Search results for: Botswana construction industry

Authors: Isaac Benning

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Using technology to expand the learning space is critical for a productive mathematical discourse. This is a case study of two teachers who developed and enacted GeoGebra-based mathematics lessons following their engagement in a two-year professional development. The didactical and semiotic affordance of GeoGebra in widening the learning space for a productive mathematical discourse was explored. The approach of thematic analysis was used for lesson artefact, lesson observation, and interview data. The results indicated that constructing tools in GeoGebra provided a didactical milieu where students used them to explore mathematical concepts with little or no support from their teacher. The prompt feedback from the GeoGebra motivated students to practice mathematical concepts repeatedly in which they privately rethink their solutions before comparing their answers with that of their colleagues. The constructing tools enhanced self-discovery, team spirit, and dialogue among students. With regards to the semiotic construct, the tools widened the physical and psychological atmosphere of the classroom by providing animations that served as virtual concrete to enhance the recording, manipulation, testing of a mathematical idea, construction, and interpretation of geometric objects. These findings advance the discussion of widening the classroom for a productive mathematical discourse within the context of the mathematics curriculum of Ghana and similar Sub-Saharan African countries.

Keywords: GeoGebra, theory of didactical situation, semiotic mediation, mathematics laboratory, mathematical discussion

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Authors: A. W. Chalmers, O. M. van den Broek

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This article examines the relationship between the global financial crisis and corporate social responsibility activities of financial services firms. It challenges the general consensus in existing studies that firms, when faced with economic hardship, tend to jettison CSR commitments. Instead, and building on recent insights into the institutional determinants of CSR, it is argued that firms are constrained in their ability to abandon CSR by the extent to which they are subject to intense public scrutiny by regulators and the news media. This argument is tested in the context of the European sovereign debt crisis drawing on a unique dataset of 170 firms in 15 different countries over a six-year period. Controlling for a battery of alternative explanations and comparing financial service providers to firms operating in other economic sectors, results indicate considerable evidence supporting the main argument. Rather than abandoning CSR during times of economic hardship, financial industry firms ramp up their CSR commitments in order to manage their public image and foster public trust in light of intense public scrutiny.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility (CSR), public scrutiny, global financial crisis, financial services firms

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Authors: Ravi Chaithanya Mysa, Abouzar Kaboudian, Boo Cheong Khoo, Rajeev Kumar Jaiman

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The phenomenon of vortex-induced vibration has applications in off-shore industry, power transmission, energy extraction, etc. Two cylinders in crossflow whose centers are displaced in transverse direction are considered in the present work. The effects of the gap distance between the cylinders on the vortex shedding are presented. The inline distance between the cylinder centers is kept at zero. Two setups are considered for the study: first, we assume the two cylinders vibrate as a single rigid body mounted on a spring, and in the other case, each cylinder is mounted on a separate spring with no rigid connection to the other cylinder. The study focuses on the effect of transverse gap on the fluid-structure coupled response of two setups mentioned and corresponding flow contours. Incompressible flow is assumed in the Eulerian framework. The cylinder movement is modeled by a single degree of freedom rigid body motion (translational motion) in the Lagrangian framework. The governing equations were numerically solved by standard Petrov-Galerkin second order finite element schemes.

Keywords: cross-flow, vortex-induced vibrations, cylinder, close proximity

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Authors: U. Narumitbowonkul, P. Keangin, P. Rattanadecho

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Both numerical and experimental investigation of the temperature distribution and electric field in a natural rubber glove (NRG) during microwave heating are studied. A three-dimensional model of NRG and microwave oven are considered in this work. The influences of position, heating time and rotation angle of NRG on temperature distribution and electric field are presented in details. The coupled equations of electromagnetic wave propagation and heat transfer are solved using the finite element method (FEM). The numerical model is validated with an experimental study at a frequency of 2.45 GHz. The results show that the numerical results closely match the experimental results. Furthermore, it is found that the temperature distribution and electric field increases with increasing heating time. The hot spot zone appears in NRG at the tip of middle finger while the maximum temperature occurs in case of rotation angle of NRG = 60 degree. This investigation provides the essential aspects for a fundamental understanding of heat transport of NRG using microwave energy in industry.

Keywords: electric field, finite element method, microwave energy, natural rubber glove

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Authors: Raúl Bajo-Buenestado

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This paper studies the impact of the intensity of market competition on firms' willingness to adopt green technologies —which has become particularly relevant in the light of the debate on whether competition policies should be relaxed to achieve certain environmental targets. We exploit the staggered rollout of different rail-hailing platforms (most notably, Uber) across different metropolitan areas in Spain as a natural experiment that provides time and city-specific exogenous variation in the intensity of competition to study the impact on taxi drivers' decisions to purchase “green” or “dirty” vehicles. It was shown that the entry of these platforms significantly increased the takeout of green vehicles among professional drivers in incumbent (dominant) conventional taxi companies and decreased that of dirty vehicles. The exact opposite effect is observed in the cities where these platforms were extremely unlikely to enter. Back of the envelope calculations suggest that the entry of Uber is associated with an extra green vehicle purchase in every four among taxi drivers, resulting in a substantial drop in the level of emissions from the taxi fleet —still mostly dominated diesel vehicles.

Keywords: technological change, green technology adoption, market competition, diffusion of technology, environmental externalities

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Authors: Mesfin Angaw Tesfay

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L-xylose is an important intermediate in the pharmaceutical industry, playing a key role in the production of various antiviral and anticancer drugs. Despite its significance, L-xylose is a rare and costly sugar with limited availability in nature. In recent years, enzymatic production methods have garnered considerable attention due to their benefits over conventional chemical synthesis. In this research, a dual enzyme cascade system was developed to synthesize L-xylose from an inexpensive substrate, xylitol. The study involved cloning and co-expressing two key genes: the L-fucose isomerase (L-fucI) gene from Escherichia coli K-12 and the xylitol-4-dehydrogenase (xdh) gene from Pantoea ananatis ATCC 43072 in Escherichia coli. The resulting recombinant cells, engineered with the PET28a-xdh/L-fucI vector, were able to effectively convert xylitol to L-xylose. The system showed optimal performance at 40°C and a pH of 10.0. Moreover, Zn²⁺ (7.5 mM) enhanced the catalytic activity by 1.34 times. This approach yielded 52.2 g/L of L-xylose from an initial 80 g/L xylitol concentration, with a 65% conversion efficiency and a productivity rate of 1.86. The study highlights a practical method for producing L-xylose from xylitol through a co-expression system carrying the L-fucI and xdh genes.

Keywords: l-fucose isomerase, xylitol-4-dehydrogenase, l-xylose, xylitol, co-expression

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Authors: Yi Shan Wu, Ting Hsuan Wu, Li Wei Cheng, Pei Yu Guo

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Given the fiercely competitive environment, human capital is one of the most valuable assets in a commercial enterprise. Therefore, developing strategies to acquire more talents is crucial. Talents are mainly attracted by both internal and external employer brands as well as by the messages conveyed from the employer image. This not only manifests the importance of a brand and an image of an organization but shows people might be affected by their personal values when assessing an organization as an employer. The goal of the present study is to examine the association between employer brand, employer image, and the likelihood of increasing organizational attractiveness. In addition, we draw from social identity theory to propose value congruence may affect the relationship between employer brand and employer image. Data was collected from those people who only worked less than a year in the industry via an online survey (N=209). The results show that employer image partly mediates the effect of employer brand on organizational attractiveness. In addition, the results also suggest that value congruence does not moderate the relationship between employer brand and employer image. These findings explain why building a good employer brand could enhance organization attractiveness and indicate there should be other factors that may affect employer image building, offering directions for future research.

Keywords: organizational attractiveness, employer brand, employer image, value congruence

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Authors: Mohamed A. Dkhil, Denis Delic, Saleh Al-Quraishy

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Coccidiosis causes considerable economic loss in the poultry industry. The current study aimed to investigate the response of goblet cells as well as the induced tissue damage during Eimeria papilata infection. Mice were infected with sporulated E. papillata oocyts. On day 5 post-infection, the fecal output was determined. Also, the jejunum was prepared for the histological, histochemical and molecular studies. Our results revealed that the intestinal coccidian infection with E. papillata induced a marked goblet cell hypoplasia and depleted mucus secretion. Also, the infection was able to alter the jejuna architecture and increased the apoptotic cells inside the villi. In addition, the real time PCR results indicated that, the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, iNOS, IFN-y and IL-1β were significantly up-regulated. In contrast, the mRNA expression patterns of IL-6 in response to E. papillata infection did not differ significantly between control and infected mice. Moreover, the mRNA expression of TLR4 was significantly up-regulated, whereas the expression of MUC2 is significantly down-regulated upon infection. Further studies are required to understand the regulatory mechanisms of goblet cells related genes.

Keywords: goblet cells, Eimeria papillata, mice, jejunum

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Authors: Jessie Fazel, Kristen Smith

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Human trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar criminal industry that affects 24.9 million people around the world. There are several different types of trafficking, the most common being sex trafficking, labor trafficking, and domestic servitude. Survival sex is common in the pediatric population, as they engage in sex for food, a place to sleep, or other basic needs. Statistics show that health care workers are at a unique advantage to help identify victims and get them the help they need, as 88% of trafficked victims encounter a health care worker while being trafficked. Unfortunately, victims don’t usually self-identify that they are being trafficked and the situations they face can vary dramatically. It is imperative to remember that traditional red flags are not always present in the pediatric population. Risk factors and red flags with their history and physical exam are one of the best indicators that health care providers need to be vigilant in looking at. There are numerous barriers for disclosure in the healthcare setting. Periods of time before and after disclosure are often emotionally difficult and could be dangerous for the victim. It is extremely important to have a plan in place for intervention if the victim does disclose trafficking. A trauma informed approach to medical and mental health interventions, that focus on safety, are vital in this population. This is happening where you live and you can make a difference in their lives.

Keywords: human trafficking, public health, emergency medicine, sexual health

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Authors: Kehinde Peter Oyeduntan, Kayode Oshinubi

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Nigeria is referred as the ‘Giant of Africa’ due to high population, land mass and large economy. However, it still trails far behind many smaller economies in the continent in terms of maritime operations. As we have seen that the maritime industry is the spark plug for national growth, because it houses the most crucial infrastructure that generates wealth for a nation, it is worrisome that a nation with six seaports lag in maritime activities. In this research, we have studied how the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the maritime transport influences the Nigerian economy. To do this, we applied Simple Linear Regression (SLR), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Polynomial Regression Model (PRM), Generalized Additive Model (GAM) and Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) to model the relationship between the nation’s Total GDP (TGDP) and the Maritime Transport GDP (MGDP) using a time series data of 20 years. The result showed that the MGDP is statistically significant to the Nigerian economy. Amongst the statistical tool applied, the PRM of order 4 describes the relationship better when compared to other methods. The recommendations presented in this study will guide policy makers and help improve the economy of Nigeria in terms of its GDP.

Keywords: maritime transport, economy, GDP, regression, port

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Authors: A. M. Benomair, M. O. Tokhi

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This paper presents the investigation on a system model for the stabilization of a Magnetic Levitation System (Maglev’s). The magnetic levitation system is a challenging nonlinear mechatronic system in which an electromagnetic force is required to suspend an object (metal sphere) in air space. The electromagnetic force is very sensitive to the noise which can create acceleration forces on the metal sphere, causing the sphere to move into the unbalanced region. Maglev’s give the contribution in industry and this system has reduce the power consumption, has increase the power efficiency and reduce the cost maintenance. The common applications for Maglev’s Power Generation (e.g. wind turbine), Maglev’s trains and Medical Device (e.g. Magnetically suspended Artificial Heart Pump). This paper presents the comparison between dynamic response and robust characteristic for both conventional PD and Fuzzy PD controller. The main contribution of this paper is the proof of fuzzy PD type stabilization and robustness. By use of a method to tune the scaling factors of the linear PD type fuzzy controller from an equivalent tuned conventional PD.

Keywords: magnetic levitation system, PD controller, Fuzzy Logic Control, Fuzzy PD

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Authors: İsmail İnce, Ali Bozdag, Ayla Bozdag, M. Bahadır Tosunlar, M. Ergun Hatır, Mustafa Korkanc

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The building stones used in the construction of historical structures are exposed to atmospheric effects directly or indirectly. As a result of this process, building stones are partially or completely degraded. Historical buildings are important symbols of cultural heritage, so it is very significant to transfer to the future generations by protecting and repairing of these historical buildings. The Eflatunpınar Hitit Monument located near the Eflatunpınar cold water spring was constructed by using natural rock blocks during the Hittites Empire period. The monument has been protected without losing its function until today. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the deteriorations in the Eflatunpınar Hitit Monument and to detect the water chemistry of the Eflatunpınar spring located around the Beysehir County in the west of Konya. For this purpose, the petrographic and mechanical properties of the rocks used in this monument were determined, and the deteriorations in the monument were determined with the aid of non-destructive test methods including Schmidt hardness value, relative humidity measurement, thermal imaging. Additionally, the physical (electrical conductivity (EC), pH and temperature) and chemical characteristics (major anions and cations) of the Eflatunpınar cold water spring have been detected.

Keywords: deteriorations, Eflatunpınar Hitit monument, Eflatunpınar spring, Konya, non-destructıve tests

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Authors: Gurpreet Singh, Hazoor Singh, Kulbir Singh Sandhu

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Friction Stir Welding Process emerged as promising solid-state welding and eliminates various welding defects like cracks and porosity in joining of dissimilar aluminum alloys. In the present research, Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is carried out on dissimilar aluminum alloys 2000 series and 6000 series this combination of alloys are highly used in automobile and aerospace industry due to their good strength to weight ratio, mechanical, and corrosion properties. The joints characterized by applying various destructive and non-destructive tests. Three critical welding parameters were considered i.e. Tool Rotation speed, Transverse speed, and Tool Geometry. The effective range of tool rotation speed from 1200-1800 rpm and transverse speed from 60-240 mm/min and tool geometry was studied. The two-different difficult to weld alloys were successfully welded. All the samples showed different microstructure with different set of welding parameters. It has been revealed with microstructure scans that grain refinement plays a crucial role in mechanical properties.

Keywords: aluminum alloys, friction stir welding, mechanical properties, microstructure

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Authors: Naman Solanki, Souraj Mondal

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With the world moving towards online communication, the video datastore has exploded in the past few years. Consequently, it has become crucial to analyse participant’s engagement levels in online communication videos. Engagement prediction of people in videos can be useful in many domains, like education, client meetings, dating, etc. Video-level or frame-level prediction of engagement for a user involves the development of robust models that can capture facial micro-emotions efficiently. For the development of an engagement prediction model, it is necessary to have a widely-accepted standard dataset for engagement analysis. DAiSEE is one of the datasets which consist of in-the-wild data and has a gold standard annotation for engagement prediction. Earlier research done using the DAiSEE dataset involved training and testing standard models like CNN-based models, but the results were not satisfactory according to industry standards. In this paper, a multi-level classification approach has been introduced to create a more robust model for engagement analysis using the DAiSEE dataset. This approach has recorded testing accuracies of 0.638, 0.7728, 0.8195, and 0.866 for predicting boredom level, engagement level, confusion level, and frustration level, respectively.

Keywords: computer vision, engagement prediction, deep learning, multi-level classification

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Authors: Mezhoud Samy, Toumi Youcef, Boukendekdji Otmane

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Nowadays, industrial by-products and waste are increasing along with public needs increase. The engineering sector has turned to sustainable development by emphasizing the aspects of environmental and life cycle assessment as an important objective. Among this waste, the remains of the red bricks (DBR) may be an alternative worth checking out, given their availability and abundance at the construction sites. In this context, this work aims to valorize DBR in the concrete road (BR). The incorporation of DBR is carried out by the substitution of the granular fractions of mixtures from noble quarry materials. The experimental plan aims to determine the physico-mechanical performance and environmental performance of manufactured BRs from DBR with a cement content (6.5%) and compared with a control BR without DBR. The studied characteristics are proctor, resistance to compression, resistance to flexural tensile at 7 and 28 days, modulus of elasticity, and total shrinkage. The results of this experimental study showed that the characteristics of recycled aggregates (DBR) are lower than those of natural aggregates but remain acceptable with respect to regulations. Results demonstrate the mechanical performance of BR made from less DBR than the control BR without DBR but remains appreciable and encourage their jobs in the road sector. Recycled aggregates can constitute an interesting economic and ecological alternative but require elementary precautions before any use.

Keywords: life cycle assessment, brick waste, road concrete, performance

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Authors: Ramiro Gustavo Ramirez Camacho, Waldir De Oliveira, Eraldo Cruz Dos Santos, Edna Raimunda Da Silva, Tania Marie Arispe Angulo, Carlos Eduardo Alves Da Costa, Tânia Cristina Alves Dos Reis

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It presents a preliminary design methodology of an axial fan based on the lift wing theory and the potential vortex hypothesis. The literature considers a study of acoustic and engineering expertise to model a fan with low noise. Axial fans with inadequate intake geometry, often suffer poor condition of the flow at the entrance, varying from velocity profiles spatially asymmetric to swirl floating with respect to time, this produces random forces acting on the blades. This produces broadband gust noise which in most cases triggers the tonal noise. The analysis of the axial flow fan will be conducted for the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations and models of turbulence in steady and transitory (RANS - URANS) 3-D, in order to find an efficient aerodynamic design, with low noise and suitable for industrial installation. Therefore, the process will require the use of computational optimization methods, aerodynamic design methodologies, and numerical methods as CFD- Computational Fluid Dynamics. The objective is the development of the methodology of the construction axial fan, provide of design the geometry of the blade, and evaluate aerodynamic performance

Keywords: Axial fan design, CFD, Preliminary Design, Optimization

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Authors: Smita Singh

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Through the constructivist perspective, this paper explores the transformation of India’s nuclear identity from an irresponsible nuclear weapon power to a ‘de-facto nuclear power’ in the emerging international nuclear order From a nuclear abstainer to a bystander and finally as a ‘de facto nuclear weapon state’, India has put forth its case as a unique and exceptional nuclear power as opposed to Iran, Iraq and North Korea with similar nuclear ambitions, who have been snubbed as ‘rogue states’ by the international community. This paper investigates the reasons behind international community’s gradual acceptance of India’s nuclear weapons capabilities and nuclear identity after the Indo-U.S. Nuclear Deal. In this paper, the central concept of analysis is the inter-subjective nature of identity in the nuclear arena. India’s nuclear behaviour has been discursively constituted by India through evolving images of the ‘self’ and the ‘other.’ India’s sudden heightened global status is not solely the consequence of its 1998 nuclear tests but a calibrated projection as a responsible stakeholder in other spheres such as economic potential, market prospects, democratic credentials and so on. By examining India’s nuclear discourse this paper contends that India has used its material and discursive power in presenting a n striking image as a responsible nuclear weapon power (though not yet a legal nuclear weapon state as per the NPT). By historicising India’s nuclear trajectory through an inter-subjective analysis of identities, this paper moves a step ahead in providing a theoretical interpretation of state actions and nuclear identity construction.

Keywords: nuclear identity, India, constructivism, international stakeholder

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Authors: Roman Kusaiko

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For decades, remaking was one of the film industry’s main practices but has become vivid in recent years. The latest geopolitical developments, though, are becoming a new challenge for filmmakers regarding cultural landscapes and contextual differences. Deglobalization may also affect transnational remaking practices. Thus, these upcoming challenges can be addressed through the analysis of contemporary academic thought, primarily from adaptation and film studies and their understanding of the issues of transmediality and how it affects film remaking. However, the analysis would be insufficient without conducting case studies. This paper is part of broader research about transnational remaking practices and their cultural and contextual specifics. This paper aims to understand whether shifting medium affects remaking as a critical category and present case studies of the popular Hong Kong motion picture Infernal Affairs and its transition into the Japanese remake Double Face. Consequently, the analysis of their contextual distinctions will lead to the correct categorization of the transnational remakes allowing scholars and filmmakers to better understand the existing remaking practices and whether they affect the final result.

Keywords: cinema, context, culture, films, remaking, transmediality

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Authors: Jinyoung Choi, Tae-Ho Yoon, Sunmook Lee

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Degradation of standard oxygen transfer efficiency (SOTE) with time was observed for the assessment of lifetime of metal-based air-diffuser, which displaced a polymer composite-based air-diffuser in order to attain a longer lifetime in the actual field. The degradation of air-diffuser occurred due to the failure of the formation of small and uniform air bubbles since the patterns formed on the disc of air-diffuser deteriorated and/or changed from their initial shapes while they were continuously exposed to the air blowing condition during the operation in the field. Therefore, the lifetime assessment of metal-based air-diffuser was carried out through an accelerated degradation test by accelerating the air-blowing conditions in 200 L/min, 300 L/min, and 400 L/min and the lifetime of normal operating condition at 120 L/min was predicted. It was found that Weibull distribution was the most proper one for describing the lifetime distribution of metal-based air-diffuser in the present study. The shape and scale parameters indicated that the accelerated blowing conditions were all within the acceleration domain. The lifetime was predicted by adopting inverse power model for a stress-life relationship and estimated to be B10=94,004 hrs with CL=95%. Acknowledgement: This work was financially supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Grant number: N0001475).

Keywords: accelerated degradation test, air-diffuser, lifetime assessment, SOTE

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Authors: Manuela Nayantara Jeyaraj

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Information Technology (IT) is considered to be the prime contributor towards most of the energy releases and hence recursively impacting on the environmental Carbon Footprint on a major scale. The hostile effects brought about due to this massive carbon release such as global warming and ecosystem wipe-outs are currently being realized in Sri Lanka due to the rapid development and merging of computer based technologies. Sri Lanka, being a nature-rich island, has the undying need to preserve its natural environment hence resolving to better ‘Green IT’ practices in all possible spheres. Green IT implies the IT related practices for environmental sustainability. But the industrial divisions in Sri Lanka are still hesitant to fully realize the benefits of applying better “Green IT” principles due to considerations related to costs and other issues. In order to bring about a positive awareness of Green IT, the use of Smart Grids, which is yet a conceptualized principle within the Sri Lankan context, can be considered as a feasible proof in hand. This paper tends to analyze the feasibility of utilizing Smart Grids to ensure minimized cost and effects in preserving the environment hence ensuring Sustainable Green IT practices in an economically and technologically viable manner in Sri Lanka.

Keywords: green IT, industry, smart grid, Sri Lanka, sustainability

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Authors: Sze Wai Veera Fung, Peter W. Ferretto

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Similar to most ethnic groups in China, men of the Dong minority hold the primary position in policymaking, moral authority, social values, and the control of the property. As the spatial embodiment of the patriarchal ideals, the house plays a significant role in producing and reproducing the distinctive gender status within the Dong society. Nevertheless, Dong women do not see their home as a cage of confinement, nor do they see themselves as a victim of oppression. For these women with reference to their productive identity, a house is a dwelling place with manifold meanings, including a proof of identity, an economic instrument, and a public resource operating on the community level. This paper examines the role of the house as a central site for identity construction and maintenance for the southern dialect Dong minority women in Hunan, China. Drawing on recent interviews with the Dong women, this study argues that women as productive individuals have a strong influence on the form of their house and the immediate environment, regardless of the male-dominated social construct of the Dong society. The aim of this study is not to produce a definitive relationship between women, house, and identity. Rather, it seeks to offer an alternative lens into the complexity and diversity of gender dynamics operating in and beyond the boundary of the house in the context of contemporary rural China.

Keywords: conception of home, Dong minority, house, rural China, woman’s identity

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Authors: Omaima A. Sharaf, Wafaa M. Abd El-Rahim, Hassan Moawad, Michael J. Sadowsky

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Textile industry is one of the important industries in the worldwide. It is known that the eco-friendly industrial and agricultural activities are significant for socio-economic stability of all countries. The absence of appropriate industrial waste water treatments is essential barrier for sustainable development in food and agricultural sectors especially in developing country like Egypt. Thus, the development of enzymatic bioremediation technology for textile dye removal will enhance the collaboration between scientists who develop the technology and industry where this technology will be implemented towards the safe disposal of the textile dye wastes. Highly efficient microorganisms are of most importance in developing and using highly effective biological treatment processes. Bacterial degradation of azo dyes is generally initiated by an enzymatic step that involves cleavage of azo linkages, usually with the aid of an azoreductase as electron donor. Thus, expanding the spectrum of microorganisms with high enzymatic activities as azoreductases and discovering novel azo-dye degrading enzymes, with enhanced stability and superior catalytic properties, are necessary for many environmental and industrial applications. Consequently, the use of molecular tools has become increasingly integrated into the understanding of enzyme properties and characterization. Researchers have utilized a gene cloning and expression methods as a tool to produce recombinant protein for decolorizing dyes more efficiently. Thus, presumptive evidence for the presence of genes encoding azoreductases in the genomes of selected local, and most potent azo-degrading strains were obtained by using specific oligonucleotides primers. These potent strains have been isolated from textile industrial wastewater in Egypt and identified using 16S rRNA sequence analysis as 'Lysinibacillus macrolidesB8, Brevibacillus parabrevisB11, Bacillus coagulansB7, and B. cereusB5'. PCR products of two full length genes designated as (AZO1;621bp and AZO2;534bp) were detected. BLASTx results indicated that AZO1 gene was corresponding to predicted azoreductase from of Bacillus sp. ABP14, complete genome, multispecies azoreductase [Bacillus], It was submitted to the gene bank by an accession no., BankIt2085371 AZO1 MG923210 (621bp; 207 amino acids). AZO1 was generated from the DNA of our identified strains Lysinibacillus macrolidesB8. On the other hand, AZO2 gene was corresponding to a predicted azoreductase from Bacillus cereus strain S2-8. Gene bank accession no. was BankIt2085839 AZO2 MG932081 (534bp;178 amino acids) and it was amplified from our Bacillus coagulansB7. Both genes were successfully cloned into pCR2.1TOPO (Invitrogen) and in pET28b+ vectors, then they transformed into E. coli DH5α and BL21(DE3) cells for heterologous expression studies. Our recombinant azoreductases (AZO1&AZO2) exhibited potential enzyme activity and efficiently decolorized an azo dye (Direct violet). They exhibited pH stability between 6 and 8 with optimum temperature up to 60°C and 37 °C after induction by 1mM and 1.5mM IPTG, for both AZO1 &AZO2, respectively. These results suggested that further optimization and purification of these recombinant proteins by using different heterologous expression systems will give great potential for the sustainable utilization of these recombinant enzymes in several industrial applications especially in wastewater treatments.

Keywords: azoreductases, decolorization, enzyme activity, gene cloning and expression

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Authors: Gaoyuan Wang, Tian Chen

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China’s emission peak and carbon neutrality strategies lead to the transformation of development patterns and call for new green urban design thinking. This paper begins by revealing the evolution of green urban design thinking during the periods of carbon enlightenment, carbon dependency, and carbon decoupling from the perspective of the energy transition. Combined with the current energy situation, national strengths, and technological trends, the emergence of green urban design towards carbon neutrality becomes inevitable. Based on the preliminary analysis of its connotation, the characteristics of the new type of green urban design are generalized as low-carbon orientation, carbon-related objects, carbon-reduction means, and carbon-control patterns. Its theory is briefly clarified in terms of the human-earth synergism, quality-energy interconnection, and form-flow interpromotion. Then, its mechanism is analyzed combined with the core tasks of carbon neutrality, and the scope of design issues is defined, including carbon flow mapping, carbon source regulation, carbon sink construction, and carbon emission management. Finally, a multi-scale spatial response system is proposed across the region, city, cluster, and neighborhood level. The discussion aims to provide support for the innovation of green urban design theories and methods in the context of peak neutrality.

Keywords: carbon neutrality, green urban design, energy transition, theoretical exploration

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Authors: Abdul Qader Melhem, Hacene Badache

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This paper deals with the theoretical and experimental study of shear connection via simple steel reinforcement shear connectors, which are steel reinforcing bars bent into L-shapes, instead of commonly used headed studs. This suggested L-shape connectors are readily available construction material in steel reinforcement. The composite section, therefore, consists of steel inverted T-section being embedded within a lightly reinforced concrete flange at the top slab as a unit. It should be noted that the cross section of these composite models involves steel inverted T-beam, replacing the steel top flange of a standard commonly employed I-beam section. The paper concentrates on the elastic and elastic-plastic behavior of these composite models. Failure modes either by cracking of concrete or shear connection be investigated in details. Elastic and elastoplastic formulas of the composite model have been computed for different locations of NA. Deflection formula has been derived, its value was close to the test value. With a supportive designing curve, this curve is valuable for both designing engineers and researchers. Finally, suggested designing curves and valuable equations will be presented. A check is made between theoretical and experimental outcomes.

Keywords: composite, elastic-plastic, failure, inverted T-section, L-Shape connectors

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Authors: Christina Roman, Deepak Koirala, Joseph A. Piccirilli

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Phage displaying synthetic Fab libraries have been used to obtain Fabs that bind to specific RNA targets with high affinity and specificity. These Fabs have been demonstrated to facilitate RNA crystallization. However, the antibody framework used in the construction of these phage display libraries contains numerous bulky, flexible, and charged residues, which facilitate solubility and hinder aggregation. These residues can interfere with crystallization due to the entropic cost associated with burying them within crystal contacts. To systematically reduce the surface entropy of the Fabs and improve their crystallization properties, a protein engineering strategy termed surface entropy reduction (SER) is being applied to the Fab framework. In this approach, high entropy residues are mutated to smaller ones such as alanine or serine. Focusing initially on Fab BL3-6, which binds an RNA AAACA pentaloop with 20nM affinity, the SER P server (http://services.mbi.ucla.edu/SER/) was used and analysis was performed on existing RNA-Fab BL3-6 co-crystal structures. From this analysis twelve surface entropy reduced mutants were designed. These SER mutants were expressed and are now being measured for their crystallization and diffraction performance with various RNA targets. So far, one mutant has generated 3.02 angstrom diffraction with the yjdF riboswitch RNA. Ultimately, the most productive mutations will be combined into a new Fab framework to be used in a optimized phage displayed Fab library.

Keywords: antibody fragment, crystallography, RNA, surface entropy reduction

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Authors: Mohsin Sadaqat, Hilal Anwar Butt

Abstract:

Following the stock selection guidelines provided by the Sharia Board (SB), we segregate the firms listed at Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) into Sharia Compliant (SC) and Non-Sharia Compliant (NSC) stocks. Subsequently, we form portfolios within each group based on market capitalization and volatility. The purpose is to analyze and compare the performance of these two groups as the SC stocks have lesser diversification opportunities due to SB restrictions. Using data ranging from January 2004 until June 2016, our results indicate that in most of the cases the risk-adjusted returns (alphas) for the returns differential between SC and NCS firms are positive. In addition, the SC firms in comparison to their counterparts in PSX provides excess returns that are hedged against the market, size, and value-based systematic risks factors. Overall, these results reconcile with one prevailing notion that the SC stocks that have lower financial leverage and higher investment in real assets are lesser exposed to market-based risks. Further, the SC firms that are more capitalized and less volatile, perform better than lower capitalized and higher volatile SC and NSC firms. To sum up our results, we do not find any substantial evidence for opportunity loss due to limited diversification opportunities in case of SC firms. To optimally utilize scarce resources, investors should consider SC firms as a candidate in portfolio construction.

Keywords: diversification, performance, sharia compliant stocks, risk adjusted returns

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Authors: Masoud Jabar Zadeh Mamaghani

Abstract:

Employee empowerment is an effective technique for increasing employee productivity and utilizing their individual and group capacities toward organizational goals. Empowerment is a process that helps improve and enhance performance through the development and expansion of individuals' and teams' influence and capabilities. In other words, empowerment is a strategy for organizational development and flourishing. In this study, the relationship between training and employee empowerment was examined in addition to measuring the level of empowerment among the employees of Kowsar Tehran Insurance Agency. The research method used was a descriptive correlation, and the statistical population of the study included all official employees with a degree higher than a diploma in Kowsar Tehran Insurance Agency. Data related to training hours while serving employees were extracted from their educational certificates, and data related to employees' empowerment levels were obtained through interviews and questionnaires. The research results showed that the level of empowerment among the employees in this agency is higher than the average in all dimensions. However, no correlation was observed between their empowerment level and the training hours they completed while serving.

Keywords: employee empowerment, organizational development, training, insurance industry

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Authors: Shah Hussain Awan

Abstract:

This study investigates the role of Business Incubation Centers (BICs) in fostering entrepreneurship in Pakistani universities. The high failure rate in new startups around the world has opened a challenging discussion. Though encouraging steps and strategies have been taken to overcome these challenges, still more aggressive action needs to be taken. However, Pakistan is one of the countries that promote entrepreneurship through BICs. The purpose of the present study is to develop a conceptual model that assesses the moderating impact of government policy on entrepreneurship development through business incubation centers of public and private universities. This area is under-researched, particularly in the context of Pakistan; therefore, this research may contribute to the existing body of knowledge to appraise the industry in Pakistan. The data collection procedure included a survey of stakeholders from private and public universities in Pakistan and was analyzed by SmartPLS 4.0. The findings show that Business incubation centers and government support have a significant impact on entrepreneurship development in Pakistan. Moderation analysis showed that for business incubation centers to be successful and effective, the government needs to implement efficient policies to inculcate entrepreneurship.

Keywords: business incubation centers, government support, policies, startup performance, entrepreneurship development

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Authors: Rahul Kumar Singh, Apurva Sharma, Dilip Kumar Srivastava

Abstract:

Tilting of our interest towards unconventional exploitation of hydrocarbons has raised a serious concern to environmentalists. Emerging technologies like horizontal/multi-lateral drilling with subsequent hydraulic fracturing or fracking etc., for exploitation of different conventional/unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs, are related to creating micro-level seismic events below the surface of the earth. Monitoring of these micro-level seismic events is not possible by the conventional methodology of the seismic method. So, to tackle this issue, a new technology that is microseismic is very much in discussions around the globe. Multiple researches are being carried out these days around the globe in order to prove microseismic as a new essential in the E & P industry, especially for unconventional reservoir management. Microseismic monitoring is now used for reservoir surveillance, and the best application is checking the integrity of the caprock and containment of fluid in it. In general, in whatever terms we want to use micro-seismic related events monitoring and understanding the effectiveness of stimulation, this technology offers a lot of value in terms of insight into the subsurface characteristics and processes, and this makes it really a good geophysical method to be used in future.

Keywords: microseismic, monitoring, hydraulic fracturing or fracking, reservoir surveillance, seismic hazards

Procedia PDF Downloads 183

Authors: Hani Mustafa, Cristina Gonzalez Ruiz, Estelle Bech

Abstract:

The growing influence of digital technologies has made learning and interaction more accessible, resulting in effective collaboration if properly managed. Technology enabled learning has become an important conduit for learning, including collaborative learning. The use of wiki technology, for example, has opened a new learning platform that enables the integration of social, linguistic, and cognitive processes of language learning. It encourages students to collaborate in the construction, analysis, and understanding of knowledge. But to what extent is the use of wikis effective in promoting collaborative learning among students. In addition, how do students perceive this technology in enhancing their language learning? In this study, students were be given a wiki project to complete collaboratively with their group members. Students had to write collaboratively to produce and present a seven-day travel plan in which they had to describe places to visit and things to do to explore the best historical and cultural aspects of the country. The study involves students learning French, Malay, and Spanish as a foreign language. In completing this wiki project, students will move from passive learning of language to real engagement with classmates, requiring them to collaborate and negotiate effectively with one another. The objective of the study is to ascertain to what extent does wiki technology helped in promoting collaborative learning and improving language skills from students’ perception. It is found that while there was improvement in students language skills, the overall experience was less positive due to unfamiliarity with a new learning tool.

Keywords: collaborative learning, foreign language, wiki, teaching

Procedia PDF Downloads 136