Search results for: spatial integration degree
3464 Mobile Systems: History, Technology, and Future
Authors: Shivendra Pratap Singh, Rishabh Sharma
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The widespread adoption of mobile technology in recent years has revolutionized the way we communicate and access information. The evolution of mobile systems has been rapid and impactful, shaping our lives and changing the way we live and work. However, despite its significant influence, the history and development of mobile technology are not well understood by the general public. This research paper aims to examine the history, technology and future of mobile systems, exploring their evolution from early mobile phones to the latest smartphones and beyond. The study will analyze the technological advancements and innovations that have shaped the mobile industry, from the introduction of mobile internet and multimedia capabilities to the integration of artificial intelligence and 5G networks. Additionally, the paper will also address the challenges and opportunities facing the future of mobile technology, such as privacy concerns, battery life, and the increasing demand for high-speed internet. Finally, the paper will also provide insights into potential future developments and innovations in the mobile sector, such as foldable phones, wearable technology, and the Internet of Things (IoT). The purpose of this research paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of the history, technology, and future of mobile systems, shedding light on their impact on society and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.Keywords: mobile technology, artificial intelligence, networking, iot, technological advancements, smartphones
Procedia PDF Downloads 923463 Enhancement of Recycled Concrete Aggregates Properties by Mechanical Treatment and Verification in Concrete Mixes with Replacement up to 100%
Authors: Iveta Nováková, Martin-Andrè S. Husby, Boy-Arne Buyle
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The building industry has one of the most significant contributions to global warming due to the production of building materials, transportation, building activities, and demolition of structures when they reach the end of their life. Implementation of circular material flow and circular economy can significantly reduce greenhouse gasses and simultaneously reduce the need for natural resources. The use of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) is one of the possibilities for reducing the depletion of raw materials for concrete production. Concrete is the most used building material worldwide, and aggregates constitute 70% of its volume. RCA can replace a certain amount of natural aggregates (NA), and concrete will still perform as required. The aim of this scientific paper is to evaluate RCA properties with and without mechanical treatment. Analysis of RCA itself will be followed by compressive strength of concrete containing various amounts of treated and non-treated RCA. Results showed improvement in compressive strength of the mix with mechanically treated RCA compared to standard RCA, and even the strength of concrete with mechanically treated RCA in dose 50% of coarse aggregates was higher than the reference mix by 4%. Based on obtained results, it can be concluded that integration of RCA in industrial concrete production is feasible, at a replacement ratio of 50% for mechanically treated RCA and 30% if untreated RCA is used, without affecting the compressive strength negatively.Keywords: recycled concrete aggregates, mechanical treatment, aggregate properties, compression strength
Procedia PDF Downloads 2453462 Utilization of Online Risk Mapping Techniques versus Desktop Geospatial Tools in Making Multi-Hazard Risk Maps for Italy
Authors: Seyed Vahid Kamal Alavi
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Italy has experienced a notable quantity and impact of disasters due to natural hazards and technological accidents caused by diverse risk sources on its physical, technological, and human/sociological infrastructures during past decade. This study discusses the frequency and impacts of the most three physical devastating natural hazards in Italy for the period 2000–2013. The approach examines the reliability of a range of open source WebGIS techniques versus a proposed multi-hazard risk management methodology. Spatial and attribute data which include USGS publically available hazard data and thirteen years Munich RE recorded data for Italy with different severities have been processed, visualized in a GIS (Geographic Information System) framework. Comparison of results from the study showed that the multi-hazard risk maps generated using open source techniques do not provide a reliable system to analyze the infrastructures losses in respect to national risk sources while they can be adopted for general international risk management purposes. Additionally, this study establishes the possibility to critically examine and calibrate different integrated techniques in evaluating what better protection measures can be taken in an area.Keywords: multi-hazard risk mapping, risk management, GIS, Italy
Procedia PDF Downloads 3713461 Combating Supplier-Copycatting With Intellectual Property Agreements
Authors: Hubert Pun
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When a manufacturer outsources the production of a product, it distributes its intellectual property (IP) into a supply chain that it may not be able to fully control. An IP agreement between a manufacturer and its suppliers is a popular solution to address the challenge of supplier-copycatting. The goal of this paper is to examine the impact of copycatting, from both the supplier and third-party firms, and the effectiveness of an IP agreement. Specifically, we use a game-theoretic approach to examine a system where a manufacturer outsources to a supplier. The supplier and a third-party firm decide whether or not to enter the market with copycat products while the manufacturer selects the level of marketing investment. The manufacturer can reduce the threat of supplier-copycatting by signing an IP agreement. We find that the manufacturer can be worse off from signing an IP agreement with its supplier, even if the IP agreement is costless and perfectly enforceable. We show that a manufacturer can deter copycat products through vertical integration and IP agreements and we outline the instances where each method is preferred. Furthermore, we find that the manufacturer may choose not to invest in quality improvements as a copycat deterrence strategy. We show that the supplier can benefit from the manufacturer’s decision to sign an IP agreement and that the supplier and the consumers can benefit from government regulations against copycat products. Our paper demonstrates the strengths and limitations of various copycat deterrence strategies when a supplier and third-party may produce copycat products.Keywords: coopetitive supply chain, copycat, government regulation, intellectual property
Procedia PDF Downloads 1833460 Financial Centers and BRICS Stock Markets: The Effect of the Recent Crises
Authors: Marco Barassi, Nicola Spagnolo
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This paper uses a DCC-GARCH model framework to examine mean and volatility spillovers (i.e. causality in mean and variance) dynamics between financial centers and the stock market indexes of the BRICS countries. In addition, tests for changes in the transmission mechanism are carried out by first testing for structural breaks and then setting a dummy variable to control for the 2008 financial crises. We use weekly data for nine countries, four financial centers (Germany, Japan, UK and USA) and the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). Furthermore, we control for monetary policy using domestic interest rates (90-day Treasury Bill interest rate) over the period 03/1/1990 - 04/2/2014, for a total of 1204 observations. Results show that the 2008 financial crises changed the causality dynamics for most of the countries considered. The same pattern can also be observed in conditional correlation showing a shift upward following the turbulence associated to the 2008 crises. The magnitude of these effects suggests a leading role played by the financial centers in effecting Brazil and South Africa, whereas Russia, India and China show a higher degree of resilience.Keywords: financial crises, DCC-GARCH model, volatility spillovers, economics
Procedia PDF Downloads 3573459 A Hybrid Feature Selection Algorithm with Neural Network for Software Fault Prediction
Authors: Khalaf Khatatneh, Nabeel Al-Milli, Amjad Hudaib, Monther Ali Tarawneh
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Software fault prediction identify potential faults in software modules during the development process. In this paper, we present a novel approach for software fault prediction by combining a feedforward neural network with particle swarm optimization (PSO). The PSO algorithm is employed as a feature selection technique to identify the most relevant metrics as inputs to the neural network. Which enhances the quality of feature selection and subsequently improves the performance of the neural network model. Through comprehensive experiments on software fault prediction datasets, the proposed hybrid approach achieves better results, outperforming traditional classification methods. The integration of PSO-based feature selection with the neural network enables the identification of critical metrics that provide more accurate fault prediction. Results shows the effectiveness of the proposed approach and its potential for reducing development costs and effort by detecting faults early in the software development lifecycle. Further research and validation on diverse datasets will help solidify the practical applicability of the new approach in real-world software engineering scenarios.Keywords: feature selection, neural network, particle swarm optimization, software fault prediction
Procedia PDF Downloads 953458 Economic Evaluation of Bowland Shale Gas Wells Development in the UK
Authors: Elijah Acquah-Andoh
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The UK has had its fair share of the shale gas revolutionary waves blowing across the global oil and gas industry at present. Although, its exploitation is widely agreed to have been delayed, shale gas was looked upon favorably by the UK Parliament when they recognized it as genuine energy source and granted licenses to industry to search and extract the resource. This, although a significant progress by industry, there yet remains another test the UK fracking resource must pass in order to render shale gas extraction feasible – it must be economically extractible and sustainably so. Developing unconventional resources is much more expensive and risky, and for shale gas wells, producing in commercial volumes is conditional upon drilling horizontal wells and hydraulic fracturing, techniques which increase CAPEX. Meanwhile, investment in shale gas development projects is sensitive to gas price and technical and geological risks. Using a Two-Factor Model, the economics of the Bowland shale wells were analyzed and the operational conditions under which fracking is profitable in the UK was characterized. We find that there is a great degree of flexibility about Opex spending; hence Opex does not pose much threat to the fracking industry in the UK. However, we discover Bowland shale gas wells fail to add value at gas price of $8/ Mmbtu. A minimum gas price of $12/Mmbtu at Opex of no more than $2/ Mcf and no more than $14.95M Capex are required to create value within the present petroleum tax regime, in the UK fracking industry.Keywords: capex, economical, investment, profitability, shale gas development, sustainable
Procedia PDF Downloads 5793457 Elastic Constants of Heat Treated Wood
Authors: Ergun Guntekin
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Effects of heat treatment on elastic constants of Black pine (Pinus nigra) wood were investigated. Specimens were exposed to heat under atmospheric pressure at two different temperatures (180 and 210 °C) and three different time levels (2, 5, 8 hours). Three Young’s modulus in three anatomical directions, six Poisson’s ratios and three Shear modulus values associated with the main directions were evaluated by compression tests. Compression strength of the samples in three principal directions was also determined. All of the properties of the specimens tested were altered by heat treatment. The degree of alteration depends on the temperature as well as duration applied. Results indicate that EL and compression strength in L direction were not significantly influenced, compression strength in R direction significantly decreased, ER, ET and compression strength in T direction were increased for shorter periods, then dropped for 8-hour application of 180 ºC. ER was not significantly affected, compression strength in R direction and EL was significantly decreased, ET and compression strength in T direction were increased for shorter periods, then decreased for 8-hour application of 210 ºC. The shear modulus of the samples was decreased with application of treatment combinations. Most of the Poisson’s ratios were not affected by heat treatment.Keywords: black pine, elastic constants, heat treatment, wood
Procedia PDF Downloads 1553456 Self-Perceived Employability of Students of International Relations of University of Warmia and Mazury in Poland
Authors: Marzena Świgoń
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Nowadays, graduates should be prepared for serious challenges in the internal and external labor market. The notion that a degree is a “passport to employment” has been relegated to the past. In the last few years a phenomenon in the form of the increasing unemployment of highly educated young people in EU countries, including Poland has been observed. Empirical studies were conducted among Polish students in the scope of the so-called self-perceived employability review. In this study, a special scale was used which consisted of 19 statements regarding five components: student’s perception of university; field of study; self-belief; state of the external labor market; and, personal knowledge management. The respondent group consisted of final-year master’s students of International Relations at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland. The findings of the empirical studies were compiled using statistical methods: descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. In general, in light of the conducted studies, the self-perceived employability of the Polish students was not high. Limitations of the studies were discussed, as well as the implications for future research in the scope of the students’ employability.Keywords: self-perceived employability, students of international relations, university students, students employability
Procedia PDF Downloads 3403455 Use of the Gas Chromatography Method for Hydrocarbons' Quality Evaluation in the Offshore Fields of the Baltic Sea
Authors: Pavel Shcherban, Vlad Golovanov
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Currently, there is an active geological exploration and development of the subsoil shelf of the Kaliningrad region. To carry out a comprehensive and accurate assessment of the volumes and degree of extraction of hydrocarbons from open deposits, it is necessary to establish not only a number of geological and lithological characteristics of the structures under study, but also to determine the oil quality, its viscosity, density, fractional composition as accurately as possible. In terms of considered works, gas chromatography is one of the most capacious methods that allow the rapid formation of a significant amount of initial data. The aspects of the application of the gas chromatography method for determining the chemical characteristics of the hydrocarbons of the Kaliningrad shelf fields are observed in the article, as well as the correlation-regression analysis of these parameters in comparison with the previously obtained chemical characteristics of hydrocarbon deposits located on the land of the region. In the process of research, a number of methods of mathematical statistics and computer processing of large data sets have been applied, which makes it possible to evaluate the identity of the deposits, to specify the amount of reserves and to make a number of assumptions about the genesis of the hydrocarbons under analysis.Keywords: computer processing of large databases, correlation-regression analysis, hydrocarbon deposits, method of gas chromatography
Procedia PDF Downloads 1573454 Federalism and Foreign Affairs: The International Relations of Mexican Sub-State Governments
Authors: Jorge A. Schiavon
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This article analyzes the international relations of sub-State governments (IRSSG) in Mexico. It aims to answer five questions: 1) What explains the recent and dramatic increase in their international activities? 2) What is the impact of federalism on the foreign affairs of the federal units? 3) What are the levels or degrees of IRSSG and how have they changed over the last years? 4) How do Mexican federal units institutionalize their international activities? 5) What are the perceptions and capacities of the federal units in their internationalization process? The first section argues that the growth in the IRSSG is generated by growing interdependence and globalization in the international system, and democratization, decentralization and structural reform in the national arena. The second section sustains that the renewed Mexican federalism has generated the incentives for SSG to participate more intensively in international affairs. The third section defends that there is a wide variation in their degree of international participation, which is measured in three moments in time (2004 2009 and 2014), and explains how this activity has changed in the last decade. The fourth section studies the institutionalization of the IRSSG in Mexico through the analysis of Inter-Institutional Agreements (IIA). Finally, the last section concentrates in explaining the perceptions and capacities of Mexican sub-State governments to conduct international relations.Keywords: federalism, foreign policy, international relations of sub-state governments, paradiplomacy, Mexico
Procedia PDF Downloads 1453453 Exploring Equity and Inclusion in the Context of Distance Education Using a Social Location Perspective
Authors: Boadi Agyekum
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In this study, a social location perspective is used to explore the challenges of creating opportunities that will foster lifelong education, inclusion, and equity for residents of rural communities in Ghana. The differentiated experiences of rural adults are under-researched and often unacknowledged in lifelong education literature and distance education policy. There is a need to examine carefully the structural inequalities that create disadvantages for residents of rural communities and women in pursuing distance education in designated cities in Ghana. The paper uses in-depth interviews to explore participants’ experiences of learning at a distance and to scrutinise the narratives of lifelong education. The paper reflects on the implications of the framework employed for educators and social justice in lifelong education. It further recommends the need to provide IT laboratories and fully online programs that would require stable and regular internet and access to ICT equipment for potential learning in rural communities. The social location approach presented a number of axes of diversity as comparatively more important than others; these included gender, age, education, work commitment, geography, and degree of social connectedness. This can inform lifelong education policy and programs to sustain quality education.Keywords: equity, distance education, lifelong learning, social location, intersectionality, rural communities
Procedia PDF Downloads 993452 Mediation of the Middle Eastern Crises and Economic Growth: An Application of Times Series Analysis
Authors: Gokhan Erkal, Gulsen Aydin, Muge Yuce, Lokman Sahin
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This study aims to analyze the impacts of involving in mediation of conflicts in the Middle East from the perspective of the economic growth of the mediators. The Middle East is a highly volatile region of the world with rampant crises whose affects spill beyond its borders. Therefore, management and resolution of the conflicts in the region are of great significance. Mediation is an instrument used for abating violence and settling dispute. The recourse to mediation has grown to an important degree in recent years. However, for mediators, it is a daunting task to involve in the mediation of the deadlocks in the Middle East. This study tries to shed light on the positive correlation between economic growth of the mediator and the successful outcome of the mediation process to provide motivation for mediators. To this end, first, it briefly introduces the conflicts ongoing in the region and their negative impacts. Second, the methodology, time series analysis, and the data to be used, International Crisis Behavior Project Data, are presented. Third, the empirical test is carried out and the findings are evaluated. The conclusion highlights the benefits of successful mediation for the economic growth of the mediators of Middle Eastern crises.Keywords: international crises, mediation, Middle East, times series analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 1753451 Electronic Nose for Monitoring Fungal Deterioration of Stored Rapeseed
Authors: Robert Rusinek, Marek Gancarz, Jolanta Wawrzyniak, Marzena Gawrysiak-Witulska, Dariusz Wiącek, Agnieszka Nawrocka
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Investigations were performed to examine the possibility of using an electronic nose to monitor the development of fungal microflora during the first eighteen days of rapeseed storage. The Cyranose 320 device with polymer-composite sensors was used. Each sample of infected material was divided into three parts, and the degree of spoilage was measured in three ways: analysis of colony forming units (CFU), determination of ergosterol content (ERG), and measurement with the eNose. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the generated patterns of signals, and six groups of different spoilage levels were isolated. The electronic nose with polymer-composite sensors under laboratory conditions distinguished between species of spoiled and unspoiled seeds with 100% accuracy. Despite some minor differences in the CFU and ergosterol content, the electronic nose provided responses correctly corresponding to the level of spoilage with 85% accuracy. Therefore, the main conclusion from the study is that the electronic nose is a promising tool for quick and non-destructive detection of the level of oil seed spoilage. The research was supported by the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), Grant No. PBS2/A8/22/2013.Keywords: colony forming units, electronic nose, ergosterol, rapeseed
Procedia PDF Downloads 3213450 Possibilities of Building Regional Migration Governance due to the Venezuelan Diaspora in Ibero-America (2015-2018)
Authors: Jonathan Palatz Cedeño
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The paper will seek to examine the scope and limitations of the process of construction of ordinary and extraordinary migration regulatory tools of the countries of Latin America, due to the Venezuelan diaspora in Ibero-America (2015-2018). The analysis methodology will be based on a systematic presentation of the existing advances in the subject under a qualitative approach, in which the results are detailed. We hold that an important part of the Latin American countries that used to be the emitters of migrants have had to generate, with greater or lesser success both nationally and regionally, ordinary and extraordinary migration regulatory tools to respond to the rapid intensification of the current Venezuelan migratory flows. This fact beyond implementing policies for the reception and integration of this population marks a new moment that represents a huge challenge both for the receiving States and for the young Ibero-American institutional migration system. Therefore, we can say that measures to adopt reception and solidarity policies, despite being supported by organs of the multilateral system such as UNHCR and IOM, are not found as guidelines for national and regional action, at the expense of the reactions of the respective public opinions and the influence of what to do of the neighboring countries in the face of the problem.Keywords: Venezuela, migration, migration policies and governance, Venezuelan diaspora
Procedia PDF Downloads 1313449 Thermal Performance of Fully Immersed Server into Saturated Fluid Porous Medium
Authors: Yaser Al-Anii, Abdulmajeed Almaneea, Jonathan L. Summers, Harvey M. Thompson, Nikil Kapur
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The natural convection cooling system of a fully immersed server in dielectric liquid is studied numerically. In present case study, the dielectric liquid represents working fluid and it is in contact with server inside capsule. The capsule includes electronic component and fluid, which can be modelled as saturated porous media. This medium follow Darcy flow regime and assumed to be in balance between its components. The study focus is on role of spatial parameters on thermal behavior of convective heat transfer. Based on server known unit, which is 1U, two parameters Ly and S are changed to test their effect. Meanwhile, wide range of modified Rayleigh number, which is 0.5 to 300, are covered to better understand thermal performance. Navier-Stokes equations are used to model physical domain. Furthermore, successive over relaxation and time marching techniques are used to solve momentum and energy equation. From obtained correlation, the in-between distance S is more effective on Nusselt number than distance to edge Ly by approximately 14%. In addition, as S increase, the average Nusselt number of the upper unit is increased sharply, whereas the lower one keeps on same level.Keywords: convective cooling of server, darcy flow, liquid-immersed server, porous media
Procedia PDF Downloads 3973448 The Dynamic Metadata Schema in Neutron and Photon Communities: A Case Study of X-Ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy
Authors: Amir Tosson, Mohammad Reza, Christian Gutt
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Metadata stands at the forefront of advancing data management practices within research communities, with particular significance in the realms of neutron and photon scattering. This paper introduces a groundbreaking approach—dynamic metadata schema—within the context of X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS). XPCS, a potent technique unravelling nanoscale dynamic processes, serves as an illustrative use case to demonstrate how dynamic metadata can revolutionize data acquisition, sharing, and analysis workflows. This paper explores the challenges encountered by the neutron and photon communities in navigating intricate data landscapes and highlights the prowess of dynamic metadata in addressing these hurdles. Our proposed approach empowers researchers to tailor metadata definitions to the evolving demands of experiments, thereby facilitating streamlined data integration, traceability, and collaborative exploration. Through tangible examples from the XPCS domain, we showcase how embracing dynamic metadata standards bestows advantages, enhancing data reproducibility, interoperability, and the diffusion of knowledge. Ultimately, this paper underscores the transformative potential of dynamic metadata, heralding a paradigm shift in data management within the neutron and photon research communities.Keywords: metadata, FAIR, data analysis, XPCS, IoT
Procedia PDF Downloads 623447 Virtual Co-Creation Model in Hijab Fashion Industry: Business Model Approach
Authors: Lisandy A. Suryana, Lidia Mayangsari, Santi Novani
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Creative industry in Indonesia become an important aspect of the economy. One of the sectors of creative industry which give the highest contribution toward Indonesia’s GDP is fashion sector. In line with the target of Indonesia in 2020 to be the qibla’ of moeslem fashion of the world, all of the stakeholders of the business ecosystem should collaborate. Rather than focus on the internal aspects of producer, external aspects such as customers, government, community, etc. become important to be involved in the ecosystem to support the development and sustainability of those fashion sector. Unfortunately, although Indonesia has the biggest moeslem population, the number of hijab business penetration only 10%. Therefore, this research aims to analyze and develop the virtual co-creation platform for hijab creative industry as the strategy to achieve sustainability and increase the market share. This preliminary research describes the main stakeholders in the hijab creative industry based on business model approach. This business model is adapted by considering the service science context, and the data is collected by using the qualitative approach especially in-depth interview. This business model shows the relationship between resource integration, value co-creation, the value proposition of the company, and also the financial aspect of the business.Keywords: value co-creation, Hijab Fashion Industry, creative industry, service business model, business model canvas
Procedia PDF Downloads 3803446 Correlation and Prediction of Biodiesel Density
Authors: Nieves M. C. Talavera-Prieto, Abel G. M. Ferreira, António T. G. Portugal, Rui J. Moreira, Jaime B. Santos
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The knowledge of biodiesel density over large ranges of temperature and pressure is important for predicting the behavior of fuel injection and combustion systems in diesel engines, and for the optimization of such systems. In this study, cottonseed oil was transesterified into biodiesel and its density was measured at temperatures between 288 K and 358 K and pressures between 0.1 MPa and 30 MPa, with expanded uncertainty estimated as ±1.6 kg.m^-3. Experimental pressure-volume-temperature (pVT) cottonseed data was used along with literature data relative to other 18 biodiesels, in order to build a database used to test the correlation of density with temperarure and pressure using the Goharshadi–Morsali–Abbaspour equation of state (GMA EoS). To our knowledge, this is the first that density measurements are presented for cottonseed biodiesel under such high pressures, and the GMA EoS used to model biodiesel density. The new tested EoS allowed correlations within 0.2 kg•m-3 corresponding to average relative deviations within 0.02%. The built database was used to develop and test a new full predictive model derived from the observed linear relation between density and degree of unsaturation (DU), which depended from biodiesel FAMEs profile. The average density deviation of this method was only about 3 kg.m-3 within the temperature and pressure limits of application. These results represent appreciable improvements in the context of density prediction at high pressure when compared with other equations of state.Keywords: biodiesel density, correlation, equation of state, prediction
Procedia PDF Downloads 6153445 Modeling Spillover Effects of Pakistan-India Bilateral Trade upon Sustainability of Economic Growth in Pakistan
Authors: Taimoor Hussain Alvi, Syed Toqueer Akhter
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The focus of this research is to identify Pak-India bilateral trade spillover effects upon Pakistan’s Growth rate. Cross-country spillover growth Effects have been linked with openness and access to markets. In this research, we intend to see the short run and long run effects of Pak-India Bilateral Trade Openness upon economic growth in Pakistan. Trade Openness has been measured as the sum of bilateral exports and imports between the two countries. Increased emphasis on the condition and environment of financial markets is laid in light of globalization and trade liberalization. This research paper makes use of the Univariate Autoregressive Distributed Lagged Model to analyze the effects of bilateral trade variables upon the growth pattern of Pakistan in the short run and long run. Key findings of the study empirically support the notion that increased bilateral trade will be beneficial for Pakistan in the short run because of cost advantage and knowledge spillover in terms of increased technical and managerial ability from multinational firms. However, contrary to extensive literature, increased bilateral trade measures will affect Pakistan’s growth rate negatively in the long run because of the industrial size differential and increased integration of Indian economy with the world.Keywords: bilateral trade openness, spillover, comparative advantage, univariate
Procedia PDF Downloads 4813444 Defining Methodology for Multi Model Software Process Improvement Framework
Authors: Aedah Abd Rahman
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Software organisations may implement single or multiple frameworks in order to remain competitive. There are wide selection of generic Software Process Improvement (SPI) frameworks, best practices and standards implemented with different focuses and goals. Issues and difficulties emerge in the SPI practices from the context of software development and IT Service Management (ITSM). This research looks into the integration of multiple frameworks from the perspective of software development and ITSM. The research question of this study is how to define steps of methodology to solve the multi model software process improvement problem. The objective of this study is to define the research approach and methodologies to produce a more integrated and efficient Multi Model Process Improvement (MMPI) solution. A multi-step methodology is used which contains the case study, framework mapping and Delphi study. The research outcome has proven the usefulness and appropriateness of the proposed framework in SPI and quality practice in Malaysian software industries. This mixed method research approach is used to tackle problems from every angle in the context of software development and services. This methodology is used to facilitate the implementation and management of multi model environment of SPI frameworks in multiple domains.Keywords: Delphi study, methodology, multi model software process improvement, service management
Procedia PDF Downloads 2603443 An Immune-Inspired Web Defense Architecture
Authors: Islam Khalil, Amr El-Kadi
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With the increased use of web technologies, microservices, and Application Programming Interface (API) for integration between systems, and with the development of containerization of services on the operating system level as a method of isolating system execution and for easing the deployment and scaling of systems, there is a growing need as well as opportunities for providing platforms that improve the security of such services. In our work, we propose an architecture for a containerization platform that utilizes various concepts derived from the human immune system. The goal of the proposed containerization platform is to introduce the concept of slowing down or throttling suspected malicious digital pathogens (intrusions) to reduce their damage footprint while providing more opportunities for forensic inspection of suspected pathogens in addition to the ability to snapshot, rollback, and recover from possible damage. The proposed platform also leverages existing intrusion detection algorithms by integrating and orchestrating their cooperative operation for more effective intrusion detection. We show how this model reduces the damage footprint of intrusions and gives a greater time window for forensic investigation. Moreover, during our experiments, our proposed platform was able to uncover unintentional system design flaws that resulted in internal DDoS-like attacks by submodules of the system itself rather than external intrusions.Keywords: containers, human immunity, intrusion detection, security, web services
Procedia PDF Downloads 953442 Rural Tourism as a Development Strategy in Communities of the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro
Authors: Eduardo Ruiz-Corzo, Luis Rodrigo Valencia Perez, Jorge Francisco Barragan Lopez
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The article shows the pressing conditions of marginalization prevailing in the Sierra Gorda, in the northern state of Queretaro, so it is essential to identify business options that generate a complementary source of income in a sustainable manner, in accordance with the fact that the area is a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. In this sense, the study identifies the enormous scenic richness of the area, the growing demand for leisure activities of the urban centers and the multifunctionality that adds, in a complementary way, the traditional activities that up to now have achieved the quality of life levels. From the application of the 43 interviews and 183 surveys, confirms the fact that the post-visit perception exceeds the expectations of the visitors emerges and affirms that the image that has been projected is attractive and timely. In order to understand how the current model of tourism promoted in the region is working, there is a need to evaluate it in a theoretical-methodological framework considering sustainable development assumptions. In order to determine the degree of contribution to business development, strengthening of social capital, and enjoyment and appreciation of cultural and natural heritage in the region.Keywords: marginalization, rural tourism, multifunctionality, sustainability, revenue
Procedia PDF Downloads 1473441 Probing The Electronic Excitation Induced Structural Phase Transition In Nd2zr2o7 Using X-ray Techniques
Authors: Yogendar Singh, Parasmani Rajput, Pawan Kumar Kulriya
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Understanding the radiation response of the pyrochlore structured ceramics in the nuclear reactor core-like environment is of quite an interest for their utilization as host matrices. Electronic excitation (100 MeV I7+) induced crystalline to amorphous phase transition in Nd2Zr2O7 pyrochlore synthesized through three steps solid-state sintering method was investigated. The x-ray diffraction, along with Raman spectroscopy and x-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments conducted on pristine and irradiated pyrochlore, showed an increase in the rate of amorphization with ion fluence. XRD results indicate that specimen is completely amorphized on irradiation at the highest fluence of 5×1013 ions/cm2. The EXAFS spectra of the K-Zr edge and the Nd LIII edge confirmed a significant change in the chemical environment of Nd upon swift heavy ion irradiation. Observation of a large change in the intensity of K-Zr pre-edge spectra is also a good indicator of the phase transition from pyrochlore to the amorphous phase, which is supported by the FT modulus of the LIII-Nd edge. However, the chemical environment of Zr is less affected by irradiation, but it clearly exhibits an increase in the degree of disorder.Keywords: nuclear host matrices, swift heavy ion irradiation, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, pyrochlore oxides
Procedia PDF Downloads 1033440 The Diffusion of Membrane Nanodomains with Specific Ganglioside Composition
Authors: Barbora Chmelova, Radek Sachl
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Gangliosides are amphipathic membrane lipids. Due to the composition of bulky oligosaccharide chains containing one or more sialic acids linked to the hydrophobic ceramide base, gangliosides are classified among glycosphingolipids. This unique structure induces a high self-aggregating tendency of gangliosides and, therefore, the formation of nanoscopic clusters called nanodomains. Gangliosides are preferentially present in an extracellular membrane leaflet of all human tissues and thus have an impact on a huge number of biological processes, such as intercellular communication, cell signalling, membrane trafficking, and regulation of receptor activity. Defects in their metabolism, impairment of proper ganglioside function, or changes in their organization lead to serious health conditions such as Alzheimer´s and Parkinson´s diseases, autoimmune diseases, tumour growth, etc. This work mainly focuses on ganglioside organization into nanodomains and their dynamics within the plasma membrane. Current research investigates static ganglioside nanodomains characterization; nevertheless, the information about their diffusion is missing. In our study, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy is implemented together with stimulated emission depletion (STED-FCS), which combines the diffraction-unlimited spatial resolution with high temporal resolution. By comparison of the experiments performed on model vesicles containing 4 % of either GM1, GM2, or GM3 and Monte Carlo simulations of diffusion on the plasma membrane, the description of ganglioside clustering, diffusion of nanodomains, and even diffusion of ganglioside molecules inside investigated nanodomains are described.Keywords: gangliosides, nanodomains, STED-FCS, flourescence microscopy, membrane diffusion
Procedia PDF Downloads 813439 Corporate Socially Responsible and Financial Performance in the Tourism-Related Industries
Authors: Yu Shan Wang
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Different from other industries, the structure of the tourism industry depends to a large degree the environmental and cultural resources. The industry has to undertake social responsibilities for its commercial behaviour. This paper refers to the seven dimensions of the KLD STATS in 1991-2011 as the indicator to CSR practices. The purpose is to investigate what CSR activities create significant impacts on accounting-based financials and firm values by delving into different CSR dimensions. Meanwhile, this paper takes into consideration S&P 500 and control variables (firm sizes and financial leverage). In fact, the commercial behavior of the tourism-related industry may result in negative impacts on the economy and the society. Therefore, this paper classifies a positive set of CSR elements and a negative set of CSR elements for the tourism-related industry in order to examine their respective effects on short-term profitability and long-term firm values. This can shed light on which CSR dimensions exhibit significant impacts on CFP better than holistic CSR indicators, and hence provide more useful information to investors and corporates. This paper uses quantile regressions to avoid the impact of outliers in the data set. This helps to offer specific information so that companies can make informed decisions.Keywords: corporate social responsibility, CSR, firm value, tourism, corporate financial performance, CFP
Procedia PDF Downloads 2883438 Affective Communities of Women in the Classic Spanish-Mexican-Argentinian Cinema. A Comparative Perspective from a South-South Gaze
Authors: Invernizzi Agostina
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From the 1930s, it is possible to find a phenomenon that persists through to the sixties in the national filmographies of different southern latitudes (Spain, Mexico, Argentina): the proliferation of ensemble films of groups of women who serve base to elaborate broader social conflicts and to construct imaginaries of the nation and of genders. This paper will address the modes of figuration of some affective imaginaries among women where the forms of sociability and the bonds of sisterhood are determined by the spaces in which the women are grouped. In these films, there are forms of affectivity that dispute the meanings of the patriarchal order of the time. One of the hypotheses is that these films formulate communities of women that carry out a reconfiguration of affective and transnational spaces. This research presents a multidisciplinary approach that simultaneously combines film and audiovisual studies, gender studies, decolonial feminist theories, and affects theories. The study of this phenomenon will provide us with keys for articulating with current problematics, such as the genealogies of women's movements, of which the cinema offers echoes and is a privileged medium for reflection and social change, as well as the international contact flows between these three geographical points, their migratory processes and cultural exchanges, transnationalism and integration.Keywords: affects, feminisms, film studies, gender
Procedia PDF Downloads 1073437 A Propose of Personnel Assessment Method Including a Two-Way Assessment for Evaluating Evaluators and Employees
Authors: Shunsuke Saito, Kazuho Yoshimoto, Shunichi Ohmori, Sirawadee Arunyanart
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In this paper, we suggest a mechanism of assessment that rater and Ratee (or employees) to convince. There are many problems exist in the personnel assessment. In particular, we were focusing on the three. (1) Raters are not sufficiently recognized assessment point. (2) Ratee are not convinced by the mechanism of assessment. (3) Raters (or Evaluators) and ratees have empathy. We suggest 1: Setting of "understanding of the assessment points." 2: Setting of "relative assessment ability." 3: Proposal of two-way assessment mechanism to solve these problems. As a prerequisite, it is assumed that there are multiple raters. This is because has been a growing importance of multi-faceted assessment. In this model, it determines the weight of each assessment point evaluators by the degree of understanding and assessment ability of raters and ratee. We used the ANP (Analytic Network Process) is a theory that an extension of the decision-making technique AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process). ANP can be to address the problem of forming a network and assessment of Two-Way is possible. We apply this technique personnel assessment, the weights of rater of each point can be reasonably determined. We suggest absolute assessment for Two-Way assessment by ANP. We have verified that the consent of the two approaches is higher than conventional mechanism. Also, human resources consultant we got a comment about the application of the practice.Keywords: personnel evaluation, pairwise comparison, analytic network process (ANP), two-ways
Procedia PDF Downloads 3823436 Creation of Greater Mekong Subregion Regional Competitiveness through Cluster Mapping
Authors: Danuvasin Charoen
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This research investigates cluster development in the area called the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), which consists of Thailand, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Myanmar, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Cambodia, and Vietnam. The study utilized Porter’s competitiveness theory and the cluster mapping approach to analyze the competitiveness of the region. The data collection consists of interviews, focus groups, and the analysis of secondary data. The findings identify some evidence of cluster development in the GMS; however, there is no clear indication of collaboration among the components in the clusters. GMS clusters tend to be stand-alone. The clusters in Vietnam, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Cambodia tend to be labor intensive, whereas the clusters in Thailand and the PRC (Yunnan) have the potential to successfully develop into innovative clusters. The collaboration and integration among the clusters in the GMS area are promising, though it could take a long time. The most likely relationship between the GMS countries could be, for example, suppliers of the low-end, labor-intensive products will be located in the low income countries such as Myanmar, Lao PDR, and Cambodia, and these countries will be providing input materials for innovative clusters in the middle income countries such as Thailand and the PRC.Keywords: cluster, GMS, competitiveness, development
Procedia PDF Downloads 2623435 A Comparative Study of Global Power Grids and Global Fossil Energy Pipelines Using GIS Technology
Authors: Wenhao Wang, Xinzhi Xu, Limin Feng, Wei Cong
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This paper comprehensively investigates current development status of global power grids and fossil energy pipelines (oil and natural gas), proposes a standard visual platform of global power and fossil energy based on Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. In this visual platform, a series of systematic visual models is proposed with global spatial data, systematic energy and power parameters. Under this visual platform, the current Global Power Grids Map and Global Fossil Energy Pipelines Map are plotted within more than 140 countries and regions across the world. Using the multi-scale fusion data processing and modeling methods, the world’s global fossil energy pipelines and power grids information system basic database is established, which provides important data supporting global fossil energy and electricity research. Finally, through the systematic and comparative study of global fossil energy pipelines and global power grids, the general status of global fossil energy and electricity development are reviewed, and energy transition in key areas are evaluated and analyzed. Through the comparison analysis of fossil energy and clean energy, the direction of relevant research is pointed out for clean development and energy transition.Keywords: energy transition, geographic information system, fossil energy, power systems
Procedia PDF Downloads 151