Search results for: theoretical sun trajectory
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 3805

Search results for: theoretical sun trajectory

3505 Media (Il) Literacy: An Evaluation of the Curriculum and Implementation of the Department of Education's Special Program in Journalism

Authors: Sarah Isabelle S. Torres

Abstract:

This study evaluated the curriculum and implementation of the Special Program in Journalism (SPJ). By conducting surveys, focus group discussions, and interviews and by analyzing the school publication of five national high schools, the researcher found out that SPJ is ineffective in instilling media literacy to the students. Media Literacy will help the students understand how media operates, thus, they will be able to produce outputs that are socially relevant, critical, and in-depth. For one, the curriculum includes lessons and activities that are mostly technical in nature. There are no theoretical topics such as ethics, history of the press, or media ownership. Second, most of the SPJ teachers have little background on Journalism and they are not trained enough to teach the program effectively. Third, most of the students are not really inclined in Journalism and do not see themselves as media practitioners in the future. Lastly, the Department of Education’s budget for the program is far from what the curriculum needs. All of these lead to the low Media Literacy levels of the students. SPJ, therefore, has to be reevaluated and amended. In conclusion, Media Literacy should be added in the curriculum so the students will not only be equipped with technical skills but with theoretical knowledge, as well.

Keywords: education, journalism, media, media literacy

Procedia PDF Downloads 384
3504 Exponential Stabilization of a Flexible Structure via a Delayed Boundary Control

Authors: N. Smaoui, B. Chentouf

Abstract:

The boundary stabilization problem of the rotating disk-beam system is a topic of interest in research studies. This system involves a flexible beam attached to the center of a disk, and the control and stabilization of this system have been extensively studied. This research focuses on the case where the center of mass is fixed in an inertial frame, and the rotation of the center is non-uniform. The system is represented by a set of nonlinear coupled partial differential equations and ordinary differential equations. The boundary stabilization problem of this system via a delayed boundary control is considered. We assume that the boundary control is either of a force type control or a moment type control and is subject to the presence of a constant time-delay. The aim of this research is threefold: First, we demonstrate that the rotating disk-beam system is well-posed in an appropriate functional space. Then, we establish the exponential stability property of the system. Finally, we provide numerical simulations that illustrate the theoretical findings. The research utilizes the semigroup theory to establish the well-posedness of the system. The resolvent method is then employed to prove the exponential stability property. Finally, the finite element method is used to demonstrate the theoretical results through numerical simulations. The research findings indicate that the rotating disk-beam system can be stabilized using a boundary control with a time delay. The proof of stability is based on the resolvent method and a variation of constants formula. The numerical simulations further illustrate the theoretical results. The findings have potential implications for the design and implementation of control strategies in similar systems. In conclusion, this research demonstrates that the rotating disk-beam system can be stabilized using a boundary control with time delay. The well-posedness and exponential stability properties are established through theoretical analysis, and these findings are further supported by numerical simulations. The research contributes to the understanding and practical application of control strategies for flexible structures, providing insights into the stability of rotating disk-beam systems.

Keywords: rotating disk-beam, delayed force control, delayed moment control, torque control, exponential stability

Procedia PDF Downloads 55
3503 Theoretical and ML-Driven Identification of a Mispriced Credit Risk

Authors: Yuri Katz, Kun Liu, Arunram Atmacharan

Abstract:

Due to illiquidity, mispricing on Credit Markets is inevitable. This creates huge challenges to banks and investors as they seek to find new ways of risk valuation and portfolio management in a post-credit crisis world. Here, we analyze the difference in behavior of the spread-to-maturity in investment and high-yield categories of US corporate bonds between 2014 and 2023. Deviation from the theoretical dependency of this measure in the universe under study allows to identify multiple cases of mispriced credit risk. Remarkably, we observe mispriced bonds in both categories of credit ratings. This identification is supported by the application of the state-of-the-art machine learning model in more than 90% of cases. Noticeably, the ML-driven model-based forecasting of a category of bond’s credit ratings demonstrate an excellent out-of-sample accuracy (AUC = 98%). We believe that these results can augment conventional valuations of credit portfolios.

Keywords: credit risk, credit ratings, bond pricing, spread-to-maturity, machine learning

Procedia PDF Downloads 58
3502 Theoretical Investigation of Gas Adsorption on Metal- Graphene Surface

Authors: Fatemeh Safdari, Amirnaser Shamkhali, Gholamabbas Parsafar

Abstract:

Carbon nanostructures are of great importance in academic research and industry, which can be mentioned to chemical sensors, catalytic processes, pharmaceutical and environmental issues. Common point in all of these applications is the occurrence of adsorption of molecules on these structures. Important carbon nanostructures in this case are mainly nanotubes and graphene. To modify pure graphene, recently, many experimental and theoretical studies have carried out to investigate of metal adsorption on graphene. In this work, the adsorption of CO molecules on pure graphene and on metal adatom on graphene surface has been simulated based on density functional theory (DFT). All calculations were performed by PBE functional and Troullier-Martins pseudopotentials. Density of states (DOS) for graphene-CO, graphen and CO around the Fermi energy has been moved and very small mixing occured which implies the physisorption of CO on the bare graphen surface. While, the results have showed that CO adsorption on transition-metal adatom on graphene surface is chemisorption.

Keywords: adsorption, density functional theory, graphene, metal adatom

Procedia PDF Downloads 321
3501 Design and Analysis of Active Rocket Control Systems

Authors: Piotr Jerzy Rugor, Julia Wajoras

Abstract:

The presented work regards a single-stage aerodynamically controlled solid propulsion rocket. Steering a rocket to fly along a predetermined trajectory can be beneficial for minimizing aerodynamic losses and achieved by implementing an active control system on board. In this particular case, a canard configuration has been chosen, although other methods of control have been considered and preemptively analyzed, including non-aerodynamic ones. The objective of this work is to create a system capable of guiding the rocket, focusing on roll stabilization. The paper describes initial analysis of the problem, covers the main challenges of missile guidance and presents data acquired during the experimental study.

Keywords: active canard control system, rocket design, numerical simulations, flight optimization

Procedia PDF Downloads 174
3500 Performance Assessment of the Gold Coast Desalination Plant Offshore Multiport Brine Diffuser during ‘Hot Standby’ Operation

Authors: M. J. Baum, B. Gibbes, A. Grinham, S. Albert, D. Gale, P. Fisher

Abstract:

Alongside the rapid expansion of Seawater Reverse Osmosis technologies there is a concurrent increase in the production of hypersaline brine by-products. To minimize environmental impact, these by-products are commonly disposed into open-coastal environments via submerged diffuser systems as inclined dense jet outfalls. Despite the widespread implementation of this process, diffuser designs are typically based on small-scale laboratory experiments under idealistic quiescent conditions. Studies concerning diffuser performance in the field are limited. A set of experiments were conducted to assess the near field characteristics of brine disposal at the Gold Coast Desalination Plant offshore multiport diffuser. The aim of the field experiments was to determine the trajectory and dilution characteristics of the plume under various discharge configurations with production ranging 66 – 100% of plant operative capacity. The field monitoring system employed an unprecedented static array of temperature and electrical conductivity sensors in a three-dimensional grid surrounding a single diffuser port. Complimenting these measurements, Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers were also deployed to record current variability over the depth of the water column and wave characteristics. Recorded data suggested the open-coastal environment was highly active over the experimental duration with ambient velocities ranging 0.0 – 0.5 m∙s-1, with considerable variability over the depth of the water column observed. Variations in background electrical conductivity corresponding to salinity fluctuations of ± 1.7 g∙kg-1 were also observed. Increases in salinity were detected during plant operation and appeared to be most pronounced 10 – 30 m from the diffuser, consistent with trajectory predictions described by existing literature. Plume trajectories and respective dilutions extrapolated from salinity data are compared with empirical scaling arguments. Discharge properties were found to adequately correlate with modelling projections. Temporal and spatial variation of background processes and their subsequent influence upon discharge outcomes are discussed with a view to incorporating the influence of waves and ambient currents in the design of brine outfalls into the future.

Keywords: brine disposal, desalination, field study, negatively buoyant discharge

Procedia PDF Downloads 217
3499 Interaction of Low-Energy Positrons with Mg Atoms: Elastic Scattering, Bound States, and Annihilation

Authors: Mahasen M. Abdel Mageed, H. S. Zaghloul

Abstract:

Annihilations, phase shifts, scattering lengths, and elastic cross sections of low energy positrons scattering from magnesium atoms were studied using the least-squares variational method (LSVM). The possibility of positron binding to the magnesium atoms is investigated. A trial wavefunction is suggested to represent e+-Mg elastic scattering and scattering parameters were derived to estimate the binding energy and annihilation rates. The trial function is taken to depend on several adjustable parameters and is improved iteratively by increasing the number of terms. The present results have the same behavior as reported semi-empirical, theoretical, and experimental results. Especially, the estimated positive scattering length supports the possibility of positron-magnesium bound state system that was confirmed in previous experimental and theoretical work.

Keywords: bound wavefunction, positron annihilation, scattering phase shift, scattering length

Procedia PDF Downloads 529
3498 Modeling of Enthalpy and Heat Capacity of Phase-Change Materials

Authors: Igor Medved, Anton Trnik, Libor Vozar

Abstract:

Phase-change materials (PCMs) are of great interest in the applications where a temperature level needs to be maintained and/or where there is demand for thermal energy storage. Examples are storage of solar energy, cold, and space heating/cooling of buildings. During a phase change, the enthalpy vs. temperature plot of PCMs shows a jump and there is a distinct peak in the heat capacity plot. We present a theoretical description from which these jumps and peaks can be obtained. We apply our theoretical results to fit experimental data with very good accuracy for selected materials and changes between two phases. The development is based on the observation that PCMs are polycrystalline; i.e., composed of many single-crystalline grains. The enthalpy and heat capacity are thus interpreted as averages of the contributions from the individual grains. We also show how to determine the baseline and excess part of the heat capacity and thus the latent heat corresponding to the phase change.

Keywords: averaging, enthalpy jump, heat capacity peak, phase change

Procedia PDF Downloads 437
3497 An Experimental Testbed Using Virtual Containers for Distributed Systems

Authors: Parth Patel, Ying Zhu

Abstract:

Distributed systems have become ubiquitous, and they continue their growth through a range of services. With advances in resource virtualization technology such as Virtual Machines (VM) and software containers, developers no longer require high-end servers to test and develop distributed software. Even in commercial production, virtualization has streamlined the process of rapid deployment and service management. This paper introduces a distributed systems testbed that utilizes virtualization to enable distributed systems development on commodity computers. The testbed can be used to develop new services, implement theoretical distributed systems concepts for understanding, and experiment with virtual network topologies. We show its versatility through two case studies that utilize the testbed for implementing a theoretical algorithm and developing our own methodology to find high-risk edges. The results of using the testbed for these use cases have proven the effectiveness and versatility of this testbed across a range of scenarios.

Keywords: distributed systems, experimental testbed, peer-to-peer networks, virtual container technology

Procedia PDF Downloads 116
3496 Retaining Users in a Commercially-Supported Social Network

Authors: Sasiphan Nitayaprapha

Abstract:

A commercially-supported social network has become an emerging channel for an organization to communicate with and provide services to customers. The success of the commercially-supported social network depends on the ability of the organization to keep the customers in participating in the network. Drawing from the theories of information adoption, information systems continuance, and web usability, the author develops a model to explore how a commercially-supported social network can encourage customers to continue participating and using the information in the network. The theoretical model will be proved through an online survey of customers using the commercially-supported social networking sites of several high technology companies operating in the same sector. The result will be compared with previous studies to learn about the explanatory power of the research model, and to identify the main factors determining users’ intention to continue using a commercially-supported social network. Theoretical and practical implications, and limitations are discussed.

Keywords: social network, information adoption, information systems continuance, web usability, user satisfaction

Procedia PDF Downloads 293
3495 Multi Objective Near-Optimal Trajectory Planning of Mobile Robot

Authors: Amar Khoukhi, Mohamed Shahab

Abstract:

This paper presents the optimal control problem of mobile robot motion as a nonlinear programming problem (NLP) and solved using a direct method of numerical optimal control. The NLP is initialized with a B-Spline for which node locations are optimized using a genetic search. The system acceleration inputs and sampling periods are considered as optimization variables. Different scenarios with different objectives weights are implemented and investigated. Interesting results are found in terms of complying with the expected behavior of a mobile robot system and time-energy minimization.

Keywords: multi-objective control, non-holonomic systems, mobile robots, nonlinear programming, motion planning, B-spline, genetic algorithm

Procedia PDF Downloads 345
3494 An Interactive Institutional Framework for Evolution of Enterprise Technological Innovation Capabilities System: A Complex Adaptive Systems Approach

Authors: Sohail Ahmed, Ke Xing

Abstract:

This research theoretically explored the evolution mechanism of enterprise technological innovation capability system (ETICS) from the perspective of complex adaptive systems (CAS). This research proposed an analytical framework for ETICS, its concepts, and theory by integrating CAS methodology into the management of the technological innovation capability of enterprises and discusses how to use the principles of complexity to analyze the composition, evolution, and realization of the technological innovation capabilities in complex dynamic environments. This paper introduces the concept and interaction of multi-agent, the theoretical background of CAS, and summarizes the sources of technological innovation, the elements of each subject, and the main clusters of adaptive interactions and innovation activities. The concept of multi-agents is applied through the linkages of enterprises, research institutions, and government agencies with the leading enterprises in industrial settings. The study was exploratory and based on CAS theory. Theoretical model is built by considering technological and innovation literature from foundational to state of the art projects of technological enterprises. On this basis, the theoretical model is developed to measure the evolution mechanism of the enterprise's technological innovation capability system. This paper concludes that the main characteristics for evolution in technological systems are based on the enterprise’s research and development personnel, investments in technological processes, and innovation resources are responsible for the evolution of enterprise technological innovation performance. The research specifically enriched the application process of technological innovation in institutional networks related to enterprises.

Keywords: complex adaptive system, echo model, enterprise technological innovation capability system, research institutions, multi-agents

Procedia PDF Downloads 109
3493 Adaptive Motion Planning for 6-DOF Robots Based on Trigonometric Functions

Authors: Jincan Li, Mingyu Gao, Zhiwei He, Yuxiang Yang, Zhongfei Yu, Yuanyuan Liu

Abstract:

Building an appropriate motion model is crucial for trajectory planning of robots and determines the operational quality directly. An adaptive acceleration and deceleration motion planning based on trigonometric functions for the end-effector of 6-DOF robots in Cartesian coordinate system is proposed in this paper. This method not only achieves the smooth translation motion and rotation motion by constructing a continuous jerk model, but also automatically adjusts the parameters of trigonometric functions according to the variable inputs and the kinematic constraints. The results of computer simulation show that this method is correct and effective to achieve the adaptive motion planning for linear trajectories.

Keywords: kinematic constraints, motion planning, trigonometric function, 6-DOF robots

Procedia PDF Downloads 247
3492 Theoretical Study on the Nonlinear Optical Responses of Peptide Bonds Created between Alanine and Some Unnatural Amino Acids

Authors: S. N. Derrar, M. Sekkal-Rahal

Abstract:

The Nonlinear optics (NLO) technique is widely used in the field of biological imaging. In fact, grafting biological entities with a high NLO response on tissues and cells enhances the NLO responses of these latter, and ameliorates, consequently, their biological imaging quality. In this optics, we carried out a theoretical study, in the aim of analyzing the peptide bonds created between alanine amino acid and both unnatural amino acids: L-Dopa and Azatryptophan, respectively. Ramachandran plots have been performed for these systems, and their structural parameters have been analyzed. The NLO responses of these peptides have been reported by calculating the first hyperpolarizability values of all the minima found on the plots. The use of such unnatural amino acids as endogenous probing molecules has been investigated through this study. The Density Functional Theory (DFT) has been used for structural properties, while the Second-order Møller-Plesset Perturbation Theory (MP2) has been employed for the NLO calculations.

Keywords: biological imaging, hyperpolarizability, nonlinear optics, probing molecule

Procedia PDF Downloads 356
3491 Contact Temperature of Sliding Surfaces in AISI 316 Austenitic Stainless Steel During PIN on Disk Dry Wear Testing

Authors: Dler Abdullah Ahmed, Zozan Ahmed Mohammed

Abstract:

This study looked into contact surface temperature during a pin-on-disk test. Friction and wear between sliding surfaces raised the temperature differential between the contact surface and ambient temperatures Tdiff. Tdiff was significantly influenced by wear test variables. Tdiff rose with the increase of sliding speed and applied load while dropped with the increase in ambient temperature. The highest Tdiff was 289°C during the tests at room temperature and 2.5 m/s sliding speed, while the minimum was only 24 °C during the tests at 400°C and 0.5 m/s. However, the maximum contact temperature Tmax was found during tests conducted at high ambient temperatures. The Tmax was estimated based on the theoretical equation. The comparison of experimental and theoretical Tmax data revealed good agreement.

Keywords: pin on disk test, contact temperature, wear, sliding surface, friction, ambient temperature

Procedia PDF Downloads 43
3490 Film Studies: Definition, Current Status, and Future Perspectives for Cuba

Authors: Carlos Guillermo Lloga Sanz, Maria del Carmen Tamayo Asef

Abstract:

As an object of study in Cuban universities, cinema is still in its infancy. This is relevant considering the significance of cinema within the local political culture and its impact on countries of the region. Discussions about the medium have been carried out mainly in the field of film criticism. The objective of this article is to reflect on the divergences between film studies and film criticism taking into account formal and theoretical features and to explore the transcendence of this debate for the intellectual ambiance of the Island. Methodologically, the study relies on theoretical elaborations based on literature review and non-structure interviews with Cuban film critics and scholars. The study finds that the gradation proposed by the Anglo-Saxon tradition, where film studies are considered a “higher stage," compared to criticism and cinephilia, does not apply to the Cuban space. Instead, to assess the state of reflection on cinema in Cuba, it is essential to consider it a starry node traversed by epistemic, institutional, and geopolitical matrices.

Keywords: film studies, film criticism, Cuban cinema, Cuban film studies

Procedia PDF Downloads 71
3489 Democratic Citizenship Education in the Context of Bildung Perspectives

Authors: Sigrid Haukanes

Abstract:

Implementation of democratic citizenship as a crossdisciplinary concept in educational practice has been problematic because of a vague and divided understanding of what the concept entails. This is underlined by a divide between understanding democracy as external to the educational sphere or understanding education as an internal part of a democratic society. This theoretical contribution aims to explore the concept of democratic citizenship in relation to Bildung perspectives. The methodology of this paper is grounded in a hermeneutical approach to interpret three philosophical perspectives from Immanuel Kant, John Dewey and Gert Biesta. These perspectives are chosen to explore democratic citizenship as: (1) an individual oriented concept, (2) a socially oriented concept and (3) a critical-social oriented concept. This theoretical paper argues that different orientations toward Bildung change the content of democratic citizenship as a cross-disciplinary concept in education. It argues that a Dewian or a Biestian notion could enrich our understanding of democratic citizenship, drawing on a critical-social perspective of Bildung.

Keywords: bildung, citizenship, democracy, education

Procedia PDF Downloads 41
3488 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and Innovation Systems: An Appraisal of Literature

Authors: Jose Carlos Rodriguez, Mario Gomez

Abstract:

In the last years, the concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems has gained popularity. It reveals the importance of a supportive community and adequate economic environment for entrepreneurial activity, and thus the possibility of developing a different perspective on the innovation system. On the other hand, the (regional/technology) innovation system approach lacks in its analyses the presence of an entrepreneur as a key actor that develops innovations. In this regard, this paper examines the foundations of both theoretical approaches (the entrepreneurial ecosystems and the regional/technology systems of innovation) and their contributions to understand entrepreneurial activity at different levels of analyses, namely national, regional or local. The paper makes a literature review on both perspectives of innovation stressing the role played by entrepreneurs in these theoretical approaches. It concludes remarking that the regional/technology innovation systems approach and the entrepreneurial ecosystem approach have established themselves in their own right, but the regional/technology innovation system approach is a predecessor of the entrepreneurial ecosystem approach.

Keywords: entrepreneurial ecosystems, innovation systems, entrepreneurial activity, comparative analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 157
3487 A Multi-Cluster Enterprise Framework for Evolution of Knowledge System among Enterprises, Governments and Research Institutions

Authors: Sohail Ahmed, Ke Xing

Abstract:

This research theoretically explored the evolution mechanism of enterprise technological innovation capability system (ETICS) from the perspective of complex adaptive systems (CAS). Starting from CAS theory, this study proposed an analytical framework for ETICS, its concepts and theory by integrating CAS methodology into the management of technological innovation capability of enterprises and discusses how to use the principles of complexity to analyze the composition, evolution and realization of the technological innovation capabilities in complex dynamic environment. This paper introduces the concept and interaction of multi-agent, the theoretical background of CAS and summarizes the sources of technological innovation, the elements of each subject and the main clusters of adaptive interactions and innovation activities. The concept of multi-agents is applied through the linkages of enterprises, research institutions and government agencies with the leading enterprises in industrial settings. The study was exploratory based on CAS theory. Theoretical model is built by considering technological and innovation literature from foundational to state of the art projects of technological enterprises. On this basis, the theoretical model is developed to measure the evolution mechanism of enterprise technological innovation capability system. This paper concludes that the main characteristics for evolution in technological systems are based on enterprise’s research and development personal, investments in technological processes and innovation resources are responsible for the evolution of enterprise technological innovation performance. The research specifically enriched the application process of technological innovation in institutional networks related to enterprises.

Keywords: complex adaptive system, echo model, enterprise knowledge system, research institutions, multi-agents.

Procedia PDF Downloads 44
3486 Development of Active Learning Calculus Course for Biomedical Program

Authors: Mikhail Bouniaev

Abstract:

The paper reviews design and implementation of a Calculus Course required for the Biomedical Competency Based Program developed as a joint project between The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and the University of Texas’ Institute for Transformational Learning, from the theoretical perspective as presented in scholarly work on active learning, formative assessment, and on-line teaching. Following a four stage curriculum development process (objective, content, delivery, and assessment), and theoretical recommendations that guarantee effectiveness and efficiency of assessment in active learning, we discuss the practical recommendations on how to incorporate a strong formative assessment component to address disciplines’ needs, and students’ major needs. In design and implementation of this project, we used Constructivism and Stage-by-Stage Development of Mental Actions Theory recommendations.

Keywords: active learning, assessment, calculus, cognitive demand, mathematics, stage-by-stage development of mental action theory

Procedia PDF Downloads 335
3485 Challenging Heteronormativity and Mononormativity in Academia: Incorporating Consensual Non-Monogamy into Psychological Romantic Relationship Research

Authors: Jessica Wood, Serge Desmarais

Abstract:

There has been recent resurgence in the popular and academic interest of consensual non-monogamous (CNM) relationships- an umbrella term that defines relationships in which each partner has openly agreed to engage in additional romantic and/or sexual relationships outside of their primary partnership. Despite an increase in the academic study of CNM, little psychological attention has been paid to the study of CNM, with the consideration of these relationships commonly occurring within related social science disciplines such as sociology or anthropology. As a discipline, psychology has a history of conducting research in the area of intimate relationships, and psychologists have amassed a wealth of theoretical knowledge in this field. However, historically individuals who engage in "alternative" sexual and romantic behaviours, such as non-heterosexual sex or sex with multiple partners have been pathologized within psychological research. Individuals in CNM relationships or individuals identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or queer have often been excluded from research or “othered” in psychological interpretations of what healthy relationships entail. Thus, our current theoretical understandings of romantic relationships are limited to heterosexual, monogamous relationships. The goal of this presentation is to examine commonly cited components of relationship satisfaction (e.g., commitment, communication) and to critically assess how CNM experiences are presented in, or missing from, the psychological literature on romantic relationships. Additionally, the presentation will also consider how CNM relationships may add to our understanding or enhancement of traditional psychological theories and address issues related to heteronormativity and mononormativity within the discipline. Finally, we will close with a consideration of additional theoretical perspectives that may aid in our understanding of CNM relationships and suggest directions for future research.

Keywords: heteronormativity, mononormativity, psychological research, diverse relationships, gender, sexuality, feminism, queer theory

Procedia PDF Downloads 361
3484 The Experience of the Prosthetics Program in Palestine Arab American University as Model

Authors: Ahmad Dawabsheh

Abstract:

The prosthetics program is an international program, found in honorable respectable universities. This program like other programs was found to serve several reasons, The most important reason is humanity, humanity free of conflict, religion, race, or war, but rather focuses on the humanitarian issue. This is what encouraged me to study this topic to help people, especially the poor in the world. The researcher will distribute a questionnaire to the faculty members and students of the department to measure the knowledge and importance of this program from the practical and theoretical sides of the local community. The researcher used the analytical method to study the subject. The research will attempt to answer the questions: What is the student's knowledge of this program? How important is this program to society?. The research aims to know the Palestinian society's need for this program. The research also aims to know the extent of students' knowledge of recent developments and new innovations in prosthetics around the world. What does the university offer to students in addition to theoretical courses?

Keywords: prosthetics, Arab American University, analytical method, questionnair

Procedia PDF Downloads 134
3483 Organisational Blogging: Reviewing Its Effectiveness as an Organisational Learning Tool

Authors: Gavin J. Baxter, Mark H. Stansfield

Abstract:

This paper reviews the internal use of blogs and their potential effectiveness as organisational learning tools. Prior to and since the emergence of the concept of ‘Enterprise 2.0’ there still remains a lack of empirical evidence associated with how organisations are applying social media tools and whether they are effective towards supporting organisational learning. Surprisingly, blogs, one of the more traditional social media tools, still remains under-researched in the context of ‘Enterprise 2.0’ and organisational learning. The aim of this paper is to identify the theoretical linkage between blogs and organisational learning in addition to reviewing prior research on organisational blogging with a view towards exploring why this area remains under-researched and identifying what needs to be done to try and move the area forward. Through a review of the literature, one of the principal findings of this paper is that organisational blogs, dependent on their use, do have a mutual compatibility with the interpretivist aspect of organisational learning. This paper further advocates that further empirical work in this subject area is required to substantiate this theoretical assumption.

Keywords: Enterprise 2.0, blogs, organisational learning, social media tools

Procedia PDF Downloads 259
3482 Researching International PhD Algerian Students’ Communication Challenges in Speaking When Discussing and Interacting with Their British Peers: A Researcher’s Interpretive Perspective through the Use of Semi-Structured Interview

Authors: H. Maita

Abstract:

This paper addresses the issue of the speaking challenges that the Algerian PhD students experience during their studies abroad, particularly in UK territory; more specifically, this study describes how these students may deal with such challenges and whether the cultural differences is one core reason in such dilemma or not. To this end, an understanding and interpretation of what actually encompasses both linguistic interference and cultural differences are required. Throughout the paper there is an attempt to explain the theoretical basis of the interpretive research and to theoretically discuss the pivotal use of the interview, as a data collection tool, in interpretive research. Thus, the central issue of this study is to frame the theoretical perspective of the interpretive research through the discussion of PhD Algerian’s communication and interaction challenges in the EFL context. This study is a corner stone for other research studies to further investigate the issue related to communication challenges because no specific findings will be pointed out in this research.

Keywords: communication, EFL, interaction, linguistic interference

Procedia PDF Downloads 109
3481 The Strategic Engine Model: Redefined Strategy Structure, as per Market-and Resource-Based Theory Application, Tested in the Automotive Industry

Authors: Krassimir Todorov

Abstract:

The purpose of the paper is to redefine the levels of structure of corporate, business and functional strategies that were established over the past several decades, to a conceptual model, consisting of corporate, business and operations strategies, that are reinforced by functional strategies. We will propose a conceptual framework of different perspectives in the role of strategic operations as a separate strategic place and reposition the remaining functional strategies as supporting tools, existing at all three levels. The proposed model is called ‘the strategic engine’, since the mutual relationships of its ingredients are identical with main elements and working principle of the internal combustion engine. Based on theoretical essence, related to every strategic level, we will prove that the strategic engine model is useful for managers seeking to safeguard the competitive advantage of their companies. Each strategy level is researched through its basic elements. At the corporate level we examine the scope of firm’s product, the vertical and geographical coverage. At the business level, the point of interest is limited to the SWOT analysis’ basic elements. While at operations level, the key research issue relates to the scope of the following performance indicators: cost, quality, speed, flexibility and dependability. In this relationship, the paper provides a different view for the role of operations strategy within the overall strategy concept. We will prove that the theoretical essence of operations goes far beyond the scope of traditionally accepted business functions. Exploring the applications of Resource-based theory and Market-based theory within the strategic levels framework, we will prove that there is a logical consequence of the theoretical impact in corporate, business and operations strategy – at every strategic level, the validity of one theory is substituted to the level of the other. Practical application of the conceptual model is tested in automotive industry. Actually, the proposed theoretical concept is inspired by a leading global automotive group – Inchcape PLC, listed on the London Stock Exchange, and constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

Keywords: business strategy, corporate strategy, functional strategies, operations strategy

Procedia PDF Downloads 153
3480 Liquidity and Cash Management in Business-A Key to Business Survival and Growth: The Nigerian Case

Authors: Ugbor Raphael Oluchukwu

Abstract:

Focusing on liquidity comes more naturally to a Chief Executive Officer than an Accountant who is trained to practice accrual accounting. When business is just commencing, it is essentially run on a cheque book (cash accounting) and for as long as there is cash in the accounts, the business is solvent. When complexity sets in and the business adopts financial accounting, the effect of liquidity and cash management becomes more pronounced. The management of cash no doubts impacts positively on the survival and growth of firms. What is in doubt is the amount of cash to be held by a firm as enough cash to enable the firm stay “afloat”. The focus of this paper is to determine liquidity and cash management in business, the Nigerian case. The specific objectives of the study are to do a theoretical review of the amount of cash to be held by a firm as enough cash to enable it stay afloat and to do a theoretical analysis to show the effect of cash flow on the survival and growth of firms in Nigeria.

Keywords: cash, firm survival, growth, liquidity management

Procedia PDF Downloads 559
3479 Characteristics of Technology Infrastructure in Small Firms

Authors: Davinder Singh, Jaimal Singh Khamba, Tarun Nanda

Abstract:

Growth of the Indian economy has accelerated to 8% and efforts are on to further propel it to 10%. Undoubtedly, all the segments of the economy, viz. agriculture, industry and services have to improve their contribution to the economy. Growth of Micro-small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) is a sine qua non for the growth of industry, exports and other segments of the economy. Furthermore, promotion of entrepreneurship is also vital for sustenance and upward movement of the current growth trajectory of the economy. The MSME sector acts as a catalyst in upholding and encouraging the creation of the innovative spirit and entrepreneurship in the economy, thereby helping in laying the foundation for rapid industrial development. In this competitive world, they need to be able to confront the increasing competition from developed and emerging economies and to plug into the new market opportunities.

Keywords: characteristics, management, MSMEs, technology infrastructure

Procedia PDF Downloads 613
3478 Interlanguage Pragmatics Instruction: Evidence from EFL Teachers

Authors: Asma Ben Abdallah

Abstract:

Interlanguage Pragmatics (ILP) Instruction has brought a lot of enlightenment for Foreign Language Teaching and has secured itself a deserved position in SLA research. In the Tunisian context, ILP instruction remains less explored for academics and educational practitioners. In our experience as teachers, both at secondary school and at university levels, the instruction and assessment of pragmatics seem to be contentious. This paper firstly introduces the theoretical models of Interlanguage pragmatics Instruction and focuses on their implications for foreign language teaching. This study builds on the work of Ben Abdallah (2015) that investigated the effects of pragmatic Instruction on Tunisian EFL Learners where pragmatic Instruction has been approached from the perspective of students and their learning strategies. The data for the present study, however, come from Tunisian EFL teachers by investigating their pragmatics practices and their perceptions of pragmatic instruction. The findings indicated that EFL teachers have pragmatic awareness; yet, their reflections revealed that their awareness was mostly on theoretical pragmatic knowledge, and not explicitly brought into practical pragmatic applications. The paper concludes by promoting pragmatics instruction with the suggestion that EFL teachers should teach pragmatics in class.

Keywords: interlanguage pragmatics theory, pragmatics, pragmatic instruction, SLA

Procedia PDF Downloads 253
3477 Police and Community Crime Prevention in Sweden

Authors: Peter Lindstrom, Caroline Gyberg, Scott Goodwin

Abstract:

The Swedish police organisation was fundamentally reorganized in 2015 when 21 regional police forces were combined into one national police authority divided in 7 larger police regions, 35 police areas, and some 100 local police districts. A central theme for the reform was that local crime prevention policing should be more unified in the country. In this paper, we review crime prevention strategies in Sweden from a criminological and policing perspective focusing, among other things, on differences between urban and rural areas. In the crime prevention field, words such as 'knowledge- and evidence-based', 'collaboration', and 'strategies' are common. Our objective is to investigate the relationship between theoretical and practical knowledge in local crime prevention work. Our research indicate that an elaborated and strategic connection between theoretical and practical perspectives is important for successful local crime prevention work. Universities may provide a platform such knowledge exchange.

Keywords: crime prevention, police reform, urban and rural areas, criminological and policing perspectives

Procedia PDF Downloads 157
3476 Adaptive Optimal Controller for Uncertain Inverted Pendulum System: A Dynamic Programming Approach for Continuous Time System

Authors: Dao Phuong Nam, Tran Van Tuyen, Do Trong Tan, Bui Minh Dinh, Nguyen Van Huong

Abstract:

In this paper, we investigate the adaptive optimal control law for continuous-time systems with input disturbances and unknown parameters. This paper extends previous works to obtain the robust control law of uncertain systems. Through theoretical analysis, an adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) based optimal control is proposed to stabilize the closed-loop system and ensure the convergence properties of proposed iterative algorithm. Moreover, the global asymptotic stability (GAS) for closed system is also analyzed. The theoretical analysis for continuous-time systems and simulation results demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm for an inverted pendulum system.

Keywords: approximate/adaptive dynamic programming, ADP, adaptive optimal control law, input state stability, ISS, inverted pendulum

Procedia PDF Downloads 171