extremely strong, and ductile. The objective of this study is to investigate the durability of SIFCON to corrosion in chloride environments. Six different SIFCON mixes were made in addition to two refinance mixes with 0% and 1.5% steel fiber content. All mixes were exposed to 10% chloride solution for 180 days. Half of the specimens were partially immersed in chloride solution, and the others were exposed to weekly cycles of wetting and drying in 10% chloride solution. The effectiveness of using corrosion inhibitors, mineral admixture, and epoxy protective coating were also evaluated as protective measures to reduce the effect of chloride attack and to improve the corrosion resistance of SIFCON mixes. Corrosion rates, half-cell potential, electrical resistivity, total permeability tests had been monitored monthly. The results indicated a significant improvement in performance for SIFCON mixes exposed to chloride environment, when using corrosion inhibitor or epoxy protective coating, whereas SIFCON mix contained mineral admixture (metakaolin) did not improve the corrosion resistance at the same level. The cyclic wetting and drying exposure were more aggressive to the specimens than the partial immersion in chloride solution although the observed surface corrosion for the later was clearer.

Keywords: chloride attack, chloride environments, corrosion inhibitor, corrosion resistance, durability, SIFCON, slurry infiltrated fiber concrete

Procedia PDF Downloads 137

Authors: Emily Purdom, Rachel Robinson

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As the number of students worldwide requiring speech-language therapy, occupational therapy and mental health services during their school day increases, innovation is becoming progressively more important to meet the demand. Telepractice can be used to reach a greater number of students requiring specialized therapy while maintaining the highest quality of care. It can be provided in a way that is not only effective but ultimately more convenient for student, teacher and therapist without the added burden of travel. Teletherapy eradicates many hurdles to traditional on-site service delivery and helps to solve the pervasive shortage of certified professionals. Because location is no longer a barrier to specialized education plans for students with disabilities when teletherapy is conducted, there are many advantages that can be deployed. Increased frequency of engagement is possible along with students receiving specialized care from a clinician that may not be in their direct area. Educational teams, including parents, can work together more easily and engage in face-to-face, student-centered collaboration through videoconference. Practical strategies will be provided for connecting students with qualified therapists without the typical in-person dynamic. In most cases, better therapy outcomes are going to be achieved when treatment is most convenient for the student and educator. This workshop will promote discussion in the field of education to increase advocacy for remote service delivery. It will serve as a resource for those wanting to expand their knowledge of options for students with special needs afforded through innovation.

Keywords: education technology, innovation, student support services, telepractice

Procedia PDF Downloads 246

Authors: Qiming Wang

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Dynamic polymer networks (DPNs) crosslinked by dynamic bonds have received intensive attention because of their special crack-healing capability. Diverse DPNs have been synthesized using a number of dynamic bonds, including dynamic covalent bond, hydrogen bond, ionic bond, metal-ligand coordination, hydrophobic interaction, and others. Despite the promising success in the polymer synthesis, the fundamental understanding of their self-healing mechanics is still at the very beginning. Especially, a general analytical model to understand the interfacial self-healing behaviors of DPNs has not been established. Here, we develop polymer-network based analytical theories that can mechanistically model the constitutive behaviors and interfacial self-healing behaviors of DPNs. We consider that the DPN is composed of interpenetrating networks crosslinked by dynamic bonds. bonds obey a force-dependent chemical kinetics. During the self-healing process, we consider the The network chains follow inhomogeneous chain-length distributions and the dynamic polymer chains diffuse across the interface to reform the dynamic bonds, being modeled by a diffusion-reaction theory. The theories can predict the stress-stretch behaviors of original and self-healed DPNs, as well as the healing strength in a function of healing time. We show that the theoretically predicted healing behaviors can consistently match the documented experimental results of DPNs with various dynamic bonds, including dynamic covalent bonds (diarylbibenzofuranone and olefin metathesis), hydrogen bonds, and ionic bonds. We expect our model to be a powerful tool for the self-healing community to invent, design, understand, and optimize self-healing DPNs with various dynamic bonds.

Keywords: self-healing polymers, dynamic covalent bonds, hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds

Procedia PDF Downloads 189

Authors: Hanadi Mohamed Shawgi Gamal, Claus Thomas Bues

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Wood density is a variable influencing many of the technological and quality properties of wood. Understanding the pattern of wood density radial variation is important for its end-use. The X-ray technique, traditionally applied to softwood species to assess the wood quality properties, due to its simple and relatively uniform wood structure. On the other hand, very limited information is available about the validation of using this technique for hardwood species. The suitability of using the X-ray technique for the determination of hardwood density has a special significance in countries like Sudan, where only a few timbers are well known. This will not only save the time consumed by using the traditional methods, but it will also enhance the investigations of the great number of the lesser known species, the thing which will fill the huge cap of lake information of hardwood species growing in Sudan. The current study aimed to evaluate the validation of using the X-ray densitometry technique to determine the radial variation of wood density of Acacia seyal var. seyal. To this, a total of thirty trees were collected randomly from four states in Sudan. The wood density radial trend was determined using the basic density as well as density obtained by the X-ray densitometry method in order to assess the validation of X-ray technique in wood density radial variation determination. The results showed that the pattern of radial trend of density obtained by X-ray technique is very similar to that achieved by basic density. These results confirmed the validation of using the X-ray technique for Acacia seyal var. seyal density radial trend determination. It also promotes the suitability of using this method in other hardwood species.

Keywords: x-ray densitometry, wood density, Acacia seyal var. seyal, radial variation

Procedia PDF Downloads 154

Authors: Nabaweesi Josephine, Namwanje Regina Germina

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Antenatal care is referred to as the totality of care given to pregnant women from conception to delivery from a certified health care setting. A number of 8 contacts is recommended throughout pregnancy, according to WHO, 2016. Antenatal services are free in Uganda courtesy of the government of Uganda, though attendance is still very low, which has continued to cause maternal and infant mortality and morbidity from preventable causes. Early booking has an advantage for proper pregnancy information sharing and pregnancy monitoring. The purpose of this study was to determine pregnant women's knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards attendance of antenatal care at Mukono General Hospital. A sample of 60 pregnant women was used, and a descriptive quantitative design was employed. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of questions about socio-demographic factors, knowledge, attitude, and practice, and this was affected using the structured interview method. Pregnant women had good practice at 90.2%, a positive attitude of 94.6%, and slightly less knowledge of 66.7%. Only 12% were knowledgeable about the number of antenatal care visits recommended, 45% had knowledge about when to initiate first antenatal care visit, and 79% had a positive attitude towards the early booking. We recommend that pregnant women are given all the necessary information regarding antenatal care with special emphasis on the recommended number of visits and when to initiate their first visit and encourage early booking in order to achieve the 8 contacts WHO policy for antenatal care since when we increase knowledge, we increase antenatal care utilization according to Anderson's behavioral model.

Keywords: ANC- antenatal care, contacts, mortality, morbidity

Procedia PDF Downloads 110

Authors: M. Adamczak-Retecka, O. Hołub-Śniadach

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Dangerous of climate change is now global problem and as such has a strategic priority also for the European Union. Europe and European citizens try to do their best to cut greenhouse gas emissions, moreover they substantially encourage other nations and regions to follow the same way. The European Commission and a number of Member States have developed adaptation strategies in order to help strengthen EU's resilience to the inevitable impacts of climate change. The EU has long been a driving force in international negotiations on climate change and was instrumental in the development of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. As the world's leading donor of development aid, the EU also provides substantial funding to help developing countries tackle climate change problem. Global warming influences human health, biodiversity, ecosystems but also many social and economic sectors. The aim of this paper is to focus on impact of claimant change on for food security. Food security challenges are directly related to globalization, climate change. It means that current and future food policy is exposed to all cross-cutting and that must be linked with environmental and climate targets, which supposed to be achieved. In the 7th EAP —The new general Union Environment Action Program to 2020, called “Living well, within the limits of our planet” EU has agreed to step up its efforts to protect natural capital, stimulate resource efficient, low carbon growth and innovation, and safeguard people’s health and wellbeing– while respecting the Earth’s natural limits.

Keywords: climate change, food security, sustainable food consumption, climate governance

Procedia PDF Downloads 180

Authors: Nasibullina A., Leonov D.

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The ultrasonography method is actively used for the early diagnosis of various le-sions in the human body, including the mammary gland. The incidence of breast cancer has increased by more than 20%, and mortality by 14% since 2008. The correctness of the diagnosis often directly depends on the qualifications and expe-rience of a diagnostic medical sonographer. That is why special attention should be paid to the practical training of future specialists. Anatomical phantoms are ex-cellent teaching tools because they accurately imitate the characteristics of real hu-man tissues and organs. The purpose of this work is to create a breast phantom for practicing ultrasound diagnostic skills in grayscale and elastography imaging, as well as ultrasound-guided biopsy sampling. We used silicone-like compounds ranging from 3 to 17 on the Shore scale hardness units to simulate soft tissue and lesions. Impurities with experimentally selected concentrations were added to give the phantom the necessary attenuation and reflection parameters. We used 3D modeling programs and 3D printing with PLA plastic to create the casting mold. We developed a breast phantom with inclusions of varying shape, elasticity and echogenicity. After testing the created phantom in B-mode and elastography mode, we performed a survey asking 19 participants how realistic the sonograms of the phantom were. The results showed that the closest to real was the model of the cyst with 9.5 on the 0-10 similarity scale. Thus, the developed breast phantom can be used for ultrasonography, elastography, and ultrasound-guided biopsy training.

Keywords: breast ultrasound, mammary gland, mammography, training phantom, tissue-mimicking materials

Procedia PDF Downloads 94

Authors: Yu-Cheng Lin, Yu-Chih Su

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Generally, there are many numerous existing problems during the construction phase special in civil engineering. The problems communication and management (PCM) of civil engineering are important and necessary to enhance the performance of construction management. The civil information modelling (CIM) approach is used to retain information with digital format and assist easy updating and transferring of information in the 3D environment for all related civil and infrastructure projects. When the application of CIM technology is adopted in infrastructure projects, all the related project participants can discuss problems and obtain feedback and responds among project participants integrated with the assistance of CIM models 3D illustration. Usually, electronic mail (e-mail) is one of the most popular communication tools among all related participants for rapid transit system (MRT), also known as a subway or metro, construction project in Taiwan. Furthermore, all interfaces should be traced and managed effectively during the process. However, there are many problems with the use of e-mail for communication of all interfaces. To solve the above problems, this study proposes a CIM-based Problem Communication and Management (CPCM) system to improve performance of problem communication and management. The CPCM system is applied to a case study of an MRT project in Taiwan to identify its CPCM effectiveness. Case study results show that the proposed CPCM system and Markup-enabled CIM Viewer are effective CIM-based communication tools in CIM-supported PCM work of civil engineering. Finally, this study identifies conclusion, suggestion, benefits, and limitations for further applications.

Keywords: building information modeling, civil information modeling, infrastructure, general contractor

Procedia PDF Downloads 152

Authors: Davoud Mokhtari

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One of the factors behind the increasing development of geotourism is the identification and introduction of new facets of amazing geosphere phenomena. The Misho-Dagh Mountains in northwestern Iran are one of the rich geodiversity areas. The presence of some rare and interesting phenomena in this mountain has increased the potential of this region for geotourism development. Active pressure ridges, arcuate valleys, sag Ponds, granite complexes, glacial rock springs, and displaced habitats due to tectonic activity are among the most significant phenomena in the study area. The research is based on the literature review of geotourism and personal research experiences on geomorphosites of the northwest of Iran. Monitoring the changes of geomorphosites and evaluation of corresponding changes in the geomorphosite̕s location and their capabilities using satellite images and fieldwork is done. In this study, six geomorphosite were introduced, each with special characteristics and with one of the geotourism topics. Selection of this location of northwestern Iran is due to the focus of author of this paper is on this part of the country, and there is no doubt that such places, even with higher values of geotourism, there are in various parts of Iran and the world that could be interested in this field of emerging science. From in situ observations taken in the field and estimating a level of impact, employing assessment techniques, and then finally extrapolating the resultant factors across all case studies, we have been able to generate a geotourism map for future planning purposes. Accordingly, it should be noted that we are not just part of the landscape of the geomorphosites. The geomorphosites are also part of our landscape. It is hoped that the findings of this paper can open a new world of geotourism that, if is not associated with geomorphological processes, will be very short.

Keywords: geotourism, sources of geotourism, geotouristic areas, mishow_dagh, northwest of Iran

Procedia PDF Downloads 93

Authors: Bilge B. Calik, Ummuhan B. Aslan, Suat Erel, Sehmus Aslan

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Objective: Intellectual disability (ID) is characterized by limitations in both intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior, which covers many everyday social and practical skills. The aim of this study was to evaluate the balance and coordination performance determined between mild and moderate ID adolescents who regularly play sport. Methods: The study comprised a total of 179 participants, of which 135 were male adolescents with mild and moderate-level ID who regularly play sports (16.52 ± 2.17 years) and 44 age-matched male adolescents with typical development without ID who do not do any sports (16.52 ± 0.99 years). The participants with ID were students of Special Education Schools for the mentally disabled and had been diagnosed with ID at a Ministry of Health Hospital. The adolescents with mild and moderate ID had been playing football in their school teams at least 2 days a week, for at least one year. Balance and coordination of adolescents were assessed by Bilateral coordination and balance subtests of Short Form Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2 SF). Results: As a result of the evaluations comparing coordination and balance scores significant differences were determined between all three groups in favor of the peers without ID (p<0.05). Conclusions: It was observed that balance and coordination levels of adolescents with mild ID were better than those of adolescents with moderate-level ID but lower than those of peers without ID. These results indicate a relationship between IQ level and motor performance. Further comparative studies are needed on individuals with ID who play and do not play sports in order to examine the impact of participation in sports on the motor skills of individuals with ID.

Keywords: balance, coordination, intellectual disability, motor skills, sport

Procedia PDF Downloads 332

Authors: Özgür Öztürk, Cumhur Sipahi, Hande Yeşil

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Implant retained restorations commonly consist of a metal-framework veneered with ceramic or composite facings. The increasing and expanding use of indirect resin composites in dentistry is a result of innovations in materials and processing techniques. Of special interest to the implant restorative field is the possibility that composites present significantly lower peak vertical and transverse forces transmitted at the peri-implant level compared to metal-ceramic supra structures in implant-supported restorations. A 43-year-old male patient referred to the department of prosthodontics for an implant retained fixed prosthesis. The clinical and radiographic examination of the patient demonstrated the presence of an implant in the right mandibular first molar tooth region. A considerable amount of marginal bone loss around the implant was detected in radiographic examinations combined with a remarkable peri-implant soft tissue deficiency. To minimize the chewing loads transmitted to the implant-bone interface it was decided to fabricate an indirect composite resin veneered single metal crown over a screw-retained abutment. At the end of the treatment, the functional and aesthetic deficiencies were fully compensated. After a 6 months clinical and radiographic follow-up period the not any additional pathologic invasion was detected in the implant-bone interface and implant retained restoration did not reveal any vehement complication.

Keywords: dental implant, fixed partial dentures, indirect composite resin, peri-implant defects

Procedia PDF Downloads 263

Authors: Jyoti Srivastava, Sandhya S. Kaushik, Mallika Tewari, Hari S. Shukla

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Little information is available about the development of psychological well being over time among women who have been undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The aim of this study was to identify the trajectories of depression anxiety and stress among women with early-stage breast cancer. Of the 48 Indian women with newly diagnosed early-stage breast cancer recruited from surgical oncology unit, 39 completed an interview and were assessed for depression anxiety and stress (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-DASS 21) before their first course of chemotherapy (baseline) and follow up interviews at 3, 6 and 9 months thereafter. Growth mixture modeling was used to identify distinct trajectories of Depression Anxiety and Stress symptoms. Logistic Regression analysis was used to evaluate the characteristics of women in distinct groups. Most women showed mild to moderate level of depression and anxiety (68%) while normal to mild level of stress (71%). But one in 11 women was chronically anxious (9%) and depressed (9%). Young age, having a partner, shorter education and receiving chemotherapy but not radiotherapy might characterize women whose psychological symptoms remain strong nine months after diagnosis. By looking beyond the mean, it was found that several socio-demographic and treatment factors characterized the women whose depression, anxiety and stress level remained severe even nine months after diagnosis. The results suggest that support provided to cancer patients should have a special focus on a relatively small group of patient most in need.

Keywords: psychological well being, growth mixture modeling, logistic regression analysis, socio-demographic factors

Procedia PDF Downloads 149

Authors: Harikrishna Yadav Nanganuru, Narasimhulu Korrapati

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The demand for the lead (Pb) in the battery industry has been growing for last twenty years. On an average about 2.35 million tons of lead is used in the battery industry. According to the survey of supply and demand battery industry is using 75% of lead produced every year. Due to the increase in battery scrap, secondary lead production has been increasing in this decade. Europe and USA together account for 75% of the world’s secondary lead production. The effluent from used battery scrap consists of high concentrations of lead. Unauthorized disposal of spent batteries, which contain intolerable concentration of lead, into landfills or municipal water canals causes release of Pb into the environment. Lead is one of the toxic heavy metals that have large damaging effects on the human health. Due to its persistence and toxicity, the presence of Pb in drinking water is considered as a special concern. Accumulation of Pb in the human body for long period of time can result in the malfunctioning of some organs. Many technologies have been developed for the removal of lead using microorganisms. In this paper, effluent was taken from the spent battery scrap and was characterized by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer. Microorganisms play an important role in removal of lead from the contaminated sites. So, the bacteria were isolated from the effluent. Optimum conditions for the microbial growth and applied for the lead removal. These bacterial cells were immobilized and used for the removal of Pb from the known concentration of metal solution. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) studies were shown that the Pb was efficiently adsorbed by the immobilized bacteria. From the results of Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), 83.40 percentage of Pb was removed in a batch culture.

Keywords: adsorption, effluent, immobilization, lead (Pb)

Procedia PDF Downloads 457

Authors: Ma Yuzhe, Burra Venkata Durga Kumar

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The computer is a great invention. As people use computers more and more frequently, the demand for PCs is growing, and the performance of computer hardware is also rising to face more complex processing and operation. However, the operating system, which provides the soul for computers, has stopped developing at a stage. In the face of the high price of UNIX (Uniplexed Information and Computering System), batch after batch of personal computer owners can only give up. Disk Operating System is too simple and difficult to bring innovation into play, which is not a good choice. And MacOS is a special operating system for Apple computers, and it can not be widely used on personal computers. In this environment, Linux, based on the UNIX system, was born. Linux combines the advantages of the operating system and is composed of many microkernels, which is relatively powerful in the core architecture. Linux system supports all Internet protocols, so it has very good network functions. Linux supports multiple users. Each user has no influence on their own files. Linux can also multitask and run different programs independently at the same time. Linux is a completely open source operating system. Users can obtain and modify the source code for free. Because of these advantages of Linux, it has also attracted a large number of users and programmers. The Linux system is also constantly upgraded and improved. It has also issued many different versions, which are suitable for community use and commercial use. Linux system has good security because it relies on a file partition system. However, due to the constant updating of vulnerabilities and hazards, the using security of the operating system also needs to be paid more attention to. This article will focus on the analysis and discussion of Linux security issues.

Keywords: Linux, operating system, system management, security

Procedia PDF Downloads 111

Authors: Saji Varghese

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Naturally dried and fallen coconut leaves and found in abundance in India and other coconut growing regions of the world. These fallen coconut leaves are usually burnt by farmers in landfills and open kitchens, leading to CO2 and particulate emissions. The innovation of biodegradable drinking straws from naturally dried and fallen coconut leaves by this researcher and his team has opened up opportunities to create value out of this agri-waste leading to i. prevention of burning of these discarded leaves ii. income generating opportunities to women in rural areas of coconut growing regions iii. an alternative to single use plastic straws. The team has developed five special purpose machines, which are deployed in the three villages on a pilot basis where 36 women are employed. The women are trained in the use of these machines, and the straws which are in good demand are sold globally. The present paper analyses the prospective impact of this innovation on the incomes of women working at the straw production centres and the consequent impact on their standards of living, The paper also analyses the impact of this innovation in the reduction of CO2 and particulate emissions and makes a case for support from Govt and Non Govt organizations in coconut growing regions to set up straw production centres to boost rural circular economy and to reduce carbon footprint and eliminate plastic pollution

Keywords: drinking straws, coconut leaves, circular economy, sustainability

Procedia PDF Downloads 139

Authors: Gerald H. Artisen, Miah Joy O Awing, Elydia O. Ayat, Rachel L. Ayangwa, Zeah D. Baggas, Aspen S. Baguiyac, Delight D. Baguiyac, Kristine G. Bakidan, Nemesis B. Bakidan, Ketly B. Balanggao, Rhea G. Bala-Is, Hope Lulet A. Lomioan

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The study investigated the prevalence and risk factors associated with postpartum depression among mothers in the Pasil, Kalinga, contributing to a better understanding of the mental health challenges faced by this specific population. This research utilized a cross-sectional descriptive study to assess postpartum depression prevalence and identify contributing factors in Pasil, utilizing a quantitative approach and collecting data on sociodemographic characteristics, obstetric data, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. The study concluded that probable depression can be seen among mothers in the Pasil, which resulted in a risk of suicidality with a percentage of 40.08. Additionally, most of the respondents are aged 28–32, married, have a college degree, are unemployed, have a monthly income of 1,000–5,000, are female, have hypertension, gave birth naturally, have two children, have a planned pregnancy, and are currently breastfeeding. Lastly, the study found that mothers in Pasil who have unplanned pregnancies under obstetric factors are at high risk of developing postpartum depression, with a p-value below the 0.05 level. The study recommends barangay health professionals develop initiatives to inform aspiring mothers about postpartum depression (PPD) and resources to help them adjust to motherhood. It also recommends frequent check-ins with new mothers to identify special healthcare needs. Programs should be independently funded by LGUs, and support from family and relatives is recommended to prevent PPD.

Keywords: maternal health, postpartum depression, mothers, Pasil

Procedia PDF Downloads 33

Authors: J. Thiele

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Teachers working at vocational Colleges are often confronted with the problem, that many students graduated from different schools and therefore each had a different education. Especially in mathematics many students lack fundamentals or had different priorities at their previous schools. Furthermore, these vocational Colleges have to provide Graduations for many different working-fields, with different core themes. The Colleges are interested in measuring the different Education levels of their students and providing assistance for those who need to catch up. The Project mathe-meistern was initiated to remedy this problem at vocational Colleges. For this purpose, online-tests were developed. The aim of these tests is to evaluate basic mathematical abilities of the students. The tests are online Multiple-Choice-Tests with a total of 65 Items. They are accessed online with a unique Transaction-Number (TAN) for each participant. The content is divided in several Categories (Arithmetic, Algebra, Fractions, Geometry, etc.). After each test, the student gets a personalized summary depicting their strengths and weaknesses in mathematical Basics. Teachers can visit a special website to examine the results of their classes or single students. In total 5830 students did participate so far. For standardization and optimization purposes the tests are being evaluated, using the classic and probabilistic Test-Theory regarding Objectivity, Reliability and Validity, annually since 2015. This Paper is about the Optimization process considering the Rasch-scaling and Standardization of the tests. Additionally, current results using standardized tests will be discussed. To achieve this Competence levels and Types of errors of students attending vocational Colleges in Nordrheinwestfalen, Germany, were determined, using descriptive Data and Distractorevaluations.

Keywords: diagnostical tests in mathematics, distractor devaluation, test-optimization, test-theory

Procedia PDF Downloads 127

Authors: Itay Harlap

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Over the past decade, LGBT figures have become increasingly visible on Israeli television in its various channels and genres. In recent years, however, the representation of gays on Israeli television has undergone an interesting shift, whereby many television texts feature gay people as fathers. These texts, mostly news items and documentaries, usually present gay parenthood as a positive phenomenon. The question in paper is whether LGBT parenting (in reality and as representation) fated to be part of the homonormativity that characterizes the LGBT community in Israel, or can it be an alternative to the hegemonic discourse? This paper embraces a dialectical position and explores the tension between mainstream and radical, or homonormativity and queer politics in the specific Israeli Jewish context through a textual and discursive reading of a selection of television programs that revolve principally around gay parenting in Israel. The first part of this lecture addresses the cultural and social context that generated these representations, dealing with three key Israeli areas: The fertility cult, the evolution of the LGBT community, and the evolution of local television. The second part offers a queer reading of these ‘positive’ representations (mainly in special reports on the news and programs labeled as ‘documentaries’ by broadcasters) and highlight the possible price of the ‘bear hug’ given by Israeli media to gay parents. The last part focuses on a single case study, the TV serial drama Ima Veabaz, and suggests that this drama exposes the performative aspect of parenting and the connection between ethnicity and fertility, and offers an alternative to normative displays of gay parenting.

Keywords: fatherhood, heteronormativity, Israel, queer theory, television

Procedia PDF Downloads 363