Search results for: survey on fiber optic deployment

Authors: Muhammad Umer Zubair, Kamran Akhtar, Muhammad Arsalan Khan

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This paper is based on a research carried out on a failed slope in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase I, Islamabad. The research included determination of Soil parameters, Site Surveying and Cost Estimation. Apart from these, the use of three dimensional (3D) slope stability analysis in conjunction with two dimensional (2D) analysis was used determination of slope conditions. In addition collection of soil reports, a detailed survey was carried out to create a 3D model in Surfer 8 software. 2D cross-sections that needed to be analyzed for stability were generated from 3D model. Slope stability softwares, Rocscience Slide 6.0 and Clara-W were employed for 2D and 3D Analyses respectively which have the ability to solve complex mathematical functions. Results of the analyses were used to confirm site conditions and the threats were identified to recommend suitable remedies.The most effective remedy was suggested for slope stability after analyzing all remedies in software Slide 6 and its feasibility was determined through cost benefit analysis. This paper should be helpful to Geotechnical engineers, design engineers and the organizations working with slope stability.

Keywords: slope stability, Rocscience, Clara W., 2d analysis, 3D analysis, sensitivity analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 525

Authors: Michele L. Tilstra, Tiffany J. Peets

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Interprofessional collaboration in behavioral healthcare education is increasingly recognized for its value in training students to address diverse client needs. While interprofessional education (IPE) is well-documented in occupational therapy education to address physical health, limited research exists on collaboration with counselors to address mental health concerns and the psychosocial needs of individuals receiving care. Counseling education literature primarily examines the collaboration of counseling students with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and marriage and family therapists. This pretest/posttest survey research study explored changes in attitudes toward interprofessional teams among 56 Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) (n = 42) and Counseling and Human Development (CHD) (n = 14) students participating in the Counselors and Occupational Therapists Professionally Engaged in the Community (COPE) program. The COPE program was designed to strengthen the behavioral health workforce in high-need and high-demand areas. Students accepted into the COPE program were divided into small MOT/CHD groups to complete multiple interprofessional multicultural learning modules using videos, case studies, and online discussion board posts. The online modules encouraged reflection on various behavioral healthcare roles, benefits of team-based care, cultural humility, current mental health challenges, personal biases, power imbalances, and advocacy for underserved populations. Using the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education- Revision 2 (SPICE-R2) scale, students completed pretest and posttest surveys using a 5-point Likert scale (Strongly Agree = 5 to Strongly Disagree = 1) to evaluate their attitudes toward interprofessional teamwork and collaboration. The SPICE-R2 measured three different factors: interprofessional teamwork and team-based practice (Team), roles/responsibilities for collaborative practice (Roles), and patient outcomes from collaborative practice (Outcomes). The mean total scores for all students improved from 4.25 (pretest) to 4.43 (posttest), Team from 4.66 to 4.58, Roles from 3.88 to 4.30, and Outcomes from 4.08 to 4.36. A paired t-test analysis for the total mean scores resulted in a t-statistic of 2.54, which exceeded both one-tail and two-tail critical values, indicating statistical significance (p = .001). When the factors of the SPICE-R2 were analyzed separately, only the Roles (t Stat=4.08, p =.0001) and Outcomes (t Stat=3.13, p = .002) were statistically significant. The item ‘I understand the roles of other health professionals’ showed the most improvement from a mean score for all students of 3.76 (pretest) to 4.46 (posttest). The significant improvement in students' attitudes toward interprofessional teams suggests that the unique integration of OT and CHD students in the COPE program effectively develops a better understanding of the collaborative roles necessary for holistic client care. These results support the importance of IPE through structured, engaging interprofessional experiences. These experiences are essential for enhancing students' readiness for collaborative practice and align with accreditation standards requiring interprofessional education in OT and CHD programs to prepare practitioners for team-based care. The findings contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting the integration of IPE in behavioral healthcare curricula to improve holistic client care and encourage students to engage in collaborative practice across healthcare settings.

Keywords: behavioral healthcare, counseling education, interprofessional education, mental health education, occupational therapy education

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Authors: Amnah M. A. Alsuhaibani, Amal N. Al-Kuraieef

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Introduction: In the recent decades, production of low-calorie jams is needed for diabetics that comprise low calorie fruits and low calorie sweeteners. Object: the research aimed to prepare low calorie formulated pumpkin jams (fructose, stevia and aspartame) incorporated with soy bean and evaluate the jams through chemical analysis and sensory evaluation after storage for six month. Moreover, the possible effect of consumption of low calorie jams on diabetic rats was investigated. Methods: Five formulas of pumpkin jam with different sucrose, fructose, stevia and aspartame sweeteners and soy bean were prepared and stored at 10 oC for six month compared to ordinary pumpkin jam. Chemical composition and sensory evaluation of formulated jams were evaluated at zero time, 3 month and 6 month of storage. The best three acceptable pumpkin jams were taken for biological study on diabetic rats. Rats divided into group (1) served as negative control and streptozotocin induce diabetes four rat groups that were positive diabetic control (group2), rats fed on standard diet with 10% sucrose soybean jam, fructose soybean jam and stevia soybean jam (group 3, 4&5), respectively. Results: The content of protein, fat, ash and fiber were increased but carbohydrate was decreased in low calorie formulated pumpkin jams compared to ordinary jam. Production of aspartame soybean pumpkin jam had lower score of all sensory attributes compared to other jam then followed by stevia soybean Pumpkin jam. Using non nutritive sweeteners (stevia & aspartame) with soybean in processing jam could lower the score of the sensory attributes after storage for 3 and 6 months. The highest score was recorded for sucrose and fructose soybean jams followed by stevia soybean jam while aspartame soybean jam recorded the lowest score significantly. The biological evaluation showed a significant improvement in body weight and FER of rats after six weeks of consumption of standard diet with jams (Group 3,4&5) compared to Group1. Rats consumed 10% low calorie jam with nutrient sweetener (fructose) and non nutrient sweetener (stevia) soybean jam (group 4& 5) showed significant decrease in glucose level, liver function enzymes activity, and liver cholesterol & total lipids in addition of significant increase of insulin and glycogen compared to the levels of group 2. Conclusion: low calorie pumpkin jams can be prepared by low calorie sweeteners and soybean and also storage for 3 months at 10oC without change sensory attributes. Consumption of stevia pumpkin jam fortified with soybean had positive health effects on streptozoticin induced diabetes in rats.

Keywords: pumpkin jam, HFCS, aspartame, stevia, storage

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Authors: Saraswati Kerketta

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Tea industry is one of the oldest organised sector of India. It employs roughly 1.5 million people directly. Since the last decade Indian tea industry, especially in the northern region is experiencing worst crisis in the post-independence period. Due to many reason the prices of tea show steady decline. The workers are paid one of the lowest wage in tea industry in the world (1.5$ a day) below the UN's $2 a day for extreme poverty. The workers rely on addition benefits from plantation which includes food, housing and medical facilities. These have been effective means of enslavement of generations of labourers by the owners. There is hardly any change in the tea estates where the owners determine the fate of workers. When the tea garden is abandoned or is closed all the facilities disappear immediately. The workers are the descendants of tribes from central India also known as 'tea tribes'. Alienated from their native place, the geographical and social isolation compounded their vulnerability of these people. The economy of the region being totally dependent on tea has resulted in absolute unemployment for the workers of these tea gardens. With no other livelihood and no land to grow food, thousands of workers faced hunger and starvation. The Plantation Labour Act which ensures the decent working and living condition is violated continuously. The labours are forced to migrate and are also exposed to the risk of human trafficking. Those who are left behind suffers from starvation, malnutrition and disease. The condition in the sick tea plantation is no better. Wage are not paid regularly, subsidised food, fuel are also not supplied properly. Health care facilities are in very bad shape. Objectives: • To study the socio-cultural and demographic characteristics of the tea garden labourers in the study area. • To examine the social situation of workers in sick estates in dooars region. • To assess the magnitude of deprivation the impact of economic crisis on abandoned and closed tea estates in the region. Data Base: The study is based on data collected from field survey. Methods: Quantative: Cross-Tabulation, Regression analysis. Qualitative: Household Survey, Focussed Group Discussion, In-depth interview of key informants. Findings: Purchasing power parity has declined since in last three decades. There has been many fold increase in migration. Males migrates long distance towards central and west and south India. Females and children migrates both long and short distance. No one has reported to migrate back to the place of origin of their ancestors. Migrant males work mostly as construction labourers and as factory workers whereas females and children work as domestic help and construction labourers. In about 37 cases either they haven't contacted their families in last six months or are not traceable. The families with single earning members are more likely to migrate. Burden of disease and the duration of sickness, abandonment and closure of plantation are closely related. Death tolls are likely to rise 1.5 times in sick tea gardens and three times in closed tea estates. Sixty percent of the people are malnourished in the sick tea gardens and more than eighty five per cent in abandoned and sick tea gardens.

Keywords: migration, trafficking, starvation death, tea garden workers

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Authors: J. Kodoh, H. L. Dumil, M. Maid

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Agroforestry system has been widely documented that provide benefits to rural livelihoods and improved socioeconomic status. This study concerns on agroforestry practices in generating local socioeconomic livelihoods. The general approach is to survey local community involvement in the agroforestry activities at four selected rural villages in Paitan district, using a structured questionnaire through personal interview technique. A total of 200 respondents were interviewed where the largest age group of the respondents was more than 50 years old (31%). Almost all respondents had former education (76%), and majority of them were employed (97%) either in the government and private sectors or self-employed. All respondents (100%) were involved in agroforestry activities where agroforestry products as their source of income (Hevea brasiliensis, Durio zibethinus, Elaeis guinensis) and foods (Manihot esculenta, Mangifera sp., Musa sp.) The mean monthly income from selling agroforestry products contributed 16.6% (USD130.37) of the mean total monthly income of the respondents (r=0.407, r²=0.166, p < 0.01). This study also showed that the main driven factor for the respondents (93%) to adopt and sustain the agroforestry practices is their traditional ways of farming that transferred from generation to generation.

Keywords: agroforestry, Paitan district, rural community, socioeconomic

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Authors: Yi Shan Wu, Ting Hsuan Wu, Li Wei Cheng, Pei Yu Guo

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Given the fiercely competitive environment, human capital is one of the most valuable assets in a commercial enterprise. Therefore, developing strategies to acquire more talents is crucial. Talents are mainly attracted by both internal and external employer brands as well as by the messages conveyed from the employer image. This not only manifests the importance of a brand and an image of an organization but shows people might be affected by their personal values when assessing an organization as an employer. The goal of the present study is to examine the association between employer brand, employer image, and the likelihood of increasing organizational attractiveness. In addition, we draw from social identity theory to propose value congruence may affect the relationship between employer brand and employer image. Data was collected from those people who only worked less than a year in the industry via an online survey (N=209). The results show that employer image partly mediates the effect of employer brand on organizational attractiveness. In addition, the results also suggest that value congruence does not moderate the relationship between employer brand and employer image. These findings explain why building a good employer brand could enhance organization attractiveness and indicate there should be other factors that may affect employer image building, offering directions for future research.

Keywords: organizational attractiveness, employer brand, employer image, value congruence

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Authors: Terada Pinyo

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This study is a survey research designed to evaluate the quality of graduate students and factors influencing their quality. The sample group consists of 240 students. The data are collected from stratified sampling and are analyzed and calculated by instant computer program. Statistics used are percentage, mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation coefficient, Cramer’s V and logistic regression analysis. It is found that the graduate students’ opinions regarding their characteristics according to the Thai Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (TQF) are at high score range both overall and specific category. The top categories that received the top score are interpersonal skills and responsibility, ethics and morals, knowledge, cognitive skills, numerical analysis with communication and information technology skills, respectively. On the other hand, factors affecting the quality of graduate students are cognitive skills, numerical analysis with communication and information technology, knowledge, interpersonal skills and responsibility, ethics and morals, and career regarding sales/business, respectively.

Keywords: student quality evaluation, Thai qualifications framework for higher education, graduate school, cognitive skills

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Authors: Yang Wenjuan, Xu Yilun

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Based on the comparative analysis of the relevant evaluation methods of walking environment, this paper selects the combined evaluation method of macro urban morphology analysis and micro urban design quality survey, then investigates and analyzes the walking environment of three rail transit station area in Nanjing to explore the influence factor and internal relation of walkability of rail transit station area. Analysis shows that micro urban design factors have greater impact on the walkability of rail transit station area compared with macro urban morphology factors, the convenience is the key factor in the four aspects of convenience, security, identity and comfortability of the urban design factors, the convenience is not only affected by the block network form, but also related to the quality of the street space. The overall evaluation of walkability comes from the overlapping and regrouping of the walking environment at different levels, but some environmental factors play a leading role. The social attributes of pedestrians also partly influence their walking perception and evaluation.

Keywords: rail transit station area, walkability, evaluation, influence factors

Procedia PDF Downloads 295

Authors: Balarabe Bilyaminu Ismail, Osman Cavus, Fügen Durlu Özkaya

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This study is aimed at determining the level of awareness of chefs and students of food science and technology on food safety in general and allergens in particular. To get appropriate data, a questionnaire comprising of 19 questions covering many food safety issues and allergens in foods were used to collect information for the study through face to face interviews. Interviews were conducted for 284 people in Nigeria and Turkey. Sixty-eight percent of respondents from Turkey; 31.3% were students and 68.7% were chefs. Thirty-one percent of respondents from Nigeria include 33.7% students and 66.3% chefs. The result of the study indicated that most of the findings of scientific studies on food safety issues have not been directly applied by the people working in the food sector. Additionally, the knowledge level of the gastronomy and culinary arts students on food safety and allergens are significantly higher than the restaurant chefs that prepare the food and serve it to the public. The study, therefore, concluded that proper training of food business operators is critical to ensuring the safety of foods and control of allergens.

Keywords: allergens, food safety, questionnaire survey, training

Procedia PDF Downloads 362

Authors: Şeyma Saliha Fidan, Ozgur Serin, Ata Mugan

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While performing verification analyses under static and dynamic loads that composite structures used in aviation are exposed to, it is necessary to obtain the bearing strength limit value for mechanically connected composite structures. For this purpose, various tests are carried out in accordance with aviation standards. There are many companies in the world that perform these tests in accordance with aviation standards, but the test costs are very high. In addition, due to the necessity of producing coupons, the high cost of coupon materials, and the long test times, it is necessary to simulate these tests on the computer. For this purpose, various test coupons were produced by using reinforcement and alignment angles of the composite radomes, which were integrated into the aircraft. Glass fiber reinforced and Quartz prepreg is used in the production of the coupons. The simulations of the tests performed according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D5961 Procedure C standard were performed on the computer. The analysis model was created in three dimensions for the purpose of modeling the bolt-hole contact surface realistically and obtaining the exact bearing strength value. The finite element model was carried out with the Analysis System (ANSYS). Since a physical break cannot be made in the analysis studies carried out in the virtual environment, a hypothetical break is realized by reducing the material properties. The material properties reduction coefficient was determined as 10%, which is stated to give the most realistic approach in the literature. There are various theories in this method, which is called progressive failure analysis. Because the hashin theory does not match our experimental results, the puck progressive damage method was used in all coupon analyses. When the experimental and numerical results are compared, the initial damage and the resulting force drop points, the maximum damage load values ​​, and the bearing strength value are very close. Furthermore, low error rates and similar damage patterns were obtained in both test and simulation models. In addition, the effects of various parameters such as pre-stress, use of bushing, the ratio of the distance between the bolt hole center and the plate edge to the hole diameter (E/D), the ratio of plate width to hole diameter (W/D), hot-wet environment conditions were investigated on the bearing strength of the composite structure.

Keywords: puck, finite element, bolted joint, composite

Procedia PDF Downloads 102

Authors: Ismial A. Raji, Blessing Egbezieme Oladejo, Babatunde Kasim Oladele

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The study investigated the influence of leadership succession and tenure on goal attainment in the University of Ibadan. Leadership styles, tenure politics, organization succession, leadership succession, goal attainment in terms of research, teaching and public services were considered. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The population of the study was 250 consisting 90 academic staff, 100 Senior Non-Teaching Staff and 60 Junior Non-Teaching Staff. Questionnaire was the instrument used to collect data. The instrument reliability coefficient was 0.88. Data collected were analysed with descriptive statistics. The result revealed that a significant relationship exist between leadership succession, tenure and goal attainment (r= .648, 0.466 and 0.479p< .0.5) Also, There was no statistical significant interaction between the effects of leadership tenure and leadership succession on goal attainment, F (38, 131) = 1.356, p = .104. The main influence of the independent variables on goal attainment were significant at F (24, 131) = 1.682, p=.034 and F (26, 131) = 2.182, p=.002. The study concluded that leadership succession and tenure are key factors for goal attainment in the University of Ibadan. The study recommended that an effective leadership succession and tenure processes should be maintained and sustained by higher institutions of learning.

Keywords: leadership tenure, style, succession, institutional goal

Procedia PDF Downloads 256

Authors: Chuyuan Wang, Nayan Khare, Lily Villa, Patricia Solis, Elizabeth A. Wentz

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Maricopa County, Arizona, has a semi-arid hot desert climate that is one of the hottest regions in the United States. The exacerbated urban heat island (UHI) effect caused by rapid urbanization has made the urban area even hotter than the rural surroundings. The Phoenix metropolitan area experiences extremely high temperatures in the summer from June to September that can reach the daily highest of 120 °F (48.9 °C). Morbidity and mortality due to the environmental heat is, therefore, a significant public health issue in Maricopa County, especially because it is largely preventable. Public records from the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) revealed that between 2012 and 2016, there were 10,825 incidents of heat-related morbidity incidents, 267 outdoor environmental heat deaths, and 173 indoor heat-related deaths. A lot of research has examined heat-related death and its contributing factors around the world, but little has been done regarding heat-related morbidity issues, especially for regions that are naturally hot in the summer. The objective of this study is to examine the demographic, socio-economic, housing, and environmental factors that contribute to heat-related morbidity in Maricopa County. We obtained heat-related morbidity data between 2012 and 2016 at census tract level from MCDPH. Demographic, socio-economic, and housing variables were derived using 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-year estimate from the U.S. Census. Remotely sensed Landsat 7 ETM+ and Landsat 8 OLI satellite images and Level-1 products were acquired for all the summer months (June to September) from 2012 and 2016. The National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2016 percent tree canopy and percent developed imperviousness data were obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). We used ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis to examine the empirical relationship between all the independent variables and heat-related morbidity rate. Results showed that higher morbidity rates are found in census tracts with higher values in population aged 65 and older, population under poverty, disability, no vehicle ownership, white non-Hispanic, population with less than high school degree, land surface temperature, and surface reflectance, but lower values in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and housing occupancy. The regression model can be used to explain up to 59.4% of total variation of heat-related morbidity in Maricopa County. The multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) technique was then used to examine the spatially varying relationships between heat-related morbidity rate and all the significant independent variables. The R-squared value of the MGWR model increased to 0.691, that shows a significant improvement in goodness-of-fit than the global OLS model, which means that spatial heterogeneity of some independent variables is another important factor that influences the relationship with heat-related morbidity in Maricopa County. Among these variables, population aged 65 and older, the Hispanic population, disability, vehicle ownership, and housing occupancy have much stronger local effects than other variables.

Keywords: census, empirical modeling, heat-related morbidity, spatial analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 126

Authors: Sherry Ann Ganase, Sandra Sookram

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In this paper, the vulnerability level to climate change is analysed using a comprehensive index, consisting of five pillars: human, social, natural, physical, and financial. A structural equation model is also applied to determine the indicators and relationships that exist between the observed environmental changes and the quality of life. Using survey data to model the results, a value of 0.382 is derived as the vulnerability level for San Pedro, where values closer to zero indicates lower vulnerability and values closer to one indicates higher vulnerability. The results showed the social pillar to be most vulnerable, with the indicator ‘participation’ ranked the highest in its cohort. Although, the environmental pillar is ranked as least vulnerable, the indicators ‘hazard’ and ‘biodiversity’ obtained scores closer to 0.4, suggesting that changes in the environment are occurring from natural and anthropogenic activities. These changes can negatively influence the quality of life as illustrated in the structural equation modelling. The study concludes by reporting on the need for collective action and participation by households in lowering vulnerability to ensure sustainable development and livelihood.

Keywords: climate change, participation, San Pedro, structural equation model, vulnerability index

Procedia PDF Downloads 631

Authors: L. Sánchez-Abella, I. Loinaz, H-J. Grande, D. Dupin

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Aseptic loosening remains as the principal cause of revision in total hip arthroplasty (THA). For long-term implantations, submicron particles are generated in vivo due to the inherent wear of the prosthesis. When this occurs, macrophages undergo phagocytosis and secretion of bone resorptive cytokines inducing osteolysis, hence loosening of the implanted prosthesis. Therefore, new technologies are required to reduce the wear of the bearing materials and hence increase the life-span of the prosthesis. Our strategy focuses on surface modification of the bearing materials with a hydrophilic coating based on cross-linked water-soluble (meth)acrylic monomers to improve their tribological behavior. These coatings are biocompatible, with high swelling capacity and antifouling properties, mimicking the properties of natural cartilage, i.e. wear resistance with a permanent hydrated layer that prevents prosthesis damage. Cartilage mimicking based coatings may be also used to protect medical device surfaces from damage and scratches that will compromise their integrity and hence their safety. However, there are only a few reports on the mechanical and tribological characteristics of this type of coatings. Clear beneficial advantages of this coating have been demonstrated in different conditions and different materials, such as Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), Polyethylene (XLPE), Carbon-fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK), cobalt-chromium (CoCr), Stainless steel, Zirconia Toughened Alumina (ZTA) and Alumina. Using routine tribological experiments, the wear for UHMWPE substrate was decreased by 75% against alumina, ZTA and stainless steel. For PEEK-CFR substrate coated, the amount of material lost against ZTA and CrCo was at least 40% lower. Experiments on hip simulator allowed coated ZTA femoral heads and coated UHMWPE cups to be validated with a decrease of 80% of loss material. Further experiments on hip simulator adding abrasive particles (1 micron sized alumina particles) during 3 million cycles, on a total of 6 million, demonstrated a decreased of around 55% of wear compared to uncoated UHMWPE and uncoated XLPE. In conclusion, CIDETEC‘s hydrogel coating technology is versatile and can be adapted to protect a large range of surfaces, even in abrasive conditions.

Keywords: cartilage, hydrogel, hydrophilic coating, joint

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Authors: D. T. Chabalala

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Currently South Africa is facing a triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality. As such, communities have limited access to basic municipal services such as water, sanitation and electricity. Citizens such as those residing at Malamulele Township will be responsible to pay for the cost of water services that they consume instead of having the costs subsidised by the newly formed Municipality. The question on whether Malamulele residents would be willing to pay for water services provided for them need to be investigated. This study was conducted in Malamulele Township and surrounding villages. The article is based on a survey of 500 randomly selected households from township and villages surrounding Malamulele. The study uses the contingent valuation method to determine households’ willingness to pay for water services as well as the consequences they possibly will encounter in case their response is negative. The obtained results can be used by the Municipality and other Government Departments in order to better identify the affordable rates and the quantity of water service to be provided. Thus, it will make Municipality water supply services stable and sustainable. It will also be used as a tool to provide inform decisions about a range of infrastructure to enhance water supply systems.

Keywords: willingness to pay, contingent valuation method, water supply systems, Malamulele

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Authors: Asia Ashfaq, Muhammad Saud

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The present study aims to highlight the socio-economic aspect of international migration by analyzing the effect of remittances sent by adult male children on the well-being of left behind parents. Well-being of left behind parents was operationalized through two indicators as financial security and health-care facilities. For this purpose, quantitative research design was employed and a survey was conducted in three cities i.e. Gujrat, Jhelum and Mirpur. The data was collected from 94 respondents chosen--purposively--on the basis of certain characteristics including demographic profile of the respondents and their male children who must be living abroad. The findings of the study revealed that parents were getting money from their sons regularly. Parents were getting financial assistance from their children for managing their household expenditures, visiting good hospitals and the specialist doctors in case of illness. Lastly, the study concluded that the economic aspect of migration of male children has a significant impact on the health status of left behind parents with the value of correlation (r) =0.241 and level of significance as 0.019. The research study also gives some suggestions and provides future directions for research.

Keywords: international migration, left behind parents, Pakistan, remittances, well-being

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Authors: Ali Al-Bakri, Mohammed Sazid

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The investigated study area locates about 72 km from Jeddah city, Makkah district, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study mainly aimed to define only in detail the most significant zones of possible mineralization and outline their subsurface parameters (location and strike) in the southeast part of Jabal Al-Qashah. Several geophysical methods have been conducted to carry out the goal. Among these methods are the ground magnetic method, self-potential (SP) method, and induced polarization (IP) method. Integrating these methods aims to help in delineating the possible mineralization in the study area. The magnetic survey was conducted along 17 profiles where these profiles were chosen to be perpendicular to the strike of the quartz shear zone. Self-potential was applied along with five profiles covering the study area. At the same time, induced polarization was used along with one profile located at the western side of the study area corresponding to some magnetic and SP profiles. The most interesting zones of mineralization were successfully determined by comparing the results of residual magnetic profile (3), SP profile (1), and IP profile, where geological structures control some mineralization.

Keywords: geophysical methods, magnetic method, self-potential, induced polarization, Jabal Al-Qashah

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Authors: Azman Ramlie, Vivian Foo Jing Wen

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As the advancement of technology has tremendously changed the way people communicate with each other, it has opened up opportunities for interracial relationships. Interracial relationship is also known as intercultural or interethnic relationships. This research topic aims to study on students’ perceptions toward interracial relationship in terms of their level of acceptance and approval. In addition, the study also focuses on determining and ranking the factors that affects students’ perceptions towards interracial relationship. This study also targets to determine the differences in students’ perceptions from business and communication major. This study uses a sample of university students from Sunway University, particularly on students in business and communication major. The study was conducted through online survey questionnaires. Results revealed that students’ level of acceptance towards interracial relationship was high. In addition, results also further indicated that family members’ support was one of the most important factors in influencing students’ perception towards interracial relationship. No diverse differences of perceptions among students in business and communication major towards interracial relationship were shown in the findings. Most of the result showed that both majors turned out to have similar perceptions towards interracial relationship. It can be said that the students’ perception towards interracial relationship did not differ from which major the students was in but their family background that would shape their perceptions.

Keywords: interracial relationship, racial, relationship, perceptions

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Authors: Yuheng Tao

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Rapid urbanization has brought the consequences of incompatible and excessive homogeneity of urban system, and urban color planning has become one of the most effective ways to restore the characteristics of cities. Among the many urban color design research, the establishment of urban theme colors has rarely been discussed. This study took the "New Taipei City Environmental Aesthetic Color” project as a research case and conducted mixed-method research that included expert interviews and quantitative survey data. This study introduces how theme colors were selected by the experts and investigates public’s perception and preference of the selected theme colors. Several findings include 1) urban memory plays a significant role in determining urban theme colors; 2) When establishing urban theme colors, areas/cities with relatively weak urban memory are given priority to be defined; 3) Urban theme colors that imply cultural attributes are more widely accepted by the public; 4) A representative city theme color helps conserve culture rather than guiding innovation. In addition, this research rearranges the urban color symbolism and specific content of urban theme colors and provides a more scientific urban theme color selection scheme for urban planners.

Keywords: urban theme color, urban color attribute, public perception, public preferences

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Authors: Papali Elizabeth Maqalika

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Introduction: Dress is used daily and can be used to define culture, and through it, individuals form a sense of self and identity. One of the characteristics of culture is that it evolves; Basotho culture is no exception to this. It has evolved through rites of entry, significant ceremonies, daily living, and an approach to others. Most of these affect and have been affected by the local/traditional dress. The study focused on the evolution of culture, and the role played by dress as it is one of the major contributors to non-verbal communication. Methodology: Secondary data were used since most of the original cultural practices are no longer held dear in the value system and so no longer practiced. Interviews were conducted to get some insights from the senior citizens and their responses compared to those of the present adults. Content analysis was used for the interview data. Results: The nature of governance in Lesotho has clearly contributed to the current cultural state of confusion. The Basotho culture has indeed shifted, and the difference in dress code explains it. Acculturation, the alteration in environments, and the type of occasions Basotho attended lately contributed to the shift. Technology brought about a difference in the mode of transport, sports, household activities, and gender roles. Conclusion and Recommendations: It was concluded that since culture is imparted through socialisation, a change in availability of most Basotho women leaves little time left for socialisation with children and resorts to other upbringing patterns, most of which are not cultural; this has brought a cultural shift. In addition, acculturation has contributed massively to the value system of Basotho. The type of dress worn by Basotho presently shifts the culture, and the shifting culture also shifts the dress required to suit the present culture. Because of the type of mindset Basotho has now, it is recommended that cultural days be observed in schools, including the multi-racial ones, and media should assist in this information transmission. The campaigns regarding the value of traditional dress and what it represents are recommended. The local dressmakers manufacturing the Seshoeshoe and any other traditional dress need to be educated about the fabric history, fiber content, and consequent care to be in a position to guide ultimate consumers of the products. Awareness campaigns that the culture shifts and may not necessarily result in negative should be ventured. Cultural exhibitions should also be held ideally at places that hold some cultural heritage. The ministry of sports and culture, together with that of tourism, should run with cultural awareness and enriching vision with a focus on education as opposed to revenue collection.

Keywords: Basotho, culture, dress, acculturation, influence, cultural heritage, socialization, non-verbal communication, Seshoeshoe

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Authors: Tosin Emmanuel Akinduyo, F. O. Ojewola

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This study investigated the influence of age and religion on the sexual behaviours of undergraduates in southwest Nigeria. The aim of this study is to examine the sexual behaviour of undergraduates based on moderating variables of age and religion. The research design was a descriptive research design of the survey type. The sample for the study was 1,200 undergraduates selected through a multi-stage sampling procedure. A self-constructed questionnaire titled “Sexual Behaviours Questionnaire” (SBCUQ) with Pearson reliability (r) of 0.68 was used to elicit information from the respondents. Two research questions were answered using frequency count, percentage, means, and standard deviation. The two hypotheses were tested using t-test and ANOVA. Where the result of ANOVA showed a significant difference, the Scheffe Posthoc test was used to show where the significant difference (s) occurred. The findings of the study revealed that age and religion influenced undergraduates’ sexual behaviour. Based on the findings, the government at all tiers, in collaboration with the university management, should introduce sex education as a course to enlighten undergraduates and inform them of moderation needed as expected in their sexual expressions. Professional counsellors and religious organizations should always line up seminars and workshops for undergraduates on acceptable engagement in their sexual behaviours.

Keywords: age, religion, sexual behaviuors, undergraduates

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Authors: Girma Yohannis Bade, Olga Kolesnikova, Grigori Sidorov

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Named entity recognition (NER) is a building block for information extraction. Though the information extraction process has been automated using a variety of techniques to find and extract a piece of relevant information from unstructured documents, the discovery of targeted knowledge still poses a number of research difficulties because of the variability and lack of structure in Web data. NER, a subtask of information extraction (IE), came to exist to smooth such difficulty. It deals with finding the proper names (named entities), such as the name of the person, country, location, organization, dates, and event in a document, and categorizing them as predetermined labels, which is an initial step in IE tasks. This survey paper presents the roles and importance of NER to IE from the perspective of different algorithms and application area domains. Thus, this paper well summarizes how researchers implemented NER in particular application areas like finance, medicine, defense, business, food science, archeology, and so on. It also outlines the three types of sequence labeling algorithms for NER such as feature-based, neural network-based, and rule-based. Finally, the state-of-the-art and evaluation metrics of NER were presented.

Keywords: the role of NER, named entity recognition, information extraction, sequence labeling algorithms, named entity application area

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Authors: Shah Hussain Awan

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This study investigates the role of Business Incubation Centers (BICs) in fostering entrepreneurship in Pakistani universities. The high failure rate in new startups around the world has opened a challenging discussion. Though encouraging steps and strategies have been taken to overcome these challenges, still more aggressive action needs to be taken. However, Pakistan is one of the countries that promote entrepreneurship through BICs. The purpose of the present study is to develop a conceptual model that assesses the moderating impact of government policy on entrepreneurship development through business incubation centers of public and private universities. This area is under-researched, particularly in the context of Pakistan; therefore, this research may contribute to the existing body of knowledge to appraise the industry in Pakistan. The data collection procedure included a survey of stakeholders from private and public universities in Pakistan and was analyzed by SmartPLS 4.0. The findings show that Business incubation centers and government support have a significant impact on entrepreneurship development in Pakistan. Moderation analysis showed that for business incubation centers to be successful and effective, the government needs to implement efficient policies to inculcate entrepreneurship.

Keywords: business incubation centers, government support, policies, startup performance, entrepreneurship development

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Authors: Chang Li-Yu

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Aims: This study investigates the impact of psychological capital on the mental health of economically disadvantaged youth and examines whether family cohesion acts as a mediating variable between psychological capital and mental health. Methods: The sample for the study was drawn from the "Taiwan Poverty Children's Database: Survey on the Living Trends of Disadvantaged Children and Youth." The data analysis methods included descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. Results: The results indicated that both psychological capital and family cohesion can significantly negatively predict mental health, with psychological capital significantly positively predicting family cohesion. The mediation effect analysis revealed that family cohesion fully mediates the relationship between psychological capital and mental health, meaning that psychological capital influences mental health through family cohesion. Recommendations: Based on these findings, the study concretely discusses the significance of psychological capital and family cohesion for the mental health of economically disadvantaged youth and offers suggestions for psychological counseling, therapy, and future research.

Keywords: psychological capital, mental health, economically disadvantaged youth, family cohesion

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Authors: Junqi Zou

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As one of the world’s most tech-ready countries, Singapore has initiated the Smart Nation plan to harness the full power and potential of digital technologies to transform the way people live and work, through the more efficient government and business processes, to make the economy more productive. The key evolutions of digital technology transformation in healthcare and the increasing deployment of Internet of Things (IoTs), Big Data, AI/cognitive, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Electronic Health Record Systems (EHR), Electronic Medical Record Systems (EMR), Warehouse Management System (WMS in the most recent decade have significantly stepped up the move towards an information-driven healthcare ecosystem. The advances in information technology not only bring benefits to patients but also act as a key force in changing management accounting in healthcare sector. The aim of this study is to investigate the impacts of digital technology transformation on Singapore’s healthcare sector from a management accounting perspective. Adopting a Balanced Scorecard (BSC) analysis approach, this paper conducted an exploratory case study of a newly launched Singapore public hospital, which has been recognized as amongst the most digitally advanced healthcare facilities in Asia-Pacific region. Specifically, this study gains insights on how the new technology is changing healthcare organizations’ management accounting from four perspectives under the Balanced Scorecard approach, 1) Financial Perspective, 2) Customer (Patient) Perspective, 3) Internal Processes Perspective, and 4) Learning and Growth Perspective. Based on a thorough review of archival records from the government and public, and the interview reports with the hospital’s CIO, this study finds the improvements from all the four perspectives under the Balanced Scorecard framework as follows: 1) Learning and Growth Perspective: The Government (Ministry of Health) works with the hospital to open up multiple training pathways to health professionals that upgrade and develops new IT skills among the healthcare workforce to support the transformation of healthcare services. 2) Internal Process Perspective: The hospital achieved digital transformation through Project OneCare to integrate clinical, operational, and administrative information systems (e.g., EHR, EMR, WMS, EPIB, RTLS) that enable the seamless flow of data and the implementation of JIT system to help the hospital operate more effectively and efficiently. 3) Customer Perspective: The fully integrated EMR suite enhances the patient’s experiences by achieving the 5 Rights (Right Patient, Right Data, Right Device, Right Entry and Right Time). 4) Financial Perspective: Cost savings are achieved from improved inventory management and effective supply chain management. The use of process automation also results in a reduction of manpower costs and logistics cost. To summarize, these improvements identified under the Balanced Scorecard framework confirm the success of utilizing the integration of advanced ICT to enhance healthcare organization’s customer service, productivity efficiency, and cost savings. Moreover, the Big Data generated from this integrated EMR system can be particularly useful in aiding management control system to optimize decision making and strategic planning. To conclude, the new digital technology transformation has moved the usefulness of management accounting to both financial and non-financial dimensions with new heights in the area of healthcare management.

Keywords: balanced scorecard, digital technology transformation, healthcare ecosystem, integrated information system

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Authors: Ali Borhani Manesh, Sirus Mohammadi

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Harmonic distortion is caused by nonlinear devices in the power system. A nonlinear device is one in which the current is not proportional to the applied voltage. Harmonic distortion is present to some degree on all power systems. Proactive monitoring of power quality disturbance levels by electricity utilities is vital to allow cost-effective mitigation when disturbances are perceived to be approaching planning levels and also to protect the security of customer installations. Ensuring that disturbance levels are within limits at the HV and EHV points of supply of the network is essential if satisfactory levels downstream are to be maintained. This paper presents discussion on a power quality monitoring campaign performed at the sub-transmission point of supply of a distribution network with the objective of benchmarking background disturbance levels prior to modifications to the substation and to ensure emissions from HV customers and the downstream MV networks are within acceptable levels. Some discussion on the difficulties involved in such a study is presented. This paper presents a survey of voltage and current harmonic distortion levels at transmission system in Kohgiloye and Boyrahmad. The effects of harmonics on capacitors and power transformers are discussed.

Keywords: power quality, harmonics, flicker, measurement, substation

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Authors: Milad Golshan, Wim Zeiler

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During the last decade research was done to clarify the importance of good Indoor Air Quality in schools. As a result, measurements were undertaken in different types of schools to see whether naturally ventilated schools could provide adequate indoor conditions. Also, a comparison was made between schools with hybrid ventilation and those with complete mechanical ventilation systems. Recently a large survey was undertaken at 60 schools to establish the average current situation of schools in the Netherlands. The results of the questionnaires were compared with those of earlier measured schools. This allowed us to compare different types of schools as well as schools of different periods. Overall it leads to insights about the actual current perceived quality by the teachers as well as the pupils and enables to draw some conclusions about the typical performances of specific types of school ventilation systems. Also, the perceived thermal comfort and controllability were researched. It proved that in around 50% of the schools there were major complains about the indoor air quality causing concentration problems and headaches by the pupils at the end of class. Although the main focus of the latest research was focused more on the quality of recently finished nearly Zero Energy schools, this research showed that especially the main focus school be on the renovation and upgrading of the existing 10.000 schools in the Netherlands.

Keywords: school ventilation, indoor air quality, perceiver thermal comfort, comparison different types

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Authors: Yousefali Ziari, Hamidreza Joudaki

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Humans have regularly been interacting with their environment, and have a close relation with their environment. House as a shelter which protects us against hot and cold weather and the other climatic occurrences in the environment has a close relation with climate. Before human could have access to the fossil fuels, preparing the comfort for the house was done by adjusting the building according to the climate conditions, and the help of natural resources. However after the man could access the fossil fuel, this way was forgotten, and caused much use of energy for heating & cooling. This research is trying to find some methods for designing suitable building that create comfort fitting with the zone by studying the climate condition of Arak city and as a result to find a way to reduce the use of energy and improving the design. So for the aim of this research we have used the statistics and information such as temperature, rain, wind and the approximate moisture from a period of 40 years from synoptic station of Arak. After specifying the climate of Arak by the use of effective temperature, Ulgi, Guni, Mahani and Ovenz indicator, we investigated the climate comfort conditions and the harmonious architecture with the climate and then some suggestion was given according to the climate situation of each month of the year and quality of human comfort according to this indicators.

Keywords: climate, architecture, traditional and modern architecture, comfort indicator, Arak city

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Authors: Bandar Alkahlan

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The King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) created the Saudi Future Dwelling (SFD) initiative to identify, localize and commercialize a scalable home manufacturing technology suited to deployment across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This paper outlines the journey, the creation of the international project delivery team, the product design, the selection of the process technologies, and the outcomes. A target was set to remove 85% of the construction and finishing processes from the building site as these activities could be more efficiently completed in a factory environment. Therefore, integral to the SFD initiative is the successful industrialization of the home building process using appropriate technologies, automation, robotics, and manufacturing logistics. The technologies proposed for the SFD housing system are designed to be energy efficient, economical, fit for purpose from a Saudi cultural perspective, and will minimize the use of concrete, relying mainly on locally available Saudi natural materials derived from the local resource industries. To this end, the building structure is comprised of a hybrid system of structural insulated panels (SIP), combined with a light gauge steel framework manufactured in a large format panel system. The paper traces the investigative process and steps completed by the project team during the selection process. As part of the SFD Project, a pathway was mapped out to include a proof-of-concept prototype housing module and the set-up and commissioning of a lab-factory complete with all production machinery and equipment necessary to simulate a full-scale production environment. The prototype housing module was used to validate and inform current and future product design as well as manufacturing process decisions. A description of the prototype design and manufacture is outlined along with valuable learning derived from the build and how these results were used to enhance the SFD project. The industrial engineering concepts and lab-factory detailed design and layout are described in the paper, along with the shop floor I.T. management strategy. Special attention was paid to showcase all technologies within the lab-factory as part of the engagement strategy with private investors to leverage the SFD project with large scale factories throughout the Kingdom. A detailed analysis is included in the process surrounding the design, specification, and procurement of the manufacturing machinery, equipment, and logistical manipulators required to produce the SFD housing modules. The manufacturing machinery was comprised of a combination of standardized and bespoke equipment from a wide range of international suppliers. The paper describes the selection process, pre-ordering trials and studies, and, in some cases, the requirement for additional research and development by the equipment suppliers in order to achieve the SFD objectives. A set of conclusions is drawn describing the results achieved thus far, along with a list of recommended ongoing operational tests, enhancements, research, and development aimed at achieving full-scale engagement with private sector investment and roll-out of the SFD project across the Kingdom.

Keywords: automation, dwelling, manufacturing, product design

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Authors: Karisma Karisma, Pardis Moslemzadeh Tehrani

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This study aims to conduct a high-level strategic dialogue on the lack of consensus, consistency, and legal certainty regarding blockchain-based energy prosumerism so that appropriate institutional and governance structures can be put in place to address the inadequacies and gaps in the legal and regulatory framework. The drive to achieve national and global decarbonization targets is a driving force behind climate goals and policies under the Paris Agreement. In recent years, efforts to ‘demonopolize’ and ‘decentralize’ energy generation and distribution have driven the energy transition toward decentralized systems, invoking concepts such as ownership, sovereignty, and autonomy of RE sources. The emergence of individual and collective forms of prosumerism and the rapid diffusion of blockchain is expected to play a critical role in the decarbonization and democratization of energy systems. However, there is a ‘regulatory void’ relating to individual and collective forms of prosumerism that could prevent the rapid deployment of blockchain systems and potentially stagnate the operationalization of blockchain-enabled energy sharing and trading activities. The application of broad and facile regulatory fixes may be insufficient to address the major regulatory gaps. First, to the authors’ best knowledge, the concepts and elements circumjacent to individual and collective forms of prosumerism have not been adequately described in the legal frameworks of many countries. Second, there is a lack of legal certainty regarding the creation and adaptation of business models in a highly regulated and centralized energy system, which inhibits the emergence of prosumer-driven niche markets. There are also current and prospective challenges relating to the legal status of blockchain-based platforms for facilitating energy transactions, anticipated with the diffusion of blockchain technology. With the rise of prosumerism in the energy sector, the areas of (a) network charges, (b) energy market access, (c) incentive schemes, (d) taxes and levies, and (e) licensing requirements are still uncharted territories in many countries. The uncertainties emanating from this area pose a significant hurdle to the widespread adoption of blockchain technology, a complementary technology that offers added value and competitive advantages for energy systems. The authors undertake a conceptual and theoretical investigation to elucidate the lack of consensus, consistency, and legal certainty in the study of blockchain-based prosumerism. In addition, the authors set an exploratory tone to the discussion by taking an analytically eclectic approach that builds on multiple sources and theories to delve deeper into this topic. As an interdisciplinary study, this research accounts for the convergence of regulation, technology, and the energy sector. The study primarily adopts desk research, which examines regulatory frameworks and conceptual models for crucial policies at the international level to foster an all-inclusive discussion. With their reflections and insights into the interaction of blockchain and prosumerism in the energy sector, the authors do not aim to develop definitive regulatory models or instrument designs, but to contribute to the theoretical dialogue to navigate seminal issues and explore different nuances and pathways. Given the emergence of blockchain-based energy prosumerism, identifying the challenges, gaps and fragmentation of governance regimes is key to facilitating global regulatory transitions.

Keywords: blockchain technology, energy sector, prosumer, legal and regulatory.

Procedia PDF Downloads 181