Search results for: dynamic planning

Authors: Zair Firdaous, Fourka Mohamed, Elfelsoufi Zoubir

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The arrival of e-commerce has changed the supply chain management on the operational level as well as on the organization and strategic and even tactical decisions of the companies. The optimization of resources is an issue that is needed on the tactical and operational strategic plan. This work considers the allocation of resources in the case of pure players that have launched online sales. The aim is to improve the level of customer satisfaction and maintaining the benefits of e-retailer and of its cooperators and reducing costs and risks. We first modeled the B2C chain with all operations that integrates and possible scenarios since online retailers offer a wide selection of personalized service. The personalized services that online shopping companies offer to the clients can be embodied in many aspects, such as the customizations of payment, the distribution methods, and after-sales service choices. Every aspect of customized service has several modes. At that time, we analyzed the optimization problems of supply chain resource in customized online shopping service mode. Then, we realized an optimization model and algorithm for the development based on the analysis of the of the B2C supply chain resources. It is a multi-objective optimization that considers the collaboration of resources in operations, time and costs but also the risks and the quality of services as well as dynamic and uncertain characters related to the request.

Keywords: supply chain resource, e-commerce, pure-players, optimization

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Authors: Dragana Tomic

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This research deals with relations among strategies and styles of coping with stress, social interaction anxiety and the achievement motive of young athletes and non-athletes. The research was conducted on the sample of 402 examinees (197 female and 205 male participants) of the average age of 20.76, divided into three groups: athletes, recreationists, and non-athletes. The COPE-S questionnaire, the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) and the Achievement Motivation Questionnaire (MOP 2002) were used for conducting this research and they had satisfactory reliability. The results of the research indicate that athletes, recreationists and non-athletes are not different when it comes to strategies and styles of coping with stress. Non- athletes have more noticeable social interaction anxiety when compared to athletes (U=5281.5, p=.000) and also when compared to recreationists (U=7573, p=.000). There was a difference among these three groups in the achievement motive (χ2(2)=23,544, p=.000) and the three components of this motive (Competing with others, χ2(2)=31,718, p=.000, Perseverance, χ2(2)=9,415, p=.009 and Planning orientation, χ2(2)=8,171, p=.017). The research also indicates a significant difference in the relation between social interaction anxiety and the achievement motive of examinee subgroups, where the most significant difference is between athletes and non- athletes (q=-.45). Moreover, women more frequently use emotion-focused coping (U=16718, p=.003), while men more frequently use avoidance (U=14895.5, p=.000). Women have a lead when it comes to expressing social anxiety (U=17750.5, p=.036) and the achievement motive (U=17395.5, p=.020). The discussion of the results includes findings of similar previous research and theoretical concepts of the variables which were examined. Future research should be oriented towards examining the background of the differences which were (not) gained as well as towards the influence of personality dimensions on the variables which were examined in order to apply the results in practice in the best way.

Keywords: achievement motivation, athletes, coping with stress, non-athletes, recreationists, social interaction anxiety

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Authors: W. Swiderski

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In the paper introduced the diagnostic technique making possible the research of internal structures in composite materials reinforced fibres using in different applications. The main reason of damages in structures of these materials is the changing distribution of load in constructions in the lifetime. Appearing defect is largely complicated because of the appearance of disturbing of continuity of reinforced fibres, binder cracks and loss of fibres adhesiveness from binders. Defect in composite materials is usually more complicated than in metals. At present, infrared thermography is the most effective method in non-destructive testing composite. One of IR thermography methods used in non-destructive evaluation is vibrothermography. The vibrothermography is not a new non-destructive method, but the new solution in this test is use ultrasonic waves to thermal stimulation of materials. In this paper, both modelling and experimental results which illustrate the advantages and limitations of ultrasonic IR thermography in inspecting composite materials will be presented. The ThermoSon computer program for computing 3D dynamic temperature distribuions in anisotropic layered solids with subsurface defects subject to ulrasonic stimulation was used to optimise heating parameters in the detection of subsurface defects in composite materials. The program allows for the analysis of transient heat conduction and ultrasonic wave propagation phenomena in solids. The experiments at MIAT were fulfilled by means of FLIR SC 7600 IR camera. Ultrasonic stimulation was performed with the frequency from 15 kHz to 30 kHz with maximum power up to 2 kW.

Keywords: composite material, ultrasonic, infrared thermography, non-destructive testing

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Authors: Mostafa Mohammadpour, Christoph Kapeller, Christy Li, Josef Scharinger, Christoph Guger

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Interictal spikes provide valuable information on electrocorticography (ECoG), which aids in surgical planning for patients who suffer from refractory epilepsy. However, the shape and temporal dynamics of these spikes remain unclear. The purpose of this work was to analyze the shape of interictal spikes and measure their distance to the seizure onset zone (SOZ) to use in epilepsy surgery. Thirteen patients' data from the iEEG portal were retrospectively studied. For analysis, half an hour of ECoG data was used from each patient, with the data being truncated before the onset of a seizure. Spikes were first detected and grouped in a sequence, then clustered into interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) and non-IED groups using two-step clustering. The distance of the spikes from IED and non-IED groups to SOZ was quantified and compared using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Spikes in the IED group tended to be in SOZ or close to it, while spikes in the non-IED group were in distance of SOZ or non-SOZ area. At the group level, the distribution for sharp wave, positive baseline shift, slow wave, and slow wave to sharp wave ratio was significantly different for IED and non-IED groups. The distance of the IED cluster was 10.00mm and significantly closer to the SOZ than the 17.65mm for non-IEDs. These findings provide insights into the shape and spatiotemporal dynamics of spikes that could influence the network mechanisms underlying refractory epilepsy.

Keywords: spike propagation, spike pattern, clustering, SOZ

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Authors: Amós García Montaño

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In a democracy, a public policy must be developed within the regulatory framework and considering citizen participation in its planning, design, execution, and evaluation stages, necessary factors to have both legal support and sufficient legitimacy for its operation. However, the complexity and magnitude of certain public problems results in difficulties for the generation of consensus among society members, leading to unstable and unsuccessful scenarios for the exercise of the right to citizen participation and the generation of effective and efficient public policies. This is the case of public policies against corruption, an issue that in Mexico is difficult to define and generates conflicting opinions. To provide a possible solution to this delicate reality, this paper analyzes the principle of reasonableness as a tool for identifying the basic elements that guarantee a fundamental level of the exercise of the right to citizen participation in the fight against corruption, adopting elements of human rights indicator methodologies. In this sense, the relevance of having a legal framework that establishes obligations to incorporate proactive and transversal citizen participation in the matter is observed. It is also noted the need to monitor the operation of various citizen participation mechanisms in the decision-making processes of the institutions involved in the fight and prevention of corruption, which lead to an increase in the improvement of the perception of the citizen role as a relevant actor in this field. It is concluded that the principle of reasonableness is presented as a very useful tool for the identification of basic elements that facilitate the fulfillment of human rights commitments in the field of public policies.

Keywords: anticorruption, public participation, public policies, reasonableness

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Authors: Moustafa Ahmed, Fumio Koyama

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Directly-modulated semiconductor lasers, including edge-emitting and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, have received considerable interest recently for use in data transmitters in cost-effective high-speed data centers, metro, and access networks. Optical feedback has been proved as an efficient technique to boost the modulation bandwidth and enhance the speed of the semiconductor laser. However, both the laser linewidth and frequency chirping in directly-modulated lasers are sensitive to both intensity modulation and optical feedback. These effects along width fiber dispersion affect the transmission bit rate and distance in single-mode fiber links. In this work, we continue our recent research on directly-modulated semiconductor lasers with modulation bandwidth in the millimeter-wave band by introducing simultaneous modeling and simulations on both the frequency chirping and lineshape broadening. The lasers are operating under strong optical feedback. The model takes into account the multiple reflections of laser reflections of laser radiation in the external cavity. The analyses are given in terms of the chirp-to-modulated power ratio, and the results are shown for the possible dynamic states of continuous wave, period-1 oscillation, and chaos.

Keywords: chirp, linewidth, optical feedback, semiconductor laser

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Authors: A. Buruzs, M. F. Hatwágner, A. Torma, L. T. Kóczy

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The development, operation and maintenance of Integrated Waste Management Systems (IWMS) affects essentially the sustainable concern of every region. The features of such systems have great influence on all of the components of sustainability. In order to reach the optimal way of processes, a comprehensive mapping of the variables affecting the future efficiency of the system is needed such as analysis of the interconnections among the components and modelling of their interactions. The planning of a IWMS is based fundamentally on technical and economical opportunities and the legal framework. Modelling the sustainability and operation effectiveness of a certain IWMS is not in the scope of the present research. The complexity of the systems and the large number of the variables require the utilization of a complex approach to model the outcomes and future risks. This complex method should be able to evaluate the logical framework of the factors composing the system and the interconnections between them. The authors of this paper studied the usability of the Fuzzy Cognitive Map (FCM) approach modelling the future operation of IWMS’s. The approach requires two input data set. One is the connection matrix containing all the factors affecting the system in focus with all the interconnections. The other input data set is the time series, a retrospective reconstruction of the weights and roles of the factors. This paper introduces a novel method to develop time series by content analysis.

Keywords: content analysis, factors, integrated waste management system, time series

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Authors: Ahmed Fawzy, Khaled Ayad, Gh. M. Koura, W. Reda

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The excessive frontal plane motion of the lower extremity during sports activities is thought to be a contributing factor to many traumatic and overuse injuries of the knee joint, little is known about the biomechanical factors that contribute to this loading pattern. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate if there is a relationship between hip external rotators isometric strength and the value of frontal plane projection angle (FPPA) during single leg landing tasks in normal male subjects. Methods: One hundred (male) subjects free from lower extremity injuries for at least six months ago participated in this study. Their mean age was (23.25 ± 2.88) years, mean weight was (74.76 ± 13.54) (Kg), mean height was (174.23 ± 6.56) (Cm). The knee frontal plane projection angle was measured by digital video camera using single leg landing task. Hip external rotators isometric strength were assessed by portable hand held dynamometer. Muscle strength had been normalized to the body weight to obtain more accurate measurements. Results: The results demonstrated that there was no significant relationship between hip external rotators isometric strength and the value of FPPA during single leg landing tasks in normal male subjects. Conclusion: It can be concluded that there is no relationship between hip external rotators isometric strength and the value of FPPA during functional activities in normal male subjects.

Keywords: 2-dimensional motion analysis, hip strength, kinematics, knee injuries

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Authors: Muhammad L. A. Dwiyoga

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The condition of a spatial land in the industrial park needs special attention to be studied more deeply. Geoplanology modeling can help arrange area according to his ability. This research method is to perform the analysis of remote sensing, Geographic Information System, and more comprehensive analysis to determine geological characteristics and the ability to land on the area of research and its relation to the geological disaster. Cilegon is part of Banten province located in western Java, and the direction of the north is the Strait of Borneo. While the southern part is bordering the Indian Ocean. Morphology study area is located in the highlands to low. In the highlands of identified potential landslide prone, whereas in low-lying areas of potential flooding. Moreover, in the study area has the potential prone to earthquakes, this is due to the proximity of enough research to Mount Krakatau and Subdcution Zone. From the results of this study show that the study area has a susceptibility to landslides located around the District Waringinkurung. While the region as a potential flood areas in the District of Cilegon and surrounding areas. Based on the seismic data, this area includes zones with a range of magnitude 1.5 to 5.5 magnitude at a depth of 1 to 60 Km. As for the ability of its territory, based on the analyzes and studies carried out the need for renewal of the map Spatial Plan that has been made, considering the development of a fairly rapid Cilegon area.

Keywords: geoplanology, spatial plan, geological hazard, cilegon, Indonesia

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Authors: Meki Detamo, Ahmed

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Access to improved sanitation facilities is crucial for promoting community sanitation worldwide. In Ethiopia, however, sanitation remains a major development challenge despite growing attention and efforts by governments and donors. This study aimed to assess the availability of improved sanitation facilities and associated factors in urban kebeles of Dire Dawa City, Eastern Ethiopia, in 2022. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 6 to 30, 2022, using a multi-stage sampling technique to select 508 households. Data was collected through structured and pre-tested questionnaires using face-to-face interviews and observations and analyzed using SPSS Version 23. The availability of improved sanitation facilities was found to be remarkably high at 98.2% (95% CI: 97.0, 99.2), with 60.8% of households having a handwashing facility in or around the latrine, 86.0% using soap and water, and 89.0% using an improved water source for drinking. Logistic regression analysis revealed that households with a family size of less than four, those who owned their own house, and those who had self-initiated latrine construction were significantly associated with the availability of improved sanitation facilities. The study recommends the implementation of continuous refreshment training to emphasize the benefits of improved sanitation facilities in the urban community and family planning. This study provides valuable insights into the high availability of improved sanitation facilities in urban areas of Ethiopia and can inform future efforts to improve community sanitation.

Keywords: sanitation facilities, availability, improved, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

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Authors: Abadou Yacine, Faid Hayette

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Significant investigations were performed on the use and impact on physical properties along with the mechanical strength of the recycled and reused E-glass waste powder. However, it has been modelled how recycled display e-waste glass may affect the characteristics and qualities of dune sand mortar. To be involved in this field, an investigation has been done with the substitution of dune sand for recycled E-glass waste and constant water-cement ratios. The linear relationship between the dune sand mortar and E-glass mortar mix % contributes to the model's reliability. The experimental data was exposed to regression analysis using JMP Statistics software. The regression model with one predictor presented the general form of the equation for the prediction of the five properties' characteristics of dune sand mortar from the substitution ratio of E-waste glass and curing age. The results illustrate that curing a long-term process produced an E-glass waste mortar specimen with the highest compressive strength of 68 MPa in the laboratory environment. Anova analysis indicated that the curing at long-term has the utmost importance on the sorptivity level and ultrasonic pulse velocity loss. Furthermore, the E-glass waste powder percentage has the utmost importance on the compressive strength and improvement in dynamic elasticity modulus. Besides, a significant enhancement of radiation-shielding applications.

Keywords: ANOVA analysis, E-glass waste, durability and sustainability, radiation-shielding

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Authors: Siriporn Okonogi, Temsiri Suwan, Sakornrat Khongkhunthian, Jakkapan Sirithunyalug

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In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared using ascorbic acid as a reducing agent and silver nitrate as a precursor. The effects of gelatin (G) on particle characteristics and dental pathogen inhibition were investigated. The spectra of AgNPs and G-AgNPs were compared using UV-Vis and Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The obtained AgNPs and G-AgNPs showed the maximum absorption at 410 and 430 nm, respectively, and EDX spectra of both systems confirmed Ag element. Scanning electron microscope showed that AgNPs and G-AgNPs were spherical in shape. Particles size, size distribution, and zeta potential were determined using dynamic light scattering approach. The size of AgNPs and G-AgNPs were 56 ± 2.4 and 67 ± 3.6 nm, respectively with a size distribution of 0.23 ± 0.03 and 0.19 ± 0.02, respectively. AgNPs and G-AgNPs exhibited negative zeta potential of 24.1 ± 2.7 mV and 32.7 ± 1.2 mV, respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the obtained AgNPs and G-AgNPs against three strains of dental pathogenic bacteria; Streptococcus gordonii, Streptococcus mutans, and Staphylococcus aureus were determined using broth dilution method. AgNPs and G-AgNPs showed the strongest inhibition against S. gordonii with the MIC of 0.05 and 0.025 mg/mL, respectively and the MBC of 0.1 and 0.05 mg/mL, respectively. Cytotoxicity test of AgNPs and G-AgNPs on human breast cancer cells using MTT assay indicated that G-AgNPs (0.1 mg/mL) was significantly stronger toxic than AgNPs with the cell inhibition of 91.1 ± 5.4%. G-AgNPs showed significantly less aggregation after storage at room temperature for 90 days than G-AgNPs.

Keywords: antipathogenic activity, ascorbic acid, cytotoxicity, stability

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Authors: Kimberley K. Whyte-Jones

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Public participation may improve the quality of environmental management decisions. However, the quality of such a decision is strongly dependent on the quality of the process that leads to it. In order to ensure an effective and efficient process, key features of best practice in participation should be carefully observed; this would also combat disillusionment of citizens, decision-makers and practitioners. The overarching aim of this study is to determine what constitutes an effective public participation process relevant to the Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada context, and to discover whether the public participation process that led to the 2014-2024 Provincial Sustainable Forest Management Strategy (PSFMS) met best practices criteria. The research design uses an exploratory case study strategy to consider a specific participatory process in environmental decision-making in Newfoundland and Labrador. Data collection methods include formal semi-structured interviews and the review of secondary data sources. The results of this study will determine the validity of a specific public participation best practice framework. The findings will be useful for informing citizen participation processes in general and will deduce best practices in public participation in environmental management in the province. The study is, therefore, meaningful for guiding future policies and practices in the management of forest resources in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and will help in filling a noticeable gap in research compiling best practices for environmentally related public participation processes.

Keywords: best practices, environmental decision-making, forest management, public participation

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Authors: M. Bonopera, N. Tullini, C. C. Chen, T. K. Lin, K. C. Chang

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This paper presents the extension of a static method for the axial load identifications in prismatic beam-columns with uncertain length and unknown boundary conditions belonging to generic space structures, such as columns of space frames or struts and ties of space trusses. The non-destructive method requires the knowledge of the beam-column flexural rigidity only. Flexural displacements are measured at five cross sections along the beam-column subjected to an additional vertical load at the mid-span. Unlike analogous dynamic methods, any set of experimental data may be used in the identification procedure. The method is verified by means of many numerical and experimental tests on beam-columns having unknown boundary conditions and different slenderness belonging to three different space prototypes in small-scale. Excellent estimates of the tensile and compressive forces are obtained for the elements with higher slenderness and when the greatest possible distance between sensors is adopted. Moreover, the application of larger values of the vertical load and very accurate displacement measurements are required. The method could be an efficacious technique in-situ, considering that safety inspections will become increasingly important in the near future, especially because of the improvement of the material properties that allowed designing space structures composed of beam-columns with higher slenderness.

Keywords: force identification, in-situ test, space structure, static test

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Authors: Innocent Kafodya, Guijun Xian

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This paper presents effects of distilled water, seawater and sustained bending strains of 30% and 50% ultimate strain at room temperature, on the durability of unidirectional pultruded carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates. In this study, dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) was used to investigate the synergic effects of the immersions and bending strains on the visco-elastic properties of (CFRP) such as storage modulus, tan delta and glass transition temperature. The study reveals that the storage modulus and glass transition temperature increase while tan delta peak decreases in the initial stage of both immersions due to the progression of curing. The storage modulus and Tg subsequently decrease and tan delta increases due to the matrix plasticization. The blister induced damages in the unstrained seawater samples enhance water uptake and cause more serious degradation of Tg and storage modulus than in water immersion. Increasing sustained bending decreases Tg and storage modulus in a long run for both immersions due to resin matrix cracking and debonding. The combined effects of immersions and strains are not clearly reflected due to the statistical effects of DMA sample sizes and competing processes of molecular reorientation and postcuring.

Keywords: pultruded CFRP plate, bending strain, glass transition temperature, storage modulus, tan delta

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Authors: Anders Troedsson

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For us humans, risk and insecurity are intimately linked to vulnerabilities - where there is vulnerability, there is potentially risk and insecurity. Reducing vulnerability through compensatory measures means decreasing the likelihood of a certain external event be qualified as a risk/threat/assault, and thus also means increasing the individual’s sense of security. The paper suggests that a meaningful way to approach the study of risk/ insecurity is to organize thinking about the vulnerabilities that external phenomena evoke in humans as perceived by them. Such phenomena are, through a set of given vulnerabilities, potentially translated into perceptions of "insecurity." An ontological discussion about salient timespace characteristics of external phenomena as perceived by humans, including such which potentially can be qualified as risk/threat/assault, leads to the positing of two dimensions which are central for describing what in the paper is called the essence of risk/threat/assault. As is argued, such modeling helps analysis steer free of the subjective factor which is intimately connected to human perception and which mediates between phenomena “out there” potentially identified as risk/threat/assault, and their translation into an experience of security or insecurity. A proposed set of universally given vulnerabilities are scrutinized with the help of the two dimensions, resulting in a modeling effort featuring four realms of vulnerabilities which together represent a dynamic whole. This model in turn informs modeling on human security.

Keywords: human vulnerabilities, human security, immediate-inert, material-immaterial, timespace

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Authors: Muhammad Awais Kiani, Abdul Basit Kiani, Maryam Kiani

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Synergizing Sales and Marketing for Electronics Engineering with Web Development, explores the dynamic relationship between sales, marketing, and web development within the electronics engineering industry. This study is important for the power of digital platforms to connect with customers. Which increases brand visibility and drives sales. It highlights the need for collaboration between sales and marketing teams, as well as the integration of web development strategies to create seamless user experiences and effective lead generation. Furthermore, It also emphasizes the role of data analytics and customer insights in optimizing sales and marketing efforts in the ever-evolving landscape of electronics engineering. Sales and marketing play a crucial role in driving business growth, and in today's digital landscape, web development has become an integral part of these strategies. Web development enables businesses to create visually appealing and user-friendly websites that effectively showcase their products or services. It allows for the integration of e-commerce functionalities, enabling seamless online transactions. Furthermore, web development helps businesses optimize their online presence through search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, social media integration, and content management systems. This abstract highlights the symbiotic relationship between sales marketing in the electronics industry and web development, emphasizing the importance of a strong online presence in achieving business success.

Keywords: electronics industry, web development, sales, marketing

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Authors: William J. Crowther, Conor Marsh

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Object-based flow simulation allows fast computation of arbitrarily complex aerodynamic models made up of simple objects with limited flow interactions. The proposed approach is universally applicable to objects made from arbitrarily scaled ellipsoid primitives at arbitrary aerodynamic attitude and angular rate. The use of a component-based aerodynamic modelling approach increases efficiency by allowing selective inclusion of different physics models at run-time and allows extensibility through the development of new models. Insight into the numerical stability of the model under first order fixed-time step integration schemes is provided by stability analysis of the drag component. The compute cost of model components and functions is evaluated and compared against numerical benchmarks. Model static outputs are verified against theoretical expectations and dynamic behaviour using falling plate data from the literature. The model is applied to a range of case studies to demonstrate the efficacy of its application in extensibility, ease of use, and low computational cost. Dynamically complex multi-body systems can be implemented in a transparent and efficient manner, and we successfully demonstrate large scenes with hundreds of objects interacting with diverse flow fields.

Keywords: aerodynamics, real-time simulation, low-order model, flight dynamics

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Authors: Alex Hughes

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Patients with advanced heart failure develop specific palliative care needs due to the progressive symptom burden and unpredictable disease trajectory. NICE guidance advises that palliative care should be provided to patients with both cancer and non-cancer conditions as and when required. However, there is some way to go before this guidance is consistently and effectively implemented nationwide in conditions such as heart failure. The Ambitions for Palliative and End of Life Care: A national framework for local action in England provides a set of foundations and ambitions which outline a vision for what high-quality palliative and end-of-life care look like in England. This poster aims to critically consider how to improve access to palliative care for heart failure patients in England by analysing the foundations taken from this framework to generate specific recommendations using Soft Systems Methodology (SSM). The eight foundations analysed are: ‘Personalised care planning’, ‘Shared records’, ‘Evidence and information’, ‘Involving, supporting and caring for those important to the dying Person’, ‘Education and training’, ‘24/7 access’, ‘Co-design’ and ‘Leadership.’ A number of specific recommendations have been generated which highlight a need to close the evidence-policy gap and implement policy with sufficient evidence. These recommendations, alongside the creation of an evidence-based national strategy for palliative care and heart failure, should improve access to palliative care for heart failure patients in England. Once implemented, it will be necessary to evaluate the effect of these proposals to understand if access to palliative care for heart failure patients actually improves.

Keywords: access, health systems, heart failure, palliative care

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Authors: Farshid Hajati, Federico Girosi, Shima Ghassempour

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We present a Deep Belief Network (DBN) method for clustering health trajectories. Deep Belief Network (DBN) is a deep architecture that consists of a stack of Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBM). In a deep architecture, each layer learns more complex features than the past layers. The proposed method depends on DBN in clustering without using back propagation learning algorithm. The proposed DBN has a better a performance compared to the deep neural network due the initialization of the connecting weights. We use Contrastive Divergence (CD) method for training the RBMs which increases the performance of the network. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated extensively on the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) database. The University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is a nationally representative longitudinal study that has surveyed more than 27,000 elderly and near-elderly Americans since its inception in 1992. Participants are interviewed every two years and they collect data on physical and mental health, insurance coverage, financial status, family support systems, labor market status, and retirement planning. The dataset is publicly available and we use the RAND HRS version L, which is easy to use and cleaned up version of the data. The size of sample data set is 268 and the length of the trajectories is equal to 10. The trajectories do not stop when the patient dies and represent 10 different interviews of live patients. Compared to the state-of-the-art benchmarks, the experimental results show the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method in clustering health trajectories.

Keywords: health trajectory, clustering, deep learning, DBN

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Authors: Zelalem Bitew, Adane Kassa, Beyene Misgan

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In this study, a sensitive and selective voltammetric method based on poly(diphenylamine-4-sulfonic acid) modified glassy carbon electrode (poly(DPASA)/GCE) was developed for determination of gallic acid. Appearance of an irreversible oxidative peak at both bare GCE and poly(DPASA)/GCE for gallic acid with about three folds current enhancement and much reduced potential at poly(DPASA)/GCE showed catalytic property of the modifier towards oxidation of gallic acid. Under optimized conditions, Adsorptive stripping square wave voltammetric peak current response of the poly(DPASA)/GCE showed linear dependence with gallic acid concentration in the range 5.00 × 10-7 − 3.00 × 10-4 mol L-1 with limit of detection of 4.35 × 10-9. Spike recovery results between 94.62-99.63, 95.00-99.80 and 97.25-103.20% of gallic acid in honey, raw peanut, and commercial peanut butter samples respectively, interference recovery results with less than 4.11% error in the presence of uric acid and ascorbic acid, lower LOD and relatively wider dynamic range than most of the previously reported methods validated the potential applicability of the method based on poly(DPASA)/GCE for determination of gallic acid real samples including in honey and peanut samples.

Keywords: gallic acid, diphenyl amine sulfonic acid, adsorptive anodic striping square wave voltammetry, honey, peanut

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Authors: Mario C. Nierras

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This study aimed to determine the extension services’ needs of small farmers in Biliran province, Philippines. It also sought to find out other issues/concerns of the small farmers. Extension services’ needs of small farmers were gathered through personal interviewing and observational analysis of randomly-selected small farmers in Biliran, Philippines. Biliran small farmers extension services’ needs include: raising fruits, raising legumes, raising vegetables, raising swine, raising cattle, and raising chicken (as priority broad skills). For the specific skills, diagnosing symptoms on fertilizer deficiencies, controlling plant pests and diseases, diagnosing signs on specific pest and disease damage, controlling animal pests and diseases, and doing artificial insemination were the priority skills. They considered an on-farm trial of new technology as most needed to be coupled with industry and quality-orientedness, as positive behaviors needed in farming success. The farmers still adhere to the so-called wait-and-see attitude, thus they are more convinced to follow a particular technology if they see a concrete result of the introduced changes. Technical needs prioritization of Biliran small farmers showed that they have a real need for crop and animal production skills to include the other issues/concerns. Extension service program planning for small farmers should be patterned after their technical needs giving due attention to some issues/concerns so that extension work could deliver the right skills for the right needs of the farmers.

Keywords: extension, extension service, extension service needs, extension service program, farmers, small farmers, marginal farmers

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Authors: Ma Lanting, S. Eguilior, A. Hurtado, Juan F. Llamas Borrajo

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Horizontal hydraulic fracturing is a technology to increase natural gas flow and improve productivity in the low permeability formation. During this drilling operation tons of flowback and produced water which contains many organic compounds return to the surface with a potential risk of influencing the surrounding environment and human health. A mathematical model is urgently needed to represent organic compounds in water transportation process behavior and the concentration change with time throughout the hydraulic fracturing operation life cycle. A comprehensive model combined Organic Matter Transport Dynamic Model with Two-Compartment First-order Model Constant (TFRC) Model has been established to quantify the organic compounds concentration. This algorithm model is composed of two transportation parts based on time factor. For the fast part, the curve fitting technique is applied using flowback water data from the Marcellus shale gas site fracturing and the coefficients of determination (R2) from all analyzed compounds demonstrate a high experimental feasibility of this numerical model. Furthermore, along a decade of drilling the concentration ratio curves have been estimated by the slow part of this model. The result shows that the larger value of Koc in chemicals, the later maximum concentration in water will reach, as well as all the maximum concentrations percentage would reach up to 90% of initial concentration from shale formation within a long sufficient period.

Keywords: model, shale gas, concentration, organic compounds

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Authors: Phusit Phukamchanoad

Abstract:

This study aimed to analyse the application of sufficiency economy in students’ ways of life on campus at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University. Data was gathered through 394 questionnaires. The study results found that the majority of students were confident that “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Overall, the students applied the sufficiency economy at a great level, along with being people who do not exploit others, were satisfied with living their lives moderately, according to the sufficiency economy. Importance was also given to kindness and generosity. Importantly, students were happy with living according to their individual circumstances and status at the present. They saw the importance of joint life planning, self-development, and self-dependence, always learning to be satisfied with “adequate”. As for their practices and ways of life, socially relational activities rated highly, especially initiation activities for underclassmen at the university and the seniority system, which are suitable for activities on campus. Furthermore, the students knew how to build a career and find supplemental income, knew how to earnestly work according to convention to finish work, and preferred to study elective subjects which directly benefit career-wise. The students’ application of sufficiency economy philosophy principles depended on their lives in their hometowns. The students from the provinces regularly applied sufficiency economy philosophy to their lives, for example, by being frugal, steadfast, determined, avoiding negligence, and making economical spending plans; more so than the students from the capital.

Keywords: application of sufficiency economy philosophy, way of living, undergraduate students, spending plan

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Authors: Velly Kapadia, Reenu Singh

Abstract:

This report identifies the long-term driving forces behind urbanization and the impact of compact living on both society and the home and proposes a concept to create smarter and more sustainable homes. Compact living has been trending across India as a sustainable housing solution, and the reality is that India is currently facing a housing shortage in urban areas of around 10 million units. With the rising demand for housing, urban land prices have been rising and the cost of homes. The paper explores how and why the interior design of the homes can be improved to relieve the housing demand in an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable manner. A questionnaire survey was conducted to determine living patterns, area requirements, ecological footprints, energy consumption, purchasing patterns, and various pro-environmental behaviors of people who downsize to compact homes. Quantitative research explores sustainable material choices, durability, functionality, cost, and reusability of furniture. Besides addressing the need for smart and sustainable designed compact homes, a conceptual model is proposed, including options of ideal schematic layouts for homes in urban areas. In the conclusions, suggestions to improve space planning and suitable interior entities have been made to support the fact that compact homes are an eminently practical and sensible solution for the urban citizen.

Keywords: compact living, housing shortage, lifestyle, sustainable interior design

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Authors: Adriano Trono, Federico Pinto, Diego Turello, Marcelo A. Ceballos

Abstract:

Numerical modeling of dynamic soil-structure interaction problems requires an adequate representation of the unbounded characteristics of the ground, material non-linearity of soils, and geometrical non-linearities such as large displacements due to rocking of the structure. In order to account for these effects simultaneously, it is often required that the equations of motion are solved in the time domain. However, boundary conditions in conventional finite element codes generally present shortcomings in fully absorbing the energy of outgoing waves. In this sense, the Perfectly Matched Layers (PML) technique allows a satisfactory absorption of inclined body waves, as well as surface waves. However, the PML domain is inherently unstable, meaning that it its instability does not depend upon the discretization considered. One way to stabilize the PML domain is to use multiaxial stretching functions. This development is questionable because some Jacobian terms of the coordinate transformation are not accounted for. For this reason, the resulting absorbing layer element is often referred to as "uncorrected M-PML” in the literature. In this work, the strong formulation of the "corrected M-PML” absorbing layer is proposed using multiaxial stretching functions that incorporate all terms of the coordinate transformation. The results of the stable model are compared with reference solutions obtained from extended domain models.

Keywords: mixed finite elements, multiaxial stretching functions, perfectly matched layer, soil-structure interaction

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Authors: Narendra Nath Patra

Abstract:

Several recent studies reinforce the existence of a thick molecular disc in galaxies along with the dynamically cold thin disc. Assuming a two-component molecular disc, we model the disc of NGC 6946 as a four-component system consists of stars, HI, thin disc molecular gas, and thick disc molecular gas in vertical hydrostatic equilibrium. Following, we set up the joint Poisson-Boltzmann equation of hydrostatic equilibrium and solve it numerically to obtain a three-dimensional density distribution of different baryonic components. Using the density solutions and the observed rotation curve, we further build a three-dimensional dynamical model of the molecular disc and consecutively produce simulated CO spectral cube and spectral width profile. We find that the simulated spectral width profiles distinguishably differs for different assumed thick disc molecular gas fraction. Several CO spectral width profiles are then produced for different assumed thick disc molecular gas fractions and compared with the observed one to obtain the best fit thick disc molecular gas fraction profile. We find that the thick disc molecular gas fraction in NGC 6946 largely remains constant across its molecular disc with a mean value of 0.70 +/- 0.09. We also estimate the amount of extra-planar molecular gas in NGC 6946. We find 60% of the total molecular gas is extra-planar at the central region, whereas this fraction reduces to ~ 35% at the edge of the molecular disc. With our method, for the first time, we estimate the thick disc molecular gas fraction as a function of radius in an external galaxy with sub-kpc resolution.

Keywords: galaxies: kinematics and dynamic, galaxies: spiral, galaxies: structure , ISM: molecules, molecular data

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Authors: Anil Ranjitbhai Patel, Clement John Shaji, Peter Liggesmeyer

Abstract:

Safety and security of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is a growing concern, first, due to the increased number of safety-critical functions taken over by automotive embedded systems; second, due to the increased exposure of the software-intensive systems to potential attackers; third, due to dynamic interaction in an uncertain and unknown environment at runtime which results in changed functional and non-functional properties of the system. Frequently occurring environmental uncertainties, random component failures, and compromise security of the AVs might result in hazardous events, sometimes even in an accident, if left undetected. Beyond these technical issues, we argue that the safety and security of AVs against accidental and deliberate faults are poorly understood and rarely implemented. One possible way to overcome this is through a well-known diversity approach. As an effective approach to increase safety and security, diversity has been widely used in the aviation, railway, and aerospace industries. Thus, the paper proposes fault-tolerance by diversity model takes into consideration the mitigation of accidental and deliberate faults by application of structure and variant redundancy. The model can be used to design the AVs with various types of diversity in hardware and software-based multi-version system. The paper evaluates the presented approach by employing an example from adaptive cruise control, followed by discussing the case study with initial findings.

Keywords: autonomous vehicles, diversity, fault-tolerance, adaptive cruise control, safety, security

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Authors: Mei Lin, Lana Yj Liu, Thin Ngoc Pham

Abstract:

Postgraduate taught (PGT) students’ learning strategies align with what the learning task constitutes and the environment that the task creates. Cognitively, they can discover new perspectives, challenge general assumptions, establish clear connections, and synthesise information. Metacognitively, their engagement is conducive to the development of planning, monitoring, and evaluating strategies. Given that there has been a lack of longitudinal insights into international PGT students’ experiences of the cognitive and metacognitive space created in the tasks, this paper presentation aims to fill the gaps by longitudinally exploring (1) the fundamentals of task designs to create cognitive and metacognitive space and (2) the opportunities and challenges of multicultural group discussions as a pedagogical approach for the implementation of cognitive and metacognitive space in the learning tasks. Data were collected from the two rounds of semi-structured interviews with 11 international PGT students in two programmes at a UK university -at the end of semester one and at the end of semester two. The findings show that the task designs, to create cognitive and metacognitive space, need to include four interconnected factors: clarity, relevance, motivation, and practicality. In addition, international PGT students perceived that they practised and developed their cognitive and metacognitive abilities while getting immersed in multicultural group discussions. The findings, from the learners’ point of view, make some pedagogy-related suggestions to the task designs at the master’s level, particularly how to engage students in learning during their transition into higher education in a different cultural setting.

Keywords: cognitive space, master students, metacognitive space, task design

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Authors: Jummalla Aashrith, N. L. Shiva Sai, K. Bhavya Sri

Abstract:

The swift progress of web technology has not only amassed a vast reservoir of internet data but also triggered a substantial surge in data generation. The internet has metamorphosed into one of the dynamic hubs for online education, idea dissemination, as well as opinion-sharing. Notably, the widely utilized social networking platform Twitter is experiencing considerable expansion, providing users with the ability to share viewpoints, participate in discussions spanning diverse communities, and broadcast messages on a global scale. The upswing in online engagement has sparked a significant curiosity in subjective analysis, particularly when it comes to Twitter data. This research is committed to delving into sentiment analysis, focusing specifically on the realm of Twitter. It aims to offer valuable insights into deciphering information within tweets, where opinions manifest in a highly unstructured and diverse manner, spanning a spectrum from positivity to negativity, occasionally punctuated by neutrality expressions. Within this document, we offer a comprehensive exploration and comparative assessment of modern approaches to opinion mining. Employing a range of machine learning algorithms such as Naive Bayes and Logistic Regression, our investigation plunges into the domain of Twitter data streams. We delve into overarching challenges and applications inherent in the realm of subjectivity analysis over Twitter.

Keywords: machine learning, sentiment analysis, visualisation, python

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