Search results for: Uputaua therapeutic approach
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 15054

Search results for: Uputaua therapeutic approach

12234 Surveying Coastal Society Perception on Giant Sea Wall Jakarta Development Planning

Authors: Ammar Asfari, Faizah Finur Fithriah, Shighia Ajeng Savitri

Abstract:

Jakarta as the capital city of Indonesia held an important role for the country, that is being the city where central government is located. But its topographic character which categorized as lowland area is causing an ultimate trouble. With average height of 7 meters above the sea level, flood keeps occurring in this city. On the other hand, water exploitation that caused land subsidence and sea-levels increasing by global warming make it even worse. Giant Sea Wall Development is a project created by Jakarta’s government to overcome flood, which is inspired by Saemangeum Dam in South Korea. For further planning, Giant Sea Wall is planned to be water reservoir for Jakarta’s inhabitants. This research’s aim is to fully understand the knowledge and opinion of people living in North Jakarta (Jakarta’s Coastal Area) on Giant Sea Wall development planning using qualitative method analysis with descriptive approach. The result of this research will be one of the determining factors in Giant Sea Wall Jakarta development planning continuance.

Keywords: descriptive approach, Giant Sea Wall Jakarta, qualitative method analysis, society perception

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12233 Role of Pulsed-Dye Laser in the Treatment of Inflammatory Acne Vulgaris

Authors: Shirajul Islam Khan, Muhammad Ashraful Alam Bhuiyan, Syeda Tania Begum

Abstract:

Introduction: Acne vulgaris is one of the most common dermatologic conditions and affects the vast majority of people at some point during their lifetime, so effective treatment is of major importance. The failure of usual treatment modalities, teratogenic effects with some severe side effects, and resistance to P.Acne by Retinoides have been focusing on new therapeutic options for the treatment of acne. More recently, pulsed dye laser therapy has been reported to reduce acne lesion counts. The negligible morbidity of these treatment modalities and some other benefits of subsequent acne scar management lead this therapy more attractive. Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of pulsed dye laser therapy in the treatment of inflammatory acne vulgaris. Materials and Methods: A prospective clinical trial was done in the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka, to find out the role of pulse dye laser in the treatment of inflammatory acne vulgaris. The study was carried out with 60 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris, and those were treated with pulsed dye laser therapy at baseline and after 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Results: Among 60 patients with inflammatory acne, 42(70%) were in the age group of less than 20 years, and 36(60%) were female. Regarding the number of inflammatory lesions, the baseline mean number (± SD) was 12.77 ± 4.01; after 4 weeks of treatment of inflammatory acne by pulsed dye laser was 7.80 ± 4.11; after 8 weeks of treatment, 6.10 ± 4.03 and after 12 weeks of treatment was 4.17 ± 4.02. After 4 weeks of treatment by pulse dye laser, the level of improvement was excellent at 3.3%, good at 10%, fair at 60%, and poor at 26.7%; after 8 weeks of treatment, excellent was 13.3%, good was 46.7%, the fair was 30% and poor 10% and after 12 weeks of treatment, excellent was 56.7%, good 13.3%, fair 23.3% and poor 6.7%. Regarding safety level, out of 60 patients of inflammatory acne vulgaris treated by pulsed dye laser, about 52(86.7%) patients did not observe any side effects. Conclusions: On the basis of the study results, it can be concluded that pulsed-dye laser is highly effective and well tolerated by patients in the treatment of inflammatory acne.

Keywords: pulsed-dye laser, inflammatory acne, acne vulgaris, retinoids

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12232 A Polynomial Time Clustering Algorithm for Solving the Assignment Problem in the Vehicle Routing Problem

Authors: Lydia Wahid, Mona F. Ahmed, Nevin Darwish

Abstract:

The vehicle routing problem (VRP) consists of a group of customers that needs to be served. Each customer has a certain demand of goods. A central depot having a fleet of vehicles is responsible for supplying the customers with their demands. The problem is composed of two subproblems: The first subproblem is an assignment problem where the number of vehicles that will be used as well as the customers assigned to each vehicle are determined. The second subproblem is the routing problem in which for each vehicle having a number of customers assigned to it, the order of visits of the customers is determined. Optimal number of vehicles, as well as optimal total distance, should be achieved. In this paper, an approach for solving the first subproblem (the assignment problem) is presented. In the approach, a clustering algorithm is proposed for finding the optimal number of vehicles by grouping the customers into clusters where each cluster is visited by one vehicle. Finding the optimal number of clusters is NP-hard. This work presents a polynomial time clustering algorithm for finding the optimal number of clusters and solving the assignment problem.

Keywords: vehicle routing problems, clustering algorithms, Clarke and Wright Saving Method, agglomerative hierarchical clustering

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12231 Hybrid Direct Numerical Simulation and Large Eddy Simulating Wall Models Approach for the Analysis of Turbulence Entropy

Authors: Samuel Ahamefula

Abstract:

Turbulent motion is a highly nonlinear and complex phenomenon, and its modelling is still very challenging. In this study, we developed a hybrid computational approach to accurately simulate fluid turbulence phenomenon. The focus is coupling and transitioning between Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) and Large Eddy Simulating Wall Models (LES-WM) regions. In the framework, high-order fidelity fluid dynamical methods are utilized to simulate the unsteady compressible Navier-Stokes equations in the Eulerian format on the unstructured moving grids. The coupling and transitioning of DNS and LES-WM are conducted through the linearly staggered Dirichlet-Neumann coupling scheme. The high-fidelity framework is verified and validated based on namely, DNS ability for capture full range of turbulent scales, giving accurate results and LES-WM efficiency in simulating near-wall turbulent boundary layer by using wall models.

Keywords: computational methods, turbulence modelling, turbulence entropy, navier-stokes equations

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12230 Framework for Detecting External Plagiarism from Monolingual Documents: Use of Shallow NLP and N-Gram Frequency Comparison

Authors: Saugata Bose, Ritambhra Korpal

Abstract:

The internet has increased the copy-paste scenarios amongst students as well as amongst researchers leading to different levels of plagiarized documents. For this reason, much of research is focused on for detecting plagiarism automatically. In this paper, an initiative is discussed where Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques as well as supervised machine learning algorithms have been combined to detect plagiarized texts. Here, the major emphasis is on to construct a framework which detects external plagiarism from monolingual texts successfully. For successfully detecting the plagiarism, n-gram frequency comparison approach has been implemented to construct the model framework. The framework is based on 120 characteristics which have been extracted during pre-processing the documents using NLP approach. Afterwards, filter metrics has been applied to select most relevant characteristics and then supervised classification learning algorithm has been used to classify the documents in four levels of plagiarism. Confusion matrix was built to estimate the false positives and false negatives. Our plagiarism framework achieved a very high the accuracy score.

Keywords: lexical matching, shallow NLP, supervised machine learning algorithm, word n-gram

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12229 Black-Hole Dimension: A Distinct Methodology of Understanding Time, Space and Data in Architecture

Authors: Alp Arda

Abstract:

Inspired by Nolan's ‘Interstellar’, this paper delves into speculative architecture, asking, ‘What if an architect could traverse time to study a city?’ It unveils the ‘Black-Hole Dimension,’ a groundbreaking concept that redefines urban identities beyond traditional boundaries. Moving past linear time narratives, this approach draws from the gravitational dynamics of black holes to enrich our understanding of urban and architectural progress. By envisioning cities and structures as influenced by black hole-like forces, it enables an in-depth examination of their evolution through time and space. The Black-Hole Dimension promotes a temporal exploration of architecture, treating spaces as narratives of their current state interwoven with historical layers. It advocates for viewing architectural development as a continuous, interconnected journey molded by cultural, economic, and technological shifts. This approach not only deepens our understanding of urban evolution but also empowers architects and urban planners to create designs that are both adaptable and resilient. Echoing themes from popular culture and science fiction, this methodology integrates the captivating dynamics of time and space into architectural analysis, challenging established design conventions. The Black-Hole Dimension champions a philosophy that welcomes unpredictability and complexity, thereby fostering innovation in design. In essence, the Black-Hole Dimension revolutionizes architectural thought by emphasizing space-time as a fundamental dimension. It reimagines our built environments as vibrant, evolving entities shaped by the relentless forces of time, space, and data. This groundbreaking approach heralds a future in architecture where the complexity of reality is acknowledged and embraced, leading to the creation of spaces that are both responsive to their temporal context and resilient against the unfolding tapestry of time.

Keywords: black-hole, timeline, urbanism, space and time, speculative architecture

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12228 The Life Skills Project: Client-Centered Approaches to Life Skills Acquisition for Homeless and At-Risk Populations

Authors: Leah Burton, Sara Cumming, Julianne DiSanto

Abstract:

Homelessness is a widespread and complex problem in Canada and around the globe. Many Canadians will face homelessness at least once in their lifetime, with several experiencing subsequent bouts or cyclical patterns of housing precarity. While a Housing First approach to homelessness is a long-standing and widely accepted best practice, it is also recognized that the acquisition of life skills is an effective way to reduce cycles of homelessness. Indeed, when individuals are provided with a range of life skills—such as (but not limited to) financial literacy, household management, interpersonal skills, critical thinking, and resource management—they are given the tools required to maintain long-term Housing for a lifetime; thus reducing a repetitive need for services. However, there is limited research regarding the best ways to teach life skills, a problem that has been further complicated in a post-pandemic world, where services are being delivered online or in a hybrid model of care. More than this, it is difficult to provide life skills on a large scale without losing a client-centered approach to services. This lack of client-centeredness is also seen in the lack of attention to culturally sensitive life skills, which consider the diverse needs of individuals and imbed equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within the skills being taught. This study aims to fill these identified gaps in the literature by employing a community-engaged (CER) approach. Academic, government, funders, front-line staff, and clients at 15 not-for-profits from across the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada, collaborated to co-create a virtual, client-centric, EDI-informed life skill learning management system. A triangulation methodology was utilized for this research. An environmental scan was conducted for current best practices, and over 100 front-line staff (including workers, managers, and executive directors who work with homeless populations) participated in two separate Creative Problem Solving Sessions. Over 200 individuals with experience in homelessness completed quantitative and open-ended surveys. All sections of this research aimed to discover the areas of skills that individuals need to maintain Housing and to ascertain what a more client-driven EDI approach to life skills training should include. This presentation will showcase the findings on which life skills are deemed essential for homeless and precariously housed individuals.

Keywords: homelessness, housing first, life skills, community engaged research, client- centered

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12227 Simulation-Based Learning: Cases at Slovak University of Technology, at Faculty of Materials Science and Technology

Authors: Gabriela Chmelikova, Ludmila Hurajova, Pavol Bozek

Abstract:

Current era has brought hand in hand with the vast and fast development of technologies enormous pressure on individuals to keep being well - oriented in their professional fields. Almost all projects in the real world require an interdisciplinary perspective. These days we notice some cases when students face that real requirements for jobs are in contrast to the knowledge and competences they gained at universities. Interlacing labor market and university programs is a big issue these days. Sometimes it seems that higher education only “chases” reality. Simulation-based learning can support students’ touch with real demand on competences and knowledge of job world. The contribution provided a descriptive study of some cases of simulation-based teaching environment in different courses at STU MTF in Trnava and discussed how students and teachers perceive this model of teaching-learning approach. Finally, some recommendations are proposed how to enhance closer relationship between academic world and labor market.

Keywords: interdisciplinary approach, simulation-based learning, students' job readiness, teaching environment in higher education

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12226 Online Creative Writing Courses for Algerian University Students: A Mixed-Methods Study of Benefits, Challenges, and Recommendations

Authors: Wafa Nouari

Abstract:

The paper investigates the advantages and drawbacks of online creative writing courses for Algerian university students, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper employs a mixed-methods approach, using both quantitative and qualitative data from surveys, interviews, and online course evaluations. The paper examines three online creative writing courses offered by Oxford University, Stanford University, and Coursera. The paper shows that online creative writing courses can improve the student's writing abilities, enthusiasm, and self-confidence, as well as introduce them to various literary forms and cultures. However, the paper also highlights some challenges and obstacles that the students encounter, such as technical problems, language difficulties, cultural gaps, and lack of feedback and interaction. The paper argues that online creative writing courses can be a useful alternative or addition to conventional classroom instruction, especially during the pandemic. The paper also offers some suggestions for enhancing the quality and effectiveness of online creative writing courses, such as giving more direction, support, and feedback to the students, as well as creating a sense of community and cooperation among them.

Keywords: online creative writing courses, Algerian university students, mixed methods approach, benefits and chanllenges

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12225 Building Resilience to El Nino Related Flood Events in Northern Peru Using a Structured Facilitation Approach to Interdisciplinary Problem Solving

Authors: Roger M. Wall, David G. Proverbs, Yamina Silva, Danny Scipion

Abstract:

This paper critically reviews the outcomes of a 4 day workshop focused on building resilience to El Niño related Flood Events in northern Perú. The workshop was run jointly by Birmingham City University (BCU) in partnership with Instituto Geofísico del Perú (IGP) and was hosted by the Universidad de Piura (UDEP). The event took place in August 2018 and was funded by the Newton-Paulet fund administered by the British Council. The workshop was a response to the severe flooding experienced in Piura during the El Niño event of March 2017 which damaged over 100,000 homes and destroyed much local infrastructure including around 100 bridges. El Niño is a recurrent event and there is concern that its frequency and intensity may change in the future as a consequence of climate change. A group of 40 early career researchers and practitioners from the UK and Perú were challenged with working together across disciplines to identify key cross-cutting themes and make recommendations for building resilience to similar future events. Key themes identified on day 1 of the workshop were governance; communities; risk information; river management; urban planning; health; and infrastructure. A field study visit took place on day 2 so that attendees could gain first-hand experience of affected and displaced communities. Each of the themes was then investigated in depth on day 3 by small interdisciplinary teams drawing on their own expertise, local knowledge and the experiences of the previous day’s field trip. Teams were responsible for developing frameworks for analysis of their chosen theme and presenting their findings to the whole group. At this point, teams worked together to develop links between the different themes so that an integrated approach could be developed and presented on day 4. This paper describes the approaches taken by each team and the way in which these were integrated to form an holistic picture of the whole system. The findings highlighted the importance of risk-related information and the need for strong governance structures to enforce planning regulations and development. The structured facilitation approach proved to be very effective and it is recommended that the process be repeated with a broader group of stakeholders from across the region.

Keywords: El Niño, integrated flood risk management, Perú, structured facilitation, systems approach, resilience

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12224 Apoptosis Pathway Targeted by Thymoquinone in MCF7 Breast Cancer Cell Line

Authors: M. Marjaneh, M. Y. Narazah, H. Shahrul

Abstract:

Array-based gene expression analysis is a powerful tool to profile expression of genes and to generate information on therapeutic effects of new anti-cancer compounds. Anti-apoptotic effect of thymoquinone was studied in MCF7 breast cancer cell line using gene expression profiling with cDNA micro array. The purity and yield of RNA samples were determined using RNeasyPlus Mini kit. The Agilent RNA 6000 Nano LabChip kit evaluated the quantity of the RNA samples. AffinityScript RT oligo-dT promoter primer was used to generate cDNA strands. T7 RNA polymerase was used to convert cDNA to cRNA. The cRNA samples and human universal reference RNA were labelled with Cy-3-CTP and Cy-5-CTP, respectively. Feature Extraction and GeneSpring software analysed the data. The single experiment analysis revealed involvement of 64 pathways with up-regulated genes and 78 pathways with down-regulated genes. The MAPK and p38-MAPK pathways were inhibited due to the up-regulation of PTPRR gene. The inhibition of p38-MAPK suggested up-regulation of TGF-ß pathway. Inhibition of p38 - MAPK caused up-regulation of TP53 and down-regulation of Bcl2 genes indicating involvement of intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Down-regulation of CARD16 gene as an adaptor molecule regulated CASP1 and suggested necrosis-like programmed cell death and involvement of caspase in apoptosis. Furthermore, down-regulation of GPCR, EGF-EGFR signalling pathways suggested reduction of ER. Involvement of AhR pathway which control cytochrome P450 and glucuronidation pathways showed metabolism of Thymoquinone. The findings showed differential expression of several genes in apoptosis pathways with thymoquinone treatment in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells.

Keywords: cDNA microarray, thymoquinone, CARD16, PTPRR, CASP10

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12223 Being a Doctor and Being Ethical: An Existentialist's Approach to a Meaningful Doctor-Patient Relationship

Authors: Gamith Mendis

Abstract:

Even though the doctors are knowledgeable, there's a gap between knowing and being ethical. This is a barrier to establish an ethical doctor-patient relationship. Current health system has oriented in a way that gives a meaning to both the doctor and the patient through intermediate entities. For the doctor, the meaning of the doctor-patient relationship is given through the financial benefits, promotions, and social status. For the patient, the meaning is given through curing of the disease. It is obvious that both are independent entities between the doctor and the patient. As the philosophers like Husserl and Heidegger have pointed out, our subjective world will give the immediate meaningfulness to us. We should seek this immediate meaningfulness of the doctor-patient relationship. The present research has used the existential methodology as guided self-reflections on the lived experiences of a doctor and his students. In this approach, two important aspects have been understood. The first is, establishing the fact that being ethical is itself giving meaningfulness to the doctor’s being without any mediate entities. Simply, it is enjoying being an honest being. The second is by being-with-the-patient while treating the disease; both the doctor and the patient can enjoy the meaningfulness of their human relationship. The medical students and the doctors should focus on this meaningfulness. For that, this discussion should be actively incorporated into the medical curriculum with programs of practical guidance to medical students and should be discussed in patient-care reviews in the health setting within a satisfactory framework.

Keywords: doctor-patient relationship, medical education, medical ethics, medical humanities, qualitative health research

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12222 VideoAssist: A Labelling Assistant to Increase Efficiency in Annotating Video-Based Fire Dataset Using a Foundation Model

Authors: Keyur Joshi, Philip Dietrich, Tjark Windisch, Markus König

Abstract:

In the field of surveillance-based fire detection, the volume of incoming data is increasing rapidly. However, the labeling of a large industrial dataset is costly due to the high annotation costs associated with current state-of-the-art methods, which often require bounding boxes or segmentation masks for model training. This paper introduces VideoAssist, a video annotation solution that utilizes a video-based foundation model to annotate entire videos with minimal effort, requiring the labeling of bounding boxes for only a few keyframes. To the best of our knowledge, VideoAssist is the first method to significantly reduce the effort required for labeling fire detection videos. The approach offers bounding box and segmentation annotations for the video dataset with minimal manual effort. Results demonstrate that the performance of labels annotated by VideoAssist is comparable to those annotated by humans, indicating the potential applicability of this approach in fire detection scenarios.

Keywords: fire detection, label annotation, foundation models, object detection, segmentation

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12221 Application of a Lighting Design Method Using Mean Room Surface Exitance

Authors: Antonello Durante, James Duff, Kevin Kelly

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The visual needs of people in modern work based buildings are changing. Self-illuminated screens of computers, televisions, tablets and smart phones have changed the relationship between people and the lit environment. In the past, lighting design practice was primarily based on providing uniform horizontal illuminance on the working plane, but this has failed to ensure good quality lit environments. Lighting standards of today continue to be set based upon a 100 year old approach that at its core, considers the task illuminance of the utmost importance, with this task typically being located on a horizontal plane. An alternative method focused on appearance has been proposed, as opposed to the traditional performance based approach. Mean Room Surface Exitance (MRSE) and Target-Ambient Illuminance Ratio (TAIR) are two new metrics proposed to assess illumination adequacy in interiors. The hypothesis is that these factors will be superior to the existing metrics used, which are horizontal illuminance led. For the six past years, research has examined this, within the Dublin Institute of Technology, with a view to determining the suitability of this approach for application to general lighting practice. Since the start of this research, a number of key findings have been produced that centered on how occupants will react to various levels of MRSE. This paper provides a broad update on how this research has progressed. More specifically, this paper will: i) Demonstrate how MRSE can be measured using HDR images technology, ii) Illustrate how MRSE can be calculated using scripting and an open source lighting computation engine, iii) Describe experimental results that demonstrate how occupants have reacted to various levels of MRSE within experimental office environments.

Keywords: illumination hierarchy (IH), mean room surface exitance (MRSE), perceived adequacy of illumination (PAI), target-ambient illumination ratio (TAIR)

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12220 The Influence of Construction Workers Wages and Working Conditions on Productivity in Ghana

Authors: Emmanuel Donkor

Abstract:

Aim/Purpose – This paper examines the influence of construction workers wages and working conditions on productivity in Ghana. Design/methodology/Approach - The study adopted a quantitative research approach with purposive sampling techniques where data was collected using surveys. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 20.0, which enables the findings of the study to be examined under thematic areas.Findings: - The study revealed that good wages and working condition of workers have a positive correlation on productivity in the construction industry. Increase and improved wages and working conditions can results in higher productivity in the construction industry.Originality/value - This paper is exceptional in the sense that, it does examine the influence of construction workers wages and working conditions on productivity in Ghana. Social value/implications - The paper concludes that workers’ wages and their conditions have a high influence on productivity. It is then recommended that government should train, educate, give good wages to workers and improve on their working condition, give incentives and reduce tax importation on building or construction materials to aid in good productivity of construction firms.

Keywords: construction firms, construction industry, productivity, workers’ wages, working conditions

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12219 Redefining of Islamic Unity based on Imam Khomeini Points of View

Authors: Mohammad Molavi, Mohsen Nourai

Abstract:

The emancipation of the Muslim nation from the numerous problems and achieving to the decent position is one of the old desires of Muslim. Increasing efforts to realize this wish based on religious and rational teachings is the main goal for Muslim reformist. Almost all scholars relying on the Qur'an teaching emphasize on the significant role of Islamic Unity for the revival of Islamic civilization. But their methods for achieving to the Islamic Unity are not so clear. Generally speaking, failure to provide specific solutions, uncertainty in the face of universal literature in politics and governance, and etc. are some of the challenges facing the Islamic Unity.This paper via the descriptive-analytical method and by focusing on theoretical aspects of the subject has attempted to analyze Imam Khomeini points of view. Research findings show that there are several significant differences between Imam Khomeini's idea of Islamic Unity and ideas like 'Pan-Turkism', 'Pan-Arabism' and so on. Some of Imam Khomeini's principles in this regard are as follow: Strategic approach to unity, relying on juridical certain and systematic attitude, comprehensive approach, Holistic, rationality, and moderation. So, there is no any generality speaking or ambiguity in Khomeini's thought.

Keywords: Qur'an, Imam Khomeini, islamic unity, islamic nation, islamic political thought

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12218 Effect of Salvadora Persica Gel on Clinical and Microbiological Parameters of Chronic Periodontitis

Authors: Tahira Hyder, Saima Quraeshi, Zohaib Akram

Abstract:

Salvadora Persica (SP) is known to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-coagulant and anti-bacterial properties that may provide therapeutic benefits in the treatment of chronic periodontitis (CP). The current clinical trial was designed to investigate the clinical and anti-microbial effects of SP gel as an adjunct to scaling and root planning (SRP) in subjects with generalized CP. Sixty-six subjects with CP were randomized allocated into two groups: SRP + SP gel (test group) and SRP only (control group). Clinical parameters (periodontal pocket depth, gingival recession, clinical attachment level, bleeding score and plaque score) were recorded at baseline before SRP and at 6 weeks. At baseline and 6 weeks subgingival plaque samples were collected and periodontopathogen Porphyromonas Gingivalis (Pg) quantified using Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). Both therapies reduced the mean periodontal pocket depth (PPD), plaque score (PS) and bleeding score (BOP) and improved the mean clinical attachment level (CAL) between baseline and 6 weeks. In subjects receiving adjunctive SP gel a statistically significant improvement was observed in BOP at follow-up compared to control group (15.01±3.47% and 22.81±6.81% respectively, p=0.001), while there was no statistically significant difference in periodontal pocket depth, gingival recession, clinical attachment level and plaque score between both groups. The test group displayed significantly greater Pg reduction compared to the control group after 6 weeks. The current study establishes that local delivery of SP gel into periodontal pocket in CP stimulated a significant reduction in bacteria Pg level and an improvement in gingival health, as evident from a reduced bleeding score, when used as an adjunct to SRP.

Keywords: miswak, scaling and root planing, porphyromonas gingivalis, chronic periodontitis

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12217 Approach-Avoidance and Intrinsic-Extrinsic Motivation of Adolescent Computer Games Players

Authors: Monika Paleczna, Barbara Szmigielska

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The period of adolescence is a time when young people are becoming more and more active and conscious users of the digital world. One of the most frequently undertaken activities by them is computer games. Young players can choose from a wide range of games, including action, adventure, strategy, and logic games. The main aim of this study is to answer the question about the motivation of teenage players. The basic question is what motivates young players to play computer games and what motivates them to play a particular game. Fifty adolescents aged 15-17 participated in the study. They completed a questionnaire in which they determined what motivates them to play, how often they play computer games, and what type of computer games they play most often. It was found that entertainment and learning English are among the most important motives. The most important specific features related to a given game are the knowledge of its previous parts and the ability to play for free. The motives chosen by the players will be described in relation to the concepts of internal and external as well as approach and avoidance motivation. An additional purpose of this study is to present data concerning preferences regarding the type of games and the amount of time they spend playing.

Keywords: computer games, motivation, game preferences, adolescence

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12216 In vitro and vivo Studies for Assessing the Anti-Proliferative, Anti-Migration and Apoptotic Activity of A. squamosa L. Leaves Extract

Authors: Rawan Al-Nemari, Abdulrahman Al-Senaidy, Abdelhabib Semlali

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Background and objectives: The most common cause of death in women worldwide is breast cancer. Regarding all chemotherapy disadvantages and side effects, it’s becoming necessary to identify natural products that target cancer cells with lesser harmful side effects on non-targeted cells and biological environment. Different parts of A. squamosa L., commonly known as custard apple, show varied therapeutic effects. The objective of this study is to investigate in vitro and in vivo, the anti-cancer activity of A. squamosa leaves extract. Methods: The physiological responses using MTT, nucleus staining, and LDH assays were used to evaluate cell survival and proliferation in both ER+ and ER- cells when they were exposed to extract. Monolayer wound repair assay was used to investigate the effect of extracts on cell migration. Apoptotic gene’s expression was investigated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. To study the effect of the extract on the size of tumor, breast cancer induced rats were used. Results: A. squamosa leaves extract showed high anti-proliferative and cytotoxicity effects against different breast cancer cell lines with high concentration, 100 ug/ml. The extracts have reduced the cells wound closure. Polymerase chain reaction revealed downregulation of Bcl-2 and upregulation of Bax. In breast cancer model animal developed in our laboratory, after 4 weeks treatment, treated groups have shown smaller tumor size in comparison with control group (n=4). Conclusion: These results suggest that A. squamosa leaves extract has anti-cancer activity against breast cancer in both in vitro and in vivo, and it may be developed as a potential novel agent to treat breast cancer.

Keywords: apoptosis, breast cancer, migration, proliferation

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12215 Assessment of Frying Material by Deep-Fat Frying Method

Authors: Brinda Sharma, Saakshi S. Sarpotdar

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Deep-fat frying is popular standard method that has been studied basically to clarify the complicated mechanisms of fat decomposition at high temperatures and to assess their effects on human health. The aim of this paper is to point out the application of method engineering that has been recently improved our understanding of the fundamental principles and mechanisms concerned at different scales and different times throughout the process: pretreatment, frying, and cooling. It covers the several aspects of deep-fat drying. New results regarding the understanding of the frying method that are obtained as a results of major breakthroughs in on-line instrumentation (heat, steam flux, and native pressure sensors), within the methodology of microstructural and imaging analysis (NMR, MRI, SEM) and in software system tools for the simulation of coupled transfer and transport phenomena. Such advances have opened the approach for the creation of significant information of the behavior of varied materials and to the event of latest tools to manage frying operations via final product quality in real conditions. Lastly, this paper promotes an integrated approach to the frying method as well as numerous competencies like those of chemists, engineers, toxicologists, nutritionists, and materials scientists also as of the occupation and industrial sectors.

Keywords: frying, cooling, imaging analysis (NMR, MRI, SEM), deep-fat frying

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12214 Image Segmentation: New Methods

Authors: Flaurence Benjamain, Michel Casperance

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We present in this paper, first, a comparative study of three mathematical theories to achieve the fusion of information sources. This study aims to identify the characteristics inherent in theories of possibilities, belief functions (DST) and plausible and paradoxical reasoning to establish a strategy of choice that allows us to adopt the most appropriate theory to solve a problem of fusion in order, taking into account the acquired information and imperfections that accompany them. Using the new theory of plausible and paradoxical reasoning, also called Dezert-Smarandache Theory (DSmT), to fuse information multi-sources needs, at first step, the generation of the composites events witch is, in general, difficult. Thus, we present in this paper a new approach to construct pertinent paradoxical classes based on gray levels histograms, which also allows to reduce the cardinality of the hyper-powerset. Secondly, we developed a new technique for order and coding generalized focal elements. This method is exploited, in particular, to calculate the cardinality of Dezert and Smarandache. Then, we give an experimentation of classification of a remote sensing image that illustrates the given methods and we compared the result obtained by the DSmT with that resulting from the use of the DST and theory of possibilities.

Keywords: segmentation, image, approach, vision computing

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12213 Physically Informed Kernels for Wave Loading Prediction

Authors: Daniel James Pitchforth, Timothy James Rogers, Ulf Tyge Tygesen, Elizabeth Jane Cross

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Wave loading is a primary cause of fatigue within offshore structures and its quantification presents a challenging and important subtask within the SHM framework. The accurate representation of physics in such environments is difficult, however, driving the development of data-driven techniques in recent years. Within many industrial applications, empirical laws remain the preferred method of wave loading prediction due to their low computational cost and ease of implementation. This paper aims to develop an approach that combines data-driven Gaussian process models with physical empirical solutions for wave loading, including Morison’s Equation. The aim here is to incorporate physics directly into the covariance function (kernel) of the Gaussian process, enforcing derived behaviors whilst still allowing enough flexibility to account for phenomena such as vortex shedding, which may not be represented within the empirical laws. The combined approach has a number of advantages, including improved performance over either component used independently and interpretable hyperparameters.

Keywords: offshore structures, Gaussian processes, Physics informed machine learning, Kernel design

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12212 Implementation of Maqasid Syari'ah in the Concept of Reforming the Indonesian Marriage Law Based on Gender Equality: Study of the Counter Legal Draft Compilation of Islamic Law

Authors: Nirmalasanti Pramesi

Abstract:

In 2004 the CLD KHI Team offered several new ideas in the field of Islamic family law, such as marriage, inheritance (waris), and waqf. The new idea is based on six main principles; pluralism, nationality, human rights, democracy, maslahah, and gender equality. However, the existence of this has actually caused various criticisms, appreciations, and controversies. For this reason, CLD-KHI, as the idea of reforming family law, especially in the field of marriage, really needs to be studied academically with a comprehensive method as an unfinished problem. The main issues examined in this study are what are the ideas for reforming the law of marriage that have been formulated by the CLD KHI team, as well as how to implement Maqasid Sharia in legal reform. The methodology used in this research is a qualitative method with a normative-empirical-sociological approach. The results of this research show every substance of the idea considers aspects of locality, nationality, and global ethics. The Maqasid approach used in most of the legal provisions is moderate (wasati). Meanwhile, in matters of wali niqah and inheritance, it is adjusted to the context of Indonesian society.

Keywords: Maqasid syari'ah, CLD KHI, marriage law reform, moderate

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12211 Poly (Lactic Acid)/Poly (Butylene Adipate-Co-terephthalate) Films Reinforced with Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Nanoparticles

Authors: Elahe Moradi, Hossein Ali Khonakdar

Abstract:

In the context of the growing interest in renewable polymers, this study presents an innovative approach to environmental conservation through the development of an eco-friendly structure. The research focused on enhancing the compatibility between two immiscible polymers, poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) nanoparticles with an epoxy functional group (Epoxy-POSS). This was achieved through a solution casting method. The study found that the modulus in the glassy region for blends containing Epoxy-POSS was significantly higher than that of the PLA/PBAT blend without Epoxy-POSS. However, in the transition and rubbery regions, the modulus of the Epoxy-POSS-containing blends was only marginally greater. From a mechanical properties’ perspective, the study demonstrated that the incorporation of POSS-EPOXY at varying concentrations enhanced the tensile strength of the PLA/PBAT blend by 30%, thereby acting as a reinforcement. This finding underscores the potential of this approach in the development of renewable polymers.

Keywords: Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, mechanical behavior, PLA, PBAT, nanocomposite

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12210 Mechanism of Modeling the Level of Bcr-Abl Oncoprotein by Ubiquitin-Proteasome System in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Authors: Svitlana Antonenko, Gennady Telegeev

Abstract:

Introductive statement: The development of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is caused by Bcr-Abl oncoprotein. Modern treatments with tyrosine kinase inhibitors are greatly complicated by the mutational variability of the Bcr-Abl oncoprotein, which causes drug resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new approaches to the treatment of the disease, which will allow modeling the level of Bcr-Abl oncoprotein in the cell. Promising in this direction is the identification of proteases that can selectively promote cellular proteolysis of oncoproteins. The aim of the study was to study the effect of the interaction of Bcr-Abl with deubiquitinase USP1 on the level of oncoprotein in CML cells. Methodology: K562 cells were selected for the experiment. Сells were incubated with ML323 inhibitor for 24 hours. Precipitation of endogenous proteins from K562 cell lysate was performed using anti-Bcr-Abl antibodies. Cell lysates and precipitation results were studied by Western blot. Subcellular localization of proteins was studied by immunofluorescence analysis followed by confocal microscopy. The results were analyzed quantitatively and statistically. Major findings: The Bcr-Abl/USP1 protein complex was detected in CML cells, and it was found that inhibition of USP1 deubiquitinating activity by the compound ML323 leads to disruption of this protein complex and a decrease in the level of Bcr-Abl oncoprotein in cells. The interaction of Bcr-Abl with USP1 may result in deubiquitination of the oncoprotein, which disrupts its proteasomal degradation and leads to the accumulation of CML in cells. Conclusion: We believe that the interaction of oncoprotein with USP1 may be one of the prerequisites that contribute to malignant cell transformation due to the deubiquitination of oncoprotein, which leads to its accumulation and disease progression. A correlation was found between the deubiquitinating activity of USP1 and the level of oncoprotein in CML cells. Thus, we identify deubiquitinase USP1 as a promising therapeutic target for the development of a new strategy for the treatment of CML by modulating the level of Bcr-Abl in the cell.

Keywords: chronic myeloid leukemia, Bcr-Abl, USP1, deubiquitination Bcr-Abl, K562 cell

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12209 Evaluating the Latest Advances in Dry Powder Inhaler Technology

Authors: Leila Asadollahi

Abstract:

Dry powder inhalers (DPIs) have come a long way since their creation, starting with the Spinhaler Fisons in 1967. For optimal performance, it is important to consider the interplay between formulation, device, and patient. DPIs have shown great potential in treating systemic disorders, as evidenced by their success in clinical practices. Ongoing clinical trials and market availability of DPI products for systemic disease treatment are also examined. Furthermore, the current COVID-19 pandemic has sparked increased interest in dry powder inhalation as a potential avenue for vaccines and antiviral drugs, prompting further exploration of its applications. To achieve optimal treatment outcomes for respiratory diseases, a thorough understanding of the various types of DPIs currently available is crucial. These include single-dose, multiple-unit dose, and multi-dose DPIs. This informative article delves into the administration of drugs via inhalation, examining its diverse routes of administration. Additionally, it illuminates the exciting advancements in inhalation delivery systems and investigates the latest therapeutic approaches for the treatment of respiratory ailments. Additionally, the article discusses the historical development of DPIs and the need for improved designs to enhance efficacy and patient adherence. The potential of DPIs in treating systemic diseases is also examined. Overall, this review provides valuable insights into the advancements, challenges, and future prospects of inhalation drug delivery systems, highlighting the potential they hold for respiratory and systemic disorders. The review aims to provide valuable insights into the advancements, challenges, and future prospects of inhalation drug delivery systems, highlighting the potential they hold for respiratory and systemic disorders.

Keywords: dry powder inhalers (DPIs), respiratory diseases, systemic disorders, pulmonary drug delivery

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12208 Failure Mode Effect and Criticality Analysis Based Maintenance Planning through Traditional and Multi-Criteria Decision Making Approach for Aluminium Wire Rolling Mill Plant

Authors: Nilesh Pancholi, Mangal Bhatt

Abstract:

This paper highlights comparative results of traditional FMECA and multi-factor decision-making approach based on “Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS)” for aluminum wire rolling mill plant. The suggested study is carried out to overcome the limitations of FMECA by assigning the scores against each failure modes in crisp values to evaluate the criticalities of the failure modes without uncertainty. The primary findings of the paper are that sudden impact on the rolls seems to be most critical failure cause and high contact stresses due to rolling & sliding action of mesh to be least critical failure cause. It is suggested to modify the current control practices with proper maintenance strategy based on achieved maintainability criticality index (MCI). The outcome of the study will be helpful in deriving optimized maintenance plan to maximize the performance of continuous process industry.

Keywords: reliability, maintenance, FMECA, TOPSIS, process industry

Procedia PDF Downloads 278
12207 Construction Contractor Pre-Qualification Using Multi-Attribute Utility Theory: A Multiplicative Approach

Authors: B. Vikram, Y. Anu Leena, Y. Anu Neena, M. V. Krishna Rao, V. S. S. Kumar

Abstract:

The industry is often criticized for inefficiencies in outcomes such as time and cost overruns, low productivity, poor quality and inadequate customer satisfaction. To enhance the chances for construction projects to be successful, selecting an able contractor is one of the fundamental decisions to be made by clients. The selection of the most appropriate contractor is a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) process. In this paper, multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) is employed utilizing the multiplicative form of utility function for ranking the prequalified contractors. Performance assessment criteria covering contracting company attributes, experience record, past performance, performance potential, financial stability and project specific criteria are considered for contractor evaluation. A case study of multistoried building for which four contractors submitted bids is considered to illustrate the applicability of multiplicative approach of MAUT to rank the prequalified contractors. The proposed MAUT decision making methodology can also be employed to other decision making situations.

Keywords: multi-attribute utility theory, construction industry, prequalification, contractor

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12206 Analysis of Methodological Issues in the Study of Digital Library Services: A Case Study of Nigeria University Systems

Authors: Abdulmumin Isah

Abstract:

Over the years, researchers have employed different approaches in the study of usage of library services in the traditional library system, such approaches have provided explanations on the users’ perception, attitude, and usage of library services. Findings of such studies which often employed survey research approach have guided librarians and library stakeholders in their drive to improve library services to patrons. However, with the advent of digital library services, librarians and information science researchers have been experiencing methodological issues in the study of digital library services. While some quantitative approaches have been employed to understand adoption and usage of digital library services, conflicting results from such studies have increased the need to employ qualitative approaches. The appropriateness of the qualitative approaches has also been questioned. This study intends to review methodological approaches in the studies of digital libraries and provides a framework for the selection of appropriate research approach for the study of digital libraries using Nigerian university systems as case study.

Keywords: digital library, university library, methodological issues, research approaches, quantitative, qualitative, Nigeria

Procedia PDF Downloads 524
12205 A Method to Predict the Thermo-Elastic Behavior of Laser-Integrated Machine Tools

Authors: C. Brecher, M. Fey, F. Du Bois-Reymond, S. Neus

Abstract:

Additive manufacturing has emerged into a fast-growing section within the manufacturing technologies. Established machine tool manufacturers, such as DMG MORI, recently presented machine tools combining milling and laser welding. By this, machine tools can realize a higher degree of flexibility and a shorter production time. Still there are challenges that have to be accounted for in terms of maintaining the necessary machining accuracy - especially due to thermal effects arising through the use of high power laser processing units. To study the thermal behavior of laser-integrated machine tools, it is essential to analyze and simulate the thermal behavior of machine components, individual and assembled. This information will help to design a geometrically stable machine tool under the influence of high power laser processes. This paper presents an approach to decrease the loss of machining precision due to thermal impacts. Real effects of laser machining processes are considered and thus enable an optimized design of the machine tool, respective its components, in the early design phase. Core element of this approach is a matched FEM model considering all relevant variables arising, e.g. laser power, angle of laser beam, reflective coefficients and heat transfer coefficient. Hence, a systematic approach to obtain this matched FEM model is essential. Indicating the thermal behavior of structural components as well as predicting the laser beam path, to determine the relevant beam intensity on the structural components, there are the two constituent aspects of the method. To match the model both aspects of the method have to be combined and verified empirically. In this context, an essential machine component of a five axis machine tool, the turn-swivel table, serves as the demonstration object for the verification process. Therefore, a turn-swivel table test bench as well as an experimental set-up to measure the beam propagation were developed and are described in the paper. In addition to the empirical investigation, a simulative approach of the described types of experimental examination is presented. Concluding, it is shown that the method and a good understanding of the two core aspects, the thermo-elastic machine behavior and the laser beam path, as well as their combination helps designers to minimize the loss of precision in the early stages of the design phase.

Keywords: additive manufacturing, laser beam machining, machine tool, thermal effects

Procedia PDF Downloads 265