Search results for: feasibility studies
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 11913

Search results for: feasibility studies

11643 A Thorough Analysis of the Literature on the Airport Service Quality and Patron Satisfaction

Authors: Mohammed Saad Alanazi

Abstract:

Satisfaction of travelers with services provided in the airports is a sign of competitiveness and the corporate image of the airport. This study conducted a systematic literature review of recent studies published after 2017 regarding the factors that positively influence travelers’ satisfaction and encourage them to report positive reviews online. This study found variations among the studies found. They used several research methodologies, and datasets and focused on different airports, yet, they commonly categorized airport services into seven categories that should receive high intention because their qualities were found increasing review rate and positivity. It was found that studies targeting travelers’ satisfaction and intention of revisiting tended to use primary sources of data (survey); meanwhile, studies concerned positivity and negativity of comments towards airport services often used online reviews provided by travelers.

Keywords: business Intelligence, airport service quality, passenger satisfaction, thorough analysis

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11642 The Menu Planning Problem: A Systematic Literature Review

Authors: Dorra Kallel, Ines Kanoun, Diala Dhouib

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This paper elaborates a Systematic Literature Review SLR) to select the most outstanding studies that address the Menu Planning Problem (MPP) and to classify them according to the to the three following criteria: the used methods, types of patients and the required constraints. At first, a set of 4165 studies was selected. After applying the SLR’s guidelines, this collection was filtered to 13 studies using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria as well as an accurate analysis of each study. Second, the selected papers were invested to answer the proposed research questions. Finally, data synthesis and new perspectives for future works are incorporated in the closing section.

Keywords: Menu Planning Problem (MPP), Systematic Literature Review (SLR), classification, exact and approaches methods

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11641 Array Type Miniaturized Ultrasonic Sensors for Detecting Sinkhole in the City

Authors: Won Young Choi, Kwan Kyu Park

Abstract:

Recently, the road depression happening in the urban area is different from the cause of the sink hole and the generation mechanism occurring in the limestone area. The main cause of sinkholes occurring in the city center is the loss of soil due to the damage of old underground buried materials and groundwater discharge due to large underground excavation works. The method of detecting the sinkhole in the urban area is mostly using the Ground Penetration Radar (GPR). However, it is challenging to implement compact system and detecting watery state since it is based on electromagnetic waves. Although many ultrasonic underground detection studies have been conducted, near-ground detection (several tens of cm to several meters) has been developed for bulk systems using geophones as a receiver. The goal of this work is to fabricate a miniaturized sinkhole detecting system based on low-cost ultrasonic transducers of 40 kHz resonant frequency with high transmission pressure and receiving sensitivity. Motived by biomedical ultrasonic imaging methods, we detect air layers below the ground such as asphalt through the pulse-echo method. To improve image quality using multi-channel, linear array system is implemented, and image is acquired by classical synthetic aperture imaging method. We present the successful feasibility test of multi-channel sinkhole detector based on ultrasonic transducer. In this work, we presented and analyzed image results which are imaged by single channel pulse-echo imaging, synthetic aperture imaging.

Keywords: road depression, sinkhole, synthetic aperture imaging, ultrasonic transducer

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11640 GynApp: A Mobile Application for the Organization and Control of Gynecological Studies

Authors: Betzabet García-Mendoza, Rocío Abascal-Mena

Abstract:

Breast and cervical cancer are among the leading causes of death of women in Mexico. The mortality rate for these diseases is alarming, even though there have been many campaigns for making people self-aware of the importance of conducting gynecological studies for a timely prevention and detection, these have not been enough. This paper presents a mobile application for organizing and controlling gynecological studies in order to help and boost women to take care of their bodies and health. The process of analyzing and designing the mobile application is presented, along with all the steps carried out by following a user-centered design methodology.

Keywords: breast cancer, cervical cancer, gynecological mobile application, paper prototyping, storyboard, women health

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11639 Design, Synthesis and Pharmacological Investigation of Novel 2-Phenazinamine Derivatives as a Mutant BCR-ABL (T315I) Inhibitor

Authors: Gajanan M. Sonwane

Abstract:

Nowadays, the entire pharmaceutical industry is facing the challenge of increasing efficiency and innovation. The major hurdles are the growing cost of research and development and a concurrent stagnating number of new chemical entities (NCEs). Hence, the challenge is to select the most druggable targets and to search the equivalent drug-like compounds, which also possess specific pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties that allow them to be developed as drugs. The present research work includes the studies of developing new anticancer heterocycles by using molecular modeling techniques. The heterocycles synthesized through such methodology are much effective as various physicochemical parameters have been already studied and the structure has been optimized for its best fit in the receptor. Hence, on the basis of the literature survey and considering the need to develop newer anticancer agents, new phenazinamine derivatives were designed by subjecting the nucleus to molecular modeling, viz., GQSAR analysis and docking studies. Simultaneously, these designed derivatives were subjected to in silico prediction of biological activity through PASS studies and then in silico toxicity risk assessment studies. In PASS studies, it was found that all the derivatives exhibited a good spectrum of biological activities confirming its anticancer potential. The toxicity risk assessment studies revealed that all the derivatives obey Lipinski’s rule. Amongst these series, compounds 4c, 5b and 6c were found to possess logP and drug-likeness values comparable with the standard Imatinib (used for anticancer activity studies) and also with the standard drug methotrexate (used for antimitotic activity studies). One of the most notable mutations is the threonine to isoleucine mutation at codon 315 (T315I), which is known to be resistant to all currently available TKI. Enzyme assay planned for confirmation of target selective activity.

Keywords: drug design, tyrosine kinases, anticancer, Phenazinamine

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11638 Nonlinear Observer Canonical Form for Genetic Regulation Process

Authors: Bououden Soraya

Abstract:

This paper aims to study the existence of the change of coordinates which permits to transform a class of nonlinear dynamical systems into the so-called nonlinear observer canonical form (NOCF). Moreover, an algorithm to construct such a change of coordinates is given. Based on this form, we can design an observer with a linear error dynamic. This enables us to estimate the state of a nonlinear dynamical system. A concrete example (biological model) is provided to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed results.

Keywords: nonlinear observer canonical form, observer, design, gene regulation, gene expression

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11637 Sustainable Energy Supply through the Microgrid Concept: A Case Study of University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Authors: Christian Ndubisi Madu, Benjamin C. Ozumba, Ifeanyi E. Madu, Valentine E. Nnadi, Ikenna C. Ezeasor

Abstract:

The ability to generate power and achieve energy security is one of the driving forces behind the emerging ‘microgrid’ concept. Traditional power supply often operates with centralized infrastructure for generating, transmitting and distributing electricity. The inefficiency and the incessant power outages associated with the centralized power supply system in Nigeria has alienated many users who frequently turn to electric power generator sets to power their homes and offices. Such acts are unsustainable and lead to increase in the use of fossil fuels, generation of carbon dioxide emissions and other gases, and noise pollution. They also pose significant risks as they entail random purchases and storage of gasolines which are fire hazards. It is therefore important that organizations rethink their relationships to centralized power suppliers in other to improve energy accessibility and security. This study explores the energy planning processes and learning taking place at the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus as the school lead microgrid feasibility studies in its community. There is need to develop community partners to deal with the issue of energy efficiency and also to create a strategic alliance to confront political, regulatory and economic barriers to locally-based energy planning. Community-based microgrid can help to reduce the cost of adoption and diversify risks. This study offers insights into the ways in which microgrids can further democratize energy planning, procurement, and access, while simultaneously promoting efficiency and sustainability.

Keywords: microgrid, energy efficiency, sustainability, energy security

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11636 Environmental Protection by Optimum Utilization of Car Air Conditioners

Authors: Sanchita Abrol, Kunal Rana, Ankit Dhir, S. K. Gupta

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According to N.R.E.L.’s findings, 700 crore gallons of petrol is used annually to run the air conditioners of passenger vehicles (nearly 6% of total fuel consumption in the USA). Beyond fuel use, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that refrigerant leaks from auto air conditioning units add an additional 5 crore metric tons of carbon emissions to the atmosphere each year. The objective of our project is to deal with this vital issue by carefully modifying the interiors of a car thereby increasing its mileage and the efficiency of its engine. This would consequently result in a decrease in tail emission and generated pollution along with improved car performance. An automatic mechanism, deployed between the front and the rear seats, consisting of transparent thermal insulating sheet/curtain, would roll down as per the requirement of the driver in order to optimize the volume for effective air conditioning, when travelling alone or with a person. The reduction in effective volume will yield favourable results. Even on a mild sunny day, the temperature inside a parked car can quickly spike to life-threatening levels. For a stationary parked car, insulation would be provided beneath its metal body so as to reduce the rate of heat transfer and increase the transmissivity. As a result, the car would not require a large amount of air conditioning for maintaining lower temperature, which would provide us similar benefits. Authors established the feasibility studies, system engineering and primarily theoretical and experimental results confirming the idea and motivation to fabricate and test the actual product.

Keywords: automation, car, cooling insulating curtains, heat optimization, insulation, reduction in tail emission, mileage

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11635 A Preparatory Method for Building Construction Implemented in a Case Study in Brazil

Authors: Aline Valverde Arroteia, Tatiana Gondim do Amaral, Silvio Burrattino Melhado

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During the last twenty years, the construction field in Brazil has evolved significantly in response to its market growing and competitiveness. However, this evolving path has faced many obstacles such as cultural barriers and the lack of efforts to achieve quality at the construction site. At the same time, the greatest amount of information generated on the designing or construction phases is lost due to the lack of an effective coordination of these activities. Face this problem, the aim of this research was to implement a French method named PEO which means preparation for building construction (in Portuguese) seeking to understand the design management process and its interface with the building construction phase. The research method applied was qualitative, and it was carried out through two case studies in the city of Goiania, in Goias, Brazil. The research was divided into two stages called pilot study at Company A and implementation of PEO at Company B. After the implementation; the results demonstrated the PEO method's effectiveness and feasibility while a booster on the quality improvement of design management. The analysis showed that the method has a purpose to improve the design and allow the reduction of failures, errors and rework commonly found in the production of buildings. Therefore, it can be concluded that the PEO is feasible to be applied to real estate and building companies. But, companies need to believe in the contribution they can make to the discovery of design failures in conjunction with other stakeholders forming a construction team. The result of PEO can be maximized when adopting the principles of simultaneous engineering and insertion of new computer technologies, which use a three-dimensional model of the building with BIM process.

Keywords: communication, design and construction interface management, preparation for building construction (PEO), proactive coordination (CPA)

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11634 An Economic Study for Fish Production in Egypt

Authors: Manal Elsayed Elkheshin, Rasha Saleh Mansour, Mohamed Fawzy Mohamed Eldnasury, Mamdouh Elbadry Mohamed

Abstract:

This research Aims to identify the main factors affecting the production and the fish consumption in Egypt, through the econometric estimation for various forms functions of fish production and fish consumption during the period (1991-2014), as the aim of this research to forecast the production and the fish consumption in Egypt until 2020, through determine the best standard methods using (ARIMA).This research also aims to the economic feasibility of the production of fish in aquaculture farms study; investment cost and represents the value of land, buildings, equipment and irrigation. Aquaculture requires three types of fish (Tilapia, carp fish, and mullet fish), and the total area of the farm, about an acre. The annual Fish production from this project about 3.5 tons. The annual investment costs of about 50500 pounds, Find conclude that the project can repay the cost of their investments after about 4 years and 5 months, and therefore recommend the implementation of the project, and internal rate of return reached (IRR) of about 22.1%, where it is clear that the rate of large internal rate of return, and achieves pound invested in this project annual return is estimated at 22.1 pounds, more than the opportunity cost, so we recommend the need to implement the project.Recommendations:1. Increasing the fish agriculture to decrease the gap of animal protein. 2.Increasing the number of mechanism fishing boats, and the provision of transport equipped to maintain the quality of fish production. 3.Encourage and attract the local and foreign investments, providing advice to the investor on the aquaculture field. 4. Action newsletters awareness of the importance of these projects where these projects resulted in a net profit after recovery in less than five years, IRR amounted to about 23%, which is much more than the opportunity cost of a bank interest rate is about 7%, helping to create work and graduates opportunities, and contribute to the reduction of imports of the fish, and improve the performance of the food trade balance.

Keywords: equation model, individual share, red meat, consumption, production, endogenous variable, exogenous variable, financial performance evaluates fish culture, feasibility study, fish production, aquaculture

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11633 The Need for the Inclusion of Museum Studies at All Levels of Education in Nigeria

Authors: Stephany Inalegwu

Abstract:

Museums play a very critical role in understanding the cultural values and the history of any given society in Nigeria and the world at large. The role of Museums as an avenue through which artefacts are collected, preserved and exhibited cannot be over emphasized as they are now seen as not only with the above stated aims but also as a creator of employment and revenue generation if properly harnessed. Interestingly, despite its importance, museum studies have been limited to University curriculum alone causing a dearth of information for the younger generation up until they attain the University age. It is against this background that this paper carefully analyses the definitions of museums, the state of museums and museum studies in Nigeria today and the need to include its studies at all the levels of Education in Nigeria from the primary, to secondary and tertiary levels. It should reflect a study of all ages, as this is vital in the development of individuals. It concludes by harping on the need for a better appreciation of the Nigerian culture ranging from the famous Nok Terracotta, Benin Bronze works etc and its importance of museums as an avenue to display the rich Nigerian cultural heritage.

Keywords: culture, curriculum, education, museum

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11632 Notes on Frames in Weighted Hardy Spaces and Generalized Weighted Composition Operators

Authors: Shams Alyusof

Abstract:

This work is to enrich the studies of the frames due to their prominent role in pure mathematics as well as in applied mathematics and many applications in computer science and engineering. Recently, there are remarkable studies of operators that preserve frames on some spaces, and this research could be considered as an extension of such studies. Indeed, this paper is to we characterize weighted composition operators that preserve frames in weighted Hardy spaces on the open unit disk. Moreover, it shows that this characterization does not apply to generalized weighted composition operators on such spaces. Nevertheless, this study could be extended to provide more specific characterizations.

Keywords: frames, generalized weighted composition operators, weighted Hardy spaces, analytic functions

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11631 Effects of Dietary Factors on Gout

Authors: Olor Obi, Ishiekwen Bridget, Ekpeyong Edom

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Even though gout is becoming more common, the role of dietary risk factors in the development and management of this condition remains unclear. Therefore, this review work will aim at clarifying the role of dietary factors in the risk and management of gout. An extensive search of literature published between 1960 and 2018 will be performed on the databases of PubMed, CINAHL, Science Direct, Cochrane, BMJ, Ann Rheum Dis, and BioMed to identify relevant cohort, prospective, population-based, or cross-sectional studies that examined the effect of diet on gout. About 19 studies will be included in this review work. The methodological quality of these studies will be evaluated using the quality assessment tool for observational and cross-sectional studies developed by the National Heart, Lungs, and Blood Institute. This work intends to reveal that a positive association exists between the intake of sugary, sweetened beverages and the risk of gout. It will also reveal the relationship between the increase in coffee consumption and the risk of gout.

Keywords: gout, dietary factors, management of gout, gouty arthritis

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11630 Translators as Agents: Jewish Translators and Zsolnay Publishing House’s Translational Culture in Pre-Anschluss Austria,1924-1938

Authors: Tatsiana Haiden

Abstract:

The role of the translator in the publishing process has been underestimated for centuries. Any translation is produced in a certain socio-political context by agents with different background, interests, and opinions, i.e., no translation is neutral. Any translation goes beyond the text; it is not only an interlingual transfer of signs but a social phenomenon. The case study shows how Jewish social networks influence publishing translations and aims to explain the unexpected success of the Jewish publishing house in pre-Anschluss Austria. The research shows that translators play a central role (‘Translator’s visibility’ - Pym, ‘Activist turn’ - Wolf, ‘Translator studies’ - Chesterman) in choosing what has to be translated and establishing communication between the author and the publisher. The concept of Translationskultur of Prunc is being historized and applied to the publishing house for the first time by analyzing business correspondence between the main actors of translation (publisher-translator-author). The translation studies project has become interdisciplinary –it encompasses sociology (concepts of Bourdieu’s ‘Field theory’ are used) and history. The historical research method Histoire croiseé is being used to avoid subjectivity and to introduce a new ‘translator-oriented’ vision in translation studies instead of the author-oriented one. In the course of the archival research, it was established that Jewish background plays an essential role in the destiny of the translators and the publishing house, so the Jewish studies have been added to the project. The study goes beyond the Austrian translational culture; it can be used as an example of dealing with publishing houses policies, publishing translations, and translator studies.

Keywords: history of translation, Jewish studies, publishing translations, translation sociology, translator studies, translators as actors

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11629 Integration of Best Practices and Requirements for Preliminary E-Learning Courses

Authors: Sophie Huck, Knut Linke

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This study will examine how IT practitioners can be motivated for IT studies and which kind of support they need during their occupational studies. Within this research project, the challenge of supporting students being engaged in business for several years arose. Here, it is especially important to successfully guide them through their studies. The problem of this group is that they finished their school education years ago. In order to gather first experiences, preliminary e-learning courses were introduced and tested with a group of users studying General Management. They had to work with these courses and have been questioned later on about their approach to the different methods. Moreover, a second group of potential students was interviewed with the help of online questionnaires to give information about their expectations regarding extra occupational studies. We also want to present best practices and cases in e-education in the subarea of mathematics and distance learning. Within these cases and practices, we use state of the art systems and technologies in e-education to find a way to increase teaching quality and the success of students. Our research indicated that the first group of enrolled students appreciated the new preliminary e-learning courses. The second group of potential students was convinced of this way of learning as a significant component of extra occupational studies. It can be concluded that this part of the project clarified the acceptance of the e-learning strategy by both groups and led to satisfactory results with the enrolled students.

Keywords: e-learning evaluation, self-learning, virtual classroom, virtual learning environments

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11628 Temporal Myopia in Sustainable Behavior under Uncertainty

Authors: Arianne Van Der Wal, Femke Van Horen, Amir Grinstein

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Consumers in today’s world are confronted with the alarming consequences of unsustainable behavior such as pollution and resource degradation. In addition, they are facing an increase in uncertainty due to, for instance, economic instability and terror attacks. Although these two problems are central to consumers’ lives, occur on a global scale, and have significant impact on the world’s political, economic, environmental, and social landscapes, they have not been systematically studied in tandem before. Contributing to research on persuasion and pro-social behavior, this paper shows in five studies (three experimental studies and one field study) that the two problems are intertwined. We demonstrate that uncertainty leads to lower sustainable behavior in comparison to certainty (Studies 1 and 2) and that this is due to consumers displaying higher levels of temporal discounting (i.e., adopting a more immediate orientation; Study 2). Finally, providing valuable implications for policy makers and responsible marketers, we show that emphasizing the immediate benefits of sustainable behavior during uncertainty buffers the negative effect (Studies 3 and 4).

Keywords: sustainable behavior, uncertainty, temporal discounting, framing

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11627 Evaluation of the Mechanical Behavior of a Retaining Wall Structure on a Weathered Soil through Probabilistic Methods

Authors: P. V. S. Mascarenhas, B. C. P. Albuquerque, D. J. F. Campos, L. L. Almeida, V. R. Domingues, L. C. S. M. Ozelim

Abstract:

Retaining slope structures are increasingly considered in geotechnical engineering projects due to extensive urban cities growth. These kinds of engineering constructions may present instabilities over the time and may require reinforcement or even rebuilding of the structure. In this context, statistical analysis is an important tool for decision making regarding retaining structures. This study approaches the failure probability of the construction of a retaining wall over the debris of an old and collapsed one. The new solution’s extension length will be of approximately 350 m and will be located over the margins of the Lake Paranoá, Brasilia, in the capital of Brazil. The building process must also account for the utilization of the ruins as a caisson. A series of in situ and laboratory experiments defined local soil strength parameters. A Standard Penetration Test (SPT) defined the in situ soil stratigraphy. Also, the parameters obtained were verified using soil data from a collection of masters and doctoral works from the University of Brasília, which is similar to the local soil. Initial studies show that the concrete wall is the proper solution for this case, taking into account the technical, economic and deterministic analysis. On the other hand, in order to better analyze the statistical significance of the factor-of-safety factors obtained, a Monte Carlo analysis was performed for the concrete wall and two more initial solutions. A comparison between the statistical and risk results generated for the different solutions indicated that a Gabion solution would better fit the financial and technical feasibility of the project.

Keywords: economical analysis, probability of failure, retaining walls, statistical analysis

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11626 Synchronization of Chaotic T-System via Optimal Control as an Adaptive Controller

Authors: Hossein Kheiri, Bashir Naderi, Mohamad Reza Niknam

Abstract:

In this paper we study the optimal synchronization of chaotic T-system with complete uncertain parameter. Optimal control laws and parameter estimation rules are obtained by using Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) technique and Lyapunov stability theorem. The derived control laws are optimal adaptive control and make the states of drive and response systems asymptotically synchronized. Numerical simulation shows the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.

Keywords: Lyapunov stability, synchronization, chaos, optimal control, adaptive control

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11625 Follower Upward Influence Tactics: A Review of Quantitative Studies

Authors: Najla Alshenaifi, Nicholas Clarke

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Interest in how followers may influence their leaders in order to achieve their goals can be traced to studies in the late 1970s. The last major review of the literature was published over a decade ago in 2002. It would seem timely then to take stock of the literature and consider what we have learned since then. In so doing, our aim is to derive an empirically-based framework for understanding the effects of upward influence tactics to underpin future research in the field. Many factors are identified as having a major effect on upward influence processes including goals of influence, culture, gender, leadership style and the outcome of influence. A key conclusion from our review is that although upward influence tactics can result in positive outcomes for followers, the results from many studies are more often than inconclusive.

Keywords: upward influence tactics, influence tactics, influence strategies, followership

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11624 Perspectives and Challenges a Functional Bread With Yeast Extract to Improve Human Diet

Authors: Cláudia Patrocínio, Beatriz Fernandes, Ana Filipa Pires

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Background: Mirror therapy (MT) is used to improve motor function after stroke. During MT, a mirror is placed between the two upper limbs (UL), thus reflecting movements of the non- affected side as if it were the affected side. Objectives: The aim of this review is to analyze the evidence on the effec.tiveness of MT in the recovery of UL function in population with post chronic stroke. Methods: The literature search was carried out in PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and PEDro database. Inclusion criteria: a) studies that include individuals diagnosed with stroke for at least 6 months; b) intervention with MT in UL or comparing it with other interventions; c) articles published until 2023; d) articles published in English or Portuguese; e) randomized controlled studies. Exclusion criteria: a) animal studies; b) studies that do not provide a detailed description of the intervention; c) Studies using central electrical stimulation. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. Studies with < 4 on PEDro scale were excluded. Eighteen studies met all the inclusion criteria. Main results and conclusions: The quality of the studies varies between 5 and 8. One article compared muscular strength training (MST) with MT vs without MT and four articles compared the use of MT vs conventional therapy (CT), one study compared extracorporeal shock therapy (EST) with and without MT and another study compared functional electrical stimulation (FES), MT and biofeedback, three studies compared MT with Mesh Glove (MG) or Sham Therapy, five articles compared performing bimanual exercises with and without MT and three studies compared MT with virtual reality (VR) or robot training (RT). The assessment of changes in function and structure (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health parameter) was carried out, in each article, mainly using the Fugl Meyer Assessment-Upper Limb scale, activity and participation (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health parameter) were evaluated using different scales, in each study. The positive results were seen in these parameters, globally. Results suggest that MT is more effective than other therapies in motor recovery and function of the affected UL, than these techniques alone, although the results have been modest in most of the included studies. There is also a more significant improvement in the distal movements of the affected hand than in the rest of the UL.

Keywords: physical therapy, mirror therapy, chronic stroke, upper limb, hemiplegia

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11623 Peak Shaving in Microgrids Using Hybrid Storage

Authors: Juraj Londák, Radoslav Vargic, Pavol Podhradský

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In this contribution, we focus on the technical and economic aspects of using hybrid storage in microgrids for peak shaving. We perform a feasibility analysis of hybrid storage consisting of conventional supercapacitors and chemical batteries. We use multiple real-life consumption profiles from various industry-oriented microgrids. The primary purpose is to construct a digital twin model for reserved capacity simulation and prediction. The main objective is to find the equilibrium between technical innovations, acquisition costs and energy cost savings

Keywords: microgrid, peak shaving, energy storage, digital twin

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11622 Psychological Assessment of Living Kidney Donors: A Systematic Review

Authors: Valentina Colonnello, Paolo Maria Russo

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Living kidney donation requires psychological evaluation and ongoing follow-up. A crucial aspect of this evaluation is assessing the social functioning of donors after donation. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a review of quantitative and qualitative studies on the psychological assessment of living kidney donors' social functioning. The majority of quantitative studies examining the long-term social health post-donation have primarily utilized the Short Form Health Survey (SF) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQoL-BREF) questionnaires. These studies have indicated that donors' social functioning and relationships either remained stable post-donation or returned to pre-donation levels. In some instances, donors' social functioning even surpassed that of the general population. Qualitative studies, conducted through interviews and focus groups, have revealed donors' experiences and emotional concerns that are often overlooked in quantitative analyses. Specifically, qualitative analysis has identified two main themes: "connecting to others" and "acknowledgment and social support." Our review highlights that the majority of published quantitative studies on donors have employed measures of social functioning that may not fully capture donors' experiences and needs. It underscores the importance of further investigation in quantitative studies to assess donors' actual social health and psychological needs accurately. Overall, this review provides valuable insights into specific constructs that warrant deeper exploration in quantitative studies concerning the assessment of donors' social health and psychological well-being.

Keywords: reported outcomes, personalized medicine, individual differences, emotions, psychological assessment

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11621 Students’ and Clinical Supervisors’ Experiences of Occupational Therapy Practice Education: A Structured Critical Review

Authors: Hamad Alhamad, Catriona Khamisha, Emma Green, Yvonne Robb

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Introduction: Practice education is a key component of occupational therapy education. This critical review aimed to explore students’ and clinical supervisors’ experiences of practice education, and to make recommendations for research. Method: The literature was systematically searched using five databases. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies were included. Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist for qualitative studies and Mixed Methods Assessment Tool for quantitative and mixed methods studies were used to assess study quality. Findings: Twenty-two studies with high quality scores were included: 16 qualitative, 3 quantitative and 3 mixed methods. Studies were conducted in Australia, Canada, USA and UK. During practice education, students learned professional skills, practical skills, clinical skills and problem-solving skills, and improved confidence and creativity. Supervisors had an opportunity to reflect on their practice and get experience of supervising students. However, clear objectives and expectations for students, and sufficient theoretical knowledge, preparation and resources for supervisors were required. Conclusion: Practice education provides different skills and experiences, necessary to become competent professionals; but some areas of practice education need to improve. Studies in non-western countries are needed to explore the perspectives of students and clinical supervisors in different cultures, to ensure the practice education models adopted are relevant.

Keywords: occupational therapy, practice education, fieldwork, students, clinical supervisors

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11620 Real-Time Demonstration of Visible Light Communication Based on Frequency-Shift Keying Employing a Smartphone as the Receiver

Authors: Fumin Wang, Jiaqi Yin, Lajun Wang, Nan Chi

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In this article, we demonstrate a visible light communication (VLC) system over 8 meters free space transmission based on a commercial LED and a receiver in connection with an audio interface of a smart phone. The signal is in FSK modulation format. The successful experimental demonstration validates the feasibility of the proposed system in future wireless communication network.

Keywords: visible light communication, smartphone communication, frequency shift keying, wireless communication

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11619 Ancient Latin Language and Haiku Poetry: A Case Study between Teaching and Translation Studies

Authors: Arianna Sacerdoti

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The translation of Haiku Poetry into Latin is fundamentally experimental in nature. One of the first seminal books containing such translations, alongside translations into different modern languages, 'A Piedi Scalzi', was written by Tartamella in 2016. The results of a text-oriented study of this book will be commented upon and analyzed. The author Arianna Sacerdoti made similar translations with high school student. Such an experiment garners interest across a diverse range of disciplines such as teaching, translation studies, and classics reception studies. The methodology employed is text-oriented as the Haiku poem translations will be commented on by considering their relationship with the original. The results of this investigation, conducted within the field of experimental teaching, are expected to confirm the usefulness of this approach to the teaching of Latin and its potential to actively involve students in identifying the diachronic differences between the world of classical antiquity and the contemporary one.

Keywords: ancient latin, Haiku, translation studies, reception of classics

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11618 SIPINA Induction Graph Method for Seismic Risk Prediction

Authors: B. Selma

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The aim of this study is to test the feasibility of SIPINA method to predict the harmfulness parameters controlling the seismic response. The approach developed takes into consideration both the focal depth and the peak ground acceleration. The parameter to determine is displacement. The data used for the learning of this method and analysis nonlinear seismic are described and applied to a class of models damaged to some typical structures of the existing urban infrastructure of Jassy, Romania. The results obtained indicate an influence of the focal depth and the peak ground acceleration on the displacement.

Keywords: SIPINA algorithm, seism, focal depth, peak ground acceleration, displacement

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11617 Thematic Review of Literature on Sustainability and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Authors: Kumar Vijayendra, Kumar Raghvendra, Shivanshi Bhadouria

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Using a thematic qualitative analysis, this study aims to identify dominant themes previously highlighted by various systematic literature reviews and studies in the field of sustainability and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The studies picked for this paper range from the nascent stages of the emergence of the concept of corporate sustainability in business to present-day targeted studies on SMEs. This study has attempted to highlight the recurring, emerging, and neglected themes in the literature and concludes with some key findings: 1) the research on sustainability and SMEs remains focused on generic rather than targeted studies; 2) sustainability frameworks specifically designed for SMEs remain under-researched as opposed to large firms, 3) there is a requirement to look more at the SMEs in the service sector. This paper also highlights other dominant themes in literature and, finally, offers suggestions for areas of future research.

Keywords: sustainability, small and medium-sized enterprises, literature review, sustainable development

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11616 Development of a New Device for Bending Fatigue Testing

Authors: B. Mokhtarnia, M. Layeghi

Abstract:

This work presented an original bending fatigue-testing setup for fatigue characterization of composite materials. A three-point quasi-static setup was introduced that was capable of applying stress control load in different loading waveforms, frequencies, and stress ratios. This setup was equipped with computerized measuring instruments to evaluate fatigue damage mechanisms. A detailed description of its different parts and working features was given, and dynamic analysis was done to verify the functional accuracy of the device. Feasibility was validated successfully by conducting experimental fatigue tests.

Keywords: bending fatigue, quasi-static testing setup, experimental fatigue testing, composites

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11615 The Effectiveness of Gamified Learning on Student Learning in Computer Science Education: A Systematic Review (2010-2018)

Authors: Shurui Bai, Biyun Huang, Khe Foon Hew

Abstract:

Gamification is defined as the use of game design elements in non-game contexts. The primary purpose of using gamification in an educational context is to engage students in school activities such that their likelihood of completion is increased. But how actually effective is gamification in improving student learning? In order to answer this question, this paper provides a systematic review of prior research studies on gamification in K-12 and university contexts limited to computer science discipline. Unlike other published gamification review works, we specifically analyzed comparison-based studies in quasi-experiment, historical control, and randomization rather than studies with mere anecdotal or phenomenological results. The main purpose for this is to discuss possible causal effects of gamified practices on student performance, behavior change, and perceptual skills following an integrative model. Implications for practice are discussed, along with several suggestions for future research studies.

Keywords: computer science, gamification, learning performance, systematic review

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11614 Multidisciplinarity, Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity in Peace Education and Peace Studies: A Content Analysis

Authors: Frances Bernard Kominkiewicz

Abstract:

Demonstrating the ability to build social justice and peace is integral in undergraduate and graduate education. Many disciplines are involved in peace education and peace studies, and the collaboration of those disciplines are examined in this paper. To the author’s best knowledge, no content analysis research previously existed regarding peace studies and peace education from a multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, and transdisciplinarity perspective. Peacebuilding is taught through these approaches, which adds to the depth, breadth, and richness of peace education and peace studies. This paper presents a content analysis of academic peace studies programs and course descriptions. Variables studied include contributions and foci of disciplines in peace studies programs and students’ engagement in community peacebuilding. The social work discipline, for example, focuses on social and economic justice as one of the nine competencies that undergraduate and graduate students must attain before earning a Bachelor of Social Work degree or a Master of Social Work degree and becoming social work practitioners. Demonstrating the ability to build social justice and peace is integral in social work education. Peacebuilding is taught through such social work courses as conflict resolution, and social work practice with communities and organizations, and these courses are examined in this research through multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, and transdisciplinarity approach. Peace and social justice are linked terms in various fields, including social work. Social justice is of paramount importance in social work programs, and social workers are trained to advocate for human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice. Social workers use knowledge of oppression, globally as well as nationally, in the practice of peace education and peace studies. Social work is at the forefront in advocating for social justice as a discipline and joins with other educators in strengthening the peacebuilding opportunities for students. The content analysis, conducted through a random sample of peace studies and peace education university and college programs in the United States, found that although courses teach the concepts of peace education and peace studies, courses often are not given these titles in the social work discipline. Therefore, this analysis also includes a discussion of the multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, and transdisciplinarity approach to peace education, peace studies, and peacebuilding and the importance of these approaches in educating students about peace. The content analysis further found great variability in the number of disciplines involved in peace studies programs, the focus of those disciplines in peace education, the placement of peace studies and peace education within the university or college, and the number of courses and concentrations available in peace studies and peace education. In conclusion, the research points toward very robust and diverse approaches to peace education with opportunities for further research and discussion.

Keywords: content analysis, interdisciplinarity, multidisciplinarity, peace education programs

Procedia PDF Downloads 133