Search results for: linguistic impact factor
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 16134

Search results for: linguistic impact factor

15714 Screen Method of Distributed Cooperative Navigation Factors for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Swarm

Authors: Can Zhang, Qun Li, Yonglin Lei, Zhi Zhu, Dong Guo

Abstract:

Aiming at the problem of factor screen in distributed collaborative navigation of dense UAV swarm, an efficient distributed collaborative navigation factor screen method is proposed. The method considered the balance between computing load and positioning accuracy. The proposed algorithm utilized the factor graph model to implement a distributed collaborative navigation algorithm. The GNSS information of the UAV itself and the ranging information between the UAVs are used as the positioning factors. In this distributed scheme, a local factor graph is established for each UAV. The positioning factors of nodes with good geometric position distribution and small variance are selected to participate in the navigation calculation. To demonstrate and verify the proposed methods, the simulation and experiments in different scenarios are performed in this research. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme achieves a good balance between the computing load and positioning accuracy in the distributed cooperative navigation calculation of UAV swarm. This proposed algorithm has important theoretical and practical value for both industry and academic areas.

Keywords: screen method, cooperative positioning system, UAV swarm, factor graph, cooperative navigation

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15713 Grammatical and Lexical Explorations on ‘Outer Circle’ Englishes and ‘Expanding Circle’ Englishes: A Corpus-Based Comparative Analysis

Authors: Orlyn Joyce D. Esquivel

Abstract:

This study analyzed 50 selected research papers from professional language and linguistic academic journals to portray the differences between Kachru’s (1994) outer circle and expanding circle Englishes. The selected outer circle Englishes include those of Bangladesh, Malaysia, the Philippines, India, and Singapore; and the selected expanding circle Englishes are those of China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, and Thailand. The researcher built ten corpora (five research papers for each corpus) to represent each variety of Englishes. The corpora were examined under grammatical and lexical features using Modified English TreeTagger in Sketch Engine. Results revealed the distinct grammatical and lexical features through the table and textual analyses, illustrated from the most to least dominant linguistic elements. In addition, comparative analyses were done to distinguish the features of each of the selected Englishes. The Language Change Theory was used as a basis in the discussion. Hence, the findings suggest that the ‘outer circle’ Englishes and ‘expanding circle’ Englishes will continue to drift from International English.

Keywords: applied linguistics, English as a global language, expanding circle Englishes, global Englishes, outer circle Englishes

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15712 Involvement of Multi-Drug Resistance Protein (Mrp) 3 in Resveratrol Protection against Methotrexate-Induced Testicular Damage

Authors: Mohamed A. Morsy, Azza A. K. El-Sheikh, Abdulla Y. Al-Taher

Abstract:

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of resveratrol (RES) on methotrexate (MTX)-induced testicular damage. RES (10 mg/kg/day) was given for 8 days orally and MTX (20 mg/kg i.p.) was given at day 4 of experiment, with or without RES in rats. MTX decreased serum testosterone, induced histopathological testicular damage, increased testicular tumor necrosis factor-α level and expression of nuclear factor-κB and cyclooxygenase-2. In MTX/RES group, significant reversal of these parameters was noticed, compared to MTX group. Testicular expression of multidrug resistance protein (Mrp) 3 was three- and five-folds higher in RES- and MTX/RES-treated groups, respectively. In vitro, using prostate cancer cells, each of MTX and RES alone induced cytotoxicity with IC50 0.18 ± 0.08 and 20.5 ± 3.6 µM, respectively. RES also significantly enhanced cytotoxicity of MTX. In conclusion, RES appears to have dual beneficial effect, as it promotes MTX tumor cytotoxicity, while protecting the testes, probably via up-regulation of testicular Mrp3 as a novel mechanism.

Keywords: resveratrol, methotrexate, multidrug resistance protein 3, tumor necrosis factor-α, nuclear factor-κB, cyclooxygenase-2

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15711 An Analytical Study on the Impact of Cultural and Literary Heritage on the Contemporary Arabic Novel

Authors: Sharafat Karimi, Jamil Jafari

Abstract:

The impact of Western Literature on other nations' pieces of literature (including Arabic) has caused critics to ignore the importance of Arabic cultural & literary heritage in the formation of contemporary Arabic fiction; but on the contrary, an important part of literary genres in any society, especially fiction has been formed in the past and depends on ancient literary events. The current paper, utilizing the descriptive-analytical method and by means of library studies, tries to challenge those critics who regard Western Literature as the only effective factor on the appearance of Arabic fiction. Furthermore, this research tries to find out effective Islamic-Arabic elements on the development of Arabic novel by the investigation of some fictional works. The results show that in addition to regarding Western literature as an important factor, Arab novelists have applied their heritage, culture, and ancient history, either written or orally transmitted to the current generation, in their innovations. Among great historical works containing moral stories, allegorical legends, myths, tales of heroes, and folklore, we can refer to Arabian Nights, Kalila & Dimna, romantic stories, historical puzzles, history of Islam, history of ancient Egypt, Maqama, and Quranic stories. Famous novels like 'Hadith Isa ibn-Hisham', 'Layali Alif Layla', 'Abas al-Aqdar', 'Radoubis', 'Ahlam Shahrzad, and 'Alam Bela Kharaet' were compiled on the basis of ancient literary heritage not only in the theme but also in the structure; so one can conclude that the ancient literary-cultural heritage and Islamic-Arabian history have been influential on Arabic novel appearance and development.

Keywords: Arabic fictional literature, culture, heritage, history, language, novel

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15710 A Study on the Life Prediction Performance Degradation Analysis of the Hydraulic Breaker

Authors: Jong Won, Park, Sung Hyun, Kim

Abstract:

The kinetic energy to pass subjected to shock and chisel reciprocating piston hydraulic power supplied by the excavator using for the purpose of crushing the rock, and roads, buildings, etc., hydraulic breakers blow. Impact frequency, efficiency measurement of the impact energy, hydraulic breakers, to demonstrate the ability of hydraulic breaker manufacturers and users to a very important item. And difficult in order to confirm the initial performance degradation in the life of the hydraulic breaker has been thought to be a problem.In this study, we measure the efficiency of hydraulic breaker, Impact energy and Impact frequency, the degradation analysis of research to predict the life.

Keywords: impact energy, impact frequency, hydraulic breaker, life prediction

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15709 Prediction of Pounding between Two SDOF Systems by Using Link Element Based On Mathematic Relations and Suggestion of New Equation for Impact Damping Ratio

Authors: Seyed M. Khatami, H. Naderpour, R. Vahdani, R. C. Barros

Abstract:

Many previous studies have been carried out to calculate the impact force and the dissipated energy between two neighboring buildings during seismic excitation, when they collide with each other. Numerical studies are an important part of impact, which several researchers have tried to simulate the impact by using different formulas. Estimation of the impact force and the dissipated energy depends significantly on some parameters of impact. Mass of bodies, stiffness of spring, coefficient of restitution, damping ratio of dashpot and impact velocity are some known and unknown parameters to simulate the impact and measure dissipated energy during collision. Collision is usually shown by force-displacement hysteresis curve. The enclosed area of the hysteresis loop explains the dissipated energy during impact. In this paper, the effect of using different types of impact models is investigated in order to calculate the impact force. To increase the accuracy of impact model and to optimize the results of simulations, a new damping equation is assumed and is validated to get the best results of impact force and dissipated energy, which can show the accuracy of suggested equation of motion in comparison with other formulas. This relation is called "n-m". Based on mathematical relation, an initial value is selected for the mentioned coefficients and kinetic energy loss is calculated. After each simulation, kinetic energy loss and energy dissipation are compared with each other. If they are equal, selected parameters are true and, if not, the constant of parameters are modified and a new analysis is performed. Finally, two unknown parameters are suggested to estimate the impact force and calculate the dissipated energy.

Keywords: impact force, dissipated energy, kinetic energy loss, damping relation

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15708 A Neural Network Approach to Evaluate Supplier Efficiency in a Supply Chain

Authors: Kishore K. Pochampally

Abstract:

The success of a supply chain heavily relies on the efficiency of the suppliers involved. In this paper, we propose a neural network approach to evaluate the efficiency of a supplier, which is being considered for inclusion in a supply chain, using the available linguistic (fuzzy) data of suppliers that already exist in the supply chain. The approach is carried out in three phases, as follows: In phase one, we identify criteria for evaluation of the supplier of interest. Then, in phase two, we use performance measures of already existing suppliers to construct a neural network that gives weights (importance values) of criteria identified in phase one. Finally, in phase three, we calculate the overall rating of the supplier of interest. The following are the major findings of the research conducted for this paper: (i) linguistic (fuzzy) ratings of suppliers such as 'good', 'bad', etc., can be converted (defuzzified) to numerical ratings (1 – 10 scale) using fuzzy logic so that those ratings can be used for further quantitative analysis; (ii) it is possible to construct and train a multi-level neural network in order to determine the weights of the criteria that are used to evaluate a supplier; and (iii) Borda’s rule can be used to group the weighted ratings and calculate the overall efficiency of the supplier.

Keywords: fuzzy data, neural network, supplier, supply chain

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15707 The Comparative Effect of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Critical Thinking and a Combination of Both On EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension

Authors: Mona Khabiri, Fahimeh Farahani

Abstract:

The present study was an attempt to investigate the comparative effect of teaching NLP, critical thinking, and a combination of NLP and critical thinking on EFL learners' reading comprehension. To fulfill the purpose of this study, a group of 82 female and male intermediate EFL learners at a Language School in Iran took a piloted sample PET as a proficiency test and 63 of them were selected as homogenous learners and were randomly assigned to three experimental groups. Within a treatment process of 10 sessions the teacher/researcher provided the participants of each group with handouts, explanations, practices, homework, and questionnaires on techniques of NLP, critical thinking, and a combination of both. During these 10 sessions, 10 same reading comprehension texts extracted from the multi-skill course book suggested by the language school where thought to the participants of each experimental group using skills and strategies of NLP, critical thinking, and a combination of both. On the eleventh session, the participants sat for a reading posttest. The results of one-way ANOVA showed no significant difference among the three groups in terms of reading comprehension. Justifications and implications for the findings of the study and suggestions for further research are presented.

Keywords: neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), critical thinking, reading comprehension

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15706 Investigation of Slope Stability in Gravel Soils in Unsaturated State

Authors: Seyyed Abolhasan Naeini, Ehsan Azini

Abstract:

In this paper, we consider the stability of a slope of 10 meters in silty gravel soils with modeling in the Geostudio Software.  we intend to use the parameters of the volumetric water content and suction dependent permeability and provides relationships and graphs using the parameters obtained from gradation tests and Atterberg’s limits. Also, different conditions of the soil will be investigated, including: checking the factor of safety and deformation rates and pore water pressure in drained, non-drained and unsaturated conditions, as well as the effect of reducing the water level on other parameters. For this purpose, it is assumed that the groundwater level is at a depth of 2 meters from the ground.  Then, with decreasing water level, the safety factor of slope stability was investigated and it was observed that with decreasing water level, the safety factor increased.

Keywords: slope stability analysis, factor of safety, matric suction, unsaturated silty gravel soil

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15705 The Psychological Impact of Industrial Noise on Workers

Authors: Beriache Abderazik

Abstract:

It is clear that the psychological effects of noise and physiological eloquent on the workers, what will inevitably affect the performance of both productivity and efficiency in all its aspects, industrial noise became among the most prominent modern professional problems, That require study and analysis in order to arrive at solutions and ways that you can reduce the effects of industrial noise. These factors, in addition to other reasons, made us try in this research to know the real impact of industrial noise on the professional satisfaction of workers. In light of this title we have identified the following general problem: - Is the professional satisfaction factor varies depending on the noise level in the work environment? For the purpose of ascertaining the veracity of the assumptions, we have a comparative study between two samples of equal workers, the first sample is working under the influence of industrial noise severe about (100 Db), and the second sample is working under the influence of industrial noise is low (about 63 Db), and applied them test the professional satisfaction. The results support the hypotheses and confirm all sincerity.

Keywords: industrial noise, job satisfaction, the psychological effects of noise, work environment

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15704 Expectation for Professionalism Effects Reality Shock: A Qualitative And Quantitative Study of Reality Shock among New Human Service Professionals

Authors: Hiromi Takafuji

Abstract:

It is a well-known fact that health care and welfare are the foundation of human activities, and human service professionals such as nurses and child care workers support these activities. COVID-19 pandemic has made the severity of the working environment in these fields even more known. It is high time to discuss the work of human service workers for the sustainable development of the human environment. Early turnover has been recognized as a long-standing issue in these fields. In Japan, the attrition rate within three years of graduation for these occupations has remained high at about 40% for more than 20 years. One of the reasons for this is Reality Shock: RS, which refers to the stress caused by the gap between pre-employment expectations and the post-employment reality experienced by new workers. The purpose of this study was to academically elucidate the mechanism of RS among human service professionals and to contribute to countermeasures against it. Firstly, to explore the structure of the relationship between professionalism and workers' RS, an exploratory interview survey was conducted and analyzed by text mining and content analysis. The results showed that the expectation of professionalism influences RS as a pre-employment job expectation. Next, the expectations of professionalism were quantified and categorized, and the responses of a total of 282 human service work professionals, nurses, child care workers, and caregivers; were finalized for data analysis. The data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, multiple regression analysis, and structural equation modeling techniques. The results revealed that self-control orientation and authority orientation by qualification had a direct positive significant impact on RS. On the other hand, interpersonal helping orientation and altruistic orientation were found to have a direct negative significant impact and an indirect positive significant impact on RS.; we were able to clarify the structure of work expectations that affect the RS of welfare professionals, which had not been clarified in previous studies. We also explained the limitations, practical implications, and directions for future research.

Keywords: human service professional, new hire turnover, SEM, reality shock

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15703 An Eco-Translatology Approach to the Translation of Spanish Tourism Advertising in Digital Communication in Chinese

Authors: Mingshu Liu, Laura Santamaria, Xavier Carmaniu Mainadé

Abstract:

As one of the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism is facing challenges in revitalizing the industry. But at the same time, it would be a good opportunity to take advantage of digital communication as an effective tool for tourism promotion. Our proposal aims to verify the linguistic operations on online platforms in China. The research is carried out based on the theory of Eco-traductology put forward by Gengshen Hu, whose contribution focuses on the translator's adaptation to the ecosystem environment and the three elaborated parameters (linguistic, cultural and communicative). We also relate it to Even-Zohar's and Toury's theoretical postulates on the Polysystem to elaborate on interdisciplinary methodology. Such a methodology allows us to analyze personal treatments and phraseology in the target text. As for the corpus, we adopt the official Spanish-language website of Turismo de España as the source text and the postings on the two major social networks in China, Weibo and Wechat, in 2019. Through qualitative analysis, we conclude that, in the tourism advertising campaign on Chinese social networks, chengyu (Chinese phraseology) and honorific titles are used very frequently.

Keywords: digital communication, eco-traductology, polysystem theory, tourism advertising

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15702 Turbulent Flow in Corrugated Pipes with Helical Grooves

Authors: P. Mendes, H. Stel, R. E. M. Morales

Abstract:

This article presents a numerical and experimental study of turbulent flow in corrugated pipes with helically “d-type" grooves, for Reynolds numbers between 7500 and 100,000. The ANSYS-CFX software is used to solve the RANS equations with the BSL two equation turbulence model, through the element-based finite-volume method approach. Different groove widths and helix angles are considered. Numerical results are validated with experimental pressure drop measurements for the friction factor. A correlation for the friction factor is also proposed considering the geometric parameters and Reynolds numbers evaluated.

Keywords: turbulent flow, corrugated pipe, helical, numerical, experimental, friction factor, correlation

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15701 Assessment of Politeness Behavior on Communicating: Validation of Scale through Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Authors: Abdullah Pandang, Mantasiah Rivai, Nur Fadhilah Umar, Azam Arifyadi

Abstract:

This study aims to measure the validity of the politeness behaviour scale and obtain a model that fits the scale. The researcher developed the Politeness Behavior on Communicating (PBC) scale. The research method uses descriptive quantitative by developing the PBC scale. The population in this study were students in three provinces, namely South Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, and Central Sulawesi, recorded in the 2022/2023 academic year. The sampling technique used stratified random sampling by determining the number of samples using the Slovin formula. The sample of this research is 1200 students. This research instrument uses the PBC scale, which consists of 5 (five) indicators: self-regulation of compensation behaviour, self-efficacy of compensation behaviour, fulfilment of social expectations, positive feedback, and no strings attached. The PBC scale consists of 34 statement items. The data analysis technique is divided into two types: the validity test on the correlated item values and the item reliability test referring to Cronbach's and McDonald's alpha standards using the JASP application. Furthermore, the data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The results showed that the adaptation of the Politeness Behavior on Communicating (PBC) scale was on the Fit Index with a chi-square value (711,800/375), RMSEA (0.53), GFI (0.990), CFI (0.987), GFI (0.985).

Keywords: polite behavior in communicating, positive communication, exploration factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis

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15700 The Impact of Family Involvement in Management on Firm’s Innovation: Evidence From Chinese Family Firms

Authors: Chen Jun

Abstract:

This study investigates the impact of family involvement, a pivotal factor shaping the management structure of family firms, on the firm’s innovation outputs. The independent variable focuses on the percentage number of family members serving as directors, supervisors and senior management. Our hypothesis suggests that family involvement tends to make management more conservative, thereby increasing the likelihood of impeding innovation investments and resulting in adverse effects on innovation output. Our findings reveal that Chinese family firms with high family involvement exhibit poorer innovation outputs compared to those with lower family involvement. Subsample analyses indicate that this negative influence of family involvement on innovation output is strengthened as the firm faces higher industry competition and a low marketization context. The findings of our paper contribute to the literature on family involvement by empirically illustrating how family involvement hinders innovation efforts and performance in Chinese family firms.

Keywords: family firm, family involvement, firm innovation, Chinese family firm

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15699 Language Factor in the Formation of National and Cultural Identity of Kazakhstan

Authors: Andabayeva Dina, Avakova Raushangul, Kortabayeva Gulzhamal, Rakhymbay Bauyrzhan

Abstract:

This article attempts to give an overview of the language situation and language planning in Kazakhstan. Statistical data is given and excursion to history of languages in Kazakhstan is done. Particular emphasis is placed on the national- cultural component of the Kazakh people, namely the impact of the specificity of the Kazakh language on ethnic identity. Language is one of the basic aspects of national identity. Recently, in the Republic of Kazakhstan purposeful work on language development has been conducted. Optimal solution of language problems is a factor of interethnic relations harmonization, strengthening and consolidation of the peoples and public consent. Development of languages - one of the important directions of the state policy in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The problem of the state language, as part of national (civil) identification play a huge role in the successful integration process of Kazakh society. And quite rightly assume that one of the foundations of a new civic identity is knowing Kazakh language by all citizens of Kazakhstan. The article is an analysis of the language situation in Kazakhstan in close connection with the peculiarities of cultural identity.

Keywords: Kazakhstan, mentality, language policy, ethnolinguistics, language planning, language personality

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15698 Representation of Phonemic Changes in Arabic Dialect of Yemen: Speech Disorder and Consonant Substitution

Authors: Sadeq Al Yaari, Muhammad Alkhunayn, Adham Al Yaari, Montaha Al Yaari, Ayman Al Yaari, Aayah Al Yaari, Sajedah Al Yaari, Fatehi Eissa

Abstract:

Introduction: Like many dialects, the Arabic dialect of Yemen (ADY) exhibited utterance phonemic distinction- vowel deletion, lengthening, and insertion- that were investigated using speakers from different dialectal backgrounds, with particular focus on the difference typically developing and achieving speakers and those suffering linguistic problems make. Phonological variations were found to be inevitable, suggesting further investigation of consonants to see to what extent they are prone to such phonemic changes. This study investigates the patterns of consonant substitution in ADY by examining if there is a clear-cut line between normal and pathological consonants to decide which of these consonants is substituted more. Methods: A total of hundred and twenty nine Yemeni male participants (age= 6-13) were enrolled in this study. Participants were preassigned into two groups (Articulation disorders (AD) group= 42 and typically developing and achieving group (TD) = 70), each of which consists of five sub-groups in decided sociolinguistic classification. In a 45 minute-session, 180 pictures of commonly used verbs (4 pics/m.) were presented to participants who were asked to impulsively describe these verbs before their production was psychoneurolinguistically and statistically analyzed. Results: There was a pattern of consonant substitution in some dialects that participants from both groups have in common: Voiceless consonants (/t/, /ṣ/,/s/, /ḥ, /k/, /ʃ/, /f//, and /k/) in northern and eastern dialects; voiced consonants (/q/, /gh/, /Ʒ/, /g/,/ḍ/, /b/, and /d/) in southern, eastern, western and central dialects; and voiceless and voiced consonants(/t/, /f/, /Ø/, /ṣ/, /s/, /q/, /gh/, /Ʒ/, /g/,/ḍ/, and /b/) in southern dialect. Voiceless consonants (/t/, /ṣ/,/s/, /ḥ, /k/, /ʃ/, /f//, /Ø/and /k/) found to be substituted more by ADY speakers of both AD and TD groups followed by voiced consonants (/q/, /gh/, /Ʒ/, /g/,/ḍ/,/d/ /b/, and /ð/), nasals (/m/, /n/), mute (/h/), semi-vowels (/w/ and /j/) and laterals (/l/ and /r/). Unexpectedly, a short vowel (/æ/) and two long vowels (/u: and /a:/) were found to substitute consonants in ADY both by AD and TD participants. Conclusions: AD and TD participants of ADY substitute consonants in their dialectal speech. Consonant substitution processes cover not only consonants but extend to include monophthongs. The finding that speakers of ADY substitute consonants in multisyllabic words is probably due to the fact that the sociolinguistic factor plays a pivotal role in the problematic substitution of consonants in ADY speakers. Larger longitudinal studies are necessary to further investigate the effect of sociolinguistic background on phonological variations, notably sound change in the speech of Yemeni TD speakers compared to those with linguistic impairments.

Keywords: consonant substitution, Arabic dialect of Yemen, phonetics, phonology, syllables, articulation disorders

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15697 Considering Partially Developed Artifacts in Change Impact Analysis Implementation

Authors: Nazri Kama, Sufyan Basri, Roslina Ibrahim

Abstract:

It is important to manage the changes in the software to meet the evolving needs of the customer. Accepting too many changes causes delay in the completion and it incurs additional cost. One type of information that helps to make the decision is through change impact analysis. Current impact analysis approaches assume that all classes in the class artifact are completely developed and the class artifact is used as a source of analysis. However, these assumptions are impractical for impact analysis in the software development phase as some classes in the class artifact are still under development or partially developed that leads to inaccuracy. This paper presents a novel impact analysis approach to be used in the software development phase. The significant achievements of the approach are demonstrated through an extensive experimental validation using three case studies.

Keywords: software development, impact analysis, traceability, static analysis.

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15696 The Impact of Corporate Finance on Financial Stability in the Western Balkan Countries

Authors: Luan Vardari, Dena Arapi-Vardari

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Financial stability is a critical component of economic growth and development, and it has been recognized as a key policy objective in many countries around the world. In the Western Balkans, financial stability has been a key issue in recent years, with a number of challenges facing the region, including high levels of public debt, weak banking systems, and economic volatility. Corporate finance, which refers to the financial management practices of firms, is an important factor that can impact financial stability. This paper aims to investigate corporate finance's impact on financial stability in Western Balkan countries. This study will use a mixed-methods approach to investigate the impact of corporate finance on financial stability in the Western Balkans. The study will begin with a comprehensive review of the existing literature on corporate finance and financial stability, focusing on the Western Balkan region. This will be followed by an empirical analysis of regional corporate finance practices using data from various industries and firms. The analysis will explore the relationship between corporate finance practices and financial stability, taking into account factors such as regulatory frameworks, economic conditions, and firm size. The results of the study are expected to provide insights into the impact of corporate finance on financial stability in the Western Balkans. Specifically, the study will identify the key corporate finance practices that contribute to financial stability in the region, as well as the challenges and obstacles that firms face in implementing effective corporate finance strategies. The study will also provide recommendations for policymakers and firms looking to enhance financial stability and resilience in the region.

Keywords: financial regulation, debt management, investment decisions, dividend policies, economic volatility, banking systems, public debt, prudent financial management, firm size, policy recommendations

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15695 The Impact of Website Quality on Customers' Usage and Purchasing Intentions: The Case of Airlines and Online Travel Agencies

Authors: Nermin A. Morsy, Amany N. Beshay

Abstract:

The tourism industry has seen considerable transformations due to the emergency of e-commerce. For instance, airlines are increasingly dependent on achieving online sales instead of their traditional platform. Online travel agencies’ (OTAs) websites have been able to reach a broader range of customers and generate more revenue. Therefore, website quality plays an important role in attaining website effectiveness. It is now considered as a critical factor in attracting customers' attention and build loyalty. Customers are more likely to visit and purchase at websites that exhibit highly desirable qualities. A user-friendly website can help tourists find their target information easily and make decisions quickly. This research focuses on analyzing the impact of airline and OTAs’ websites quality on the actual customer usage and purchase intentions. An online survey was distributed among internet users to assess the various dimensions of website quality in the context of online booking and their effect on customer’s usage and purchase intentions. The data from the survey was analyzed statistically using correlation, t-tests and other statistical tests. Results revealed the direct impact of website quality on customer usage and purchase intentions.

Keywords: airlines, OTAs, purchasing intention, website quality

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15694 Development and Psychometric Properties of the Relational Mobility Scale for the Indonesian Population

Authors: Sukaesi Marianti

Abstract:

This study aims to develop the Relational Mobility Scale for the Indonesian population and to investigate its psychometric properties. New items of the scale were created taking into account the Indonesian population which consists of two parallel forms (A and A’). This study uses 30 newly orchestrated items while keeping in mind the characteristics of the targeted population. The scale was administered to 433 public high school students in Malang, Indonesia. Construct validity of its factor structure was demonstrated using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The result exhibits that he model fits the data, and that the delayed alternate form method shows acceptable result. Results yielded that 21 items of the three-dimensional Relational Mobility Scale is suitable for measuring relational mobility in high school students of Indonesian population.

Keywords: confirmatory factor analysis, delayed alternate form, Indonesian population, relational mobility scale

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15693 Current Judicial Discourse Regarding the Impact of Alcohol Use Disorders on Crime in Canada

Authors: Ellen McClure

Abstract:

It is generally well-known that a number of inmates suffer from some form of substance or alcohol use disorder. This study identifies, analyses, classifies and codifies the most recent Canadian criminal judgments involving an accused diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder specifically. From this research, patterns in judicial discourse and sentencing norms can be established, and these findings can be juxtaposed with existing relevant academic literature, particular attention will be given to this discussion at the sentencing stage, and the subsequent incarceration of those with alcohol use disorders. This topic will be explored with an overarching emphasis on the effects that a lack of conversation regarding a possible correlation between alcohol consumption and crime may have. Although comparisons may be made in order to clarify or highlight certain issues, particular attention will be paid to jurisdictions within Canada. This paper explores the existing judicial discourse in sentencing regarding the relationship between alcohol and crime, and how this might explain the higher incarceration rates of those suffering from alcohol use disorders in Canada. The research questions are as follows: (1) What are the existing judicial discourses in sentencing around the relationship between alcohol and crime? (2) To what extent has the current discourse on alcohol addiction among judges and legal academics contributed to the incarceration of alcoholics?The major findings of this research indicate a strong correlation between a lack of judicial discussion regarding the accused’s alcohol use disorder and an increased tendency to consider an alcohol use disorder as an aggravating factor. Furthermore, it was found that an 82% of judges who discussed the alcohol use disorder meaningfully referred to the disorder as a mitigating factor. This can be compared with 6.7% of judges who referred to the alcohol use disorder as a mitigating factor in cases where the disorder was not meaningfully discussed.

Keywords: alcohol use disorder, addiction, criminal justice, judicial discourse

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15692 The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis and Multicultural Effects on Translators: A Case Study from Chinese Ethnic Minority Literature

Authors: Yuqiao Zhou

Abstract:

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis (SWH) emphasizes the effect produced by language on people’s minds. According to linguistic relativity, language has evolved over the course of human life on earth, and, in turn, the acquisition of language shapes learners’ thoughts. Despite much attention drawn by SWH, few scholars have attempted to analyse people’s thoughts via their literary works. And yet, the linguistic choices that create a narrative can enable us to examine its writer’s thoughts. Still, less work has been done on the impact of language on the minds of bilingual people. Internationalization has resulted in an increasing number of bilingual and multilingual individuals. In China, where more than one hundred languages are used for communication, most people are bilingual in Mandarin Chinese (the official language of China) and their own dialect. Taking as its corpus the ethnic minority myth of Ge Sa-er Wang by Alai and its English translation by Goldblatt and Lin, this paper aims to analyse the effects of culture on bilingual people’s minds. It will first analyse Alai’s thoughts on using the original version of Ge Sa-er Wang; next, it will examine the thoughts of the two translators by looking at translation choices made in the English version; finally, it will compare the cultural influences evident in the thoughts of Alai, and Goldblatt and Lin. Whereas Alai can speak two Sino-Tibetan languages – Mandarin Chinese and Tibetan – Goldblatt and Lin can speak two languages from different families – Mandarin Chinese (a Sino-Tibetan language) and English (an Indo-European language). The results reveal two systems of thought existing in the translators’ minds; Alai’s text, on the other hand, does not reveal a significant influence from North China, where Mandarin Chinese originated. The findings reveal the inconsistency of a second language’s influence on people’s minds. Notably, they suggest that the more different the two languages are, the greater the influence produced by the second language culture on people’s thoughts. It is hoped that this research will expand the scope of SWH as well as shed light on future translation studies on ethnic minority literature.

Keywords: Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, cultural translation, cultural-specific items, Ge Sa-er Wang, ethnic minority literature, Tibet

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15691 Analysis of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles’ Incidents and Accidents: The Role of Human Factors

Authors: Jacob J. Shila, Xiaoyu O. Wu

Abstract:

As the applications of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) continue to increase across the world, it is critical to understand the factors that contribute to incidents and accidents associated with these systems. Given the variety of daily applications that could utilize the operations of the UAV (e.g., medical, security operations, construction activities, landscape activities), the main discussion has been how to safely incorporate the UAV into the national airspace system. The types of UAV incidents being reported range from near sightings by other pilots to actual collisions with aircraft or UAV. These incidents have the potential to impact the rest of aviation operations in a variety of ways, including human lives, liability costs, and delay costs. One of the largest causes of these incidents cited is the human factor; other causes cited include maintenance, aircraft, and others. This work investigates the key human factors associated with UAV incidents. To that end, the data related to UAV incidents that have occurred in the United States is both reviewed and analyzed to identify key human factors related to UAV incidents. The data utilized in this work is gathered from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drone database. This study adopts the human factor analysis and classification system (HFACS) to identify key human factors that have contributed to some of the UAV failures to date. The uniqueness of this work is the incorporation of UAV incident data from a variety of applications and not just military data. In addition, identifying the specific human factors is crucial towards developing safety operational models and human factor guidelines for the UAV. The findings of these common human factors are also compared to similar studies in other countries to determine whether these factors are common internationally.

Keywords: human factors, incidents and accidents, safety, UAS, UAV

Procedia PDF Downloads 236
15690 Total Knee Arthroplasty in a Haemophilia: A Patient with High Titre of Inhibitor Using Recombinant Factor VIIa

Authors: Mohammad J. Mortazavi, Arvin Najafi, Pejman Mansouri

Abstract:

Hemophilia A is simply described as deficiency of factor VIII(FVIII) and patients with this disorder have bleeding complications in different organs. By using the recombinant factor VIII in these patients, elective orthopedic surgeries have been done approximately in 40 last years. About 10-30 % of these patients have bleeding complications in their surgeries even by using recombinant factor VIII because of their inhibitor against FVIII molecule. Preoperative haemostatic management in these patients is challenging. We treated a 28-year-old male patient with hemophilia A with FVIII inhibitor which had been detected when he was14 years old (with the titer 54 Bethesda unit(BU)) scheduled for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We use 90 µg/kg rFVIIa just before the surgery and every 2 hours during surgery. The patient did not have any significant hemorrhage during the surgery and after that. For the 2 days after surgery, the rFVIIa repeated every 2 hours as the same as preoperative dosage(90 µg/kg) and for another 2 days of postoperative admission it continued every 4 hours. After 4th day, the rFVIIa continued every 6 hours with the same dosage until the sixth day from the surgery, and finally the patient were discharged about two weeks after surgery. Seven days after the discharge, he came back for the follow up visit. On the follow up examination, the site of the surgery had neither infection hemarthroses signs.

Keywords: hemophilia, factor VIII inhibitor, total knee replacement, rFVIIa

Procedia PDF Downloads 438
15689 Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL): A Comprehensive Bibliometric Study

Authors: Kate Benedicta Amenador, Dianjian Wang, Bright Nkrumah

Abstract:

This extensive bibliometric study explores the dynamic influence of artificial intelligence in the field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) between 2012 and 2024. The study, which examined 4,500 articles from Google Scholar, Modern Language Association Linguistics Abstracts, Web of Science, Scopus, Researchgate, and library genesis databases, indicates that AI integration in EFL is on the rise. This notable increase is ascribed to a variety of transformative events, including increased academic funding for higher education and the COVID-19 epidemic. The results of the study identify leading contributors, prominent authors, publishers and sources, with the United States, China and the United Kingdom emerging as key contributors. The co-occurrence analysis of key terms reveals five clusters highlighting patterns in AI-enhanced language instruction and learning, including evaluation strategies, educational technology, learning motivation, EFL teaching aspects, and learner feedback. The study also discusses the impact of various AIs in enhancing EFL writing skills with software such as Grammarly, Quilbot, and Chatgpt. The current study recognizes limitations in database selection and linguistic constraints. Nevertheless, the results provide useful insights for educators, researchers and policymakers, inspiring and guiding a cross-disciplinary collaboration and creative pedagogical techniques and approaches to teaching and learning in the future.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, bibliometrics study, VOSviewer visualization, English as a foreign language

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15688 A Study of the Relationship between Time Management Behaviour and Job Satisfaction of Higher Education Institutes in India

Authors: Sania K. Rao, Feza T. Azmi

Abstract:

The purpose of the present study is to explore the relationship between time management behaviour and job satisfaction of academicians of higher education institutes in India. The analyses of this study were carried out with AMOS (version 20.0); and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) were conducted. The factor analysis and findings show that perceived control of time serves as the partial mediating factor to have a significant and positive influence on job satisfaction. Further, at the end, a number of suggestions to improve one’s time management behaviour were provided.

Keywords: time management behaviour, job satisfaction, higher education, India, mediation analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 388
15687 Global Production of Systematic Reviews on Population Health Issues in the Middle East and North Africa: Preliminary Results of a Systematic Overview and Bibliometric Analysis, 2008-2016

Authors: Karima Chaabna, Sohaila Cheema, Amit Abraham, Hekmat Alrouh, Ravinder Mamtani, Javaid I. Sheikh

Abstract:

We aimed to assess the production of systematic reviews (SRs) that synthesize observational studies discussing population health issues in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Two independent reviewers systematically searched MEDLINE through PubMed. Between 2008-2016, 5,747 articles (reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses) were identified. Following a multi-stage screening process, 387 SRs (with or without meta-analysis) on population health issues in the MENA were included in our overview. Citation numbers for each SR were retrieved from Google Scholar. Impact factor of the journal during the publication year for the included SRs was retrieved from the Institute of Scientific Information’s Journal Citation Report. We conducted linear regression analysis to assess time trends of number of publications according to SRs’ characteristics. We characterized a linear statistically significant increase in the annual numbers of SRs that summarize observational studies on the MENA population health (p-value<0.0001, R2=0.95), from 15 in 2008 to 81 in 2016. Our analysis reveals also linear statistically significant increases in numbers of SRs published by authors affiliated to institutions located inside MENA and/or neighboring countries (N=113, p-value < 0.0001, R²=0.90), by authors located outside MENA (N=155, p-value=0.0007, R²=0.82), and by collaborating authors affiliated to institutions located outside MENA and inside the region and/or in MENA’s neighboring countries (total number of SRs (N)= 119, p-value=0.0004, R²=0.85). Furthermore, these SRs were published in journals with an IF ranging from 0 to 47.8 (median=2.1). Linear statistically significant increases in numbers of published SRs were demonstrated in journals’ impact factor (IF) categories (IF=[0-2[: R²=0.79, p-value=0.0012; IF=[2-4[:R²=0.86, p-value=0.0003; and IF=[4-6[:R²=0.53, p-value=0.026). Additionally, annual numbers of citations to the SRs varied between 0 and 471 (median=7). While each year, a couple of SRs were getting more than 50 annual citations, there were linear statistically significant increases in numbers of published SRs with an annual number of citations at [0-10[(R²=0.89, p-value=0.00014) and at [10-50[ (R²=0.76, p-value=0.0021). Between 2008-2016, increasingly SRs that summarize observational studies on population health issues in the MENA were published. Authors of these SRs were located inside and/or outside the MENA region and an increasing number of collaborations were seen. Increasing numbers of SRs were predominantly observed in journals with an IF between zero and six. Interestingly, SRs covering MENA region countries were being increasingly cited, indicating an escalation of interest in this region’s population health issues.

Keywords: bibliometric, citation, impact factor, Middle East and North Africa, population health, systematic review

Procedia PDF Downloads 150
15686 Finite Element Analysis of Low-Velocity Impact Damage on Stiffened Composite Panels

Authors: Xuan Sun, Mingbo Tong

Abstract:

To understand the factors which affect impact damage on composite structures, particularly the effects of impact position and ribs. In this paper, a finite element model (FEM) of low-velocity impact damage on the composite structure was established via the nonlinear finite element method, combined with the user-defined materials subroutine (VUMAT) of the ABAQUS software. The structural elements chosen for the investigation comprised a series of stiffened composite panels, representative of real aircraft structure. By impacting the panels at different positions relative to the ribs, the effect of relative position of ribs was found out. Then the simulation results and the experiments data were compared. Finally, the factors which affect impact damage on the structures were discussed. The paper was helpful for the design of stiffened composite structures.

Keywords: stiffened, low-velocity impact, Abaqus, impact energy

Procedia PDF Downloads 617
15685 Spin One Hawking Radiation from Dirty Black Holes

Authors: Petarpa Boonserm, Tritos Ngampitipan, Matt Visser

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A 'clean' black hole is a black hole in vacuum such as the Schwarzschild black hole. However in real physical systems, there are matter fields around a black hole. Such a black hole is called a 'dirty black hole'. In this paper, The effect of matter fields on the black hole and the greybody factor is investigated. The results show that matter fields make a black hole smaller. They can increase the potential energy to a black hole to obstruct Hawking radiation to propagate. This causes the greybody factor of a dirty black hole to be less than that of a clean black hole.

Keywords: dirty black hole, greybody factor, hawking radiation, matter fields.

Procedia PDF Downloads 595