Search results for: function of the country image
7310 Nuclear Materials and Nuclear Security in India: A Brief Overview
Authors: Debalina Ghoshal
Abstract:
Nuclear security is the ‘prevention and detection of, and response to unauthorised removal, sabotage, unauthorised access, illegal transfer or other malicious acts involving nuclear or radiological material or their associated facilities.’ Ever since the end of Cold War, nuclear materials security has remained a concern for global security. However, with the increase in terrorist attacks not just in India especially, security of nuclear materials remains a priority. Therefore, India has made continued efforts to tighten its security on nuclear materials to prevent nuclear theft and radiological terrorism. Nuclear security is different from nuclear safety. Physical security is also a serious concern and India had been careful of the physical security of its nuclear materials. This is more so important since India is expanding its nuclear power capability to generate electricity for economic development. As India targets 60,000 MW of electricity production by 2030, it has a range of reactors to help it achieve its goal. These include indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors, now standardized at 700 MW per reactor Light Water Reactors, and the indigenous Fast Breeder Reactors that can generate more fuel for the future and enable the country to utilise its abundant thorium resource. Nuclear materials security can be enhanced through two important ways. One is through proliferation resistant technologies and diplomatic efforts to take non proliferation initiatives. The other is by developing technical means to prevent any leakage in nuclear materials in the hands of asymmetric organisations. New Delhi has already implemented IAEA Safeguards on their civilian nuclear installations. Moreover, the IAEA Additional Protocol has also been ratified by India in order to enhance its transparency of nuclear material and strengthen nuclear security. India is a party to the IAEA Conventions on Nuclear Safety and Security, and in particular the 1980 Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its amendment in 2005, Code of Conduct in Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources, 2006 which enables the country to provide for the highest international standards on nuclear and radiological safety and security. India's nuclear security approach is driven by five key components: Governance, Nuclear Security Practice and Culture, Institutions, Technology and International Cooperation. However, there is still scope for further improvements to strengthen nuclear materials and nuclear security. The NTI Report, ‘India’s improvement reflects its first contribution to the IAEA Nuclear Security Fund etc. in the future, India’s nuclear materials security conditions could be further improved by strengthening its laws and regulations for security and control of materials, particularly for control and accounting of materials, mitigating the insider threat, and for the physical security of materials during transport. India’s nuclear materials security conditions also remain adversely affected due to its continued increase in its quantities of nuclear material, and high levels of corruption among public officials.’ This paper would study briefly the progress made by India in nuclear and nuclear material security and the step ahead for India to further strengthen this.Keywords: India, nuclear security, nuclear materials, non proliferation
Procedia PDF Downloads 3577309 COVID-19: A Thread to the Security System of Foreign Investment
Authors: Mehdi Ghaemi
Abstract:
In principle, foreign investment security is enshrined in International Investment Agreements (IIAs) and Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) in the form of protection standards such as the Full Protection and Security Standard (FPS). Accordingly, the host countries undertake to provide the necessary security for the economic activities of foreign investment. With the outbreak of coronavirus, the international community called COVID-19 a threat to international peace security, as well as to the public interest and national security of nations; and to deal with, they proposed several solutions, generally including quarantine, creating social distances, and restricting businesses. This article first studies the security of foreign investment in international investment law. In the following, it analyzes the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for foreign investment security so that if there is a threat to that security, solutions could be offered to reduce it.Keywords: foreign investment, FPS standard, host country, public health, COVID-19
Procedia PDF Downloads 1117308 Interculturalizing Ethiopian Universities: Between Initiation and Institutionalization
Authors: Desta Kebede Ayana, Lies Sercu, Demelash Mengistu
Abstract:
The study is set in Ethiopia, a sub-Saharan multilingual, multiethnic African country, which has seen a significant increase in the number of universities in recent years. The aim of this growth is to provide access to education for all cultural and linguistic groups across the country. However, there are challenges in promoting intercultural competence among students in this diverse context. The aim of the study is to investigate the interculturalization of Ethiopian Higher Education Institutions as perceived by university lecturers and administrators. In particular, the study aims to determine the level of support for this educational innovation and gather suggestions for its implementation and institutionalization. The researchers employed semi-structured interviews with administrators and lecturers from two large Ethiopian universities to gather data. Thematic analysis was utilized for coding and analyzing the interview data, with the assistance of the NVIVO software. The findings obtained from the grounded analysis of the interview data reveal that while there are opportunities for interculturalization in the curriculum and campus life, support for educational innovation remains low. Administrators and lecturers also emphasize the government's responsibility to prioritize interculturalization over other educational innovation goals. The study contributes to the existing literature by examining an under-researched population in an under-researched context. Additionally, the study explores whether Western perspectives of intercultural competence align with the African context, adding to the theoretical understanding of intercultural education. The data for this study was collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with administrators and lecturers from two large Ethiopian universities. The interviews allowed for an in-depth exploration of the participants' views on interculturalization in higher education. Thematic analysis was applied to the interview data, allowing for the identification and organization of recurring themes and patterns. The analysis was conducted using the NVIVO software, which aided in coding and analyzing the data. The study addresses the extent to which administrators and lecturers support the interculturalization of Ethiopian Higher Education Institutions. It also explores their suggestions for implementing and institutionalizing intercultural education, as well as their perspectives on the current level of institutionalization. The study highlights the challenges in interculturalizing Ethiopian universities and emphasizes the need for greater support and prioritization of intercultural education. It also underscores the importance of considering the African context when conceptualizing intercultural competence. This research contributes to the understanding of intercultural education in diverse contexts and provides valuable insights for policymakers and educational institutions aiming to promote intercultural competence in higher education settings.Keywords: administrators, educational change, Ethiopia, intercultural competence, lecturers
Procedia PDF Downloads 1027307 Keyframe Extraction Using Face Quality Assessment and Convolution Neural Network
Authors: Rahma Abed, Sahbi Bahroun, Ezzeddine Zagrouba
Abstract:
Due to the huge amount of data in videos, extracting the relevant frames became a necessity and an essential step prior to performing face recognition. In this context, we propose a method for extracting keyframes from videos based on face quality and deep learning for a face recognition task. This method has two steps. We start by generating face quality scores for each face image based on the use of three face feature extractors, including Gabor, LBP, and HOG. The second step consists in training a Deep Convolutional Neural Network in a supervised manner in order to select the frames that have the best face quality. The obtained results show the effectiveness of the proposed method compared to the methods of the state of the art.Keywords: keyframe extraction, face quality assessment, face in video recognition, convolution neural network
Procedia PDF Downloads 2417306 Entrepreneurship Success in Jordan
Authors: Atef Aladwan
Abstract:
This research will focus on stimulating greater freedom and facilitating small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Jordan to create jobs, as it is emerging as a key development issue. It will highlight the importance of integrating SMEs into development strategies. Jordan has potentially a large market for its products as a result of proximity to developed country markets, signing of various free trades agreements with European countries, cheap energy sources and vast sovereign funds willing to invest in the development of local enterprises. It is beginning to be accepted by governments that SMEs rather than government need to be the main player in domestic economic activity, especially as providers of employment opportunities, and hence generators of sources of income for many households. To foster SME development, it is generally recognised that reforms are needed in Jordan in order to bring about a more globally competitive and business-friendly environment.Keywords: SMEs, competitiveness, entrepreneurship, jordan, development
Procedia PDF Downloads 4277305 Probabilistic Modeling Laser Transmitter
Authors: H. S. Kang
Abstract:
Coupled electrical and optical model for conversion of electrical energy into coherent optical energy for transmitter-receiver link by solid state device is presented. Probability distribution for travelling laser beam switching time intervals and the number of switchings in the time interval is obtained. Selector function mapping is employed to regulate optical data transmission speed. It is established that regulated laser transmission from PhotoActive Laser transmitter follows principal of invariance. This considerably simplifies design of PhotoActive Laser Transmission networks.Keywords: computational mathematics, finite difference Markov chain methods, sequence spaces, singularly perturbed differential equations
Procedia PDF Downloads 4357304 Artificial Law: Legal AI Systems and the Need to Satisfy Principles of Justice, Equality and the Protection of Human Rights
Authors: Begum Koru, Isik Aybay, Demet Celik Ulusoy
Abstract:
The discipline of law is quite complex and has its own terminology. Apart from written legal rules, there is also living law, which refers to legal practice. Basic legal rules aim at the happiness of individuals in social life and have different characteristics in different branches such as public or private law. On the other hand, law is a national phenomenon. The law of one nation and the legal system applied on the territory of another nation may be completely different. People who are experts in a particular field of law in one country may have insufficient expertise in the law of another country. Today, in addition to the local nature of law, international and even supranational law rules are applied in order to protect basic human values and ensure the protection of human rights around the world. Systems that offer algorithmic solutions to legal problems using artificial intelligence (AI) tools will perhaps serve to produce very meaningful results in terms of human rights. However, algorithms to be used should not be developed by only computer experts, but also need the contribution of people who are familiar with law, values, judicial decisions, and even the social and political culture of the society to which it will provide solutions. Otherwise, even if the algorithm works perfectly, it may not be compatible with the values of the society in which it is applied. The latest developments involving the use of AI techniques in legal systems indicate that artificial law will emerge as a new field in the discipline of law. More AI systems are already being applied in the field of law, with examples such as predicting judicial decisions, text summarization, decision support systems, and classification of documents. Algorithms for legal systems employing AI tools, especially in the field of prediction of judicial decisions and decision support systems, have the capacity to create automatic decisions instead of judges. When the judge is removed from this equation, artificial intelligence-made law created by an intelligent algorithm on its own emerges, whether the domain is national or international law. In this work, the aim is to make a general analysis of this new topic. Such an analysis needs both a literature survey and a perspective from computer experts' and lawyers' point of view. In some societies, the use of prediction or decision support systems may be useful to integrate international human rights safeguards. In this case, artificial law can serve to produce more comprehensive and human rights-protective results than written or living law. In non-democratic countries, it may even be thought that direct decisions and artificial intelligence-made law would be more protective instead of a decision "support" system. Since the values of law are directed towards "human happiness or well-being", it requires that the AI algorithms should always be capable of serving this purpose and based on the rule of law, the principle of justice and equality, and the protection of human rights.Keywords: AI and law, artificial law, protection of human rights, AI tools for legal systems
Procedia PDF Downloads 797303 The Relationship between Energy Consumption and Economic Growth in Turkey: A Time Series Analysis
Authors: Burcu Guvenek, Volkan Alptekin
Abstract:
Turkey is a country in the process of development and its economy has undergone structural reforms in order to realize a sustainable development and energy has vital role as a basic input for this aim. Turkey has been in the process of economic growth and development and, because of this, has an increasing energy need. This paper investigates relationship between economic growth and electricity consumption using annual data for Turkey between 1970-2008 by using bounds test. As economic growth and energy consumption variables used in empirical analysis was different order of integration I(0) and I(1), we employed bounds test approach. We have not found co-integration relationship between the variables.Keywords: bounds test, economic growth, energy consumption, Turkey
Procedia PDF Downloads 3687302 Science Explorer Modules as a Communication Approach to Encourage High School Students to Pursue Science Careers
Authors: Mark Ivan Roblas
Abstract:
The Science Explorer is a mobile learning science facility in the Philippines. It is a bus that travels to different provinces in the country bringing interactive science modules facilitated by scientists from the industry and academe. The project aims to entice students to get into careers in science through interactive science modules and interaction with real-life scientists. This article looks into the effectiveness of its modules as a communication source and message to encourage high school students to get into careers in the future. The study revealed that as the Science Explorer modules are able to retain students to stay in science careers of their choice and even convert some to choose from non-science to a science degree, it still lacks in penetrating the belief system of the students and influencing them to take a scientific career path.Keywords: informal science, mobile science, science careers, science education
Procedia PDF Downloads 2277301 Entrepreneurship and the Discovery and Exploitation of Business Opportunities: Empirical Evidence from the Malawian Tourism Sector
Authors: Aravind Mohan Krishnan
Abstract:
This paper identifies a research gap in the literature on tourism entrepreneurship in Malawi, Africa, and investigates how entrepreneurs from the Malawian tourism sector discover and exploit business opportunities. In particular, the importance of prior experience and business networks in the opportunity development process is debated. Another area of empirical research examined here is the opportunity recognition-venture creation sequence. While Malawi presents fruitful business opportunities, exploiting these opportunities into fully realized business ideas is a real challenge due to the country’s difficult business environment and poor promotional and marketing efforts. The study concludes by calling for further research in Sub-Saharan Africa in order to develop our understanding of entrepreneurship in this (African) context.Keywords: entrepreneurship, Malawi, opportunities, tourism
Procedia PDF Downloads 3427300 Utility of Thromboelastography Derived Maximum Amplitude and R-Time (MA-R) Ratio as a Predictor of Mortality in Trauma Patients
Authors: Arulselvi Subramanian, Albert Venencia, Sanjeev Bhoi
Abstract:
Coagulopathy of trauma is an early endogenous coagulation abnormality that occurs shortly resulting in high mortality. In emergency trauma situations, viscoelastic tests may be better in identifying the various phenotypes of coagulopathy and demonstrate the contribution of platelet function to coagulation. We aimed to determine thrombin generation and clot strength, by estimating a ratio of Maximum amplitude and R-time (MA-R ratio) for identifying trauma coagulopathy and predicting subsequent mortality. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort analysis of acutely injured trauma patients of the adult age groups (18- 50 years), admitted within 24hrs of injury, for one year at a Level I trauma center and followed up on 3rd day and 5th day of injury. Patients with h/o coagulation abnormalities, liver disease, renal impairment, with h/o intake of drugs were excluded. Thromboelastography was done and a ratio was calculated by dividing the MA by the R-time (MA-R). Patients were further stratified into sub groups based on the calculated MA-R quartiles. First sampling was done within 24 hours of injury; follow up on 3rd and 5thday of injury. Mortality was the primary outcome. Results: 100 acutely injured patients [average, 36.6±14.3 years; 94% male; injury severity score 12.2(9-32)] were included in the study. Median (min-max) on admission MA-R ratio was 15.01(0.4-88.4) which declined 11.7(2.2-61.8) on day three and slightly rose on day 5 13.1(0.06-68). There were no significant differences between sub groups in regard to age, or gender. In the lowest MA-R ratios subgroup; MA-R1 (<8.90; n = 27), injury severity score was significantly elevated. MA-R2 (8.91-15.0; n = 23), MA-R3 (15.01-19.30; n = 24) and MA-R4 (>19.3; n = 26) had no difference between their admission laboratory investigations, however slight decline was observed in hemoglobin, red blood cell count and platelet counts compared to the other subgroups. Also significantly prolonged R time, shortened alpha angle and MA were seen in MA-R1. Elevated incidence of mortality also significantly correlated with on admission low MA-R ratios (p 0.003). Temporal changes in the MA-R ratio did not correlated with mortality. Conclusion: The MA-R ratio provides a snapshot of early clot function, focusing specifically on thrombin burst and clot strength. In our observation, patients with the lowest MA-R time ratio (MA-R1) had significantly increased mortality compared with all other groups (45.5% MA-R1 compared with <25% in MA-R2 to MA-R3, and 9.1% in MA-R4; p < 0.003). Maximum amplitude and R-time may prove highly useful to predict at-risk patients early, when other physiologic indicators are absent.Keywords: coagulopathy, trauma, thromboelastography, mortality
Procedia PDF Downloads 1777299 Me and My Selfie: Identity Building Through Self Representation in Social Media
Authors: Revytia Tanera
Abstract:
This research is a pilot study to examine the rise of selfie trend in dealing with individual self representation and identity building in social media. The symbolic interactionism theory is used as the concept of the desired self image, and Cooley’s looking glass-self concept is used to analyze the mechanical reflection of ourselves; how do people perform their “digital self” in social media. In-depth interviews were conducted in the study with a non-random sample who owns a smartphone with a front camera feature and are active in social media. This research is trying to find out whether the selfie trend brings any influence on identity building on each individual. Through analysis of interview results, it can be concluded that people take selfie photos in order to express themselves and to boost their confidence. This study suggests a follow up and more in depth analysis on identity and self representation from various age groups.Keywords: self representation, selfie, social media, symbolic interaction, looking glass-self
Procedia PDF Downloads 3027298 The Cultural Shift in Pre-owned Fashion as Sustainable Consumerism in Vietnam
Authors: Lam Hong Lan
Abstract:
The textile industry is said to be the second-largest polluter, responsible for 92 million tonnes of waste annually. There is an urgent need to practice the circular economy to increase the use and reuse around the world. By its nature, the pre-owned fashion business is considered part of the circular economy as it helps to eliminate waste and circulate products. Second-hand clothes and accessories used to be associated with a ‘cheap image’ that carried ‘old energy’ in Vietnam. This perception has been shifted, especially amongst the younger generation. Vietnamese consumer is spending more on products and services that increase self-esteem. The same consumer is moving away from a collectivist social identity towards a ‘me, not we’ outlook as they look for a way to express their individual identity. And pre-owned fashion is one of their solutions as it values money, can create a unique personal style for the wearer and links with sustainability. The design of this study is based on the second-hand shopping motivation theory. A semi-structured online survey with 100 consumers from one pre-owned clothing community and one pre-owned e-commerce site in Vietnam. The findings show that in contrast with Vietnamese older consumers (55+yo) who, in the previous study, generally associated pre-owned fashion with ‘low-cost’, ‘cheap image’ that carried ‘old energy’, young customers (20-30 yo) were actively promoted their pre-owned fashion items to the public via outlet’s social platforms and their social media. This cultural shift comes from the impact of global and local discourse around sustainable fashion and the growth of digital platforms in the pre-owned fashion business in the last five years, which has generally supported wider interest in pre-owned fashion in Vietnam. It can be summarised in three areas: (1) global and local celebrity influencers. A number of celebrities have been photographed wearing vintage items in music videos, photoshoots or at red carpet events. (2) E-commerce and intermediaries. International e-commerce sites – e.g., Vinted, TheRealReal – and/or local apps – e.g., Re.Loved – can influence attitudes and behaviors towards pre-owned consumption. (3) Eco-awareness. The increased online coverage of climate change and environmental pollution has encouraged customers to adopt a more eco-friendly approach to their wardrobes. While sustainable biomaterials and designs are still navigating their way into sustainability, sustainable consumerism via pre-owned fashion seems to be an immediate solution to lengthen the clothes lifecycle. This study has found that young consumers are primarily seeking value for money and/or a unique personal style from pre-owned/vintage fashion while using these purchases to promote their own “eco-awareness” via their social media networks. This is a good indication for fashion designers to keep in mind in their design process and for fashion enterprises in their business model’s choice to not overproduce fashion items.Keywords: cultural shift, pre-owned fashion, sustainable consumption, sustainable fashion.
Procedia PDF Downloads 887297 Empirical Evaluation of Gradient-Based Training Algorithms for Ordinary Differential Equation Networks
Authors: Martin K. Steiger, Lukas Heisler, Hans-Georg Brachtendorf
Abstract:
Deep neural networks and their variants form the backbone of many AI applications. Based on the so-called residual networks, a continuous formulation of such models as ordinary differential equations (ODEs) has proven advantageous since different techniques may be applied that significantly increase the learning speed and enable controlled trade-offs with the resulting error at the same time. For the evaluation of such models, high-performance numerical differential equation solvers are used, which also provide the gradients required for training. However, whether classical gradient-based methods are even applicable or which one yields the best results has not been discussed yet. This paper aims to redeem this situation by providing empirical results for different applications.Keywords: deep neural networks, gradient-based learning, image processing, ordinary differential equation networks
Procedia PDF Downloads 1777296 Automatic Number Plate Recognition System Based on Deep Learning
Authors: T. Damak, O. Kriaa, A. Baccar, M. A. Ben Ayed, N. Masmoudi
Abstract:
In the last few years, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems have become widely used in the safety, the security, and the commercial aspects. Forethought, several methods and techniques are computing to achieve the better levels in terms of accuracy and real time execution. This paper proposed a computer vision algorithm of Number Plate Localization (NPL) and Characters Segmentation (CS). In addition, it proposed an improved method in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) based on Deep Learning (DL) techniques. In order to identify the number of detected plate after NPL and CS steps, the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) algorithm is proposed. A DL model is developed using four convolution layers, two layers of Maxpooling, and six layers of fully connected. The model was trained by number image database on the Jetson TX2 NVIDIA target. The accuracy result has achieved 95.84%.Keywords: ANPR, CS, CNN, deep learning, NPL
Procedia PDF Downloads 3117295 Black Bodies Matter: The Contemporary Manifestation of Saartjie Baartman
Authors: Rokeshia Renné Ashley
Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to understand the perception of historical figure Saartjie 'Sara/Sarah' Baartman from a cross cultural perspective of black women in the United States and black women in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews (n = 30) uncover that many women in both countries did not have an accurate representation, recollection, or have been exposed to the story of Baartman. Nonetheless, those who were familiar with Baartman’s story, those participants compared her to modern examples of black women who are showcased in a contemporary familiarity. The women are described by participants as women who reveal their bodies in a sexualized manner and have the curves that are similar to Baartman’s historic figure. This comparison emphasized a connection to popular images of black women who represent the curvaceous ideal. Findings contribute to social comparison theory by providing a lens for examining black women’s body image.Keywords: black women, body modification, media, South Africa
Procedia PDF Downloads 3247294 The Return of the Witches: A Class That Motivates the Analysis of Gender Bias in Engineer
Authors: Veronica Botero, Karen Ortiz
Abstract:
The Faculty of Mines, of the National University of Colombia, Medellín Campus, is a faculty that has 136 years of history and represents one of the most important study centers in the country in the field of engineering and scientific research, as well as a reference at a global, national, and Latin American level in this matter. Despite being a faculty with so many years of history and having trained a large number of graduates under the traditional mechanistic and androcentric paradigm, which reproduces the logic of the traditional scientific method and the differentiated and severe look between subject-object of research among other binarisms, has also been the place where professors and students have become aware of the need to transform this paradigm into engineering, and focus on the sustainability of diversity and the well-being of the natural and social systems that inhabit the territories and has opened possibilities for the implementation of classes that address feminist pedagogical theories and practices. The class: The return of the witches, is an initiative that constitutes an important training exercise that provides students with the study of feminisms, the importance of closing gender gaps and critical readings on the traditional paradigm of engineering. The objective of this article is to present a systematization of the experience of design, implementation and development of this elective class, describing the tensions that arose at the time when a subject of this style was created and proposed in the Department of Geosciences and Environment, from the Faculty of Mines in 2022; the reactions of the groups of students who have taken it and their perceptions and opinions about ecofeminism as proposals for critical analysis and practices in relation to the environment and, above all, how their readings of the world have changed after having studied this subject for a semester. The pedagogical journey and the feminist methodologies that have been designed and adjusted over two years of work will be explained based on the sharing of situated knowledge of the students and the two teachers who teach the course, who pose challenges to the dominant ideology in engineering since one of them is trained in human sciences and feminist studies and the other, although trained in civil engineering and geosciences, is a woman with diverse sexual orientation and is the first professor to have assumed the position of dean in the 135 years of history of the Faculty. The transformations in the life experience of the students are revealing since they affirm that the training process is forceful and powerful to outline a much more qualified and critical professional profile that contributes to the transformation of gender gaps in the country. This class is therefore a challenge in this Faculty of Engineering that still presents a dominant ideology on gender that has not been questioned or challenged before.Keywords: feminisms, gender equality, gender bias, engineering for life Manifiesto.
Procedia PDF Downloads 757293 The Work System Method for Designing Knowledge Mobilization Projects
Authors: Chihab Benmoussa
Abstract:
Could the Work System Approach (WSA) function as a framework for designing high-impact knowledge mobilization systems? This paper put forward arguments in favor of the applicability of WSA for knowledge mobilization design based on evidences from a practical research. Normative approaches for practitioners are highly needed especially in the field of knowledge management (KM), given the abysmal rate of disappointment and failure of KM projects. The paper contrasts knowledge management and knowledge mobilization, presents the WSA and showed how the WSA’s concepts and ideas fit with the approach adopted by a multinational company in designing a successful knowledge mobilization initiative.Keywords: knowledge management, knowledge mobilizations, work system method
Procedia PDF Downloads 5277292 Electrochemical Studies of Some Schiff Bases on the Corrosion of Steel in H2SO4 Solution
Authors: Ahmed A. Farag, M. A. Hgazy
Abstract:
The influence of three Schiff bases (SB-I, SB-II, and SB-III) on the corrosion of carbon steel in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution was studied by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The inhibition efficiency increases with the concentration of the Schiff bases and follow the trend: SB-III > SB-II > SB-I. Tafel polarization measurements revealed that the three tested inhibitors function as anodic inhibitors. The thermodynamic parameters Kads and ΔGºads are calculated and discussed. The Langmuir isotherm equation was found to provide an accurate description of the adsorption behaviour of the investigated Schiff bases. Depending on the results, the inhibitive mechanism was proposed.Keywords: Schiff bases, corrosion inhibitors, EIS, adsorption
Procedia PDF Downloads 5487291 Predicting Daily Patient Hospital Visits Using Machine Learning
Authors: Shreya Goyal
Abstract:
The study aims to build user-friendly software to understand patient arrival patterns and compute the number of potential patients who will visit a particular health facility for a given period by using a machine learning algorithm. The underlying machine learning algorithm used in this study is the Support Vector Machine (SVM). Accurate prediction of patient arrival allows hospitals to operate more effectively, providing timely and efficient care while optimizing resources and improving patient experience. It allows for better allocation of staff, equipment, and other resources. If there's a projected surge in patients, additional staff or resources can be allocated to handle the influx, preventing bottlenecks or delays in care. Understanding patient arrival patterns can also help streamline processes to minimize waiting times for patients and ensure timely access to care for patients in need. Another big advantage of using this software is adhering to strict data protection regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States as the hospital will not have to share the data with any third party or upload it to the cloud because the software can read data locally from the machine. The data needs to be arranged in. a particular format and the software will be able to read the data and provide meaningful output. Using software that operates locally can facilitate compliance with these regulations by minimizing data exposure. Keeping patient data within the hospital's local systems reduces the risk of unauthorized access or breaches associated with transmitting data over networks or storing it in external servers. This can help maintain the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive patient information. Historical patient data is used in this study. The input variables used to train the model include patient age, time of day, day of the week, seasonal variations, and local events. The algorithm uses a Supervised learning method to optimize the objective function and find the global minima. The algorithm stores the values of the local minima after each iteration and at the end compares all the local minima to find the global minima. The strength of this study is the transfer function used to calculate the number of patients. The model has an output accuracy of >95%. The method proposed in this study could be used for better management planning of personnel and medical resources.Keywords: machine learning, SVM, HIPAA, data
Procedia PDF Downloads 687290 Phytochemical Screening and Anti-Hypothyroidism Activity of Lepidium sativum Ethanolic Extract
Authors: Reham Hajomer, Ikram Elsiddig, Amna Hamad
Abstract:
Lepidium sativum (Garden Cress) belonging to Brassicaceae family is an annual herb locally known as El-rshad. In Ayurveda it is an important medicinal plant, traditionally used for the treatment of jaundice, liver problems, spleen diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, menstrual problems, fracture, arthritis, inflammatory conditions and for treatment of hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones (Triiodithyronine T3 and Thyroxine T4) which are commonly caused by iodine deficiency. It’s divided into primary and secondary hypothyroidism, the primary caused by failure of thyroid function and secondary due to the failure of adequate thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) secretion from the pituitary gland or thyroid -releasing hormone (TRH) from the hypothalamus. The disease is most common in women over age 60. The objective regarding this study is to know whether Lepidium sativum would affect the level of thyroid hormones. The extract was prepared with 96% ethanol using Soxhlet apparatus. The anti-hypothyroidism activity was tested by using thirty male Wistar rats weighing (100-140 g) were used in the experiment. They were grouping into five groups, Group 1: Normal group= Administered only distilled water. Then 10 mg/kg Propylthiouracil was added to the drinking water of all other groups to induce hypothyroidism. Group 2: Negative control without any treatment; Group 3: Test group= treated with oral administration of 500mg/kg extract; Group 4: treated with oral administration of 250mg/kg of the extract; Group 5: Standard group (positive control) = treated with intraperitoneal Levothyroxine. All rats were incubated for 20 days at animal house with room temperature of proper ventilation provided with standard diet. The result show that the Lepidium sativum extract was found to increases the T3 and T4 in the propylthiouracil induced rats with values (0.29 ng/dl T3 and 0.57 U T4) for the 500mg/kg and (0.27 ng/dl T3 and 0.517 U T4) for the 250mg/kg in comparison with standard with values (0.241 ng/dl T3 and 0.516 U T4) so that Lepidium sativum can be stimulatory to thyroid function and possess significant anti-hypothyroidism effect with p-values ranges from (0.000006*-0.893472). In conclusion, from results obtained, Lepidium sativum plant extract was found to posses anti-hypothyroidism effects so its act as an agent that stimulates thyroid hormone secretion.Keywords: anti-hypothyroidism, extract, lepidium, sativum
Procedia PDF Downloads 2077289 A Highly Accurate Computer-Aided Diagnosis: CAD System for the Diagnosis of Breast Cancer by Using Thermographic Analysis
Authors: Mahdi Bazarganigilani
Abstract:
Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems can play crucial roles in diagnosing crucial diseases such as breast cancer at the earliest. In this paper, a CAD system for the diagnosis of breast cancer was introduced and evaluated. This CAD system was developed by using spatio-temporal analysis of data on a set of consecutive thermographic images by employing wavelet transformation. By using this analysis, a very accurate machine learning model using random forest was obtained. The final results showed a promising accuracy of 91% in terms of the F1 measure indicator among 200 patients' sample data. The CAD system was further extended to obtain a detailed analysis of the effect of smaller sub-areas of each breast on the occurrence of cancer.Keywords: computer-aided diagnosis systems, thermographic analysis, spatio-temporal analysis, image processing, machine learning
Procedia PDF Downloads 2157288 Cells Detection and Recognition in Bone Marrow Examination with Deep Learning Method
Authors: Shiyin He, Zheng Huang
Abstract:
In this paper, deep learning methods are applied in bio-medical field to detect and count different types of cells in an automatic way instead of manual work in medical practice, specifically in bone marrow examination. The process is mainly composed of two steps, detection and recognition. Mask-Region-Convolutional Neural Networks (Mask-RCNN) was used for detection and image segmentation to extract cells and then Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), as well as Deep Residual Network (ResNet) was used to classify. Result of cell detection network shows high efficiency to meet application requirements. For the cell recognition network, two networks are compared and the final system is fully applicable.Keywords: cell detection, cell recognition, deep learning, Mask-RCNN, ResNet
Procedia PDF Downloads 1947287 A Different Approach to Optimize Fuzzy Membership Functions with Extended FIR Filter
Authors: Jun-Ho Chung, Sung-Hyun Yoo, In-Hwan Choi, Hyun-Kook Lee, Moon-Kyu Song, Choon-Ki Ahn
Abstract:
The extended finite impulse response (EFIR) filter is addressed to optimize membership functions (MFs) of the fuzzy model that has strong nonlinearity. MFs are important parts of the fuzzy logic system (FLS) and, thus optimizing MFs of FLS is one of approaches to improve the performance of output. We employ the EFIR as an alternative optimization option to nonlinear fuzzy model. The performance of EFIR is demonstrated on a fuzzy cruise control via a numerical example.Keywords: fuzzy logic system, optimization, membership function, extended FIR filter
Procedia PDF Downloads 7267286 Flow Visualization and Mixing Enhancement in Y-Junction Microchannel with 3D Acoustic Streaming Flow Patterns Induced by Trapezoidal Triangular Structure using High-Viscous Liquids
Authors: Ayalew Yimam Ali
Abstract:
The Y-shaped microchannel is used to mix both miscible or immiscible fluids with different viscosities. However, mixing at the entrance of the Y-junction microchannel can be a difficult mixing phenomena due to micro-scale laminar flow aspects with the two miscible high-viscosity water-glycerol fluids. One of the most promising methods to improve mixing performance and diffusion mass transfer in laminar flow phenomena is acoustic streaming (AS), which is a time-averaged, second-order steady streaming that can produce rolling motion in the microchannel by oscillating a low-frequency range acoustic transducer and inducing an acoustic wave in the flow field. The developed 3D trapezoidal, triangular structure spine used in this study was created using sophisticated CNC machine cutting tools used to create microchannel mold with a 3D trapezoidal triangular structure spine alone the Y-junction longitudinal mixing region. In order to create the molds for the 3D trapezoidal structure with the 3D sharp edge tip angles of 30° and 0.3mm trapezoidal triangular sharp edge tip depth from PMMA glass (Polymethylmethacrylate) with advanced CNC machine and the channel manufactured using PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) which is grown up longitudinally on top surface of the Y-junction microchannel using soft lithography nanofabrication strategies. Flow visualization of 3D rolling steady acoustic streaming and mixing enhancement with high-viscosity miscible fluids with different trapezoidal, triangular structure longitudinal length, channel width, high volume flow rate, oscillation frequency, and amplitude using micro-particle image velocimetry (μPIV) techniques were used to study the 3D acoustic streaming flow patterns and mixing enhancement. The streaming velocity fields and vorticity flow fields show 16 times more high vorticity maps than in the absence of acoustic streaming, and mixing performance has been evaluated at various amplitudes, flow rates, and frequencies using the grayscale value of pixel intensity with MATLAB software. Mixing experiments were performed using fluorescent green dye solution with de-ionized water in one inlet side of the channel, and the de-ionized water-glycerol mixture on the other inlet side of the Y-channel and degree of mixing was found to have greatly improved from 67.42% without acoustic streaming to 0.96.83% with acoustic streaming. The results show that the creation of a new 3D steady streaming rolling motion with a high volume flowrate around the entrance was enhanced by the formation of a new, three-dimensional, intense streaming rolling motion with a high-volume flowrate around the entrance junction mixing zone with the two miscible high-viscous fluids which are influenced by laminar flow fluid transport phenomena.Keywords: micro fabrication, 3d acoustic streaming flow visualization, micro-particle image velocimetry, mixing enhancement
Procedia PDF Downloads 277285 Person Re-Identification using Siamese Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Sello Mokwena, Monyepao Thabang
Abstract:
In this study, we propose a comprehensive approach to address the challenges in person re-identification models. By combining a centroid tracking algorithm with a Siamese convolutional neural network model, our method excels in detecting, tracking, and capturing robust person features across non-overlapping camera views. The algorithm efficiently identifies individuals in the camera network, while the neural network extracts fine-grained global features for precise cross-image comparisons. The approach's effectiveness is further accentuated by leveraging the camera network topology for guidance. Our empirical analysis on benchmark datasets highlights its competitive performance, particularly evident when background subtraction techniques are selectively applied, underscoring its potential in advancing person re-identification techniques.Keywords: camera network, convolutional neural network topology, person tracking, person re-identification, siamese
Procedia PDF Downloads 777284 Synthesis and Performance Study of Co3O4 as a Bi-Functional Next Generation Material
Authors: Shrikaant Kulkarni, Akshata Naik Nimbalkar
Abstract:
In this worki a method protocol has been developed for the synthesis of innovative Co3O4 material by using a method of chemical synthesis followed by calcination. The effect of calcination temperature on the morphology, structure and catalytic performance on material in question is investigated by using characterization tools like scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy and electrochemical techniques. The SEM images reveal that the morphology of the Co3O4 material undergoes a change from the rod to a beadlike shape on calcination at temperature of 700 °C. The XRD image shows that although the morphology of synthesized Co3O4 material exhibits a cubic phase but it differs in crystallinity depending upon morphology. Similarly spherical beadlike Co3O4 material has exhibited better activity than its rodlike counterpart which is reflected from electrochemical findings. Further, its performance in terms of bifunctional nature and hlods a lot much of promise as a excellent electrode material in the next generation batteries and fuel cells.Keywords: bifunctional, next generation material, Co3O4, XRD
Procedia PDF Downloads 3827283 Film, Globalization, Resistance: Emirati Film Production as a Medium of Localization
Authors: Chrysavgi Papagianni
Abstract:
The tension between global and local has been a usual topic in discussions regarding globalization. Instead of reproducing the usual ‘gloom and doom’ arguments surrounding many of these discussions, the present paper will focus on Emirati film production and more particularly on the work of the acclaimed director Nojoom Alghanem, in order to highlight how local culture can, in fact, become a force of resistance, or else a medium of localization. As a matter of fact, Alghanem’s films, especially Sounds of the Sea, Hamama and Nearby Sky are apt examples of a localizing force in action as they tap into the audience’s dormant memories of the pre-oil past, in a country that has been swept by unprecedented development and globalization in the last 60 years. What becomes evident is that the remediation of memories in Alghanem’s films makes them more ‘mobile’ and thus allows them to circulate better in today’s network society.Keywords: culture, film, globalization, identity
Procedia PDF Downloads 2947282 Assessment of Vocational Rehabilitation of Visually Impaired Persons in Poultry Farming at Blind Center, Ogbomoso
Authors: Modupe C. Alasa
Abstract:
One of the major parameters for ensuring a country’s economic growth and development is the extent to which the citizens are involved in agriculture. The general objective of this study is to determine the assessment of vocational rehabilitation of visually impaired persons in poultry farming at blind center, Ogbomoso, Nigeria. A total number of 70 students will be selected randomly through the use of structured questionnaire out of the total number of students which is 120. Data will be collected from the farmers’ personal characteristics and other specific objectives related to the work. The results will be analyzed with the use of simple statistical tools as frequency, percentage, means and standard deviations. Conclusion and recommendations will be suggested based on result findings of the study.Keywords: assessment, impair, poultry, rehabilitation, vocational
Procedia PDF Downloads 2597281 Study on the Influence of Cladding and Finishing Materials of Apartment Buildings on the Architectural Identity of Amman
Authors: Asil Zureigat, Ayat Odat
Abstract:
Analyzing the old and bringing in the new is an ever ongoing process in driving innovations in architecture. This paper looks at the excessive use of stone in apartment buildings in Amman and speculates on the existing possibilities of changing the cladding material. By looking at architectural exceptions present in Amman the paper seeks to make the exception, the rule by adding new materials to the architectural library of Amman and in turn, project a series of possible new identities to the existing stone scape. Through distributing a survey, conducting a photographic study on exceptional buildings and shedding light on the historical narrative of stone, the paper highlights the ways in which new finishing materials such as plaster, paint and stone variations could be introduced in an attempt to project a new architectural identity to Amman.Keywords: architectural city identity, cladding materials, façade architecture, image of the city
Procedia PDF Downloads 232