Search results for: outer-connected dom- ination number
4849 Investigation of the Impact of Family Status and Blood Group on Individuals’ Addiction
Authors: Masoud Abbasalipour
Abstract:
In this study, the impact of family status on individuals, involving factors such as parents' literacy level, family size, individuals' blood group, and susceptibility to addiction, was investigated. Statistical tests were employed to scrutinize the relationships among these specified factors. The statistical population of the study consisted of 338 samples divided into two groups: individuals with addiction and those without addiction in the city of Amol. The addicted group was selected from individuals visiting the substance abuse treatment center in Amol, and the non-addicted group was randomly selected from individuals in urban and rural areas. The Chi-square test was used to examine the presence or absence of relationships among the variables, and Kramer's V test was employed to determine the strength of the relationship between them. Excel software facilitated the initial entry of data, and SPSS software was utilized for the desired statistical tests. The research results indicated a significant relationship between the variable of parents' education level and individuals' addiction. The analysis showed that the education level of their parents was significantly lower compared to non-addicted individuals. However, the variables of the number of family members and blood group did not significantly impact individuals' susceptibility to addiction.Keywords: addiction, blood group, parents' literacy level, family status
Procedia PDF Downloads 644848 Survey of Related Field for Artificial Intelligence Window Development
Authors: Young Kwon Yang, Bo Rang Park, Hyo Eun Lee, Tea Won Kim, Eun Ji Choi, Jin Chul Park
Abstract:
To develop an artificial intelligence based automatic ventilation system, recent research trends were analyzed and analyzed. This research method is as follows. In the field of architecture and window technology, the use of artificial intelligence, the existing study of machine learning model and the theoretical review of the literature were carried out. This paper collected journals such as Journal of Energy and Buildings, Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, and articles published on Web-sites. The following keywords were searched for articles from 2000 to 2016. We searched for the above keywords mainly in the title, keyword, and abstract. As a result, the global artificial intelligence market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.0% from USD127bn in 2015 to USD165bn in 2017. Start-up investments in artificial intelligence increased from the US $ 45 million in 2010 to the US $ 310 million in 2015, and the number of investments increased from 6 to 54. Although AI is making efforts to advance to advanced countries, the level of technology is still in its infant stage. Especially in the field of architecture, artificial intelligence (AI) is very rare. Based on the data of this study, it is expected that the application of artificial intelligence and the application of architectural field will be revitalized through the activation of artificial intelligence in the field of architecture and window.Keywords: artificial intelligence, window, fine dust, thermal comfort, ventilation system
Procedia PDF Downloads 2704847 Historic Urban Landscape Approach, a Methodology to Elaborate Sustainable Development Plans through Culture and Heritage: The Case Study of Valverde de Burguillos (Spain)
Authors: Julia Rey Perez, Victoria Dominguez Ruiz
Abstract:
The phenomenon of depopulation puts the authorities at risk of abandoning a number of rural-urban areas of significant cultural value, affecting their architecture and intangible cultural heritage. The purpose of this research is to present a methodology created according to the UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL), which through the identification of cultural values and attributes, leads to ´Strategic Plans´ build upon the culture and heritage. This methodology is based on the analysis of the town from three perspectives: 1) from the public administration, 2) from the discipline of architecture, and 3) from citizen perception. In order to be able to work on the development of a diagnosis from three very different approaches, collaborative cartographies have been used as working tools. The methodology discussed was applied in Valverde de Burguillos, in Spain, leading to the construction of an inclusive ‘Strategic Plan’ that integrates the management of the town within the overall territorial development plan. The importance of incorporating culture and heritage as a conductor for sustainable urban development through the HUL approach has allowed the local authorities to assume these new tools for heritage conservation, acknowledging community participation as the main element for the ´Strategic Plan” elaboration.Keywords: rural heritage, citizen participation, inclusiveness, urban governance, UNESCO
Procedia PDF Downloads 1294846 Experimental Study of Geotextile Effect on Improving Soil Bearing Capacity in Aggregate Surfaced Roads
Authors: Mahdi Taghipour Masoumi, Ali Abdi Kordani, Mahmoud Nazirizad
Abstract:
Geosynthetics utilization plays an important role in the construction of highways with no additive layers, such as asphalt concrete or cement concrete, or in a subgrade layer which affects the bearing capacity of unbounded layers. This laboratory experimental study was carried out to evaluate changes in the load bearing capacity of reinforced soil with these materials in highway roadbed with regard to geotextile properties. California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test samples were prepared with two types of soil: Clayey and sandy containing non-reinforced and reinforced soil. The samples comprised three types of geotextiles with different characteristics (150, 200, 300 g/m2) and depths (H= 5, 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 mm), and were grouped into two forms, one-layered and two-layered, based on the sample materials in order to perform defined tests. The results showed that the soil bearing characteristics increased when one layer of geotextile was used in clayey and sandy samples reinforced by geotextile. However, the bearing capacity of the soil, in the presence of a geotextile layer material with depth of more than 30 mm, had no remarkable effect. Furthermore, when the two-layered geotextile was applied in material samples, although it increased the soil resistance, it also showed that through the addition of a number or weights of geotextile into samples, the natural composition of the soil changed and the results are unreliable.Keywords: reinforced soil, geosynthetics, geotextile, transportation capacity, CBR experiments
Procedia PDF Downloads 2844845 Thrust Enhancement on a Two Dimensional Elliptic Airfoil in a Forward Flight
Authors: S. M. Dash, K. B. Lua, T. T. Lim
Abstract:
This paper presents results of numerical and experimental studies on a two-dimensional (2D) flapping elliptic airfoil in a forward flight condition at Reynolds number of 5000. The study is motivated from an earlier investigation which shows that the deterioration in thrust performance of a sinusoidal heaving and pitching 2D (NACA0012) airfoil at high flapping frequency can be recovered by changing the effective angle of attack profile to square wave, sawtooth, or cosine wave shape. To better understand why such modifications lead to superior thrust performance, we take a closer look at the transient aerodynamic force behavior of an airfoil when the effective angle of attack profile changes gradually from a generic smooth trapezoidal profile to a sinusoid shape by modifying the base length of the trapezoid. The choice of using a smooth trapezoidal profile is to avoid the infinite acceleration condition encountered in the square wave profile. Our results show that the enhancement in the time-averaged thrust performance at high flapping frequency can be attributed to the delay and reduction in the drag producing valley region in the transient thrust force coefficient when the effective angle of attack profile changes from sinusoidal to trapezoidal.Keywords: two-dimensional flapping airfoil, thrust performance, effective angle of attack, CFD, experiments
Procedia PDF Downloads 3514844 Development and Characterization of Wheat Bread with Lupin Flour
Authors: Paula M. R. Correia, Marta Gonzaga, Luis M. Batista, Luísa Beirão-Costa, Raquel F. P. Guiné
Abstract:
The purpose of the present work was to develop an innovative food product with good textural and sensorial characteristics. The product, a new type of bread, was prepared with wheat (90%) and lupin (10%) flours, without the addition of any conservatives. Several experiences were also done to find the most appropriate proportion of lupin flour. The optimized product was characterized considering the rheological, physical-chemical and sensorial properties. The water absorption of wheat flour with 10% of lupin was higher than that of the normal wheat flours, and Wheat Ceres flour presented the lower value, with lower dough development time and high stability time. The breads presented low moisture but a considerable water activity. The density of bread decreased with the introduction of lupin flour. The breads were quite white, and during storage the colour parameters decreased. The lupin flour clearly increased the number of alveolus, but the total area increased significantly just for the Wheat Cerealis bread. The addition of lupin flour increased the hardness and chewiness of breads, but the elasticity did not vary significantly. Lupin bread was sensorially similar to wheat bread produced with WCerealis flour, and the main differences are the crust rugosity, colour and alveolus characteristics.Keywords: Lupin flour, physical-chemical properties, sensorial analysis, wheat flour
Procedia PDF Downloads 5104843 Normalizing Scientometric Indicators of Individual Publications Using Local Cluster Detection Methods on Citation Networks
Authors: Levente Varga, Dávid Deritei, Mária Ercsey-Ravasz, Răzvan Florian, Zsolt I. Lázár, István Papp, Ferenc Járai-Szabó
Abstract:
One of the major shortcomings of widely used scientometric indicators is that different disciplines cannot be compared with each other. The issue of cross-disciplinary normalization has been long discussed, but even the classification of publications into scientific domains poses problems. Structural properties of citation networks offer new possibilities, however, the large size and constant growth of these networks asks for precaution. Here we present a new tool that in order to perform cross-field normalization of scientometric indicators of individual publications relays on the structural properties of citation networks. Due to the large size of the networks, a systematic procedure for identifying scientific domains based on a local community detection algorithm is proposed. The algorithm is tested with different benchmark and real-world networks. Then, by the use of this algorithm, the mechanism of the scientometric indicator normalization process is shown for a few indicators like the citation number, P-index and a local version of the PageRank indicator. The fat-tail trend of the article indicator distribution enables us to successfully perform the indicator normalization process.Keywords: citation networks, cross-field normalization, local cluster detection, scientometric indicators
Procedia PDF Downloads 1954842 Reliability of Using Standard Penetration Test (SPT) in Evaluation of Soil Properties
Authors: Hossein Alimohammadi, Mohsen Amirmojahedi, Mehrdad Rowhani
Abstract:
Soil properties are used by geotechnical engineers to evaluate and analyze site conditions for designing purposes. Although basic soil classification tests are easy to perform and provide useful information to determine the properties of soils, it may take time to get the result and add some costs to the projects. Standard Penetration Test (SPT) provides an opportunity to evaluate soil parameters without performing laboratory tests. In addition to its simplicity and cheapness, the results become available immediately. This research provides a guideline on the application of the SPT test method, reliability of adapting the SPT test results in evaluating soil physical and mechanical properties such as Atterberg limits, shear strength, and compressive strength compressibility parameters. A total of 70 boreholes were investigated in this study by taking soil samples between depths of 1.2 to 15.25 meters. The project site was located in Morrow County, Ohio. A regression-based formula was proposed based on Tobit regression with a stepwise variable selection analysis conducted between SPT and other typical soil properties obtained from soil tests. The results of the research illustrated that the shear strength and physical properties of the soil affect the SPT number. The proposed correlation can help engineers to use SPT test results in their design with higher accuracy.Keywords: standard penetration test, soil properties, soil classification, regression method
Procedia PDF Downloads 1834841 The Role of Physical Activity on Some Factors Affecting Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: M. J. Pourvaghar, M. E. Bahram, Sh. Khoshemehry
Abstract:
Hyperlipidemia or an increase in blood lipids is a condition that has been rising, especially during the last decade, with the advancement of the life-span of the car, as an important disease. In fact, it is one of the complications of industrial life and semi-industrial. Hyperlipidemia alone is not a disease, but it is recognized as an important risk factor for coronary artery disease. The methodology of this review article is the use of research to provide the best solution for physical activity and exercise in relation to lowering blood lipids and lowering blood pressure. Also, factors that contribute to improving the health status of humans should be introduced. Research findings in this article show that physical activity with a specific duration and severity can keep a person away from the cardiovascular disease. The result shows that regular physical activity with low intensity and long periods of time is essential for human health. Physical mobility reduces blood pressure, reduces the harmful fats and does not cause cardiovascular disease. More than half of the patients suffering from cardiovascular problems are afflicted with blood lipids. On the other hand, high blood pressure is one of the serious health hazards in the world today, which causes a large number of cardiovascular problems and mortality in the world. Undoubtedly, the second most common risk factor for heart disease is high blood pressure after cigarette smoking.Keywords: blood pressure, cardiovascular, hyperlipidemia, risk factor
Procedia PDF Downloads 2304840 Whole Coding Genome Inter-Clade Comparisons to Predict Global Cancer-Protecting Variants
Authors: Lamis Naddaf, Yuval Tabach
Abstract:
We identified missense genetic variants with the potential to enhance resistance against cancer. Such a field has not been widely explored as researchers tend to investigate the mutations that cause diseases, in response to the suffering of patients, rather than those mutations that protect from them. In conjunction with the genomic revolution and the advances in genetic engineering and synthetic biology, identifying the protective variants will increase the power of genotype-phenotype predictions and have significant implications for improved risk estimation, diagnostics, prognosis, and even personalized therapy and drug discovery. To approach our goal, we systematically investigated the sites of the coding genomes and selected the alleles that showed a correlation with the species’ cancer resistance. Interestingly, we found several amino acids that are more generally preferred (like the Proline) or avoided (like the Cysteine) by the resistant species. Furthermore, Cancer resistance in mammals and reptiles is significantly predicted by the number of the predicted protecting variants (PVs) a species has. Moreover, PVs-enriched-genes are enriched in pathways relevant to tumor suppression. For example, they are enriched in the Hedgehog signaling and silencing pathways, which its improper activation is associated with the most common form of cancer malignancy. We also showed that the PVs are mostly more abundant in healthy people compared to cancer patients within different human races.Keywords: cancer resistance, protecting variant, naked mole rat, comparative genomics
Procedia PDF Downloads 1004839 Terrorism and National Development: A Critique of Its Aftermath on Educational Attainment
Authors: David Chapola Nggada
Abstract:
Although the concept of terrorism is not a new phenomenon to Nigeria, the protracted terrorist activities experiencing in the north-eastern part of the country since 2009, had left an indelible mark on virtually every aspects of lives whether directly or indirectly, particularly the educational sector. Indeed, since the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls at Chibok in 2014 by the insurgence, education had witnessed a setback as most school remains closed for sometimes. The aftermath of this development on education and its future multiplier effect on national development is a source of concern. Consequently, this paper is designed to examine the consequences of terrorism on educational attainment and national development among the Chibok community of Borno State. The technique employed involves a mixture of both qualitative and quantitative research work on a sample size of 79 secondary school students currently displaced from Chibok, Damboa and Askira-Uba, now residing as internally displaced persons(IDPs) in Biu, Gombe, Maiduguri. A random sample technique is used. Structured and semi-unstructured questionnaire were administered. The result shows that, a significant number of students over these years, lacked access to education and this posed a great danger to national development. Recommendations towards reinvigorating education as a panacea to social, economic cum political vices were articulated. Concerted effort should be made to create confidence in the community.Keywords: education, effect, terrorism, national, development
Procedia PDF Downloads 2534838 Thermodynamic Performance Tests for 3D Printed Steel Slag Powder Concrete Walls
Authors: Li Guoyou, Zhang Tao, Ji Wenzhan, Huo Liang, Lin Xiqiang, Zhang Nan
Abstract:
The three dimensional (3D) printing technology has undergone rapid development in the last few years and it is possible to print engineering structures. 3D printing buildings use wastes from constructions, industries and mine tailings as “ink”, and mix it with property improved materials, such as cement, fiber etc. This paper presents a study of the Thermodynamic performance of 3D printed walls using cement and steel slag powder. Analyses the thermal simulation regarding 3D printed walls and solid brick wall by the way of the hot-box methods and the infrared technology, and the results were contrasted with theoretical calculation. The results show that the excellent thermodynamic performance of 3D printed concrete wall made it suitable as the partial materials for self-thermal insulation walls in residential buildings. The thermodynamic performance of 3D printed concrete walls depended on the density of materials, distribution of holes, and the filling materials. Decreasing the density of materials, increasing the number of holes or replacing the filling materials with foamed concrete could improve its thermodynamic performance significantly. The average of heat transfer coefficient and thermal inertia index of 3D printed steel slag powder concrete wall all better than the traditional solid brick wall with a thickness of 240mm.Keywords: concrete, 3D printed walls, thermodynamic performance, steel slag powder
Procedia PDF Downloads 1784837 How Teachers Comprehend and Support Children's Needs to Be Scientists
Authors: Anita Yus
Abstract:
Several Elementary Schools (SD) ‘favored’ by parents, especially those live in big cities in Indonesia, implicitly demand each child enrolled in the first grade of SD to be able to read, write and calculate. This condition urges the parents to push the teachers in PAUD (Kindergarten) to train their children to read, write, and calculate so they have a set of knowledge. According to Piaget, each child is capable of acquiring knowledge when he is given the opportunity to interact with his environment (things, people, and atmosphere). Teachers can make the interaction occur. There are several learning approaches suitable for the characteristics and needs of child’s growth. This paper talks about a research result conducted to investigate how twelve teachers of early childhood program comprehend the constructivist theory of Piaget, and how they inquire, how the children acquire and construct a number of knowledge through occurred interactions. This is a qualitative research with an observation method followed up by a focus group discussion (FGD). The research result shows that there is a reciprocal interaction between the behaviors of teachers and children affected by the size of the classroom and learning source, teaching experiences, education background, teachers’ attitude and motivation, as well as the way the teachers interpret and support the children’s needs. The teachers involved in this research came up with varied perspective on how knowledge acquired by children at first and how they construct it. This research brings a new perspective in understanding children as scientists.Keywords: constructivist approach, young children as a scientist, teacher practice, teacher education
Procedia PDF Downloads 2434836 Intelligent Building as a Pragmatic Approach towards Achieving a Sustainable Environment
Authors: Zahra Hamedani
Abstract:
Many wonderful technological developments in recent years has opened up the possibility of using intelligent buildings for a number of important applications, ranging from minimizing resource usage as well as increasing building efficiency to maximizing comfort, adaption to inhabitants and responsiveness to environmental changes. The concept of an intelligent building refers to the highly embedded, interactive environment within which by exploiting the use of artificial intelligence provides the ability to know its configuration, anticipate the optimum dynamic response to prevailing environmental stimuli, and actuate the appropriate physical reaction to provide comfort and efficiency. This paper contains a general identification of the intelligence paradigm and its impacts on the architecture arena, that with examining the performance of artificial intelligence, a mechanism to analyze and finally for decision-making to control the environment will be described. This mechanism would be a hierarchy of the rational agents which includes decision-making, information, communication and physical layers. This multi-agent system relies upon machine learning techniques for automated discovery, prediction and decision-making. Then, the application of this mechanism regarding adaptation and responsiveness of intelligent building will be provided in two scales of environmental and user. Finally, we review the identifications of sustainability and evaluate the potentials of intelligent building systems in the creation of sustainable architecture and environment.Keywords: artificial intelligence, intelligent building, responsiveness, adaption, sustainability
Procedia PDF Downloads 4014835 Deep Reinforcement Learning Model Using Parameterised Quantum Circuits
Authors: Lokes Parvatha Kumaran S., Sakthi Jay Mahenthar C., Sathyaprakash P., Jayakumar V., Shobanadevi A.
Abstract:
With the evolution of technology, the need to solve complex computational problems like machine learning and deep learning has shot up. But even the most powerful classical supercomputers find it difficult to execute these tasks. With the recent development of quantum computing, researchers and tech-giants strive for new quantum circuits for machine learning tasks, as present works on Quantum Machine Learning (QML) ensure less memory consumption and reduced model parameters. But it is strenuous to simulate classical deep learning models on existing quantum computing platforms due to the inflexibility of deep quantum circuits. As a consequence, it is essential to design viable quantum algorithms for QML for noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices. The proposed work aims to explore Variational Quantum Circuits (VQC) for Deep Reinforcement Learning by remodeling the experience replay and target network into a representation of VQC. In addition, to reduce the number of model parameters, quantum information encoding schemes are used to achieve better results than the classical neural networks. VQCs are employed to approximate the deep Q-value function for decision-making and policy-selection reinforcement learning with experience replay and the target network.Keywords: quantum computing, quantum machine learning, variational quantum circuit, deep reinforcement learning, quantum information encoding scheme
Procedia PDF Downloads 1224834 Cause of the Disappearance of Wild Bees in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Sarah Ekuwo Okende, Armand Lokolo
Abstract:
Gradually, the recognition of wild bees in processes affecting ecosystems and as major components of biodiversity has led to their protection as well as their areas in Kinshasa. And despite their decisive role in the well-being of men, the general public and decision-makers know nothing of the consequences of the loss of these, which are nevertheless of considerable magnitude. On this, they provide the pollination of sexual plants, and they also provide us with a number of goods that have a direct economic value, such as food, medicines, etc. And yet today, more than half of these wild bee species are threatened in Kinshasa. The causes of this phenomenon are largely unknown to the general public in the Kinshasa region. The objective of this study is to find the causes leading to the disappearance of wild bee species in Kinshasa. Also, this research contributes to current knowledge of the biodiversity of wild bees in the Kinshasa region and helps the authorities to develop a good policy for the conservation or safeguarding of this biodiversity, which plays a key role in maintaining the integrity of our ecosystems. We carried out field surveys using interview sheets in the forest areas of Kinshasa where wild bees populated them. To achieve this, an interview sheet was made, and it included questions on the causes of the disappearance of wild bees and the destruction of forest areas. The interviews were carried out with the natives of these forest areas. The results of this study show us that the destruction of habitats or natural areas and the use of pesticides are the causes of the disappearance of these wild bees.Keywords: wild bees, pollinisation, forest, biodiversity, habitats, ecosystem, destruction, pesticide
Procedia PDF Downloads 804833 Radiation Emission from Ultra-Relativistic Plasma Electrons in Short-Pulse Laser Light Interactions
Authors: R. Ondarza-Rovira, T. J. M. Boyd
Abstract:
Intense femtosecond laser light incident on over-critical density plasmas has shown to emit a prolific number of high-order harmonics of the driver frequency, with spectra characterized by power-law decays Pm ~ m-p, where m denotes the harmonic order and p the spectral decay index. When the laser pulse is p-polarized, plasma effects do modify the harmonic spectrum, weakening the so-called universal decay with p=8/3 to p=5/3, or below. In this work, appeal is made to a single particle radiation model in support of the predictions from particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. Using this numerical technique we further show that the emission radiated by electrons -that are relativistically accelerated by the laser field inside the plasma, after being expelled into vacuum, the so-called Brunel electrons is characterized not only by the plasma line but also by ultraviolet harmonic orders described by the 5/3 decay index. Results obtained from these simulations suggest that for ultra-relativistic light intensities, the spectral decay index is further reduced, with p now in the range 2/3 ≤ p ≤ 4/3. This reduction is indicative of a transition from the regime where Brunel-induced plasma radiation influences the spectrum to one dominated by bremsstrahlung emission from the Brunel electrons.Keywords: ultra-relativistic, laser-plasma interactions, high-order harmonic emission, radiation, spectrum
Procedia PDF Downloads 4624832 Acoustic Blood Plasmapheresis in Polymeric Resonators
Authors: Itziar Gonzalez, Pilar Carreras, Alberto Pinto, Roque Ruben Andres
Abstract:
Acoustophoretic separation of plasma from blood is based on a collection process of the blood cells, driven by an acoustic radiation force. The number of cells, their concentration, and the sample hydrodynamics are involved in these processes. However, their influence on the acoustic blood response has not yet been reported in the literature. Addressing it, this paper presents an experimental study of blood samples exposed to ultrasonic standing waves at different hematocrit levels and hydrodynamic conditions. The experiments were performed in a glass capillary (700µm-square cross section) actuated by a piezoelectric ceramic at 1MHz, hosting 2D orthogonal half-wavelength resonances transverse to the channel length, with a single-pressure-node along its central axis where cells collected driven by the acoustic radiation force. Four blood dilutions in PBS of 1:20, 1:10, 1:5, and 1:2 were tested at eight flow rate conditions Q=0:120µL/min. The 1:5 dilution (H=9%) demonstrated to be optimal for the plasmapheresis at any of the flow rates analyzed, requiring the shortest times to achieve plasma free of cells. The study opens new possibilities to optimize processes of plasmapheresis processes by ultrasounds at different hematocrit conditions in future personalized diagnoses/treatments involving blood samples.Keywords: ultrasounds, microfluidics, flow rate, acoustophoresis, polymeric resonators
Procedia PDF Downloads 1314831 One year later after the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW): Reviewing Legal Impact and Implementation
Authors: Cristina Siserman-Gray
Abstract:
TheTreaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons(TPNW)will mark in January 2022 one year since the entry into force of the treaty. TPNW provides that within one year of entry into force, the 86 countries that have signed it so far will convene to discuss and take decisions on the treaty’s implementation at the first meeting of states-parties. Austria has formally offered to host the meeting in Vienna in the spring of 2022. At this first meeting, the States Parties would need to work. Among others, on the interpretations of some of the provisions of the Treaty, disarmament timelines under Article 4, and address universalization of the Treaty. The main objective of this paper is to explore the legal implications of the TPNW for States-Parties and discuss how these will impact non-State Parties, particularly the United States. In a first part, the article will address the legal requirements that States Parties to this treaty must adhere to by illustrating some of the progress made by these states regarding the implementation of the TPNW. In a second part, the paper will address the challenges and opportunities for universalizing the treaty and will focus on the response of Nuclear Weapons States, and particularly the current US administration. Since it has become clear that TPNW has become a new and important element to the nonproliferation and disarmament architecture, the article will provide a number of suggestions regarding ways US administration could positively contribute to the international discourse on TPNW.Keywords: disarmament, arms control and nonproliferation, legal regime, TPNW
Procedia PDF Downloads 1634830 The Drama and Dynamics of Economic Shocks and Households Responses in Nigeria
Authors: Doki Naomi Onyeje, Doki Gowon Ama
Abstract:
The past 4 years have been traumatic for Nigerians, having to deal with a number of complex economic issues with dire consequences for the economy. Households have had to respond variously to some of these problems in peculiar ways, depending, of course, on the nature and character of a particular shock. The type, magnitude, intensity and duration of a particular shock might be the determinant of different household responses. While households’ responses to the Global Financial Crisis and Covid 19 Pandemic have been documented by researchers, other economic shocks have continued to emerge in Nigeria. The dramatic turn of events since coming on board of the new government on May 29th 2023, has introduced a new economic twist that households will have to adjust to. This study, therefore, sets out to examine household responses by disaggregating them by their livelihood sources. A survey of 420 households across North Central Nigeria will be done to generate information on the respective responses. A Multinomial logit regression analysis will be employed to test the hypothesis that livelihood source(s) influences household responses to economic shocks. Consequently, responses from public and private households will be examined. The expected results should be that household responses might have some similarities, but it is expected that some peculiar responses across groups will emerge and these differences will guide for group-specific interventions. The Theatre for Development (TfD) approach will be used to disseminate and propagate results from this study to and among stakeholders for effective policy frameworks.Keywords: drama, dynamics, economic shocks, household responses, Nigeria
Procedia PDF Downloads 674829 Communal Shipping Container Home Design for Reducing Homelessness in Glasgow
Authors: Matthew Brady
Abstract:
Lack of affordable housing for individuals has the potential to create gaps in society, which result in thousands of people facing homelessness every year in some of the worlds most affluent cities. This paper examines strategies for providing a more economic living environment for single occupants. Focusing on comparisons of successful examples reducing homeless populations around the world, with an emphasis on social inclusion and community living. Practically exploring the architectural considerations of ensuring a suitable living environment for multiple single occupancy residents, as well as selecting the appropriate materials to ensure costs are kept to manageable level for investment from local governments. The aim of this paper is to make some practical recommendations for low cost communal living space, with particular reference to recycled shipping container homes on a potential unused site on the River Clyde in Glasgow. Ideally, the suggestions and recommendations put forward in this paper can be replicable or used for reference in other similar situations. The proposal explored in this paper is sensitive towards addressing people's standard of living and adapting homes to match may be one solution to reducing the number of people being evicted from unaffordable homes as the generally upward global trend for urbanization continues.Keywords: affordable housing, community living, shipping container, urban regeneration
Procedia PDF Downloads 1774828 Loving is Universal, Dating is not: Dating Experiences of International Students in Vancouver
Authors: Nel Jayson Santos
Abstract:
The growing number of international students in post-secondary institutions in Canada has positively contributed to the country’s economy and educational systems while also enriching cultural diversity in the classrooms. However, international students face social and relational challenges as they try to adapt to their host nation’s culture. One specific area of cultural adaptation among international students that has yet to be studied extensively is dating experiences and romantic relationships. Although numerous studies have been done regarding the relational challenges and dating experiences of American international students, only a few studies have focused on international students based in Canada. Hence, this study examines the dating preferences, dating challenges, and dating adaptations of international students based in Vancouver, Canada. Using a social constructivist approach, a semi-structured interview was conducted among fifteen heterosexual international college students. Inductive thematic analysis was then used to analyze the gathered data and identify common themes. Findings suggest that students’ (1) preferences were influenced by racial background and parental approval of dating partners; (2) students experienced language barriers and cultural differences; (3) students adapted through constant communication and being open-minded. Finally, the analysis intends to help counselors and psychologists in various colleges to help understand the issues of international students in terms of intimate and romantic relationships.Keywords: higher education, international students, dating experiences, cultural adaptation
Procedia PDF Downloads 2034827 Implementing Online Applications to Allow Marketing Personnel to Share Their Experiences
Authors: Ishak Kamal Baskhayroun
Abstract:
This study examines consumer attitudes toward mobile marketing, especially toward SMS marketing. Unlike similar studies, this study does not focus on the young, but includes consumers who are in the 18-70 age range to the field research. According to the results, it has been concluded that most participants think SMS marketing is disturbing. Most important problems with SMS marketing are about getting subscribed to message lists without the permission of the receiver; the high number of messages sent; and the irrelevancy of the message content. The emergence of sponsorship as a new marketing communication tool and a source of competitive advantage in the marketplace has changed the entire marketing communication process. Sponsorship has overtaken other marketing communication tools in terms of growth and expenditure. This paper seeks to evaluate the role of sponsorship in marketing communication tools. The study recommends that proper measures be taken before the company embarks into sponsorship programs. This is necessary because investment in sponsorship does not always guarantee sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace.Mobile phones are one of the direct marketing tools that can be used to reach today’s hard to reach consumers. Mobile phones are very personal devices and they are always carried with the consumer, where ever they go. This creates an opportunity for marketers to create personalized marketing communications messages and send them on the right time and place.Keywords: employee organizational performance, internal marketing, internal customer, direct marketing, mobile phones mobile marketing, sms advertising, marketing sponsorship, marketing communication theories, marketing communication tools corporate responsibility
Procedia PDF Downloads 474826 Frequency of Nosocomial Infections in a Tertiary Hospital in Isfahan, Iran
Authors: Zahra Tolou-Ghamari
Abstract:
Objective: Health care associated with multiresistant pathogens is rising globally. It is well known that nosocomial infections increase hospital stay, morbidity, mortality, and disability. Therefore, the aim of this study was to define the occurrence of nosocomial infections in a tertiary hospital in Isfahan/Iran. Materials and Methods: The data were extracted from the official database of hospital nosocomial infections records that included 9152 vertical rows. For each patient, the reported infections were coded by number as UTI-SUTI; Code 55, VAE-PVAP; Code 56, BSI-LCBI Code 19, SSI-DIP; Code 14, and so on. For continuous variables, mean ± standard deviation and for categorical variables, the frequency was used. Results: The study population was 5542 patients, comprised of males (n=3282) and females (n=2260). With a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 99, the mean age in 5313 patients was 58.5 ± 19.1 years old. The highest reported nosocomial infections (n= 77%) were associated with the ages 30-80 years old. Sites of nosocomial infections in 87% were as: VAE-PVAP; 27.3%, VAE-IVAC; 7.7, UTI-SUTI; 29.5%, BSI-LCBI; 12.9%, SSI-DIP; 9.5% and other individual infection (13%) with the main pathogens klebsiella pneumonia, acinetobacter baumannii and staphylococcus. Conclusions: For an efficient surveillance system, adopting pharmacotherapy used antibiotics in terms of monotherapy or polypharmacy control policy, in addition to advanced infection control programs at regional and national levels in Iran recommended.Keywords: infection, nosocomial, ventilator, blood stream, Isfahan, Iran
Procedia PDF Downloads 724825 Phonetics and Phonological Investigation of Geminates and Gemination in Some Indic Languages
Authors: Hifzur Ansary
Abstract:
The aim and scope of the present research are to delve into the form of geminates and the process of gemination with special reference to Indic Languages. This work presents the results of a cross-linguistic investigation of word-medial geminate consonants. This study is a theoretical as well as experimental, that is, it is based not only on impressionistic data from Indic languages but also on an instrumental analysis of the data. The primary data have been collected from the native speakers. The secondary data have been collected from printed materials such as journals, grammar books and other published articles. The observations made in this study have been checked with a number of educated native speakers of Bangla and Telugu. The study focuses on geminates and gemination in Bangla (Indo-Aryan Language Family) and Telugu (Dravidian Language family) exhaustively. Thus this study also attempts to posit the valid geminates in Bangali and Telugu and provides an account of gemination in these languages. It also makes a comparison of singletons and geminated consonants. It describes the distribution of geminate phonemes and non-geminate phonemes of Bangla and Telugu. The present research would also investigate the vowel lengthening in Bangla with respect to gemination. The study also explains how gemination processes present in Indian Languages are transferred to Indian English.Keywords: geminate consonant, singleton-geminate contrast, different types of assimilation, gemination derives from borrowed words
Procedia PDF Downloads 2774824 Response of Onion to FTM and Inorganic Fertilizers Application on Growth, Yield and Nutrient Uptake in Lateritic Soil of Konkan
Authors: Rupali Thorat, S. B. Dodake, V. N. Palsande, S. D. Patil
Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted to study the “Response of onion to FYM and inorganic fertilizers application on growth, yield and nutrient uptake in lateritic soil of Konkan” at the farm of Pangari block of Irrigation of Scheme, Central Experimentation Station, Wakawali during Rabi 2009-10. There were 12 treatment combinations, comprising of 3 levels of NPK fertilizers (C1 ,C2-125 kg N, 62.5 kg P205 and 62.5 kg K20 ha-1 and C3-150 kg N, 75 kg P205 and 75 kg K20 ha-1) and 4 levels of FYM (F1-10 t FYM ha-1, F2 - 15 t FYM ha-1, F3-20 t FYM ha-1, F4-25 t FYM ha-1) replicated thrice using Factorial Randomized Block Design. The observations on plant height, number of leaves, girth of plant, polar and equatorial diameter of bulb as well as dry matter yield, onion bulb yield recorded during the course of field study were subjected to statistical analysis. Similarly nutrient content and uptake, quality parameters of bulb and soil properties were also determined and their data were also analyzed statistically. It is revealed from the study that the growth attributes, dry matter yield, onion bulb yield, nutrient content, nutrient uptake, quality parameters were improved significantly due to application of NPK @ 150:75:75 kg ha-1 along with FYM @ 20 t ha-1(C3F3). Application of NPK @ 150:75:75 kg ha-1 along with FYM @ 20 t ha-1 (C3F3) registered highest onion bulb yield (t ha-1). The quality of onion as well as availability of N, P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu in the soil was improved due to application of NPK @ 150:75:75 kg ha-1 and FYM @ 20 t ha-1.Keywords: onion, FYM, yield, nutrient uptake and fertilizer
Procedia PDF Downloads 4784823 A Group Setting of IED in Microgrid Protection Management System
Authors: Jyh-Cherng Gu, Ming-Ta Yang, Chao-Fong Yan, Hsin-Yung Chung, Yung-Ruei Chang, Yih-Der Lee, Chen-Min Chan, Chia-Hao Hsu
Abstract:
There are a number of distributed generations (DGs) installed in microgrid, which may have diverse path and direction of power flow or fault current. The overcurrent protection scheme for the traditional radial type distribution system will no longer meet the needs of microgrid protection. Integrating the intelligent electronic device (IED) and a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) with IEC 61850 communication protocol, the paper proposes a microgrid protection management system (MPMS) to protect power system from the fault. In the proposed method, the MPMS performs logic programming of each IED to coordinate their tripping sequence. The GOOSE message defined in IEC 61850 is used as the transmission information medium among IEDs. Moreover, to cope with the difference in fault current of microgrid between grid-connected mode and islanded mode, the proposed MPMS applies the group setting feature of IED to protect system and robust adaptability. Once the microgrid topology varies, the MPMS will recalculate the fault current and update the group setting of IED. Provided there is a fault, IEDs will isolate the fault at once. Finally, the Matlab/Simulink and Elipse Power Studio software are used to simulate and demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method.Keywords: IEC 61850, IED, group Setting, microgrid
Procedia PDF Downloads 4494822 The Effect of Accounting Quality on Contribution-In-Kind Valuation
Authors: Catherine Heyjung Sonu
Abstract:
This paper examines the effect of accounting quality on the process in which stock price is determined by focusing on contribution-in-kind valuations using Korean setting. In Korea, a number of chaebol firms have transformed into holding company system starting in 2003. With an attempt to gain as much voting right, management sold shares of subsidiaries to purchase shares of the holding company. In so doing, management of these firms received share issues for the contribution in kind that has been made to obtain additional shares of the holding company. The price of these share issues against contribution in kind is allowed to be discounted up to 30%. Using this interesting setting in Korea, this paper examines whether accounting quality affects the extent of the discount applied to the share issues. If the accounting quality of the firm for which the management is receiving share issues is poor, the extent of discount is likely to be high. The extent of discount is likely lower for firms with superior accounting quality. Using 24 cases, we find that, on average, the extent of discount is larger for share issues in which the accounting quality, proxied by the absolute value of discretionary accruals, is poor. This paper provides insight by examining the effect of accounting quality on the stock market. It sheds light on the intersection between finance and accounting research and should be of interest to researchers and practitioners.Keywords: Accounting quality, Contribution-in-kind, discount, holding company
Procedia PDF Downloads 1934821 Experiment Study on the Influence of Tool Materials on the Drilling of Thick Stacked Plate of 2219 Aluminum Alloy
Authors: G. H. Li, M. Liu, H. J. Qi, Q. Zhu, W. Z. He
Abstract:
The drilling and riveting processes are widely used in the assembly of carrier rocket, which makes the efficiency and quality of drilling become the important factor affecting the assembly process. According to the problem existing in the drilling of thick stacked plate (thickness larger than 10mm) of carrier rocket, such as drill break, large noise and burr etc., experimental study of the influence of tool material on the drilling was carried out. The cutting force was measured by a piezoelectric dynamometer, the aperture was measured with an outline projector, and the burr is observed and measured by a digital stereo microscope. Through the measurement, the effects of tool material on the drilling were analyzed from the aspects of drilling force, diameter, and burr. The results show that, compared with carbide drill and coated carbide one, the drilling force of high speed steel is larger. But, the application of high speed steel also has some advantages, e.g. a higher number of hole can be obtained, the height of burr is small, the exit is smooth and the slim burr is less, and the tool experiences wear but not fracture. Therefore, the high speed steel tool is suitable for the drilling of thick stacked plate of 2219 Aluminum alloy.Keywords: 2219 aluminum alloy, thick stacked plate, drilling, tool material
Procedia PDF Downloads 2314820 Parental Perceptions and Practices toward Childhood Asthma
Authors: Amani K. Abu-Shaheen, Abdullah Nofal, Humariya Heena
Abstract:
Introduction: Parental perceptions and practices are important for improving the asthma outcomes in children; indeed, evidence shows that parents of asthmatic children harbor considerable misperceptions of the disease. Objective: To identify the prevalence of asthma and to investigate the perceptions and practices of parents toward asthma and its management in Saudi children. Methods: A two-stage cross-sectional survey of 2000 parents of children aged 3–15 years from schools located in all five districts of Riyadh province located in central Saudi Arabia, was conducted. Data collection was accomplished using a self-administered questionnaire based on information obtained from the literature. Results: Of 1450 children whose parents participated in the study, 600 had asthma, dyspnea, or chest allergy. The overall number of children with parental reports of ever having been diagnosed with asthma was 478 (32.9%). The majority of parents (321, 53.5%) believed that asthma was a hereditary disease. Of these parents, 361 (60.3%) were concerned about side effects of inhaled steroids, and 192 (32%) about development of dependency on asthma medications. Three hundred sixty seven (61.2%) parents reported that they could treat the asthma attack at home and almost 76% of parents went to pediatric emergency department during asthma attack. Conclusions: In this study, the overall prevalence of children whose parents reported that they were diagnosed with asthma was high (32.9%). Furthermore, parents of children with asthma had misperceptions regarding asthma and exhibited ineffective practices in its management. To improve asthma care and compliance, adequate education should be provided to parents.Keywords: asthma, management, parents, quality of life
Procedia PDF Downloads 269