Search results for: investment behaviour

Authors: Mohammed Ibrahim Girei

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Adamawa state is one the major producers of both crop and animals in Nigeria. Agricultural production serves as the major means livelihood of the people in the state. However, the agricultural activities of the farmers in the state are at subsistence level. However integration of these small scale farmers in local, national and international market is paramount importance. The paper was designed to categorize farmers based on market participation among the cattle farmers in Adamawa state, Nigeria. The multistage sampling procedure was employed. To achieve this procedure, structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 400 respondents. The data were analyzed using the descriptive statistics. The result revealed that the majority of market participants were net sellers (78.51 %) (Sales greater than purchase), net buyers were (purchase greater than sales) 12.95 % and only 9% were autarkic (sales equal purchase). The study recommends that Government should provide more effective security services in cattle farming communities, which is very important as the market participants in the study area were net sellers (producers), it will help in addressing the problem of cattle rustling and promote more investment in cattle industry. There is a need to establish a standard cattle market, veterinary services and grazing reserves in the area so that to facilitate the cattle production and marketing system in the area and to meet up with the challenging of livestock development as a result of rapid human population growth in developing countries like Nigeria.

Keywords: categories, cattle, farmers, market, participation

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Authors: Mohammad Mehdizadeh, Sara Miri

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Due to the recent events surrounding the global health crisis and the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the activities of many businesses and start-up companies have been disrupted. It solves many economic problems and can reduce unemployment in countries because governments can take advantage of their potential without direct investment. However, with the help of their innovative ideas and new technologies, these companies can develop and grow the economy. But it is essential to consider that there will be no guarantee of their success in the event of unforeseen events, as the coronavirus outbreak in the last two years has seriously damaged these companies and, like other businesses, challenges and stagnation have started. The startup companies' challenge in the face of coronavirus begins with its impact on customers. Changing customer behavior can affect their products and distribution channels. On the other hand, to prevent countless losses in this crisis, startup companies require creative solutions to address challenges in various areas of human capital, supply chain management, sales and marketing, and so on. Therefore, all business leaders must consider and plan for the current crisis and the future; after overcoming these conditions and returning to regular business routines, it will no longer be an option, and new situations will prevail in a competitive environment. The essential strategies for developing and growing startups during the Coronavirus outbreak can be connecting with the global startup ecosystem, hosting webinars, providing podcasts and free question and answer sessions, mentoring services to growing teams, and consulting pointed out this to firms for digitalization.

Keywords: business, COVID-19, digitalization, startups

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Authors: Imran Ullah Khana, Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othmanb, Haslenda Hashima, Takeshi Matsuurad, A. F. Ismailb, M. Rezaei-DashtArzhandib, I. Wan Azelee

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Biogas upgrading is a widely studied and discussed topic, and its utilization as a natural gas substitute has gained significant attention in recent years. The production of biomethane provides a versatile application in both heat and power generation and as a vehicular fuel. This paper systematically reviews the state of the art of biogas upgrading technologies with upgrading efficiency, methane (CH4) loss, environmental effect, development and commercialization, and challenges in terms of energy consumption and economic assessment. The market situation for biogas upgrading has changed rapidly in recent years, giving membrane separation a significant market share with traditional biogas upgrading technologies. In addition, the potential utilization of biogas, efficient conversion into bio-compressed natural gas (bio-CNG), and storage systems are investigated in depth. Two storing systems for bio-CNG at filling stations, namely buffer and cascade storage systems are used. The best storage system should be selected on the basis of the advantages of both systems. Also, the fuel economy and mass emissions for bio-CNG and CNG-filled vehicles are studied. There is the same fuel economy and less carbon dioxide (CO2) emission for bio-CNG. Based on the results of comparisons between the technical features of upgrading technologies, various specific requirements for biogas utilization and the relevant investment, and operating and maintenance costs, future recommendations are made for biogas upgrading.

Keywords: biogas upgrading, cost, utilization, bio-CNG, storage, energy

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Authors: Rayan B. M. Ameen, Ian P. Jones, Yu Lung Chiu

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Single alpha-beta colony micro-pillars have been manufactured from a polycrystalline commercial Ti-6Al-4V sample using Focused Ion Beam (FIB). Each pillar contained two alpha lamellae separated by a thin fillet of beta phase. A nano-indenter was then used to conduct uniaxial micro-compression tests on Ti alloy single crystals, using a diamond flat tip as a compression platen. By controlling the crystal orientation along the micro-pillar using Electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD) different slip systems have been selectively activated. The advantage of the micro-compression method over conventional mechanical testing techniques is the ability to localize a single crystal volume which is characterizable after deformation. By matching the stress-strain relations resulting from micro-compression experiments to TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) studies of slip transmission mechanisms through the α-β interfaces, some proper constitutive material parameters such as the role of these interfaces in determining yield, strain-hardening behaviour, initial dislocation density and the critical resolved shear stress are suggested.

Keywords: α/β-Ti alloy, focused ion beam, micro-mechanical test, nano-indentation, transmission electron diffraction, plastic flow

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Authors: J. Vasauskaite

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From the perspective of Lithuanian furniture enterprises, the role of energy efficiency is significant as it leads to direct economic benefits, increased competitiveness and higher productivity. There are various possible improvements in energy efficiency in industry: changes in the production process, investment in R&D, implementation of energy-saving technologies or energy management systems. The research aims to contribute the understanding of energy efficiency importance in industry by presenting possible improvements of energy use in different manufacturing process of enterprises. The evaluation methodology included quantitative and qualitative research methods: the comparative and statistical analysis of primary and secondary sources of information. This paper provides the detailed analysis of the energy efficiency development opportunities and challenges in Lithuanian furniture industry. The results of the study show the importance of technological innovations, energy efficiency policies and environmental management strategies in developing energy efficiency within the wood and furniture industry. The analysis of energy efficiency development in Lithuanian furniture industry showed that the industrial activities are influenced by various internal and external factors such as increasing flows of products, human resources and overall management decisions; dynamic growth and increasing competition; emerging need for environmental information. In the light of these factors, Lithuanian furniture industry has undergone significant changes – restructuring, technological advances and business model innovations, allowing it to be more export-oriented and focus on upgrading quality, design and innovation.

Keywords: energy efficiency, energy policy, furniture industry, technological innovation

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Authors: Loredana Elena Nita, Maria Bercea, Aurica P. Chiriac, Iordana Neamtu

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The paper is devoted to the behavior of gels based on poly(itaconic anhydride-co-3, 9-divinyl-2, 4, 8, 10-tetraoxaspiro (5.5) undecane) copolymers, with different ratio between the comonomers, and hyaluronic acid (HA). The gel formation was investigated by small-amplitude oscillatory shear measurements following the viscoelastic behavior as a function of gel composition, temperature and shear conditions. Hyaluronic acid was investigated in the same conditions and its rheological behavior is typical to viscous fluids. In the case of the copolymers, the ratio between the two comonomers influences the viscoelastic behavior, a higher content of itaconic anhydride favoring the gel formation. Also, the sol-gel transition was evaluated according to Winter-Chambon criterion that identifies the gelation point when the viscoelastic moduli (G’ and G”) behave similarly as a function of oscillation frequency. From rheological measurements, an optimum composition was evidenced for which the system presents a typical gel-like behavior at 37 °C: the elastic modulus is higher than the viscous modulus and they are not dependent on the oscillation frequency. The formation of the 3D macroporous network was also evidenced by FTIR spectra, SEM microscopy and chemical imaging. These hydrogels present a high potential as drug delivery systems.

Keywords: copolymer, viscoelasticity, gelation, 3D network

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Authors: Geetanjali Sharma

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There are always provincial variations which deserve more detailed treatment. Before the arrival of modern era, geography and cultural homogeneity were determining factors of human habitat and migration. Boundaries as if we see them, did not exist earlier. The connectivity of the world was also different as of now. The reinforcement of the old silk route will improve economic cooperation and connectivity between Asian, European and African countries, but obviously, it is designed to improve China’s geopolitical and geostrategic position in the world. The paper is based on the secondary sources of data. Analytical and historical approach has been used to clarify the ties between the old silk routes and new One-Belt-One-Road initiative China. The paper begins with an explanation of the historical background of the old Silk Route, its origin and development, trailed by an analysis of latest declarations by the Chinese leaders to revive it. It also discusses the impacts of this initiative on India’s economy and cultural exchange between associated regions. Lastly, the paper sums up the findings and suggestions for keeping a balance between the security and economic relationship between the countries. It concludes that the silk route is an effort in commencing a ‘grand strategy’ for global trade and cooperation with hidden objectives of China to increase the investment of China in other continents as well. The revival of silk route may prove to be a very helpful in reinforcing cooperation and raising it to a new level of economic establishments. However, China has yet to promote the much-needed political and strategic trust.

Keywords: OBOR (One-Belt-One-Road), geopolitics, economic relation, security concerns

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Authors: Ananya Sharma

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International Relations is a discipline of paradoxes. The State is the dominant political institution, with mainstream analysis theorizing the State, but theory remains at best a reactionary monolith. Critical Theorists have been pushing the envelope and to that extent, there has been a clear shift in the dominant discourse away from State-centrism to individuals and group-level behaviour. This paradigm shift has been accompanied with more nuanced conceptualizations of other variables at play–power, security, and trust, to name a few. Yet, the ambit of “what is discussed” remains primarily embedded in realist conceptualizations. With this background in mind, this paper will attempt to understand, juxtapose and evaluate how “order” has been conceptualized in International Relations theory. This paper is a tentative attempt to present a “state of the art” and in the process, set the stage for a deeper study to draw attention to what the author feels is a gaping lacuna in IR theory. The paper looks at how different branches of international relations theory envisage world order and the silences embedded therein. Further, by locating order and disorder inhabiting the same reality along a continuum, alternative readings of world orders are drawn from the critical theoretical traditions, in which various articulations of justice impart the key normative pillar to the world order.

Keywords: global justice, international relations theory, legitimacy, world order

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Authors: Osama Amer, Yaser Abdel-Aty, Mohamed Abd El Hady

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The present paper illustrates an experimental approach to provide understanding of the mechanical behavior and failure mechanisms of different typologies of unreinforced three-leaf masonry walls of historical Islamic architectural heritage in Egypt. The main objective of this study is to investigate the propagation of possible cracking, ultimate load, deformations and failure mechanisms. Experimental data on interface-shear and compression tests on large scale three-leaf masonry wallets are provided. The wallets were built basically of Egyptian limestone and modified lime mortar. External wallets were built of stone blocks while the inner leaf was built of rubble limestone. Different loading conditions and dimensions of core layer for two types of collar joints (with and without shear keys) are considered in the tests. Mechanical properties of the constituent materials of masonry were tested and a database of characteristic properties was created. The results of the experiments will highlight the properties, force-displacement curves, stress distribution of multiple-leaf masonry walls contributing to the derivation of rational design rules and validation of numerical models.

Keywords: masonry, three-leaf walls, mechanical behavior, testing, architectural heritage

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Authors: Roy Hanney

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This research study aims to develop an evidential basis to inform strategic development of the film industry in the Solent (south central) region of the UK. The density of the creative industries around the region is driving the growth of jobs. Yet, film production in particular, appears to struggle with field configuration, lacks ecological cohesion, and suffers from underdeveloped ecosystems when compared to other areas bordering the region. Though thriving, a lack of coordinated leadership results in the continued reproduction of an ill-configured, constricted and socio-economically filtered workforce. One that struggles to seize strategic opportunities arising as a consequence of the ongoing investment in UK film production around the west of London. Taking a participatory approach, the study seeks to avoid the universalism of place marketing and focus on the situatedness of the region and its specific cultural, social, and economic contexts. The staging of a series of high profile networking events provided a much needed field configuring activity and enabled the capture of voices of those currently working in the sector. It will also provided the opportunity for an exploratory network mapping of the regional creative industries as a value exchange ecosystem. It is understood that a focus on production is not in itself a solution to the challenges faced in the region. There is a need to address issues of access as a counterbalance to skewed representation among the creative workforces thus the study also aims to report on opportunities for embedding diversity and inclusion in any strategic solutions.

Keywords: creative, industries, ecosystem, ecology

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Authors: Mohammadreza Mojtahedi

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Urban agriculture, in the face of burgeoning urban populations and unchecked urbanization, presents a promising avenue for sustainable economic, social, and environmental growth. This study, set against the backdrop of Neishabour, Iran, delves into the potential and challenges inherent in this domain. Utilizing a descriptive-analytical approach, field survey data were predominantly collated via questionnaires. The research rigor was upheld with the Delphi method affirming the validity and a Cronbach's alpha score exceeding 0.70, underscoring reliability. The study encompassed Neishabour's 2016 populace, pegged at 264,375, drawing a sample size of 384 via Cochran's formula. The findings spotlight Neishabour's pronounced agricultural prowess, as evidenced by a significance level under 0.05 and an average difference of 0.54. Engaging in urban agricultural ventures can notably elevate job quality, spur savings, bolster profitability, promote organic cultivation, and streamline production expenses. However, challenges, such as heightened land valuations for alternative uses, conflicting land engagements, security dilemmas, technical impediments, waning citizen interest, regulatory conundrums, and perceived upfront investment risks, were identified. A silver lining emerged with urban locales, especially streets and boulevards, securing average ratings of 3.90, marking them as prime contenders for urban agricultural endeavors.

Keywords: urban agriculture, sustainable development, mid-sized cities, neishabour.

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Authors: Niels Grataloup, Micael S. Couceiro, Manousos Valyrakis, Javier Escudero, Patricia A. Vargas

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This paper benchmarks the possible underwater communication technologies that can be integrated into a swarm of underwater robots by proposing an underwater robot simulator named CORSICA (Cross platfORm wireleSs communICation simulator). Underwater exploration relies increasingly on the use of mobile robots, called Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). These robots are able to reach goals in harsh underwater environments without resorting to human divers. The introduction of swarm robotics in these scenarios would facilitate the accomplishment of complex tasks with lower costs. However, swarm robotics requires implementation of communication systems to be operational and have a non-deterministic behaviour. Inter-robot communication is one of the key challenges in swarm robotics, especially in underwater scenarios, as communication must cope with severe restrictions and perturbations. This paper starts by presenting a list of the underwater propagation models of acoustic and electromagnetic waves, it also reviews existing transmitters embedded in current robots and simulators. It then proposes CORSICA, which allows validating the choices in terms of protocol and communication strategies, whether they are robot-robot or human-robot interactions. This paper finishes with a presentation of possible integration according to the literature review, and the potential to get CORSICA at an industrial level.

Keywords: underwater simulator, robot-robot underwater communication, swarm robotics, transceiver and communication models

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Authors: Wasi Khan, Suboohi Shervani, Swaleha Naseem, Mohd. Shoeb, J. A. Khan, B. R. Singh, A. H. Naqvi

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We have successfully synthesized ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposite using a two-step solochemical synthesis method. The influence of annealing temperature on microstructural, optical, anticandidal, photocatalytic activities and dielectric properties were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) show the formation of nanocomposite and uniform surface morphology of all samples. The UV-Vis spectra indicate decrease in band gap energy with increase in annealing temperature. The anticandidal activity of ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposite was evaluated against MDR C. albicans 077. The in-vitro killing assay revealed that the ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposite efficiently inhibit the growth of the C. albicans 077. The nanocomposite also exhibited the photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange as a function of time at 465 nm wavelength. The electrical behaviour of composite has been studied over a wide range of frequencies at room temperature using complex impedance spectroscopy. The dielectric constants, dielectric loss and ac conductivity (σac) were studied as the function of frequency, which have been explained by ‘Maxwell Wagner Model’. The data reveals that the dielectric constant and loss (tanδ) exhibit the normal dielectric behavior and decreases with the increase in frequency.

Keywords: ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposites, SEM, photocatalytic activity, dielectric properties

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Authors: Victor Oyewumi Ogunbiyi

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Food waste is a global sustainability issue that demands that multiple stakeholders participate in solving it. This article examines how different food system stakeholders are held responsible in the policy debate related to food waste reduction. The study adopts a qualitative approach, paying attention to the views of both public and private policymakers and constructing their views relating to opportunities and policy initiatives towards waste reduction. The data consists of a list of opportunities and food policy initiatives in the development process in Nigeria. The authors identify three emerging opportunities: sectoral growth, technological demands in food service, and sustainable collaborative behaviour. The findings also revealed key policy initiatives for development: law and regulations, multi-stakeholder collaboration, economic incentives, research, and new knowledge. The study extends the marketing literature on food sustainability by investigating several stakeholders’ roles beyond the practical management of the food services sector. Additionally, considering policy initiative development for food waste mitigation sheds light on how stakeholders’ policy initiatives can sustain the food service sector. Finally, the authors outline policy implications.

Keywords: multistakeholder engagement, food services, food waste, policy initiatives, Nigeria

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Authors: M. Saiful Islam, M. Mohandes, S. Rehman, S. Badran

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Increasing necessity of wind power is directing us to have precise knowledge on wind resources. Methodical investigation of potential locations is required for wind power deployment. High penetration of wind energy to the grid is leading multi megawatt installations with huge investment cost. This fact appeals to determine appropriate places for wind farm operation. For accurate assessment, detailed examination of wind speed profile, relative humidity, temperature and other geological or atmospheric parameters are required. Among all of these uncertainty factors influencing wind power estimation, vertical extrapolation of wind speed is perhaps the most difficult and critical one. Different approaches have been used for the extrapolation of wind speed to hub height which are mainly based on Log law, Power law and various modifications of the two. This paper proposes a Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) based hybrid model, namely GA-NN for vertical extrapolation of wind speed. This model is very simple in a sense that it does not require any parametric estimations like wind shear coefficient, roughness length or atmospheric stability and also reliable compared to other methods. This model uses available measured wind speeds at 10m, 20m and 30m heights to estimate wind speeds up to 100m. A good comparison is found between measured and estimated wind speeds at 30m and 40m with approximately 3% mean absolute percentage error. Comparisons with ANN and power law, further prove the feasibility of the proposed method.

Keywords: wind profile, vertical extrapolation of wind, genetic algorithm, artificial neural network, hybrid machine learning

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Authors: Bishwa Nath Oli

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Nepal is highly impacted by climate change and adaptation has been a major focus. This paper investigates the gaps and coherence in national policies across water, forestry, local development and agriculture sectors, identifies their links to climate change adaptation and national development plans and analyzes the effectiveness of climate change policy on adaptation. The study was based on a content analysis of relevant policy documents on the level of attention given to adaptation and key informant interviews. Findings show that sectoral policies have differing degrees of cross thematic coherence, often with mismatched priorities and differing the paths towards achieving climate change goal. They are somewhat coherent in addressing immediate disaster management issues rather than in climate adaptation. In some cases, they are too broad and complicated and the implementation suffers from barriers and limits due to lack of capacity, investment, research and knowledge needed for evidence-based policy process. They do not adequately provide operational guidance in supporting communities in adapting to climate change. The study recommends to a) embrace longer-term cross-sectoral planning within government structures to foster greater policy coherence and integrated adaptation planning, b) increase awareness and flow of information on the potential role of communities in climate change, c) review the existing development sectors from the climate change perspectives, and d) formulate a comprehensive climate change legislation based on the need to implement the new Constitution.

Keywords: agriculture, climate change adaptation, forestry, policies

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Authors: Mina Mortazavi, Pezhman Sharafi

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Cold-formed steel sections are popular construction materials as structural or non-structural elements. The objective of this paper is to propose an optimisation method for open cross sections targeting the maximum nominal axial strength. The cross sections considered in the optimisation process should all meet a determined critical global buckling load to be considered as a candidate for optimisation process. The maximum dimensions of the cross section are fixed and limited into a predefined rectangular area. The optimisation process is repeated for different available coil thicknesses of 1 mm, 2.5 mm and 3 mm to determine the optimum thickness according to the cross section buckling behaviour. A simple-simple boundary is assumed as end conditions. The number of folds is limited to 20 folds to prevent extra complicated sections. The global buckling load is considered as Euler load and is determined according to the moment of inertia of the cross-section with a constant length. The critical buckling loads are obtained using Finite Strip Method. The results of the optimisation analysis are provided, and the optimum cross-section within the considered range is determined.

Keywords: shape optimisation, buckling, cold formed steel, finite strip method

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Authors: Mandlenkosi G. R. Mahlobo, Peter A. Olubambi, Philippe Refait

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The aim of this study was to use voltammetry as a method to understand the behaviour of steel in unsaturated soil in the presence of cathodic protection (CP). Three carbon steel coupons were buried in artificial soil wetted at 65-70% of saturation for 37 days. All three coupons were left at open circuit potential (OCP) for the first seven days in the unsaturated soil before CP, which was only applied on two of the three coupons at the protection potential -0.8 V vs Cu/CuSO₄ for the remaining 30 days of the experiment. Voltammetry was performed weekly on the coupon without CP, while electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was performed daily to monitor and correct the applied CP potential from the ohmic drop. Voltammetry was finally performed on the last day on the coupons under CP. All the voltammograms were modeled with mathematical equations in order to compute the electrochemical parameters and subsequently deduced the corrosion rate of the steel coupons. For the coupon without CP, the corrosion rate was determined at 300 µm/y. For the coupons under CP, the residual corrosion rate under CP was estimated at 12 µm/y while the corrosion rate of the coupons, after interruption of CP, was estimated at 25 µm/y. This showed that CP was efficient due to two effects: a direct effect from the decreased potential and an induced effect associated with the increased interfacial pH that promoted the formation of a protective layer on the steel surface.

Keywords: carbon steel, cathodic protection, voltammetry, unsaturated soil, Raman spectroscopy

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Authors: Abdul Hakim Chikho

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Calculating the ultimate load of a column in a sway framed structure involves, in the currently used design method, the calculation of the column effective length and utilizing the interaction formulas or tables. Therefore, no allowance is usually made for the effects of the presence of semi rigid connections or the presence of infill panels. In this paper, a new and simple design procedure is recommend to calculate the ultimate load of a framed Column allowing for the presence of rotational end restraints, semi rigid connections, the column end moments resulted from the applied vertical and horizontal loading and infill panels in real steel structure. In order to verify the accuracy of the recommended method to predict good and safe estimations of framed column ultimate loads, several examples have been solved utilizing the recommended procedure, and the results were compared to those obtained using a second order computer program, and good correlation had been obtained. Therefore, the accuracy of the proposed method to predict the Behaviour of practical steel columns in framed structures has been verified.

Keywords: column ultimate load, semi rigid connections, steel column, infill panel, steel structure

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Authors: Ivan Maguire, Alan Barrett, Alex Forte, Sandra Kwiatkowska, Rohit Mishra, Jens Ducrèe, Fiona Regan

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Biofouling is defined as the gradual accumulation of Biomimetics refers to the use and imitation of principles copied from nature. Biomimetics has found interest across many commercial disciplines. Among many biological objects and their functions, aquatic animals deserve a special attention due to their antimicrobial capabilities resulting from chemical composition, surface topography or other behavioural defences, which can be used as an inspiration for antifouling technology. Marine biofouling has detrimental effects on seagoing vessels, both commercial and leisure, as well as on oceanographic sensors, offshore drilling rigs, and aquaculture installations. Sensor optics, membranes, housings and platforms can become fouled leading to problems with sensor performance and data integrity. While many anti-fouling solutions are currently being investigated as a cost-cutting measure, biofouling settlement may also be prevented by creating a surface that does not satisfy the settlement conditions. Brill (Scophthalmus rhombus) is a small flatfish occurring in marine waters of Mediterranean as well as Norway and Iceland. It inhabits sandy and muddy coastal waters from 5 to 80 meters. Its skin colour changes depending on environment, but generally is brownish with light and dark freckles, with creamy underside. Brill is oval in shape and its flesh is white. The aim of this study is to translate the unique micro-topography of the brill scale, to design marine inspired biomimetic surface coating and test it against a typical fouling organism. Following extensive study of scale topography of the brill fish (Scophthalmus rhombus) and the settlement behaviour of the diatom species Psammodictyon sp. via SEM, two state-of-the-art antifouling surface solutions were designed and investigated; A brill fish scale bioinspired surface pattern platform (BFD), and generic and uniformly-arrayed, circular micropillar platform (MPD), with offsets based on diatom species settlement behaviour. The BFD approach consists of different ~5 μm by ~90 μm Brill-replica patterns, grown to a 5 μm height, in a linear array pattern. The MPD approach utilises hexagonal-packed cylindrical pillars 10.6 μm in diameter, grown to a height of 5 μm, with vertical offset of 15 μm and horizontal offset of 26.6 μm. Photolithography was employed for microstructure growth, with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chip-based used as a testbed for diatom adhesion on both platforms. Settlement and adhesion tests were performed using this PDMS microfluidic chip through subjugation to centrifugal force via an in-house developed ‘spin-stand’ which features a motor, in combination with a high-resolution camera, for real-time observing diatom release from PDMS material. Diatom adhesion strength can therefore be determined based on the centrifugal force generated at varying rotational speeds. It is hoped that both the replica and bio-inspired solutions will give comparable anti-fouling results to these synthetic surfaces, whilst also assisting in determining whether anti-fouling solutions should predominantly be investigating either fully bioreplica-based, or a bioinspired, synthetically-based design.

Keywords: anti-fouling applications, bio-inspired microstructures, centrifugal microfluidics, surface modification

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Authors: Karl Peltzer, Supa Pengpid

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Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess suicidal ideation and associated factors in school-going adolescents in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States. Methods: The analysis included 30284 school children aged 13-15 years from seven ASEAN that participated in the cross-sectional Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) between 2007 and 2013. Results: The overall prevalence of suicidal ideation across seven ASEAN countries (excluding Brunei) was 12.3%, significantly higher in girls (15.1%) than boys (9.3%). Among eight ASEAN countries with the highest prevalence of suicidal ideation was in the Philippines (17.0%) and Vietnam (16.9%) and the lowest in Myanmar (1.1%) and Indonesia (4.2%). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, female gender, older age (14 or 15 years), living in a low income or lower middle income country, having no friends, loneliness, bullying victimization, having been in a physical fight in the past 12 months, lack of parental or guardian support, tobacco use and having a history of ever got drunk were associated with suicidal ideatiion. Conclusion: Different rates of suicidal ideation were observed in ASEAN member states. Several risk factors for suicidal ideation were identified which can help guide preventive efforts.

Keywords: adolesents, ASEAN, correlates, suicidal behaviour

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Authors: Long Pham, Julia Blanke

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An increasingly popular way of establishing citizen engagement within communities is through ‘city apps’. Currently, most of these mobile applications seem to be extensions of the existing communication media, sometimes merely replicating the information available on the classical city web sites, and therefore provide minimal additional impact on citizen behavior and engagement. In order to overcome this challenge, we propose to use a holistic behavioral model to generate dynamic and contextualized app content based on optimizing well defined city-related performance goals constrained by the proposed behavioral model. In this paper, we will show how the data collected by the CorkCitiEngage project in the Irish city of Cork can be utilized to calibrate aspects of the proposed model enabling the design of a personalized citizen engagement app aiming at positively influencing people’s behavior towards more active participation in their communities. We will focus on the important aspect of intentions to act, which is essential for understanding the reasons behind the common value-action-gap being responsible for the mismatch between good intentions and actual observable behavior, and will discuss how customized app design can be based on a rigorous model of behavior optimized towards maximizing well defined city-related performance goals.

Keywords: city apps, holistic behaviour model, intention to act, value-action-gap, citizen engagement

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Authors: Owen Harrington-Fernandez, Pilar Alderete-Diez

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Up until recently, translation studies treated children’s literature as something of a marginal preoccupation, but the recent attention that this text type has attracted suggests that it may be fertile ground for research. This paper contributes to this new research avenue by applying a sociolinguistic theoretical framework to explore issues around the intersubjective co-construction of identity in the American English translation of the Spanish children’s story, Manolito Gafotas. The application of Bucholtz and Hall’s framework achieves two objectives: (1) it identifies shifts in the translation of the main character’s behaviour as culturally and morally motivated manipulations, and (2) it demonstrates how the context of translation becomes the very censorship machine that delegitimises the identity of the main character, and, concomitantly, the identity of the implied reader(s). If we take identity to be an intersubjective phenomenon, then it logicall follows that expurgating the identity of the main character necessarily shifts the identity of the implied reader(s) also. It is a double censorship of identity carried out under the auspices of an intellectual colonisation of a Spanish text. After reporting on the results of the analysis, the paper ends by raising the question of censorship in translation, and, more specifically, in children’s literature, in order to promote debate around this topic.

Keywords: censorship, identity, sociolinguistics, translation

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Authors: G. V. Novikov, V. S. Sivozhelezov, S. S. Kolesnikov, K. V. Shaitan

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The study reports about the influence of binding of orthosteric ligands as well as point mutations on the conformational dynamics of β-2-adrenoreceptor. Using molecular dynamics simulation we found that there was a little fraction of active states of the receptor in its apo (ligand free) ensemble corresponded to its constitutive activity. Analysis of MD trajectories indicated that such spontaneous activation of the receptor is accompanied by the motion in intracellular part of its alpha-helices. Thus receptor’s constitutive activity directly results from its conformational dynamics. On the other hand the binding of a full agonist resulted in a significant shift of the initial equilibrium towards its active state. Finally, the binding of the inverse agonist stabilized the receptor in its inactive state. It is likely that the binding of inverse agonists might be a universal way of constitutive activity inhibition in vivo. Our results indicate that ligand binding redistribute pre-existing conformational degrees of freedom (in accordance to the Monod-Wyman-Changeux-Model) of the receptor rather than cause induced fit in it. Therefore, the ensemble of biologically relevant receptor conformations is encoded in its spatial structure, and individual conformations from that ensemble might be used by the cell in conformity with the physiological behaviour.

Keywords: seven-transmembrane receptors, constitutive activity, activation, x-ray crystallography, principal component analysis, molecular dynamics simulation

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Authors: Alim Asamatdinov

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Superabsorbent polymer hydrogels can swell to absorb huge volumes of water or aqueous solutions. This property has led to many practical applications of these new materials, particularly in agriculture for improving the water retention of soils and the water supply of plants. This article reviews the methods of polymeric hydrogels, measurements and treatments of their properties, as well as their effects on soil and on plant growth. The thermodynamic approach used to describe the swelling behaviour of polymer networks proves to be quite helpful in modelling the hydrogel efficiency of water-absorbing additives. The paper presents the results of a study of the physical and chemical properties of hydrogels based on of the production of "Nitron" (Polyacrylonitrile) wastes fibre and salts of the 3-rd transition metals and formalin. The developed hydrogels HG-Al, HG-Cr and HG-formalin have been tested for water holding the capacity of sand. Such a conclusion was also confirmed by data from the method of determining the wilting point by vegetative thumbnails. In the entering process using a dose of 0.1% of the swelling polymeric hydrogel in sand with a culture of barley the difference between the wilting point in comparison with the control was negligible. This indicates that the moisture which was contained in the hydrogel is involved in moisture availability for plant growth, to the same extent as that in the capillaries.

Keywords: hydrogel, chemical, polymer, sandy, colloid

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Authors: Elizabeth Snyman-Van Deventer

Abstract:

Numerous corporate scandals, which included investment scams, corporate malfeasance, unethical conduct and conflicts of interest, contributed to the collapse of WorldCom, Global Crossing, Xerox, Tyco, Enron, Sprint, AbbVie and Imclone and led to alarmed investors abandoning public securities markets and the tumbling of U.S stock markets. These companies suffered significant financial losses due to substantial and fraudulent misstatements and other illegal, corrupt or unethical practices. Executives were convicted of fraud and sentenced to prison. The corporate financial scandals, governance failures, and the ensuing public outcries led to mandatory legislation, e.g. the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the USA. In European corporate scandals such as Parmalat, Royal Dutch Ahold, Vivendi, Adecco and Elan, the boards missed financial misrepresentations. In South Africa, Steinhoff is the most well-known example of corporate collapse, but now we can also add Tongaat Hulett. It seems as if fraud and corruption may be the major sources of these corporate collapses. In most instances, there is either the active involvement of the directors and managers in these fraudulent or corrupt practices, or there is a negligent or even intentional failure to act by directors to prevent these activities. However, besides directors and managers, auditors and lawyers failed in most of these companies to fulfil their professional duties. In most of these major collapses, the ethics of especially auditors and directors could be questioned. This paper will first provide a brief overview of corporate collapses. Secondly, the reasons for these collapses, with a focus on unethical conduct, will be discussed.

Keywords: professional duties, corporate collapses, ethical conduct, legal ethics, directors, auditors

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Authors: S. Aouabdi, M. Taibi

Abstract:

The supervision of chemical processes is the subject of increased development because of the increasing demands on reliability and safety. An important aspect of the safe operation of chemical process is the earlier detection of (process faults or other special events) and the location and removal of the factors causing such events, than is possible by conventional limit and trend checks. With the aid of process models, estimation and decision methods it is possible to also monitor hundreds of variables in a single operating unit, and these variables may be recorded hundreds or thousands of times per day. In the absence of appropriate processing method, only limited information can be extracted from these data. Hence, a tool is required that can project the high-dimensional process space into a low-dimensional space amenable to direct visualization, and that can also identify key variables and important features of the data. Our contribution based on powerful techniques for development of a new monitoring method based on multi-scale entropy MSE in order to characterize the behaviour of the concentrations of different gases present in synthesis and soft sensor based on PCA is applied to estimate these variables.

Keywords: ammonia synthesis, concentrations of different gases, soft sensor, multi-scale entropy, multivarite statistics

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Authors: Ashish Soni, Suman Kalyan Pal

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Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are an emerging paradigm for the generation of advanced materials which are capable of utilizing in future device applications. In recent years TMDCs have attracted researchers for their unique band structure in monolayers. Large-area monolayers could become the most appropriate candidate for flexible and thin optoelectronic devices. For this purpose, it is crucial to understand the generation and transport of charge carriers in low dimensions. A deep understanding of photo-generated hot charges and trapped charges is essential to improve the performance of optoelectronic devices. Carrier trapping by the defect states that are introduced during the growth process of the monolayer could influence the dynamical behaviour of charge carriers. Herein, we investigated some aspects of the ultrafast evolution of the initially generated hot carriers and trapped charges in large-area monolayer WS₂ by measuring transient absorption at energies above and below the band gap energy. Our excitation density and energy-dependent measurements reveal the trapping of the initially generated charge carrier. Our results could be beneficial for the development of TMDC-based optoelectronic devices.

Keywords: transient absorption, optoelectronics, 2D materials, TMDCs, exciton

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Authors: P. M. Naushad Ali

Abstract:

India’s strength in basic research is recognized internationally. Science and Technology research in India has been performed by six distinct bodies or organizations such as Cooperative Research Associations, Autonomous Research Council, Institute under Ministries, Industrial R&D Establishment, Universities, Private Institutions. All most all these institutions are having a well-established library/information center to cater the information needs of their users like scientists and technologists. Information Management (IM) comprises disciplines concerned with the study and the effective and efficient management of information and resources, products and services as well as the understanding of the involved technologies and the people engaged in this activity. It is also observed that the libraries and information centers in India are also using modern technologies for the management of various activities and services to serve their users in a better way. Science and Technology libraries in the country are usually better equipped because the investment in Science and Technology in the country are much larger than those in other fields. Thus, most of the Science and Technology libraries are equipped with modern IT-based tools for handling and management of library services. In spite of these facts Science and Technology libraries are having all the characteristics of a model organization where computer application is found most successful, however, the adoption of this IT based management tool is not uniform in these libraries. The present study will help to know about the level use of IT-based management tools for the information management of Science and Technology libraries in India. The questionnaire, interview, observation and document review techniques have been used in data collection. Finally, the author discusses findings of the study and put forward some suggestions to improve the quality of Science and Technology institute library services in India.

Keywords: information management, science and technology libraries, India, IT-based tools

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Authors: Eleni Tsalaporta, Sebastien Vaesen, James M. D. MacElroy, Wolfgang Schmitt

Abstract:

Carbon dioxide capture has attracted the attention of many governments, industries and scientists over the last few decades, due to the rapid increase in atmospheric CO2 composition, with several studies being conducted in this area over the last few years. In many of these studies, CO2 capture in complex Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) cycles has been associated with high energy consumption despite the promising capture performance of such processes. The purpose of this study is the economic capture of atmospheric carbon dioxide for its transformation into a clean type of energy. A single column Temperature /Vacuum Swing Adsorption (TSA/VSA) process is proposed as an alternative option to multi column Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) processes. The proposed adsorbent is SIFSIX-3-Ni, a newly developed MOF (Metal Organic Framework), with extended CO2 selectivity and capacity. There are three stages involved in this paper: (i) SIFSIX-3-Ni is synthesized and pelletized and its physical and chemical properties are examined before and after the pelletization process, (ii) experiments are designed and undertaken for the estimation of the diffusion and adsorption parameters and limitations for CO2 undergoing capture from the air; and (iii) the CO2 adsorption capacity and dynamical characteristics of SIFSIX-3-Ni are investigated both experimentally and mathematically by employing a single column TSA/VSA, for the capture of atmospheric CO2. This work is further supported by a technical-economical study for the estimation of the investment cost and the energy consumption of the single column TSA/VSA process. The simulations are performed using gProms.

Keywords: carbon dioxide capture, temperature/vacuum swing adsorption, metal organic frameworks, SIFSIX-3-Ni

Procedia PDF Downloads 263