Search results for: business process optimizing

Authors: M. P. E. E Silva, A. M. Galloway, A. I. Toumpis

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An increasing concern exists in the welding industry in terms of faster joining processes. Methods such as the alternation between shielding gases such Ar, CO₂ and He have been able to provide improved penetration of the joint, reduced heat transfer to the workpiece, and increased travel speeds of the welding torch. Nitrogen as a shielding gas is not desirable due to its reactive behavior within the arc plasma, being absorbed by the molten pool during the welding process. Below certain amounts, nitrogen is not harmful. However, the nitrogen threshold is reduced during the solidification of the joint, and if its subsequent desorption is not completed on time, gas entrapment and blowhole formation may occur. The present study expanded the use of the alternating shielding gas method in the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process by alternately supplying Ar/5%N₂ and He. Improvements were introduced in terms of joint strength and grain refinement. Microstructural characterization findings showed porosity-free welds with reduced inclusion formation while mechanical tests such as tensile and bend tests confirmed the reinforcement of the joint by the addition of nitrogen. Additionally, significant reductions of the final distortion of the workpiece were found after the welding procedure as well as decreased heat affected zones and temperatures of the weld.

Keywords: alternating shielding gas method, GMAW, grain refinement, nitrogen, porosity, mechanical testing

Procedia PDF Downloads 106

Authors: Nayak Amar, Turner Naomi, Gobina Edward

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The Scottish Higher Education Institutes must report their scope 1 & 2 emissions, whereas reporting scope 3 is optional. Scope 3 is indirect emissions which embodies a significant component of total carbon footprint and therefore it is important to record, measure and report it accurately. Robert Gordon University (RGU) reported only business travel, grid transmission and distribution, water supply and transport, and recycling scope 3 emissions. This study estimates the RGUs total scope 3 emissions by comparing it with a similar HEI in scale. The scope 3 emission reporting of sixteen Scottish HEI was studied. Glasgow Caledonian University was identified as the nearest neighbour by comparing its students' full time equivalent, staff full time equivalent, research-teaching split, budget, and foundation year. Apart from the peer, data was also collected from the Higher Education Statistics Agency database. RGU reported emissions from business travel, grid transmission and distribution, water supply, and transport and recycling. This study estimated RGUs scope 3 emissions from procurement, student-staff commute, and international student trip. The result showed that RGU covered only 11% of the scope 3 emissions. The major contributor to scope 3 emissions were procurement (48%), student commute (21%), international student trip (16%), and staff commute (4%). The estimated scope 3 emission was more than 14 times the reported emissions. This study has shown the relative importance of each scope 3 emissions source, which gives a guideline for the HEIs, on where to focus their attention to capture maximum scope 3 emissions. Moreover, it has demonstrated that it is possible to estimate the scope 3 emissions with limited data.

Keywords: HEI, university, emission calculations, scope 3 emissions, emissions reporting

Procedia PDF Downloads 93

Authors: Alexander K. Edwards

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Introduction: The moral dimension of teacher education globally has assumed a new paradigm of thinking based on the public gain (return-on-investments), value-creation (quality), professionalism (practice), and business strategies (innovations). Abundant literature reveals an interesting revolutionary trend in complimenting the raising of teachers and academic performances. Because of the global competition in the knowledge-creation and service areas, the C21st teacher at all levels is expected to be resourceful, strategic thinker, socially intelligent, relationship aptitude, and entrepreneur astute. This study is a significant contribution to practice and innovations to raise exemplary or primal teachers. In this study, the qualities needed were considered as ‘Quadrant Intelligence (Q-i)’ model for a primal teacher leadership beyond the classroom. The researcher started by examining the issue of the majority of teachers in Ghana Education Services (GES) in need of this Q-i to be effective and efficient. The conceptual framing became determinants of such Q-i. This is significant for global employability and versatility in teacher education to create premium and primal teacher leadership, which are again gaining high attention in scholarship due to failing schools. The moral aspect of teachers failing learners is a highly important discussion. In GES, some schools score zero percent at the basic education certificate examination (BECE). The question is what will make any professional teacher highly productive, marketable, and an entrepreneur? What will give teachers the moral consciousness of doing the best to succeed? Method: This study set out to develop a model for primal teachers in GES as an innovative way to highlight a premium development for the C21st business-education acumen through desk reviews. The study is conceptually framed by examining certain skill sets such as strategic thinking, social intelligence, relational and emotional intelligence and entrepreneurship to answer three main burning questions and other hypotheses. Then the study applied the causal comparative methodology with a purposive sampling technique (N=500) from CoE, GES, NTVI, and other teachers associations. Participants responded to a 30-items, researcher-developed questionnaire. Data is analyzed on the quadrant constructs and reported as ex post facto analyses of multi-variances and regressions. Multiple associations were established for statistical significance (p=0.05). Causes and effects are postulated for scientific discussions. Findings: It was found out that these quadrants are very significant in teacher development. There were significant variations in the demographic groups. However, most teachers lack considerable skills in entrepreneurship, leadership in teaching and learning, and business thinking strategies. These have significant effect on practices and outcomes. Conclusion and Recommendations: It is quite conclusive therefore that in GES teachers may need further instructions in innovations and creativity to transform knowledge-creation into business venture. In service training (INSET) has to be comprehensive. Teacher education curricula at Colleges may have to be re-visited. Teachers have the potential to raise their social capital, to be entrepreneur, and to exhibit professionalism beyond their community services. Their primal leadership focus will benefit many clienteles including students and social circles. Recommendations examined the policy implications for curriculum design, practice, innovations and educational leadership.

Keywords: emotional intelligence, entrepreneurship, leadership, quadrant intelligence (q-i), primal teacher leadership, strategic thinking, social intelligence

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Authors: Laura Victoria Vigoya Morales, David Rolando Suarez Mora

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The problem of detecting enterococcus faecalis is receiving considerable attention with the new cases of beachgoers infected with the bacteria, which can be found in fecal matter. The process detection of this kind of bacteria would be taking a long time, which waste time and money as a result of closing recreation place, like beach or pools. Hence, new methods for automating the process of detecting and recognition of this bacteria has become in a challenge. This article describes a novel approach to detect the enterococcus faecalis bacteria in water by using an octave algorithm, which embody a network neural. This document shows result of performance, quality and integrity of the algorithm.

Keywords: Enterococcus faecalis, image treatment, octave and network neuronal

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Authors: Seyedamirreza Shamsdini, Mohsen Mohammadi

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In this research, 18Ni-300 maraging steel powder particles are investigated by studying particle size distribution along with their morphology and grain structure. The powder analysis shows mostly spherical morphologies with cellular structures. A laser-based additive manufacturing process, selective laser melting (SLM) is used to produce samples for further investigation of mechanical properties and microstructure. Several uniaxial tensile tests are performed on the as-built parts to evaluate the mechanical properties. The macroscopic properties, as well as microscopic studies, are then investigated on the printed parts. Hardness measurements, as well as porosity levels, are measured for each sample and are correlated with microstructures through electron microscopy techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The grain structure is studied for the as-printed specimens and compared to the powder particle microstructure. The cellular structure of the printed samples is observed to have dendritic forms with dendrite width dimensions similar to the powder particle cells. The process parameter is changed, and the study is performed for different powder layer thickness, and the resultant mechanical properties and grain structure are shown to be similar. A phase study is conducted both on the powder and the printed samples using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques, and the austenite phase is observed to at first decrease due to the manufacturing process and again during the uniaxial tensile deformation. The martensitic structure is formed in the first stage based on the heating cycles of the manufacturing process and the remaining austenite is shown to be transformed to martensite due to different deformation mechanisms.

Keywords: additive manufacturing, maraging steel, mechanical properties, microstructure

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Authors: Kai-Sheng Ji, Yi-Feng Lin

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The pervaporation process for solvent and water separation has attracted research attention due to its lower energy consumption compared with conventional distillation processes. The membranes used for the pervaporation approach should exhibit high flux and separation factors. In this study, the ZIF-7 crystal particles were successfully incorporated into chitosan (CS) membranes to form ZIF-7/CS mixed-matrix membranes. The as-prepared ZIF-7/CS mixed-matrix membranes were used to separate mixtures of water/ethanol at 25℃ in the pervaporation process. The mixed-matrix membranes with different ZIF-7 wt% incorporation showed better separation efficiency than the pristine CS membranes because of the smaller pore size of the mixed-matrix membranes. The separation factor and the flux of the ZIF-7/CS membranes clearly exceed the upper limit of the previously reported CS-based and mixed-matrix membranes.

Keywords: pervaporation, chitosan, ZIF-7, memberane separation

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Authors: Hikmet Cicek

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Metal nitrides show excellence tribological properties and they used for especially on machine parts. In this work, the vacuum gas nitriding proses were applied to the titanium, D2 and 52100 steel substrates at three different proses temperatures (500 °C, 600°C and 700 °C). Structural, mechanical and tribological properties of the samples were characterized. X-Ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectroscopy analyses were conducted to determine structural properties. Microhardness test and pin-on-disc wear test were made to observe tribological properties. Coefficient of friction, wear rate and wear traces were examined comparatively. According to the test results, the process temperature very effective parameter for the vacuum gas nitriding method.

Keywords: gas nitriding, tribology, wear, coating

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Authors: Justyna Żywiołek, Marek Matulewski

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Data, is information processed by enterprises for primary and secondary purposes as processes. Thanks to processing, the sales process takes place; in the case of the surveyed companies, sales take place online. However, this indirect form of contact with the customer causes many problems for both customers and furniture manufacturers. The article presents solutions that would solve problems related to the analysis of data and information in the order fulfillment process sent to post-warranty service. The article also presents an analysis of threats to the security of this information, both for customers and the enterprise.

Keywords: ordering furniture online, information security, furniture industry, enterprise security, risk analysis

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Authors: Nuhu Dalhat Mu’azu, Abdullahi Usman, A. Bukhari, Muhammad Hussain Essa, Salihu Lukman

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Electrokinetic remediation process was employed for the removal of four (4) heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Hg and Pb) from contaminated clay and bentonite soils under pulsed current supply mode. The effects of voltage gradient, pulse duty cycle and bentonite/clay ratio on the simultaneous removal efficiencies of the heavy metals were investigated. A total of thirteen experiments were designed and conducted according to factorial design with each experiment allowed to continuously ran for 3 weeks. Results obtained showed that increase in bentonite ratio decreased the removal efficiency of the heavy metals with no significant effect on the energy consumption. Conversely, increase in both voltage gradient and pulse duty cycle increased the heavy metals removal efficiencies with increased in energy consumption. Additionally, increase in voltage gradient increased the electrical conductivity and the soil pH due to due to continuous refill and replacement of process fluids as they decomposed under the induced voltage gradient. Under different operating conditions, the maximum removal efficiencies obtained for Cr, Cu, Hg, and Pb were 21.87, 83.2, 62.4, 78.06 and 16.65% respectively.

Keywords: clay, bentonite, soil remediation, mixed contaminants, heavy metals, and electrokinetic-adsorption

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Authors: Yolla Miranda, Marini Altyra, Karina Kalmapuspita Imas

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Oily sludge wastes always fill in upstream and downstream petroleum industry process. Sludge still contains oil that can use for energy storage. Recycling sludge is a method to handling it for reduce the toxicity and very probable to get the remaining oil around 20% from its volume. Froth flotation, a common method based on chemical unit for separate fine solid particles from an aqueous suspension. The basic composition of froth flotation is the capture of oil droplets or small solids by air bubbles in an aqueous slurry, followed by their levitation and collection in a froth layer. This method has been known as no intensive energy requirement and easy to apply. But the low efficiency and unable treat the high viscosity become the biggest problem in froth flotation unit. This study give the design to manage the high viscosity of sludge first and then entering the froth flotation including cavitation tube on it to change the bubbles into nano particles. The recovery in flotation starts with the collision and adhesion of hydrophobic particles to the air bubbles followed by transportation of the hydrophobic particle-bubble aggregate from the collection zone to the froth zone, drainage and enrichment of the froth, and finally by its overflow removal from the cell top. The effective particle separation by froth flotation relies on the efficient capture of hydrophobic particles by air bubbles in three steps. The important step is collision. Decreasing the bubble particles will increasing the collision effect. It cause the process more efficient. The pre-treatment, froth flotation, and cavitation tube integrated each other. The design shows the integrated unit and its process.

Keywords: sludge oil recovery, froth flotation, cavitation tube, nanobubbles, high viscosity

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Authors: Anyapak Prapannetivuth

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The purpose of this research is to investigate the marketing mix that is perceived to be important for the small sized hotels in Pattaya. Unlike previous studies, this research provides insights through a review of the marketing activities performed by the small sized hotels. Nine owners and marketing manager of small sized hotels and resorts, all local Chonburi people, were selected for an in-depth interview. A snowball sampling process was employed. The research suggests that seven marketing mixes (e.g. Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Physical Evidence and Process) were commonly used by these hotels, however, three types – People, price and physical evidence were considered most important by the owners.

Keywords: marketing mix, marketing tools, small sized hotels, pattaya

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Authors: M. Cortés, E. Vera, O. Rojas

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The research studies of the kinetics of the corrosion process that attacks concrete and occurs within sewerage systems agree on the amount of variables that interfere in the process. This study aims to check the impact of the pH levels of the corrosive environment and the concrete surface, the concentrations of chemical sulfuric acid, and in turn, measure the resistance of concrete to this attack under controlled laboratory conditions; it also aims to contribute to the development of further research related to the topic, in order to compare the impact of biogenic sulfuric acid and chemical sulfuric acid involvement on concrete structures, especially in scenarios such as sewerage systems.

Keywords: acid sulfuric, concrete, corrosion, biogenic

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Authors: Nuno Biga

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) allows machines to interpret information and learn from context analysis, giving them the ability to make predictions adjusted to each specific situation. In addition to learning by performing deterministic and probabilistic calculations, the 'artificial brain' also learns through information and data provided by those who train it, namely its users. The "Assisted-BIGAMES" version of the Accident & Emergency (A&E) simulator introduces the concept of a "Virtual Assistant" (VA) that provides users with useful suggestions, namely to pursue the following operations: a) to relocate workstations in order to shorten travelled distances and minimize the stress of those involved; b) to identify in real time the bottleneck(s) in the operations system so that it is possible to quickly act upon them; c) to identify resources that should be polyvalent so that the system can be more efficient; d) to identify in which specific processes it may be advantageous to establish partnership with other teams; and e) to assess possible solutions based on the suggested KPIs allowing action monitoring to guide the (re)definition of future strategies. This paper is built on the BIGAMES© simulator and presents the conceptual AI model developed in a pilot project. Each Virtual Assisted BIGAME is a management simulator developed by the author that guides operational and strategic decision making, providing users with useful information in the form of management recommendations that make it possible to predict the actual outcome of different alternative management strategic actions. The pilot project developed incorporates results from 12 editions of the BIGAME A&E that took place between 2017 and 2022 at AESE Business School, based on the compilation of data that allows establishing causal relationships between decisions taken and results obtained. The systemic analysis and interpretation of this information is materialised in the Assisted-BIGAMES through a computer application called "BIGAMES Virtual Assistant" that players can use during the Game. Each participant in the Virtual Assisted-BIGAMES permanently asks himself about the decisions he should make during the game in order to win the competition. To this end, the role of the VA of each team consists in guiding the players to be more effective in their decision making through presenting recommendations based on AI methods. It is important to note that the VA's suggestions for action can be accepted or rejected by the managers of each team, and as the participants gain a better understanding of the game, they will more easily dispense with the VA's recommendations and rely more on their own experience, capability, and knowledge to support their own decisions. Preliminary results show that the introduction of the VA provides a faster learning of the decision-making process. The facilitator (Serious Game Controller) is responsible for supporting the players with further analysis and the recommended action may be (or not) aligned with the previous recommendations of the VA. All the information should be jointly analysed and assessed by each player, who are expected to add “Emotional Intelligence”, a component absent from the machine learning process.

Keywords: artificial intelligence (AI), gamification, key performance indicators (KPI), machine learning, management simulators, serious games, virtual assistant

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Authors: Abdulrahman Aljabri, Essam R. I. Mahmoud, Hamad Almohamedi, Zhengyi Jiang

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Cold rolled thin strip has received intensive attention through technological and theoretical progress in the rolling process, as well as researchers have focused on its control during rolling as an essential parameter for producing thinner strip with good shape and profile. An advanced approach has been proposed to analysis the thin strip profile in cold rolling of pair roll crossing and shifting mill using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) with an ALE technique. The ALE (Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian) techniques to enable more flexibility of the ALE technique in the adjustment of the finite element mesh, which provides a significant tool for simulating the thin strip under realistic rolling process constraint and provide accurate model results. The FEA can provide theoretical basis for the 3D model of controlling the strip shape and profile in thin strip rolling, and deliver an optimal rolling process parameter, and suggest corrective changes during cold rolling of thin strip.

Keywords: pair roll crossing, work roll shifting, strip shape and profile, finite element modeling

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Authors: Vahid Bayrami Rad

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Ever since humans developed a collective way of life to the development of urbanization, the concern of security has always been considered one of the most important challenges of life. To protect property, locks have always been a practical tool. With the advancement of technology, the form of locks has changed from mechanical to electric. One of the most widely used fields of using artificial intelligence is its application in the technology of surveillance security systems. Currently, the technologies used in smart anti-theft door handles are one of the most potential fields for using artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence has the possibility to learn, calculate, interpret and process by analyzing data with the help of algorithms and mathematical models and make smart decisions. We will use Arduino board to process data.

Keywords: arduino board, artificial intelligence, image processing, solenoid lock

Procedia PDF Downloads 63

Authors: Adam Marks, Munir Majdalawieh, Maytha Al Ali

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While research is rich with what criteria could be included in the academic program review processes, there is rarely any mention of how this significant and complex process should be managed. This paper proposes using project management methodology in alignment with the program review criteria of the Dickeson’s Prioritizing Academic Programs model. Project management and academic program review share two distinct characteristics; one is their life cycle, and the second is the core knowledge areas they use. This aligned and structured approach offers academic administrators a step-by-step guide that can help them manage this process and effectively assess academic programs.

Keywords: project management, academic program, program review, education, higher education institution, strategic management

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Authors: Feby Zaki Raouf Fawzy

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Nowadays, design and architecture are being affected and undergoing change with the rapid advancements in technology, economics, politics, society, and culture. Architecture has been transforming with the latest developments after the inclusion of computers in design. Integration of design into the computational environment has revolutionized architecture and unique perspectives in architecture have been gained. The history of architecture shows the various technological developments and changes in which architecture has transformed with time. Therefore, the analysis of integration between technology and the history of the architectural process makes it possible to build a consensus on the idea of how architecture is to proceed. In this study, each period that occurs with the integration of technology into architecture is addressed within the historical process. At the same time, changes in architecture via technology are identified as important milestones and predictions with regards to the future of architecture have been determined. Developments and changes in technology and the use of technology in architecture within years are analyzed in charts and graphs comparatively. The historical process of architecture and its transformation via technology is supported by a detailed literature review, and they are consolidated with the examination of focal points of 20th-century architecture under the titles parametric design, genetic architecture, simulation, and biomimicry. It is concluded that with the historical research between past and present, the developments in architecture cannot keep up with the advancements in technology, and recent developments in technology overshadow architecture; even technology decides the direction of architecture. As a result, a scenario is presented with regard to the reach of technology in the future of architecture and the role of the architect.

Keywords: design and development the information technology architecture, enterprise architecture, enterprise architecture design result, TOGAF architecture development method (ADM)

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Authors: V. Ložar, N. Hadžić, T. Opetuk, R. Keser

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The development of digital twins strongly depends on efficient algorithms and their capability to mirror real-life processes. Nowadays, such efforts are required to establish factories of the future faced with new demands of custom-made production. The ship hull processes face these challenges too. Therefore, it is important to implement design and evaluation approaches based on production system engineering. In this study, the recently developed finite state method is employed to describe the stell hull process as a platform for the implementation of digital twinning technology. The application is justified by comparing the finite state method with the analytical approach. This method is employed to rebuild a model of a real shipyard ship hull process using a combination of serial and splitting lines. The key performance indicators such as the production rate, work in process, probability of starvation, and blockade are calculated and compared to the corresponding results obtained through a simulation approach using the software tool Enterprise dynamics. This study confirms that the finite state method is a suitable tool for digital twinning applications. The conclusion highlights the advantages and disadvantages of methods employed in this context.

Keywords: digital twin, finite state method, production system engineering, shipyard

Procedia PDF Downloads 93

Authors: Girish J. Showkatramani, Arthi M. Krishna, Sashi Nareddi, Naresh Nula, Aaron Pepe, Glen Brown, Greg Gabel, Chris Doninger

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Trademark examination and approval is a complex process that involves analysis and review of the design components of the marks such as the visual representation as well as the textual data associated with marks such as marks' description. Currently, the process of identifying marks with similar visual representation is done manually in United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and takes a considerable amount of time. Moreover, the accuracy of these searches depends heavily on the experts determining the trademark design codes used to catalog the visual design codes in the mark. In this study, we explore several methods to automate trademark design code classification. Based on recent successes of convolutional neural networks in image classification, we have used several different convolutional neural networks such as Google’s Inception v3, Inception-ResNet-v2, and Xception net. The study also looks into other techniques to augment the results from CNNs such as using Open Source Computer Vision Library (OpenCV) to pre-process the images. This paper reports the results of the various models trained on year of annotated trademark images.

Keywords: trademark design code, convolutional neural networks, trademark image classification, trademark image search, Inception-ResNet-v2

Procedia PDF Downloads 226

Authors: Yu Chen

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This paper investigates the influence of flaw on failure process of rock-like material under uniaxial compression. In laboratory, the uniaxial compression tests of intact specimens and a series of specimens within single flaw were conducted. The inclination angle of flaws includes 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75° and 90°. Based on the laboratory tests, the corresponding models of numerical simulation were built and loaded in PFC2D. After analysing the crack initiation and failure modes, deformation field, and energy mechanism for both laboratory tests and numerical simulation, it can be concluded that the influence of flaws on the failure process is determined by its inclination. The characteristic stresses increase as flaw angle rising basically. The tensile cracks develop from gentle flaws (α ≤ 30°) and the shear cracks develop from other flaws. The propagation of cracks changes during failure process and the failure mode of a specimen corresponds to the orientation of the flaw. A flaw has significant influence on the transverse deformation field at the middle of the specimen, except the 75° and 90° flaw sample. The input energy, strain energy and dissipation energy of specimens show approximate increase trends with flaw angle rising and it presents large difference on the energy distribution.

Keywords: failure pattern, particle deformation field, energy mechanism, PFC

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Authors: Mehran Nasiri, Ardeshir Poornemat

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The aim of this study was to investigate the current and ideal situations of the process of talent identification in Iranian football from the point of view of Iranian instructors of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). This research was a descriptive-analytical study; in data collection phase a questionnaire was used, whose face validity was confirmed by experts of Physical Education and Sports Science. The reliability of questionnaire was estimated through the use of Cronbach's alpha method (0.91). This study involved 122 participants of Iranian instructors of the AFC who were selected based on stratified random sampling method. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the variables and inferential statistics (Chi-square) were used to test the hypotheses of the study at significant level (p ≤ 0.05). The results of Chi-square test related to the point of view of Iranian instructors of the AFC showed that the grass-roots scientific method was the best way to identify football players (0.001), less than 10 years old were the best ages for talent identification (0.001), the Football Federation was revealed to be the most important organization in talent identification (0.002), clubs were shown to be the most important institution in developing talents (0.001), trained scouts of Football Federation were demonstrated to be the best and most appropriate group for talent identification (0.001), and being referred by the football academy coaches was shown to be the best way to attract talented football players in Iran (0.001). It was also found that there was a huge difference between the current and ideal situation of the process of talent identification in Iranian football from the point of view of Iranian instructors of the AFC. Hence, it is recommended that the policy makers of talent identification for Iranian football provide a comprehensive, clear and systematic model of talent identification and development processes for the clubs and football teams, so that the talent identification process helps to nurture football talents more efficiently.

Keywords: current situation, talent finding, ideal situation, instructors (AFC)

Procedia PDF Downloads 207

Authors: Laid Fekih

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Background: It is difficult to detect lying, deception, and misrepresentation just by looking at verbal or non-verbal expression during the criminal investigation process, as there is a common belief that it is possible to tell whether a person is lying or telling the truth just by looking at the way they act or behave. The process of detecting lies and deception during the criminal investigation process needs more studies and research to overcome the difficulties facing the investigators. Method: The present study aimed to identify the effectiveness of cognitive methods and techniques in detecting deception during the criminal investigation. It adopted the quasi-experimental method and covered a sample of (20) defendants distributed randomly into two homogeneous groups, an experimental group of (10) defendants be subject to criminal investigation by applying cognitive techniques to detect deception and a second experimental group of (10) defendants be subject to the direct investigation method. The tool that used is a guided interview based on models of investigative questions according to the cognitive deception detection approach, which consists of three techniques of Vrij: imposing the cognitive burden, encouragement to provide more information, and ask unexpected questions, and the Direct Investigation Method. Results: Results revealed a significant difference between the two groups in term of lie detection accuracy in favour of defendants be subject to criminal investigation by applying cognitive techniques, the cognitive deception detection approach produced superior total accuracy rates both with human observers and through an analysis of objective criteria. The cognitive deception detection approach produced superior accuracy results in truth detection: 71%, deception detection: 70% compared to a direct investigation method truth detection: 52%; deception detection: 49%. Conclusion: The study recommended if practitioners use a cognitive deception detection technique, they will correctly classify more individuals than when they use a direct investigation method.

Keywords: the cognitive lie detection approach, deception, criminal investigation, mental health

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Authors: Ramanpreet Kaur, Upasana Sharma

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The purpose of this paper is to address the challenges faced by MLDB system at the piston foundry plant due to interruption in supply of water. For the MLDB system to work in Model, two sub-units must be connected to the robotic main unit. The system cannot function without robotics and water supply by the fan (WSF). Insufficient water supply is the cause of system failure. The system operates at top performance using two sub-units. If one sub-unit fails, the system capacity is reduced. Priority of repair is given to the main unit i.e. Robotic and WSF. To solve the problem, semi-Markov process and regenerative point technique are used. Relevant graphs are also included to particular case.

Keywords: MLDB system, robotic, semi-Markov process, regenerative point technique

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Authors: Jakub Stelina, Janina Ciechanowicz-McLean

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Fifty years of existence and development of international environmental law brought a deep disappointment with efficiency and effectiveness of traditional command and control mechanisms of environmental regulation. Agenda 21 agreed during the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro 1992 was one of the first international documents, which explicitly underlined the importance of public participation in environmental protection. This participation includes also the initiatives undertaken by business corporations in the form of private environmental standards setting. Twenty years later during the Rio 20+ Earth Summit the private sector obligations undertaken during the negotiations have proven to be at least as important as the ones undertaken by the governments. The private sector has taken the leading role in environmental standard setting. Among the research methods used in the article two are crucial in the analysis. The comparative analysis of law is the instrument used in the article to analyse the practice of states and private business companies in the field of sustainable development. The article uses economic analysis of law to estimate the costs and benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility Projects in the field of environmental protection. The study is based on the four premises. First is the role of social dialogue, which is crucial for both Corporate Social Responsibility and modern environmental protection regulation. The Aarhus Convention creates a procedural environmental human right to participate in administrative procedures of law setting and environmental decisions making. The public participation in environmental impact assessment is nowadays a universal standard. Second argument is about the role of precaution as a principle of modern environmental regulation. This principle can be observed both in governmental regulatory undertakings and also private initiatives within the Corporate Social Responsibility environmental projects. Even in the jurisdictions which are relatively reluctant to use the principle of preventive action in environmental regulation, the companies often use this standard in their own private business standard setting initiatives. This is often due to the fact that soft law standards are used as the basis for private Corporate Social Responsibility regulatory initiatives. Third premise is about the role of ecological education in environmental protection. Many soft law instruments underline the importance of environmental education. Governments use environmental education only to the limited extent due to the costs of such projects and problems with effects assessment. Corporate Social Responsibility uses various means of ecological education as the basis of their actions in the field of environmental protection. Last but not least Sustainable development is a goal of both legal protection of the environment, and economic instruments of companies development. Modern environmental protection law uses to the increasing extent the Corporate Social Responsibility. This may be the consequence of the limits of hard law regulation. Corporate Social Responsibility is nowadays not only adapting to soft law regulation of environmental protection but also creates such standards by itself, showing new direction for development of international environmental law. Corporate Social Responsibility in environmental protection can be good investment in future development of the company.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility, environmental CSR, environmental justice, stakeholders dialogue

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Authors: Lovorka Galetic, Zeljko Vukelic

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The advanced concepts of strategic and innovation management in the sphere of company dynamic and innovation capabilities, and achieving their mutual alignment and a synergy effect, are important elements in business today. This paper analyses the theory and empirically investigates the influence of a company’s dynamic capabilities on its innovation capabilities. A new multidimensional model of dynamic capabilities is presented, consisting of five factors appropriate to real time requirements, while innovation capabilities are considered pursuant to the official OECD and Eurostat standards. After examination of dynamic and innovation capabilities indicated their theoretical links, the empirical study testing the model and examining the influence of a company’s dynamic capabilities on its innovation capabilities showed significant results. In the study, a research model was posed to relate company dynamic and innovation capabilities. One side of the model features the variables that are the determinants of dynamic capabilities defined through their factors, while the other side features the determinants of innovation capabilities pursuant to the official standards. With regard to the research model, five hypotheses were set. The study was performed in late 2014 on a representative sample of large and very large Croatian enterprises with a minimum of 250 employees. The research instrument was a questionnaire administered to company top management. For both variables, the position of the company was tested in comparison to industry competitors, on a fivepoint scale. In order to test the hypotheses, correlation tests were performed to determine whether there is a correlation between each individual factor of company dynamic capabilities with the existence of its innovation capabilities, in line with the research model. The results indicate a strong correlation between a company’s possession of dynamic capabilities in terms of their factors, due to the new multi-dimensional model presented in this paper, with its possession of innovation capabilities. Based on the results, all five hypotheses were accepted. Ultimately, it was concluded that there is a strong association between the dynamic and innovation capabilities of a company. 

Keywords: dynamic capabilities, innovation capabilities, competitive advantage, business results

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Authors: M. Regis, E. Marin, S. Fusi, M. Pressacco, L. Fedrizzi

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Electron Beam Melting (EBM) process was used to prepare porous scaffolds with controlled porosity to ensure optimal levels of osteointegration for different trabeculae sizes. Morphological characterization by means of SEM analyses was carried out to assess pore dimensions; tensile, compression and adhesion tests have been carried out to determine the mechanical behavior. The results indicate that EBM process allows the creation of regular and repeatable porous scaffolds. Mechanical properties greatly depend on pore dimension and on bulk-pore ratio. Adhesion resistance meets the normative requirements, and the overall performance of the produced structures is compatible with potential orthopaedic applications.

Keywords: additive manufacturing, orthopaedic implants, osteointegration, trabecular structures

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Authors: Mostafa Fanaei, Shahram R. Sistani, Athare Nazri-Panjaki

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Introduction: Critical thinking skills are increasingly recognized as vital for academic success, particularly in higher education. This study examines the influence of critical thinking on learning achievement among undergraduate and master's students enrolled in foreign language programs. By investigating this correlation, educators can gain valuable insights into optimizing teaching methodologies and enhancing academic outcomes. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 150 students from the Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, recruited via random sampling. Participants completed the Critical Thinking Questionnaire (CThQ), assessing dimensions such as analysis, evaluation, creation, remembering, understanding, and application. Academic performance was measured using the students' GPA (0-20). Results: The participants' mean age was 21.46 ± 5.2 years, with 62.15% being female. The mean scores for critical thinking subscales were as follows: Analyzing (13.2 ± 3.5), Evaluating (12.8 ± 3.4), Creating (18.6 ± 4.8), Remembering (9.4 ± 2.1), Understanding (12.9 ± 3.3), and Applying (12.5 ± 3.2). The overall critical thinking score was 79.4 ± 18.1, and the average GPA was 15.7 ± 2.4. Significant positive correlations were found between GPA and several critical thinking subscales: Analyzing (r = 0.45, p = 0.013), Creating (r = 0.52, p < 0.001), Remembering (r = 0.29, p = 0.021), Understanding (r = 0.41, p = 0.002), and the overall CThQ score (r = 0.54, p = 0.043). Conclusion: The study demonstrates a significant positive relationship between critical thinking skills and learning achievement in foreign language programs. Enhancing critical thinking skills through educational interventions could potentially improve academic performance. Further research is recommended to explore the underlying mechanisms and long-term impacts of critical thinking on academic success.

Keywords: critical thinking, learning achievement, higher education, foreign language programs, student success

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Authors: Anton Serov, Alan Maslani, Michal Hlina, Vladimir Kopecky, Milan Hrabovsky

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Recycling of organic waste is an increasingly hot topic in recent years. This issue becomes even more interesting if the raw material for the fuel production can be obtained as the result of that recycling. A process of high-temperature decomposition of a lignite (a non-hydrolysable complex organic compound) was studied on the plasma gasification reactor PLASGAS, where water-stabilized plasma torch was used as a source of high enthalpy plasma. The plasma torch power was 120 kW and allowed heating of the reactor to more than 1000 °C. The material feeding rate in the gasification reactor was selected 30 and 60 kg per hour that could be compared with small industrial production. An efficiency estimation of the thermal decomposition process was done. A balance of the torch energy distribution was studied as well as an influence of the lignite particle size and an addition of methane (CH4) in a reaction volume on the syngas composition (H2+CO). It was found that the ratio H2:CO had values in the range of 1,5 to 2,5 depending on the experimental conditions. The recycling process occurred at atmospheric pressure that was one of the important benefits because of the lack of expensive vacuum pump systems. The work was supported by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic under the project GA15-19444S.

Keywords: atmospheric pressure, lignite, plasma treatment, water-stabilized plasma torch

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Authors: Peter G. Hollis, Kim G. Clarke

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Accurate quantification of the overall volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (KLa) is ubiquitously measured in bioprocesses by analysing the response of dissolved oxygen (DO) to a step change in the oxygen partial pressure in the sparge gas using a DO probe. Typically, the response lag (τ) of the probe has been ignored in the calculation of KLa when τ is less than the reciprocal KLa, failing which a constant τ has invariably been assumed. These conventions have now been reassessed in the context of multiphase bioprocesses, such as a hydrocarbon-based system. Here, significant variation of τ in response to changes in process conditions has been documented. Experiments were conducted in a 5 L baffled stirred tank bioreactor (New Brunswick) in a simulated hydrocarbon-based bioprocess comprising a C14-20 alkane-aqueous dispersion with suspended non-viable Saccharomyces cerevisiae solids. DO was measured with a polarographic DO probe fitted with a Teflon membrane (Mettler Toledo). The DO concentration response to a step change in the sparge gas oxygen partial pressure was recorded, from which KLa was calculated using a first order model (without incorporation of τ) and a second order model (incorporating τ). τ was determined as the time taken to reach 63.2% of the saturation DO after the probe was transferred from a nitrogen saturated vessel to an oxygen saturated bioreactor and is represented as the inverse of the probe constant (KP). The relative effects of the process parameters on KP were quantified using a central composite design with factor levels typical of hydrocarbon bioprocesses, namely 1-10 g/L yeast, 2-20 vol% alkane and 450-1000 rpm. A response surface was fitted to the empirical data, while ANOVA was used to determine the significance of the effects with a 95% confidence interval. KP varied with changes in the system parameters with the impact of solid loading statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Increased solid loading reduced KP consistently, an effect which was magnified at high alkane concentrations, with a minimum KP of 0.024 s-1 observed at the highest solids loading of 10 g/L. This KP was 2.8 fold lower that the maximum of 0.0661 s-1 recorded at 1 g/L solids, demonstrating a substantial increase in τ from 15.1 s to 41.6 s as a result of differing process conditions. Importantly, exclusion of KP in the calculation of KLa was shown to under-predict KLa for all process conditions, with an error up to 50% at the highest KLa values. Accurate quantification of KLa, and therefore KP, has far-reaching impact on industrial bioprocesses to ensure these systems are not transport limited during scale-up and operation. This study has shown the incorporation of τ to be essential to ensure KLa measurement accuracy in multiphase bioprocesses. Moreover, since τ has been conclusively shown to vary significantly with process conditions, it has also been shown that it is essential for τ to be determined individually for each set of process conditions.

Keywords: effect of process conditions, measuring oxygen transfer coefficients, multiphase bioprocesses, oxygen probe response lag

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Authors: Atousa Khodadadyan, Gabe Mythen, Hirbod Assa, Beverley Bishop

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Risk assessment and the knowledge provided through this process is a crucial part of any decision-making process in the management of risks and uncertainties. Failure in assessment of risks can cause inadequacy in the entire process of risk management, which in turn can lead to failure in achieving organisational objectives as well as having significant damaging consequences on populations affected by the potential risks being assessed. The choice of tools and techniques in risk assessment can influence the degree and scope of decision-making and subsequently the risk response strategy. There are various available qualitative and quantitative tools and techniques that are deployed within the broad process of risk assessment. The sheer diversity of tools and techniques available to practitioners makes it difficult for organisations to consistently employ the most appropriate methods. This tools and techniques adaptation is rendered more difficult in public risk regulation organisations due to the sensitive and complex nature of their activities. This is particularly the case in areas relating to the environment, food, and human health and safety, when organisational goals are tied up with societal, political and individuals’ goals at national and international levels. Hence, recognising, analysing and evaluating different decision support tools and techniques employed in assessing risks in public risk management organisations was considered. This research is part of a mixed method study which aimed to examine the perception of risk assessment and the extent to which organisations practise risk assessment’ tools and techniques. The study adopted a semi-structured questionnaire with qualitative and quantitative data analysis to include a range of public risk regulation organisations from the UK, Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The results indicated the public risk management organisations mainly use diverse tools and techniques in the risk assessment process. The primary hazard analysis; brainstorming; hazard analysis and critical control points were described as the most practiced risk identification techniques. Within qualitative and quantitative risk analysis, the participants named the expert judgement, risk probability and impact assessment, sensitivity analysis and data gathering and representation as the most practised techniques.

Keywords: decision-making, public risk management organisations, risk assessment, tools and techniques

Procedia PDF Downloads 276