Search results for: local fiber shifts

Authors: Amarasinghe Shashikala, Pramudika Hansini, Fernando Tajan, Rathnayake Piyumi

Abstract:

This study investigates the prominence of the social entrepreneurship (SE) model over the sustainable entrepreneurship model among Sri Lankan exporters in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector. The primary objective of this study is to explore how the unique socio-economic contextual nuances of the country influence this behavior. The study employs a multiple-case study approach, collecting data from thirteen SEs in the SME sector. The findings reveal a significant alignment between SE and the lifestyle of the people in Sri Lanka, attributed largely to its deep-rooted religious setting and cultural norms. A crucial factor driving the prominence of SE is the predominantly labor-intensive nature of production processes within the exporters of the SME sector. These processes inherently lend themselves to SE, providing employment opportunities and fostering community engagement. Further, SE initiatives substantially resonate with community-centric practices, making them more appealing and accessible to the local populace. In contrast, the findings highlight a dilemma between cost-effectiveness and sustainable entrepreneurship. Transitioning to sustainable export products and production processes is demanded by foreign buyers and acknowledged as essential for environmental stewardship, which often requires capital-intensive makeovers. This investment inevitably raises the overall cost of the export product, making it less competitive in the global market. Interestingly, the study notes a disparity between international demand for sustainable products and the willingness of buyers to pay a premium for them. Despite the growing global preference for eco-friendly options, the findings suggest that the additional costs associated with sustainable entrepreneurship are not adequately reflected in the purchasing behavior of international buyers. The abundance of natural resources coupled with a minimal occurrence of natural catastrophes renders exporters less environmentally sensitive. The absence of robust policy support for environmental preservation exacerbates this inclination. Consequently, exporters exhibit a diminished motivation to incorporate environmental sustainability into their business decisions. Instead, attention is redirected towards factors such as the local population's minimum standards of living, prevalent social issues, governmental corruption and inefficiency, and rural poverty. These elements impel exporters to prioritize social well-being when making business decisions. Notably, the emphasis on social impact, rather than environmental impact, appears to be a generational trend, perpetuating a focus on societal aspects in the realm of business. In conclusion, the manifestation of entrepreneurial behavior within developing nations is notably contingent upon contextual nuances. This investigation contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics shaping the prevalence of SE over sustainable entrepreneurship among Sri Lankan exporters in the SME sector. The insights generated have implications for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and academics seeking to navigate the delicate balance between socio-cultural values, economic feasibility, and environmental sustainability in the pursuit of responsible business practices within the export sector.

Keywords: small and medium enterprises, social entrepreneurship, Sri Lanka, sustainable entrepreneurship

Procedia PDF Downloads 73

Authors: Kadhim Alabady

Abstract:

Background: Mental illnesses after childbirth are common. After childbirth, women may experience a variety of postpartum complications such as developing depression during pregnancy and after childbirth. Postpartum depression might increases the risk of developing major depression in the future. The most common is postnatal depression also known as postpartum depression that is believed to affect between 10% – 15% of mothers and the most serious, puerperal psychosis (affecting less than 1%). Purpose: This research simply applies the predictions to the population of Dubai, without any adjustment for local conditions. It is intended to help stakeholders to discuss the scale of the issue locally. Method: Applying the above rates of postnatal depression prevalence (10%–15%) to the number of total live births in Dubai 2014. Setting: Birth registry for Dubai 2011/14. Key findings: it is estimated there would be approximately 2,928–4,392 mothers suffering from postnatal depression in 2014 of which 858–1,287 were nationals and 2,070–3,105 were non–nationals. These figures are likely to fluctuate depending on the number of mothers who have twin births, and these estimates of the level of postnatal depression do not take into account related factors such as the age of the mother and education. Recommendations: To establish mother-infant psychiatric care to target women suffering from depression during pregnancy and puerperium.

Keywords: post natal depression, women, mental health, birth

Procedia PDF Downloads 163

Authors: Fatemeh Abbasi, Arne Hofemeier, Timo Betz

Abstract:

Muscle growth and regeneration critically depend on satellite cells (SCs) which are muscle stem cells located between the basal lamina and myofibres. Upon damage, SCs become activated, enter the cell cycle, and give rise to myoblasts that form new myofibres, while a sub-population self-renew and re-populate the muscle stem cell niche. In aged muscle as well as in certain muscle diseases such as muscular dystrophy, some of the SCs lose their regenerative ability. Although it is demonstrated that the chemical composition of SCs quiescent niche is different from the activated niche, the mechanism initially activated in the SCs remains unknown. While extensive research efforts focused on potential chemical activation, no such factor has been identified to the author’s best knowledge. However, it is substantiated that niche mechanics affects SCs behaviors, such as stemness and engraftment. We hypothesize that mechanical stress in the healthy niche (homeostasis) is different from the regenerative niche and that this difference could serve as an early signal activating SCs upon fiber damage. To investigate this hypothesis, we develop a biomimetic system to reconstitute both, the mechanical and the chemical environment of the SC niche. Cells will be confined between two elastic polyacrylamide (PAA) hydrogels with controlled elastic moduli and functionalized surface chemistry. By controlling the distance between the PAA hydrogel surfaces, we vary the compression forces exerted by the substrates on the cells, while the lateral displacement of the upper hydrogel will create controlled shear forces. To establish such a system, a simplified system is presented. We engineered a sandwich-like configuration of two elastic PAA layer with stiffnesses between 1 and 10 kPa and confined a precursor myoblast cell line (C2C12) in between these layers. Our initial observations in this sandwich model indicate that C2C12 cells show different behaviors under mechanical compression if compared to a control one-layer gel without compression. Interestingly, this behavior is stiffness-dependent. While the shape of C2C12 cells in the sandwich consisting of two stiff (10 kPa) layers was much more elongated, showing almost a neuronal phenotype, the cell shape in a sandwich situation consisting of one stiff and one soft (1 kPa) layer was more spherical. Surprisingly, even in proliferation medium and at very low cell density, the sandwich situation stimulated cell differentiation with increased striation and myofibre formation. Such behavior is commonly found for confluent cells in differentiation medium. These results suggest that mechanical changes in stiffness and applied pressure might be a relevant stimulation for changes in muscle cell behavior.

Keywords: C2C12 cells, compression, force, satellite cells, skeletal muscle

Procedia PDF Downloads 124

Authors: Anne Kubai

Abstract:

Since the Lisbon Summit in 2007, discussion and dialogue on ways of enhancing collaboration between Africa and the EU on the issues of migration, mobility and employment has intensified. The Africa-EU Partnership on migration, mobility and employment aims to provide far-reaching responses on migration and employment challenges; and facilitate mobility of people in Africa and the EU. However, since the outcomes of the proposed policies depend on the political interests and institutional capacities of both the EU and African states that are involved, the results have so far been uncoordinated and scattered. Also, many European countries have eased their entry regulations with regard to highly skilled migrants, and there is need to explore the implications of such changes. Therefore, this contribution will address the following questions: How has the progression of migration and border management in the Nordic countries, particularly Sweden, affected the flow and mobility of highly skilled migrants from Africa? What is the possible impact of the changes in receiving countries (such as introduction of tuition fees and more stringent admission regulations for foreign students in Sweden) on skilled migration and mobility? How can highly skilled immigrants be a source of research knowledge between international and local institutions and researchers both in sending and receiving countries?

Keywords: academic mobility, skilled, African, knowledge, research, migrants, Sweden

Procedia PDF Downloads 321

Authors: P. Barreto, A. Guevara, V. Ibujes

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In this study, the removal of arsenic from synthetic solutions and natural water from Papallacta Lagoon was evaluated, by using the rhizofiltration method with terrestrial and aquatic plant species. Ecuador is a country of high volcanic activity, that is why most of water sources come from volcanic glaciers. Therefore, it is necessary to find new, affordable and effective methods for treating water. The water from Papallacta Lagoon shows levels from 327 µg/L to 803 µg/L of arsenic. The evaluation for the removal of arsenic began with the selection of 16 different species of terrestrial and aquatic plants. These plants were immersed to solutions of 4500 µg/L arsenic concentration, for 48 hours. Subsequently, 3 terrestrial species and 2 aquatic species were selected based on the highest amount of absorbed arsenic they showed, analyzed by plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and their best capacity for adaptation into the arsenic solution. The chosen terrestrial species were cultivated from their seed with hydroponics methods, using coconut fiber and polyurethane foam as substrates. Afterwards, the species that best adapted to hydroponic environment were selected. Additionally, a control of the development for the selected aquatic species was carried out using a basic nutrient solution to provide the nutrients that the plants required. Following this procedure, 30 plants from the 3 types of species selected were exposed to a synthetic solution with levels of arsenic concentration of 154, 375 and 874 µg/L, for 15 days. Finally, the plant that showed the highest level of arsenic absorption was placed in 3 L of natural water, with arsenic levels of 803 µg/L. The plant laid in the water until it reached the desired level of arsenic of 10 µg/L. This experiment was carried out in a total of 30 days, in which the capacity of arsenic absorption of the plant was measured. As a result, the five species initially selected to be used in the last part of the evaluation were: sunflower (Helianthus annuus), clover (Trifolium), blue grass (Poa pratensis), water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and miniature aquatic fern (Azolla). The best result of arsenic removal was showed by the water hyacinth with a 53,7% of absorption, followed by the blue grass with 31,3% of absorption. On the other hand, the blue grass was the plant that best responded to the hydroponic cultivation, by obtaining a germination percentage of 97% and achieving its full growth in two months. Thus, it was the only terrestrial species selected. In summary, the final selected species were blue grass, water hyacinth and miniature aquatic fern. These three species were evaluated by immersing them in synthetic solutions with three different arsenic concentrations (154, 375 and 874 µg/L). Out of the three plants, the water hyacinth was the one that showed the highest percentages of arsenic removal with 98, 58 and 64%, for each one of the arsenic solutions. Finally, 12 plants of water hyacinth were chosen to reach an arsenic level up to 10 µg/L in natural water. This significant arsenic concentration reduction was obtained in 5 days. In conclusion, it was found that water hyacinth is the best plant to reduce arsenic levels in natural water.

Keywords: arsenic, natural water, plant species, rhizofiltration, synthetic solutions

Procedia PDF Downloads 123

Authors: C. P. Providakis, G. M. Angeli, M. J. Favvata, N. A. Papadopoulos, C. E. Chalioris, C. G. Karayannis

Abstract:

An effort for the detection of damages in the reinforcement bars of reinforced concrete members using PZTs is presented. The damage can be the result of excessive elongation of the steel bar due to steel yielding or due to local steel corrosion. In both cases the damage is simulated by considering reduced diameter of the rebar along the damaged part of its length. An integration approach based on both electromechanical admittance methodology and guided wave propagation technique is used to evaluate the artificial damage on the examined longitudinal steel bar. Two actuator PZTs and a sensor PZT are considered to be bonded on the examined steel bar. The admittance of the Sensor PZT is calculated using COMSOL 3.4a. Fast Furrier Transformation for a better evaluation of the results is employed. An effort for the quantification of the damage detection using the root mean square deviation (RMSD) between the healthy condition and damage state of the sensor PZT is attempted. The numerical value of the RSMD yields a level for the difference between the healthy and the damaged admittance computation indicating this way the presence of damage in the structure. Experimental measurements are also presented.

Keywords: concrete reinforcement, damage detection, electromechanical admittance, experimental measurements, finite element method, guided waves, PZT

Procedia PDF Downloads 255

Authors: Muhammad Ilham Agus Salim, Saufa Ata Taqiyya

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In many Muslim countries, secularization has successfully reduced the role of Islamic law as a formal legal source during this last century. The most obvious fact was the reform of Daulah Utsmaniyah to be Secular Republic of Turkey. Religion is strictly separated from the state authorities in many countries today. But these last decades in Indonesia, a remarkable fact is apparent. Islamic law has expanded its role in Indonesian legal system, especially in districts regulations. In Aceh province, as a case in point, shariah has been the basic source of law in all regulations. There are more provinces in Indonesia which adopted Islamic law as a formal legal source by the end of 2014. Different from some other countries which clearly stipulates the status of Islam in formal ways, Indonesian constitution formally does not render any recognition for Islam to be the formal religion of the state. But in this Muslim majority country, Islamic law takes a place in democratic way, namely on the basis of the voice of majority. This paper will analyze how this reality increases significantly since what so called by Indonesian reformation era (end of nineties). Some causes will be identified regarding this tendency of expansion of role. Some lessons learned also will be recommended as the concluding remarks by the end of the paper.

Keywords: Islamic law, Indonesia, legal reform, Syariah local regulation

Procedia PDF Downloads 350

Authors: Mirjana Đ. Laban, Dragan N. Đurica, Nemanja M. Erceg

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Volunteer fire departments (VFD) in Serbia were established as civic associations in XIX Century. The founders and members of the first VFDs were prominent members of local communities. Today, those are volunteer organizations for preventing and extinguishing fires and rescuing people and property in various accidents. The paper presents the results of research about the number and resources of active VFDs done in Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Serbia and about activities they perform today. The survey was done based on data provided by all registered VFDs in Vojvodina. Firefighters Association of Vojvodina includes 35 municipal firefighting associations, 230 volunteer fire departments with 5,300 active members in qualified fire units and more than 15,000 supporting members. Volunteer involvement is primarily an expression of high moral values and as such it has to be respected and stimulated. Better position of the volunteers would have a major impact on the formation of safety culture concept and general public awareness of fire safety and risk reduction, and therefore the security of the society as a whole. Volunteer fire departments make a significant contribution to educate young people and prevent catastrophic consequences of fires and natural disasters.

Keywords: education, prevention, rescue, volunteer fire departments

Procedia PDF Downloads 201

Authors: Galit Shiff, Yael Gilad

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The need to retrofit old buildings lies in the fact that buildings are responsible for the main energy use and CO₂ emission. Existing old structures are more dominant in their effect than new energy-efficient buildings. Nevertheless not every case of urban renewal that aims to replace old buildings with new neighbourhoods necessarily has a financial or sustainable justification. Façade design plays a vital role in the building's energy performance and the unit's comfort conditions. A retrofit façade residential methodology and feasibility applicative study has been carried out for the past four years, with two projects already fully renovated. The intention of this study is to serve as a case study for limited budget façade retrofit in Mediterranean climate urban areas. The two case study buildings are set in Israel. However, they are set in different local climatic conditions. One is in 'Sderot' in the south of the country, and one is in' Migdal Hahemek' in the north of the country. The building typology is similar. The budget of the projects is around $14,000 per unit and includes interventions at the buildings' envelope while tenants are living in. Extensive research and analysis of the existing conditions have been done. The building's components, materials and envelope sections were mapped, examined and compared to relevant updated standards. Solar radiation simulations for the buildings in their surroundings during winter and summer days were done. The energy rate of each unit, as well as the building as a whole, was calculated according to the Israeli Energy Code. The buildings’ facades were documented with the use of a thermal camera during different hours of the day. This information was superimposed with data about the electricity use and the thermal comfort that was collected from the residential units. Later in the process, similar tools were further used in order to compare the effectiveness of different design options and to evaluate the chosen solutions. Both projects showed that the most problematic units were the ones below the roof and the ones on top of the elevated entrance floor (pilotis). Old buildings tend to have poor insulation on those two horizontal surfaces which require treatment. Different radiation levels and wall sections in the two projects influenced the design strategies: In the southern project, there was an extreme difference in solar radiations levels between the main façade and the back elevation. Eventually, it was decided to invest in insulating the main south-west façade and the side façades, leaving the back north-east façade almost untouched. Lower levels of radiation in the northern project led to a different tactic: a combination of basic insulation on all façades, together with intense treatment on areas with problematic thermal behavior. While poor execution of construction details and bad installation of windows in the northern project required replacing them all, in the southern project it was found that it is more essential to shade the windows than replace them. Although the buildings and the construction typology was chosen for this study are similar, the research shows that there are large differences due to the location in different climatic zones and variation in local conditions. Therefore, in order to reach a systematic and cost-effective method of work, a more extensive catalogue database is needed. Such a catalogue will enable public housing companies in the Mediterranean climate to promote massive projects of renovating existing old buildings, drawing on minimal analysis and planning processes.

Keywords: facade, low budget, residential, retrofit

Procedia PDF Downloads 208

Authors: Munaf Rashid

Abstract:

For content-based human action retrieval systems, search accuracy is often inferior because of the following two reasons 1) global information pertaining to videos is totally ignored, only low level motion descriptors are considered as a significant feature to match the similarity between query and database videos, and 2) the semantic gap between the high level user concept and low level visual features. Hence, in this paper, we propose a method that will address these two issues and in doing so, this paper contributes in two ways. Firstly, we introduce a method that uses both global and local information in one framework for an action retrieval task. Secondly, to minimize the semantic gap, a user concept is involved by incorporating features weight updating (FWU) Relevance Feedback (RF) approach. We use statistical characteristics to dynamically update weights of the feature descriptors so that after every RF iteration feature space is modified accordingly. For testing and validation purpose two human action recognition datasets have been utilized, namely Weizmann and UCF. Results show that even with a number of visual challenges the proposed approach performs well.

Keywords: relevance feedback (RF), action retrieval, semantic gap, feature descriptor, codebook

Procedia PDF Downloads 475

Authors: Endrick Barnacin, Jean-Luc Henry, Jack Molinié, Jimmy Nagau, Hélène Delatte, Gérard Lebreton

Abstract:

Palynology is a field of interest for many disciplines. It has multiple applications such as chronological dating, climatology, allergy treatment, and even honey characterization. Unfortunately, the analysis of a pollen slide is a complicated and time-consuming task that requires the intervention of experts in the field, which is becoming increasingly rare due to economic and social conditions. So, the automation of this task is a necessity. Pollen slides analysis is mainly a visual process as it is carried out with the naked eye. That is the reason why a primary method to automate palynology is the use of digital image processing. This method presents the lowest cost and has relatively good accuracy in pollen retrieval. In this work, we propose a system combining recognition and grouping of pollen. It consists of using a Logistic Model Tree to classify pollen already known by the proposed system while detecting any unknown species. Then, the unknown pollen species are divided using a cluster-based approach. Success rates for the recognition of known species have been achieved, and automated clustering seems to be a promising approach.

Keywords: pollen recognition, logistic model tree, expectation-maximization, local binary pattern

Procedia PDF Downloads 182

Authors: Waheed Akhtar

Abstract:

Bears in Asia facing multiple threats and challenges such as hunting, illegal trading, habitat loss, and human conflicts. According to IUCN Red List, the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) is listed as Vulnerable since 1990, population declining by 49% during the last 30 years. The present study was conducted in Manglawar (DwaSaro Mountain) from April-August 2021, to collect all the information on Asiatic black bear observation, illegal hunting, and cub poaching. According to the response of the local community, very intensive illegal hunting and cub poaching were observed. Hunters usually installed many traps in the routes of black bears and when they move in the winter season the cubs get trapped and they collect them and kept in a specialized wooden box that is mainly helpful for further transportation. These cubs are then brought to the concerned Market where they sell them to many dealers. One of the potential observers of the illegal trading responds towards the Market price of the cubs, “The average price of the black bear cub is ranging from 45000-50000 Pakistani Rupees”. Apart from cubs' poaching, the black bear is also hunted for its skin, claws, and teeth.

Keywords: first report, illegal hunting, cub poaching, parts trading, Ursus thibetanus

Procedia PDF Downloads 63

Authors: Mahboobeh Hemmati, Tahar Messadi, Hongmei Gu

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This overall research is targeted at the assessment of the new CLT-built Adohi Hall residential building located on the campus of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The purpose of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study is to analyze the environmental impacts resulting from the transportation route of the Austrian imported CLT to the construction site with those of the CLT assumed to be originating from Conway, Arkansas. The Global Warming Potential (GWP) of CLT from Europe (Styria-Graz in Austria) to the site was first investigated. The results were then compared with the GWP of the CLT produced in Conway, Arkansas. The impacts of each scenario, using the Ecoinvent database, are then calculated and compared against each other to find the most environmentally efficient scenario in terms of global warming impacts. The quantification of GWP is associated with different transportation systems, water, road, and rail. Obtained through comparison, the findings reveal that the use of local materials is more efficient. In addition, transportation by water produces less Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission in comparison to freight transportation by rail and road. Thus, besides the travel distance, the utilized transportation system is still a significant factor and should be seriously considered in making decisions for moving materials.

Keywords: comparative analysis, GWP, LCA, transportation

Procedia PDF Downloads 241

Authors: Sergio Celaschi, Henrique Canavarro de Alencar, Claaudecir Biazoli

Abstract:

Effluent quality is of the highest priority for compliance with the permit limits of environmental protection agencies and ensures the protection of their local water system. Of the pollutants monitored, the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) posed one of the greatest challenges. This work presents a solution for wastewater treatment plants - WWTP’s ability to react to different situations and meet treatment goals. Delayed BOD5 results from the lab take 7 to 8 analysis days, hindered the WWTP’s ability to react to different situations and meet treatment goals. Reducing BOD turnaround time from days to hours is our quest. Such a solution is based on a system of two BOD bioreactors associated with Digital Twin (DT) and Machine Learning (ML) methodologies via an Internet of Things (IoT) platform to monitor and control a WWTP to support decision making. DT is a virtual and dynamic replica of a production process. DT requires the ability to collect and store real-time sensor data related to the operating environment. Furthermore, it integrates and organizes the data on a digital platform and applies analytical models allowing a deeper understanding of the real process to catch sooner anomalies. In our system of continuous time monitoring of the BOD suppressed by the effluent treatment process, the DT algorithm for analyzing the data uses ML on a chemical kinetic parameterized model. The continuous BOD monitoring system, capable of providing results in a fraction of the time required by BOD5 analysis, is composed of two thermally isolated batch bioreactors. Each bioreactor contains input/output access to wastewater sample (influent and effluent), hydraulic conduction tubes, pumps, and valves for batch sample and dilution water, air supply for dissolved oxygen (DO) saturation, cooler/heater for sample thermal stability, optical ODO sensor based on fluorescence quenching, pH, ORP, temperature, and atmospheric pressure sensors, local PLC/CPU for TCP/IP data transmission interface. The dynamic BOD system monitoring range covers 2 mg/L < BOD < 2,000 mg/L. In addition to the BOD monitoring system, there are many other operational WWTP sensors. The CPU data is transmitted/received to/from the digital platform, which in turn performs analyses at periodic intervals, aiming to feed the learning process. BOD bulletins and their credibility intervals are made available in 12-hour intervals to web users. The chemical kinetics ML algorithm is composed of a coupled system of four first-order ordinary differential equations for the molar masses of DO, organic material present in the sample, biomass, and products (CO₂ and H₂O) of the reaction. This system is solved numerically linked to its initial conditions: DO (saturated) and initial products of the kinetic oxidation process; CO₂ = H₂0 = 0. The initial values for organic matter and biomass are estimated by the method of minimization of the mean square deviations. A real case of continuous monitoring of BOD wastewater effluent quality is being conducted by deploying an IoT application on a large wastewater purification system located in S. Paulo, Brazil.

Keywords: effluent treatment, biochemical oxygen demand, continuous monitoring, IoT, machine learning

Procedia PDF Downloads 73

Authors: Nafiah Solikhah Thoha

Abstract:

One area that has spatial character as Heritage area is Kauman Villages. Kauman village in The City of Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia was formed in 1757 by Paku Buwono III as the King of Kasunanan kingdom (Mataram Kingdom) for Kasunanan kingdom courtiers and scholars of Madrasa. Spatial character of Kauman village influenced by Islamic planning and socio-cultural rules of Kasunanan Kingdom. As traditional settlements influenced by Islamic planning, the Grand Mosque is a binding part of the whole area. Circulation pattern forming network (labyrinth) with narrow streets that ended at the Grand Mosque. The outdoor space can be used for circulation. Social activity is dominated by step movement from one place to a different place. Stalemate (the fina/cul de sac) generally only passable on foot, bicycles, and motorcycles. While the pass (main and branch) can be traversed by motor, vehicles. Kauman village has an area that can not be used as a public road that penetrates and serves as a liaison between the outside world to the other. Hierarchy of hall in Kauman village shows that the existence of a space is getting into more important. Firstly, woman in Kauman make the handmade batik for themself. In 2005 many people improving batik tradisional into commercial, and developed program named "Batik Tourism village of Kauman". That program affects the spatial transformations. This study aimed to explore the influence of tourism program towards spatial transformations. The factors that studied are the organization of space, circulation patterns, hierarchical space, and orientation through the descriptive-evaluation approach methods. Based on the study, tourism activity engenders transformations on the spatial scale (macro), residential block (mezo), homes (micro). First, the Grand Mosque and madrasa (religious school) as a binding zoning; tangle of roads as forming the structure of the area developed as a liaison with outside Kauman; organization of space in the residential of batik entrepreneurs firstly just a residential, then develop into residential, factory of batik including showroom. Second, the circulation pattern forming network (labyrinth) and ends at the Grand Mosque. Third, the hierarchy in the form of public space (the shari), semi-public, and private (the fina/culdesac) is no longer to provide protection to women, only as hierarchy of circulation path. Fourth, cluster building orientation does not follow the kiblat direction or axis oriented to cosmos, but influence by the new function as the showroom. It was need the direction of the main road. Kauman grow as an appropriate area for the community. During its development, the settlement function changes according to community activities, especially economic activities. The new function areas as tourism area affect spatial pattern of Kauman village. Spatial existence and activity as a local wisdom that has been done for generations have meaning of holistic, encompassing socio-cultural sustainability, economics, and the heritage area. By reviewing the local wisdom and the way of life of that society, we can learn how to apply the culture as education for sustainable of heritage area.

Keywords: impact of tourism, Kauman village, spatial transformation, sustainable of heritage area

Procedia PDF Downloads 430

Authors: C. P. Providakis, G. M. Angeli, M. J. Favvata, N. A. Papadopoulos, C. E. Chalioris, C. G. Karayannis

Abstract:

An effort for the detection of damages in the reinforcement bars of reinforced concrete members using PZTs is presented. The damage can be the result of excessive elongation of the steel bar due to steel yielding or due to local steel corrosion. In both cases the damage is simulated by considering reduced diameter of the rebar along the damaged part of its length. An integration approach based on both electro-mechanical admittance methodology and guided wave propagation technique is used to evaluate the artificial damage on the examined longitudinal steel bar. Two actuator PZTs and a sensor PZT are considered to be bonded on the examined steel bar. The admittance of the Sensor PZT is calculated using COMSOL 3.4a. Fast Furrier Transformation for a better evaluation of the results is employed. An effort for the quantification of the damage detection using the root mean square deviation (RMSD) between the healthy condition and damage state of the sensor PZT is attempted. The numerical value of the RSMD yields a level for the difference between the healthy and the damaged admittance computation indicating this way the presence of damage in the structure. Experimental measurements are also presented.

Keywords: concrete reinforcement, damage detection, electromechanical admittance, experimental measurements, finite element method, guided waves, PZT

Procedia PDF Downloads 293

Authors: K. Thakkar, C. Ghenai

Abstract:

An integrated modeling approach was used in this study to (1) track energy consumption, production, and resource extraction, (2) track greenhouse gases emissions and (3) analyze emissions for local and regional air pollutions. The model was used in this study for short and long term energy and GHG emissions reduction analysis for the state of Florida. The integrated modeling methodology will help to evaluate the alternative energy scenarios and examine emissions-reduction strategies. The mitigation scenarios have been designed to describe the future energy strategies. They consist of various demand and supply side scenarios. One of the GHG mitigation scenarios is crafted by taking into account the available renewable resources potential for power generation in the state of Florida to compare and analyze the GHG reduction measure against ‘Business As Usual’ and ‘Florida State Policy’ scenario. Two more ‘integrated’ scenarios, (‘Electrification’ and ‘Efficiency and Lifestyle’) are crafted through combination of various mitigation scenarios to assess the cumulative impact of the reduction measures such as technological changes and energy efficiency and conservation.

Keywords: energy planning, climate change mitigation assessment, integrated modeling approach, energy alternatives, and GHG emission reductions

Procedia PDF Downloads 443

Authors: Yousif Mohamed Y. Abdallah, Eltayeb Wagallah

Abstract:

Image enhancement allows the observer to see details in images that may not be immediately observable in the original image. Image enhancement is the transformation or mapping of one image to another. The enhancement of certain features in images is accompanied by undesirable effects. To achieve maximum image quality after denoising, a new, low order, local adaptive Gaussian scale mixture model and median filter were presented, which accomplishes nonlinearities from scattering a new nonlinear approach for contrast enhancement of bones in bone scan images using both gamma correction and negative transform methods. The usual assumption of a distribution of gamma and Poisson statistics only lead to overestimation of the noise variance in regions of low intensity but to underestimation in regions of high intensity and therefore to non-optional results. The contrast enhancement results were obtained and evaluated using MatLab program in nuclear medicine images of the bones. The optimal number of bins, in particular the number of gray-levels, is chosen automatically using entropy and average distance between the histogram of the original gray-level distribution and the contrast enhancement function’s curve.

Keywords: bone scan, nuclear medicine, Matlab, image processing technique

Procedia PDF Downloads 509

Authors: Hossein Shokouhmand, Masoomeh Shadab, Rohallah Torabi

Abstract:

Turbulent flow inside the seal chamber of a pump operating at nearly high Reynolds number is investigated. A comparison of a 3-D computational model for flow and thermal analysis of a mechanical seal with experimental thermal results is presented. The computational model adequately predicts the flow field in the seal chamber and thermal characteristics with the rotating and stationary rings and the twister flow around the seal parts by solving N-S and energy equations in ANSYS-CFX software. The Reynolds stress model (RSM) is applied as a turbulence model for this purpose. Experimental work is discussed which quantifies the temperature of five different points of the working fluid in chamber, mass flow at inlet and the fluid pressure at inlet and outlet. Experimental measurements are combined with computational modeling to obtain local and average heat transfer characteristics. Numerical results of three cases including different flush rates are reported.

Keywords: mechanical seal, CFD_CFX, reynolds stress model, flow field, heat transfer analysis, stream line, heat transfer coefficient, heat flux, nusselt

Procedia PDF Downloads 440

Authors: Asherf El-Abaied, Elsadik Anan, Badereddin Annajar, Mustafa Saieh, Abudalnaser El-Buni

Abstract:

Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ZCL) has been endemic in the Northwestern region of Libya for over nine decades. Survey of sandfly fauna in the region revealed that 13 species have been recorded with various distribution and abundance patterns. Phlebotomus papatasi proved to be the main vector of the disease in many areas. To identify sandfly species present in the Al-Asaba town and determine their spatial and seasonal abundance. An epidemiological analysis of the data obtained from the recorded cases was also carried out. Sand flies collected from various sites using sticky traps and CDC miniature light traps during the period from March-November 2006. Recorded ZCL cases were collected from the local Primary Health Care Department and analysed using SPSS statistical package. Ten species of sandflies were identified, seven belong to the genus Phlebotomus and three belong to the genus Sergentomyia. P. papatasi was the most abundant species with peak season recorded in September. The prevalence of the disease was low however; notable increase of ZCL cases in last three years has been indicated.

Keywords: Cutaneous leishmaniasis, Phlebotomus papatasi, sandfly fauna, Libya

Procedia PDF Downloads 302

Authors: Okan Cakir, Ibrahim Arziman, Derya Can, Mete Erkencigil, Murat Durusu, S. Mehmet Yasar

Abstract:

Introduction: Burn injuries from different types and ways commonly seen in emergency departments, approach and treatment varies from outpatient treatment to critical care unit. We wanted to mention a rare burn injury cause of air conditioner refrigerant. Case report: A 22-year-old case admitted to emergency department with a complaint of left hand burn injury and pain. In his history, he said that an accident was occurred before 30 minutes from admission while he had been trying to repair the air conditioner. Air conditioner refrigerant suddenly had erupted from its tank and burned his hand. In physical examination of extremities, second-degree burn bullae on the left hand on second and third proximal phalanx, between first and second phalanx palmar side and on hypothenar region and on third and fourth proximal phalanx and also hyperemia from hand to wrist were seen. There was no motor and sensorial deficiency. As a treatment, local silver sulfadiazine applied to the burn area and analgesic prescribed. The case called for the clinical follow-up to the plastic surgery department. Conclusion: The clinician should take a comprehensive and careful anamnesis for suitable and right management and treatment as in this case in which as well as rare and occurs different way.

Keywords: air conditioner refrigerant, burn, emergency department, rare

Procedia PDF Downloads 341

Authors: Ioannis Andrianakis, Manolis Falelakis, Maria Pavlidou, Konstantinos Papakonstantinou, Ermioni Avramidou, Dimitrios Kalogiannis, Nikolaos Milios, Katerina Bountakidou, Kiriakos Chatzidimitriou, Panagiotis Panagiotopoulos

Abstract:

Artistic events, such as concerts and performances, are challenging to organize because they involve many people with different skill sets. Small and medium venues often struggle to afford the costs and overheads of booking and hosting remote artists, especially if they lack sponsors or subsidies. This limits the opportunities for both venues and artists, especially those outside of big cities. However, more and more research shows that audiences prefer smaller-scale events and concerts, which benefit local economies and communities. To address this challenge, our project “PerformAnts: Digital Event Manager-Organizer” aims to develop a smart digital tool that automates and optimizes the processes and costs of live shows and tours. By using machine learning, applying best practices and training users through workshops, our platform offers a comprehensive solution for a growing market, enhances the mobility of artists and the accessibility of venues and allows professionals to focus on the creative aspects of concert production.

Keywords: event organization, creative industries, event promotion, machine learning

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Authors: Yongmei Li, Chang-Gun Park

Abstract:

China-Japan-South Korea (CJK) trilateral cooperation has experienced historical challenges in recent years, which negatively influenced the development of their relationship. Results of the interviews with three citizens on trilateral relations illustrate that most people are concerned with the historical conflicts among CJK. This paper specifically focuses on managing historical issues, including comfort women issues, territorial disputes, and divergence in historical education. Accordingly, the effectiveness of management of tensions productively provides a method for detecting historical concerns, managing issues, and connecting the three countries and citizens through advocating for fair media reporting, effective network institutionalization, and active local government cooperation. Furthermore, this paper contributes to providing government solutions for reinforcing the CJK partnership. It specially involves history education, East Asian identity and mutual trust establishment, East Asia intra-regional exchange programs, and reorganization of the role of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS).

Keywords: China-Japan-South Korea, trilateral cooperation, government solutions, effectiveness of management, historical conflicts

Procedia PDF Downloads 112

Authors: Amir Nourbakhsh Habibabadi, Alireza Ashori

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Context: The growing concern over the management of plastic waste and the high demand for wood-based products have led to the development of wood-plastic composites. Agricultural residues, which are abundantly available, can be used as a source of lignocellulosic fibers in the production of these composites. The use of recycled polymers and nanomaterials is also a promising approach to enhance the mechanical and physical properties of the composites. Research Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE), polypropylene (rPP), and agricultural residues fibers for manufacturing wood-plastic nano-composites. The effects of these materials on the mechanical properties of the composites, specifically tensile and flexural strength, were studied. Methodology: The study utilized an experimental approach where extruders and hot presses were used to fabricate the composites. Five types of cellulosic residues fibers (bagasse, corn stalk, rice straw, sunflower, and canola stem), three levels of nanomaterials (carbon nanotubes, nano silica, and nanoclay), and coupling agent were used to chemically bind the wood/polymer fibers, chemicals, and reinforcement. The mechanical properties of the composites were then analyzed. Findings: The study found that composites made with rHDPE provided moderately superior tensile and flexural properties compared to rPP samples. The addition of agricultural residues in several types of wood-plastic nano-composites significantly improved their bending and tensile properties, with bagasse having the most significant advantage over other lignocellulosic materials. The use of recycled polymers, agricultural residues, and nano-silica resulted in composites with the best strength properties. Theoretical Importance: The study's findings suggest that using agricultural fiber residues as reinforcement in wood/plastic nanocomposites is a viable approach to improve the mechanical properties of the composites. Additionally, the study highlights the potential of using recycled polymers in the development of value-added products without compromising the product's properties. Data Collection and Analysis Procedures: The study collected data on the mechanical properties of the composites using tensile and flexural tests. Statistical analyses were performed to determine the significant effects of the various materials used. Question addressed: Can agricultural residues and recycled polymers be used to manufacture wood-plastic nano-composites with enhanced mechanical properties? Conclusion: The study demonstrates the feasibility of using agricultural residues and recycled polymers in the production of wood-plastic nano-composites. The addition of these materials significantly improved the mechanical properties of the composites, with bagasse being the most effective agricultural residue. The study's findings suggest that composites made from recycled materials can offer value-added products without sacrificing performance.

Keywords: polymer, composites, wood, nano

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Authors: Mahtab Abdollahi Sarvi, Siamak Epackachi, Ali Imanpour

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Reinforced concrete shear walls are commonly used as the lateral load-resisting system of mid- to high-rise office or residential buildings around the world. Design of such systems is often governed by wind rather than seismic effects, in particular in low-to-moderate seismic regions. The current design philosophy as per the majority of building codes under wind loads require elastic response of lateral load-resisting systems including reinforced concrete shear walls when subjected to the rare design wind load, resulting in significantly large wall sections needed to meet strength requirements and drift limits. The latter can highly influence the design in upper stories due to stringent drift limits specified by building codes, leading to substantial added costs to the construction of the wall. However, such walls may offer limited to moderate over-strength and ductility due to their large reserve capacity provided that they are designed and detailed to appropriately develop such over-strength and ductility under extreme wind loads. This would significantly contribute to reducing construction time and costs, while maintaining structural integrity under gravity and frequently-occurring and less frequent wind events. This paper aims to investigate the over-strength and ductility capacity of several imaginary office buildings located in Edmonton, Canada with a glance at earthquake design philosophy. Selected models are 10- to 25-story buildings with three types of reinforced concrete shear wall configurations including rectangular, barbell, and flanged. The buildings are designed according to National Building Code of Canada. Then fiber-based numerical models of the walls are developed in Perform 3D and by conducting nonlinear static (pushover) analysis, lateral nonlinear behavior of the walls are evaluated. Ductility and over-strength of the structures are obtained based on the results of the pushover analyses. The results confirmed moderate nonlinear capacity of reinforced concrete shear walls under extreme wind loads. This is while lateral displacements of the walls pass the serviceability limit states defined in Pre standard for Performance-Based Wind Design (ASCE). The results indicate that we can benefit the limited nonlinear response observed in the reinforced concrete shear walls to economize the design of such systems under wind loads.

Keywords: concrete shear wall, high-rise buildings, nonlinear static analysis, response modification factor, wind load

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Authors: Onyekachi Ohagwu

Abstract:

Human trafficking remains a pressing issue globally, with Nigeria serving as a source, transit, and destination country. In response to this crisis, the Edo State Task Force Against Human Trafficking (ETAHT), in collaboration with local partners and international organizations such as the International Organization for Migration, has implemented various initiatives, including technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes. This research article examines the effectiveness of the ETAHT TVET programme in providing a second chance for female returnee migrants in Nigeria. Through qualitative analysis, including in-depth interviews and case studies, the study evaluates the impact of the programme on participants' lives, socio-economic reintegration, and empowerment. Findings suggest that the ETAHT TVET programme plays a significant role in empowering female returnees, fostering self-reliance, and reducing the risk of re-trafficking. The article concludes with recommendations for enhancing the programme's effectiveness and scalability.

Keywords: Edo State, human trafficking, TVET programme, female returnee migrants, empowerment, socio-economic reintegration

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Authors: Yuhong Niu, Na Li, Chunlin Jin, Hansheng Ding

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The study reviewed all types of patents applied by Shanghai health system to analyze how patent development in China from the year of 1990 to 2012. The study used quantitative and comparative analysis to investigate the change and trends of patent numbers, patent types, patent claims, forward citations, patent life, patent transactions, etc. Results reflected an obviously increased numbers of invention patents, applications, and authorizations and short-life patents, but the ratio of invention patents represented an up and down change. Forward citations and transactions ratio always kept at a low level. The results meant that the protection of intellectual property in the Shanghai health sector had made great progress and lots of positive changes due to incentive policies by local government. However, the low-quality patents, at the same time, increased rapidly. Thus, in the future, it is suggested that the quality management should be strengthened, and invents should be estimated before patent application. It is also suggested that the incentives for intellectual property should be optimized to promote the comprehensive improvement of patent quantity and quality.

Keywords: patent claims, forward citations, patent life, patent transactions ratio

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Authors: Essang Anwana Onuntuei, Chinyere Blessing Azunwoke

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The study used secondary data from foreign and local organizations to explore major challenges and opportunities abound in Information Communication. The study aimed at exploring the tie between tele density (network coverage area) and the number of network subscriptions, probing if the degree of consumer complaints varies significantly among network providers, and assessing if network subscriptions do significantly influence the sector’s GDP contribution. Methods used for data analysis include Pearson product-moment correlation and regression analysis, and the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) as well. At a two-tailed test of 0.05 confidence level, the results of findings established about 85.6% of network subscriptions were explained by tele density (network coverage area), and the number of network subscriptions; Consumer Complaints’ degree varied significantly among network providers as 80.158291 (F calculated) > 3.490295 (F critical) with very high confidence associated p-value = 0.000000 which is < 0.05; and finally, 65% of the nation’s GDP was explained by network subscription to show a high association.

Keywords: tele density, subscription, network coverage, information communication, consumer

Procedia PDF Downloads 45

Authors: Emmanuel Okine Neokye, Xiuquan Wang, Krishna K. Thakur, Pedro Quijon, Rana Ali Nawaz, , Sana Basheer

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Oysters are enriched with high-quality protein and are widely known for their exquisite taste. The production of oysters plays an important role in the local economies of coastal communities in many countries, including Atlantic Canada, because of their high economic value. However, because of the changing climatic conditions in recent years, oyster aquaculture faces potentially negative impacts, such as increasing water acidification, rising water temperatures, high salinity, invasive species, algal blooms, and other environmental factors. Although a few isolated effects of climate change on oyster aquaculture have been reported in recent years, it is not well understood how climate change will affect oyster aquaculture from a systematic perspective. In the first part of this study, we present a systematic review of the impacts of climate change and some key environmental factors affecting oyster production on a global scale. The study also identifies knowledge gaps and challenges. In addition, we present key research directions that will facilitate future investigations.

Keywords: climate change, oyster production, oyster aquaculture, greenhouse gases

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Authors: Sze Wai Veera Fung, Peter W. Ferretto

Abstract:

Since the economic reform in 1980s, many men and women of the southern dialect Dong minority have migrated to coastal cities for employment. Responding to the outgoing providers of the families, women, especially those at the middle age, resort to the informal home-based services and goods production for income generation. Homework, therefore, becomes a key economic strategy in supporting the household expenses in rural China, where formal employment is often inadequate for local women. This paper seeks to examine the intersection between gender and household strategy in the broader economic context of rural China. Based on the interviews and site survey in Tongdao Dong Autonomous County, the study analyses the variety of the home-based production activities, the experience of women in the production process, and the impact on familial relation and gender division of labor at home. The objective of this research is to advance the understanding of the informal economic landscape in the contemporary rural China, through which an alternative and possibly a more appropriate mode of development can be investigated.

Keywords: gender relation, home-based production, household strategy, informal economy, rural China, dong minority

Procedia PDF Downloads 129