Search results for: study process

Authors: Aytakin Huseynli

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The paper reports findings of the study which examined under-five mortality rate among resource-rich countries. Typically when countries obtain wealth citizens gain increased wellbeing. Societies with new wealth create equal opportunities for everyone including vulnerable groups. But scholars claim that this is not the case for developing resource-rich countries and natural resources become the curse for them rather than the blessing. Spillovers from natural resource curse affect the social wellbeing of vulnerable people negatively. They get excluded from the mainstream society, and their situation becomes tangible. In order to test this hypothesis, the study compared under-5 mortality rate among resource-rich countries by using independent sample one-way ANOVA. The data on under-five mortality rate came from the World Bank. The natural resources for this study are oil, gas and minerals. The list of 67 resource-rich countries was taken from Natural Resource Governance Institute. The sample size was categorized and 4 groups were created such as low, low-middle, upper middle and high-income countries based on income classification of the World Bank. Results revealed that there was a significant difference in the scores for low, middle, upper-middle and high-income countries in under-five mortality rate (F(3(29.01)=33.70, p=.000). To find out the difference among income groups, the Games-Howell test was performed and it was found that infant mortality was an issue for low, middle and upper middle countries but not for high-income countries. Results of this study are in agreement with previous research on resource curse and negative effects of resource-based development. Policy implications of the study for social workers, policy makers, academicians and social development specialists are to raise and discuss issues of marginalization and exclusion of vulnerable groups in developing resource-rich countries and suggest interventions for avoiding them.

Keywords: children, natural resource, extractive industries, resource-based development, vulnerable groups

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Authors: Dlir Abdullah Ahmed

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Overall aims of this study are to investigate the effects of differences of opinions among Shari’ah supervisory bodies on standardization and internationalization of Islamic banking products and services. The study has used semi-structured in-depth interview where five respondents from both the Middle East and Malaysia Shari’ah advisors participated in the interview sessions. The data were analyzed by both manual and software techniques. The findings reveal that indeed there are differences of opinions among Shari’ah advisors in different jurisdictions. These differences are due to differences in educational background, schools of thoughts, environment in which they operate, and legal requirements. Moreover, the findings also reveal that these differences in opinions among Shari’ah bodies create confusions among public and bankers, and negatively affect standardization of Islamic banking transactions. In addition, the study has explored the possibility to develop Islamic-based products. However, the finding shows that it is difficult for the industry to have Islamic-based products due to high competition from conventional counterpart, legal constraints and moral hazard. Furthermore, the findings indicate that lack of political will and unity, lack of technology are the main constraints to internationalization of Islamic banking products. Last but not least, the study found that there are possibility of convergence of opinions, standardization of Islamic banking products and services if there are unified international Shari’ah h advisory council, international basic requirements for Islamic Shari’ah h advisors, and increase training and educations of Islamic bankers. This study has several implications to the bankers, policymakers and researchers. The policymakers should be able to resolve their political differences and set up unified international advisory council and international research and development center. The bankers should increase training and educations of the workforce as well improve on their banking infrastructure to facility cross-border transactions.

Keywords: Shari’ah h views, Islamic banking, products & services, standardization.

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Authors: Gadisa Demie, Mesele Negash, Zerihun Asrat, Lojka Bohdan

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Deforestation and forest degradation in the tropics have led to significant carbon (C) emissions. Agroforestry (AF) is a suitable land-use option for tackling such declines in ecosystem services, including climate change mitigation. However, it is unclear how biomass models, AF practices, and socio-ecological factors determine these roles, which hinders the implementation of climate change mitigation initiatives. This study aimed to estimate the ecosystem C stocks of the studied AF practices in relation to socio-ecological variables in central Ethiopia. Out of 243 AF farms inventoried, 108 were chosen at random from three AF practices to estimate their biomass and soil organic carbon. A total of 432 soil samples were collected from 0–30 and 30–60 cm soil depths; 216 samples were taken for each soil organic carbon fraction (%C) and bulk density computation. The study found that the currently developed allometric equations were the most accurate to estimate biomass C for trees growing in the landscape when compared to previous models. The study found higher overall biomass C in woodlots (165.62 Mg ha-¹) than in homegardens (134.07 Mg ha-¹) and parklands (19.98 Mg ha-¹). Conversely, overall, SOC was higher for homegardens (143.88 Mg ha-¹), but lower for parklands (53.42 Mg ha-¹). The ecosystem C stock was comparable between homegardens (277.95 Mg ha-¹) and woodlots (275.44 Mg ha-¹). The study found that elevation, wealthy levels, AF farm age, and size have a positive and significant (P < 0.05) effect on overall biomass and ecosystem C stocks but non-significant with slope (P > 0.05). Similarly, SOC increased with increasing elevation, AF farm age, and wealthy status but decreased with slope and non-significant with AF farm size. The study also showed that species diversity had a positive (P <0.05) effect on overall biomass C stocks in homegardens. The overall study highlights that AF practices have a great potential to lock up more carbon in biomass and soils; however, these potentials were determined by socioecological variables. Thus, these factors should be considered in management strategies that preserve trees in agricultural landscapes in order to mitigate climate change and support the livelihoods of farmers.

Keywords: agricultural landscape, biomass, climate change, soil organic carbon

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Authors: Josua K. Junias, Fillemon N. Nangolo, Petrina T. Johaness

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The deterioration of pavement can lead to the formation of potholes, which cause the wheels of a vehicle to experience unusual and uneven movement. In addition, improper loading practices of heavy vehicles can result in dynamic loading of the pavement due to the vehicle's response to the irregular movement caused by the potholes. Previous studies have only focused on the effects of either the road's uneven surface or the asymmetrical loading of the vehicle, but not both. This study aimed to model the pavement's dynamic response to heavy vehicles under different loading configurations and wheel movements. A sample of 225 cases with symmetrical and asymmetrical loading and kinematic movements was used, and 27 validated 3D pavement-vehicle interactive models were developed using SIMWISE 4D. The study found that the type of kinematic movement experienced by the heavy vehicle affects the pavement's dynamic loading, with eccentrically loaded, asymmetrically kinematic heavy vehicles having a statistically significant impact. The study also suggests that the mass of the vehicle's suspension system plays a role in the pavement's dynamic loading.

Keywords: eccentricities, pavement dynamic loading, vertical displacement dynamic response, heavy vehicles

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Authors: Meltem Işık, Fatma Gür, İbrahim Kılıç

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This study aims to explore the effects of hemsball shooting techniques on the fine motor skill level of children with hearing disabilities. A total number of 26 children with hearing disabilities, ages ranging between 7 and 11 and which were equally divided into experimental group and control group participated in the study. In this context, an exercise training program dedicated to hemsball shooting techniques was introduced to the experimental group 3 days a week in one hour sessions for a period of 10 weeks. BOT-2 fine motor skills test which includes three dimensions (fine motor accuracy, fine motor task completion, and dexterity) was selected as the data collection method. Descriptive statistics along with two-factor ANOVA which was focused on repetitive measurements of the differences between pretest and posttest scores of both groups were used in the analysis of the data collected. The results of this study showed that hemsball shooting techniques have a statistically significant effect on the fine motor skill level.

Keywords: hemsball shooting techniques, BOT-2 test, fine motor skills, hearing disabilities

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Authors: Dana A. Thal, Heike Kahlert, Fritz Scholz

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Thiol molecules are known to easily form self-assembled monolayers (SAM) on Au surfaces. Depending on the thiol’s structure, surface modifications via SAM can be used for electrode sensor development. In the presented work, 1-decanethiol coated polycrystalline Au electrodes were applied to indirectly assess the radical scavenging potential of plant compounds and extracts. Different plant compounds with reported antioxidant properties as well as an extract from the plant Gynostemma pentaphyllum were tested for their effectiveness to prevent SAM degradation on the sensor electrodes via photolytically generated radicals in aqueous media. The SAM degradation was monitored over time by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) measurements. The results were compared to established antioxidant assays. The obtained data showed an exposure time and concentration dependent degradation process of the SAM at the electrode’s surfaces. The tested substances differed in their capacity to prevent SAM degradation. Calculated radical scavenging activities of the tested plant compounds were different for different assays. The presented method poses a simple system for radical scavenging evaluation and, considering the importance of the test system in antioxidant activity evaluation, might be taken as a bridging tool between in-vivo and in-vitro antioxidant assay in order to obtain more biologically relevant results in antioxidant research.

Keywords: alkanethiol SAM, plant antioxidant, polycrystalline Au, radical scavenger

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Authors: Adedolapo Taiwo Adeyemi, Success Ayodeji Fasanmi

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The emergence of the coronavirus pandemic and the rate of the spread affected a lot of activities across the world. This led to the introduction of online learning modes in several countries after institutions were shut down. Unfortunately, most public universities in Nigeria could not switch to the online mode because they were not prepared for it, as they do not have the technological capacity to support a full online learning mode. This study examines the readiness of university and the attitude of undergraduates towards online learning mode in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife. It investigated the skills and competencies of students for online learning as well as the university’s readiness towards online learning mode; the effort was made to identify challenges of online teaching and learning in the study area, and suggested solutions were advanced. OAU was selected because it is adjudged to be the leading Information and Communication Technology (ICT) driven institution in Nigeria. The descriptive survey research design was used for the study. A total of 256 academic staff and 1503 undergraduates were selected across six faculties out of the thirteen faculties in the University. Two set of questionnaires were used to get responses from the selected respondents. The result showed that students have the skills and competence to operate e-learning facilities but are faced with challenges such as high data cost, erratic power supply, and lack of gadgets, among others. The study found out that the university was not prepared for online learning mode as it lacks basic technological facilities to support it. The study equally showed that while lecturers possess certain skills in using some e-learning applications, they were limited by the unavailability of online support gadgets, poor internet connectivity, and unstable power supply. Furthermore, the assessment of student attitude towards online learning mode shows that the students found the online learning mode very challenging as they had to bear the huge cost of data. Lecturers also faced the same challenge as they had to pay a lot to buy data, and the networks were sometimes unstable. The study recommended that adequate funding needs to be provided to public universities by the government while the management of institutions must build technological capacities to support online learning mode in the hybrid form and on a full basis in case of future emergencies.

Keywords: universities, online learning, undergraduates, attitude

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Authors: Oyesoji Aremu, Taiwo Williams

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This study examined some factors (academic self-efficacy, locus of control, motivation and gender) that could predict academic dishonesty among serially frustrated students in Ogun State, South West, Nigeria. Serial academically frustrated students are students who are unable to attain and meet academic expectations set by themselves or significant others. A sample of 250 undergraduate students selected from two faculties from a University in Ogun State,South West Nigeria took part in the study. Multiple regression analysis was employed to determine the joint and relative contributions of the independent variables to the prediction of the dependent variable. T-test was used to test the hypothesis determining the gender difference between the independent variables (academic self-efficacy, locus of control and motivation) and academic dishonesty of serial academically frustrated male and female students. The results of the study showed all the independent variables jointly contributed to predicting academic dishonesty, while only academic self-efficacy and motivation had relative contributions to the dependent measure. There was no significant difference in the academic self-efficacy and motivation among males and females on academic dishonesty of the serial academically frustrated students but locus of control showed a significant difference between male and female students on academic dishonesty. Implications for counseling of the findings are discussed in the study.

Keywords: academic dishonesty, serially frustrated students, academic self-efficacy, locus of control

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Authors: Pawas Suren

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The conflict between livelihood and forest protection has been a perpetual phenomenon in India. In the era of climate change, the problem is expected to aggravate the declining trend of dense forest in the country, creating impediments in the climate change adaptation by the forest dependent communities. In order to access the complexity of the problem, Hazarinagh and Chatra districts of Jharkhand were selected as a case study. To identify norms practiced by the communities to manage community forestry, the ethnographic study was designed to understand the values, traditions, and cultures of forest dependent communities, most of whom were tribal. It was observed that internalization of efficient forest norms is reflected in the pride and honor of such behavior while violators are sanctioned through guilt and shame. The study analyzes the effect of norms being practiced in the management and ecology of community forestry as common property resource. The light of the findings led towards the gaps in the prevalent forest laws to address efficient allocation of property rights. The conclusion embarks on reconsidering accepted factors of forest degradation in India.

Keywords: climate change, common property resource, community forestry, norms

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Authors: Ayesha Siddiqua

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Background: Hypertension is a silent killer disease and a common risk factor for considerable morbidity and mortality. Its effects can be seen on the organs like Heart; Brain; Kidneys. In Saudi Arabia, hypertension affects a sizeable enough proportion of the population, with a prevalence of 27.9% in urban and 22.4 in rural population. Despite these features, the magnitude and epidemiological characteristics of this disease have been rarely studied in Saudi Arabia. To fill this gap, we conducted a survey in Abha to study the KAP of hypertension. KAP study shows what people know about certain things, their feelings and behavior towards the disease management. An improvement in the Knowledge and Attitudes towards disease management can reform the kinds of practices which are followed. Objectives: To assess the level of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of patients who suffer from Hypertension. To improve the Quality of life of patients. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample size of 130 Hypertensive patients of both the genders enrolled by simple random sampling technique admitted in the Aseer Central Hospital of Abha during the period from October 2016 to December 2016. Results: Altogether 130 hypertensive patients were enrolled in this study with equal no. of Males and Females. Most of the respondents were aged between 18-40 years (45%). On assessing the KAP of the patients, we found that the Knowledge and Attitude score was good but the Practice scores were moderate in both the genders. Conclusion: Our study concludes that a significant proportion of hypertensive patients show less Practice towards the disease management which can lead to severe complications in time being and also result in damage of other vital organs. So there is a need of intense educational intervention for the patients which can be done by Patient counselling by the clinical pharmacist. Strategies to modify lifestyle which help in control of hypertension can include providing leaflets as well as direct educational programs.

Keywords: Attitude, hypertension, Knowledge, practices

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Authors: Anjali N. Shete, G. D. Mahajan, Nanda Somwanshi

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Context: Smartphones are the new generation of mobile phones; they have emerged over the last few years. Technology has developed so much that it has become part of our life and mobile phones are one of them. These smartphones are equipped with the capabilities to display photos, play games, watch videos and navigation, etc. The advances have a huge impact on many walks of life. The adoption of new technology has been challenging for the elderly. But, the elder population is also moving towards digitally connected lives. As age advances, there is a decline in the motor and cognitive functions of the brain, and hence the reaction time is affected. The study was undertaken to assess the usefulness of smartphones in improving cognitive functions. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to observe the effects of smartphone addiction on reaction time in elderly population Material and Methods: This is an experimental study. 100 elderly subjects were enrolled in this study randomly from urban areas. They all were using smartphones for several hours a day. They were divided into two groups according to the scores of the mobile phone addiction scale (MPAS). Simple reaction time was estimated by the Ruler drop method. The reaction time was then calculated for each subject in both groups. The data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and Pearson correlation test. Results: The mean reaction time in Group A is 0.27+ 0.040 and in Group B is 0.20 + 0.032. The values show a statistically significant change in reaction time. Conclusion: Group A with a high MPAS score has a low reaction time compared to Group B with a low MPAS score. Hence, it can be concluded that the use of smartphones in the elderly is useful, delaying the neurological decline, and smarten the brain.

Keywords: smartphones, MPAS, reaction time, elderly population

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Authors: Thomas Ousterhout

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In an effort to test the ability of a commercial grade EEG headset to effectively measure the N400 ERP, a replication study was conducted to see if similar results could be produced as that which used a medical grade EEG. Pictures of meaningful and meaningless hand postures were borrowed from the original author and subjects were required to perform a semantic discrimination task. The N400 was detected indicating semantic processing of the meaningfulness of the hand postures. The results corroborate those of the original author and support the use of some commercial grade EEG headsets for non-critical research applications.

Keywords: EEG, ERP, N400, semantics, congruency, gestures, emotiv

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Authors: Allen A. Espinosa, Arlyne C. Marasigan, Janir T. Datukan

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The study explored how students visualize the states and classifications of matter using scientific models. It also identified misconceptions of students in using scientific models. In general, high percentage of students was able to use scientific models correctly and only a little misconception was identified. From the result of the study, a teaching framework was formulated wherein scientific models should be employed in classroom instruction to visualize abstract concepts in chemistry and for better conceptual understanding.

Keywords: visual conception, scientific models, mental models, states of matter, classification of matter

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Authors: Kyi Pyar Zaw, Zin Mar Kyu

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Character recognition is the process of converting a text image file into editable and searchable text file. Feature Extraction is the heart of any character recognition system. The character recognition rate may be low or high depending on the extracted features. In the proposed paper, 25 features for one character are used in character recognition. Basically, there are three steps of character recognition such as character segmentation, feature extraction and classification. In segmentation step, horizontal cropping method is used for line segmentation and vertical cropping method is used for character segmentation. In the Feature extraction step, features are extracted in two ways. The first way is that the 8 features are extracted from the entire input character using eight direction chain code frequency extraction. The second way is that the input character is divided into 16 blocks. For each block, although 8 feature values are obtained through eight-direction chain code frequency extraction method, we define the sum of these 8 feature values as a feature for one block. Therefore, 16 features are extracted from that 16 blocks in the second way. We use the number of holes feature to cluster the similar characters. We can recognize the almost Myanmar common characters with various font sizes by using these features. All these 25 features are used in both training part and testing part. In the classification step, the characters are classified by matching the all features of input character with already trained features of characters.

Keywords: chain code frequency, character recognition, feature extraction, features matching, segmentation

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Authors: Fazlul Hoque, Tahmina Akter Joya, Asma Akter, Supawat Rungsuriyawiboon

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Rice is the staple food in Bangladesh, and therefore, self-sufficiency in rice production remains a major concern. However, Bangladesh is experiencing insufficiency in rice production due to high production cost and low national average productivity of 2.848 ton/ha in comparison to other rice-growing countries in the world. This study aims to find out the profit efficiency and determinants of profit efficiency in Boro rice cultivation in Manikganj and Dhaka districts of Bangladesh. It also focuses on technology adoption and effect of technology adoption on profit efficiency of Boro rice cultivation in Bangladesh. The data were collected from 300 households growing Boro rice through face to face interviews by one set structured questionnaire; Frontier Version 4.1 and STATA 15 software were employed to analyze the data according to the purpose of the study. Maximum likelihood estimates of the specified profit model showed that profit efficiency of the farmer varied between 23% and 97% with a mean of 76% which implied as 24% of the profit is lost due to a combination of technical and allocative inefficiencies in Boro rice cultivation in the study area. The inefficiency model revealed that the education level of the farmer, farm size, variety of seed, and training and extension service influence the profit inefficiency significantly. The study also explained that the level of technology adoption index affects profit efficiency. The technology adoption in Boro rice cultivation is influenced by the education level of the farmer, farm size and farm capital.

Keywords: farmer, maximum likelihood estimation, profit efficiency, rice

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Authors: M. S. Said, J. A. Ghani, Izzati Osman, Z. A. Latiff, S. A .F. Syed Mohd

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Metal matrix composites have demand for light-weight structural and functional materials. MMCs have been shown to offer improvements in strength, rigidity, temperature stability, wear resistance, reliability and control of physical properties such as density and coefficient of thermal expansion, thereby providing improved engineering performance in comparison to the un-reinforced matrix. Experiment were conducted at various cutting speed, feed rate and difference cutting tools according to Taguchi method using a standard orthogonal array L9. The volume of AlN reinforced particle was 10% in MMC. The milling process was carried out under dry cutting condition using uncoated carbide, TiN and TiCN tool insert. The parameters used were the cutting speed of (230,300,370 m/min) the federate used were (0.4, 0.6, 0.8 mm/tooth) while the depth of cut is constant (0.3 mm). The tool diameter is 20mm. From the project, the surface roughness mechanism was investigated in detail using Mitutoyo portable surface roughness measurements surftest SJ-310. This machining will be fabricated on MMC with 150mm length, 100mm width and 30mm thick. The results showed using S/N ratio, concluded that a combination of low cutting speed, medium feed rate and uncoated insert give a remarkable surface finish. From the ANOVA result showed the feed rate was major contributing factor (43.76%) following type of insert (40.89%).

Keywords: MMC, milling operation and surface roughness, Taguchi method

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Authors: Wincharles Coker

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This study troubles the role the state as the chief sponsor of higher education plays in shaping communication training in Ghana. Using a public university as a case study, it explores how the government of Ghana, through its regimes of control, exercises its authority over the means of production in the academy. Based on Wenger’s community of practice theory and critical theory, the research analyzes the political economy within which higher education in the country operates, focusing on the mandates of two of its bodies: the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) and the National Accreditation Board (NAB). Results show that communication training in Ghana is shaped by three basic strategies of control: developmentalism, bureaucratization, and corporatization. This governmentality, the research reveals nonetheless, largely constrains the agency and practices of the community of communication faculty and administrators, and thus presents a major challenge to the exercise of intellectual freedom, and the self-critical nature of the academy. The study bears implications for further research in the political economy of communication studies, the administration of higher education, and critical/cultural studies in education.

Keywords: communication, developmentalism, educattion, governmentality

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Authors: Ioana Dallinger, Vincent P. Magnini

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Due to the many moving parts and high human component, mistakes and failures sometimes occur during transactions in service environments. Because a certain portion of such failures is unavoidable, many service providers constantly look for guidance regarding optimal ways by which they should manage failures and recoveries. Through the use of a scenario-based experiment, the findings of this study run counter to the empowerment approach (i.e. that frontline employees should be empowered to resolve failure situations on their own doing). Specifically, this study finds that customers’ perceptions of distributive, procedural, and interactional justice are significantly higher [p-values < .05] when a manager delivers an apology as opposed to the frontline provider. Moreover, customers’ satisfaction with the recovery and commitment to the firm are also significantly stronger [p-values < .05] when a manager apologizes. Interestingly, this study also empirically tests the effects of combined apologies of both the manager and employee and finds that the combined approach yields better results for customers’ interactional justice perceptions and for their satisfaction with recovery, but not for their distributive or procedural justice perceptions or consequent commitment to the firm. This study can serve a springboard for further research. For example, perceptions and attitudes regarding employee empowerment vary based upon country culture. Furthermore, there are likely a number of factors that can moderate the cause and effect relationship between a failure recovery and customers’ post-recovery perceptions [e.g. the severity of the failure].

Keywords: apology, empowerment, service failure recovery, service recovery

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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

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Authors: Kunto Nurcahyoko

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The fundamental perception used in this study is that teaching and learning activities in Indonesian classroom have potentially generated individual’s sensitivity on cross-cultural understanding. This study aims at investigating Indonesian university students’ perception on cross-cultural understanding after doing Cultural Snapshot Project. The data was critically analyzed through multicultural ideology and diversity theories. The subjects were 30 EFL college students in one of colleges in Indonesia. Each student was assigned to capture a photo which depicted the existence of any cultural manifestation in their surrounding such as discrimination, prejudice and stereotype. Students were then requested asked to reflect on the picture by writing a short description on the picture and make an exhibition using their pictures. In the end of the project, students were instructed to fill in questionnaires to show their perception before and after the project. The result reveals that Cultural Snapshot Project has given the opportunity for the students to better realize cross-cultural understanding in their environment. In conclusion, the study shows that Cultural Snapshot Project has specifically enhanced students’ perception of multiculturalism in three major areas: cultural sensitivity and empathy, social tolerance, and understanding of diversity.

Keywords: cultural snapshot, cross-cultural understanding, students’ perception, multiculturalism

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Authors: Juliet F. Poujol, Jeff John Tanner, Christophe Fournier

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Employers desire a favorable brand as an employer. This research considers whether motivation theory is applied to identify universally desirable employer brand elements. Based on data from a website where employees give their opinion about their employer (N=200), this research examines what salespeople found positive and negative about their job. Results show that traditional motivators like opportunities of advancement, and 'hygiene' factors such as benefits and work conditions are a source of satisfaction for salespeople. We also found differences by sectors. Implications are related to sales force recruitment and management.

Keywords: employer brand, motivation, qualitative study, salespeople

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Authors: Claudeny Simone Alves Santana, Alexandre Simas De Medeiros, Marcelino Aurélio Vieira Da Silva

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The aim of the study was to assess the performance of pavements over time, considering the principles of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the ability to withstand vehicle loads and associated environmental impacts. Within the study boundary, pavement design was conducted using the Mechanistic-Empirical Method, adopting criteria based on pavement cracking and wheel path rutting while also considering factors such as soil characteristics, material thickness, and the distribution of forces exerted by vehicles. The Ecoinvent® 3.6 database and SimaPro® software were employed to calculate emissions, and SICRO 3 information was used to estimate costs. Consequently, the study sought to identify the service that had the greatest impact on greenhouse gas emissions. The results were compared for design life periods of 10 and 30 years, considering structural performance and load-bearing capacity. Additionally, environmental impacts in terms of CO2 emissions per standard axle and construction costs in dollars per standard axle were analyzed. Based on the conducted analyses, it was possible to determine which pavement exhibited superior performance over time, considering technical, environmental, and economic criteria. One of the findings indicated that the mechanical characteristics of the soils used in the pavement layer directly influence the thickness of the pavement and the quantity of greenhouse gases, with a difference of approximately 7000 Kg CO2 Eq. The transportation service was identified as having the most significant negative impact. Other notable observations are that the study can contribute to future project guidelines and assist in decision-making regarding the selection of the most suitable pavement in terms of durability, load-bearing capacity, and sustainability.

Keywords: life cycle assessment, greenhouse gases, urban paving, service cost

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Authors: Pratistha Shrestha

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Background: Acrochordons (Skin tags) are common benign skin tumors usually occurring on the neck and major flexors of older people. These range in size from 1 mm to 1cm in diameter and are skin-colored or brownish. A possible association with diabetes mellitus has been suggested in previous studies, but the result is not conclusive. Objective: The aim of this study was to find out the association of diabetes mellitus with acrochordons. Material and Methods: One hundred and two patients were selected for the study. Among them, 51 (males–23 and females–28) with acrochordons were taken as cases, and 51 with other dermatologic diseases after matching age and sex were taken as controls. The patients were selected from OPD of the Department of Dermatology and Venereology in Universal College of Medical Sciences–Teaching Hospital (UCMS-TH). Blood glucose levels, including both fasting plasma glucose and 2-hour post-glucose load, were determined for both case and control and compared. Results: Patients with acrochordons had a significantly higher frequency of diabetes than the control group (p < 0.001). A total of 48.5% and 40% of patients with acrochordons having diabetes were obese and overweight, respectively. Conclusion: There is an increased risk of diabetes mellitus in patients with acrochordons. With regard to the importance of early diagnosis of diabetes, it is recommended a high level of suspicion for diabetes mellitus in patients with acrochordons.

Keywords: acrochordons, diabetes mellitus, obesity, skin tags

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Authors: Paulo Lopes Henriques, Carla Curado

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According to literature, knowledge sharing behaviors are influenced by organizational values and structures, namely organizational climate. The manuscript examines the antecedents of the knowledge sharing oriented organizational climate. According to theoretical expectations the study adopts the following explanatory conditions: knowledge sharing costs, knowledge sharing incentives, perceptions of knowledge sharing contributing to performance and tenure. The study confronts results considering two groups of firms: nondigital (firms without intranet) vs digital (firms with intranet). The paper applies fsQCA technique to analyze data by using fsQCA 2.5 software (www.fsqca.com) testing several conditional arguments to explain the outcome variable. Main results strengthen claims on the relevancy of the contribution of knowledge sharing to performance. Secondly, evidence brings tenure - an explanatory condition that is associated to organizational memory – to the spotlight. The study provides an original contribution not previously addressed in literature, since it identifies the sufficient conditions sets to knowledge sharing oriented organizational climate using fsQCA, which is, to our knowledge, a novel application of the technique.

Keywords: fsQCA, knowledge sharing oriented organizational climate, knowledge sharing costs, knowledge sharing incentives

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Authors: Afsaneh Ghanbari Panah, Elyaz Bornak, Shiva Ghadiri Karizi, Amna Ahmad, Burcu Yildirim

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This study explores domestic violence (DV) and coping strategies among married women in Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. DV is a universal issue characterized by physical, psychological, or economic abuse by male family members towards female partners. The study aims to examine the prevalence of DV and the coping mechanisms employed by women in these three countries. The research highlights the significant impact of DV globally, transcending cultural, social, and economic boundaries. Despite the lack of comprehensive state-sponsored reports on Violence Against Women (VAW) in South Asia, fragmented reports by non-governmental agencies indicate high rates of self-reported intimate partner violence (IPV), including sexual violence, across these regions. The study emphasizes the urgent need for effective measures to address VAW, as existing laws often exclude unregistered and unmarried intimate partners. Coping mechanisms play a crucial role in responding to and managing the consequences of DV. The study defines coping as cognitive and behavioral responses to environmental stressors. Common coping strategies identified in the literature include spirituality, temporary or permanent separation, silence, submission, minimizing violence, denial, and seeking external support. Understanding these coping mechanisms is crucial for developing effective prevention and management strategies. The study presents findings from Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey, indicating varying prevalence rates of different forms of violence. Turkish respondents reported higher rates of emotional, physical, economic, and sexual violence, while Iranian respondents reported high levels of psychological, physical, and sexual violence. In Karachi, Pakistan, physical, sexual, and psychological violence were prevalent among women. The study highlights the importance of cross-cultural research and the need to consider individual and collective coping mechanisms in different societal contexts. Factors such as personal ideologies, political agendas, and economic stability influence societal support and cultural acceptance of IPV. To develop sustainable strategies, an in-depth exploration of coping mechanisms is necessary. In conclusion, this comparative study provides insights into DV and coping strategies among married women in Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. The findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive measures to address VAW, considering cultural, social, and economic factors. By understanding the prevalence and coping mechanisms employed by women, policymakers can develop effective interventions to support DV survivors and prevent further violence.

Keywords: domestic violence, coping styles, cultural study, violence against women

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Authors: I. O. Oyatayo, K. T. Oyatayo, B. Mamman

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This study was aimed at the assessment of heavy metal pollution of the water in river Benue along Ibi, Taraba State, Nigeria. Water samples were collected at ten sampling points over a distance of 100 meters each. The following water quality parameters were determined: TDS, copper, zinc, chromium, iron, mercury, nickel, and manganese, and the results were compared with the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ) and WHO maximum permitted limits. The water quality analysis was conducted using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Model: 01-0960-00) at 510 nm. The mean value concentrations of copper, zinc, chromium, nickel, mercury, and mercury are within the permissible limits, while that of iron is above the limit. The summary of ANOVA single-factor statistics with a specified rejection level at α 0.05 is insignificant. The study concludes that the quality of water from river Benue along Ibi is deteriorating and unfit for human consumption. It was recommended that residents of the study area should be enlightened on the effects of indiscriminate dumping of waste and the proper handling and application of fertilizer and herbicides, as some of these end up in the river via surface runoff.

Keywords: heavy, metal, pollution, river, Ibi

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Authors: Hanifa Maryani Ahmad, Muslim Yusuf

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Background: Unilateral crossbite can be defined as an abnormal transverse relationship between the upper and lower teeth where the mandibular buccal cusp occluding to the maxillary buccal cusp and which involves only one side of the arch. This report describes the treatment of an adolescent female with Class III malocclussion unilateral crossbite resulting from a mildly constricted maxillary arch. The patient had a Class III skeletal relationship, Class III molar relationships, unilateral crossbite on the left side, and deviated midlines. Objectives: The treatment objectives were to correct the abnormal transverse relationship, achieve proper dental inclination, and correct the unilateral crossbites to improve the facial profile. Case management: The treatment protocol was using transpalatal arch with extension arm modification to expand the maxillary arch. Following the levelling and aligning stage of treatment, using a vertical loop while mandibular arch was expanded after getting an end to end relationship on the anterior side. Results: Corrections of the unilateral crossbite were achieved in 4 months. The treatment is still on process because the canines relationship were not corrected. Conclusions: This report highlights a treatment using transpalatal arch with extension arm modification that can be used to expand the transverse width of an arch to correct the discrepancy. Even though the treatment processes were still ongoing, the correction of the unilateral crossbite have been achieved in 4 months by only using the transpalatal arch.

Keywords: crossbite unilateral, late growing, non-extraction, transpalatal arch

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Authors: Upasana Bhumbla

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Background: Hepatitis C virus is a major cause of chronic hepatitis, which can further lead to cirrhosis of the liver and hepatocellular carcinoma. Worldwide the burden of Hepatitis C infection has become a serious threat to the human race. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has population-specific genotypes and provides valuable epidemiological and therapeutic information. Genotyping and assessment of viral load in HCV patients are important for planning the therapeutic strategies. The aim of the study is to study the changing trends of prevalence and genotypic distribution of hepatitis C virus in a tertiary care hospital in Western India. Methods: It is a retrospective study; blood samples were collected and tested for anti HCV antibodies by ELISA in Dept. of Microbiology. In seropositive Hepatitis C patients, quantification of HCV-RNA was done by real-time PCR and in HCV-RNA positive samples, genotyping was conducted. Results: A total of 114 patients who were seropositive for Anti HCV were recruited in the study, out of which 79 (69.29%) were HCV-RNA positive. Out of these positive samples, 54 were further subjected to genotype determination using real-time PCR. Genotype was not detected in 24 samples due to low viral load; 30 samples were positive for genotype. Conclusion: Knowledge of genotype is crucial for the management of HCV infection and prediction of prognosis. Patients infected with HCV genotype 1 and 4 will have to receive Interferon and Ribavirin for 48 weeks. Patients with these genotypes show a poor sustained viral response when tested 24 weeks after completion of therapy. On the contrary, patients infected with HCV genotype 2 and 3 are reported to have a better response to therapy.

Keywords: hepatocellular, genotype, ribavarin, seropositive

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Authors: Siti Azrina B. A. Aziz, Siti Hafizah A. Hamid

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New approaches to analyze and visualize data stream in real-time basis is important in making a prompt decision by the decision maker. Financial market trading and surveillance, large-scale emergency response and crowd control are some example scenarios that require real-time analytic and data visualization. This situation has led to the development of techniques and tools that support humans in analyzing the source data. With the emergence of Big Data and social media, new techniques and tools are required in order to process the streaming data. Today, ranges of tools which implement some of these functionalities are available. In this paper, we present chronological evolution evaluation of technologies for supporting of real-time analytic and visualization of the data stream. Based on the past research papers published from 2002 to 2014, we gathered the general information, main techniques, challenges and open issues. The techniques for streaming text visualization are identified based on Text Visualization Browser in chronological order. This paper aims to review the evolution of streaming text visualization techniques and tools, as well as to discuss the problems and challenges for each of identified tools.

Keywords: information visualization, visual analytics, text mining, visual text analytics tools, big data visualization

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Authors: Miloš Matúš, Peter Križan, Ľubomír Šooš, Juraj Beniak

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The moisture content of densified biomass is a limiting parameter influencing the quality of this solid biofuel. It influences its calorific value, density, mechanical strength and dimensional stability as well as affecting its production process. This paper deals with experimental research into the effect of moisture content of the densified material on the final quality of biofuel in the form of logs (briquettes or pellets). Experiments based on the single-axis densification of the spruce sawdust were carried out with a hydraulic piston press (piston and die), where the densified logs were produced at room temperature. The effect of moisture content on the qualitative properties of the logs, including density, change of moisture, expansion and physical changes, and compressive and impact resistance were studied. The results show the moisture ranges required for producing good-quality logs. The experiments were evaluated and the moisture content of the tested material was optimized to achieve the optimum value for the best quality of the solid biofuel. The dense logs also have high-energy content per unit volume. The research results could be used to develop and optimize industrial technologies and machinery for biomass densification to achieve high quality solid biofuel.

Keywords: biomass, briquettes, densification, fuel quality, moisture content, density

Procedia PDF Downloads 415