Search results for: change of population structure

Authors: I. Tiahi

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The aim of the current paper is to explore educational practices in contemporary Algeria. Researches explain such practices bear traditional approach and the overlooks modern teaching methods such as mobile learning. That is why the research output of examining student engagement in respect of mobile learning was obtained from the following objectives: (1) To evaluate the current practice of English language teaching within Algerian higher education institutions, (2) To explore how social constructivism theory and m-learning help students’ engagement in the classroom and (3) To explore the feasibility and acceptability of m-learning amongst institutional leaders. The methodology underpins a case study and action research. For the case study, the researcher engaged with 6 teachers, 4 institutional leaders, and 30 students subjected for semi-structured interviews and classroom observations to explore the current teaching methods for English as a foreign language. For the action research, the researcher applied an intervention course to investigate the possibility and implications for future implementation of mobile learning in higher education institutions. The results were deployed using thematic analysis. The research outcome showed that the disengagement of students in English language learning has many aspects. As seen from the interviews from the teachers, the researcher found that they do not have enough resources except for using ppt for some teacher. According to them, the teaching method they are using is mostly communicative and competency-based approach. Teachers informed that students are disengaged because they have psychological barriers. In classroom setting, the students are conscious about social approval from the peer, and thus if they are to face negative reinforcement which would damage their image, it is seen as a preventive mechanism to be scared of committing mistakes. This was also very reflective in this finding. A lot of other arguments can be given for this claim; however, in Algerian setting, it is usual practice where teachers do not provide positive reinforcement which is open up students for possible learning. Thus, in order to overcome such a psychological barrier, proper measures can be taken. On a conclusive remark, it is evident that teachers, students, and institutional leaders provided positive feedback for using mobile learning. It is not only motivating but also engaging in learning processes. Apps such as Kahoot, Padlet and Slido were well received and thus can be taken further to examine its higher impact in Algerian context. Thus, in the future, it will be important to implement m-learning effectively in higher education to transform the current traditional practices into modern, innovative and active learning. Persuasion for this change for stakeholder may be challenging; however, its long-term benefits can be reflective from the current research paper.

Keywords: Algerian context, mobile learning, social constructivism, student engagement

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Authors: Mario Chiasson, Monique Boudreau

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Problem statement: Innovation in education has become a central topic of discussion at various levels, including schools and scholarly literature, driven by the global technological advancements of Industry 4.0. This study aims to contribute to the ongoing dialogue by examining the role of innovation in transforming school culture through the reimagination of traditional structures. The study argues that such a transformation necessitates an understanding and experience of systems leadership. This paper presents the case of the Francophone South School District, where a transformative initiative created an innovative learning environment by engaging students, teachers, and community members collaboratively through eco-communities. Traditional barriers and structures in education were dismantled to facilitate this process. The research component of this paper focuses on the Intr’Appreneur project, a unique initiative launched by the district team in the New Brunswick, Canada to support a system-wide transformation towards progressive and innovative organizational models. Methods This study is part of a larger research project that focuses on the transformation of educational systems in six pilot schools involved in the Intr’Appreneur project. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the project was downscaled to three schools, and virtual qualitative interviews were conducted with volunteer teachers and administrators. Data was collected from students, teachers, and principals regarding their perceptions of the new learning environment and experiences. The analysis process involved developing categories, establishing codes for emerging themes, and validating the findings. The study emphasizes the importance of system leadership in achieving successful transformation. Results: The findings demonstrate that school principals played a vital role in enabling system-wide change by fostering a dynamic, collaborative, and inclusive culture, coordinating and mobilizing community members, and serving as educational role models who facilitated active and personalized pedagogy among the teaching staff. These qualities align with the characteristics of Leadership 4.0 and are crucial for successful school system transformations. Conclusion: This paper emphasizes the importance of systems leadership in driving educational transformations that extend beyond pedagogical and technological advancements. The research underscores the potential impact of such a leadership approach on teaching, learning, and leading processes in Education 4.0.

Keywords: leadership, system transformation, innovation, innovative learning environment, Education 4.0, system leadership

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Authors: E. Wairimu Mwangi, Daniel Sarpong

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Background: Access to effective antiretroviral therapy in the United States has resulted in the rise in longevity in people living with HIV (PLHIV). Despite the progress, women living with HIV (WLWH) experience increasing rates of cardiometabolic disorders compared with their HIV-negative counterparts. Studies focusing on the predictors of metabolic disorders in this population have largely focused on the composite measure of metabolic syndrome (METs). This study seeks to identify the predictors of composite and individual METs factors in a nationally representative sample of WLWH. In particular, the study also examines the role of food security in predicting METs. Methods: The study comprised 1800 women, a subset of participants from the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS). The primary exposure variable, food security, was measured using the U.S. 10-item Household Food Security Survey Module. The outcome measures are the five metabolic syndrome indicators (elevated blood pressure [systolic BP > 130 mmHg and diastolic BP ≥ 85 mmHg], elevated fasting glucose [≥ 110 mg/dL], elevated fasting triglyceride [≥ 150 mg/dL], reduced HDL cholesterol [< 50 mg/dL], and waist circumference > 88 cm) and the composite measure - Metabolic Syndrome (METs) Status. Each metabolic syndrome indicator was coded one if yes and 0 otherwise. The values of the five indicators were summed, and participants with a total score of 3 or greater were classified as having metabolic syndrome. Participants classified as having metabolic syndrome were assigned a code of 1 and 0 otherwise for analysis. The covariates accounted for in this study fell into sociodemographic factors and behavioral and health characteristics. Results: The participants' mean (SD) age was 47.1 (9.1) years, with 71.4% Blacks and 10.9% Whites. About a third (33.1%) had less than a high school (HS) diploma, 60.4% were married, 32.8% were employed, and 53.7% were low-income. The prevalence of worst dietary diversity, low, moderate, and high food security were 24.1%, 26.6%, 17.0%, and 56.4%, respectively. The correlate profile of the five individual METs factors plus the composite measure of METs differ significantly, with METs based on HDL having the most correlates (Age, Education, Drinking Status, Low Income, Body Mass Index, and Health Perception). Additionally, metabolic syndrome based on waist circumference was the only metabolic factor where food security was significantly correlated (Food Security, Age, and Body Mass Index). Age was a significant predictor of all five individual METs factors plus the composite METs measure. Except for METs based on Fasting Triglycerides, body mass index (BMI) was a significant correlate of the various measures of metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: High-density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol significantly correlated with most predictors. BMI was a significant predictor of all METs factors except Fasting Triglycerides. Food insecurity, the primary predictor, was only significantly associated with waist circumference.

Keywords: blood pressure, food insecurity, fasting glucose, fasting triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, metabolic syndrome, waist circumference, women living with HIV

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Authors: Badawi Mahmoud, Eid Mohamed, Salih Hytham, Tahoun Mamdouh

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Cultural properties made of types of materials; we can classify them broadly into three categories. There are organic cultural properties which have their origin in the animal and plant kingdoms. There are the inorganic cultural properties made of metal or stone. Then there are those made of both organic and inorganic materials such as metal with wood. Most cultural properties are made from several materials rather than from one single material. Cultural properties reveal a lot of information about the past and often have great artistic value. It is important to extend the life of cultural properties and preserve themif possible, that is intended to preserve them for future generations. The study of metallic relics usually includes examining the techniques used to make them and the extent to which they have corroded. The conservation science of archaeological artifacts demands an accurate grasp of the interior of the article, which cannot be seen. This is essential to elucidate the method of manufacture and provides information that is important for cleaning, restoration, and other processes of conservation. Conservation treatment does not ensure the prevention of further degradation of the archaeological artifact. Instead, it is an attempt to inhibit further degradation as much as possible. Ancient metallic artifacts are made of many materials. Some are made of a single metal, such as iron, copper, or bronze. There are also composite relics made of several metals. Almost all metals (except gold) corrode while they rest underground. Corrosion is caused by the interaction of oxygen, water, and various ions. Chloride ions play a major role in the advance of corrosion. Excavated metallic relics are usually scientifically examined as to their structure and materials and treated for preservation before being displayed for exhibition or stored in a storehouse. Bird statue hermit body is made of wood and legs and beak bronze, the object broken separated to three parts. This statue came to Grand Egyptian Museum – Conservation Centre (GEM-CC) Inorganic Lab. Statuette representing the god djehoty shaped of the bird (ibis) sculpture made of bronze and wood the body of statues made from wood and bronze from head and leg and founded remains of black resin maybe it found with mummy, the base installed by wooden statue of the ancient writings there dating, the archaeological unit decided the dating is 3rd intermediate period - late period. This study aims to do conservation process for this statue, attempt to inhibit further degradation as much as possible and fill fractures and cracks in the wooden part.

Keywords: inorganic materials, metal, wood, corrosion, ibis

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Authors: Emílie Kučerová, Tereza Veverková, Marina Morozovová, Eva Kudová, Jitka Viktorová

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The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a key element regulating the transport of substances between the blood and the central nervous system (CNS). The BBB protects the CNS from potentially harmful substances and maintains a suitable environment for nervous activity in the CNS, but at the same time, it represents a significant obstacle to the entry of drugs into the CNS. Pharmacoresistant epilepsy is a form of epilepsy that cannot be suppressed using two (or more) appropriately chosen antiepileptic drugs. In many cases, pharmacoresistant epilepsy is characterized by an increased concentration of efflux pumps on the luminal sides of the endothelial cells that form the BBB and an increased number of drug-metabolizing enzymes in the BBB cells, thereby preventing the effective transport of antiepileptic drugs into the CNS. Currently, a number of scientific groups are focusing on the preparation and improvement of BBB models in vitro in order to study cell interactions or transport mechanisms. However, in pathological conditions such as pharmacoresistant epilepsy, there are changes in BBB structure, and current BBB models are insufficient for related research. Our goal is to develop a suitable BBB model for pharmacoresistant epilepsy in vitro and use it to test the transfer of potential antiepileptic drugs. This model is created by co-culturing immortalized human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells, human vascular pericytes and immortalized human astrocytes. The BBB in vitro is cultivated in the form of a 2D transwell model and the integrity of the barrier is verified by measuring transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER). From the current results, a contact cell arrangement with the cultivation of endothelial cells on the upper side of the insert and the co-cultivation of astrocytes and pericytes on the lower side of the insert is selected as the most promising for BBB model cultivation. The pharmacoresistance of the BBB model is achieved by long-term cultivation of endothelial cells in an increasing concentration of selected antiepileptic drugs, which should lead to increased production of efflux pumps and drug-metabolizing enzymes. The pharmacoresistant BBB model in vitro will be further used for the screening of substances that could act both as antiepileptics and at the same time as inhibitors of efflux pumps in endothelial cells. This project was supported by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TACR), Personalized Medicine: Translational research towards biomedical applications, No. TN02000109 and by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (AS CR) – grant RVO 61388963.

Keywords: antiepileptic drugs, blood-brain barrier, efflux transporters, pharmacoresistance

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Authors: Sara A. Ben Lashihar

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The heritage building information modelling (HBIM) of the historical masonry buildings has expanded lately to meet the urgent needs for conservation and structural analysis. The masonry structures are unique features for ancient building architectures worldwide that have special cultural, spiritual, and historical significance. However, there is a research gap regarding the reliability of the HBIM modeling process of these structures. The HBIM modeling process of the masonry structures faces significant challenges due to the inherent complexity and uniqueness of their structural systems. Most of these processes are based on tracing the point clouds and rarely follow documents, archival records, or direct observation. The results of these techniques are highly abstracted models where the accuracy does not exceed LOD 200. The masonry assemblages, especially curved elements such as arches, vaults, and domes, are generally modeled with standard BIM components or in-place models, and the brick textures are graphically input. Hence, future investigation is necessary to establish a methodology to generate automatically parametric masonry components. These components are developed algorithmically according to mathematical and geometric accuracy and the validity of the survey data. The main aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the state of the art of the existing researches and papers that have been conducted on the HBIM modeling of the masonry structural elements and the latest approaches to achieve parametric models that have both the visual fidelity and high geometric accuracy. The paper reviewed more than 800 articles, proceedings papers, and book chapters focused on "HBIM and Masonry" keywords from 2017 to 2021. The studies were downloaded from well-known, trusted bibliographic databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, Dimensions, and Lens. As a starting point, a scientometric analysis was carried out using VOSViewer software. This software extracts the main keywords in these studies to retrieve the relevant works. It also calculates the strength of the relationships between these keywords. Subsequently, an in-depth qualitative review followed the studies with the highest frequency of occurrence and the strongest links with the topic, according to the VOSViewer's results. The qualitative review focused on the latest approaches and the future suggestions proposed in these researches. The findings of this paper can serve as a valuable reference for researchers, and BIM specialists, to make more accurate and reliable HBIM models for historic masonry buildings.

Keywords: HBIM, masonry, structure, modeling, automatic, approach, parametric

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Authors: Tuji Jemal Ahmed, Abdi Mohammed, Geremew Geidare Kailo

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Food security, foodborne illness, and food safety are critical issues that affect the East Harerghe region of Oromia, Ethiopia. Despite the region's potential for agriculture, food insecurity remains a significant problem, with many households experiencing chronic hunger and malnutrition. The region also experiences high rates of foodborne illnesses, including cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea, which are caused by poor hygiene and sanitation practices. Additionally, food safety is a significant challenge, particularly in rural areas, where there is a lack of infrastructure, inadequate food storage facilities, and limited access to information about food safety. There are several factors that contribute to the current situation in the East Harerghe region; firstly, the region is susceptible to natural disasters, for instance, drought, which affects crop yields and livestock production. Secondly, the region also experiences poor infrastructure, which affects the storage and transportation of food, particularly in rural areas. Thirdly, there is a lack of awareness and knowledge on good hygiene and sanitation practices, specifically during food handling, processing, and storage. Fourthly, unitability due to conflict and other forms of land degradation exacerbates food insecurity and malnutrition. Finally, limited access to financial resources and markets commonly affects smallholder farmers by their ability to produce and sell food. To address the current situation in that area, several potential solutions can be implemented; investment in infrastructure is necessary, especially in rural areas, to improve the storage and transportation of food. Education and awareness programs on good hygiene and sanitation practices should target local communities, smallholder farmers, and food vendors. Financial resources and markets should be made more accessible to smallholder farmers, particularly through the provision of credit and improved access to markets. Addressing the underlying causes of conflict and promoting peaceful coexistence can help to reduce displacement and loss of livelihoods. Finally, the enforcement of food safety regulations and the implementation of standards for food processing and storage facilities are necessary to ensure food safety. In conclusion, addressing the challenges of food security, foodborne illness, and food safety in the East Harerghe region requires a coordinated effort from various stakeholders, including the government, non-governmental organizations, and local communities. By implementing the solutions outlined above, the region can improve its food security, prevent foodborne illnesses, and keep food safe for its population. Eventually, building the resilience of communities to shocks such as droughts, floods, and conflict is necessary to ensure long-term food security in the region.

Keywords: foodborne illness, food handling, food safety, food security

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Authors: Dipendra Kumar Yadav, Nabaraj Paudel, Anjana Yadav

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Background: Low Birth weight (LBW) is defined as the weight at birth less than 2500 grams, irrespective of the period of their gestation. LBW is an important indicator of general health status of population and is considered as the single most important predictors of infant mortality especially of deaths within the first month of life that is birth weight determines the chances of newborn survival. Objective of this study was to identify the maternal risk factors associated with low birth weight neonates. Materials and Methods: A hospital based case-control study was conducted in maternity ward of Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal from 23 September 2014 to 12 November 2014. During study period 59 cases were obtained and twice number of control group were selected with frequency matching of the mother`s age with ± 3 years and total controls were 118. Interview schedule was used for data collection along with record review. Data were entered in Epi-data program and analysis was done with help of SPSS software program. Results: From bivariate logistic regression analysis, eighteen variables were found significantly associated with LBW and these were place of residence, family monthly income, education, previous still birth, previous LBW, history of STD, history of vaginal bleeding, anemia, ANC visits, less than four ANC visits, de-worming status, counseling during pregnancy, CVD, physical workload, stress, extra meal during pregnancy, smoking and alcohol consumption status. However after adjusting confounding variables, only six variables were found significantly associated with LBW. Mothers who had family monthly income up to ten thousand rupees were 4.83 times more likely to deliver LBW with CI (1.5-40.645) and p value 0.014 compared to mothers whose family income NRs.20,001-60,000. Mothers who had previous still birth were 2.01 times more likely to deliver LBW with CI (0.69-5.87) and p value 0.02 compared to mothers who did not has previous still birth. Mothers who had previous LBW were 5.472 times more likely to deliver LBW with CI (1.2-24.93) and p value 0.028 compared to mothers who did not has previous LBW. Mothers who had anemia during pregnancy were 3.36 times more likely to deliver LBW with CI (0.77-14.57) and p value 0.014 compared to mothers who did not has anemia. Mothers who delivered female newborn were 2.96 times more likely to have LBW with 95% CI (1.27-7.28) and p value 0.01 compared to mothers who deliver male newborn. Mothers who did not get extra meal during pregnancy were 6.04 times more likely to deliver LBW with CI (1.11-32.7) and p value 0.037 compared to mothers who getting the extra meal during pregnancy. Mothers who consumed alcohol during pregnancy were 4.83 times more likely to deliver LBW with CI (1.57-14.83) and p value 0.006 compared to mothers who did not consumed alcohol during pregnancy. Conclusions: To reduce low birth weight baby through economic empowerment of family and individual women. Prevention and control of anemia during pregnancy is one of the another strategy to control the LBW baby and mothers should take full dose of iron supplements with screening of haemoglobin level. Extra nutritional food should be provided to women during pregnancy. Health promotion program will be focused on avoidance of alcohol and strengthen of health services that leads increasing use of maternity services.

Keywords: low birth weight, case-control, risk factors, hospital based study

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Authors: Rajkumar Ghosh

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Fluoride contamination is a growing concern in various regions across the globe, including North 24 Parganas in West Bengal, India. The presence of excessive fluoride in the environment can have detrimental effects on crops, soil quality, and water resources. This note aims to shed light on the implications of fluoride contamination and its impact on the agricultural sector in North 24 Parganas. The agricultural lands in North 24 Parganas have been significantly affected by fluoride contamination, leading to adverse consequences for crop production. Excessive fluoride uptake by plants can hinder their growth, reduce crop yields, and impact the quality of agricultural produce. Certain crops, such as paddy, vegetables, and fruits, are more susceptible to fluoride toxicity, resulting in stunted growth, leaf discoloration, and reduced nutritional value. Fluoride-contaminated water, often used for irrigation, contributes to the accumulation of fluoride in the soil. Over time, this can lead to soil degradation and reduced fertility. High fluoride levels can alter soil pH, disrupt the availability of essential nutrients, and impair microbial activity critical for nutrient cycling. Consequently, the overall health and productivity of the soil are compromised, making it increasingly challenging for farmers to sustain agricultural practices. Fluoride contamination in North 24 Parganas extends beyond the soil and affects water resources as well. The excess fluoride seeps into groundwater, making it unsafe for consumption. Long-term consumption of fluoride-contaminated water can lead to various health issues, including dental and skeletal fluorosis. These health concerns pose significant risks to the local population, especially those reliant on contaminated water sources for their daily needs. Addressing fluoride contamination requires concerted efforts from various stakeholders, including government authorities, researchers, and farmers. Implementing appropriate water treatment technologies, such as defluoridation units, can help reduce fluoride levels in drinking water sources. Additionally, promoting alternative irrigation methods and crop diversification strategies can aid in mitigating the impact of fluoride on agricultural productivity. Furthermore, creating awareness among farmers about the adverse effects of fluoride contamination and providing access to alternative water sources are crucial steps toward safeguarding the health of the community and sustaining agricultural activities in the region. Fluoride contamination poses significant challenges to crop production, soil health, and water resources in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. It is imperative to prioritize efforts to address this issue effectively and implement appropriate measures to mitigate fluoride contamination. By adopting sustainable practices and promoting awareness, the community can work towards restoring the agricultural productivity, soil quality and ensuring access to safe drinking water in the region.

Keywords: fluoride contamination, drinking water, toxicity, soil health

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Authors: Ana Caroline Ibrahim Lino, Denise Bomtempo Birche de Carvalho

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The background of this research is the international process of control and monitoring of illicit psychoactive substances that has commenced in the early 20th century. This process was intensified with the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 and had its culmination in the 1970s with the "War on drugs", a doctrine undertaken by the United States of America. Since then, the phenomenon of drug prohibition has been pushing debates around alternatives of public policies to confront their consequences at a global level and in the specific context of Latin America. Previous research has answered the following key questions: a) With what characteristics and models has the international illicit drug control system consolidated in Latin America with the creation of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD)? b) What drug policies and programs were determined as guidelines for the member states by the OAS and CICAD? The present paper mainly addresses the analysis of the drug strategies developed by the OAS/CICAD for the Americas from 2004 to 2016. The primary sources have been extracted from the OAS/CICAD documents and reports, listed on the Internet sites of these organizations. Secondary sources refer to bibliographic research on the subject with the following descriptors: illicit drugs, public policies, international organizations, OAS, CICAD, and reducing the demand and supply of illicit drugs. The "content analysis" technique was used to organize the collected material and to choose the axes of analysis. The results show that the policies, strategies, and action plans for Latin America had been focused on anti-drug actions since the creation of the Commission until 2010. The discourses and policies to reduce drug demand and supply were of great importance for solving the problem. However, the real focus was on eliminating the substances by controlling the production, marketing, and distribution of illicit drugs. Little attention was given to the users and their families. The research is of great relevance to the Social Work. The guidelines and parameters of the Social Worker's profession are in line with the need for social, ethical, and political strengthening of any dimension that guarantees the rights of users of psychoactive substances. In addition, it contributed to the understanding of the political, economic, social, and cultural factors that structure the prohibitionism, whose matrix anchors the deprivation of rights and violence.

Keywords: illicit drug policies, international organizations, latin America, prohibitionism, reduce the demand and supply of illicit drugs

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Authors: Befekadu Urga Wakayo

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Introduction: Bacterial infections represent major human and animal health problems in Ethiopia. In the face of poor antibiotic regulatory mechanisms, development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to commonly used drugs has become a growing health and livelihood threat in the country. Monitoring and control of AMR demand close coloration between human and veterinary services as well as other relevant stakeholders. However, risk of AMR transfer from animal to human population’s remains poorly explored in Ethiopia. This systematic research literature review attempted to give an overview on AMR challenges of bovine mastitis bacteria in Ethiopia. Methodology: A web based research literature search and analysis strategy was used. Databases are considered including; PubMed, Google Scholar, Ethiopian Veterinary Association (EVA) and Ethiopian Society of Animal Production (ESAP). The key search terms and phrases were; Ethiopia, dairy, cattle, mastitis, bacteria isolation, antibiotic sensitivity and antimicrobial resistance. Ultimately, 15 research reports were used for the current analysis. Data extraction was performed using a structured Microsoft Excel format. Frequency AMR prevalence (%) was registered directly or calculated from reported values. Statistical analysis was performed on SPSS – 16. Variables were summarized by giving frequencies (n or %), Mean ± SE and demonstrative box plots. One way ANOVA and independent t test were used to evaluate variations in AMR prevalence estimates (Ln transformed). Statistical significance was determined at p < 0.050). Results: AMR in bovine mastitis bacteria was investigated in a total of 592 in vitro antibiotic sensitivity trials involving 12 different mastitis bacteria (including 1126 Gram positive and 77 Gram negative isolates) and 14 antibiotics. Bovine mastitis bacteria exhibited AMR to most of the antibiotics tested. Gentamycin had the lowest average AMR in both Gram positive (2%) and negative (1.8%) bacteria. Gram negative mastitis bacteria showed higher mean in vitro resistance levels to; Erythromycin (72.6%), Tetracycline (56.65%), Amoxicillin (49.6%), Ampicillin (47.6%), Clindamycin (47.2%) and Penicillin (40.6%). Among Gram positive mastitis bacteria higher mean in vitro resistance was observed in; Ampicillin (32.8%), Amoxicillin (32.6%), Penicillin (24.9%), Streptomycin (20.2%), Penicillinase Resistant Penicillin’s (15.4%) and Tetracycline (14.9%). More specifically, S. aurues exhibited high mean AMR against Penicillin (76.3%) and Ampicillin (70.3%) followed by Amoxicillin (45%), Streptomycin (40.6%), Tetracycline (24.5%) and Clindamycin (23.5%). E. coli showed high mean AMR to Erythromycin (78.7%), Tetracycline (51.5%), Ampicillin (49.25%), Amoxicillin (43.3%), Clindamycin (38.4%) and Penicillin (33.8%). Streptococcus spp. demonstrated higher (p =0.005) mean AMR against Kanamycin (> 20%) and full sensitivity (100%) to Clindamycin. Overall, mean Tetracycline (p = 0.013), Gentamycin (p = 0.001), Polymixin (p = 0.034), Erythromycin (p = 0.011) and Ampicillin (p = 0.009) resistance increased from the 2010’s than the 2000’s. Conclusion; the review indicated a rising AMR challenge among bovine mastitis bacteria in Ethiopia. Corresponding, public health implications demand a deeper, integrated investigation.

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, dairy cattle, Ethiopia, Mastitis bacteria

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Authors: Bessy Thuranira

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Buildings, as they are designed and used, may contribute to serious environmental problems because of excessive consumption of energy and other natural resources. Buildings in the informal settlements particularly, due to their unplanned physical structure and design, have significantly contributed the global energy problematic scenario typified by high-level inefficiencies. Energy used in buildings in Africa is estimated to be the highest of the total national electricity consumption. Over the last decade, assessments of energy consumption and efficiency/inefficiency has focused on formal and modern buildings. This study seeks to go off the beaten path, by focusing on energy use in informal settlements. Operationally, it sought to establish the contribution of informal buildings in the overall energy consumption in the city and the country at large. This study was carried out in Mukuru kwa Reuben informal settlement where there is distinct manifestation of different settlement morphologies within a small locality. The research narrowed down to three villages (Mombasa, Kosovo and Railway villages) within the settlement, that were representative of the different slum housing typologies. Due to the unpredictability nature and informality in slums, this study takes a multi-methodology approach. Detailed energy audits and measurements are carried out to predict total building consumption, and document building design and envelope, typology, materials and occupancy levels. Moreover, the study uses semi-structured interviews and to access energy supply, cost, access and consumption patterns. Observations and photographs are also used to shed more light on these parameters. The study reveals the high energy inefficiencies in slum buildings mainly related to sub-standard equipment and appliances, building design and settlement layout, poor access and utilization/consumption patterns of energy. The impacts of this inefficiency are high economic burden to the poor, high levels of pollution, lack of thermal comfort and emissions to the environment. The study highlights a set of urban planning and building design principles that can be used to retrofit slums into more energy efficient settlements. The study explores principles of responsive settlement layouts/plans and appropriate building designs that use the beneficial elements of nature to achieve natural lighting, natural ventilation, and solar control to create thermally comfortable, energy efficient, and environmentally responsive buildings/settlements. As energy efficiency in informal settlements is a relatively less explored area of efficiency, it requires further research and policy recommendations, for which this paper will set a background.

Keywords: energy efficiency, informal settlements, renewable energy, settlement layout

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Authors: Sophio Kobauri, Temur Kantaria, Nina Kulikova, David Tugushi, Ramaz Katsarava

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The elaboration of effective drug delivery vehicles is still topical nowadays since targeted drug delivery is one of the most important challenges of the modern nanomedicine. The last decade has witnessed enormous research focused on synthetic cationic polymers (CPs) due to their flexible properties, in particular as non-viral gene delivery systems, facile synthesis, robustness, not oncogenic and proven gene delivery efficiency. However, the toxicity is still an obstacle to the application in pharmacotherapy. For overcoming the problem, creation of new cationic compounds including the polymeric nano-size particles – nano-containers (NCs) loading with different pharmaceuticals and biologicals is still relevant. In this regard, a variety of NCs-based drug delivery systems have been developed. We have found that amino acid-based biodegradable polymers called as pseudo-proteins (PPs), which can be cleared from the body after the fulfillment of their function are highly suitable for designing pharmaceutical NCs. Among them, one of the most promising are NCs made of biodegradable Cationic PPs (CPPs). For preparing new cationic NCs (CNCs), we used CPPs composed of positively charged amino acid L-arginine (R). The CNCs were fabricated by two approaches using: (1) R-based homo-CPPs; (2) Blends of R-based CPPs with regular (neutral) PPs. According to the first approach NCs we prepared from CPPs 8R3 (composed of R, sebacic acid and 1,3-propanediol) and 8R6 (composed of R, sebacic acid and 1,6-hexanediol). The NCs prepared from these CPPs were 72-101 nm in size with zeta potential within +30 ÷ +35 mV at a concentration 6 mg/mL. According to the second approach, CPPs 8R6 was blended in organic phase with neutral PPs 8L6 (composed of leucine, sebacic acid and 1,6-hexanediol). The NCs prepared from the blends were 130-140 nm in size with zeta potential within +20 ÷ +28 mV depending on 8R6/8L6 ratio. The stability studies of fabricated NCs showed that no substantial change of the particle size and distribution and no big particles’ formation is observed after three months storage. In vitro biocompatibility study of the obtained NPs with four different stable cell lines: A549 (human), U-937 (human), RAW264.7 (murine), Hepa 1-6 (murine) showed both type cathionic NCs are biocompatible. The obtained data allow concluding that the obtained CNCs are promising for the application as biodegradable drug delivery vehicles. This work was supported by the joint grant from the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine and Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia #6298 'New biodegradable cationic polymers composed of arginine and spermine-versatile biomaterials for various biomedical applications'.

Keywords: biodegradable polymers, cationic pseudo-proteins, nano-containers, drug delivery vehicles

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Authors: Roni Granot

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Musical intervals are the building blocks of melody and harmony. Intervals differ in terms of their size, direction, or quality as consonants or dissonants. In Western music, perceptual dissonance is mostly associated with the sensation of beats or periodicity, whereas cognitive dissonance is associated with rules of harmony and voice leading. These two perceptions can be studied separately in musical cultures which include melodic with little or no harmonic structures. In the Arab musical system, there is a number of different quarter- tone intervals creating various combinations of consonant and dissonant intervals. While traditional Arab music includes only melody, today’s Arab pop music includes harmonization of songs, often using typical Western harmonic sequences. Therefore, the Arab population in Israel presents an interesting case which enables us to examine the distinction between perceptual and cognitive dissonance. In the current study, we compared the responses of 34 Jewish Western listeners and 56 Arab listeners to two types of stimuli and their relationships: Harmonic sequences and isolated harmonic intervals (dyads). Harmonic sequences were presented in synthesized piano tones and represented five levels of Harmonic prototypicality (Tonic ending; Tonic ending with half flattened third; Deceptive cadence; Half cadence; and Dissonant unrelated ending) and were rated on 5-point scales of closure and surprise. Here we report only findings related to the harmonic sequences. One-way repeated measures ANOVA with one within subjects factor with five levels (Type of sequence) and one between- subjects factor (Musical background) indicates a main effect of Type of sequence for surprise ratings F (4, 85) = 51 p<.001, and for closure ratings F (4, 78) 9.54 p < .001, no main effect of Background on either surprise or closure ratings, and a marginally significant Type X Background interaction for surprise F (4, 352) = 6.05 p = .069 and closure ratings F (4, 324) 3.89 p < .01). Planned comparisons show that the interaction of Type of sequence X Background center around surprise and closure ratings of the regular versus the half- flattened third tonic and the deceptive versus the half cadence. The half- flattened third tonic is rated as less surprising and as demanding less continuation than the regular tonic by the Arab listeners as compared to the Western listeners. In addition, the half cadence is rated as more surprising but demanding less continuation than the deceptive cadence in the Arab listeners as compared to the Western listeners. Together, our results suggest that despite the vast exposure of Arab listeners to Western harmony, sensitivity to harmonic rules seems to be partial with preference to oriental sonorities such as half flattened third. In addition, the percept of directionality which demands sensitivity to the level on which closure is obtained and which is strongly entrenched in Western harmony, may not be fully integrated into the Arab listeners’ mental harmonic scheme. Results will be discussed in terms of broad differences between Western and Eastern aesthetic ideals.

Keywords: harmony, cross cultural, Arab music, closure

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Authors: Abdulwhab Alotaibi, Abdullah Alzahrani, Ziyad Bokhari, Abdulelah Alghamdi

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First described in 1975 by Dr. Miller, Medical dressings are uncommon but possible cause of hand digital ischemia due the tourniquet-like effect. The incident of this complication has been reported across wide range of age-groups, yet it seems like that the pediatric population are specifically vulnerable. Multiple dressing types were reported to have caused ischemic injury, such as elastic wrap, tubular gauze, and self-adherent dressings. We present a case of medical dressing induced digital ischemia in patient with Congenital insensitivity to pain and anhidrosis (CIPA), which further challenge the discovery of the condition. An 8-year-old girl known case of CIPA. Brought by her mother to the ER after nail bed injury, which she managed by application of elastic wrap that was left for 24 hours. When the mother found out she immediately removed the elastic band, and noticed the fingertip was black and cold with tense bullae. The color then changed later when she arrived to the ER to dark purple with bluish discoloration on the tip. On examination there was well demarcated tense bullae on the distal right fifth finger. Neurovascular intact, pulse oximetry on distal digit 100%, capillary refill time was delayed. She was seen under Plastic surgery and conservative management recommended, and patient was discharged with safety netting. Two days later the patient came as follow-up visit at which her condition demonstrated significant improvement, the bullae has since ruptured leaving behind sloughed skin, capillary refill and pulse oximetry were both within normal limits, sensory function couldn’t be assessed but her motor function and ROM were normal, topical bacitracin and bandage dressings were applied for the eroded skin. Patient was scheduled for a follow-up in 2 weeks. Preventatively it’s advisable to avoid the commonly implicated dressings such as elastic, tubular gauze or self-adherent wraps in hand or digital injuries when possible, but in cases where the use of these dressings is of necessity the appropriate precautions must be taken, Dr. Makarewich proposed the following 5 measures to help minimize the incidence of the injury: 1-Unwrapping 12 inches of the dressing before rolling the injured finger. 2-Wrapping from distal to proximal with minimal tension to avoid vascular embarrassment. 3-The use of 5-25 inch to overlap the entire wrap. 4-Maintaining light pressure over the wrap to allow adherence of the dressing. 5-Minimization of the number of layers used to wrap the affected digit. Also assessing the capillary refill after the application can help in determining the patency of the supplying blood vessels. It’s also important to selectively determine if the patient is a candidate for conservative management, as tailored approach can help in maximizing the positive outcomes for our patients.

Keywords: congenital insensitivity to pain, digital ischemia, medical dressing, conservative management

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Authors: Marcin Stasiulewicz, Sebastian Filipkowski, Aneta Panuszko

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Background: The hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, is an aggregation of the abnormal forms of peptides and proteins. Water is essential to functioning biomolecules, and it is one of the key factors influencing protein folding and misfolding. However, the hydration studies of proteins are complicated due to the complexity of protein systems. The use of model compounds can facilitate the interpretation of results involving larger systems. Objectives: The goal of the research was to characterize the properties of the hydration water surrounding the two three-residue K peptide fragments INS (Isoleucine - Asparagine - Serine) and NSR (Asparagine - Serine - Arginine). Methods: Fourier-transform infrared spectra of aqueous solutions of the tripeptides were recorded on Nicolet 8700 spectrometer (Thermo Electron Co.) Measurements were carried out at 25°C for varying molality of solute. To remove oscillation couplings from water spectra and, consequently, obtain narrow O-D semi-heavy water bands (HDO), the isotopic dilution method of HDO in H₂O was used. The difference spectra method allowed us to isolate the tripeptide-affected HDO spectrum. Results: The structural and energetic properties of water affected by the tripeptides were compared to the properties of pure water. The shift of the values of the gravity center of bands (related to the mean energy of water hydrogen bonds) towards lower values with respect to the ones corresponding to pure water suggests that the energy of hydrogen bonds between water molecules surrounding tripeptides is higher than in pure water. A comparison of the values of the mean oxygen-oxygen distances in water affected by tripeptides and pure water indicates that water-water hydrogen bonds are shorter in the presence of these tripeptides. The analysis of differences in oxygen-oxygen distance distributions between the tripeptide-affected water and pure water indicates that around the tripeptides, the contribution of water molecules with the mean energy of hydrogen bonds decreases, and simultaneously the contribution of strong hydrogen bonds increases. Conclusions: It was found that hydrogen bonds between water molecules in the hydration sphere of tripeptides are shorter and stronger than in pure water. It means that in the presence of the tested tripeptides, the structure of water is strengthened compared to pure water. Moreover, it has been shown that in the vicinity of the Asparagine - Serine - Arginine, water forms stronger and shorter hydrogen bonds. Acknowledgments: This work was funded by the National Science Centre, Poland (grant 2017/26/D/NZ1/00497).

Keywords: amyloids, K-peptide, hydration, FTIR spectroscopy

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Authors: Rommila Chandra, Harshika Choudhary

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The value of integrated, participatory, and community based sustainable development strategies is eminent, but in practice, it still remains fragmentary and often leads to short-lived results. Despite the global presence of climate change, its impacts are felt differently by different communities based on their vulnerability. The developing countries have the low adaptive capacity and high dependence on environmental variables, making them highly susceptible to outmigration and poverty. We need to understand how to enable these approaches, taking into account the various governmental and non-governmental stakeholders functioning at different levels, to deliver long-term socio-economic and environmental well-being of local communities. The research assessed the financial and natural vulnerability of Himalayan networks, focusing on their potential to adapt to various changes, through accessing their perceived reactions and local knowledge. The evaluation was conducted by testing indices for vulnerability, with a major focus on indicators for adaptive capacity. Data for the analysis were collected from the villages around Govind National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the Indian Himalayan Region. The villages were stratified on the basis of connectivity via road, thus giving two kinds of human settlements connected and isolated. The study focused on understanding the complex relationship between outmigration and the socio-cultural sentiments of local people to not abandon their land, assessing their adaptive capacity for livelihood opportunities, and exploring their contribution that integrated participatory methodologies can play in delivering sustainable development. The result showed that the villages having better road connectivity, access to market, and basic amenities like health and education have a better understanding about the climatic shift, natural hazards, and a higher adaptive capacity for income generation in comparison to the isolated settlements in the hills. The participatory approach towards environmental conservation and sustainable use of natural resources were seen more towards the far-flung villages. The study helped to reduce the gap between local understanding and government policies by highlighting the ongoing adaptive practices and suggesting precautionary strategies for the community studied based on their local conditions, which differ on the basis of connectivity and state of development. Adaptive capacity in this study has been taken as the externally driven potential of different parameters, leading to a decrease in outmigration and upliftment of the human environment that could lead to sustainable livelihood development in the rural areas of Himalayas.

Keywords: adaptive capacity, Indian Himalayan region, participatory, sustainable livelihood development

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Authors: Qian Yi Ooi

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At present, airfoil parameters are still designed and optimized according to the scale of conventional aircraft, and there are still some slight deviations in terms of scale differences. However, insufficient parameters or poor surface mesh quality is likely to occur if these small deviations are embedded in a future civil aircraft with a size that is quite different from conventional aircraft, such as a blended-wing-body (BWB) aircraft with future potential, resulting in large deviations in geometric similarity in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. To avoid this situation, the study on the CFD calculation on the geometric similarity of airfoil parameters and the quality of the surface mesh is conducted to obtain the ability of different parameterization methods applied on different airfoil scales. The research objects are three airfoil scales, including the wing root and wingtip of conventional civil aircraft and the wing root of the giant hybrid wing, used by three parameterization methods to compare the calculation differences between different sizes of airfoils. In this study, the constants including NACA 0012, a Reynolds number of 10 million, an angle of attack of zero, a C-grid for meshing, and the k-epsilon (k-ε) turbulence model are used. The experimental variables include three airfoil parameterization methods: point cloud method, B-spline curve method, and class function/shape function transformation (CST) method. The airfoil dimensions are set to 3.98 meters, 17.67 meters, and 48 meters, respectively. In addition, this study also uses different numbers of edge meshing and the same bias factor in the CFD simulation. Studies have shown that with the change of airfoil scales, different parameterization methods, the number of control points, and the meshing number of divisions should be used to improve the accuracy of the aerodynamic performance of the wing. When the airfoil ratio increases, the most basic point cloud parameterization method will require more and larger data to support the accuracy of the airfoil’s aerodynamic performance, which will face the severe test of insufficient computer capacity. On the other hand, when using the B-spline curve method, average number of control points and meshing number of divisions should be set appropriately to obtain higher accuracy; however, the quantitative balance cannot be directly defined, but the decisions should be made repeatedly by adding and subtracting. Lastly, when using the CST method, it is found that limited control points are enough to accurately parameterize the larger-sized wing; a higher degree of accuracy and stability can be obtained by using a lower-performance computer.

Keywords: airfoil, computational fluid dynamics, geometric similarity, surface mesh quality

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Authors: Krešimir Begović, Miloš Rydval, Jan Tumajer, Kristyna Svobodová, Thomas Langbehn, Yumei Jiang, Vojtech Čada, Vaclav Treml, Ryszard Kaczka, Miroslav Svoboda

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Environmental changes have increased the frequency and intensity of climatic extremes, particularly hotter droughts, leading to altered tree growth patterns and multi-year lags in tree recovery. The effects of shifting climatic conditions on tree growth are inhomogeneous across species’ natural distribution ranges, with large spatial heterogeneity and inter-population variability, but generally have significant consequences for contemporary forest dynamics and future ecosystem functioning. Despite numerous studies on the impacts of regional drought effects, large uncertainties remain regarding the mechanistic basis of drought legacy effects on wood formation and the ability of individual species to cope with increasingly drier growing conditions and rising year-to-year climatic variability. To unravel the complexity of climate-growth interactions and assess species-specific responses to severe droughts, we combined forward modeling of tree growth (VS-lite model) with correlation analyses against climate (temperature, precipitation, and the SPEI-3 moisture index) and growth responses to extreme drought events from multiple tree-ring parameters (tree-width and blue intensity parameters). We used an extensive dataset with over 1000 tree-ring samples from 23 nature forest reserves across an altitudinal range in Czechia and Slovakia. Our results revealed substantial spatiotemporal variability in growth responses to summer season temperature and moisture availability across species and tree-ring parameters. However, a general trend of increasing spring moisture-growth sensitivity in recent decades was observed in the Scots pine mountain forests and lowland forests of both species. The VS-lite model effectively captured nonstationary climate-growth relationships and accurately estimated high-frequency growth variability, indicating a significant incidence of regional drought events and growth reductions. Notably, growth reductions during extreme drought years and discrete legacy effects identified in individual wood components were most pronounced in the lowland forests. Together with the observed growth declines in recent decades, these findings suggest an increasing vulnerability of Norway spruce and Scots pine in dry lowlands under intensifying climatic constraints.

Keywords: dendroclimatology, Vaganova–Shashkin lite, conifers, central Europe, drought, blue intensity

Procedia PDF Downloads 49

Authors: Muhammed Jamiu Mustapha, Jamiu Folarin, Stephen Obiri Agyei, Rasheed Ademola Adebiyi, Mutiu Iyanda Lasisi

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The role of the media in political discourse cannot be overemphasized as they form an important part of societal development. The media institution is considered the fourth estate of the realm because it serves as a check and balance to the arms of government (Executive, Legislature and Judiciary) especially in a democratic setup, and makes public office holders accountable to the people. They scrutinize the political candidates and conduct a holistic analysis of the achievement of the government in order to make the people’s representative accountable to the electorates. The media in Nigeria play a seminal role in shaping how people vote during elections. Newspaper headlines are catchy phrases that easily capture the attention of the audience and call them (audience) to action. Research conducted on newspaper headlines looks at the linguistic aspect and how the tenses used has a resultant effect on peoples’ attitude and behaviour. Communication scholars have also conducted studies that interrogate whether newspaper headlines influence peoples' voting patterns and decisions. Propaganda and negative stories about political opponents are stapling features in electioneering campaigns. Nigerian newspaper readers have the characteristic of scanning newspaper headlines. And the question is whether politicians effectively have played into this tendency to brand opponents negatively, based on half-truths and inadequate information. This study illustrates major trends in the Nigerian political landscape looking at the past four presidential elections and frames the progress of the research in the extant body of political propaganda research in Africa. The study will use the quantitative content analysis of newspaper headlines from 2007 to 2019 to be able to ascertain whether newspaper headlines had any effect on the election results of the presidential elections during these years. This will be supplemented by Key Informant Interviews of political scientists or experts to draw further inferences from the quantitative data. Drawing on newspaper headlines of selected newspapers in Nigeria that have a political propaganda angle for the presidential elections, the analysis will correspond to and complements extant descriptions of how the field of political propaganda has been developed in Nigeria, providing evidence of four presidential elections that have shaped Nigerian politics. Understanding the development of the behavioural change of the electorates provide useful context for trend analysis in political propaganda communication. The findings will contribute to how newspaper headlines are used partly or wholly to decide the outcome of presidential elections in Nigeria.

Keywords: newspaper headlines, political propaganda, presidential elections, trend analysis

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Authors: M. Cardenas-Garcia, P. P. Gonzalez-Perez

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Intercellular communication is a necessary condition for cellular functions and it allows a group of cells to survive as a population. Throughout this interaction, the cells work in a coordinated and collaborative way which facilitates their survival. In the case of cancerous cells, these take advantage of intercellular communication to preserve their malignancy, since through these physical unions they can send signs of malignancy. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays an important role in the formation of intercellular communications, being also involved in a large number of cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, cell survival, and cell death. The modeling and simulation of cellular signaling systems have found valuable support in a wide range of modeling approaches, which cover a wide spectrum ranging from mathematical models; e.g., ordinary differential equations, statistical methods, and numerical methods– to computational models; e.g., process algebra for modeling behavior and variation in molecular systems. Based on these models, different simulation tools have been developed from mathematical ones to computational ones. Regarding cellular and molecular processes in cancer, its study has also found a valuable support in different simulation tools that, covering a spectrum as mentioned above, have allowed the in silico experimentation of this phenomenon at the cellular and molecular level. In this work, we simulate and explore the complex interaction patterns of intercellular communication in cancer cells using the Cellulat bioinformatics tool, a computational simulation tool developed by us and motivated by two key elements: 1) a biochemically inspired model of self-organizing coordination in tuple spaces, and 2) the Gillespie’s algorithm, a stochastic simulation algorithm typically used to mimic systems of chemical/biochemical reactions in an efficient and accurate way. The main idea behind the Cellulat simulation tool is to provide an in silico experimentation environment that complements and guides in vitro experimentation in intra and intercellular signaling networks. Unlike most of the cell signaling simulation tools, such as E-Cell, BetaWB and Cell Illustrator which provides abstractions to model only intracellular behavior, Cellulat is appropriate for modeling both intracellular signaling and intercellular communication, providing the abstractions required to model –and as a result, simulate– the interaction mechanisms that involve two or more cells, that is essential in the scenario discussed in this work. During the development of this work we made evident the application of our computational simulation tool (Cellulat) for the modeling and simulation of intercellular communication between normal and cancerous cells, and in this way, propose key molecules that may prevent the arrival of malignant signals to the cells that surround the tumor cells. In this manner, we could identify the significant role that has the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in cellular communication, and therefore, in the dissemination of cancer cells. We verified, using in silico experiments, how the inhibition of this signaling pathway prevents that the cells that surround a cancerous cell are transformed.

Keywords: cancer cells, in silico approach, intercellular communication, key molecules, modeling and simulation

Procedia PDF Downloads 242

Authors: Somya Sharma

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Ahalya, the critically acclaimed short film, is known to demolish the gender constructs of the age old myth of Ahalya. The paper tries to crack the overt meaning of the short film by reading between the dialogues and deconstructing the idea of the pseudo feminism in the short film Ahalya by Sujoy Ghosh. The film, by subverting the role of male character by making it seem submissive as compared to the female character's role seems to be just a surface level reading of the text. It seems that Sujoy Ghosh has played not just with changing the paradigm, but also trying to alter the history by doing so. The age old myth of putting Ahalya as a part of the five virgins (panchkanya) of Hindu mythology is explored in the paper. God's manoeuvre cannot be questioned and the two male characters tend to again shape the deed and the life of the female character, Ahalya. It is of importance to note that even in the 21st century, progressive actors like Radhika Apte fail to acknowledge the politics of altering history, not in a progressive way. The film blinds the viewer in the first watch to fall for the female strength and ownership of her sexuality, which is reflected in the opening scene itself where she opens the gate for the police man Indra Sen (representing God Indra who seduced her) who is charmed by her white dress. White, in Hindu mythology, stands for mourning, and this can be a hint towards the prophecy of what is about to come. Ahalya, bold, strong, and confident in this scene seems to be in total ownership of her sexual identity. Further, as the film progresses, control of Ahalya over her acts becomes even more dominant. In the myth of Ahalya, Gautama Maharishi, her husband, who wins her by Brahma's courtesy, curses her for her infidelity. She is then turned into a stone because of the curse and is redeemed when Lord Rama's foot brushes the stone. In the film, it is with the help of Ahalya that Goutam Sadhu turns Indra Sen into a stone doll. Ahalya is seen as a seductress who bewitches Indra Sen, and because the latter falls for the trap laid by the husband wife duo, he is turned into a doll. The attempt made by the paper is to read Ahalya as a character of the stand in wife who is yet again a pawn in the play of Goutama's revenge from Indra (who in the myth is able to escape from any curse or punishment for the act). The paper, therefore, reverts the idea which has till now been signified by the film and attempts to study the feminism this film appropriates. It is essential to break down the structure formed by such overt transgressing films in order to provide a real outlook of how feminism is twisted and moulded according to a man’s wishes.

Keywords: deconstructing, Hindu mythology, Panchkanya, predominant feminism, seductress, stone doll

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Authors: Lesibana Rafapa

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Accounts exist of circumcision-anchored cultural initiation in central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, North Africa, and West Africa -straddling states like Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Senegal, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This attests to the continent-wide spread of this cultural practice. In this paper, the writer relates the cultural aspect of circumcision-subsuming initiation among black African cultural groups across the continent to the notion that African cultures are varied yet subscribe to a common central concept. The premise of the paper is that the common practice of initiation for both male and female children that have to be initiated by adults to the tradition and customs of a people coincides with such a central concept. The practice of traditional initiation is as broad as to encompass aspects of spirituality, morality, and social organisation, in the nature of the central concept of which it is a trans-sectional part. Cultural initiation, sometimes referred to as traditional circumcision, constitutes culture-determined rites of passage for the initiates. The study’s aim, the findings of which are presented in this paper, was to probe gender equality in the development and promotion of the cultural practice of initiation. The researcher intended to demonstrate how in South Africa, female circumcision is treated equally or marginalised in efforts of the democratic government to regulate and strengthen the practice of circumcision as part of its broader liberation programme meant to reverse politico-cultural bondage experienced during apartheid rule that the present black regime helped bring to an end. It is argued that the failure to regard female circumcision as equal to its male counterpart is a travesty of the black government’s legislation and policies espousing equality and the protection and empowerment of vulnerable and previously marginalised population groups that include black women. The writer did a desk-top study of the history and characteristics of female circumcision among the black Northern Sotho, VaTsonga, and VhaVenda cultural groups of the Limpopo Province, stretching north to the border of South Africa with Zimbabwe, as well as literature on how political and other authorities exert efforts to preserve and empower the practice. The findings were that male initiation is foregrounded and totalised to represent the practice of initiation as a whole, at the expense of its female counterpart facing marginalisation and unequal regard. It is outlined in this paper how such impoverishment of an otherwise woman-empowering cultural practice deprives hitherto black cultures that suffered brutal repression during apartheid of a fuller recovery much needed in the democratic era. The writer applies some aspects of postcolonial theory and some tropes of feminism in the discussion of an uneven status of cultural circumcision at the hands of present day powers that be.

Keywords: African cultures, female circumcision, gender equality, women empowerment

Procedia PDF Downloads 143

Authors: Neal Rupani

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Background: A surgical trainee has limited learning opportunities in the operating room in order to gain an ever-increasing standard of surgical skill, competency, and proficiency. These opportunities continue to decline due to numerous factors such as the European Working Time Directive and increasing requirement for service provision. It is therefore imperative to obtain the highest educational value from each educational opportunity. A measure that has yet to be validated in England on surgical trainees called the Operating Room Educational Environment Measure (OREEM) has been developed to identify and evaluate each component of the educational environment with a view to steer future change in optimising educational events in theatre. Aims: The aims of the study are to assess the reliability of the OREEM within England and to evaluate the surgical trainee’s objective perspective of the current operating room educational environment within one region within England. Methods: Using a quantitative study approach, data was collected over one month from surgical trainees within Health Education Thames Valley (Oxford) using an online questionnaire consisting of demographic data, the OREEM, a global satisfaction score. Results: 140 surgical trainees were invited to the study, with an online response of 54 participants (response rate = 38.6%). The OREEM was shown to have good internal consistency (α = 0.906, variables = 40) and unidimensionality, along with all four of its subgroups. The mean OREEM score was 79.16%. The areas highlighted for improvement predominantly focused on improving learning opportunities (average subscale score = 72.9%) and conducting pre- and post-operative teaching (average score = 70.4%). The trainee perception is most satisfactory for the level of supervision and workload (average subscale score = 82.87%). There was no differences found between gender (U = 191.5, p = 0.535) or type of hospital (U = 258.0, p = 0.099), but the learning environment was favoured towards senior trainees (U = 223.5, p = 0.017). There was strong correlation between OREEM and the global satisfaction score (r = 0.755, p<0.001). Conclusions: The OREEM was shown to be reliable in measuring the educational environment in the operating room. This can be used to identify potentially modifiable components for improvement and as an audit tool to ensure high standards are being met. The current perception of the education environment in Health Education Thames Valley is satisfactory, and modifiable internal and external factors such as reducing service provision requirements, empowering trainees to plan lists, creating a team-working ethic between all personnel, and using tools that maximise learning from each operation have been identified to improve learning in the future. There is a favourable attitude to use of such improvement tools, especially for those currently dissatisfied.

Keywords: education environment, surgery, post-graduate education, OREEM

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Authors: A. I. Dovgjallo, A. B. Tsapkova, A. A. Shimanov

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The paper is devoted to one of engine types with external heating – a thermoacoustic engine. In thermoacoustic engine heat energy is converted to an acoustic energy. Further, acoustic energy of oscillating gas flow must be converted to mechanical energy and this energy in turn must be converted to electric energy. The most widely used way of transforming acoustic energy to electric one is application of linear generator or usual generator with crank mechanism. In both cases, the piston is used. Main disadvantages of piston use are friction losses, lubrication problems and working fluid pollution which cause decrease of engine power and ecological efficiency. Using of a bidirectional impulse turbine as an energy converter is suggested. The distinctive feature of this kind of turbine is that the shock wave of oscillating gas flow passing through the turbine is reflected and passes through the turbine again in the opposite direction. The direction of turbine rotation does not change in the process. Different types of bidirectional impulse turbines for thermoacoustic engines are analyzed. The Wells turbine is the simplest and least efficient of them. A radial impulse turbine has more complicated design and is more efficient than the Wells turbine. The most appropriate type of impulse turbine was chosen. This type is an axial impulse turbine, which has a simpler design than that of a radial turbine and similar efficiency. The peculiarities of the method of an impulse turbine calculating are discussed. They include changes in gas pressure and velocity as functions of time during the generation of gas oscillating flow shock waves in a thermoacoustic system. In thermoacoustic system pressure constantly changes by a certain law due to acoustic waves generation. Peak values of pressure are amplitude which determines acoustic power. Gas, flowing in thermoacoustic system, periodically changes its direction and its mean velocity is equal to zero but its peak values can be used for bi-directional turbine rotation. In contrast with feed turbine, described turbine operates on un-steady oscillating flows with direction changes which significantly influence the algorithm of its calculation. Calculated power output is 150 W with frequency 12000 r/min and pressure amplitude 1,7 kPa. Then, 3-d modeling and numerical research of impulse turbine was carried out. As a result of numerical modeling, main parameters of the working fluid in turbine were received. On the base of theoretical and numerical data model of impulse turbine was made on 3D printer. Experimental unit was designed for numerical modeling results verification. Acoustic speaker was used as acoustic wave generator. Analysis if the acquired data shows that use of the bi-directional impulse turbine is advisable. By its characteristics as a converter, it is comparable with linear electric generators. But its lifetime cycle will be higher and engine itself will be smaller due to turbine rotation motion.

Keywords: acoustic power, bi-directional pulse turbine, linear alternator, thermoacoustic generator

Procedia PDF Downloads 364

Authors: Ilona Pavlovska, Aneka Klavina, Agris Auce, Ivars Vanadzins, Alise Silova, Laura Komarovska, Linda Paegle, Baiba Silamikele, Linda Dobkevica

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Freshwater sapropel is a common material formed by complex biological transformations of Holocene sediments in the water basement of the lakes in Latvia that has the potential to be used as medical mud. Sapropel forms over a long period in shallow waters by slowly decomposing organic sediment and has different compositions depending on the location of the source, surroundings, the water regime, etc. Official geological survey of Latvia lakes, from Latvian lake database (ezeri.lv), used in the selection of the area of the exploration. The multifunctional effect of sapropel on the whole organism explained by its complex chemical and biological structure. This unique, organic substance and its ability to maintain heat for a long time ensures deep tissue warming and has a positive effect on the treatment of various joint and skin diseases. Sapropel is a valuable resource with multiple areas of application. Investigation of sapropel sediments and survey of the five sites selected according to the criteria performed in the current study. Also, our study includes sampling at different depths and their initial treatment, evaluation of external signs, and study of physical-chemical parameters, as well as analysis of biochemical parameters and evaluation of microbiological indicators. The main selection criteria were sapropel deposits depth, hydrological regime, the history of agriculture next to the lake, and the potential exposure to industrial waste. One hundred and five sapropel samples obtained from five lakes (Audzelu, Dunakla, Ivusku, Zielu, and Mazars Kivdalova) during the wintertime. The main goal of the study is to carry out detailed and systematic research on the medical properties of sapropel to be obtained in Latvia, to promote its scientifically based use in balneology, to develop new medical procedures and services, and to promote the development of new exportable products. Latvian freshwater sapropel could be used as raw material for getting sapropel extract and use it as a remedy. All mentioned above brings us to the main question for sapropel usage in medicine, balneology, and pharmacy “how to develop quality criteria for raw sapropel and its extracts. The research was co-financed by the project "Analysis of characteristics of medical sapropel and its usage for medical purposes and elaboration of industrial extraction methods" No.1.1.1.1/16/A/165.

Keywords: balneology, extracts, freshwater sapropel, Latvian lakes, medical mud, sapropel

Procedia PDF Downloads 251

Authors: Ke Zhang, Yongli Zhu

Abstract:

Due to rapid load growths in today’s highly electrified societies and the requirement for green energy sources, large-scale wind farm power transmission system is constantly developing. This system is a typical multi-terminal power supply system, whose structure of the network topology of transmission lines is complex. What’s more, it locates in the complex terrain of mountains and grasslands, thus increasing the possibility of transmission line faults and finding the fault location with difficulty after the faults and resulting in an extremely serious phenomenon of abandoning the wind. In order to solve these problems, a fault location method for multi-terminal transmission line based on wind farm characteristics and improved single-ended traveling wave positioning method is proposed. Through studying the zero sequence current characteristics by using the characteristics of the grounding transformer(GT) in the existing large-scale wind farms, it is obtained that the criterion for judging the fault interval of the multi-terminal transmission line. When a ground short-circuit fault occurs, there is only zero sequence current on the path between GT and the fault point. Therefore, the interval where the fault point exists is obtained by determining the path of the zero sequence current. After determining the fault interval, The location of the short-circuit fault point is calculated by the traveling wave method. However, this article uses an improved traveling wave method. It makes the positioning accuracy more accurate by combining the single-ended traveling wave method with double-ended electrical data. What’s more, a method of calculating the traveling wave velocity is deduced according to the above improvements (it is the actual wave velocity in theory). The improvement of the traveling wave velocity calculation method further improves the positioning accuracy. Compared with the traditional positioning method, the average positioning error of this method is reduced by 30%.This method overcomes the shortcomings of the traditional method in poor fault location of wind farm transmission lines. In addition, it is more accurate than the traditional fixed wave velocity method in the calculation of the traveling wave velocity. It can calculate the wave velocity in real time according to the scene and solve the traveling wave velocity can’t be updated with the environment and real-time update. The method is verified in PSCAD/EMTDC.

Keywords: grounding transformer, multi-terminal transmission line, short circuit fault location, traveling wave velocity, wind farm

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Authors: A. Drapeaux, S. Aviles, E. Garfoot

Abstract:

Stem cell injections are a promising alternative treatment for hip osteoarthritis. Current literature has focused on short-term outcomes for both knee and hip osteoarthritis; however, there is a significant gap for longitudinal benefits for hip OA and limited firm conclusions due to small sample sizes. The purpose of this prospective study was to determine longitudinal changes in pain, function, and radiographs following bone marrow concentrate injection (BMAC) into the osteoarthritic hip joint. Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted over the course of 12 months at an orthopedic practice. The study recruited 15 osteoarthritic pre-surgical hips with mild to moderate osteoarthritic severity who were scheduled to undergo hip arthroscopy. Data was collected at both pre-operative and post-operative time frames. Data collected included: hip radiographs, i-HOT-33 questionnaire data, BMAC autologous volume, and demographics. Questionnaire data was captured using Qualtrics XM software, and participants were sent an anonymous link at the following time frames: pre-operative, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months. Radiographic changes and BMAC volume were collected and reviewed by an orthopedic surgeon and sent to the primary investigator. Data was exported and analyzed in IBM-SPSS. Results: A total of 15 hips from 15 participants (mean age: 49, gender: 50% males, 50% females, BMI: 29.7) were used in the final analysis. Summative i-HOT 33 mean scores significantly changed between pre-operative status and 2-6 weeks post-operative status (p <.001) and pre-operative status and 3-6 months post-operative status (p <.001). There were no significant changes between other post-operative phases or between pre-operative status and 12 months post-operative. Significant improvements were found between summative i-HOT 33 mean (p<.001), daily pain (p<.001), daily sitting (p=.02), daily distance walked (p =.003), and daily limp (p=0.03) and post-operative status (2-6 weeks). No significant differences between demographic variables (gender, age, tobacco use, or diabetes) and i-HOT 33 summative mean scores. Discussion/Implications: The purpose of this study was to determine longitudinal changes in pain and function following a hip joint bone marrow concentrate injection. Results indicate that participants experience a significant improvement in pain and function between pre-operative and 2-6 weeks and 3-6 months post-injection. Participants also self-reported a significant change in average daily pain with sitting and walking between pre-operation and 2-6 weeks post-operative. This study includes a larger sample size of hip osteoarthritis cases; however, future research is warranted to include random controlled trials with a larger sample size.

Keywords: adult stem cell, orthopedics, osteoarthritis (hip), patient outcome assessment

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Authors: Efleda Preclaro Tolentino

Abstract:

Research indicates that an educator’s belief system is reflected in the way they structure the learning environment. Their values and belief system have the potential to positively impact school readiness through an understanding of children’s development and the creation of a stable, motivating environment. Based on the premise that the social environment influences the development of social skills, knowledge construct, and shared values of young children, this study examined verbal and nonverbal exchanges between early childhood teachers and their preschool students within the context of remote learning. Using the qualitative method of data collection, the study determined the nature of interactions between preschoolers and their teachers within a remote learning environment at a preschool in Southeast Asia that utilized the Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education (MTBMLE) Approach. From the lens of sociocultural theory, the study investigated preschoolers’ use of literacies to convey meaning and to interact within a remote learning environment. Using a Strengths Perspective, the study revealed the creativity and resourcefulness of preschoolers in expressing themselves through trans-literacies that were made possible by the use of online mode of learning within cultural and subcultural norms. The study likewise examined how social skills acquired by young children were transmitted (verbally or nonverbally) in their interactions with peers during Zoom meetings. By examining the dynamics of social exchanges between teachers and children, the findings of the study underscore the importance of providing support for preschool students as they apply acquired values and shared practices within a remote learning environment. The potential of distance learning in the early years will be explored, specifically in supporting young children’s language and literacy development. At the same time, the study examines the role of teachers as cultivators of trans-literacies. The teachers’ skillful use of technology in facilitating young children’s learning, as well as in supporting interactions with families, will be examined. The findings of this study will explore the potential of distance learning in early childhood education to establish continuity in learning, supporting young children’s social and emotional transitions, and nurturing trans-literacies that transcend prevailing definitions of learning contexts. The implications of teachers and parents working collaboratively to support student learning will be examined. The importance of preparing teachers to be resourceful, adaptable, and innovative to ensure that learning takes place across a variety of modes and settings will be discussed.

Keywords: transliteracy, preschoolers, remote learning, strengths perspective

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Authors: Y. Muto, S. Araki, H. Yamamoto

Abstract:

The separation of oxygen is one key technology to improve the efficiency and to reduce the cost for the processed of the partial oxidation of the methane and the condensation of the carbon dioxide. Particularly, carbon dioxide at high concentration would be obtained by the combustion using pure oxygen separated from air. However, the oxygen separation process occupied the large part of energy consumption. Therefore, it is considered that the membrane technologies enable to separation at lower cost and lower energy consumption than conventional methods. In this study, it is examined that the separation of oxygen using membranes of mixed conductors. Oxygen permeation through the membrane is occurred by the following three processes. At first, the oxygen molecules dissociate into oxygen ion at feed side of the membrane, subsequently, oxygen ions diffuse in the membrane. Finally, oxygen ions recombine to form the oxygen molecule. Therefore, it is expected that the membrane of thickness and material, or catalysts of the dissociation and recombination affect the membrane performance. However, there is little article about catalysts for the dissociation and recombination. We confirmed the performance of La0.6Sr0.4Co1.0O3-δ (LSC) based catalyst which was commonly used as the dissociation and recombination. It is known that the adsorbed amount of oxygen increase with the increase of doped Fe content in B site of LSC. We prepared the catalysts of La0.1Sr0.9Co0.9Fe0.1O3-δ(C9F1), La0.1Sr0.9Co0.5Fe0.5O3-δ(C5F5) and La0.1Sr0.9Co0.3Fe0.7O3-δ(C7F3). Also, we used Pr2NiO4 type mixed conductor as a membrane material. (Pr0.9La0.1)2(Ni0.74Cu0.21Ga0.05)O4+δ(PLNCG) shows the high oxygen permeability and the stability against carbon dioxide. Oxygen permeation experiments were carried out using a homemade apparatus at 850 -975 °C. The membrane was sealed with Pyrex glass at both end of the outside dense alumina tubes. To measure the oxygen permeation rate, air was fed to the film side at 50 ml min-1, helium as the sweep gas and reference gas was fed at 20 ml min-1. The flow rates of the sweep gas and the gas permeated through the membrane were measured using flow meter and the gas concentrations were determined using a gas chromatograph. Then, the permeance of the oxygen was determined using the flow rate and the concentration of the gas on the permeate side of the membrane. The increase of oxygen permeation was observed with increasing temperature. It is considered that this is due to the catalytic activities are increased with increasing temperature. Another reason is the increase of oxygen diffusivity in the bulk of membrane. The oxygen permeation rate is improved by using catalyst of LSC or LSCF. The oxygen permeation rate of membrane with LSCF showed higher than that of membrane with LSC. Furthermore, in LSCF catalysts, oxygen permeation rate increased with the increase of the doped amount of Fe. It is considered that this is caused by the increased of adsorbed amount of oxygen.

Keywords: membrane separation, oxygen permeation, K2NiF4-type structure, mixed conductor

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