bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feeding Forage Cowpea: Goats Performed Well with High Nutrient Digestibility and Nitrogen Retention
Authors: Garba Bala Aminu , Rabiu Hassan Mohammed
Published: July 2023

This chapter deals with the utilization and performance of Red Sokoto goats fed varieties of forage cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). It contains information for use right from keeping to precision production of goats. Background information is given on cowpea history and distribution, cowpea varieties and forage yields of cowpea (mainly in Africa and precisely Nigeria). Cowpea haulm nutritional value, mineral contents as well as anti-nutritional factors like tannins, saponins, oxalate, phytate and phenols are then detailed. The final sections highlight the performance of Red Sokoto goats in terms of nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention when fed with two cowpea haulm varieties for optimum performance under smallholder production system.
Gamification of personalized learning through Massive Open Online Courses: learner-to-AI enabled chatbot
Authors: John Thomas Basil , Alkhafaji Salah
Published: July 2023

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are considered an educational revolution that widens access to quality education and enhances social inclusion. With their fast advancement and potential influence in education, they have been enlisted in the modernization agenda of many universities globally. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of learning through MOOCs is debatable, while student retention rate ranges significantly. The primary reason is considered the lack of interactivity in MOOCs, which urges enhancement of interaction between teachers and students. Another challenge regarding the MOOCs is to find the best resource fitting a learner’s personal profile, interests, background, and learning needs. The first challenge has been addressed from the gamification point of view to measure the impact of gamification on the overall success of MOOCs. However, the second challenge still remains untouched. In online learning setting, course design and interaction with instructors as well as students are the factors that greatly influence students’ perceived learning and satisfaction with the online course. The contribution of chatbot-supported MOOCs recommender system is in two-fold. Hence, the current study aims to extend the gamification concept to chatbot-supported MOOCs recommender system with two types of chatbots, namely text and avatar + text chatbot.
3D Exoscopic Surgery (3Des) for Tonsillectomy
Authors: Bucolo Sebastiano , Pezzoli Matteo , Vittoria Pomara Maria , Visentin Umberto , Succo Gianni
Published: July 2023

Recently we have coined the term 3Des (3D exoscopic surgery) to describe the use of the 3D Vitom Exoscope System for transoral surgery of oropharyngeal cancers. This surgical approach can also be employed for tonsillectomy performed for obstructive sleep apnea and recurrent tonsillitis. Decreasing pain, maintaining hydration, and minimizing the risk of post-operative hemorrhage has brought attention to novel surgical technique and instrumentation. The search for the most cost-effective, safe, and efficient modality that provides the maximum relief while minimizing morbidity is still ongoing. During the period from January 2022 to May 2022, 8 patients with recurrent tonsillitis were treated by tonsillectomy with the 3Des approach at our center. A comfortable transoral exposure of the tonsillar fossa and the excellent space to move the surgical instruments are the best features of this procedure, along with the great utility in the learning process, especially for residents, fellows, students.
Water Quality Assessment in Terms of Major and Minor Elements in Surface, Ground and Sea Water and Correlating the Presence with Associated Problems
Authors: Kumar Ajay , Kumar Singh Rakesh
Published: July 2023

The major and minor elements and their salts are the targeted investigation of surface water, ground water and sea water by the scientists worldwide. The presence of such elements depends on the nature of rock, soil, weathering phenomenon, pH value, water soluble salts etc. Other than the natural source, many contaminants are introduced into water by the domestic or industrial activities of that region. The heavy metals have a tendency to accumulate in animal and human bodies through this water system. Moreover, the accumulation of these heavy metals beyond permissible level has harmful effects on biotic components. These metals also get accumulated in water-sediment and percolate down in to ground water that effects food chain and biomagnification. The mobility of metal or its salt in water depends upon chemical forms in which it exists in water. Major components (Na+; Ca+, Mg+, K+, Cl−, NO3−, HCO3− etc.) and minor elements (Al+, F−, Cd+, Co+, Cu+, Cr+, Fe+, Mn+, Ni+, Pb+, Sr.+, Zn+ etc.) are present in surface water, ground water and sea water. The present chapter deals with the water quality of surface water, ground water and sea water assessed by the authors and their team of scientists, where, the distribution of major and minor element concentrations in the surface and ground was evaluated in one of the districts of India, Moradabad Uttar Pradesh, whereas, seawater from Southern ocean and glacial lake water from Proglacial and Epishelf lakes of Antarctica. Major and minor elements beyond the permissible limits causes severe health problems such as liver cancer, diabetes, cirrhosis of liver, diseases related to heart and central nervous system, infertility etc. and thus needs to be monitored on regular basis.
Sensorless Speed Observer for Industrial Drives based Induction Motors with Low Complexity
Authors: Dabour Sherif , Hussien Mohamed , A. Aboushady Ahmed , Emad Farrag Mohamed
Published: July 2023

This chapter presents a simple method to efficiently predict the rotor speed for a sensorless vector control technique applied to induction motors (IMs). The motor is supplied by a Simplified Split-Source Inverter (S3I), which provides dc-boosting and ac-inversion processes during input voltage sag. It also has a wider modulation range and a lower harmonic content than conventional boosting inverters. With this contribution, it is possible to efficiently estimate the rotor position directly without needing a PI controller with fluctuated supply voltage. The proposed strategy can be divided into three parts. The first uses a dual-loop controller to obtain the reference DC-boosted voltage of the SSI and regulate the input current. The second is the suggested observer for speed detection, which is derived from the principles of phase axis relations of the adopted machine currents and the indirect rotor flux orientation control (IRFOC) approach. With a newly developed space vector modulation, the third part will generate the switching pulses of the inverter switches. A complete analysis has been conducted to ensure the observability of the proposed technique. A series of PLECS simulations were conducted to verify the concept. The obtained results validate the proposed strategy with the S3I topology.
Urban Vegetation: Anthropogenic Influences, Public Perceptions, and Wildlife Implications
Authors: Simpson Catherine , Coldren Cade , A. Coman Ioana , Cooper-Norris Caitlyn , Perry Gad
Published: July 2023

Urban environments are becoming more common as cities grow and proliferate. Subsequently, their ecosystem services are becoming increasingly more important as climate change impacts urban dwellers, their benefits to human psychological and physical wellbeing are better documented, and biodiversity elsewhere is declining. However, while urban wildlife have received growing attention in recent decades, the importance of urban vegetation has mostly been emphasized in narrow literature niches related to horticulture and landscape architecture. Here, we review literature on multiple uses of urban horticulture, not solely limited to beautification of personal space; the importance of urban vegetation to urban wildlife conservation and sustainability; and how urban vegetation is portrayed in the media.
Applications of Orthogonal Polynomials to Subclasses of Bi-Univalent Functions
Authors: Ghazy AlAmosush Adnan
Published: July 2023

Orthogonal polynomials have been studied extensively by legender in 1784. They are representatively related with typically real functions, which is played an important role in the geometric function theory, and and its role of estimating coefficient bounds. This chapter associates certain bi-univalent functions with certain orthogonal polynomials such as Gegnbauer polynomials, and Horadam polymials, and then explores some properties of the subclasses in hand. This Chapter is concerned with the connection between Orthogonal polynomials and bi-univalent functions. Our purpose is to inroduce certain classes of bi unvalent functions by mean of Gegenbauer polynomials and Hordam polynomials. Bounds for the initial coefficients of |a_{2}| and |a_{3}|, and results related to Fekete–Szegö functional are obtained.
Overview of Cucurbitaceae Families
Authors: Yiblet Yalew
Published: July 2023

The family Cucurbitaceae has a wide range of vegetable or fruit crops that are very important to the national or local economy. Ancient agricultural and medical texts as well as these folktales frequently refer to cultivated members of the Cucurbitaceae families. The plants of Cucurbitaceae family are rich in phytochemicals such as terpenoids, glycosides, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, and carotenoids responsible for the therapeutic effect. Various parts of these plants exhibit an excess pharmacological activity such as hypolipidemic, anticancer, antidiabetic activity, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activities. Among the members of the Cucurbitaceae family, pumpkins and squash (Cucurbita moschata Duch., Cucurbita pepo L., and Cucurbita maxima Duch. ex Lam), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.), and melon (Cucumis melo L.) are particularly nutritious due to their beneficial vitamins and minerals. Consumption of some species as food or medicine without proper identification could be dangerous, as some poisonous wild species share a close resemblance with edible ones. A complete, safe, efficient, and cost-effective global conservation system for Cucurbitaceae genetic resources should be available, with germplasm and specific accession level information easily accessible, ideally in centralized global databases like Genesys.
Perspective Chapter: Sexual Education in Addressing Sexual Harassment in South Africa
Authors: Hamlall Vijay
Published: July 2023

Many countries lack adequate legislation to combat sexual harassment of women. The situation in South Africa however is quite different. Since the collapse of Apartheid, there are numerous legislatures and policies in place to protect women from acts of violence. Yet, South Africa has one of the highest prevalence of sexual violence in the world indicating that these laws are ineffective and not enough to stem the tide of violence against women. Cultural and traditional factors and masculinity construction play a major role in the creation of gender inequalities. Formal sexuality education at schools and universities in South Africa is absent from the curriculum. Sexuality education in South Africa is mainly rendered through community-based training and outreach programmes. This chapter explores this manner of education, the benefits of such education and the impact this education has had both on society at large and on combatting sexual harassment. The sexuality education initiatives discussed in this chapter are those that include men that offer them modes to address their own social dominance and the subordinate position of women.
Goat Parasitism, Diagnosis, and Control
Authors: Muhammad Rizwan Hafiz , Sohail Sajid Muhammad , Bano Faiza , Bin Tahir Urfa , Riaz Aayesha , Younus Muhammad , Maqbool Mahvish , Butt Ali , Muhammad Zohaib Hafiz
Published: July 2023

Small ruminants, especially goats, play an important role in the livestock economy of the world. Parasitism is one of the major problems facing goat populations around the world and is responsible for production losses. To control these kinds of losses and improve production, a timely diagnosis of parasitic infection is crucial. The improvement and development of conventional and molecular diagnostic tests help a lot with the early detection of parasitic infections. Strategies to use different control measures like chemotherapy, phytotherapy, pasture management, the use of bioactive crops, biological control measures, and the development of vaccines also help to improve the health and production of goats.
Crossbreed or Purebred, Which Is Better?
Authors: Pakpahan Suhendra , Furqon Ahmad
Published: July 2023

The worldwide goat population has surpassed one billion individuals and there are more than 300 different goat varieties in the world, including purebred and crossbred. Presently, many studies on the characterization of local goats have been conducted to determine genetic diversity and find associations with specific traits, both for optimal performance improvement and adaptation to the environment. Purebred goats have very high adaptability to various environmental conditions, while crossbreds may not be as adaptable as purebreds. Farmers and associations were interested in increasing production and stabilizing performance by using better selection approaches. The selection for a standard appearance helped in the reinforcement of breed identity. The new commercial breed trend threatens to reduce the diversity of the global gene pool, whose diversity ensures goat survival in a changing future. Crossbreeding is most effective when the strengths and weaknesses of different breeds are identified and the appropriate role of a breed in a crossbreeding program is determined. Some exotic goats have been crossed with indigenous varieties in an attempt to increase milk and meat production, but the results have been mixed. The risk of genetic degradation in native pure breeds can be reduced while increasing performance and production through controlled crossbreeding.
Mobile Industrial Robotic Vehicles: Navigation With Visual SLAM Methodologies
Authors: Karamanos Xenofon , Karamitsos Giorgos , Bechtsis Dimitrios , Vlachos Dimitrios
Published: July 2023

Mobile industrial robotic vehicles are using cutting edge technologies and have been widely accepted as a means of sustainability in the last decade. Recent navigation approaches are commonly divided into two categories (i) Laser-Based and (ii) Visual-Based. Many researchers proposed navigation systems for laser-based SLAM but their efforts both in the two-dimensional (2D) and the three-dimensional (3D) environments are still lacking critical information, such as color and texture, from the facility layout in contrast with visual-based methods. Moreover, visual-based methods use more affordable sensor devices, indicatively monocular, stereo and RGB-D cameras, that provide highly detailed information from the operation’s environment. The reconstruction of the 3D digital twin environment is more accurate and detailed, enabling the mobile industrial robotic vehicle to navigate in the facility layout and accomplish a much greater variety of tasks. The proposed research discusses recent developments in Visual-Based methods and analyses various well-known proposed systems. Performance assessment is also reviewed using the Robot Operating System (ROS) to compare the discussed methods and discuss their suitability for various facility layouts.
Lower Extremity Artery Disease (LEAD)
Authors: Matsumoto Yuki
Published: July 2023

Recently, there has been significant progress in finalizing devices for lower extremity artery disease. Especially in the region of the superficial femoral artery, it is possible to benefit from drug technology. It is necessary to select a device that is appropriate for the lesion, lesion length, and patient background. On the other hand, there are still issues in the treatment of chronic limb ischemia and below-the-knee arteries. In the first place, the pathologies of “above the knee” and “below the knee” are different, and the purpose of treatment is also different. Access sites for treatment have also become smaller and more diverse with the development of peripheral devices.
Physical activity in children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes
Authors: Giblin Susan , O’Gorman Clodagh
Published: July 2023

This chapter explores the multifaceted role of physical activity in type 1 diabetes management during childhood and adolescence. In addition to improved cardiovascular and metabolic health typically associated with physical activity, there are several diabetes-specific benefits of regular activity. For example, improved insulin sensitivity in insulin sensitivity that may be particularly important for children with type 1 diabetes approaching puberty when insulin resistance is known to increase, especially in females. Similarly, there are important diabetes-specific metabolic differences in response to physical activity that require consideration for blood glucose excursion management. Type, duration, and intensity of activity influence metabolic response in type 1 diabetes. For example, during aerobic activity, skeletal muscle glucose uptake increases to generate energy for muscle contraction, which suppresses hepatic gluconeogenesis and thus promotes a decrease in blood glucose levels and increased risk of hypoglycaemia. Intermittent, intense, or anaerobic activity can induce transient and often dramatic hyperglycaemia due to the release of the hormones epinephrine and glucagon. This rise in blood glucose can be followed by hypoglycaemia in the hours after activity. Within this chapter, the need for individualised and informed planning for safe participation in PA and exercise for children and adolescents is explored.
Perspective Chapter: Application of Nanotechnology Solutions in Plants Fertilization and Environmental Remediation
Authors: M. Alnaddaf Lina , F. Bamsaoud Salim , Bahwirth Mahroos
Published: July 2023

The effects of nanoparticles that are used on plants, either as foliar sprays or as fertilizers, vary between promoting and inhibiting. This effect varies according to many different factors, such as the type of nanoparticles, the concentration, the shape, the size, the type of plant, the soil characteristics, and the soil microorganisms. The effect of iron, zinc oxide, graphene, copper oxide, silicon, titanium, and carbon nanotubes on soil fertility, plant growth and development, and crop yield was discussed in detail. The nanoparticles affect the seed’s water absorption, roots, germination, stem, photosynthesis rate, photosynthetic pigments, and enzymatic and non-enzymatic compounds. Moreover, it also highlights the role of these particles in the different stresses that can be exposed to the plant and the mechanisms of tolerance of these stresses. This chapter presents the ability of these particles to combat pollution in its various forms, including groundwater, heavy metals, and wastewater. In addition, these nanoparticles accumulate in the water, soil, and plants, and impact humans and the food chain. Finally, the future prospects for the use of nanotechnology to achieve the goals of sustainable development.
Perspective Chapter: Open Online Courses in Pakistan – Current Practices and What Needs to Be Done?
Authors: A. Abdullah Nauman
Published: July 2023

The chapter highlights the existing course recording processes in Pakistan and addresses the need for futuristic approach toward building a platform for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Virtual University of Pakistan is a state-of-the-art first of its kinds online University of Pakistan that has its own satellite channels for asynchronous mode of distance education. The chapter entails the utility of already available resources of VU in providing MOOCs for Pakistani audiences. The chapter further discusses the barriers of online learning and MOOCs from different studies around the world. The prospects concerning what needs to be done are discussed at length with especial focus to Pakistan and in general to the overall future trends in MOOCs.
Evolution of Adenoid Surgery
Authors: Dhanuka Anubhuti , Mahajan Anukaran , Gupta Karunesh , Mahajan Stuti
Published: July 2023

Adenoid, also known as the Luschka’s or nasopharyngeal tonsil, is a mass of lymphoid tissue located in the roof of nasopharynx. The term ‘adenoid’ was coined by Meyer. Earliest records of adenoid surgery date back to 1842, when Yearsley reported removal of mucus membrane from behind the uvula to improve ear function. Other techniques for adenoidectomy included bare fingernails or finger ring knife, which are considered obsolete now. From mid-1930s to early 1960s, radiation therapy of the adenoid was used extensively. Transoral adenoid curetting and electrical dissection techniques followed and became mainstay of treatment for a long time. Infact, these are still in use in many centres across the world. Like any other surgery, introduction of nasal endoscopes and powered instruments revolutionised adenoid surgery by greatly increasing the precision and minimising collateral damage. Plasma-mediated ablation (Coblation) promises ‘blood-less’ surgery. Presently, the trend is focussed towards using powered instruments (Microdebrider and/or Coblation) under endoscopic visualisation for complete adenoidectomy.
Genetics of Multiple Alleles: Concept and Function
Authors: Vasisth Prashant , M. Limbalkar Omkar , Sharma Mohit
Published: July 2023

Mendelian genetics revealed only two alternative forms of a gene called alleles. The concept has evolved with the identification of more than two alternative forms of a gene, commonly referred to as multiple alleles. There are several traits that are governed by multiple alleles, such as ABO blood group system in humans, coat color in rabbits, and self-incompatibility in crop plants. The test of allelism is a very common practice to establish the relationship between alleles of the same or different genes. The inter-mating among different mutants helps to confirm whether mutations are allelic or non-allelic. The structural allelism determines whether two mutations are present at the same or different site in DNA and functional allelism determines whether two mutations are present in the same gene or in different genes. The concept of multiple alleles should not be confused with pseudoalleles and with pseudogenes. Pseudoalleles are two genetically linked genes with similar effects located close to each other on the chromosome, on the other hand, pseudogenes are nonfunctional copies of the functional genes. To understand the allelic relationships among and between genes is always a subject of interest. Therefore, in this chapter, the concept, function, and importance of multiple alleles are discussed.
Consequences of Arsenic in the Environment
Authors: De Amartya , Roy Nilanjana
Published: July 2023

Throughout the environment, including in food, water, soil, and the air, arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid. An important global problem is the human exposure to arsenic from numerous sources, such as polluted groundwater and other human activities. It poses a serious danger to people’s health, economic security, and social standing, particularly in the world’s least developed nations, as its exposure to humans has been related to a wide range of illnesses. Diabetes, hyperkeratosis, cancer, hypertension, and neurodegeneration are a few of the serious illnesses that have been connected to arsenic exposure. There is currently no known or authorized treatment for arsenic poisoning. We made an effort to shed light on some of the most important scientific facts on arsenic toxicity that have been published in the literature. It is important for policymakers to develop regulations for a cleaner environment and raise public knowledge of arsenic toxicity.
Biological Control of Diseases of Bottle Gourd
Authors: Shahnaz Efath , Banday Saba , Anwar Ali , Nisa Qadrul , Gulzar Gazala , Ashraf Atufa , Banal Diksha
Published: July 2023

Biological control of plant diseases is an important component of disease management, particularly in the today’s’ world of environmental consciousness and awareness. It is particularly preferred method of disease management under organic production system. Biological control is successful in almost all the crops against a number of diseases but soil borne diseases are most responsive to bio-control methods. The agents of biological control, known as bio-control agents (BCAs) belong to a vast group of micro-organisms, particularly fungi (Trichoderma, Ampelomyces, etc), bacteria (Pseudomonas, Bacillus, etc) and actinomycetes. Bottle gourd is an important vegetable crop belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. It suffers from a number of diseases like anthracnose, powdery mildew, downy mildew, wilt, etc. The present review shall be an attempt to review the biological control of the major diseases of bottle gourd.
Fault Tolerant Control of Five-Phase Induction Motor Drive
Authors: Habibullah Md. , Debanath Tusar , Shahadath Hossain Sabbir Md.
Published: July 2023

The fault-tolerant capability of multiphase induction motor (IM) drives without adding extra hardware has been an interesting research subject in recent times. Regardless of the application and reliability requirements, fault tolerance is obtained by the software. Although different types of faults may occur, the most considered is the open-phase one which leads to a reduction in the number of active phases in the multiphase drive. Predictive current control (PCC) was recently proposed in the literature for managing the post-fault operation of the drives when an open-phase fault is considered. In PCC, the motor torque is controlled indirectly by controlling the motor current. Predictive torque control (PTC) can control the motor torque directly. However, PTC-based fault tolerant control of a five-phase IM (FPIM) drive has not been published in the literature. Hence, this fault-tolerant capability using the PTC method for an FPIM has been discussed in this chapter. Detail about the modeling of an FPIM, fault detection, and controller for both healthy and faulty conditions of IM has been discussed. The same model of the drive under both healthy and faulty conditions is considered. But the applied cost function is changed in a faulty condition.
Perspective Chapter: Current practice of Massive Open Online Courses in South Korea
Authors: Jun Soo-Koung
Published: July 2023

This chapter reviews the current operation of Korea Open Course Ware (KOCW) and Korean Massive Open Online Course (K-MOOC), which have emerged as Open Courseware in Korea and show the empirical research on the students’ opinion of usefulness and future participation willingness to K-MOOC non-credit program and the students’ satisfaction with an online program in N university. Korean OCW starting in 2007 has received content from universities and institutions, and shared educational materials in the form of videos, documents, or e-learning. Korea also started MOOC in 2015, like KOCW. The college students at N University highly recognize the usefulness of K-MOOC and have the willingness to participate in KMOOC program in the future. Both learners and instructors can use open courseware according to various purposes and interests, suggesting the continuous development of open courseware for lifelong learning in South Korea.
Ethical use of data in AI Applications
Authors: J. Rhem Anthony
Published: July 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides the mechanisms to enable machines to learn. AI systems which use machine learning, can detect patterns in enormous volumes of data and model complex, interdependent systems to generate outcomes that improve the efficiency of decision making. AI in particular machine learning has been positioned as an important element in contributing to as well as providing decisions in a multitude of industries. The use of machine learning in delivering decisions is based on the data that is used to train the machine learning algorithms. It is imperative that when machine learning applications are being considered that the data being used to train the machine learning algorithms are without bias, and the data is ethically used. This chapter focuses on the ethical use of data in developing machine learning algorithms. Specifically, this chapter will include the examination of AI bias and ethical use of AI, data ethics principles, selecting ethical data for AI applications, AI and data governance, and putting ethical AI applications into practice.
Application of Optimal Solutions in Field-Oriented Control of Induction Motor
Authors: Cong Tran Thinh , Brandstetter Pavel , Kuchar Martin
Published: July 2023

This chapter presents the optimal solutions in field-oriented control for induction motors. It includes the introduction of the Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Optimizer (PSO), and Cuckoo Search Algorithm (CSA). In those algorithms, the GA algorithm is used to control the speed of the induction motor. With the GA algorithm, the speed response of the induction motor always achieves good stability in the case of no-load and under-load. This chapter also presents the optimal parameter search of the PID controller, such as proportional factor (Kp), integral coefficient (Ki), and differential coefficient (Kd), by the genetic algorithm. Finally, the simulation results on Matlab Simulink and the experimental results on TI’s DSP 82335 have demonstrated the advantages of the proposed methods compared to the traditional PID methods.
Graphene Sheets as Novel Nanofillers in Epoxy Matrix for Improved Mechanical Properties
Authors: Imane Beloufa Hadja , Tarfaoui Mostapha , Lafdi Khalid , Daly Mohamed , Bendarma Amine
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we will be interested in bending tests on a polymer matrix reinforced with graphene nanofillers. The mechanical behaviour and the damage kinetics were determined. The samples were made using controlled dispersions of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) in EPON 862 matrix. Various samples with different contents of GNP were made (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2.5%, 5% and 10% by weight). Mechanical properties such as maximum stress, strain at break and Young's modulus were determined. After each test, the fracture surfaces were characterised using optical microscopy (OP) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Experimental results show that the fracture toughness of the GNP/epoxy-based nanocomposites decreases with an increasing percentage of nanofillers. The flexural strength of the samples with 10 wt% of graphene significantly decreased compared to neat epoxy. Based on Stress-Strain data and the analysis of the fracture surface, it seems that graphene nanoplatelets show an impact on the mechanical behaviour and the kinetics of the damage. The influences of the weight percentage of GNP on the EPON matrix properties and the performance of the nanocomposites are discussed. In addition, the evolution of bending performance and damage kinetics with graphene content was obtained and analysed.
The Relevance of Personality to Criminal Behavior
Authors: Ozer Murat , Akbas Halil
Published: July 2023

This chapter explores personality theories as they relate to criminal behavior. According to these theories, criminal behavior is linked to the presence of certain personality traits or a specific criminal personality. Psychologists link personality to criminal behavior by examining an offender’s specific traits or certain clusters of traits that drive them toward the criminal behavior. This chapter focuses on personality theories that attempt to explain the major traits of criminal propensity, including undercontrolled vs. overcontrolled personality traits, Eysenck’s Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism dimensions, and Tellegen’s Positive Emotionality, Negative Emotionality, and Constraint. Empirical evidence for each theory is presented, and the relevance of personality to criminal behavior is discussed.
Current Models to Address Obstacles to HCV Elimination
Authors: Conway Brian , Sharma Shawn , Yung Rossitta , Yi Shana , Toniato Giorgia
Published: July 2023

To help inspire global action, the World Health Organization (WHO) has set an ambitious goal of eliminating viral hepatitis, including hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, as a public health concern by 2030. Globally, an estimated 58 million people have chronic HCV infection, including over 4.5 million people who have recently injected drugs (PWID). Of the 1.5 million new infections occurring per year, over 43% are in this risk group. Systematic approaches are needed with this population to achieve the WHO elimination goals. A number of programs have been successful, most notably in Australia, Scotland, Iceland and North America. We still require additional programs that are easily accessible, multidisciplinary, durable and driven by patient-defined parameters of engagement. We have evaluated housing-based programs as community pop-up clinics to identify HCV-infected vulnerable inner-city residents and offer HCV treatment within such a context. This has been successful, with almost 300 individuals receiving treatment since January 2021, with an effective cure rate exceeding 98%, 99% retention in care, HCV reinfection rates below 1/100 person-years and reduced rates of opioid-related overdose deaths. The implementation of programs, such as ours, must be considered to achieve elimination of HCV infection among PWID on a worldwide basis.
Hiatal Hernia Surgery
Authors: Ivanovs Igors
Published: July 2023

Hiatal hernia is a protrusion of abdominal organs through enlarged esophageal hiatus. Hiatal hernia is a relatively common pathology but, in most cases, it remains asymptomatic. Four types of hiatal hernia exist. Type I or sliding hernia, type II or true paraesophageal hernia, type III or mixed hernia and type IV or giant hernia. Diagnosis of hiatal hernia usually is done by upper endoscopy and upper gastrointestinal (GI) barium examination. Treatment of hiatal hernia type I coincides with concomitant gastroesophageal reflux treatment, while treatment of hiatal hernia type II, III and IV is mainly surgical. The surgical approach to repair hiatal hernia could be either transabdominal or transthoracic. Currently, laparoscopy is the best method for hiatal hernia repair. Surgery consists of two main steps: hiatal hernia plasty and fundoplication. Despite modern technologies the recurrence rate in large hiatal hernia repair remains high, therefore reinforcement of the diaphragm with mesh is recommended. There are controversies about the materials and techniques used.
Incarcerated Inguinal Hernia in the Elderly: Surgical Implication
Authors: Ferranti Fabrizio
Published: July 2023

Inguinal hernia is a very common clinical condition, and its incidence is higher in elderly patients. Different factors are involved in the etiology of the disease, either congenital or acquired. Most inguinal hernias are asymptomatic but may develop complications such as incarceration. Diagnosis, in uncomplicated cases, is easy and based on physical examination. Imaging studies are helpful when the diagnosis is unclear, especially if bowel strangulation is suspected. Elective surgical hernia repair is considered the treatment of choice. However, in elderly patients with a high surgical risk, a watchful-waiting approach is advisable. The choice of surgical technique depends on the experience of the surgeon and the contamination of the surgical field. The classical approach is Lichtenstein open tension-free mesh repair, although laparoscopy has been proposed. The use of mesh in incarcerated inguinal hernia is disputed because of the increased risk of postoperative wound infection. General anesthesia is usually preferred in particular if bowel ischemia is suspected and intestinal resection may be required. However, local anesthesia is expanding its indication since it provides effective anesthesia with less postoperative complications.
Hybrid Learning during Post-Pandemic Era: Challenges and Way Forward Nurturing Students’ Creativity
Authors: Sulaiman Fauziah , Folly Eldy Elnetthra , Sulaiman Yusry , Nur Syafa Bakri Sitty , Nazirah Butai Siti
Published: July 2023

Hybrid learning during post-pandemic-era, challenges and the way forward nurturing students’ creativity. This topic reviews how hybrid learning has been established after the COVID-19 era, especially in higher education institutions context. The situation now is that many institutions continue online classes and, at the same time, blend them with face-to-face classes. Many guidelines are established, but how these mechanisms can nurture students’ creativity still needs to be explored, especially when we need our students to compete with twenty first-century skills, one of which is to think creatively. Therefore, this topic will dig more into the review of the situation of hybrid learning during the post-pandemic era, particularly in higher education institutions. Additionally, issues like what is the current practice that potentially can nurture students’ creativity through technology are also discussed.
Approaching the Complex Abdominal Wall Hernia: General Principles of Component Separation Techniques
Authors: Seretis Fotios , Dedopoulou Paraskevi , Rodis Nikiforos , Soukouli Konstantina , Bogiatzopoulos Nikolaos , Seretis Charalampos , Zacharis Georgios
Published: July 2023

Abdominal wall hernias represent a clinical spectrum ranging from a small defect in the abdominal wall causing minimal interruption to patients up to massive defects with severe impairment in abdominal wall function and physiology. Principles of successful hernia repair rely on re-approximation of fascial defect edges to achieve primary closure in a tension free manner and subsequent reenforcement of the repair with a mesh. In the case of large defects, especially in the incisional hernia scenario, advanced fascial release techniques with separation of components is often required to recreate normal anatomy. Relevant techniques are anterior component separation with or without sparing of periumbilical vascular perforators and posterior component separation with transverse abdominis release, representing an expansion of the retrorectus Rives-Stoppa repair. With regards to surgical planning, preoperative imaging, standardization of techniques according to patient and hernia defect characteristics as well as prehabilitation of the abdominal wall with botulinum toxin (“chemical component separation”) represent significant weapons in the armamentarium of the complex abdominal wall reconstruction surgeon. The scope of this chapter is to attempt to unify pathophysiologic concepts of hernias with anatomic-based advanced repairs.
Teamwork in the main control room
Authors: Juhász Márta , Kabai Péter
Published: July 2023

This chapter is about the characteristics of main control room’s teams. In a hazardous working environment, human factors play a key role. The quality of teamwork affects people’s psychological well-being, which has an impact on the quality of their work and their ability to work safely. In Hungary, at Paks Nuclear Power Plant, we have developed a questionnaire that is able to measure the main control room’s teamwork. In our paper, we present the structure of this questionnaire and define the scales created. We also base the development of teamwork on the analysis of video footage of a simulator exercise, which also highlights the characteristics of successful teamwork. Both tools can be used to understand, analyze, and then improve control rooms’ teamwork for more effective collaboration and performance.
Physical and Digital Educational Escape Room for Chemical Education
Authors: Wei Jie Ang Jayden , Cai Shiying , Ni Annie Ng Yin , Shen Liew Rou
Published: July 2023

An educational escape room uses a game-based active learning approach to develop students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills in an immersive environment. In this chapter, the authors conducted an evaluation of two physical and digital educational escape rooms that were previously developed to provide an innovative learning activity to reinforce concepts and/or address misconceptions in chemistry for general chemistry courses. The evaluation demonstrated that both educational escape rooms are highly effective as teaching tools. Students’ provided positive feedback, highlighting that the educational escape rooms reinforce and motivate learning. Hence, integrating educational escape rooms with conventional lessons can offer students a holistic and captivating learning experience.
Drone Technologies and Applications
Authors: Mehmet Tuğrul Koç
Published: July 2023

Unmanned aerial vehicles, previously used for military purposes, have started to be used for civilian purposes since the 2000s. With the widespread use of unmanned aerial vehicles, mostly used for defense purposes, they have turned into flying vehicles called drones. Today, it is used for different purposes such as taking pictures, taking images from inaccessible places, competitions, and having a good time. However, it continues to evolve, playing an important role in social media and inter-company competition. In recent years, studies have continued on small drones that can fly autonomously, especially in closed areas, and assist people. The shrinkage and cost reduction of electronic components such as microprocessors, sensors, batteries, and wireless communication units shows that drones smaller than 1 kg will soon occur in many areas of our daily life at much more affordable prices. This rapid change, development, and proliferation of drones also raise privacy and security concerns. While obtaining images of people and institutions in supposedly private environments with such technological devices emphasizes individual security, its use in urban areas and airports draws attention to social security. The rapid developments in this area necessitate the necessary regulations and controls to prevent accidents and other problems due to the growth in use and loss of control.
Warm/Cool Feeling Characteristics of Ceramic-Incorporated Fabrics: Process, Characterization, and Thermal Properties
Authors: Jin Kim Seung , Ah Kim Hyun
Published: July 2023

Recently, high-performance functional textile goods have been commercialized using various ceramic nanopowders, such as ZrC, Al2O3, SiO2, ZnO, ATO, and TiO2, embedded in the yarns and fabrics. This study examines the warm-cool feeling characteristics of ceramic-incorporated fabrics with their process, characterization, and thermal characteristics. This topic is divided as follows: review (introduction), preparation (experimental), characterization with thermal property (results and discussion), and summary. As a review, heat release and storage properties of the various ceramic-embedded fabrics are introduced and multifunctional properties of different ceramic-embedded fabrics such as UV-cut and anti-static with thermal wear comfort are reviewed with types of ceramic particles embedded in the yarns through the literature published up to now. In the text, warm-cool feelings of ceramic-embedded fabrics prepared in this study are compared in terms of heat flow rate (Qmax) and thermal insulation value (TIV) and summarized with dye-affinity and color-fastness of the ceramic-embedded fabrics. Finally, the future prospect for functional to textiles treated with ceramic materials is proposed in the fields of water repellence, anti-bacteria, flame retardation, anti-static, and UV protection.
Parental Objective, Subjective, and Contextual Socioeconomic Status and Children's Mental Health in Iran: The Mediating Effect of the Subjective Measure
Authors: Mohammad Aghaei Ardavan , Wissow Lawrence , Mojtabai Ramin , Zarafshan Hadi , Shahrivar Zahra , Nikzad Amir Hossein , Sharifi Vandad
Published: July 2023

Background: Children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) households are at greater risk for mental illnesses. Socioeconomic status has different dimensions: Objective SES, subjective SES, and contextual SES. Evidence suggests that subjective SES partially mediates the impact of objective SES on mental health. However, these hypotheses have not been tested in Middle Eastern cultures, including Iran. Objectives: We aimed to investigate: (1) if there is an association between parental objective, subjective, and contextual SES measures and their children's mental health in a network of general practitioners' clients, (2) if such an association exists for objective or contextual indicators, is it partially or fully mediated through subjective measure? and (3) if such an association exists, is it affected by children's age? Methods: We assessed 1,103 parent-child pairs in the general practitioners' network of clients. The child's mental health was assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and parental objective SES by education level, subjective SES by the MacArthur scale, and contextual SES by the household neighborhood. Linear regression models were used to investigate the impact of different SES measures on the SDQ score both bivariately and adjusted for each other. A mediation analysis was performed for objective SES' indirect effect on SDQ score through subjective SES. Results: We found a significant association between objective and subjective SES and the SDQ score, which remained significant after adjusting for each other. Both objective and subjective measures had a small effect size (Cohen's f-squared = 0.03). There was no association between contextual SES and SDQ scores in our sample. Conclusions: Socioeconomic status impacts children and adolescents' mental health. However, SES is a multi-dimensional concept. Further research considering different dimensions is needed to understand the interplay of these dimensions in different cultures and contexts. Addressing such exploratory questions may help pave the way for detecting and addressing these social determinants in primary care settings.
Nurses’ Experience of Facilitators of Adaptation to Nursing Care in Intensive Care Units: A Qualitative Content Analysis Study
Authors: Ashrafi Zahra , Nobahar Monir
Published: July 2023

Background: Regarding the patients’ critical conditions and various tools and pieces of equipment used in intensive care units (ICUs), the provision of critical care nursing seems complicated. Therefore, nurses’ achievements in making adaptations to critical care nursing are of utmost importance, especially in ICUs. Objectives: The present study aimed to illuminate the facilitators of adaptation to nursing care among ICU nurses. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using the conventional content analysis approach through semi-structured face-to-face interviews within December 2019 to April 2021. A total of 13 nurses working at a trauma center were selected to participate in this study using purposive sampling in Imam Hossein Hospital in Shahroud, Iran. Results: Based on the results, the facilitators of adaptation to nursing care in ICU nurses consisted of three main categories of psychological capital, professional capital, and social capital. Conclusions: It was concluded that focusing on determining the facilitators of adaptation to critical care nursing and attempting to redouble them can promote the quality of nursing care. Much more attention should be paid to this issue because further adaptation affects society’s health conditions.