Search results for: analytical cross-sectional study

Authors: Muhammad Hamza

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This study attempts to analyze the social media reports regarding Covid-19 that impacted the psyche of Pakistanis. This Study is delimited to hashtags from Tweets on a social media platform. During Covid-19, it has been observed that it affected the psychological conditions of Pakistanis. With the application of the three-dimensional model presented by Fairclough, together with a data analytic software “FireAnt” i.e., social media and data analysis toolkit, which is used to filter, identify, report and export data from social media accurately. A detailed and explicit exploration of the various hashtags by users from different fields was conducted. This study conducted a quantitative as well as qualitative methods of analysis. The study examined the perspectives of the Pakistanis behind the use of various hashtags with the lenses of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). While conducting this research, CDA was helpful to reveal the connection between the psyche of the people and the Covid-19 pandemic. It was found that how different Pakistanis used social media and how Covid-19 impacted their psyche. After collecting and analyzing the hashtags from twitter it was concluded that majority of people received negative impact from social media reports, while, some people used their hashtags positively and were found positive during Covid-19, and some people were found neutral.

Keywords: Covid, Covid-19, psyche, Covid Pakistan

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Authors: Anthony Townley

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Contract negotiation is fundamental to commercial law practice. For this study, genre and discourse analytical methodology was used to examine the legal negotiation of a Merger & Acquisition (M&A) deal undertaken by legal and business professionals in English across different jurisdictions in Europe. While some of the most delicate negotiations involved in this process were carried on face-to-face or over the telephone, these were generally progressed more systematically – and on the record – in the form of emails, email attachments, and as comments and amendments recorded in successive ‘marked-up’ versions of the contracts under negotiation. This large corpus of textual data was originally obtained by the author, in 2012, for the purpose of doctoral research. For this study, the analysis is particularly concerned with the use of emails and covering letters to exchange legal advice about the negotiations. These two genres help to stabilize and progress the negotiation process and account for negotiation activities. Swalesian analysis of functional Moves and Steps was able to identify structural similarities and differences between these text types and to identify certain salient discursive features within them. The analytical findings also indicate how particular linguistic strategies are more appropriately and more effectively associated with one legal genre rather than another. The concept of intertextuality is an important dimension of contract negotiation discourse and this study also examined how the discursive relationships between the different texts influence the way that texts are constructed. In terms of materials development, the research findings can contribute to more authentic English for Legal & Business Purposes pedagogies for students and novice lawyers and business professionals. The findings can first be used to design discursive maps that provide learners with a coherent account of the intertextual nature of the contract negotiation process. These discursive maps can then function as a framework in which to present detailed findings about the textual and structural features of the text types by applying the Swalesian genre analysis. Based on this acquired knowledge of the textual nature of contract negotiation, the authentic discourse materials can then be used to provide learners with practical opportunities to role-play negotiation activities and experience professional ways of thinking and using language in preparation for the written discourse challenges they will face in this important area of legal and business practice.

Keywords: English for legal and business purposes, discourse analysis, genre analysis, intertextuality, pedagogical materials

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Authors: Nasrine Olson

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With over 70,000 scholarly publications on the topic of biosensors, an overview of the field has become a challenge. To facilitate, there are currently over 700 expert-reviews of publications on biosensors and related topics. This study focuses on these review papers in order to provide a Meta-Review of the area. This paper provides a statistical analysis and overview of biosensor-related review papers. Comprehensive searches are conducted in the Web of Science, and PubMed databases and the resulting empirical material are analyzed using bibliometric methods and tools. The study finds that the biosensor-related review papers can be categorized in five related subgroups, broadly denoted by (i) properties of materials and particles, (ii) analysis and indicators, (iii) diagnostics, (iv) pollutant and analytical devices, and (v) treatment/ application. For an easy and clear access to the findings visualization of clusters and networks of connections are presented. The study includes a temporal dimension and identifies the trends over the years with an emphasis on the most recent developments. This paper provides useful insights for those who wish to form a better understanding of the research trends in the area of biosensors.

Keywords: bibliometrics, biosensors, meta-review, statistical analysis, trends visualization

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Authors: Sareh Rajabi, Salwa Bheiry

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In general, Covid-19 created many financial and non-financial damages to the economy and community. Level and severity of covid-19 as pandemic case varies over the region and due to different types of the projects. Covid-19 virus emerged as one of the most imperative risk management factors word-wide recently. Therefore, as part of portfolio management assessment, it is essential to evaluate severity of such risk on the project and program in portfolio management level to avoid any risky portfolio. Covid-19 appeared very effectively in South America, part of Europe and Middle East. Such pandemic infection affected the whole universe, due to lock down, interruption in supply chain management, health and safety requirements, transportations and commercial impacts. Therefore, this research proposes Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to analyze and assess such pandemic case like Covid-19 and its impacts on the construction projects. The AHP technique uses four sub-criteria: Health and safety, commercial risk, completion risk and contractual risk to evaluate the project and program. The result will provide the decision makers with information which project has higher or lower risk in case of Covid-19 and pandemic scenario. Therefore, the decision makers can have most feasible solution based on effective weighted criteria for project selection within their portfolio to match with the organization’s strategies.

Keywords: portfolio management, risk management, COVID-19, analytical hierarchy process technique

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Authors: Benazzouz Djamel, Termeche Adel, Touati Youcef, Alem Said, Ouziala Mahdi

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This paper presents an approach which detect and isolate efficiently a fault in a system. This approach avoids false alarms, non-detections and delays in detecting faults. A study case have been proposed to show the importance of taking into consideration the uncertainties in the decision-making procedure and their effect on the degradation diagnostic performance and advantage of using Bond Graph (BG) for such degradation. The use of BG in the Linear Fractional Transformation (LFT) form allows generating robust Analytical Redundancy Relations (ARR’s), where the uncertain part of ARR’s is used to generate the residuals adaptive thresholds. The study case concerns an electromechanical system composed of a motor, a reducer and an external load. The aim of this application is to show the effectiveness of the BG-LFT approach to robust fault detection.

Keywords: bond graph, LFT, uncertainties, detection and faults isolation, ARR

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Authors: S. Sunaina, Neha Saini

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Children are considered as future of a country. In order to have a better future, better laws are required in the present, especially for the children. Their development primarily revolves around physical, mental, psychological, emotional and financial facets. Hence the holistic development of a child in the contemporary society is a must in order to secure a better future. The present paper is an endeavour to analyse the development of children in India vis-a-vis The Child Development Bill 2016 and Child Labour (Abolition) Bill 2016 pending before the Indian Parliament. The findings of the study will attempt to highlight the flaws of the Bills and their probable repercussions, supporting the same with Constitutional provisions, judicial precedents, and the international perspective. Finally, the paper will conclude with concrete suggestions to overcome the flaws of the Bills so that the Bills, when passed, can be sincerely implemented.

Keywords: bill, children, development, repercussion

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Authors: Navdeep Kaur

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The primary focus of this study is to answer “What is the role of corporate governance in corporate failures? Does poor corporate governance lead to corporate failures? If so, how?”. In doing so, the study examines the literature from multiple fields, including corporate governance, corporate failures and organizational decision making, and presents a research gap to analyze and explore the relationship between corporate governance practices and corporate failures through a behavioral lens. In approaching this, a qualitative research methodology is adopted to analyze the failure of Enron Corporation (United States). The research considered the case study organizations as the primary unit of analysis and the decision-makers as the secondary unit of analysis. Based on this research approach, the study reports the analytical results drawn from extensive and triangulated secondary data. The study then interprets the results in the context of the theoretical synthesis. The study contributes towards filling a gap in the research and presents a behaviourally plausible decision centered model of the role of corporate governance in corporate failures. The model highlights the critical role of the behavioral aspects of corporate governance decision making in corporate failures and focuses attention on the under-explored aspects of corporate governance decision making. The study also suggests a further understanding of ‘A Behavioral Theory of the Firm’ in relation to corporate failures.

Keywords: behavior, corporate failure, corporate governance, decision making, values

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Authors: Ben Yahia Nouha, Harris Chris, Sebei Abdelaziz, Boussen Slim, Chaabani Fredj

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The present work has set itself the objective of studying non-detritic siliceous rocks of the extreme northwest Tunisia. It aims to examine the origin and their sedimentary depositional environment based on mineralogical and geochemical characteristics. The different sections were located in the area of Babouch and the area of Tabarka. The collected samples were subjected to mineralogical and geochemical characterization using different analytical methods: X-ray diffraction (XRD), geochemical analysis (ICP- AES), isotopic geochemistry (δ18O), to assess their suitability for industrial use. X-ray powder diffraction of the pure siliceous rock indicates quartz as the major mineral, with the total lack of amorphous silica. Trace impurities, such as carbonate and clay minerals, are concealed in the analytical results. The petrographic examination revealed allowed us to deduce that this rock was deriving from tests of siliceous organisms (the radiolarians). The chemical composition shows that SiO2, Al2O3, and Fe2O3 represent the most abundant oxides. The other oxides are present in negligible quantities. Geochemical data support a biogenic and non-hydrothermal origin of babouchite silica. Oxygen isotopic has shown that babouchites were formed in an environment with a high temperature ranging from 56 °C to 73 °C.

Keywords: biogenic silica, babouchite formation, XRD, chemical analysis, oxygen isotopic, northwest tunisia

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Authors: Petra Gergelova, Sofia Ioannidou, Davide Arcella, Alexandra Tard, Polly E. Boon, Oliver Lindtner, Christina Tlustos, Jean-Charles Leblanc

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Objectives: To assess chronic dietary exposure to food additives in different European countries and population groups. Method and Design: The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS) estimates chronic dietary exposure to food additives with the purpose of re-evaluating food additives that were previously authorized in Europe. For this, EFSA uses concentration values (usage and/or analytical occurrence data) reported through regular public calls for data by food industry and European countries. These are combined, at individual level, with national food consumption data from the EFSA Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database including data from 33 dietary surveys from 19 European countries and considering six different population groups (infants, toddlers, children, adolescents, adults and the elderly). EFSA ANS Panel estimates dietary exposure for each individual in the EFSA Comprehensive Database by combining the occurrence levels per food group with their corresponding consumption amount per kg body weight. An individual average exposure per day is calculated, resulting in distributions of individual exposures per survey and population group. Based on these distributions, the average and 95th percentile of exposure is calculated per survey and per population group. Dietary exposure is assessed based on two different sets of data: (a) Maximum permitted levels (MPLs) of use set down in the EU legislation (defined as regulatory maximum level exposure assessment scenario) and (b) usage levels and/or analytical occurrence data (defined as refined exposure assessment scenario). The refined exposure assessment scenario is sub-divided into the brand-loyal consumer scenario and the non-brand-loyal consumer scenario. For the brand-loyal consumer scenario, the consumer is considered to be exposed on long-term basis to the highest reported usage/analytical level for one food group, and at the mean level for the remaining food groups. For the non-brand-loyal consumer scenario, the consumer is considered to be exposed on long-term basis to the mean reported usage/analytical level for all food groups. An additional exposure from sources other than direct addition of food additives (i.e. natural presence, contaminants, and carriers of food additives) is also estimated, as appropriate. Results: Since 2014, this methodology has been applied in about 30 food additive exposure assessments conducted as part of scientific opinions of the EFSA ANS Panel. For example, under the non-brand-loyal scenario, the highest 95th percentile of exposure to α-tocopherol (E 307) and ammonium phosphatides (E 442) was estimated in toddlers up to 5.9 and 8.7 mg/kg body weight/day, respectively. The same estimates under the brand-loyal scenario in toddlers resulted in exposures of 8.1 and 20.7 mg/kg body weight/day, respectively. For the regulatory maximum level exposure assessment scenario, the highest 95th percentile of exposure to α-tocopherol (E 307) and ammonium phosphatides (E 442) was estimated in toddlers up to 11.9 and 30.3 mg/kg body weight/day, respectively. Conclusions: Detailed and up-to-date information on food additive concentration values (usage and/or analytical occurrence data) and food consumption data enable the assessment of chronic dietary exposure to food additives to more realistic levels.

Keywords: α-tocopherol, ammonium phosphatides, dietary exposure assessment, European Food Safety Authority, food additives, food consumption data

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Authors: Madani Chahinaz

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This study aims to shed light on the impact of dividend policy on corporate profitability and its relationship to growth, considering the economic developments taking place. The study was conducted on a sample of seven companies for the period from 2014 to 2020, based on a set of determinants to select variables affecting dividend distribution, where the descriptive analytical approach relied upon using graphical data models. The study concluded that companies that follow a well-studied dividend distribution policy enjoy higher profitability rates, which contributes to enhancing their growth in light of the economic developments taking place. There is also no statistically significant relationship between the variables of total asset growth and fixed asset growth and profitability. The study also concluded that there is statistical significance for the relationship between the sales volume growth variable, the self-financing ratio variable, and dividend distribution at a significance level of 0.05, as the random effects model was able to explain 68% of the changes in dividend distribution policy.

Keywords: dividend distribution policy, profitability, growth, self-financing ratio

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Authors: Metwally Abdel Aziz Ahmed, Ahmed Shaban Abdel Hay Gabr, Inas Mohamed Saleh

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The main objective of structural design is to ensure safety and functional performance requirements of a structural system for its target reliability levels. In this study, the reliability index for the reinforcement concrete slender columns with rectangular cross section is studied. The variable parameters studied include the loads, the concrete compressive strength, the steel yield strength, the dimensions of concrete cross-section, the reinforcement ratio, and the location of steel placement. Risk analysis program was used to perform the analytical study. The effect of load eccentricity on the reliability index of reinforced concrete slender column was studied and presented. The results of this study indicate that the good quality control improve the performance of slender reinforced columns through increasing the reliability index β.

Keywords: reliability, reinforced concrete, safety, slender column

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Authors: Nicolò Vaiana, Filip C. Filippou, Giorgio Serino

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The solution of the nonlinear dynamic equilibrium equations of base-isolated structures adopting a conventional monolithic solution approach, i.e. an implicit single-step time integration method employed with an iteration procedure, and the use of existing nonlinear analytical models, such as differential equation models, to simulate the dynamic behavior of seismic isolators can require a significant computational effort. In order to reduce numerical computations, a partitioned solution method and a one dimensional nonlinear analytical model are presented in this paper. A partitioned solution approach can be easily applied to base-isolated structures in which the base isolation system is much more flexible than the superstructure. Thus, in this work, the explicit conditionally stable central difference method is used to evaluate the base isolation system nonlinear response and the implicit unconditionally stable Newmark’s constant average acceleration method is adopted to predict the superstructure linear response with the benefit in avoiding iterations in each time step of a nonlinear dynamic analysis. The proposed mathematical model is able to simulate the dynamic behavior of seismic isolators without requiring the solution of a nonlinear differential equation, as in the case of widely used differential equation model. The proposed mixed explicit-implicit time integration method and nonlinear exponential model are adopted to analyze a three dimensional seismically isolated structure with a lead rubber bearing system subjected to earthquake excitation. The numerical results show the good accuracy and the significant computational efficiency of the proposed solution approach and analytical model compared to the conventional solution method and mathematical model adopted in this work. Furthermore, the low stiffness value of the base isolation system with lead rubber bearings allows to have a critical time step considerably larger than the imposed ground acceleration time step, thus avoiding stability problems in the proposed mixed method.

Keywords: base-isolated structures, earthquake engineering, mixed time integration, nonlinear exponential model

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Authors: Luís M. João, Patrício Langa

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The article reviews the literature on quality assurance (QA) in African higher education studies (HES) conducted through a bibliometric mapping of published papers between 1999 and 2019. Specifically, the article highlights the nuances of knowledge production in four scientific databases: Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), African Journal Online (AJOL), and Google Scholar. The analysis included 531 papers, of which 127 are from Scopus, 30 are from Web of Science, 85 are from African Journal Online, and 259 are from Google Scholar. In essence, 284 authors wrote these papers from 231 institutions and 69 different countries (i.e., Africa=54 and outside Africa=15). Results indicate the existing knowledge. This analysis allows the readers to understand the growth and development of the field during the two-decade period, identify key contributors, and observe potential trends or gaps in the research. The paper employs bibliometric mapping as its primary analytical lens. By utilizing this method, the study quantitatively assesses the publications related to QA in African HES, helping to identify patterns, collaboration networks, and disparities in research output. The bibliometric approach allows for a systematic and objective analysis of large datasets, offering a comprehensive view of the knowledge production in the field. Furthermore, the study highlights the lack of shared resources available to enhance quality in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Africa. This finding underscores the importance of promoting collaborative research efforts, knowledge exchange, and capacity building within the region to improve the overall quality of higher education. The paper argues that despite the growing quantity of QA research in African higher education, there are challenges related to citation impact and access to high-impact publication avenues for African researchers. It emphasises the need to promote collaborative research and resource-sharing to enhance the quality of HEIs in Africa. The analytical lenses of bibliometric mapping and the examination of publication players' scenarios contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the field and its implications for African higher education.

Keywords: Africa, bibliometric research, higher education studies, quality assurance, scientific database, systematic review

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Authors: Zhiwu Zheng, Prakhar Kumar, Sigurd Wagner, Naveen Verma, James C. Sturm

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Soft robots have drawn great interest recently due to a rich range of possible shapes and motions they can take on to address new applications, compared to traditional rigid robots. Large-area electronics (LAE) provides a unique platform for creating soft robots by leveraging thin-film technology to enable the integration of a large number of actuators, sensors, and control circuits on flexible sheets. However, the rich shapes and motions possible, especially when interacting with complex environments, pose significant challenges to forming well-generalized and robust models necessary for robot design and control. In this work, we describe an analytical model for predicting the shape and locomotion of a flexible (steel-foil-based) piezoelectric-actuated 2D robot based on Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. It is nominally (unpowered) lying flat on the ground, and when powered, its shape is controlled by an array of piezoelectric thin-film actuators. Key features of the models are its ability to incorporate the significant effects of gravity on the shape and to precisely predict the spatial distribution of friction against the contacting surfaces, necessary for determining inchworm-type motion. We verified the model by developing a distributed discrete element representation of a continuous piezoelectric actuator and by comparing its analytical predictions to discrete-element robot simulations using PyBullet. Without gravity, predicting the shape of a sheet with a linear array of piezoelectric actuators at arbitrary voltages is straightforward. However, gravity significantly distorts the shape of the sheet, causing some segments to flatten against the ground. Our work includes the following contributions: (i) A self-consistent approach was developed to exactly determine which parts of the soft robot are lifted off the ground, and the exact shape of these sections, for an arbitrary array of piezoelectric voltages and configurations. (ii) Inchworm-type motion relies on controlling the relative friction with the ground surface in different sections of the robot. By adding torque-balance to our model and analyzing shear forces, the model can then determine the exact spatial distribution of the vertical force that the ground is exerting on the soft robot. Through this, the spatial distribution of friction forces between ground and robot can be determined. (iii) By combining this spatial friction distribution with the shape of the soft robot, in the function of time as piezoelectric actuator voltages are changed, the inchworm-type locomotion of the robot can be determined. As a practical example, we calculated the performance of a 5-actuator system on a 50-µm thick steel foil. Piezoelectric properties of commercially available thin-film piezoelectric actuators were assumed. The model predicted inchworm motion of up to 200 µm per step. For independent verification, we also modelled the system using PyBullet, a discrete-element robot simulator. To model a continuous thin-film piezoelectric actuator, we broke each actuator into multiple segments, each of which consisted of two rigid arms with appropriate mass connected with a 'motor' whose torque was set by the applied actuator voltage. Excellent agreement between our analytical model and the discrete-element simulator was shown for both for the full deformation shape and motion of the robot.

Keywords: analytical modeling, piezoelectric actuators, soft robot locomotion, thin-film technology

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Authors: K. Melouk, M. Dellakrachaï

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Analytical formula for the optical gain based on a simple parabolic-band by introducing theoretical expressions for the quantized energy is presented. The model used in this treatment take into account the effects of intraband relaxation. It is shown, as a result, that the gain for the TE mode is larger than that for TM mode and the presence of acceptor impurity increase the peak gain.

Keywords: InGaAsP, laser, quantum well, semiconductor

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Authors: Peter Temitope Agboola

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Food insecurity continues to affect a large number of U.S households during this coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has threatened the livelihoods of people, making them vulnerable to severe hardship and has had an unanticipated impact on the U.S economy. This study attempts to identify the food insecurity status of households and the determinant factors driving household food insecurity. Additionally, it attempts to discover the mitigation measures adopted by households during the pandemic in the city of Huntsville, Texas. A structured online sample survey was used to collect data, with a household expenditures survey used in evaluating the food security status of the household. Most survey respondents disclosed that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected their life and source of income. Furthermore, the main analytical tool used for the study is descriptive statistics and logistic regression modeling. A logistic regression model was used to determine the factors responsible for food insecurity in the study area. The result revealed that most households in the study area are food secure, with the remainder being food insecure.

Keywords: food insecurity, household expenditure survey, COVID-19, coping strategies, food pantry

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Authors: Ola Haj Saleh

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This study of a contemporary building attempts to identify how a building can reflect its presence within its community. The example of the pavilion is discussed here with references to adaptability and flexibility theories. The analytical methodology of the Sun Valley Pavilion discovers to what extent a public space can be flexible and adaptable to several conditions. Furthermore, redefine an existing public building in an urban landscape context, becomes more than an important place for its community as a music pavilion for the arts, it is even for the interactivity wedding parties. Thus, the Sun Valley Pavilion can have an obvious role in a community gathering place in a result that flexibility and adaptability are more economical in the long term.

Keywords: adaptability, flexibility, pavilion, tensile

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Authors: Ehsan Daryadel, Farhad Talaie

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Wetlands are one of the most important ecosystems on Earth. Nevertheless, various challenges threaten these ecosystems and disrupt their ecological character. Among these, the effects of human-based threats are more devastating. Following mass degradation of wetlands during 1970s, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) was concluded to conserve wetlands of international importance and prevent destruction and degradation of such ecosystems through wise use of wetlands as a mean to achieve sustainable development in all over the world. Therefore, in this paper, efforts have been made to analyze threats to wetlands and then investigate solutions in the framework of the Ramsar Convention. Finally, in order to operate these mechanisms, this study concludes that all states should in turn make their best effort to improve and restore global wetlands through preservation of environmental standards and close contribution and also through taking joint measures with other states effectively.

Keywords: Ramsar Convention, threats, wetland wcosystems, wise use

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Authors: Malki Fatima Zahra Nadia, Kellal Chaimaa, Brahimi Houria

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The world has witnessed a great revolution in to field of technology and communication, especially after the opening of markets (globalization) . Which has led to a change from traditional marketing, which depends on direct selling and buying to electronic marketing, consequently different corporation have adopted this concept so as to gain time , efforts and money for the sake of the customer’s satisfaction. It is the main reason of the study, which is to know the impact of electronic marketing on the consumer’s satisfaction in the fields of communication through practical studies of Ooredoo customer’s where the descriptive analytical method has been used with statistics to analyze the results of the survey. It concluded that e-marketing effectively contributes to customer satisfaction.

Keywords: e-marketing, consumer, consumer behavior, satisfaction

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Authors: Piyakarn Apichaikul, Thep Muanfoo

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This research study aimed to survey the audience’s satisfaction of the radio channel broadcasting of Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University and to investigate the relationship between the satisfaction and the usage of the listeners to the news program. The study was a quantitative research using a survey research method and a cross-sectional description study to examine the satisfaction and the usage of the listeners. The instrument of the research was questionnaires which were delivered to 300 respondents by simple random sampling. For the analytical part, descriptive statistics and inferential statistic were used in this research. The result found that respondents agreed that they were satisfied with the news program (mean = 3.60). Moreover, respondents agreed that they used information from the news program in their daily life (mean = 3.47). However, the relationship between the satisfaction and the usage of the respondents were contrary.

Keywords: news program, radio channel broadcasting, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, audience satisfaction

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Authors: Mohamed Amine Bouraoui

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The aim of this paper is to realize the importance of a CRM approach, to detect the degree of awareness of Tunisian managers of this importance and analyse the degree of integration of CRM in the Tunisian companies. Initially, we focus on the definition and components of CRM, then we focus on the level of integration of CRM within Tunisian enterprises.

Keywords: CRM, operational tools, analytical tools, Tunisian company

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Authors: Rusudan Kinkladze, Guguli Kurashvili, Ketevan Chitaladze

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Foreign direct investment is a driving force in the development of the interdependent national economies, and the study and analysis of investments is an urgent problem. It is particularly important for transitional economies, such as Georgia, and the study and analysis of investments is an urgent problem. Consequently, the goal of the research is the study and analysis of direct foreign investments in Georgia, and identification and forecasting of modern trends, and covers the period of 2006-2015. The study uses the methods of statistical observation, grouping and analysis, the methods of analytical indicators of time series, trend identification and the predicted values are calculated, as well as various literary and Internet sources relevant to the research. The findings showed that modern investment policy In Georgia is favorable for domestic as well as foreign investors. Georgia is still a net importer of investments. In 2015, the top 10 investing countries was led by Azerbaijan, United Kingdom and Netherlands, and the largest share of FDIs were allocated in the transport and communication sector; the financial sector was the second, followed by the health and social work sector, and the same trend will continue in the future. 

Keywords: foreign direct investments, methods, statistics, analysis

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Authors: Sanjoy Barua Chowdhury

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The aim of this paper is an attempt to analyze the concept of emptiness from the early Buddhist teachings to subsequent Buddhist developmental schools, namely, Madhyamaka and Yogācāra Schools, along with attempting to examine an insightful bridge between the Buddha’s major teaching on dependent origination and the notion of emptiness. The initial part of this qualitative research focuses on the etymological term of emptiness (śūnyatā) and the Buddha’s teaching of emptiness from the Early Buddhist standpoint. Next, this research will seek to explain the concept of emptiness in the Madhyamaka School and Yogācāra School. This study further demonstrates the eradication of suffering is meant of understanding the concept emptiness from an ultimate standpoint with special concerning to focus the connection to the Buddha’s central teaching Dependent Origination.

Keywords: emptiness, Madhyamaka, dependent origination, early Buddhism, Yogacara

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Authors: Devon Brown, Liu Chunmei

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This paper will present an analysis as part of the researchers dissertation topic focusing on the intersection of affective and analytical directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) in the context of Decision Support Systems (DSS). The researcher’s work involves analyzing decision theory models like Affective and Bayesian Decision theory models and how they could be implemented under an Affective Computing Framework using Information Fusion and Human-Centered Design. Additionally, the researcher is beginning research on an Affective-Analytic Decision Framework (AADF) model for their dissertation research and are looking to merge logic and analytic models with empathetic insights into affective DAGs. Data-collection efforts begin Fall 2024 and in preparation for the efforts this paper looks to analyze previous research in this area and introduce the AADF framework and propose conceptual models for consideration. For this paper, the research emphasis is placed on analyzing Bayesian networks and Markov models which offer probabilistic techniques during uncertainty in decision-making. Ideally, including affect into analytic models will ensure algorithms can increase user trust with algorithms by including emotional states and the user’s experience with the goal of developing emotionally intelligent A.I. systems that can start to navigate the complex fabric of human emotion during decision-making.

Keywords: decision support systems, explainable AI, HCAI techniques, affective-analytical decision framework

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Authors: Nahid Ehsani, Amir Hossein Rezvanfar

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The main objective of this study is to investigate psychological and socio-cultural factors effective on the tendency of the villagers to use e-banking services. The current paper is an applied study considering its objectives. The main data gathering tool in the current study is a made questionnaire which is designed and executed based on the conceptual background of the subject matter and the objectives and hypotheses of the study. The statistical population of this study includes all the customers of rural branches of Agricultural Bank in Ilam Province (N=82885). Among these 120 participants were chosen through sample size determination formula and they were studied using stratified random sampling method. In the analytical statistics level the results obtained from calculating Spearman’s Correlative Coefficient showed that socio-cultural and psychological factors had a significant impact of the extent of the tendency of the villagers to use e-banking services of the Agricultural Bank at the 99% level. Furthermore, stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that both sets of psychological factors as well as socio-economic factors were able to explain 50 percent of the variance of the independent variable; namely the tendency of villagers to use e-banking services.

Keywords: e-banking, agricultural bank, tendency, socio-economic factors, psychological factors

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Authors: Khawlh A. Alzubaidi, Khadijah B. Alziyadi, Amor M. Alsayari

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Now a days (Ga, Mn) is one of the most extensively studied and best understood diluted magnetic semiconductors. Also, the study of (Ga, Mn)As is a fervent research area since it allows to explore of a variety of novel functionalities and spintronics concepts that could be implemented in the future. In this work, we will calculate the energy gap of (Ga, Mn)As using the eight-band model. In the Hamiltonian, the effects of spin-orbit, spin-splitting, and strain will be considered. The dependence of the energy gap on Mn content, and the effect of the strain, which is varied continuously from tensile to compressive, will be studied. Finally, analytical expressions for the (Ga, Mn)As energy band gap, taking into account both parameters (Mn concentration and strain), will be provided.

Keywords: energy gap, diluted magnetic semiconductors, k.p method, strain

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Authors: S. Visetpotjanakit, N. Nakkaew

Abstract:

Determination of ⁹⁰Sr in environmental samples has been widely developed with several radioanlytical methods and radiation measurement techniques since ⁹⁰Sr is one of the most hazardous radionuclides produced from nuclear reactors. Liquid extraction technique using di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (HDEHP) to separate and purify ⁹⁰Y and Cherenkov counting using liquid scintillation counter to determine ⁹⁰Y in secular equilibrium to ⁹⁰Sr was developed and performed at our institute, the Office of Atoms for Peace. The approach is inexpensive, non-laborious, and fast to analyse ⁹⁰Sr in environmental samples. To validate our analytical performance for the accurate and precise criteria, determination of ⁹⁰Sr using the IAEA-TEL-2016-04 ALMERA proficiency test samples were performed for statistical evaluation. The experiment used two spiked tap water samples and one naturally contaminated spruce needles sample from Austria collected shortly after the Chernobyl accident. Results showed that all three analyses were successfully passed in terms of both accuracy and precision criteria, obtaining “Accepted” statuses. The two water samples obtained the measured results of 15.54 Bq/kg and 19.76 Bq/kg, which had relative bias 5.68% and -3.63% for the Maximum Acceptable Relative Bias (MARB) 15% and 20%, respectively. And the spruce needles sample obtained the measured results of 21.04 Bq/kg, which had relative bias 23.78% for the MARB 30%. These results confirm our analytical performance of ⁹⁰Sr determination in water and spruce needles samples using the same developed method.

Keywords: ALMERA proficiency test, Cerenkov counting, determination of 90Sr, environmental samples

Procedia PDF Downloads 231

Authors: Ovais U. Khan, G. M. Arshed, S. A. Raza, H. Ali

Abstract:

A numerical model based on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach is developed to investigate heat transfer across a longitudinal row of six circular cylinders. The momentum and energy equations are solved using the finite volume discretization technique. The convective terms are discretized using a second-order upwind methodology, whereas diffusion terms are discretized using a central differencing scheme. The second-order implicit technique is utilized to integrate time. Numerical simulations have been carried out for three different values of free stream Reynolds number (ReD) 100, 200, 300 and two different values of dimensionless longitudinal pitch ratio (SL/D) 1.5, 2.5 to demonstrate the fluid flow and heat transfer behavior. Numerical results are validated with the analytical findings reported in the literature and have been found to be in good agreement. The maximum percentage error in values of the average Nusselt number obtained from the numerical and analytical solutions is in the range of 10% for the free stream Reynolds number up to 300. It is demonstrated that the average Nusselt number for the array of cylinders increases with increasing the free stream Reynolds number and dimensionless longitudinal pitch ratio. The information generated would be useful in the design of more efficient heat exchangers or other fluid systems involving arrays of cylinders.

Keywords: computational fluid dynamics, array of cylinders, longitudinal pitch ratio, finite volume method, incompressible navier-stokes equations

Procedia PDF Downloads 82

Authors: Feicheng Liu, Weiming Liao, Jianjing Zhang

Abstract:

A pile-supported embankment with geosynthetic-reinforced mat (PSGR embankment) has been considered as an effective solution to reduce the total and differential settlement of the embankment constructed over soft soil. In this paper, a new simplified method proposed firstly incorporates the load transfer between piles and surrounding soil and the settlement of pile, and also considers arching effect in embankment fill, membrane effect of geosynthetic reinforcement, and subsoil resistance, to evaluate the behavior of PSGR embankment. Subsoil settlement is assumed to consist of two parts:(1) the settlement of subsoil surface between piles equivalent to that of pile caps assuming the geosynthetic reinforcement without deformation yet; (2) the subsoil subsiding along with the geosynthetic deforming, and the deflected geosynthetic being considered as centenary. The force equilibrium, including loads acting on the upper surface of geosynthetic, subsoil resistance, as well as the stress-strain relationship of the geosynthetic reinforcement at the edge of pile cap, is established, thus the expression of subsoil resistance is deduced, and subsequently the tension of geosynthetic and stress concentration ratio between piles can be calculated. The proposed method is validated through observed data from three field tests and also compared with other eight analytical solutions available in the literature. In addition, a sensitive analysis is provided to demonstrate the influence of with/without considering pile-soil interaction for evaluating the performance of PSGR embankment.

Keywords: pile-supported embankment, geosynthetic, analytical solution, soil arching effect, the settlement of pile, sensitive analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 156

Authors: Daniel Y. Abebe, Jaehyouk Choi

Abstract:

The objective of this paper is to investigate, through an analytical study, the behavior of both stiffened and un-stiffened removable shear link with perforated web considering different number and size of web openings. Removable shear link with perforated web is a novel shear link beam proposed to be used in eccentrically braced frame (EBF). The proposed link overcomes the difficulties during construction slab due to less cross-sectional areas of the link to control the plastic deformation on the conventional EBF with removable shear link. Finite element analyses were conducted under both cyclic and monotonic loading and from the results obtained design equations are developed.

Keywords: eccentrically braced frame, removable shear link, perforated web, non-linear FE analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 359