Search results for: industry/university cooperation

Authors: J. Congalton, K. Logan, B. Crump

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Software is a critical aspect of modern life. However it is costly to develop and industry initiatives have focused on reducing costs and improving the productivity. Increasing, software is being developed in teams, and with greater globalization and migration, the teams are becoming more ethnically diverse. This study investigated whether diversity in terms of ethnicity impacted on the productivity of software development. Project managers of software development teams were interviewed. The study found that while some issues did exist due to language problems, when project managers created an environment of trust and friendliness, diversity made a positive contribution to productivity.

Keywords: diversity, project management, software development, team work

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Authors: S. Shujan, A. T. Rupasinghe, N. L. Gunawardena

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Numerous studies have determined that there is a direct correlation between the successful interviewee and the nonverbal behavioral patterns of that person during the interview. In this study, we focus on formations of interview questions in such a way that, it gets an opportunity for assessing interviewee through the answers using the nonverbal behavioral cues. From all the nonverbal behavioral factors we have identified, in this study priority is given to the ‘facial expression variations’ with the assistance of facial expression analytics tool; this research proposes a novel approach in question formation for the assessment of interviewees in ‘Software Industry’.

Keywords: assessments, hirability, interviews, non-verbal behaviour patterns, question formation

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Authors: Mahani Razali, Nordin Mamat

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The purpose of this research is to identify the teacher’s role and parent’s participation to develop children`s socio emotion through play activities. This research is based on three main objectives which are to identify children`s socio emotion during play activities, teacher’s role and parent’s participation to develop children`s socio emotion. This qualitative study was carried out among 25 pre-school children, three teachers and three parents as the research sample. On the other hand, parent’s support was obtained from their discussions, supervisions and communication at home. The data collection procedures involved structured observation which was to identify socio emotional development element among pre-school children through play activities; as for semi-structured interviews, it was done to study the perception of the teachers and parents on the acquired socio emotional development among the children. Besides, documentation analysis method was used as to triangulate acquired information with observations and interviews. In this study, the qualitative data analysis was tabulated in descriptive manner with frequency and percentage format. This study primarily focused on five main socio emotional elements among the pre-school children: 1) Cooperation, 2) Confidence and Courage, 3) Ability to communicate, 4) patience, and 5) Tolerance. The findings of this study were presented in the form of case to case manner from the researches sample. Findings revealed that the children showed positive outcomes on the socio emotional development during their play. Both teachers and parents showed positive perceptions towards the acquired socio emotional development during their play activities. In conclusion, this research summarizes that teacher’s role and parent’s support can improve children`s socio emotional development through play activities. As a whole, this research highlighted the significance of play activities as to stimulate socio emotional development among the pre-school children.

Keywords: social emotional, children, play activities, stimulating

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Authors: Sumaya Adina

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The productivity of the construction industry has faced numerous challenges, rising costs, and scarce resources over the past forty years; therefore, one approach for improving and enhancing the framework is the use of lean techniques. Lean method outcomes from the use of a brand-form of manufacturing control in production. At a time when sustainability and efficiency are essential, lean offers a clear path to make the construction industry fit for the future. An excessive number of construction professionals and experts have efficiently optimised development initiatives using lean construction (LC) techniques to reduce waste, maximise value creation, and focus on the process that creates real added value and continuous improvement, strengthening flexibility and adaptability. The present research has been undertaken to study the improvement in the performance of construction projects using lean principles. The study work is divided into three stages. Initially, a questionnaire survey was conducted on visual management techniques to improve the performance of the construction projects. The questionnaire was distributed to civil engineers, architects, site managers, project managers, and full-time executives, with nearly 100 questionnaires shared with respondents. A total of 83 responses were received to determine the reliability of the data, and analysis was done using SPSS software. In the second stage, the impact of value stream mapping on the real-time project is determined and its performance in the form of time and cost reduction is evaluated. The case study examines a bunker-building project located in Kabul Afghanistan; the project was planned conventionally without considering the lean concepts. To reduce overall kinds of waste in the project, a plan was developed using the Vico Control software to visualize the value stream of the project. Finally, the impact of value stream mapping on the project's total cash flow is evaluated and compared by plotting the total cash flow curve using Vico software. As a result, labour costs were reduced by 33%. The duration of the project was reduced by 17% reducing the duration of the project also improved the cash flow of the entire project by 14% and increased the cash flow from negative 67% to negative 44%.

Keywords: lean construction, cost and time overrun, value stream mapping, construction effeciency

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Authors: Adil Mustafa, Ahmet Erten, Alper Kiraz, Melikhan Tanyeri

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Work presented here is based on a novel experimental technique used to hydrodynamically trap oil microdroplets inside a microfluidic chip at the junction of microchannels known as stagnation point. Hydrodynamic trapping has been recently used to trap and manipulate a number of particles starting from microbeads to DNA and single cells. Benzyl Benzoate (BB) is used as droplet material. The microdroplets are trapped individually at stagnation point and their dissolution was observed. Experiments are performed for two concentrations (10mM or 10µM) of AOT surfactant (Docusate Sodium Salt) and two flow rates for each case. Moreover, experimental data is compared with Zhang-Yang-Mao (ZYM) model which studies dissolution of liquid microdroplets in the presence of a host fluid experiencing extensional creeping flow. Industrial processes like polymer blending systems in which heat or mass transport occurs experience extensional flow and an insight into these phenomena is of significant importance to many industrial processes. The experimental technique exploited here gives an insight into the dissolution of liquid microdroplets under extensional flow regime. The comparison of our experimental results with ZYM model reveals that dissolution of microdroplets at lower surfactant concentration (10µM) fits the ZYM model at saturation concentration (Cs) value reported in literature (Cs = 15×10⁻³Kg\m³) while for higher surfactant concentration (10mM) which is also above the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of surfactant (5mM) the data fits ZYM model at (Cs = 45×10⁻³Kg\m³) which is 3X times the value reported in literature. The difference in Cs value from the literature shows enhancement in dissolution rate of sparingly soluble BB microdroplets at surfactant concentrations higher than CMC. Enhancement in the dissolution of sparingly soluble materials is of great importance in pharmaceutical industry. Enhancement in the dissolution of sparingly soluble drugs is a key research area for drug design industry. The experimental method is also advantageous because it is robust and has no mechanical contact with droplets under study are freely suspended in the fluid as compared existing methods used for testing dissolution of drugs. The experiments also give an insight into CMC measurement for surfactants.

Keywords: extensional flow, hydrodynamic trapping, Zhang-Yang-Mao, CMC

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Authors: Clifford De Raffaele, Luana Bugeja, Serengul Smith

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The adaptation of social networking sites within higher education has garnered significant interest in the recent years with numerous researches considering it as a possible shift from the traditional classroom based learning paradigm. Notwithstanding this increase in research and conducted studies however, the adaption of SNS based modules have failed to proliferate within Universities. This paper, commences its contribution by analyzing the various models and theories proposed in literature and amalgamates together various effective aspects for the inclusion of social technology within e-Learning. A three phased framework is further proposed which details the necessary considerations for the successful adaptation of SNS in enhancing the students learning experience. This proposal outlines the theoretical foundations which will be analyzed in practical implementation across international university campuses.

Keywords: eLearning, higher education, social network sites, student learning

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Authors: Andrea Giacomelli, Luciano Massetti, Elena Maggi, Antonio Raschi

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The presentation will report the activities managed during the Summer of 2017 by a team composed by staff from a University Department, a National Research Council Institute, and an outreach NGO, collecting measurements of night sky brightness and other information on artificial lighting, in order to characterize light pollution issues on portions of the Tuscan coast, in Central Italy. These activities combine measurements collected by the principal scientists, citizen science observations led by students, and outreach events targeting a broad audience. This campaign aggregates the efforts of three actors: the BuioMetria Partecipativa project, which started collecting light pollution data on a national scale in 2008 with an environmental engineering and free/open source GIS core team; the Institute of Biometeorology from the National Research Council, with ongoing studies on light and urban vegetation and a consolidated track record in environmental education and citizen science; the Department of Biology from the University of Pisa, which started experiments to assess the impact of light pollution in coastal environments in 2015. While the core of the activities concerns in situ data, the campaign will account also for remote sensing data, thus considering heterogeneous data sources. The aim of the campaign is twofold: (1) To test actions of citizen and student engagement in monitoring sky brightness (2) To collect night sky brightness data and test a protocol for applications to studies on the ecological impact of light pollution, with a special focus on marine coastal ecosystems. The collaboration of an interdisciplinary team in the study of artificial lighting issues is not a common case in Italy, and the possibility of undertaking the campaign in Tuscany has the added value of operating in one of the territories where it is possible to observe both sites with extremely high lighting levels, and areas with extremely low light pollution, especially in the Southern part of the region. Combining environmental monitoring and communication actions in the context of the campaign, this effort will contribute to the promotion of night skies with a good quality as an important asset for the sustainability of coastal ecosystems, as well as to increase citizen awareness through star gazing, night photography and actively participating in field campaign measurements.

Keywords: citizen science, light pollution, marine coastal biodiversity, environmental education

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Authors: Yusuf Yilmaz, Gamze Gediz Ilis

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Gas Nitrogen where has a boiling point of -189.52oC at atmospheric pressure widely used in the industry. Nitrogen that used in the industry should be transported in liquid form to the plant area. Ambient air vaporizer (AAV) generally used for vaporization of cryogenic gases such as liquid nitrogen (LN2), liquid oxygen (LOX), liquid natural gas (LNG), and liquid argon (LAR) etc. AAV is a group of star-shaped fin vaporizer. The design and the effect of the shape of fins of the vaporizer is one of the most important criteria for the performance of the vaporizer. In this study, the performance of AAV working with liquid nitrogen was analyzed numerically in a star-shaped aluminum finned pipe. The numerical analysis is performed in order to investigate the heat capacity of the vaporizer per meter pipe length. By this way, the vaporizer capacity can be predicted for the industrial applications. In order to achieve the validation of the numerical solution, the experimental setup is constructed. The setup includes a liquid nitrogen tank with a pressure of 9 bar. The star-shaped aluminum finned tube vaporizer is connected to the LN2 tank. The inlet and the outlet pressure and temperatures of the LN2 of the vaporizer are measured. The mass flow rate of the LN2 is also measured and collected. The comparison of the numerical solution is performed by these measured data. The ambient conditions of the experiment are given as boundary conditions to the numerical model. The surface tension and contact angle have a significant effect on the boiling of liquid nitrogen. Average heat transfer coefficient including convective and nucleated boiling components should be obtained for liquid nitrogen saturated flow boiling in the finned tube. Fluent CFD module is used to simulate the numerical solution. The turbulent k-ε model is taken to simulate the liquid nitrogen flow. The phase change is simulated by using the evaporation-condensation approach used with user-defined functions (UDF). The comparison of the numerical and experimental results will be shared in this study. Besides, the performance capacity of the star-shaped finned pipe vaporizer will be calculated in this study. Based on this numerical analysis, the performance of the vaporizer per unit length can be predicted for the industrial applications and the suitable pipe length of the vaporizer can be found for the special cases.

Keywords: liquid nitrogen, numerical modeling, two-phase flow, cryogenics

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Authors: John M. Ikome

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In the process of manufacturing, a machine breakdown usually forces a modified flow shop out of the prescribed state, this strategy reschedules part of the initial schedule to match up with the pre-schedule at some point with the objective to create a schedule that is reliable with the other production planning decisions like material flow, production and suppliers by utilizing a critical decision-making concept. We propose a rescheduling strategy and a match-up point that will have a determination procedure through an advanced feedback control mechanism to increase both the schedule quality and stability. These approaches are compared with alternative re-scheduling methods under different experimental settings.

Keywords: scheduling, heuristics, branch, integrated

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Authors: Huixuan Xu

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The present study was set out to investigate the extent to which and how service-learning fostered a sample of 138 Hong Kong undergraduates’ interpersonal competence and cooperative orientation development. Interpersonal competence is presented when an individual shows empathy with others, provides intelligent advice to others and has practical judgment. Cooperative orientation reflects individuals’ willingness to work with others to achieve common goals. A quality service-learning programme may exhibit the features of provision of meaningful service, close link to curriculum, continuous reflection, youth voice, and diversity. Mixed methods were employed in the present study. Pre-posttest survey was administered to capture individual undergraduates’ development of interpersonal competence and cooperative orientation over a period of four months. The respondents’ evaluation of service-learning elements was administered in the post-test survey. Focus groups were conducted after the end of the service-learning to further explore how the certain service-learning elements promoted individual undergraduates’ development of interpersonal competence and cooperative orientation. Three main findings were reported from the study. (1) The scores of interpersonal competence increased significantly from the pretest to the posttest, while the change of cooperative orientation was not significant. (2) Cooperative orientation and interpersonal competence were correlated positively with the overall course quality respectively, which suggested that the more a service-learning course complied with quality practice, the students became more competent in interpersonal competence and cooperative orientation. (3) The following service-learning elements showed higher impacts: (a) direct contact with service recipients, which engaged students in practicing interpersonal skills; (b) individual participants’ being exposed to a situation that required communication and dialogue with people from diverse backgrounds with different views; (c) experiencing interpersonal conflicts among team members and having the conflicts solved; (d) students’ taking a leading role in a project-based service. The present study provides compelling evidence about what elements in a service-learning program may foster undergraduates’ development of cooperative orientation and interpersonal competence. Implications for the design of service-learning programmes are provided.

Keywords: undergraduates, interpersonal competence, cooperation orientation, service-learning

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Authors: Piroska Biró, Mária Csernoch, János Máth, Kálmán Abari

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Testing the first year students of Informatics at the University of Debrecen revealed that students start their tertiary studies in programming with a low level of programming knowledge and algorithmic skills. The possible reasons which lead the students to this very unfortunate result were examined. The results of the test were compared to the students’ results in the school leaving exams and to their self-assessment values. It was found that there is only a slight connection between the students’ results in the test and in the school leaving exams, especially at intermediate level. Beyond this, the school leaving exams do not seem to enable students to evaluate their own abilities.

Keywords: deep and surface approaches, metacognitive abilities, programming and algorithmic skills, school leaving exams, tracking code

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Authors: David Martínez Rico, Juan Pablo Farid Cuéllar Martínez

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After more than half a century that the first treaty of European cooperation was created, the final result of a difficult and long historical process, which is the current European Union, is facing economical and social challenges. The barriers of policies differences and national sovereignties seem to be being defeated in the last and present decades. However, the last crisis of 2008 brought back problems as xenophobia and nationalism. In this ambit of identity, European Union has made many efforts to reinforce a European identity and leave behind the radical nationalisms which generated World Wars. Nevertheless, these social problems are increasing and becoming more present in the life of many Europeans. Even, in the last Euro Parliamentarian Elections of the present year, 2014, the extreme right parties, in favor of xenophobic and anti European ideals, got more seats and are increasing their presence in Euro Parliament. This essay approaches to this controversial topic of European identity. Taking as start point the nationalist divisions that are causing internal divergences in Europe, the authors of this research study the role and contributions of the Memorials of the fallen soldiers and heroes of World Wars, present in many cities as Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris, to the impossibility to reach an European identity, it means that Europeans feel first part of Europe in place to feel first part of a nation. The objective of this essay is to reaffirm the thesis that establishes that the European Union won´t reach the longed supranational identity with just with the current strategies, because yet there are many cultural elements in its member states societies which exalt the heroes and soldiers of the past wars, increasing nationalism feelings. Besides, in it are promoted some interesting ideas that could change the course in this quest of a European social identity.

Keywords: identity, memorials, European identity, nationalism, proposals

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Authors: Amani Kappi, Ana Maria Linares, Gia Mudd-Martin

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Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are more likely to develop social skills deficits that can lead to academic underachievement, peer rejection, and maladjustment. Surveying teachers about children's social skills with ADHD will become a significant factor in identifying whether the children will be diagnosed with social skills deficits. The teacher-specific version of the Social Skills Rating System scale (SSRS-T) has been used as a screening tool for children's social behaviors. The psychometric properties of the SSRS-T have been evaluated in various populations and settings, such as when used by teachers to assess social skills for children with learning disabilities. However, few studies have been conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the SSRS-T when used to assess children with ADHD. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the SSRS-T and two SSRS-T subscales, Social Skills and Problem Behaviors. This was a secondary analysis of longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study. This study included a sample of 194 teachers who used the SSRS-T to assess the social skills of children aged 8 to 10 years with ADHD. Exploratory principal components factor analysis was used to assess the construct validity of the SSRS-T scale. Cronbach’s alpha value was used to assess the internal consistency reliability of the total SSRS-T scale and the subscales. Item analyses included item-item intercorrelations, item-to-subscale correlations, and Cronbach’s alpha value changes with item deletion. The results of internal consistency reliability for both the total scale and subscales were acceptable. The results of the exploratory factor analysis supported the five factors of SSRS-T (Cooperation, Self-control, Assertion, Internalize behaviors, and Externalize behaviors) reported in the original version. Findings indicated that SSRS-T is a reliable and valid tool for assessing the social behaviors of children with ADHD.

Keywords: ADHD, children, social skills, SSRS-T, psychometric properties

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Authors: Renga Rao Krishnamoorthy, Raihan Tahir

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The quality of classroom learning and teaching delivery has been and will continue to be debated at various levels worldwide. The regional cooperation programme to improve the quality and labour market orientation of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (RECOTVET), ‘Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit’ (GIZ), in line with the sustainable development goals (SDG), has taken the initiative in the development of quality TVET in the ASEAN region by developing the Quality Toolbox for Better TVET Delivery (Quality Toolbox). This initiative aims to provide quick and practical materials to trainers, instructors, and personnel involved in education and training at an institute to shape the quality of classroom learning and teaching. The Quality Toolbox for Better TVET Delivery was developed in three stages: literature review and development, validation, and finalization. Thematic areas in the Quality Toolbox were derived from collective input of concerns and challenges raised from experts’ workshops through moderated sessions involving representatives of TVET institutes from 9 ASEAN Member States (AMS). The sessions were facilitated by professional moderators and international experts. TVET practitioners representing AMS further analysed and discussed the structure of the Quality Toolbox and content of thematic areas and outlined a set of specific requirements and recommendations. The application exercise of the Quality Toolbox was carried out by TVET institutes among ASM. Experience sharing sessions from participating ASEAN countries were conducted virtually. The findings revealed that TVET institutes use two types of approaches in shaping the quality of learning and teaching, which is ascribed to inductive or deductive, shaping of quality in learning and teaching is a non-linear process and finally, Q-tools can be adopted and adapted to shape the quality of learning and teaching at TVET institutes in the following: improvement of the institutional quality, improvement of teaching quality and improvement on the organisation of learning and teaching for students and trainers. The Quality Toolbox has good potential to be used at education and training institutes to shape quality in learning and teaching.

Keywords: AMS, GIZ, RECOTVET, quality tools

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Authors: Harneet Walia, Morteza Zihayat

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Customer acquisition has become one of the critical issues of any business in the 21st century; having a healthy customer base is the essential asset of the bank business. Term deposits act as a major source of cheap funds for the banks to invest and benefit from interest rate arbitrage. To attract customers, the marketing campaigns at most financial institutions consist of multiple outbound telephonic calls with more than one contact to a customer which is a very time-consuming process. Therefore, customized direct marketing has become more critical than ever for attracting new clients. As customer acquisition is becoming more difficult to archive, having an intelligent and redefined list is necessary to sell a product smartly. Our aim of this research is to increase the effectiveness of campaigns by predicting customers who will most likely subscribe to the fixed deposit and suggest the most suitable month to reach out to customers. We design a Time Aware Upsell Prediction Framework (TAUPF) using two different approaches, with an aim to find the best approach and technique to build the prediction model. TAUPF is implemented using Upsell Prediction Approach (UPA) and Clustered Upsell Prediction Approach (CUPA). We also address the data imbalance problem by examining and comparing different methods of sampling (Up-sampling and down-sampling). Our results have shown building such a model is quite feasible and profitable for the financial institutions. The Time Aware Upsell Prediction Framework (TAUPF) can be easily used in any industry such as telecom, automobile, tourism, etc. where the TAUPF (Clustered Upsell Prediction Approach (CUPA) or Upsell Prediction Approach (UPA)) holds valid. In our case, CUPA books more reliable. As proven in our research, one of the most important challenges is to define measures which have enough predictive power as the subscription to a fixed deposit depends on highly ambiguous situations and cannot be easily isolated. While we have shown the practicality of time-aware upsell prediction model where financial institutions can benefit from contacting the customers at the specified month, further research needs to be done to understand the specific time of the day. In addition, a further empirical/pilot study on real live customer needs to be conducted to prove the effectiveness of the model in the real world.

Keywords: customer acquisition, predictive analysis, targeted marketing, time-aware analysis

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Authors: Salwa Aftab, Sehrish Riaz

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The objective of this study was to check the impact of grade sensitivity on learning motivation and academic performance of students and to remove the degree of difference that exists among students regarding the cause of their learning motivation and also to gain knowledge about this matter since it has not been adequately researched. Data collection was primarily done through the academic sector of Pakistan and was depended upon the responses given by students solely. A sample size of 208 university students was selected. Both paper and online surveys were used to collect data from respondents. The results of the study revealed that grade sensitivity has a positive relationship with the learning motivation of students and their academic performance. These findings were carried out through systematic correlation and regression analysis.

Keywords: academic performance, correlation, grade sensitivity, learning motivation, regression

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Authors: Urip Wahyuningsih, Indarti, Yuhri Inang Prihatina

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The current development of batik art has given rise to various batik industries. The emergence of the batik industry is in order to meet the needs of the increasing share of the batik fashion market. This gives rise to competitiveness between the batik industry to compete for a share of the existing batik clothing market. Conditions like this also occur in Klampar Pamekasan Maduira Village, as one of the Batik Tourism Villages in Indonesia, it must continue to improve by trying to maintain the characteristics of Klampar Pamekasan Madura batik fashion and must also always innovate so that it remains highly competitive so that it remains one of the places popular batik tourist destination. Ready-to-wear or ready-to-wear clothing is clothing that is mass produced and produced in various sizes and colors, which can be purchased directly and worn easily. Patterned batik cloth is basically batik cloth that has the pattern lines of the clothing parts arranged efficiently, so there is no need to bother designing the pattern layout of the clothing parts on the batik cloth to be cut. Quilting can be defined as the art of combining fabric materials of certain sizes and cuts to form unique motifs. Based on several things above, breakthrough production innovation is needed without abandoning the characteristic of Klampar Pamekasan Madura Batik as one of the Batik Tourism Villages in Indonesia. One innovation that can be done is creating ready-to-wear patterned batik clothing products using a quilting technique. The method used in this research is the Double Diamond Design Process method. This method is divided into 4 phases namely, discover (namely the stage of designing the theme of the ready-to-wear patterned batik fashion innovation concept using quilting techniques in the Batik Village, Klampar Village, Pamekasasan, Madura), define (determine the design summary and present challenges to the design), develop ( presents prototypes developed, tested, reviewed and refined) and deliver (selected designs are produced, pass final tests and are ready to be commercialized). The research produces patterned batik products that are ready to wear with quilting techniques that are validated by experts and accepted by the public.

Keywords: competitiveness, ready to wear, innovation, quilting, klampar batik vllage

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Authors: Francois Defay, Martim Calao, Jean Francois Dassieu, Laurent Salvetat

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Electrical vehicles are a solution for reducing the pollution using green energy. The shell Eco-Marathon provides rules in order to minimize the battery use for the race. The use of solar panel combined with efficient motor control and race strategy allow driving a 60kg vehicle with one pilot using only the solar energy in the best case. This paper presents a complete modelization of a solar vehicle used for the shell eco-marathon. This project called Helios is cooperation between non-graduated students, academic institutes, and industrials. The prototype is an ultra-energy-efficient vehicle based on one-meter square solar panel and an own-made brushless controller to optimize the electrical part. The vehicle is equipped with sensors and embedded system to provide all the data in real time in order to evaluate the best strategy for the course. A complete modelization with Matlab/Simulink is used to test the optimal strategy to increase the global endurance. Experimental results are presented to validate the different parts of the model: mechanical, aerodynamics, electrical, solar panel. The major finding of this study is to provide solutions to identify the model parameters (Rolling Resistance Coefficient, drag coefficient, motor torque coefficient, etc.) by means of experimental results combined with identification techniques. One time the coefficients are validated, the strategy to optimize the consumption and the average speed can be tested first in simulation before to be implanted for the race. The paper describes all the simulation and experimental parts and provides results in order to optimize the global efficiency of the vehicle. This works have been started four years ago and evolved many students for the experimental and theoretical parts and allow to increase the knowledge on electrical self-efficient vehicle.

Keywords: electrical vehicle, endurance, optimization, shell eco-marathon

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Authors: B. K. Manjunatha Goud, Aruna Chanu Oinam

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The undergraduate medical curriculum is oriented towards training the students to undertake the responsibilities of a physician. During the training period, adequate emphasis is placed on inculcating logical and scientific habits of thought; clarity of expression and independence of judgment; and ability to collect and analyze information and to correlate them. At Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University (RAKMHSU), Biochemistry a basic medical science subject is taught in the 1st year of 5 years medical course with vertical interdisciplinary interaction with all subjects, which needs to be taught and learned adequately by the students to be related to clinical case or clinical problem in medicine and future diagnostics so that they can practice confidently and skillfully in the community. Based on these facts study was done to know the extent of usage of library resources by the students and the impact of study materials on their preparation for examination. It was a comparative cross sectional study included 100 and 80 1st and 2nd-year students who had successfully completed Biochemistry course. The purpose of the study was explained to all students [participants]. Information was collected on a pre-designed, pre-tested and self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was validated by the senior faculties and pre tested on students who were not involved in the study. The study results showed that 80.30% and 93.15% of 1st and 2nd year students have the clear idea of course outline given in course handout or study guide. We also found a statistically significant number of students agreed that they were benefited from the practical session and writing notes in the class hour. A high percentage of students [50% and 62.02%] disagreed that that reading only the handouts is enough for their examination as compared to other students. The study also showed that only 35% and 41% of students visited the library on daily basis for the learning process, around 65% of students were using lecture notes and text books as a tool for learning and to understand the subject and 45% and 53% of students used the library resources (recommended text books) compared to online sources before the examinations. The results presented here show that students perceived that e-learning resources like power point presentations along with text book reading using SQ4R technique had made a positive impact on various aspects of their learning in Biochemistry. The use of library by students has overall positive impact on learning process especially in medical field enhances the outcome, and medical students are better equipped to treat the patient. But it’s also true that use of library use has been in decline which will impact the knowledge aspects and outcome. In conclusion, a student has to be taught how to use the library as learning tool apart from lecture handouts.

Keywords: medical education, learning resources, study guide, biochemistry

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Authors: Sripad Gowda, Praveen Nail

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Introduction: The urgent need for sustainable development has propelled the exploration and implementation of renewable and alternative energy technologies. This paper presents a comprehensive study on energy systems design and thermoeconomic analysis, focusing on optimizing the integration of renewable energy sources into existing infrastructures. Various renewable technologies, including solar, wind, and biomass, are analyzed to assess their economic viability, efficiency, and environmental impacts. Objectives: This study adopts a comprehensive approach to assess the role of renewable energy supply systems (RESSs) in promoting sustainability. It begins with an extensive literature review, aggregating insights from existing research. Quantitative data on energy generation and greenhouse gas emissions is sourced from reputable entities like the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). In-depth case studies of specific RESS projects across various regions highlight practical applications. Trend analysis identifies emerging technologies through expert interviews and industry reports. Additionally, the study evaluates current policies, focusing on crucial elements such as grid interactivity and public awareness. Ultimately, the findings synthesize diverse insights to evaluate RESSs' sustainability impact. Methodology: This study uses a multi-faceted approach to explore how renewable energy supply systems (RESSs) contribute to sustainability. First, it includes a literature review to gather information from existing studies about RESSs. Next, quantitative data on energy production and greenhouse gas emissions is collected from organizations like the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The study also examines specific RESS projects through case studies in different locations to show their practical use. Additionally, it identifies new technologies by conducting expert interviews and reviewing industry reports. The methodology assesses current policies, focusing on important aspects like grid interactivity and public awareness. Finally, the findings are combined to provide a clear understanding of the impact of RESSs on sustainability. Outcomes: The findings underscore the importance of developing innovative design strategies that enhance energy conversion processes while minimizing waste and emissions. The study reveals critical insights into the economic feasibility of integrating renewable energy technologies, demonstrating that careful consideration of initial investments, operational costs, and potential returns can lead to more sustainable energy solutions. Additionally, barriers to widespread adoption are identified, alongside suggested pathways to overcome these challenges, providing practical recommendations for policymakers and industry stakeholders. Ultimately, this research contributes valuable insights that facilitate informed decision-making aimed at achieving sustainable development goals, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and addressing the pressing challenges of climate change and environmental degradation.

Keywords: sustainable development, renewable energy, thermoeconomic analysis, energy systems

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Authors: Geoffrey Nwaka

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After many years of a border dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon over the ownership of the Bakassi Peninsula, the International Court of Justice ruled in 2002 that, based on the 1913 colonial boundary agreement between Britain and Germany, the oil-rich Peninsula, inhabited for generations by Nigerians, and hitherto administered as one of Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas, belongs to Cameroon, and not to Nigeria. Under pressure from the international community, Nigeria and Cameroon signed the Greentree Accord in 2006 to comply peacefully with the ICJ ruling and to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Bakassi people, whether they opted to remain in the Peninsula under the authority of Cameroon or relocate to Nigeria. Sadly, the Nigerian government and the international community underestimated the scale of displacement that would follow the withdrawal of the Nigerian administration and military forces from the area and did not prepare adequately for the massive influx of tens of thousands of Bakassi people hurriedly dislodged by the reported hostility of the Cameroon authorities and their security services. The paper discusses the historical context and contemporary significance of the crisis, the chaotic resettlement schemes and appalling humanitarian relief camps in ‘New Bakassi’, and the prolonged hardship and disillusionment of the disaffected refugees/returnees. The lesson for African and Asian governments and peoples is to avoid needless conflicts over the 'imported' colonial boundaries, to remove unnecessary border restrictions, and take fully into account the development needs and well-being of borderland communities that sometimes rightly feel that distant central governments negotiate their political and international interests at the expense of the borderlands; and finally, to begin to see the boundaries more as links and bridges for the cooperation and integration of African and Asian states and peoples, rather than as barriers and static lines of demarcation on the map.

Keywords: Africa, forced displacement, resettlement, border conflict, Bakassi

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Authors: Amy Gooden

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Despite its prevalence, direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTC-GT) remains under-investigated in South Africa (SA), and the issue of regulation is yet to be examined. Therefore, this research maps the current legal landscape relating to DTC-GT in SA through a legal analysis of the extant law relevant to the industry and the issues associated therewith – with the intention of determining if and how DTC-GT is legally governed. This research analyses: whether consumers are legally permitted to collect their saliva; whether DTC-GT are medical devices; licensing, registering, and advertising; importing and exporting; and genetic research conducted by companies.

Keywords: direct-to-consumer genetic testing, genetic testing, health, law, regulation, South Africa

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Authors: H. Naccache, R. Hleiss

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The aim of this research is to study the relationship between the performance of engineering students in different math courses and their performance in specific engineering courses. The considered courses are taken mainly by engineering students during the first two years of their major. Several factors are being studied, such as gender and final grades in the math and specific engineering courses. Participants of this study comprised a sample of more than thousands of engineering students at Lebanese University during their tertiary academic years. A significant relationship tends to appear between these factors and the performance of students in engineering courses. Moreover, female students appear to outperform their male counterparts in both the math and engineering courses, and a high correlation was found between their grades in math courses and their grades in specific engineering courses. The results and implications of the study were being discussed.

Keywords: education, engineering, math, performance

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Authors: Lubomir Machuca, Vit Fara

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Ammonium nitrate (AN) is produced by the reaction of ammonia and nitric acid, and a waste condensate is obtained. The condensate contains pure AN in concentration up to 10g/L. The salt content in the condensate is too high to discharge immediately into the river thus it must be treated. This study is concerned with the treatment of condensates from an industrial AN production by combination of electrodialysis (ED) and electrodeionization (EDI). The condensate concentration was in range 1.9–2.5g/L of AN. A pilot ED module with 25 membrane pairs following by a laboratory EDI module with 10 membrane pairs operated continuously during 800 hours. Results confirmed that the combination of ED and EDI is suitable for the condensate treatment.

Keywords: desalination, electrodialysis, electrodeionization, fertilizer industry

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Authors: A. R. Shakura, A. B. Elistina, M. S. Aini, S. Norhasmah, A. Fakhru’l-Razi

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Tsunami 2004 was an unforeseeable event that caught Malaysia of guard resulting with 68 losses of lives and with an estimated economic loss of about 55.15billion US dollar. Scientists predict that if the earthquake epicentre originates from the Andaman-Nicobar region, the coastal population of Penang will have about 30 minutes to evacuate to safety. Thus, a study was conducted to enhance resiliency of Penang community as the area was the worst affected region during 2004 tsunami disaster. This paper is intended to examine the factors that influence intention to prepare for future tsunami among the coastal residence in Penang. The differences in the level of intention to prepare were also examined between those who experience and did not experience the 2004 tsunami. This study utilized a cross-sectional research design using a survey method. A total of 503 respondents were chosen systematically and data gathered were analysed using SPSS. Both genders, male and female were equally represented with a mean age of 44 years. Data indicated that the level of intention to prepare for tsunami disaster was moderate (M=3.72) with no significant difference in intention to prepare between those who had experienced or had not experienced the 2004 tsunami. Subsequently, results from a multiple regression analysis found that sense of community to be the most influential factor followed by subjective norm, trust, positive outcome expectancy and risk perception, explaining the 57% variance in intention to prepare. These factors reflect the influence of the collectivistic culture in Malaysia whereby households plus communities have a central role in encouraging each other. Therefore, the findings highlights the potential of adopting a community based disaster risk management as recommended by the United Nations International Strategy Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) which encompasses the cooperation between the local community and relevant stakeholders in preparing for future tsunami disaster.

Keywords: disaster management, experience, intention to prepare, tsunami

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Authors: Aditaya Narayan Mishra

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Unequal distribution of environmental resources as a possible cause of conflict has been the topic of substantial research, and these connections have ruled the post-Cold War attention in the discourse of environmental security. In this category, considerable concentration has been given to water resources, on account of their important standing for human existence. Thus, water is considered to be one of the most important non-conventional security issues. As per this consideration, the case of India-Bangladesh is one of the most critical examples of disputes over transboundary water sharing. The concern regarding sharing of trans-boundary rivers has been the main focus of Bangladesh and India‘s relationship for the last forty-five years. Both countries share fifty-four rivers, most of which have originated in the Himalayan range. The main causes for problems in the sharing of the waters of trans-boundary rivers between India and Bangladesh include the: Farakka Barrage, Teesta river sharing issue, River linking project and Tipaimukh Dam. The construction of Farakka barrage across the Ganga River was the beginning of water dispute. Attempts at unilateral exploitation of the trans-boundary water resources led to inter-state conflicts that spilled over into other areas of bilateral disputes between India and Bangladesh. Apart from Farakka, Barrage, the disputes over Teesta River sharing, River linking project and Tipaimukh Dam are also vital contents for the both countries bilateral diplomacy. Till date, India and Bangladesh have signed five treaties regarding water sharing. However, all these treaties have been rendered worthless due to mistrust and political upheaval in both countries. The current paper would address all these water sharing disputes between India and Bangladesh with focus on the various policy responses (both bilateral and multilateral initiatives) to deal with these water sharing disputes. It will try to analyze the previous agreements and their drawbacks and loopholes. In addition, it will mention the reasons for water sharing cooperation between India and Bangladesh.

Keywords: India and Bangladesh relations, water disputes, Teesta, river linking project, Tipaimukh Dam, Farakka, policy responses

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Authors: J. Kosikova, B. Vacenovska, M. Vyhnankova

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The paper reports on the subject of recycling and further use of secondary raw materials obtained from solar panels, which is becoming a very up to date topic in recent years. Recycling these panels is very difficult and complex, and the use of resulting secondary raw materials is still not fully resolved. Within the research carried out at the Brno University of Technology, new polymer materials used for industrial floors are being developed. Secondary raw materials are incorporated into these polymers as fillers. One of the tested filler materials was glass obtained from solar panels. The following text describes procedures and results of the tests that were performed on these materials, confirming the possibility of the use of solar panel glass in industrial polymer flooring systems.

Keywords: fillers, industrial floors, recycling, secondary raw material, solar panel

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Authors: Emre Kara, Ali Kurşun, Halil Aykul

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The lightweight sandwiches obtained with the use of various core materials such as foams, honeycomb, lattice structures etc., which have high energy absorbing capacity and high strength to weight ratio, are suitable for several applications in transport industry (automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding industry) where saving of fuel consumption, load carrying capacity increase, safety of vehicles and decrease of emission of harmful gases are very important aspects. While the sandwich structures with foams and honeycombs have been applied for many years, there is a growing interest on a new generation sandwiches with micro lattice cores. In order to produce these core structures, various production methods were created with the development of the technology. One of these production technologies is an additive manufacturing technique called selective laser sintering/melting (SLS/SLM) which is very popular nowadays because of saving of production time and achieving the production of complex topologies. The static bending and the dynamic low velocity impact tests of the sandwiches with carbon fiber/epoxy skins and the micro lattice cores produced via SLS/SLM were already reported in just a few studies. The goal of this investigation was the analysis of the flexural response of the sandwiches consisting of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) skins and the micro lattice cores manufactured via SLS under thermo-mechanical loads in order to compare the results in terms of peak load and absorbed energy values respect to the effect of core cell size, temperature and support span length. The micro lattice cores were manufactured using SLS technology that creates the product drawn by a 3D computer aided design (CAD) software. The lattice cores which were designed as body centered cubic (BCC) model having two different cell sizes (d= 2 and 2.5 mm) with the strut diameter of 0.3 mm were produced using titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) powder. During the production of all the core materials, the same production parameters such as laser power, laser beam diameter, building direction etc. were kept constant. Vacuum Infusion (VI) method was used to produce skin materials, made of [0°/90°] woven S-Glass prepreg laminates. The combination of the core and skins were implemented under VI. Three point bending tests were carried out by a servo-hydraulic test machine with different values of support span distances (L = 30, 45, and 60 mm) under various temperature values (T = 23, 40 and 60 °C) in order to analyze the influences of support span and temperature values. The failure mode of the collapsed sandwiches has been investigated using 3D computed tomography (CT) that allows a three-dimensional reconstruction of the analyzed object. The main results of the bending tests are: load-deflection curves, peak force and absorbed energy values. The results were compared according to the effect of cell size, support span and temperature values. The obtained results have particular importance for applications that require lightweight structures with a high capacity of energy dissipation, such as the transport industry, where problems of collision and crash have increased in the last years.

Keywords: light-weight sandwich structures, micro lattice cores, selective laser sintering, transport application

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Authors: Pawinee Sorawech

Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality improvement of painting assignments for grade 4-6 students by using PDCA cycle. This study employed a qualitative technique. Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University and its demonstration school were selected as the area of study. An in-depth interview was utilized. The findings revealed that model of PDCA cycle was a proper model to increase the quality of painting assignments for grade 4-6 students. The six steps of improvement included: studying the PDCA model, setting up a plan, determining the scope of work, creating a strategy, developing a quality for painting assignment, and coming up with a handbook for a quality improvement of painting assignment.

Keywords: quality, painting assignments, PDCA cycle, grade 4-6 students

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Authors: J. Ritonja

Abstract:

The biochemical technology has been developing extremely fast since the middle of the last century. The main reason for such development represents a requirement for large production of high-quality biologically manufactured products such as pharmaceuticals, foods, and beverages. The impact of the biochemical industry on the world economy is enormous. The great importance of this industry also results in intensive development in scientific disciplines relevant to the development of biochemical technology. In addition to developments in the fields of biology and chemistry, which enable to understand complex biochemical processes, development in the field of control theory and applications is also very important. In the paper, the control for the biochemical reactor for the milk fermentation was studied. During the fermentation process, the biophysical quantities must be precisely controlled to obtain the high-quality product. To control these quantities, the bioreactor’s stirring drive and/or heating system can be used. Available commercial biochemical reactors are equipped with open loop or conventional linear closed loop control system. Due to the outstanding parameters variations and the partial nonlinearity of the biochemical process, the results obtained with these control systems are not satisfactory. To improve the fermentation process, the self-tuning adaptive control system was proposed. The use of the self-tuning adaptive control is suggested because the parameters’ variations of the studied biochemical process are very slow in most cases. To determine the linearized mathematical model of the fermentation process, the recursive least square identification method was used. Based on the obtained mathematical model the linear quadratic regulator was tuned. The parameters’ identification and the controller’s synthesis are executed on-line and adapt the controller’s parameters to the fermentation process’ dynamics during the operation. The use of the proposed combination represents the original solution for the control of the milk fermentation process. The purpose of the paper is to contribute to the progress of the control systems for the biochemical reactors. The proposed adaptive control system was tested thoroughly. From the obtained results it is obvious that the proposed adaptive control system assures much better following of the reference signal as a conventional linear control system with fixed control parameters.

Keywords: adaptive control, biochemical reactor, linear quadratic regulator, recursive least square identification

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