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Catalina</title> <meta name="description" content="Search results for: Molnar Catalina"> <meta name="keywords" content="Molnar Catalina"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, minimum-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, user-scalable=no"> <meta charset="utf-8"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" rel="shortcut icon"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/static/plugins/bootstrap-4.2.1/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/static/plugins/fontawesome/css/all.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/static/css/site.css?v=150220211555" rel="stylesheet"> </head> <body> <header> <div class="container"> <nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light"> <a class="navbar-brand" href="https://waset.org"> <img src="https://cdn.waset.org/static/images/wasetc.png" alt="Open Science Research Excellence" title="Open Science Research Excellence" /> </a> <button class="d-block d-lg-none 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action="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search"> <div id="custom-search-input"> <div class="input-group"> <i class="fas fa-search"></i> <input type="text" class="search-query" name="q" placeholder="Author, Title, Abstract, Keywords" value="Molnar Catalina"> <input type="submit" class="btn_search" value="Search"> </div> </div> </form> </div> </div> <div class="row mt-3"> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Commenced</strong> in January 2007</div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Frequency:</strong> Monthly</div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Edition:</strong> International</div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Paper Count:</strong> 30</div> </div> </div> </div> <h1 class="mt-3 mb-3 text-center" style="font-size:1.6rem;">Search results for: Molnar Catalina</h1> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">30</span> The Correlation between Clostridium Difficile Infection and Bronchial Lung Cancer Occurrence</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Molnar%20Catalina">Molnar Catalina</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lexi%20Frankel"> Lexi Frankel</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Amalia%20Ardeljan"> Amalia Ardeljan</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Enoch%20Kim"> Enoch Kim</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Marissa%20Dallara"> Marissa Dallara</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Omar%20Rashid"> Omar Rashid</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Introduction: Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is a toxin-producing bacteria that can cause diarrhea and colitis. U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that C. difficile infection (CDI) has increased from 31 cases per 100,000 persons per year in 1996 to 61 per 100,000 in 2003. Approximately 500,000 cases per year occur in the United States. After exposure, the bacteria colonize the colon, where it adheres to the intestinal epithelium where it produces two toxins: TcdA and TcdB. TcdA affects the intestinal epithelium, causing fluid secretion, inflammation, and tissue necrosis, while TcdB acts as a cytotoxin purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between C diff infection and bronchial lung cancer development. Methods: Using ICD- 9 and ICD-10 codes, the data was provided by a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant national database to assess the patients infected with C diff as opposed to the non-infected patients. The Holy Cross Health, Fort Lauderdale, granted access to the database for the purpose of academic research. Patients were matched for age and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Standard statistical methods were used. Results: Bronchial lung cancer occurrence in the population not infected with C diff infection was 4741, as opposed to the population infected with C. diff, where 2039 cases of lung cancer were observed. The difference was statistically significant (p-value < 2.2x10^e-16), which reveals that C diff might be protective against bronchial lung cancer. The data was then matched by treatment to create to minimize the effect of treatment bias. Bronchial cancer incidence was 422 and 861 in infected vs. non-infected (p-value of < 2.2x10^e-16), which once more indicates that C diff infection could be beneficial in diminishing bronchial cancer development. Conclusion: This retrospective study conveys a statistical correlation between C diff infection and decreased incidence of lung bronchial cancer. Further studies are needed to comprehend the protective mechanisms of C. Diff infection on lung cancer. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=C.%20diff" title="C. diff">C. diff</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=lung%20cancer" title=" lung cancer"> lung cancer</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=protective" title=" protective"> protective</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=microbiology" title=" microbiology"> microbiology</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/140195/the-correlation-between-clostridium-difficile-infection-and-bronchial-lung-cancer-occurrence" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/140195.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">235</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">29</span> Phylogenetic Relationships between the Whole Sets of Individual Flow Sorted U, M, S and C Chromosomes of Aegilops and Wheat as Revealed by COS Markers</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Andr%C3%A1s%20Farkas">András Farkas</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Istv%C3%A1n%20Moln%C3%A1r"> István Molnár</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jan%20Vr%C3%A1na"> Jan Vrána</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Veronika%20Bure%C5%A1ov%C3%A1"> Veronika Burešová</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Petr%20C%C3%A1pal"> Petr Cápal</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Andr%C3%A1s%20Cseh"> András Cseh</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=M%C3%A1rta%20Moln%C3%A1r-L%C3%A1ng"> Márta Molnár-Láng</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jaroslav%20Dole%C5%BEel"> Jaroslav Doležel</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Species of Aegilops played a central role in the evolution of wheat and are sources of traits related to yield quality and tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses. These wild genes and alleles are desirable to use in crop improvement programs via introgressive hybridization. However, the success of chromosome mediated gene transfer to wheat are hampered by the pour knowledge on the genome structure of Aegilops relative to wheat and by the low number of cost-effective molecular markers specific for Aegilops chromosomes. The COS markers specific for genes conserved throughout evolution in both sequence and copy number between Triticeae/Aegilops taxa and define orthologous regions, thus enabling the comparison of regions on the chromosomes of related species. The present study compared individual chromosomes of Aegilops umbellulata (UU), Ae. comosa (MM), Ae. speltoides (SS) and Ae. caudata (CC) purified by flourescent labelling with oligonucleotid SSR repeats and biparametric flow cytometry with wheat by identifying orthologous chromosomal regions by COS markers. The linear order of bin-mapped COS markers along the wheat D chromosomes was identified by the use of chromosome-specific sequence data and virtual gene order. Syntenic regions of wheat identifying genome rearrangements differentiating the U, M, S or C genomes from the D genome of wheat were detected. The conserved orthologous set markers assigned to Aegilops chromosomes promise to accelerate gene introgression by facilitating the identification of alien chromatin. The syntenic relationships between the Aegilops species and wheat will facilitate the targeted development of new markers specific for U, M, S and C genomic regions and will contribute to the understanding of molecular processes related to the evolution of Aegilops. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Aegilops" title="Aegilops">Aegilops</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=cos-markers" title=" cos-markers"> cos-markers</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=flow-sorting" title=" flow-sorting"> flow-sorting</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=wheat" title=" wheat"> wheat</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/29629/phylogenetic-relationships-between-the-whole-sets-of-individual-flow-sorted-u-m-s-and-c-chromosomes-of-aegilops-and-wheat-as-revealed-by-cos-markers" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/29629.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">502</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">28</span> Incidence of Breast Cancer and Enterococcus Infection: A Retrospective Analysis</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Matthew%20Cardeiro">Matthew Cardeiro</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Amalia%20D.%20Ardeljan"> Amalia D. Ardeljan</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lexi%20Frankel"> Lexi Frankel</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Dianela%20Prado%20Escobar"> Dianela Prado Escobar</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20Molnar"> Catalina Molnar</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Omar%20M.%20Rashid"> Omar M. Rashid</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Introduction: Enterococci comprise the natural flora of nearly all animals and are ubiquitous in food manufacturing and probiotics. However, its role in the microbiome remains controversial. The gut microbiome has shown to play an important role in immunology and cancer. Further, recent data has suggested a relationship between gut microbiota and breast cancer. These studies have shown that the gut microbiome of patients with breast cancer differs from that of healthy patients. Research regarding enterococcus infection and its sequala is limited, and further research is needed in order to understand the relationship between infection and cancer. Enterococcus may prevent the development of breast cancer (BC) through complex immunologic and microbiotic adaptations following an enterococcus infection. This study investigated the effect of enterococcus infection and the incidence of BC. Methods: A retrospective study (January 2010- December 2019) was provided by a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant national database and conducted using a Humans Health Insurance Database. International Classification of Disease (ICD) 9th and 10th codes, Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), and National Drug Codes were used to identify BC diagnosis and enterococcus infection. Patients were matched for age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), antibiotic treatment, and region of residence. Chi-squared, logistic regression, and odds ratio were implemented to assess the significance and estimate relative risk. Results: 671 out of 28,518 (2.35%) patients with a prior enterococcus infection and 1,459 out of 28,518 (5.12%) patients without enterococcus infection subsequently developed BC, and the difference was statistically significant (p<2.2x10⁻¹⁶). Logistic regression also indicated enterococcus infection was associated with a decreased incidence of BC (RR=0.60, 95% CI [0.57, 0.63]). Treatment for enterococcus infection was analyzed and controlled for in both enterococcus infected and noninfected populations. 398 out of 11,523 (3.34%) patients with a prior enterococcus infection and treated with antibiotics were compared to 624 out of 11,523 (5.41%) patients with no history of enterococcus infection (control) and received antibiotic treatment. Both populations subsequently developed BC. Results remained statistically significant (p<2.2x10-16) with a relative risk of 0.57 (95% CI [0.54, 0.60]). Conclusion & Discussion: This study shows a statistically significant correlation between enterococcus infection and a decrease incidence of breast cancer. Further exploration is needed to identify and understand not only the role of enterococcus in the microbiome but also the protective mechanism(s) and impact enterococcus infection may have on breast cancer development. Ultimately, further research is needed in order to understand the complex and intricate relationship between the microbiome, immunology, bacterial infections, and carcinogenesis. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=breast%20cancer" title="breast cancer">breast cancer</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=enterococcus" title=" enterococcus"> enterococcus</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=immunology" title=" immunology"> immunology</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=infection" title=" infection"> infection</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=microbiome" title=" microbiome"> microbiome</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/140139/incidence-of-breast-cancer-and-enterococcus-infection-a-retrospective-analysis" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/140139.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">173</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">27</span> EU Integratıon Impact over the Real Convergence</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Badoiu%20Mihaela%20Catalina">Badoiu Mihaela Catalina</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Main focus of COHESION policy was reducing social and economic disparities between member states and regions, sustainable development and equal opportunities. In this perspective, the present study intend to analyze the evolution of the European architecture and its direct impact over the real convergence in the member states. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=cooperation" title="cooperation">cooperation</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=European%20union" title=" European union"> European union</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=member%20states" title=" member states"> member states</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=cohesion%20policy" title=" cohesion policy"> cohesion policy</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/23580/eu-integration-impact-over-the-real-convergence" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/23580.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">459</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">26</span> Comeback of the Limited Precedent System in Hungary – A Critical Assessment</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Istv%C3%A1n%20J%C3%A1nos%20Moln%C3%A1r">István János Molnár</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Hungary has a legal system that is primarily based on statutory legislation, which means that statutes are the main source of law. However, in a surprising move, the Hungarian Parliament introduced a "limited" precedent system on 1 April 2020. This reform requires Hungarian courts to consider not only statutes but also the interpretation of those statutes in decisions made by the highest court in the country, the Curia. While judge-made customary law is not completely unfamiliar in Hungarian legal practice, the introduction of this new system presents several theoretical and practical challenges that may take time to resolve. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=civil%20procedure" title="civil procedure">civil procedure</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=hungary" title=" hungary"> hungary</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=judicial%20practice" title=" judicial practice"> judicial practice</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=precedent%20system" title=" precedent system"> precedent system</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=sources%20of%20law" title=" sources of law"> sources of law</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/171681/comeback-of-the-limited-precedent-system-in-hungary-a-critical-assessment" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/171681.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">89</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">25</span> The Influence of Characteristics of Waste Water on Properties of Sewage Sludge</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20Iticescu">Catalina Iticescu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lucian%20P.%20Georgescu"> Lucian P. Georgescu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mihaela%20Timofti"> Mihaela Timofti</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Gabriel%20Murariu"> Gabriel Murariu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20Topa"> Catalina Topa</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> In the field of environmental protection in the EU and also in Romania, strict and clear rules are imposed that are respected. Among those, mandatory municipal wastewater treatment is included. Our study involved Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant (MWWTP) of Galati. MWWTP began its activity by the end of 2011 and technology is one of the most modern used in the EU. Moreover, to our knowledge, it is the first technology of this kind used in the region. Until commissioning, municipal wastewater was discharged directly into the Danube without any treatment. Besides the benefits of depollution, a new problem has arisen: the accumulation of increasingly large sewage sludge. Therefore, it is extremely important to find economically feasible and environmentally friendly solutions. One of the most feasible methods of disposing of sewage sludge is their use on agricultural land. Sewage sludge can be used in agriculture if monitored in terms of physicochemical properties (pH, nutrients, heavy metals, etc.), in order not to contribute to pollution in soils and not to affect chemical and biological balances, which are relatively fragile. In this paper, 16 physico-chemical parameters were monitored. Experimental testings were realised on waste water samples, sewage sludge results and treated water samples. Testing was conducted with electrochemichal methods (pH, conductivity, TDS); parameters N-total (mg/L), P-total (mg/L), N-NH4 (mg/L), N-NO2 (mg/L), N-NO3 (mg/L), Fe-total (mg/L), Cr-total (mg/L), Cu (mg/L), Zn (mg/L), Cd (mg/L), Pb (mg/L), Ni (mg/L) were determined by spectrophotometric methods using a spectrophotometer NOVA 60 and specific kits. Analyzing the results, we concluded that Sewage sludges, although containing heavy metals, are in small quantities and will not affect the land on which they will be deposited. Also, the amount of nutrients contained are appreciable. These features indicate that the sludge can be safely used in agriculture, with the advantage that they represent a cheap fertilizer. Acknowledgement: This work was supported by a grant of the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation – UEFISCDI, PNCDI III project, 79BG/2017, Efficiency of the technological process for obtaining of sewage sludge usable in agriculture, Efficient. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=municipal%20wastewater" title="municipal wastewater">municipal wastewater</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=physico-chemical%20properties" title=" physico-chemical properties"> physico-chemical properties</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=sewage%20sludge" title=" sewage sludge"> sewage sludge</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=technology" title=" technology"> technology</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/71863/the-influence-of-characteristics-of-waste-water-on-properties-of-sewage-sludge" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/71863.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">209</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">24</span> Combining the Dynamic Conditional Correlation and Range-GARCH Models to Improve Covariance Forecasts</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Piotr%20Fiszeder">Piotr Fiszeder</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Marcin%20Fa%C5%82dzi%C5%84ski"> Marcin Fałdziński</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Peter%20Moln%C3%A1r"> Peter Molnár</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The dynamic conditional correlation model of Engle (2002) is one of the most popular multivariate volatility models. However, this model is based solely on closing prices. It has been documented in the literature that the high and low price of the day can be used in an efficient volatility estimation. We, therefore, suggest a model which incorporates high and low prices into the dynamic conditional correlation framework. Empirical evaluation of this model is conducted on three datasets: currencies, stocks, and commodity exchange-traded funds. The utilisation of realized variances and covariances as proxies for true variances and covariances allows us to reach a strong conclusion that our model outperforms not only the standard dynamic conditional correlation model but also a competing range-based dynamic conditional correlation model. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=volatility" title="volatility">volatility</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=DCC%20model" title=" DCC model"> DCC model</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=high%20and%20low%20prices" title=" high and low prices"> high and low prices</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=range-based%20models" title=" range-based models"> range-based models</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=covariance%20forecasting" title=" covariance forecasting"> covariance forecasting</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/107388/combining-the-dynamic-conditional-correlation-and-range-garch-models-to-improve-covariance-forecasts" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/107388.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">183</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">23</span> An Institutional Analysis of IFRS Adoption in Poor Jurisdictions</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20Florentina%20Pricope">Catalina Florentina Pricope</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The last two decades witnessed a movement towards harmonization of international financial reporting standards (IFRS) throughout the global economy. This investigation seeks to identify the factors that could explain the adoption of IFRS by poor jurisdictions. While there has been a considerable amount, of literature published on the effects and key drivers of IFRS adoption in both developed and developing countries, little attention has been paid to jurisdictions with less developed capital markets and low-income levels exclusively. Drawing upon the Institutional Isomorphism theory and analyzing a sample of 45 poor jurisdictions between 2008 and 2013, the study empirically shows that poor jurisdictions are driven by legitimacy concerns rather than by economic reasoning to adopt an international accounting perspective. This in turn has implications for the IASB, as it should seek to influence institutional pressures within a particular jurisdiction in order to promote IFRS adoption. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=IFRS%20adoption" title="IFRS adoption">IFRS adoption</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=isomorphism" title=" isomorphism"> isomorphism</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=poor%20jurisdictions" title=" poor jurisdictions"> poor jurisdictions</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=accounting%20harmonization" title=" accounting harmonization "> accounting harmonization </a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/39744/an-institutional-analysis-of-ifrs-adoption-in-poor-jurisdictions" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/39744.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">276</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">22</span> Periodicity Analysis of Long-Term Waterquality Data Series of the Hungarian Section of the River Tisza Using Morlet Wavelet Spectrum Estimation</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=P%C3%A9ter%20Tanos">Péter Tanos</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=J%C3%B3zsef%20Kov%C3%A1cs"> József Kovács</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ang%C3%A9la%20Anda"> Angéla Anda</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=G%C3%A1bor%20V%C3%A1rb%C3%ADr%C3%B3"> Gábor Várbíró</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=S%C3%A1ndor%20Moln%C3%A1r"> Sándor Molnár</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Istv%C3%A1n%20G%C3%A1bor%20Hatvani"> István Gábor Hatvani</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The River Tisza is the second largest river in Central Europe. In this study, Morlet wavelet spectrum (periodicity) analysis was used with chemical, biological and physical water quality data for the Hungarian section of the River Tisza. In the research 15, water quality parameters measured at 14 sampling sites in the River Tisza and 4 sampling sites in the main artificial changes were assessed for the time period 1993 - 2005. Results show that annual periodicity was not always to be found in the water quality parameters, at least at certain sampling sites. Periodicity was found to vary over space and time, but in general, an increase was observed in the company of higher trophic states of the river heading downstream. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=annual%20periodicity%20water%20quality" title="annual periodicity water quality">annual periodicity water quality</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=spatiotemporal%20variability%20of%20periodic%20behavior" title=" spatiotemporal variability of periodic behavior"> spatiotemporal variability of periodic behavior</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Morlet%20wavelet%20spectrum%20analysis" title=" Morlet wavelet spectrum analysis"> Morlet wavelet spectrum analysis</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=River%20Tisza" title=" River Tisza"> River Tisza</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/60822/periodicity-analysis-of-long-term-waterquality-data-series-of-the-hungarian-section-of-the-river-tisza-using-morlet-wavelet-spectrum-estimation" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/60822.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">344</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">21</span> Transforming Public Administration in the Digital Era: Challenges and Opportunities</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20Oana%20Dumitrescu">Catalina Oana Dumitrescu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Andreea%20L.%20Drugau-constantin"> Andreea L. Drugau-constantin</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> In the digital age, public administration is facing profound change, fueled by technological advances and the growing demands of citizens for efficient, accessible and transparent services. This paper explores how new digital technologies – including artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data and e-governance solutions – are reshaping the functioning of public administrations globally. In addition to the obvious opportunities to streamline and optimize processes, digital transformation brings with it major challenges, such as cyber security, personal data protection, resistance to change and the need to develop new skills for employees. The paper aims to provide a discussion platform for public administration experts, policy makers and technology innovators to consider how governments can balance the benefits and risks of digital transformation. Topics such as the reconfiguration of administrative processes, the creation of interoperable government systems, the involvement of citizens in public decisions through digital platforms, and solutions for reducing the digital gap between developed and developing regions will be addressed. In conclusion, the digital transformation of public administration is not only an opportunity for modernization, but also a necessity to respond to the new demands and challenges of contemporary society. This paper will provide new insights into the role of technology in improving the quality of governance and public services. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=public%20administration" title="public administration">public administration</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=digital%20ERA" title=" digital ERA"> digital ERA</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=technology" title=" technology"> technology</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=government%20systems" title=" government systems"> government systems</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=global" title=" global"> global</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/192568/transforming-public-administration-in-the-digital-era-challenges-and-opportunities" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/192568.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">17</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">20</span> Prevalence of Workplace Bullying in Hong Kong: A Latent Class Analysis</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20Sau%20Man%20Ng">Catalina Sau Man Ng</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Workplace bullying is generally defined as a form of direct and indirect maltreatment at work including harassing, offending, socially isolating someone or negatively affecting someone’s work tasks. Workplace bullying is unfortunately commonplace around the world, which makes it a social phenomenon worth researching. However, the measurements and estimation methods of workplace bullying seem to be diverse in different studies, leading to dubious results. Hence, this paper attempts to examine the prevalence of workplace bullying in Hong Kong using the latent class analysis approach. It is often argued that the traditional classification of workplace bullying into the dichotomous 'victims' and 'non-victims' may not be able to fully represent the complex phenomenon of bullying. By treating workplace bullying as one latent variable and examining the potential categorical distribution within the latent variable, a more thorough understanding of workplace bullying in real-life situations may hence be provided. As a result, this study adopts a latent class analysis method, which was tested to demonstrate higher construct and higher predictive validity previously. In the present study, a representative sample of 2814 employees (Male: 54.7%, Female: 45.3%) in Hong Kong was recruited. The participants were asked to fill in a self-reported questionnaire which included measurements such as Chinese Workplace Bullying Scale (CWBS) and Chinese Version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). It is estimated that four latent classes will emerge: 'non-victims', 'seldom bullied', 'sometimes bullied', and 'victims'. The results of each latent class and implications of the study will also be discussed in this working paper. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=latent%20class%20analysis" title="latent class analysis">latent class analysis</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=prevalence" title=" prevalence"> prevalence</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=survey" title=" survey"> survey</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=workplace%20bullying" title=" workplace bullying"> workplace bullying</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/92005/prevalence-of-workplace-bullying-in-hong-kong-a-latent-class-analysis" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/92005.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">330</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">19</span> Transformation of Positron Emission Tomography Raw Data into Images for Classification Using Convolutional Neural Network</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Pawe%C5%82%20Konieczka">Paweł Konieczka</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lech%20Raczy%C5%84ski"> Lech Raczyński</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Wojciech%20Wi%C5%9Blicki"> Wojciech Wiślicki</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Oleksandr%20Fedoruk"> Oleksandr Fedoruk</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Konrad%20Klimaszewski"> Konrad Klimaszewski</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Przemys%C5%82aw%20Kopka"> Przemysław Kopka</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Wojciech%20Krzemie%C5%84"> Wojciech Krzemień</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Roman%20Shopa"> Roman Shopa</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jakub%20Baran"> Jakub Baran</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Aur%C3%A9lien%20Coussat"> Aurélien Coussat</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Neha%20Chug"> Neha Chug</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20Curceanu"> Catalina Curceanu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Eryk%20Czerwi%C5%84ski"> Eryk Czerwiński</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Meysam%20Dadgar"> Meysam Dadgar</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Kamil%20Dulski"> Kamil Dulski</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Aleksander%20Gajos"> Aleksander Gajos</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Beatrix%20C.%20Hiesmayr"> Beatrix C. Hiesmayr</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Krzysztof%20Kacprzak"> Krzysztof Kacprzak</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=%C5%82ukasz%20Kap%C5%82on"> łukasz Kapłon</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Grzegorz%20Korcyl"> Grzegorz Korcyl</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Tomasz%20Kozik"> Tomasz Kozik</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Deepak%20Kumar"> Deepak Kumar</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Szymon%20Nied%C5%BAwiecki"> Szymon Niedźwiecki</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Dominik%20Panek"> Dominik Panek</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Szymon%20Parzych"> Szymon Parzych</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Elena%20P%C3%A9rez%20Del%20R%C3%ADo"> Elena Pérez Del Río</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sushil%20Sharma"> Sushil Sharma</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Shivani%20Shivani"> Shivani Shivani</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Magdalena%20Skurzok"> Magdalena Skurzok</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ewa%20%C5%82ucja%20St%C4%99pie%C5%84"> Ewa łucja Stępień</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Faranak%20Tayefi"> Faranak Tayefi</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Pawe%C5%82%20Moskal"> Paweł Moskal</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> This paper develops the transformation of non-image data into 2-dimensional matrices, as a preparation stage for classification based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs). In positron emission tomography (PET) studies, CNN may be applied directly to the reconstructed distribution of radioactive tracers injected into the patient's body, as a pattern recognition tool. Nonetheless, much PET data still exists in non-image format and this fact opens a question on whether they can be used for training CNN. In this contribution, the main focus of this paper is the problem of processing vectors with a small number of features in comparison to the number of pixels in the output images. The proposed methodology was applied to the classification of PET coincidence events. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=convolutional%20neural%20network" title="convolutional neural network">convolutional neural network</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=kernel%20principal%20component%20analysis" title=" kernel principal component analysis"> kernel principal component analysis</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=medical%20imaging" title=" medical imaging"> medical imaging</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=positron%20emission%20tomography" title=" positron emission tomography"> positron emission tomography</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/150734/transformation-of-positron-emission-tomography-raw-data-into-images-for-classification-using-convolutional-neural-network" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/150734.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">143</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">18</span> Physical Activity and Sport Research with People with Impairments: Oppression–Empowerment Continuum</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Gyozo%20Molnar">Gyozo Molnar</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Nancy%20Spencer-Cavaliere"> Nancy Spencer-Cavaliere</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Research in the area of physical activity and sport, while becoming multidisciplinary, is still dominated by post-positivist approaches that have the tendency to position the researcher as an expert and the participant as subordinate thereby perpetuating an unequal balance of power. Despite physical activity’s and sport’s universal appeal, their historic practices have excluded particular groups of people who assumed lesser forms of human capital. Adapted physical activity (APA) is a field that has responded to those segregations with specific application and relevance to people with impairments. Nevertheless, to date, similar to physical activity and sport, research in APA is still dominated by post-positivist epistemology. Stemming from this, there is gradually growing criticism within the field related to the abundance of research ‘on’ people with impairments and lack of research ‘with’ and ‘by’ people with impairments. Furthermore, research questions in the field are most often pursued from a single axis of analysis and constructed by non-disabled researchers. Concurrently, while calls for interdisciplinary approaches to understanding disability are growing in popularity, there is also a clear need to take an intersectionality-informed research methodology to understanding physical activity and sport and power (im)balances therein. In other words, impairment needs to be considered in conjunction with other socially and politically constructed and historically embedded differences such as gender, race, class, etc. when analyzing physical activity and sport experiences for people with impairments. Moreover, it is reasonable to argue that non-disabled researchers must recognize and theorize ableism in its complicated intersectional manifestation to show the structural constraints that disabled scholars face in the field. Consequently, this presentation will offer an alternative approach that acknowledges and prioritizes the perspectives and experiences of people with impairments to expand the field of APA. As such, the importance of broadening epistemologies in APA and prioritizing an appreciation for multiple bits of knowledge of people with impairments through intersections of social locations (e.g., gender, race, class) will be considered. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=adapted%20physical%20activity" title="adapted physical activity">adapted physical activity</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=disability" title=" disability"> disability</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=intersectionality" title=" intersectionality"> intersectionality</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=post-positivist" title=" post-positivist"> post-positivist</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=power%20imbalances" title=" power imbalances"> power imbalances</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/72391/physical-activity-and-sport-research-with-people-with-impairments-oppression-empowerment-continuum" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/72391.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">236</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">17</span> Calculation of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and the Spectral Signature of Coffee Crops: Benefits of Image Filtering on Mixed Crops</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20Albornoz">Catalina Albornoz</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Giacomo%20Barbieri"> Giacomo Barbieri</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Crop monitoring has shown to reduce vulnerability to spreading plagues and pathologies in crops. Remote sensing with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has made crop monitoring more precise, cost-efficient and accessible. Nowadays, remote monitoring involves calculating maps of vegetation indices by using different software that takes either Truecolor (RGB) or multispectral images as an input. These maps are then used to segment the crop into management zones. Finally, knowing the spectral signature of a crop (the reflected radiation as a function of wavelength) can be used as an input for decision-making and crop characterization. The calculation of vegetation indices using software such as Pix4D has high precision for monoculture plantations. However, this paper shows that using this software on mixed crops may lead to errors resulting in an incorrect segmentation of the field. Within this work, authors propose to filter all the elements different from the main crop before the calculation of vegetation indices and the spectral signature. A filter based on the Sobel method for border detection is used for filtering a coffee crop. Results show that segmentation into management zones changes with respect to the traditional situation in which a filter is not applied. In particular, it is shown how the values of the spectral signature change in up to 17% per spectral band. Future work will quantify the benefits of filtering through the comparison between in situ measurements and the calculated vegetation indices obtained through remote sensing. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=coffee" title="coffee">coffee</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=filtering" title=" filtering"> filtering</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=mixed%20crop" title=" mixed crop"> mixed crop</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=precision%20agriculture" title=" precision agriculture"> precision agriculture</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=remote%20sensing" title=" remote sensing"> remote sensing</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=spectral%20signature" title=" spectral signature"> spectral signature</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/76629/calculation-of-the-normalized-difference-vegetation-index-and-the-spectral-signature-of-coffee-crops-benefits-of-image-filtering-on-mixed-crops" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/76629.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">388</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">16</span> Media Representation of Romanian Migrants in the Italian Media: A Comparative Study </h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Paula-Catalina%20Meirosu">Paula-Catalina Meirosu</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The economic migration (intra-EU) is a topic of debate in the public space in both countries of origin and countries of destination. Since the 1990s, after the collapse of communist regimes and then the accession of some former communist countries to the EU, the migratory flows of migrants (including Romanian migrants) to EU countries has been increased constantly. Italy is one of the main countries of destination among Romanians since at the moment Italy hosts more than one million Romanian migrants. Based on an interdisciplinary analytical framework focused on the theories in the field of transnationalism, media and migration studies and critical media analysis, this paper investigates the media construction of intra-EU economic migration in the Italian press from two main perspectives. The first point of view is the media representation of Romanian migrants in the Italian press in a specific context: the EU elections in 2014. The second one explores the way in which Romanian journalists use the media in the destinations countries (such as Italy) as a source to address the issue of migration. In this context, the paper focuses on online articles related to the Romanian migrants’ representation in the media before and during the EU elections in two newspapers (La Repubblica from Italy and Adevarul from Romania), published during January-May 2014. The methodology is based on a social-constructivist approach, predominantly discursive and includes elements of critical discourse analysis (CDA) to identify the patterns of Romanian migrants in the Italian press as well as strategies for building categories, identities, and roles of migrants. The aim of such an approach is to find out the dynamic of the media discourse on migration from a destination country in the light of a European electoral context (EU elections) and based on the results, to propose scenarios for the elections to be held this year. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=migration" title="migration">migration</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=media%20discourse" title=" media discourse"> media discourse</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Romanian%20migrants" title=" Romanian migrants"> Romanian migrants</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=transnationalism" title=" transnationalism"> transnationalism</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/106270/media-representation-of-romanian-migrants-in-the-italian-media-a-comparative-study" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/106270.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">134</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">15</span> Improving Usability of e-Government for the Elderly</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Tamas%20Molnar">Tamas Molnar</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Electronic government systems are currently in the same development stage as e-commerce applications were about in the late 1990s. Wide adoption by the majority of population is near, as such services are not only more and more desired by the users, but also strongly advocated and pushed by the state, as a means to increase effectiveness and cut expenses at the same time. Diffusion is however hampered by the low motivation caused by usability issues which will cause more and more frustration as the general population ages. Usability centred design is essential when creating such services. Elderly users, who have statistically the least experience, have the most problems, and therefore reject unusable systems first. The goal of our research was to find a way to map the needs of the elderly and create guidelines for the design of electronic government systems which are usable for the whole population. The first phase of our research, started mid-2009, was centred on the idea to gather information about the needs of the target group, in both Germany and Hungary with over 70 participants. This was done with the help of scenarios, interviews and questionnaires. The supplied data enabled to choose an eGovernment system for tests on the target group. Tests conducted in Germany and Hungary were based on the design and functions of the German electronic ID card, in the native languages. Scenarios mirroring common, every day transactions requiring an identification procedure were used. The obtained results allowed us to develop a generalised solution, the IGUAN guideline. This guideline makes a standardised approach to the usability improvement process possible. It contains the special requirements of elderly users, and a catalogue of criteria, which helps to develop an application in line with the set requirements. The third phase of our research was used a proof of concept for the IGUAN. The guideline was evaluated and tested with an iterative prototyping. The successful completion of this phase indicates that the IGUAN can be used to measurably increase the acceptance of e-government systems by elderly users. We could therefore demonstrate that improvements in the interface make e-government application possible which are perceived useful and easy to use by elderly users. These improvements will measurably increase the user motivation and experience. This can however only be achieved with a structured design process, and requires a framework which takes the requirements of the elderly users into account. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=e-Government" title="e-Government">e-Government</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=usability" title=" usability"> usability</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=acceptance" title=" acceptance"> acceptance</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=guidelines" title=" guidelines"> guidelines</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/20932/improving-usability-of-e-government-for-the-elderly" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/20932.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">543</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">14</span> Studies on the Use of Sewage Sludge in Agriculture or in Incinerators</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20%20Iticescu">Catalina Iticescu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lucian%20Georgescu"> Lucian Georgescu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mihaela%20%20Timofti"> Mihaela Timofti</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Dumitru%20Dima"> Dumitru Dima</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Gabriel%20Murariu"> Gabriel Murariu</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The amounts of sludge resulting from the treatment of domestic and industrial wastewater can create serious environmental problems if no solutions are found to eliminate them. At present, the predominant method of sewage sludge disposal is to store and use them in agricultural applications. The sewage sludge has fertilizer properties and can be used to enrich agricultural soils due to the nutrient content. In addition to plant growth (nitrogen and phosphorus), the sludge also contains heavy metals in varying amounts. An increasingly used method is the incineration of sludge. Thermal processes can be used to convert large amounts of sludge into useful energy. The sewage sludge analyzed for the present paper was extracted from the Wastewater Treatment Station (WWTP) Galati, Romania. The physico-chemical parameters determined were: pH (upH), nutrients and heavy metals. The determination methods were electrochemical, spectrophotometric and energy dispersive X–ray analyses (EDX). The results of the tests made on the content of nutrients in the sewage sludge have shown that existing nutrients can be used to increase the fertility of agricultural soils. The conclusion reached was that these sludge can be safely used on agricultural land and with good agricultural productivity results. To be able to use sewage sludge as a fuel, we need to know its calorific values. For wet sludge, the caloric power is low, while for dry sludge it is high. Higher calorific value and lower calorific value are determined only for dry solids. The apparatus used to determine the calorific power was a Parr 6755 Solution Calorimeter Calorimeter (Parr Instrument Company USA 2010 model). The calorific capacities for the studied sludge indicate that they can be used successfully in incinerators. Mixed with coal, they can also be used to produce electricity. The advantages are: it reduces the cost of obtaining electricity and considerably reduces the amount of sewage sludge. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=agriculture" title="agriculture">agriculture</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=incinerators" title=" incinerators"> incinerators</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=properties" title=" properties"> properties</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=sewage%20sludge" title=" sewage sludge"> sewage sludge</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/78346/studies-on-the-use-of-sewage-sludge-in-agriculture-or-in-incinerators" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/78346.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">171</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">13</span> Food Security Model and the Role of Community Empowerment: The Case of a Marginalized Village in Mexico, Tatoxcac, Puebla</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Marco%20Antonio%20Lara%20De%20la%20Calleja">Marco Antonio Lara De la Calleja</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mar%C3%ADa%20Catalina%20Ovando%20Chico"> María Catalina Ovando Chico</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Eduardo%20Lopez%20Ruiz"> Eduardo Lopez Ruiz</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Community empowerment has been proved to be a key element in the solution of the food security problem. As a result of a conceptual analysis, it was found that agricultural production, economic development and governance, are the traditional basis of food security models. Although the literature points to social inclusion as an important factor for food security, no model has considered it as the basis of it. The aim of this research is to identify different dimensions that make an integral model for food security, with emphasis on community empowerment. A diagnosis was made in the study community (Tatoxcac, Zacapoaxtla, Puebla), to know the aspects that impact the level of food insecurity. With a statistical sample integrated by 200 families, the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA) was applied, finding that: in households composed by adults and children, have moderated food insecurity, (ELCSA scale has three levels, low, moderated and high); that result is produced mainly by the economic income capacity and the diversity of the diet on its food. With that being said, a model was developed to promote food security through five dimensions: 1. Regional context of the community; 2. Structure and system of local food; 3. Health and nutrition; 4. Information and technology access; and 5. Self-awareness and empowerment. The specific actions on each axis of the model, allowed a systemic approach needed to attend food security in the community, through the empowerment of society. It is concluded that the self-awareness of local communities is an area of extreme importance, which must be taken into account for participatory schemes to improve food security. In the long term, the model requires the integrated participation of different actors, such as government, companies and universities, to solve something such vital as food security. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=community%20empowerment" title="community empowerment">community empowerment</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=food%20security" title=" food security"> food security</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=model" title=" model"> model</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=systemic%20approach" title=" systemic approach"> systemic approach</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/62914/food-security-model-and-the-role-of-community-empowerment-the-case-of-a-marginalized-village-in-mexico-tatoxcac-puebla" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/62914.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">372</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">12</span> Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Lyophilization Using Vacuum-Induced Freezing</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Natalia%20A.%20Salazar">Natalia A. Salazar</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Erika%20K.%20M%C3%A9ndez"> Erika K. Méndez</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20%C3%81lvarez"> Catalina Álvarez</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Carlos%20E.%20Orrego"> Carlos E. Orrego</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Lyophilization, also called freeze-drying, is an important dehydration technique mainly used for pharmaceuticals. Food industry also uses lyophilization when it is important to retain most of the nutritional quality, taste, shape and size of dried products and to extend their shelf life. Vacuum-Induced during freezing cycle (VI) has been used in order to control ice nucleation and, consequently, to reduce the time of primary drying cycle of pharmaceuticals preserving quality properties of the final product. This procedure has not been applied in freeze drying of foods. The present work aims to investigate the effect of VI on the lyophilization drying time, final moisture content, density and reconstitutional properties of mango (Mangifera indica L.) slices (MS) and mango pulp-maltodextrin dispersions (MPM) (30% concentration of total solids). Control samples were run at each freezing rate without using induced vacuum. The lyophilization endpoint was the same for all treatments (constant difference between capacitance and Pirani vacuum gauges). From the experimental results it can be concluded that at the high freezing rate (0.4°C/min) reduced the overall process time up to 30% comparing process time required for the control and VI of the lower freeze rate (0.1°C/min) without affecting the quality characteristics of the dried product, which yields a reduction in costs and energy consumption for MS and MPM freeze drying. Controls and samples treated with VI at freezing rate of 0.4°C/min in MS showed similar results in moisture and density parameters. Furthermore, results from MPM dispersion showed favorable values when VI was applied because dried product with low moisture content and low density was obtained at shorter process time compared with the control. There were not found significant differences between reconstitutional properties (rehydration for MS and solubility for MPM) of freeze dried mango resulting from controls, and VI treatments. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=drying%20time" title="drying time">drying time</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=lyophilization" title=" lyophilization"> lyophilization</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=mango" title=" mango"> mango</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=vacuum%20induced%20freezing" title=" vacuum induced freezing"> vacuum induced freezing</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/33223/mango-mangifera-indica-l-lyophilization-using-vacuum-induced-freezing" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/33223.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">410</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">11</span> Methods and Techniques for Lower Danube Sturgeon Monitoring Used for the Assessment of Anthropic Activities Pressures and the Quantification of Risks on These Species</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Gyorgy%20Deak">Gyorgy Deak</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Marius%20C.%20Raischi"> Marius C. Raischi</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lucian%20P.%20Georgescu"> Lucian P. Georgescu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Tiberius%20M.%20Danalache"> Tiberius M. Danalache</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Elena%20Holban"> Elena Holban</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Madalina%20G.%20Boboc"> Madalina G. Boboc</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Monica%20Matei"> Monica Matei</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20Iticescu"> Catalina Iticescu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Marius%20V.%20Olteanu"> Marius V. Olteanu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Stefan%20Zamfir"> Stefan Zamfir</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Gabriel%20Cornateanu"> Gabriel Cornateanu</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> At present, on the Lower Danube, different types of pressures have been identified that affect the anadromous sturgeons stocks with an impact that leads to their decline. This paper presents techniques and procedures used by Romanian experts in the tagging and monitoring of anadromous sturgeons, as well as unique results at international level obtained on the basis of an informational volume collected in over 7 years of monitoring on these species behavior (both for adults as well as for ultrasonically tagged juveniles) on the Lower Danube. The local impact of hydrotechnical constructions (bottom sill, maritime navigation channel), the global impact of the poaching phenomenon and the impact of the restocking programs with sturgeon juveniles were assessed. Thus, the bottom sill impact on the Bala branch, the Bastroe Channel (cross-border impact) and the poaching phenomenon at the level of the Lower Danube was analyzed on the basis of a unique informational volume obtained through the use of patented monitoring systems by the Romanian experts (DKTB respectively, DKMR-01T). At the same time, the results from the monitoring of ultrasonically tagged sturgeon juveniles from the 2015 repopulation program are presented. Conclusions resulting from research can ensure favorable premises for finding some conservation solutions for CITES-protected sturgeon species that have survived for millions of years, currently being 1 species on the brink of extinction - Russian sturgeon, 2 species in danger of extinction - Beluga sturgeon and Stellate sturgeon and 2 species already extinct from the Lower Danube, namely common sturgeon and ship sturgeon. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lower%20Danube" title="Lower Danube">Lower Danube</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=sturgeons%20monitoring%20%28adults%20and%20juveniles%29" title=" sturgeons monitoring (adults and juveniles)"> sturgeons monitoring (adults and juveniles)</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=tagging" title=" tagging"> tagging</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=impact%20on%20conservation" title=" impact on conservation"> impact on conservation</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/100774/methods-and-techniques-for-lower-danube-sturgeon-monitoring-used-for-the-assessment-of-anthropic-activities-pressures-and-the-quantification-of-risks-on-these-species" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/100774.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">240</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">10</span> Results of an Educative Procedure by Nursing on Patients Subjected to a Transplant from Hematopoietic Parents</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=C.%20Catalina%20Zapata">C. Catalina Zapata</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Z.%20Claudia%20Montoya"> Z. Claudia Montoya</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Transplant from hematopoietic parents (THP) or medulla (MT) is a procedure used to replace the medulla that does not work as part of a disease or when it is destroyed either by a treatment of high medication doses against cancer or by radiation. The transplant process has three stages, a stage prior to transplant, during and after the transplant. It is held with the help of an interdisciplinary team, including nursing, carrying out mainly educative procedures to warrant the adhesion and the changes in lifestyles needed to whom will undergo this procedure. The aim of the study was to assess the results of an educative procedure by nursing, on adult patients subjected to a transplant from hematopoietic parents at a high complexity institution of Medellin city, Colombia. This study had an observational longitudinal design. According to the rules of protocol, the educative activity must be held on all patients joining the procedure. Four instruments were designed in order to collect all the information. One of them to measure the sociodemographic variables, another one to measure self-care practices, another one to measure transplant knowledge and its cares and the other one to measure the 30-day post-transplant complications. The last three instruments were applied before and after the educative procedure. A univaried analysis was carried out but the bivaried analysis was not carried out since there were not statistically meaningful differences before and after. Within the results, ten patients were evaluated. The average age was 38.2 (13.38 SD – standard deviation), 8/10 were men. Some self-care practices such us having pets and plants and consuming some specific food as well as little use of UV protection are all present in this type of patients and are not modified after the procedure. In measuring the knowledge, something stands out among the answers. It is the fact that some patients do not know what the medulla is, the nature of separating wastes at home and the need to consult about vomit and nausea. The most frequent complications during the first thirty days were: nausea, vomit, fever, and rash. They are considered to be expected within this period. Patients do not exhibit differences in their level of knowledge before and after the educative procedure by nursing. The patients’ self-care practices do not involve all the necessary ones to avoid complications. During the first 30 days, most of the complications are typical of the transplant process from hematopoietic parents. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=bone%20marrow%20transplant" title="bone marrow transplant">bone marrow transplant</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=education" title=" education"> education</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=family" title=" family"> family</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=nursing" title=" nursing"> nursing</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=patients" title=" patients"> patients</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Transplantation%20of%20hematopoietic%20progenitors" title=" Transplantation of hematopoietic progenitors"> Transplantation of hematopoietic progenitors</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/103829/results-of-an-educative-procedure-by-nursing-on-patients-subjected-to-a-transplant-from-hematopoietic-parents" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/103829.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">126</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">9</span> The Incidence of Prostate Cancer in Previous Infected E. Coli Population</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Andreea%20Molnar">Andreea Molnar</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Amalia%20Ardeljan"> Amalia Ardeljan</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lexi%20Frankel"> Lexi Frankel</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Marissa%20Dallara"> Marissa Dallara</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Brittany%20Nagel"> Brittany Nagel</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Omar%20Rashid"> Omar Rashid</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Background: Escherichia coli is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic bacteria that belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae and resides in the intestinal tracts of individuals. E.Coli has numerous strains grouped into serogroups and serotypes based on differences in antigens in their cell walls (somatic, or “O” antigens) and flagella (“H” antigens). More than 700 serotypes of E. coli have been identified. Although most strains of E. coli are harmless, a few strains, such as E. coli O157:H7 which produces Shiga toxin, can cause intestinal infection with symptoms of severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting. Infection with E. Coli can lead to the development of systemic inflammation as the toxin exerts its effects. Chronic inflammation is now known to contribute to cancer development in several organs, including the prostate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between E. Coli and the incidence of prostate cancer. Methods: Data collected in this cohort study was provided by a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant national database to evaluate patients infected with E.Coli infection and prostate cancer using the International Classification of Disease (ICD-10 and ICD-9 codes). Permission to use the database was granted by Holy Cross Health, Fort Lauderdale for the purpose of academic research. Data analysis was conducted through the use of standard statistical methods. Results: Between January 2010 and December 2019, the query was analyzed and resulted in 81, 037 patients after matching in both infected and control groups, respectively. The two groups were matched by Age Range and CCI score. The incidence of prostate cancer was 2.07% and 1,680 patients in the E. Coli group compared to 5.19% and 4,206 patients in the control group. The difference was statistically significant by a p-value p<2.2x10-16 with an Odds Ratio of 0.53 and a 95% CI. Based on the specific treatment for E.Coli, the infected group vs control group were matched again with a result of 31,696 patients in each group. 827 out of 31,696 (2.60%) patients with a prior E.coli infection and treated with antibiotics were compared to 1634 out of 31,696 (5.15%) patients with no history of E.coli infection (control) and received antibiotic treatment. Both populations subsequently developed prostate carcinoma. Results remained statistically significant (p<2.2x10-16), Odds Ratio=0.55 (95% CI 0.51-0.59). Conclusion: This retrospective study shows a statistically significant correlation between E.Coli infection and a decreased incidence of prostate cancer. Further evaluation is needed in order to identify the impact of E.Coli infection and prostate cancer development. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=E.%20Coli" title="E. Coli">E. Coli</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=prostate%20cancer" title=" prostate cancer"> prostate cancer</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=protective" title=" protective"> protective</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=microbiology" title=" microbiology"> microbiology</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/140205/the-incidence-of-prostate-cancer-in-previous-infected-e-coli-population" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/140205.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">215</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">8</span> Assessing the Structure of Non-Verbal Semantic Knowledge: The Evaluation and First Results of the Hungarian Semantic Association Test</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Alinka%20Moln%C3%A1r-T%C3%B3th">Alinka Molnár-Tóth</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=T%C3%ADmea%20T%C3%A1nczos"> Tímea Tánczos</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Regina%20Barna"> Regina Barna</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Katalin%20Jakab"> Katalin Jakab</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=P%C3%A9ter%20Kliv%C3%A9nyi"> Péter Klivényi</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Supported by neuroscientific findings, the so-called Hub-and-Spoke model of the human semantic system is based on two subcomponents of semantic cognition, namely the semantic control process and semantic representation. Our semantic knowledge is multimodal in nature, as the knowledge system stored in relation to a conception is extensive and broad, while different aspects of the conception may be relevant depending on the purpose. The motivation of our research is to develop a new diagnostic measurement procedure based on the preservation of semantic representation, which is appropriate to the specificities of the Hungarian language and which can be used to compare the non-verbal semantic knowledge of healthy and aphasic persons. The development of the test will broaden the Hungarian clinical diagnostic toolkit, which will allow for more specific therapy planning. The sample of healthy persons (n=480) was determined by the last census data for the representativeness of the sample. Based on the concept of the Pyramids and Palm Tree Test, and according to the characteristics of the Hungarian language, we have elaborated a test based on different types of semantic information, in which the subjects are presented with three pictures: they have to choose the one that best fits the target word above from the two lower options, based on the semantic relation defined. We have measured 5 types of semantic knowledge representations: associative relations, taxonomy, motional representations, concrete as well as abstract verbs. As the first step in our data analysis, we examined the normal distribution of our results, and since it was not normally distributed (p < 0.05), we used nonparametric statistics further into the analysis. Using descriptive statistics, we could determine the frequency of the correct and incorrect responses, and with this knowledge, we could later adjust and remove the items of questionable reliability. The reliability was tested using Cronbach’s α, and it can be safely said that all the results were in an acceptable range of reliability (α = 0.6-0.8). We then tested for the potential gender differences using the Mann Whitney-U test, however, we found no difference between the two (p < 0.05). Likewise, we didn’t see that the age had any effect on the results using one-way ANOVA (p < 0.05), however, the level of education did influence the results (p > 0.05). The relationships between the subtests were observed by the nonparametric Spearman’s rho correlation matrix, showing statistically significant correlation between the subtests (p > 0.05), signifying a linear relationship between the measured semantic functions. A margin of error of 5% was used in all cases. The research will contribute to the expansion of the clinical diagnostic toolkit and will be relevant for the individualised therapeutic design of treatment procedures. The use of a non-verbal test procedure will allow an early assessment of the most severe language conditions, which is a priority in the differential diagnosis. The measurement of reaction time is expected to advance prodrome research, as the tests can be easily conducted in the subclinical phase. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=communication%20disorders" title="communication disorders">communication disorders</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=diagnostic%20toolkit" title=" diagnostic toolkit"> diagnostic toolkit</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=neurorehabilitation" title=" neurorehabilitation"> neurorehabilitation</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=semantic%20knowlegde" title=" semantic knowlegde"> semantic knowlegde</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/167747/assessing-the-structure-of-non-verbal-semantic-knowledge-the-evaluation-and-first-results-of-the-hungarian-semantic-association-test" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/167747.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">103</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">7</span> Multicollinearity and MRA in Sustainability: Application of the Raise Regression</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Claudia%20Garc%C3%ADa-Garc%C3%ADa">Claudia García-García</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20B.%20Garc%C3%ADa-Garc%C3%ADa"> Catalina B. García-García</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Rom%C3%A1n%20Salmer%C3%B3n-G%C3%B3mez"> Román Salmerón-Gómez</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Much economic-environmental research includes the analysis of possible interactions by using Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA), which is a specific application of multiple linear regression analysis. This methodology allows analyzing how the effect of one of the independent variables is moderated by a second independent variable by adding a cross-product term between them as an additional explanatory variable. Due to the very specification of the methodology, the moderated factor is often highly correlated with the constitutive terms. Thus, great multicollinearity problems arise. The appearance of strong multicollinearity in a model has important consequences. Inflated variances of the estimators may appear, there is a tendency to consider non-significant regressors that they probably are together with a very high coefficient of determination, incorrect signs of our coefficients may appear and also the high sensibility of the results to small changes in the dataset. Finally, the high relationship among explanatory variables implies difficulties in fixing the individual effects of each one on the model under study. These consequences shifted to the moderated analysis may imply that it is not worth including an interaction term that may be distorting the model. Thus, it is important to manage the problem with some methodology that allows for obtaining reliable results. After a review of those works that applied the MRA among the ten top journals of the field, it is clear that multicollinearity is mostly disregarded. Less than 15% of the reviewed works take into account potential multicollinearity problems. To overcome the issue, this work studies the possible application of recent methodologies to MRA. Particularly, the raised regression is analyzed. This methodology mitigates collinearity from a geometrical point of view: the collinearity problem arises because the variables under study are very close geometrically, so by separating both variables, the problem can be mitigated. Raise regression maintains the available information and modifies the problematic variables instead of deleting variables, for example. Furthermore, the global characteristics of the initial model are also maintained (sum of squared residuals, estimated variance, coefficient of determination, global significance test and prediction). The proposal is implemented to data from countries of the European Union during the last year available regarding greenhouse gas emissions, per capita GDP and a dummy variable that represents the topography of the country. The use of a dummy variable as the moderator is a special variant of MRA, sometimes called “subgroup regression analysis.” The main conclusion of this work is that applying new techniques to the field can improve in a substantial way the results of the analysis. Particularly, the use of raised regression mitigates great multicollinearity problems, so the researcher is able to rely on the interaction term when interpreting the results of a particular study. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=multicollinearity" title="multicollinearity">multicollinearity</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=MRA" title=" MRA"> MRA</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=interaction" title=" interaction"> interaction</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=raise" title=" raise"> raise</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/160117/multicollinearity-and-mra-in-sustainability-application-of-the-raise-regression" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/160117.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">104</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">6</span> Influence of Sewage Sludge on Agricultural Land Quality and Crop</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20Iticescu">Catalina Iticescu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lucian%20P.%20Georgescu"> Lucian P. Georgescu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mihaela%20Timofti"> Mihaela Timofti</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Gabriel%20Murariu"> Gabriel Murariu</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Since the accumulation of large quantities of sewage sludge is producing serious environmental problems, numerous environmental specialists are looking for solutions to solve this problem. The sewage sludge obtained by treatment of municipal wastewater may be used as fertiliser on agricultural soils because such sludge contains large amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter. In many countries, sewage sludge is used instead of chemical fertilizers in agriculture, this being the most feasible method to reduce the increasingly larger quantities of sludge. The use of sewage sludge on agricultural soils is allowed only with a strict monitoring of their physical and chemical parameters, because heavy metals exist in varying amounts in sewage sludge. Exceeding maximum permitted quantities of harmful substances may lead to pollution of agricultural soil and may cause their removal aside because the plants may take up the heavy metals existing in soil and these metals will most probably be found in humans and animals through food. The sewage sludge analyzed for the present paper was extracted from the Wastewater Treatment Station (WWTP) Galati, Romania. The physico-chemical parameters determined were: pH (upH), total organic carbon (TOC) (mg L⁻¹), N-total (mg L⁻¹), P-total (mg L⁻¹), N-NH₄ (mg L⁻¹), N-NO₂ (mg L⁻¹), N-NO₃ (mg L⁻¹), Fe-total (mg L⁻¹), Cr-total (mg L⁻¹), Cu (mg L⁻¹), Zn (mg L⁻¹), Cd (mg L⁻¹), Pb (mg L⁻¹), Ni (mg L⁻¹). The determination methods were electrometrical (pH, C, TSD) - with a portable HI 9828 HANNA electrodes committed multiparameter and spectrophotometric - with a Spectroquant NOVA 60 - Merck spectrophotometer and with specific Merck parameter kits. The tests made pointed out the fact that the sludge analysed is low heavy metal falling within the legal limits, the quantities of metals measured being much lower than the maximum allowed. The results of the tests made to determine the content of nutrients in the sewage sludge have shown that the existing nutrients may be used to increase the fertility of agricultural soils. Other tests were carried out on lands where sewage sludge was applied in order to establish the maximum quantity of sludge that may be used so as not to constitute a source of pollution. The tests were made on three plots: a first batch with no mud and no chemical fertilizers applied, a second batch on which only sewage sludge was applied, and a third batch on which small amounts of chemical fertilizers were applied in addition to sewage sludge. The results showed that the production increases when the soil is treated with sludge and small amounts of chemical fertilizers. Based on the results of the present research, a fertilization plan has been suggested. This plan should be reconsidered each year based on the crops planned, the yields proposed, the agrochemical indications, the sludge analysis, etc. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=agricultural%20use" title="agricultural use">agricultural use</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=crops" title=" crops"> crops</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=physico%E2%80%93chemical%20parameters" title=" physico–chemical parameters"> physico–chemical parameters</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=sewage%20sludge" title=" sewage sludge"> sewage sludge</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/66227/influence-of-sewage-sludge-on-agricultural-land-quality-and-crop" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/66227.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">289</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">5</span> Effects of an Envious Experience on Schadenfreude and Economic Decisions Making</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Pablo%20Reyes">Pablo Reyes</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Vanessa%20Riveros%20Fiallo"> Vanessa Riveros Fiallo</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Cesar%20Acevedo"> Cesar Acevedo</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Camila%20Castellanos"> Camila Castellanos</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20Moncaleano"> Catalina Moncaleano</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Maria%20F.%20Parra"> Maria F. Parra</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Laura%20Colmenares"> Laura Colmenares</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Social emotions are physiological, cognitive and behavioral phenomenon that intervene in the mechanisms of adaptation of individuals and their context. These are mediated by interpersonal relationship and language. Such emotions are subdivided into moral and comparison. The present research emphasizes two comparative emotions: Envy and Schadenfreude. Envy arises when a person lack of quality, possessions or achievements and these are superior in someone else. The Schadenfreude (SC) expresses the pleasure that someone experienced by the misfortune of the other. The relationship between both emotions has been questioned before. Hence there are reports showing that envy increases and modulates SC response. Other documents suggest that envy causes SC response. However, the methodological approach of the topic has been made through self-reports, as well as the hypothetical scenarios. Given this problematic, the neuroscience social framework provides an alternative and demonstrates that social emotions have neurophysiological correlates that can be measured. This is relevant when studying social emotions that are reprehensible like envy or SC are. When tested, the individuals tend to report low ratings due to social desirability. In this study, it was drawn up a proposal in research's protocol and the progress on its own piloting. The aim is to evaluate the effect of feeling envy and Schadenfreude has on the decision-making process, as well as the cooperative behavior in an economic game. To such a degree, it was proposed an experimental model that will provoke to feel envious by performing games against an unknown opponent. The game consists of asking general knowledge questions. The difficulty level in questions and the strangers' facial response have been manipulated in order to generate an ecological comparison framework and be able to arise both envy and SC emotions. During the game, an electromyography registry will be made for two facial muscles that have been associated with the expressiveness of envy and SC emotions. One of the innovations of the current proposal is the measurement of the effect that emotions have on a specific behavior. To that extent, it was evaluated the effect of each condition on the dictators' economic game. The main intention is to evaluate if a social emotion can modulate actions that have been associated with social norms, in the literacy. The result of the evaluation of a pilot model (without electromyography record and self-report) have shown an association between envy and SC, in a way that as the individuals report a greater sense of envy, the greater the chance to experience SC. The results of the economic game show a slight tendency towards profit maximization decisions. It is expected that at the time of using real cash this behavior will be strengthened and also to correlate with the responses of electromyography. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=envy" title="envy">envy</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=schadenfreude" title=" schadenfreude"> schadenfreude</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=electromyography" title=" electromyography"> electromyography</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=economic%20games" title=" economic games"> economic games</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/75314/effects-of-an-envious-experience-on-schadenfreude-and-economic-decisions-making" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/75314.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">369</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">4</span> Experimental Field for the Study of Soil-Atmosphere Interaction in Soft Soils</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Andres%20Mejia-Ortiz">Andres Mejia-Ortiz</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20Lozada"> Catalina Lozada</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=German%20R.%20Santos"> German R. Santos</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Rafael%20Angulo-Jaramillo"> Rafael Angulo-Jaramillo</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Bernardo%20Caicedo"> Bernardo Caicedo</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The interaction between atmospheric variables and soil properties is a determining factor when evaluating the flow of water through the soil. This interaction situation directly determines the behavior of the soil and greatly influences the changes that occur in it. The atmospheric variations such as changes in the relative humidity, air temperature, wind velocity and precipitation, are the external variables that reflect a greater incidence in the changes that are generated in the subsoil, as a consequence of the water flow in descending and ascending conditions. These environmental variations have a major importance in the study of the soil because the conditions of humidity and temperature in the soil surface depend on them. In addition, these variations control the thickness of the unsaturated zone and the position of the water table with respect to the surface. However, understanding the relationship between the atmosphere and the soil is a somewhat complex aspect. This is mainly due to the difficulty involved in estimating the changes that occur in the soil from climate changes; since this is a coupled process where act processes of mass transfer and heat. In this research, an experimental field was implemented to study in-situ the interaction between the atmosphere and the soft soils of the city of Bogota, Colombia. The soil under study consists of a 60 cm layer composed of two silts of similar characteristics at the surface and a deep soft clay deposit located under the silky material. It should be noted that the vegetal layer and organic matter were removed to avoid the evapotranspiration phenomenon. Instrumentation was carried on in situ through a field disposal of many measuring devices such as soil moisture sensors, thermocouples, relative humidity sensors, wind velocity sensor, among others; which allow registering the variations of both the atmospheric variables and the properties of the soil. With the information collected through field monitoring, the water balances were made using the Hydrus-1D software to determine the flow conditions that developed in the soil during the study. Also, the moisture profile for different periods and time intervals was determined by the balance supplied by Hydrus 1D; this profile was validated by experimental measurements. As a boundary condition, the actual evaporation rate was included using the semi-empirical equations proposed by different authors. In this study, it was obtained for the rainy periods a descending flow that was governed by the infiltration capacity of the soil. On the other hand, during dry periods. An increase in the actual evaporation of the soil induces an upward flow of water, increasing suction due to the decrease in moisture content. Also, cracks were developed accelerating the evaporation process. This work concerns to the study of soil-atmosphere interaction through the experimental field and it is a very useful tool since it allows considering all the factors and parameters of the soil in its natural state and real values of the different environmental conditions. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=field%20monitoring" title="field monitoring">field monitoring</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=soil-atmosphere" title=" soil-atmosphere"> soil-atmosphere</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=soft%20soils" title=" soft soils"> soft soils</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=soil-water%20balance" title=" soil-water balance"> soil-water balance</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/89324/experimental-field-for-the-study-of-soil-atmosphere-interaction-in-soft-soils" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/89324.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">137</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">3</span> Evaluation in Vitro and in Silico of Pleurotus ostreatus Capacity to Decrease the Amount of Low-Density Polyethylene Microplastics Present in Water Sample from the Middle Basin of the Magdalena River, Colombia</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Loren%20S.%20Bernal.">Loren S. Bernal.</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20Castillo"> Catalina Castillo</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Carel%20E.%20Carvajal"> Carel E. Carvajal</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jos%C3%A9%20F.%20Ibla"> José F. Ibla</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Plastic pollution, specifically microplastics, has become a significant issue in aquatic ecosystems worldwide. The large amount of plastic waste carried by water tributaries has resulted in the accumulation of microplastics in water bodies. The polymer aging process caused by environmental influences such as photodegradation and chemical degradation of additives leads to polymer embrittlement and properties change that require degradation or reduction procedures in rivers. However, there is a lack of such procedures for freshwater entities that develop over extended periods. The aim of this study is evaluate the potential of Pleurotus ostreatus a fungus, in reducing lowdensity polyethylene microplastics present in freshwater samples collected from the middle basin of the Magdalena River in Colombia. The study aims to evaluate this process both in vitro and in silico by identifying the growth capacity of Pleurotus ostreatus in the presence of microplastics and identifying the most likely interactions of Pleurotus ostreatus enzymes and their affinity energies. The study follows an engineering development methodology applied on an experimental basis. The in vitro evaluation protocol applied in this study focused on the growth capacity of Pleurotus ostreatus on microplastics using enzymatic inducers. In terms of in silico evaluation, molecular simulations were conducted using the Autodock 1.5.7 program to calculate interaction energies. The molecular dynamics were evaluated by using the myPresto Portal and GROMACS program to calculate radius of gyration and Energies.The results of the study showed that Pleurotus ostreatus has the potential to degrade low-density polyethylene microplastics. The in vitro evaluation revealed the adherence of Pleurotus ostreatus to LDPE using scanning electron microscopy. The best results were obtained with enzymatic inducers as a MnSO4 generating the activation of laccase or manganese peroxidase enzymes in the degradation process. The in silico modelling demonstrated that Pleurotus ostreatus was able to interact with the microplastics present in LDPE, showing affinity energies in molecular docking and molecular dynamics shown a minimum energy and the representative radius of gyration between each enzyme and its substract. The study contributes to the development of bioremediation processes for the removal of microplastics from freshwater sources using the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus. The in silico study provides insights into the affinity energies of Pleurotus ostreatus microplastic degrading enzymes and their interaction with low-density polyethylene. The study demonstrated that Pleurotus ostreatus can interact with LDPE microplastics, making it a good agent for the development of bioremediation processes that aid in the recovery of freshwater sources. The results of the study suggested that bioremediation could be a promising approach to reduce microplastics in freshwater systems. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=bioremediation" title="bioremediation">bioremediation</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=in%20silico%20modelling" title=" in silico modelling"> in silico modelling</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=microplastics" title=" microplastics"> microplastics</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Pleurotus%20ostreatus" title=" Pleurotus ostreatus"> Pleurotus ostreatus</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/165402/evaluation-in-vitro-and-in-silico-of-pleurotus-ostreatus-capacity-to-decrease-the-amount-of-low-density-polyethylene-microplastics-present-in-water-sample-from-the-middle-basin-of-the-magdalena-river-colombia" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/165402.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">114</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">2</span> Ecotoxicological Test-Battery for Efficiency Assessment of TiO2 Assisted Photodegradation of Emerging Micropolluants</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ildiko%20Fekete-Kertesz">Ildiko Fekete-Kertesz</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jade%20Chaker"> Jade Chaker</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sylvain%20Berthelot"> Sylvain Berthelot</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Viktoria%20Feigl"> Viktoria Feigl</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Monika%20Molnar"> Monika Molnar</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lidia%20Favier"> Lidia Favier</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> There has been growing concern about emerging micropollutants in recent years, because of the possible environmental and health risk posed by these substances, which are released into the environment as a consequence of anthropogenic activities. Among them pharmaceuticals are currently not considered under water quality regulations; however, their potential effect on the environment have become more frequent in recent years. Due to the fact that these compounds can be detected in natural water matrices, it can be concluded, that the currently applied water treatment processes are not efficient enough for their effective elimination. To date, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are considered as highly competitive water treatment technologies for the removal of those organic micropollutants not treatable by conventional techniques due to their high chemical stability and/or low biodegradability. AOPs such as (photo)chemical oxidation and heterogeneous photocatalysis have proven their potential in degrading harmful organic compounds from aqueous matrices. However, some of these technologies generate reaction by-products, which can even be more toxic to aquatic organisms than the parent compounds. Thus, target compound removal does not necessarily result in the removal of toxicity. Therefore, to evaluate process efficiency the determination of the toxicity and ecotoxicity of the reaction intermediates is crucial to estimate the environmental risk of such techniques. In this context, the present study investigates the effectiveness of TiO2 assisted photodegradation for the removal of emerging water contaminants. Two drugs named losartan (used in high blood pressure medication) and levetiracetam (used to treat epilepsy) were considered in this work. The photocatalytic reactions were carried out with a commercial catalyst usually employed in photocatalysis. Moreover, the toxicity of the by-products generated during the process was assessed with various ecotoxicological methods applying aquatic test organisms from different trophic levels. A series of experiments were performed to evaluate the toxicity of untreated and treated solutions applying the Aliivibrio fischeri bioluminescence inhibition test, the Tetrahymena pyriformis proliferation inhibition test, the Daphnia magna lethality and immobilization tests and the Lemna minor growth inhibition test. The applied ecotoxicological methodology indicated sensitively the toxic effects of the treated and untreated water samples, hence the applied test battery is suitable for the ecotoxicological characterization of TiO2 based photocatalytic water treatment technologies and the indication of the formation of toxic by-products from the parent chemical compounds. Obtained results clearly showed that the TiO2 assisted photodegradation was more efficient in the elimination of losartan than levetiracetam. It was also observed that the treated levetiracetam solutions had more severe effect on the applied test organisms. A possible explanation would be the production of levetiracetam by-products, which are more toxic than the parent compound. The increased toxicity and the risk of formation of toxic metabolites represent one possible limitation to the implementation of photocatalytic treatment using TiO2 for the removal of losartan and levetiracetam. Our results proved that, the battery of ecotoxicity tests used in this work can be a promising investigation tool for the environmental risk assessment of photocatalytic processes. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=aquatic%20micropollutants" title="aquatic micropollutants">aquatic micropollutants</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=ecotoxicology" title=" ecotoxicology"> ecotoxicology</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=nano%20titanium%20dioxide" title=" nano titanium dioxide"> nano titanium dioxide</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=photocatalysis" title=" photocatalysis"> photocatalysis</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=water%20treatment" title=" water treatment"> water treatment</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/91157/ecotoxicological-test-battery-for-efficiency-assessment-of-tio2-assisted-photodegradation-of-emerging-micropolluants" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/91157.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">190</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">1</span> A Proposal of a Strategic Framework for the Development of Smart Cities: The Argentinian Case</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Luis%20Castiella">Luis Castiella</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mariano%20Rueda"> Mariano Rueda</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Catalina%20Palacio"> Catalina Palacio</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The world’s rapid urbanisation represents an excellent opportunity to implement initiatives that are oriented towards a country’s general development. However, this phenomenon has created considerable pressure on current urban models, pushing them nearer to a crisis. As a result, several factors usually associated with underdevelopment have been steadily rising. Moreover, actions taken by public authorities have not been able to keep up with the speed of urbanisation, which has impeded them from meeting the demands of society, responding with reactionary policies instead of with coordinated, organised efforts. In contrast, the concept of a Smart City which emerged around two decades ago, in principle, represents a city that utilises innovative technologies to remedy the everyday issues of the citizen, empowering them with the newest available technology and information. This concept has come to adopt a wider meaning, including human and social capital, as well as productivity, economic growth, quality of life, environment and participative governance. These developments have also disrupted the management of institutions such as academia, which have become key in generating scientific advancements that can solve pressing problems, and in forming a specialised class that is able to follow up on these breakthroughs. In this light, the Ministry of Modernisation of the Argentinian Nation has created a model that is rooted in the concept of a ‘Smart City’. This effort considered all the dimensions that are at play in an urban environment, with careful monitoring of each sub-dimensions in order to establish the government’s priorities and improving the effectiveness of its operations. In an attempt to ameliorate the overall efficiency of the country’s economic and social development, these focused initiatives have also encouraged citizen participation and the cooperation of the private sector: replacing short-sighted policies with some that are coherent and organised. This process was developed gradually. The first stage consisted in building the model’s structure; the second, at applying the method created on specific case studies and verifying that the mechanisms used respected the desired technical and social aspects. Finally, the third stage consists in the repetition and subsequent comparison of this experiment in order to measure the effects on the ‘treatment group’ over time. The first trial was conducted on 717 municipalities and evaluated the dimension of Governance. Results showed that levels of governmental maturity varied sharply with relation to size: cities with less than 150.000 people had a strikingly lower level of governmental maturity than cities with more than 150.000 people. With the help of this analysis, some important trends and target population were made apparent, which enabled the public administration to focus its efforts and increase its probability of being successful. It also permitted to cut costs, time, and create a dynamic framework in tune with the population’s demands, improving quality of life with sustained efforts to develop social and economic conditions within the territorial structure. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=composite%20index" title="composite index">composite index</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=comprehensive%20model" title=" comprehensive model"> comprehensive model</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=smart%20cities" title=" smart cities"> smart cities</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=strategic%20framework" title=" strategic framework"> strategic framework</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/73552/a-proposal-of-a-strategic-framework-for-the-development-of-smart-cities-the-argentinian-case" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/73552.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">176</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </main> <footer> <div id="infolinks" class="pt-3 pb-2"> <div class="container"> <div style="background-color:#f5f5f5;" class="p-3"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-2"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> About <li><a href="https://waset.org/page/support">About Us</a></li> <li><a href="https://waset.org/page/support#legal-information">Legal</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://publications.waset.org/static/files/WASET-16th-foundational-anniversary.pdf">WASET celebrates its 16th foundational anniversary</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-md-2"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> Account <li><a href="https://waset.org/profile">My Account</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-md-2"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> Explore <li><a href="https://waset.org/disciplines">Disciplines</a></li> <li><a href="https://waset.org/conferences">Conferences</a></li> <li><a href="https://waset.org/conference-programs">Conference Program</a></li> <li><a href="https://waset.org/committees">Committees</a></li> <li><a href="https://publications.waset.org">Publications</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-md-2"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> Research <li><a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts">Abstracts</a></li> <li><a href="https://publications.waset.org">Periodicals</a></li> <li><a href="https://publications.waset.org/archive">Archive</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-md-2"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> Open Science <li><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://publications.waset.org/static/files/Open-Science-Philosophy.pdf">Open Science Philosophy</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://publications.waset.org/static/files/Open-Science-Award.pdf">Open Science Award</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://publications.waset.org/static/files/Open-Society-Open-Science-and-Open-Innovation.pdf">Open Innovation</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://publications.waset.org/static/files/Postdoctoral-Fellowship-Award.pdf">Postdoctoral Fellowship Award</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://publications.waset.org/static/files/Scholarly-Research-Review.pdf">Scholarly Research Review</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-md-2"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> Support <li><a href="https://waset.org/page/support">Support</a></li> <li><a href="https://waset.org/profile/messages/create">Contact Us</a></li> <li><a href="https://waset.org/profile/messages/create">Report Abuse</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container text-center"> <hr style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:.3rem;"> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" class="text-muted small">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License</a> <div id="copy" class="mt-2">© 2024 World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology</div> </div> </footer> <a href="javascript:" id="return-to-top"><i class="fas fa-arrow-up"></i></a> <div class="modal" id="modal-template"> <div class="modal-dialog"> <div class="modal-content"> <div class="row m-0 mt-1"> <div class="col-md-12"> <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal" aria-label="Close"><span aria-hidden="true">×</span></button> </div> </div> <div class="modal-body"></div> </div> </div> </div> <script src="https://cdn.waset.org/static/plugins/jquery-3.3.1.min.js"></script> <script src="https://cdn.waset.org/static/plugins/bootstrap-4.2.1/js/bootstrap.bundle.min.js"></script> <script src="https://cdn.waset.org/static/js/site.js?v=150220211556"></script> <script> jQuery(document).ready(function() { /*jQuery.get("https://publications.waset.org/xhr/user-menu", function (response) { jQuery('#mainNavMenu').append(response); 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