Search results for: exploit kits

Authors: Ariel Vilchez, Francisca Acevedo, Rodrigo Navia

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The wound healing process can be accelerated and improved by the action of antioxidants such as curcumin (Cur) over the tissues; however, the efficacy of curcumin used through the digestive system is not enough to exploit its benefits. Electrospinning presents an alternative to carry curcumin directly to the wounds, and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is proposed as the matrix to load curcumin owing to its biodegradable and biocompatible properties. PHB is among 150 types of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) identified, it is a natural thermoplastic polyester produced by microbial fermentation obtained from microorganisms. The proposed objective is to develop electrospun bacterial PHB-based microfibers containing curcumin for possible biomedical applications. Commercial PHB was solved in Chloroform: Dimethylformamide (4:1) to a final concentration of 7% m/V. Curcumin was added to the polymeric solution at 1%, and 7% m/m regarding PHB. The electrospinning equipment (NEU-BM, China) with a rotary collector was used to obtain Cur-PHB fibers at different voltages and flow rate of the polymeric solution considering a distance of 20 cm from the needle to the collector. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to determine the diameter and morphology of the obtained fibers. Thermal stability was obtained from Thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) was carried out in order to study the chemical bonds and interactions. A preliminary curcumin release to Phosphate Buffer Saline (PBS) pH = 7.4 was obtained in vitro and measured by spectrophotometry. PHB fibers presented an intact chemical composition regarding the original condition (dust) according to FTIR spectra, the diameter fluctuates between 0.761 ± 0.123 and 2.157 ± 0.882 μm, with different qualities according to their morphology. The best fibers in terms of quality and diameter resulted in sample 2 and sample 6, obtained at 0-10kV and 0.5 mL/hr, and 0-10kV and 1.5 mL/hr, respectively. The melting temperature resulted near 178 °C, according to the bibliography. The crystallinity of fibers decreases while curcumin concentration increases for the studied interval. The curcumin release reaches near 14% at 37 °C at 54h in PBS adjusted to a quasi-Fickian Diffusion. We conclude that it is possible to load curcumin in PHB to obtain continuous, homogeneous, and solvent-free microfibers by electrospinning. Between 0% and 7% of curcumin, the crystallinity of fibers decreases as the concentration of curcumin increases. Thus, curcumin enhances the flexibility of the obtained material. HPLC should be used in further analysis of curcumin release.

Keywords: antioxidant, curcumin, polyhydroxybutyrate, wound healing

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Authors: Carin Lindskog

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Introduction: Long-term success requires an organizational balance between continuity (exploitation) and change (exploration). The problem of balancing exploitation and exploration is a common issue in studies of organizational learning. In order to better face the tough competition in the face of changes, organizations need to exploit their current business and explore new business fields by developing new capabilities. The purpose of this work in progress is to develop a conceptual framework to shed light on the relevance of 'learning activities', i.e., exploitation and exploration, on different levels. The research questions that will be addressed are as follows: What sort of learning activities are found in the Business Process Management (BPM) field? How can these activities be linked to the individual level, group, level, and organizational level? In the work, a literature review will first be conducted. This review will explore the status of learning activities in the BPM field. An outcome from the literature review will be a conceptual framework of learning activities based on the included publications. The learning activities will be categorized to focus on the categories exploitation, exploration or both and into the levels of individual, group, and organization. The proposed conceptual framework will be a valuable tool for analyzing the research field as well as identification of future research directions. Related Work: BPM has increased in popularity as a way of working to strengthen the quality of the work and meet the demands of efficiency. Due to the increase in BPM popularity, more and more organizations reporting on BPM failure. One reason for this is the lack of knowledge about the extended scope of BPM to other business contexts that include, for example, more creative business fields. Yet another reason for the failures are the fact of the employees’ are resistant to changes. The learning process in an organization is an ongoing cycle of reflection and action and is a process that can be initiated, developed and practiced. Furthermore, organizational learning is multilevel; therefore the theory of organizational learning needs to consider the individual, the group, and the organization level. Learning happens over time and across levels, but it also creates a tension between incorporating new learning (feed-forward) and exploiting or using what has already been learned (feedback). Through feed-forward processes, new ideas and actions move from the individual to the group to the organization level. At the same time, what has already been learned feeds back from the organization to a group to an individual and has an impact on how people act and think.

Keywords: business process management, exploitation, exploration, learning activities

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Authors: Suleman Bawa, Ayiku Emmanuel Lartey

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Purpose - This paper aims to examine the association between knowledge capital and multinational firms’ innovation management. We again explored the impact of transboundary investment and assimilative capacity between knowledge capital and multinational firms’ innovation management. The vital position of knowledge capital and multinational firms’ innovation management in today’s increasingly volatile environment coupled with fierce competition has been extensively acknowledged by academics and industry investment capitals. Design/methodology/approach - The theoretical association model and an empirical correlation analysis were constructed based on relevant research using data collected from 19 multinational firms in Ghana as the subject, and path analysis was constructed using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 24.0 to test the formulated hypotheses. Findings - Varied conclusions are drawn consequential from theoretical inferences and empirical tests. For multinational firms, knowledge capital relics positively significant to multinational firms’ innovation management. Multinational firms with advanced knowledge capital likely spawn greater corporations’ innovation management. Second, transboundary investment efficiently intermediates the association between knowledge physical capital, knowledge interactive capital, and corporations’ innovation management. At the same time, this impact is insignificant between knowledge of empirical capital and corporations’ innovation management. Lastly, the impact of transboundary investment and assimilative capacity on the association between knowledge capital and corporations’ innovation management is established. We summarized the implications for managers based on our outcomes. Research limitations/implications - Multinational firms must dynamically build knowledge capital to augment corporations’ innovation management. Conversely, knowledge capital motivates multinational firms to implement transboundary investment and cultivate assimilative capacity. Accordingly, multinational firms can efficiently exploit diverse information to augment their corporate innovation management. Practical implications – This paper presents a comprehensive justification of knowledge capital and manufacturing firms’ innovation management by exploring the impact of transboundary investment and assimilative capacity within the manufacturing industry, its sequential progress, and its associated challenges. Originality/value – This paper is amongst the first to find empirical results to back knowledge capital and manufacturing firms’ innovation management by exploring the impact of transboundary investment and assimilative capacity within the manufacturing industry. Additionally, aligning knowledge as a coordinative instrument is a significant input to our discernment in this area.

Keywords: knowledge capital, transboundary investment, innovation management, assimilative capacity

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Authors: Yanjun Chen, Chuanping Hu, Jie Shao, Lin Mei, Chongyang Zhang

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Traditional image classification is based on encoding scheme (e.g. Fisher Vector, Vector of Locally Aggregated Descriptor) with low-level image features (e.g. SIFT, HoG). Compared to these low-level local features, deep convolutional features obtained at the mid-level layer of convolutional neural networks (CNN) have richer information but lack of geometric invariance. For scene classification, there are scattered objects with different size, category, layout, number and so on. It is crucial to find the distinctive objects in scene as well as their co-occurrence relationship. In this paper, we propose a method to take advantage of both deep convolutional features and the traditional encoding scheme while taking object-centric and scene-centric information into consideration. First, to exploit the object-centric and scene-centric information, two CNNs that trained on ImageNet and Places dataset separately are used as the pre-trained models to extract deep convolutional features at multiple scales. This produces dense local activations. By analyzing the performance of different CNNs at multiple scales, it is found that each CNN works better in different scale ranges. A scale-wise CNN adaption is reasonable since objects in scene are at its own specific scale. Second, a fisher kernel is applied to aggregate a global representation at each scale and then to merge into a single vector by using a post-processing method called scale-wise normalization. The essence of Fisher Vector lies on the accumulation of the first and second order differences. Hence, the scale-wise normalization followed by average pooling would balance the influence of each scale since different amount of features are extracted. Third, the Fisher vector representation based on the deep convolutional features is followed by a linear Supported Vector Machine, which is a simple yet efficient way to classify the scene categories. Experimental results show that the scale-specific feature extraction and normalization with CNNs trained on object-centric and scene-centric datasets can boost the results from 74.03% up to 79.43% on MIT Indoor67 when only two scales are used (compared to results at single scale). The result is comparable to state-of-art performance which proves that the representation can be applied to other visual recognition tasks.

Keywords: deep convolutional features, Fisher Vector, multiple scales, scale-specific normalization

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Authors: Emmanuel Jaluchimike Iloputaife, Kelechi Nkechinyere Mbah-Omeje

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This study was designed to determine the antimicrobial activities and minimum inhibitory concentration of three different batches (Fresh, Oven dried and Sundried) of Ass Hay extracted with water, ethanol and methanolagainst selected human pathogenic microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella Pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus niger and Candidaalbicans). All extracts were reconstituted with peptone water and tested for antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial activity, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration and Minimum Bactericidal/Fungicidal concentrations were determined by agar well diffusion methodagainst test organismsin which aseptic conditions were observed. The antimicrobial activities of the different batches of Ass Hay on the test organisms varied considerably. The highest inhibition zone diameter at 200 mg/ml for the different batches of Ass Hay was recorded by sundried methanol extract against Escherichia coli at 36.4 ± 0.2 mm while fresh methanol extract inhibited Klebsiela pneumonia with the least inhibition zone diameter at 20.1 ± 0.1mm. At 100 mg/ml the highest inhibition zone diameter was recorded by oven dried water extract against Escherichia coli at 30.3 ± 0.3 mm while sun dried water extract inhibited Staphylococcus aureus with the least inhibition zone diameter at 15.1 ± 0.1 mm. At 50mg/ml, the highest inhibition zone diameter was recorded by fresh water extract against Escherichia coli at 25.9 ± 0.1 mm while oven dried water extract inhibited Klebsiela pneumonia with least inhibition zone diameter at 12.1 ± 0.2 mm. At 25mg/ml, the highest inhibition zone diameter was recorded by fresh water extract against Escherichia coli at 18.3 ± 0.2 mm while sun dried ethanol extract inhibited Escherichia coli with least inhibition zone diameter at 10.1 ± 0.1 mm. The MIC and MBC result of ethanol extract of fresh Ass Hay showed a uniform value of 6.25 mg/ml and 12.5 mg/ml respectively for all test bacterial isolates. The Minimum Inhibitory concentration and Minimum bactericidal concentration results of Oven dried ethanol Ass Hay extract showed a uniform value of 3.125 mg/ml and 6.25 mg/ml respectively for all test bacterial isolates and Minimum fungicidal concentration value of 12.5 mg/ml for Aspergillus niger. Statistical analysis showed there is significant difference in mean zone inhibition diameter of the products at p < 0.05, p = 0.019. This study has shown there is antimicrobial potential in Ass Hay and at such there is need to further exploit Donkey Ass Hay in order to maximize the potential.

Keywords: microorganisms, Ass Hay, antimicrobial activity, extracts

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Authors: Syed Masood Hussain

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An effective control method, including system-level control and pulse width modulation for quasi-Z-source cascade multilevel inverter (qZS-CMI) based grid-tie photovoltaic (PV) power system is proposed. The system-level control achieves the grid-tie current injection, independent maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for separate PV panels, and dc-link voltage balance for all quasi-Z-source H-bridge inverter (qZS-HBI) modules. A recent upsurge in the study of photovoltaic (PV) power generation emerges, since they directly convert the solar radiation into electric power without hampering the environment. However, the stochastic fluctuation of solar power is inconsistent with the desired stable power injected to the grid, owing to variations of solar irradiation and temperature. To fully exploit the solar energy, extracting the PV panels’ maximum power and feeding them into grids at unity power factor become the most important. The contributions have been made by the cascade multilevel inverter (CMI). Nevertheless, the H-bridge inverter (HBI) module lacks boost function so that the inverter KVA rating requirement has to be increased twice with a PV voltage range of 1:2; and the different PV panel output voltages result in imbalanced dc-link voltages. However, each HBI module is a two-stage inverter, and many extra dc–dc converters not only increase the complexity of the power circuit and control and the system cost, but also decrease the efficiency. Recently, the Z-source/quasi-Z-source cascade multilevel inverter (ZS/qZS-CMI)-based PV systems were proposed. They possess the advantages of both traditional CMI and Z-source topologies. In order to properly operate the ZS/qZS-CMI, the power injection, independent control of dc-link voltages, and the pulse width modulation (PWM) are necessary. The main contributions of this paper include: 1) a novel multilevel space vector modulation (SVM) technique for the single phase qZS-CMI is proposed, which is implemented without additional resources; 2) a grid-connected control for the qZS-CMI based PV system is proposed, where the all PV panel voltage references from their independent MPPTs are used to control the grid-tie current; the dual-loop dc-link peak voltage control.

Keywords: Quzi-Z source inverter, Photo voltaic power system, space vector modulation, cascade multilevel inverter

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Authors: Michael Wendland

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This paper presents a framework to teach a methodical design approach by the help of using a mixture of game-based learning, design challenges and competitions as forms of direct assessment. In today’s world, developing products is more complex than ever. Conflicting goals of product cost and quality with limited time as well as post-pandemic part shortages increase the difficulty. Common design approaches for mechatronic products mitigate some of these effects by helping the users with their methodical framework. Due to the inherent complexity of these products, the number of involved resources and the comprehensive design processes, students very rarely have enough time or motivation to experience a complete approach in one semester course. But, for students to be successful in the industrial world, it is crucial to know these methodical frameworks and to gain first-hand experience. Therefore, it is necessary to teach these design approaches in a real-world setting and keep the motivation high as well as learning to manage upcoming problems. This is achieved by using a game-based approach and a set of design challenges that are given to the students. In order to mimic industrial collaboration, they work in teams of up to six participants and are given the main development target to design a remote-controlled robot that can manipulate a specified object. By setting this clear goal without a given solution path, a constricted time-frame and limited maximal cost, the students are subjected to similar boundary conditions as in the real world. They must follow the methodical approach steps by specifying requirements, conceptualizing their ideas, drafting, designing, manufacturing and building a prototype using rapid prototyping. At the end of the course, the prototypes will be entered into a contest against the other teams. The complete design process is accompanied by theoretical input via lectures which is immediately transferred by the students to their own design problem in practical sessions. To increase motivation in these sessions, a playful learning approach has been chosen, i.e. designing the first concepts is supported by using lego construction kits. After each challenge, mandatory online quizzes help to deepen the acquired knowledge of the students and badges are awarded to those who complete a quiz, resulting in higher motivation and a level-up on a fictional leaderboard. The final contest is held in presence and involves all teams with their functional prototypes that now need to contest against each other. Prices for the best mechanical design, the most innovative approach and for the winner of the robotic contest are awarded. Each robot design gets evaluated with regards to the specified requirements and partial grades are derived from the results. This paper concludes with a critical review of the proposed framework, the game-based approach for the designed prototypes, the reality of the boundary conditions, the problems that occurred during the design and manufacturing process, the experiences and feedback of the students and the effectiveness of their collaboration as well as a discussion of the potential transfer to other educational areas.

Keywords: design challenges, game-based learning, playful learning, methodical framework, mechatronics, student assessment, constructive alignment

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Authors: Probuddha Mukhopadhyay

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The infiltration of key elements to the civil structure is foraying its way to reclaim, what is its own. The reclamation of lives and spaces, once challenged, becomes a consistent process of ingress, disguised as parallels to the moving city, disperses into discourses often unheard of and conveniently forgotten. In this age of 'hyper'-urbanization, there are solutions suggested to a plethora of issues faced by citizens, in improving their standards of living. Problems are ancillary to proposals that emerge out of the underlying disorders of the townscape. These interventions result in the formulation of urban policies, to consolidate and optimize, to regularize and to streamline resources. Policy and practice are processes where the politics in policies define the way in which urban solutions are prescribed. Social constraints, that formulate the various cycles of order and disorders within the urban realm, are the stigmas for such interventions. There is often a direct relation of policy to place, no matter how people-centric it may seem to be projected. How we live our lives depends on where we live our lives - a relative statement for urban problems, varies from city to city. Communal compositions, welfare, crisis, socio-economic balance, need for management are the generic roots for urban policy formulation. However, in reality, the gentry administering its environmentalism is the criterion, that shapes and defines the values and expanse of such policies. In relation to the psycho-spatial characteristic of urban spheres with respect to the other side of this game, there have been instances, where the associational values have been reshaped by interests. The public domain reclaimed for exclusivity, thus creating fortified neighborhoods. Here, the citizen cumulative is often drifted by proposals that would over time deplete such landscapes of the city. It is the organized rebellion that in turn formulates further inward looking enclaves of latent aggression. In recent times, it has been observed that the unbalanced division of power and the implied processes of regulating the weak, stem the rebellion who respond in kits and parts. This is a phenomenon that mimics the guerilla warfare tactics, in order to have systems straightened out, either by manipulations or by force. This is the form of the city determined by the various forms insinuated by the state of city wide decisions. This study is an attempt at understanding the way in which development is interpreted by the state and the civil society and the role that community driven processes undertake to reinstate their claims to the city. This is a charter of consolidated patterns of negotiations that tend to counter policies. The research encompasses a study of various contested settlements in two cities of India- Mumbai and Kolkata, tackling dissent through spatial order. The study has been carried out to identify systems - formal and informal, catering to the most challenged interests of the people with respect to their habitat, a model to counter the top-down authoritative framework challenging the legitimacy of such settlements.

Keywords: urban design, insurgence, tactical urbanism, urban governance, civil society, state

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Authors: Aleksandra Rajewska-Rager, Maria Skibinska, Monika Dmitrzak-Weglarz, Natalia Lepczynska, Pawel Kapelski, Joanna Pawlak, Joanna Hauser

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Introduction: Inflammation and cytokines have emerged as a promising target in mood disorders research; however there are still very limited numbers of study regarding inflammatory alterations among adolescents and young adults with mood disorders. The Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) and Stem Cell Factor (SCF) are the pleiotropic cytokines which may play an important role in mood disorders pathophysiology. The aim of this study was to investigate levels of these factors in serum of adolescent and young adults with mood disorders compared to healthy controls. Subjects: We involved 79 patients aged 12-24 years in 2-year follow-up study with a primary diagnosis of mood disorders: bipolar disorder (BP) and unipolar disorder with BP spectrum. Study group includes 23 males (mean age 19.08, SD 3.3) and 56 females (18.39, SD 3.28). Control group consisted 35 persons: 7 males (20.43, SD 4.23) and 28 females (21.25, SD 2.11). Clinical diagnoses according to DSM-IV-TR criteria were assessed using Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) and Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (SCID) in young adults respectively. Clinical assessment includes evaluation of clinical factors and symptoms severity (rated using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Young Mania Rating Scale). Clinical and biological evaluations were made at control visits respectively at baseline (week 0), euthymia (at month 3 or 6) and after 12 and 24 months. Methods: Serum protein concentration was determined by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) method. Human MIF and SCF DuoSet ELISA kits were used. In the analyses non-parametric tests were used: Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, Friedman’s ANOVA, Wilcoxon signed rank test, Spearman correlation. We defined statistical significance as p < 0.05. Results: Comparing MIF and SCF levels between acute episode of depression/hypo/mania at baseline and euthymia (at month 3 or 6) we did not find any statistical differences. At baseline patients with age above 18 years old had decreased MIF level compared to patients younger than 18 years. MIF level at baseline positively correlated with age (p=0.004). Positive correlations of SCF level at month 3 and 6 with depression or mania occurrence at month 24 (p=0.03 and p=0.04, respectively) was detected. Strong correlations between MIF and SCF levels at baseline (p=0.0005) and month 3 (p=0.03) were observed. Discussion: Our results did not show any differences in MIF and SCF levels between acute episode of depression/hypo/mania and euthymia in young patients. Further studies on larger groups are recommended. Grant was founded by National Science Center in Poland no 2011/03/D/NZ5/06146.

Keywords: cytokines, MIF, mood disorders, SCF

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Authors: Vinko Lešić, Mario Vašak, Anita Martinčević, Marko Gulin, Antonio Starčić, Hrvoje Novak

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With 40% of total world energy consumption, building systems are developing into technically complex large energy consumers suitable for application of sophisticated power management approaches to largely increase the energy efficiency and even make them active energy market participants. Centralized control system of building heating and cooling managed by economically-optimal model predictive control shows promising results with estimated 30% of energy efficiency increase. The research is focused on implementation of such a method on a case study performed on two floors of our faculty building with corresponding sensors wireless data acquisition, remote heating/cooling units and central climate controller. Building walls are mathematically modeled with corresponding material types, surface shapes and sizes. Models are then exploited to predict thermal characteristics and changes in different building zones. Exterior influences such as environmental conditions and weather forecast, people behavior and comfort demands are all taken into account for deriving price-optimal climate control. Finally, a DC microgrid with photovoltaics, wind turbine, supercapacitor, batteries and fuel cell stacks is added to make the building a unit capable of active participation in a price-varying energy market. Computational burden of applying model predictive control on such a complex system is relaxed through a hierarchical decomposition of the microgrid and climate control, where the former is designed as higher hierarchical level with pre-calculated price-optimal power flows control, and latter is designed as lower level control responsible to ensure thermal comfort and exploit the optimal supply conditions enabled by microgrid energy flows management. Such an approach is expected to enable the inclusion of more complex building subsystems into consideration in order to further increase the energy efficiency.

Keywords: price-optimal building climate control, Microgrid power flow optimisation, hierarchical model predictive control, energy efficient buildings, energy market participation

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Authors: S. Thanabanjerdsin, F. Srisuriyachai, J. Chewaroungroj

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Drilling horizontal well is one of the most cost-effective method to exploit reservoir by increasing exposure area between well and formation. Together with horizontal well technology, intelligent completion is often co-utilized to increases petroleum production by monitoring/control downhole production. Combination of both technological results in an opportunity to lower water cresting phenomenon, a detrimental problem that does not lower only oil recovery but also cause environmental problem due to water disposal. Flow of reservoir fluid is a result from difference between reservoir and wellbore pressure. In horizontal well, reservoir fluid around the heel location enters wellbore at higher rate compared to the toe location. As a consequence, Oil-Water Contact (OWC) at the heel side of moves upward relatively faster compared to the toe side. This causes the well to encounter an early water encroachment problem. Installation of Inflow Control Valve (ICV) in particular sections of horizontal well can involve several parameters such as number of ICV, water cut constrain of each valve, length of each section. This study is mainly focused on optimization of ICV configuration to minimize water production and at the same time, to enhance oil production. A reservoir model consisting of high aspect ratio of oil bearing zone to underneath aquifer is drilled with horizontal well and completed with variation of ICV segments. Optimization of the horizontal well configuration is firstly performed by varying number of ICV, segment length, and individual preset water cut for each segment. Simulation results show that installing ICV can increase oil recovery factor up to 5% of Original Oil In Place (OOIP) and can reduce of produced water depending on ICV segment length as well as ICV parameters. For equally partitioned-ICV segment, more number of segment results in better oil recovery. However, number of segment exceeding 10 may not give a significant additional recovery. In first production period, deformation of OWC strongly depends on number of segment along the well. Higher number of segment results in smoother deformation of OWC. After water breakthrough at heel location segment, the second production period begins. Deformation of OWC is principally dominated by ICV parameters. In certain situations that OWC is unstable such as high production rate, high viscosity fluid above aquifer and strong aquifer, second production period may give wide enough window to ICV parameter to take the roll.

Keywords: horizontal well, water cresting, inflow control valve, reservoir simulation

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Authors: Shunyi Yang, Jingjing Yan, Siyu Dong, Xiangguo Cui

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Current architectural façade design practices incorporate various daylighting and solar radiation analysis methods. These emphasize the impact of geometry on façade design. There is scope to extend this knowledge into methods that address material translucency, porosity, and form. Such approaches can also achieve these conditions through adaptive robotic manufacturing approaches that exploit material dynamics within the design, and alleviate fabrication waste from molds, ultimately accelerating the autonomous manufacturing system. Besides analyzing the environmental solar radiant in building facade design, there is also a vacancy research area of how lighting effects can be precisely controlled by engaging the instant real-time data-driven robot control and manipulating the material properties. Ceramics carries a wide range of transmittance and deformation potentials for robotics control with the research of its material property. This paper presents one semi-autonomous system that engages with real-time data-driven robotics control, hardware kit design, environmental building studies, human interaction, and exploratory research and experiments. Our objectives are to investigate the relationship between different clay bodies or ceramics’ physio-material properties and their transmittance; to explore the feedback system of instant lighting data in robotic fabrication to achieve precise lighting effect; to design the sufficient end effector and robot behaviors for different stages of deformation. We experiment with architectural clay, as the material of the façade that is potentially translucent at a certain stage can respond to light. Studying the relationship between form, material properties, and porosity can help create different interior and exterior light effects and provide façade solutions for specific architectural functions. The key idea is to maximize the utilization of in-progress robotics fabrication and ceramics materiality to create a highly integrated autonomous system for lighting facade design and manufacture.

Keywords: light transmittance, data-driven fabrication, computational design, computer vision, gamification for manufacturing

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Authors: Lotanna Ezeonu, Jason P. Robbins, Ziyu Tang, Xiaofang Yang, Bruce E. Koel, Simon G. Podkolzin

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The interaction of organic molecules with metal surfaces is of interest in numerous technological applications, such as catalysis, bone replacement, and biosensors. Acetic acid is one of the main products of bio-oils produced from the pyrolysis of hemicellulosic feedstocks. However, their high oxygen content makes them unsuitable for use as fuels. Hydrodeoxygenation is a proven technique for catalytic deoxygenation of bio-oils. An understanding of the energetics and control of the bond-breaking sequences of biomass-derived oxygenates on metal surfaces will enable a guided optimization of existing catalysts and the development of more active/selective processes for biomass transformations to fuels. Such investigations have been carried out with the aid of ultrahigh vacuum and its concomitant techniques. The high catalytic activity of platinum in biomass-derived oxygenate transformations has sparked a lot of interest. We herein exploit infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy(IRAS), temperature-programmed desorption(TPD), and density functional theory(DFT) to study the adsorption and decomposition of acetic acid on a Pt(111) surface, which was then compared with Ni(111), a model non-noble metal. We found that acetic acid adsorbs molecularly on the Pt(111) surface, interacting through the lone pair of electrons of one oxygen atomat 90 K. At 140 K, the molecular form is still predominant, with some dissociative adsorption (in the form of acetate and hydrogen). Annealing to 193 K led to complete dehydrogenation of molecular acetic acid species leaving adsorbed acetate. At 440 K, decomposition of the acetate species occurs via decarbonylation and decarboxylation as evidenced by desorption peaks for H₂,CO, CO₂ and CHX fragments (x=1, 2) in theTPD.The assignments for the experimental IR peaks were made using visualization of the DFT-calculated vibrational modes. The results showed that acetate adsorbs in a bridged bidentate (μ²η²(O,O)) configuration. The coexistence of linear and bridge bonded CO was also predicted by the DFT results. Similar molecular acid adsorption energy was predicted in the case of Ni(111) whereas a significant difference was found for acetate adsorption.

Keywords: acetic acid, platinum, nickel, infared-absorption spectrocopy, temperature programmed desorption, density functional theory

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Authors: Ahmad Mohammad Sharqi, Mohamed Hechmi El Ouni, Saleh Alsulamy

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Due to the emerging technologies revolution worldwide, the need to exploit and employ innovative technologies for other functions and purposes in different aspects has become a remarkable matter. Saudi Arabia is considered one of the most powerful economic countries in the world, where the construction sector participates effectively in its economy. Thus, the construction sector in KSA should convoy the rapid digital revolution and transformation and implement smart devices on sites. A Smart Construction Site (SCS) includes smart devices, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, augmented reality, building information modeling, geographical information systems, and cloud information. This paper aims to study the level of implementation of SCS in KSA, analyze the obstacles and challenges of adopting SCS and find out critical success factors for its implementation. A survey of close-ended questions (scale and multi-choices) has been conducted on professionals in the construction sector of Saudi Arabia. A total number of twenty-nine questions has been prepared for respondents. Twenty-four scale questions were established, and those questions were categorized into several themes: quality, scheduling, cost, occupational safety and health, technologies and applications, and general perception. Consequently, the 5-point Likert scale tool (very low to very high) was adopted for this survey. In addition, five close-ended questions with multi-choice types have also been prepared; these questions have been derived from a previous study implemented in the United Kingdom (UK) and the Dominic Republic (DR), these questions have been rearranged and organized to fit the structured survey in order to place the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in comparison with the United Kingdom (UK) as well as the Dominican Republic (DR). A total number of one hundred respondents have participated in this survey from all regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: southern, central, western, eastern, and northern regions. The drivers, obstacles, and success factors for implementing smart devices and technologies in KSA’s construction sector have been investigated and analyzed. Besides, it has been concluded that KSA is on the right path toward adopting smart construction sites with attractive results comparable to and even better than the UK in some factors.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, construction projects management, internet of things, smart construction sites, smart devices

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Authors: Gracious Tendai Matayaya

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The world is facing problems in finding alternative resources to offset the decline in global petroleum reserves. The use of fossil fuels has prompted biofuel development, particularly in the transportation sector. In these circumstances, looking for alternative renewable energy sources makes sense. Petroleum-based fuels also result in a lot of carbon dioxide being released into the environment causing global warming. Replacing petroleum and fossil fuel-based fuels with biofuels has the advantage of reducing undesirable aspects of these fuels, which are mostly the production of greenhouse gas and dependence on unstable foreign suppliers. Algae refer to a group of aquatic microorganisms that produce a lot of lipids up to 60% of their total weight. This project aims to exploit the large amounts of oil produced by these microorganisms in the Soxhlet extraction to make biodiesel. Experiments were conducted to establish the cultivability of algae, harvesting methods, the oil extraction process, and the transesterification process. Although there are various methods for producing algal oil, the Soxhlet extraction method was employed for this particular research. After extraction, the oil was characterized before being used in the transesterification process that used methanol and hydrochloric acid as the process reactants. The properties of the resulting biodiesel were then determined. Because there is a requirement to dry wet algae, the experimental findings showed that Soxhlet extraction was the optimum way to produce a higher yield of microalgal oil. Upon cultivating algae, Compound D fertilizer was added as a source of nutrients (Phosphorous and Nitrogen), and the highest growth of algae was observed at 6 days (using 2 g of fertilizer), after which it started to decrease. Butanol, hexane, heptane and acetone have been experimented with as solvents, and heptane gave the highest amount of oil (89ml of oil) when 300 ml of solvent was used. This was compared to 73.21ml produced by butanol, 81.90 produced by hexane and 69.57ml produced by acetone, and as a result, heptane was used for the rest of the experiments, which included a variation of the mass of dried algae and time of extraction. This meant that the oil composition of algae was higher than other oil sources like peanuts, soybean etc. Algal oil was heated at 150℃ for 150 minutes in the presence of methanol (reactant) and hydrochloric acid (HCl), which was used as a catalyst. A temperature of 200℃ produced 93.64%, and a temperature of 250℃ produced 92.13 of biodiesel at 150 minutes.

Keywords: microalgae, algal oil, biodiesel, soxhlet extraction

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Authors: Desmond F. Bellamy

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Discourses about animal rights usually assume an ontological abyss between human and animal. This supposition of non-animality allows us to utilise and exploit non-humans, particularly those with commercial value, with little regard for their rights or interests. We can and do confine them, inflict painful treatments such as castration and branding, and slaughter them at an age determined only by financial considerations. This paper explores the way images and texts depicting human cannibalism reflect this deprivation of rights back onto our species and examines how this offers new perspectives on our granting or withholding of rights to farmed animals. The animals we eat – sheep, pigs, cows, chickens and a small handful of other species – are during processing de-animalised, turned into commodities, and made unrecognisable as formerly living beings. To do the same to a human requires the cannibal to enact another step – humans must first be considered as animals before they can be commodified or de-animalised. Different iterations of cannibalism in a selection of fiction and non-fiction texts will be considered: survivalism (necessitated by catastrophe or dystopian social collapse), the primitive savage of colonial discourses, and the inhuman psychopath. Each type of cannibalism shows alternative ways humans can be animalised and thereby dispossessed of both their human and animal rights. Human rights, summarised in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights as ‘life, liberty, and security of person’ are stubbornly denied to many humans, and are refused to virtually all farmed non-humans. How might this paradigm be transformed by seeing the animal victim replaced by an animalised human? People are fascinated as well as repulsed by cannibalism, as demonstrated by the upsurge of films on the subject in the last few decades. Cannibalism is, at its most basic, about envisaging and treating humans as objects: meat. It is on the dinner plate that the abyss between human and ‘animal’ is most challenged. We grasp at a conscious level that we are a species of animal and may become, if in the wrong place (e.g., shark-infested water), ‘just food’. Culturally, however, strong traditions insist that humans are much more than ‘just meat’ and deserve a better fate than torment and death. The billions of animals on death row awaiting human consumption would ask the same if they could. Depictions of cannibalism demonstrate in graphic ways that humans are animals, made of meat and that we can also be butchered and eaten. These depictions of us as having the same fleshiness as non-human animals reminds us that they have the same capacities for pain and pleasure as we do. Depictions of cannibalism, therefore, unconsciously aid in deconstructing the human/animal binary and give a unique glimpse into the often unnoticed repudiation of animal rights.

Keywords: animal rights, cannibalism, human/animal binary, objectification

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Authors: Felipe Riveros, Ricardo Alvarez, Claudia Rahmann, Rodrigo Moreno

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Around the world, many countries have committed to a decarbonization of their electricity system. Under this global drive, converter-interfaced generators (CIG) such as wind and photovoltaic generation appear as cornerstones to achieve these energy targets. Despite its benefits, an increasing use of CIG brings several technical challenges in power systems, especially from a stability viewpoint. Among the key differences are limited short circuit current capacity, inertia-less characteristic of CIG, and response times within the electromagnetic timescale. Along with the integration of CIG into the power system, one enabling technology for the energy transition towards low-carbon power systems is battery energy storage systems (BESS). Because of the flexibility that BESS provides in power system operation, its integration allows for mitigating the variability and uncertainty of renewable energies, thus optimizing the use of existing assets and reducing operational costs. Another characteristic of BESS is that they can also support power system stability by injecting reactive power during the fault, providing short circuit currents, and delivering fast frequency response. However, most methodologies for sizing and allocating BESS in power systems are based on economic aspects and do not exploit the benefits that BESSs can offer to system stability. In this context, this paper presents a methodology for determining the optimal allocation of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in weak power systems with high levels of CIG. Unlike traditional economic approaches, this methodology incorporates stability constraints to allocate BESS, aiming to mitigate instability issues arising from weak grid conditions with low short-circuit levels. The proposed methodology offers valuable insights for power system engineers and planners seeking to maintain grid stability while harnessing the benefits of renewable energy integration. The methodology is validated in the reduced Chilean electrical system. The results show that integrating BESS into a power system with high levels of CIG with stability criteria contributes to decarbonizing and strengthening the network in a cost-effective way while sustaining system stability. This paper potentially lays the foundation for understanding the benefits of integrating BESS in electrical power systems and coordinating their placements in future converter-dominated power systems.

Keywords: battery energy storage, power system stability, system strength, weak power system

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Authors: Paola Causin, Andrea Aspri, Alessandro Benfenati

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Diffuse Optical Tomography (DOT) is an emergent medical imaging technique which employs NIR light to estimate the spatial distribution of optical coefficients in biological tissues for diagnostic purposes, in a noninvasive and non-ionizing manner. DOT reconstruction is a severely ill-conditioned problem due to prevalent scattering of light in the tissue. In this contribution, we present our research in adopting hybrid knowledgedriven/data-driven approaches which exploit the existence of well assessed physical models and build upon them neural networks integrating the availability of data. Namely, since in this context regularization procedures are mandatory to obtain a reasonable reconstruction [1], we explore the use of neural networks as tools to include prior information on the solution. 2. Materials and Methods The idea underlying our approach is to leverage neural networks to solve PDE-constrained inverse problems of the form 𝒒 ∗ = 𝒂𝒓𝒈 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒒 𝐃(𝒚, 𝒚̃), (1) where D is a loss function which typically contains a discrepancy measure (or data fidelity) term plus other possible ad-hoc designed terms enforcing specific constraints. In the context of inverse problems like (1), one seeks the optimal set of physical parameters q, given the set of observations y. Moreover, 𝑦̃ is the computable approximation of y, which may be as well obtained from a neural network but also in a classic way via the resolution of a PDE with given input coefficients (forward problem, Fig.1 box ). Due to the severe ill conditioning of the reconstruction problem, we adopt a two-fold approach: i) we restrict the solutions (optical coefficients) to lie in a lower-dimensional subspace generated by auto-decoder type networks. This procedure forms priors of the solution (Fig.1 box ); ii) we use regularization procedures of type 𝒒̂ ∗ = 𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒒 𝐃(𝒚, 𝒚̃)+ 𝑹(𝒒), where 𝑹(𝒒) is a regularization functional depending on regularization parameters which can be fixed a-priori or learned via a neural network in a data-driven modality. To further improve the generalizability of the proposed framework, we also infuse physics knowledge via soft penalty constraints (Fig.1 box ) in the overall optimization procedure (Fig.1 box ). 3. Discussion and Conclusion DOT reconstruction is severely hindered by ill-conditioning. The combined use of data-driven and knowledgedriven elements is beneficial and allows to obtain improved results, especially with a restricted dataset and in presence of variable sources of noise.

Keywords: inverse problem in tomography, deep learning, diffuse optical tomography, regularization

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Authors: Natalia C. E. S. Nascimento, Mercia L. Oliveira, Fernando R. A. Lima, Leonardo T. C. do Nascimento, Marina B. Silveira, Brigida G. A. Schirmer, Andrea V. Ferreira, Carlos Malamut, Juliana B. da Silva

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Tissue hypoxia is a common characteristic of solid tumors leading to decreased sensitivity to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In the clinical context, tumor hypoxia assessment employing the positron emission tomography (PET) tracer ¹⁸F-fluoromisonidazole ([¹⁸F]FMISO) is helpful for physicians for planning and therapy adjusting. The aim of this work was to implement the synthesis of 18F-FMISO in a TRACERlab® MXFDG module and also to establish the quality control procedure. [¹⁸F]FMISO was synthesized at Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN/Brazil) using an automated synthesizer (TRACERlab® MXFDG, GE) adapted for the production of [¹⁸F]FMISO. The FMISO chemical standard was purchased from ABX. 18O- enriched water was acquired from Center of Molecular Research. Reagent kits containing eluent solution, acetonitrile, ethanol, 2.0 M HCl solution, buffer solution, water for injections and [¹⁸F]FMISO precursor (dissolved in 2 ml acetonitrile) were purchased from ABX. The [¹⁸F]FMISO samples were purified by Solid Phase Extraction method. The quality requirements of [¹⁸F]FMISO are established in the European Pharmacopeia. According to that reference, quality control of [¹⁸F]FMISO should include appearance, pH, radionuclidic identity and purity, radiochemical identity and purity, chemical purity, residual solvents, bacterial endotoxins, and sterility. The duration of the synthesis process was 53 min, with radiochemical yield of (37.00 ± 0.01) % and the specific activity was more than 70 GBq/µmol. The syntheses were reproducible and showed satisfactory results. In relation to the quality control analysis, the samples were clear and colorless at pH 6.0. The spectrum emission, measured by using a High-Purity Germanium Detector (HPGe), presented a single peak at 511 keV and the half-life, determined by the decay method in an activimeter, was (111.0 ± 0.5) min, indicating no presence of radioactive contaminants, besides the desirable radionuclide (¹⁸F). The samples showed concentration of tetrabutylammonium (TBA) < 50μg/mL, assessed by visual comparison to TBA standard applied in the same thin layer chromatographic plate. Radiochemical purity was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the results were 100%. Regarding the residual solvents tested, ethanol and acetonitrile presented concentration lower than 10% and 0.04%, respectively. Healthy female mice were injected via lateral tail vein with [¹⁸F]FMISO, microPET imaging studies (15 min) were performed after 2 h post injection (p.i), and the biodistribution was analyzed in five-time points (30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 min) after injection. Subsequently, organs/tissues were assayed for radioactivity with a gamma counter. All parameters of quality control test were in agreement to quality criteria confirming that [¹⁸F]FMISO was suitable for use in non-clinical and clinical trials, following the legal requirements for the production of new radiopharmaceuticals in Brazil.

Keywords: automatic radiosynthesis, hypoxic tumors, pharmacopeia, positron emitters, quality requirements

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Authors: Ässia Boukhatmi, Roger Nyffenegger

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The expansion of solar energy as a means to address the climate crisis is undisputed, but the increasing number of new photovoltaic (PV) modules being put on the market is simultaneously leading to increased challenges in terms of managing the growing waste stream. Many of the discarded modules are still fully functional but are often damaged by improper handling after disassembly or not properly tested to be considered for a second life. In addition, the collection rate for dismantled PV modules in several European countries is only a fraction of previous projections, partly due to the increased number of illegal exports. The underlying problem for those market imperfections is an insufficient data exchange between the different actors along the PV value chain, as well as the limited traceability of PV panels during their lifetime. As part of the Horizon 2020 project CIRCUSOL, an asset database prototype was developed to tackle the described problems. In an iterative process applying the design science research methodology, different business models, as well as the technical implementation of the database, were established and evaluated. To explore the requirements of different stakeholders for the development of the database, surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted with various representatives of the solar industry. The proposed database prototype maps the entire value chain of PV modules, beginning with the digital product passport, which provides information about materials and components contained in every module. Product-related information can then be expanded with performance data of existing installations. This information forms the basis for the application of data analysis methods to forecast the appropriate end-of-life strategy, as well as the circular economy potential of PV modules, already before they arrive at the recycling facility. The database prototype could already be enriched with data from different data sources along the value chain. From a business model perspective, the database offers opportunities both in the area of reuse as well as with regard to the certification of sustainable modules. Here, participating actors have the opportunity to differentiate their business and exploit new revenue streams. Future research can apply this approach to further industry and product sectors, validate the database prototype in a practical context, and can serve as a basis for standardization efforts to strengthen the circular economy.

Keywords: business model, circular economy, database, design science research, solar industry

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Authors: Alireza Barari, Saeed Shirali, Ahmad Abdi

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Abstract: Introduction: Physical activity may be related to male reproductive function by affecting on thehypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal(HPG) axis. Our aim was to determine the effects of 6 weeks resistance exercise on reproductive hormones, HPG axis. The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis refers tothe effects of endocrine glands in three-level including (i) the hypothalamic releasing hormone GnRH, which is synthesized in in a small heterogenous neuronal population and released in a pulsatile fashion, (ii) the anterior pituitary hormones, follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) and (iii) the gonadal hormones, which include both steroid such as testosterone (T), estradiol and progesterone and peptide hormones (such as inhibin). Hormonal changes that create a more anabolic environment have been suggested to contribute to the adaptation to strength exercise. Physical activity has an extensive impact on male reproductive function depending upon the intensity and duration of the exercise and the fitness level of the individual. However, strenuous exercise represents a physical stress and inflammation changed that challenges homeostasis. Materials and methods: Sixteen male volunteered were included in a 6-week control period followed by 6 weeks of resistance training (leg press, lat pull, chest press, squat, seatedrow, abdominal crunch, shoulder press, biceps curl and triceps press down) four times per week. intensity of training loading was 60%-75% of one maximum repetition. Participants performed 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Rest periods were two min between exercises and sets. Start with warm up exercises include: The muscles relax and stretch the body, which was for 10 minutes. Body composition, VO2max and the circulating level of free testosterone (fT), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and inhibin B measured prior and post 6-week intervention. The hormonal levels of each serum sample were measured using commercially available ELISA kits. Analysis of anthropometrical data and hormonal level were compared using the independent samples t- test in both groups and using SPSS (version 19). P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: For muscle strength, both lower- and upper-body strength were increased significantly. Aerobic fitness level improved in trained participant from 39.4 ± 5.6 to 41.9 ± 5.3 (P = 0.002). fT concentration rise progressively in the trained group and was significantly greater than those in the control group (P = 0.000). By the end of the 6-week resistance training, serum SHBG significantly increased in the trained group compared with the control group (P = 0.013). In response to resistance training, LH, FSH and inhibin B were not significantly changed. Discussion: According to our finfings, 6 weeks of resistance training induce fat loss without any changes in body weight and BMI. A decline of 25.3% in percentage of body fat with statiscally same weight was due to increase in muscle mass that happened during resistance exercise periods . Six weeks of resistance training resulted in significant improvement in BF%, VO2max and increasing strength and the level of fT and SHBG.

Keywords: resistance, hypothalamic, pituitary, gonadal axis

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Authors: Gunnar Oskarsson, Gudjon Helgi Egilsson

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Due to globalization, small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) increasingly offer their products and services in foreign markets. The main reasons are either to compensate for a decreased market share in their home market or to exploit opportunities in foreign markets, which are becoming less distant and better accessible than before. International markets are particularly important for companies located in a small economy and offering specialized products. Although more accessible, entering international markets is both expensive and difficult. In order to select the most appropriate markets, it is, therefore, important to gain an insight into the factors that have an impact on success, or potential failure. Although there has been a reasonable volume of research into the theory of internationalization, there is still a need to gain further understanding of the decision-making process of SMEs in small economies and the most important characteristics that distinguish between success and failure. The main objective of this research is to enhance knowledge on the internationalization of SMEs, including the drivers for the decision to internationalize, and the most important factors contributing to success in their internationalization activities. A qualitative approach was found to be most appropriate for this kind of research, with the objective of gaining a deeper understanding and discovering factors which impact a company’s decision-making and potential success. In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 companies in different industries located in Iceland, a country extensively dependent on export revenues. The interviews revealed several factors as drivers of internationalization and, not surprisingly, the most frequently mentioned source of motivation was that the local market is inadequate to maintain a sustainable operation. Good networking relationships were seen as a particular priority for potential success, searching for new markets was mainly carried out through the internet, although sales exhibitions and sales trips were also considered important. When it comes to the final decision as to whether a market should be considered for further analysis, economy, labor cost, legal environment, and cultural barriers were the most common factors to be weighted. The ultimate answer to successful internationalization, however, is largely dependent on a coordinated and experienced management team. The main contribution of this research is offering an insight into factors affecting decision-making in the internationalization process of SMEs, based on the opinion and experience of managers of SMEs in a small economy.

Keywords: internationalization, success factors, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), drivers, decision making

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Authors: Ahmad Alsheikh Kaddour

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Herbal medicine has been a long-standing phenomenon in Arab countries since ancient times because of its breadth and moderate temperament. Therefore, it possesses a vast natural and economic wealth of medicinal and aromatic herbs. This prompted ancient Egyptians and Arabs to discover and exploit them. The economic importance of the plant is not only from medicinal uses; it is a plant of high economic value for its various uses, especially in food, cosmetic and aromatic industries. It is also an ornamental plant and soil stabilization. The main objective of this research is to study the chemical changes that occur in the plant during the growth period, as well as the production of plant buds, which were previously considered unwanted plants. The research was carried out in the period 2021-2022 in the valley of Al-Shaflah (common caper), located in Qumhana village, 7 km north of Hama Governorate, Syria. The results of the research showed a change in the percentage of chemical components in the plant parts. The ratio of protein content and the percentage of fatty substances in fruits and the ratio of oil in the seeds until the period of harvesting of these plant parts improved, but the percentage of essential oils decreased with the progress of the plant growth, while the Glycosides content where improved with the plant aging. The production of buds is small, with dimensions as 0.5×0.5 cm, which is preferred for commercial markets, harvested every 2-3 days in quantities ranging from 0.4 to 0.5 kg in one cut/shrubs with 3 years’ age as average for the years 2021-2022. The monthly production of a shrub is between 4-5 kg per month. The productive period is 4 months approximately. This means that the seasonal production of one plant is 16-20 kg and the production of 16-20 tons per year with a plant density of 1,000 shrubs per hectare, which is the optimum rate of cultivation in the unit of mass, given the price of a kg of these buds is equivalent to 1 US $; however, this means that the annual output value of the locally produced hectare ranges from 16,000 US $ to 20,000 US $ for farmers. The results showed that it is possible to transform the cultivation of this plant from traditional random to typical areas cultivation, with a plant density of 1,000-1,100 plants per hectare according to the type of soil to obtain production of medicinal and nutritious buds, as well as, the need to pay attention to this national wealth and invest in the optimal manner, which leads to the acquisition of hard currency through export to support the national income.

Keywords: common caper, medicinal plants, propagation, medical, economic importance

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Authors: T. C. C. Soo, S. Bhassu

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Unlike the common presence of both innate and adaptive immunity in vertebrates, crustaceans, in particular, shrimps, have been discovered to possess only innate immunity. This further emphasizes the importance of innate immunity within shrimps in pathogenic resistance. Under the study of pathogenic immune challenge, different shrimp species actually exhibit varying degrees of immune resistance towards the same pathogen. Furthermore, even within the same shrimp species, different batches of challenged shrimps can have different strengths of immune defence. Several important pathways are activated within shrimps during pathogenic infection. One of them is JAK-STAT pathway that is activated during bacterial, viral and fungal infections by which STAT(Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription) gene is the core element of the pathway. Based on theory of Central Dogma, the genomic information is transmitted in the order of DNA, RNA and protein. This study is focused in uncovering the important evolutionary patterns present within the DNA (non-coding region) and RNA (coding region). The three shrimp species involved are Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Penaeus monodon and Litopenaeus vannamei which all possess commercial significance. The shrimp species were challenged with a famous penaeid shrimp virus called white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) which can cause serious lethality. Tissue samples were collected during time intervals of 0h, 3h, 6h, 12h, 24h, 36h and 48h. The DNA and RNA samples were then extracted using conventional kits from the hepatopancreas tissue samples. PCR technique together with designed STAT gene conserved primers were utilized for identification of the STAT coding sequences using RNA-converted cDNA samples and subsequent characterization using various bioinformatics approaches including Ramachandran plot, ProtParam and SWISS-MODEL. The varying levels of immune STAT gene activation for the three shrimp species during WSSV infection were confirmed using qRT-PCR technique. For one sample, three biological replicates with three technical replicates each were used for qRT-PCR. On the other hand, DNA samples were important for uncovering the structural variations within the genomic region of STAT gene which would greatly assist in understanding the STAT protein functional variations. The partially-overlapping primers technique was used for the genomic region sequencing. The evolutionary inferences and event predictions were then conducted through the Bayesian Inference method using all the acquired coding and non-coding sequences. This was supplemented by the construction of conventional phylogenetic trees using Maximum likelihood method. The results showed that adaptive evolution caused STAT gene sequence mutations between different shrimp species which led to evolutionary divergence event. Subsequently, the divergent sites were correlated to the differing expressions of STAT gene. Ultimately, this study assists in knowing the shrimp species innate immune variability and selection of disease resistant shrimps for breeding purpose. The deeper understanding of STAT gene evolution from the perspective of both purifying and adaptive approaches not only can provide better immunological insight among shrimp species, but also can be used as a good reference for immunological studies in humans or other model organisms.

Keywords: gene evolution, JAK-STAT pathway, immunology, STAT gene

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Authors: Man Ying Kang, Joshua Kin Man Nan

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The prolonged pandemic has posed alarming public health challenges to various parts of the world, and face-to-face mental health treatment is largely discounted for the control of virus transmission, online psychological services and self-help mental health kits have become essential. Online self-help mindfulness-based interventions have proved their effects on fostering mental health for different populations over the globe. This paper was to test the effectiveness of an online short-term audio-based mindfulness (SAM) program in enhancing wellbeing, dispositional mindfulness, and reducing stress and negative affect in community settings in China, and to explore possible mechanisms of how dispositional mindfulness, stress, and negative affect influenced the intervention effects on wellbeing. Community-dwelling adults were recruited via online social networking sites (e.g., QQ, WeChat, and Weibo). Participants (n=100) were randomized into the mindfulness group (n=50) and a waitlist control group (n=50). In the mindfulness group, participants were advised to spend 10–20 minutes listening to the audio content, including mindful-form practices (e.g., eating, sitting, walking, or breathing). Then practice daily mindfulness exercises for 3 weeks (a total of 21 sessions), whereas those in the control group received the same intervention after data collection in the mindfulness group. Participants in the mindfulness group needed to fill in the World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index (WHO), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI) four times: at baseline (T0) and at 1 (T1), 2 (T2), and 3 (T3) weeks while those in the waitlist control group only needed to fill in the same scales at pre- and post-interventions. Repeated-measure analysis of variance, paired sample t-test, and independent sample t-test was used to analyze the variable outcomes of the two groups. The parallel process latent growth curve modeling analysis was used to explore the longitudinal moderated mediation effects. The dependent variable was WHO slope from T0 to T3, the independent variable was Group (1=SAM, 2=Control), the mediator was FMI slope from T0 to T3, and the moderator was T0NA and T0PSS separately. The different levels of moderator effects on WHO slope was explored, including low T0NA or T0PSS (Mean-SD), medium T0NA or T0PSS (Mean), and high T0NA or T0PSS (Mean+SD). The results found that SAM significantly improved and predicted higher levels of WHO slope and FMI slope, as well as significantly reduced NA and PSS. FMI slope positively predict WHO slope. FMI slope partially mediated the relationship between SAM and WHO slope. Baseline NA and PSS as the moderators were found to be significant between SAM and WHO slope and between SAM and FMI slope, respectively. The conclusion was that SAM was effective in promoting levels of mental wellbeing, positive affect, and dispositional mindfulness as well as reducing negative affect and stress in community settings in China. SAM improved wellbeing faster through the faster enhancement of dispositional mindfulness. Participants with medium-to-high negative affect and stress buffered the therapy effects of SAM on wellbeing improvement speed.

Keywords: mindfulness, negative affect, stress, wellbeing, randomized control trial

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Authors: Chupicai Manuel

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The global efforts to end child labour have been increasingly challenged by adages of global capitalism, inequalities and poverty affecting the global south. In the face the of rising inequalities whose origin can be explained from historical and political economy analysis between the poor and the rich countries, child labour is also on the rise particularly on the global south. The socio-economic and political context of Zimbabwe has undergone serious transition from colonial times through the post-independence normally referred to as the transition period up to the present day. These transitions have aided companies and entities in the business and agriculture sector to exploit child labour while country provided conditions that enhance child labour due to vulnerability of children and anomic child welfare system that plagued the country. Children from marginalised communities dominated by plantations and farms are affected most. This paper explores the experiences and perceptions of children working in tea estates, plantations and farms, and the adults who formerly worked in these plantations during their childhood to share their experiences and perceptions on child labour in Zimbabwe. Childhood theories that view children as apprentices and a human rights perspectives were employed to interrogate the concept of childhood, child labour and poverty alleviation strategies. Phenomenological research design was adopted to describe the experiences of children working in plantations and interpret the meanings they have on their work and livelihoods. The paper drew form 30 children from two plantations through semi-structured interviews and 15 key informant interviews from civil society organisations, international labour organisation, adults who formerly worked in the plantations and the personnel of the plantations. The findings of the study revealed that children work on the farms as an alternative model for survival against economic challenges while the majority cited that poverty compel them to work and get their fees and food paid for. Civil society organisations were of the view that child rights are violated and the welfare system of the country is malfunctional. The perceptions of the majority of the children interviewed are that the system on the plantations is better and this confirmed the socio-constructivist theory that views children as apprentices. The study recommended child sensitive policies and welfare regime that protects children from exploitation together with policing and legal measures that secure child rights.

Keywords: child labour, child rights, phenomenology, poverty reduction

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Authors: Reza Karimpour

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Ports play a decisive role in the EU's external and internal trade, as about 74% of imports and exports and 37% of exchanges go through ports. Although ports, especially Deep Sea Shipping (DSS) ports, are integral nodes within multimodal logistic flows, Short Sea Shipping (SSS) and inland waterways are not so well integrated. The automated vessels and supply chain optimisations for sustainable shortsea shipping (MOSES) project aims to enhance the short sea shipping component of the European supply chain by addressing the vulnerabilities and strains related to the operation of large containerships. The MOSES concept can be shortly described as a large containership (mother-vessel) approaching a DSS port (or a large container terminal). Upon her arrival, a combined intelligent mega-system consisting of the MOSES Autonomous tugboat swarm for manoeuvring and the MOSES adapted AutoMoor system. Then, container handling processes are ready to start moving containers to their destination via hinterland connections (trucks and/or rail) or to be shipped to destinations near small ports (on the mainland or island). For the first case, containers are stored in a dedicated port area (Storage area), waiting to be moved via trucks and/or rail. For the second case, containers are stacked by existing port equipment near-dedicated berths of the DSS port. They then are loaded on the MOSES Innovative Feeder Vessel, equipped with the MOSES Robotic Container-Handling System that provides (semi-) autonomous (un) feeding of the feeder. The Robotic Container-Handling System is remotely monitored through a Shore Control Centre. When the MOSES innovative Feeder vessel approaches the small port, where her docking is achieved without tugboats, she automatically unloads the containers using the Robotic Container-Handling System on the quay or directly on trucks. As a result, ports with minimal or no available infrastructure may be effectively integrated with the container supply chain. Then, the MOSES innovative feeder vessel continues her voyage to the next small port, or she returns to the DSS port. MOSES exploitation activity mainly aims to exploit research outcomes beyond the project, facilitate utilisation of the pilot results by others, and continue the pilot service after the project ends. By the mid-lifetime of the project, the exploitation plan introduces the reader to the MOSES project and its key exploitable results. It provides a plan for delivering the MOSES innovations to the market as part of the overall exploitation plan.

Keywords: automated vessels, exploitation, shortsea shipping, supply chain

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Authors: M. Acin-Albiac, P. Filannino, R. Coda, Carlo G. Rizzello, M. Gobbetti, R. Di Cagno

Abstract:

Demand for smart management of large amounts of agro-food by-products has become an area of major environmental and economic importance worldwide. Brewers' spent grain (BSG), the most abundant by-product generated in the beer-brewing process, represents an example of valuable raw material and source of health-promoting compounds. To the date, the valorization of BSG as a food ingredient has been limited due to poor technological and sensory properties. Tailored bioprocessing through lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation is a versatile and sustainable means for the exploitation of food industry by-products. Indigestible carbohydrates (e.g., hemicelluloses and celluloses), high phenolic content, and mostly lignin make of BSG a hostile environment for microbial survival. Hence, the selection of tailored starters is required for successful fermentation. Our study investigated the metabolic strategies of Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides and Lactobacillus plantarum strains to exploit BSG as a food ingredient. Two distinctive BSG samples from different breweries (Italian IT- and Finish FL-BSG) were microbially and chemically characterized. Growth kinetics, organic acid profiles, and the evolution of phenolic profiles during the fermentation in two BSG model media were determined. The results were further complemented with gene expression targeting genes involved in the degradation cellulose, hemicelluloses building blocks, and the metabolism of anti-nutritional factors. Overall, the results were LAB genus dependent showing distinctive metabolic capabilities. Leuc. pseudomesenteroides DSM 20193 may degrade BSG xylans while sucrose metabolism could be furtherly exploited for extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production to enhance BSG pro-technological properties. Although L. plantarum strains may follow the same metabolic strategies during BSG fermentation, the mode of action to pursue such strategies was strain-dependent. L. plantarum PU1 showed a great preference for β-galactans compared to strain WCFS1, while the preference for arabinose occurred at different metabolic phases. Phenolic compounds profiling highlighted a novel metabolic route for lignin metabolism. These findings will allow an improvement of understanding of how lactic acid bacteria transform BSG into economically valuable food ingredients.

Keywords: brewery by-product valorization, metabolism of plant phenolics, metabolism of lactic acid bacteria, gene expression

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Authors: Magali Canovi, Francesca Pucciarelli

Abstract:

Over the past decade Langhe has developed as a wine tourism destination and has become increasingly popular on an international basis. Wine tourism has been recognized as an important business driver for wineries in Langhe and wine owners have taken advantage of this opportunity through developing a variety of tourism-related activities at their wineries, notably winery visits, wine tastings, cellar-door sales, B&Bs and/or restaurants. In order to promote these tourism-related activities and attract an increasing number of wine tourists, wineries have started to engage in social media. While tourism scholars are now well aware of the benefits social media provides to both travellers and service providers, the existing literature on social media from supplier’s perspective remains limited. Accordingly, this paper aims to fill this gap through providing new insights into how service providers, that is winery owners, exploit social media to promote tourism online. The paper explores the importance and the role of social media as part of wineries’ marketing strategies to promote wine tourism online. The focus lies on understanding, which motives drive winery owners to activate and implement social media activities in promoting wine tourism. A case study approach is adopted, using the North Italian wine region of Langhe in Piedmont. Empirical evidence is provided by a sample of 28 winery owners. An interpretivist approach to research is adopted in order to extend current understandings of social media within the context of wine tourism. In line with the interpretivist perspective, this paper uses discourse analysis (DA) as a methodological approach for analyzing and interpreting winery owners’ accounts. Three key findings emerge from this research. First, there is a general understanding among winery owners what social media represents an opportunity in promoting wine tourism – if not even a must have. Second, the majority of interviewed winery owners are currently applying to some extent social media to promote wine tourism online as well as to interact and engage with tourists directly. Lastly, a varying degree of usage of social media amongst wineries is identified, with some wineries not recognizing social media as a crucial tool in marketing communication strategies. On the other extent, some commonalities in strategies and platforms chosen can be detected by these wineries that actively participate in social media. In conclusion, the main contribution of this paper is that it extends current understandings of social media in the wine tourism context by offering valuable insights into how service providers perceive and engage in social media.

Keywords: langhe, promotion, social media, wine tourism

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Authors: Hannele Kuusisto, Paivi Makila, Ursula Hyrkkanen

Abstract:

Introduction: There have been arguments about the skills university students should have when graduated. Current trends argue that as well as the specific job-related skills the graduated students need problem-solving, interaction and networking skills as well as self-management skills. Skills required in working life are also considered in the Finnish national project called VALTE (short for 'prepared for working life'). The project involves 11 Finnish school organizations. As one result of this project, a five-credit independent online course in study and job engagement as well as in study and job crafting was developed at Turku University of Applied Sciences. The aim of the oral or e-poster presentation is to present the online course developed in the project. The purpose of this abstract is to present the development work of the online course and the feedback received from the pilots. Method: As the University of Turku is the leading partner of the VALTE project, the collaborative education platform ViLLE (https://ville.utu.fi, developed by the University of Turku) was chosen as the online platform for the course. Various exercise types with automatic assessment were used; for example, quizzes, multiple-choice questions, classification exercises, gap filling exercises, model answer questions, self-assessment tasks, case tasks, and collaboration in Padlet. In addition, the free material and free platforms on the Internet were used (Youtube, Padlet, Todaysmeet, and Prezi) as well as the net-based questionnaires about the study engagement and study crafting (made with Webropol). Three teachers with long teaching experience (also with job crafting and online pedagogy) and three students working as trainees in the project developed the content of the course. The online course was piloted twice in 2017 as an elective course for the students at Turku University of Applied Sciences, a higher education institution of about 10 000 students. After both pilots, feedback from the students was gathered and the online course was developed. Results: As the result, the functional five-credit independent online course suitable for students of different educational institutions was developed. The student feedback shows that students themselves think that the developed online course really enhanced their job and study crafting skills. After the course, 91% of the students considered their knowledge in job and study engagement as well as in job and study crafting to be at a good or excellent level. About two-thirds of the students were going to exploit their knowledge significantly in the future. Students appreciated the variability and the game-like feeling of the exercises as well as the opportunity to study online at the time and place they chose themselves. On a five-point scale (1 being poor and 5 being excellent), the students graded the clarity of the ViLLE platform as 4.2, the functionality of the platform as 4.0 and the easiness of operating as 3.9.

Keywords: job crafting, job engagement, online course, study crafting, study engagement

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