Validation of the Portuguese version of the social isolation scale with a sample of community-dwelling older adults

Objectives The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties(reliability and validity)of the Social Isolation Scale(SIS)in a sample of Portuguese community-dwelling older adults.Methods A transversal descriptive study was carried out with a convenience sample of 250 community-dwelling older adults(≥65 years).The survey comprised a sociodemographic questionnaire,SIS,Geriatric Depression Scale-4(GDS-4),6-item Lubben Social Network Scale(LSNS-6),a loneliness self-assessment question,and Satisfaction with Life Scale(SWLS).Construct validity(confirmatory factor analysis)and convergent validity were analyzed,and ISI internal reliability(composite reliability),external reliability(test-retest,intraclass correlation coefficient)and inter-rater reliability(Cohen’s kappa coefficient)were evaluated.Results Confirmatory factor analysis showed a two-factor model with an excellent index of fit.The SIS showed significant correlations with LSNS-6(rs=0.47),SWLS(rs=0.26),the loneliness self-assessment question(rs=0.35),and GDS-4(rs=−0.16).SIS composite reliability was good(0.708).The inter-class correlation coefficient varied from 0.84 to 0.98.The Cohen’s kappa coefficient ranged from 0.936 to 1.Conclusions SIS has been shown to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing social isolation among Portuguese community-dwelling older adults.Healthcare professionals,particularly nurses working in community settings,can use SIS to assess social isolation in older adults to design,implement,and evaluate interventions.

Energy Efficiency in Building: Case of Buildings at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Nigeria today faces serious challenge in providing adequate energy to meet the needs of her citizenry. Efforts are currently geared towards generation of more energy to ease the problem. While these efforts are commendable, it is equally desirable to explore ways to minimize consumption of generated energy. The objective of this work is to investigate the effect of building orientation on energy demand in buildings. This paper considered the use of standard design considerations, fundamental cooling load equations and the guidelines stipulated by the American Society of Heating, Cooling and Air conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The study takes the designs of three buildings within the University of Ibadan, Nigeria into consideration with the view to harness the energy saving potentials through building orientation and selection of efficient cooling equipment. The results obtained were 155.34, 224.75, 86.35 kW and 163.60, 232.04 and 90.64 kW for the three lecture envelopes including the Faculty of Science, CBN and the Department of Chemistry lecture theatres using the North-South and East-West building orientations respectively. Increase in energy demand of 7.96, 7.29 and 4.29 kW was thus obtained with the East-West building orientation over North-South. Energy efficiency is thus guaranteed with North-South building orientation.

Introduction to the Special Issue on Mobile Service Robotics and Associated Technologies

The popularity of mobile service robotics is steadily growing,and over the last two decades,there has been a significant increase in the application of these machines in distinct fields,indoors,and outdoors.To become truly effective in performing their assigned tasks,these machines involve several associated technologies,namely sensors,actuators,and control systems.With these considerations in mind,this special issue of the Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Technology presents six state-of-the-art peer-reviewed contributions,ranging from theory to prototyping,and down to the final product development.

Improving the Performance of Photovoltaic Power Plants with Determinative Module for the Cooling System

The objective of this work is to analyze and evaluate the impact of cooling systems on photovoltaic modules (for electricity generation), applied at a pilot Testing Facility. The results obtained during this step are used as input in order to determine the best model to be applied at a real-scale Photovoltaic Power Plant (PVPP). This methodology is based on the monitoring and supervision of the operating temperature of commercial photovoltaic modules (PV), both with and without cooling systems, as well as on the study of the water supply design of the cooling system applied on a micro photovoltaic power plant which is connected to the commercial network. Through the analysis of the data, we observed that photovoltaic modules with cooling systems always operate at lower temperatures than the ones without cooling systems. During the testing period, the operating temperatures of the photovoltaic modules without cooling systems were above 60oC (with a maximum temperature equaling 68.06oC), whereas the maximum temperatures registered on the sensors of the model “A” were 43.55oC and 44.75oC, and the ones registered on the sensors of the model “B” were 46.76 and 48.33oC. Therefore, we conclude that the photovoltaic module with the cooling system model “A” is the most suitable for large-scale application, since it was the only model to present temperatures lower than the nominal operating condition temperature (NOCT) of the cell (47oC ± 2oC).

Energy Planning Considering the Policy Dimension Seeking for Sustainable Development

The objective of this work is to analyze the intrinsic aspects for policy dimension inside the energy planning and energy long term sustainability. In that sense, the methodology intends to take the Brazilian example as a case study and offer a somewhat unorthodox perspective on the subject of State energy planning. This matter is, beyond a purely technical question or a problem for the field of exact sciences, a point of primary interest to the field of social and human sciences. More the backbone methodology in this research is the Integrated Energy-Resources Planning (IRP), chosen for its ability to integrate both the supply and demand perspectives in the discussions about energy planning [1] [2]. A historical perspective is a guideline to approach issue: starting at the early Twentieth century, this study covers the major landmarks of the country energy concern to the present day;particularly noteworthy are the implications of the realpolitik—that is, the elements in politics that are developed within the institutional frameworks, such as governmental plans and decisions. As a result, it presents a complex picture, which we try to understand from the perspective of supply and demand integration. The originality of the study lies in the refusal to accept fallacious technical statements, as we consider the issue primarily a human and social problem, but considering the validity of technical statements that are correct.

Visual Interactive Computer Package for Air Conditioning System Design: Case of the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Air conditioning design has become an interesting aspect of human life with the aim of seeking environmental comfort for indoor spaces. Analytical work involves in the design of air-conditioning system is often time consuming and laborious. This work therefore aims at developing a visual interactive computer package for the design of air conditioning system using the international conference centre, University of Ibadan, Nigeria as a case study. Procedures for calculating heat gain through various building components were discussed in detail. Cooling load analysis was carried out using standard cooling load equations obtained from the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) handbook. A computer program was developed using java programming language to compute the total cooling load in the building. The result from the computer program was obtained within a very short period of time when compared with that of the manual one. The cooling load of the building obtained was 3,194,414 btu/hr;a visual interactive computer package for the design of air conditioning system has been developed and tested positively;hence can be used to design air conditioning system for any building.

Knowledge of Cervical Cancer and Prevalence of the Screening Services among HIV-Infected Women in Blantyre, Malawi

HIV-infected women are at high risk of developing cervical cancer and are encouraged to undergo cervical cancer screening regularly. However, very little has been documented about the knowledge of cervical cancer and the utilization of the screening services by these women. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge of cervical cancer, prevalence of cervical cancer screening uptake and predictive factors that affect utilization of cervical cancer screening services among HIV-infected women. The study employed quantitative methods for data collection and analysis. It was conducted at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) from December 2017 to February 2018 where HIV-positive patients accessing QECH Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) clinic were recruited. Systematic random sampling was employed to select HIV-positive women for the survey. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires. STATA version 12 was used to analyze the data. Out of the 196 recruited women, the majority (98%;n = 192) indicated having heard of cervical cancer and of the 192 women, only 57% (n = 109) were able to know at least a single sign/symptom of cervical cancer, furthermore, only 47% (n = 91) indicated ever been screened, finally, getting information from health facilities and knowing at least a single sign/symptom of cervical cancer influenced HIV-infected women to go for cervical cancer screening services. The study revealed that knowledge of cervical cancer and the utilization of its screening services among HIV-infected women is low. Therefore, there is need to increase knowledge and strengthen cervical cancer screening services among HIV-infected women in the country.

Inclusive Architecture:Digital Technologies,Co-design and Qualification of the Project Process

This article presents the scenario of programming use by architects and engineers,creating their own unique tools.The goal is to emulate and understand the phenomenon of Building Information Modeling(BIM)software customization by developing plug-ins that can explore the human-environment relationship.Demonstrate the process for building a plugin that seeks to equalize the theory of accessibility technical standards,visually impaired and architects.Use Design Science Research methodologies to guide the construction of artifacts for specific practical problems and the Collaborative Design/Co-design to understand and know the users’expertise.It is argued that the low quality of projects that include elements for the orientation of the visually impaired in Brazil is often related to an unstructured methodology in which important aspects such as the real needs of this group and the human-environment relationship are neglected.

A Quadratic Regression Analysis of the Effect of Three Levels of NPK Fertilizer on the Yield of Yellow Maize

Fertilizers are essential to modern agriculture;their overuse can have harmful effects on plants, crops and soil quality. Thus, the study seeks to investigate, if (actually) the trio of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) contribute to the growth and yield of yellow maize, and to determine at what proportion each of the elements is to be applied for optimum yield. Our findings revealed that Nitrogen and Phosphoric fertilizer contributed significantly to the yield of yellow maize while there was no significant effect of Potassium Further analysis on the mean separation of Nitrogen and Phosphorus using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test—(DMRT) showed Nitrogen at 50 kg/ha as significantly higher than the other levels. For phosphorus, its effect at 20 kg/ha was significantly higher than the other levels. Thus, the derived quadratic model: .

Effect of Brownian Motion and Thermophoresis on a Nonlinearly Stretching Permeable Sheet in a Nanofluid

We analyse the influence of Brownian motion and thermophoresis on a nonlinearly permeable stretching sheet in a nanofluid. The governing partial differential equations are reduced into a system of ordinary differential equations using similarity transformation and then solved numerically using the Runge-Kutta with shooting technique. Effects of Brownian motion and thermophoresis on the flow, concentration, temperature, and mass transfer and heat transfer characteristics are investigated. The local Nusselt number and the local Sherwood numbers are presented and compared with existing results and are found to be in good agreement.

Energy Storage and Multi-Source System for Reduction Energy Costs in the Consumer-Side

The objective of this work is to reduce energy costs for a consumer with multiple available energy resources and with an energy storage system. To achieve this, it is developed a methodology with a multi-criterion analysis that considers the demand side, the real-time prices, and the availability of the energy resources. In other words, the developed methodology manages the multi-source system, allowing savings for a consumer. In addition to the presentation of the methodology, it is made an application in a case study. It is considered and modeled a real consumer that has three different energy resources, including energy storage by battery. The situation comprehends solar generation, diesel generator and the electrical power grid. There are simulations and the results comprehend the savings for this consumer, considering the methodology application. The main result is a reduction in energy costs by 33.3%, considering the situation without this methodology. For the purpose of indicating the use of the storage system, it is presented the battery’s state of charge along the simulation. Also, there is a verification of the methodology’s robustness, through another simulation, using theoretical data for the consumer. In this case, the consumer has energy storage system, solar generation, biogas generator and the electrical power grid. In this situation, there is a reduction in energy costs by 30.2%, considering the situation without this methodology. In conclusion, the results show that the developed methodology is effective. In the two case studies presented there are significant savings for the consumer.

A Study on the Effects of Internal Heat Generation on the Thermal Performance of Solid and Porous Fins using Differential Transformation Method

In this study,the impacts of internal heat generation on heat transfer enhancement of porous fin is theoretical investigated using differential transform method.The parametric studies reveal that porosity enhances the fin heat dissipating capacity but the internal heat generation decreases the heat enhancement capacity of extended surface.Also,it is established that when the internal heat parameter increases to some certain values,some negative effects are recorded where the fin stores heat rather than dissipating it.This scenario defeats the prime purpose of the cooling fin.Additionally,it is established in the present study that the limiting value of porosity parameter for thermal stability for the passive device increases as internal heat parameter increases.This shows that although the internal heat parameter can help assist higher range and value of thermal stability of the fin,it produces negative effect which greatly defeats the ultimate purpose of the fin.The results in the work will help in fin design for industrial applications where internal heat generation is involved.

Co-design in Public Spaces for Children:The Design Process of a Pocket Park

The active participation of users in the Design Process(DP)in architecture is a collective action,which aims to meet their real needs.In terms of open spaces for children,squares and playgrounds become leisure spaces known for being places of coexistence,interaction and entertainment.However,the vast majority of children’s environments are planned and organized considering the perceptions and experiences of adults.Children become absent from the process of building the contemporary city.Co-design is an important tool for adding users to DP.The objective of this work is,therefore,to include children in the DP of a Pocket Park,using methods and tools to support co-design.The work was structured based on bibliographic review,Focus Group,Culture Maker and Digital Fabrication.The research indicated that the collaborative project promotes assertive communication between children and designers,welcoming their ideas and perceptions in a flexible way.

The Latest Advances on AI and Robotics Applications

I.INTRODUCTION The applications of artificial intelligence and robotics,their associated technologies,and their integration continue to grow and are seen in more and more diverse fields[1,2].With these considerations in mind,this issue of the Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Technology presents five state-of-the-art peer-reviewed contributions,ranging from theory to prototyping,and covering several distinct application topics.II.PREVIEW OF THE STUDIES IN THIS ISSUE We outline the topic domains and the key contributions of the selected papers in this section to help readers browsing this issue.(i)Vehicle Edge Computing is a technology developed based on edge computing and the Internet of Things(IoT)systems.

Decentralized Control for Residential Energy Management of a Smart Users' Microgrid with Renewable Energy Exchange

This paper presents a decentralized control strategy for the scheduling of electrical energy activities of a microgrid composed of smart homes connected to a distributor and exchanging renewable energy produced by individually owned distributed energy resources. The scheduling problem is stated and solved with the aim of reducing the overall energy supply from the grid, by allowing users to exchange the surplus renewable energy and by optimally planning users' controllable loads. We assume that each smart home can both buy/sell energy from/to the grid taking into account time-varying non-linear pricing signals. Simultaneously, smart homes cooperate and may buy/sell locally harvested renewable energy from/to other smart homes. The resulting optimization problem is formulated as a non-convex non-linear programming problem with a coupling of decision variables in the constraints. The proposed solution is based on a novel heuristic iterative decentralized scheme algorithm that suitably extends the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers to a non-convex and decentralized setting. We discuss the conditions that guarantee the convergence of the presented algorithm. Finally, the application of the proposed technique to a case study under several scenarios shows its effectiveness.

Fungal contamination of crude herbal remedies as a possible source of mycotoxin exposure in man

Objective:The documented evidence of toxigenic fungi and their toxic metabolites on medicinal plants,coupled with the ability of these toxins to resist decomposition and temperature treatments necessitated this study,with a view of surveying for a possible carry over into the final medicinal products.As such popular indigenous crude herbal preparations widely consumed for various ailments in south-western Nigeria,were screened for fungal contamination,mycoflora enumeration,flora mycotoxin productibility,detection and quantification of a potent human carcinogen(aflatoxin). Methods:Fungal contamination was assessed on acidified potato dextrose agar using the plate count method, while mycotoxin detection,extraction and quantification were achieved by the thin - layer chromatography and chemical confirmation techniques.Mycoflora were characterized by standard procedures.Results:The total plate count ranged from 1.80×10~4 CFU/ML to 1.1×10~5 CFU/ML and 2.00×10~3 CFU/ML to 1.38×10~5 CFU/ML for water and dry gin extracted preparations respectively.The mycoflora consisted of six genera(Aspergillus,Penicillium,Fusarium, Mucor,Alternaria and Rhizopus).Thirty-four percent(34%) of the potential toxigenic species(Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium) produced mycotoxins in culture,while further characterization indicated production of aflatoxin Bl(42%),ochratoxin A(50%) and penicillic acid(8%) by the mycotoxigenic strains respectively. The aflatoxin content of the herbal medicines ranged between 0.004μg/kg and 0.345μg/kg.Conclusion:The study confirmed the carry over of the fungal contaminants and their toxic metabolites into the final herbal medicines in quantities that exceeded some of the available limits.The implication of this is that the chronic exposure to mycotoxins particularly aflatoxins as a result of long term consumption of these preparations,could lead to impaired growth, nutritional interference,immunologic suppression and hepatocellular carcinoma in the consumers.

S. E. M. analysis of quartz sand grains from selected Hong Kong and Chinese littoral environments

This pilot study attempts to demonstrate some underlying scanning electron microscopy themes of quartz grain surface textures. A variety of textural patterns and individual features are described for grains selected from various littoral environments. An attempt was made to differentiate samples on surface textures alone, but limitations of using this technique in sedimentological isolation were apparent. Statistical analysis of checklist data and photographic evidence revealed some of the more important feature combinations used in environmental diagnosis. The use of discriminant analysis provided quantitative sample separation.

Understanding Tremor in Rapid Upper Limb Movements Using 3D Accelerometers Data

Tremor is a manifestation of a variety of human neurodegenerative diseases, notably Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Essential Tremor (ET), both affecting millions worldwide. PD is primarily caused by a progressive loss of dopamine neurons in the nigrostriatal system that leads to widespread motor symptoms such as bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor and postural instability. ET typically involves a tremor of the arms, hands or fingers. No definitive test or biomarker is yet available for PD or ET, so the rate of misdiagnosis is relatively high. As tremor is a very common feature at the onset of both diseases, it is crucial to be able to characterize it. This is made possible using acce?lerometers to quantify the tremor amplitude and frequency. In this work we aim to find tasks involving upper limb movements that are suitable to modulate both types of tremor. Four tasks were tested, differing on whether the arms moved together or alternatingly and whether loads were added. Significant differences in tremor measures were found when patients were asked to perform simultaneous rapid arms movements with loads placed on their wrists. These results may allow the design of an efficient fMRI protocol for identifying the cortical circuits responsible for the modulation of tremor.

Hierarchical Cores Applied to an Analysis of Use of Technologies Level among Higher Education Students in Mexico

Using the theory shown, Cores Optimal Criterion, three factors from which hierarchical aggregation of variables under study was built, as well as hierarchical cores showing the level of use of pocket computing technologies by students. The principal factors influencing the level of use of pocket computing technologies among higher education students are analyzed from a theoretical aggregation development based on hierarchical cores. The theoretical part includes the development of an algorithm used to obtain an interesting class or partition from a hierarchy. The experimental work carried out included design, preparation and application of a questionnaire to higher education students in Mexico. A pilot test was carried out to check timing and repetition of questions. Data was recorded, validated, and mathematically and statistically analyzed.