Search results for: rainwater harvesting and management in rural sectors

Authors: Chuan Yang, Jing Bie, Zhong Wang, Panagiotis Psimoulis

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Contemporary studies investigating the association between the spatial configuration of the urban network and economic activities at the street level were mostly conducted within space syntax conceptual framework. These findings supported the theory of 'movement economy' and demonstrated the impact of street configuration on the distribution of pedestrian movement and land-use shaping, especially retail activities. However, the effects varied between different urban contexts. In this paper, the relationship between economic activity distribution and the urban configurational characters was examined at the segment level. In the study area, three kinds of neighbourhood types, urban, suburban, and rural neighbourhood, were included. And among all neighbourhoods, three kinds of urban network form, 'tree-like', grid, and organic pattern, were recognised. To investigate the nested effects of urban configuration measured by space syntax approach and urban context, multilevel zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression models were constructed. Additionally, considering the spatial autocorrelation, spatial lag was also concluded in the model as an independent variable. The random effect ZINB model shows superiority over the ZINB model or multilevel linear (ML) model in the explanation of economic activities pattern shaping over the urban environment. And after adjusting for the neighbourhood type and network form effects, connectivity and syntax centrality significantly affect economic activities clustering. The comparison between accumulative and new established economic activities illustrated the different preferences for economic activity location choice.

Keywords: space syntax, economic activities, multilevel model, Chinese city

Procedia PDF Downloads 128

Authors: Isaac Tebogo Rampedi, Phyllis Kwenda

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Regardless of the many years in which the master’s coursework programme in environmental management (MCWPEM) has been offered at the University of Johannesburg and the routine student evaluations of modules offered, no empirical and reflective research on student’s satisfaction have been undertaken. The same shortcoming apply to similar degree programmes offered by some of the universities in South Africa where there is limited literature on student’s perceptions on the value of environmental management courses. As a result, the present paper assessed student’s satisfaction levels regarding the MCWPEM at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. Thus, the main goal was to investigate student’s satisfaction in the manner in which the programme was organised and presented to them during their enrolment years. The research used a mixed-methods research design comprised mainly of a survey and focus group discussions, thereby collecting and analysing both quantitative and qualitative data. Apart from the use of descriptive statistics to generate quantitative results, qualitative data generated from focus group discussions were subjected to systematic content analysis. The results indicated higher proportions of students who were satisfied with the support received from the university and presentation of the teaching content, teaching methods, supervision, thereby enhancing their overall learning experiences in the programme. Nonetheless, some students expressed some dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the same course. The results have various implications for teaching practice and the professional development of environmental managers in South Africa and neighbouring countries with the same socio-economic context.

Keywords: masters coursework programme, barriers and challenges, mixed-methods design, student's satisfaction

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Authors: Tran Dinh Lan, Do Thi Thu Huong

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Among the 17 goals of the United Nations, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, SDG 14.2 and SDG 14.4 under SDG 14 directly address the sustainable management, exploitation, and use of marine ecosystems. To achieve these goals, it is necessary to quantify the level of sustainable use of marine ecosystems, which have been paid attention for more than two decades in the direction of a quantitative approach by indicator and index development using methods of building and analyzing indicators and indices. With the employment of the above methods, over the past two decades, a number of marine ecosystems in Vietnam have been quantitatively evaluated for sustainable use for integrated coastal and marine management. Thirty indicators for sustainable use of marine ecosystems in the Northeast of Vietnam, together with indices, have been developed to assess mangrove, coral, and beach ecosystems. An assessment shows the following results. The mangrove ecosystem declined from sustainable to unsustainable uses in the period 1989-2007. The coral ecosystem in 2003 was at a sensitive point between sustainable and unsustainable uses. The beach ecosystem was evaluated with ten selected beaches in the period 2013-2018, showing that nine beaches are at a sustainable level, and one beach is at an unsustainable level. The Thua Thien-Hue coastal lagoon ecosystem assessed by 21 indicators of environmental vulnerability in 2014 showed less sustainability. The marine ecosystems around the offshore islands of Bach Long Vi, Con Co, and Tho Chu were tested to assess the level of sustainable use by the index of total economic value. The results show that these ecosystems are being used sustainably but are also at risk of falling to an unsustainable level (Tho Chu). The use of the environmental vulnerability index or economic value index to evaluate ecosystem sustainability only reflects parts of the function or value of the system but does not fully reflect the sustainability of the system.

Keywords: index, indicators, sustainability evaluation, Vietnam marine ecosystems

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Authors: Ritu Sharma

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In order to be objective, critics must examine the dynamic relationships between the author, the reader, the text, and the outside world. However, it is also crucial to recognize that because the language was created by God, meaning is ingrained in it. Meaning is located in and discovered through literature rather than being limited to the author, reader, text, or the outside world. The link between the author, the reader, and the text is crucial because literature unites an author and a reader through the use of language. Literature is a potent kind of communication, and Ethan Frome's audience is forever changed as a result of the book's language and the language its characters use. The narrative of Ethan Frome and his wife Zeena is presented in Ethan Frome. Ethan's story is told throughout the course of the book, revealed through the eyes of the narrator, an outsider passing through Starkfield, as well as through the insight that the narrator gains from the townspeople and his stay on the Frome farm. The story is set in the rural New England community of Starkfield, Massachusetts. The weather provides the ideal setting for Ethan and the narrator to get to know one another as the narrator gets preoccupied with unraveling the narrative that underlies Ethan's physical anomalies. In addition to telling a gripping tale and capturing human nature as it is, Ethan Frome uses its storyline to achieve something more significant. The book by Edith Wharton supports language. Zeena's deliberate and convincing language challenges relativity and meaninglessness. Ethan and Mattie's effort to effectively use words reflects the complexity of language, and their battle illustrates the influence that language may have if and when it is used. Ethan Frome defends the written word, the foundation upon which it is constructed, as a literary work. Communication is based on language, and as the characters respond to and get involved in disputes throughout the book, Zeena, Ethan, and Mattie, each reflects particular theories of communication that help define their uses of communication within the broader context of language.

Keywords: dynamic relationships, potent, communication, complexity

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Authors: Eduardo Remirez, Luis Moreno

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The rapid growth of the private satellite launchers sector is leading the space race. Hence, with the privatization of the sector, all the companies are racing for a more efficient and reliant way to set satellites in orbit. Having detected the current needs for power management in the launcher vehicle industry, the Modular Power Bus is proposed as a technology to revolutionize power management in current and future Launcher Vehicles. The MPBus Project is committed to develop a new power bus architecture combining ejectable batteries with the main bus through intelligent nodes. These nodes are able to communicate between them and a battery controller using an improved, data over DC line technology, expected to reduce the total weight in two main areas: improving the use of the batteries and reducing the total weight due to harness. This would result in less weight for each launch stage increasing the operational satellite payload and reducing cost. These features make the system suitable for a number of launchers.

Keywords: modular power bus, Launcher vehicles, ejectable batteries, intelligent nodes

Procedia PDF Downloads 482

Authors: Dewan Ahsan

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Denmark is well ahead in generating electricity from renewable sources. The offshore wind sector is playing the pivotal role to achieve this target. Though there is a rapid growth of offshore wind sector in Denmark, still there is a dearth of synchronization in OHS (occupational health and safety) regulation and standards. Therefore, this paper attempts to ascertain: i) what are the major challenges of the company specific OHS standards? ii) why does the offshore wind industry need a standardized OHS management system? and iii) who can play the key role in this process? To achieve these objectives, this research applies the interview and survey techniques. This study has identified several key challenges in OHS management system which are; gaps in coordination and communication among the stakeholders, gaps in incident reporting systems, absence of a harmonized OHS standard and blame culture. Furthermore, this research has identified eleven key stakeholders who are actively involve with the offshore wind business in Denmark. As noticed, the relationships among these stakeholders are very complex specially between operators and sub-contractors. The respondent technicians are concerned with the compliance of various third-party OHS standards (e.g. ISO 31000, ISO 29400, Good practice guidelines by G+) which are applying by various offshore companies. On top of these standards, operators also impose their own OHS standards. From the technicians point of angle, many of these standards are not even specific for the offshore wind sector. So, it is a big challenge for the technicians and sub-contractors to comply with different company specific standards which also elevate the price of their services offer to the operators. For instance, when a sub-contractor is competing for a bidding, it must fulfill a number of OHS requirements (which demands many extra documantions) set by the individual operator and/the turbine supplier. According to sub-contractors’ point of view these extra works consume too much time to prepare the bidding documents and they also need to train their employees to pass the specific OHS certification courses to accomplish the demand for individual clients and individual project. The sub-contractors argued that in many cases these extra documentations and OHS certificates are inessential to ensure the quality service. So, a standardized OHS management procedure (which could be applicable for all the clients) can easily solve this problem. In conclusion, this study highlights that i) development of a harmonized OHS standard applicable for all the operators and turbine suppliers, ii) encouragement of technicians’ active participation in the OHS management, iii) development of a good safety leadership, and, iv) sharing of experiences among the stakeholders (specially operators-operators-sub contractors) are the most vital strategies to overcome the existing challenges and to achieve the goal of 'zero accident/harm' in the offshore wind industry.

Keywords: green energy, offshore, safety, Denmark

Procedia PDF Downloads 216

Authors: Martina I. Reinhold, Theresa Bacon-Baguley

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A core challenge of physician assistant education is preparing professionals for lifelong learning. While this conventionally has encompassed scientific advances, students must also embrace new care delivery models and technologies. Telemedicine, the provision of care via two-way audio and video, is an example of a technological advance reforming health care. During a three-semester sequence of Hospital Community Experiences, physician assistant students were assigned experiences with Answer Health on Demand, a telemedicine collaborative. Preceding the experiences, the agency lectured on the application of telemedicine. Students were then introduced to the technology and partnered with a provider. Prior to observing the patient-provider interaction, patient consent was obtained. Afterwards, students completed a reflection paper on lessons learned and the potential impact of telemedicine on their careers. Thematic analysis was completed on the students’ reflection papers (n=13). Preceding the lecture and experience, over 75% of students (10/13) were unaware of telemedicine. Several stated they were 'skeptical' about the effectiveness of 'impersonal' health care appointments. After the experience, all students remarked that telemedicine will play a large role in the future of healthcare and will provide benefits by improving access in rural areas, decreasing wait time, and saving cost. More importantly, 30% of students (4/13) commented that telemedicine is a technology they can see themselves using in their future practice. Initial results indicate that collaborative interaction between students and telemedicine providers enhanced student learning and exposed students to technological advances in the delivery of care. Further, results indicate that students perceived telemedicine more favorably as a viable delivery method after the experience.

Keywords: collaboration, physician assistant education, teaching innovative health care delivery method, telemedicine

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Authors: Leila Kharrat, Younes Boujelbene

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In recent decades, solid waste management (SWM) has become a global concern because rapid population growth and overexploitation of non-renewable resources have generated enormous amounts of waste far exceeding carrying capacity; too, it poses serious threats to the environment and health. However, it is still difficult to combat the growing amount of solid waste before assessing the condition of people. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitudes, perception, and practices on the separation of solid waste in Sfax City. Nowadays, GDS is essential for sustainable development, hence the need for intensive research. Respondents from seven different districts in the city of Sfax were analyzed through a questionnaire survey with 342 households. This paper presents a qualitative exploratory study on the behavior of the citizens in the field of waste separation. The objective knows the antecedents of waste separation and the representation that individuals have about sorting waste on a specific territory which presents some characteristics regarding waste management in Sfax city. Source separation is not widely practiced and people usually sweep their places throwing waste components into the streets or neighboring plots. The results also indicate that participation in solid waste separation activities depends on the level of awareness of separating activities in the area, household income and educational level. It is, therefore, argued that increasing quality of municipal service is the best means of promoting positive attitudes to solid waste separation activities. One of the effective strategies identified by households that can be initiated by policymakers to increase the rate of participation in separation activities and eventually encourage them to participate in recycling activities is to provide a financial incentive in all residential areas in Sfax city.

Keywords: solid waste management, waste separation, public policy, econometric modelling

Procedia PDF Downloads 242

Authors: Chiu-Wen Chang, I-Yun Chang, Wei-Ting Chen, Hui-Ping Ho, Ruei-Hun Chang, Joh-Jong Huang

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Kaohsiung City is located in the tropical region where has Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus distributed; once the virus invades, it’s can easily trigger local epidemic. Besides, Kaohsiung City has a world-class airport and harbor, trade and tourism are close and frequently with every country, especially with the Southeast Asian countries which also suffer from dengue. Therefore, Kaohsiung City faces the difficult challenge of dengue every year. The objectives of this study was to enhance dengue clinical care, border management and vector surveillance in Kaohsiung City by establishing an larger scale, innovatively and more coordinated dengue prevention and control strategies in 2016, including (1) Integrated medical programs: facilitated 657 contract medical institutions, widely set up NS1 rapid test in clinics, enhanced triage and referrals system, dengue case daily-monitoring management (2) Border quarantine: comprehensive NS1 screening for foreign workers and fisheries when immigration, hospitalization and isolation for suspected cases, health education for high risk groups (foreign students, other tourists) (3) Mosquito control: Widely use Gravitrap to monitor mosquito density in environment, use NS1 rapid screening test to detect community dengue virus (4) Health education: create a dengue app for people to immediately inquire the risk map and nearby medical resources, routine health education to all districts to strengthen public’s dengue knowledge, neighborhood cleaning awards program. The results showed that after new integration of dengue prevention and control strategies fully implemented in Kaohsiung City, the number of confirmed cases in 2016 declined to 342 cases, the majority of these cases are the continuation epidemic in 2015; in fact, only two cases confirmed after the 2016 summer. Besides, the dengue mortality rate successfully decreased to 0% in 2016. Moreover, according to the reporting rate from medical institutions in 2014 and 2016, it dropped from 27.07% to 19.45% from medical center, and it decreased from 36.55% to 29.79% from regional hospital; however, the reporting rate of district hospital increased from 11.88% to 15.87% and also increased from 24.51% to 34.89% in general practice clinics. Obviously, it showed that under the action of strengthening medical management, it reduced the medical center’s notification ratio and improved the notification ratio of general clinics which achieved the great effect of dengue clinical management and dengue control.

Keywords: dengue control, integrated control strategies, clinical management, NS1

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Authors: Threera Intarareaung

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This research aims to study guidelines of organizing the Wat Sai Museum of Local Boats, of Ruam Sai Pattana Community 789, Kradangnga sub-district, Bang Khon Tee district, Samut Songkram province. The procedures are to seek for potentials and problems within the community to properly organize the said museum. The research contains methodology of qualitative by studying from the population from Ruam Sai Pattana 789, a community that located within the area of the museum. The sample contains 40 persons. The procedures are in-depth interview, observation, focus group by discussing ideas, problems and the importance of the museum. After that, the information received is synthesized and analyzed. The result finds that the local temple requires setting up the boat museum. However, there are several factors that limit the possibility which are the museum manager, resources, exhibition and service and knowledge management. These factors reflect mutual potentials and problems that lead us to seek the best solutions to set up the local boat museum. In conclusion, there are 4 issues regarding the management. First, the knowledge management should be conducted to indicate the purposes of the museum. Second, exhibition and service should be categorized. In addition, the serviced should be assisted by local guides. Third, the museum should employ staffs to correspond to other entities such as related authorities. Fourth is regarding location and condition of the building. This is considered as a major factor that needs discussion from different parties. However, the condition of the existing resource is proper. All the information is collected by field trip and interview the locals and person of interest. Therefore, the idea is inconsistent with the community’s requirement that can proceed to real practice.

Keywords: museum, boat museum, heritage tourism, conservation lifestyle

Procedia PDF Downloads 335

Authors: Jill Round

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In the economic system, the financial sector plays a crucial role as an intermediary between market participants, other financial institutions, and customers. Financial institutions such as banks have to make decisions to satisfy the demands of all the participants by keeping abreast of regulatory change. In recent years, progress has been made regarding frameworks, development of rules, standards, and processes to manage risks in the banking sector. The increasing focus of regulators and policymakers placed on risk management, corporate governance, and the organization’s culture is of special interest as it requires a well-resourced risk controlling function, compliance function, and internal audit function. In the past years, the relevance of these functions that make up the so-called Three Lines of Defense has moved from the backroom to the boardroom. The approach of the model can vary based on the various organizational characteristics. Due to the intense regulatory requirements, organizations operating in the financial sector have more mature models. In less regulated industries there is more cloudiness about what tasks are allocated where. All parties strive to achieve their objectives through the effective management of risks and serve the identical stakeholders. Today, the Three Lines of Defense model is used throughout the world. The research looks at trends and emerging issues in the professions of the Three Lines of Defense within the banking sector. The answers are believed to helping to explain the increasing regulatory requirements for the banking sector. While the number of supervisory practices increases the risk management requirements intensify and demand more regulatory compliance at the same time. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is applied by making use of conducted surveys in the research field. It aims to describe (i) the theoretical model regarding the applicable linearity relationships, (ii) the causal relationship between multiple predictors (exogenous) and multiple dependent variables (endogenous), (iii) taking into consideration the unobservable variables and (iv) the measurement errors. The surveys conducted on the research field suggest that the observable variables are caused by various latent variables. The SEM consists of the 1) measurement model and the 2) structural model. There is a detectable correlation regarding the cause-effect relationship among the performed supervisory practices and the increasing scope of regulation. Supervisory practices reinforce the regulatory density. In the past, controls were placed after supervisory practices were conducted or incidents occurred. In further research, it is of interest to examine, whether risk management is proactive, reactive to incidents and supervisory practices or can be both at the same time.

Keywords: risk management, structural equation model, supervisory practice, three lines of defense

Procedia PDF Downloads 229

Authors: Tsegay Kahsay Gebrekidan, Gebremariam Gebrezgabher Gebremedhin, Abraha Kahsay Weldemariam, Meaza Kidane Teferi

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Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in Ethiopia is a complex issue with institutional, social, political, environmental, and economic dimensions, impacting sustainable development. Effective MSWM planning necessitates understanding the generation rate and composition of waste. This systematic review synthesizes qualitative and quantitative data from various sources to aggregate current knowledge, identify gaps, and provide a comprehensive understanding of municipal solid waste management in Ethiopia. The findings reveal that the generation rate of municipal solid waste in Ethiopia is 0.38 kg/ca/day, with the waste composition being predominantly food waste, followed by ash, dust, and sand, and yard waste. Over 85% of this MSW is either reusable or recyclable, with a significant portion being organic matter (73.13% biodegradable) and 11.78% recyclable materials. Physicochemical analyses reveal that Ethiopian MSW is suitable for composting and biogas production, offering opportunities to reduce environmental pollution, and GHGs, support urban agriculture, and create job opportunities. However; challenges persist, including a lack of political will, weak municipal planning, limited community awareness, and inadequate waste management infrastructure, and only 31.8% of MSW is collected legally, leading to inefficient and harmful disposal practices. To improve MSWM, Ethiopia should focus on public awareness; increased funding, infrastructure investment, private sector partnerships, and implementing the 4 R principles (reduce, reuse, and recycle). An integrated approach involving government, industry, and civil society is essential. Further research on the physicochemical properties and strategic uses of MSW is needed to enhance management practices. Implications: The comprehensive study of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in Ethiopia reveals the intricate interplay of institutional, social, political, environmental, and economic factors that influence the nation’s sustainable development. The findings underscore the urgent need for tailored, integrated waste management strategies that are informed by a thorough understanding of MSW generation rates, composition, and current management practices. Ethiopia’s lower per capita MSW generation compared to developed countries and the predominantly organic composition of its waste present significant opportunities for sustainable waste management practices such as composting and recycling. These practices can not only minimize the environmental impact but also support urban greening, agriculture, and renewable energy production. The high organic content, suitable physicochemical properties of MSW for composting, and potential for biogas and briquette production highlight pathways for creating employment, reducing waste, and enhancing soil fertility. Despite these opportunities, Ethiopia faces substantial challenges due to inadequate political will, weak municipal planning, limited community awareness, insufficient waste management infrastructure, and poor policy implementation. The high rate of illegal waste disposal further exacerbates environmental and health issues, emphasizing the need for a more effective and integrated MSWM approach. To address these challenges and harness the potential of MSW, Ethiopia must prioritize increasing public awareness; investing in infrastructure, fostering private sector partnerships, and implementing the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle (3 R). Developing strategies that involve all stakeholders and turning waste into valuable resources is crucial. Government, industry, and civil society must collaborate to implement integrated MSWM systems that focus on waste reduction at the source, alternative material use, and advanced recycling technologies. Further research at both federal and regional levels is essential to optimize the physicochemical analysis and strategic use of MSW. Prompt action is required to transform waste management into a pillar of sustainable urban development, ultimately improving environmental quality and human health in Ethiopia.

Keywords: biodegradable, healthy environment, integrated solid waste management, municipal

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Authors: Maziyar Nouraee

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Electronic markets in recent decades contribute remarkably in business transactions. Many organizations consider traditional ways of trade non-economical and therefore they do trade only through electronic markets. There are different categorizations of electronic markets functions. In one classification, functions of electronic markets are categorized into classes as information, transactions, and value added. In the present paper, effects of the three classes on the two major elements of the supply chain management are measured. The two elements are decrease in the product unit cost and reduction in response time to the customer. The results of the current research show that among nine minor elements related to the three classes of electronic markets functions, six factors and three factors influence on reduction of the product unit cost and reduction of response time to the customer, respectively.

Keywords: electronic commerce, electronic market, B2B trade, supply chain management

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Authors: Hatice Idil Gorgen

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Turkey has been investing in its national defence industrial base since the 1980s. State’s role in defence industry showed differences in Turkey. Parallel with this, ruling group’s attitude toward companies in defence sector varied. These changes in policies and behaviors of the state have occurred throughout such milestones as political and economic turmoil in domestic and international level. Hence, it is argued that state’s role, relations with private companies in defense sector and its policies towards the defense industry has shown differences due to the international system, political institutions, ideas and political coalitions in Turkey since the 1980s. Therefore, in order to see changes in the role of the state in defence sector, this paper aims to indicate first, history of state’s role in production and defence industry in the post-1980s era. Secondly, to comprehend the changes in the state’s role in defence industry, Stephan Haggard’s sources of policy change will be provided in the theoretical ground. Thirdly, state cooperated, and joint venture defence firms, state’s actions toward them will be observed. The remaining part will explore the underlying reasons for the changes in the role of the state in defence industry, and it implicitly or explicitly impacts on state business relations. Major findings illustrate that targeted idea of self-sufficient or autarky Turkey to attract domestic audience and to raise the prestige through defence system; ruling elites can regard defence industry and involved business groups as a mean for their ends. State dominant value, sensitive perception which has been ever since Ottoman Empire, prioritizes business groups in defence industry compared to others and push the ruling elites to pursue hard power in defence sectors. Through the globally structural transformation in defence industry, integration of Turkey to liberal bloc deepened and widened interdependence among states. Although it is a qualitative study, it involves the numerated data and descriptive statistics. Data will be collected by searching secondary sources from the literature, examining official documents of ministry of defence, and other appropriate ministries.

Keywords: defense industry, state and business relations, public private relations, arm industry

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Authors: Cansu Bozer, Saadet İrem Turgut

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Artificial intelligence (AI) has become one of the most important technologies of the digital age and is transforming many sectors, including education. The advantages offered by AI, such as automation, personalised learning, and data analytics, create new opportunities for both teachers and students in education systems. Preschool education plays a fundamental role in the cognitive, social, and emotional development of children. In this period, the foundations of children's creative thinking, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills are laid. Educational technologies, especially artificial intelligence-based applications, are thought to contribute to the development of these skills. For example, artificial intelligence-supported digital learning tools can support learning processes by offering activities that can be customised according to the individual needs of each child. However, the successful use of artificial intelligence-based applications in preschool education can be realised under the guidance of teachers who have the right knowledge about this technology. Therefore, it is of great importance to measure preschool teachers' awareness levels of artificial intelligence and to understand which variables affect this awareness. The aim of this study is to measure preschool teachers' awareness levels of artificial intelligence and to determine which factors are related to this awareness. In line with this purpose, teachers' level of knowledge about artificial intelligence, their thoughts about the role of artificial intelligence in education, and their attitudes towards artificial intelligence will be evaluated. The study will be conducted with 100 teachers working in Turkey using a descriptive survey model. In this context, ‘Artificial Intelligence Awareness Level Scale for Teachers’ developed by Ferikoğlu and Akgün (2022) will be used. The collected data will be analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation) and relationship analyses (correlation and regression analyses) will be used in data analysis. As a result of the study, the level of artificial intelligence awareness of preschool teachers will be determined, and the factors affecting this awareness will be identified. The findings obtained will contribute to the determination of studies that can be done to increase artificial intelligence awareness in preschool education.

Keywords: education, child development, artificial intelligence, preschool teachers

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Authors: Hassan Abbas, Rehmat Ali, Muhammad Akbar

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This study has been conducted in Sassi-Haramosh conservancy District Gilgit, Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan, under the Conservation Leadership Programme of Fauna and Flora International. The main objectives of the study were to assess the socio-economic impact of community-based conservation in Sassi-Haramosh conservancy and identify effects of trophy hunting on the conservation of wildlife in the area. The first trophy hunting program of Astor Markhor was held in year February 21, 2015, and the second on February 21, 2016. The community received a share of 49200 USD and 52400 USD from the first and second hunting, and the total earning was 101600 USD which are Rs. 10,871,200 in Pak Rs. The amounts from the trophy hunting are being managed by the Wildlife Conservation and Social Development Organization (WCSDO) Sassi. The village-based organization WCSDO is spending 50% of the trophy hunting amount in the protection of wildlife, its habitat and other natural resources, 30% in developmental sectors of the village and 20% of the amount in the office expenses. Several developmental projects, like construction of 300 KVA hydropower stations, purchase of 8 acres of land for agriculture, potable water supply project, construction of treks, and other social welfare activities have been carried in the village utilizing the trophy hunting grant. These developmental activities have uplifted the socio-economic conditions of the conservancy. Furthermore, trophy hunting program has positive impacts on the wildlife in the area, as the population of Markhor and Ibex has been increased, results in increasing number of other carnivores in the area. The WCSDO has banned any illegal activities in the habitat of wildlife and grazing of livestock in the core habitats. The program raised the level of awareness in communities and reduced poaching, illegal hunting, cutting of shrubs and extraction of Artemisia species from the pastures.

Keywords: Markhor, trophy hunting, Sassi-Haramosh, Gilgit

Procedia PDF Downloads 260

Authors: G. C. Almiranez, J. Mercado, L. U. Aumentado, J. M. Mahaguay, J. P. Cruz, M. L. Saballe

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This research project focused on the development of an application that aids the university administrators to establish an efficient and effective system in managing faculty attendance and discourage unnecessary absences. The Faculty Attendance Management System (FAMS) is a web based and mobile application which is proven to be efficient and effective in handling and recording data, generating updated reports and analytics needed in managing faculty attendance. The FAMS can facilitate not only a convenient and faster way of gathering and recording of data but it can also provide data analytics, immediate feedback system mechanism and analysis. The software database architecture uses MySQL for web based and SQLite for mobile applications. The system includes different modules that capture daily attendance of faculty members, generate faculty attendance reports and analytics, absences notification system for faculty members, chairperson and dean regarding absences, and immediate communication system concerning the absences incurred. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation showed that the system satisfactory meet the stakeholder’s requirements. The functionality, usability, reliability, performance, and security all turned out to be above average. System testing, integration testing and user acceptance testing had been conducted. Results showed that the system performed very satisfactory and functions as designed. Performance of the system is also affected by Internet infrastructure or connectivity of the university. The faculty analytics generated from the system may not only be used by Deans and Chairperson in their evaluation of faculty performance but as well as the individual faculty to increase awareness on their attendance in class. Hence, the system facilitates effective communication between system stakeholders through FAMS feedback mechanism and up to date posting of information.

Keywords: faculty attendance management system, MySQL, SQLite, FAMS, analytics

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Authors: Kebron Abich Asnake

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The outbreak of COVID-19 has had far-reaching socio-economic consequences globally, and Ethiopia is no exception. This abstract provides a summary of a research study on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 in Ethiopia. The study analyzes the health impact, economic repercussions, social consequences, government response measures, and opportunities for post-crisis recovery. In terms of health impact, the research explores the spread and transmission of the virus, the capacity and response of the healthcare system, and the mortality rate, with a focus on vulnerable populations. The economic impact analysis entails investigating the contraction of the GDP, employment and income loss, disruption in key sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing, and the specific implications for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), foreign direct investment, and remittances. The social impact section looks at the disruptions in education and the digital divide, food security and nutrition challenges, increased poverty and inequality, gender-based violence, and mental health issues. The research also examines the measures taken by the Ethiopian government, including health and safety regulations, economic stimulus packages, social protection programs, and support for vulnerable populations. Furthermore, the study outlines long-term recovery prospects, social cohesion, and community resilience challenges. It highlights the need to strengthen the healthcare system and finds a balance between health and economic priorities. The research concludes by presenting recommendations for policy-makers and stakeholders, emphasizing opportunities for post-crisis recovery such as diversification of the economy, enhanced healthcare infrastructure, investment in digital infrastructure and technology, and support for domestic tourism and local industries. This research provides valuable insights into the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 in Ethiopia, offering a comprehensive analysis of the challenges faced and potential pathways towards recovery.

Keywords: impact, covid, ethiopia, health

Procedia PDF Downloads 88

Authors: Noor Hasmini Abdghani, Nik Kamariah Nikmat, Nor Hayati Ahmad

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Rapid growth of the internet technology led to changes in the consumer lifestyles. This involved customer buying behaviour-based internet that create new kind of buying strategy. Hence, it has summoned many of world firms including Malaysia to generate new quality strategy in preparation to face new customer buying lifestyles. Particularly, this study focused on identifying online customer segment of automobile passenger car customers. Secondly, the objective is to understand online customer’s receptiveness towards internet technologies. This study distributed 700 questionnaires whereby 582 were returned representing 83% response rate. The data were analysed using factor and regression analyses. The result from the factor analysis precipitates four online passenger car segmentations in Malaysia, which are: Segment (1)- Automobile Online shopping Preferences, Segment (2)- Automobile Online Brand Comparison, Segment (3)- Automobile Online Information Seeking and Segment (4)- Automobile Offline Shopping Preferences. In understanding the online customer’s receptiveness towards internet, the regression result shows that there is significant relationship between each of four segments of online passenger car customer with attitude towards automobile online shopping. This implies that, for online customers to have receptiveness toward internet technologies, he or she must have preferences toward online shopping or at least prefer to browse any related information online even if the actual purchase is made at the traditional store. With this proposed segmentation strategy, the firms especially the automobile firms will be able to understand their online customer behavior. At least, the proposed segmentation strategy will help the firms to strategize quality management approach for their online customers’ buying decision making.

Keywords: Automobile, Market Segmentation, Online Shopping Attitude, Quality Management Strategy

Procedia PDF Downloads 542

Authors: Mitchell De Sousa

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The city of Buenos Aires and its agglomeration concentrates more than the thirty percent of the Argentine population. Historically, the political governments (essentially during the neoliberal ones) focused all the equipment, investment, progress on the north of the city since it is the place where all the financial, core services, and the main country harbor is. The south part of the town and all the cities around the south portion of it is has been, historically, where are concentrated the more vital unfulfilled needs of this population. The river that cross over the urban agglomeration of Buenos Aires, the Matanza-Riachuelo, has been historically a place of urban segregation since it is located south of the main town. From the post-colonial times, the river has been officially a place that separates the jurisdiction of the city of Buenos Aires with some of the towns that were built around the urban agglomeration. Since its place has never been treated as a whole and has always been treated as a boundary, there is always been a focus for factories to dispose its waste and an attractive place for a large portion of the underclasses to settled down there, occupying illegally the previous terrains that were once from the railway, now abandoned. Regarding those issues and adding a one more problematic one, those who lives beyond the boundary has few access to enter the main capital city. A few bridges connect some portions of it over the Matanza Riachuelo River, which there is also a limited accessibility to the main city from the south. Because of such, the main entrances to the town are always collapsed by all the services that the urban agglomeration offer (from buses to trains and individual cars). Beyond all the enlisted problems, the contamination of the river makes it one of the most contaminated rivers on the entire world. Those who lives in the settlements are in there for themselves, so the fight from them to their right of the city and their claims to the state for intervention in the urban coast is one of the most promising discussions surrounding this place of this urban agglomeration. The study focuses on the perception of those who lives in this boundary through interviews and collective experiences and is a part of a more developed project in the University of Buenos Aires study called ‘Urban landscape and a sustainable study through the interdisciplinary. Urban strategies on city borders’.

Keywords: Buenos Aires, landscape, mobility, popular sectors, urban segregation

Procedia PDF Downloads 155

Authors: Cristobal Miralles Insa

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The network of chairs of the "Valencian Public System of Social Services" (VPSSS) is sponsored by the Valencian Institute of Training, Research, and Quality in Social Services and aims to promote research, dissemination, and evaluation of the needs that arise in the field of the public system of social services. It also seeks to transfer knowledge to foster the development of public policies in this field. Given that it is an Interuniversity Chair among the five public universities in Valencia, there is coordination of complementary themes and roles for this objective, with Universitat Politènica de València focusing primarily on promoting innovation and social entrepreneurship to address multiple social challenges through its platform INSSPIRA. This approach is aimed at the entire university community and its various interest groups, carrying out research, teaching, and dissemination activities that promote social inclusion, personal development, and autonomy for groups in situations of vulnerability, lack of protection, dependence, or social urgency. Although it focuses on the Valencian context, both the issues in this context and the tools in process to address them, often have a universal and scalable character and has been inspiring for the innovation system of UPV. This entrepreneurial incubator goes along from early stages of students on the campus until the so-called “StartUPV” system, where students are challenged with social problems that require creative solutions. Therefore, the Chair is conceived with a holistic spirit and an inspiring vocation that engages the whole university community. In this communication, it is described the entities and individuals participating in this UPV Chair of VPSSS, followed by the presentation of different work lines and objectives for the chair. Subsequently, a description of various activities undertaken to promote innovation in social services are described, where support to teaching and extracurricular activities in this field are exposed. It must be noted that some awareness and dissemination of activities are carried out in a transversal mode as they contribute to different objectives simultaneously; with special focus on Learning-Service approaches that achieved very good results which are also summarized.

Keywords: social innovation, entrepeneurship, university, vulnerable sectors

Procedia PDF Downloads 61

Authors: Younis Jabarzadeh, Rahim Sarvari, Negar Ahmadi Alghalandis

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Entrepreneurship at both individual and organizational level is one of the most driving forces in economic development and leads to growth and competition, job generation and social development. Especially in developing countries, the role of entrepreneurship in economic and social prosperity is more emphasized. But the effect of global economic development on the environment is undeniable, especially in negative ways, and there is a need to rethink current business models and the way entrepreneurs act to introduce new businesses to address and embed environmental issues in order to achieve sustainable development. In this paper, green or sustainable entrepreneurship is addressed in Iran to identify challenges and barriers entrepreneurs in the economic and social sectors face in developing green business solutions. Sustainable or green entrepreneurship has been gaining interest among scholars in recent years and addressing its challenges and barriers need much more attention to fill the gap in the literature and facilitate the way those entrepreneurs are pursuing. This research comprised of two main phases: qualitative and quantitative. At qualitative phase, after a thorough literature review, fuzzy Delphi method is utilized to verify those challenges and barriers by gathering a panel of experts and surveying them. In this phase, several other contextually related factors were added to the list of identified barriers and challenges mentioned in the literature. Then, at the quantitative phase, Interpretive Structural Modeling is applied to construct a network of interactions among those barriers identified at the previous phase. Again, a panel of subject matter experts comprised of academic and industry experts was surveyed. The results of this study can be used by policymakers in both the public and industry sector, to introduce more systematic solutions to eliminate those barriers and help entrepreneurs overcome challenges of sustainable entrepreneurship. It also contributes to the literature as the first research in this type which deals with the barriers of sustainable entrepreneurship and explores their interaction.

Keywords: green entrepreneurship, barriers, fuzzy Delphi method, interpretive structural modeling

Procedia PDF Downloads 171

Authors: Adriana Postal, Silvio C. Sampaio, Marcio A. Villas Boas, Josué P. Castro

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This study deals with the estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) in an agricultural context, focusing on efficient irrigation management to meet the growing interest in the sustainable management of water resources. Given the importance of water in agriculture and its scarcity in many regions, efficient use of this resource is essential to ensure food security and environmental sustainability. The methodology used involved the application of artificial intelligence techniques, specifically Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), to predict ET₀ in the state of Paraná, Brazil. The models were trained and validated with meteorological data from the Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), together with data obtained from a producer's weather station in the western region of Paraná. Two optimizers (SGD and Adam) and different meteorological variables, such as temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed, were explored as inputs to the models. Nineteen configurations with different input variables were tested; amidst them, configuration 9, with 8 input variables, was identified as the most efficient of all. Configuration 10, with 4 input variables, was considered the most effective, considering the smallest number of variables. The main conclusions of this study show that MLP ANNs are capable of accurately estimating ET₀, providing a valuable tool for irrigation management in agriculture. Both configurations (9 and 10) showed promising performance in predicting ET₀. The validation of the models with cultivator data underlined the practical relevance of these tools and confirmed their generalization ability for different field conditions. The results of the statistical metrics, including Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Squared Error (MSE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), and Coefficient of Determination (R²), showed excellent agreement between the model predictions and the observed data, with MAE as low as 0.01 mm/day and 0.03 mm/day, respectively. In addition, the models achieved an R² between 0.99 and 1, indicating a satisfactory fit to the real data. This agreement was also confirmed by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, which evaluates the agreement of the predictions with the statistical behavior of the real data and yields values between 0.02 and 0.04 for the producer data. In addition, the results of this study suggest that the developed technique can be applied to other locations by using specific data from these sites to further improve ET₀ predictions and thus contribute to sustainable irrigation management in different agricultural regions. The study has some limitations, such as the use of a single ANN architecture and two optimizers, the validation with data from only one producer, and the possible underestimation of the influence of seasonality and local climate variability. An irrigation management application using the most efficient models from this study is already under development. Future research can explore different ANN architectures and optimization techniques, validate models with data from multiple producers and regions, and investigate the model's response to different seasonal and climatic conditions.

Keywords: agricultural technology, neural networks in agriculture, water efficiency, water use optimization

Procedia PDF Downloads 56

Authors: Kausik Halder, Nabendu Chaki, Ranjan Dasgupta

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We present a modelling framework that supports the engineering of early requirements specifications for design of learner centric dynamic Learning Management System. The framework is based on i* modelling tool and Means End Analysis, that adopts primitive concepts for modelling early requirements (such as actor, goal, and strategic dependency). We show how pedagogical and computational requirements for designing a learner centric Learning Management system can be adapted for the automatic early requirement engineering specifications. Finally, we presented a model on a Learner Quanta based adaptive Courseware. Our early requirement analysis shows that how means end analysis reveals gaps and inconsistencies in early requirements specifications that are by no means trivial to discover without the help of formal analysis tool.

Keywords: adaptive courseware, early requirement engineering, means end analysis, organizational modelling, requirement modelling

Procedia PDF Downloads 504

Authors: Patrick Strefford, Michael Davies, Masahiko Iguchi

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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. Sustainable tourism is firmly positioned in these Goals, since tourism has significant potential to contribute to inclusive and sustainable economic growth, as well as to promote sustainable use of natural capital. Recognizing this, the new quasi-democratic government of Myanmar has embraced Sustainable Tourism as a core component of its economic reforms and opening up of the country. However, it is also highly likely that the Democrats within the government also support Sustainable Tourism as a potential contributor to the democratization of the country. This paper outlines how the government of Myanmar has understood the concept of Sustainable Tourism, and how it intends to implement and facilitate Sustainable Tourism. This paper, therefore, focuses primarily on the institutional frameworks that have been put in place, a specific one being the Inlay Lake Destination Management Plan, which is one of the four priority destinations identified by the government. The plan aims to improve local infrastructure, manage the local environment and develop local human resources. Importantly, the Plan also includes the establishment of a Destination Management Organization (DMO) to implement and manage Inlay Lake as a Sustainable Tourism destination. This research aims to investigate, for example, the equality in both input to the DMO and benefits accrued to the various stakeholders. How such equality can be ensured and how this can be reliably quantified will be crucial to ultimately evaluating the success of any such plans to implement Sustainable Tourism in Myanmar in the coming years. However, this research paper concludes that while the establishment of the DMO is a positive development, there are considerable institutional, economic and cultural factors that severely limit the ability of the DMO to function as an agent of sustainable tourism implementation.

Keywords: sustainable tourism, myanmar, country in transition, destination management organizations

Procedia PDF Downloads 316

Authors: Aleksandra Aleksandrovna Filimonova, Lev Sergeevich Kazarinov, Tatyana Aleksandrovna Barbasova

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A method of effective planning and control of industrial facility energy consumption is offered. The method allows to optimally arrange the management and full control of complex production facilities in accordance with the criteria of minimal technical and economic losses at the forecasting control. The method is based on the optimal construction of the power efficiency characteristics with the prescribed accuracy. The problem of optimal designing of the forecasting model is solved on the basis of three criteria: maximizing the weighted sum of the points of forecasting with the prescribed accuracy; the solving of the problem by the standard principles at the incomplete statistic data on the basis of minimization of the regularized function; minimizing the technical and economic losses due to the forecasting errors.

Keywords: energy consumption, energy efficiency, energy management system, forecasting model, power efficiency characteristics

Procedia PDF Downloads 396

Authors: Abdurahman Muhammad Tanko, Muhammad M. Tanko

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Digitalization is seen as the engine that changes today’s logistics and supply chain industries. It brought the era of increasing complexities, overwhelming competition, and accelerated change. On the other hand, not so much of these changes is seen in Nigerian logistics and supply chain industries. The aim of this study is to analyze the digitalization of different logistical and supply chain industries and to provide new digital solutions. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected. The study demonstrated significant effect of industry 4.0 by utilizing digital technologies in emerging market like Nigeria. The research concluded that, digital technologies like Block chain, IoT, Machine Learning, increase the ability to optimize planning, sourcing and procurement strategies. The outcome of this research brings solutions to logistical and supply chain problems faced within industries in Nigeria. The study is significance to Nigerian government, logistical and supply chain companies, regulatory bodies, and researchers.

Keywords: digitalization, logistics, supply chains management, new technologies, nigeria

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Authors: Yu-Hsiu Lin, Wen-Chun Lin, Yen-Chang Cheng, Chia-Ju Yeh, Yu-Chuan Chen, Tai-You Li

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Demand-Side Management (DSM) has the potential to reduce electricity costs and carbon emission, which are associated with electricity used in the modern society. A home Energy Management System (EMS) commonly used by residential consumers in a down-stream sector of a smart grid to monitor, control, and optimize energy efficiency to domestic appliances is a system of computer-aided functionalities as an energy audit for residential DSM. Implementing fault detection and classification to domestic appliances monitored, controlled, and optimized is one of the most important steps to realize preventive maintenance, such as residential air conditioning and heating preventative maintenance in residential/industrial DSM. In this study, a cloud intelligence-based green EMS that comes up with an Internet of Things (IoT) technology stack for residential DSM is developed. In the EMS, Arduino MEGA Ethernet communication-based smart sockets that module a Real Time Clock chip to keep track of current time as timestamps via Network Time Protocol are designed and implemented for readings of load phenomena reflecting on voltage and current signals sensed. Also, a Network-Attached Storage providing data access to a heterogeneous group of IoT clients via Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) methods is configured to data stores of parsed sensor readings. Lastly, a desktop computer with a WAMP software bundle (the Microsoft® Windows operating system, Apache HTTP Server, MySQL relational database management system, and PHP programming language) serves as a data science analytics engine for dynamic Web APP/REpresentational State Transfer-ful web service of the residential DSM having globally-Advanced Internet of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Computational Intelligence. Where, an abstract computing machine, Java Virtual Machine, enables the desktop computer to run Java programs, and a mash-up of Java, R language, and Python is well-suited and -configured for AI in this study. Having the ability of sending real-time push notifications to IoT clients, the desktop computer implements Google-maintained Firebase Cloud Messaging to engage IoT clients across Android/iOS devices and provide mobile notification service to residential/industrial DSM. In this study, in order to realize edge intelligence that edge devices avoiding network latency and much-needed connectivity of Internet connections for Internet of Services can support secure access to data stores and provide immediate analytical and real-time actionable insights at the edge of the network, we upgrade the designed and implemented smart sockets to be embedded AI Arduino ones (called embedded AIduino). With the realization of edge analytics by the proposed embedded AIduino for data analytics, an Arduino Ethernet shield WizNet W5100 having a micro SD card connector is conducted and used. The SD library is included for reading parsed data from and writing parsed data to an SD card. And, an Artificial Neural Network library, ArduinoANN, for Arduino MEGA is imported and used for locally-embedded AI implementation. The embedded AIduino in this study can be developed for further applications in manufacturing industry energy management and sustainable energy management, wherein in sustainable energy management rotating machinery diagnostics works to identify energy loss from gross misalignment and unbalance of rotating machines in power plants as an example.

Keywords: demand-side management, edge intelligence, energy management system, fault detection and classification

Procedia PDF Downloads 255

Authors: Gwani M., Umar M. Kangiwa, Bello A. Umar, Gado A. Abubakar

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The increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions has driven significant interest in the development of innovative designs of wind turbines. The horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) and the vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) are the dominant type of wind turbine used for power generation. However, these turbines have their respective merits and demerits, which affect their performance. This study introduces a Hybrid Cross Axis Wind Turbine (HCAWT), which integrates the blades of both horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) and vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) in a cross-axis configuration with a Savonius rotor to form a hybrid system. The HCAWT combines the self-starting capabilities of Savonius rotors with the high-efficiency characteristics of Darrieus rotors and HAWT, aiming to optimize performance across a range of wind conditions. The performance of the HCAWT was tested and evaluated against a cross-axis wind turbine (CAWT) and a conventional VAWT under similar experimental conditions. The study’s results indicate that the HCAWT outperformed both the CAWT and the conventional VAWT. The power coefficient (Cp) of the HCAWT increases by 83% and 132% compared to that of the CAWT and conventional VAWT, respectively. The findings show that the HCAWT offers better start-up performance and maintains higher efficiency at lower wind speeds compared to CAWT and conventional VAWT. The findings suggest that the HCAWT offers significant improvements in energy capture, particularly in turbulent wind conditions, and greater adaptability to changing wind conditions, making it a viable option for both urban and rural energy applications.

Keywords: renewable energy, hybrid, cross axis wind turbine, energy efficiency

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Authors: Zhang Xue

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Urban public green spaces have evolved from classical private gardens and have expanded into multi-dimensional space value attributes such as scale and property rights. Among them, ecological, environmental value, social interaction value, and commercial, economic value have become consensual value characteristics. From the perspective of institutional economics, urban public green spaces, as a type of non-exclusive and non-competitive public good, express the social connotation of spatial "publicness" and multiple values are its important attributes. However, due to the positive externality characteristics of public green spaces, the cost-benefit functions between subjects are inconsistent, leading to issues such as the "anti-commons tragedy" of transitional management, lack of public sense of space responsibility, and weakened public nature. It is necessary to enhance the "publicness" of urban public green spaces through effective institutional arrangements, inclusive planning participation, and humane management measures, promoting urban public openness and the enhancement of multiple values.

Keywords: public green spaces, publicness, governance, institutional economics

Procedia PDF Downloads 61