Search results for: lean tools and techniques
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 10473

Search results for: lean tools and techniques

7023 The Use of Mobile Phones by Refugees to Create Social Connectedness: A Literature Review

Authors: Sarah Vuningoma, Maria Rosa Lorini, Wallace Chigona

Abstract:

Mobile phones are one of the main tools for promoting the wellbeing of people and supporting the integration of communities on the margins such as refugees. Information and Communication Technology has the potential to contribute towards reducing isolation, loneliness, and to assist in improving interpersonal relations and fostering acculturation processes. Therefore, the use of mobile phones by refugees might contribute to their social connectedness. This paper aims to demonstrate how existing literature has shown how the use of mobile phones by refugees should engender social connectedness amongst the refugees. Data for the study are drawn from existing literature; we searched a number of electronic databases for papers published between 2010 and 2019. The main findings of the study relate to the use of mobile phones by refugees to (i) create a sense of belonging, (ii) maintain relationships, and (iii) advance the acculturation process. The analysis highlighted a gap in the research over refugees and social connectedness. In particular, further studies should consider evaluating the differences between those who have a refugee permit, those who are waiting for the refugee permit, and those whose request was denied.

Keywords: belonging, mobile phones, refugees, social connectedness

Procedia PDF Downloads 209
7022 Comparison of the Emotion Seeking and Attachment Styles of the Runaway and Normal Girls in Iran

Authors: Hassan Gharibi

Abstract:

This research aims to comparing the emotion seeking and attachment styles between runaway and normal girls. The statistical population consisted of 80 (13-25 year-old) girls were selected among runaway girls and normal girls(40 runaway girls +40 normal girls). Normal girls were matched with the runaway girls in demographic features and selected by simple random method. Measuring tools in this research include the 1993 Shaver and Hazan attachment style scale and the Arent emotion seeking scale. Data analyzed by independent t test. Findings showed that there is no significant difference between two groups of girls in ambivalent and avoidant attachment styles. Secure attachment style rate in normal girls is more than runaway girls. Findings showed significant difference of insecure attachment style (avoidant and ambivalent styles together) between the two groups bout in variable of emotion seeking there is no significant difference.

Keywords: attachment styles, emotion seeking, runaway, girls

Procedia PDF Downloads 161
7021 PEA Design of the Direct Control for Training Motor Drives

Authors: Abdulatif Abdulsalam Mohamed Shaban

Abstract:

This paper states that the art of Procedure Entry Array (PEA) plan with a focus on control system applications. This paper begins with an impression of PEA technology development, followed by an arrangement of design technologies, and the use of programmable description languages and system-level design tools. They allow a practical approach based on a unique model for complete engineering electronics systems. There are three main design rules are implemented in the system. These are algorithm based fine-tuning, modularity, and the control act and the architectural constraints. An overview of contributions and limits of PEAs is also given, followed by a short survey of PEA-based gifted controllers for recent engineering systems. Finally, two complete and timely case studies are presented to illustrate the benefits of a PEA implementation when using the proposed system modelling and devise attitude. These consist of the direct control for training motor drives and the control of a diesel-driven stand-alone generator with the help of logical design.

Keywords: control (DC), engineering electronics systems, training motor drives, procedure entry array

Procedia PDF Downloads 516
7020 Strategic Tools for Entrepreneurship: Model Proposal for Manufacturing Companies

Authors: Chiara Mansanta, Daniela Sani

Abstract:

The present paper presents the further development of the application of a standard methodology to boost innovation inside real case studies of manufacturing companies. The proposed methodology provides a viable solution for manufacturing companies that have to evaluate new business ideas. The study underlined the concept of entrepreneurship and how a manager can use it to promote innovation inside their companies. Starting from a literature study on entrepreneurship, this paper examines the role of the manager in supporting a company’s development. The empirical part of the study is based on two manufacturing companies that used the proposed methodology to favour entrepreneurship through an alternative approach. The research demonstrated the need for companies to have a structured and well-defined methodology to achieve their goals. The purpose of this article is to understand the significance of business models inside companies and explore how they affect business strategy and innovation management. The idea is to use business models to support entrepreneurs in their decision-making processes, reducing risks and avoiding errors.

Keywords: entrepreneurship, manufacturing companies, solution validation, strategic management

Procedia PDF Downloads 100
7019 Mood Recognition Using Indian Music

Authors: Vishwa Joshi

Abstract:

The study of mood recognition in the field of music has gained a lot of momentum in the recent years with machine learning and data mining techniques and many audio features contributing considerably to analyze and identify the relation of mood plus music. In this paper we consider the same idea forward and come up with making an effort to build a system for automatic recognition of mood underlying the audio song’s clips by mining their audio features and have evaluated several data classification algorithms in order to learn, train and test the model describing the moods of these audio songs and developed an open source framework. Before classification, Preprocessing and Feature Extraction phase is necessary for removing noise and gathering features respectively.

Keywords: music, mood, features, classification

Procedia PDF Downloads 503
7018 Using Nature-Based Solutions to Decarbonize Buildings in Canadian Cities

Authors: Zahra Jandaghian, Mehdi Ghobadi, Michal Bartko, Alex Hayes, Marianne Armstrong, Alexandra Thompson, Michael Lacasse

Abstract:

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report stated the urgent need to cut greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the adverse impacts of climatic changes. The United Nations has forecasted that nearly 70 percent of people will live in urban areas by 2050 resulting in a doubling of the global building stock. Given that buildings are currently recognised as emitting 40 percent of global carbon emissions, there is thus an urgent incentive to decarbonize existing buildings and to build net-zero carbon buildings. To attain net zero carbon emissions in communities in the future requires action in two directions: I) reduction of emissions; and II) removal of on-going emissions from the atmosphere once de-carbonization measures have been implemented. Nature-based solutions (NBS) have a significant role to play in achieving net zero carbon communities, spanning both emission reductions and removal of on-going emissions. NBS for the decarbonisation of buildings can be achieved by using green roofs and green walls – increasing vertical and horizontal vegetation on the building envelopes – and using nature-based materials that either emit less heat to the atmosphere thus decreasing photochemical reaction rates, or store substantial amount of carbon during the whole building service life within their structure. The NBS approach can also mitigate urban flooding and overheating, improve urban climate and air quality, and provide better living conditions for the urban population. For existing buildings, de-carbonization mostly requires retrofitting existing envelopes efficiently to use NBS techniques whereas for future construction, de-carbonization involves designing new buildings with low carbon materials as well as having the integrity and system capacity to effectively employ NBS. This paper presents the opportunities and challenges in respect to the de-carbonization of buildings using NBS for both building retrofits and new construction. This review documents the effectiveness of NBS to de-carbonize Canadian buildings, identifies the missing links to implement these techniques in cold climatic conditions, and determine a road map and immediate approaches to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change such as urban heat islanding. Recommendations are drafted for possible inclusion in the Canadian building and energy codes.

Keywords: decarbonization, nature-based solutions, GHG emissions, greenery enhancement, buildings

Procedia PDF Downloads 97
7017 The School Threshold's Identity as a Place for Interaction: Research Project with the Participation of Elementary-School Children

Authors: Natalia Bazaiou

Abstract:

The school entrance is one of the most important places in the everyday lives of children. As an intersection between school and public realm of the city, it is characterized by gradations of porous and rigid boundaries. Depending on its function, it can serve as a threshold or as a boundary. Additionally, it is a spatial condition that facilitates a dialogue between the school and the city and draws content from both. School thresholds are important in supporting the role of the school as an important node in the city and a bridge between children's various everyday life dynamics by demonstrating prominent usage and meaning as a place that is open to the community as well as to possibilities and physical interaction. In this research, we examine the role of the "realm of the in-between" between school and city through the architecture workshops for children at Hill Memorial School in Athens, in which we explore children's perceptions, wishes, and ideas related to their familiar everyday places of transition from school to city and vice versa. Also discussed in the presentation are the writings of Herman Hertzberger, Aldo Van Eyck, Jaap Bakema and others.

Keywords: threshold, city, play, identity, cinematic tools, children, school architecture

Procedia PDF Downloads 86
7016 Strategic Role of Fintechs in Evolving Financial Functions and Enhancing Corporate Resilience amid Economic Crises

Authors: Ghizlane Barzi, Zineb Bamousse

Abstract:

In an increasingly volatile global economic context characterized by recurring crises, the financial function of companies is called upon to play a strategic role not only in resource management but also in organizational resilience. The emergence of financial technologies (fintech) offers innovative tools capable of transforming this function by enhancing the efficiency of financial processes and increasing companies' ability to adapt and overcome economic shocks. However, despite the rapid rise of fintechs and their growing adoption by companies, there remain uncertainties regarding the real impact of these innovations on the financial resilience of organizations. Indeed, how do fintech-driven innovations transform the financial function, and to what extent does this transformation contribute to strengthening the financial resilience of companies in the face of contemporary crises? This research aims to explore these questions by examining the interrelationships between the financial function, fintech innovations, and corporate resilience, in order to identify optimization levers that could be adopted for better financial risk management.

Keywords: finance, financial function, fintech, resilience, innovation

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7015 Traffic Congestion: Causes, Consequences, and Planning Solutions

Authors: Raj Kumar Kama, Rajshree Kamat

Abstract:

Traffic congestion is a serious problem that is to be considered, and it is increasing day-by-day in urban areas that is seriously affecting the urban society. From the study, it is understood that increased urbanization and growth of population are the principal causes of congestion. It has adverse effects on society, economy, environment, and health. This study mainly focussed on studying and understanding the causes of congestion, consequences faced by urban society, and planning solutions to mitigate congestion. Techniques like transit oriented development (TOD) and integrated transport systems are more effective in mitigating traffic congestion.

Keywords: traffic congestion, transit oriented development, integrated transport system, urbanization

Procedia PDF Downloads 313
7014 A Method to Identify Areas for Hydraulic Fracturing by Using Production Logging Tools

Authors: Armin Shirbazo, Hamed Lamei Ramandi, Mohammad Vahab, Jalal Fahimpour

Abstract:

Hydraulic fracturing, especially multi-stage hydraulic fracturing, is a practical solution for wells with uneconomic production. The wide range of applications is appraised appropriately to have a stable well-production. Production logging tool, which is known as PLT in the oil and gas industry, is counted as one of the most reliable methods to evaluate the efficiency of fractures jobs. This tool has a number of benefits and can be used to prevent subsequent production failure. It also distinguishes different problems that occurred during well-production. In this study, the effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing jobs is examined by using the PLT in various cases and situations. The performance of hydraulically fractured wells is investigated. Then, the PLT is employed to gives more information about the properties of different layers. The PLT is also used to selecting an optimum fracturing design. The results show that one fracture and three-stage fractures behave differently. In general, the one-stage fracture should be created in high-quality areas of the reservoir to have better performance, and conversely, in three-stage fractures, low-quality areas are a better candidate for fracturing

Keywords: multi-stage fracturing, horizontal well, PLT, fracture length, number of stages

Procedia PDF Downloads 198
7013 Technological Developments in Logistics and its Applications in the Army

Authors: Gökhan Balci

Abstract:

“Armies march on their stomachs “mentioned Napoleon, who drew attentıon to the importance of logistics for the armies…In today’s World, in whıch continental trade gained importance, the crucial role of logistics became conspicuous since it was accepted by the business World that an effective logistics system is the key factor for success. Depending of the new developments in technology and techniques of logistics, the modern military institutions increase their effectiveness. The modern national armies or allied forces which operate in overseas, realize the importance of logistics as well. This study will focus on the applications of logistics in civilian business sector and modern armies, which may shed light on logistical problems of the other armies.

Keywords: modern logistics, application in armies, new technology in logistics, new developments in technology

Procedia PDF Downloads 495
7012 Methodology for the Analysis of Energy Efficiency in Pneumatics Systems

Authors: Mario Lupaca, Karol Munoz, Victor De Negri

Abstract:

The present article presents a methodology for the improvement of the energy efficiency in pneumatic systems through the restoring of air. In this way, three techniques of expansion of a cylinder are identified: Expansion using the air of the compressor (conventional), restoring the air (efficient), and combining the air of the compressor and the restored air (hybrid). The methodology starts with the development of the GRAFCET of the system so that it can be decided whether to expand the cylinder in a conventional, efficient, or hybrid way. The methodology can be applied to any case. Finally, graphs of comparison between the three methods of expansion with certain cylinder strokes and workloads are presented, to facilitate the subsequent selection of one system or another.

Keywords: energetic, efficiency, GRAFCET, methodology, pneumatic

Procedia PDF Downloads 315
7011 OCR/ICR Text Recognition Using ABBYY FineReader as an Example Text

Authors: A. R. Bagirzade, A. Sh. Najafova, S. M. Yessirkepova, E. S. Albert

Abstract:

This article describes a text recognition method based on Optical Character Recognition (OCR). The features of the OCR method were examined using the ABBYY FineReader program. It describes automatic text recognition in images. OCR is necessary because optical input devices can only transmit raster graphics as a result. Text recognition describes the task of recognizing letters shown as such, to identify and assign them an assigned numerical value in accordance with the usual text encoding (ASCII, Unicode). The peculiarity of this study conducted by the authors using the example of the ABBYY FineReader, was confirmed and shown in practice, the improvement of digital text recognition platforms developed by Electronic Publication.

Keywords: ABBYY FineReader system, algorithm symbol recognition, OCR/ICR techniques, recognition technologies

Procedia PDF Downloads 174
7010 Learning to Learn: A Course on Language Learning Strategies

Authors: Hélène Knoerr

Abstract:

In an increasingly global world, more and more international students attend academic courses and programs in a second or foreign language, and local students register in language learning classes in order to improve their employability. These students need to quickly become proficient in the new language. How can we, as administrators, curriculum developers and teachers, make sure that they have the tools they need in order to develop their language skills in an academic context? This paper will describe the development and implementation of a new course, Learning to learn, as part of the Major in French/English as a Second Language at the University of Ottawa. This academic program was recently completely overhauled in order to reflect the current approaches in language learning (more specifically, the action-oriented approach as embodied in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, and the concept of life-long autonomous learning). The course itself is based on research on language learning strategies, with a particular focus on the characteristics of the “good language learner”. We will present the methodological and pedagogical foundations, describe the course objectives and learning outcomes, the language learning strategies, and the classroom activities. The paper will conclude with students’ feedback and suggest avenues for further exploration.

Keywords: curriculum development, language learning, learning strategies, second language

Procedia PDF Downloads 415
7009 Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Daucus Gracilis Extracts

Authors: El Kolli Meriem, Laouer Hocine, Sahli Farida, Akkal Salah, El Kolli Hayet

Abstract:

The aerial parts of Daucus gracilis (Apiaceae) were subjected to hydrodistillation by a Clevenger apparatus to obtain the essential oil (EO) which has been analyzed by Gas Chromatography (GC) and GC coupled with mass spectrometry. The antioxidant properties of this EO and D. gracilis methanolic extract were studied by both of the free diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and the reducing power techniques. The dominant constituents of the EO were the elemicin (35.3 %) and the geranyl acetate (26.8 %). Both of EO and methanolic extract showed important antioxidant properties with respectively IC50 of 0,002 mg/ml and 0.06 mg/ml. They showed also a reducing power dose-dependent.

Keywords: daucus gracilis, apiaceae, essential oil, antioxidant activity

Procedia PDF Downloads 349
7008 Application of Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm for Design and Development of Net Zero Energy Residential Building in Ahmedabad, India

Authors: Debasis Sarkar

Abstract:

This paper aims to apply the Grasshopper-Optimization-Algorithm (GOA) for designing and developing a Net-Zero-Energy residential building for a mega-city like Ahmedabad in India. The methodology implemented includes advanced tools like Revit for model creation and MATLAB for simulation, enabling the optimization of the building design. GOA has been applied in reducing cooling loads and overall energy consumption through optimized passive design features. For the attainment of a net zero energy mission, solar panels were installed on the roof of the building. It has been observed that the energy consumption of 8490 kWh was supported by the installed solar panels. Thereby only 840kWh had to be supported by non-renewable energy sources. The energy consumption was further reduced through the application of simulation and optimization methods like GOA, which further reduced the energy consumption to about 37.56 kWh per month from April to July when energy demand was at its peak. This endeavor aimed to achieve near-zero-energy consumption, showcasing the potential of renewable energy integration in building sustainability.

Keywords: grasshopper optimization algorithm, net zero energy, residential building, sustainable design

Procedia PDF Downloads 44
7007 Investigation of Utilization Possibility of Fluid Gas Desulfurization Waste for Industrial Waste Water Treatment

Authors: S. Kızıltas Demir, A. S. Kipcak, E. Moroydor Derun, N. Tugrul, S. Piskin

Abstract:

Flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGD) is a waste material arouse from coal power plants. Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is a biomaterial with porous structure. In this study, FGD gypsum which retrieved from coal power plant in Turkey was characterized and HAP particles which can be used as an adsorbent in wastewater treatment application were synthesized from the FGD gypsum. The raw materials are characterized by using X Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) techniques and produced HAP are characterized by using XRD. As a result, HAP particles were synthesized at the molar ratio of 5:10, 5:15, 5:20, 5:24, at room temperature, in alkaline medium (pH=11) and in 1 hour-reaction time. Among these conditions, 5:20 had the best result.

Keywords: FGD wastes, HAP, phosphogypsum, waste water

Procedia PDF Downloads 362
7006 A Change in Psychological Child Development Case Study on Animation Film Tom and Jerry

Authors: Shani Ruri Efendi, Lucky Tio Monika, Prita Esita

Abstract:

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to know the negative impact of the animated film show Tom & Jerry, how it might affect the changes of psychological child development, if this affects the development growth of children's behaviour and advice from the case of psychology as a solution to such problems Design/methodology/approach: The paper’s findings are based on an experimental method in conducting the test. The experiment lasted for 6 days at elementary school children aged from 6-7 years. Findings: The results of the analysis can be found that pictorial questionnaire which is one of the test tools in the study had no significant effect and also using IQ test is one test tool in the study of positive and significant influence of television has changed the way of thinking in children. Originality/value: This research tries to dig more into the negative influence of animated film Tom and Jerry as a negative influence on the development of children who may have the implementation of the child's behaviour in life.

Keywords: child development, animated film, Tom and Jerry, elementary school children

Procedia PDF Downloads 773
7005 Portrayal of Women in Television Advertisement

Authors: Priya Sarah Vijoy

Abstract:

The aim of this study is to analyze the Portrayal of women in Television Advertisements. This research study is conducted to analyze how women are portrayed in Television Advertisements. Advertising dates back to several hundreds of years. Right from the beginning, the seller wanted his goods to be sold and he used various techniques for achieving his objective. Advertisements have consistently confined women to traditional mother, home, or beauty/sex-oriented roles that are not representative of women’s diversity. Currently, in our society the television stereotyping of woman is the dominating forces in the media that degrade women and limit their representation. Thus the study analyzes how women are portrayed in Television advertisements and find whether roles of women in Television Advertisement are related to the product or not.

Keywords: advertising, stereotyping, television, women

Procedia PDF Downloads 446
7004 Semi-Automatic Method to Assist Expert for Association Rules Validation

Authors: Amdouni Hamida, Gammoudi Mohamed Mohsen

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In order to help the expert to validate association rules extracted from data, some quality measures are proposed in the literature. We distinguish two categories: objective and subjective measures. The first one depends on a fixed threshold and on data quality from which the rules are extracted. The second one consists on providing to the expert some tools in the objective to explore and visualize rules during the evaluation step. However, the number of extracted rules to validate remains high. Thus, the manually mining rules task is very hard. To solve this problem, we propose, in this paper, a semi-automatic method to assist the expert during the association rule's validation. Our method uses rule-based classification as follow: (i) We transform association rules into classification rules (classifiers), (ii) We use the generated classifiers for data classification. (iii) We visualize association rules with their quality classification to give an idea to the expert and to assist him during validation process.

Keywords: association rules, rule-based classification, classification quality, validation

Procedia PDF Downloads 444
7003 Tension-Free Vaginal Tape Secur (TVT Secur) versus Tension-Free Vaginal Tape-Obturator (TVT-O) from inside to outside in Surgical Management of Genuine Stress Urinary Incontinence

Authors: Ibrahim Mohamed Ibrahim Hassanin, Hany Hassan Mostafa, Mona Mohamed Shaban, Ahlam El Said Kamel

Abstract:

Background: New so-called minimally invasive devices have been developed to limit groin pain after sling placement for treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) to minimize the risk of postoperative pain and organ perforation. A new generation of suburethral slings was described that avoided skin incision to pull out and tension the sling. Evaluation of this device through prospective short-term series has shown controversial results compared with other tension-free techniques. The aim of this study is to compare success rates and complications for tension-free vaginal tape secur (TVT secur) and trans-obturator sub urethral tape inside-out technique (TVT-O) for treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Materials and Methods: Fifty patients with genuine SUI were divided into two groups: group S (n=25) were operated upon using (TVT secur) and group O (n=25) were operated upon using trans-obturator suburethral tape inside-out technique (TVT-O). Success rate, quality of life and postoperative complications such as groin pain, urgency, urine retention and vaginal tape erosion were reported in both groups at one, three, and six months after surgery. Results: As regards objective cure rate at one, three, six months intervals; there was a significant difference between group S (56%, 64%, and 60%), and group O (80%, 88%, and 88%) respectively (P <0.05). As regards subjective cure rate at one, three, six months intervals; there was a significant difference between group S (44%, 44%, and 48%), and group O (76%, 80%, and 80%) respectively (P <0.05). Quality of life (QoL) parameters improved significantly in cured patients with no difference between both groups. As regards complications, group O had a higher frequency of complications than group S; groin pain (12% vs 12% p= 0.05), urgency (4% (1 case) vs 0%), urine retention (8% (2 cases) vs 0%), vaginal tape erosion (4% (1 case) vs 0%). No cases were complicated with wound infection. Conclusion: Compared to TVT secur, TVT-O showed higher subjective and objective cure rates after six months but higher rate of complications. Both techniques were comparable as regards improvement of quality of life after surgery.

Keywords: stress urinary incontinence, trans-vaginal tape-obturator, TVT Secur, TVT-O

Procedia PDF Downloads 365
7002 Educational Framework for Coaches on Injury Prevention in Adolescent Team Sports

Authors: Chantell Gouws, Lourens Millard, Anne Naude, Jan-Wessel Meyer, Brandon Stuwart Shaw, Ina Shaw

Abstract:

Background: Millions of South African youths participate in team sports, with netball and rugby being two of the largest worldwide. This increased participation and professionalism have resulted in an increase in the number of musculoskeletal injuries. Objective: This study examined the extent to which sport coaching knowledge translates to the injuries and prevention of injuries in adolescents participating in netball and rugby. Methods: Thirty-four South African sports coaches participated in the study. Eighteen netball coaches and 16 rugby coaches with varying levels of coaching experience were selected to participate. An adapted version of Nash and Sproule’s questionnaire was used to investigate the coaches’ knowledge with regards to sport-specific common injuries, injury prevention, fitness/conditioning, individual technique development, training programs, mental training, and preparation of players. The analysis of data was carried out using a number of different techniques outlined by Nash and Sproule (2012). These techniques were determined by the type of data. Descriptive data was used to provide statistical analysis. Quantitative data was used to determine the educational framework and knowledge of sports coaches on injury prevention. Numerical data was obtained through questions on sports injuries, as well as coaches’ sports knowledge levels. Participants’ knowledge was measured using a standardized scoring system. Results: For the 0-4 years of netball coaching experience, 76.4% of the coaches had knowledge and experience and 33.3% appropriate first aid knowledge, while for the 9-12 years and 13-16 years, 100% of the coaches had knowledge and experience and first aid knowledge. For the 0-4 years in rugby coaching experience, 59.1% had knowledge and experience and 71% the appropriate first aid knowledge; for the 17-20 years, 100% had knowledge and experience and first aid, while for higher or equal to 25 years, 45.5% had knowledge and experience. In netball, 90% of injuries consisted of ankle injuries, followed by 70% for knee, 50% for shoulder, 20% for lower leg, and 15% for finger injuries. In rugby, 81% of the injuries occurred at the knee, followed by 50% for the shoulder, 40% for the ankle, 31% for the head and neck, and 25% for hamstring injuries. Six hours of training resulted in a 13% chance of injuries in netball and a 32% chance in rugby. For 10 hours of training, the injury prevalence was 10% in netball and 17% in rugby, while 15 hours resulted in an injury incidence of 58% in netball players and a 25% chance in rugby players. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for coaches to improve their knowledge in relation to injuries and injury prevention, along with factors that act as a preventative measure and promotes players’ well-being.

Keywords: musculoskeletal injury, sport coaching, sport trauma

Procedia PDF Downloads 164
7001 Pragmatic Survey of Precedence as Linguistic 'Déjà Vu' in Political Text and Talk

Authors: Zarine Avetisyan

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Both in language and literature there exists the theory of recurrence of text and talk chunks which brings us to the notion of precedence. It must be stated that precedence as a pragma-linguistic phenomenon is yet underknown and it is the main objective of the present research to revisit and reveal it thoroughly. In line with the main research objective, analysis of political text and talk provides abundant relevant data for the illustration of the phenomenon of precedence. The analysis focuses on certain pragmatic universals (e.g. intention) and categories (e.g. speech techniques) which lead to the disclosure of the present object of study.

Keywords: intention, precedence, political discourse, pragmatic universals

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7000 From Biosensors towards Artificial Intelligence: A New Era in Toxoplasmosis Diagnostics and Therapeutics

Authors: Gehan Labib Abuelenain, Azza Fahmi, Salma Awad Mahmoud

Abstract:

Toxoplasmosis is a global parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), with a high infection rate that affects one third of the human population and results in severe implications in pregnant women, neonates, and immunocompromised patients. Anti-parasitic treatments and schemes available against toxoplasmosis have barely evolved over the last two decades. The available T. gondii therapeutics cannot completely eradicate tissue cysts produced by the parasite and are not well-tolerated by immunocompromised patients. This work aims to highlight new trends in Toxoplasma gondii diagnosis by providing a comprehensive overview of the field, summarizing recent findings, and discussing the new technological advancements in toxoplasma diagnosis and treatment. Advancements in therapeutics utilizing trends in molecular biophysics, such as biosensors, epigenetics, and artificial intelligence (AI), might provide solutions for disease management and prevention. These insights will provide tools to identify research gaps and proffer planning options for disease control.

Keywords: toxoplamosis, diagnosis, therapeutics, biosensors, AI

Procedia PDF Downloads 43
6999 Taguchi Approach for the Optimization of the Stitching Defects of Knitted Garments

Authors: Adel El-Hadidy

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For any industry, the production and quality management or wastages reductions have major impingement on overall factory economy. This work discusses the quality improvement of garment industry by applying Pareto analysis, cause and effect diagram and Taguchi experimental design. The main purpose of the work is to reduce the stitching defects, which will also minimize the rejection and reworks rate. Application of Pareto chart, fish bone diagram and Process Sigma Level/and or Performance Level tools helps solving those problems on priority basis. Among all, only sewing, defects are responsible form 69.3% to 97.3 % of total defects. Process Sigma level has been improved from 0.79 to 1.3 and performance rate improved, from F to D level. The results showed that the new set of sewing parameters was superior to the original one. It can be seen that fabric size has the largest effect on the sewing defects and that needle size has the smallest effect on the stitching defects.

Keywords: garment, sewing defects, cost of rework, DMAIC, sigma level, cause and effect diagram, Pareto analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 169
6998 Clustering-Based Detection of Alzheimer's Disease Using Brain MR Images

Authors: Sofia Matoug, Amr Abdel-Dayem

Abstract:

This paper presents a comprehensive survey of recent research studies to segment and classify brain MR (magnetic resonance) images in order to detect significant changes to brain ventricles. The paper also presents a general framework for detecting regions that atrophy, which can help neurologists in detecting and staging Alzheimer. Furthermore, a prototype was implemented to segment brain MR images in order to extract the region of interest (ROI) and then, a classifier was employed to differentiate between normal and abnormal brain tissues. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme can provide a reliable second opinion that neurologists can benefit from.

Keywords: Alzheimer, brain images, classification techniques, Magnetic Resonance Images MRI

Procedia PDF Downloads 306
6997 Overview of Resources and Tools to Bridge Language Barriers Provided by the European Union

Authors: Barbara Heinisch, Mikael Snaprud

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A common, well understood language is crucial in critical situations like landing a plane. For e-Government solutions, a clear and common language is needed to allow users to successfully complete transactions online. Misunderstandings here may not risk a safe landing but can cause delays, resubmissions and drive costs. This holds also true for higher education, where misunderstandings can also arise due to inconsistent use of terminology. Thus, language barriers are a societal challenge that needs to be tackled. The major means to bridge language barriers is translation. However, achieving high-quality translation and making texts understandable and accessible require certain framework conditions. Therefore, the EU and individual projects take (strategic) actions. These actions include the identification, collection, processing, re-use and development of language resources. These language resources may be used for the development of machine translation systems and the provision of (public) services including higher education. This paper outlines some of the existing resources and indicate directions for further development to increase the quality and usage of these resources.

Keywords: language resources, machine translation, terminology, translation

Procedia PDF Downloads 321
6996 An Integrated Cloud Service of Application Delivery in Virtualized Environments

Authors: Shuen-Tai Wang, Yu-Ching Lin, Hsi-Ya Chang

Abstract:

Virtualization technologies are experiencing a renewed interest as a way to improve system reliability, and availability, reduce costs, and provide flexibility. This paper presents the development on leverage existing cloud infrastructure and virtualization tools. We adopted some virtualization technologies which improve portability, manageability and compatibility of applications by encapsulating them from the underlying operating system on which they are executed. Given the development of application virtualization, it allows shifting the user’s applications from the traditional PC environment to the virtualized environment, which is stored on a remote virtual machine rather than locally. This proposed effort has the potential to positively provide an efficient, resilience and elastic environment for online cloud service. Users no longer need to burden the platform maintenance and drastically reduces the overall cost of hardware and software licenses. Moreover, this flexible and web-based application virtualization service represent the next significant step to the mobile workplace, and it lets user executes their applications from virtually anywhere.

Keywords: cloud service, application virtualization, virtual machine, elastic environment

Procedia PDF Downloads 288
6995 Heterogeneous Intelligence Traders and Market Efficiency: New Evidence from Computational Approach in Artificial Stock Markets

Authors: Yosra Mefteh Rekik

Abstract:

A computational agent-based model of financial markets stresses interactions and dynamics among a very diverse set of traders. The growing body of research in this area relies heavily on computational tools which by-pass the restrictions of an analytical method. The main goal of this research is to understand how the stock market operates and behaves how to invest in the stock market and to study traders’ behavior within the context of the artificial stock markets populated by heterogeneous agents. All agents are characterized by adaptive learning behavior represented by the Artificial Neuron Networks. By using agent-based simulations on artificial market, we show that the existence of heterogeneous agents can explain the price dynamics in the financial market. We investigate the relation between market diversity and market efficiency. Our empirical findings demonstrate that greater market heterogeneity play key roles in market efficiency.

Keywords: agent-based modeling, artificial stock market, heterogeneous expectations, financial stylized facts, computational finance

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6994 Fiqh Challenge in Production of Halal Pharmaceutical Products

Authors: Saadan Man, Razidah Othmanjaludin, Madiha Baharuddin

Abstract:

Nowadays, the pharmaceutical products are produced through the mixing of active and complex ingredient, naturally or synthetically; and involve extensive use of prohibited animal products. This article studies the challenges faced from fiqh perspective in the production of halal pharmaceutical products which frequently contain impure elements or prohibited animal derivatives according to Islamic law. This study is qualitative which adopts library research as well as field research by conducting series of interviews with the several related parties. The gathered data is analyzed from Sharia perspective by using some instruments especially the principle of Maqasid of Sharia. This study shows that the halal status of pharmaceutical products depends on the three basic elements: the sources of the basic ingredient; the processes involved in three phases of production, i.e., before, during and after; and the possible effects of the products. Various fiqh challenges need to be traversed in producing halal pharmaceutical products including the sources of the ingredients, the logistic process, the tools used, and the procedures of productions. Thus, the whole supply chain of production of pharmaceutical products must be well managed in accordance to the halal standard.

Keywords: fiqh, halal pharmaceutical, pharmaceutical products, Malaysia

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