Search results for: visual communication design

Authors: K. T. Kohler

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Typically in war, force involves physical violence, though those who perpetrated the Holocaust expanded manipulation techniques to include mental violence. This qualitative research study was conducted to understand the effects that the music of the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz-Birkenau had on women prisoners during World War II. Over 100 testimonies from the USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive reveal that the orchestra’s music had a profoundly distressing effect on many of the women in the camp. Led by Gustav Mahler’s granddaughter, Alma Rosé, the orchestra rhythmed the life cycle of the camp, from marching to and from work, Sunday concerts, welcoming transports, to the prisoners’ walk to gas chambers. What surfaced from these testimonies was that the more technical the exposure a woman had to music before camp, the more disturbing its effect. The juxtaposition of beauty with the visible horror of the camp thrust them into an impossible state where suicide became a plausible alternative. By exploiting the Women’s Orchestra, the Nazis made music a critical component of manipulation within Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Keywords: Alma Rosé, Auschwitz-Birkenau, camp life, concert, Holocaust, music, Oświęcim, Poland, women’s orchestra

Procedia PDF Downloads 181

Authors: M. S. Sukumar

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Our objective is to develop a full-fledged system for exploring and studying nature of fossils and to extend this to underwater archaeology and mineral mapping. This includes aerial surveying, imaging techniques, artefact extraction and spectrum analysing techniques. These techniques help in regular monitoring of fossils and also the sensing system. The ROV was designed to complete several tasks which simulate collecting data and samples. Given the time constraints, the ROV was engineered for efficiency and speed in performing tasks. Its other major design consideration was modularity, allowing the team to distribute the building process, to easily test systems as they were completed and troubleshoot and replace systems as necessary. Our design itself had several challenges of on-board waterproofed sensor mounting, waterproofing of motors, ROV stability criteria, camera mounting and hydrophone sound acquisition.

Keywords: remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dragonair, underwater archaeology, full-fledged system, aerial imaging and detection

Procedia PDF Downloads 234

Authors: M.Sivaramakrishnaiah, D. S .Nasan, P. V. Subhanjeneyulu, J. A. Sandeep Kumar, N. Sreenivasulu, B. V. Amarnath Reddy, B. Veeralingam

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Design, numerical simulation, fabrication, and physical experimentation of the Tesla’s Bladeless centripetal turbine for generating electrical power are presented in this research paper. 29 Pressurized air combined with water via a nozzle system is made to pass tangentially through a set of parallel smooth discs surfaces, which impart rotational motion to the discs fastened common shaft for the power generation. The power generated depends upon the fluid speed parameter leaving the nozzle inlet. Physically due to laminar boundary layer phenomena at smooth disc surface, the high speed fluid layers away from the plate moving against the low speed fluid layers nearer to the plate develop a tangential drag from the viscous shear forces. This compels the nearer layers to drag along with the high layers causing the disc to spin. Solid Works design software and fluid mechanics and machine elements design theories was used to compute mechanical design specifications of turbine parts like 48 mm diameter discs, common shaft, central exhaust, plenum chamber, swappable nozzle inlets, etc. Also, ANSYS CFX 2018 was used for the numerical 2 simulation of the physical phenomena encountered in the turbine working. When various numerical simulation and physical experimental results were verified, there is good agreement between them 6, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The sources of input and size of the blades may affect the power generated and turbine efficiency, respectively. The results may change if there is a change in the fluid flowing between the discs. The inlet fluid pressure versus turbine efficiency and the number of discs versus turbine power studies based on both results were carried out to develop the 8 relationships between the inlet and outlet parameters of the turbine. The present research work obtained the turbine efficiency in the range of 7-10%, and for this range; the electrical power output generated was 50-60 W.

Keywords: tesla turbine, cohesion type bladeless turbine, boundary layer theory, cohesion type bladeless turbine, tangential fluid flow, viscous and adhesive forces, plenum chamber, pico hydro systems

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Authors: Praveen Kumar, Satish Kumar, Jashanpreet Singh

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Transportation of unrefined crude oil from the production unit to a refinery or large storage area by a pipeline is difficult due to the different properties of crude in various areas. Thus, the design of a crude oil pipeline is a very complex and time consuming process, when considering all the various parameters. There were three very important parameters that play a significant role in the transportation and processing pipeline design; these are: viscosity profile, temperature profile and the velocity profile of waxy crude oil through the crude oil pipeline. Knowledge of the Rheological computational technique is required for better understanding the flow behavior and predicting the flow profile in a crude oil pipeline. From these profile parameters, the material and the emulsion that is best suited for crude oil transportation can be predicted. Rheological computational fluid dynamic technique is a fast method used for designing flow profile in a crude oil pipeline with the help of computational fluid dynamics and rheological modeling. With this technique, the effect of fluid properties including shear rate range with temperature variation, degree of viscosity, elastic modulus and viscous modulus was evaluated under different conditions in a transport pipeline. In this paper, two crude oil samples was used, as well as a prepared emulsion with natural and synthetic additives, at different concentrations ranging from 1,000 ppm to 3,000 ppm. The rheological properties was then evaluated at a temperature range of 25 to 60 °C and which additive was best suited for transportation of crude oil is determined. Commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been used to generate the flow, velocity and viscosity profile of the emulsions for flow behavior analysis in crude oil transportation pipeline. This rheological CFD design can be further applied in developing designs of pipeline in the future.

Keywords: surfactant, natural, crude oil, rheology, CFD, viscosity

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Authors: Zofija Tupikovskaja-Omovie, David Tyler, Sam Dhanapala, Steve Hayes

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The UK is leading in online retail and mobile adoption. However, there is a dearth of information relating to mobile apparel retail, and developing an understanding about consumer browsing and purchase behavior in m-retail channel would provide apparel marketers, mobile website and app developers with the necessary understanding of consumers’ needs. Despite the rapid growth of mobile retail businesses, no published study has examined shopping behaviour on fashion mobile websites and apps. A mixed method approach helped to understand why fashion consumers prefer websites on mobile devices, when mobile apps are also available. The following research methods were employed: survey, eye-tracking experiments, observation, and interview with retrospective think aloud. The mobile gaze tracking device by SensoMotoric Instruments was used to understand frustrations in navigation and other issues facing consumers in mobile channel. This method helped to validate and compliment other traditional user-testing approaches in order to optimize user experience and enhance the development of mobile retail channel. The study involved eight participants - females aged 18 to 35 years old, who are existing mobile shoppers. The participants used the Topshop mobile app and website on a smart phone to complete a task according to a specified scenario leading to a purchase. The comparative study was based on: duration and time spent at different stages of the shopping journey, number of steps involved and product pages visited, search approaches used, layout and visual clues, as well as consumer perceptions and expectations. The results from the data analysis show significant differences in consumer behaviour when using a mobile app or website on a smart phone. Moreover, two types of problems were identified, namely technical issues and human errors. Having a mobile app does not guarantee success in satisfying mobile fashion consumers. The differences in the layout and visual clues seem to influence the overall shopping experience on a smart phone. The layout of search results on the website was different from the mobile app. Therefore, participants, in most cases, behaved differently on different platforms. The number of product pages visited on the mobile app was triple the number visited on the website due to a limited visibility of products in the search results. Although, the data on traffic trends held by retailers to date, including retail sector breakdowns for visits and views, data on device splits and duration, might seem a valuable source of information, it cannot explain why consumers visit many product pages, stay longer on the website or mobile app, or abandon the basket. A comprehensive list of pros and cons was developed by highlighting issues for website and mobile app, and recommendations provided. The findings suggest that fashion retailers need to be aware of actual consumers’ behaviour on the mobile channel and their expectations in order to offer a seamless shopping experience. Added to which is the challenge of retaining existing and acquiring new customers. There seem to be differences in the way fashion consumers search and shop on mobile, which need to be explored in further studies.

Keywords: consumer behavior, eye-tracking technology, fashion retail, mobile app, m-retail, smart phones, topshop, user experience, website

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Authors: Willem J. A. Louw

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The wave of new advanced computing technology that has been developed during the recent past has significantly changed the way we communicate, collaborate and collect information. It has created a new technology environment and paradigm in which our children and students grow-up and this impacts on their learning. Research confirmed that Generation Y students have a preference for learning in the new technology environment. The challenge or question is: How do we adjust our teaching and learning to make the most of these changes. The complexity of effective and efficient teaching and learning must not be underestimated and changes must be preceded by proper objective research to prevent any haphazard developments that could do more harm than benefit. A blended learning approach has been used in the Forestry department for a few numbers of years including the use of electronic-peer assisted learning (e-pal) in a fixed-computer set-up within a learning management system environment. It was decided to extend the investigation and do some exploratory research by using a range of different Tablet devices. For this purpose, learning activities or assignments were designed to cover aspects of communication, collaboration and collection of information. The Moodle learning management system was used to present normal module information, to communicate with students and for feedback and data collection. Student feedback was collected by using an online questionnaire and informal discussions. The research project was implemented in 2013, 2014 and 2015 amongst first and third-year students doing a forestry three-year technical tertiary qualification in commercial plantation management. In general, more than 80% of the students alluded to that the device was very useful in their learning environment while the rest indicated that the devices were not very useful. More than ninety percent of the students acknowledged that they would like to continue using the devices for all of their modules whilst the rest alluded to functioning efficiently without the devices. Results indicated that information collection (access to resources) was rated the highest advantageous factor followed by communication and collaboration. The main general advantages of using Tablets were listed by the students as being mobility (portability), 24/7 access to learning material and information of any kind on a user friendly device in a Wi-Fi environment, fast computing process speeds, saving time, effort and airtime through skyping and e-mail, and use of various applications. Ownership of the device is a critical factor while the risk was identified as a major potential constraint. Significant differences were reported between the different types and quality of Tablets. The preferred types are those with a bigger screen and the ones with overall better functionality and quality features. Tablets significantly increase the collaboration, communication and information collection needs of the students. It does, however, not replace the need of a computer/laptop because of limited storage and computation capacity, small screen size and inefficient typing.

Keywords: tablets, teaching, blended learning, tablet quality

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Authors: Suzanne Phibbs, Christine Kenney, Robyn Richardson

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The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction called for the inclusion of indigenous people in the design and implementation of all hazard policies, plans, and standards. Ensuring that indigenous knowledge practices were included alongside scientific knowledge about disaster risk was also a key priority. Indigenous communities have specific knowledge about climate and natural hazard risk that has been developed over an extended period of time. However, research within indigenous communities can be fraught with issues such as power imbalances between the researcher and researched, the privileging of researcher agendas over community aspirations, as well as appropriation and/or inappropriate use of indigenous knowledge. This paper documents the process of working alongside a Māori community to develop a successful community-led research project. Research Design: This case study documents the development of a qualitative community-led participatory project. The community research project utilizes a kaupapa Māori research methodology which draws upon Māori research principles and concepts in order to generate knowledge about Māori resilience. The research addresses a significant gap in the disaster research literature relating to indigenous knowledge about collective hazard mitigation practices as well as resilience in rurally isolated indigenous communities. The research was designed in partnership with the Ngāti Raukawa Northern Marae Collective as well as Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa (a group of Māori sub-tribes who are located in the same region) and will be conducted by Māori researchers utilizing Māori values and cultural practices. The research project aims and objectives, for example, are based on themes that were identified as important to the Māori community research partners. The research methodology and methods were also negotiated with and approved by the community. Kaumātua (Māori elders) provided cultural and ethical guidance over the proposed research process and will continue to provide oversight over the conduct of the research. Purposive participant recruitment will be facilitated with support from local Māori community research partners, utilizing collective marae networks and snowballing methods. It is envisaged that Māori participants’ knowledge, experiences and views will be explored using face-to-face communication research methods such as workshops, focus groups and/or semi-structured interviews. Interviews or focus groups may be held in English and/or Te Reo (Māori language) to enhance knowledge capture. Analysis, knowledge dissemination, and co-authorship of publications will be negotiated with the Māori community research partners. Māori knowledge shared during the research will constitute participants’ intellectual property. New knowledge, theory, frameworks, and practices developed by the research will be co-owned by Māori, the researchers, and the host academic institution. Conclusion: An emphasis on indigenous knowledge systems within the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction risks the appropriation and misuse of indigenous experiences of disaster risk identification, mitigation, and response. The research protocol underpinning this project provides an exemplar of collaborative partnership in the development and implementation of an indigenous project that has relevance to policymakers, academic researchers, other regions with indigenous communities and/or local disaster risk reduction knowledge practices.

Keywords: community resilience, indigenous disaster risk reduction, Maori, research methods

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Authors: Rezki Akkouche

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This work exposes metal tanks in general and floating roofs in particular by listing the codes and standards which study this kind of structure. Initial research discusses the types of tanks, how they are designed, and the disadvantages and advantages that each type has. Then, in-depth research was carried out carefully in order to popularize the floating roof tank and the principles of its design and operation while defining the different types of this kind of roof, how and what they are designed, naming the main installation accessories for these roofs and the dangers that a malfunction of these accessories would cause, also exposing the problems likely to be encountered on these roofs and the considerable and important advantages that floating roof tanks bring. A simplification of the two API 650 and Eurocode 3 regulations - Tanks part - has been made by explaining and mentioning the design rules and laws of this type of structure. Thus a comparison of the two regulations is accomplished by exemplifying this with a study of an actual project.

Keywords: tanks of metal, floating roof, performance, comparative analysis

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Authors: Hari Singh, Abhishek Kamboj, Sudhir Kumar

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This investigation proposes a grey-based Taguchi method to solve the multi-response problems. The grey-based Taguchi method is based on the Taguchi’s design of experimental method, and adopts Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) to transfer multi-response problems into single-response problems. In this investigation, an attempt has been made to optimize the drilling process parameters considering weighted output response characteristics using grey relational analysis. The output response characteristics considered are surface roughness, burr height and hole diameter error under the experimental conditions of cutting speed, feed rate, step angle, and cutting environment. The drilling experiments were conducted using L27 orthogonal array. A combination of orthogonal array, design of experiments and grey relational analysis was used to ascertain best possible drilling process parameters that give minimum surface roughness, burr height and hole diameter error. The results reveal that combination of Taguchi design of experiment and grey relational analysis improves surface quality of drilled hole.

Keywords: metal matrix composite, drilling, optimization, step drill, surface roughness, burr height, hole diameter error

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Authors: Muhammad Umair, Yasir Nawab, Khubab Shaker, Muhammad Maqsood, Adeel Zulfiqar, Danish Mahmood Baitab

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Fabric is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibers often referred to as thread or yarn. Today fabrics are produced by weaving, braiding, knitting, tufting and non-woven. Weaving is a method of fabric production in which warp and weft yarns are interlaced perpendicular to each other. There is infinite number of ways for the interlacing of warp and weft yarn. Each way produces a different fabric structure. The yarns parallel to the machine direction are called warp yarns and the yarns perpendicular to the machine direction are called weft or filling yarns. Air jet weaving is the modern method of weft insertion and considered as high speed loom. The twist loss in air jet during weft insertion affects the strength. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of twist change in weft yarn during air-jet weft insertion. A total number of 8 samples were produced using 1/1 plain and 3/1 twill weave design with two fabric widths having same loom settings. Two different types of yarns like cotton and PC blend were used. The effect of material type, weave design and fabric width on twist change of weft yarn was measured and discussed. Twist change in the different types of weft yarn and weave design was measured and compared the twist change in the weft yarn with the yarn before weft yarn insertion and twist loss is measured. Wider fabric leads to higher twist loss in the yarn.

Keywords: air jet loom, twist per inch, twist loss, weft yarn

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Authors: Shayan Mohajer Hamidi

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Federated learning has emerged as a promising approach for distributed model training while preserving data privacy. However, the challenges of communication overhead, limited network resources, and slow convergence hinder its widespread adoption. On the other hand, knowledge distillation has shown great potential in compressing large models into smaller ones without significant loss in performance. In this paper, we propose an innovative framework that combines federated learning and knowledge distillation to address these challenges and enhance the efficiency of distributed learning. Our approach, called Federated Knowledge Distillation (FKD), enables multiple clients in a federated learning setting to collaboratively distill knowledge from a teacher model. By leveraging the collaborative nature of federated learning, FKD aims to improve model compression while maintaining privacy. The proposed framework utilizes a coded teacher model that acts as a reference for distilling knowledge to the client models. To demonstrate the effectiveness of FKD, we conduct extensive experiments on various datasets and models. We compare FKD with baseline federated learning methods and standalone knowledge distillation techniques. The results show that FKD achieves superior model compression, faster convergence, and improved performance compared to traditional federated learning approaches. Furthermore, FKD effectively preserves privacy by ensuring that sensitive data remains on the client devices and only distilled knowledge is shared during the training process. In our experiments, we explore different knowledge transfer methods within the FKD framework, including Fine-Tuning (FT), FitNet, Correlation Congruence (CC), Similarity-Preserving (SP), and Relational Knowledge Distillation (RKD). We analyze the impact of these methods on model compression and convergence speed, shedding light on the trade-offs between size reduction and performance. Moreover, we address the challenges of communication efficiency and network resource utilization in federated learning by leveraging the knowledge distillation process. FKD reduces the amount of data transmitted across the network, minimizing communication overhead and improving resource utilization. This makes FKD particularly suitable for resource-constrained environments such as edge computing and IoT devices. The proposed FKD framework opens up new avenues for collaborative and privacy-preserving distributed learning. By combining the strengths of federated learning and knowledge distillation, it offers an efficient solution for model compression and convergence speed enhancement. Future research can explore further extensions and optimizations of FKD, as well as its applications in domains such as healthcare, finance, and smart cities, where privacy and distributed learning are of paramount importance.

Keywords: federated learning, knowledge distillation, knowledge transfer, deep learning

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Authors: Ibrahim Shinbira

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In urban design, much has been discussed on the significance of the physical qualities in creating the place identity; however, the role of walkability as a physical quality that can evokes people's perception of place identity has not been adequately explored. This paper is based on the part findings of a doctoral research examining place identity in the city centre of Misurata, Libya. A number of 176 questionnaire and 23 face-to-face interviews were conducted with residents of the city to investigate physical qualities of place identity that evoked resident's perception. The finding demonstrates that walkability within the city centre is strong and it influences the users’ perception on the place identity. These were regarded as very important in sustaining the socio-cultural values, enjoyment, options, vitality and comfort. The paper concludes by establishing that walkability has a substantial contribution to the place identity, therefore should be considered in the design of urban places specifically the redevelopment one.

Keywords: perception, walkability, physical environment, place identity, residents

Procedia PDF Downloads 623

Authors: Ehsan Samimi, Mohammaa Ali Shahosseeni, Ali Abasltian, Shahriar Shafaghi

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Background/Objectives: Voluntary turnover and early retirement request by specialists and experienced people in project-based organizations (PBO) has caused many problems in finding suitable experts to execute the projects. Methods/Statistical analysis: The present study is a descriptive and applied research. Research population consists of KWs in oil and gas PBO. The engineers in these organizations were considered as research sample. Interviews and questionnaire were used to gather information. Interviews with experts were used to identify factors and questionnaires were utilized to identify the importance and prioritization. 72 factors were identified and categorized into 9 groups within organizational and HR initiative levels. Results: Results of the research indicate the priority of each group of factors according to the proposed model in the view of KWs in oil, gas and petrochemical industries. On this basis, the following factors have the highest effect ratio based on the respondents’ point of view: 1. knowledge management 2. Performance appraisal system 3. Communication 4.Training and development 5.Job design and analysis 6. Employment policies 7. Career planning 8. Project/organizational factors 9. Salary and rewards. Additionally, in each group the priority of effective sub-factors has been identified as the result of the research .The results support the definitions of KWs and influence of factors examined and specified by similar studies in retention and development of KWs. The high importance of knowledge management and low rank for salary and rewards can be mentioned as example in this regard. Despite the priority of each group of factors the uniqueness of the result is due to identification of effective factors in the specific industry (oil and gas) and type of organization (PBO). Conclusion/Application: The findings of present study can be used to devise plans for retaining and developing KWs in PBO especially in oil and gas industry.

Keywords: project–based organizations, knowledge workers, HR management, turnover, retaining and developing employees

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Authors: R. Sekula

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Epoxy composites are broadly used as an electrical insulation for the high voltage applications since only such materials can fulfill particular mechanical, thermal, and dielectric requirements. However, properties of the final product are strongly dependent on proper manufacturing process with minimized material failures, as too large shrinkage, voids and cracks. Therefore, application of proper materials (epoxy, hardener, and filler) and process parameters (mold temperature, filling time, filling velocity, initial temperature of internal parts, gelation time), as well as design and geometric parameters are essential features for final quality of the produced components. In this paper, an approach for three-dimensional modeling of all molding stages, namely filling, curing and post-curing is presented. The reactive molding simulation tool is based on a commercial CFD package, and include dedicated models describing viscosity and reaction kinetics that have been successfully implemented to simulate the reactive nature of the system with exothermic effect. Also a dedicated simulation procedure for stress and shrinkage calculations, as well as simulation results are presented in the paper. Second part of the paper is dedicated to recent developments on formulations of functional composites for electrical insulation applications, focusing on thermally conductive materials. Concepts based on filler modifications for epoxy electrical composites have been presented, including the results of the obtained properties. Finally, having in mind tough environmental regulations, in addition to current process and design aspects, an approach for product re-design has been presented focusing on replacement of epoxy material with the thermoplastic one. Such “design-for-recycling” method is one of new directions associated with development of new material and processing concepts of electrical products and brings a lot of additional research challenges. For that, one of the successful products has been presented to illustrate the presented methodology.

Keywords: curing, epoxy insulation, numerical simulations, recycling

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Authors: Martins Olatunbosun Babatunde, Muhammed Bashir Muazu, Emmanuel Adewale Adedokun

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This paper presents the development of a double-loop trajectory-tracking controller for the ball and plate system (BPS) using the Normalized Right Coprime Factorization (NRCF) scheme.The Linear Algebraic (LA) method is used to design the inner loop required to stabilize the ball, while H-infinity NRCF method, that involved the lead-lag compensator design approach, is used to develop the outer loop that controls the plate. Simulation results show that the plate was stabilized at 0.2989 seconds and the ball was able to settle after 0.9646 seconds, with a trajectory tracking error of 0.0036. This shows that the controller has good adaptability and robustness.

Keywords: ball and plate system, normalized right coprime factorization, linear algebraic method, compensator, controller, tracking.

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Authors: Dogaru-Ulieru Valentin, Sălișteanu Ioan Corneliu, Ardeleanu Mihăiță Nicolae, Broscăreanu Ștefan, Sălișteanu Bogdan, Mihai Mihail

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The SiaMOTO system is a communications and data processing platform for vehicle traffic. The human factor is the most important factor in the generation of this data, as the driver is the one who dictates the trajectory of the vehicle. Like any trajectory, specific parameters refer to position, speed and acceleration. Constant knowledge of these parameters allows complex analyses. Roadways allow many vehicles to travel through their confined space, and the overlapping trajectories of several vehicles increase the likelihood of collision events, known as road accidents. Any such event has causes that lead to its occurrence, so the conditions for its occurrence are known. The human factor is predominant in deciding the trajectory parameters of the vehicle on the road, so monitoring it by knowing the events reported by the DiaMOTO device over time, will generate a guide to target any potentially high-risk driving behavior and reward those who control the driving phenomenon well. In this paper, we have focused on detailing the communication infrastructure of the DiaMOTO device with the traffic data collection server, the infrastructure through which the database that will be used for complex AI/DLM analysis is built. The central element of this description is the data string in CODEC-8 format sent by the DiaMOTO device to the SiaMOTO collection server database. The data presented are specific to a functional infrastructure implemented in an experimental model stage, by installing on a number of 50 vehicles DiaMOTO unique code devices, integrating ADAS and GPS functions, through which vehicle trajectories can be monitored 24 hours a day.

Keywords: DiaMOTO, Codec-8, ADAS, GPS, driver monitoring

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Authors: F. Majeed, D. V. Thiel, M. Shahpari

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An electrically small meander line antenna is designed for impedance matching with RF transceiver chip CC1101. The design provides the flexibility of tuning the reactance of the antenna over a wide range of values: highly capacitive to highly inductive. The antenna was printed with silver ink on FR4 substrate using the screen printing design process. The antenna impedance was perfectly matched to CC1101 at 433 MHz. The measured radiation efficiency of the antenna was 81.3% at resonance. The 3 dB and 10 dB fractional bandwidth of the antenna was 14.5% and 4.78%, respectively. The read range of the antenna was compared with a copper wire monopole antenna over a distance of five meters. The antenna, with a perfect impedance match with RF transceiver chip CC1101, shows improvement in the read range compared to a monopole antenna over the specified distance.

Keywords: meander line antenna, RFID, silver ink printing, impedance matching

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Authors: Maryam Abata, Moulhime El Bekkali, Said Mazer, Catherine Algani, Mahmoud Mehdi

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One major problem of most electronic systems operating in the millimeter wave band is the signal generation with a high purity and a stable carrier frequency. This problem is overcome by using the combination of a signal with a low frequency local oscillator (LO) and several stages of frequency multipliers. The use of these frequency multipliers to create millimeter-wave signals is an attractive alternative to direct generation signal. Therefore, the isolation problem of the local oscillator from the other stages is always present, which leads to have various mechanisms that can disturb the oscillator performance, thus a buffer amplifier is often included in oscillator outputs. In this paper, we present the study and design of a buffer amplifier in the mm-wave band using a 0.15μm pHEMT from UMS foundry. This amplifier will be used as a part of a frequency quadrupler at 60 GHz.

Keywords: Mm-wave band, local oscillator, frequency quadrupler, buffer amplifier

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Authors: Wei Zhao

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The pandemic crisis disrupted normal classroom practices so that the constraints of the traditional practice became apparent. This turns out to be new opportunities for technology-based learning and teaching. However, how the technology supports the preschool teachers go through this sudden crisis and how preschool teachers conceived of the use of technology, appropriate and design technological artifacts as a mediator of knowledge construction in order to suit young children’s literacy level are rarely explored. This study addresses these issues by looking at the influence of a web-supported teacher community on changes/shifts in preschool teachers’ epistemological beliefs and practices. This teachers’ professional development community was formulated before the pandemic time and developed virtually throughout the home-based learning caused by Covid-19. It served as a virtual and asynchronous community for those teachers to collaboratively plan for and conduct online lessons using the knowledge-building approach for the purpose of sustaining children’s learning curiosity and opening up new learning opportunities during the lock-down period. The knowledge-building approach helps to increase teachers’ collective responsibility to collaboratively work on shared educational goals in the teacher community and awareness of noticing new ideas or innovations in their classroom. Based on the data collected across five months during and after the lock-down period and the activity theory, results show a dynamic interplay between the evolution of the community culture, the growth of teacher community and teachers’ identity transformation and professional development. Technology is useful in this regard not only because it transforms the geographical distance and new gathering guidelines after the outbreak of pandemic into new ways of communal communication and collaboration. More importantly, while teachers selected, monitored and adapted the technology, it acts as a catalyst for changes in teachers’ old teaching practices and epistemological dispositions.

Keywords: activity theory, changes in epistemology and practice, knowledge building, web-based teachers’ professional development community

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Authors: E. Zippelius

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Urban design aims to provide a stage for public life that, when once brought to life, is right away subject to subtle but continuous transformation. This paper explores such transformations and searches for ways how public life can be reinforced in the case of a housing settlement for the displaced in Nicosia, Cyprus. First, a sound basis of theoretical knowledge is established through literature review, notably the theory of the Production of Space by Henri Lefebvre, exploring its potential and defining key criteria for the following empirical analysis. The analysis is pinpointing the differences between spatial practice, representation of space and spaces of representation as well as their interaction, alliance, or even conflict. In doing so uncertainties, chances and challenges are unraveled that will be consequently linked to practice and action and lead to the formulation of a design strategy. A strategy, though, that does not long for achieving an absolute, finite certainty but understands the three dimensions of space formulated by Lefebvre as equal and space as continuously produced, hence, unfinished.

Keywords: production of space, public space, urban life, urban transformation

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Authors: Celine Davis

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The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, which has detrimental respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological effects impacting over one million lives in the United States. New researches has emerged indicating long-term neurologic consequences in those who survive COVID-19 infections, including more than seven million Americans and another 27 million people worldwide. These consequences include attentional deficits, memory impairments, executive function deficits and aphasia-like symptoms which fall within the purview of speech-language pathology. The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is a comprehensive annual survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), a branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States. The NHIS is one of the most significant sources of health-related data in the country and has been conducted since 1957. The longitudinal nature of the study allows for analysis of trends in various variables over the years, which can be essential for understanding societal changes and making treatment recommendations. This current study will utilize NHIS data from 2020-2022 which contained interview questions specifically related to COVID-19. Adult cases of individuals between the ages of 18-50 diagnosed with COVID-19 in the United States during 2020-2022 will be identified using the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Multiple regression analysis of self-reported data confirming COVID-19 infection status and challenges with concentration, communication, and memory will be performed. Latent class analysis will be utilized to identify subgroups in the population to indicate whether certain demographic groups have higher susceptibility to cognitive-linguistic deficits associated with COVID-19. Completion of this study will reveal whether there is an association between confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and heightened incidence of cognitive deficits and subsequent implications, if any, on activities of daily living. This study is distinct in its aim to utilize national survey data to explore the relationship between confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and the prevalence of cognitive-communication deficits with a secondary focus on resulting activity limitations. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this will be the first large-scale epidemiological study investigating the associations between cognitive-linguistic deficits, COVID-19 and implications on activities of daily living in the United States population. These findings will highlight the need for targeted interventions and support services to address the cognitive-communication needs of individuals recovering from COVID-19, thereby enhancing their overall well-being and functional outcomes.

Keywords: cognition, COVID-19, language, limitations, memory, NHIS

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Authors: Sunsoo Kim, Niladri Das, Raktim Bhattacharya

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This paper addresses modeling and control of a six-degree-of-freedom unmanned aerial vehicle capable of vertical take-off and landing in the presence of wind disturbances. We design a hybrid vehicle that combines the benefits of both the fixed-wing and the rotary-wing UAVs. A non-linear model for the hybrid vehicle is rapidly built, combining rigid body dynamics, aerodynamics of wing, and dynamics of the motor and propeller. Further, we design a H₂ optimal controller to make the UAV robust to wind disturbances. We compare its results against that of proportional-integral-derivative and linear-quadratic regulator based control. Our proposed controller results in better performance in terms of root mean squared errors and time responses during two scenarios: hover and level- flight.

Keywords: hybrid UAVs, VTOL, aircraft modeling, H2 optimal control, wind disturbances

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Authors: Sibusiso Trevor Tshabalala, Samuel Lubbe, Vince Vuledzani Ndou

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Dependency on chemicals has had many disadvantages in pest management control strategies. Such genetic rodenticide resistance and secondary exposure risk are what is currently being experienced. Emphasis on integrated pest management suggests that to control future pests, early intervention and economic threshold development are key starting points in crop production. The significance of this research project is to help establish a relationship between Giant African Land Snail (Achatina Fulica) solution extract, its shell chemical properties, and farmer’s perceptions of biological control in eThekwini Municipality Agri-hubs. A mixed design approach to collecting data will be explored using a trial layout in the field and through interviews. The experimental area will be explored using a split-plot design that will be replicated and arranged in a randomised complete block design. The split-plot will have 0, 10, 20 and 30 liters of water to one liter of snail solution extract. Plots were 50 m² each with a spacing of 12 m between each plot and a plant spacing of 0.5 m (inter-row) ‘and 0.5 m (intra-row). Trials will be irrigated using sprinkler irrigation, with objective two being added to the mix every 4-5 days. The expected outcome will be improved soil fertility and micro-organisms population proliferation.

Keywords: giant african land snail, integrated pest management, photosynthesis, genetic rodenticide resistance, control future pests, shell chemical properties

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Authors: Michelle Eichinger, Upali Nanda

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Behavior choices during college years can establish the pattern of lifelong healthy living. Nearly 1/3rd of American college students are either overweight (25 < BMI < 30) or obese (BMI > 30). In addition, overweight/obesity contributes to depression, which is a rising epidemic among college students, affecting academic performance and college drop-out rates. Overweight and obesity result in an imbalance of energy consumption (diet) and energy expenditure (physical activity). Overweight/obesity is a significant contributor to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, physical disabilities and some cancers, which are the leading causes of death and disease in the US. There has been a significant increase in obesity and obesity-related disorders such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia among people in their teens and 20s. Historically, the evidence-based interventions for obesity prevention focused on changing the health behavior at the individual level and aimed at increasing awareness and educating people about nutrition and physical activity. However, it became evident that the environmental context of where people live, work and learn was interdependent to healthy behavior change. As a result, a comprehensive approach was required to include altering the social and built environment to support healthy living. College campus provides opportunities to support lifestyle behavior and form a health-promoting culture based on some key point of decisions such as stairs/ elevator, walk/ bike/ car, high-caloric and fast foods/balanced and nutrient-rich foods etc. At each point of decision, design, can help/hinder the healthier choice. For example, stair well design and motivational signage support physical activity; grocery store/market proximity influence healthy eating etc. There is a need to collate the vast information that is in planning and public health domains on a range of successful point of decision prompts, and translate it into architectural guidelines that help define the edge condition for critical point of decision prompts. This research study aims to address healthy behaviors through the built environment with the questions, how can we make the healthy choice an easy choice through the design of critical point of decision prompts? Our hypothesis is that well-designed point of decision prompts in the built environment of college campuses can promote healthier choices by students, which can directly impact mental and physical health related to obesity. This presentation will introduce a combined health and architectural framework aimed to influence healthy behaviors through design applied for college campuses. The premise behind developing our concept, point-of-decision design (PODD), is healthy decision-making can be built into, or afforded by our physical environments. Using effective design intervention strategies at these 'points-of-decision' on college campuses to make the healthy decision the default decision can be instrumental in positively impacting health at the population level. With our model, we aim to advance health research by utilizing point-of-decision design to impact student health via core sectors of influences within college settings, such as campus facilities and transportation. We will demonstrate how these domains influence patterns/trends in healthy eating and active living behaviors among students. how these domains influence patterns/trends in healthy eating and active living behaviors among students.

Keywords: architecture and health promotion, college campus, design strategies, health in built environment

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Authors: Farouk Lawan Gambo

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Data compression shrinks files into fewer bits then their original presentation. It has more advantage on internet because the smaller a file, the faster it can be transferred but learning most of the concepts in data compression are abstract in nature therefore making them difficult to digest by some students (Engineers in particular). To determine the best approach toward learning data compression technique, this paper first study the learning preference of engineering students who tend to have strong active, sensing, visual and sequential learning preferences, the paper also study the advantage that mobility of learning have experienced; Learning at the point of interest, efficiency, connection, and many more. A survey is carried out with some reasonable number of students, through random sampling to see whether considering the learning preference and advantages in mobility of learning will give a promising improvement over the traditional way of learning. Evidence from data analysis using Ms-Excel as a point of concern for error-free findings shows that there is significance different in the students after using learning content provided on smart phone, also the result of the findings presented in, bar charts and pie charts interpret that mobile learning has to be promising feature of learning.

Keywords: data analysis, compression techniques, learning content, traditional learning approach

Procedia PDF Downloads 344

Authors: Susan E Orlovich

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Ongoing, effective teacher professional learning is acknowledged as a critical influence on teacher practice. However, it is unclear whether the elements of effective professional learning result in transformed teacher practice in the classroom. This research project is interested in 4C teacher professional learning. The professional learning practices to assist teachers in transforming their practice to integrate the 4C capabilities seldom feature in the academic literature. The 4Cs are a shorthand way of representing the concepts of communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical reflection and refer to the capabilities needed for deeper learning, personal growth, and effective participation in society. The New South Wales curriculum review (2020) acknowledges that identifying, teaching, and assessing the 4C capabilities are areas of challenge for teachers. However, it also recognises that it is essential for teachers to build the confidence and capacity to understand, teach and assess the capabilities necessary for learners to thrive in the 21st century. This qualitative research project explores the professional learning experiences of sixteen teachers in four different primaries (K-6) settings in Sydney, Australia, who are learning to integrate, teach and assess the 4Cs. The project draws on the Theory of Practice Architecture as a framework to analyse and interpret teachers' experiences in each site. The sixteen participants in the study are teachers from four primary settings and include early career, experienced, and teachers in leadership roles (including the principal). In addition, some of the participants are also teachers who are learning within a Community of Practice (CoP) as their school setting is engaged in a 4C professional learning, Community of Practice. Qualitative and arts-informed research methods are utilised to examine the cultural-discursive, social-political, and material-economic practice arrangements of the site, explore how these arrangements may have shaped the professional learning experiences of teachers, and in turn, influence the teaching practices of the 4Cs in the setting. The research is in the data analysis stage (October 2022), with preliminary findings pending. The research objective is to investigate the elements of the professional learning experiences undertaken by teachers to teach the 4Cs in the primary setting. The lens of practice architectures theory is used to identify the influence of the practice architectures on critical praxis in each site and examine how the practice arrangements enable or constrain the teaching of 4C capabilities. This research aims to offer deep insight into the practice arrangements which may enable or constrain teacher professional learning in the 4Cs. Such insight from this study may contribute to a better understanding of the practices that enable teachers to transform their practice to achieve the integration, teaching, and assessment of the 4C capabilities.

Keywords: 4Cs, communication, collaboration, creativity, critical reflection, teacher professional learning

Procedia PDF Downloads 100

Authors: Harpa Ragnarsdóttir, Magnús Kjartan Gíslason, Kristín Briem, Guðný Lilja Oddsdóttir

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Introduction: Whiplash-Associated Disorder (WAD) is a health problem characterized by motor, neurological and psychosocial symptoms, stressing the need for a multimodal treatment approach. To achieve individualized multimodal approach, prognostic factors need to be identified early using validated patient-reported and objective outcome measures. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the degree of association between patient-reported and clinical outcome measures of WAD patients in the subacute phase. Methods: Individuals (n=41) with subacute (≥1, ≤3 months) WAD (I-II), medium to high-risk symptoms, or neck pain rating ≥ 4/10 on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were examined. Outcome measures included measurements for movement control (Butterfly test) and cervical active range of motion (cAROM) using the NeckSmart system, a computer system using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that connects to a computer. The IMU sensor is placed on the participant’s head, who receives visual feedback about the movement of the head. Patient-reported neck disability, pain intensity, general health, self-perceived handicap, central sensitization, and difficulties due to dizziness were measured using questionnaires. Excel and R statistical software were used for statistical analyses. Results: Forty-one participants, 15 males (37%), 26 females (63%), mean (SD) age 36.8 (±12.7), underwent data collection. Mean amplitude accuracy (AA) (SD) in the Butterfly test for easy, medium, and difficult paths were 2.4mm (0.9), 4.4mm (1.8), and 6.8mm (2.7), respectively. Mean cAROM (SD) for flexion, extension, left-, and right rotation were 46.3° (18.5), 48.8° (17.8), 58.2° (14.3), and 58.9° (15.0), respectively. Mean scores on the Neck Disability Index (NDI), VAS, Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), and 36-Item Short Form Survey RAND version (RAND) were 43% (17.4), 7 (1.7), 37 (25.4), 51 (17.5), and 39.2 (17.7) respectively. Females showed significantly greater deviation for AA compared to males for easy and medium Butterfly paths (p<0.05). Statistically significant moderate to strong positive correlation was found between the DHI and easy (r=0.6, p=0.05), medium (r=0.5, p=0.05)) and difficult (r=0.5, p<0.05) Butterfly paths, between the total RAND score and all cAROMs (r between 0.4-0.7, p≤0.05) except flexion (r=0.4, p=0.7), and between the NDI score and CSI (r=0.7, p<0.01), VAS (r=0.5, p<0.01), and DHI (r=0.7, p<0.01) scores respectively. Discussion: All patient-reported and objective measures were found to be outside the reference range. Results suggest females have worse movement control in the neck in the subacute WAD phase. However, no statistical difference based on gender was found in patient-reported measures. Suggesting females might have worse movement control than males in general in this phase. The correlation found between DHI and the Butterfly test can be explained because the DHI measures proprioceptive symptoms like dizziness and eye movement disorders that can affect the outcome of movement control tests. A correlation was found between the total RAND score and cAROM, suggesting that a reduced range of motion affects the quality of life. Significance: The NeckSmart system can detect abnormalities in cAROM, fine movement control, and kinesthesia of the neck. Results suggest females have worse movement control than males. Results show a moderate to a high correlation between several patient-reported and objective measurements.

Keywords: whiplash associated disorders, car-collision, neck, trauma, subacute

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Authors: Okolie Chukwulozie Paul, Iwenofu Chinwe Onyedika, Sinebe Jude Ebieladoh, M. C. Nwosu

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The research work is based on the statistical analysis of the processing data. The essence is to analyze the data statistically and to generate a design model for the production mix of soap manufacturing products in Bejoy manufacturing company Nkpologwu, Aguata Local Government Area, Anambra state, Nigeria. The statistical analysis shows the statistical analysis and the correlation of the data. T test, Partial correlation and bi-variate correlation were used to understand what the data portrays. The design model developed was used to model the data production yield and the correlation of the variables show that the R2 is 98.7%. However, the results confirm that the data is fit for further analysis and modeling. This was proved by the correlation and the R-squared.

Keywords: General Linear Model, correlation, variables, pearson, significance, T-test, soap, production mix and statistic

Procedia PDF Downloads 438

Authors: Nahed Al-Hajeri

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There are several reasons which lead to a delay in project completion, out of all, one main reason is the delay in deliverable processing, i.e. submission and review of documents. Most of the project cycles start with a list of deliverables but without a sequence of submission of the same, means without a direction to move, leading to overlapping of activities and more interdependencies. Hence Project Design Deliverables (PDD) is developed as a solution to Organize Transmittals (Documents/Drawings) received from contractors/consultants during different phases of an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) projects, which gives proper direction to the stakeholders from the beginning, to reduce inter-discipline dependency, avoid overlapping of activities, provide a list of deliverables, sequence of activities, etc. PDD attempts to provide a list and sequencing of the engineering documents/drawings required during different phases of a Project which will benefit both client and Contractor in performing planned activities through timely submission and review of deliverables. This helps in ensuring improved quality and completion of Project in time. The successful implementation begins with a detailed understanding the specific challenges and requirements of the project. PDD will help to learn about vendor document submissions including general workflow, sequence and monitor the submission and review of the deliverables from the early stages of Project. This will provide an overview for the Submission of deliverables by the concerned during the projects in proper sequence. The goal of PDD is also to hold responsible and accountability of all stakeholders during complete project cycle. We believe that successful implementation of PDD with a detailed list of documents and their sequence will help organizations to achieve the project target.

Keywords: EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction), project design deliverables (PDD), econometrics sciences, management sciences

Procedia PDF Downloads 395

Authors: Mohamed Asaad Abdelrazek, Amir Taher El-Sheikh, M. Zayan, A.M. Elhady

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The successful realization of complex systems is dependent not only on the technology issues and the process for implementing them, but on the management issues as well. Managing the systems development lifecycle requires technical management. Systems engineering management is the technical management. Systems engineering management is accomplished by incorporating many activities. The three major activities are development phasing, systems engineering process and lifecycle integration. Systems engineering management activities are performed across the system development lifecycle. Due to the ever-increasing complexity of systems as well the difficulty of managing and tracking the development activities, new ways to achieve systems engineering management activities are required. This paper presents a systematic approach used as a design management tool applied across systems engineering management roles. In this approach, Transdisciplinary System Development Lifecycle (TSDL) Model has been modified and integrated with Quality Function Deployment. Hereinafter, the name of the systematic approach is the Transdisciplinary Quality System Development Lifecycle (TQSDL) Model. The QFD translates the voice of customers (VOC) into measurable technical characteristics. The modified TSDL model is based on Axiomatic Design developed by Suh which is applicable to all designs: products, processes, systems and organizations. The TQSDL model aims to provide a robust structure and systematic thinking to support the implementation of systems engineering management roles. This approach ensures that the customer requirements are fulfilled as well as satisfies all the systems engineering manager roles and activities.

Keywords: axiomatic design, quality function deployment, systems engineering management, system development lifecycle

Procedia PDF Downloads 355