Local Workshops Research Articles

Alternatif Pengobatan Hipertensi dalam Program Pengabdian Masyarakat STIKES Nasional di Desa Kwarasan, Grogol, Sukoharjo

Hypertension is an increase in systolic blood pressure of more than 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure of more than 90 mmHg on two measurements with an interval of five minutes in a state of sufficient rest, calm. Treatment of hypertension can use medicinal plants, namely bay leaves and soursop leaves. Bay leaves and soursop leaves have antioxidant activity that can counteract free radicals so that they can lower blood pressure, while bay leaves themselves contain flavonoids that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. This activity program uses the method of giving local seminars and workshops directly to the PKK group in Kwarasan Village, Grogol District, Sukoharjo Regency. The results of real work lecture program showed an increase in participants' knowledge which was evaluated through an average increase in the pretest score from 86 to 94 during the posttest as well as an increase in the skills of participants in workshop activities.

Smartphone Use and Addiction Among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Smartphone use has become a common practice among students, including nursing students, during their studies. Though it is beneficial for access to learning materials. there have been some concerns about addiction to its use. This study investigated the use and level of addiction to smartphones among nursing students. Methods: The study is a descriptive-cross sectional study of 1338 undergraduate nursing students in Nigeria with a sample of 454. A self-administered questionnaire was used which included a valid and reliable (α=.814) Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short version (SASSV) with 10 items and a modified four-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree 1 to strongly agree 4. A proportionate cut-off point of above 21.3 is considered a likelihood of smartphone addiction (Nikolic et al. 2022). Mann-Whitney U test was used to test for the hypothesis. Results: Most of the respondents 424 (94.0%) reported that they used smartphones for educational purposes, with 363 (80.5%) of the respondents having a likelihood of addiction to smartphones. About three-quarters of the respondents indicated that they spent time using their smartphones longer than they had intended’ (75.2%) and that they will not be able to cope without having a smartphone (74.1%). There was no significant difference in the likelihood of smartphone addiction between the male and female respondents(P>0.05). Conclusion: There is a high usage of smartphones among the respondents with a high likelihood of smartphone addiction. This may negatively affect the student's academic performance and mental health. It is therefore recommended that an awareness using a local workshop should be organized for the students.

The Amulets from the Carthaginian tophet

Abstract Amulets found in burial urns of the Carthaginian tophet are discussed in terms of frequency of occurrence, and the nature and chronology of their material composition. Amulets were added in only 31 % of the urns studied, exclusively to urns containing human remains, with glass, faience, gold and silver the most common materials used. Chemical analysis of a selection of glass and silver amulets identified the primary origin of raw materials used in their manufacture. The primary glass used for the tophet amulets has its origin in the Levant and/or Egypt, from at least two different production centers in those regions. This does not exclude the likely existence of local secondary workshops where primary glass was colored and shaped. The silver in the amulets shows a diachronic shift in raw materials usage, from western Mediterranean sources in the eighth and seventh centuries BCE to eastern Mediterranean sources (possibly combined with Iberian sources) in the sixth and fifth centuries. Some objects could be positively linked to sources in Laurion/Kea and Siphnos, while others may have derived from the mixing of ores or the recycling of older materials.

NEP 2020 and the Teachers Continuing Professional Development

National Educational Policy 2020, besides making a radical change in the educational structure of the country has devised mechanism for professional development of the teachers. NEP 2020 believes, without teachers’ knowledge and information about the latest innovations and advancements in their profession, knowledge dissemination and holistic development of the learner is unthinkable. The policy expects the teachers to participate in at least 50 hours of CPD every year for their professional development. These will be offered in multiple modes, including local, regional, state, national, and international workshops as well as online teacher development modules. NCERT has developed 50 hours CPD guidelines for teachers, head teachers and teacher educators. This article talks about the types and areas of teacher’s CPD, modalities of CPD formulated by NCERT as per NEP 2020 guidelines and the assessment mechanism of teachers CPD. The author concludes with the bottom-up CPD activities as more important because they are materialized after the teacher feel the need to inculcate those initiatives for improving his/her teaching proficiency.

Civil society in local sustainable transformation – can bottom-up activities meet top-down expectations?

ABSTRACT The aim of the article is to explore whether and how local civil society – grounded in bottom-up activities – responds to a top-down initiative with expectations of sustainable transformation. The focus of our research is the possible role of civil society organizations as agents in collaborations aiming for a forest-based bioeconomy. The research was conducted in a local area within the sparsely populated Swedish region of Värmland, characterized by a strong tradition of forestry. The study is explorative and uses qualitative methods: interviews with representatives of local civil society actors, participant observations of local meetings and workshops, and document analyses. Our results suggest that general policy expectations concerning the inclusion of civil society become vague when operationalized in documents at the regional level, and lack clarity concerning the roles expected from civil society. Civil society organizations (CSOs) contribute in a multitude of ways to local social, economic, and environmental sustainability. However, the inclusion of CSOs as full actors in collaborations requires a greater knowledge of the traditions and structure of Swedish civil society, as well as its conditions and challenges in different local contexts.

Fabrication and Field Performance of Power Weeder for Mechanized Rice Cultivation in Bangladesh

A study was aimed at modifying and manufacturing a power weeder at the local workshop using locally available material and evaluating its performance in the condition of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute's Farm Machinery and Post-harvest Technology (FMPHT) division (BRRI) took the initiative to fabricate a power weeder using locally available materials. In the wetland of the BRRI research field and farmer's field at Jogitola of Gazipur district, the developed power weeder was tested during the boro season of 2017-2018. The average weeding efficiency of the power weeder was 80.38% and 81.43% at the research and farmers' field respectively. The percent of tiller damage was observed 2.78% and 2.81% respectively. 910 m2 h-1 (0.091 ha h-1) was the average effective field capacity of the power weeder. After 5 days, the percentage of weeds revived for power weeder was observed at 32.26% and 34.90% at the BRRI research and farmers' fields, respectively. Weed biomass was found 35.43 gm m-2 in a farmer’s field and 30.88 gm m-2 in the BRRI research field, Gazipur. This machine can be run by one man/woman easily. The weight of the complete weeder is 18.3 kg. The benefit-cost ratio of the weeder is 1.85. Farmers can use this weeder in wetland conditions. In the line transplanted wetland field conditions, the power weeder was found suitable for controlling weeds with minimum standing water. Bangladesh Rice J.26 (1): 47-57, 2022

The Silk Lampas in the Binding of the Great Meteoro Codex 301: Material Evidence on Late Byzantine Textile Culture

In the library of the Monastery of the Transfiguration (Great Meteoro) is a Byzantine manuscript, the binding of which is decorated with a patterned silk fabric. By contextualising this late medieval remnant, this article aims to address the issue of late Byzantine weaving beyond the mainstream narrative of decline. This is because its weaving structure and association with Palaiologan and Serbian ornament perhaps points to a local workshop in tune with the wider artistic context of its time. Although a relatively modest finding, the Great Meteoro fabric raises important questions regarding the prevailing views on late Byzantine textile culture.

Co-creation of business and marketing models for SMEs in short food supply chains in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland

Purpose The aim of this article is to identify the issues of short food supply chains (SFSCs) in three countries of Central and Eastern Europe, i.e. Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, to compare the barriers to shortening food supply chains and to indicate business models for short supply chains.Design/methodology/approach Within the AgroBRIDGES project, the authors organized local co-creation workshops from August to September 2021 in 12 European regions and countries, engaging 150+ agrifood stakeholders of the project’s local communities.Findings The development potential of SFSCs in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland is high and seems to be growing every year. Currently, the development potential of SFSCs in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland is stimulated more by social trends than by public support. Traditional business models based on the distribution of food products through local and regional markets have a definitely diminishing potential.Research limitations/implications Although this article covers an existing gap in the literature, it also has several limitations that may serve as an inspiration for future research. First, the results draw on a sample of agrifood value chain stakeholders in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland; hence, the findings might be industry specific. Therefore, future studies should explore this topic on wider target groups or different industries. Moreover, the method is qualitative and could be supplemented with additional quantitative analysis of similar tools or the experience of other agrifood companies from European countries.Practical implications The article seeks to build bridges between consumers and producers by supporting SFSCs through a systemic, holistic and multi-actor approach.Originality/value The study elaborates on the under-researched topic of SFSCs in the context of barriers to shortening food supply chains and business models for short supply chains in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.

Index-based tools for livelihood security and resilience assessment (LiSeRA) in lower Mekong Basin

This paper presents a framework and toolkit for assessment of multi-hazard livelihood security and resilience in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) communities. The LMB is a subsidiary region of the Mekong region in South East Asia, and is frequently exposed to hydrometeorological hazards and anthropogenic stressors that expose and directly affect the livelihoods of more than sixty-five million people living in the region. The main purpose of the study is to support decision-making and risk management planning through integration of the concepts of livelihood security and resilience into a holistic framework, and subsequently developing an index-based toolkit for conducting assessments. Firstly, dimensions, sub-dimensions and indicators for measurement of livelihood security and resilience in the LMB were identified through comprehensive literature review and expert consultation. Then, several local workshops were conducted with various stakeholders (researchers, government officials, community people) in the LMB region to validate the indicators and generate weightages. The indicators were then arranged in a matriculated form, and the weightages were used to generate the algorithm for computing the quantitative outputs of livelihood security and resilience in study area. An Excel toolkit and a ‘R’ programming package were developed using the algorithm for visualization of the assessment outcomes. The proposed framework and toolkit are expected to assist researchers, government officials and development professionals in generating robust resilience assessment indices for risk informed decision-making and planning.Brief outline of the method•Livelihood security and resilience concepts were integrated to generate a holistic assessment framework and an indicator library.•Weightages for indicators were generated using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) through consultation with relevant stakeholders.•The indicator library was developed into an algorithm-based Excel and ‘R’ programming toolkit that provides quantitative assessment outputs.

Local Economic Development: Practical Workshops Connecting Local Government and Organisations, with Reference to the Example of the Otwock District

In the world of the globalised economy, local socio-economic structures are gaining importance again. The economies of European countries, including Poland, are mostly based on SMEs, which constitute the majority of all enterprises, employing more than half of the employees in the national economy. In this context, local initiatives that bring together entrepreneurs operating in the area, local government bodies and scientific centres, should be considered, which, by working together, influence local development. The aim of the article is to show the importance of the SME sector against the background of trends in global entrepreneurship. The authors ask whether local government can stimulate local entrepreneurship in the SME sector, and consider the effectiveness of Local Economic Development workshops, referring to the example of the Otwock district. Workshops in Local Economic Development based on the model of the American workshops have developed practical results in the form of ready-to-implement projects. Moreover, they have revived the network of local contacts that is vital for regional entrepreneurship.

Getting Multicultural Concepts from Malaysian Modern Pewter Craftwork

Traditional pewter craft in Malaysia has a development history of more than 100 years and achieved success in the modern market, compared to the recession in the original countries of traditional pewter manufacturing such as China and Euro-American countries. This article is a study of the multicultural features contained in the design of pewter craft works, which is one of the main factors for the success. The evaluation method is based on judgmental or purposive sampling on part of a large collection of pewter craft works from major Malaysian companies and local pewter craft workshops. The analysis of this study reveals a regulation of the multicultural features in Malaysian modern pewter craft works, and provides a way how artisans and designers get multicultural design awareness. A set of practical steps about the way of designers combine the production of traditional craftwork with different cultural elements, which is effectively beneficial to develop a traditional cultural craft in contemporary time. The findings of this study are expected to be useful in culture-based design, expanding the cultural vision of contemporary artists and designers based on the way of thinking and rules of the internal evolution of a country's culture.

Farmer perspectives about cover crops by non-adopters

The SARE/CTIC national farmer survey has assessed farmer experiences and perceptions about cover crops six times from early 2013 to early 2020. In most years, approximately 2,000 farmers responded to the survey questions, a majority of which were cover crop adopters, but a significant fraction (7% to 16%) were non-adopters: farmers not yet using cover crops. Survey reports previously focused on the experiences of cover crop adopters. In this paper, we synthesize responses of non-adopters to examine what factors influence or constrain adoption of cover crops. The non-adopters had similar farm sizes and land tenure situations compared to cover crop adopters, but were more likely to make use of conventional tillage and less likely to use continuous no-till compared to cover crop adopters. Non-adopters identified a number of concerns about cover crops, with the top concern being the time to plant and manage cover crops. Approximately 80% of non-adopters reported being open to considering cover crops. Factors cited to encourage non-adopters to adopt cover crops included incentive payments, tax breaks, crop insurance discounts, and soil carbon payments. Non-adopters wanted to gain a better understanding of how cover crops would benefit their particular farming operation and were interested to gain training through local cover crop workshops, local cover crop field demonstrations and one-on-one technical assistance. Non-adopters were particularly interested in how cover crops could boost soil organic matter and also wanted to know how cover crops could help with yields and reducing input costs.

Restoration of Choujiu Koji and evaluation of its brewing performance

Koji is used as a fermentation starter in Choujiu manufacture in northwestern China. Traditional natural Koji (NK) cultivates in open environments, which probably leads to diverse microflora, causes inconsistent quantities in Koji, then results in instable qualities of Choujiu. A native Choujiu producer has been purchasing NK from local workshop, while their Choujiu qualities fluctuate by the stability of NK.As a request from the producer, this study aimed for stable Koji and inheriting sensory traits of current products. Strains of mold, yeast, and LAB, separated from NK, were selected for Restored Koji (RK) making. Brewing performance of RK and NK were compared by analysis of the physicochemical properties and volatile flavor compounds (VFCs) in fermented mash, combined with sensory evaluation in corresponding Choujiu.Pure Koji from individual strains was separately cultured at 28 °C for 48 h, and then reconstituted for RK II at the proportion of mold Koji (M7 Koji): yeast Koji (Y3 Koji: Y4 Koji = 1:1): LAB Koji (L1 Koji) = 1:1:1, where M7 was Rhizopus oryzae, Y3 was Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Y4 was Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, and L1 was Pediococcus pentosaceus. Results showed RK II could meet the desired purpose of this study.

Microstructural Investigation of Some Bronze Artifacts Discovered in a Dacian Site Using Non-Destructive Methods

Dacian civilization flourished on the actual territory of Romania during the Late Iron Age and had its peak from the first century BC to the first century AD. They had intensive relations with Hellenistic and Roman civilizations. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate the origin of some widely spread artifacts discovered in the Dacian archeological sites. The present research is focused on two bronze artifacts (a bronze coin and a mirror fragment) found in the Alun-Piatra Rosie site and a silver coin found in the Ardeu site. Artifacts were investigated with nondestructive methods such as SEM-EDX for microstructural and elemental characterization, and the crystalline phases were investigated using XRD. Bronze coin proves to be an Istrian issue having an elemental composition of 75.0% Cu, 20.8% Sn, and 4.1% Pb, which corresponds to a structure of Cu grains mixed with Cu5.6Sn grains. The bronze mirror fragment has an elemental composition of 52.3% Cu and 47.7% Sn, which corresponds to a structure containing grains of Cu6Sn5 mixed with grains of Cu41Sn11. It has a smooth surface that was investigated with AFM microscopy, which evidences a Ra roughness of 51 nm for the patina surface and 33.7 nm for the clean metal surface, proving the high quality of the original mirror luster of the artifact. The silver coin was identified as a Radulesti–Hunedoara type meaning that it was produced in local Dacian metallurgic workshops. It has an elemental composition of 63.1% Ag, 25.3% Sn, 7.8% Cu, and small traces of P and Fe, which corresponds to a structure of Ag grains and Ag3Sn grains. Silver coins show that Dacians uses Sn as alloying element in their metallurgic workshops. Istrian bronze coin proves to be typical for Hellenistic or Roman bronze type with Sn content no more than 25% Sn. The bronze mirror fragment has an unusual composition that might be a result of al local metal charge elaboration with several Hellenistic and Roman bronze pieces as raw material and an extra Sn addition during the melting process. This material facilitates the polishing properties of the active surface that has a very low roughness even after 2000 years of ground resting and adherent oxides patina.

Real-Time Instance Segmentation Models for Identification of Vehicle Parts

Automated assessment of car damage is a major challenge in the auto repair and damage assessment industries. The domain has several application areas, ranging from car assessment companies, such as car rentals and body shops, to accidental damage assessment for car insurance companies. In vehicle assessment, the damage can take many forms, from scratches, minor dents, and major dents to missing parts. Often, the assessment area has a significant level of noise, such as dirt, grease, oil, or rush, which makes accurate identification challenging. Moreover, in the repair industry, identifying a particular part is the first step in obtaining an accurate labor and part assessment, where the presence of different car models, shapes, and sizes makes the task even more challenging for a machine-learning model to perform well. To address these challenges, this study explores and applies various instance segmentation methodologies to determine the best-performing models. This study focuses on two genres of real-time instance segmentation models, namely, SipMask and YOLACT, owing to their industrial significance. These methodologies were evaluated against a previously reported car parts dataset (DSMLR) as well as an internally curated dataset extracted from local car repair workshops. The YOLACT-based part localization and segmentation method outperformed other real-time instance mechanisms with an mAP of 66.5. For the workshop repair dataset, SipMask++ reported better accuracy for object detection with a mAP of 57.0, with outcomes for A P I o U = . 50 and A P I o U = . 75 reporting 72.0 and 67.0, respectively, whereas YOLACT was observed to be a better performer for A P s with 44.0 and 2.6 for object detection and segmentation categories, respectively.

The paradox of authenticity: The Korean Product Showroom of Mitsukoshi department store in colonial Seoul

AbstractMitsukoshi, a famed Japanese department store, opened a Korean Product Showroom in its Keijō (Seoul) branch in 1930. The Korean Product Showroom was the only space decorated in ‘Korean style’ within the Keijō Mitsukoshi building, which was designed in Neo-Renaissance style, much like its flagship store in Tokyo. This showroom offered Korean artefacts as luxury souvenirs aimed at Japanese tourists. The most popular items sold in the showroom were Koryŏ-style celadon ware and lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl, which Mitsukoshi ordered from local workshops in Korea. Interestingly, the workshops were run by Japanese entrepreneurs and sometimes even employed Japanese artisans. This article examines the inauthentic authenticity of ‘Korean style’ and ‘Korean products’ that the Japanese produced and consumed in colonial Korea. It does not imply that only Koreans are entitled to represent Korean culture. There have been many studies asserting that Korean culture was destroyed and distorted from its ‘original’ forms by Japan’s cultural genocide during the colonial period. This article neither is interested in repeating such criticism nor focuses on recuperating genuine Koreanness. Rather, it explores why the Japanese desired ‘pure Korea’ and how that desire shaped ‘Korean style’ and ‘Korean products’ through Keijō Mitsukoshi’s Korean Product Showroom and its products.

NFT Digital Twins: A Digitalization Strategy to Preserve and Sustain Miao Silver Craftsmanship in the Metaverse Era

Miao silver, generally referred to as the unique silver ornaments manufactured by the Miao ethnicity with over 400 years of history, was listed as a Chinese national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. Through primary research methods, including local investigation, interviews, and workshops at Maliao Village in Guizhou, this study found that sizeable industrial production shrank the market needs for traditional Miao silver handicrafts. A growing number of young Miao people pursue higher incomes and leave their hometowns to make a living in cities instead of engaging in Miao silver handcrafting in villages. Based on the difficulties encountered in the inheritance of Miao silver craftsmanship, this project creatively proposed a digital strategy based on the NFT digital twin application to preserve and maintain Miao silver technology in the context of the metaverse era. By conducting design experiments combining digital technology and the traditional Miao silver manufacturing techniques, a collection of NFT digital twins, digital duplications of Miao silver handicrafts that Miao silversmith jointly worked with 3D technologist, was created as a vital research outcome. The results show that this attempt is beneficial to help expand the use scenarios, extend the lifespan, and increase the commercial value of Miao silver. To sum up, taking Miao silverware handicrafts as a research case, this paper dialectically discusses the relationship between industrial manufacturing and traditional handicraft industries, making contributions to the inheritance and development of Miao silver and also putting forward innovative solutions to promote the prosperity of intangible cultural heritage worldwide.

Infrastructure Adaptation and Climate Resilience for California’s National Forests

This paper describes the road infrastructure found in California’s national forests, their vulnerabilities, and specific measures that can be taken to adapt to projected climate change effects, thus minimizing damage from fires and storms. Over the past 40 years this region has been hit by numerous climate change–related events including droughts, major forest fires, major storms, and flooding. Billions of dollars in damage have been sustained and numerous lives lost. It is necessary now to assess vulnerabilities, rank resources at risk, and prioritize adaptation actions. The Forest Service has recently been involved in infrastructure vulnerability assessment and adaptation strategy projects involving climate model studies, interviews, a literature review, local workshops, website information, and publication of the project findings. Different agency vulnerability assessment methods have been reviewed to establish a functional assessment and risk analysis methodology. Efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change have included greenhouse gas reduction from agency vehicles, evaluating alternative transportation routes, implementing energy-saving measures, and identifying “stormproofing” road design measures to reduce the vulnerability of roads to extreme climate-related events. Much of the effort has been the identification of road adaptation and resiliency measures, particularly measures that are practical and implementable at minimum cost. These measures include: routine road maintenance; relocating road segments as needed; adding trash racks and diversion prevention dips to prevent culvert failures; building stream simulation projects; protecting bridges from debris and scour; covering soil with deep-rooted vegetation; and using soil bioengineering stabilization and deep-patch shoulder reinforcement to prevent local slope failures.

Analysis of Manufacturing Methods and Die Design for Rice Transplanter Claws and Combine Harvester Blades in Bangladesh

High labor wages brought on by a shrinking agricultural labor force, as well as promises of increased crop yields and decreased labor requirements, have spurred the adoption of agricultural mechanization in Bangladesh. Due to these factors, the market for more complex agricultural machinery, such as rice transplanters and combine harvesters, is growing substantially in Bangladesh. As a result, a market has developed for agricultural workshops to manufacture spare parts within the local communities. However, the current manufacturing practices of local agricultural workshops limit their ability to produce high-quality parts that can compete with spare parts imported from China. This paper presents the analysis of the manufacturing processes used in the manufacturing of two key spare parts for the mechanization of planting and harvesting in Bangladesh: rice transplanter claws and combine harvester blades. The manufacturing processes proposed in this paper use machine tools and manufacturing processes that are ubiquitous in Bangladesh, such as grinders and drill presses. Additional manufacturing processes, such as blanking and forming with punch and die sets, are proposed as the methods for increasing product quality and reducing the manufacturing time required to produce complex geometries, such as those found on rice transplanter claws and combine harvester blades. The results from the experimental testing and the finite element simulations of the deformation processes indicate that local manufacturing of high-quality rice transplanter claws and combine harvester blades is viable with the proposed manufacturing processes.

Pigments and Techniques of Hellenistic Apulian Tomb Painting.

The wall paintings of five Hellenistic tombs in Apulia were analysed using a multi-technique approach to discern the painting techniques used and contextualise them within the phenomenon of Hellenistic tomb painting in Southern Italy. In particular, the question was asked whether technical knowledge played a role in the reception of Hellenistic artistic models and whether this knowledge was present locally. Raman and IR spectroscopies were used to identify pigments, colourants, and binders; light and electron microscopy were used to determine the structural characteristics of the paint layers and recognise the manufacturing technique. Analyses identified a fresco application for the Tomba dei Cavalieri (Arpi) and a dry application for the Canosian hypogea. The palette-typical for Hellenistic tomb painting in Southern Italy, Etruria and Macedonia-was composed of lime (white), charcoal (black), hematite (red), goethite (yellow), and Egyptian blue (blue). In the Tomba della Nike (Arpi), meanwhile, two particularly refined preparatory layers were observed. The palette was enriched with precious cinnabar and madder lake. The colouring components of the root were mixed with clay and K-alum applied on an additional layer of lime. The use of madder lake and a pink background link the painting to the polychrome Daunian pottery, and the contribution of a local workshop to the decoration of this tomb thus seems plausible.