Search results for: design weather database

Authors: Mary Moner Botros Fanawel

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Many companies use the statistical tool named as statistical quality control, and which can have a high cost for the companies interested on these statistical tools. The evaluation of the quality of products and services is an important topic, but the reduction of the cost of the implantation of the statistical quality control also has important benefits for the companies. For this reason, it is important to implement a economic design for the various steps included into the statistical quality control. In this paper, we describe some relevant aspects related to the economic design of a quality control chart for the proportion of defective items. They are very important because the suggested issues can reduce the cost of implementing a quality control chart for the proportion of defective items. Note that the main purpose of this chart is to evaluate and control the proportion of defective items of a production process.

Keywords: model predictive control, hierarchical control structure, genetic algorithm, water quality with DBPs objectives proportion, type I error, economic plan, distribution function bootstrap control limit, p-value method, out-of-control signals, p-value, quality characteristics

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Authors: Cristina Galván-Fernández, Elena Barberà, Jingjing Zhang

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In recent years, MOOCs have been in the spotlight for its high drop-out rates, which potentially impact on the quality of the learning experience. This study attempts to explore how learning support can be used to keep student retention, and in turn to improve the quality of learning in MOOCs. In this study, the patterns of learning support were identified from a total of 4202592 units of video sessions, clickstream data of 25600 students, and 382 threads generated in 10 forums (optional and mandatory) in five different types of MOOCs (e.g. conventional MOOCs, professional MOOCs, and informal MOOCs). The results of this study have shown a clear correlation between the types of MOOCs, the design framework of the MOOCs, and the learning support. The patterns of tutor-peer interaction are identified, and are found to be highly correlated with student retention in all five types of MOOCs. In addition, different patterns of ‘good’ students were identified, which could potentially inform the instruction design of MOOCs.

Keywords: higher education, learning support, MOOC, retention

Procedia PDF Downloads 321

Authors: M. Moeinaddini, Z. Asadi-Shekari, Z. Sultan, M. Zaly Shah

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Happiness can be related to everything that can provide a feeling of satisfaction or pleasure. This study tries to consider the relationship between land use factors and feeling of happiness at the neighbourhood level. Land use variables (beautiful and attractive neighbourhood design, availability and quality of shopping centres, sufficient recreational spaces and facilities, and sufficient daily service centres) are used as independent variables and the happiness score is used as the dependent variable in this study. In addition to the land use variables, socio-economic factors (gender, race, marital status, employment status, education, and income) are also considered as independent variables. This study uses the Oxford happiness questionnaire to estimate happiness score of more than 300 people living in six neighbourhoods. The neighbourhoods are selected randomly from Skudai neighbourhoods in Johor, Malaysia. The land use data were obtained by adding related questions to the Oxford happiness questionnaire. The strength of the relationship in this study is found using generalised linear modelling (GLM). The findings of this research indicate that increase in happiness feeling is correlated with an increasing income, more beautiful and attractive neighbourhood design, sufficient shopping centres, recreational spaces, and daily service centres. The results show that all land use factors in this study have significant relationship with happiness but only income, among socio-economic factors, can affect happiness significantly. Therefore, land use factors can affect happiness in Skudai more than socio-economic factors.

Keywords: neighbourhood land use, neighbourhood design, happiness, socio-economic factors, generalised linear modelling

Procedia PDF Downloads 139

Authors: Ansal D'cruz, Anurup K., Saritha G. Parambath

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Physical and mental strain is a growing concern arising from various stressors in an urban context. However, these stressors are relatively less explored in the domain of urban design, especially in Indian cities where the central business district falls within the heritage core. An attempt is made in the context of the heritage core of Thiruvananthapuram city, Kerala, to understand and identify the connection between the built environment and urban stress. The criteria for establishing the indicators were obtained through a systematic literature review. A thorough study conducted in Gandhi Park, East Fort area using the identified criteria resulted in valuable insights into various urban stressors. Onsite surveys established the correlation between the built environment and user stress levels. The study concludes with guidelines for approaching urban stress in urban parks in an Indian context.

Keywords: urban stress, built environment, mental health, urban stressors, urban design

Procedia PDF Downloads 43

Authors: Azazhu Wassie

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This study tried to analyze the impact of the hydrologic and hydraulic parameters (catchment area, rainfall intensity, and runoff coefficient) on the referenced study area. The study was conducted in June 2023. The Aremenie River Dam has 30 years of record, which is reasonably sufficient data. It is a matter of common experience that, due to the failure of an instrument or the absence of a gauged river, the rainfall record at quite a number of stations is incomplete. From the analysis, the 50-year return period design flood is 62.685 m³/s at 1.2 hr peak time. This implies that for this watershed, the peak flood rate per km² area of the watershed is about this value, which ensures that high rainfall in the area can generate a higher rate of runoff per km² of the generating catchment. The Aremenie Rivers carry a large amount of sediment along with water. These sediments are deposited in the reservoir upstream of the dam because of the reduction in velocity. Sediment reduces the available capacity of the reservoir with continuous sedimentation; the useful life of the reservoir goes on decreasing.

Keywords: dam design, peak flood, rainfall, reservoir capacity, runoff

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Authors: N. Tadrisi Parsa, A. R. Vali, R. Ghasemi

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Diabetes is a growing health problem in worldwide. Especially, the patients with Type 1 diabetes need strict glycemic control because they have deficiency of insulin production. This paper attempts to control blood glucose based on body mathematical body model. The Bergman minimal mathematical model is used to develop the nonlinear controller. A novel back-stepping based sliding mode control (B-SMC) strategy is proposed as a solution that guarantees practical tracking of a desired glucose concentration. In order to show the performance of the proposed design, it is compared with conventional linear and fuzzy controllers which have been done in previous researches. The numerical simulation result shows the advantages of sliding mode back stepping controller design to linear and fuzzy controllers.

Keywords: bergman model, nonlinear control, back stepping, sliding mode control

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Authors: B. A. Alabadan, E. S. Ajayi, C. A. Okolo

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The storage losses recorded globally in maize (Zea mays) especially in the developing countries is worrisome. Certain degenerating changes in the physical characteristics (PC) of the grain occur due to the interaction between the stored maize and the immediate environment especially during long storage period. There has been tremendous reduction in the storage losses since the evolution of metallic silos. This study was carried out to assess the physical quality attributes of maize stored in 2500 MT and 1 MT metallic silos for a period of eight months. The PC evaluated includes percentage moisture content MC, insect damage ID, foreign matters FM, hectolitre weight HC, mould M and germinability VG. The evaluation of data obtained was done using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS 20) for windows evaluation version to determine significant levels and trend of deterioration (P < 0.05) for all the values obtained using Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and Duncan’s multivariate test. The result shows that the PC are significant with duration of storage at (P < 0.05) except MI and FM that are significant at (P > 0.05) irrespective of the size of the metallic silos. The average mean deviation for physical properties from the control in respect to duration of storage are as follows: MC 10.0 ±0.00%, HC 72.9 ± 0.44% ID 0.29 ± 0.00%, BG 0.55±0.05%, MI 0.00 ± 0.65%, FM 0.80± 0.20%, VG 100 ± 0.03%. The variables that were found to be significant (p < 0.05) with the position of grain in the bulk are VG, MI and ID while others are insignificant at (p > 0.05). Variables were all significant (p < 0.05) with the duration of storage with (0.00) significant levels, irrespective of the size of the metallic silos, but were insignificant with the position of the grain in the bulk (p > 0.05). From the results, it can be concluded that there is a slight decrease of the following variables, with time, HC, MC, and V, probably due to weather fluctuations and grain respiration, while FM, BG, ID and M were found to increase slightly probably due to insect activity in the bigger silos and loss of moisture. The size of metallic silos has no remarkable influence on the PC of stored maize (Zea mays). Germinability was found to be better with the 1 MT silos probably due to its hermetic nature. Smaller size metallic silos are preferred for storage of seeds but bigger silos largely depend on the position of the grains in the bulk.

Keywords: maize, storage, silo, physical characteristics

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Authors: Abdul Haq

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The goal of this research is to better understand how wind loads affect bridges and develop strategies for designing bridges that are more stable and resistant to wind. The effect of wind on bridges is essential to their safety and functionality, especially in areas that are prone to high wind speeds or violent wind conditions. The study looks at the aerodynamic forces and vibrations caused by wind and how they affect bridge construction. Part of the research method involves first understanding the underlying ideas influencing wind flow near bridges. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are used to model and forecast the aerodynamic behaviour of bridges under different wind conditions. These models incorporate several factors, such as wind directionality, wind speed, turbulence intensity, and the influence of nearby structures or topography. The results provide significant new insights into the loads and pressures that wind places on different bridge elements, such as decks, pylons, and connections. Following the determination of the wind loads, the structural response of bridges is assessed. By simulating their dynamic behavior under wind-induced forces, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is used to model the bridge's component parts. This work contributes to the understanding of which areas are at risk of experiencing excessive stresses, vibrations, or oscillations due to wind excitations. Because the bridge has inherent modes and frequencies, the study considers both static and dynamic responses. Various strategies are examined to maximize the design of bridges to withstand wind. It is possible to alter the bridge's geometry, add aerodynamic components, add dampers or tuned mass dampers to lessen vibrations, and boost structural rigidity. Through an analysis of several design modifications and their effectiveness, the study aims to offer guidelines and recommendations for wind-resistant bridge design. In addition to the numerical simulations and analyses, there are experimental studies. In order to assess the computational models and validate the practicality of proposed design strategies, scaled bridge models are tested in a wind tunnel. These investigations help to improve numerical models and prediction precision by providing valuable information on wind-induced forces, pressures, and flow patterns. Using a combination of numerical models, actual testing, and long-term performance evaluation, the project aims to offer practical insights and recommendations for building wind-resistant bridges that are secure, long-lasting, and comfortable for users.

Keywords: wind effects, aerodynamic forces, computational fluid dynamics, finite element analysis

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Authors: Lisnawati Hutagalung

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Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is one cause of newborn death. Babies with low birth weight tend to have slower cognitive development, growth retardation, more at risk of infectious disease event at risk of death. Objective: Identifying risk factors and dominant factors that influence the incidence of LBW in Indonesia. Method: This research used some database of public health such as Google Scholar, UGM journals, UI journals and UNAND journals in 2012-2015. Data were filtered using keywords ‘Risk Factors’ AND ‘Cause LBW’ with amounts 2757 study. The filtrate obtained 5 public health research that meets the criteria. Results: Risk factors associated with LBW, among other environment factors (exposure to cigarette smoke and residence), social demographics (age and socio-economic) and maternal factors (anemia, placental abnormal, nutritional status of mothers, examinations antenatal, preeclampsia, parity, and complications in pregnancy). Anemia and nutritional status become the dominant factor affecting LBW. Conclusions: The risk factors that affect LBW, most commonly found in the maternal factors. The dominant factors are a big effect on LBW is anemia and nutritional status of the mother during pregnancy.

Keywords: low birth weight, anemia, nutritional status, the dominant factor

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Authors: Mohammadreza Kashizadeh, Mohammadamin Hashemi

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Solymorph, a kinetic building facade designed for optimal energy capture and architectural expression, is explored in this paper. The system integrates photovoltaic panels with soft robotic actuators for precise solar tracking, resulting in enhanced electricity generation compared to static facades. Driven by the growing interest in dynamic building envelopes, the exploration of novel facade systems is necessitated. Increased energy generation and regulation of energy flow within buildings are potential benefits offered by integrating photovoltaic (PV) panels as kinetic elements. However, incorporating these technologies into mainstream architecture presents challenges due to the complexity of coordinating multiple systems. To address this, Solymorph leverages soft robotic actuators, known for their compliance, resilience, and ease of integration. Additionally, the project investigates the potential for employing Large Language Models (LLMs) to streamline the design process. The research methodology involved design development, material selection, component fabrication, and system assembly. Grasshopper (GH) was employed within the digital design environment for parametric modeling and scripting logic, and an LLM was experimented with to generate Python code for the creation of a random surface with user-defined parameters. Various techniques, including casting, 3D printing, and laser cutting, were utilized to fabricate the physical components. Finally, a modular assembly approach was adopted to facilitate installation and maintenance. A case study focusing on the application of Solymorph to an existing library building at Politecnico di Milano is presented. The facade system is divided into sub-frames to optimize solar exposure while maintaining a visually appealing aesthetic. Preliminary structural analyses were conducted using Karamba3D to assess deflection behavior and axial loads within the cable net structure. Additionally, Finite Element (FE) simulations were performed in Abaqus to evaluate the mechanical response of the soft robotic actuators under pneumatic pressure. To validate the design, a physical prototype was created using a mold adapted for a 3D printer's limitations. Casting Silicone Rubber Sil 15 was used for its flexibility and durability. The 3D-printed mold components were assembled, filled with the silicone mixture, and cured. After demolding, nodes and cables were 3D-printed and connected to form the structure, demonstrating the feasibility of the design. Solymorph demonstrates the potential of soft robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for advancements in sustainable building design and construction. The project successfully integrates these technologies to create a dynamic facade system that optimizes energy generation and architectural expression. While limitations exist, Solymorph paves the way for future advancements in energy-efficient facade design. Continued research efforts will focus on cost reduction, improved system performance, and broader applicability.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, energy efficiency, kinetic photovoltaics, pneumatic control, soft robotics, sustainable building

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Authors: Luis Rodrigo Valencia Pérez, Juan Manuel Peña Aguilar, Adelina Morita Alexander, Alberto Lamadrid Alvarez, Héctor Fernando Valencia Pérez

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Financial education is among the areas of opportunity in the Spanish-speaking from an early age to high school, through mobile devices such as cell phones and tablets using ludic and fun applications like interactive games, children can learn money management and investment through time, thereby fostering the habit of saving and/or sound management of cash and family business resources, having interaction with an uncontrolled environment such as the involvement of other players in the external decisions of the environment in which the game is play. The application proposed in Phase 1 (design and development) was designed in multi-user environments, under methodologies of hybrid programming for any platform on the market and designed under CMMI standards that allow for quality production over time, following up on these improvements counting with continuous user feedback and usage statistics.

Keywords: mobile educational games, ludic games, children, multiuser, design and software development

Procedia PDF Downloads 362

Authors: Shubham Bhonde, Nekzad Doctor, Shashwat Gawande

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For the use and the import of Keys and ID Transmitter as well as Body Control Modules with radio transmission in a lot of countries, homologation is required. Final deliverables in homologation of the product are certificates. In considering the world of homologation, there are approximately 200 certificates per product, with most of the certificates in local languages. It is challenging to manually investigate each certificate and extract relevant data from the certificate, such as expiry date, approval date, etc. It is most important to get accurate data from the certificate as inaccuracy may lead to missing re-homologation of certificates that will result in an incompliance situation. There is a scope of automation in reading the certificate data in the field of homologation. We are using deep learning as a tool for automation. We have first trained a model using machine learning by providing all country's basic data. We have trained this model only once. We trained the model by feeding pdf and jpg files using the ETL process. Eventually, that trained model will give more accurate results later. As an outcome, we will get the expiry date and approval date of the certificate with a single click. This will eventually help to implement automation features on a broader level in the database where certificates are stored. This automation will help to minimize human error to almost negligible.

Keywords: homologation, re-homologation, data science, deep learning, machine learning, ETL (extract transform loading)

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Authors: Aaron Aboshio, Jianqiao Ye

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In this study, static and dynamic responses of a typical reinforced concrete flat slab, designed to British Standard (BS 8110, 1997) and under self and live loadings for dance halls are reported. Linear perturbation analysis using finite element method was employed for modal, impulse loading and frequency response analyses of the slab under the aforementioned loading condition. Results from the static and dynamic analyses, comprising of the slab fundamental frequencies and mode shapes, dynamic amplification factor, maximum deflection, stress distributions among other valuable outcomes are presented and discussed. These were gauged with the limiting provisions in the design code with a view to optimise the structure and ensure both adequate strength and economical section for large clear span slabs. This is necessary owing to the continued increase in cost of erecting building structures and the squeeze on public finance globally.

Keywords: economical design, finite element method, modal dynamics, reinforced concrete, slab

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Authors: Andrea Ghermandi

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Natural treatment systems such as constructed wetlands and waste stabilization ponds are increasingly used to treat water and wastewater from a variety of sources, including stormwater and polluted surface water. The provision of ancillary benefits in the form of cultural ecosystem services makes these systems unique among water and wastewater treatment technologies and greatly contributes to determine their potential role in promoting sustainable water management practices. A quantitative analysis of these benefits, however, has been lacking in the literature. Here, a critical assessment of the recreational and educational benefits in natural treatment systems is provided, which combines observed public use from a survey of managers and operators with estimated public use as obtained using geotagged photos from social media as a proxy for visitation rates. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used to characterize the spatial boundaries of 273 natural treatment systems worldwide. Such boundaries are used as input for the Application Program Interfaces (APIs) of two popular photo-sharing websites (Flickr and Panoramio) in order to derive the number of photo-user-days, i.e., the number of yearly visits by individual photo users in each site. The adequateness and predictive power of four univariate calibration models using the crowdsourced data as a proxy for visitation are evaluated. A high correlation is found between photo-user-days and observed annual visitors (Pearson's r = 0.811; p-value < 0.001; N = 62). Standardized Major Axis (SMA) regression is found to outperform Ordinary Least Squares regression and count data models in terms of predictive power insofar as standard verification statistics – such as the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP), the mean absolute error of prediction (MAEP), the reduction of error (RE), and the coefficient of efficiency (CE) – are concerned. The SMA regression model is used to estimate the intensity of public use in all 273 natural treatment systems. System type, influent water quality, and area are found to statistically affect public use, consistently with a priori expectations. Publicly available information regarding the home location of the sampled visitors is derived from their social media profiles and used to infer the distance they are willing to travel to visit the natural treatment systems in the database. Such information is analyzed using the travel cost method to derive monetary estimates of the recreational benefits of the investigated natural treatment systems. Overall, the findings confirm the opportunities arising from an integrated design and management of natural treatment systems, which combines the objectives of water quality enhancement and provision of cultural ecosystem services through public use in a multi-functional approach and compatibly with the need to protect public health.

Keywords: constructed wetlands, cultural ecosystem services, ecological engineering, waste stabilization ponds

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Authors: Stephan Koehler, Thomas Friedli

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Performance measurement has evolved over time from a unidimensional short-term efficiency focused approach into a balanced multidimensional approach. Today, integrated performance measurement frameworks are often used to avoid local optimization and to encourage continuous improvement of an organization. In literature, the multidimensional characteristic of performance measurement is often described by competitive priorities. At the same time, on the highest abstraction level an effectiveness and efficiency dimension of performance measurement can be distinguished. This paper aims at a better understanding of the composition of effectiveness and efficiency and their relation in pharmaceutical quality control labs. The research comprises a lab-specific operationalization of effectiveness and efficiency and examines how the two dimensions are interlinked. The basis for the analysis represents a database of the University of St. Gallen including a divers set of 40 different pharmaceutical quality control labs. The research provides empirical evidence that labs with a high effectiveness also accompany a high efficiency. Lab effectiveness explains 29.5 % of the variance in lab efficiency. In addition, labs with an above median operational excellence performance have a statistically significantly higher lab effectiveness and lab efficiency compared to the below median performing labs.

Keywords: empirical study, operational excellence, performance measurement, pharmaceutical quality control lab

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Authors: Naritphol Boonyakiat

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This research attempts to investigate the effects of corporate social responsibility and knowledge management factors on students’ learning process of the Silpakorn University. The goal of this study is to fill the literature gap by gaining an understanding of corporate social responsibility and the knowledge management factors that fundamentally relate to students’ learning process within the university context. Thus, this study will focus on the outcomes that derive from a set of quantitative data that were obtained using Silpakorn university’s database of 200 students. The results represent the perceptions of students regarding the impact of corporate social responsibility and knowledge management factors on their learning process within the university. The findings indicate that corporate social responsibility and knowledge management have significant effects on students’ learning process. This study may assist us in gaining a better understanding of the integrated aspects of university and learning environments to discover how to allocate optimally university’s resources and management approaches to gain benefits from corporate social responsibility and knowledge management practices toward students’ learning process within the university bodies. Therefore, there is a sufficient reason to believe that the findings can contribute to research in the area of CSR, KM and students’ learning process as an essential aspect of university’s stakeholder.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility, knowledge management, learning process, university’s students

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Authors: Marcus Smith

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DNA profiling has made a valuable contribution to criminal investigations over the past thirty years. Direct matching DNA profiles from a crime scene and suspect, or between a suspect and a database remain of great importance to crimes such as murder, assault, and property theft. As scientific and technological advancement continues, a wide range of new DNA profiling applications has been developed. The application of new techniques involves an interesting balancing act between admitting probative evidence in a criminal trial, evaluating its degree of relevance and validity, and limiting its prejudicial impact. The impact of new DNA profiling applications that have significant implications for law enforcement and the legal system can be evaluated through a review of relevant case law, legislation and the latest empirical evidence from jurisdictions around the world including the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. There are benefits in further examining the implications of these new developments, including how the criminal law can best be adapted to ensure that new technology is used to enhance criminal investigation and prosecution while ensuring it is applied in a measured way that respects individual rights and maintains principles of fairness enshrined in the legal system.

Keywords: criminal procedure, forensic evidence, DNA profiling, familial searching, phenotyping

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Authors: H. M. Farghally, N. M. Ahmed, H. T. El-Madany, D. M. Atia, F. H. Fahmy

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Energy is required in almost every aspect of human activities and development of any nation in this world. Increasing fossil fuel price, energy security and climate change have important bearings on sustainable development of any nation. The renewable energy technology is considered one of the drastic approaches taken over the world to reduce the energy problem. The preservation of vegetables by freezing is one of the most important methods of retaining quality in agricultural products over long-term storage periods. Freezing factories show high demand of energy for both heat and electricity; the hybrid Photovoltaic/Thermal (PV/T) systems could be used in order to meet this requirement. This paper presents PV/T system design for freezing factory. Also, the complete mathematical modeling and Matlab Simulink of PV/T collector is introduced. The sensitivity analysis for the manufacturing parameters of PV/T collector is carried out to study their effect on the thermal and electrical efficiency.

Keywords: renewable energy, hybrid PV/T system, sensitivity analysis, ecological sciences

Procedia PDF Downloads 280

Authors: Narjes Ebrahimi, Soheila Alyasin, Navid Nezafat, Hossein Esmailzadeh, Younes Ghasemi, Seyed Hesamodin Nabavizadeh

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Immunotherapy with allergy vaccines is of great importance in allergen-specific immunotherapy. In recent years, B-cell epitope-based vaccines have attracted considerable attention and the prediction of epitopes is crucial to design these types of allergy vaccines. B-cell epitopes might be linear or conformational. The prerequisite for the identification of conformational epitopes is the information about allergens' tertiary structures. Bioinformatics approaches have paved the way towards the design of epitope-based allergy vaccines through the prediction of tertiary structures and epitopes. Mite allergens are one of the major allergy contributors. Several mite allergens can elicit allergic reactions; however, their structures and epitopes are not well established. So, B-cell epitopes of various groups of mite allergens (24 allergens in 6 allergen groups) were predicted in the present work. Tertiary structures of 17 allergens with unknown structure were predicted and refined with RaptorX and GalaxyRefine servers, respectively. The predicted structures were further evaluated by Rampage, ProSA-web, ERRAT and Verify 3D servers. Linear and conformational B-cell epitopes were identified with Ellipro, Bcepred, and DiscoTope 2 servers. To improve the accuracy level, consensus epitopes were selected. Fifty-four conformational and 133 linear consensus epitopes were predicted. Furthermore, overlapping epitopes in each allergen group were defined, following the sequence alignment of the allergens in each group. The predicted epitopes were also compared with the experimentally identified epitopes. The presented results provide valuable information for further studies about allergy vaccine design.

Keywords: B-cell epitope, Immunotherapy, In silico prediction, Mite allergens, Tertiary structure

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Authors: Nuray Baltaci, Kursat Cagiltay

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University rankings which can be seen as nouveau topic are at the center of focus and followed closely by different parties. Students are interested in university rankings in order to make informed decisions about the selection of their candidate future universities. University administrators and academicians can utilize them to see and evaluate their universities’ relative performance compared to other institutions in terms of including but not limited to academic, economic, and international outlook issues. Local institutions may use those ranking systems, as TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) and YOK (Council of Higher Education) do in Turkey, to support students and give scholarships when they want to apply for undergraduate and graduate studies abroad. When it is considered that the ranking systems are concerned by this many different parties, the importance of having clear, easy to use and well-designed websites by ranking institutions will be apprehended. In this paper, a usability study for the websites of four different global university ranking institutions, namely Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), Times Higher Education, QS and University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP), was conducted. User-based approach was adopted and usability tests were conducted with 10 graduate students at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. Before performing the formal usability tests, a pilot study had been completed to reflect the necessary changes to the settings of the study. Participants’ demographics, task completion times, paths traced to complete tasks, and their satisfaction levels on each task and website were collected. According to the analyses of the collected data, those ranking websites were compared in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction dimensions of usability as pointed in ISO 9241-11. Results showed that none of the selected ranking websites is superior to other ones in terms of overall effectiveness and efficiency of the website. However the only remarkable result was that the highest average task completion times for two of the designed tasks belong to the Times Higher Education Rankings website. Evaluation of the user satisfaction on each task and each website produced slightly different but rather similar results. When the satisfaction levels of the participants on each task are examined, it was seen that the highest scores belong to ARWU and URAP websites. The overall satisfaction levels of the participants for each website showed that the URAP website has highest score followed by ARWU website. In addition, design problems and powerful design features of those websites reported by the participants are presented in the paper. Since the study mainly tackles about the design problems of the URAP website, the focus is on this website. Participants reported 3 main design problems about the website which are unaesthetic and unprofessional design style of the website, improper map location on ranking pages, and improper listing of the field names on field ranking page.

Keywords: university ranking, user-based approach, website usability, design

Procedia PDF Downloads 386

Authors: Hycham Aboutaleb, Bruno Monsuez

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Current systems' complexity has reached a degree that requires addressing conception and design issues while taking into account environmental, operational, social, legal, and financial aspects. Therefore, one of the main challenges is the way complex systems are specified and designed. The exponentially growing effort, cost, and time investment of complex systems in modeling phase emphasize the need for a paradigm, a framework, and an environment to handle the system model complexity. For that, it is necessary to understand the expectations of the human user of the model and his limits. This paper presents a generic framework for designing complex systems, highlights the requirements a system model needs to fulfill to meet human user expectations, and suggests a graph-based formalism for modeling complex systems. Finally, a set of transformations are defined to handle the model complexity.

Keywords: higraph-based, formalism, system engineering paradigm, modeling requirements, graph-based transformations

Procedia PDF Downloads 387

Authors: A. O. Oluwajobi, O. A. Falusi, N. A. Zubbair, T. Owoeye, F. Ladejobi, M. C. Dangana, A. Abubakar

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The technology of mobile telephony has positively enhanced human life and reports on the bio safety of the radiation from their antennae have been contradictory, leading to serious litigations and violent protests by residents in several parts of the world. The crave for more information, as requested by WHO in order to resolve this issue, formed the basis for this study on the effect of the radiation from 900 MHz GSM antenna on the DNA of Hibiscus sabdariffa. Seeds of H. sabdariffa were raised in pots placed in three replicates at 100, 200, 300 and 400 metres from the GSM antennae in three selected test locations and a control where there was no GSM signal. Temperature (˚C) and the relative humidity (%) of study sites were measured for the period of study (24 weeks). Fresh young leaves were harvested from each plant at two, eight and twenty-four weeks after sowing and the DNA extracts were subjected to RAPD-PCR analyses. There were no significant differences between the weather conditions (temperature and relative humidity) in all the study locations. However, significant differences were observed in the intensities of radiations between the control (less than 0.02 V/m) and the test (0.40-1.01 V/m) locations. Data obtained showed that DNA of samples exposed to rays from GSM antenna had various levels of distortions, estimated at 91.67%. Distortions occurred in 58.33% of the samples between 2-8 weeks of exposure while 33.33% of the samples were distorted between 8-24 weeks exposure. Approximately 8.33% of the samples did not show distortions in DNA while 33.33% of the samples had their DNA damaged twice, both at 8 and at 24 weeks of exposure. The study showed that radiation from the 900 MHz GSM antenna is potent enough to cause distortions to DNA of H. sabdariffa even within 2-8 weeks of exposure. DNA damage was also independent of the distance from the antenna. These observations would qualify emissions from GSM mast as environmental hazard to the existence of plant biodiversities and all life forms in general. These results will trigger efforts to prevent further erosion of plant genetic resources which have been threatening food security and also the risks posed to living organisms, thereby making our environment very safe for our existence while we still continue to enjoy the benefits of the GSM technology.

Keywords: damage, DNA, GSM antenna, radiation

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Authors: H. Fuad Usman, M. Rafay Khan Sial, Shahzaib Hamid

Abstract:

The trend of renewable energy resources has been amplified due to global warming and other environmental related complications in the 21st century. Recent research has very much emphasized on the generation of electrical power through renewable resources like solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, etc. The use of the photovoltaic cell has become very public as it is very useful for the domestic and commercial purpose overall the world. Although a single cell gives the low voltage output but connecting a number of cells in a series formed a complete module of the photovoltaic cells, it is becoming a financial investment as the use of it fetching popular. This also reduced the prices of the photovoltaic cell which gives the customers a confident of using this source for their electrical use. Photovoltaic cell gives the MPPT at single specific point of operation at a given temperature and level of solar intensity received at a given surface whereas the focal point changes over a large range depending upon the manufacturing factor, temperature conditions, intensity for insolation, instantaneous conditions for shading and aging factor for the photovoltaic cells. Two improved algorithms have been proposed in this article for the MPPT. The widely used algorithms are the ‘Incremental Conductance’ and ‘Perturb and Observe’ algorithms. To extract the maximum power from the source to the load, the duty cycle of the convertor will be effectively controlled. After assessing the previous techniques, this paper presents the improved and reformed idea of harvesting maximum power point from the photovoltaic cells. A thoroughly go through of the previous ideas has been observed before constructing the improvement in the traditional technique of MPP. Each technique has its own importance and boundaries at various weather conditions. An improved technique of implementing the use of both ‘Perturb and Observe’ and ‘Incremental Conductance’ is introduced.

Keywords: duty cycle, MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking), perturb and observe (P&O), photovoltaic module

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Authors: Mostafa Gamal, Hoda K. Mohamed, Islam El-Maddah, Ali Hamdi

Abstract:

In recent years, many digital documents on the web have been created due to the rapid growth of ’social applications’ communities or ’Data-intensive applications’. The evolution of online-based multimedia data poses new challenges in storing and querying large amounts of data for online recommender systems. Graph data models have been shown to be more efficient than relational data models for processing complex data. This paper will explain the key differences between graph and relational databases, their strengths and weaknesses, and why using graph databases is the best technology for building a realtime recommendation system. Also, The paper will discuss several similarity metrics algorithms that can be used to compute a similarity score of pairs of nodes based on their neighbourhoods or their properties. Finally, the paper will discover how NLP strategies offer the premise to improve the accuracy and coverage of realtime recommendations by extracting the information from the stored unstructured knowledge, which makes up the bulk of the world’s data to enrich the graph database with this information. As the size and number of data items are increasing rapidly, the proposed system should meet current and future needs.

Keywords: graph databases, NLP, recommendation systems, similarity metrics

Procedia PDF Downloads 91

Authors: Giselda Cristina Ferreira, Carlos Alberto Kamienski, Ana Lígia Scott

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic has enhanced the anti-vaccination movement in Brazil, supported by unscientific theories and false news and the possibility of wide communication through social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified the large volume of information on the subject against COVID-19 as an Infodemic. In this paper, we present a protocol to identify polarizing users (called polarizers) and study the profiles of Brazilian polarizers on Twitter (renamed to X some weeks ago). We analyzed polarizing interactions on Twitter (in Portuguese) to identify the main polarizers and how the conflicts they caused influenced the COVID-19 vaccination rate throughout the pandemic. This protocol uses data from this social network, graph theory, Java, and R-studio scripts to model and analyze the data. The information about the vaccination rate was obtained in a public database for the government called OpenDataSus. The results present the profiles of Twitter’s Polarizer (political position, gender, professional activity, immunization opinions). We observed that social and political events influenced the participation of these different profiles in conflicts and the vaccination rate.

Keywords: Twitter, polarization, vaccine, Brazil

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Authors: Peng-Hui Maffee Wan, Klarissa Ting Ting Chang, Rax Suen Chun Lung

Abstract:

Icons, or pictorial and graphical objects, are commonly used in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) fields as the mediator in order to communicate information to users. Yet there has been little studies focusing on a majority of the world’s population, semi-literate communities, in terms of the fundamental know-how for designing icons for such population. In this study, two sets of icons belonging in different icon taxonomy, abstract and concrete are designed for a mobile application for semi-literate agricultural communities. In this paper, we propose a triadic relationship of an icon, namely meaning, task and mental image, which inherits the triadic relationship of a sign. User testing with the application and a post-pilot questionnaire are conducted as the experimental approach in two rural villages in India. Icons belonging to concrete taxonomy perform better than abstract icons on the premise that the design of the icon fulfills the underlying rules of the proposed triadic relationship.

Keywords: icon, GUI, mobile app, semi-literate

Procedia PDF Downloads 475

Authors: Jin Wang, Chunyi Zhu, Chongjian Li, Dapeng Zheng

Abstract:

A method based on virtual inertia for suppressing electromechanical torsional vibration of a large-power AC drive system is presented in this paper. The main drive system of the rolling mill is the research object, and a two-inertia elastic model is established to study the mechanism of electromechanical torsional vibration. The improvement is made based on the control of the load observer. The virtual inertia control ratio K is added to the speed forward channel, and the feedback loop adds 1-K to design virtual inertia control. The control method combines the advantages of the positive and negative feedback control of the load observer, can achieve the purpose of controlling the moment of inertia of the motor from the perspective of electrical control, and effectively suppress oscillation.

Keywords: electromechanical torsional vibration, large-power AC drive system, load observer, simulation design

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Authors: Ennios Eros Giogos, Nefeli Katsarou, Giota Mantziorou, Elena Panou, Nikolaos Kourniatis, Socratis Giannoudis

Abstract:

In the context of the postgraduate course Productive Design, Department of Interior Architecture of the University of West Attica in Athens, under the guidance of Professors Nikolaos Koyrniatis and Socratis Giannoudis, kinetic mechanisms with parametric models were examined for their further application in the design of objects. In the first phase, the students studied a motion mechanism that they chose from daily experience and then analyzed its geometric structure in relation to the geometric transformations that exist. In the second phase, the students tried to design it through a parametric model in Grasshopper3d for Rhino algorithmic processor and plan the design of its application in an everyday object. For the project presented, our team began by studying the movement of living beings, specifically the snake. By studying the snake and the role that the environment has in its movement, four basic typologies were recognized: serpentine, concertina, sidewinding and rectilinear locomotion, as well as its ability to perform spiral formations. Most typologies are characterized by ripples, a series of sinusoidal curves. For the application of the snake movement in a polymorphic space divider, the use of a coil-type joint was studied. In the Grasshopper program, the simulation of the desired motion for the polymorphic surface was tested by applying a coil on a sinusoidal curve and a spiral curve. It was important throughout the process that the points corresponding to the nodes of the real object remain constant in number, as well as the distances between them and the elasticity of the construction had to be achieved through a modular movement of the coil and not some elastic element (material) at the nodes. Using mesh (repeating coil), the whole construction is transformed into a supporting body and combines functionality with aesthetics. The set of elements functions as a vertical spatial network, where each element participates in its coherence and stability. Depending on the positions of the elements in terms of the level of support, different perspectives are created in terms of the visual perception of the adjacent space. For the implementation of the model on the scale (1:3), (0.50m.x2.00m.), the load-bearing structure that was studied has aluminum rods for the basic pillars Φ6mm and Φ 2.50 mm, for the secondary columns. Filling elements and nodes are of similar material and were made of MDF surfaces. During the design process, four trapezoidal patterns were picketed, which function as filling elements, while in order to support their assembly, a different engraving facet was done. The nodes have holes that can be pierced by the rods, while their connection point with the patterns has a half-carved recess. The patterns have a corresponding recess. The nodes are of two different types depending on the column that passes through them. The patterns and knots were designed to be cut and engraved using a Laser Cutter and attached to the knots using glue. The parameters participate in the design as mechanisms that generate complex forms and structures through the repetition of constantly changing versions of the parts that compose the object.

Keywords: polymorphic, locomotion, sinusoidal curves, parametric

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Authors: Esraa Mohamed Ezzat Ramadan Elkhaiary, Ayah Mohamed Ezzat Ramadan Elkhaiary, Ahmed Yehia Ismaiel

Abstract:

Vertical lawn is crucial for the development of the constructed surroundings’ sustainability. Their implementation is also ecologically and aesthetically ideal as a good enough architectural characteristic that enhancements facades. Furthermore, their exploitation ends in a power-conscious design that prevents densely populated city areas in Cairo from transforming right into a deteriorated natural environment. After collaborative studies and analysis, it concluded that installing the vertical garden will not simply enhance urban spaces and informal settlements’ homes aesthetically but also offer an excellent role version to the metropolis in how future buildings can be constructed with vertical gardens established. Most significantly, it will enhance the general public consciousness of the inexperienced functions of the vertical garden to the constructing customers and visitors.

Keywords: vertical gardens, green facades, urban rehabilitation, urban spaces

Procedia PDF Downloads 55

Authors: Samuel Abraham Berhane, Lingbing Bu

Abstract:

This paper presents the spatiotemporal variability of aerosols, clouds, and precipitation within the major cities in Eritrea and it investigates the relationship between aerosols, clouds, and precipitation concerning the presence of aerosols over the study region. In Eritrea, inadequate water supplies will have both direct and indirect adverse impacts on sustainable development in areas such as health, agriculture, energy, communication, and transport. Besides, there exists a gap in the knowledge on suitable and potential areas for cloud seeding. Further, the inadequate understanding of aerosol-cloud-precipitation (ACP) interactions limits the success of weather modification aimed at improving freshwater sources, storage, and recycling. Spatiotemporal variability of aerosols, clouds, and precipitation involve spatial and time series analysis based on trend and anomaly analysis. To find the relationship between aerosols and clouds, a correlation coefficient is used. The spatiotemporal analysis showed larger variations of aerosols within the last two decades, especially in Assab, indicating that aerosol optical depth (AOD) has increased over the surrounding Red Sea region. Rainfall was significantly low but AOD was significantly high during the 2011 monsoon season. Precipitation was high during 2007 over most parts of Eritrea. The correlation coefficient between AOD and rainfall was negative over Asmara and Nakfa. Cloud effective radius (CER) and cloud optical thickness (COT) exhibited a negative correlation with AOD over Nakfa within the June–July–August (JJA) season. The hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory (HYSPLIT) model that is used to find the path and origin of the air mass of the study region showed that the majority of aerosols made their way to the study region via the westerly and the southwesterly winds.

Keywords: aerosol-cloud-precipitation, aerosol optical depth, cloud effective radius, cloud optical thickness, HYSPLIT

Procedia PDF Downloads 120