Search results for: commercial tools
2006 Focus-Latent Dirichlet Allocation for Aspect-Level Opinion Mining
Authors: Mohsen Farhadloo, Majid Farhadloo
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Aspect-level opinion mining that aims at discovering aspects (aspect identification) and their corresponding ratings (sentiment identification) from customer reviews have increasingly attracted attention of researchers and practitioners as it provides valuable insights about products/services from customer's points of view. Instead of addressing aspect identification and sentiment identification in two separate steps, it is possible to simultaneously identify both aspects and sentiments. In recent years many graphical models based on Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) have been proposed to solve both aspect and sentiment identifications in a single step. Although LDA models have been effective tools for the statistical analysis of document collections, they also have shortcomings in addressing some unique characteristics of opinion mining. Our goal in this paper is to address one of the limitations of topic models to date; that is, they fail to directly model the associations among topics. Indeed in many text corpora, it is natural to expect that subsets of the latent topics have higher probabilities. We propose a probabilistic graphical model called focus-LDA, to better capture the associations among topics when applied to aspect-level opinion mining. Our experiments on real-life data sets demonstrate the improved effectiveness of the focus-LDA model in terms of the accuracy of the predictive distributions over held out documents. Furthermore, we demonstrate qualitatively that the focus-LDA topic model provides a natural way of visualizing and exploring unstructured collection of textual data.Keywords: aspect-level opinion mining, document modeling, Latent Dirichlet Allocation, LDA, sentiment analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 942005 Rethinking the Constitutionality of Statutes: Rights-Compliant Interpretation in India and the UK
Authors: Chintan Chandrachud
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When primary legislation is challenged for breaching fundamental rights, many courts around the world adopt interpretive techniques to avoid finding such legislation incompatible or invalid. In the UK, these techniques find sanction in section 3 of the Human Rights Act 1998, which directs courts to interpret legislation in a manner which is compatible with European Convention rights, ‘so far as it is possible to do so’. In India, courts begin with the interpretive presumption that Parliament intended to comply with fundamental rights under the Constitution of 1949. In comparing rights-compliant interpretation of primary legislation under the Human Rights Act and the Indian Constitution, this paper makes two arguments. First, that in the absence of a section 3-type mandate, Indian courts have a smaller range of interpretive tools at their disposal in interpreting primary legislation in a way which complies with fundamental rights. For example, whereas British courts frequently read words into statutes, Indian courts consider this an inapposite interpretive technique. The second argument flows naturally from the first. Given that Indian courts have a smaller interpretive toolbox, one would imagine that ceteris paribus, Indian courts’ power to strike down legislation would be triggered earlier than the declaration of incompatibility is in the UK. However, this is not borne out in practice. Faced with primary legislation which appears to violate fundamental rights, Indian courts often reluctantly uphold the constitutionality of statutes (rather than striking them down), as opposed to British courts, which make declarations of incompatibility. The explanation for this seeming asymmetry hinges on the difference between the ‘strike down’ power and the declaration of incompatibility. Whereas the former results in the disapplication of a statute, the latter throws the ball back into Parliament’s court, if only formally.Keywords: constitutional law, judicial review, constitution of India, UK Human Rights Act
Procedia PDF Downloads 2882004 Patient Care Needs Assessment: An Evidence-Based Process to Inform Quality Care and Decision Making
Authors: Wynne De Jong, Robert Miller, Ross Riggs
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Beyond the number of nurses providing care for patients, having nurses with the right skills, experience and education is essential to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients. Research studies continue to link nurse staffing and skill mix with nurse-sensitive patient outcomes; numerous studies clearly show that superior patient outcomes are associated with higher levels of regulated staff. Due to the limited number of tools and processes available to assist nurse leaders with staffing models of care, nurse leaders are constantly faced with the ongoing challenge to ensure their staffing models of care best suit their patient population. In 2009, several hospitals in Ontario, Canada participated in a research study to develop and evaluate an RN/RPN utilization toolkit. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a toolkit for Registered Nurses/Registered Practical Nurses Staff mix decision-making based on the College of Nurses of Ontario, Canada practice standards for the utilization of RNs and RPNs. This paper will highlight how an organization has further developed the Patient Care Needs Assessment (PCNA) questionnaire, a major component of the toolkit. Moreover, it will demonstrate how it has utilized the information from PCNA to clearly identify patient and family care needs, thus providing evidence-based results to assist leaders with matching the best staffing skill mix to their patients.Keywords: nurse staffing models of care, skill mix, nursing health human resources, patient safety
Procedia PDF Downloads 3152003 Inducing Flow Experience in Mobile Learning: An Experiment Using a Spanish Learning Mobile Application
Authors: S. Jonsson, D. Millard, C. Bokhove
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Smartphones are ubiquitous and frequently used as learning tools, which makes the design of educational apps an important area of research. A key issue is designing apps to encourage engagement while maintaining a focus on the educational aspects of the app. Flow experience is a promising method for addressing this issue, which refers to a mental state of cognitive absorption and positive emotion. Flow experience has been shown to be associated with positive emotion and increased learning performance. Studies have shown that immediate feedback is an antecedent to Flow. This experiment investigates the effect of immediate feedback on Flow experience. An app teaching Spanish phrases was developed, and 30 participants completed both a 10min session with immediate feedback and a 10min session with delayed feedback. The app contained a task where the user assembles Spanish phrases by pressing bricks with Spanish words. Immediate feedback was implemented by incorrect bricks recoiling, while correct brick moved to form part of the finished phrase. In the delayed feedback condition, the user did not know if the bricks they pressed were correct until the phrase was complete. The level of Flow experienced by the participants was measured after each session using the Flow Short Scale. The results showed that higher levels of Flow were experienced in the immediate feedback session. It was also found that 14 of the participants indicated that the demands of the task were ‘just right’ in the immediate feedback session, while only one did in the delayed feedback session. These results have implications for how to design educational technology and opens up questions for how Flow experience can be used to increase performance and engagement.Keywords: feedback timing, flow experience, L2 language learning, mobile learning
Procedia PDF Downloads 1332002 Bank Liquidity Creation in a Dual Banking System: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Lianne M. Q. Lee, Mohammed Sharaf Shaiban
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The importance of bank liquidity management took center stage as policy makers promoted a more resilient global banking system after the market turmoil of 2007. The growing recognition of Islamic banks’ function of intermediating funds in the economy warrants the need to investigate its balance sheet structure which is distinct from its conventional counterparts. Given that asymmetric risk, transformation is inevitable; Islamic banks need to identify the liquidity risk within their distinctive balance sheet structure. Thus, there is a strong need to quantify and assess the liquidity position to ensure proper functioning of a financial institution. It is vital to measure bank liquidity because liquid banks face less liquidity risk. We examine this issue by using two alternative quantitative measures of liquidity creation “cat fat” and “cat nonfat” constructed by Berger and Bouwman (2009). “Cat fat” measures all on balance sheet items including off balance sheet, whilst the latter measures only on balance sheet items. Liquidity creation is measured over the period 2007-2014 in 14 countries where Islamic and conventional commercial banks coexist. Also, separately by bank size class as empirical studies have shown that liquidity creation varies by bank size. An interesting and important finding shows that all size class of Islamic banks, on average have increased creation of aggregate liquidity in real dollar terms over the years for both liquidity creation measures especially for large banks indicating that Islamic banks actually generates more liquidity to the economy compared to its conventional counterparts, including from off-balance sheet items. The liquidity creation for off-balance sheets by conventional banks may have been affected by the global financial crisis when derivatives markets were severely hit. The results also suggest that Islamic banks have the higher volume of assets and deposits and that borrowing/issues of bonds are less in Islamic banks compared to conventional banks because most products are interest-based. As Islamic banks appear to create more liquidity than conventional banks under both measures, it translates that the development of Islamic banking is significant over the decades since its inception. This finding is encouraging as, despite Islamic banking’s overall size, it represents growth opportunities for these countries.Keywords: financial institution, liquidity creation, liquidity risk, policy and regulation
Procedia PDF Downloads 3502001 A Hedonic Valuation Approach to Valuing Combined Sewer Overflow Reductions
Authors: Matt S. Van Deren, Michael Papenfus
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Seattle is one of the hundreds of cities in the United States that relies on a combined sewer system to collect and convey municipal wastewater. By design, these systems convey all wastewater, including industrial and commercial wastewater, human sewage, and stormwater runoff, through a single network of pipes. Serious problems arise for combined sewer systems during heavy precipitation events when treatment plants and storage facilities are unable to accommodate the influx of wastewater needing treatment, causing the sewer system to overflow into local waterways through sewer outfalls. CSOs (Combined Sewer Overflows) pose a serious threat to human and environmental health. Principal pollutants found in CSO discharge include microbial pathogens, comprising of bacteria, viruses, parasites, oxygen-depleting substances, suspended solids, chemicals or chemical mixtures, and excess nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus. While concentrations of these pollutants can vary between overflow events, CSOs have the potential to spread disease and waterborne illnesses, contaminate drinking water supplies, disrupt aquatic life, and effect a waterbody’s designated use. This paper estimates the economic impact of CSOs on residential property values. Using residential property sales data from Seattle, Washington, this paper employs a hedonic valuation model that controls for housing and neighborhood characteristics, as well as spatial and temporal effects, to predict a consumer’s willingness to pay for improved water quality near their homes. Initial results indicate that a 100,000-gallon decrease in the average annual overflow discharged from a sewer outfall within 300 meters of a home is associated with a 0.053% increase in the property’s sale price. For the average home in the sample, the price increase is estimated to be $18,860.23. These findings reveal some of the important economic benefits of improving water quality by reducing the frequency and severity of combined sewer overflows.Keywords: benefits, hedonic, Seattle, sewer
Procedia PDF Downloads 1772000 Communication Tools Used in Teaching and Their Effects: An Empirical Study on the T. C. Selcuk University Samples
Authors: Sedat Simsek, Tugay Arat
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Today's communication concept, which has a great revolution with the printing press which has been found by Gutenberg, has no boundary thanks to advanced communication devices and the internet. It is possible to take advantage in many areas, such as from medicine to social sciences or from mathematics to education, from the computers that was first produced for the purpose of military services. The use of these developing technologies in the field of education has created a great vision changes in both training and having education. Materials, which can be considered as basic communication resources and used in traditional education has begun to lose its significance, and some technologies have begun to replace them such as internet, computers, smart boards, projection devices and mobile phone. On the other hand, the programs and applications used in these technologies have also been developed. University students use virtual books instead of the traditional printed book, use cell phones instead of note books, use the internet and virtual databases instead of the library to research. They even submit their homework with interactive methods rather than printed materials. The traditional education system, these technologies, which increase productivity, have brought a new dimension to education. The aim of this study is to determine the influence of technologies in the learning process of students and to find whether is there any similarities and differences that arise from the their faculty that they have been educated and and their learning process. In addition to this, it is aimed to determine the level of ICT usage of students studying at the university level. In this context, the advantages and conveniences of the technology used by students are also scrutinized. In this study, we used surveys to collect data. The data were analyzed by using SPSS 16 statistical program with the appropriate testing.Keywords: education, communication technologies, role of technology, teaching
Procedia PDF Downloads 3031999 Quality Approaches for Mass-Produced Fashion: A Study in Malaysian Garment Manufacturing
Authors: N. J. M. Yusof, T. Sabir, J. McLoughlin
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Garment manufacturing industry involves sequential processes that are subjected to uncontrollable variations. The industry depends on the skill of labour in handling the varieties of fabrics and accessories, machines, and also a complicated sewing operation. Due to these reasons, garment manufacturers created systems to monitor and control the product’s quality regularly by conducting quality approaches to minimize variation. The aims of this research were to ascertain the quality approaches deployed by Malaysian garment manufacturers in three key areas-quality systems and tools; quality control and types of inspection; sampling procedures chosen for garment inspection. The focus of this research also aimed to distinguish quality approaches used by companies that supplied the finished garments to both domestic and international markets. The feedback from each of company’s representatives was obtained using the online survey, which comprised of five sections and 44 questions on the organizational profile and quality approaches used in the garment industry. The results revealed that almost all companies had established their own mechanism of process control by conducting a series of quality inspection for daily production either it was formally been set up or vice versa. Quality inspection was the predominant quality control activity in the garment manufacturing and the level of complexity of these activities was substantially dictated by the customers. AQL-based sampling was utilized by companies dealing with the export market, whilst almost all the companies that only concentrated on the domestic market were comfortable using their own sampling procedures for garment inspection. This research provides an insight into the implementation of quality approaches that were perceived as important and useful in the garment manufacturing sector, which is truly labour-intensive.Keywords: garment manufacturing, quality approaches, quality control, inspection, Acceptance Quality Limit (AQL), sampling
Procedia PDF Downloads 4441998 Developing an Instrument to Measure Teachers’ Self-Efficacy of Teaching Innovation Skills
Authors: Huda S. Al-Azmi
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There is a growing consensus that adoption of teachers’ self-efficacy measurement tools help to assess teachers’ abilities in specific areas in order to improve their skills. As a result, different instruments to assess teachers’ ability were developed by academics and practitioners. However, many of these instruments focused either on general teaching skills, or on the other hand, were very specific to one subject. As such, these instruments do not offer a tool to measure the ability of teachers in teaching 21st century skills such as innovation skills. Teaching innovation skills helps to prepare students for lives and careers in the 21st century. The purpose of this study is to develop an instrument measuring teachers’ self-efficacy of teaching innovation skills related to the classroom context and evaluating the teachers’ beliefs regarding their ability in teaching innovation skills. To reach this goal, the 16-item instrument measures four dimensions of innovation skills: creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. 211 secondary-school teachers filled out the survey to quantitatively analyze the quality of the instrument. The instrument’s reliability and item analysis were measured by using jMetrik. The results concluded that the mean of self-efficacy ranged from 3 to 3.6 without extreme high or low self-efficacy scores. The discrimination analysis revealed that one item recorded a negative correlation with the total, and three items recorded low correlation with the total. The reliabilities of items ranged from 0.64 to 0.69 and the instrument needed a couple of revisions before practical use. The study concluded the need to discard one item and revise five items to increase the quality of the instrument for future work.Keywords: critical thinking, collaboration, innovation skills, self-efficacy
Procedia PDF Downloads 2141997 Assessment of Vehicular Emission and Its Impact on Urban Air Quality
Authors: Syed Imran Hussain Shah
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Air pollution rapidly impacts the Earth's climate and environmental quality, causing public health nuisances and cardio-pulmonary illnesses. Air pollution is a global issue, and all population groups in all the regions in the developed and developing parts of the world were affected by it. The promise of a reduction in deaths and diseases as per SDG No. 3 is an international commitment towards sustainable development. In that context, assessing and evaluating the ambient air quality is paramount. This article estimates the air pollution released by the vehicles on roads of Lahore, a mega city having 13.98 million populations. A survey was conducted on different fuel stations to determine the estimated fuel pumped to different types of vehicles from different fuel stations. The number of fuel stations in Lahore is around 350. Another survey was also conducted to interview the drivers to know the per-litre fuel consumption of other vehicles. Therefore, a survey was conducted on 189 fuel stations and 400 drivers using a combination of random sampling and convenience sampling methods. The sampling was done in a manner to cover all areas of the city including central commercial hubs, modern housing societies, industrial zones, main highways, old traditional population centres, etc. Mathematical equations were also used to estimate the emissions from different modes of vehicles. Due to the increase in population, the number of vehicles is increasing, and consequently, traffic emissions were rising at a higher level. Motorcycles, auto rickshaws, motor cars, and vans were the main contributors to Carbon dioxide and vehicular emissions in the air. It has been observed that vehicles that use petrol fuel produce more Carbon dioxide emissions in the air. Buses and trucks were the main contributors to NOx in the air due to the use of diesel fuel. Whereas vans, buses, and trucks produce the maximum amount of SO2. PM10 and PM2.5 were mainly produced by motorcycles and motorcycle two-stroke rickshaws. Auto rickshaws and motor cars mainly produce benzene emissions. This study may act as a major tool for traffic and vehicle policy decisions to promote better fuel quality and more fuel-efficient vehicles to reduce emissions.Keywords: particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, climate change, pollution control
Procedia PDF Downloads 131996 Social Interaction Dynamics Exploration: The Case Study of El Sherouk City
Authors: Nardine El Bardisy, Wolf Reuter, Ayat Ismail
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In Egypt, there is continuous housing demand as a result of rapid population growth. In 1979, this forced the government to establish new urban communities in order to decrease stress around delta. New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA) was formulated to take the responsibly of this new policy. These communities suffer from social life deficiency due to their typology, which is separated island with barriers. New urban communities’ typology results from the influence of neoliberalism movement and modern city planning forms. The lack of social interaction in these communities at present should be enhanced in the future. On a global perspective, sustainable development calls for creating more sustainable communities which include social, economic and environmental aspects. From 1960, planners were highly focusing on the promotion of the social dimension in urban development plans. The research hypothesis states: “It is possible to promote social interaction in new urban communities through a set of socio-spatial recommended strategies that are tailored for Greater Cairo Region context”. In order to test this hypothesis, the case of El-Sherouk city is selected, which represents the typical NUCA development plans. Social interaction indicators were derived from literature and used to explore different social dynamics in the selected case. The tools used for exploring case study are online questionnaires, face to face questionnaires, interviews, and observations. These investigations were analyzed, conclusions and recommendations were set to improve social interaction.Keywords: new urban communities, modern planning, social interaction, social life
Procedia PDF Downloads 1251995 Inverted Geometry Ceramic Insulators in High Voltage Direct Current Electron Guns for Accelerators
Authors: C. Hernandez-Garcia, P. Adderley, D. Bullard, J. Grames, M. A. Mamun, G. Palacios-Serrano, M. Poelker, M. Stutzman, R. Suleiman, Y. Wang, , S. Zhang
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High-energy nuclear physics experiments performed at the Jefferson Lab (JLab) Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility require a beam of spin-polarized ps-long electron bunches. The electron beam is generated when a circularly polarized laser beam illuminates a GaAs semiconductor photocathode biased at hundreds of kV dc inside an ultra-high vacuum chamber. The photocathode is mounted on highly polished stainless steel electrodes electrically isolated by means of a conical-shape ceramic insulator that extends into the vacuum chamber, serving as the cathode electrode support structure. The assembly is known as a dc photogun, which has to simultaneously meet the following criteria: high voltage to manage space charge forces within the electron bunch, ultra-high vacuum conditions to preserve the photocathode quantum efficiency, no field emission to prevent gas load when field emitted electrons impact the vacuum chamber, and finally no voltage breakdown for robust operation. Over the past decade, JLab has tested and implemented the use of inverted geometry ceramic insulators connected to commercial high voltage cables to operate a photogun at 200kV dc with a 10 cm long insulator, and a larger version at 300kV dc with 20 cm long insulator. Plans to develop a third photogun operating at 400kV dc to meet the stringent requirements of the proposed International Linear Collider are underway at JLab, utilizing even larger inverted insulators. This contribution describes approaches that have been successful in solving challenging problems related to breakdown and field emission, such as triple-point junction screening electrodes, mechanical polishing to achieve mirror-like surface finish and high voltage conditioning procedures with Kr gas to extinguish field emission.Keywords: electron guns, high voltage techniques, insulators, vacuum insulation
Procedia PDF Downloads 1131994 Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Analytics for Reducing Carbon Emissions in Oil Refineries
Authors: Gaurav Kumar Sinha
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The oil refining industry, significant in its energy consumption and carbon emissions, faces increasing pressure to reduce its environmental footprint. This article explores the application of energy efficiency and sustainability analytics as crucial tools for reducing carbon emissions in oil refineries. Through a comprehensive review of current practices and technologies, this study highlights innovative analytical approaches that can significantly enhance energy efficiency. We focus on the integration of advanced data analytics, including machine learning and predictive modeling, to optimize process controls and energy use. These technologies are examined for their potential to not only lower energy consumption but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the article discusses the implementation of sustainability analytics to monitor and improve environmental performance across various operational facets of oil refineries. We explore case studies where predictive analytics have successfully identified opportunities for reducing energy use and emissions, providing a template for industry-wide application. The challenges associated with deploying these analytics, such as data integration and the need for skilled personnel, are also addressed. The paper concludes with strategic recommendations for oil refineries aiming to enhance their sustainability practices through the adoption of targeted analytics. By implementing these measures, refineries can achieve significant reductions in carbon emissions, aligning with global environmental goals and regulatory requirements.Keywords: energy efficiency, sustainability analytics, carbon emissions, oil refineries, data analytics, machine learning, predictive modeling, process optimization, greenhouse gas reduction, environmental performance
Procedia PDF Downloads 311993 Liver and Liver Lesion Segmentation From Abdominal CT Scans
Authors: Belgherbi Aicha, Hadjidj Ismahen, Bessaid Abdelhafid
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The interpretation of medical images benefits from anatomical and physiological priors to optimize computer- aided diagnosis applications. Segmentation of liver and liver lesion is regarded as a major primary step in computer aided diagnosis of liver diseases. Precise liver segmentation in abdominal CT images is one of the most important steps for the computer-aided diagnosis of liver pathology. In this papers, a semi- automated method for medical image data is presented for the liver and liver lesion segmentation data using mathematical morphology. Our algorithm is currency in two parts. In the first, we seek to determine the region of interest by applying the morphological filters to extract the liver. The second step consists to detect the liver lesion. In this task; we proposed a new method developed for the semi-automatic segmentation of the liver and hepatic lesions. Our proposed method is based on the anatomical information and mathematical morphology tools used in the image processing field. At first, we try to improve the quality of the original image and image gradient by applying the spatial filter followed by the morphological filters. The second step consists to calculate the internal and external markers of the liver and hepatic lesions. Thereafter we proceed to the liver and hepatic lesions segmentation by the watershed transform controlled by markers. The validation of the developed algorithm is done using several images. Obtained results show the good performances of our proposed algorithmKeywords: anisotropic diffusion filter, CT images, hepatic lesion segmentation, Liver segmentation, morphological filter, the watershed algorithm
Procedia PDF Downloads 4511992 Vocational Education for Sustainable Development: Teaching Methods and Practices
Authors: Seyilnan Hannah Wadak, Dangway Monica Clement
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This theoretical study explores distinct teaching methods and practices for integrating sustainable development principles into vocational education. It examines how vocational institutions can prepare students for a sustainability-oriented workforce while addressing environmental and social challenges. The research analyzes current literature, case studies, and emerging trends to identify effective strategies for incorporating sustainability across various vocational disciplines. Key approaches discussed include experiential learning, green skills training, and interdisciplinary projects that simulate real-world sustainability challenges. The study also investigates the role of technology, such as virtual reality and online collaboration tools, in enhancing sustainability education. Additionally, it addresses the importance of industry partnerships and community engagement in creating relevant, practical learning experiences. The paper highlights potential barriers to implementation and proposes solutions for overcoming them, including professional development for educators and curriculum redesign. Findings suggest that integrating sustainability into vocational education not only enhances students’ employability but also contributes to broader societal goals of sustainable development. This research provides a comprehensive framework for educational institutions and policymakers to transform vocational programs, ensuring they meet the evolving demands of a sustainable future.Keywords: vocational education, sustainable development, teaching methods, experiential learning, green skills, curriculum integration, industry partnerships, educational technology
Procedia PDF Downloads 311991 Appraisal of Different Levels of Soybean Meal in Diets on Growth, Digestive Enzyme Activity, Antioxidation and Gut Histology of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
Authors: Zakir Hossain, Arzu Pervin, Halima Jahan, Rabeya Akter, Abdel Omri
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Replacement of fish meal with soybean meal is an effective way to relieve the pressure on fish meal as the supply of this feed ingredient is dwindling and certainly is not sustainable in long term at present levels in commercial feeds. This study was designed to determine the effect of fishmeal (FM) replacement with soybean meal (SBM) in diet on growth, digestive enzyme activity, antioxidation and gut histomorphology of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Five diets were formulated where SBM0 contained 100% FM, FM substituted with graded levels of a mix of SBM to replace 25% (SBM25), 50% (SBM50), 75% (SBM75) and 100% (SBM100) of FM. Juvenile tilapia having weight and length of 6.60±0.13 g and 5.42±0.17 cm were randomly divided into five treatment groups having 40 individual each group and fed to visual satiation for 90 days. Diet with SBM was increased significant in body weight gain and specific growth rate in fish compared to the fish fed with SBM100. Fish having the similar weight (74.34±5.41 g) fed the diets SBM50, SBM75 and SBM100 containing higher level of SBM showed significantly longer intestine compared to SBM0. Villus height of stomach and intestine were significantly greater in the fish fed with the diets SBM0, SBM25 and SBM50 compared to SBM100. Muscular thickness was inversely changed with the increasing villus height. Protease activity was increased significantly in stomach, anterior and posterior intestine of fish fed with SBM0 and SBM25 compared to SBM100. In anterior and posterior segment of intestine, significantly higher lipase activity was observed in fish fed with the diets SBM0 and SBM25 compared to diet SBM100. In stomach, amylase activity was also significantly greater in SBM0 compared to SBM100. The antioxidant enzymes including catalase and superoxide dismutase of liver were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the O. niloticus fed SBM100 compared to the ones fed SBM0. These results suggest that the replacement of FM upto 75% with SBM could be possible considering the growth performances, gut health and activities digestive enzymes and antioxidant enzymes in O. niloticus.Keywords: soybean meal, fish meal, digestive enzymes, anti-oxidant enzymes
Procedia PDF Downloads 1731990 A Review on the Vulnerability of Rural-Small Scale Farmers to Insect Pest Attacks in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Authors: Nolitha L. Skenjana, Bongani P. Kubheka, Maxwell A. Poswal
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The Eastern Cape Province of South Africa is characterized by subsistence farming, which is mostly distributed in the rural areas of the province. It is estimated that cereal crops such as maize and sorghum, and vegetables such as cabbage are grown in more than 400.000 rural households, with maize being the most dominant crop. However, compared to commercial agriculture, small-scale farmers receive minimal support from research and development, limited technology transfer on the latest production practices and systems and have poor production infrastructure and equipment. Similarly, there is limited farmers' appreciation on best practices in insect pest management and control. The paper presents findings from the primary literature and personal observations on insect pest management practices of small-scale farmers in the province. Inferences from literature and personal experiences in the production areas have led to a number of deductions regarding the level of exposure and extent of vulnerability. Farmers' pest management practices, which included not controlling at all though there is a pest problem, resulted in their crop stands to be more vulnerable to pest attacks. This became more evident with the recent brown locust, African armyworm, and Fall armyworm outbreaks, and with the incidences of opportunistic phytophagous insects previously collected on wild hosts only, found causing serious damages on crops. In most of these occurrences, damage to crops resulted in low or no yield. Improvements on farmers' reaction and response to pest problems were only observed in areas where focused awareness campaigns and trainings on specific pests and their management techniques were done. This then calls for a concerted effort from all role players in the sphere of small-scale crop production, to train and equip farmers with relevant skills, and provide them with information on affordable and climate-smart strategies and technologies in order to create a state of preparedness. This is necessary for the prevention of substantial crop losses that may exacerbate food insecurity in the province.Keywords: Eastern Cape Province, small-scale farmers, insect pest management, vulnerability
Procedia PDF Downloads 1401989 Investigating the Effectiveness of a 3D Printed Composite Mold
Authors: Peng Hao Wang, Garam Kim, Ronald Sterkenburg
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In composite manufacturing, the fabrication of tooling and tooling maintenance contributes to a large portion of the total cost. However, as the applications of composite materials continue to increase, there is also a growing demand for more tooling. The demand for more tooling places heavy emphasis on the industry’s ability to fabricate high quality tools while maintaining the tool’s cost effectiveness. One of the popular techniques of tool fabrication currently being developed utilizes additive manufacturing technology known as 3D printing. The popularity of 3D printing is due to 3D printing’s ability to maintain low material waste, low cost, and quick fabrication time. In this study, a team of Purdue University School of Aviation and Transportation Technology (SATT) faculty and students investigated the effectiveness of a 3D printed composite mold. A steel valve cover from an aircraft reciprocating engine was modeled utilizing 3D scanning and computer-aided design (CAD) to create a 3D printed composite mold. The mold was used to fabricate carbon fiber versions of the aircraft reciprocating engine valve cover. The carbon fiber valve covers were evaluated for dimensional accuracy and quality while the 3D printed composite mold was evaluated for durability and dimensional stability. The data collected from this study provided valuable information in the understanding of 3D printed composite molds, potential improvements for the molds, and considerations for future tooling design.Keywords: additive manufacturing, carbon fiber, composite tooling, molds
Procedia PDF Downloads 1141988 Portfolio Optimization with Reward-Risk Ratio Measure Based on the Mean Absolute Deviation
Authors: Wlodzimierz Ogryczak, Michal Przyluski, Tomasz Sliwinski
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In problems of portfolio selection, the reward-risk ratio criterion is optimized to search for a risky portfolio with the maximum increase of the mean return in proportion to the risk measure increase when compared to the risk-free investments. In the classical model, following Markowitz, the risk is measured by the variance thus representing the Sharpe ratio optimization and leading to the quadratic optimization problems. Several Linear Programming (LP) computable risk measures have been introduced and applied in portfolio optimization. In particular, the Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) measure has been widely recognized. The reward-risk ratio optimization with the MAD measure can be transformed into the LP formulation with the number of constraints proportional to the number of scenarios and the number of variables proportional to the total of the number of scenarios and the number of instruments. This may lead to the LP models with huge number of variables and constraints in the case of real-life financial decisions based on several thousands scenarios, thus decreasing their computational efficiency and making them hardly solvable by general LP tools. We show that the computational efficiency can be then dramatically improved by an alternative model based on the inverse risk-reward ratio minimization and by taking advantages of the LP duality. In the introduced LP model the number of structural constraints is proportional to the number of instruments thus not affecting seriously the simplex method efficiency by the number of scenarios and therefore guaranteeing easy solvability. Moreover, we show that under natural restriction on the target value the MAD risk-reward ratio optimization is consistent with the second order stochastic dominance rules.Keywords: portfolio optimization, reward-risk ratio, mean absolute deviation, linear programming
Procedia PDF Downloads 4071987 Bring Your Own Device Security Model in a Financial Institution of South Africa
Authors: Michael Nthabiseng Moeti, Makhulu Relebogile Langa, Joey Jansen van Vuuren
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This paper examines the utilization of personal electronic devices like laptops, tablets, and smartphones for professional duties within a financial organization. This phenomenon is known as bring your own device (BYOD). BYOD accords employees the freedom to use their personal devices to access corporate resources from anywhere in the world with Internet access. BYOD arrangements introduce significant security risks for both organizations and users. These setups change the threat landscape for enterprises and demand unique security strategies, as conventional tools tailored for safeguarding managed devices fall short in adequately protecting enterprise assets without active user cooperation. This paper applies protection motivation theory (PMT) to highlight behavioral risks from BYOD users that may impact the security of financial institutions. Thematic analysis was applied to gain a comprehensive understanding of how users perceive this phenomenon. These findings demonstrates that the existence of a security policy does not ensure that all employees will take measures to protect their personal devices. Active promotion of BYOD security policies is crucial for financial institution employees and management. This paper developed a BYOD security model which is useful for understanding compliant behaviors. Given that BYOD security is becoming a major concern across financial sector, it is important. The paper recommends that future research could expand the number of universities from which data is collected.Keywords: BYOD, information security, protection motivation theory, security risks, thematic analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 311986 Applying Lean Six Sigma in an Emergency Department, of a Private Hospital
Authors: Sarah Al-Lumai, Fatima Al-Attar, Nour Jamal, Badria Al-Dabbous, Manal Abdulla
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Today, many commonly used Industrial Engineering tools and techniques are being used in hospitals around the world for the goal of producing a more efficient and effective healthcare system. A common quality improvement methodology known as Lean Six-Sigma has been successful in manufacturing industries and recently in healthcare. The objective of our project is to use the Lean Six-Sigma methodology to reduce waiting time in the Emergency Department (ED), in a local private hospital. Furthermore, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to evaluate the success of Lean Six-Sigma in the ED. According to the study conducted by Ibn Sina Hospital, in Morocco, the most common problem that patients complain about is waiting time. To ensure patient satisfaction many hospitals such as North Shore University Hospital were able to reduce waiting time up to 37% by using Lean Six-Sigma. Other hospitals, such as John Hopkins’s medical center used Lean Six-Sigma successfully to enhance the overall patient flow that ultimately decreased waiting time. Furthermore, it was found that capacity constraints, such as staff shortages and lack of beds were one of the main reasons behind long waiting time. With the use of Lean Six-Sigma and bed management, hospitals like Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital were able to reduce patient delays. Moreover, in order to successfully implement Lean Six-Sigma in our project, two common methodologies were considered, DMAIC and DMADV. After the assessment of both methodologies, it was found that DMAIC was a more suitable approach to our project because it is more concerned with improving an already existing process. With many of its successes, Lean Six-Sigma has its limitation especially in healthcare; but limitations can be minimized if properly approached.Keywords: lean six sigma, DMAIC, hospital, methodology
Procedia PDF Downloads 4961985 Analysis of Saudi Breast Cancer Patients’ Primary Tumors using Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization
Authors: L. M. Al-Harbi, A. M. Shokry, J. S. M. Sabir, A. Chaudhary, J. Manikandan, K. S. Saini
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Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide and is the most common malignancy among Saudi females. During breast carcinogenesis, a wide-array of cytogenetic changes involving deletions, or amplification, or translocations, of part or whole of chromosome regions have been observed. Because of the limitations of various earlier technologies, newer tools are developed to scan for changes at the genomic level. Recently, Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH) technique has been applied for detecting segmental genomic alterations at molecular level. In this study, aCGH was performed on twenty breast cancer tumors and their matching non-tumor (normal) counterparts using the Agilent 2x400K. Several regions were identified to be either amplified or deleted in a tumor-specific manner. Most frequent alterations were amplification of chromosome 1q, chromosome 8q, 20q, and deletions at 16q were also detected. The amplification of genetic events at 1q and 8q were further validated using FISH analysis using probes targeting 1q25 and 8q (MYC gene). The copy number changes at these loci can potentially cause a significant change in the tumor behavior, as deletions in the E-Cadherin (CDH1)-tumor suppressor gene as well as amplification of the oncogenes-Aurora Kinase A. (AURKA) and MYC could make these tumors highly metastatic. This study validates the use of aCGH in Saudi breast cancer patients and sets the foundations necessary for performing larger cohort studies searching for ethnicity-specific biomarkers and gene copy number variations.Keywords: breast cancer, molecular biology, ecology, environment
Procedia PDF Downloads 3761984 Measuring Elemental Sulfur in Late Manually-Treated Grape Juice in Relation to Polyfunctional Mercaptan Formation in Sauvignon Blanc Wines
Authors: Bahareh Sarmadi, Paul A. Kilmartin, Leandro D. Araújo, Brandt P. Bastow
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Aim: Sauvignon blanc is the most substantial variety cultivated in almost 62% of all producing vineyards of New Zealand. The popularity of New Zealand Sauvignon blanc is due to its unique taste. It is the most famous wine characterized by its aroma profile derived from mercaptans. 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol (3MH) and 3-mercaptohexyl acetate (3MHA) are two of the most important volatile mercaptans found in Sauvignon blanc wines. “Viticultural” and “Enological” factors such as machine-harvesting, the most common harvesting practice used in New Zealand, can be among the reasons for this distinct flavor. Elemental sulfur is commonly sprayed in the fields to protect berries against powdery mildew. Although it is not the only source of sulfur, this practice creates a source of elemental sulfur that can be transferred into the must and eventually into wines. Despite the clear effects of residual elemental sulfur present in the must on the quality and aroma of the final wines, its measurement before harvest or fermentation is not a regular practice in the wineries. This can be due to the lack of accessible and applicable methods for the equipment at most commercial wineries. This study aims to establish a relationship between the number and frequency of elemental sulfur applications and the concentration of polyfunctional mercaptans in the final wines. Methods: An apparatus was designed to reduce elemental sulfur to sulfide, then an ion-selective electrode to measure sulfide concentration. During harvest 2022, we explored a wider range of residual elemental sulfur levels than what typically applies in the vineyards. This has been done through later manual elemental sulfur applications in the vineyard. Additional sulfur applications were made 20, 10 and 5 days prior to harvesting the treated grapes, covering long and short pre-harvest intervals (PHI). The grapes were processed into juice and fermented into wine; then, they were analyzed to find the correlation between polyfunctional mercaptans concentrations in the wines and residual elemental sulfur in the juice samples. Results: The research showed that higher 3MH/3MHA was formed when elemental sulfur was applied more frequent in the vineyards and supported the proposed pathway in which elemental sulfur is a source of 3MH formation in wines.Keywords: sauvignon blanc, elemental sulfur, polyfunctional mercaptans, varietal thiols
Procedia PDF Downloads 1041983 Fake Importers Behavior in the Algerian City – The Case of the City of Eulma
Authors: Mohamed Gherbi
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The informal trade has invaded the Algerian cities, especially in their peripherals. About 1368 informal markets have been registrated during 2013 where the important ones are known by Doubaï Markets. They appeared since the adoption of the new system of the economy market in 1990. It permitted the intervention of new actors: the importers but also the fake ones. The majority of them were 'ex-Trabendistes' who have chosen to settle and invest in big and small cities of center and east of Algeria, mainly Algiers, El Eulma, Aïn El Fekroun, Tadjnenent, and Aïn M’lila. This study will focus on the case of the city of El Eulma which contains more of 1000 importers (most of them are fake). They have changed the image and architecture of some important streets of the city, without respecting rules of urbanism such as those included in the building permit for instance. The case of 'Doubaï' place in El Eulma illustrates this situation. This area is not covered by a Soil Occupation Plan (responsible of the design of urban spaces), even if this last covers other zones nearby surrounding of it. These importers helped by the wholesale and retail traders installed in 'Doubaï' place, have converted spaces inside and outside of residential buildings in deposits and sales of goods. They have squatted sidewalks to expose their goods imported predominantly from the South-East Asian countries. The scenery that reigns resembles partly to the bazaar of the Middle East and Chinese cities like Yiwu. These signs characterize the local ambiance and give the particularity to this part of the city. A customer tide from different cities and outside of Algeria comes daily to visit this district. The other zones surrounding have underwent the same change and have followed the model of 'Doubaï' place. Consequently, the mechanical movement has finished by stifling an important part of the city and the prices of land and real estate have reached exorbitant values and can be compared to prices charged in Paris due to the rampant speculation that has reached alarming dimensions. Similarly, renting commercial premises did not escape this logic. This paper will explain the reasons responsible of this change, the logic of importers through their acts in different spaces of the city.Keywords: Doubaï place, design of urban spaces, fake importers, informal trade
Procedia PDF Downloads 4151982 Enhance Indoor Environment in Buildings and Its Effect on Improving Occupant's Health
Authors: Imad M. Assali
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Recently, the world main problem is a global warming and climate change affecting both outdoor and indoor environments, especially the air quality (AQ) as a result of vast migration of people from rural areas to urban areas. Therefore, cities became more crowded and denser from an irregular population increase, along with increasing urbanization caused many problems for the environment such as increasing the land prices, changes in life style, and the new buildings are not adapted to the climate producing uncomfortable and unhealthy indoor building conditions. As interior environments are the places that create the most intimate relationship with the user. Consequently, the indoor environment quality (IEQ) for buildings became uncomfortable and unhealthy for its occupants. The symptoms commonly associated with poor indoor environment such as itchy, headache, fatigue, and respiratory complaints such as cough and congestion, etc. The symptoms tend to improve over time or even disappear when people are away from the building. Therefore, designing a healthy indoor environment to fulfill human needs is the main concern for architects and interior designer. However, this research explores how occupant expectations and environmental attitudes may influence occupant health and satisfaction within the context of the indoor environment. In doing so, it reviews and contributes to the methods and tools used to evaluate only the indoor environment quality (IEQ) components of building performance. Its main aim is to review the literature on indoor human comfort. This is followed by a review of previous papers published related to human comfort. Finally, this paper will provide possible approaches in design level of healthy buildings.Keywords: sustainable building, indoor environment quality (IEQ), occupant's health, active system, sick building syndrome (SBS)
Procedia PDF Downloads 3641981 The Rational Mode of Affordable Housing Based on the Special Residence Space Form of City Village in Xiamen
Authors: Pingrong Liao
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Currently, as China is in the stage of rapid urbanization, a large number of rural population have flown into the city and it is urgent to solve the housing problem. Xiamen is the typical city of China characterized by high housing price and low-income. Due to the government failed to provide adequate public cheap housing, a large number of immigrants dwell in the informal rental housing represented by the "city village". Comfortable housing is the prerequisite for the harmony and stability of the city. Therefore, with "city village" and the affordable housing as the main object of study, this paper makes an analysis on the housing status, personnel distribution and mobility of the "city village" of Xiamen, and also carries out a primary research on basic facilities such as the residential form and commercial, property management services, with the combination of the existing status of the affordable housing in Xiamen, and finally summary and comparison are made by the author in an attempt to provide some references and experience for the construction and improvement of the government-subsidized housing to improve the residential quality of the urban-poverty stricken people. In this paper, the data and results are collated and quantified objectively based on the relevant literature, the latest market data and practical investigation as well as research methods of comparative study and case analysis. Informal rental housing, informal economy and informal management of "city village" as social-housing units in many ways fit in the housing needs of the floating population, providing a convenient and efficient condition for the flowing of people. However, the existing urban housing in Xiamen have some drawbacks, for example, the housing are unevenly distributed, the spatial form is single, the allocation standard of public service facilities is not targeted to the subsidized object, the property management system is imperfect and the cost is too high, therefore, this paper draws lessons from the informal model of city village”, and finally puts forward some improvement strategies.Keywords: urban problem, urban village, affordable housing, living mode, Xiamen constructing
Procedia PDF Downloads 2451980 Innovative Business Models in the Era of Digital Tourism: Examining Their Impact on International Travel, Local Businesses, and Residents’ Quality of Life
Authors: Madad Ali
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In the contemporary landscape of international travel, the infusion of digital technologies has given rise to innovative business models that are reshaping the dynamics of tourism. This research delves into the transformative potential of these novel business models within the realm of digital tourism and their multifaceted impact on local businesses, residents' quality of life, and the overall travel experience. The study focuses on the captivating backdrop of Yunnan Province, China, renowned for its rich cultural heritage and diverse ethnic minorities, to uncover the intricate nuances of this phenomenon. The primary objectives of this research encompass the identification and categorization of emerging business models facilitated by digital technologies, their implications on tourist engagement, and their integration into the operations of local businesses. By employing a mixed-methods approach, blending qualitative techniques like interviews and content analysis with quantitative tools such as surveys and data analysis, the study provides a comprehensive evaluation of these business models' effects on various dimensions of the tourism landscape. The distinctiveness of this research lies in its exclusive focus on Yunnan Province, China. By concentrating on Yunnan Province, the research contributes exceptional insights into the interplay between digital tourism, ethnic diversity, cultural heritage, and sustainable development. The study's outcomes hold significance for both scholarly discourse and the stakeholders involved in shaping the region's tourism strategies.Keywords: business model, digital tourism, international travel, local businesses, quality of life
Procedia PDF Downloads 581979 Development of Methods for Plastic Injection Mold Weight Reduction
Authors: Bita Mohajernia, R. J. Urbanic
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Mold making techniques have focused on meeting the customers’ functional and process requirements; however, today, molds are increasing in size and sophistication, and are difficult to manufacture, transport, and set up due to their size and mass. Presently, mold weight saving techniques focus on pockets to reduce the mass of the mold, but the overall size is still large, which introduces costs related to the stock material purchase, processing time for process planning, machining and validation, and excess waste materials. Reducing the overall size of the mold is desirable for many reasons, but the functional requirements, tool life, and durability cannot be compromised in the process. It is proposed to use Finite Element Analysis simulation tools to model the forces, and pressures to determine where the material can be removed. The potential results of this project will reduce manufacturing costs. In this study, a light weight structure is defined by an optimal distribution of material to carry external loads. The optimization objective of this research is to determine methods to provide the optimum layout for the mold structure. The topology optimization method is utilized to improve structural stiffness while decreasing the weight using the OptiStruct software. The optimized CAD model is compared with the primary geometry of the mold from the NX software. Results of optimization show an 8% weight reduction while the actual performance of the optimized structure, validated by physical testing, is similar to the original structure.Keywords: finite element analysis, plastic injection molding, topology optimization, weight reduction
Procedia PDF Downloads 2901978 Water Quality of Cengkareng Drain in Maritime Security Perspective
Authors: Febri Ramadhan, Sigid Hariyadi, Niken Tunjung Murti Pratiwi, Budiman Djoko Said
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The scope about maritime security copes all of the problems emanating from maritime domain. Those problems can give such threats to national security of the state. One of threats taking place nowadays in maritime domain is about pollution. Pollution coming from many sources may increase water-borne disease risk that can cause the instability of national security. Pollution coming from many sources may increase water-borne disease risk. Hence the pollution makes an improper condition of environments for humans and others biota dwelling in the waters. One of the tools that can determine about pollution is by measuring about the water quality of its waters. In this case, what brings the waste and pollutants is there an activity of tidal waves introducing substances or energy into the natural environment. Cengkareng Drain is one of the water channels which is affected by tidal waves. Cengkareng Drain was become an observation area to examine the relation between water quality and tide waves. This research was conducted monthly from July to November 2015. Sampling of water was conducted every ebb and tide in every observation. Pollution index showed that the level of pollution on Cengkareng drain was moderately polluted, with the score about 7.7-8.6. Based on the results of t-test and analysis of similarity, the characteristic of water quality on rising tide does not significantly differ from the characteristic of water quality on ebbing tide. Therefore, we need a proper management as a means to control the pollutants in order to make good maritime security strategy.Keywords: maritime security, Cengkareng drain, water quality, tidal waves
Procedia PDF Downloads 2161977 Symmetric Key Encryption Algorithm Using Indian Traditional Musical Scale for Information Security
Authors: Aishwarya Talapuru, Sri Silpa Padmanabhuni, B. Jyoshna
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Cryptography helps in preventing threats to information security by providing various algorithms. This study introduces a new symmetric key encryption algorithm for information security which is linked with the "raagas" which means Indian traditional scale and pattern of music notes. This algorithm takes the plain text as input and starts its encryption process. The algorithm then randomly selects a raaga from the list of raagas that is assumed to be present with both sender and the receiver. The plain text is associated with the thus selected raaga and an intermediate cipher-text is formed as the algorithm converts the plain text characters into other characters, depending upon the rules of the algorithm. This intermediate code or cipher text is arranged in various patterns in three different rounds of encryption performed. The total number of rounds in the algorithm is equal to the multiples of 3. To be more specific, the outcome or output of the sequence of first three rounds is again passed as the input to this sequence of rounds recursively, till the total number of rounds of encryption is performed. The raaga selected by the algorithm and the number of rounds performed will be specified at an arbitrary location in the key, in addition to important information regarding the rounds of encryption, embedded in the key which is known by the sender and interpreted only by the receiver, thereby making the algorithm hack proof. The key can be constructed of any number of bits without any restriction to the size. A software application is also developed to demonstrate this process of encryption, which dynamically takes the plain text as input and readily generates the cipher text as output. Therefore, this algorithm stands as one of the strongest tools for information security.Keywords: cipher text, cryptography, plaintext, raaga
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