bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vestibular and Proprioceptive Alteration Influence Postural Instability During Dual Tasks in Adults Diagnosed with HIV [Texas Woman's University]
Authors: Jamison Leah Rochelle , Gines Gabriel , Marshall Jonathan , Rosario Martin G.
Published: September 2020

Background & Purpose: People diagnosed with HIV can exhibit impaired postural control as a consequence of infection or from secondary effects of medication. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess postural control during four single and four dual tasks to evaluate the role of the vestibular and proprioceptive system during these balance activities. We hypothesize that postural stability will decrease with the increase of task complexity. Number of Subjects : 24 Materials/Methods : The study was conducted in San Juan, Puerto Rico at La Perla de Gran Precio Rehabilitation Clinic for HIV. 24 subjects (13 male and 11 female) participated in the study. Age range was 59.2± 1.7 years old. Participants had to be diagnosed with HIV and have a CD4 count >200 cells/uL to enroll in the study. After signing the informed consent and collecting demographic data, a member of the research team placed a lumbar accelerometer on each subject. Each participant was instructed to stand in a static bi-pedal posture on a firm surface or a thick foam pad . Each task took 15 seconds to be performed, multiply per nine balance tasks (18x15=3 minutes and 10 seconds), plus the 2 minutes of rest between every two tasks (2x6 minutes=12). The eight remaining balance tasks will be performed with a thick balance foam mat and further divided into two parts, four single and four dual cognitive tasks (subjects counting backward 3 numbers at a time). Results : Postural control was measured with Body-worn accelerometers (ACC). The two variables of interest in this study were jerk sway acceleration in an anterior-posterior (A-P) and mediolateral direction (M-L), m^2/s^5. A MANOVA analysis was used to evaluate Jerk of sway acceleration in both directions, between baseline (BL) (firm surface eyes open) and single/double tasks. Postural control was significantly altered during single (ACC BL 0.020 ± .01 m^2/s^5 versus ACC single task 0.20 ± 0.02 m^2/s^5 P< 0.005) and dual tasks (ACC BL 0.020 ± .01 m^2/s^5 versus ACC dual task 0.23 ± 0.03 m^2/s^5 P< 0.005) when visual input was canceled, and vestibular system was altered in an A-P direction. Thus ACC sway acceleration was increased in an anterior-posterior direction when the Ve and Pro system was challenged at the same time during the Vi system where canceled. Conclusions : Single and dual tasks showed similar challenge and results regarding increased acceleration and instability. It appears that the vestibular and proprioceptive systems could be impaired in HIV diagnosed people. Because there is no fall history among the participants of this study and these findings, it seems that patients with HIV rely on the visual system to a higher degree to attain postural control. Clinical Relevance : Identify balance disturbance in early stages to reduce the risk of fall.
HPV VACCINATION: INCREASING PARENTAL AWARENESS ON PREVENTING CANCER IN THEIR CHILDREN
Authors: Areo Adeola , Crawford Kia , Nwachukwu Chichy
Published: September 2020

HPV is responsible for almost all cervical, anal, oropharynx, penile, vaginal cancers and 90% of genital warts (Rahman, Laz, McGrath, & Berenson, 2014). HPV infection often occurs shortly after initiation of sexual activity. In one study of college-aged women, the cumulative incidence of any HPV infection at 1 year after sexual intercourse was 28.5%, and increased to almost 50% by 3 years (Wang & Palefsky, 2015). HPV is usually transmitted through vaginal or anal intercourse, but it can occur through oral-genital or genital-genital contact as well (Wang & Palefsky, 2015). Currently in the United States, there are three vaccines approved for the prevention of HPV. The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends routine administration of HPV vaccine at ages 11 and 12 for girls and boys, with catch-up vaccinations through age 26 for females and age 21 for males.
Texas College Students' Perceptions of Family Services [Texas Woman's University]
Authors: Gross Megan , Manohar Annamayil , Rose Katherine K.
Published: September 2020

The purpose of this research project is to examine Texas college students’ perceptions about family services. Opinions that students develop regarding family services may influence their willingness to report or refer to appropriate services as professionals. Though there is little research over student perceptions, there is literature on parent perception of services their child receives. Murray-Labriolaet al. (2015) found that after a child received family-centered services, parents viewed that particular service in a positive light. However, Staniforth, Deane, & Beddoe(2016) found that the media is the largest influence on the perceptions of social services by the public, and that media presentation of social services are strongly negative. This same study also found a positive correlation between education level and positive opinions of social services. This study seeks to fill this gap in the literature by examining the perceptions Texas college students have about different types of social services, as well as the experiences that they feel most affect those perceptions.
The Influence of Poverty on Teen Pregnancy in Texas
Authors: Felder Starla Ja'Na , Ellis Briania Denise , Dangerfield Darrione Katrina , Mair Jhevon Antonio , Cummings Racheal Shavonne , Hassan Mona
Published: September 2020

The purpose of this proposed study is to better understand the relationship between poverty and teen pregnancy in the state of Texas. The aim is to show that adolescents are more likely to get pregnant if they reside in a low-socioeconomic environment when compared to adolescents who do not live in a low economic area. Using the family structural theory, we will view the important dynamics of how poverty and teen pregnancy affects the household and means of avoiding contraception. A descriptive, retrospective study design will be used to assess the relationship between poverty and the occurrence of teen pregnancy, in adolescent females, in Texas. A total of 168 participants will be utilized to conduct this research. Participants aged from 13 through 19 from all ethnicities who live in Houston, Texas without pre-existing diseases will be included in the study. Data will be conducted by a positive pregnancy test and the Harris County Admissions form to determine annual income, number of pregnancies, and members within the household. A chi-square analysis will be used to determine the correlation between poverty and teen pregnancy. This study will bring awareness to the healthcare community and facilitate a broader outlook on teen pregnancy.
An Evaluation of Communication Methods for Community Outreach in Patients with Diabetes
Authors: Tjong Elysia , Salazar Aaron , Chang Jesse , Saif Shafqat , Shadarevian Melanie De , Scheffer Claire , Morello Brittany , Bhatti Parambir , Barringer Andy , Savarani Arsineh Artounian , Naranjo Jesus , Kalam Salil , Dioxon, DO Chris , Wagner Ray , Whelihan Kate , Lewis Joy H.
Published: September 2020

Research Objectives To prevent health complications, patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus should be regularly seen by their medical provider and routinely checked for hemoglobin A1c levels. However, many patients do not return for routine visits. The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of two communication modalities in scheduling patient appointments. Study Design/Methods Patients with a hemoglobin A1c > 9.0 not seen in clinic in >6 months were randomly assigned to a control or experimental group. All participants received an initial text message offering help with scheduling an appointment. The control group was contacted via a second text message and the experimental group was contacted via phone call. Additionally, the experimental group was asked to identify perceived healthcare barriers. In addition to the reported barriers, data included patients who scheduled and kept appointments in each group when data was available. Chi-squared test (p-value of <0.001) was performed.   Principal Findings and Quantitative Results   The total number of patients with an HbA1c greater than 9.0% was 416. A total of 156 were contacted with 34 (21.8%) participating. Twenty-five (16.0%) were lost to follow-up. Sixteen patients (47.1%) responded to voice and 18 (52.9%) to text. A chi-squared test with a value of 49.67 (p-value of <0.001) determined our findings significant. Ten (6.4%) were scheduled for follow-up. A larger proportion of patients received an appointment via voice (6 of 16, 37.5%) than text (4 of 18, 22.2%) with a chi-squared value of 118.56 (p-value of <0.0001).   Conclusions/Impact on Health Centers The study demonstrated that combined use of text messaging and phone calls could lead to higher rates of scheduled appointments. Future studies could address whether appointments made with this method of contact are kept. One factor that limited scheduled appointments was that 16% of patients indicated they were no longer being seen at El Rio. This suggests the need for an additional feature to be placed in NextGen where staff can indicate that patients are no longer being followed. Results of our research will be presented at El Rio Research Fair in May 2019.
Community-Based Intervention to Increase Usage of Medication Disposal Bins
Authors: Agarwal Sanjhavi , Burr Jordan , Darnell Charis , Ellison Brett , El-Khalili Amir , Kassenbrock Dylan , Khorsraviani Naveed , Matthew Anna , Teich-McGoldrick Rebecca , Wu Jenny
Published: September 2020

Despite the existence of medical waste disposal sites, many patients do not know how to discard their unused and expired medications. The goal of this project is to assess health care providers’ knowledge regarding proper medication disposal (PMD) and to measure the effectiveness of a brief provider informational intervention regarding PMD. Changes in knowledge were evaluated using paper pre and post surveys. The surveys were administered anonymously before and after the presentation. Principal findings: A total of 55 healthcare providers (Clinic A n = 25, Clinic B n = 28) received the PMD presentation. 52 (95%) completed the pre and post surveys. Pre-intervention knowledge of PMD was higher in Clinic B where there was an existing medication disposal box (92% accuracy) compared to Clinic B which did not have a medical disposal bin (52% accuracy). Surveys results showed improvement in 36% of Clinic A participants and 14.3% of Clinic B participants (p value = 0.0086). Based on these findings, we can conclude that the presence of a medication disposal bin is positively correlated with provider knowledge regarding PMD. This may be used to encourage the institution of medication disposal bins in more health centers and an increase in medical staff knowledge of the practice.
Investigation of the Effectiveness of Graphene for Water Purification
Authors: Janicek Anna Maree
Published: September 2020

This project proposes another purpose for graphene in tandem with water desalination: water purification. Water consumption surpasses the Earth’s carrying capacity.  While steps have been taken, desalination accounts for only 1% of alternative methods in generating clean water. This is mainly due to the large energy footprints and high capital costs. This water that is suitable for human consumption is additionally under new and increasing threats of pollution from industrialization allowing carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) to settle within the ocean long after the initial contamination. The danger of PAHs has been acknowledged by various filtration studies, but there has been a particular focus on an ambient air medium. Through researching the effectiveness of multi-layer freestanding graphene with nanometer scale pores to filter NaCl and PAHs from oil using IR spectroscopy to determine residual species after filtration with graphene and tetrahydrofuran (THF). Understanding the interactions of graphene and THF with NaCl and PAHs will allow great insight into new techniques of water filtration; such insight could be furthered with additional surface chemistry software simulations. This research will determine if graphene holds potential in water purification. Desalination is a promising solution to the restricted quantity of freshwater and the ability to attract and remove dangerous PAHs from ocean water could save aquatic life around the world. Synthesizing a device that reduces toxicity and salinity attributes in seawater could revolutionize the water filtration industry.
Examining The Relationship Between Cigarette Usage and the Influence of Interpersonal Relationships
Authors: McCoy Daniel , Gill Nasiru , Taylor Victoria C. , Thompson Deidre , Bell Sonial
Published: September 2020

Tobacco usage continues to be a rampant problem among the American population regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity. Interpersonal relationships have been associated with statistical frequency in the patterns of tobacco usage. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between cigarette usage and interpersonal relationships that have motivated an individual to quit smoking. Participants were (N = 23,204) adolescents and early adulthood participants (Mean age = 15.83, SD = 4.53), with 41.8% of the sample reporting they currently use cigarettes and another 36.0% of the sample reporting no current cigarette usage (measured using the Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interviews (ACASI). From the current study, 45.0% of participants reported their close friends and family did not disapprove of their cigarette smoking, 19.0% reported their close friends and family only somewhat disapproved, and 12.8.% reported their close friends and family very much disapproved of their cigarette smoking. Interpersonal influence that motivated an individual to quit smoking and cigarette usage was measured using a secondary data analysis from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. It was hypothesized that there is a statistically significant relationship between cigarette usage and interpersonal relationships having motivated an individual to quit smoking. Frequency data revealed that of the 42% of participants who were currently smoking cigarettes, approximately 32% reported having close friends and family who somewhat or very much disapproved of their smoking and motivated them to quit. Consistent with the hypothesis, current cigarette usage was statistically significantly related to interpersonal influence on individuals quitting smoking with a r = -.150 (p < .01) at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). A simple correlation was conducted using secondary data where both X and Y are random variables beyond the experimenter’s control. The findings yield a weak, positive correlation between current cigarette usage and interpersonal influence on individuals quitting smoking. The R2 and adjusted R2 = .022, and the ANOVA table revealed there is a statistically significant linear relationship between cigarette usage and interpersonal influence on motivating individuals to quit smoking. These results support the rejection of the null hypothesis in which there is no statistically significant relationship between the two variables. Findings of a positive weak correlation suggests other variables are contributing to reported frequency data pertaining to interpersonal influence on cigarette usage. In conclusion, future research studies should investigate other variables such as environmental factors or cultural influences.
Examining The Relationship Between Smoking Cigarettes and Experiences of Sleep Disturbances
Authors: HAWKINS Francis , Gill Nasiru , Taylor Victoria C. , Thompson Deirdre , Bell Sonia
Published: September 2020

Research has shown there is a relationship between adolescent and young adult cigarette smokers and experiences of sleep disturbances. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between cigarette smoking and sleep disturbances, such as bad dreams, sleeping restlessly or falling asleep during the day among adolescent and young adult smokers who are participants in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study. Participants were (N = 25,049) adolescents and early adulthood participants (Mean age = 15.83, SD = 4.53) who answered the questions for the variables in this study. Approximately 55% of the participants reported significant problems with sleep trouble, such as bad dreams, sleeping restlessly or falling asleep during the day in the past month (29.7%), two to twelve months (13.8%), and over a year ago (11.3%) (measured using the Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interviews [ACASI]). Approximately 54% of the same participants reported smoking daily (39.6%) or some days (14.1%) (measured using ACASI). The specific methods used in this study was a correlational test of the variables predicted to be positively related. It was hypothesized that there is a positive link between one's cigarette smoking and having significant difficulty with sleeping, such as bad dreams, sleeping restlessly or falling asleep during the day. Consistent with the hypothesis, current cigarette smoking was statistically significantly related to having significant difficulty with sleeping, such as bad dreams, sleeping restlessly or falling asleep during the day, resulting with r = .073 (p < .01) at the 0.01 level (1-tailed). The R2 and adjusted R2 = .005, and the ANOVA table revealed there is a statistically significant linear relationship between current smoking of cigarettes and having sleep disturbances such as bad dreams, sleeping restlessly or falling asleep during the day. These results suggest that as one’s cigarette smoking increases their experience with sleep disturbance, such as bad dreams, sleeping restlessly or falling asleep during the day increases. These results support the rejection of the null hypothesis of there being no statistically significant relationship between current cigarette smoking and having sleep disturbances. There is a weak positive correlation between current cigarette smoking and having sleep disturbances. It is concluded that cigarette smoking among young adults is associated with experiences of sleep disturbances. Future research is needed to determine the complex relationship between smoking and sleep disturbances; there are several other factors that should be considered, such as genetic factors, race/ethnicity, lifestyle choices and SES.
The Development of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) For the Efficiency of Back Office Operations at Bank Muscat
Authors: Al Balushi Manar , Goel Nupur
Published: September 2020

Achieving operational efficiency is a concern for the financial institutions especially banks. Robotic process automation is software that can be used to automate repetitive, rule-based processes. Employees in the bank’s back-office operations deal with high-volume of data every day. RPA is a new wave of technologies that is true to be adopted to improve efficiency, accuracy, productivity and reduce the operational costs. The purpose of this study is to expose the development of robotic process automation (RPA) within the bank for the efficiency of back-office operation processes. The survey was established as collected primary data for Bank’s employees to introduce RPA and analyses the current state of back-office operational. Additionally, interview was conducted within to identify the requirements of developing RPA based on the bank’s needs. Also, the challenges of adopting RPA has been analyzed within the present environment of the bank. The secondary data were collected from literature reviews on the RPA benefits and it is successful implementation within banking industry in order to highlight the positive implication of developing RPA and support primary data collected. The results indicate to develop RPA, the bank needs to analyses the basic requirements and overcome the challenges that would obstruct the developing of RPA. Also, bank should spread the knowledge of RPA with its benefits and involve the employees for the developments and training. This research will help the banks in Oman to make decisions on moving towards automation and digitalization to improve their quality of products/services that can be achieved by having efficient back-office processes.
Effect of corporate governance on the financial performance of OMRAN Company
Authors: AlKhusaibi Rehab Masoud , Goel Nupur
Published: September 2020

This research study focuses on the Effect of corporate governance on the financial performance of OMRAN Company, the purpose is that any reader should gain a comprehensive idea of the research by knowing more information about the effect of corporate governance on the financial performance of OMRAN Company, and know more about the importance of corporate governance for any organisation especially in large organisations. These days, many organisations are focusing on the corporate governance parts in viable and extravagant way to get done with business functions in perfect and complete way.  In order to obtain result, the questionnaire was distributed to employees those are working in finance department and responded by 50 employees.  The findings of the study highlighted that   corporate governance could prevent the failures in the organisation. Hence, it can be declared that the role of corporate governance is much related with the organisations and its significance cannot be regardless in any aspect.  In addition this study covers very important information about the work of board, management, and shareholder and how it is managed and facilitated by the corporate governance of the company. In addition corporate governance is helping the organisation to sustain the financial performance. In this research I have reached to an important point which is showing that corporate governance cannot be ignore in anyway and it needs to observe properly.
Merging Artificial Intelligence & Blockchain Technologies to Solve Academic Qualification Forgery Issues
Authors: Al Wahaibi Aisha Abdullah Ali , Jose Manju
Published: September 2020

This paper emphasizes on the possibility of merging Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain technologies to solve academic qualifications forgery issues in the educational sectors. Empirical data is collected through interviews with many specialist and technical people who is interested in the emerging technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and focused group discussion in the field, as well as from reports in the reviewed literary articles. Scientific journals have also been accessed to analyze the paper goals and objectives. The findings are based on the conclusion suggest that emerging technologies can be integrated to become more efficient and effective in detecting fraud and forgery before it occurs. Considerable attention should be given to reducing and combating these issues because they have significant negative impacts on the economy and education. Accordingly, the study makes recommendations based on the results and areas of future research, considering the establishment of a unified and integrated system. Initially will be applied as a pilot in Sultanate of Oman, then gradually will be extended to the Gulf Cooperation Council States (GCC) and internationally particularly the affiliated and the recognized educational institutions to avoid the phenomena that affect the reputation and quality of education institutions and academic qualifications. In the conclusion considering the impacts of the proposed system in the education and economy as well in general. This research aims to investigate academic forgery cases in the world and then focuses in Oman. Furthermore, it explores the possibilities of merging technologies (Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain) to contribute in eliminating fraud before it occurs. In addition, to propose a framework that will help to find solutions based on the suggested integrated technologies. Finally, it assess the probabilities of the proposed solutions performance and its impacts in the academic sector.
Modelling and Simulation Studies of Multiple Packings Distillation Column
Authors: Almanie Sabha , Albloshi Abdullah , Alhosni Mallak , Al-Mighaizwi Shahad , Adewole Jimoh
Published: September 2020

Large scale separation of liquid mixtures into their various components is one of the major operations in the process industries. Distillation remains one of the predominant separation techniques that is use for these separations. It accounts for about 90% of product recovery and purification in the process industries. The strength of the distillation technique lies on its simplicity, low capital investment, and low risk as compared to other traditional separation techniques. In the present study, the synergistic effects of multiple packings in binary distillation column operations was investigated. The investigation was done using Aspen HYSYS process simulation software. Specifically, the study was done to establish a packing order that will be required to achieve a reduction in energy consumption and the overall cost of separation processes that involve distillation operation. The packed distillation was simulated using Berl saddles, Intalox saddles, and Pall rings as the column internals. Single, dual and triple packing arrangements were evaluated. The multiple packing arrangement investigated were Berl/Intalox, Berl/Pall, Pall/Intalox, and Berl/Intalox/Pall. Binary mixtures of pentane and hexane was used as feed to the column. The results of this simulation revealed that the use of multiple packing arrangement had a significant effect on the energy consumption, the height of packing and hence the cost of equipment fabrication. For instance, the estimated cost of packings  (USD) are 524.89 for Berl, 406.85 for Pall, 303.77 for Intallox, 427.09 for Berl/Intalox, 473.06 for Berl/Pall, 323.51 for Pall/Intalox, and 388.60 for Berl/Intalox/Pall. These results clearly revealed that multiple packing arrangements can be used to reduce the cost of column fabrication without compromising the performance of the equipment.
Stabilization of clayey soil using Gypsum
Authors: Reethu Bussa , Kumar Mankala Sumanth , Sharath Gunde , Ramanjaneyulu Batchu , Manchiryal Ram Kishore
Published: September 2020

The poor soil properties result in foundation failures of the structure which further causes in cracks of structural elements and walls. To avoid this, it is essential to enhance the soil properties. Soil stabilization is one of the processes to improve the engineering properties of the soil and thus making it more stable. It is required when the soil available for construction is not appropriate for the intended purpose.

In this research, for stabilizing clayey soil and to achieve higher strength in minimum time period, gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) is used as one of the soil stabilizing agents. Experiments were planned to evaluate the properties of clayey soil on the addition of different percentages of Gypsum i.e., 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% to the existing soil. Tests conducted on clayey soil mixed with Gypsum included are, Atterberg’s Limits, Specific Gravity and Standard Proctor Test. A comparison between the properties of clayey soil, clayey soil mixed with Gypsum is done to understand the effect of Gypsum addition on soil properties. It was observed that the soil properties were enhanced for 6% of Gypsum addition to the soil.
Smart Fire Alarm System Using IOT
Authors: Al Shereiqi Ibrahim Majid , Sohail Muham mad
Published: September 2020

The research paper proposes the “Smart Fire Alarm System Using IOT” in smart building by integrating IOT devices, including fire alarm devices (smoke and temperature detectors), Arduino and other complementary equipment. The idea of the research paper is when a fire occurs, the sensors will send a message to the security of the building and the official, and this massage includes location and time. The internet of things is predicted to provide businesses and people with better visibility and has the power to control 99% of environments and available objects that are at this time out of reach of the internet. So therefor, IOT make opportunity to people and businesses to be attached with the outside world even more than before that will achieve more meaningful work in higher levels. The traditional fire alarm system contains several types of devices each has a specific role in system operation to detect people and worn them through visual and audible devices if there is a fire, smoke, carbon monoxide or any other emergencies. This type of alarm can automatically have activated from heat and smoke detector and it could be activated by manual fire alarms such us manual focal point or intake station. Alarms can come as a motorized bell; horns or wall-mounted speaker they can also be luminous sound for speakers that actually sound an alarm, and add an audio evacuation message that for example will warn people against using elevator.
IOT based smart home
Authors: Al Sheyadi Mahmood Talib , Sohail Muhammad
Published: September 2020

With the great development in all areas of our lives, especially communications and electronics, which is the basic component of any service or industry. By exploiting this development and incorporating it into our daily lives and in the tools we use, our lives are gradually transformed into easier and more choices. This project is an example of Exploitation of technologies in a way that serves the need of human security and safety. By sing the available communication and electronics technologies, it is possible to modify and improve homes to be safer and safer (Vermesan et al., 2017). The idea of the project is to connect all parts and appliances to a system that allows them to communicate with each other in the first place and on the other hand allows the user to control them remotely and monitor all the developments and notifications of each system and this called IOT system (Lobaccaro, Carlucci, & Löfström, 2016).  The application of this type of system is possible to control all the food of the house and identify everything from the security system to the lighting system and air conditioning. For example, the domestic fire system, in the new system is able to identify all types of gases and evaluate the appropriate solution to get rid of gas and avoid danger and inform the owner of accurate information. Unlike the old system, which triggers the alarm in all halal and does not recognize many of the deadly gases that may kill everyone in the house. Determine the cause of the problem. The system can communicate with all parts of the house, get rid of the risk causes, and avoid all risks. As well as the system for all other devices, it is possible to save energy as the work of the devices depends on the sensors of the need to work (Díaz, Martín, & Rubio, 2016). Overall, the system consists of smart sensors for every part of the house that recognize everything and monitor all changes and risks around the clock.
Application of mobile computing in big data technologies
Authors: Ali ALHajri Imam Mohammed , Pandey Jitendra
Published: September 2020

Mobile are progressively turning into a basic piece of individuals' day by day life, encouraging to play out an assortment of valuable assignments. Portable distributed computing coordinates versatile and distributed computing to grow their abilities and benefits and beats their impediments, for example, constrained memory, CPU power and battery life. Enormous information examination advancements empower extricating an incentive from information having four Vs: volume, assortment, speed and veracity. This paper talks about organized medicinal services and the job of versatile distributed computing and enormous information investigation in its enablement. The inspiration and advancement of arranged medicinal services applications and frameworks is introduced alongside the appropriation of distributed computing in social insurance. A Cloudlet–based Mobile Cloud Computing framework to be utilized for social insurance large information applications is depicted. The procedures, instruments, and uses of enormous information examination are checked on. Ends are drawn concerning the plan of organized social insurance frameworks utilizing large information and versatile distributed computing advances. A point of view toward organized human services is given.
The perceived impact of employee turnover and its outcome on the efficiency of the organizational performance
Authors: Al Amri Hanan Suleiman Salim , Pandey Jitendra
Published: September 2020

The problem of employee turnover is very important in any organization. The impact of displacing an employee differ based on many factors, including the hardness of the position. To study the impact, we prepare a questionnaire and distribute it online with people working in Oman. However, there is not many studies highlighted the employee turnover. Employee turnover is a measurement of numbers of employee who left their works or organization and there are two types of employee turnover, voluntary and involuntary.

 

Therefore, the aim of this research is to examine the problem and understand it, which consists of three elements: analyze the cause, determine the impact of employee’s performance, and provide solutions and recommendation based on findings.  This research focuses on the impact of staff turnover on organizational effectiveness and employee performance within Oman. High staff turnover rate may jeopardize efforts to attain organizational objectives. In addition, when an organization loses a critical employee, there is negative impact on innovation, consistency in providing service to guests may be jeopardized and major delays in the delivery of services to customers may occur. The research design used in this study was the quantitative approach, which allowed the researcher to use structured questionnaires when collecting data.

 

A pilot study was conducted to test the questionnaire. The survey method was used in this study because the target population only composed of 100 employees. A high response rate of 88% was obtained using the personal method of data collection, questionnaire was structured in a 5-point Likert scale format. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 15 for Windows was used for statistical analysis of the main responses. The study finding suggests that salary is the primary cause of staff turnover in the Department of Home Affairs. The findings highlighted that high staff turnover increases workload to the present employees in the department. The study finding also showed that staff turnover causes reduction in effective service delivery to the customers and reflects poorly on the image of the Department. Other findings suggested that unhealthy working relationship may also be the cause of staff turnover in the department. The recommendations highlighted that top management should pay a marketable salary to employees and the employees must be rewarded if they have achieved their goals. Top management should also develop opportunities for career advancement in the department. Top management should involve employees when they make key decisions that will affect them in the organization. The study concludes with direction for future research.
IoT in Agriculture: A Smart Forming in Apartment Building at Sultanate of Oman
Authors: AlSarmi Lamiya Yousuf , M. R. Puttaswamy
Published: September 2020

The world strives to exploit the fourth revolution in technology, including the great developments such as the Internet of Things (IoT) to improve life. IoT technology is used in many areas of life from industry health and environment to personal life. Agriculture is, therefore, one of the key sectors of life that have benefited from modern technology such as the use of drones for crop assessment, irrigation, monitoring and mapping, big data in crop analysis for companies and countries. The Internet of Things was not far off as it was introduced to monitor plant irrigation. Increased awareness of the environment and the exploitation of small and semi-enclosed areas in agriculture and turning them into green areas. The IoT technology converts this process into intelligent and dynamic based on wireless sensing with the help of the device programmed by the Arduino. This data is collected in Power BI what to help in the future development of the device and analysis of the data. The device senses soil moisture and temperature and connects it to its cloud platform for optimal management of future planting. The device senses soil moisture and temperature and connects it to its cloud power BI platform for optimal management of future planting. This technology helps reduce agricultural costs and labor. Therefore, this paper proposes an intelligent system with the help of the Internet of Things in the management of smart farming in apartment building with the help of Arduino.
Impact of “e-Commerce Business and boom of online market” on Retailers in Oman
Authors: Al-Abri Anwaar , Pandey Jitendra
Published: September 2020

The Internet plays an important role in our daily life. We use the internet daily almost for every single work. Before e-commerce buying and selling were done without the internet physically in the markets but after the arrival of e-commerce in Oman, our life has become more convenient because of its number of advantages. Online shopping is a part of e-commerce which is done mostly by the users due to e-commerce websites in Oman which allows us to buy and sell the products according to our choice at affordable prices. An E-commerce website has a lot of impacts on different markets and retailers. In this paper, we will discuss about the different markets and retailers and impacts of e-commerce on them. Electronic commerce is a type of business and can say it is a commercial transaction, It covers many different types of businesses, from consumer based sites, to exchange trading of business and services between corporations. There is much company providing e-commerce services such as eBay, Alibaba express, Shop Site, etc (Khurana . A, 2019). This research talks about Amazon.com Company which is an E-Commerce Company for online shopping based in Seattle, it is one of the biggest companies in Seattle, to sell products online. Jeff Bezos founder of the Amazon Company In 1994, The beginning of Amazon was as an online library and then other elements were added like DVDs, video games, electronics, music, and clothing. Just five years after the start of the Amazon, the company got a great success in generalizing online shopping. Amazon service 137 customers a week, Amazon users are 5x more than e bays, and the user average brings about 189 $. Also, it has more than 117000 employees around the word. Amazon is interested in providing more easily and batters services that attract more customers. Amazon is the titan of e-commerce payment, data storage, hardware and media, amazon it intervenes in many industries and it is a site of online customer and trader for sale and purchase, the membership in amazon from the united state around 85 million subscribers. The best encapsulation is flywheel of amazon deal ambition that to be customer-obsessed and to overcome the modern e-commercial world, that ambition was clear from early on which keeps Amazon company develop their system and add some tools with the new process through the online system.

Finally, the information system improve the management of Amazon business, decrease the errors either on order details or deliver order, provide a quality work make the order easy and faster low the costs, attract customers, accuracy in registration and record the information and increase the financial income  (Kenneth C. Landon, Jane P. Laudon , 2011).
Drivers of adopting Circular Economy in Oman built environment
Authors: Alhosni Ibtisam Sulaiman , Amoudi Omar
Published: September 2020

Circular Economy is a sustainable transition from the current linear thinking to a circular approach. The construction industry is criticized as the first responsible of waste generation and resources consumption, thus, it will be the sector which has potential of adopting the Circular economy approach. Oman construction industry is not an exception, it also negatively suffers from high waste and therefore adopting CE approach will be crucial to enhance the industry reputation and sustainability aspects. According to previous research, the critical challenges facing the adoption of circular economy concept in Oman built environment were introduced firstly with absence of clear vision and legislation supporting CE, as well as, lack of government funding of research, innovation, and investment as governmental barriers, followed by a technical barrier which is absence of qualified professionals in CE in construction industry.

The aim of this study is to explore the drivers supporting the adoption CE in Oman Built Environment. An exploratory study was conducted to explore the main drivers of CE in Oman built environment through 10 interviews of the built environment professionals and 80 questionnaire survey responses of built environment stakeholders. The results revealed that the key findings of the critical drivers of adopting CE in Oman built environment are: governmental responsibility through establishment of a clear vision and regulations of CE, upgrade public awareness, being a role model of CE implementation, as well as, establishing of supportive infrastructure for recovery process through collaboration with the private sector.

Finally, gaining momentum in CE in Oman built environment shall be initiated by governmental effort to benefit economically, socially and environmentally.
Attendance Tracking using RFID and IoT
Authors: Al Tarshia Ahoud Rashid Khalfan , Al Sadia Nouf Salem Issa , Vimbia Viswan
Published: September 2020

Technologies played an important role in developing the way of living life in terms of making it more easer and flexible than the past. One of the technologies in prominence is RFID which stands for “Radio-Frequency Identification”. RFID uses electromagnetic fields to transfer data that can automate identity and track using tags.  This technology has been widely used in IT Asset Tracking, Logistics, Real Time Location Systems, Library systems and many more including Attendance Management in schools and colleges.  Internet of Things (IoT) is considered as a technology that monitors the status of physical objects, capture meaningful data and communicate them through internet to software applications.  The advancement in 4G and 5G technologies have accelerated the use of IoT and for instance with RFID wearable devices in collecting data wirelessly and sending them to software applications for better decision making. This project proposes a smart Attendance Tracking system using RFID and IoT for tracking attendance of students in classrooms.  The project proposes to eradicate the time consuming, insecure and inefficient way of attendance tracking by calling names or signing on paper.  A common way of attendance tracking with RFID is with the biometric system. However, this project proposes a protype using RFID and IoT with cloud-based applications that reduces IT support, decreases costs and builds intelligence to RFID tags.  The prototype experiments with Ultra High Frequency RFID cards in association with Arduino Raspberry Pi microcontrollers and Microsoft Azure for cloud-based app and data storage.  The software recognizes the student through the information on the UHF RFID smart card for recording attendance.  Besides sending SMS or email to stakeholders confirming their presence in the class the prototype also uses built-in intelligence that informs about class timings, venue and cautioning late arrivals.  The data obtained wirelessly from RFID cards can be analysed and provide the organization with information related measuring attendance at sessions, demographic visibility, engagement metrics, duration spent in seminars or events and understand interests and preferences. The project accentuates the role of RFID and IoT in enhancing the smart attendance system.
Green Building – Energy Conservation using IoT
Authors: Al Abriaa Hind Mohammed Abdullah , Vimbia Viswan
Published: September 2020

Energy resources are the main generator of electricity and works based on its natural condition and circumstances, namely - renewable, fossils and nuclear energy. Wind, wave, tidal and solar are examples of renewable energy resource and coal, oil and natural gas are instances of fossil energy resource. Energy conservation plays a significant role to reduce demand, develop and use renewable energy sources, protect and replenish supplies and reduce climate changes. In a study done by the Japan International Cooperation Agency in 2013, a masterplan for energy conservation in the power sector was created for the Sultanate of Oman.  The masterplan aims at bringing power efficiency on the demand side and conserving electric power by the year 2023 and thereby institutionalize and promote an Energy Efficiency & Conservation policy (EE & C).  The EE & C policy have led to the rise of ‘green’ building projects in Oman which works to reduce and prevent negative impacts on natural environment and conserve energy. Advertently the Oman Green Building Council (OGBC) was established in 2012 which aims at promoting green building concepts and ensure sustainable development. Sustainable energy is meeting requirements of the present generation without wastage and the ability of future generations to meet their own requirements.  This project chooses an office room in the college as a sample and attempts to make it ‘green’. We use renewable energy like solar, pollution and waste reduction measures, and enabling recycling and re-use of materials that are non-toxic, ethical and sustainable and adapts to a changing environment.  The project will use IoT devices like sensors and boards with microcontrollers (Raspberry PI) to achieve sustainability and ‘green’.  An app will show real time use of electrical components like light, air conditioner and fan and controls the usage of these components to maximize the percentage of sustainability and energy efficiency. The results of the app like real time measurement of energy consumptions accruing to a days’ usage are useful in further data analysis.  This project will help to implement the system in the entire organization and adding an impetus to the global energy efficiency and conservation struggle.