World Face Research Articles

Multicultural Societies: Future of Human Civilization

Globalization has made this world inter-connected. World is turning into global village, where there is an amalgamation of various cultures. Migration has been a part of human history. Due to such mass movements multicultural societies came into existence which is quickly changing the face of the modern world. Though there are many challenges in the way of peaceful establishment of such societies but still these are rapidly blooming in the various parts of USA, Canada, Australia and many European nations. These multicultural societies make world vibrant as these have a lot to offer from knowledge, values, customs, beliefs and to new perspectives. Thus, proliferation of multicultural societies should be motivated by the governments and the people in general. These can make further strengthen relations between different communities so that all can work for mutual progress and thus world peace is achieved.

Psychoanalytic theory of anxiety and defense

The chronological development of Freud’s theories of anxiety is reviewed in connection with the series of infantile danger-situations, the distinction between traumatic and signal anxiety, and the defenses evoked by the latter to avoid the former. The central defense of turning aggression away from the object and back against the self, thus generating the hostile superego, is emphasized. A critique of Freud‘s one-sided conception of danger as loss of the good is offered in light of Melanie Klein’s recognition of the danger constituted by the presence of something bad. In light of the shift from topographical to structural theory additional types of anxiety are distinguished: instinctual anxiety experienced by the ego in the face of the Id; Reality anxiety in the face of the external world; moralistic anxiety in the face of the superego. While Freud failed to distinguish persecutory and reparative anxiety and guilt, Klein and her followers posited two fundamentally different layers or positions in the mind, the paranoid-schizoid and depressive or reparative positions characterized by these two types of anxiety and guilt respectively. There has been a good deal of confusion due to the widespread failure to distinguish depressive anxiety from depression: there is no depression in the depressive position because the splitting involved in depression is a paranoid-schizoid phenomenon. The existentialists remind us that not all anxiety and guilt is neurotic.

Coastal Lawscape: A framework for understanding the complexities of climate change adaptation

Coastlines around the world face complex, multi-sectoral challenges as these volatile areas adapt to a changing climate. Despite claims that law can play a central role in overcoming these challenges and advancing adaptation trajectories, there is relatively little research that connects law, adaptation, and coastal landscapes through the lens of legal geography. This paper systematically makes these connections to empirically explore the role of law in climate change adaptation. In doing so, the paper posits a ‘Coastal Lawscape’ as a useful frame through which to both theorise and to empirically explore coastal climate change adaptation. After detailing the concept of Coastal Lawscape, the paper explores how Coastal Lawscape manifests and influences climate change adaptation trajectories via a case study of four sites within one state jurisdiction. The empirical evidence shows that Coastal Lawscape comprises legal, political and cultural normative systems, and argues that understanding the interconnectedness of these systems is critical for advancing coastal climate change adaptation literature and policy.

Styrofoam bricks.

Pollution and accumulation of waste is one of the major problems that the present world faces. Of the waste materials the non-degradable plastic waste is the major issue. Among the plastic wastes, Styrofoam wastes share the lion's share. Styrofoam wastes are non-degradable also possess the threat of poisonous gas emission when burnt the main challenge is to recycle without the emission of poisonous gases. In this thought we come to the idea of Styrofoam bricks. The Styrofoam brick mainly consists of Styrofoam, acetone and sand. Styrofoam bricks can be manufactured through 4 kinds of process, dissolution of Styrofoam in acetone, mixing with sand, moulding and drying. Why we are preparing this brick is to get high strength and reduced weight also it is not brittle like the ordinary bricks. This will have good load bearing capacity. It can be used to construct partition wall, pavement, roofing etc.
 Key Words: Polystyrene Foam; Lightweight Bricks; Thermal Insulation; Pore-Forming.

The sustainability-peace nexus in crisis contexts: how the Rohingya escaped the ethnic violence in Myanmar, but are trapped into environmental challenges in Bangladesh.

Because of ethnic and cultural violence in Myanmar, approximately a million Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh starting from August 2017, in what the UN has called a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing”. Those arriving in Bangladesh were able to escape decade-long ethnic violence in Myanmar, but the Rohingya’s immediate destination, Cox’s Bazar district is one of the most climate-vulnerable and disaster-prone areas in Bangladesh. Currently, they have been subjected to extreme rainfalls, landslides, and flashfloods. With the COVID-19 pandemic, they continue to face fear and further marginalization in resource-constrained Bangladesh, as well as increased vulnerability due to tropical cyclones, flashfloods, and landslides. The Rohingya in southeast Bangladesh are now at the epicenter of a humanitarian and sustainability crisis. However, their situation is not entirely unique. Millions of displaced, stateless or refugees around the world are facing multi-dimensional crises in various complex geopolitical, and climatic situations. Using the theoretical lens of political ecology and critical development studies, this paper analyzes the sustainability–peace nexus for millions of Rohingya in Myanmar and in Bangladesh. This paper is based on information from various sources, including three ethnographic field visits in recent years, which helped to get local insights into the current sustainability challenges in this humanitarian context. The core arguments of this paper suggest that sustainability–peace nexus will especially be compromised in climate-vulnerable resource-constrained conditions. To overcome this challenge, decolonizing Rohingya solutions would be critical, by engaging the Rohingya in the process of development and meaningful change, which can affect their lives, livelihoods, and wellbeing. Even though this paper has a specific geographical focus, the insights are relevant in parts of the world facing similar social, economic, political, and environmental challenges.

Evaluation of changes in routines of milk producers in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic in the Taquari Valley and Serra Gaúcha region, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

In Rio Grande do Sul State (RS), Brazil, the negative impacts of the pandemic were noticed in March of 2020, with various sectors suffering the impacts, such as industry, wholesale, and retail. Milk production has always been historically present and part of human development, especially in the Taquari Valley region, as it represents the basis of the economy of most small rural properties in the surrounding counties. Considering the difficulty observed by small-scale milk producers to adapt to the new daily procedures on the properties in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the present study aimed to assess changes in the routines of rural producers in view of the health situation, preventive care, and important factors in tackling the pandemic in Taquari Valley and Serra Gaúcha (RS). An exploratory study applied on 51 farms revealed that the vast majority have adopted safe practices, such as hand washing and using hand sanitizers and masks. The price of milk, the need to change milk management, and technical assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic are the most concerning factors for 96% of the respondents. Although the pandemic has pointed out several economic problems, the majority (88%) of the producers do not intend to abandon the dairy activity in this scenario that the world faces.

An analytical study of prevalence of ear disorders and their risk factors among children in a resettlement colony of Delhi

Background: The world has more than 360 million population (almost 5% of world’s population) with disabling hearing loss and among them, 32 million are children. It is estimated that over 166 million people in the developing world face a severe lack of intervention services for hearing loss. There is a need to estimate the magnitude of various ear morbidities in school age children as well as to identify the various risk factors that play a role in the emergence of these morbidities. Aim: To find prevalence of various ear disorders and their risk factors among children 5-11 years old. Methodology: It was a cross-sectional, community based study conducted at a resettlement colony named Gokulpuri, in East Delhi. Study was conducted for a period of one year, Jan 2017 – Dec 2017. Children in the age group 5 yrs. to 11 yrs. were included in the study. Results: Total prevalence of ear morbidities in children was found to be 15.8%. Wax impaction in the ears was found to be most prevalent morbidity 10.6%. Educational status of mother and head of the family, immunization status of child, history of slapping trauma and coryza were among the associated risk factors. Exclusive breast feeding was statistically insignificantly associated

Sexual cycle of cats and non-invasive diagnostic methods

Mostly all feral cats are listed in the IUCN International Red Book. This fact is caused by the negative impact of civilization on the ecosystem, including fauna. This trend applies equally to feral cats from the family Felidae (tigers, jaguars, leopards, snow leopards) and the family Felinae (caracal, serval, ocelot, etc.). The low population size of domestic species, namely lynx and forest cat in Ukraine, is alarming. The use of innovative biotechnological techniques in reproduction can have a positive effect on the conservation of endangered carnivorous species. These auxiliary methods are aimed at improving the technique of obtaining and cryopreservation of sperm, oocytes, in vitro fertilization, artificial insemination, embryo transplantation, as well as synchronization and regulation of the sexual cycle. This last element is key in ex situ conservation programs in zoos. Under physiological course, feline reproductive cycle is unique, as the physiology of the body as a whole. The wild cat family is the pinnacle of predator evolution. Today there are 39 species of this family in the world, including the domestic cat. Most feral cats are endangered. The main reasons for the decline in wild cat populations in the wild are habitat loss, fragmentation, human-animal conflict, and for some species, poaching for fur and medicine. Therefore, many scientists in the world face the issue of increasing reproductive capacity, improving methods of monitoring reproductive function and endocrine status, as different species of cats have significant differences in the sexual cycle. The main purpose of the work is to improve the reproductive properties in the reproduction of wild cats using non-invasive diagnostic methods. Reproduction is a key success factor, so understanding the basics of the reproduction function will help develop strategies to conserve and influence populations of different feline species.

Exploring the problems faced by patients living with advanced cancer in Bengaluru, India

PurposeCancer is a key influence on psychosocial and emotional distress among patients. Problems that advanced cancer patients in the western world face have been widely explored, but these findings may not be applicable in the non-western world due to the cultural differences. Exploring the problems of advanced cancer patients will help professionals plan appropriate therapeutic interventions to take care of the patients' physical, emotional, social and practical needs. Hence, this study aims to explore the psychosocial and emotional problems of advanced cancer patients in India. MethodsData were collected from 10 advanced cancer patients from Bengaluru, using purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Themes were generated using thematic analysis. ResultsThe prevalent themes were financial instability, hopelessness, family anguish, self-blame, helplessness, anger, stress, and suicidal thoughts. ConclusionThis research has highlighted that advanced cancer patients have several issues, indicating the importance of using a holistic approach while handling this vulnerable population by focusing more on the patient rather than the disease.

Sustainable Solutions to Common Language Difficulties in Bilingual Families

This article shares helpful, research-backed ways that parents can support minority languages in their children's lives. Many parents around the world face language struggles, including losing heritage languages to the community language or trying to support a foreign language to increase future opportunities. For example, parents in Mexico may want to encourage their children to speak Nahuatl with older family members, but the children prefer Spanish due to its widespread use and status in the community. This same family may encourage their children to study English in order to increase future employment and travel opportunities. However, asking children to become bi- or even trilingual can feel like a time-intensive, stressful, and expensive task. It doesn't have to be a negative experience, though! This article provides tips and strategies, both theoretical and practical, for encouraging minority language study and use in the household, touching on aspects of bilingualism such as literacy, inter-sibling language use, technology, and cost-cutting measures. Families from all over the globe and of any size can utilize this information to encourage bilingualism or multilingualism in their families.

Using Rasch model for the development and validation of energy literacy assessment instrument for prospective physics teachers

As the world facing energy crisis, energy literacy should be an important part in preparing prospective physics teachers. This research address the lack of currently available instrument to assess prospective physics teachers’ energy literacy. This paper aims to provide a validity argument of the ELA. Two pilot tests were carried out in three universities in Indonesia. In field-test I, the instrument was given to 112 students. The partial-credit Rasch model was applied to the data to examine items and test properties. The instrument was then revised and given to 123 students in field-test II. Through the processes of removing and/or modifying misfit items based on Rasch analyses, a set of 33 items that has a unidimensional construct of energy literacy was empirically established. Instrument validation results successfully provided a validity argument as they met inferences of scoring, generalization, explanation, and extrapolation. Further instructions on how to use results obtained from the instrument are also provided.

Shaping public opinion through the lens of agenda setting in rolling out COVID-19 vaccination program

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination hesitancy is a concern that the world faces. The government and private sectors are initiating measures to address this problem. Media plays a crucial role in information and extensive dissemination. This paper highlights the role of the agenda setting platform in shaping public opinion on COVID-19 vaccination program. Massive information dissemination through media can be an effective tool in educating the public regarding the efficacy of anti-COVID 19 vaccines both for self-preservation and promotion of the common good.

The influence of ecosystems services depletion to climate change adaptation efforts in Africa.

Climate change is one of the major challenges societies round the world face at present. Apart from efforts to achieve a reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases so as to mitigate the problem, there is a perceived need for adaptation initiatives urgently. Ecosystems are known to play an important role in climate change adaptation processes, since some of the services they provide, may reduce the impacts of extreme events and disturbance, such as wildfires, floods, and droughts. This role is especially important in regions vulnerable to climate change such as the African continent, whose adaptation capacity is limited by many geographic and socio-economic constraints. In Africa, interventions aimed at enhancing ecosystem services may play a key role in supporting climate change adaptation efforts. In order to shed some light on this aspect, this paper reviews the role of ecosystems services and investigates how they are being influenced by climate change in Africa. It contains a set of case studies from a sample of African countries, which serve the purpose to demonstrate the damages incurred, and how such damages disrupt ecosystem services. Based on the data gathered, some measures which may assist in fostering the cause of ecosystems services are listed, so as to cater for a better protection of some of the endangered Africa ecosystems, and the services they provide.

Virus transport from drywells under constant head conditions: A modeling study

Many arid and semi-arid regions of the world face challenges in maintaining the water quantity and quality needs of growing populations. A drywell is an engineered vadose zone infiltration device widely used for stormwater capture and managed aquifer recharge. To our knowledge, no prior studies have quantitatively examined virus transport from a drywell, especially in the presence of subsurface heterogeneity. Axisymmetric numerical experiments were conducted to systematically study virus fate from a drywell for various virus removal and subsurface heterogeneity scenarios under steady-state flow conditions from a constant head reservoir. Subsurface domains were homogeneous or had stochastic heterogeneity with selected standard deviation (σ) of lognormal distribution in saturated hydraulic conductivity and horizontal (X) and vertical (Z) correlation lengths. Low levels of virus concentration tailing can occur even at a separation distance of 22 m from the bottom of the drywell, and 6-log10 virus removal was not achieved when a small detachment rate (kd1=1 × 10⁻⁵ min⁻¹) is present in a homogeneous domain. Improved virus removal was achieved at a depth of 22 m in the presence of horizontal lenses (e.g., X=10 m, Z=0.1 m, σ=1) that enhanced the lateral movement and distribution of the virus. In contrast, faster downward movement of the virus with an early arrival time at a depth of 22 m occurred when considering a vertical correlation in permeability (X=1 m, Z=2 m, σ=1). Therefore, the general assumption of a 1.5–12 m separation distance to protect water quality may not be adequate in some instances, and site-specific microbial risk assessment is essential to minimize risk. Microbial water quality can potentially be improved by using an in situ soil treatment with iron oxides to increase irreversible attachment and solid-phase inactivation.

Clay-Polymer Nanocomposites: Preparations and Utilization for Pollutants Removal.

Nowadays, people over the world face severe water scarcity despite the presence of several water sources. Adsorption is considered as the most efficient technique for the treatment of water containing biological, organic, and inorganic contaminants. For this purpose, materials from various origins (clay minerals, modified clays, zeolites, activated carbon, polymeric resins, etc.) have been considered as adsorbent for contaminants. Despite their cheapness and valuable properties, the use of clay minerals as adsorbent for wastewater treatment is limited due to many factors (low surface area, regeneration, and recovery limit, etc.). However, clay mineral can be used to enhance the performance of polymeric materials. The combination of clay minerals and polymers produces clay-polymers nanocomposites (CPNs) with advanced properties useful for pollutants removal. CPNs received a lot of attention for their efficient removal rate of various organic and inorganic contaminants via flocculation and adsorption ability. Three main classes of CPNs were developed (exfoliated nanocomposites (NCs), intercalated nanocomposites, and phase-separated microcomposites). The improved materials can be explored as novel and cost-effective adsorbents for the removal of organic and inorganic pollutants from water/wastewater. The literature reported the ability of CPNs to remove various pollutants such as bacteria, metals, phenol, tannic acid, pesticides, dyes, etc. CPNs showed higher adsorption capacity and efficient water treatment compared to the individual components. Moreover, CPNs offered better regeneration than clay materials. The present paper summarizes the different types of clay-polymers nanocomposites and their effective removal of different contaminants from water. Based on various criteria, CPNs future as promising adsorbent for water treatment is discussed.

Geospatial Dynamics of Cropping pattern and Agricultural Efficiency in Kashmir Valley-A Northwestern Himalayan Region, India

Food (in)security and agricultural efficiency is a major challenge in many of the world’s mountain ranges. The particular physical characteristics of mountains and associated socioeconomic factors, mountain regions all over the world face challenges in terms of food security and cropping pattern, although at different levels. Mountains in developing countries are sites of poverty. About 40 percent of the mountain population or nearly 300 million people are estimated to be vulnerable to food insecurity, of these, nearly 90 percent live in rural areas and almost half of those are likely to be chronically hungry. The present study also focuses on the regional disparities in agricultural efficiency and cropping pattern across different tehsils of Kashmir Valley-A north-western part of Himalayas. The study was carried out across thirty-nine spatial units (Tehsils) among different districts of Kashmir valley in GIS and remote sensing environment. Both primary and secondary data was employed. The study shows that the productivity of paddy, maize, and wheat is showing an increasing trend among all tehsils of Kashmir valley from 2011 to 2017 but the area under these crops is decreasing at an alarming rate leading a food deficit of 21.70 percent. So, agriculture planning is badly needed to curb this grave problem and impose restrictions to land conversion a burning issue nowadays

Regulating for integration by behavioral design: An evidence‐based approach for culturally responsive regulation

AbstractDemocratic societies around the world face the challenge of strengthening social integration against a multitude of cultural and ethnic differences. Yet common regulations for integration – from cultural assimilation policies to general education programs – encounter objection, noncompliance, and even backlash among the very groups that the regulator strives to integrate into society. The article analyzes this challenge from a behavioral perspective, drawing on rich qualitative and experimental evidence in the context of the Israeli core curriculum regulation. The findings elucidate the joint role of identity threat and framing effects in spurring noncompliance and hindering the implementation of the regulation. I then design and test a behavioral intervention that is found to significantly increase support for the regulation, particularly among its strongest opponents. These results propose new paths to improve the regulation for integration and strengthen trust and cooperation in conflicted societies. More broadly, the project expands the framework of responsive regulation to address additional rule‐takers and motivations for noncompliance and advances the application of behavioral research to the design of regulation.

Automatic Detection of COVID 19 Infection Using Deep Learning Models from X-Ray Images

In worldwide millions of people are infected due to COVID-19 virus and even that is increasing exponentially. The medical researchers are using RT-PCR test to distinguish between COVID (+) and COVID (-). The growth of virus is exponential that’s lead to an outbreak, and to break this we have to conduct test as many as possible. RT PCR test is costly and not available in remote areas this is big challenge that developing countries is facing. The second big challenge whole world facing is the availability of doctors and radiologists. So, we need an automated system based on AI and Machine learning (ML) for detection of COVID (+) cases. In literature AI, ML and Deep Learning (DL) played an important role in designing automated system in medical field by achieving good accuracy. In this paper, we have applied DL models ResNet 34 and ResNet 50 on X-ray images, achieved accuracy 96.4% with ResNet 34. And compared their result on the basis of various quantitative analysis parameter MCC, F1 Score, Precision, Recall and others to solve both challenges.

Safety of journalists in Europe: Threats and best practices to tackle them

Journalists around the world face immense threats for doing their job. Although compared to other regions, the situation in Europe is considerably better; many challenges need to be addressed here as well to ensure conducive conditions for the conduct of journalistic work. The present working paper identifies the main issues that prevent journalists from doing their job freely and safely, in particular, physical attacks, online hate speech, surveillance, smear campaigns, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), insufficient protection of journalistic sources and whistle-blowers, impunity and precarious economic conditions. It discusses the impact of these issues on journalists, but also their repercussions for media freedom and pluralism more broadly. By providing a snapshot of the situation in Europe and more detailed country case studies (Austria, France, Germany), the working paper aids our understanding of the scope and nature of the most pressing problems. It also collects evidence-based best practices and policies from the newsrooms and the state, which could help to formulate further recommendations for key stakeholders.

Study on the Development and Utilization Model of Water Resources in Yihe River Basin

The problem of water resource shortage has made many countries in the world face severe challenges. The reasonable water resource development and utilization model has increasingly become the research focus of each country. In this study, the Yihe river basin is taken as the research area. Based on the current water utilization status from 2001 to 2016, the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model is used. Selecting five evaluation factors, including urbanization rate, ecological environment water consumption rate, per capita water consumption, surface water supply ratio and groundwater supply ratio, to study the regional water resource development and utilization model. The results show that both Linyi city and Zibo city in the Yihe river basin are more suitable for the joint development model of surface water and groundwater.