Search results for: automatic fare collection

Authors: Mera Ababneh, Sayer Al-Azzam, Karem Alzoubi, Abeer Rababa'h

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Background: Medication errors are among the most common medical errors. Their occurrences result in patient’s mortality, morbidity, and additional healthcare costs. Continuous monitoring and detection is required. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare medication errors in outpatient’s prescriptions in two different hospitals (paper system vs. electronic system). Methods: This was a cross sectional observational study conducted in two major hospitals; King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH) and Princess Bassma Teaching Hospital (PBTH) over three months period. Data collection was conducted by two trained pharmacists at each site. During the study period, medication prescriptions and dispensing procedures were screened for medication errors in both participating centers by two trained pharmacist. Results: In the electronic prescription hospital, 2500 prescriptions were screened in which 631 medication errors were detected. Prescription errors were 231 (36.6%), and dispensing errors were 400 (63.4%) of all errors. On the other side, analysis of 2500 prescriptions in paper-based hospital revealed 3714 medication errors, of which 288 (7.8%) were prescription errors, and 3426 (92.2%) were dispensing errors. A significant number of 2496 (67.2%) were inadequately and/or inappropriately labeled. Conclusion: This study provides insight for healthcare policy makers, professionals, and administrators to invest in advanced technology systems, education, and epidemiological surveillance programs to minimize medication errors.

Keywords: medication errors, prescription errors, dispensing errors, electronic prescription, handwritten prescription

Procedia PDF Downloads 282

Authors: Mohamed Al Araby, Amany Salman, Mostafa Amin, Mohamed Madbully, Dalia Keraa, Mariam Ali, Marah Abdelfatah, Mariam Ahmed, Ahmed Hassab

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In recent years, the architecture, engineering, and construction (A.E.C.) industry have been exposed to important innovations, most notably the global integration of digital design and fabrication (D.D.F.) processes in the industry’s workflow. Despite this evolution in that sector, Africa was excluded from the examination of this development. The reason behind this exclusion is the preconceived view of it as a developing region that still employs traditional methods of construction. The primary objective of this review is to investigate the trend of digital construction (D.C.) in the African environment and the difficulties in its regular utilization of it. This objective can be attained by recognizing the notion of distributed computing in Africa and evaluating the impact of the projects deploying this technology on both the immediate and broader contexts. The paper’s methodology begins with the collection of data from 224 initiatives throughout Africa. Then, 50 of these projects were selected based on the criteria of the project's recency, typology variety, and location diversity. After that, a literature-based comparative analysis was undertaken. This study’s findings reveal a pattern of motivation for applying digital fabrication processes. Moreover, it is essential to evaluate the socio-economic effects of these projects on the population living near the analyzed subject. The last step in this study is identifying the influence on the neighboring nations.

Keywords: Africa, digital construction, digital design, fabrication

Procedia PDF Downloads 179

Authors: Wai-Ming Ng

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Nowadays Umeya Shokichi has been commonly regarded as the symbol of Sino-Japanese friendship and a close friend of Sun Yatsen. The images of Umeya have been largely built on contemporary political needs rather than historical sources. Based on Japanese and Chinese primary sources, this paper will challenge existing views of Umeya Shokichi in regard to his role in the 1911 Revolution and his relationship with Sun Yatsen. The study of Umeya Shokichi is handicapped by the accessibility and creditability of primary sources. Records of Umeya are largely kept in his family collection. Scholars are relatively difficult to get access to these materials. In addition, Umeya’s records can hardly be cross-checked as he is seldom mentioned in the writings of Sun Yatsen, Miyazaki Toten, James Cantlie and others. Heretofore, studies about Umeya are few and most are not critical enough to provide a balanced historical account of Umeya. This article will reexamine the role of Umeya Shokichi in the 1911 Revolution by highlighting his relationship with Sun Yatsen in Hong Kong from 1886 to 1911. It demonstrates that the role of Umeya in the 1911 Revolution and his relationship with Sun Yatsen are exaggerated by Chinese and Japanese officials as well as Umeya’s family members. The fact is that Sun did not play a direct role in the 1911 Revolution, not to mention his sponsors. To Sun, Umeya was perhaps merely one of his many sponsors rather than an intimate friend. This study will be a thought-provoking and iconoclast piece of scholarship based on critical reading of primary sources.

Keywords: Umeya Shokichi, Sun Yatsen, 1911 Revolution, Sino-Japanese friendship

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Authors: M. Moyzykh, I. Klichuk, L. Sabirov, D. Kolomentseva, E. Magommedov

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Modern city electrical grids are forced to increase their density due to the increasing number of customers and requirements for reliability and resiliency. However, progress in this direction is often limited by the capabilities of existing network equipment. New energy sources or grid connections increase the level of short-circuit currents in the adjacent network, which can exceed the maximum rating of equipment–breaking capacity of circuit breakers, thermal and dynamic current withstand qualities of disconnectors, cables, and transformers. Superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) is a modern solution designed to deal with the increasing fault current levels in power grids. The key feature of this device is its instant (less than 2 ms) limitation of the current level due to the nature of the superconductor. In 2019 Moscow utilities installed SuperOx SFCL in the city power grid to test the capabilities of this novel technology. The SFCL became the first SFCL in the Russian energy system and is currently the most powerful SFCL in the world. Modern SFCL uses second-generation high-temperature superconductor (2G HTS). Despite its name, HTS still requires low temperatures of liquid nitrogen for operation. As a result, Moscow SFCL is built with a cryogenic system to provide cooling to the superconductor. The cryogenic system consists of three cryostats that contain a superconductor part and are filled with liquid nitrogen (three phases), three cryocoolers, one water chiller, three cryopumps, and pressure builders. All these components are controlled by an automatic control system. SFCL has been continuously operating on the city grid for over three years. During that period of operation, numerous faults occurred, including cryocooler failure, chiller failure, pump failure, and others (like a cryogenic system power outage). All these faults were eliminated without an SFCL shut down due to the specially designed cryogenic system backups and quick responses of grid operator utilities and the SuperOx crew. The paper will describe in detail the results of SFCL operation and cryogenic system maintenance and what measures were taken to solve and prevent similar faults in the future.

Keywords: superconductivity, current limiter, SFCL, HTS, utilities, cryogenics

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Authors: E. Montesinos-Pedro, L. G. Toscano-Flores, N. Domínguez-Ramírez

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Water scarcity is a worldwide issue, coupled with climate change is a relevant problem, that affect not only large cities, but also rural areas. The Municipality of Santiago Tilantongo belongs to the district of Nochixtlán Oaxaca, it’s built up from 14 communities, one of them San Martin de las Palmas. This community was founded in 1900, at that time the inhabitants were supplied with water through rivers of the region which were abundant (they used containers filled in the river for that purpose); However, over the years the level of the rivers began to drop and in 1994 specific wells were located to store water and at the same time make it drinkable, this whit support of the state of Oaxaca and the program Procampo. By the year 2000 the shortage of water in the supply sources was notorious, the community requested support from the Oaxaca State government to solve the problem. The government’s response consisted in the implementation of ferro-cement tanks (2005) and water wells (2010), both for rainwater collection, Hower, it was not enough. Now days the community has a population of 60 inhabitants who have resisted and adapted to water scarcity, not only with the programs implemented by the government, but they also have implemented important structural analysis strategies. The objective of this research is to know the adaptation strategies used by the community to analyze them and propose improvements for water conservation and mitigation of this scarcity.

Keywords: adaptation, climate change, mitigation, resiliencia

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Authors: Sandeep Mohan Ahuja, Gulshan Kumar Jawa

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Cyclone separators are crucial components in various industries tasked with efficiently separating particulate matter from gas streams. Achieving optimal performance hinges on a deep understanding of flow dynamics and particle behaviour within these separators. In this investigation, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are conducted utilizing the Discrete Phase Model (DPM) to dissect the intricate flow patterns, particle trajectories, and separation efficiency within cyclone separators. The study delves into the influence of pivotal parameters like inlet velocity, particle size distribution, and cyclone geometry on separation efficiency. Through numerical simulations, a comprehensive comprehension of fluid-particle interaction phenomena within cyclone separators is attained, allowing for the assessment of solid collection efficiency across diverse operational conditions and geometrical setups. The insights gleaned from this study promise to advance our understanding of the complex interplay between fluid and particle within cyclone separators, thereby enabling optimization across a wide array of industrial applications. By harnessing the power of CFD simulations and the DPM, this research endeavours to furnish valuable insights for designing, operating, and evaluating the performance of cyclone separators, ultimately fostering greater efficiency and environmental sustainability within industrial processes.

Keywords: cyclone separator, computational fluid dynamics, enhancing efficiency, discrete phase model

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Authors: Mahmoud Ahmed Farrag, Ali Zain Elabdeen Heikal, Mohamed Shawky Ahmed, Ahmed Osama Amer

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Crowd-sourced data refers to data that is collected and shared by a large number of individuals or organizations, often through the use of digital technologies such as mobile devices and social media. The shortage in crash data collection in developing countries makes it difficult to fully understand and address road safety issues in these regions. In developing countries, crowd-sourced data can be a valuable tool for improving road safety, particularly in urban areas where the majority of road crashes occur. This study is -to our best knowledge- the first to develop safety performance functions using crowd-sourced data by adopting a negative binomial structure model and the Full Bayes model to investigate traffic safety for urban road networks and provide insights into the impact of roadway characteristics. Furthermore, as a part of the safety management process, network screening has been undergone through applying two different methods to rank the most hazardous road segments: PCR method (adopted in the Highway Capacity Manual HCM) as well as a graphical method using GIS tools to compare and validate. Lastly, recommendations were suggested for policymakers to ensure safer roads.

Keywords: crowdsourced data, road crashes, safety performance functions, Full Bayes models, network screening

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Authors: Achmad Muchadam Fahham, Sony Hendra Permana

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Millennial Muslims are a generation of young people between 20-30 years. They will play an important role in various aspects of life for the next 10 to 20 years. In Indonesia, the population of this generation is quite large and in the next ten to twenty years they will occupy strategic position in various fields of social, economic and political life. One of the characteristics of the millenials generation are always connected to the internet and independence to learn anything from the internet. In terms of religion, the majority of millennial are Muslim. In digital era, the generation of millenial Muslim is vulnerable to the influence of radical Islamic thinking because of their easy access to that thought on social media, new media, and the books they read. This study seeks to examine the religious views of millennial Muslim women in four main focuses, namely religious identity, religious leaders, the role of the state on religious issues, and religious radicalism. This study was conducted with a qualitative approach, the data collection was carried out by the interview method. The study was conducted in Jakarta, mainly in religious study groups located in several mosques and shopping center in Jakarta. This study is expected to portray the religious views of millennial Muslim women, especially their commitment to Islamic identity, their views on the authority of religious leaders, the role of the state in various religious problems, and religious radicalism.

Keywords: millenial Muslims, radicalism, muslim mowen, religious identity

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Authors: Josephine Eghonghon Ahiante, Barry Hanyane

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To give effect to the constitutional rights of gender equality, the South African government instituted various legislative policy frameworks and legislations to equalise the public service. Nonetheless, gender inequality in senior management positions remains a rift in government institutions, particularly the local sphere of government. The methodology for gathering and analysing data for this study was based on both primary and secondary data sources, namely literature review, qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, triangulation, and inductive and deductive thematic analysis. The study found that misogynist tendencies which are manifest in organisational culture suffocate the good intentions of government in ensuring social justices, leadership diversity, and women equality. It also demonstrates that traditional gender role expectation still informs the ground in which senior management positions are allocated, men perceive women as non-leadership fit and discriminate against them during recruitment, selection, and promotion into high positions. The analyses from the study portray that, while government legislation and framework has been instrumental in the leadership acceleration of women, much more has to be done to deconstruct internalised leadership stereotypes on women's gender roles and leadership requirements. The study recommends that gender bias training intervention is needed to teach public employees on management excellence.

Keywords: gender, leadership, misogyny, orgnisational cultural, patriachy

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Authors: Botshelo Rachel Sebola

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Unintended pregnancy often results in pregnancy termination. Most countries have legalised the termination of a pregnancy and pregnant adolescents can visit designated clinics without their parents’ consent. In most African and Asian countries, certain cultural practices are performed following any form of childbirth, including abortion, and such practices are ingrained in societies. The aim of this paper was to understand how women who terminated a pregnancy during adolescence coped by embracing cultural practices. A descriptive multiple case study design was adopted for the study. In-depth, semi-structured interviews and reflective diaries were used for data collection. Thirteen women aged 25 to 35 who had terminated a pregnancy in adolescence participated in the study. Three women kept their soiled sanitary pads, burned them to ash and waited for the rainy season to scatter the ash in a flowing stream. This ritual was performed to appease the ancestors, ask them for forgiveness and as a send-off for the aborted foetus. Five women secretly consulted Sangoma (traditional healers) to perform certain rituals. Three women isolated themselves to perform herbal cleansings, and the last two chose not to engage in any sexual activity for one year, which led to the loss of their partners. This study offers a unique contribution to understanding the solitary journey of women who terminated a pregnancy. The study challenges healthcare professionals who work in clinics that offer pregnancy termination services to look beyond releasing the foetus to advocating and providing women with the necessary care and support in performing cultural practices.

Keywords: adolescence, cultural practices, case study, pregnancy

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Authors: Fairuz Fadzilah Rahim

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Introduction: Indigenous adolescents are at higher risk of dog associated zoonotic infections (DAZI) as they live closely with free-roaming dogs and have limited access to veterinary care. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of health education interventions towards knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices (KAP) of adolescents on DAZI. Methods: This one-group pre-and post-intervention study in 5 months period was conducted among Jahai adolescents aged 12 years and above. Jahai is one of the three major tribes of indigenous people in Peninsular Malaysia. Health education intervention programs using posters, slide presentations, comics, video clips, and discussion on DAZI were employed. Repeated measures of within-subjects analysis were used to identify the pre- and post- KAP of the adolescents. Results: There were 54 adolescents participated in this study with a mean age of 15.72 (SD: 2.49) and equal proportions of males (50%) and females (50%). Among the adolescents, 22.2% were married, 5.6% were illiterate, and 44.4% not continuing education at the time of data collection. The majority of them keep dogs as pets (64.8%), and few used dogs for hunting (11.1%). There was significant increase in mean scores of knowledge (F = 40.92, p < 0.001) and attitudes (F = 6.43, p = 0.014) of the adolescents. However, the preventive practices towards DAZI showed non-significant improvement on the intervention. Conclusions: The health education intervention programs showed to be effective in improving the attitudes and practices related to dog associated zoonotic infections. Emphasis on sustained health education programs is important to foster good health and wellbeing of the indigenous community.

Keywords: adolescent health, dog associated infection, zoonotic, KAP, indigenous

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Authors: Charmaine Devinee Pillay

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Employees in both public and private sectors are expected to contribute significantly to the growth and development of the organization that employs them. Good working conditions are directly linked to the optimum output emanating from the workforce’s excellent performance. Insecurity, instability and lack of benefits negatively impact on the employees’ commitment to their job. This is a qualitative case study that comprised 40 “Contract Employees” (Academic and Supporting staff) in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Questionnaire, as instrument of data collection, was used to obtain qualitative data. Data collected were categorized in themes and sub-themes for analyses and discussion. Findings showed that “contract Employees” are highly demoralized due to job insecurity and non-benefits, among other factors, which directly affect their overall output in discharging their duties. The case study at Walter Sisulu University typifies the generalized challenges faced by workers on contract basis in South Africa. It is therefore, recommended that employers hire their workforce on permanent basis or, where “Contract Employment “is inevitable, similar conditions that go with permanent employment should be incorporated in the contract terms of “Contract Employees”. This serves as impetus for optimum performance.

Keywords: contract employee, insecurity, instability, risk factors

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Authors: Tahsien Mohamed Okasha

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We hypothesized that Post cardiac arrest patients with Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score of less than (8) and who will be exposed to therapeutic hypothermia protocol will exhibit improvement in their neurological performance. Purposive sample of 17 patients who were fulfilling the inclusion criteria during one year collected. The study carried out using Quasi-experimental research design. Four Tools used for data collection of this study: Demographic and medical data sheet, Post cardiac arrest health assessment sheet, Bedside Shivering Assessment Scale (BSAS), and Glasgow Pittsburgh cerebral performance category scale (CPC). Result: the mean age was X̅ ± SD = 53 ± 8.122 years, 47.1% were arrested because of cardiac etiology. 35.3% with initial arrest rhythm ventricular tachycardia (VT), 23.5% with ventricular fibrillation (VF), and 29.4% with A-Systole. Favorable neurological outcome was seen among 70.6%. There was significant statistical difference in WBC, Platelets, blood gases value, random blood sugar. Also Initial arrest rhythm, etiology of cardiac arrest, and shivering status were significantly correlated with cerebral performance categories score. therapeutic hypothermia has positive effects on neurological performance among post cardiac arrest patients with GCS score of less than (8). replication of the study on larger probability sample, with randomized control trial design. Further study for suggesting nursing protocol for patients undergoing therapeutic hypothermia.

Keywords: therapeutic hypothermia, neurological performance, after resuscitation from cardiac arrest., resuscitation

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Authors: Chialing Chang

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Language and culture are critical foundations of international mobility. However, the students who are limited to the local environment may affect their learning outcome and global perspective. Video Conferencing has been proven an economical way for students as a medium to communicate with international students around the world. In Taiwan, the National Development Commission advocated the development of bilingual national policies in 2030 to enhance national competitiveness and foster English proficiency and fully launched bilingual activation of the education system. Globalization is closely related to the development of Taiwan's education. Therefore, the teacher conducted an integrated lesson through interdisciplinary learning. This study aims to investigate how the teacher helps develop students' global and language core competencies in the international education class. The methodology comprises four stages, which are lesson planning, class observation, learning data collection, and speech analysis. The Grice's Conversational Maxims are adopted to analyze the students' conversation in the video conferencing course. It is the action research from the teacher's reflection on approaches to developing students' language learning skills. The study lays the foundation for mastering the teacher's international education professional development and improving teachers' teaching quality and teaching effectiveness as a reference for teachers' future instruction.

Keywords: international education, language learning, Grice's conversational maxims, video conferencing course

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Authors: Raj Kumar, Navjyoti Dhingra

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Academic libraries are the hubs in which knowledge is a major resource and the performances of these knowledge in terms of adding and delivering value to their users depend upon their ability and effectiveness in engendering, arranging, managing, and using this knowledge. Developments in Information and Communication Technology’s (ICT), the libraries have been incorporated at the electronic edge to facilitate a rapid transfer of information on a global scale. Web2.0 refers to the development of online services that encourage collaboration, communication and information sharing. Web 2.0 reflects changes in how one can use the web rather than describing any technical or structural change. Libraries provide manifold channels of Information access to its e-users. The rapid expansion of tools, formats, services and technologies has presented many options to unfold Library Collection. Academic libraries must develop ways and means to meet their user’s expectations and remain viable. Web 2.0 tools are the first step on that journey. Web 2.0 has been widely used by the libraries to promote functional services like access to catalogue or for external activities like information or photographs of library events, enhancement of usage of library resources and bringing users closer to the library. The purpose of this paper is to provide a reconnaissance of Web 2.0 tools for enhancing library services in India. The study shows that a lot of user-friendly tools can be adopted by information professionals to effectively cater to information needs of its users. The authors have suggested a roadmap towards a revitalized future for providing various information opportunities to techno-savvy users.

Keywords: academic libraries, change management, social media, Web 2.0

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Authors: Shantam Gupta

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The objective of this study is to address the critical need for automation in the domestic food processing sector and study its impact. Food is the one of the most basic physiological needs essential for the survival of a living being. Some of them have the capacity to prepare their own food (like most plants) and henceforth are designated as primary food producers; those who depend on these primary food producers for food form the primary consumers’ class (herbivores). Some of the organisms relying on the primary food are the secondary food consumers (carnivores). There is a third class of consumers called tertiary food consumers/apex food consumers that feed on both the primary and secondary food consumers. Humans form an essential part of the apex predators and are generally at the top of the food chain. But still further disintegration of the food habits of the modern human i.e. Homo sapiens, reveals that humans depend on other individuals for preparing their own food. The old notion of eating raw/brute food is long gone and food processing has become very trenchant in lives of modern human. This has led to an increase in dependence on other individuals for ‘processing’ the food before it can be actually consumed by the modern human. This has led to a further shift of humans in the classification of food chain of consumers. The effects of the shifts shall be systematically investigated in this paper. The processing of food has a direct impact on the economy of the individual (consumer). Also most individuals depend on other processing individuals for the preparation of food. This dependency leads to establishment of a vital link of dependency in the food web which when altered can adversely affect the food web and can have dire consequences on the health of the individual. This study investigates the challenges arising out due to this dependency and the impact of food processing on the economy of the individual. A comparison of Industrial food processing and processing at domestic platforms (households and restaurants) has been made to provide an idea about the present scenario of automation in the food processing sector. A lot of time and energy is also consumed while processing food at home for consumption. The high frequency of consumption of meals (greater than 2 times a day) makes it even more laborious. Through the medium of this study a pressing need for development of an automatic cooking machine is proposed with a mission to reduce the inter-dependency & human effort of individuals required for the preparation of food (by automation of the food preparation process) and make them more self-reliant The impact of development of this product has also further been profoundly discussed. Assumption used: The individuals those who process food also consume the food that they produce. (They are also termed as ‘independent’ or ‘self-reliant’ modern human beings.)

Keywords: automation, food processing, impact on economy, processing individual

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Authors: Beatriz Botella-Gil, Patricio Martínez-Barco, Lea Canales

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The Internet and ICT are an integral element of and omnipresent in our daily lives. Technologies have changed the way we see the world and relate to it. The number of companies in the ICT sector is increasing every year, and there has also been an increase in the work that occurs online, from sending e-mails to the way companies promote themselves. In social life, ICT’s have gained momentum. Social networks are useful for keeping in contact with family or friends that live far away. This change in how we manage our relationships using electronic devices and social media has been experienced differently depending on the age of the person. According to currently available data, people are increasingly connected to social media and other forms of online communication. Therefore, it is no surprise that violent content has also made its way to digital media. One of the important reasons for this is the anonymity provided by social media, which causes a sense of impunity in the victim. Moreover, it is not uncommon to find derogatory comments, attacking a person’s physical appearance, hobbies, or beliefs. This is why it is necessary to develop artificial intelligence tools that allow us to keep track of violent comments that relate to violent events so that this type of violent online behavior can be deterred. The objective of our research is to create a guide for detecting and recording violent messages. Our annotation guide begins with a study on the problem of violent messages. First, we consider the characteristics that a message should contain for it to be categorized as violent. Second, the possibility of establishing different levels of aggressiveness. To download the corpus, we chose the social network Twitter for its ease of obtaining free messages. We chose two recent, highly visible violent cases that occurred in Spain. Both of them experienced a high degree of social media coverage and user comments. Our corpus has a total of 633 messages, manually tagged, according to the characteristics we considered important, such as, for example, the verbs used, the presence of exclamations or insults, and the presence of negations. We consider it necessary to create wordlists that are present in violent messages as indicators of violence, such as lists of negative verbs, insults, negative phrases. As a final step, we will use automatic learning systems to check the data obtained and the effectiveness of our guide.

Keywords: human language technologies, language modelling, offensive language detection, violent online content

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Authors: Chro Kavian

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The studies conducted show that cancer is a disease caused by populations of microbes, a notion gaining traction as the interaction between the human microbiome and the tumor microenvironment (TME) increasingly shows how environment and microbes dictate the progress and treatment of neoplastic diseases. A person’s human microbiome is defined as a collection of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms whose structure and composition influence biological processes like immune system modulation and nutrient metabolism, which, in turn, affect how susceptible a person is to neoplastic diseases, and response to different therapies. Recent reports demonstrated the influence specific microbiome bacterial populations have on the TME, thereby altering tumoral behaviors and the TME’s contributing factors that impact patients' lives. In addition, gut microbes and their SCFA products are important determinants of the inflammatory landscape of tumors and augment anti-tumor immunity, which can influence immunotherapy outcomes. Studies have also found that dysbiosis, or microbial imbalance, correlates with biological processes such as cancer progression, metastasis, and therapy resistance, leading scientists to explore the use of microbiome deficiencies as adjunctive approaches to chemotherapy and other, more traditional treatments. Nonetheless, mental health practitioners struggling to comprehend the existent gap between cancer patients with pronounced resolutive capabilities and the profound clinical impact Microbiome-targeted cancer therapy has been proven to possess.

Keywords: microbiome, cancer, tumor, immune system

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Authors: Thanduxolo Nomngcoyiya, Simon M. Kang’ethe

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The aim of this article is to explore whether a relationship exists between traditional male circumcision mishaps and level of education in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, exemplified by an empirical case study. The study used qualitative paradigm; was exploratory in nature and used case study design that was descriptive and exploratory; and entailed interviewing twenty-eight (28) research participants comprising of eleven (11) newly initiated men and their families on one-on-one in-depth interviews, twelve (12) traditional nurses and community members in focus group discussions; and five (5) society key informants on key informant method. An interview guide served as a data collection instrument for focus group discussions, key informant method and in-depth interviews with unstructured open-ended questions. Findings indicated an array of traditional male circumcision (TMC) gaps, some of which were indicative of a relationship between the mishaps and level of education: the phenomenon of schooling became secondary in newly initiated men’s lives; TMC mishaps became a drawback towards the newly initiated men’s education progression; the newly initiated men are sacrificed at the altar of culture, and TMC mishaps ushered in socioeconomic setback to the newly initiated men. The study suggested that: TMC be developmental; TMC as a cultural endeavor be educational and human rights friendly; and the need to identify and integrate all other players with diverse specialties.

Keywords: culture, education for all, EFA, millennium development goals, traditional male circumcision

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Authors: Bruce X. B. Yu, Yan Liu, Keith C. C. Chan

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We propose to record Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) of elderly people using a vision-based system so as to provide better assistive and personalization technologies. Current ADL-related research is based on data collected with help from non-elderly subjects in laboratory environments and the activities performed are predetermined for the sole purpose of data collection. To obtain more realistic datasets for the application, we recorded ADLs for the elderly with data collected from real-world environment involving real elderly subjects. Motivated by the need to collect data for more effective research related to elderly care, we chose to collect data in the room of an elderly person. Specifically, we installed Kinect, a vision-based sensor on the ceiling, to capture the activities that the elderly subject performs in the morning every day. Based on the data, we identified 12 morning activities that the elderly person performs daily. To recognize these activities, we created a HARELCARE framework to investigate into the effectiveness of existing Human Activity Recognition (HAR) algorithms and propose the use of a transfer learning algorithm for HAR. We compared the performance, in terms of accuracy, and training progress. Although the collected dataset is relatively small, the proposed algorithm has a good potential to be applied to all daily routine activities for healthcare purposes such as evidence-based diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords: daily activity recognition, healthcare, IoT sensors, transfer learning

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Authors: Jiao Sun, Li Pan, Shijun Liu

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Recommender systems have been widely used in contemporary industry, and plenty of work has been done in this field to help users to identify items of interest. Collaborative Filtering (CF, for short) algorithm is an important technology in recommender systems. However, less work has been done in automobile recommendation system with the sharp increase of the amount of automobiles. What’s more, the computational speed is a major weakness for collaborative filtering technology. Therefore, using MapReduce framework to optimize the CF algorithm is a vital solution to this performance problem. In this paper, we present a recommendation of the users’ comment on industrial automobiles with various properties based on real world industrial datasets of user-automobile comment data collection, and provide recommendation for automobile providers and help them predict users’ comment on automobiles with new-coming property. Firstly, we solve the sparseness of matrix using previous construction of score matrix. Secondly, we solve the data normalization problem by removing dimensional effects from the raw data of automobiles, where different dimensions of automobile properties bring great error to the calculation of CF. Finally, we use the MapReduce framework to optimize the CF algorithm, and the computational speed has been improved times. UV decomposition used in this paper is an often used matrix factorization technology in CF algorithm, without calculating the interpolation weight of neighbors, which will be more convenient in industry.

Keywords: collaborative filtering, recommendation, data normalization, mapreduce

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Authors: Fani Firmahandari

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The development learning module physics based on guided inquiry approach on model cooperative learning type STAD (Student Team Achievement Division) in the main subject of temperature and heat. The research development aimed to produce physics learning module based on guided cooperative learning type STAD (Student Team Achievement Division) in the main subject of temperature and heat to the student in X class. The research method used Research and Development approach. The development procedure of this module includes potential problems, data collection to meet the need, product design, and feasibility of this module. The impact of learning can be seen or observed clearly when the learning process takes place, the teachers or the students already implemented measures cooperative learning model type STAD, so that the learning process goes well, the interaction of teachers and students, students with student looks good, besides that students can interact and work together in group.

Keywords: cooperative learning type STAD (student team achievement division), development, inquiry, interaction students

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Authors: Emma Carr, Jennifer Morrison, Peter Walker

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Background: Due to COVID-19, there was a significant reduction in the number of children being treated under general anaesthetic (GA) within the health board, which led to a backlog of referrals. The referrals were being triaged and added to a waiting list in order of priority -determined by the information given. By implementing a checklist, it is anticipated that at least 70% of referrals will have the majority of the information required to effectively prioritise patients. The gold standard, as defined in ‘Guidelines For The Management Of Children Referred For Dental Extractions Under General Anaesthesia’, indicates that all referrals should mention: (i) Inability of the child to cooperate, (ii) Previously tried anxiety management techniques, (iii) Existence of psychological disorders, (iv) Presence of acute dental infection, (v) Requirement for extractions in multiple quadrants. Method: 130 referrals were examined over three months and compared to the recommended standard. A letter was emailed to referring dentists within Ayrshire & Arran outlining the recommended information to be included within the referral. The second round of data collection was then carried out, which involved an examination of 105 referrals. Results: The first round revealed that only 28% of referrals mentioned at least four defined standards outlined above. Following issuing a checklist to all dentists, this increased to 72%. Conclusion: As many of the children referred for extractions under GA have suffered pain and infection because of dental caries, it is important that delay of treatment is minimised, where possible. The implementation of a standardised checklist has enabled more effective prioritisation of patients.

Keywords: caries, dentistry, general anaesthetic, paediatrics

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Authors: Paolo Fantozzi, Luigi Laura, Umberto Nanni

Abstract:

The problem of Entity relation discovery in structured data, a well covered topic in literature, consists in searching within unstructured sources (typically, text) in order to find connections among entities. These can be a whole dictionary, or a specific collection of named items. In many cases machine learning and/or text mining techniques are used for this goal. These approaches might be unfeasible in computationally challenging problems, such as processing massive data streams. A faster approach consists in collecting the cooccurrences of any two words (entities) in order to create a graph of relations - a cooccurrence graph. Indeed each cooccurrence highlights some grade of semantic correlation between the words because it is more common to have related words close each other than having them in the opposite sides of the text. Some authors have used sliding windows for such problem: they count all the occurrences within a sliding windows running over the whole text. In this paper we generalise such technique, coming up to a Weighted-Distance Sliding Window, where each occurrence of two named items within the window is accounted with a weight depending on the distance between items: a closer distance implies a stronger evidence of a relationship. We develop an experiment in order to support this intuition, by applying this technique to a data set consisting in the text of the Bible, split into verses.

Keywords: cooccurrence graph, entity relation graph, unstructured text, weighted distance

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Authors: Botshelo Rachel Sebola

Abstract:

Unintended pregnancy often results in pregnancy termination. Most countries have legalised the termination of a pregnancy, and pregnant adolescents can visit designated clinics without their parents’ consent. In most African and Asian countries, certain cultural practices are performed following any form of childbirth, including abortion, and such practices are ingrained in societies. The aim of this paper was to understand how women who terminated a pregnancy during adolescence coped by embracing cultural practices. A descriptive multiple case study design was adopted for the study. In-depth, semi-structured interviews and reflective diaries were used for data collection. 13 women aged 20 to 35 years who had terminated a pregnancy in adolescence participated in the study. Three women kept their soiled sanitary pads, burned them to ash and waited for the rainy season to scatter the ash in a flowing stream. This ritual was performed to appease the ancestors, ask them for forgiveness and as a send-off for the aborted foetus. Five women secretly consulted Sangoma (traditional healers) to perform certain rituals. Three women isolated themselves to perform herbal cleansings, and the last two chose not to engage in any sexual activity for one year, which led to the loss of their partners. This study offers a unique contribution to understanding the solitary journey of women who terminate a pregnancy. The study challenges healthcare professionals who work in clinics that offer pregnancy termination services to look beyond releasing the foetus to advocating and providing women with the necessary care and support in performing cultural practices.

Keywords: adolescence, culture, case study, pregnancy

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Authors: Jina K., Kittinan C. Athitaya J., Weerapat B., Amornrat T., Waraphan N.

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Working in the exploration and production of petroleum exposed workers to various health risks, including but not limited to physical and chemical risks. Although lots of barriers have been put in place, e.g., hazard monitoring in the workplace, appropriate training on health hazards, proper personal protective equipment (PPE), the health hazard may harm the workers if the barriers are not effectively implemented. To prove the effectiveness of these barriers, it is necessary to monitor exposure by putting in place the medical surveillance program via biological monitoring of chemical hazards and physical check-ups for physical hazards. Medical surveillance management is the systematic assessment and monitoring of employees exposed or potentially exposed to occupational hazards with the goal of reducing and ultimately preventing occupational illness and injury. The paper aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of medical surveillance management in mitigating health risks associated with physical and chemical hazards in the petroleum industry by focusing on implementing programs for biological monitoring and physical examinations, including defining procedures for biological monitoring, urine sample collection, physical examinations, and result management on offshore petroleum platforms. The implementation of medical surveillance management has proven effective in monitoring worker exposure to physical and chemical hazards, leading to reduced medical expenses and the risk associated with work-related diseases significantly.

Keywords: medical surveillance, petroleum industry, occupational hazards, medical surveillance process

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Authors: Rosalie Menon, Angela Reid

Abstract:

Building integrated photovoltaic systems with air collectors (hybrid PV-T) have proved successful however there are few examples of their application in the UK. The opportunity to pull heat from behind the PV system to contribute to a building’s heating system is an efficient use of waste energy and its potential to improve the performance of the PV array is well documented. As part of Glasgow School of Art’s estate expansion, the purchase and redevelopment of an existing 1950’s college building was used as a testing vehicle for the hybrid PV-T system as an integrated element of the upper floor and roof. The primary objective of the feasibility study was to determine if hybrid PV-T was technically and financially suitable for the refurbished building. The key consideration was whether the heat recovered from the PV panels (to increase the electrical efficiency) can be usefully deployed as a heat source within the building. Dynamic thermal modelling (IES) and RetScreen Software were used to carry out the feasibility study not only to simulate overshadowing and optimise the PV-T locations but also to predict the atrium temperature profile; predict the air load for the proposed new 4 No. roof mounted air handling units and to predict the dynamic electrical efficiency of the PV element. The feasibility study demonstrates that there is an energy reduction and carbon saving to be achieved with each hybrid PV-T option however the systems are subject to lengthy payback periods and highlights the need for enhanced government subsidy schemes to reward innovation with this technology in the UK.

Keywords: building integrated, photovoltatic thermal, pre-heat air, ventilation

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Authors: Stephen Pembi, Samuel K. Msheliza, Helen A. Andow

Abstract:

Organizational culture is very important in the organization because it enhances organizational performance and serves as a sense of making and control mechanism that guides and shapes the attitude and behaviour of employees. However, organizational culture issues are frequently disregarded in lieu of activities that may or may not have a good impact on performance. This study examines the relationship between organizational culture and organizational performance of Adama Beverages Ltd, Adamawa State. The study employed an explanatory survey research design with a questionnaire as a source of data collection. One hundred and thirty-five copies of the questionnaire were administered using the convenience method of sampling, out of which one hundred and twenty were retrieved and well answered. The data collected were subjected to the Pearson product-moment correlation technique to test the hypotheses of the study using SPSS. The overall results signify that organizational culture has a significant positive relationship with organizational performance. The multiple regression results show that mission, adaptability, and involvement have a significant positive influence on organizational performance, while consistency has a significant negative influence on organizational performance. Therefore, this study concluded that organizational culture is a strong determinant of organizational performance in Adama Beverages Ltd, Adamawa State. The study recommends that the level of employee input into decision-making, flexibility in responding to changes in the business environment, consistency with values and traditions, and organizational performance should all be maintained by Adama Beverages Ltd.

Keywords: adaptability, consistency, involvement, mission, organizational performance

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Authors: Adeela Abu Bakar, Minder Kaur, Parthaman Singh

Abstract:

In the Malaysian education system, a formal setting of English language learning takes place in a content-based classroom (CBC). Until recently, there is less study in Malaysia, which researched the effects of code-switching (CS) behaviour towards the students’ knowledge sharing (KS) with their peers. The aim of this study is to investigate the frequency, reasons, and effect that CS, from the English language to Bahasa Melayu, has among local STEM and N-STEM undergraduates towards KS in a content-based classroom. The study implies a mixed-method research design with questionnaire and interviews as the instruments. The data is collected through distribution of questionnaires and interviews with the undergraduates. The quantitative data is analysed using SPSS in simple frequencies and percentages, whereas qualitative data involves organizing the data into themes, followed by analysis. Findings found that N-STEM undergraduates code-switch more as compared to STEM undergraduates. In addition to that, both the STEM and N-STEM undergraduates agree that CS acts as a catalyst towards KS in a content-based classroom. However, they also acknowledge that excess use of CS can be a hindrance towards KS. The findings of the study can benefit STEM and N-STEM undergraduates, education policymakers, language teachers, university educators, and students with significant insights into the role of CS towards KS in a content-based classroom. Some of the recommendations that can be applied for future studies are that the number of participants can be increased, an observation to be included for the data collection.

Keywords: switching, content-based classroom, content and language integrated learning, knowledge sharing, STEM and N-STEM undergraduates

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Authors: Isaac Yeboah, Emmanuel Osei Sarpong

Abstract:

Physical activity (PA) is considered the best preventative tool for maintaining physical health and extending lifespan because it offers a range of benefits. However, for people to benefit from physical activity, it must be done at a level that can enhance fitness, health, and overall well-being. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the link between physical activity participation levels and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). The study employed the descriptive correlational design. The census sampling technique included all 190-teaching staff from the two senior high schools in the Dormaa East District. An adapted International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and standardized physical fitness tests were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentages were used to answer the research questions while inferential statistics of Pearson Product Moment Correlation and the independent sample t-test were used to test hypotheses one and two respectively. A moderately negative (r = -.156) relationship existed between physical activity participation levels and CRF. Female teachers demonstrated a statistically significant value (p = .045) than males. The study concluded that the reported physical activity levels of the teachers did not reflect their CRF. The implication is that either the participants overestimated their physical activity participation levels, or the intensity of the activities was not high enough to affect physiological changes. For the teachers' CRF to improve, it was suggested, among other things, that regular physical activity sessions of the appropriate mixes of FITT be organized.

Keywords: physical activity, participation levels, cardiorespiratory fitness, sedentary lifestyle, teachers

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