Search results for: transitional justice mechanisms

Authors: S. A. Hashemi, A. Khoshraftar

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This paper presents the influence of the vertical seismic component on the non-linear dynamics analysis of three different structures. The subject structures were analyzed and designed according to recent codes. This paper considers three types of buildings: 5-, 10-, and 15-story buildings. The non-linear dynamics analysis of the structures with assuming elastic-perfectly-plastic behavior was performed using Ram Perform-3D software; the horizontal component was taken into consideration with and without the incorporation of the corresponding vertical component. Dynamic responses obtained for the horizontal component acting alone were compared with those obtained from the simultaneous application of both seismic components. The results show that the effect of the vertical component of the ground motion may increase the axial load significantly in the interior columns and consequently, the stories. The plastic mechanisms would be changed. The P-Delta effect is expected to increase. The punching base plate shear of the columns should be considered. Moreover, the vertical component increases the input energy when the structures exhibit inelastic behavior and are taller.

Keywords: inelastic behavior, non-linear dynamic analysis, steel structure, vertical component

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Authors: Soheil Zorofchian Moghadamtousi, Habsah Abdul Kadir, Mohammadjavad Paydar, Elham Rouhollahi, Hamed Karimian

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The present study was designed to evaluate the molecular mechanisms of Annona muricata leaves ethyl acetate extract (AMEAE) against lung cancer A549 cells. Cell viability analysis revealed the selective cytotoxic effect of AMEAE towards A549 cells. Treatment of A549 cells with AMEAE significantly elevated the reactive oxygen species formation, followed by attenuation of mitochondrial membrane potential via upregulation of Bax and downregulation of Bcl-2, accompanied by cytochrome c release to the cytosol. The released cytochrome c triggered the activation of caspase-9 followed by caspase-3. In addition, AMEAE-induced apoptosis was accompanied by cell cycle arrest at G1 phase. Our data showed for the first time that AMEAE inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells, leading to cell cycle arrest and programmed cell death through activation of the mitochondrial-mediated signaling pathway.

Keywords: Annona muricata, lung cancer, apoptosis, mitochondria

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Authors: Ali Zaimi

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Citizen participation in local government is an opportunity given to citizens and government to increase communication between them, create public support for local government plans and most important grow public trust in government. Also, the citizens’ involvement in the political process is an important part of democracy. This study aims to define the strategies for increasing citizen participation in local governance and concentrated in two important mechanisms such as participatory budget and public policy councils. Three strategies that promote more effective citizen involvement in local governance are understanding and using formal institutions of power, collaboration of citizens’ groups and governments officials to jointly formulate programs plans, electing and appointing local officials. A unique aspect of citizen participation to operate effectively is the transparency of government and the inclusion of actors into decision-making. The citizen engagement in local governance enhances accountability and problem solving, promote more inclusive and cohesive communities and enlarge the quality and quantity of initiatives made by communities.

Keywords: accountability, citizen participation, democracy, government

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Authors: Obidimma Ezezika

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In light of the increasing importance of trust in development programs, the purpose of this study, was to identify how trust functions as an essential key determinant in successful innovation and technology development programs. Using projects in the agricultural sector as case studies, we determined how the concept of trust is understood. Our data collection relied on semi-structured, face-to-face interviews conducted as part of a larger study investigating the role of trust in development programs. Interview transcripts were analyzed to create a narrative on how trust is understood by the study’s participants and how trust functions in fostering innovation. We identified six themes and showed how trust plays an important factor in innovation. These themes included the practice of integrity and honesty; delivery of results in an accountable manner; capability and competency; sharing of the same objectives and interests; transparency about actions and intentions through clear communication; and the targeting of services toward the interests of the public. The results of this study can provide guidance on how to enhance implementation mechanisms and provide impetus for organizations to implement trust building activities in fostering effective innovation.

Keywords: trust, research, innovation, technology

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Authors: Mahmoudi Noureddine

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The glass fiber (GF) reinforced polyimide (PL) composites filled with graphite powders were fabricated by means of hot press molding technique. The friction and wear properties of the resulting composites sliding against GCr15 steel were investigated on a model ring-on-block test rig at dry sliding condition. The wear mechanisms were also discussed, based on scanning electron microscopic examination of the worn surface of the PL composites and the transfer film formed on the counterpart. With the increasing normal loads, the friction coefficient of the composites increased under the dry sliding, owing to inconsistent influences of shear strength and real contact areas. Experimental results revealed that the incorporation of graphite significantly improve the wear resistance of the glass fibers reinforced polyimide composites. For best combination of friction coefficient and wear rate, the optimal volume content of graphite in the composites appears to be 45 %. It was also found that the tribological properties of the glass fiber reinforced PL composites filled with graphite powders were closely related with the sliding condition such as sliding rate and applied load.

Keywords: composites, fiber, friction, wear

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Authors: Anas Hallak, Latifa Seblini, Juergen Wilde

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In mechatronics or sensor technology, plastic housings are used to protect sensitive components from harmful environmental influences, such as moisture, media, or reactive substances. Connections, preferably in the form of metallic lead-frame structures, through the housing wall are required for their electrical supply or control. In this system, an insufficient connection between the plastic component, e.g., Polyamide66, and the metal surface, e.g., copper, due to the incompatibility is dominating. As a result, leakage paths can occur along with the plastic-metal interface. Since adhesive bonding has been established as one of the most important joining processes and its use has expanded significantly, driven by the development of improved high-performance adhesives and bonding techniques, this technology has been involved in metal-plastic hybrid structures. In this study, an epoxy bonding agent from DELO (DUALBOND LT2266) has been used to improve the mechanical and chemical binding between the metal and the polymer. It is an adhesion promoter with two reaction stages. In these, the first stage provides fixation to the lead frame directly after the coating step, which can be done by UV-Exposure for a few seconds. In the second stage, the material will be thermally hardened during injection molding. To analyze the two reaction stages of the primer, dynamic DSC experiments were carried out and correlated with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy measurements. Furthermore, the number of crosslinking bonds formed in the system in each reaction stage has also been estimated by a rheological characterization. Those investigations have been performed with different times of UV exposure: 12, 96 s and in an industrial preferred temperature range from -20 to 175°C. The shear viscosity values of primer have been measured as a function of temperature and exposure times. For further interpretation, the storage modulus values have been calculated, and the so-called Booij–Palmen plot has been sketched. The next approach in this study is the self-healing mechanisms in the hydride system in which the primer should flow into micro-damage such as interface, cracks, inhibit them from growing, and close them. The ability of the primer to flow in and penetrate defined capillaries made in Ultramid was investigated. Holes with a diameter of 0.3 mm were produced in injection-molded A3EG7 plates with 4 mm thickness. A copper substrate coated with the DUALBOND was placed on the A3EG7 plate and pressed with a certain force. Metallographic analyses were carried out to verify the filling grade, which showed an almost 95% filling ratio of the capillaries. Finally, to estimate the self-healing mechanism in metal-plastic hybrid systems, characterizations have been done on a simple geometry with a metal inlay developed by the Institute of Polymer Technology in Friedrich-Alexander-University. The specimens have been modified with tungsten wire which was to be pulled out after the injection molding to create a micro-hole in the specimen at the interface between the primer and the polymer. The capability of the primer to heal those micro-cracks upon heating, pressing, and thermal aging has been characterized through metallographic analyses.

Keywords: hybrid structures, self-healing, thermoplastic housing, adhesive

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Authors: Shai Gabay

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The tunnel effect describes the phenomenon where a moving object seems to persist even when temporarily hidden from view. Numerous studies indicate that humans, infants, and nonhuman primates possess object persistence, relying on spatiotemporal cues to track objects that are dynamically occluded. While this ability is associated with neural activity in the cerebral neocortex of humans and mammals, the role of subcortical mechanisms remains ambiguous. In our current investigation, we explore the functional contribution of monocular aspects of the visual system, predominantly subcortical, to the representation of occluded objects. This is achieved by manipulating whether the reappearance of an object occurs in the same or different eye from its disappearance. Additionally, we employ Archerfish, renowned for their precision in dislodging insect prey with water jets, as a phylogenetic model to probe the evolutionary origins of the tunnel effect. Our findings reveal the active involvement of subcortical structures in the mental representation of occluded objects, a process evident even in species that do not possess cortical tissue.

Keywords: archerfish, tunnel effect, mental representations, monocular channels, subcortical structures

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Authors: Julia DeVoy, Olivia Berlin

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The United States exports over 1.6 billion pounds of post-consumer textiles every year, primarily to countries in the Global South. These textiles make their way to landfills and open-air dumps where they decompose, contaminating water systems and releasing harmful greenhouse gases. Through this inequitable system of waste disposal, countries with less political and economic power are coerced into accepting the environmental and health consequences of over-consumption in the Global North. Thus, the global trade of post-consumer textile waste represents a serious issue of environmental justice and a public health hazard. Our research located, characterizes, and quantifies the environmental and human health risks that occur when post-consumer textiles are left to decompose in landfills and open-air dumps in the Global South. In our work, we make use of United Nations International Trade Statistics data to map the global distribution of post-consumer textiles exported from the United States. Next, we present our landfill simulating reactor designed to measure toxicity of leachate resulting from the decomposition of textiles in developing countries and to quantify the related greenhouse gas emissions. This design makes use of low-cost and sustainable materials to promote frugal innovation and make landfill reactors more accessible. Finally, we describe how the data generated from these tools can be leveraged to inform individual consumer behaviors, local policies around textile waste disposal, and global advocacy efforts to mitigate the environmental harms caused by textile waste.

Keywords: sustainability, textile design, public health, built environment

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Authors: Samantha Rix

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The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the cognitive processing of learners who receive input but produce very little or no output, and who, when they do produce output, exhibit a similar language proficiency as do those learners who produced output more regularly in the language classroom. Previous studies have investigated the benefits of output (with somewhat differing results); therefore, the presentation will begin with an investigation of what may underlie gains in proficiency without output. Consequently, a pilot study was designed and conducted to gain insight into the cognitive processing of low-output language learners looking, for example, at quantity and quality of noticing. This will be carried out within the paradigm of action classroom research, observing and interviewing low-output language learners in an intensive English program at a small Midwest university. The results of the pilot study indicated that autonomy in language learning, specifically utilizing strategies such self-monitoring, self-talk, and thinking 'out-loud', were crucial in the development of language proficiency for academic-level performance. The presentation concludes with an examination of pedagogical implication for classroom use in order to aide students in their language development.

Keywords: cognitive processing, language learners, language proficiency, learning strategies

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Authors: Sara Mosteller, Larissa K. Samuelson, Sobanawartiny Wijeakumar, John P. Spencer

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This study was designed to examine how humans are able to teach and learn semantic information as well as cooperate in order to jointly achieve sophisticated goals. Specifically, we are measuring individual differences in how these abilities develop from foundational building blocks in early childhood. The current study adopts a paradigm for novel noun learning developed by Samuelson, Smith, Perry, and Spencer (2011) to a hyperscanning paradigm [Cui, Bryant and Reiss, 2012]. This project measures coordinated brain activity between a parent and child using simultaneous functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in pairs of 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5-year-old children and their parents. We are also separately testing pairs of adult friends. Children and parents, or adult friends, are seated across from one another at a table. The parent (in the developmental study) then teaches their child the names of novel toys. An experimenter then tests the child by presenting the objects in pairs and asking the child to retrieve one object by name. Children are asked to choose from both pairs of familiar objects and pairs of novel objects. In order to explore individual differences in cooperation with the same participants, each dyad plays a cooperative game of Jenga, in which their joint score is based on how many blocks they can remove from the tower as a team. A preliminary analysis of the noun-learning task showed that, when presented with 6 word-object mappings, children learned an average of 3 new words (50%) and that the number of objects learned by each child ranged from 2-4. Adults initially learned all of the new words but were variable in their later retention of the mappings, which ranged from 50-100%. We are currently examining differences in cooperative behavior during the Jenga playing game, including time spent discussing each move before it is made. Ongoing analyses are examining the social dynamics that might underlie the differences between words that were successfully learned and unlearned words for each dyad, as well as the developmental differences observed in the study. Additionally, the Jenga game is being used to better understand individual and developmental differences in social coordination during a cooperative task. At a behavioral level, the analysis maps periods of joint visual attention between participants during the word learning and the Jenga game, using head-mounted eye trackers to assess each participant’s first-person viewpoint during the session. We are also analyzing the coherence in brain activity between participants during novel word-learning and Jenga playing. The first hypothesis is that visual joint attention during the session will be positively correlated with both the number of words learned and with the number of blocks moved during Jenga before the tower falls. The next hypothesis is that successful communication of new words and success in the game will each be positively correlated with synchronized brain activity between the parent and child/the adult friends in cortical regions underlying social cognition, semantic processing, and visual processing. This study probes both the neural and behavioral mechanisms of learning and cooperation in a naturalistic, interactive and developmental context.

Keywords: communication, cooperation, development, interaction, neuroscience

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Authors: Reihaneh Ahmadzadeh Ghavidel

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Free radicals such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) have detrimental effects on human health through several mechanisms. On the other hand, antioxidant molecules reduce free radical generation in biologic systems. Synthetic antioxidants, which are used in food industry, have also negative impact on human health. Therefore recognition of natural antioxidants such as anthocyanins can solve these problems simultaneously. Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) with red leaves is a rich source of anthocyanins compounds. In this study we evaluated the effect of time (10, 20 and 30 min) and temperature (40, 50 and 60° C) on optimization of anthocyanin extraction using surface response method. In addition, the study was aimed to determine maximum extraction for anthocyanin from coleus plant using ultrasound method. The results indicated that the optimum conditions for extraction were 39.84 min at 69.25° C. At this point, total compounds were achieved 3.7451 mg 100 ml⁻¹. Furthermore, under optimum conditions, anthocyanin concentration, extraction efficiency, ferric reducing ability, total phenolic compounds and EC50 were registered 3.221931, 6.692765, 223.062, 3355.605 and 2.614045, respectively.

Keywords: anthocyanin, antioxidant, coleus, extraction, sonication

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Authors: Elif Kalkanli, Constantinos Soutis

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The use of textile preform in the advanced fields including aerospace, automotive and marine has exponentially grown in recent years. These preforms offer excellent advantages such as being lightweight and low-cost, and also, their suitability for creating different fiber architectures with different materials whilst improved mechanical properties in certain aspects. In this study, a novel honeycomb core is developed by a 3Dweaving process. The assembly of the layers is achieved thanks to innovative weaving design. Polyester yarn is selected for the 3D woven honeycomb core (3DWHC). The core is used to manufacture a sandwich panel with 2x2 twill glass fiber composite face sheets. These 3DWHC sandwich panels will be tested in three-point bending. The in-plane and out-of-plane (through-the-thickness) mechanical response of the core will be examined as a function of cell size in addition to the flexural response of the sandwich panel. The failure mechanisms of the core and the sandwich skins will be reported in addition to flexural strength and stiffness. Possible engineering applications will be identified.

Keywords: 3D woven, assembly, failure modes, honeycomb sandwich panel

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Authors: Man Ying Kang, Joshua Kin Man Nan

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The prolonged pandemic has posed alarming public health challenges to various parts of the world, and face-to-face mental health treatment is largely discounted for the control of virus transmission, online psychological services and self-help mental health kits have become essential. Online self-help mindfulness-based interventions have proved their effects on fostering mental health for different populations over the globe. This paper was to test the effectiveness of an online short-term audio-based mindfulness (SAM) program in enhancing wellbeing, dispositional mindfulness, and reducing stress and negative affect in community settings in China, and to explore possible mechanisms of how dispositional mindfulness, stress, and negative affect influenced the intervention effects on wellbeing. Community-dwelling adults were recruited via online social networking sites (e.g., QQ, WeChat, and Weibo). Participants (n=100) were randomized into the mindfulness group (n=50) and a waitlist control group (n=50). In the mindfulness group, participants were advised to spend 10–20 minutes listening to the audio content, including mindful-form practices (e.g., eating, sitting, walking, or breathing). Then practice daily mindfulness exercises for 3 weeks (a total of 21 sessions), whereas those in the control group received the same intervention after data collection in the mindfulness group. Participants in the mindfulness group needed to fill in the World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index (WHO), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI) four times: at baseline (T0) and at 1 (T1), 2 (T2), and 3 (T3) weeks while those in the waitlist control group only needed to fill in the same scales at pre- and post-interventions. Repeated-measure analysis of variance, paired sample t-test, and independent sample t-test was used to analyze the variable outcomes of the two groups. The parallel process latent growth curve modeling analysis was used to explore the longitudinal moderated mediation effects. The dependent variable was WHO slope from T0 to T3, the independent variable was Group (1=SAM, 2=Control), the mediator was FMI slope from T0 to T3, and the moderator was T0NA and T0PSS separately. The different levels of moderator effects on WHO slope was explored, including low T0NA or T0PSS (Mean-SD), medium T0NA or T0PSS (Mean), and high T0NA or T0PSS (Mean+SD). The results found that SAM significantly improved and predicted higher levels of WHO slope and FMI slope, as well as significantly reduced NA and PSS. FMI slope positively predict WHO slope. FMI slope partially mediated the relationship between SAM and WHO slope. Baseline NA and PSS as the moderators were found to be significant between SAM and WHO slope and between SAM and FMI slope, respectively. The conclusion was that SAM was effective in promoting levels of mental wellbeing, positive affect, and dispositional mindfulness as well as reducing negative affect and stress in community settings in China. SAM improved wellbeing faster through the faster enhancement of dispositional mindfulness. Participants with medium-to-high negative affect and stress buffered the therapy effects of SAM on wellbeing improvement speed.

Keywords: mindfulness, negative affect, stress, wellbeing, randomized control trial

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Authors: Mbadiwe S. Benyeogor, Oladayo O. Olakanmi, Kosisochukwu P. Nnoli, Olusegun I. Lawal, Eric JJ. Gratton

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For a robot or any vehicular system to navigate in off-road terrain, its driving mechanisms and the electro-software system must be capable of generating, controlling, and moderating sufficient mechanical power with precision. This paper proposes an autonomous robot with a gyro-stabilized active suspension system in form of a hybrid quadrupedal wheel drive mechanism. This system is to serve as a miniature model for demonstrating how off-road vehicles can be robotized into efficient terramechanical mobile platforms that are capable of self-balanced autonomous navigation and maneuvering on rough and uneven topographies. Results from tests and analysis show that the developed system performs as expected. Therefore, our model and control devices can be adapted to computerizing, automating, and upgrading the operation of unmanned ground vehicles for off-road navigation.

Keywords: active suspension, autonomous robots, edge computing, navigational sensors, terramechanics

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Authors: Ashwani Kumar

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Abstract- This study presents an analytical modeling approach for analyzing the drain current behavior in Tunnel Field-Effect Transistor (TFET) biosensors used for the detection of DNA biomolecules. The proposed model focuses on elucidating the relationship between the drain current and the presence of DNA biomolecules, taking into account the impact of various device parameters and biomolecule characteristics. Through comprehensive analysis, the model offers insights into the underlying mechanisms governing the sensing performance of TFET biosensors, aiding in the optimization of device design and operation. A non-local tunneling model is incorporated with other essential models to accurately trace the simulation and modeled data. An experimental validation of the model is provided, demonstrating its efficacy in accurately predicting the drain current response to DNA biomolecule detection. The sensitivity attained from the analytical model is compared and contrasted with the ongoing research work in this area.

Keywords: biosensor, double-gate TFET, DNA detection, drain current modeling, sensitivity

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Authors: Kenneth Nhundu, Leocadia Zhou, Farhad Aghdasi, Voster Muchenje

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Climate change poses increased risks to rural communities that rely on natural resources, such as forests, cropland and rangeland, waterways, and open spaces Because of their connection to the land and the potential for climate change to impact natural resources and disrupt ecosystems and seasons, rural livelihoods and well-being are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change. Climate change has the potential to affect the environment in a number of ways that place increased stress on everyone, but disproportionately on the most vulnerable populations, including the young, the old, those with chronic illness, and the poor. The communities in the study area are predominantly rural, resource-based and are generally surrounded by public or private lands that are dominated by natural resources, including forests, rangelands, and agriculture. The livelihoods of these communities are tied to natural resources. Therefore, targeted strategies to cope will be required. This paper assessed the household socio-economic characteristics and their implications to household vulnerability to climate change impacts in the rural Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The results indicate that the rural communities are climate-vulnerable populations as they have a large proportion of people who are less economically or physically capable of adapting to climate change. The study therefore recommends that at each level, the needs, knowledge, and voices of vulnerable populations, including indigenous peoples and resource-based communities, deserve consideration and incorporation so that climate change policy (1) ensures that all people are supported and able to act, (2) provides as robust a strategy as possible to address a rapidly changing environment, and (3) enhances equity and justice.

Keywords: climate change, vulnerable, socio-economic, livelihoods

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Authors: K. Bourouni, M. Chacha, T. Jaber, A. Tchantchane

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In Multi-Effect Distillation (MED) desalination evaporators, the scale deposit outside the tubes presents a barrier to heat transfers reducing the global heat transfer coefficient and causing a decrease in water production; hence a loss of efficiency and an increase in operating and maintenance costs. Scale removal (by acid cleaning) is the main maintenance operation and constitutes the major reason for periodic plant shutdowns. A better understanding of scale deposition mechanisms will lead to an accurate determination of the variation of scale thickness around the tubes and an improved accuracy of the overall heat transfer coefficient calculation. In this paper, a coupled heat transfer-calcium carbonate scale deposition model on a horizontal tube bundle is presented. The developed tool is used to determine precisely the heat transfer area leading to a significant cost reduction for a given water production capacity. Simulations are carried to investigate the influence of different parameters such as water salinity, temperature, etc. on the heat transfer.

Keywords: multi-effect-evaporator, scale deposition, water desalination, heat transfer coefficient

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Authors: Fatéma Zahra Benchara, Mohamed Youssfi, Omar Bouattane, Hassan Ouajji, Mohamed Ouadi Bensalah

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In this paper, we propose a new distributed environment for High Performance Computing (HPC) based on mobile agents. It allows us to perform parallel programs execution as distributed one over a flexible grid constituted by a cooperative mobile agent team works. The distributed program to be performed is encapsulated on team leader agent which deploys its team workers as Agent Virtual Processing Unit (AVPU). Each AVPU is asked to perform its assigned tasks and provides the computational results which make the data and team works tasks management difficult for the team leader agent and that influence the performance computing. In this work we focused on the implementation of the Mobile Provider Agent (MPA) in order to manage the distribution of data and instructions and to ensure a load balancing model. It grants also some interesting mechanisms to manage the others computing challenges thanks to the mobile agents several skills.

Keywords: image processing, distributed environment, mobile agents, parallel and distributed computing

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Authors: Karan R. Chavan, Paula Saavalainen, Kumudini V. Marathe, Riitta L. Keiski, Ganapati D. Yadav

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Co-contamination of groundwaters by arsenic in different forms is often observed around the globe. Arsenic is introduced into the waters by several mechanisms and different technologies are proposed and practiced for effective removal. The assessment of three prominent technologies, namely, adsorption, ion exchange and nanofiltration was carried out in this study based on lifecycle methodology. The life of the technologies was divided into two stages: cradle to gate (C-G) and gate to gate (G-G), in order to find out the impacts in different categories of environmental burdens, human health and resource consumption. Life cycle inventory was estimated by use of models and design equations concerning with the different technologies. Regeneration was considered for each technology and over the course of its full lifetime. The impact values of adsorption technology for the C-G stage are greater by thousand times (103) and million times (106) compared to ion exchange and nanofiltration technologies, respectively. The impact of G-G stage of the lifecycle is the major contributor of the impact for all the 3 technologies due to electricity consumption during the operation. Overall, the ion Exchange technology fares well in this study of removal of As (V) only.

Keywords: arsenic, nanofiltration, lifecycle assessment, membrane technology

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Authors: Dimitar Karastoyanov, Todor Penchev

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The paper presents the research of a kind of autonomous mobile robots, intended for work and adaptive perception in unknown and unstructured environment. The objective are robots, dedicated for multi-sensory environment perception and exploration, like measurements and samples taking, discovering and putting a mark on the objects as well as environment interactions–transportation, carrying in and out of equipment and objects. At that ground classification of the different types mobile robots in accordance with the way of locomotion (wheel- or chain-driven, walking, etc.), used drive mechanisms, kind of sensors, end effectors, area of application, etc. is made. Modular system for the mechanical construction of the mobile robots is proposed. Special PLC on the base of AtMega128 processor for robot control is developed. Electronic modules for the wireless communication on the base of Jennic processor as well as the specific software are developed. The methods, means and algorithms for adaptive environment behaviour and tasks realization are examined. The methods of group control of mobile robots and for suspicious objects detecting and handling are discussed too.

Keywords: mobile robots, wireless communications, environment investigations, group control, suspicious objects

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Authors: Mohammadjavad Sotoudeheian

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Heart failure (HF) prevalence, as a global cardiovascular problem, is increasing gradually. A variety of molecular mechanisms contribute to HF. Proteins involved in cardiac contractility regulation, such as ion channels and calcium handling proteins, are altered. Additionally, epigenetic modifications and gene expression can lead to altered cardiac function. Moreover, inflammation and oxidative stress contribute to HF. The progression of HF can be attributed to mitochondrial dysfunction that impairs energy production and increases apoptosis. Molecular mechanisms such as these contribute to the development of cardiomyocyte defects and HF and can be therapeutically targeted. The heart's contractile function is controlled by cardiomyocytes. Calpain, and its related molecules, including Bax, VEGF, and AMPK, are among the proteins involved in regulating cardiomyocyte function. Apoptosis is facilitated by Bax. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis is regulated by this protein. Furthermore, cardiomyocyte survival, contractility, wound healing, and proliferation are all regulated by VEGF, which is produced by cardiomyocytes during inflammation and cytokine stress. Cardiomyocyte proliferation and survival are also influenced by AMPK, an enzyme that plays an active role in energy metabolism. They all play key roles in apoptosis, angiogenesis, hypertrophy, and metabolism during myocardial inflammation. The role of calpains has been linked to several molecular pathways. The calpain pathway plays an important role in signal transduction and apoptosis, as well as autophagy, endocytosis, and exocytosis. Cell death and survival are regulated by these calcium-dependent cysteine proteases that cleave proteins. As a result, protein fragments can be used for various cellular functions. By cleaving adhesion and motility proteins, calcium proteins also contribute to cell migration. HF may be brought about by calpain-mediated pathways. Many physiological processes are mediated by the calpain molecular pathways. Signal transduction, cell death, and cell migration are all regulated by these molecular pathways. Calpain is activated by calcium binding to calmodulin. In the presence of calcium, calmodulin activates calpain. Calpains are stimulated by calcium, which increases matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). In order to develop novel treatments for these diseases, we must understand how this pathway works. A variety of myocardial remodeling processes involve calpains, including remodeling of the extracellular matrix and hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes. Calpains also play a role in maintaining cardiac homeostasis through apoptosis and autophagy. The development of HF may be in part due to calpain-mediated pathways promoting cardiomyocyte death. Numerous studies have suggested the importance of the Ca2+ -dependent protease calpain in cardiac physiology and pathology. Therefore, it is important to consider this pathway to develop and test therapeutic options in humans that targets calpain in HF. Apoptosis, autophagy, endocytosis, exocytosis, signal transduction, and disease progression all involve calpain molecular pathways. Therefore, it is conceivable that calpain inhibitors might have therapeutic potential as they have been investigated in preclinical models of several conditions in which the enzyme has been implicated that might be treated with them. Ca 2+ - dependent proteases and calpains contribute to adverse ventricular remodeling and HF in multiple experimental models. In this manuscript, we will discuss the calpain molecular pathway's important roles in HF development.

Keywords: calpain, heart failure, autophagy, apoptosis, cardiomyocyte

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Authors: Mamta Chandrashekhar

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Women’s participation in mainstream political and social activity has important implications for the broader arena of governance in any country. This research work will highlights some of the key issues that concerned with the impact of constitutional & Legal provision on the Indian women Status in present century. The principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian Constitution in its Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles. The Constitution not only grants equality to women, but also empowers the State to adopt measures of positive discrimination in favour of women. In recent years, the empowerment of women has been recognized as the central issue in determining the status of women. The main objective of this research is to analyzed the status of Indian women and the existing wide gap between the goals enunciated in the Constitution, legislation, policies, plans, programmes, and related mechanisms on the one hand and the situational reality of the status of women in India, This work encourage and inspire to women empowerment, will be beneficial to build a well-organized ideal society through Gender Equality and Development & Peace in the 21st century.

Keywords: awareness, constitution, development, empowerment

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Authors: Janya Sainui

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As a rapid growth of digital videos and data communications, video summarization that provides a shorter version of the video for fast video browsing and retrieval is necessary. Key frame extraction is one of the mechanisms to generate video summary. In general, the extracted key frames should both represent the entire video content and contain minimum redundancy. However, most of the existing approaches heuristically select key frames; hence, the selected key frames may not be the most different frames and/or not cover the entire content of a video. In this paper, we propose a method of video summarization which provides the reasonable objective functions for selecting key frames. In particular, we apply a statistical dependency measure called quadratic mutual informaion as our objective functions for maximizing the coverage of the entire video content as well as minimizing the redundancy among selected key frames. The proposed key frame extraction algorithm finds key frames as an optimization problem. Through experiments, we demonstrate the success of the proposed video summarization approach that produces video summary with better coverage of the entire video content while less redundancy among key frames comparing to the state-of-the-art approaches.

Keywords: video summarization, key frame extraction, dependency measure, quadratic mutual information

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Authors: Mohammad Reza Ghaani, Michele Catti

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The reduction of CoO/Fe₂O₃ oxides supported on carbon xerogels was studied to elucidate the effect of nano-size distribution of the catalyst in carbon matrices. Resorcinol formaldehyde xerogels were synthesized, impregnated with iron and cobalt nitrates, and subsequently heated to obtain the oxides. The mechanism of oxide reduction to metal was investigated by in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction in dynamic, non-isothermal conditions. Kinetic profiles of the reactions were obtained by plotting the diffraction intensities of selected Bragg peaks vs. temperature. The extracted Temperature-Programmed-Reduction (TPR) diagrams were analyzed by appropriate kinetic models, leading to best results with the Avrami-Erofeev model for all reduction reactions considered. The activation energies for the two-step reduction of iron oxide were 65 and 37 kJmol⁻¹, respectively. The average value for the reduction of CoO to Co was found to be around 21 kJ mol⁻¹. Such results may contribute to develop efficient and inexpensive non-noble metal-based catalysts in element form, e.g., Fe, Co, via heterogenization of metal complexes on mesoporous supports.

Keywords: non-isothermal kinetics, carbon aerogel, in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction, reduction mechanisms

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Authors: Aida Raissi, Holly Wong, Elma Raissi

Abstract:

Background: Connection is a primal need established during infancy and reiterated in many forms of social interaction. When we make connections with others we experience growth, continuity, and gain an understanding of the other’s sense of the world. Feeling socially connected to another individual or community has been shown to increase self-esteem, happiness, and meaning. However, feeling connected to another individual or a specific community may also decrease the motivation to seek connection with more distant individuals or communities. Furthermore, we allow ourselves to interact with those in other communities as apart from us, and in some cases, to dehumanize their existence. Objective: The aim of this project is to bridge the gap between different communities, specifically religious communities and foster feelings of connection as one with all members through the medium of art, specifically photography. Method: Members of all major faiths including Agnosticism, Atheism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Christianity, Ismaili, Jewish, Ja’far Shia, Sunni will be interviewed. Participants will be asked to partake in a brief interview of two parts: A. Answering two questions: 1. What are you most looking forward to in the future, and why? 2. What does religion mean to you? B. Having their picture taken. Our questions aim to elicit individual stories that together, show that we have more in common, than differences, despite our faiths. With the completion of the interviews, the responses will be compiled together and major themes will be identified. Impact: The resulting stories and corresponding individual pictures provide an excellent opportunity to encourage and inspire people to get to know those of other beliefs and values, participate in each other’s communities and develop a sense of oneness within our shared humanity. Knowledge translation: The personal stories, and the common themes they illustrate, will be shared with various audiences, including the general public, academia and targeted groups such as students. This will be done through displaying the photographs and responses at art galleries, conferences, in print and online.

Keywords: social justice, religion, connection, understanding, community

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Authors: Vaiddehi Bansal, Laura Hinson, Mayumi Rezwan, Erin Leasure, Mithila Iyer, Connor Roth, Poulomi Pal, Kareem Kysia

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As digital usage becomes increasingly ubiquitous worldwide, technology-facilitated gender-based violence (GBV) has garnered increasing attention in the recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This form of violence is defined as “action by one or more people that harms others based on their sexual or gender identity or by enforcing harmful gender norms. This action is carried out using the internet and/or mobile technology that harms others based on their sexual or gender identity or by enforcing harmful gender norms”.Common forms of technology-facilitated GBV include cyberstalking, cyberbullying, sexual harassment, image-based abuse, doxing, hacking, gendertrolling, hate speech, and impersonation. Most literature on this pervasive yet complex issue has emerged from high-income countries, and few studies comprehensively summarize its prevalence, manifestations, and implications. This rigorous scoping review examines the evidence base of this phenomenon in low and middle-income countries across Asia, summarizing trends and gaps to inform actionable recommendations. The research team developed search terms to conduct a comprehensive search of peer-reviewed and grey literature. Query results were eligible for inclusion if they were published in English between 2006-2021 and with an explicit emphasis on technology-facilitated violence, gender, and the countries of interest in the Asia region. Title, abstracts, and full-texts were independently screened by two reviewers based on inclusion criteria, and data was extracted through deductive coding. Of 2,042 articles screened, 97 met inclusion criteria. The review revealed a gap in the evidence-base in Central Asia and the Pacific Islands. Findings across South and Southeast Asia indicate that technology-facilitated GBV comprises various forms of abuse, violence, and harassment that are largely shaped by country-specific societal norms and technological landscapes. The literature confirms that women, girls, and sexual minorities, especially those with intersecting marginalized identities, are often more vulnerable to experiencing online violence. Cultural norms and patriarchal structures tend to stigmatize survivors, limiting their ability to seek social and legal support. Survivors are also less likely to report their experience due to barriers such as lack of awareness of reporting mechanisms, the perception that digital platforms will not address their complaints, and cumbersome reporting systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated perpetration and strained support mechanisms. Prevalence varies by the form of violence but is difficult to estimate accurately due to underreporting and disjointed, outdated, or non-existent legal definitions. Addressing technology-facilitated GBV in Asia requires collective action from multiple actors, including government authorities, technology companies, digital and feminist movements, NGOs, and researchers.

Keywords: gender-based violence, technology, online sexual harassment, image-based abuse

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Authors: P. Chihomvu, P. Stegmann, M. Pillay

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Pollution of the Klip River has caused microorganisms inhabiting it to develop protective survival mechanisms. This study isolated and characterized the heavy metal resistant bacteria in the Klip River. Water and sediment samples were collected from six sites along the course of the river. The pH, turbidity, salinity, temperature and dissolved oxygen were measured in-situ. The concentrations of six heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn) of the water samples were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Biochemical and antibiotic profiles of the isolates were assessed using the API 20E® and Kirby Bauer Method. Growth studies were carried out using spectrophotometric methods. The isolates were identified using 16SrDNA sequencing. The uppermost part of the Klip River with the lowest pH had the highest levels of heavy metals. Turbidity, salinity and specific conductivity increased measurably at Site 4 (Henley on Klip Weir). MIC tests showed that 16 isolates exhibited high iron and lead resistance. Antibiotic susceptibility tests revealed that the isolates exhibited multi-tolerances to drugs such as tetracycline, ampicillin, and amoxicillin.

Keywords: Klip River, heavy metals, resistance, 16SrDNA

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Authors: Neil Fourati

Abstract:

Collaboration between public and private stakeholders for agricultural development are today lacking in Tunisia. The last dictatorship witnessed by the country has deteriorated the necessary trust between the state and small farmers for the realization of development projects, in particular in the interior, disadvantaged regions of the country. These regions, where the youth unemployment rate is above 30%, have been the heart of the uprising that preceded the revolution. The transitional period that the country is going through since 2011 is an opportunity for the emergence of new governance systems in the context of the decentralization. The latter is recognized in the 2nd Tunisian Republic constitution as the basis of regional management. Civil society participation to the decision-making process is considered as a mean to identify measures that are more coherent with local populations’ needs. The development of agriculture and food value chains in rural areas is relevant within the framework of the implementation of new decisions systems that require public-private collaborations. These new systems can lead to actions in favor of improving living conditions of rural populations. The diverisification of activities around agriculture can be a solution for job creation and local value creation. The project for the promotion of sustainable agriculture and rural development in Tunisia has designed and implemented a multi-stakeholder dialogue process for the development of local value chains platforms in disadvantaged areas of the country. The platforms gather public and private organizations ; as well civil society organizations ; that intervene in a locality in relation to the production transformation or product’s commercialization. The role of these platforms is to formulate realize and evaluate collaborative actions or projects for the promotion of the concerned product and territory. The dialogue process steps allow to create the necessary collaboration conditions in order to promote viable collectivities, dynamic economies and healthy environments. Effectively, the dialogue process steps allow to identify the local leaders. These leaders recognize the development constraints and opportunities. They deal with key and gathering subjects around the collaborative projects or actions. They take common decisions in order to create effective coalitions for the implementation of common actions. The plateforms realize quick success so as to build trust. The project has supported the formulation of 22 collaborative projects. Seven priority collaborative projects have been realized. Each collaborative project includes 3 parts : the signature of the collaboration conventions between public and private organizations, investment in the relevant material in order to increase productivity and the quality of local and products and finally management and technical training in favour of producers’ organizations for the promotion of local products. The implementation of this process has enabled to enhance the capacities of collaboration between local actors : producers, traders, processors and support structures from public sector and civil society. It also allowed to improve the efficiency and relevance of actions and measures for agriculture and rural development programs. Thus, the process for the development of local value chain platform is a basis for sustainable development of agriculture.

Keywords: governance, public private collaboration, rural development, value chains

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Authors: Yashvir Singh, Amneesh Singla, Swapnil Bhurat

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Around the globe, there is demand for the development of bio-based lubricant which will be biodegradable, non toxic, and environmentally-friendly. This paper outlines the friction and wear characteristics of ponagamia biodiesel contaminated bio-lubricant by using pin-on-disc tribometer. To formulate the bio-lubricants, Ponagamia oil based biodiesel were blended in the ratios 5, 10, and 20% by volume with the base lubricant SAE 20 W 40. Tribological characteristics of these blends were carried out at 2.5 m/s sliding velocity and loads applied were 50, 100, 150 N. Experimental results showed that the lubrication regime that occurred during the test was boundary lubrication while the main wear mechanisms was the adhesive wear. During testing, the lowest wear was found with the addition of 5 and 10% Ponagamia oil based biodiesel, and above this contamination, the wear rate was increased considerably. The addition of 5 and 10% Ponagamia oil based biodiesel with the base lubricant acted as a very good lubricant additive which reduced the friction and wear rate during the test. It has been concluded that the PBO 5 and PBO 10 can act as an alternative lubricant to increase the mechanical efficiency at 2.5 m/s sliding velocity and contribute in reduction of dependence on the petroleum based products.

Keywords: friction, load, pongamia oil blend, sliding velocity, wear

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Authors: Hasan Farahneh

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Smart asset management along roadsides and in deserted areas is a topic of deprived attention. We find most of the work in emergency reporting services in intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and rural areas but not much in asset reporting. Currently, available asset management mechanisms are based on scheduled maintenance and do not effectively report any emergency situation in a timely manner. This paper is the continuation of our previous work, in which we proposed the usage of Foglets and VLC link between smart vehicles and road side assets. In this paper, we propose a hybrid communication system for asset management and emergency reporting architecture for smart transportation. We incorporate Foglets along with visible light communication (VLC) and radio frequency (RF) communication. We present the channel model and parameters of a hybrid model to support an intelligent transportation system (ITS) system. Simulations show high improvement in the system performance in terms of communication range and received data. We present a comparative analysis of a hybrid ITS system.

Keywords: Internet of Things, Foglets, VLC, RF, smart vehicle, roadside asset management

Procedia PDF Downloads 115