Technical Workshop Research Articles

COLLABORATION IN ART: COLLABORATIVE PRINTMAKING WORKSHOP AND MASTER PRINTER

Yazılı tarihin öncesine dayanan baskı, başlarda yalnızca bir çoğaltım aracıyken sanatsal kullanımı ile
 zamanla doğrudan sanatsal ifade araçları arasına girmiştir. Grafik sanatların temelini oluşturan baskı resim;
 ciddi teknik bilgiye ayrıca yüksek kurulum ve işletme maliyetleri olan atölyelere ihtiyaç duymaktadır. Bu
 durum, baskı resmi pek çok sanatçı için erişilmez hale getirmekte ve baskı resmi aşırı geleneksel bir üretime
 dönüştürmektedir. İşbirlikçi baskı atölyesi ve usta baskıcı fikri, baskı resim alanında çağdaş baskıların
 üretilmesi konusunda ciddi bir etkiye sahip olmuştur. Baskı teknikleri konusunda teknik bilgi ve becerisi
 yeterli olmayan ya da baskı atölyelerine erişimi olmayan sanatçılar için; işbirlikçi baskı atölyeleri ve usta
 baskıcılar farklı disiplinlerden sanatçıların baskı alanında işler üretebilmesine olanak veren kurumlardır.
 Tarih boyunca işbirlikçi baskı atölyeleri, baskı resmin gerçek potansiyelini açığa çıkartmaya yardımcı olmuş
 ve baskı resmin geleneksel tavrından sıyrılarak, çağdaş sanatın üretim araçlarından biri haline gelmesine
 katkı sağlamıştır. Bu makale; baskının geleneksel tavrından nasıl sıyrılabileceğini araştırmaktadır ve çağdaş
 sanattaki potansiyelini açığa çıkartmak amacıyla çalışan baskı atölyelerinin çalışma modellerini ve usta
 baskıcı ile iş birliği fikrini incelemiştir. Çalışmada, baskı resmin çağdaş sanat piyasasında nasıl bir işleve
 kavuşabileceği tartışılmıştır.

Competency reskilling model for improved performance of TVET and science workshop managers in higher institutions

Purpose. The existence of the workshop attendants in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is aimed at complementing the job of the lecturers to ensure that well-grounded and employable graduates are produced. Over the years, the complaints about the poor quality of the output have been shifted to the lecturers teaching methods and techniques, workshops and facilities without recourse to the competencies of the workshop attendants. The focus of this study is to develop a model that will boost the technical proficiency of the personnel that is employed to work in the technical workshops and laboratories.
 Results. The study succeeded in developing a model suitable for reskilling technical and science workshop managers in higher institutions. The model consists of five major constructs and nine sub-constructs. The major constructs are: innovation, automation, professionalism, management and leadership. These are suitable for meeting the complaints of the workshop managers about neglect and equipping them adequately for the job overall performance of the jobs they were employed to perform.
 Scientific novelty. The sequential exploratory mixed method used increases the depth of the study and makes generalization possible, unlike using a single research method.
 Practical value. The study has theoretical and practical implications for the body of knowledge in competency studies. Above all, the model identified will help to shape and fit workshop managers adequately for the job they were employed to perform and prevent human capital losses.

Penguatan Budaya Tenun ATBM Lurik Khas Pedan Klaten

It is very rare to find an integrated textile industry center in Indonesia until now, apart from the integrated textile industry with Pekalongan batik in Central Java which is synergistic with the growth of the fashion business and the proliferation of tailor and fashion design. However, this landscape can be found in Pedan Klaten District, which is a center for ATBM weaving production whose business growth is getting stronger into an integrated area. The original ATBM weaving of Pedan Klaten has been known to be very skilled and detailed in its workmanship so that the resulting product is very smooth and compact, with the main motif called lurik. The participatory approach of the colleague team and partners of the Lurik Pedan ATBM Weaving MSMEs with various strengthening programs includes: design training, technical development workshops, IPR regulations and other E-Commerce strengthening activities. This article is intended to explain field findings with a clear, objective, systematic, and careful description of the facts obtained. The results of the MSME assistance program for 1 year made impacts as follows; (1) The Lurik Pedan brand encourages the pioneering of an integrated cultural tourism industry area. (2) Strengthening the Marketing Communication (MARCOM) system as an effort to increase sales turnover and strengthen business strategy. (3) The strategy of strengthening the ATBM weaving culture for traditional Lurik weaving craftsmen in Pedan Klaten

ХУДОЖНИК ДАНИИЛ ЧЕРКЕС: ОТ ЮЖНЫХ МОРЕЙ ДО ПОЛЯРНОГО КРАЯ

The article explores the life of the Soviet artist Daniil Yakovlevich Cherkes (1899-1971). After graduating from the Vkhutemas (Higher Artisic and Technical Workshops) in 1923, he worked as a set painter and stage artist at the First Theater of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic under the direction of Vsevolod Meyerhold, taking part also in the creation of the first Soviet animated films, and working with graphic media. In the mid-1930s Cherkes started to improve his skills in easel painting. During the World War II, he made agitation posters for the Soviet news agency TASS. Daniil Cherkes traveled a lot and created many accomplished works of art inspired by northern and southern seas, urban architecture, and the grandeur of wild nature. The article discusses six of his Far North landscape paintings in the collection of the Earth Science Museum at Moscow State University. Cherkes created these paintings in 1952-1954 while taking part in trips organized by Moscow State University. He continued his trips to the Arctic and painted its landscapes in the years that followed. The illustrated travel album The Exotic in the Ordinary: From Kerch to Henichesk, published in 1965, was inspired by the painter’s numerous journeys to Crimea after 1950

Effects of Mobile Money Education on Mobile Money Usage: Evidence from Ghana.

This study conducts a randomised control trial to offer a technical workshop and examine whether providing information about the full range of services on the mobile money platform would increase mobile money usage, by taking a case of the Ashanti Region, Ghana. We find a significant positive impact of mobile money education on the recent usage of mobile money for transactions. However, no significant evidence of the workshop was found on new mobile money account ownership, or on the share of transactions transmitted through mobile money. Furthermore, weak and volatile outcomes were observed as impacts on remittances after the interventions. We discuss potential reasons behind the weak effects found.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1057/s41287-022-00529-x.

Efforts to advance underwater noise management in Canada: Introduction to the Marine Pollution Bulletin Special Issue

This introduction to a special issue on approaches to managing underwater noise in Canada provides a brief overview of recent efforts to better understand and reduce anthropogenic underwater noise. Recent programs have aimed to increase understanding of anthropogenic noise in the habitats of highly endangered whales and have supported management actions such as vessel slow downs. Technical workshops have advanced the development of quiet ship design and associated technologies. Collaborative research examined noise levels in the St. Lawrence Estuary and the Arctic Ocean. Efforts to better manage noise have gone beyond shipping: enhanced mitigation measures have been put in place for naval exercises near habitats used by southern resident killer whales, while other work has focused on the identification of appropriate metrics for measuring noise. To coordinate and advance these and other efforts, the Government of Canada is developing a national Ocean Noise Strategy.

Euro-BioImaging – Interdisciplinary research infrastructure bringing together communities and imaging facilities to support excellent research

Euro-BioImaging – Interdisciplinary research infrastructure bringing together communities and imaging facilities to support excellent research

Die Toepassing van die Wet op Beroepsgesondheid en -Veiligheid en ander Veiligheidsmaatreëls by Skole se Tegnologiewerkswinkels / The Application of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and other Safety Measures at Schools' Technology Workshops

Empirical research conducted by education researchers over a period of approximately 20 years confirms that uncertainty exists whether the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) apply to technology workshops at academic, technical and special schools; whether compliance with the safety provisions of the OHSA is lacking; and whether serious injuries at technology workshops at schools occur from time to time. A comparative study of foreign law regarding occupational safety at technology workshops at high schools confirms that many countries have national or federal occupational safety and health statutes that apply to workplaces as well as public schools, although some have specific statutes or regulations addressing occupational safety at public schools. Countries like Germany, the Netherlands and some states of the United States of America define school-going children and students as "workers" in terms of their occupational safety legislation. Germany includes all school-going children in its statutory accident insurance scheme to provide for faultless compensation in case of injury. In determining whether the OHSA applies to technical workshops at high schools, the fundamental rights, as well as its spirit and purport, must be considered through the prism of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Applying the traditional literalist-cum-intentionalist approach to the interpretation of the OHSA, the conclusion is that this Act does indeed apply to technology workshops at schools. In terms of section 60(1)(a) of the South African Schools Act state liability for damages occurring as a result of school activities does provide essential legal protection. However, the South African Schools Act, school safety policies and school infrastructure regulations do not make explicit provision for the application of health and safety standards at school premises that use potentially dangerous machinery and equipment in places such as technical workshops and science laboratories. It is therefore recommended that the OHSA, the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, the Schools Act and the School Infrastructure Regulations be amended to provide legal certainty in respect of the application of occupational safety to technical workshops at high schools.

Die Toepassing van die Wet op Beroepsgesondheid en -Veiligheid en ander Veiligheidsmaatreëls by Skole se Tegnologiewerkswinkels / The Application of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and other Safety Measures at Schools' Technology Workshops

Empirical research conducted by education researchers over a period of approximately 20 years confirms that uncertainty exists whether the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) apply to technology workshops at academic, technical and special schools; whether compliance with the safety provisions of the OHSA is lacking; and whether serious injuries at technology workshops at schools occur from time to time. A comparative study of foreign law regarding occupational safety at technology workshops at high schools confirms that many countries have national or federal occupational safety and health statutes that apply to workplaces as well as public schools, although some have specific statutes or regulations addressing occupational safety at public schools. Countries like Germany, the Netherlands and some states of the United States of America define school-going children and students as "workers" in terms of their occupational safety legislation. Germany includes all school-going children in its statutory accident insurance scheme to provide for faultless compensation in case of injury. In determining whether the OHSA applies to technical workshops at high schools, the fundamental rights, as well as its spirit and purport, must be considered through the prism of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Applying the traditional literalist-cum-intentionalist approach to the interpretation of the OHSA, the conclusion is that this Act does indeed apply to technology workshops at schools. In terms of section 60(1)(a) of the South African Schools Act state liability for damages occurring as a result of school activities does provide essential legal protection. However, the South African Schools Act, school safety policies and school infrastructure regulations do not make explicit provision for the application of health and safety standards at school premises that use potentially dangerous machinery and equipment in places such as technical workshops and science laboratories. It is therefore recommended that the OHSA, the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, the Schools Act and the School Infrastructure Regulations be amended to provide legal certainty in respect of the application of occupational safety to technical workshops at high schools.

FRAMES OF REFERENCE: Cloth, Community, and Knowledge Ideology in Morocco

Abstract This paper explores how one type of traditional Moroccan cloth comes to be known through different epistemological frameworks or “knowledge ideologies.” The case in question involves a rural women’s weaving cooperative and Moroccan state strategies to rationalize cloth production, which here takes the form of technical training and product development workshops. A struggle over the right to determine the present and future of cloth‐making manifests in part as differing perspectives among weavers and government officials about legitimate quality assessment criteria and methods, and the appropriate color of the local cloth. At the center of these competing ways to evaluate or define traditional cloth is the question of authority: who has the right to assess quality and what aspects of their identity should factor into this right? The case of traditional weaving in Morocco underscores how “knowing” and “knowing what’s best” are thoroughly entangled in the domain of cultural heritage and its management.

A report on virtual 'Can't intubate, can't oxygenate' conference workshops at the 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound implications for continuing medical education. Travel restrictions, lockdowns and social distancing in an effort to curb spread have meant that medical conferences have been postponed or cancelled. When the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists made the decision to commit to a fully virtual 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting, the organising committee investigated the viability of presenting a virtual 'Can't intubate, can't oxygenate' workshop. A workshop was designed comprising a lecture, case scenario discussion and demonstration of emergency front-of-neck access techniques broadcast from a central hub before participants separated into Zoom® (Zoom Video Communications, San Jose, CA, USA) breakout rooms for hands-on practice, guided by facilitators working virtually from their own home studios. Kits containing equipment including a 3D printed larynx, cannula, scalpel and bougie were sent to workshop participants in the weeks before the meeting. Participants were asked to complete pre- and post-workshop surveys. Of 42 participants, 32 responded, with the majority rating the workshop 'better than expected'. All except two respondents felt the workshop met learning objectives. Themes of positive feedback included being impressed with the airway model, the small group size, content and delivery. Feedback focused on previously unperceived advantages of virtual technical skills workshops, including convenience, equitable access and the reusable airway model. Disadvantages noted by respondents included lack of social interaction, inability to trial more expensive airway equipment, and some limitations of the ability of facilitators to review participants' technique. Despite limitations, in our experience, virtual workshops can be planned with innovative solutions to deliver technical skills education successfully.

Evaluating user-centered interventions in optimizing utilization of HIV and pregnancy prevention services among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Kenya: a study protocol

Background: Globally, HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among adolescents; sub-Saharan Africa contributes more than two-thirds of all HIV-related adolescent deaths. In Kenya, HIV incidence remains high among youth (15–24 years), with women disproportionately affected. Morbidity and mortality are compounded by a high rate of early and unwanted pregnancies. Existing prevention efforts to reduce youth vulnerabilities overwhelmingly focus on HIV alone, with limited efforts made to address concurrent factors that increase vulnerability of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) to HIV infection and unplanned pregnancies. Jilinde, is a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded large-scale project that supports the provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Kenya. This manuscript presents a protocol for a study that seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive package of user-centered interventions to optimize uptake of HIV and pregnancy prevention services among AGYW in four Kenyan counties. Methods: The study employed a concurrent mixed-methods design including two parallel before and after population-based cross-sectional surveys, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews. Study participants included 1,280 AGYW, 1,080 individuals from the general population, 80 health service providers, and 32 county health managers. The study involved a formative, implementation phase and endline assessment. Survey data was collected using Research Electronic Data Capture and analyzed using regression modelling while adjusting for confounders. Qualitative data will be analyzed using grounded theory techniques using NVivo 12.0. Discussion: This study will uncover useful insights on the effectiveness of user-centered interventions in increasing concurrent utilization of blended HIV and pregnancy prevention interventions in a routine low resource setting. The findings will be disseminated through technical briefs, manuscripts, conferences, and workshops. The consolidated evidence could inform the scale-up of integrated HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health interventions targeting AGYW.

Preface

The Conference took place virtually due to covid-19 outbreak and travel restrictions. The organisers were from different cities in Iraq but most of them from Basrah. There were five plenary speakers and these speakers were from UK, Australia, South Africa, Jordan and Iraq. Each speaker took approximately an hour with Q&A session. In overall, there were 11 sessions that were delivered by 82 speakers, who were from different countries, each speaker spent 15 min to deliver their talks. All the discussions and Q&A time were live through Zoom rooms and FCC. The overall attendance number was more than 500 people during 5 days. Laptops, phones, Zoom and free conference call were needed to deliver the meeting successfully. The only technical difficulty that we faced sometimes is the weak WiFi signals. The drawbacks in the delivery of the conference virtually, was we couldn’t welcome people in person and couldn’t have Gala dinner. Other than that everything went very well. The idea of the conference is for the chemist, scientists, scholars, engineers, and students from Iraq and all around the world and the industry to present ongoing research activities, and hence to foster research relations between the Universities and the industry. We think it an ideal platform for people to share views and experiences in different aspects of chemistry and its relation with other sciences. The conference program consists of invited sessions and technical workshops and discussions with eminent speakers covering a wide range of topics in chemistry. This rich program provides all attendees with the opportunities to meet online and interact with one another. We hope your experience with the 3rd VICC is a fruitful and long-lasting one.We would like to thank the organization staff, the members of the program committees, and reviewers. They have worked very hard in reviewing papers and making valuable suggestions for the authors to improve their work. We also would like to express our gratitude to the external reviewers, for providing extra help in the review process, and the authors for contributing their research results to the conference. Special thanks go to IOP Publishing-Journal of Physics Conference Series for their generous assistance and cooperation.List of Organizing Committee, Scientific Committee, Technical committee are available in this pdf.

درجة استخدام التعلم المدمج من وجهة نظر معلمات المرحلة الأساسية بمديرية التربية والتعليم في لواء قصبة إربد

هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى التعرف على درجة استخدام التعلم المدمج من وجهة نظر معلمات المرحلة الأساسية بمديرية التربية والتعليم في لواء قصبة إربد، ولتحقيق أهداف الدراسة تم استخدام المنهج الوصفي، وأعدت الباحث استبانة تکونت من (21) فقرة توزعت على ثلاثة مجالات، هي: (طرق التدريس في التعلم المدمج، المهارات التقنية في التعلم المدمج، وأساليب التقويم في التعلم المدمج)، وتکونت عينة الدراسة من (150) معلمة من معلمات المرحلة الأساسية في لواء قصبة إربد، أظهرت نتائج الدراسة أن المتوسط الحسابي (الکلي) لدرجة استخدام التعلم المدمج من وجهة نظر المعلمات بلغ (/ 1.78/3) وبدرجة متوسطة من الاستخدام. وتراوحت المتوسطات الحسابية لمجالات التعلم المدمج ما بين (1.76– 1.80)، حيث جاء مجال طرق التدريس في التعلم المدمج في الرتبة الأولى بمتوسط حسابي (1.80) وبدرجة متوسطة، وفي الرتبة الثانية مجال المهارات التقنية للتعلم المدمج بمتوسط حسابي (1.78) وبدرجة متوسطة، وفي الرتبة الأخيرة مجال أساليب تقويم التعلم المدمج بمتوسط حسابي (1.76) وبدرجة متوسطة. وأوصت الدراسة بضرورة عقد دورات وورش تدريبية تقنية لمعلمات المرحلة الأساسية في مجال استخدام التعلم المدمج في التدريس، وتعزيز اتجاهاتهن واتجاهات الطالبات نحوه. This study aimed to identify the degree of using blended learning from the point of the Basic Stage Teachers in the Irbid Directorate, to achieve the aim of the study, the descriptive approach was used, the researcher prepared a questionnaire consisting of (21) items divided into three areas: Teaching methods in blended education, technical skills in blended education, and evaluation methods in blended education), and the study sample consisted of (150) teachers in basic stage. The results of the study showed that the arithmetic mean (overall) of the degree of using blended education from the point of the Basic Stage Teachers rreached (/ 1.78 / 3), and with a medium degree. The arithmetic averages of the fields of integrated education ranged between (1.76 - 1.80), whereas the field of teaching methods in blended education came in the first rank with an arithmetic mean (1.80) and with a medium degree, and in the second rank the field of technical skills for blended education with a mean of (1.78). ) and with a medium degree, and at the last rank is the field of evaluation methods of blended learning with an arithmetic mean (1.76) and with a medium degree. The study recommended the necessity of holding technical training courses and workshops for basic teachers in the field of using blended education in teaching, and enhancing their attitudes towards it, in order to achieve the goals of teaching through blended learning.

Status of development and planning activities on CANS in Korea

This report reviews the overall status of the development and planning activities of compact accelerator-based neutron sources in Korea. For the last decade, the demand for the technology development and application of CANS has significantly increased, and becomes widely accepted by the science, engineering and industry sectors. Since the first technical workshop focused on CANS under the support of the Korea Nuclear Society in fall 2016, there have been numerous efforts to launch projects by several groups. Although unsuccessful, two CANS projects were newly launched in 2020. One is the 30-MeV cyclotron-based neutron source for industrial neutron imaging at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), and the other is the BNCT technology development at the Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences. A project proposal for an expansion of the proton LINAC facility at KAERI to 200 MeV for semiconductor irradiation testing through the produced neutron field is now almost complete and will be submitted to the government funding agency for review. The CANS project for BNCT based on the proton LINAC developed by the Dawonsys consortium is briefly described. The new neutron source based on electron LINAC is prepared by the Pohang Light Source laboratory, and the initial consideration and application targets are also described. A new strategic plan for national R&D on radiation technology and the enforcement of its infrastructure is still under way, and a more systematic approach to the development and application of neutron sources will be implemented through the strategic planning.

Catfish 2020, A Clear Vision of the Future

AbstractThe Third International Catfish Symposium was held in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2020 and provided another milestone to gauge advances in knowledge related to conservation and management of these valuable fishes. Attendees from 29 states and 4 countries gathered to communicate research and information on the conservation, ecology, and management of the world’s catfishes. During 3 d of technical sessions and workshops, 74 oral presentations and 17 posters were shared with 198 attending fisheries professionals. Plenary and oral presentations were recorded and are available online (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHNt7ZV05DLWoe4qJO798Pw/videos), aligning with the symposium theme of “Communicating Catfish Science.” Technical sessions explored current research and management issues that included population demographics, introduced catfish populations, sampling methods, harvest management, human dimensions, conservation, habitat use and movement, biology, and aging methods. Ultimately, 38 manuscripts were peer reviewed and published as this special issue of the North American Journal of Fisheries Management. Interest in catfish science, as gauged by publications in six peer‐reviewed fisheries journals, has grown steadily since a 1910 catfish aquaculture article appeared in the Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. Biology and ecology topics became prominent in the 1970s and 1980s, while articles on techniques and fisheries management have grown steadily through 2020. Ecology, fisheries management, and techniques were the most published topics in the three international catfish symposia. Future research and management efforts will continue similar work but also seek to address the expanding role of catfish as invasive species and a better understanding of the ecology and conservation of small‐bodied native catfish. Among the greatest challenges will be adapting current tools and identifying future knowledge gaps as we experience a changing climate. This will require an enhanced understanding of transforming ecosystems and advanced adaptive management applications. The decadal occurrence of a dedicated symposium has served to summarize progress and focus future efforts to advance catfish science.

FOSIC2020: Science and Technology in Combating Current and Future Global Challenges (LASU Virtual Conference, 2- 4 December 2020)

The Lagos State University 7th bi-annual Faculty of Science International Conference 2020 tagged LASU FOSIC2020 was held virtually from 2nd-4th December, 2020. The theme of the conference was Science and Technology in combating current and future global challenges. To justify the theme, different sub-themes were combined cutting across biological/medical, chemical and physical sciences including: global ecology and challenges of combating infectious human and zoonotic diseases, emerging perspectives on epidemiology of infectious diseases, post COVID-19 effects on fisheries and aquaculture, molecular approaches in curtailing the scourge of diseases, chemistry of natural resources for sustainable product development, medicinal plants as antidotes, dynamical system analysis, modelling and optimization, artificial intelligence in the 4th industrial revolution, and demystifying 5G technology: the role of physics in tackling global health challenges. This summary therefore presents some of the observations raised at the conference. Topical models and practical strategies at flattening the curve of COVID-19 pandemic in African most populous city, Lagos was presented by the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, while Director General of the Nigerian Institute for Medical Research delivered the keynote address followed by the special guest speaker from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General hospital, USA amongst others. To the best of our knowledge, FOSIC2020 was the first free and 100% virtual international conference organised by any Nigerian University to date. Overall, a total of 130 papers were presented by researchers out of the 334 registered participants representing 36 institutions from 14 countries across the world. FOSIC2020 was declared closed with a free technical workshop focusing on V2V global partnership from vulnerability to viability project by the team leaders from the University of Waterloo Canada and Lagos State University with members of panel as postgraduate students across different countries. Free electronics book of abstracts and certificates were given to all the participants.

Improving Public Attitude towards Renewable Energy

In recent years, the urgent necessity and tremendous opportunity to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon competitive economy has resulted in growth of long-term targets for renewable energy and energy efficiency, which are coming from policy bodies worldwide. The inherent distributed nature of renewable energies, together with the modularity of those technologies, brings opportunities for consumer empowerment in terms of participation. Nevertheless, there is still the need for increasing global awareness and enabling policies, to strengthen the citizen role in the energy system, facilitating their proactive participation as renewable energy purchasers, investors, and clean energy producers. Drawing from research interviews and the academic literature, this article conceptualizes the understanding of the need for improving public attitudes and explores the factors influencing the acceptance in terms of misconceptions, best communication practices, activities addressing public concerns, and potential actions to bolster public support towards renewable energy. Research interviews were conducted at a technical workshop on social acceptance of renewable energy, held in Abu Dhabi in October 2013, and the findings show that despite detecting an increasing trend towards greater and more active participation of citizens, many misconceptions together with insufficient and inefficient awareness and communication initiatives on renewable energies persist. The main conclusions can be used as a basis for formulating sustainable energy communication and awareness campaigns in order to enhance public acceptance and increase active participation in renewable energy technologies.

REVIEW ON STATUS OF LARGE CARDAMOM (AMOMUM SUBULATUM ROXB.) PRODUCTION AND MARKETING IN NEPAL

Large cardamom is the major spices crop and an export potential high value crop. Nepal is the largest producer of large cardamom. The review study focuses on the status of the production, marketing, exports and constraints in the large cardamom cultivation in Nepal. The production of the large cardamom is found to be increasing but the productivity was in decreasing trend. The varieties are under the process of registration. The most of the marketing channel is the exporting channel and India is the primary market of export. Some of the value addition processes are missing during processing of the crop. Price volatility and lack of proper technical knowledge are the major constraints observed in the production and trade. Other problems like improper planting material, traditional curing process, susceptible to viral diseases, high custom tariffs and trade taxes in some countries are also the observed problems. Producing of the product with quality standard through technical training and workshop from public and private sector can help in uplifting the large cardamom status of the country.

An intercomparison exercise to compare scoring criteria and develop image databank for biodosimetry in South Korea

Purpose Mutual cooperation of biodosimetry laboratories is required for dose assessments of large numbers of people with potential radiation exposure, as in mass casualty accidents. We launched an intercomparison exercise to validate the performance of biodosimetry laboratories in South Korea. Materials and methods Participating laboratories shared metaphase images from dicentric chromosome assays (DCAs) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-based translocation assays, which were evaluated based on their own scoring protocols. Results Overall, the coefficient of variation among three laboratories was less than 10% for counting scorable metaphases and chromosomal aberrations. However, there was variation in the interpretation of the International Atomic Energy Agency guidelines for selecting scorable metaphases and identifying chromosomal aberrations. In a technical workshop, scoring discrepancies were extensively discussed in order to harmonize biodosimetry protocols in Korea. In addition, metaphase images with agreement among all participating laboratories were compiled into an image databank, which can be used for education and training of scorers. Conclusions These findings and exercises may improve the accuracy of dose assessment, as well as increase the capacity for biodosimetry in South Korea.