Digital Commons Network^™

Treatment Of Wastewater Disposal From The General Hospital In Tuz Region Using Alum And Bentonite, Shno M. Ali

Polytechnic Journal

The general hospital in Tuz town in Iraq suffers from the absence of a wastewater treatment plant, in which the disposals of the hospital are discharged directly into the sewerage system. The aim of this study is to use simple and basic methods for treating wastewater from the general hospital in Tuz Town using bentonite clay and alum with different dosages by methods of coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation using Jar test, to measure the general characteristics of wastewater such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), potential of hydrogen (PH), electrical conductivity (EC), nitrates (NO3), phosphates (PO4), hardness, …

Review Of Seismic Characteristics In Erbil City, The Capital Of The Kurdistan Region Of Iraq, Zina A. Abduljaleel, Bahman O. Taha

Polytechnic Journal

Erbil city essentially suffers from the risk of earthquakes generated by Zagros-Taurus Belt. The central objective of this study is to identify the seismic characteristics and required seismic parameters for structural analysis. The methodology concentrated on reviewing the seismology and geology of Erbil city. It was concluded that the tectonically classified by an outer platform of the low folded zone in the position of Western Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt of the Arabian plate, geologically covered by Quaternary sediments and lithologically described by fluvial sediments, and the dynamic soil properties classified by site Class D. Seismicity review indicated that the seismic source …

Particle Swarm Optimization On Parallel Computers For Improving The Performance Of A Gait Recognition System, Shahla A. Abdulqader, Hasmek A. Krekorian

Polytechnic Journal

In recent years, the gait recognition (GR) using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm (OSO) has been execute very fast and accurate with single computer, but with the appearance of parallel computing (PC), it was necessary to use this technique to improve the results of GR. This study presents the use of parallel computing approaches (PCA) to implement PSO for a GR system (GRS) to decrease processing while maintaining reconstructed image quality. These approaches are: Codistributor and parallel cluster. Many experiments have been executed with recognition between the two approaches. The experimental results showed that increasing the PSO swarm size, decreasing …

Knowledge And Attitudes Of Pregnant Women Regarding Breastfeeding, Hamdia M. Ahmed, Safyia Sabri Piro

Polytechnic Journal

Inadequate knowledge or inappropriate attitude about breastfeeding may lead to undesirable consequences. This study assessed the breastfeeding knowledge and attitude of pregnant women about breastfeeding. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 pregnant women from four primary health-care centers in Erbil City/Iraqi Kurdistan from March 15, 2017, to May 15, 2017. A structured questionnaire was developed based on the evidence in the literature. A face to face interview technique was used for data collection. Overall, 61.7% of mothers had a poor level of knowledge of breastfeeding despite having a positive attitude (96.7%). There was a significant association between mothers’ …

Prevalence Of Cigarette And “Waterpipe” Smoking Among “Duhok Universities” Students, Masood Abdulkareem Abdurahman, Jader Aziz Jader

Polytechnic Journal

Tobacco use is considered one of the largest public health threats facing the world. Waterpipe smoking (WPS) is a customary and cultural method of tobacco consumption in many parts of the world. This study aimed to find the prevalence of smoking among Duhok city University students in Iraq and to assess students’ knowledge regarding smoking. A cross-sectional, self-completed questionnaire-based study was conducted at four Universities in Duhok city. According to the study’s objectives, scientific and literature colleges from each university are selected. The selection of the number of enrolled colleges and departments is proportionate with total university students’ number. The …

Cytotoxic Effects Of Vitamin D3 On Tumor Cell Lines, Twana A. Mustafa, Iman M. Rasul

Polytechnic Journal

Vitamin D3 is a potent antiproliferative agent against various tumor cells in vitro. Here, the results of Vitamin D3 study as a potential antitumor therapy in vitro are presented. Applying antiproliferative 3(4,5-dimethyl- 2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-terazolium bromide assays, the inhibitory effects of the Vitamin D were measured. The following cancer cell lines were employed: L20B (normal cell line) and RD (malignant rhabdomyosarcoma). Both cell lines were cultivated in 96-wells culture plates in the presence and absence of different doses of Vitamin D (10–6, 10–8, and 10–10 ?g/ml) for 24 and 48 h. In vitro results of cytotoxic effects were variable on both cell …

Potential Allelopathic Activity Of Dichloromethane Extract From The Leaves Of Talinum Paniculatum (Jacq.) Gaertn Against Cyperus Iria, Kevin C. Salamanez, Liezel Angelique L. Sabaupan, Arnoldus M. Mangao, Evelyn B. Rodriguez

Journal Article

This study focused on the isolation, characterization and allelopathic activity assessment of phytotoxic compounds present in the weed Talinum paniculatum (Jacq.) Gaertn. The leaves of T. paniculatum were sequentially extracted with petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol-water (1:1 v/v). Using the lettuce seed assay, the dichloromethane extract was found to be the most bioactive extract having an IC50 of 477 ppm. Phytochemical screening of the dichloromethane extract revealed the presence of saponins, steroids, terpenoids, and glycosides. Isolation of the major compound from the extract was carried out using open column chromatography. UV-Vis and IR spectral analyses, melting point determination, …

Ang Pag-Alon Kay Alunan Sa 'Sea Stories" : Ang Tula Bilang Teksto Ng Translokasyon, Trauma, At Paghilom, John Leimar C. Toledo

Journal Article

Isang taon pagkatapos malimbag ang koleksiyong “Sea Stories” sa Likhaan Journal 6, niragasa ng isang malaking daluyong ang buong Leyte at Samar. Sa kasagsagan ng trahedyang ito, nadamay ang makatang si Merlie Alunan. Bilang isa siya sa mga nasalanta ng bagyo, hindi malayong basahin na ang kanyang mga isinulat na tula sa koleksyong “Sea Stories” ay isa maaaring pagbabadya rin ng mga pangyayari sa hinaharap. Upang bigyan ng mas malalim na pagbasa, sinusuri sa pag-aaral na ito ang trauma na dulot ng mga natural na kalamidad sa koleksiyong “Sea Stories” ni Merlie Alunan. Tungkol sa iba’t ibang mukha ng trahedya …

Stories Of The Nameless : Eyewitness Accounts Of Martial Law Victims And Survivors, Gloria E. Melencio

Journal Article

This paper features the eyewitness accounts of some 10 victims of martial law in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Most of the eyewitnesses belong to the lower strata of the Philippine social structure. They are the nameless victims of a cruelty inflicted on a society that is interested mainly on the stories of the rich and famous, the good and the beautiful. Recorded history has always delineated the “inarticulate” (Constantino, 1975) to the background and denied them a space in the pages of history. This document aims to shine the spotlight on the “ugly” reality: stories of courage, strength, and the …

Viability Of Wetland Crops For Use In Treatment Wetlands: Nitrogen Removal From Water And Production Of Food, Andrew Denson Corder

Theses and Dissertations

Treatment wetlands are used to treat wastewater from a variety of sources, but their functionality depends on the macrophytes present therein. To better understand the viability of wetland macrophytes both as sources of food and as agents of nitrogen removal from wastewater, this study quantified plant growth, food production, and nitrogen removal capacity of three common wetland crops as well as three locally dominant graminoid species in a variety of relevant ecological contexts. All six plant species and a control were grown over a ten-week period in three related experiments: (1) under three moisture regimes, (2) with or without competition …

Dna Barcoding Reveals Unexpected Diversity In Octocorallia In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Chelsea L. Pavliska

Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs are an integral tier of marine ecosystems. They provide habitat and foraging opportunities for many ecologically and economically important fishes. Protection of coral reef biodiversity and connectivity is imperative to the continued health and sustainability of marine fisheries. Mesophotic reefs, such as those found in the northwest Gulf of Mexico, have unique coral communities because of the limited light penetration at mesophotic depths (30 – 150m). Because there is limited knowledge in regards to the biodiversity of coral reefs of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), particularly the South Texas Banks (STBs), thesis work presented here aims to …

Responding To Racial Incivility In Classrooms: Hospitality And Responsibility, Nathalie Piquemal, Dave Misir, Rebeca Heringer

Journal of Global Education and Research

This paper considers the relationship between education and hospitality in the specific context of moments of incivility in classrooms, with special attention to racial/white resentment. The authors reflect on the extent to which nurturing intellectual candor with interpretive charity (Callan, 2011) can be extended to incivility shaped by white resentment. They contend there is a need to approach hospitality as responsibility (Levinas, 1969, thereby suggesting conditions for student agency. The relationship between the educator as host and giver of hospitality and the students as guests and respondents is discussed (Ruitenberg, 2011b). The paper argues the role of the teacher is …

Does E-Learning Service Quality Influence E-Learning Student Satisfaction And Loyalty? Evidence From Vietnam, Long Pham, Yam Limbu, Trung K. Bui, Hien T. Nguyen, Huong T. Pham

Department of Marketing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Prior studies on e-learning service quality were conducted mainly in developed countries; however, little effort has been made in emerging countries. This study examines the relationships among e-learning service quality attributes, overall e-learning service quality, e-learning student satisfaction, and e-learning student loyalty in the context of Vietnam, an emerging country. Survey data collected from 1232 college students were analyzed by means of exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling using SPSS 25 and SmartPLS 3.0. The results indicated that e-learning service quality was a second-order construct comprising of three factors, namely, e-learning system quality, e-learning instructor and …

Truth And Reconciliation In Light Of The Cross: Martin Luther’S Theology Of The Cross In Relationship To The Current Ubuntu Theology Of Desmond Tutu, Nokukhanya Pearl Shabalala

Master of Art Theology Thesis

Shabalala, Nokukhanya, P “Truth and Reconciliation in Light of the Cross: Martin Luther’s Theology of the Cross in Relationship to the Current Ubuntu Theology of Desmond Tutu.” Master of Arts Thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2019. 97pp.

The issue of suffering in Africa has resulted in Africans attributing suffering to God’s work, ancestors’ anger and evil spirits or witchcraft’s work. This is a skewed understanding of suffering. And not only that, the suffering that has been perpetrated by the civil war has birthed the phenomenon of child soldiers resulting in Africa casting out its children. In both of these presented issues sub-Saharan …

When Galaxies Collide: Resolving Criminal Justice Disputes Among Nations In Space, Caleb Ohmer

Journal of Space Law

No abstract provided.

Here A Spaceport, There A Spaceport, Everywhere A Spaceport?, Michelle L. D. Hanlon

Journal of Space Law

No abstract provided.

Second Independent Review Of Canada’S Remote Sensing Space Systems Act, Ram S. Jaku, Aram Daniel Kerkonian

Journal of Space Law

No abstract provided.

A Modest Proposal: Using Remote Sensing To Monitor And Promote Waste Annihilating Molten Sale Reactors And Nuclear Waste Recycling, Cameron C. Pittman

Journal of Space Law

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Legal Challenges If Future On-Orbit Servicing Missions And Proximity Operations, Anne-Sophie Martin, Steven Freeland

Journal of Space Law

No abstract provided.

Entrepreneurship As Boundary Object: Toward Reintegration Of Colombia’S Ex-Militants Into Civil Society, Andres Barrios Fajardo, Clifford J. Shultz, Juan Carlos Montes Joya

School of Business: Faculty Publications and Other Works

War and other violent conflicts greatly degrade a country’s economic, social, and marketing systems. In the aftermath of conflict, national and international organizations develop different strategies, such as business development, aimed at the reconstruction of these systems. This article draws on boundary theory to frame the way in which entrepreneurship can help ex-militants to discard war-activities and to reintegrate peacefully and productively into a peace-time economy. An interpretive study examining the life-narratives of former militants of illegal groups involved in Colombia’s armed conflict – the world’s longest, lasting 52 years – regarding their business start-ups was designed and administered. Findings …

Collective Decision Making In Dynamic Environments, Judhi Prasetyo, Giulia De Masi, Eliseo Ferrante

All Works

© 2019, The Author(s). Collective decision making is the ability of individuals to jointly make a decision without any centralized leadership, but only relying on local interactions. A special case is represented by the best-of-n problem, whereby the swarm has to select the best option among a set of n discrete alternatives. In this paper, we perform a thorough study of the best-of-n problem in dynamic environments, in the presence of two options (n= 2). Site qualities can be directly measured by agents, and we introduce abrupt changes to these qualities. We introduce two adaptation mechanisms to deal with dynamic …

Impact Of Nonlinear Chemical Reaction And Melting Heat Transfer On An Mhd Nanofluid Flow Over A Thin Needle In Porous Media, Muhammad Ramzan, Hina Gul, Seifedine Kadry, Chhayly Lim, Yunyoung Nam, Fares Howari

All Works

© 2019 by the authors. A novel mathematical model is envisioned discussing the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) steady incompressible nanofluid flow with uniform free stream velocity over a thin needle in a permeable media. The flow analysis is performed in attendance of melting heat transfer with nonlinear chemical reaction. The novel model is examined at the surface with the slip boundary condition. The compatible transformations are affianced to attain the dimensionless equations system. Illustrations depicting the impact of distinct parameters versus all involved profiles are supported by requisite deliberations. It is perceived that the melting heat parameter has a declining effect on …

Mapping The Landscape Of Support And Safety Among Sexual Minority Women And Gender Non-Conforming Individuals: Perceptions After The 2016 Us Presidential Election, Laurie Drabble, Cindy Veldhuis, Angie Wootton, Ellen Riggle, Tonda Hughes

Faculty Publications

As part of a larger online survey, we conducted an Internet-based study that included both qualitative and quantitative data from a national non-probability sample to examine how sexual minority women and gender non-conforming individuals described their experiences and concerns after the 2016 election. The current study explores responses in relation to local social and political climates. Quantitative analysis of survey responses (N = 969) examined changes in participant concerns relative to state policy context (number of positive policies offering equal rights and protections for LGBTQ communities) and size of community (e.g., urban and rural). Analysis of narrative responses to open-ended …

Protocol For An Economic Evaluation Alongside A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial: Cost-Effectiveness Of Learning Clubs, A Multicomponent Intervention To Improve Women’S Health And Infant’S Health And Development In Vietnam, Trang Nguyen, Kim Sweeny, Thach Tran, Stanley Luchters, David B. Hipgrave, Sarah Hanieh, Tuan Tran, Ha Tran, Beverley-Ann Biggs

Population Health, East Africa

Introduction: Economic evaluations of complex interventions in early child development are required to guide policy and programme development, but a few are yet available.

Methods and analysis: Although significant gains have been made in maternal and child health in resource- constrained environments, this has mainly been concentrated on improving physical health. The Learning Clubs programme addresses both physical and mental child and maternal health. This study is an economic evaluation of a cluster randomised controlled trial of the impact of the Learning Clubs programme in Vietnam. It will be conducted from a societal perspective and aims to identify the cost-effectiveness …

Self-Compassion And Compassion For Others In Physical Therapy Students, Faculty And Clinical Instructors, Justina Valgento, Karen Mueller, Petra Williams, Allie Finch, Linda Denney

Health Professions Education

Purpose: In healthcare professions, there has been a need for increased compassion to improve the quality of patient care.1,2,3 Yet, in this pursuit, health professionals have heavy workloads and longer working hours resulting in increased burnout and compassion fatigue.4,5 This stress is reducing clinicians’ ’ attention and concentration, distracting from decision making, decreasing effective communication and increasing fatigue, insomnia, heart disease, depression and obesity.2 Even with these sacrifices or “cost of caring” there has been a large decrease in the patient's quality of care and compassion.5 Research has shown that health professionals with high self-compassion it correlates with decreased stress, …

Validation Of The Sydney Shared And Evidence-Based Decision-Making Test (System) Among Healthcare Professionals, Kat Leung, Lindal Trevena, Christopher Roberts, Donna Waters

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Whilst competence in evidence-based practice (EBP) is a critical skill for healthcare professionals, there is a gap in the literature in the assessment of EBP. Current frameworks in Evidence-Based Practice education cite a five-step process (Ask, Acquire, Appraise, Integrate and Evaluate) yet many existing measures of competence focus on the first three, relying on self-report and cognitive testing, falling short of assessing skills. The Fresno Test has been validated for assessing the first three steps and the “Assessing Communication about Patient Preferences” tool is reliable in capturing the quality of information given by physicians in integrating evidence. The Evidence-Based …

Undergraduate And Graduate Communication Sciences And Disorders Students׳ Views Regarding The Pursuit Of A Doctorate Of Philosophy Degree, Danielle R. Osmelak

Health Professions Education

Purpose: There is a recognized shortage of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) professionals who hold a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in the field of CSD. The purpose of this study was to explore CSD students׳ views towards pursuing a PhD and to investigate the relationship between CSD students׳ exposure to research and their views regarding the pursuit of a PhD in order to understand and generate possible solutions to the PhD shortage. Method: The quantitative cross-sectional survey study included undergraduate (n = 49) and graduate (n = 51) CSD students from 12 Midwestern CSD institutions in the United States. …

Standardized Reporting In Pancreatic Protocol Ct: Implementation Across 3 Community Hospitals, Jacob L. Miller, Kevin Carr, James Banks, Nisha Mani

Radiology

No abstract provided.

Extract And Active Principal Of The Neotropical Vine Souroubea Sympetala Gilg. Block Fear Memory Reconsolidation, Anthony Murkar, Hristian Cayer, Jon James, Tony Durst, John T. Arnason, Pablos E. Sanchez-Vindas, M. Otarola Rojas, Zul Merali

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: Souroubea sympetala Gilg. is a neotropical vine native to Central America, investigated as part of a targeted study of the plant family Marcgraviaceae. Our previous research showed that extract of S. sympetala leaf and small branch extract had anxiolytic effects in animals and acts as an agonist for the GABAA receptor at the benzodiazepine binding site. To date, the potential effects of S. sympetala and its constituents on reconsolidation have not been assessed. Reconsolidation, the process by which formed memories are rendered labile and susceptible to change, may offer a window of opportunity for pharmacological manipulation of learned fear. …

Temporal And Effort Cost Decision-Making In Healthy Individuals With Subclinical Psychotic Symptoms, Damiano Terenzi, Elena Mainetto, Mariapaola Barbato, Raffaella Ida Rumiati, Marilena Aiello

All Works

© 2019, The Author(s). The value people attribute to rewards is influenced both by the time and the effort required to obtain them. Impairments in these computations are described in patients with schizophrenia and appear associated with negative symptom severity. This study investigated whether deficits in temporal and effort cost computations can be observed in individuals with subclinical psychotic symptoms (PS) to determine if this dysfunction is already present in a potentially pre-psychotic period. Sixty participants, divided into three groups based on the severity of PS (high, medium and low), performed two temporal discounting tasks with food and money and …