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FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF ADULT PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV IN KAZAKHSTAN
No full textAbstract
Objectives
The purpose of the current study was to investigate the association of a range of demographic, physical and psychosocial factors with positive mental health and mental illnesses (depression and anxiety), in adults living with HIV in Kazakhstan.
Methods
To conduct the current cross-sectional study, the Qualtrics online survey platform was utilized. We collected date from January to February 2024. The study included 170 individuals (18 years and older) living with HIV in Kazakhstan who agreed to participate by signing electronic informed consent. The online survey consisted of overall 48 questions and four parts: (1) Socio-demographic information ; (2) General health information, (3) Mental health , and (4) HIV related stigma.
Results
Only 33.53% of adults living with HIV are flourishing and have no mental illness. People in flourishing without mental illness group receive more social support. People who rated their physical functioning as mostly able and complete were least likely to fall into the flourishing with mental illness group. People who see themselves as not flourishing or languishing in life, can be more at risk for depression and anxiety due to lack of flourishing. Mental illness without flourishing (languishing) group accounted for 20.59% of the sample. People older than 44 years old are less likely to fall into this group. People who have a good assessment of their ability to perform daily physical activity are less likely to fall into this group. This group presented a high association with internal stigma. People living with HIV falling into this group receive less social support.
Conclusions
Our study demonstrated that a third of the present sample have positive mental health and are flourishing, and this was associated with high social support. People with more advanced levels of physical functioning were less likely to flourish in the presence of mental illness. Insufficient social support, internal stigma, difficulty in performing daily physical activities and younger age have an significant association with anxiety and depression without flourishing. Continued efforts are recommended on increasing public awareness of HIV infection in Kazakhstan, with a special focus on reducing discrimination in various spheres of life, which affects internal stigmatization and mental health of individuals with HIV in Kazakhstan.
Practice implications
It is recommended to increase availability of social services and support for individuals with HIV, as this could benefit their mental health and well-being.
DESIGN OF HIGH-RISE HOTEL BUILDING IN RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, USA
No full textThis capstone project report summarizes our team’s efforts in developing a high-rise
hotel in Riverside, California, within a strong wind and seismic zone. Our
multidisciplinary approach divided the project into Architectural, Structural & Materials
(40%), Geotechnical (30%), Construction Management (15%), and Environmental
Engineering (15%) areas. The project's primary challenge was identifying necessary
parameters and adhering to professional design procedures.
Through a combination of self-study and mentoring, we conducted independent research
and literature reviews to set and achieve specific goals in each project area. Our process
involved planning the design using knowledge from courses, secondary sources, and
faculty guidance, leading to a synthesized and customized design approach.
Key accomplishments include load identification, layout design, preliminary member and
force-resisting system design, computer modeling (S), suitable foundation type
identification and preliminary foundation design (G), project management method
establishment, cost analysis, scheduling, risk management (M), and waste generation rate
and composition identification (E). Despite challenges in knowledge gaps and sourcing
information, we successfully met our objectives, providing a solid foundation for further
project development
TRIMOMIAL TREE METHOD FOR OPTION PRICING WITH TRANSACTION COST
No full textThis paper describes the progression of research initiated in MATH 424: Mathematical Finance course, with an emphasis on the creation and development of the Trinomial Tree Method for option pricing, particularly in the presence of transaction costs. We begin by reviewing the Cox-Ross-Rubenstein binomial scheme and then go on to trinomial approaches in financial literature, demonstrating their enhanced effectiveness over the binomial method. Our study includes complex models such as the Boyle and Vorst model, widening the scope beyond the standard Black-Scholes model covered in the course. However, the Boyle and Vorst’s method only covers transaction cost for binomial models. Our objective is to review the literature on the Trinomial Tree Method considering transaction cost which requires solving the absolute value matrix equation Ax − |X| = b along the tree. We have extended the results of the Boyle and Vorst from a binomial to trinomial method for a European call option. We implemented numerically our method and these results were inconsistent with the results of the Boyle and Vorst’s method comparable to the binomial results.
The research extends the practical application of option pricing models by providing a complete framework for solving absolute value equations in the setting of trinomial trees, yielding useful insights for the Trinomial Tree Method with transaction cost
STUDY OF MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF NOVEL FIBER METAL LAMINATES
No full textFMLs are a class of advanced hybrid materials, constructed by alternately bonding layers of metal with layers of fiber-reinforced polymers, providing the enhanced mechanical properties of all components. The advantages of this composite material include high strength-to-weight ratio, fatigue, and damage resistance, making it well-suited for aircraft construction. However, one of the main challenges related to the FML structures is interfacial delamination, which becomes a reason for early failures. This research investigates the ways to improve the interfacial strength between the composite’s layers by studying: the effect of cellulose nanofibers on the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of polyurethane experimentally; the effect of nanomaterial on the shear strength of single-lap joints – both experimentally and numerically; the effect of mechanical and chemical treatment on the shear strength of single-lap joints; the synergetic effect of CNF and surface treatment on the shear strength.
The study reveals that the addition of CNF can significantly enhance the tensile strength of the polymer and the shear strength of the adhesive joints but only up to a certain limit. 1 wt% of CNF increased the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the polymer by 401% and 66.6% respectively, while for the single-lap joints, the highest shear strength was achieved with 0.5 wt% of CNF giving an 86% increase. It was also investigated that both mechanical and chemical treatment considerably improve the bonding strength in the single-lap joints, and the best result can be achieved by the synergy of chemical treatment and the addition of CNF, which improves the shear strength by 137%. The obtained numerical results for the single-lap shear test from the computer simulation are close to the experimental values and can be used for further investigation of single-lap joints’ mechanical behavior. The findings of this study may provide valuable insights into the development of next-generation FMLs with improved performance and durability
INVESTIGATION OF EM SCATTERING BEHAVIOR OF WEAKLY INTERACTING NANOTUBES
No full textThe problem of electromagnetic (EM) waves scattering by circular and arbitrary-shaped nanotubes is considered in this work. An Iso-Geometric Analysis enabled Boundary Element Method (IGABEM) is developed to estimate the scattering amount in the corresponding cases. Our research studies the scattering of EM waves caused by a nanotube and aims to optimize the shape of the nanotube so that the scattering value is maximized. The problem is of particular interest when the electrical conductivity of the nanotube is very low. This is because by only changing the shape of the nanotube, its
weakly interacting (almost transparent) behavior could be altered and it would be changed into a super-scatterer of EM waves solely because of its geometry. In this work, the optimal shapes that maximize scattering were found and checked, with respect to their sensitivity, for varying wavelengths, wave angles, and distances from the source (when a point source
was considered). The dependence of the scattering behavior of the nanotube on the DoFs needed for geometry representation as well as the computational accuracy as a function of the number of analysis DoFs were also examined. The best result, received by shape optimization in the context of this study, indicates that an arbitrarily shaped nanotube can scatter EM waves about 85 times higher than a circular nanotube with the same electircal conductivity and the same cross-sectional area. Such superscattering nanotubes can find applications in electromagnetic interference shielding, optical nanoantennas, biomedical imaging, spectroscopy and nanoplasmonic sensing
Нехватка детских садов в Астане: Текущая ситуация, Влияние ГЧП и Ограничения
No full textThis paper will provide an overview of the issue of scarcity of places in kindergartens in Astana. Kazakhstan is facing a scarcity of 250,000 places and 20% of these places are located in Astana. Despite the implementation of Public-Private partnership, the issue is still current. The main focus of the paper is on the current situation of shortage of places, PPP impact in addressing this issue and the challenges in PPP mechanism. We have conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with government officials, owners of kindergartens and experts of preschool education and legal experts. Based on interviews, it was found that the PPP mechanism partially solved the problem of scarcity of places in kindergartens. Respondents mentioned the success of the Balapan program but also noted the severity of the issue now. The reason for partially solving this problem is the lack of attractiveness of PPP mechanism for private businesses for the following challenges: bureaucracy, strict requirements, land unattractiveness, corruption, economic and financial challenges. The policy recommendations were provided for each challenge
Инфильтрация почвы в городе Астана в рамках немецко-казахстанского исследовательского проекта “Управление городскими водными ресурсами - немецкий опыт для городов Казахстана (TERESA)”.
No full textoai:nur.nu.edu.kz:123456789/8060In the given work, the soil infiltration rate of Astana city (Yesil River Basin) was studied to see the suitability of the city to apply sustainable urban drainage system in the studied area. During the work, the formation of groundwater systems was examined. Methodology of the measurements were provided using different tests. Soil texture was indicated as Silty clay
TOWARDS MORE RELIABLE DRUG TOXICITY PREDICTION: AN ENSEMBLE APPROACH
No full textThe development of a single pharmaceutical drug is a time- and resource-consuming process with a high likelihood of rejection. In recent years, the cost-effectiveness of a single drug has decreased drastically, as the criteria for passing has become more rigorous. A huge fraction of attrition rates is caused by the toxicity of chemical compounds. Recent findings in Machine Learning (ML) have revolutionized the drug toxicity prediction field, developing many model architectures and data representations. The faced challenges are different ways of representing the molecules’ chemical structure, as well as many different toxicity types. This study proposes a novel drug toxicity prediction framework. It uses several classification models, based on different data representations and different ways of combining their features. The evaluation of six different datasets with different toxicity types shows that choosing majority voting across all models can improve the ROC AUC score and accuracy. Using a single classification model to combine these datasets demonstrates that it is possible to achieve 84% accuracy on data with various toxicity types. The findings of this research provide insights into the application of ML in pharmaceutical research. Improving current methods of toxicity assessment can have a positive effect on the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of drug development
QUEER IS THE NEW ECO: HOW THE LOCAL QUEER (LGBTQIA+) COMMUNITY ENCOURAGES ECO-ACTIVISM IN QAZAQSTAN
No full textThis research explores how the local LGBTQIA+ community encourages the development of eco-activism with the help and navigation of their marginalized queer and eco-activist identities. Studies about activism and activist research have seemingly become an integral part of the Central Asian academia, especially when it comes to politicized and taboo topics. It has been pointed out by several scholars that civil society activism movement has attracted a good deal of international fundings and has contributed to the consolidation of the non- governmental sector. Among the sub-movements, queer (LGBTQIA+) activism has drawn a lot of attention and financial resources and has managed to become more organized and influential in the broader social and political context of Qazaqstan. Scholars from the countries of the Global North evidently demonstrate how queer activism is also utilized as a tool for promoting other types of activism, including feminism, eco-activism, and decolonial activism. However, when the geography turns to Central Asia, specifically Qazaqstan, it is clear that there is a gap in understanding the relationships between the different types of activism.
Qazaqstan serves as an interesting case study because of its unique geopolitical landscape, colonial history, and modern-day economic dominance in the region. In addition, existing data suggests that local eco-activism, a marginalized type of activism, has been mediated by the international agents and narratives, with the limited involvement of the local agency. This study suggests that there is a deep correlation between Qazaqstani queer and eco types of activism, and that due to its influence, local queer activism promotes environmental sentiments especially through the lens of intersectionality and postcoloniality. Although, to an extent, biased by the authors personal history of being an activist, this study, first of its kind, also serves as a collaborative work between the researcher and activist networks, and, as a list of recommendations of applied research for both queer and eco-activists to improve the everyday activist strategies that they employ
DOT PRODUCT OPERATOR FOR PHOTONIC AND EDGE COMPUTING APPLICATIONS
No full textThe project aims to explore the potential of silicon photonics in matrix computation, particularly in dot product operator. Silicon photonics is a promising technology for the next generation of computing due to its higher bandwidth, low fabrication cost, CMOS compatibility, and low-power consumption. Moreover, dot product operator is an important part
of many modern algorithms, including signal
processing and artificial intelligence algorithms
such as neural network algorithms. The project
will focus on the Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) based dot product operator, namely
on Electrooptic Mach-Zehnder Interferometer
(EO-MZI) with the integrated memory shi