Search results for: Frederick Agyemang

Authors: Constant Akama, Frank Kulor, Frederick Agyemang

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All over the world, due to increasing population, electric power distribution companies are looking for more efficient ways of reading electricity meters. In Ghana, the prepaid metering system was introduced in 2007 to replace the manual system of reading which was fraught with inefficiencies. However, the prepaid system in Ghana is not capable of integration with online systems such as e-commerce platforms and remote monitoring systems. In this paper, we present a design framework for an automatic metering system that can be integrated with e-commerce platforms and remote monitoring systems. The meter was designed using ADE 7755 which reads the energy consumption and the reading is processed by a microcontroller connected to Sim900 General Packet Radio Service module containing a GSM chip provisioned with an Access Point Name. The system also has a billing server and a management server located at the premises of the utility company which communicate with the meter over a Virtual Private Network and GPRS. With this system, customers can buy credit online and the credit will be transferred securely to the meter. Also, when a fault is reported, the utility company can log into the meter remotely through the management server to troubleshoot the problem.

Keywords: access point name, general packet radio service, GSM, virtual private network

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Authors: Lizinis Cassendra Frederick Dony, Dewi Binti Tajuddin, Jirom Jeremy Frederick Dony, Andrew Nicholas

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Unemployed graduates have become among the world major concerns lately. 70% of Malaysian graduates are jobless. Due to this concerns, this paper aims to identify major factors influencing Sabah minority ethnic favorable in the entrepreneurialism business interest. Hence, extensive introductory entrepreneurship syllabus clusters development beginning from the early childhood, primary, secondary and university students. This may induce interest appeal and to develop focus group of self-employment. The study focus on 7 indicators consist of demographic profiles variable (DP), social norms (SN), attitude (A), self-efficacy (SE) and business management skills (BMS) with reference to university students’ entrepreneurial intention. This study also partially mediates the relationship between product attractiveness (PA) and the minority ethnic entrepreneurialism business interest (MEEBI), by testifying their direct and indirect relationships. Hence, this study provides new perception towards improving the graduates’ characteristic, capabilities to exploit the business opportunities in the market. Furthermore, this paper will assess the relationship with the product attractiveness(PA) as a mediator. The study encompasses on the type of Sabah minority ethnic (ME) and nature of family own business (FOB) background with the 280 samples students in UiTM Sabah and UMS. The descriptive and random sampling method of research which revealed that majority of the respondents agreed that FOB and entrepreneurship education had positively influenced the ethnic students’ involvement in the entrepreneurial process and career development either full-time or part-time basis.

Keywords: Demographic profile (DP), soci, unemployed graduates, Malaysian minority

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Authors: Cindy Agyemang

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This study seeks to find out if racial sentiment toward immigrants still matters in the United States with COVID-19 present. It is argued that previous studies on immigration and racial attitudes or race conducted do not consider how health-related pandemics influence public opinion on immigration and the racial attitudes of people during severe health-related pandemics. In doing so, this paper hypothesizes that respondents' racial sentiment towards immigrants during this pandemic will influence their views on opposing immigration, those that believe the president handled cases on COVID-19 better are more likely to oppose immigration, and party affiliation affects respondents' views on immigration and COVID-19. For testing these hypotheses, the 2012, 2016, and 2020 American National Election Studies data was used. In accordance with the expectations of this study, it was observed that there was a statistically significant relationship between all my estimated models. This paper concludes that racial sentiment toward immigrants still matters even more in the United States, especially with the existence of health-related pandemics.

Keywords: COVID-19, immigration, racial attitudes, partisanship

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Authors: Frederick Nyakudya

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In this paper, we examine the relationship between human capital, personal wealth and social capital to explain the differential start-up rates between female and male entrepreneurs. Since our dependent variable is dichotomous, we examine the determinants of these using a maximum likelihood logit estimator. We used the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor database covering the period 2006 to 2009 with 421 usable cases drawn from drawn from the Lower Layer Super Output Areas in the East Midlands in the United Kingdom. we found evidence that indicates that a female positively moderate the positive relationships between indicators of human capital, personal wealth and social capital with start-up activity. The findings have implications for programs, policies, and practices to encourage more females to engage in start-up activity.

Keywords: entrepreneurship, star-up, gender, GEM

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Authors: Janaka B. Lewis

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“Narratives of Slavery and the Culture of Play” examines how play is discussed in early African American literature by both men and women to illustrate ways that they negotiated the hierarchy and oppression of enslavement. Reading narratives categorized as “slave narratives,” including those written by Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, and Olaudah Equiano, through the lens of play theory offers an illuminated analysis of the significance of play culture in these texts. It then reads late nineteenth-century play culture (or absence thereof) portrayed in literature as a lens for more contemporary African American oral and literary culture. These discussions of social constructions through literature bridge analyses of African American-authored texts and create a larger conversation about print media as a tool of activism and resistance. This essay also contributes to a larger body of analysis of nineteenth-century African American culture through literature.

Keywords: childhood, slavery, consciousness of play, 19th century African American culture

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Authors: Jonathan Bishop, Kamal Bechkoum, Frederick Bishop

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This study proposes a framework for marine education, leveraging legacy Internet of Things (IoT) gaming devices and affect-aware technology to create immersive virtual worlds. Focused on addressing challenges in fisheries and marine conflict resolution, this approach integrates the unique capabilities of these devices to enhance learner engagement and understanding. By repurposing existing technology, we aim to deliver personalised educational experiences that adapt to users' emotional states. Preliminary results indicate significant potential in utilising these technologies to foster a deeper comprehension of marine conservation issues, promoting sustainable practices and conflict resolution skills. This interdisciplinary effort underscores the importance of innovative educational tools in environmental stewardship.

Keywords: marine education, marine technology, internet of things, fisheries, conflict management

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Authors: Dan Frederick Orcherton, Maria Orcherton, Matthew Kensen

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This study takes an in-depth look at how traditional healing practices (THPs) are perceived by the iTaukei people living in villages and periurban areas in Fiji Islands. The research used both qualitative and quantitative knowledge/data gathered from six villages in Viti Levu, Fiji Islands, to determine, first, the perception(s) of THPs among the iTaukei; second, what THPs successfully survive and are still important to the iTaukei way of life; and third, what factors influence the iTaukei’s health-seeking behavior or choices between Western and traditional medical systems in their villages. Results confirm that the knowledge healers used to hold to cure common illnesses is now more dispersed and shared with community members; healers/elders’ roles in iTaukei villages are important for cultural–spiritual–social causes of illnesses, and for more complex cases, there are specialized iTaukei healers. Recommendations in the form of categories of practices are offered for practitioners to work more effectively and affectively with the iTaukei.

Keywords: iTaukei peoples, traditional healing practices, traditional healers, categories of practice

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Authors: Hattie Hope Makumbe, Bhekisisa Dlamini, Frederick Tabit

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Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most important foodborne pathogens associated with ready-to-eat (RTE) food. This study investigated the incidence of Listeria monocytogenes in 80 RTE food sold in the formal (dairy and processed meat) and informal markets (vegetable salads, beef stew, and rice) of Johannesburg, South Africa. High Enterobacteriaceae, S. aureus, and E. coli counts were obtained, which ranged from 1.9-7.5 log CFU/g. Listeria monocytogenes microbial counts in the food samples ranged from 3.5-6.0 log colony forming unit per gram except in cooked rice. The Listeria monocytogenes isolates were identified using biochemical tests and confirmed with the Biolog identification system and PCR analyses. The percentage incidence for Listeria monocytogenes in ready to eat food was 12.5%. When Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations were under consideration, all disinfectants were effective against Listeria monocytogenes strains. For antimicrobial work, rates of resistance amongst the antibiotics ranged from 17-100%. Therefore, more effective preventive control strategies for Listeria monocytogenes are needed to reduce the prevalence of the pathogen in RTE food that is sold in Johannesburg.

Keywords: Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria species, ready to eat food, sanitiser efficacy

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Authors: Daniele Abreu e Lima, Chloe Fitzpatrick

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During the 1930s, New Zealand received a wave of refugees feeling from the impeding war and atrocities the Nazi regime was imposing on the German people. Among the hundreds of refugees were highly trained artists, architects and musicians who made a huge contribution to Wellington’s culture and identity. It is unfeasible to chronicle the impact of every Jewish refugee in the development of New Zealand arts scene. But it is possible to choose a number of them and analyse their contribution to NZ culture. This research aims to bring to light the reception and life of five influential Jewish architects; Helmut Einhorn, Ernst Plischke, Frederick Neumann, Henry Kulka, and Maximillian Rosenfeld. Each had a key role in influencing New Zealand architectural landscape and the modernization of the country. Before coming to New Zealand, these five architects lived different lives working all over Europe, from Paris through to Moscow. In common, apart from their ethnicity, they had led cultured lives where they were culturally and politically active. This research looks at how much their individual contributions helped to transform the architectural scene in New Zealand but also in the amount of cultural and religious renunciation they had to endure to be accepted in the country.

Keywords: Jewish Refugee architects, modern architecture, World War 2, New Zealand

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Authors: Lizinis Cassendra Frederick Dony, Jirom Jeremy Frederick Dony, Andrew Nicholas, Dewi Binti Tajuddin

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Starting and surviving a business is influenced by various entrepreneurship socio-economics activities. The study revealed that some of the entrepreneurs are not registered under SME but running own business as an intermediary with the private organization entrusted as “Self-Employed.” SME is known as “Small Medium Enterprise” contributes growth in Malaysia. Therefore, the entrepreneurialism business interest and entrepreneurial intention enhancing new spurring production, expanding employment opportunities, increasing productivity, promoting exports, stimulating innovation and providing new avenue in the business market place. This study has identified the unique contribution to the full understanding of complex mechanisms through entrepreneurship obstacles and education impacts on happiness and well-being to society. Moreover, “Ethnic” term has defined as a curious meaning refers to a classification of a large group of people customs implies to ancestral, racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic and cultural origins. It is a social phenomenon.1 According to Sabah data population is amounting to 2,389,494 showed the predominant ethnic group being the Kadazan Dusun (18.4%) followed by Bajau (17.3%) and Malays (15.3%). For the year 2010, data statistic immigrants population report showed the amount to 239,765 people which cover 4% of the Sabahan’s population.2 Sabah has numerous group of talented entrepreneurs. The business environment among the minority ethnics are influenced with the business sentiment competition. The literature on ethnic entrepreneurship recognizes two main type entrepreneurships: the middleman and enclave entrepreneurs. According to Adam Smith,3 there are evidently some principles disposition to admire and maintain the distinction business rank status and cause most universal business sentiments. Due to credit barriers competition, the minority ethnics are losing the business market and since 2014, many illegal immigrants have been found to be using permits of the locals to operate businesses in Malaysia.4 The development of small business entrepreneurship among the minority ethnics in Sabah evidenced based variety of complex perception and differences concepts. The studies also confirmed the effects of heterogeneity on group decision and thinking caused partly by excessive pre-occupation with maintaining cohesiveness and the presence of cultural diversity in groups should reduce its probability.5 The researchers proposed that there are seven success determinants particularly to determine the involvement of minority ethnics comparing to the involvement of the immigrants in Sabah. Although, (SMEs) have always been considered the backbone of the economy development, the minority ethnics are often categorized it as the “second-choice.’ The study showed that illegal immigrants entrepreneur imposed a burden on Sabahan social programs as well as the prison, court and health care systems. The tension between the need for cheap labor and the impulse to protect Malaysian in Sabah workers, entrepreneurs and taxpayers, among the subjects discussed in this study. This is clearly can be advantages and disadvantages to the Sabah economic development.

Keywords: entrepreneurial firms, self-employed, immigrants, minority ethnic, economic impacts

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Authors: Frederick Otite Ighovojah

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Corrosion in the oil and gas industries is one of the most common causes of failure. Such failure includes leaks in above-ground storage tanks (AGST). The involvement of microorganisms in the corrosion process in AGST systems is often ignored, and this outlines the need to investigate the effect of microbial corrosion in oil and gas facilities. This study's methodology comprised gathering generated water samples from a nearby AGST oil facility that was operating, which were then equally divided into two batch reactors, 1 and 2. Each batch reactor was filled with five prepared X60 coupons using sterilized forceps. To provide nutrients for the microorganisms in batch reactor 1 during the test period, 2g of NPK 15- 15-15 fertilizer was added on a weekly basis. To kill the microorganisms and significantly lower their concentration in the generated water, 5ml of dissolved ozone (a biocide) with a 0.5ppm concentration was added to batch reactor 2. The weight loss measurement (WLM) was used to evaluate for corrosion. Coupons were removed from each batch reactor, and weight loss was measured at every interval of 336 hrs for 2016 hrs. The overall results obtained indicated that coupons from the batch 1 reactor showed a higher corrosion rate and higher mass loss, and this was due to the metabolic production of an aggressive compound in the medium.

Keywords: AGST, microbial corrosion, reactor, X60 steel

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Authors: Myles Frederick McLellan

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When errors in the criminal justice process lead to wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice, it falls upon the State to make reparation for the egregious harms brought to innocent individuals. Of all the remedies available to seek compensation, private and public law litigation against the police and prosecution services is the most widely used. Unfortunately, all levels of court including the Supreme Court of Canada have explicitly endorsed the prospect of striking out or dismissing these claims at the outset on an expedited basis. The burden on agents of the State as defendants to succeed on motions for such relief is so low that very few actions will survive to give an innocent accused his or her day in court. This paper will be a quantitative and qualitative analysis on the occurrence and success of motions to strike and dismiss to forestall financial recovery for the damage caused when a criminal investigation and prosecution goes wrong. This paper will also include a comparative component on the private law systems at common law (e.g. USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand) with respect to the availability of a similar process to pre-emptively terminate litigation for the recovery of compensation to an innocent individual.

Keywords: compensation, innocence, miscarriages of justice, wrongful convictions

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Authors: Tiexin Wang, Sebastien Truptil, Frederick Benaben

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Model transformation, as a pivotal aspect of Model-driven engineering, attracts more and more attentions both from researchers and practitioners. Many domains (enterprise engineering, software engineering, knowledge engineering, etc.) use model transformation principles and practices to serve to their domain specific problems; furthermore, model transformation could also be used to fulfill the gap between different domains: by sharing and exchanging knowledge. Since model transformation has been widely used, there comes new requirement on it: effectively and efficiently define the transformation process and reduce manual effort that involved in. This paper presents an automatic model transformation methodology based on semantic and syntactic comparisons, and focuses particularly on granularity issue that existed in transformation process. Comparing to the traditional model transformation methodologies, this methodology serves to a general purpose: cross-domain methodology. Semantic and syntactic checking measurements are combined into a refined transformation process, which solves the granularity issue. Moreover, semantic and syntactic comparisons are supported by software tool; manual effort is replaced in this way.

Keywords: automatic model transformation, granularity issue, model-driven engineering, semantic and syntactic comparisons

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Authors: Mavis Yaa Konadu Agyemang

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Despite provisions to uphold and safeguard the rights of persons with disability in Ghana, there is evidence that they still encounter several challenges which limit their full and effective involvement in mainstream society, including the gold mining sector. The study sought to explore how persons with physical disability (PWPDs) experience gold mining in the Obuasi Municipal Area. A qualitative research design was used to discover and understand the experiences of PWPDs regarding mining. The purposive sampling technique was used to select five key informants for the study with the age range of (24-52 years) while snowball sampling aided the selection of 16 persons with various forms of physical disability with the age range of (24-60 years). In-depth interviews were used to gather data. The interviews lasted from forty-five minutes to an hour. In relation to the setting, the interviews of thirteen (13) of the participants with disability were done in their houses, two (2) were done on the phone, and one (1) was done in the office. Whereas the interviews of the five (5) key informants were all done in their offices. Data were analyzed using Creswell’s (2009) concept of thematic analysis. The findings suggest that even though land degradation affected everyone in the area, persons with mobility and visual impairment experienced many difficulties trekking the undulating land for long distances in search of arable land. Also, although mining activities are mostly labour-intensive, PWPDs were not employed even in areas where they could work. Further, the cost of items, in general, was high, affecting PWPDs more due to their economic immobility and paying for other sources of water due to land degradation and water pollution. The study also discovered that the peculiar conditions of PWPDs were not factored into compensation payments, and neither were females with physical disability engaged in compensation negotiations. Also, although some of the infrastructure provided by the gold mining companies in the area was physically accessible to some extent, it was not accessible in terms of information delivery. There is a need to educate the public on the effects of mining on PWPDs, their needs as well as disability issues in general. The Minerals and Mining Act (703) should be amended to include provisions that would consider the peculiar needs of PWPDs in compensation payment.

Keywords: mining, resettlement, compensation, environmental, social, disability

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Authors: Frederick Johnson

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Product management has a long and well-established history within the consumer goods industry, despite being one of the most obscure aspects of brand management. Many global manufacturing organizations are now opting for external cloud-based Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) to replace costly and outdated monolithic MES solutions. Other global manufacturing leaders are restructuring their organizations to support human-centered values, agile methodologies, and fluid operating principles. Still, industry-leading organizations struggle to apply the appropriate framework for managing evolving external MES solutions as internal "digital products." Product management complements these current trends in technology and philosophical thinking in the market. This paper discusses the central problems associated with adopting product management processes by analyzing its traditional theories and characteristics. Considering these ideas, the article then constructs a translated internal digital product management framework by combining new and existing approaches and principles. The report concludes by demonstrating the framework's capabilities and potential effectiveness in achieving digital maturity and business agility within a manufacturing environment.

Keywords: internal product management, digital transformation, manufacturing information technology, manufacturing execution systems

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Authors: Frederick N. F. Chou, Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh

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The impact of water shortages has been increasingly severe as a consequence of population growth, urbanization, economic development, and climate change. The need for improvements in reliable water supply systems is urgent with the increasing living standards of regions. In this study, a suitable shortage index capable of multi-aspect description - frequency, magnitude, and duration - is adopted to more accurately describe the characteristics of a shortage situation. The values of the index were determined to cope with the increasing need for reliability. There are four reservoirs in series located on the Be River of the Dong Nai River Basin in Southern Vietnam. The primary purpose of the three upstream reservoirs is hydropower generation while the primary purpose of the fourth is water supply. A compromise between hydropower generation and water supply can be negotiated for these four reservoirs to reduce the severity of water shortages. A generalized water allocation model was applied to simulate the water supply, and hydropower generation of various management alternatives and the system’s reliability was evaluated using the adopted multiple shortage indices. Modifying management policies of water resources using data-based indexes can improve the reliability of water supply.

Keywords: cascade reservoirs, hydropower, shortage index, water supply

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Authors: Mehrnoosh Askarizadeh

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People, process and IT are the most important assets of any organization. Optimal utilization of these resources has been the question of research in business for many decades. The business world have responded by inventing various methodologies that can be used for addressing problems of quality improvement, efficiency of processes, continuous improvement, reduction of waste, automation, strategy alignments etc. Some of these methodologies can be commonly called as Business Process Quality Management methodologies (BPQM). In essence, the first references to the process management can be traced back to Frederick Taylor and scientific management. Time and motion study was addressed to improvement of manufacturing process efficiency. The ideas of scientific management were in use for quite a long period until more advanced quality management techniques were developed in Japan and USA. One of the first prominent methods had been Total Quality Management (TQM) which evolved during 1980’s. About the same time, Six Sigma (SS) originated at Motorola as a separate method. SS spread and evolved; and later joined with ideas of Lean manufacturing to form Lean Six Sigma. In 1990’s due to emerging IT technologies, beginning of globalization, and strengthening of competition, companies recognized the need for better process and quality management. Business Process Management (BPM) emerged as a novel methodology that has taken all this into account and helped to align IT technologies with business processes and quality management. In this article we will study various aspects of above mentioned methods and identified their relations.

Keywords: e-process, quality, TQM, BPM, lean, six sigma, CPI, information technology, management

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Authors: Nafe Moradkhani, Frederick Benaben, Benoit Montreuil, Ali Vatankhah Barenji, Dima Nazzal

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In the context of the global pandemic, the practical management of the 2020 presidential election in the USA was a strong concern. To anticipate and prepare for this election accurately, one of the main challenges was to confront (i) forecasts of voter turnout, (ii) capacities of the facilities and, (iii) potential configuration options of resources. The approach chosen to conduct this anticipative study consists of collecting data about forecasts and using simulation models to work simultaneously on resource allocation and facility configuration of polling places in Fulton County, Georgia’s largest county. A polling place is a dedicated facility where voters cast their ballots in elections using different devices. This article presents the results of the simulations of such places facing pre-identified potential risks. These results are oriented towards the efficiency of these places according to different criteria (health, trust, comfort). Then a dynamic framework is introduced to describe risks as physical forces perturbing the efficiency of the observed system. Finally, the main benefits and contributions resulting from this simulation campaign are presented.

Keywords: performance, decision support, simulation, artificial intelligence, risk management, election, pandemics, information system

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Authors: Abigail Kusi Amponsah, Evans Frimpong Kyei, John Bright Agyemang, Hanson Boakye, Joana Kyei-Dompim, Collins Kwadwo Ahoto, Evans Oduro

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Staff shortages, deficient knowledge, inappropriate attitudes, demanding workloads, analgesic shortages, and low prioritization of pain management have been identified in earlier studies as the nursing-related barriers to optimal children’s pain management. These studies have mainly been undertaken in developed countries, which have different healthcare dynamics than those in developing countries. The current study, therefore, sought to identify and understand the nursing-related barriers to children’s pain management in the Ghanaian context. A descriptive qualitative study was conducted among 28 purposively sampled nurses working in the pediatric units of five hospitals in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Over the course of three months, participants were interviewed on the barriers which prevented them from optimally managing children’s pain in practice. Recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and deductively analysed based on a conceptual interest in pain assessment and management-related barriers. NVivo 12 plus software guided data management and analyses. The mean age of participating nurses was 30 years, with majority being females (n =24). Participants had worked in the nursing profession for an average of five years and in the pediatric care settings for an average of two years. The nursing-related barriers identified in the present study included communication difficulties in assessing and evaluating pain management interventions with children who have nonfunctional speech, insufficient training, misconceptions on the experience of pain in children, lack of assessment tools, and insufficient number of nurses to manage the workload and nurses’ inability to prescribe analgesics. The present study revealed some barriers which prevented Ghanaian nurses from optimally managing children’s pain. Nurses should be educated, empowered, and supported with the requisite material resources to effectively manage children’s pain and improve outcomes for families, healthcare systems, and the nation. Future studies should explore the facilitators and barriers from other stakeholders involved in pediatric pain management

Keywords: Nursing-Related Barriers, Children, Pain Management, Ghana

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Authors: Frederick Anlimah, Vinod Gopaldasani, Catherine MacPhail, Brian Davies

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The construction industry, particularly tunnel construction, exposes workers to respirable crystalline silica (RCS), which can cause incurable illnesses such as silicosis and lung cancer. Despite various control measures, exposures remain inadequately controlled. This research aimed to examine what workers on a tunnelling project in Australia think should be done to reduce exposure to dust to protect them from RCS exposure. A qualitative research approach consisting of interviews and focus group discussions was employed for this research. The preliminary analysis of the data reveals a diverse array of solutions proposed to address the different sociotechnical factors that present challenges for effectively reducing dust exposure. Solutions are proposed to address challenges such as cost, time pressure, low-risk perception, inadequate awareness, inadequate enforcement and compliance with personal protective equipment. The findings highlight the need to make dust control a level playing field for all contractors during the bidding process, with more collaboration and enforcement after the signing of contracts. The research highlights that although improvements have been made in the past years regarding dust controls, many opportunities exist to reduce worker exposure to RCS.

Keywords: tunnel, respirable crystalline silica, RCS, dust exposure, personal protective equipment, worker perspectives

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Authors: Amani Alsaqqaf, Frederick W. B. Li

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Field trips are essential methods of learning in different subjects, and in recent times, there has been a reduction in the number of field trips (FTs) across all learning levels around the world. Virtual field trips (VFTs) in game environments provide FT experience based on the experiential learning theory (ELT). A conceptual framework for designing virtual field trip games (VFTGs) is developed with an aim to support game designers and educators to produce an effective FT experience where technology would enhance education. The conceptual framework quantifies ELT as an internal economy to link learning elements to game mechanics such as feedback loops which leads to facilitating VFTGs design and implementation. This study assesses the conceptual framework for designing VFTGs by investigating the possibility of applying immersive VFTGs in a secondary classroom and compare them with traditional learning that uses video clips and PowerPoint slides from the viewpoint of students’ perceived motivation, presence, and learning. The assessment is achieved by evaluating the learning performance and learner experience of a prototype VFT game, Island of Volcanoes. A quasi-experiment was conducted with 60 secondary school students. The findings of this study are that the VFTG enhanced learning performance to a better level than did the traditional way of learning, and in addition, it provided motivation and a general feeling of presence in the VFTG environment.

Keywords: conceptual framework, game-based learning, game design, virtual field trip game

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Authors: Frederick Monyepao

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Crack cocaine first appeared on the scene in the form of cocaine freebasing in the late 1970s. Stockbrokers, investment bankers, rock stars, Hollywood elites, and a few pro athletes were regular users of the substance. As criminogenic factors associated with substance abuse began to surface, congress passed new legislation. The laws led to the increase of health coverage insurances and the expansion of hospitals. By the mid-1980s, crack use spread into America's inner cities among impoverished African Americans and Latinos. While substance abuse increased among minority communities, legislation pertaining to substance abuse evolved. The prison industry also expanded the number of cells available. A qualitative approach was taken, drawing from a range secondary sources for contextual analysis. This paper traces out the continued marginalisation and racist undertones towards minorities as perpetuated by certain drug policies. It was discovered that the new legislation on crack was instrumental in the largest incarcerations the United States ever faced. Drug offenders increased in prisons eightfold from 1986 to 2000. The paper concludes that American drug control policies are consistently irrational and ineffective when measured by levels of substance use and abuse. On the contrary, these policies have been successful as agents of social control in maintaining the stratification patterns of racial/ethnic minorities and women. To move beyond prohibition, radical law and policy reform may require a change in narratives on substance use.

Keywords: crack, drug policy, minorities, racism, substance abuse

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Authors: Thilivhali Emmanuel Tshikalange, Darky Cheron Modishane, Frederick Tawi Tabit

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The fruit pulp extracts of twelve selected ethnobotanical wild edible fruits from Mutale local municipality in Venda (Limpopo Province, South Africa) were investigated for their antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxicity activities. Methanol extracts were prepared and tested against six micro-organisms (Salmonella typhi, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Prevotella intermedia and Candida albicans). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined using the micro-dilution method, while for antioxidant activity the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method was used. Of the 12 extracts tested, Adonsonia digitata, Berchemia discolor, Manilkara mochisia, Xanthocercis zambesiaca, Landolphia kirkii and Garcinia livingstonei showed antimicrobial activity, with MIC values ranging from 12.5 to 0.4 mg/ml. Gram negative bacteria were more resistant to the extracts in comparison to Gram positive bacteria. Antioxidant activity was only detected in Adonsonia digitata extract and the IC50 (substrate concentration to produce 50% reduction) was found to be 16.18µg/ml. The cytotoxicity of the extracts that showed antimicrobial and antioxidant activities was also determined. All plant extracts tested were non-toxic against human kidney cells (HEK293), with IC50 values of >400 µg/ml. The results presented in this study provide support to some traditional uses of wild edible fruits.

Keywords: antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxicity, ethnobotanical, fruits

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Authors: Frederick Kobe O. Obar, Preity B. Quinzon, Trisha B. Tumbokon, Mario Joshua D. Marron, Kenichi Katsuo Kichiro A. Rimorin

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The Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) is a program meant to reform the current state of the Philippines’ public transportation sector. This study determined the impact of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program on San Fernando City, La Union's jeepney drivers, interviewing six individuals, three with traditional vehicles and three with modernized units. This study used a descriptive qualitative research design and employed purposive sampling to select the six participants suited for the study, who were then subjected to a semi-structured face-to-face interview. The gathered data was then analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings highlighted evidence that the jeepney drivers experienced abrupt and prevailing changes in their routine and in their everyday work. This study concludes that while the sentiment of the program was appreciated, it has changed the environment for jeepney drivers drastically, provoking many reactions. These changes have, of course, shifted the daily lives of the jeepney drivers significantly, but through adaptability, they found ways. Recommendations include flexible compliance policies, educational initiatives, and support for drivers, providing valuable insights for informed decision-making in the ongoing transportation modernization discussion. This study concluded that while the drivers are not opposed to reform, they are not entirely in approval of the current effects of the program as it is being implemented in their local area.

Keywords: transport reform, transport modernization, public transport, jeepney drivers, PUVMP, urban planning, public utility vehicles

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Authors: A. G. Miah, U. Salma, K. Schellander

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Relaxin was first described in 1926 by Frederick Hisaw. Previously it was considered as only the hormone of pregnant mammals due to its important roles in pregnancy and parturition. From the last decade, the physiological role of relaxin in male reproduction has been given experimental attention, and the results have made it clear that relaxin can no longer be considered strictly as only the hormone of female reproduction. The accessory glands (specially, the prostate glands) of the male reproductive system are the source of seminal relaxin, which is secreted into the seminal plasma and saturated with spermatozoa just after ejaculation. Several studies have reported that relaxin has important roles in improving motility in human sperm. Thereafter, the growing interest on relaxin has intensified efforts to investigate the role of relaxin in other sperm physiological phenomena like, capacitation, acrosome reaction, and their mediating factors associated with successful fertilization. Therefore, this review aims to provide up-to-date information about the physiological roles of relaxin in sperm motility, capacitation, acrosome reaction, and their mediating factors, such as, utilization of glucose, cholesterol efflux, Ca2+-influx, intracellular cAMP and protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Some studies have shown relaxin to increase the percentage of progressive motility and induce capacitation and acrosome reaction through increasing the utilization of glucose and mediating the cholesterol efflux, Ca2+-influx, intracellular cAMP and protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Thus, the review suggests that the supplementation of relaxin into the capacitating medium may contribute the possible beneficial roles in fresh and cryopreserved spermatozoal prefertilization events.

Keywords: relaxin, physiological roles, prefertilizing activities, spermatozoa

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Authors: Blessing Ojeme, Frederick Quinn, Russell Karls, Shannon Quinn

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The detection and segmentation of mitochondria from fluorescence microscopy are crucial for understanding the complex structure of the nervous system. However, the constant fission and fusion of mitochondria and image distortion in the background make the task of detection and segmentation challenging. In the literature, a number of open-source software tools and artificial intelligence (AI) methods have been described for analyzing mitochondrial images, achieving remarkable classification and quantitation results. However, the availability of combined expertise in the medical field and AI required to utilize these tools poses a challenge to its full adoption and use in clinical settings. Motivated by the advantages of automated methods in terms of good performance, minimum detection time, ease of implementation, and cross-platform compatibility, this study proposes a fully automated framework for the detection and segmentation of mitochondria using both image shape information and descriptive statistics. Using the low-cost, open-source python and openCV library, the algorithms are implemented in three stages: pre-processing, image binarization, and coarse-to-fine segmentation. The proposed model is validated using the mitochondrial fluorescence dataset. Ground truth labels generated using a Lab kit were also used to evaluate the performance of our detection and segmentation model. The study produces good detection and segmentation results and reports the challenges encountered during the image analysis of mitochondrial morphology from the fluorescence mitochondrial dataset. A discussion on the methods and future perspectives of fully automated frameworks conclude the paper.

Keywords: 2D, binarization, CLAHE, detection, fluorescence microscopy, mitochondria, segmentation

Procedia PDF Downloads 357

Authors: Raziel Mojica

Abstract:

This study delves into the challenging working conditions faced by physical education (PE) teachers in public schools, particularly during the transition to remote teaching due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological approach, the research involves in-depth interviews with PE teachers to gain profound insight into their lived experiences and to answer the main question: What is the essence of the lived experience of physical education? The study explores the following sub-questions: (1) How do the participants describe their lived experience regarding their working conditions as physical education teachers in the new normal setup?; (2) What themes emerge from the testimonies of Physical Education Public School teachers from the Division of Calamba?; (3) Based on the consolidated findings and reflection, what material may be produced to inspire the physical education public school teachers? The study identifies emerging themes such as professional growth, personal life boundaries, accessible facilities and equipment, time management, and school leadership. Framed by Frederick Herzberg's Work-Motivation Theory, the study emphasizes motivator and hygienic factors that significantly impact job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. As a result of the study, the teachers vividly identified the challenges they face, including the lack of resources, training, and support from school leaders, which have made it difficult for them to adapt to the new teaching environment. These findings underscore the urgent need to revise teacher training curricula and for school leaders to provide strategic support to PE teachers in remote learning contexts. In conclusion, the study recommends targeted interventions to address these challenges and better equip PE teachers for the new normal in education.

Keywords: PE teachers, COVID-19 pandemic, hermeneutic phenomenological, physical education, new normal

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Authors: Surya R. Niraula, Devendra B Chhetry, Girish K. Singh, S. Nagesh, Frederick A. Connell

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Background: Although random sampling is generally considered to be the gold standard for population-based research, the majority of drug abuse research is based on non-random sampling despite the well-known limitations of this kind of sampling. Method: We compared the statistical properties of two surveys of drug abuse in the same community: one using snowball sampling of drug users who then identified “friend controls” and the other using a random sample of non-drug users (controls) who then identified “friend cases.” Models to predict drug abuse based on risk factors were developed for each data set using conditional logistic regression. We compared the precision of each model using bootstrapping method and the predictive properties of each model using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves. Results: Analysis of 100 random bootstrap samples drawn from the snowball-sample data set showed a wide variation in the standard errors of the beta coefficients of the predictive model, none of which achieved statistical significance. One the other hand, bootstrap analysis of the random-sample data set showed less variation, and did not change the significance of the predictors at the 5% level when compared to the non-bootstrap analysis. Comparison of the area under the ROC curves using the model derived from the random-sample data set was similar when fitted to either data set (0.93, for random-sample data vs. 0.91 for snowball-sample data, p=0.35); however, when the model derived from the snowball-sample data set was fitted to each of the data sets, the areas under the curve were significantly different (0.98 vs. 0.83, p < .001). Conclusion: The proposed method of random sampling of controls appears to be superior from a statistical perspective to snowball sampling and may represent a viable alternative to snowball sampling.

Keywords: drug abuse, matched case-control study, non-probability sampling, probability sampling

Procedia PDF Downloads 493

Authors: Frederick Anlimah, Vinod Gopaldasani, Catherine MacPhail, Brian Davies

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The construction industry, particularly tunnel construction, exposes workers to respirable crystalline silica (RCS), which can cause incurable illnesses such as silicosis and lung cancer. Despite various control measures, exposures remain inadequately controlled. This research aimed to identify the barriers and challenges hindering the implementation of effective controls and the adoption of safe work practices to protect workers from RCS exposure in tunnelling. A mixed-method approach was employed for this research. Tunnel construction workers were observed, surveyed and interviewed to gauge their knowledge and attitudes and understand their challenges in reducing RCS exposure. The preliminary analysis of the data reveals a diverse array of sociotechnical factors interacting to influence RCS exposure. It is noteworthy that participants consistently emphasised the project as the most exemplary one they have been involved in, although there is room for improvement. While there is a commendable level of knowledge about RCS exposure and control in tunnelling, there is a striking lack of perceived satisfaction regarding dust control. Several factors were identified as interacting to prevent the effective management of dust. These include perceived time pressure, absence of on-tool dust controls, low risk perceptions among workers, and inadequate enforcement of controls. Moreover, participants highlighted communication and heat-related challenges as hindrances to the continuous wear of respirators. This research highlights the need for a paradigm shift in tunnel construction to address the barriers associated with RCS exposure reduction. It emphasises the importance of collaboration among various stakeholders, advocating for more effective controls and enforcement strategies and enhanced worker education through knowledge sharing.

Keywords: respirable crystalline silica, dust control, worker practices, exposure prevention, silicosis

Procedia PDF Downloads 68

Authors: Ka Ho Yau, Jan Frederick Engels, Kwok Kei Lai, Reinhard Renneberg

Abstract:

Lateral flow test is a prevalent technology in various sectors such as food, pharmacology and biomedical sciences. Colloidal gold (CG) is widely used as the signalling molecule because of the ease of synthesis, bimolecular conjugation and its red colour due to intrinsic SPRE. However, the production of colloidal gold is costly and requires vigorous conditions. The stability of colloidal gold are easily affected by environmental factors such as pH, high salt content etc. Silica nanoparticles are well known for its ease of production and stability over a wide range of solvents. Using reverse micro-emulsion (w/o), silica nanoparticles with different sizes can be produced precisely by controlling the amount of water. By incorporating different water-soluble dyes, a rainbow colour of the silica nanoparticles could be produced. Conjugation with biomolecules such as antibodies can be achieved after surface modification of the silica nanoparticles with organosilane. The optimum amount of the antibodies to be labelled was determined by Bradford Assay. In this work, we have demonstrated the ability of the dye-doped silica nanoparticles as a signalling molecule in lateral flow test, which showed a semi-quantitative measurement of the analyte. The image was further analysed for the LOD=10 ng of the analyte. The working range and the linear range of the test were from 0 to 2.15μg/mL and from 0 to 1.07 μg/mL (R2=0.988) respectively. The performance of the tests was comparable to those using colloidal gold with the advantages of lower cost, enhanced stability and having a wide spectrum of colours. The positives lines can be imaged by naked eye or by using a mobile phone camera for a better quantification. Further research has been carried out in multicolour detection of different biomarkers simultaneously. The preliminary results were promising as there was little cross-reactivity being observed for an optimized system. This approach provides a platform for multicolour detection for a set of biomarkers that enhances the accuracy of diseases diagnostics.

Keywords: colorimetric detection, immunosensor, paper-based biosensor, silica

Procedia PDF Downloads 385