Too Lit to Quit

In this comic, the student reflects on the process of writing a “literature review,” a requirement for a course taught by Dean Scheibel called “Introduction of Research in Communication Studies.” The comics were created by students as a final course assignment. Students were instructed to create comics using photographs, drawings, or a computer program called Comic Life 3. The idea of reflection is important in education. These comics could be viewed as a response to reflective learning (or metacognition) about the idea of the literature review, or “research as inquiry.” Through reflection on what we do, we learn more deeply about our everyday experiences of life, death, love, God, and even literature reviews. Although “comix” have been the objects of critique by academics, these comics subject the work of the academy—the faculty member as teacher—to critique. Research is a process, and by having students reflect on the fears, errors, or mistakes made during that process they will experience new insights and discoveries

Analisis Pengendalian Gerak Model Robot Keseimbangan Beroda Dua Menggunakan Pengendali Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR)

- Perkembangan penelitian tentang robot mendapat kemajuan yang pesat beberapa dekade terakhir ini. Salah satu robot yang mendapat perhatian serius belakangan ini adalah robot penyeimbang beroda dua yang berfungsi sebagai kendaraan masa depan bagi manusia karena memiliki kelebihan dalam hal emisi dan manuvernya. Dalam penelitian ini dicari pengendali LQR terhadap suatu robot penyeimbang dengan dua roda sehingga dapat digerakkan ke arah yang diinginkan oleh pengguna tanpa terjatuh. Dari hasil penelitian, didapat bahwa metode LQR cukup handal dalam mengendalikan sistem seperti ini. Sistem dapat bergerak menyeimbangkan dirinya dalam waktu yang cukup singkat dan bergerak menuju arah yang diinginkan oleh operator. Kata kunci-robot keseimbangan beroda dua, pengendali LQR, pengendalian gerak, kendali optima

Living on the move, dwelling between temporality and permanence in Syria

Abstract: Although the international displacement of people caused by the Syrian conflict has dominated the media for the past several years, an inside story that is less visible requires more attention: that of internal displacement. More than half of the population of Syria has been forced to flee their houses. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in December 2017 accounted for more than six and a half million, more than a third of the total of population of Syria in 2011 (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), 2012. http://www.internal-displacement.org/middle-east-and-north-africa/syria/). Displaced Syrians have experienced constraints in getting adequate housing for the short- and mid-term inside and outside the country. However, internal displacement, in particular, adds a dimension to the complex notion of mass sheltering. Sheltering policies, or lack thereof, as well as the shelter itself as a design and construction product all express the power of those who govern more than the aspirations of those who inhabit. Affected groups find solutions by themselves, via national or international organisations, or a combination of both. However, such solutions function under the influence of authorities controlling the area in which IDPs are received. Among the alternatives available to displaced communities, this paper reviews two cases of internally displaced families in Syria: a collective centre in government-controlled Damascus (schools) and a planned camp in Afes village in a rebel-held area near Idlib

Rwanda Cricket Stadium: Seismically stabilised tile vaults

The Rwanda Cricket Stadium, completed in 2017, uses compressed soil-cement tiles, thin-tile vaulting, and geogrid reinforcement for seismic stabilisation in Kigali’'s moderate risk earthquake zone. The vaults follow the natural resolution of forces toward the ground, closely mimicking the parabolic geometry of a bouncing ball and evoking the cherished hilly topography of Rwanda. The masonry vaults in compression allow the use of geogrid embedded within the mortar layers, adding global ductile behaviour to the thin shell composite of low strength tiles. Structural analysis is based on thrust lines, with additional envelope for the thrust lines to leave the profile of the masonry computed from the tensile capacity added by the geogrid (Ramage and Dejong [1]). Construction follows traditional thin-tile techniques adapted for new environments and uses compressed earth tiles as pioneered at the Mapungubwe Interpretive Centre in South Africa (Ramage et al. [2]). Here, the two approaches are combined in a permanent structure, with the largest vault spanning 16 m with a rise of 8 m. The Rwanda Cricket Stadium is a fusion of advanced structural analysis and architectural design with labour intensive, locally-sourced material production offering a much-needed solution to building sustainably in the developing world. Employing air-dried, hand-pressed soil tiles, produced using local labour, this method of construction has proved to be innovative, cost effective and beautiful

Rural Habitation In Syria: The Culture Of Traditional Architecture And Its Role In The Reconstruction Process

This paper investigates the positive role traditional architecture can play during reconstruction, particularly in rural Syria, and highlights the effective impact cultural and social participation have on the process. In addition to exploring the possibilities offered by traditional architecture and its implementation within the strategic vision of reconstruction, this research also takes into account the authenticity of rural society and the diversity of urban identity in Syria. This article consists of three major parts: the first section defines reconstruction as a general concept and as post-war practices with reference to its roots in the Syrian-Arab culture; the second section focuses on the urban and social characteristics of Syrian rural areas; the last section offers an attempt to contextualize these themes within post-war reconstruction guidelines offered by previous researches. The research does not propose any practical strategy of post-war reconstruction; instead it articulates the importance of learning from traditional and local architecture in the process. This research suggests that the experiences of the war-torn Syrian society offer a vision for future reconstruction of the country, and expects to motivate other initiatives to seek and devise recovery strategies based on local experiences

Adequacy of Nutrients Intake among Jordanian Pregnant Women in Comparison to Dietary Reference Intakes.

Maternal nutrition is considered an important pillar in the pregnancy outcomes for both mother and infant. A mother's malnutrition and inadequate nutrient intake is associated with many undesirable pregnancy outcomes. Hence, assessing the nutritional status of the mother in the early stages of the pregnancy and preventing any inadequacy can preclude many health problems for both mother and infant. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the adequacy of nutrient intakes among Jordanian pregnant women as compared to their corresponding dietary reference intakes (DRIs). This cross-sectional study was conducted at a major University Hospital in Jordan. Three hundred pregnant women were invited to participate in the study and 286 agreed to participate. Fifty pregnant women were enrolled at week 9, then 96 pregnant women were at week 20 and 137 pregnant women were at week 30 of pregnancy. The participants completed the interview-based demographic questionnaire, pregnancy physical activity questionnaire, and quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The mean energy intake was 2768.9 ± 767.8 kcal/day and it was significantly higher in the 3rd trimester ( < 0.05). Women in the 3rd trimester consumed significantly more protein, carbohydrates, and sugar than women in the 1st and 2nd trimesters ( < 0.05). The pregnant women in the 3rd trimester consumed more sodium than women in the 1st and 2nd trimesters ( < 0.05). The vitamin K intake was significantly ( = 0.045) lower in the 2nd trimester than the 1st and 3rd trimesters. The calcium intake was significantly higher in the 3rd trimester than the 1st and 2nd trimesters ( = 0.021). The total micronutrient (vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, and D, calcium, and iron) intakes derived from dietary supplements and food sources throughout the 3 trimesters was significantly higher in the 3rd trimester than the 1st and 2nd trimesters ( < 0.05). The vitamin D, calcium, and iron intakes had the most significant increases between the 1st and 3rd trimesters ( < 0.001), while folic acid intake was significantly higher in the 1st trimester than the 2nd and 3rd trimester ( < 0.001). Most women exceeded the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for sodium in all trimesters, while 82% of women exceeded the UL of folic acid in the 1st trimester and from the supplement, not the diet. While the intake of some nutrients from food alone remains below the DRIs in the diets of pregnant women, the intake of other nutrients is above the UL. Raising the awareness of pregnant women about their diet and how a supplement intake can reduce the risk of inadequate intake for many micronutrients and improve their pregnancy outcomes is of great importance

Protective Impact of L-arginine against Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common acute surgical disease in preterm infants in intensive neonatal care. Premature infants are infant born prematurely and have a low birth weight. The disease is characterized by an inflammatory process in the intestines, which sometimes worsen and reach the level of necrosis. This process, in the intestinal wall, can destroy and kill the tissue of the intestinal wall and, later, it makes an intestinal perforation. Intestinal contents, in this case, leak to the abdominal cavity, endangering the child's life. Different studies showed that the arginine level in many premature infants is low, and subsequent studies have linked low arginine plasma concentrations with NEC disease. This paper concerned with awareness of this disease, its symptoms and its causes, in addition to L-arginine medication role in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) treatment, which is a semi essential cationic amino acid

Protective effect of L-arginine in experimentally induced Necrotizing Enterocolitis in rats

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the neonatal intensive care unit which recently the etiology of NEC remains unclear, prevention and treatment strategies are often inadequate. Accordingly, a lot of research was conducted to evaluate L-arginine as one of the effective medications to protect the premature infants, where. The objective of the current study was to test the hypothesis that administration of L-arginine would have a protective effect in experimentally induced necrotizing enterocolitis in rats. The study was conducted on 46 male albino rats which were divided into three main groups:  Control group, L-arginine group, and the experimental group which has been divided into two sub-groups; Group A: received Lipopolysaccharides to induce NEC, Group B: injected by L-arginine prior to the disease induced by endotoxin, asphyxia and cold stress. After the animals had been scarified, histological changes were evaluated, gene expression of both iNOS and IL-12 were measured, and apoptosis also was detected by flowcytometry technique. The findings observed a significant increase in the expression of iNOS gene and IL-12 gene and a noticeable decrease of the apoptosis index. In addition, administration of L-arginine attenuated body weight, body temperature, and the histological changes were altered by LPS/asphyxia. As such, the study was able to demonstrate that L-arginine administration significant protective effect against NEC, but further clinical studies are still required on preterm infant to confirm these results. Key words: Necrotizing enterocolitis, L-arginine, Interleukin-12, Inducible nitric oxide synthase, Lipopolysaccharides, Messenger Ribonucleic acid (mRNA

Curved-crease origami face shields for infection control

The COVID-19 pandemic has created enormous global demand for personal protective equipment (PPE). Face shields are an important component of PPE for front-line workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing protection of the face from splashes and sprays of virus-containing fluids. Existing face shield designs and manufacturing procedures may not allow for production and distribution of face shields in sufficient volume to meet global demand, particularly in Low and Middle-Income countries. This paper presents a simple, fast, and cost-effective curved-crease origami technique for transforming flat sheets of flexible plastic material into face shields for infection control. It is further shown that the design could be produced using a variety of manufacturing methods, ranging from manual techniques to high-volume die-cutting and creasing. This demonstrates the potential for the design to be applied in a variety of contexts depending on available materials, manufacturing capabilities and labour. An easily implemented and flexible physical-digital parametric design methodology for rapidly exploring and refining variations on the design is presented, potentially allowing others to adapt the design to accommodate a wide range of ergonomic and protection requirements