Search results for: physical systems

Authors: Mustafa Sengul, Enes Sahin, Sertac Arslan

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Pumpjets are one of the marine propulsion systems frequently used in underwater vehicles nowadays. The reasons for frequent use of pumpjet as a propulsion system are that it has higher relative efficiency at high speeds, better cavitation, and acoustic performance than its rivals. Pumpjets are composed of rotor, stator, and duct, and there are two different types of pumpjet configurations depending on the desired hydrodynamic characteristic, which are with accelerating and decelerating duct. Pumpjet with an accelerating channel is used at cargo ships where it works at low speeds and high loading conditions. The working principle of this type of pumpjet is to maximize the thrust by reducing the pressure of the fluid through the channel and throwing the fluid out from the channel with high momentum. On the other hand, for decelerating ducted pumpjets, the main consideration is to prevent the occurrence of the cavitation phenomenon by increasing the pressure of the fluid about the rotor region. By postponing the cavitation, acoustic noise naturally falls down, so decelerating ducted systems are used at noise-sensitive vehicle systems where acoustic performance is vital. Therefore, duct design becomes a crucial step during pumpjet design. This study, it is aimed to optimize the duct geometry of a decelerating ducted pumpjet for a highly speed underwater vehicle by using proper optimization tools. The target output of this optimization process is to obtain a duct design that maximizes fluid pressure around the rotor region to prevent from cavitation and minimizes drag force. There are two main optimization techniques that could be utilized for this process which are parameter-based optimization and gradient-based optimization. While parameter-based algorithm offers more major changes in interested geometry, which makes user to get close desired geometry, gradient-based algorithm deals with minor local changes in geometry. In parameter-based optimization, the geometry should be parameterized first. Then, by defining upper and lower limits for these parameters, design space is created. Finally, by proper optimization code and analysis, optimum geometry is obtained from this design space. For this duct optimization study, a commercial codedparameter-based optimization algorithm is used. To parameterize the geometry, duct is represented with b-spline curves and control points. These control points have x and y coordinates limits. By regarding these limits, design space is generated.

Keywords: pumpjet, decelerating duct design, optimization, underwater vehicles, cavitation, drag minimization

Procedia PDF Downloads 209

Authors: Jana Abu Ahmada, Zaineb Mohamed, Ilyasse Aksikas

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The linear quadratic control system of hyperbolic first order partial differential equations (PDEs) are presented. The aim of this research is to control chemical reactions. This is achieved by converting the PDEs system to ordinary differential equations (ODEs) using the method of characteristics to reduce the system to control it by using the integral reinforcement learning. The designed controller is applied to a catalytic cracking reactor. Background—Transport-Reaction systems cover a large chemical and bio-chemical processes. They are best described by nonlinear PDEs derived from mass and energy balances. As a main application to be considered in this work is the catalytic cracking reactor. Indeed, the cracking reactor is widely used to convert high-boiling, high-molecular weight hydrocarbon fractions of petroleum crude oils into more valuable gasoline, olefinic gases, and others. On the other hand, control of PDEs systems is an important and rich area of research. One of the main control techniques is feedback control. This type of control utilizes information coming from the system to correct its trajectories and drive it to a desired state. Moreover, feedback control rejects disturbances and reduces the variation effects on the plant parameters. Linear-quadratic control is a feedback control since the developed optimal input is expressed as feedback on the system state to exponentially stabilize and drive a linear plant to the steady-state while minimizing a cost criterion. The integral reinforcement learning policy iteration technique is a strong method that solves the linear quadratic regulator problem for continuous-time systems online in real time, using only partial information about the system dynamics (i.e. the drift dynamics A of the system need not be known), and without requiring measurements of the state derivative. This is, in effect, a direct (i.e. no system identification procedure is employed) adaptive control scheme for partially unknown linear systems that converges to the optimal control solution. Contribution—The goal of this research is to Develop a characteristics-based optimal controller for a class of hyperbolic PDEs and apply the developed controller to a catalytic cracking reactor model. In the first part, developing an algorithm to control a class of hyperbolic PDEs system will be investigated. The method of characteristics will be employed to convert the PDEs system into a system of ODEs. Then, the control problem will be solved along the characteristic curves. The reinforcement technique is implemented to find the state-feedback matrix. In the other half, applying the developed algorithm to the important application of a catalytic cracking reactor. The main objective is to use the inlet fraction of gas oil as a manipulated variable to drive the process state towards desired trajectories. The outcome of this challenging research would yield the potential to provide a significant technological innovation for the gas industries since the catalytic cracking reactor is one of the most important conversion processes in petroleum refineries.

Keywords: PDEs, reinforcement iteration, method of characteristics, riccati equation, cracking reactor

Procedia PDF Downloads 91

Authors: W. Khitri, J. Zenaki, A. Abi, N. Lachgueur, A. Lardjem

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Healing is a biological phenomenon that is automatically and immediately implemented by the body that is able to repair the physical damage of all tissues except nerve cells. Lot of medicinal plants is used for the treatment of a wound. Our ethnobotanical study has identified 19 species and 13 families of plants used in traditional medicine in Oran-Algeria for their healing activities. The Phlomis bovei De Noe was the species most recommended by herbalists. Its phytochemical study revealed different secondary metabolites such as terpenes, tannins, saponins and mucilage. The evaluation of the healing activity of Phlomis bovei in wistar albinos rats by excision wound model showed a significant amelioration with 5 % increase of the surface healing compared to the control group and a gain of three days of epithelialization time with a scar histologically better.

Keywords: Phlomis Bovei De Noe, ethnobanical study, wound healing, wistar albino rats

Procedia PDF Downloads 446

Authors: Amadou Fall Dia, Maurras Ulbricht Togbe, Aliou Boly, Zakia Kazi Aoul, Elisabeth Metais

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Existing RDF (Resource Description Framework) Stream Processing (RSP) systems allow continuous processing of RDF data issued from different application domains such as weather station measuring phenomena, geolocation, IoT applications, drinking water distribution management, and so on. However, processing window phase often expires before finishing the entire session and RSP systems immediately delete data streams after each processed window. Such mechanism does not allow optimized exploitation of the RDF data streams as the most relevant and pertinent information of the data is often not used in a due time and almost impossible to be exploited for further analyzes. It should be better to keep the most informative part of data within streams while minimizing the memory storage space. In this work, we propose an RDF graph summarization system based on an explicit and implicit expressed needs through three main approaches: (1) an approach for user queries (SPARQL) in order to extract their needs and group them into a more global query, (2) an extension of the closeness centrality measure issued from Social Network Analysis (SNA) to determine the most informative parts of the graph and (3) an RDF graph summarization technique combining extracted user query needs and the extended centrality measure. Experiments and evaluations show efficient results in terms of memory space storage and the most expected approximate query results on summarized graphs compared to the source ones.

Keywords: centrality measures, RDF graphs summary, RDF graphs stream, SPARQL query

Procedia PDF Downloads 203

Authors: Jelena Riznić

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Sexual violence is a social fact that is both ubiquitous and invisible. From the myth of Medusa and Lucretia, through legends about sexual violence in war conflicts, to Hollywood films and other productions — sexual violence exists as a motive, implicitly or explicitly. Many Hollywood films contain a scene of rape, and the media is increasingly reporting on cases of sexual violence, often not following the guidelines for sensitized and ethical reporting. On the other hand, sexual violence remains an invisible phenomenon if we are talking from the perspective of the survivors. Only the wave of women's testimonies that flooded social networks after the #MeToo campaign in 2017 pointed to the prevalence and to the existing ideas about sexual violence that persist at the level of myths in society, but also through formal norms in the hearing of justice systems. The problem is also in the way rape is defined in the criminal codes of different countries, and all of this affects the reproduction of sexual violence. Precisely because it is a deeply intimate experience of violence, but also a structural problem; on the other hand, understanding sexual violence requires sociological imagination. Accordingly, the subject of this paper is the presentation and analysis of various discourses on sexual violence throughout history — pre/anti-feminist, feminist and criminal law, with particular reference to the situation in Serbia. The paper uses a critical review and comparative analysis of various sources on sexual violence, as well as an analysis of the impact of these sources on the modern legal framework that regulates sexual violence. Research has shown that despite feminist contributions, myths about sexual violence persist and influence the treatment of women who have survived violence in criminal systems and society in general.

Keywords: sexual violence, gender-based violence, MeToo campaign, feminism, Serbia

Procedia PDF Downloads 86

Authors: Doni Dermawan

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Modern sports competition as a consequence of the increase in the value of the business and entertainment in the field of sport has been demanding athletes to always have excellent physical endurance performance. Physical exercise is done in a long time, and intensive may pose a risk of muscle tissue damage caused by the increase of the enzyme creatine kinase. Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) is an essential amino acid that is composed of leucine, isoleucine, and valine which serves to maintain muscle tissue, keeping the immune system, and prevent further loss of coordination and muscle pain. Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a kind of leguminous plants that are rich in Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) where every one gram of protein pea contains 82.7 mg of leucine; 56.3 mg isoleucine; and 56.0 mg of valine. This research aims to develop Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) from pea extract is applied in dosage forms Gel PVP Kinesio Tape technology using Ultrasound-assisted Extraction. The method used in the writing of this paper is the Cochrane Collaboration Review that includes literature studies, testing the quality of the study, the characteristics of the data collection, analysis, interpretation of results, and clinical trials as well as recommendations for further research. Extraction of BCAA in pea done using ultrasound-assisted extraction technology with optimization variables includes the type of solvent extraction (NaOH 0.1%), temperature (20-250C), time (15-30 minutes) power (80 watt) and ultrasonic frequency (35 KHz). The advantages of this extraction method are the level of penetration of the solvent into the membrane of the cell is high and can increase the transfer period so that the BCAA substance separation process more efficient. BCAA extraction results are then applied to the polymer PVP (Polyvinylpyrrolidone) Gel powder composed of PVP K30 and K100 HPMC dissolved in 10 mL of water-methanol (1: 1) v / v. Preparations Kinesio Tape Gel PVP is the BCAA in the gel are absorbed into the muscle tissue, and joints through tensile force then provides stimulation to the muscle circulation with variable pressure so that the muscle can increase the biomechanical movement and prevent damage to the muscle enzyme creatine kinase. Analysis and evaluation of test preparation include interaction, thickness, weight uniformity, humidity, water vapor permeability, the levels of the active substance, content uniformity, percentage elongation, stability testing, release profile, permeation in vitro and in vivo skin irritation testing.

Keywords: branched chain amino acid, BCAA, Kinesio tape, pea, PVP gel, ultrasound-assisted extraction

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Authors: Jennifer F. Moore

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The wellness wheel as a tool for school growth and change is currently being piloted by a startup school in Chicago, IL. In this case study, members of the school community engaged in the appreciative inquiry process to plan their organizational development around the wellness wheel. The wellness wheel (comprised of physical, emotional, social, spiritual, environmental, cognitive, and financial wellness) is used as a planning tool by teachers, students, parents, and administrators. Through the appreciative inquiry method of change, the community is reflecting on their individual level of wellness and developing organizational structures to ensure the well being of children and adults. The goal of the case study is to test the appropriateness of the use of appreciative inquiry (as a method) and the wellness wheel (as a tool) for school growth and development. Findings of the case study will be realized by the conference. The research is in process now.

Keywords: education, schools, well being, wellness

Procedia PDF Downloads 178

Authors: Luxi He, Tianfang Zhang, Zhengbin He, Songlin Yi

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Heat treatment has been widely recognized for its effectiveness in enhancing the physicochemical properties of wood, including hygroscopicity and dimensional stability. Nonetheless, the non-negligible volumetric shrinkage and loss of mechanical strength resulting from heat treatment may diminish the wood recovery and its product value. In this study, tung oil was used to alleviate heat-induced shrinkage and reduction in mechanical properties of wood during heat treatment. Tung oil was chosen as a modifier because it is a traditional Chinese plant oil that has been widely used for over a thousand years to protect wooden furniture and buildings due to its biodegradable and non-toxic properties. The effects of different heating media (air, tung oil) and their effective treatment parameters (temperature, duration) on the changes in the physical properties (morphological characteristics, pore structures, micromechanical properties), and chemical properties (chemical structures, chemical composition) of wood were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and dynamic vapor sorption. Meanwhile, the correlation between the mass changes and the color change, volumetric shrinkage, and hygroscopicity was also investigated. The results showed that the thermal degradation of wood cell wall components was the most important factor contributing to the changes in heat-induced shrinkage, color, and moisture adsorption of wood. In air-heat-treated wood samples, there was a significant correlation between mass change and heat-induced shrinkage, brightness, and moisture adsorption. However, the presence of impregnated tung oil in oil-heat-treated wood appears to disrupt these correlations among physical properties. The results of micromechanical properties demonstrated a significant decrease in elastic modulus following high-temperature heat treatment, which was mitigated by tung oil treatment. Chemical structure and compositional analyses indicated that the changes in chemical structure primarily stem from the degradation of hemicellulose and cellulose, and the presence of tung oil created an oxygen-insulating environment that slowed down this degradation process. Morphological observation results showed that tung oil permeated the wood structure and penetrated the cell walls through transportation channels, altering the micro-morphology of the cell wall surface, obstructing primary water passages (e.g., vessels and pits), and impeding the release of volatile degradation products as well as the infiltration and diffusion of water. In summary, tung oil treatment represents an environmentally friendly and efficient method for maximizing wood recovery and increasing product value. This approach holds significant potential for industrial applications in wood heat treatment.

Keywords: tung oil, heat treatment, physicochemical properties, wood cell walls

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Authors: Adelayo Akeem Jolaoye

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Historically urban centers serve as the fulcrum upon which significant complex social and economic development rest. Despite their fixed geographical locations, though in different degree, cities generate self-sustenance and multiplier effects in all aspects of life. They also house inestimable human capital, which serves as a power house for future generation transformation requirements. Unfortunately, the untamed global urbanization process has resulted in an unimaginable damage to the urban social structure as well as urban environmental value. The preceding has caused cities failure in performing their expected roles worst still becoming a regional burden and national liabilities. This paper briefly discusses the ecological concept of urban settlements and reviews the world historical urban evolution and growth. Also, given the above-mentioned anomalies, the paper also raised conceptual principles of urban planning as well as administrative policies for its strategic management.

Keywords: city, urbanization, urban planning, urban malice

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Authors: Adamu Abdullahi, On Francisca, Saidu Isah Rambo, G. N. Obunadike, D. T. Chinyio

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The paper discusses the potential threat of Denial of Service (DoS) attacks in the Internet of Things (IoT) networks on constrained application protocols (CoAP). As billions of IoT devices are expected to be connected to the internet in the coming years, the security of these devices is vulnerable to attacks, disrupting their functioning. This research aims to tackle this issue by applying mixed methods of qualitative and quantitative for feature selection, extraction, and cluster algorithms to detect DoS attacks in the Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) using the Machine Learning Algorithm (MLA). The main objective of the research is to enhance the security scheme for CoAP in the IoT environment by analyzing the nature of DoS attacks and identifying a new set of features for detecting them in the IoT network environment. The aim is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the MLA in detecting DoS attacks and compare it with conventional intrusion detection systems for securing the CoAP in the IoT environment. Findings: The research identifies the appropriate node to detect DoS attacks in the IoT network environment and demonstrates how to detect the attacks through the MLA. The accuracy detection in both classification and network simulation environments shows that the k-means algorithm scored the highest percentage in the training and testing of the evaluation. The network simulation platform also achieved the highest percentage of 99.93% in overall accuracy. This work reviews conventional intrusion detection systems for securing the CoAP in the IoT environment. The DoS security issues associated with the CoAP are discussed.

Keywords: algorithm, CoAP, DoS, IoT, machine learning

Procedia PDF Downloads 80

Authors: Sana Ahrar

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Cities are undergoing rapid transformation with the change in lifestyle and technological advancements. These transformations may be experienced or physically visible in the built form. This paper focuses on the relationship between the social, physical environment, change in lifestyle and the interrelated factors influencing the transformation of any historic city. Shahjahanabad as a city has undergone transformation under the various political powers as well as the various policy implementations after independence. These visible traces of transformation diffused throughout the city may be due to socio-economic, historic, political factors and due to the globalization process. This study shall enable evolving a theory for the study of transformation of Historic cities such as Shahjahanabad: which has been plundered, rebuilt, and which still thrives as a ‘living heritage city’. The theory developed will be the process of studying the transformation and can be used by planners, policy makers and researchers in different urban contexts.

Keywords: heritage, historic cities, Shahjahanabad, transformation

Procedia PDF Downloads 396

Authors: Daniel Hristov

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The paper describes the principle of operation, simulation and physical validation of method for simultaneous acquisition of gain and phase states of multiple antenna elements and the corresponding feed lines across a Phased Array Antenna (PAA). The derived values for gain and phase are used for PAA-calibration. The method utilizes the Rotating-Element Electric- Field Vector (REV) principle currently used for gain and phase state estimation of single antenna element across an active antenna aperture. A significant reduction of procedure execution time is achieved with simultaneous setting of different phase delays to multiple phase shifters, followed by a single power measurement. The initial gain and phase states are calculated using spectral and correlation analysis of the measured power series.

Keywords: antenna, antenna arrays, calibration, phase measurement, power measurement

Procedia PDF Downloads 137

Authors: Qingying Liu, S. Liu, L. Hao, B. Zhang, J. D. Yan

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HVDC technology is becoming increasingly popular due to its simplicity in topology and less power loss over long distance of power transmission, in comparison with HVAC technology. However, the dielectric behavior of insulators in the long term under HVDC stress is completely different from that under HVAC stress as a result of charge accumulation in a constant electric field. Insulators used in practical systems are never perfect in their structural conditions. Over time shallow cracks may develop on their surface. The presence of defects can lead to drastic change in their dielectric behaviour and thus increase the probability of surface flashover. In this contribution, experimental investigations have been carried out on the charge accumulation phenomenon on the surface of a rod insulator made of epoxy that is placed between two disk shaped electrodes at different voltage levels and in different gases (SF6, CO2 and N2). Many results obtained, such as, the two-dimensional electrostatic potential distribution along the insulator surface after the removal of the power source following a pre-defined period of application. The probe has been carefully calibrated before each test. Results show that surface charge distribution near the two disk shaped electrodes is not uniform in the circumferential direction, possibly due to the imperfect electrical connections between the embeded conductor in the insulator and the disk shaped electrodes. The axial length of this non-uniform region is experimentally determined, which provides useful information for shielding design. A charge transport model is also used to explain the formation of the long term electrostatic potential distribution under a constant applied voltage.

Keywords: HVDC, power systems, dielectric behavior, insulation, charge accumulation

Procedia PDF Downloads 223

Authors: A. Kavita Murugkar, B. Anurag Kashyap

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With the Rights for Persons with Disabilities Act (RPWD Act) 2016, the Indian government has made it mandatory for all establishments, including Heritage Sites, to be accessible for People with Disabilities. However, recent access audit surveys done under the Accessible India Campaign by Ministry of Culture indicate that there are very few accessibility measures provided in the Heritage sites for people with disabilities. Though there are some measures for the mobility impaired, surveys brought out that there are almost no provisions for people with vision impairment (PwVI) in heritage sites thus depriving them of a reasonable physical & intellectual access that facilitates an enjoyable experience and enriching interpretation of the Heritage Site. There is a growing need to develop multisensory interpretative tools that can help the PwVI in perceiving heritage sites in the absence of vision. The purpose of this research was to examine the usability of an audio-tactile model as a haptic and sound-based strategy for augmenting the perception and experience of PwVI in a heritage site. The first phase of the project was a multi-stage phenomenological experimental study with visually impaired users to investigate the design parameters for developing an audio-tactile model for PwVI. The findings from this phase included user preferences related to the physical design of the model such as the size, scale, materials, details, etc., and the information that it will carry such as braille, audio output, tactile text, etc. This was followed by the second phase in which a working prototype of an audio-tactile model is designed and developed for a heritage site based on the findings from the first phase of the study. A nationally listed heritage site from the author’s city was selected for making the model. The model was lastly tested by visually impaired users for final refinements and validation. The prototype developed empowers People with Vision Impairment to navigate independently in heritage sites. Such a model if installed in every heritage site, can serve as a technological guide for the Person with Vision Impairment, giving information of the architecture, details, planning & scale of the buildings, the entrances, location of important features, lifts, staircases, and available, accessible facilities. The model was constructed using 3D modeling and digital printing technology. Though designed for the Indian context, this assistive technology for the blind can be explored for wider applications across the globe. Such an accessible solution can change the otherwise “incomplete’’ perception of the disabled visitor, in this case, a visually impaired visitor and augment the quality of their experience in heritage sites.

Keywords: accessibility, architectural perception, audio tactile model , inclusive heritage, multi-sensory perception, visual impairment, visitor experience

Procedia PDF Downloads 106

Authors: Bongs Lainjo

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Educational institutions and authorities that are mandated to run education systems in various countries need to implement a curriculum that considers the possibility and existence of elementary school dropouts. This research focuses on elementary school dropout rates and the ability to replicate various predictive models carried out globally on selected Elementary Schools. The study was carried out by comparing the classical case studies in Africa, North America, South America, Asia and Europe. Some of the reasons put forward for children dropping out include the notion of being successful in life without necessarily going through the education process. Such mentality is coupled with a tough curriculum that does not take care of all students. The system has completely led to poor school attendance - truancy which continuously leads to dropouts. In this study, the focus is on developing a model that can systematically be implemented by school administrations to prevent possible dropout scenarios. At the elementary level, especially the lower grades, a child's perception of education can be easily changed so that they focus on the better future that their parents desire. To deal effectively with the elementary school dropout problem, strategies that are put in place need to be studied and predictive models are installed in every educational system with a view to helping prevent an imminent school dropout just before it happens. In a competency-based curriculum that most advanced nations are trying to implement, the education systems have wholesome ideas of learning that reduce the rate of dropout.

Keywords: elementary school, predictive models, machine learning, risk factors, data mining, classifiers, dropout rates, education system, competency-based curriculum

Procedia PDF Downloads 175

Authors: Tachita Vlad-Bubulac, Ionela-Daniela Carja, Diana Serbezeanu, Corneliu Hamciuc, Vicente Javier Forrat Perez

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The present work describes the preparation of new organophosphorus compounds with high content of phosphorus followed by the incorporation of these compounds into epoxy resin systems in order to investigate the phosphorus effect in terms of thermal stability, flame-retardant and mechanical properties of modified epoxy resins. Thus, two new organophosphorus compounds have been synthesized and fully characterized. 6-Oxido-6H-dibenz[c,e][1,2]oxaphosphorinyl-phenylcarbinol has been prepared by the addition reaction of P–H group of 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide to carbonyl group of benzaldehyde. By treating the phenylcarbinol derivative with POCl3 a new phosphorus compound was obtained, having a content of 12.227% P. The organophosphorus compounds have been purified by recrystallization while their chemical structures have been confirmed by melting point measurements, FTIR and HNMR spectroscopies. In the next step various flame-retardant epoxy resins with different content of phosphorus have been prepared starting from a commercial epoxy resin and using dicyandiamide (DICY) as a latent curing agent in the presence of an accelerator. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) has been applied to investigate the behavior and kinetics of curing process of thermosetting systems. The results showed that the best curing characteristic and glass transition temperature are obtained at a ratio of epoxy resin: DICY: accelerator equal to 94:5:1. The thermal stability of the phosphorus-containing epoxy resins was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis in nitrogen and air, DSC, SEM and LOI test measurements.

Keywords: epoxy resins, flame retardant properties, phosphorus-containing compounds, thermal stability

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Authors: Khashayar Kashani Jou, Ilnaz Fathololoomi

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Nowadays, access to sustainable development in cities is assumed as one of the most important goals of urban managers. In the meanwhile, neighborhood as the smallest unit of urban spatial organization has a substantial effect on urban sustainability. Hence, attention to and focus on this subject is highly important in urban development plans. The objective of this study is evaluation of the status of Jahanshahr Neighborhood in Karaj city based on sustainable neighborhood development indicators. This research has been applied based on documentary method and field surveys. Also, evaluating of Jahanshahr Neighborhood of Karaj shows that it has a high level in sustainability in physical and economical dimension while a low level in cultural and social dimension. For this purpose, this neighborhood as a semi-sustainable neighborhood must take measures for development of collective spaces and efficiency of utilizing the public neighborhood spaces via collaboration of citizens and officials.

Keywords: neighborhood, sustainable development, sustainable neighborhood development, Jahanshahr neighborhood

Procedia PDF Downloads 279

Authors: Gleyce Assis Da Silva Barbosa

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In recent years, we have witnessed a vertiginous growth of large education companies. Daughters of national and world capital, these companies expand both through consolidated physical networks in the form of branches spread across the territory and through institutional networks such as business networks through mergers, acquisitions, creation of new companies and influence. They do this by incorporating small, medium and large schools and universities, teaching systems and other products and services. They are also able to weave their webs directly or indirectly in philanthropic circles, limited partnerships, family businesses and even in public education through various mechanisms of outsourcing, privatization and commercialization of products for the sector. Although the growth of these groups in basic education seems to us a recent phenomenon in peripheral countries such as Brazil, its diffusion is closely linked to higher education conglomerates and other sectors of the economy forming oligopolies, which began to expand in the 1990s with strong state support and through political reforms that redefined its role, transforming it into a fundamental agent in the formation of guidelines to boost the incorporation of neoliberal logic. This expansion occurred through the objectification of education, commodifying it and transforming students into consumer clients. Financial power combined with the neo-liberalization of state public policies allowed the profusion of social exclusion, the increase of individuals without access to basic services, deindustrialization, automation, capital volatility and the indetermination of the economy; in addition, this process causes capital to be valued and devalued at rates never seen before, which together generates various impacts such as the precariousness of work. Understanding the connection between these processes, which engender the economy, allows us to see their consequences in labor relations and in the territory. In this sense, it is necessary to analyze the geographic-economic context and the role of the facilitating agents of this process, which can give us clues about the ongoing transformations and the directions of education in the national and even international scenario since this process is linked to the multiple scales of financial globalization. Therefore, the present research has the general objective of analyzing the socio-spatial impacts of financialization and the formation of oligopolies in Brazilian basic education. For this, the survey of laws, data, and public policies on the subject in question was used as a methodology. As a methodology, the work was based on some data from these companies available on websites for investors. Survey of information from global and national companies that operate in Brazilian basic education. In addition to mapping the expansion of educational oligopolies using public data on the location of schools. With this, the research intends to provide information about the ongoing commodification process in the country. Discuss the consequences of the oligopolization of education, considering the impacts that financialization can bring to teaching work.

Keywords: financialization, oligopolies, education, Brazil

Procedia PDF Downloads 64

Authors: Te Kīpa Kēpa B. Morgan, Oliver W. Mcmillan, Dylan N. Taute, Tumanako N. Fa'aui

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Epistemologies are ways of knowing. Indigenous Peoples are aware that they do not perceive and experience the world in the same way as others. So it is important when empowering Indigenous epistemologies, such as that of the New Zealand Māori, to also be able to represent a scientific understanding within the same analysis. A geothermal development assessment tool has been developed by adapting the Mauri Model Decision Making Framework. Mauri is a metric that is capable of representing the change in the life-supporting capacity of things and collections of things. The Mauri Model is a method of grouping mauri indicators as dimension averages in order to allow holistic assessment and also to conduct sensitivity analyses for the effect of worldview bias. R-shiny is the coding platform used for this Vision Mātauranga research which has created an expert decision support tool (DST) that combines a stakeholder assessment of worldview bias with an impact assessment of mauri-based indicators to determine the sustainability of proposed geothermal development. The initial intention was to develop guidelines for quantifying mātauranga Māori impacts related to geothermal resources. To do this, three typical scenarios were considered: a resource owner wishing to assess the potential for new geothermal development; another party wishing to assess the environmental and cultural impacts of the proposed development; an assessment that focuses on the holistic sustainability of the resource, including its surface features. Indicator sets and measurement thresholds were developed that are considered necessary considerations for each assessment context and these have been grouped to represent four mauri dimensions that mirror the four well-being criteria used for resource management in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Two case studies have been conducted to test the DST suitability for quantifying mātauranga Māori and other biophysical factors related to a geothermal system. This involved estimating mauri0meter values for physical features such as temperature, flow rate, frequency, colour, and developing indicators to also quantify qualitative observations about the geothermal system made by Māori. A retrospective analysis has then been conducted to verify different understandings of the geothermal system. The case studies found that the expert DST is useful for geothermal development assessment, especially where hapū (indigenous sub-tribal grouping) are conflicted regarding the benefits and disadvantages of their’ and others’ geothermal developments. These results have been supplemented with evaluations for the cumulative impacts of geothermal developments experienced by different parties using integration techniques applied to the time history curve of the expert DST worldview bias weighted plotted against the mauri0meter score. Cumulative impacts represent the change in resilience or potential of geothermal systems, which directly assists with the holistic interpretation of change from an Indigenous Peoples’ perspective.

Keywords: decision support tool, holistic geothermal assessment, indigenous knowledge, mauri model decision-making framework

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Authors: Abir Yahya, Hacen Dhahri, Khalifa Slimi

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The present paper deals with a numerical simulation of temperature field inside a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) components. The temperature distribution is investigated using a co-flow planar SOFC comprising the air and fuel channel and two-ceramic electrodes, anode and cathode, separated by a dense ceramic electrolyte. The Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is used for the numerical simulation of the physical problem. The effects of inlet temperature, anode thermal conductivity and current density on temperature distribution are discussed. It was found that temperature distribution is very sensitive to the inlet temperature and the current density.

Keywords: heat sources, Lattice Boltzmann method, solid oxide fuel cell, temperature

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Authors: Federico Capra, Emanuele Martelli, Matteo Gazzani, Marco Mazzotti, Maurizio Notaro

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Natural gas is a major energy source in the current global economy, contributing to roughly 21% of the total primary energy consumption. Production of natural gas starting from renewable energy sources is key to limit the related CO2 emissions, especially for those sectors that heavily rely on natural gas use. In this context, biomethane produced via biogas upgrading represents a good candidate for partial substitution of fossil natural gas. The upgrading process of biogas to biomethane consists in (i) the removal of pollutants and impurities (e.g. H2S, siloxanes, ammonia, water), and (ii) the separation of carbon dioxide from methane. Focusing on the CO2 removal process, several technologies can be considered: chemical or physical absorption with solvents (e.g. water, amines), membranes, adsorption-based systems (PSA). However, none emerged as the leading technology, because of (i) the heterogeneity in plant size, ii) the heterogeneity in biogas composition, which is strongly related to the feedstock type (animal manure, sewage treatment, landfill products), (iii) the case-sensitive optimal tradeoff between purity and recovery of biomethane, and iv) the destination of the produced biomethane (grid injection, CHP applications, transportation sector). With this contribution, we explore the use of a technology for biogas upgrading and we compare the resulting performance with benchmark technologies. The proposed technology makes use of a chemical sorbent, which is engineered by RSE and consists of Di-Ethanol-Amine deposited on a solid support made of γ-Alumina, to chemically adsorb the CO2 contained in the gas. The material is packed into fixed beds that cyclically undergo adsorption and regeneration steps. CO2 is adsorbed at low temperature and ambient pressure (or slightly above) while the regeneration is carried out by pulling vacuum and increasing the temperature of the bed (vacuum-temperature swing adsorption - VTSA). Dynamic adsorption tests were performed by RSE and were used to tune the mathematical model of the process, including material and transport parameters (i.e. Langmuir isotherms data and heat and mass transport). Based on this set of data, an optimal VTSA cycle was designed. The results enabled a better understanding of the interplay between material and cycle tuning. As exemplary application, the upgrading of biogas for grid injection, produced by an anaerobic digester (60-70% CO2, 30-40% CH4), for an equivalent size of 1 MWel was selected. A plant configuration is proposed to maximize heat recovery and minimize the energy consumption of the process. The resulting performances are very promising compared to benchmark solutions, which make the VTSA configuration a valuable alternative for biomethane production starting from biogas.

Keywords: biogas upgrading, biogas upgrading energetic cost, CO2 adsorption, VTSA process modelling

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Authors: Ahmet Yonetken, Ayhan Erol

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Intermetallic materials advanced technology materials that have outstanding mechanical and physical properties for high temperature applications. Especially creep resistance, low density and high hardness properties stand out in such intermetallics. The microstructure, mechanical properties of %80Cr-%10Ti and %10WC powders were investigated using specimens produced by tube furnace sintering at 1000-1400°C temperature. A composite consisting of ternary additions, a metallic phase, Ti,Cr and WC have been prepared under Ar shroud and then tube furnace sintered. XRD, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), were investigated to characterize the properties of the specimens. Experimental results carried out for composition %80Cr-%10Ti and %10WC at 1400°C suggest that the best properties as 292HV and 5,34g/cm3 density were obtained at 1400°C.

Keywords: ceramic-metal, composites, powder metallurgy, sintering

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Authors: Neil Fourati

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Collaboration between public and private stakeholders for agricultural development are today lacking in Tunisia. The last dictatorship witnessed by the country has deteriorated the necessary trust between the state and small farmers for the realization of development projects, in particular in the interior, disadvantaged regions of the country. These regions, where the youth unemployment rate is above 30%, have been the heart of the uprising that preceded the revolution. The transitional period that the country is going through since 2011 is an opportunity for the emergence of new governance systems in the context of the decentralization. The latter is recognized in the 2nd Tunisian Republic constitution as the basis of regional management. Civil society participation to the decision-making process is considered as a mean to identify measures that are more coherent with local populations’ needs. The development of agriculture and food value chains in rural areas is relevant within the framework of the implementation of new decisions systems that require public-private collaborations. These new systems can lead to actions in favor of improving living conditions of rural populations. The diverisification of activities around agriculture can be a solution for job creation and local value creation. The project for the promotion of sustainable agriculture and rural development in Tunisia has designed and implemented a multi-stakeholder dialogue process for the development of local value chains platforms in disadvantaged areas of the country. The platforms gather public and private organizations ; as well civil society organizations ; that intervene in a locality in relation to the production transformation or product’s commercialization. The role of these platforms is to formulate realize and evaluate collaborative actions or projects for the promotion of the concerned product and territory. The dialogue process steps allow to create the necessary collaboration conditions in order to promote viable collectivities, dynamic economies and healthy environments. Effectively, the dialogue process steps allow to identify the local leaders. These leaders recognize the development constraints and opportunities. They deal with key and gathering subjects around the collaborative projects or actions. They take common decisions in order to create effective coalitions for the implementation of common actions. The plateforms realize quick success so as to build trust. The project has supported the formulation of 22 collaborative projects. Seven priority collaborative projects have been realized. Each collaborative project includes 3 parts : the signature of the collaboration conventions between public and private organizations, investment in the relevant material in order to increase productivity and the quality of local and products and finally management and technical training in favour of producers’ organizations for the promotion of local products. The implementation of this process has enabled to enhance the capacities of collaboration between local actors : producers, traders, processors and support structures from public sector and civil society. It also allowed to improve the efficiency and relevance of actions and measures for agriculture and rural development programs. Thus, the process for the development of local value chain platform is a basis for sustainable development of agriculture.

Keywords: governance, public private collaboration, rural development, value chains

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Authors: Jessica M. Black

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Although much of natural and social science research aims to enhance human flourishing and address social problems, the training within the two fields is significantly different across theory, methodology, and implementation of results. Social scientists are trained in social, psychological, and to the extent that it is relevant to their discipline, spiritual development, theory, and accompanying methodologies. They tend not to receive training or learn about accompanying methodology related to interrogating human development and social problems from a biological perspective. On the other hand, those in the natural sciences, and for the purpose of this work, human biological sciences specifically – biology, neuroscience, genetics, epigenetics, and physiology – are often trained first to consider cellular development and related methodologies, and may not have opportunity to receive formal training in many of the foundational principles that guide human development, such as systems theory or person-in-environment framework, methodology related to tapping both proximal and distal psycho-social-spiritual influences on human development, and foundational principles of equity, justice and inclusion in research design. There is a need for disciplines heretofore siloed to know one another, to receive streamlined, easy to access training in theory and methods from one another and to learn how to build interdisciplinary teams that can speak and act upon a shared research language. Team science is more essential than ever, as are transdisciplinary approaches to training and research design. This study explores the use of a methodological toolbox that natural and social scientists can use by employing a decision-making tree regarding project aims, costs, and participants, among other important study variables. The decision tree begins with a decision about whether the researcher wants to learn more about social sciences approaches or biological approaches to study design. The toolbox and platform are flexible, such that users could also choose among modules, for instance, reviewing epigenetics or community-based participatory research even if those are aspects already a part of their home field. To start, both natural and social scientists would receive training on systems science, team science, transdisciplinary approaches, and translational science. Next, social scientists would receive training on grounding biological theory and the following methodological approaches and tools: physiology, (epi)genetics, non-invasive neuroimaging, invasive neuroimaging, endocrinology, and the gut-brain connection. Natural scientists would receive training on grounding social science theory, and measurement including variables, assessment and surveys on human development as related to the developing person (e.g., temperament and identity), microsystems (e.g., systems that directly interact with the person such as family and peers), mesosystems (e.g., systems that interact with one another but do not directly interact with the individual person, such as parent and teacher relationships with one another), exosystems (e.g., spaces and settings that may come back to affect the individual person, such as a parent’s work environment, but within which the individual does not directly interact, macrosystems (e.g., wider culture and policy), and the chronosystem (e.g., historical time, such as the generational impact of trauma). Participants will be able to engage with the toolbox and one another to foster increased transdisciplinary work

Keywords: methodology, natural science, social science, transdisciplinary

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Authors: D. Liu, D. M. Donskoy

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The vibroacoustic modulation method is based on the modulation effect of high-frequency ultrasonic wave (carrier) by low-frequency vibration in the presence of various defects, primarily contact-type such as cracks, delamination, etc. The presence and severity of the defect are measured by the ratio of the spectral sidebands and the carrier in the spectrum of the modulated signal. This approach, however, does not differentiate between amplitude and frequency modulations, AM and FM, respectfully. It was experimentally shown that both modulations could be present in the spectrum, yet each modulation may be associated with different physical mechanisms. AM mechanisms are quite well understood and widely covered in the literature. This paper is a first attempt to explain the generation mechanisms of FM and its correlation with the flaw properties. Here we proposed two possible mechanisms leading to FM modulation based on nonlinear local defect resonance and dynamic acousto-elastic models.

Keywords: non-destructive testing, nonlinear acoustics, structural health monitoring, acousto-elasticity, local defect resonance

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Authors: Rose J. Thazhathukunnel, A. G. Smitha

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In the wake of social development, humans overlook the ideal physical appearance, and there is an increasing trend of criticising other’s bodies or offering tips to hide imperfections. Social appearance anxiety demonstrates the association with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behavior. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that social appearance anxiety, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating behavior would predict the relation between each among cancer survivors. It was observed that implicit belief to be thin was more pronounced in people with low body dissatisfaction than those with high body dissatisfaction. Results of the study indicated that overall body dissatisfaction and social appearance anxiety were correlated with disordered eating behavior for both men and women cancer survivors of all ages.

Keywords: social appearance anxiety, body dissatisfaction, disordered eating behavior, cancer survivors

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Authors: Sonia Bedhiaf-Romdhani

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The sheep (Ovis aries) was domesticated, approximately 11,000 years ago (YBP), in the Fertile Crescent from Asian Mouflon (Ovis Orientalis). The Northern African (NA) sheep is 7,000 years old, represents a remarkable diversity of sheep populations reared under traditional and low input farming systems (LIFS) over millennia. The majority of small ruminants in developing countries are encountered in low input production systems and the resilience of local communities in rural areas is often linked to the wellbeing of small ruminants. Regardless of the rich biodiversity encountered in sheep ecotypes there are four main sheep breeds in the country with 61,6 and 35.4 percents of Barbarine (fat tail breed) and Queue Fine de l’Ouest (thin tail breed), respectively. Phoenicians introduced the Barbarine sheep from the steppes of Central Asia in the Carthaginian period, 3000 years ago. The Queue Fine de l’Ouest is a thin-tailed meat breed heavily concentrated in the Western and the central semi-arid regions. The Noire de Thibar breed, involving mutton-fine wool producing animals, has been on the verge of extinction, it’s a composite black coated sheep breed found in the northern sub-humid region because of its higher nutritional requirements and non-tolerance of the prevailing harsher condition. The D'Man breed, originated from Morocco, is mainly located in the southern oases of the extreme arid ecosystem. A genetic investigation of Tunisian sheep breeds using a genome-wide scan of approximately 50,000 SNPs was performed. Genetic analysis of relationship between breeds highlighted the genetic differentiation of Noire de Thibar breed from the other local breeds, reflecting the effect of past events of introgression of European gene pool. The Queue Fine de l’Ouest breed showed a genetic heterogeneity and was close to Barbarine. The D'Man breed shared a considerable gene flow with the thin-tailed Queue Fine de l'Ouest breed. Native small ruminants breeds, are capable to be efficiently productive if essential ingredients and coherent breeding schemes are implemented and followed. Assessing the status of genetic variability of native sheep breeds could provide important clues for research and policy makers to devise better strategies for the conservation and management of genetic resources.

Keywords: sheep, farming systems, diversity, SNPs.

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Authors: N. J. M. Yusof, T. Sabir, J. McLoughlin

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Garment manufacturing industry involves sequential processes that are subjected to uncontrollable variations. The industry depends on the skill of labour in handling the varieties of fabrics and accessories, machines, and also a complicated sewing operation. Due to these reasons, garment manufacturers created systems to monitor and control the product’s quality regularly by conducting quality approaches to minimize variation. The aims of this research were to ascertain the quality approaches deployed by Malaysian garment manufacturers in three key areas-quality systems and tools; quality control and types of inspection; sampling procedures chosen for garment inspection. The focus of this research also aimed to distinguish quality approaches used by companies that supplied the finished garments to both domestic and international markets. The feedback from each of company’s representatives was obtained using the online survey, which comprised of five sections and 44 questions on the organizational profile and quality approaches used in the garment industry. The results revealed that almost all companies had established their own mechanism of process control by conducting a series of quality inspection for daily production either it was formally been set up or vice versa. Quality inspection was the predominant quality control activity in the garment manufacturing and the level of complexity of these activities was substantially dictated by the customers. AQL-based sampling was utilized by companies dealing with the export market, whilst almost all the companies that only concentrated on the domestic market were comfortable using their own sampling procedures for garment inspection. This research provides an insight into the implementation of quality approaches that were perceived as important and useful in the garment manufacturing sector, which is truly labour-intensive.

Keywords: garment manufacturing, quality approaches, quality control, inspection, Acceptance Quality Limit (AQL), sampling

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Authors: Hsiao-Lin Fang

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Every life is precious, and comprehensive care should be provided to individuals who are in the final stages of their lives. Hospice-shared care aims to provide optimal symptom control and palliative care to terminal (cancer) patients through the implementation of shared care, and to support patients and their families in making various physical and psychological adjustments in the face of death. This report examines a 10-year-boy diagnosed with Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA). The individual fainted when swimming at school and underwent 31 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). While receiving treatment at the hospital, the individual received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO) due to unstable hemodynamics. Urgent cardiac catheterization found: Suspect acute fulminant myocarditis or underlying cardiomyopathy with acute decompensation, After the active rescue by the medical team, hemodynamics still showed only mean pressure value. With respect to the patient, interdepartmental hospice-shared care was implemented and a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order was signed after family discussions were conducted. Assistance and instructions were provided as part of the comfort care process. A farewell gathering attended by the patient’s relatives, friends, teachers, and classmates was organized in an intensive care unit (ICU) in order to look back on the patient’s life and the beautiful memories that were created, as well as to alleviate the sorrow felt by family members, including the patient’s father and sister. For example, the patient was presented with drawings and accompanied to a garden to pick flowers. In this manner, the patient was able to say goodbye before death. Finally, the patient’s grandmother and father participated in the clinical hospice care and post-mortem care processes. A hospice-shared care clinician conducted regular follow-ups and provided care to the family of the deceased, supporting family members through the sorrowful period. Birth, old age, sickness, and death are the natural phases of human life. In recent years, growing attention has been paid to human-centered hospice care. Hospice care is individual holistic care provided by a professional team and it involves the provision of comprehensive care to a terminal patient. Hospice care aims to satisfy the physical, psychological, mental, and social needs of patients and their families. It does not involve the cessation of treatment but rather avoids the exacerbation or extension of the suffering endured by patients, thereby preserving the dignity and quality of life during the end-of-life period. Patients enjoy the company of others as they complete the last phase of their lives, and their families also receive guidance on how they can move on with their own lives after the patient’s death.

Keywords: hospice-shared care, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), hospice-shared care, child patient

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Authors: Ivy Chen XQ

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This research places a much-needed focus on the conservation of the Blue Economy (BE) by focusing on the design and development of monitoring systems to track critical indicators on the status of the BE. In this process, local experiences provide an insight into important community issues, as well as the necessity to cooperate and collaborate in order to achieve sustainable options. Researchers worldwide and industry initiatives over the last decade show that the exploitation of marine resources has resulted in a significant decrease in the share of total allowable catch (TAC). The result has been strengthening law enforcement, yet the results have shown that problems were related to poor policies, a lack of understanding of over-exploitation, biological uncertainty and political pressures. This reality and other statistics that show a significant negative impact on the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), warrant an emphasis on the development of national M&E systems, in order to provide evidence-based information, on the nature and scale of especially transnational fisheries crime and under-sea marine resources in the BE. In particular, a need exists to establish a compendium of relevant BE indicators to assess such impact against the SDGs by using selected SDG indicators for this purpose. The research methodology consists of ATLAS.ti qualitative approach and a case study will be developed of Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) poaching and Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) as component of the BE as it relates to the case of abalone in southern Africa and Far East. This research project will make an original contribution through the analysis and comparative assessment of available indicators, in the design process of M&E systems and developing indicators and monitoring frameworks in order to track critical trends and tendencies on the status of the BE, to ensure specific objectives to be aligned with the indicators of the SDGs framework. The research will provide a set of recommendations to governments and stakeholders involved in such projects on lessons learned, as well as priorities for future research. The research findings will enable scholars, civil society institutions, donors and public servants, to understand the capability of the M&E systems, the importance of showing multi-level governance, in the coordination of information management, together with knowledge management (KM) and M&E at the international, regional, national and local levels. This coordination should focus on a sustainable development management approach, based on addressing socio-economic challenges to the potential and sustainability of BE, with an emphasis on ecosystem resilience, social equity and resource efficiency. This research and study focus are timely as the opportunities of the post-Covid-19 crisis recovery package will be grasped to set the economy on a path to sustainable development in line with the UN 2030 Agenda. The pandemic raises more awareness for the world to eliminate IUU poaching and illegal wildlife trade (IWT).

Keywords: Blue Economy (BE), transnational governance, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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