Search results for: magnetizing current

Authors: Mehrdad Ebrahimi, Oliver Schmitz, Axel Schmidt, Peter Czermak

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“Produced water” (PW) is any fossil water that is brought to the surface along with crude oil or natural gas. By far, PW is the largest waste stream by volume associated with oil and gas production operations. Due to the increasing volume of waste all over the world in the current decade, the outcome and effect of discharging PW on the environment has lately become a significant issue of environmental concerns. Therefore, there is a need for new technologies for PW treatment due to increase focus on water conservation and environmental regulation. The use of membrane processes for treatment of PW has several advantages over many of the traditional separation techniques. In oilfield produced water treatment with ceramic membranes, process efficiency is characterized by the specific permeate flux and by the oil separation performance. Apart from the membrane properties, the permeate flux during filtration of oily wastewaters is known to be strongly dependent on the constituents of the feed solution, as well as on process conditions, e.g. trans-membrane pressure (TMP) and cross-flow velocity (CFV). The research project presented in these report describes the application of different ceramic membrane filtration technologies for the efficient treatment of oil-field produced water and different model oily solutions.

Keywords: ceramic membrane, membrane fouling, oil rejection, produced water treatment

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Authors: Zahid Ullah, Atlas Khan

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The presented research is dedicated to an extensive examination of the regularity properties associated with a specific class of equations, namely extremely degenerate elliptic equations. This study holds significance in unraveling the complexities inherent in these equations and understanding the smoothness of their solutions. The focus is on analyzing the regularity of results, aiming to contribute to the broader field of mathematical theory. By delving into the intricacies of extremely degenerate elliptic equations, the research seeks to advance our understanding beyond conventional analyses, addressing challenges posed by degeneracy and pushing the boundaries of classical analytical methods. The motivation for this exploration lies in the practical applicability of mathematical models, particularly in real-world scenarios where physical phenomena exhibit characteristics that challenge traditional mathematical modeling. The research aspires to fill gaps in the current understanding of regularity properties within solutions to extremely degenerate elliptic equations, ultimately contributing to both theoretical foundations and practical applications in diverse scientific fields.

Keywords: investigating smoothness, extremely degenerate elliptic equations, regularity properties, mathematical analysis, complexity solutions

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Authors: I. Benmehdi, O. Hasnaoui, N. Hachemi, M. Bouazza

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The Understanding of the mechanisms structuring of plant diversity in the region of Tlemcen (western Algeria) is a related problem. The current floristic composition of different groups in Pistacia lentiscus L. resulting from the combination of human and climate action. This study is devoted to biodiversity inventory and phytogeographic characterization of Pistacia lentiscus groups in the Honaine coastal (western Algeria). The floristic inventory (150 levels) made in three stations of the study area allowed to count a 109 species belonging to 44 families of vascular plants. The biogeographical analysis of the Pistacia lentiscus groups reveals the most representative elements. The Mediterranean elements are numerically the most dominant with 39.45% represented by: Pistacia lentiscus, Cistus monspeliensis, Plantago lagopus, Linum strictum, Echium vulgare; followed by the western Mediterranean elements with 10.09% and are represented by: Chamaerops humilis, Lavandula dentata, Ampelodesma mauritanicum and Iris xyphium. However, this phytotaxonomic wealth is exposed to anthropogenic impact causing its disruption see its decline.

Keywords: Pistacia lentiscus L., phytodiversity, phytogeography, honaine, western Algeria

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Authors: Lucie Litvack, Malaz Elsaddig, Kevin Jones

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There is strong evidence to support the efficacy of the World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist in improving patient safety; however, its use can be associated with difficulties. This study uses qualitative data collected in Kitovu Healthcare Complex, a rural Ugandan hospital, to identify factors that may influence the use of the checklist in a low-income setting. Potential barriers to and motivators for the hospital’s use of this checklist are identified and explored through observations of current patient safety practices; semi-structured interviews with theatre staff; a focus group with doctors; and trial implementation of the checklist. Barriers identified include the institutional context; knowledge and understanding; patient safety culture; resources and checklist contents. Motivators for correct use include prior knowledge; team attitudes; and a hospital advocate. Challenges are complex and unique to this socioeconomic context. Stepwise change to improve patient safety practices, local champions, whole team training, and checklist modification may assist the implementation and sustainable use of the checklist in an effective way.

Keywords: anaesthesia, patient safety, Uganda, WHO surgical safety checklist

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Authors: Rizwan Ullah, Abdar Ali, Zahid Ullah

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This paper illustrates the study of three isolated zero voltage switched (ZVS) PWM full bridge (FB) converters to charge the high voltage battery in the charger of electric vehicle (EV). EV battery chargers have several challenges such as high efficiency, high reliability, low cost, isolation, and high power density. The cost of magnetic and filter components in the battery charger is reduced when switching frequency is increased. The increase in the switching frequency increases switching losses. ZVS is used to reduce switching losses and to operate the converter in the battery charger at high frequency. The performance of each of the three converters is evaluated on the basis of ZVS range, dead times of the switches, conduction losses of switches, circulating current stress, circulating energy, duty cycle loss, and efficiency. The limitations and merits of each PWM FB converter are reviewed. The converter with broader ZVS range, high efficiency and low switch stresses is selected for battery charger applications in EV.

Keywords: electric vehicle, PWM FB converter, zero voltage switching, circulating energy

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Authors: Haitam Emhemad, Brian Agnew, David Greenwood

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Amongst the many priorities facing Libya following the 2011 uprising is the provision of a transport infrastructure that will meet the nation’s needs and not undermine its prospects for economic prosperity as with many developing economies non-technical issues such as management, planning and financing are the major barriers to the efficient and effective provision of transport infrastructure. This is particularly true in the case of the effective incorporation of sustainability criteria, and the research upon which this paper is based involves the examination of alternative ways of approaching this problem. It is probably fair to say that criteria that relate to sustainability have not, historically, featured strongly in Libya’s approach to the development of its transport infrastructure. However, the current reappraisal of how best to redevelop the country’s transport infrastructure that has been afforded by recent events may offer the opportunity to alter this. The research examines recent case studies from a number of countries to explore ways in which sustainability has been included as a criterion for planning and procurement decisions. There will also be an in-depth investigation into the Libyan planning and legislative context to examine the feasibility of the introduction of such sustainability criteria into the process of planning and procurement of Libya’s transport infrastructure.

Keywords: Libya reconstruction, sustainability criteria, transport infrastructure, public transport

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Authors: Muhammad Waseem Akram

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The current study attempts to analyze the impact of business constraints on the growth potential and performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the electrical industry of Pakistan. Primary data have been utilized for the study collected from the electrical industry cluster in Sargodha, Pakistan. OLS regression is used to assess the impact of business constraints on the performance of SMEs by controlling the effect of Technology Level, Innovations, and Firm Size. To associate business constraints with the growth potential of SMEs, the study utilized Tetrachoric Correlation and Logistic Regression. Findings reveal that all the business constraints negatively affect the performance of SMEs in the electrical industry except Political Instability. Results of Tetrachoric Correlation show that all the business constraints are negatively correlated with the growth potential of SMEs. Logistic Regression results show that Energy Constraint, Inflation and Price Instability, and Bad Business Practices, all three business constraints cause to reduce the probability of income growth in sample SMEs.

Keywords: SMEs, business constraints, performance, growth potential

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Authors: Nawaporn Srisarankullawong

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This research is about the creating the design by the inspiration of the flowers, which were once planted in Suan Sunandha Palace. The researcher have conducted the research regarding the history of Suan Sunandha Palace and the flowers which have been planted in the palace’s garden, in order to use this research to create the new designs in the future. The objective are as follows; 1. To study the shape and the pattern of the flowers in Suan Sunandha Palace, in order to select a few of them as the model to create the new design. 2. In order to create the flower design from the flowers in Suan Sunandha Palace by using the current photograph of the flowers which were once used to be planted inside the palace and using adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop programs to create the patterns and the model. The result of the research: From the research, the researcher had selected three types of flowers to crate the pattern model; they are Allamanda, Orchids and Flamingo Plant. The details of the flowers had been reduced in order to show the simplicity and create the pattern model to use them for models, so three flowers had created three pattern models and they had been developed into six patterns, using universal artist techniques, so the pattern created are modern and they can be used for further decoration.

Keywords: patterns design, Suan Sunandha Palace, pattern of the flowers, visual arts and design

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Authors: Cheng-Hao Jiang, Mu-Xuan Tao

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The rigid diaphragm model may cause errors in the calculation of internal forces due to neglecting the in-plane deformation of the diaphragm. This paper thus studies the effects of different diaphragm in-plane models (including in-plane rigid model and in-plane flexible model) on the seismic performance of structures. Taking an actual industrial plant as an example, the seismic performance of the structure is predicted using different floor diaphragm models, and the analysis errors caused by different diaphragm in-plane models including deformation error and internal force error are calculated. Furthermore, the influence of the aspect ratio on the analysis errors is investigated. Finally, the code rationality is evaluated by assessing the analysis errors of the structure models whose floors were determined as rigid according to the code’s criterion. It is found that different floor models may cause great differences in the distribution of structural internal forces, and the current code may underestimate the influence of the floor in-plane effect.

Keywords: industrial plant, diaphragm, calculating error, code rationality

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Authors: Joann Douziech

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Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) possess characteristics that present both challenges and gifts. Individuals with IDD require and are worthy of intentional, strategic, and specialized support throughout their lifespan to ensure optimum quality-of-life outcomes. The current global advocacy movement advancing the rights of individuals with IDD emphasizes a high degree of choice over life decisions. For some individuals, this degree of choice results in a variety of negative health and well-being outcomes. Improving the quality of life outcomes requires the combination of a commitment to the rights of the individual with a responsibility to provide support and choice commensurate with individual capacity. A belief that individuals with IDD are capable of learning and they are worthy of being taught provides the foundation for a holistic model of support throughout their lifespan. This model is based on three pillars of engineering the environment, promoting skill development and maintenance, and staff support. In an ever-changing world, supporting quality of life requires attention to moments, phases, and changes in stages throughout the lifespan. Balancing these complexities with strategic, responsive, and dynamic interventions enhances the quality of life of individuals with ID throughout their lifespan.

Keywords: achieving optimum quality of life, comprehensive support, lifespan approach, philosophy and pedagogy

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Authors: E. Fredrick Rice

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Over the past three decades, a substantial body of academic literature has asserted that the pressure to maintain household income can negatively affect the personal well-being of breadwinners. Given that scholars have failed to thoroughly explore this phenomenon with breadwinners who are also business owners, theory has been underdeveloped in the entrepreneurial context. To identify the most appropriate theories to apply to entrepreneurs, the current paper utilized two approaches. First, a comprehensive bibliographic analysis was conducted focusing on works at the intersection of breadwinner status and well-being. Co-authorship and journal citation patterns highlighted relative resource theory as a boundary spanning approach with promising applications in the entrepreneurial space. To build upon this theory, regression analysis was performed using data from the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED). Empirical results showed evidence for the effects of breadwinner status and household income on entrepreneurial well-being. Further, the findings suggest that it is not merely income or job status that predicts well-being, but one’s relative financial contribution compared to that of one’s non-breadwinning organizationally employed partner. This paper offers insight into how breadwinner status can be studied in relation to the entrepreneurial personality.

Keywords: breadwinner, entrepreneurship, household income, well-being.

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Authors: Peris Wanjiku

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The objective of this paper is to describe the development and implications of a national nursing workforce analytical system in Kenya. Findings: Creating a national electronic nursing workforce analytical system provides more reliable information on nurses ‘national demographics, migration patterns, and workforce capacity and efficiency. Data analysis is most useful for human resources for health (HRH) planning when workforce capacity data can be linked to worksite staffing requirements. As a result of establishing this database, the Kenya Ministry of Health has improved its capability to assess its nursing workforce and document important workforce trends, such as out-migration. Current data identify the United States as the leading recipient country of Kenyan nurses. The overwhelming majority of Kenyan nurses who decide to out-migrate are amongst Kenya’s most qualified. Conclusions: The Kenya nursing database is a first step toward facilitating evidence-based decision-making in HRH. This database is unique to developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Establishing an electronic workforce database requires long-term investment and sustained support by national and global stakeholders.

Keywords: analytical, information, health, migration

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Authors: Herjuno Bagus Wicaksono, Emma Almira Fauni, Salma Amelia Dina

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The Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) states that, in an efficient capital market, price fully reflects the information available in the market. This theory has influenced many investors behavior in trading in the stock market. Advanced researches have been conducted to test the efficiency of the stock market in particular countries. Indonesia, as one of the emerging countries, has performed substantial growth in the past years. Hence, this paper aims to examine the efficiency of Islamic stock market in Indonesia in its weak form. The daily stock price data from Indonesia Sharia Stock Index (ISSI) for the period October 2015 to October 2016 were used to do the statistical tests: Run Test and Serial Correlation Test. The results show that there is no serial correlation between the current price with the past prices and the market follows the random walk. This research concludes that Indonesia Islamic stock market is weak form efficient.

Keywords: efficient market hypothesis, Indonesia sharia stock index, random walk, weak form efficiency

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Authors: Firas A. Al Laban, Mohamed Chabi, Sammani Danwawu Abdullahi

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There are a real needs to integrate types of Open Educational Resources (OER) with an intelligent system to extract information and knowledge in the semantic searching level. Those needs raised because most of current learning standard adopted web based learning and the e-learning systems does not always serve all educational goals. Semantic Web systems provide educators, students, and researchers with intelligent queries based on a semantic knowledge management learning system. An ontology-based learning system is an advanced system, where ontology plays the core of the semantic web in a smart learning environment. The objective of this paper is to discuss the potentials of ontologies and mapping different kinds of ontologies; heterogeneous or homogenous to manage and control different types of Open Educational Resources. The important contribution of this research is to approach a methodology uses logical rules and conceptual relations to map between ontologies of different educational resources. We expect from this methodology to establish for an intelligent educational system supporting student tutoring, self and lifelong learning system.

Keywords: knowledge management systems, ontologies, semantic web, open educational resources

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Authors: Alison C. Essary, Victor Trastek

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Introduction: The current state of the health care system in the U.S. is characterized by an unprecedented number of people living with multiple chronic conditions, unsustainable rise in health care costs, inadequate access to care, and wide variation in health outcomes throughout the country. An estimated two-thirds of Americans are living with two or more chronic conditions, contributing to 75% of all health care spending. In 2013, the School for the Science of Health Care Delivery (SHCD) was charged with redesigning the health care system through education and research. Faculty in business, law, and public policy, and thought leaders in health care delivery, administration, public health and health IT created undergraduate, graduate, and executive academic programs to address this pressing need. Faculty and students work across disciplines, and with community partners and employers to improve care delivery and increase value for patients. Methods: Curricula apply content in health care administration and operations within the clinical context. Graduate modules are team-taught by faculty across academic units to model team-based practice. Seminars, team-based assignments, faculty mentoring, and applied projects are integral to student success. Cohort-driven models enhance networking and collaboration. This observational study evaluated two years of admissions data, and one year of graduate data to assess program outcomes and inform the current graduate-level curricula. Descriptive statistics includes means, percentages. Results: Fall 2013, the program received 51 applications. The mean GPA of the entering class of 37 students was 3.38. Ninety-seven percent of the fall 2013 cohort successfully completed the program (n=35). Sixty-six percent are currently employed in the health care industry (n=23). Of the remaining 12 graduates, two successfully matriculated to medical school; one works in the original field of study; four await results on the MCAT or DAT, and five were lost to follow up. Attrition of one student was attributed to non-academic reasons. Fall 2014, the program expanded to include both on-ground and online cohorts. Applications were evenly distributed between on-ground (n=70) and online (n=68). Thirty-eight students enrolled in the on-ground program. The mean GPA was 3.95. Ninety-five percent of students successfully completed the program (n=36). Thirty-six students enrolled in the online program. The mean GPA was 3.85. Graduate outcomes are pending. Discussion: Challenges include demographic variability between online and on-ground students; yet, both profiles are similar in that students intend to become change agents in the health care system. In the past two years, on-ground applications increased by 31%, persistence to graduation is > 95%, mean GPA is 3.67, graduates report admission to six U.S. medical schools, the Mayo Medical School integrates SHCD content within their curricula, and there is national interest in collaborating on industry and academic partnerships. This places SHCD at the forefront of developing innovative curricula in order to improve high-value, patient-centered care.

Keywords: delivery science, education, health care delivery, high-value care, innovation in education, patient-centered

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Authors: Lyamine Guezouli, Kamel Barka, Zineb Seghir

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Wireless sensor and actor networks (WSANs) present a research challenge for different practice areas. Researchers are trying to optimize the use of such networks through their research work. This optimization is done on certain criteria, such as improving energy efficiency, exploiting node heterogeneity, self-adaptability and self-configuration. In this article, we present our proposal for BIFSA (Biologically-Inspired Framework for Wireless Sensor and Actor networks). Indeed, BIFSA is a middleware that addresses the key issues of wireless sensor and actor networks. BIFSA consists of two types of agents: sensor agents (SA) that operate at the sensor level to collect and transport data to actors and actor agents (AA) that operate at the actor level to transport data to base stations. Once the sensor agent arrives at the actor, it becomes an actor agent, which can exploit the resources of the actors and vice versa. BIFSA allows agents to evolve their genetic structures and adapt to the current network conditions. The simulation results show that BIFSA allows the agents to make better use of all the resources available in each type of node, which improves the performance of the network.

Keywords: wireless sensor and actor networks, self-management, genetic algorithm, agent.

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Authors: Mohammad Enayet Hossain, Nur Farhah Mahadi

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The global COVID-19 pandemic has contaminated millions of people at a startling rate. The COVID-19 pandemic came out of mediocre and has since spread all over the world, causing to record 5 million deaths worldwide in just a few months. The economic crisis has triggered a global contraction, leading to an economic collapse expected over 2020-2021. This study examines whether Islamic social finance can effectively mitigate the dangers of humanitarian catastrophes. The study provides a multirange method for maximizing the advantage of Islamic social financings tools such as zakat and waqf. The information, documents, and data for this study are gathered using a qualitative method. The study employed ongoing research, literature review, news stories, reports, and trusted online sources. Eventually, this may add to knowledge by examining the role of Islamic social finance in the current Covid-19 crisis. The findings have consequences for governments and policymakers who want to solve the COVID-19 problem with Islamic social finance ideas and solutions, thereby enhancing people's social well-being and the global economy's development.

Keywords: covid-19 pandemic, Islamic social finance, zakat, waqf

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Authors: Adil Loya, Kamran Maqsood, Muhammad Duraid

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Aerodynamic stability coefficients are necessary to be known before any unmanned aircraft flight is performed. This requires expertise on aerodynamics and stability control of the aircraft. To enable efficacious performance of aircraft requires that a well-defined flight path and aerodynamics should be defined beforehand. This paper presents a study on the aerodynamics of an unmanned aero vehicle (UAV) during flight conditions. Current research holds comparative studies of different parameters for flight aerodynamic, measured using two different open source analytical software programs. These software packages are DATCOM and XLRF5, which help in depicting the flight aerodynamic variables. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was also used to perform aerodynamic analysis for which Star CCM+ was used. Output trends of the study demonstrate high accuracies between the two software programs with that of CFD. It can be seen that the Coefficient of Lift (CL) obtained from DATCOM and XFLR is similar to CL of CFD simulation. In the similar manner, other potential aerodynamic stability parameters obtained from analytical software are in good agreement with CFD.

Keywords: XFLR5, DATCOM, computational fluid dynamic, unmanned aero vehicle

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Authors: Irfan U. Din

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The growing presence and operational capacity of Islamic State aka Daesh, which emerged in Pak-Afghan region in 2015, poses a serious threat to the already fragile state of the security situation in the region. This paper will shed light on the current state of IS-K network in the Pak-Afghan region and will explain how its presence and operational capacity in the northern and central Afghanistan has increased despite intensive military operations against the group in Nangarhar province – the stronghold of IS-K. It will also explore the role of Pakistani Taliban in the emergence and expansion of IS-K in the region and will unveil the security implication of growing nexus of IS-K and transnational organized groups for the region in Post NATO withdrawal scenario. The study will be qualitative and will rely on secondary and primary data to explore the topic. For secondary data existing literature on the topic will be extensively reviewed while for primary data in-depth interviews will be conducted with subject experts, Taliban commanders, and field researchers.

Keywords: Islamic State of Khorasan (IS-K), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Pak-Afghan Region, Transnational Organized Crime (TNOC)

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Authors: M. Goodarzi, M. Mohammadi, A. Gharib

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Solar energy is a renewable energy which has attracted special attention in many countries. Solar cathodic protectionsystems harness the sun’senergy to protect underground pipelinesand tanks from galvanic corrosion. The object of this study is to design and the economic analysis a cathodic protection system by impressed current supplied with solar energy panels applied to underground pipelines. In the present study, the technical and economic analysis of using solar energy for cathodic protection system in southwestern of Iran (Khuzestan province) is investigated. For this purpose, the ecological conditions such as the weather data, air clearness and sunshine hours are analyzed. The economic analyses were done using computer code to investigate the feasibility analysis from the using of various energy sources in order to cathodic protection system. The overall research methodology is divided into four components: Data collection, design of elements, techno economical evaluation, and output analysis. According to the results, solar renewable energy systems can supply adequate power for cathodic protection system purposes.

Keywords: renewable energy, solar energy, solar cathodic protection station, lifecycle cost method

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Authors: Magda Cepeda, Frances Hodgson, Ann Jopson

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There are different barriers people face when choosing to cycle for commuting purposes. This study examined the role of psycho-social factors predicting the intention to cycle to commute in Mexico City. An extended version of the theory of planned behaviour was developed and utilized with a simple random sample of 401 road users. We applied exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and after identifying five factors, a structural equation model was estimated to find the relationships among the variables. The results indicated that cycling attributes, attitudes to cycling, social comparison and social image and prestige were the most important factors influencing intention to cycle. Although the results from this study are specific to Mexico City, they indicate areas of interest to transportation planners in other regions especially in those cities where intention to cycle its linked to its perceived image and there is political ambition to instigate positive cycling cultures. Moreover, this study contributes to the current literature developing applications of the Theory of Planned Behaviour.

Keywords: cycling, latent variable model, perception, theory of planned behaviour

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Authors: Uma Kanth, Amy Cook

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Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) proposes that metaphor is fundamental to human thought. CMT utilizes embodied cognition, in that emotions are conceptualized as effects on the body because of a coupling of one’s bodily experiences and one’s somatosensory system. Time perception is a function of embodied cognition and conceptual metaphor in that one’s experience of time is inextricably dependent on one’s perception of the world around them. A hallmark of depressive disorders is the distortion in one’s perception of time, such as neurological dysfunction and psychomotor retardation, and yet, to the author’s best knowledge, previous studies have not before linked CMT, embodied cognition, and depressive disorders. Therefore, the focus of this paper is the investigation of how the applications of CMT and embodied cognition (especially regarding time perception) have promise in improving current techniques to treat depressive disorders. This paper aimed to extend, through a thorough review of literature, the theoretical basis required to further research into CMT and embodied cognition’s application in treating time distortion related symptoms of depressive disorders. Future research could include the development of brain training technologies that capitalize on the principles of CMT, with the aim of promoting cognitive remediation and cognitive activation to mitigate symptoms of depressive disorder.

Keywords: depression, conceptual metaphor theory, embodied cognition, time

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Authors: Woo Young Jung, Min Ho Kwon, Bu Seog Ju

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The primary objective of this research is to improve the flexural capacity of FRP strengthened RC Beam structures with Aluminum and Titanium laminates. FRP rupture of flexural strengthened RC beams using FRP plates generally occurs at the interface between FRP plate and the beam. Therefore, in order to prevent brittle rupture and improve the ductility of the system, this research was performed by using Aluminum and Titanium materials between the two different structural systems. The research also aims to provide various strengthening/retrofitting methods for RC beam structures and to conduct a preliminary analysis of the demands on the structural systems. This was achieved by estimation using the experimental data from this research to identify a flexural capacity for the systems. Ultimately, the preliminary analysis of current study showed that the flexural capacity and system demand ductility was significantly improved by the systems inserted with Aluminum and Titanium anchor plates. Further verification of the experimental research is currently on its way to develop a new or reliable design guideline to retrofit/strengthen the concrete-FRP structural system can be evaluated.

Keywords: reinforced concrete, FRP laminate, flexural capacity, ductility

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Authors: Fatemeh Deldarabdolmaleki, Nur Dalilah Dahlan, Farzad Hejazi

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Human individual physiological and psycho-physical responses widely affect thermal comfort and preferences. They should be carefully researched to help improve the design and comfort of indoor environments. This paper aims to explore and test the degree and importance of individual physiological and psycho-physical differences, reviewing the most preferred, neutral, and comfortable temperature in previous studies conducted across the world. Basic individual physiological differences like gender, age, BMI and etc., have been the focus of this research. There is no unique consensus in the literature to date in regard to providing a universal thermal comfort formula that meets all individual physiological and psycho-physical needs. In order to achieve a balanced, thermally comfortable indoor environment, studying and evaluating individual needs in different parts of the world could be helpful. Even though personalized comfort systems in indoor environments sound promising, they might not be easily achieved in bigger office interiors, considering the cost and current open-plan office trends.

Keywords: thermal comfort, indoor environments, occupants' physiological response, occupants psycho-physical response

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Authors: Haozhe Xiang

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With the rise of the Internet of Things era, intelligent products are gradually integrating into people's lives. Pedestrian trajectory prediction has become a key issue, which is crucial for the motion path planning of intelligent agents such as autonomous vehicles, robots, and drones. In the current technological context, deep learning technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated and gradually replacing traditional models. The pedestrian trajectory prediction algorithm combining neural networks and attention mechanisms has significantly improved prediction accuracy. Based on in-depth research on deep learning and pedestrian trajectory prediction algorithms, this article focuses on physical environment modeling and learning of historical trajectory time dependence. At the same time, social interaction between pedestrians and scene interaction between pedestrians and the environment were handled. An improved pedestrian trajectory prediction algorithm is proposed by analyzing the existing model architecture. With the help of these improvements, acceptable predicted trajectories were successfully obtained. Experiments on public datasets have demonstrated the algorithm's effectiveness and achieved acceptable results.

Keywords: deep learning, graph convolutional network, attention mechanism, LSTM

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Authors: Roxan Venter

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Ombudsmen often face the challenge of a lack of authority to have their decisions and recommendations enforced. This lack of authority may be seen as one of the major obstacles in the way of the effectiveness of the institutions of Ombudsman and also the South African Public Protector. The paper will address the current legal position in South Africa with regard to the status of the decisions and recommendations of the South African Public Protector and the enforcement thereof. In addition, the paper will compare the South African position with the experiences of other jurisdictions, including Scandinavian countries like Sweden, Denmark and Norway, but also New Zealand and Northern Ireland, with regard to the enforcement of the decisions of Ombudsmen. Finally, the paper will make recommendations with regard to the enhancement of the power and authority of Ombudsmen in order to effectively enforce their decisions. It is submitted that the creation of the office of Ombudsman, and the Public Protector in the South African system, is an essential tool to ensure the protection of society against governmental abuse of power and it is therefore imperative to ensure that these watchdogs of democracy are not muzzled by a lack of powers of enforcement.

Keywords: enforcement of decisions of ombudsmen, governmental control, ombudsman, South African public protector

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Authors: Antonio Espingardeiro

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It is likely that robots will cross the boundaries of industry into households over the next decades. With demographic challenges worldwide, the future ageing populations will require the introduction of assistive technologies capable of providing, care, human dignity and quality of life through the aging process. Robotics technology has a high potential for being used in the areas of social and healthcare by promoting a wide range of activities such as entertainment, companionship, supervision or cognitive and physical assistance. However, such close Human Robotics Interactions (HRIs) encompass a rich set of ethical scenarios that need to be addressed before Socially Assistive Robots (SARs) reach the global markets. Such interactions with robots may seem a worthy goal for many technical/financial reasons but inevitably require close attention to the ethical dimensions of such interactions. This article investigates the current HRI benchmark of social success. It revises it according to the ethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence and justice aligned with social care ethos. An extension of such benchmark is proposed based on an empirical study of HRIs with elderly groups.

Keywords: HRI, SARs, social success, benchmark, elderly care

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Authors: Lalitchandra J. Shah, Katarzyna Bialek, Melinda L. Clarke, Jessica L. Jansson

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Handwriting is essential to academic success; however, the current literature is limited in the identification of pre-handwriting skills. The purpose of this study was to identify the pre-handwriting skills, which occupational therapy practitioners deem important to handwriting success, as well as those which aid in intervention planning. The online survey instrument consisted of 33 questions that assessed various skills related to the development of handwriting, as well as captured demographic information. Both occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants were included in the survey study. The survey found that the respondents were in agreement that purposeful scribbling, the ability of a child to copy (vertical/horizontal lines, circle, squares, and triangles), imitating an oblique cross, cognitive skills (attention, praxis, self-regulation, sequencing), grasp patterns, hand dominance, in hand manipulation skills (shift, translation, rotation), bilateral integration, stabilization of paper, crossing midline, and visual perception were important indicators of handwriting readiness. The results of the survey support existing research regarding the skills necessary for the successful development of handwriting in children.

Keywords: development, handwriting, occupational therapy, visual perceptual skills

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Authors: Marta Fernández Olmos, Jorge Fleta, Talia Gómez

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This article shares the results of a temporal analysis of the literature on imports of intermediate inputs based on review techniques. The aim of this paper is to identify the main lines of research, their trends, topics, and the research agenda. The internationalization field has attracted considerable scholars and practitioners’ attention in recent years and has grown, rapidly, resulting in a large body of knowledge scattered in different areas of specialization. However, there are no studies that are entirely restricted to imports, intermediate inputs and innovation performance. The performance analysis provided an updated overview of the evolution of the importing literature from 1970 to 2022 and quantitatively identified the most productive and influential journals, articles, authors, and countries. The results show that the current topics are mainly based on modes of importing, innovation performance of importing intermediate imports and collaborations. Future lines of research are identified from topics with lower co-occurrence, such as artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and alternative business models such as multinational enterprises (MNEs) versus non-MNEs.

Keywords: imports, intermediate inputs, innovation performance, review

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Authors: Mallikarjuna Rao Yamarthy, Subramanyam Makam Venkata, Satya Prasad Kodati

Abstract:

The main objective of the proposed work is to reduce the overall network traffic incurred by mobility management, packet delivery cost and to increase the resource utilization. The proposed algorithm, An Efficient Resource Management Algorithm (ERMA) for mobility management in wireless mesh networks, relies on pointer based mobility management scheme. Whenever a mesh client moves from one mesh router to another, the pointer is set up dynamically between the previous mesh router and current mesh router based on the distance constraints. The algorithm evaluated for signaling cost, data delivery cost and total communication cost performance metrics. The proposed algorithm is demonstrated for both internet sessions and intranet sessions. The proposed algorithm yields significantly better performance in terms of signaling cost, data delivery cost, and total communication cost.

Keywords: data delivery cost, mobility management, pointer forwarding, resource management, wireless mesh networks

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