Search results for: balance training

Authors: Yanli Zhao, Jian Chen, Shouxiang Lu

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Flame spread over solid fuels in high pressure situations such as nuclear containment shells and hyperbaric oxygen chamber has potential to result in catastrophic disaster, thus requiring best knowledge. This paper reveals experimentally the flame spread behaviors over fuel cylinders in high pressures. The fuel used in this study is polyethylene and polymethyl methacrylate cylinders with 4mm diameter. Ambient gas is fixed as air and total pressures are varied from naturally normal pressure (100kPa) to elevated pressure (400kPa). Flame appearance, burning rate and flame spread were investigated experimentally and theoretically. Results show that high pressure significantly affects the flame appearance, which is as the pressure increases, flame color changes from luminous yellow to orange and the orange part extends down towards the base of flame. Besides, the average flame width and height, and the burning rate are proved to increase with increasing pressure. What is more, flame spread rates become higher as pressure increases due to the enhancement of heat transfer from flame to solid surface in elevated pressure by performing a simplified heat balance analysis.

Keywords: cylinder fuel, flame spread, heat transfer, high pressure

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Authors: Frank Fan

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PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) education has confronted an increasing challenge — curricular overload, a phenomenon resulting from the expansion of curricular requirements, as PharmD education strives to produce graduates who are practice-ready. The aftermath of the global pandemic has amplified the need for healthcare professionals, leading to a growing trend of assigning more responsibilities to them to address the global healthcare shortage. For instance, the pharmacist’s role has expanded to include not only compounding and distributing medication but also providing clinical services, including minor ailments management, patient counselling and vaccination. Consequently, PharmD programs have responded by continually expanding their curricula adding more requirements. While these changes aim to enhance the education and training of future professionals, they have also led to unintended consequences, including curricular overload, student burnout, and a potential decrease in program quality. To address the issue and ensure program quality, there is a growing need for evidence-based curriculum reforms. My research seeks to integrate Cognitive Load Theory, emerging machine learning algorithms within artificial intelligence (AI), and statistical approaches to develop a quantitative framework for optimizing curriculum design within the PharmD program at the University of Toronto, the largest PharmD program within Canada, to provide quantification and measurement of issues that currently are only discussed in terms of anecdote rather than data. This research will serve as a guide for curriculum planners, administrators, and educators, aiding in the comprehension of how the pharmacy degree program compares to others within and beyond the field of pharmacy. It will also shed light on opportunities to reduce the curricular load while maintaining its quality and rigor. Given that pharmacists constitute the third-largest healthcare workforce, their education shares similarities and challenges with other health education programs. Therefore, my evidence-based, data-driven curriculum analysis framework holds significant potential for training programs in other healthcare professions, including medicine, nursing, and physiotherapy.

Keywords: curriculum, curriculum analysis, health professions education, reflective writing, machine learning

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Authors: Itsuo Yokoyama, Rika Kikuti, Naoko Watabe

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Introduction: It has been known that chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients can benefit from physical exercise during dialysis therapy improving aerobic capacity, muscle function, cardiovascular function, and overall health-related quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of dialysis rehabilitation. Materials and Methods: A total of 55 patients underwent two-hour resistance exercise training during each hemodialysis session for three consecutive months. Various routine clinical data were collected, including the calculation of the planar dimension of the muscle area in both upper legs at the level of the ischial bone. This area calculation was possible in 26 patients who had yearly plain abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans. DICOM files from the CT scans were used with 3D Slicer software for area calculation. An age and sex-matched group of 26 patients without dialysis rehabilitation also had yearly CT scans during the study period for comparison. Clinical data were compared between the two groups: Group A (rehabilitation) and Group B (non-rehabilitation). Results: There were no differences in basic laboratory data between the two groups. The average muscle area before and after rehabilitation in Group A was 212 cm² and 216 cm², respectively. In Group B, the average areas were 230.0 cm² and 225.8 cm². While there was no significant difference in absolute values, the average percentage increase in muscle area was +1.2% (ranging from -7.6% to 6.54%) for Group A and -2.0% (ranging from -12.1% to 4.9%) for Group B, which was statistically significant. In Group A, 9 of 26 were diabetic (DM), and 13 of 26 in Group B were non-DM. The increase in muscle area for DM patients was 4.9% compared to -0.7% for non-DM patients, which was significantly different. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of nutritional assessment, Kt/V, or incidence of clinical complications such as cardiovascular events. Considerations: Dialysis rehabilitation has been reported to prevent muscle atrophy by increasing muscle fibers and capillaries. This study demonstrated that muscle volume increased after dialysis exercise, as evidenced by the increased muscle area in the thighs. Notably, diabetic patients seemed to benefit more from dialysis exercise than non-diabetics. Although this study is preliminary due to its relatively small sample size, it suggests that intradialytic physical training may improve insulin utilization in muscle fiber cells, particularly in type II diabetic patients where insulin receptor function and signaling are altered. Further studies are needed to investigate the detailed mechanisms underlying the muscle hypertrophic effects of dialysis exercise.

Keywords: dialysis, excercise, muscle, hypertrophy, diabetes, insulin

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Authors: Raphael C. Zero, Thiago A. S. S. Rocha, Marita V. Cardozo, Caio C. C. Santos, Alisson D. S. Fechis, Antonio C. Shimano, FabríCio S. Oliveira

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Biomechanical analysis is an important factor in tissue studies. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of a new anatomical technique and quantify the changes in skin and the jejunum resistance of cats’ corpses throughout the process. Eight adult cat cadavers were used. For every kilogram of weight, 120ml of fixative solution (95% 96GL ethyl alcohol and 5% pure glycerin) was applied via the external common carotid artery. Next, the carcasses were placed in a container with 96 GL ethyl alcohol for 60 days. After fixing, all carcasses were preserved in a 30% sodium chloride solution for 60 days. Before fixation, control samples were collected from fresh cadavers and after fixation, three skin and jejunum fragments from each cadaver were tested monthly for strength and displacement until complete rupture in a universal testing machine. All results were analyzed by F-test (P <0.05). In the jejunum, the force required to rupture the fresh samples and the samples fixed in alcohol for 60 days was 31.27±19.14N and 29.25±11.69N, respectively. For the samples preserved in the sodium chloride solution for 30 and 60 days, the strength was 26.17±16.18N and 30.57±13.77N, respectively. In relation to the displacement required for the rupture of the samples, the values of fresh specimens and those fixed in alcohol for 60 days was 2.79±0.73mm and 2.80±1.13mm, respectively. For the samples preserved for 30 and 60 days with sodium chloride solution, the displacement was 2.53±1.03mm and 2.83±1.27mm, respectively. There was no statistical difference between the samples (P=0.68 with respect to strength, and P=0.75 with respect to displacement). In the skin, the force needed to rupture the fresh samples and the samples fixed for 60 days in alcohol was 223.86±131.5N and 211.86±137.53N respectively. For the samples preserved in sodium chloride solution for 30 and 60 days, the force was 227.73±129.06 and 224.78±143.83N, respectively. In relation to the displacement required for the rupture of the samples, the values of fresh specimens and those fixed in alcohol for 60 days were 3.67±1.03mm and 4.11±0.87mm, respectively. For the samples preserved for 30 and 60 days with sodium chloride solution, the displacement was 4.21±0.93mm and 3.93±0.71mm, respectively. There was no statistical difference between the samples (P=0.65 with respect to strength, and P=0.98 with respect to displacement). The resistance of the skin and intestines of the cat carcasses suffered little change when subjected to alcohol fixation and preservation in sodium chloride solution, each for 60 days, which is promising for use in surgery training. All experimental procedures were approved by the Municipal Legal Department (protocol 02.2014.000027-1). The project was funded by FAPESP (protocol 2015-08259-9).

Keywords: anatomy, conservation, fixation, small animal

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Authors: Pendar Fazel

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Well-being is a good or satisfactory condition of existence; a state characterized by health, happiness, and prosperity. Well-being of people is correlated with, the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical aspect of their personality. Subjective well-being, people’s emotional and cognitive evaluations of their lives, includes what lay people call happiness, peace, fulfillment, and life satisfaction. Unfortunately in this period of time people are under the pressure of financial, social problems, and other stress factors which made them vulnerable, and their well-being is threatened. Personal Coaching as a holistic orientation and novel approach is ideal for the present century which help people, to find balance, enjoyment and meaning in their lives as well as improving performance, skills and effectiveness. The aim of the present article besides introducing the personal coaching is determining how personal coaching can positively effects on subjective well-being, under this aim we tend to describe how coaching impact on the cognitive and emotional reconstruction. Present qualitative research is descriptive analytic study, which data gathered by manual library research and search within authentic article through internet; analyzed personal coaching which integrated different views into an operational one helps people promote self-awareness as well as evaluate, emotional and cognitive aspect of their personality and provide appropriate subjective well-being.

Keywords: subjective well-being, coaching, well-being, positive psychology, personal growth

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Authors: Hanmei Peng, Yiqun Wang, Mao Tan, Zhuocen Dai, Yongxin Su

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Efficient energy management in multi-microgrid distribution systems holds significant importance for enhancing the economic benefits of regional power grids. To better balance conflicts among various stakeholders, a two-stage game-based collaborative optimization approach is proposed in this paper, effectively addressing the realistic scenario involving both competition and collaboration among stakeholders. The first stage, aimed at maximizing individual benefits, involves constructing a non-cooperative tariff game model for the distribution network and surplus microgrid. In the second stage, considering power flow and physical line capacity constraints we establish a cooperative P2P game model for the multi-microgrid distribution system, and the optimization involves employing the Lagrange method of multipliers to handle complex constraints. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed approach can effectively improve the system economics while harmonizing individual and collective rationality.

Keywords: cooperative game, collaborative optimization, multi-microgrid distribution system, non-cooperative game

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Authors: Hassan Badkoobehi, Pradip Peter Dey, Mohammad Amin, Milan Jose Carlos, Basmal Hana, Fadi Zaco

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The economy of coastline areas depends on the natural splendor of estuaries. When estuaries are improperly managed or polluted, long or short term damage to local economy or harm to local life forms can be caused. Estuaries are shelters for thousands of species such as birds, mammals, fish, crustaceans, insects, reptiles, and amphibians. The delicate balance of these life forms in estuaries requires careful planning for the benefit of all. The commercial value of estuaries is very important; recreational activities that people enjoy like boating, kayaking, windsurfing, swimming, bird-watching and fishing are marketable. Estuaries are national treasures with vital community and ecological resources. Years of estuarine environmental studies have produced extensive results that merit consideration. This study reviews research results from various sources and suggests best strategies for maintaining healthy estuaries in the current socioeconomic conditions. The main hypothesis is that many estuaries can be restored to their original healthy status in a cost effective manner with restoration or prevention plans suggested in published studies.

Keywords: environment, pollution, sustainable, wildlife

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Authors: Jenny Oliveros Lao Phillips, Arturo E. Osorio, José Alves

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Family business are the dominant form of business in the world, and Chinese family business (CFB) is a unique type of family business that relies on collective action to survive. This paper argues that in CFBs, entrepreneurial actions are transgenerational collective endeavors, and successors are groomed as stewards of the family legacy. Work-life relationship in CFBs is about synergy and not balance because the family identity is the business identity, and vice-versa. Using five in-depth case studies, this research introduces an alternative understanding of CFBs and proposes a model of work-life synergy in transgenerational entrepreneurship based on discussion of five theory-based propositions. This model explains that through emphasizing on the business family’s shared value and entrepreneurial legacy, elements of trust, shared identity and stewardship of family members are enhanced which leads to collective action and goal of the business family, resulting in transgenerational entrepreneurship. Limitations and future research are presented.

Keywords: Chinese family business, family legacy, stewardship, transgenerational entrepreneurship, work-life synergy

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Authors: Liz Carmem Silva-Pereira, Raffael Alencar Mesquita Rodrigues, Francisco Helton Mendes Barbosa, Emerson de Freitas Ferreira

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Due to the Covid-19 pandemic declared in March 2020 by the World Health Organization, the way of social coexistence across the planet was affected, especially in educational processes, from the implementation of the remote modality as a teaching strategy. This teaching-learning modality caused a change in the routine and learning of basic education students, which resulted in serious consequences for the return to face-to-face teaching in 2021. 2022, at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Pará (IFPA) – Campus Paragominas had their training process severely affected, having studied the initial half of their training in the remote modality, which compromised the carrying out of practical classes, technical visits and field classes, essential for the student formation on the environmental technician. With the objective of promoting the recomposition of these students' learning after returning to the face-to-face modality, an educational strategy was developed in the last period of the course. As teaching methodologies were used for research as an educational principle, the integrative project and the parallel recovery action applied jointly, aiming at recomposing the basic knowledge of the natural sciences, together with the technical knowledge of the environmental area applied to the course. The project assisted 58 finalist students of the environmental technical course. A research instrument was elaborated with parameters of evaluation of the environmental quality for study in 19 collection points, in the Uraim River urban hydrographic basin, in the Paragominas City – Pará – Brazilian Amazon. Students were separated into groups under the professors' and laboratory assistants’ orientation, and in the field, they observed and evaluated the places' environmental conditions and collected physical data and water samples, which were taken to the chemistry and biology laboratories at Campus Paragominas for further analysis. With the results obtained, each group prepared a technical report on the environmental conditions of each evaluated point. This work methodology enabled the practical application of theoretical knowledge received in various disciplines during the remote teaching modality, contemplating the integration of knowledge, people, skills, and abilities for the best technical training of finalist students. At the activity end, the satisfaction of the involved students in the project was evaluated, through a form, with the signing of the informed consent term, using the Likert scale as an evaluation parameter. The results obtained in the satisfaction survey were: on the use of research projects within the disciplines attended, 82% of satisfaction was obtained; regarding the revision of contents in the execution of the project, 84% of satisfaction was obtained; regarding the acquired field experience, 76.9% of satisfaction was obtained, regarding the laboratory experience, 86.2% of satisfaction was obtained, and regarding the use of this methodology as parallel recovery, 71.8% was obtained of satisfaction. In addition to the excellent performance of students in acquiring knowledge, it was possible to remedy the deficiencies caused by the absence of practical classes, technical visits, and field classes, which occurred during the execution of the remote teaching modality, fulfilling the desired educational recomposition.

Keywords: integrative project, parallel recovery, research as an educational principle, teaching-learning

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Authors: Abubakar O. Sulaiman

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Agriculture was the main stay of Nigeria’s economy before the oil boom of the 1970s caused a gradual but steady shift from agriculture to crude oil as the major source of revenue and foreign exchange. The economy later experienced many symptoms of the 'Dutch disease', with exchange rate appreciation and erosion of competitiveness of the non-oil tradable goods. In order to reverse the worsening economic situations -high unemployment, galloping inflation, deteriorating balance of payment, declining economic growth, and fiscal deficits among others- the government, embarked on austerity measures in 1982 and Structure Adjustment Programme (SAP) in 1986. One of the cornerstones of SAP is the diversification of the economy from oil to non-oil. In the form of stocktaking, this paper investigates the impact of non-oil revenue on economic growth in Nigeria using quarterly time-series data from 1980 to 2019. The findings revealed that a long-run relationship exists between the variables (non-oil variables) and economic growth in Nigeria. Among the variables, (agriculture revenue, manufacturing revenue, revenue from services, and company income tax) contributed substantially to economic growth. The paper recommends that the government should continue to intensify efforts and policies in the diversification of the economy as it will bring about sustainable non-oil revenue and economic growth.

Keywords: non-oil revenue, economic growth, export, long run relationship

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Authors: S. Odabasi Cimer, A. Cimer

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Recently, the poor quality of education, low achieving students, low international exam performances and little or no effect of the education reforms on the teaching in the classrooms are the main problems of education discussed in Turkey. Research showed that the quality of an education system can not exceed the quality of its teachers and teaching. Therefore, in-service training (INSET) courses are important to improve teacher quality, thereby, the quality of education. However, according to the research conducted on the evaluation of the INSET courses in Turkey, they are not effective in improving the quality of teaching in the classroom. The main reason for this result is because INSET courses are conducted and delivered in limited time and presented theoretically, which does not meet the needs of teachers and as a result, the knowledge and skills taught are not used in the classrooms. Recently, developed countries have been using Critical Friends Groups (CFGs) successfully for the purpose of school-based training of teachers. CFGs are the learning groups which contain 6-10 teachers aimed at fostering their capacities to undertake instructional and personal improvement and schoolwide reform. CFGs have been recognized as a critical feature in school reform, improving teaching practice and improving student achievement. In addition, in the USA, teachers have named CFGs one of the most powerful professional development activities in which they have ever participated. Whereas, in Turkey, the concept is new. This study aimed to investigate the implications of application, evaluation, and promotion of CFGs which has the potential to contribute to teacher development and student learning in schools in Turkey. For this purpose, the study employed a qualitative approach and case study methodology to implement the model in high schools. The research was conducted in two schools and 13 teachers working in these schools participated. The study lasted two years and the data were collected through various data collection tools including interviews, meeting transcripts, questionnaires, portfolios, and diaries. The results of the study showed that CFGs contributed professional development of teachers and their students’ learning. It also contributed to a culture of collaborative work in schools. A number of barriers and challenges which prevent effective implementation were also determined.

Keywords: critical friends group, education reform, science learning, teacher education

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Authors: Mary T. McKinley

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As socio-economic globalization impacts education and turns knowledge into a commodity, institutions of higher education are becoming more intentional about infusing a global and intercultural perspective into education via the recruitment of international students. Coming from dissimilar cultures, many of these students are evaluated and held accountable to Euro-American values of independence, self-reliance, and autonomy. Not surprisingly, these students often experience culture shock with deleterious effects on their mental health and academic functioning. Thus, it is critical to understand the experiences of international students with the hope that such knowledge will keep the field of psychology from promulgating Eurocentric ideals and values and prevent the training of these students as good-enough White therapists. Using a critical narrative inquiry framework, this study elicits stories about the challenges encountered by international students as they navigate their clinical training in the presence of acculturative stress and potentially different worldviews. With its emphasis on story-telling as meaning making, narrative research design is hinged on the assumption that people are interpretive beings who make meaning of themselves and their world through the language of stories. Also, dominant socially-constructed narratives play a central role in creating and maintaining hegemonic structures that privilege certain individuals and ideologies at the expense of others. On this premise, narrative inquiry begins with an exploration of the experiences of participants in their lived stories. Bounded narrative segments were read, interpreted, and analyzed using a critical events approach. Throughout the process, issues of reliability and researcher bias were addressed by keeping a reflective analytic memo, as well as triangulating the data using peer-reviewers and check-ins with participants. The findings situate culture at the epicenter of international students’ acculturation challenges as well as their resiliency in psychology doctoral programs. It was not uncommon for these international students to experience ethical dilemmas inherent in learning content that conflicted with their cultural beliefs and values. Issues of cultural incongruence appear to be further exacerbated by visible markers for differences like speech accent and clothing attire. These stories also link the acculturative stress reported by international students to the experiences of perceived racial discrimination and lack of support from the faculty, administration, peers, and the society at large. Beyond the impact on the international students themselves, there are implications for internationalization in psychology with the goal of equipping doctoral programs to be better prepared to meet the needs of their international students. More than ever before, programs need to liaise with international students’ services and work in tandem to meet the unique needs of this population of students. Also, there exists a need for multiculturally competent supervisors working with international students with varying degrees of acculturation. In addition to making social justice and advocacy salient in students’ multicultural training, it may be helpful for psychology doctoral programs to be more intentional about infusing cross-cultural theories, indigenous psychotherapies, and/or when practical, the possibility for geographically cross-cultural practicum experiences in the home countries of international students while taking into consideration the ethical issues for virtual supervision.

Keywords: decolonizing pedagogies, international students, multiculturalism, psychology doctoral programs

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Authors: Salma Aboussalam, Karima Khalil, Khalid Elkalay

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In order to understand the structure, functioning, and current state of the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea ecosystem, an Ecopath mass balance model was applied. The model was based on 31 functional groups, which included 21 fish species, 7 invertebrates, 2 primary producers, and one detritus group. The trophic interactions between these groups were analyzed, and the system's average trophic transfer efficiency was found to be 23%. The total primary production and total respiration were calculated to be greater than 1, indicating that the system produces more energy than it respires. The ecosystem was found to have a high level of respiration and consumption flows, and indicators of stability and development showed low values for the Finn cycle index (13.97), system omnivory index (0.18), and average Finn path length (3.09), indicating that the ecosystem is disturbed and has a linear rather than web-like trophic structure. Keystone species were identified using the keystone index and mixed trophic impact analysis, with other demersal invertebrates, zooplankton, and cephalopods found to have a significant impact on other groups.

Keywords: ecopath, food web, trophic flux, moroccan mediterranean sea

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Authors: Yu-Shi Ye, Jia-Min Wu, Jhih-Ci Li

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Background: Most orthopedic inpatients and primary caregivers are elderly, and patients are at high risk of falls. We set up a quality control team to analyze the root cause and found the following issues: 1. The nursing staff did not conduct cognitive assessments of patients and their primary caregivers to ensure that health education content was understood. 2. Nurses prefer to use spoken language in health education but lack the skills to use diverse teaching materials. 3. Newly recruited nurses have insufficient awareness of fall prevention. Methods: The study subjects were 16 nurses in the orthopedic ward of a teaching hospital in central Taiwan. We implemented the following strategies: 1. Developed a fall simulation teaching plan and conducted teaching courses and assessments in the morning meeting; 2. Designed and used a "fall prevention awareness card" to improve the prevention awareness of elderly patients; 3. All staff (including new staff) received experiential education training. Results: In 2021, 40% of patients in the orthopedic wards were aged 60-79 years (792/1979) with a high risk of falls. According to data collection, the incidence of falls in hospitalized patients was 0.04% (5/12651), which exceeded the threshold of 0.02% in our ward. After completing the on-the-job education training in October, the nursing staff expressed that they were more aware of the special situation of fall prevention. Through practical sharing and drills, combined with experiential teaching strategies, nurses can reconstruct the safety awareness of fall prevention and deepen their cognitive memory. Participants scored between 30 and 80 on the pretest (16 students, mean: 72.6) and between 90 and 100 on the post-test (16 students, mean: 92.6), resulting in a 73.8% improvement in overall scores. We have a total of 4 new employees who have all completed the first 3 months of compulsory PGY courses. From January to April 2022, the incidence of falls in hospitalized patients was 0.025% (1/3969). We have made good improvements and will continue to track the outcome. Discussion: In addition to enhancing the awareness of falls among nursing staff, how-to guide patients and primary caregivers to prevent falls is also the focus of improvement. The proper way of health education can be better understood through practical exercises and case sharing.

Keywords: experiential teaching strategies, fall prevention, cognitive card, elderly patients, orthopedic wards

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Authors: Hadi O. Tohme

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This study is a review on the effectiveness of new physiotherapy techniques with external sensory stimulus compared to standard physiotherapy in the daily activities of patients with Parkinson's disease. Twenty studies from 1996 to 2015 were analyzed and discussed in this review, using the rehabilitation strategy with external sensory stimulus evaluating walking, freezing episodes, balance, transfers, and daily activities of parkinsonian patients. The study highlights the effectiveness of the variety of rehabilitation with cueing strategy used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Based on the literature review completed, there is a need for more specific trials with better treatment strategies to support the most appropriate choice of physiotherapy intervention using external sensory stimulus to the type and frequency of this stimulus. In addition, no trials examined the long-term benefits of the physiotherapy intervention with the external sensory stimulus. In order to determine if, or how long the improvements due to the external sensory stimulus physiotherapy intervention can last, long-term follow-up should be performed.

Keywords: cueing strategy, external sensory stimulus, parkinson disease, rehabilitation for parkinson, sensory attention focused exercises, sensory strategy reeducation

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Authors: Luljeta Plakolli-Kasumi

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In the digital age, the relationship between traditional property rights and online intellectual property rights is becoming increasingly complex. On the one hand, the internet and advancements in technology have allowed for the widespread distribution and use of digital content, making it easier for individuals and businesses to access and share information. On the other hand, the rise of digital piracy and illegal file-sharing has led to increased concerns about the protection of intellectual property rights. This paper aims to examine the relationship between traditional property rights and online intellectual property rights in the digital age by analyzing the current legal frameworks, key challenges and controversies that arise, and potential solutions for addressing these issues. The paper will look at how traditional property rights concepts such as ownership and possession are being applied in the online context and how they intersect with new and evolving forms of intellectual property such as digital downloads, streaming services, and online content creation. It will also discuss the tension between the need for strong intellectual property protection to encourage creativity and innovation and the public interest in promoting access to information and knowledge. Ultimately, the paper will explore how the legal system can adapt to better balance the interests of property owners, creators, and users in the digital age.

Keywords: intellectual property, traditional property, digital age, digital content

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Authors: Jaisridhar P.

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The present study aimed to investigate preferred teaching styles of young faculties in agricultural education among 23 constituent colleges of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) using Staffordshire Evaluation of Teaching Styles (SETS). An onlinesurvey was conducted among 156 young faculties of 2014 Batch working in different constituent colleges of TNAU and 73 faculties respondent to the survey. The results showed that 62.53 percent preferred “The one-off teacher” stylefollowed by62.26 percent preferring “The student centered, sensitive teacher” style.“The all-round flexible and adaptable teaching style” was preferred by 61.64 percent. The Official Curriculum Teacher” with 61.23 per cent preferring this style.58.97 per cent preferred “The Big Conference Teacher” followed by 58.08 percent of the faculties preferring “The Straight Fact no Non-sense Teacher” type of teaching style. From the results, it wasconcluded that blended teaching approach can balance a teacher’s personal strengths and interest with student’s needs, and curricular requirements enables a teacher to tailor their teaching according to the student’s needs and as per subject matter.

Keywords: teaching styles, assistant professors, agriculture, tamil nadu

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Authors: Ando Leppiman, Kati Kõrbe Kaare, Ott Koppel

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The growing demand for gas has rekindled a debate on gas security of supply due to supply interruptions, increasing gas prices, transportation and distribution bottlenecks and a growing reliance on imports over longer distances. Security of supply is defined mostly as an infrastructure package to satisfy N-1 criteria. In case of Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania all the gas infrastructure is built to supply natural gas only from one single supplier, Russia. In 2012, almost 100% of natural gas to the Eastern Baltic Region was supplied by Gazprom. under such circumstances infrastructure N-1 criteria does not guarantee security of supply. In the Eastern Baltic Region, the assessment of risk of gas supply disruption has been worked out by applying the method of risk scenarios. There are various risks to be tackled in Eastern Baltic States in terms of improving security of supply, such as single supplier risk, physical infrastructure risk, regulatory gap, fair price, and competition. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the energy security of the Eastern Baltic Region within the framework of the European Union’s policies and to make recommendations on how to better guarantee the energy security of the region.

Keywords: security of supply, supply routes for natural gas, energy balance, diversified supply options, common regulative package

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Authors: Tianyi Wang, Hieyong Jeong, An Guo, Yuko Ohno

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Healthcare robot for assisting sit-to-stand (STS) performance had aroused numerous research interests. To author’s best knowledge, knowledge about how evaluating healthcare robot is still unknown. Robot should be labeled as fault if users feel demanding during STS when they are assisted by robot. In this research, we aim to propose a method to evaluate sit-to-stand assist robot through center of pressure (CoP), then classify different STS performance. Experiments were executed five times with ten healthy subjects under four conditions: two self-performed STSs with chair heights of 62 cm and 43 cm, and two robot-assisted STSs with chair heights of 43 cm and robot end-effect speed of 2 s and 5 s. CoP was measured using a Wii Balance Board (WBB). Bayesian classification was utilized to classify STS performance. The results showed that faults occurred when decreased the chair height and slowed robot assist speed. Proposed method for fault classification showed high probability of classifying fault classes form others. It was concluded that faults for STS assist robot could be detected by inspecting center of pressure and be classified through proposed classification algorithm.

Keywords: center of pressure, fault classification, healthcare robot, sit-to-stand movement

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Authors: Ahmed El-Banbi

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Several PVT models exist to represent how PVT properties are handled in sub-surface and surface engineering calculations for oil and gas production. The most commonly used models include black oil, modified black oil (MBO), and compositional models. These models are used in calculations that allow engineers to optimize and forecast well and reservoir performance (e.g., reservoir simulation calculations, material balance, nodal analysis, surface facilities, etc.). The choice of which model is dependent on fluid type and the production process (e.g., depletion, water injection, gas injection, etc.). Based on close to 2,000 reservoir fluid samples collected from different basins and locations, this paper presents some conclusions on the occurrence of reservoir fluids. It also reviews the common methods used to classify reservoir fluid types. Based on new criteria related to the production behavior of different fluids and economic considerations, an updated classification of reservoir fluid types is presented in the paper. Recommendations on the use of different PVT models to simulate the behavior of different reservoir fluid types are discussed. Each PVT model requirement is highlighted. Available methods for the calculation of PVT properties from each model are also discussed. Practical recommendations and tips on how to control the calculations to achieve the most accurate results are given.

Keywords: PVT models, fluid types, PVT properties, fluids classification

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Authors: Sharlene Fernandes

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Literature has shed light on the challenges of mothers of children with ASD, one of which involves sacrificing their professional jobs to fulfill the demands of their caregiving roles. However, the voices of the mothers who pursue employment along with caregiving roles have been overlooked. This study aimed to address this issue by exploring the narratives of Employed Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder using the Narrative approach to inquiry. Through the view of Feminist Standpoint Theory, this study attempted to understand the role of sociocultural and systemic factors in shaping the lives of mothers. By employing the theoretical lens of Ethics of Care, this study explored how mothers balance care with their employment responsibilities, which are expected to be balanced seamlessly. Through narrative interviews, the study addressed the mothers' narratives on navigating work and caregiving, delving into their interpretations regarding expectations of care. The study gained valuable insights into the nuanced dynamics of employment, caregiving, and gender roles among mothers of children with Autism in the Indian context, implicating the urgent need for organizational policies, enhanced support systems, better quality therapeutic services, and inclusive school developments.

Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Caregivers, Employed Mothers, India, Narratives

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Authors: Kayne Uriel K. Rodrigo, Jerriane Hillary Heart S. Marcial, Samuel C. Brillo

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Rice leaf diseases significantly impact yield production in rice-dependent countries, affecting their agricultural sectors. As part of precision agriculture, early and accurate detection of these diseases is crucial for effective mitigation practices and minimizing crop losses. Hence, this study proposes an enhancement to the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), a widely-used method for Rice Leaf Disease Image Classification, by incorporating MobileViTV2—a recently advanced architecture that combines CNN and Vision Transformer models while maintaining fewer parameters, making it suitable for broader deployment on edge devices. Our methodology utilizes a publicly available rice disease image dataset from Kaggle, which was validated by a university structural biologist following the guidelines provided by the Philippine Rice Institute (PhilRice). Modifications to the dataset include renaming certain disease categories and augmenting the rice leaf image data through rotation, scaling, and flipping. The enhanced dataset was then used to train the MobileViTV2 model using the Timm library. The results of our approach are as follows: the model achieved notable performance, with 98% accuracy in both training and validation, 6% training and validation loss, and a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve ranging from 95% to 100% for each label. Additionally, the F1 score was 97%. These metrics demonstrate a significant improvement compared to a conventional CNN-based approach, which, in a previous 2022 study, achieved only 78% accuracy after using 5 convolutional layers and 2 dense layers. Thus, it can be concluded that MobileViTV2, with its fewer parameters, outperforms traditional CNN models, particularly when applied to Rice Leaf Disease Image Identification. For future work, we recommend extending this model to include datasets validated by international rice experts and broadening the scope to accommodate biotic factors such as rice pest classification, as well as abiotic stressors such as climate, soil quality, and geographic information, which could improve the accuracy of disease prediction.

Keywords: convolutional neural network, MobileViTV2, rice leaf disease, precision agriculture, image classification, vision transformer

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Authors: J. Jayaletchmi

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In seeking to manage a multiracial and multi-religious society, Singapore provides a unique solution – a dual court system whereby a common law system co-exists with a Syariah law system that administers Syariah law for the Muslim population. In this respect, Singapore seems to provide a feasible example of legal pluralism to countries grappling with a burgeoning Muslim population. However, problems have arisen regarding this peaceful coexistence of secular and religious laws that seek to balance the rights of women and religious freedom. Singapore’s interpretation of Syariah law in the context of marriage and divorce has resulted in certain inequalities for Muslim women, which are exemplified in light of the Women’s Charter, a landmark piece of legislation which provides the legal basis for equity between husband and wife, but excludes Muslims from its ambit. The success of Singapore’s dual court system has largely been at the expense of Muslim women’s rights, and, as a result, the Muslim community as a whole has begun trailing behind the progressive society it forms a part of. This paper explores the prevailing unfairness of rules governing Muslim marriage and divorce in Singapore, and puts forth bold reforms.

Keywords: legal pluralism, Singapore, Syariah law, women’s rights

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Authors: Huangmei Liu, Si Liu, Jia’nan Liu

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The present experiment investigated and compared the effectiveness of two kinds of methods of attention control: Task distraction and visual enhancement. In the study, the effectiveness of task distractions to explicit features and of visual enhancement to implicit features of the same group of Chinese characters were compared based on their effect on the participants’ reaction time, subjective confidence rating, and verbal report. We found support that the visual enhancement on implicit features did overcome the contrary effect of training distraction and led to awareness of those implicit features, at least to some extent.

Keywords: task distraction, visual enhancement, attention, awareness, learning

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Authors: Mahnaz Seyedoshohadaee

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Background and Aims: Hospitalization of one of the family members in the hospital, especially in the emergency department, causes anxiety and psychological problems in family members and others. The way nurses interact with patients and their companions can play an important role in controlling and managing their anxiety. This study aims to determine the relationship between the anxiety of family members of patients referring to emergency departments and their views on the communication skills of nurses. Materials and Methods: The current research was a descriptive-correlation cross-sectional study on 263 family members of patients referred to the department. The emergency of two selected medical training centers affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences was performed. The samples were selected continuously in 2018 based on the inclusion criteria. Information was collected using the Health Communication Questionnaire (HCCQ) and Beck Anxiety Questionnaire (BAI). To analyze the data, Pearson's correlation coefficient, independent t-tests, analysis of variance, and Kruskal-Wallis were used at a significance level of 0.05. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 16 statistical software. Results: The mean score of communication skills of emergency department nurses from the point of view of patients' companions was at a low level (74.36 with a standard deviation of 3.7). 3.75% of patients' companions had anxiety at a mild level. There was no statistically significant correlation between the anxieties of the patient's companions. The anxiety of the patient's companions had a statistically significant relationship with the educational level (P=0.039), economic status (P=0.033), and family relationship with the patient (P=0.001). Also, the average anxiety score in children was significantly higher than that of patients' wives (P=0.008). The triage level of the patient also had a statistically significant relationship with the anxiety of the patient's companions (P>0.001). Conclusion: Most of the family members of the patients referred to the emergency room experienced mild anxiety. Also, from their point of view, the communication skills of emergency nurses were at a weak level. Despite the fact that there was no statistically significant relationship between the patient's family member's anxiety and their opinion about nurses' communication skills in this study, it seems that the weak communication skills of nurses from the patient's family member's point of view need special attention. The results of the present study can provide the necessary grounds for planning to improve the communication skills of nurses and also control the anxiety of patient caregivers through in-service training or other incentive mechanisms.

Keywords: anxiety, family, emergency department, communication skills, nurse

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Authors: Veruska C. Dutra, Mary L. G. S. Senna

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The principle of sustainability has been studied by different sciences with the purpose of formulating clear and concrete models. Much has been discussed about sustainability, and several points of view have been used to try to explain it; environmental science emerges from various environmental discourses that are willing to establish a new concept for understanding this complexity. This way, we focus on the activity of ecotourism as a way to integrate sustainable practices proposed by environmental science, and thus, make it possible to create a new perspective for eco-tourists and the managers of tourist destinations towards nature. The aim of this study was to suggest a direction for environmental awareness, based on environmental science, to change the eco-tourist's view of nature in ecotourism tours. The methodology used was based on a case study concerning the Jalapão State Park - JSP, located in the State of Tocantins, Northern Brazil. The study was based on discussions, theoretical studies, bibliographical research and on-site research. We have identified that to incite the tourists’ awareness, they need to visit nature to understand the environmental problems and promote actions for its preservation. We highlight in this study actions to drive their human perception through environmental science, so that the ecotourism itinerary tours to the JSP, promote a balance between the natural environment and the tourist, making them, in this way, environmental tourists.

Keywords: science, environmental, ecoturism, Jalapão

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Authors: Marcial Blondet, Malena Serrano, Álvaro Rubiños, Elin Mattsson

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In Peru, there are more than two million houses made of adobe (sun dried mud bricks) or rammed earth (35% of the total houses), in which almost 9 million people live, mainly because they cannot afford to purchase industrialized construction materials. Although adobe houses are cheap to build and thermally comfortable, their seismic performance is very poor, and they usually suffer significant damage or collapse with tragic loss of life. Therefore, over the years, researchers at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and other institutions have developed many reinforcement techniques as an effort to improve the structural safety of earthen houses located in seismic areas. However, most rural communities live under unacceptable seismic risk conditions because these techniques have not been adopted massively, mainly due to high cost and lack of diffusion. The nylon rope mesh reinforcement technique is simple and low-cost, and two technological transference tools have been developed to diffuse it among rural communities: 1) Scale seismic simulations using a portable shaking table have been designed to prove its effectiveness to protect adobe houses; 2) A step-by-step illustrated construction manual has been developed to guide the complete building process of a nylon rope mesh reinforced adobe house. As a study case, it was selected the district of Pullo: a small rural community in the Peruvian Andes where more than 80% of its inhabitants live in adobe houses and more than 60% are considered to live in poverty or extreme poverty conditions. The research team carried out a one-day workshop in May 2015 and a two-day workshop in September 2015. Results were positive: First, the nylon rope mesh reinforcement procedure was proven simple enough to be replicated by adults, both young and seniors, and participants handled ropes and knots easily as they use them for daily livestock activity. In addition, nylon ropes were proven highly available in the study area as they were found at two local stores in variety of color and size.. Second, the portable shaking table demonstration successfully showed the effectiveness of the nylon rope mesh reinforcement and generated interest on learning about it. On the first workshop, more than 70% of the participants were willing to formally subscribe and sign up for practical training lessons. On the second workshop, more than 80% of the participants returned the second day to receive introductory practical training. Third, community members found illustrations on the construction manual simple and friendly but the roof system illustrations led to misinterpretation so they were improved. The technological transfer tools developed in this project can be used to train rural dwellers on earthquake-resistant self-construction with adobe, which is still very common in the Peruvian Andes. This approach would allow community members to develop skills and capacities to improve safety of their households on their own, thus, mitigating their high seismic risk and preventing tragic losses. Furthermore, proper training in earthquake-resistant self-construction with adobe would prevent rural dwellers from depending on external aid after an earthquake and become agents of their own development.

Keywords: adobe, Peruvian Andes, safe housing, technological transference

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Authors: Hanyue Shen, Jiaying Zhang, Xingwei Kong

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Growing research on cross-domain vehicles (CDVs) has addressed the requirement to balance airfoil efficiency in air and water. No existing airfoil is specifically developed to adapt to the large Reynold’s number range CDVs operate in. This research proposes a supercritical airfoil biologically inspired by Atlantic Puffins. The initial airfoil is parameterized with the composite Karman-Trefftz method, optimized with a series of multi-stage gradient descend procedures, and compared with other airfoils with Xfoil. Results from Xfoil are also validated via Fluent and experiment considering curvatures on the designed airfoil might affect the accuracy of Xfoil. The results indicate that while CFD and Xfoil results closely align, Xfoil produces results closest to the experimental value. The bionic airfoil demonstrates superior performance in the range Re = 2·10⁴ to Re = 2·10⁵ compared to other studied airfoils, satisfying design requirements. This airfoil and its future counterparts are probable solutions to be implemented on fixed-wing CDVs desiring to glide in the given working conditions, providing an efficient and structurally simple pathway.

Keywords: fluid dynamics, airfoil design, biomimicry, cross domain vehicle

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Authors: Stephanie Yun Yu Law

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Background: This study aims to investigate into communication between trainee doctors and patients, especially how doctor’s reaction to patient’s emotional issues expressed in the consultation affect patient’s satisfaction. Objectives: Thus, there are three aims in this study, 1.) how do trainee doctors react to patients emotional cues in OSCE station? 2.) Any differences in the respond type to emotional cues between first year students and third year students? 3.) Is response type (reducing space) related to OSCE outcome (patient satisfaction and expert rating)? Methods: Fifteen OSCE stations was videotaped, in which 9 were stations with first-year students and 6 were with third-year students. OSCE outcomes were measured by Communication Assessment Tool and Examiners Checklist. Analyses: All patient’s cues/concerns and student’s reaction were coded by Verona Coding Definitions of Emotional Sequence. Descriptive data was gathered from Observer XT and logistic regression (two-level) was carried out to see if occurrence of reducing space response can be predicted by OSCE outcomes. Results: Reducing space responses from all students were slightly less than a half in total responses to patient’s cues. The mean percentage of reducing space behaviours was lower among first year students when compared to third year students. Patient’s satisfaction significantly (p<0.05) and negatively predicted reducing space behaviours. Conclusions: Most of the medical students, to some extent, did not provide adequate responses for patient’s emotional cues. But first year students did provide more space for patients to talk about their emotional issues when compared to third year students. Lastly, patients would feel less satisfied if trainee doctors use more reducing space responses in reaction to patient’s expressed emotional cues/concerns. Practical implications: Firstly, medical training programme can be tailored on teaching students how to detect and respond appropriately to emotional cues in order to improve underperformed student’s communication skills in healthcare setting. Furthermore, trainee doctor’s relationship with patients in clinical practice can also be improved by reacting appropriately to patient’s emotive cues in consultations (such as limit the use of reducing space behaviours).

Keywords: doctors-patients communication, applied clinical psychology, health psychology, healthcare professionals

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Authors: Venkata Narayana Chejarla, Nafisa Parvez Shaik, Gopi Vara Prasad Marabathula, Deva Kumar Bejjam

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Yoga is an advanced, well-recognized method with roots in Indian philosophy. Yoga benefits both the body and the psyche. Yoga is a regular exercise that helps people relax and sleep better while also enhancing their balance, endurance, and concentration. Yoga can be learned in a variety of settings, including at home with the aid of books and the internet as well as in yoga studios with the guidance of an instructor. Self-learning does not teach the proper yoga poses, and doing them without the right instruction could result in significant injuries. We developed "Online Yoga Asana Trainer using Deep Learning" so that people could practice yoga without a teacher. Our project is developed using Tensorflow, Movenet, and Keras models. The system makes use of data from Kaggle that includes 25 different yoga poses. The first part of the process involves applying the movement model for extracting the 17 key points of the body from the dataset, and the next part involves preprocessing, which includes building a pose classification model using neural networks. The system scores a 98.3% accuracy rate. The system is developed to work with live videos.

Keywords: yoga, deep learning, movenet, tensorflow, keras, CNN

Procedia PDF Downloads 240