Search results for: model estimation
12582 The Influences of Nurses’ Satisfaction on the Patient Satisfaction with and Loyalty to Korean University Hospitals
Authors: Sung Hee Ahn, Ju Rang Han
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Background: With increasing importance in healthcare organization on patient satisfaction and nurses’ job satisfaction, many studies have been conducted. But no research has been administered how nurses’ satisfaction with healthcare organization influence patient satisfaction and loyalty. Purpose: This study aims to conceptualize nurses‘ satisfaction, patient satisfaction with and patient loyalty to hospitals using a hypothetical linear structural equation model, and to identify the significance of path coefficients and goodness of fit index of the structural equation model as well. Method: A total of 2,079 nurses and 6,776 patients recruited from 5 university hospitals in South Korea participated in this study. The data on nurses, including ward nurses and outpatient nurses, were collected from June 24th to July 12th, at the 204 departments of the 5 hospitals through an on-line survey. The data on the patients, including both inpatients and outpatients, were collected from September 30th to October 24th, 2013 at the 5 hospitals using a structured questionnaire. The variable of nurses’ satisfaction was measured using a scale evaluating internal client satisfaction, which is used in SSM Health Care System in the US. Patient satisfaction with the hospital and nurses and patient loyalty were measured by assessing the patient’s intention to revisit and to recommending the hospital to others using a visual analogue scale. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0 and AMOS version 21.0. Result: The hypothetical model was fairly good in terms of goodness of fit (χ2= 64.897 (df=24, p <. 001), GFI=. 906, AGFI=.823, CFI=.921, NFI=.951, NNFI=.952. RMSEA=.114). The significance of path coefficients includes followings 1)The nurses’ satisfaction has significant influence on the patient satisfaction with nurses. 2)The patient satisfaction with nurses has significant influence on the patient satisfaction with the hospital. 3)The patient satisfaction with the hospital has significant influence on the patients’ revisit intention. 4)The patient satisfaction with the hospital has significant influence on the patients’ intention to the recommendations of the hospital. Conclusion: These results provide several practical implications to hospital administrators, who should incorporate ways of improving nurses' and patients' satisfaction with the hospital into their health care marketing strategies.Keywords: linear structural equation model, loyalty, nurse, patient satisfaction
Procedia PDF Downloads 44112581 FPGA Implementation of Adaptive Clock Recovery for TDMoIP Systems
Authors: Semih Demir, Anil Celebi
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Circuit switched networks widely used until the end of the 20th century have been transformed into packages switched networks. Time Division Multiplexing over Internet Protocol (TDMoIP) is a system that enables Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) traffic to be carried over packet switched networks (PSN). In TDMoIP systems, devices that send TDM data to the PSN and receive it from the network must operate with the same clock frequency. In this study, it was aimed to implement clock synchronization process in Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) chips using time information attached to the packages received from PSN. The designed hardware is verified using the datasets obtained for the different carrier types and comparing the results with the software model. Field tests are also performed by using the real time TDMoIP system.Keywords: clock recovery on TDMoIP, FPGA, MATLAB reference model, clock synchronization
Procedia PDF Downloads 27812580 Erosion Susceptibility Zoning and Prioritization of Micro-Watersheds: A Remote Sensing-Gis Based Study of Asan River Basin, Western Doon Valley, India
Authors: Pijush Roy, Vinay Kumar Rai
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The present study highlights the estimation of soil loss and identification of critical area for implementation of best management practice is central to the success of soil conservation programme. The quantification of morphometric and Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) factors using remote sensing and GIS for prioritization of micro-watersheds in Asan River catchment, western Doon valley at foothills of Siwalik ranges in the Dehradun districts of Uttarakhand, India. The watershed has classified as a dendritic pattern with sixth order stream. The area is classified into very high, high, moderately high, medium and low susceptibility zones. High to very high erosion zone exists in the urban area and agricultural land. Average annual soil loss of 64 tons/ha/year has been estimated for the watershed. The optimum management practices proposed for micro-watersheds of Asan River basin are; afforestation, contour bunding suitable sites for water harvesting structure as check dam and soil conservation, agronomical measure and bench terrace.Keywords: erosion susceptibility zones, morphometric characteristics, prioritization, remote sensing and GIS, universal soil loss equation
Procedia PDF Downloads 30212579 Planning a Haemodialysis Process by Minimum Time Control of Hybrid Systems with Sliding Motion
Authors: Radoslaw Pytlak, Damian Suski
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The aim of the paper is to provide a computational tool for planning a haemodialysis process. It is shown that optimization methods can be used to obtain the most effective treatment focused on removing both urea and phosphorus during the process. In order to achieve that, the IV–compartment model of phosphorus kinetics is applied. This kinetics model takes into account a rebound phenomenon that can occur during haemodialysis and results in a hybrid model of the process. Furthermore, vector fields associated with the model equations are such that it is very likely that using the most intuitive objective functions in the planning problem could lead to solutions which include sliding motions. Therefore, building computational tools for solving the problem of planning a haemodialysis process has required constructing numerical algorithms for solving optimal control problems with hybrid systems. The paper concentrates on minimum time control of hybrid systems since this control objective is the most suitable for the haemodialysis process considered in the paper. The presented approach to optimal control problems with hybrid systems is different from the others in several aspects. First of all, it is assumed that a hybrid system can exhibit sliding modes. Secondly, the system’s motion on the switching surface is described by index 2 differential–algebraic equations, and that guarantees accurate tracking of the sliding motion surface. Thirdly, the gradients of the problem’s functionals are evaluated with the help of adjoint equations. The adjoint equations presented in the paper take into account sliding motion and exhibit jump conditions at transition times. The optimality conditions in the form of the weak maximum principle for optimal control problems with hybrid systems exhibiting sliding modes and with piecewise constant controls are stated. The presented sensitivity analysis can be used to construct globally convergent algorithms for solving considered problems. The paper presents numerical results of solving the haemodialysis planning problem.Keywords: haemodialysis planning process, hybrid systems, optimal control, sliding motion
Procedia PDF Downloads 19512578 Prediction of the Behavior of 304L Stainless Steel under Uniaxial and Biaxial Cyclic Loading
Authors: Aboussalih Amira, Zarza Tahar, Fedaoui Kamel, Hammoudi Saleh
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This work focuses on the simulation of the prediction of the behaviour of austenitic stainless steel (SS) 304L under complex loading in stress and imposed strain. The Chaboche model is a cable to describe the response of the material by the combination of two isotropic and nonlinear kinematic work hardening, the model is implemented in the ZébuLon computer code. First, we represent the evolution of the axial stress as a function of the plastic strain through hysteresis loops revealing a hardening behaviour caused by the increase in stress by stress in the direction of tension/compression. In a second step, the study of the ratcheting phenomenon takes a key place in this work by the appearance of the average stress. In addition to the solicitation of the material in the biaxial direction in traction / torsion.Keywords: damage, 304L, Ratcheting, plastic strain
Procedia PDF Downloads 9412577 Introducing a Proper Total Quality Management Model for Libraries
Authors: Alireza Shahraki, Kaveh Keshmiry Zadeh
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Total quality management in libraries is of particular importance because high-quality libraries can facilitate the sustained development process in countries. This study has been conducted to examine the feasibility of implementation of total quality management in libraries of Sistan and Baluchestan and to provide an appropriate model for this concern. All of the officials and employees of Sistan and Baluchestan libraries (23 individuals) constitute the population of the study. Data gathering tool is a questionnaire that is designated based on ISO9000. The data extracted from questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS software. Results indicate that the highest degree of conformance to the 8 principles of ISO9000 is attributed to the principle of 'users' (69.9%) and the lowest degree is associated with 'decision making based on facts' (39.1%). Moreover, a significant relationship was observed among the items (1 and 3), (2 and 5), (2 and 7), (3 and 5), (4 and 5), (4 and 7), (4 and 8), (5 and 7), and (7 and 8). According to the research findings, it can generally be said that it is not eligible now to utilize TQM in libraries of Sistan and Baluchestan.Keywords: quality management, total quality, university libraries, libraries management
Procedia PDF Downloads 34012576 Aero-Hydrodynamic Model for a Floating Offshore Wind Turbine
Authors: Beatrice Fenu, Francesco Niosi, Giovanni Bracco, Giuliana Mattiazzo
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In recent years, Europe has seen a great development of renewable energy, in a perspective of reducing polluting emissions and transitioning to cleaner forms of energy, as established by the European Green New Deal. Wind energy has come to cover almost 15% of European electricity needs andis constantly growing. In particular, far-offshore wind turbines are attractive from the point of view of exploiting high-speed winds and high wind availability. Considering offshore wind turbine siting that combines the resources analysis, the bathymetry, environmental regulations, and maritime traffic and considering the waves influence in the stability of the platform, the hydrodynamic characteristics of the platform become fundamental for the evaluation of the performances of the turbine, especially for the pitch motion. Many platform's geometries have been studied and used in the last few years. Their concept is based upon different considerations as hydrostatic stability, material, cost and mooring system. A new method to reach a high-performances substructure for different kinds of wind turbines is proposed. The system that considers substructure, mooring, and wind turbine is implemented in Orcaflex, and the simulations are performed considering several sea states and wind speeds. An external dynamic library is implemented for the turbine control system. The study shows the comparison among different substructures and the new concepts developed. In order to validate the model, CFD simulations will be performed by mean of STAR CCM+, and a comparison between rigid and elastic body for what concerns blades and tower will be carried out. A global model will be built to predict the productivity of the floating turbine according to siting, resources, substructure, and mooring. The Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of the system is estimated, giving a complete overview about the advantages of floating offshore wind turbine plants. Different case studies will be presented.Keywords: aero-hydrodynamic model, computational fluid dynamics, floating offshore wind, siting, verification, and validation
Procedia PDF Downloads 21512575 Analytical and Experimental Evaluation of Effects of Nonstructural Brick Walls on Earthquake Response of Reinforced Concrete Structures
Authors: Hasan Husnu Korkmaz, Serra Zerrin Korkmaz
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The reinforced concrete (RC) framed structures composed of beams, columns, shear walls and the slabs. The other members are assumed to be nonstructural. Especially the brick infill walls which are used to separate the rooms or spaces are just handled as dead loads. On the other hand, if these infills are constructed within the frame bays, they also have higher shear and compression capacities. It is a well-known fact that, brick infills increase the lateral rigidity of the structure and thought to be a reserve capacity in the design. But, brick infills can create unfavorable failure or damage modes in the earthquake action such as soft story or short columns. The increase in the lateral rigidity also causes an over estimation of natural period of the structure and the corresponding earthquake loads in the design are less than the actual ones. In order to obtain accurate and realistic design results, the infills must be modelled in the structural design and their capacities must be included. Unfortunately, in Turkish Earthquake Code, there is no design methodology for the engineers. In this paper, finite element modelling of infilled reinforced concrete structures are studied. The proposed or used method is compared with the experimental results of a previous study. The effect of infills on the structural response is expressed within the paper.Keywords: seismic loading, brick infills, finite element analysis, reinforced concrete, earthquake code
Procedia PDF Downloads 31412574 An Investigation of Challenges in Implementing Sustainable Supply Chain Management for Construction Industry in Thailand by Interpretive Structural Model Approach
Authors: Shaolan Zou, Kullapa Soratana
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Construction industry faces tremendous challenges in sustainability issue in recent years. Building materials, generally, are non-recyclable with short service life time, leading to economic loss. Building sites also cause social issues, e.g. noise, hazardous substances, and particulate matters. Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) has been recognized as an appropriate method to balance three pillars of sustainability: environment, economy, and society. However, most of construction companies cannot successfully adopt SSCM due to numerous challenges. In this study, a list of challenges in implementing SSCM was collected from peer-reviewed literature on sustainable implementation. A building materials company in Thailand, which has successfully adopted SSCM for almost two decades and established the sustainable development committee since 1995, was used as a case study. Management-level representatives in sustainability department of the company were interviewed, mainly, to examine which challenges on the list complies with the company’s condition when adopting SSCM. The interview result was analyzed by interpretive structural model (ISM) with sustainability experts’ opinions to identify top 5 influential challenges. The results could assist a building construction company in assigning appropriate strategies to overcome most influential barriers, as well as in using as a reference or guidance for other construction companies adopting SSCM.Keywords: sustainable supply chain management, challenges, construction industry, interpretive structural model
Procedia PDF Downloads 18112573 Assessing Carbon Stock and Sequestration of Reforestation Species on Old Mining Sites in Morocco Using the DNDC Model
Authors: Nabil Elkhatri, Mohamed Louay Metougui, Ngonidzashe Chirinda
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Mining activities have left a legacy of degraded landscapes, prompting urgent efforts for ecological restoration. Reforestation holds promise as a potent tool to rehabilitate these old mining sites, with the potential to sequester carbon and contribute to climate change mitigation. This study focuses on evaluating the carbon stock and sequestration potential of reforestation species in the context of Morocco's mining areas, employing the DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model. The research is grounded in recognizing the need to connect theoretical models with practical implementation, ensuring that reforestation efforts are informed by accurate and context-specific data. Field data collection encompasses growth patterns, biomass accumulation, and carbon sequestration rates, establishing an empirical foundation for the study's analyses. By integrating the collected data with the DNDC model, the study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of carbon dynamics within reforested ecosystems on old mining sites. The major findings reveal varying sequestration rates among different reforestation species, indicating the potential for species-specific optimization of reforestation strategies to enhance carbon capture. This research's significance lies in its potential to contribute to sustainable land management practices and climate change mitigation strategies. By quantifying the carbon stock and sequestration potential of reforestation species, the study serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, land managers, and practitioners involved in ecological restoration and carbon management. Ultimately, the study aligns with global objectives to rejuvenate degraded landscapes while addressing pressing climate challenges.Keywords: carbon stock, carbon sequestration, DNDC model, ecological restoration, mining sites, Morocco, reforestation, sustainable land management.
Procedia PDF Downloads 7612572 Numerical Analysis of the Aging Effects of RC Shear Walls Repaired by CFRP Sheets: Application of CEB-FIP MC 90 Model
Authors: Yeghnem Redha, Guerroudj Hicham Zakaria, Hanifi Hachemi Amar Lemiya, Meftah Sid Ahmed, Tounsi Abdelouahed, Adda Bedia El Abbas
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Creep deformation of concrete is often responsible for excessive deflection at service loads which can compromise the performance of elements within a structure. Although laboratory test may be undertaken to determine the deformation properties of concrete, these are time-consuming, often expensive and generally not a practical option. Therefore, relatively simple empirically design code models are relied to predict the creep strain. This paper reviews the accuracy of creep and shrinkage predictions of reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls structures strengthened with carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets, which is characterized by a widthwise varying fibre volume fraction. This review is yielded by CEB-FIB MC90 model. The time-dependent behavior was investigated to analyze their static behavior. In the numerical formulation, the adherents and the adhesives are all modelled as shear wall elements, using the mixed finite element method. Several tests were used to dem¬onstrate the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method. Numerical results from the present analysis are presented to illustrate the significance of the time-dependency of the lateral displacements.Keywords: RC shear walls strengthened, CFRP sheets, creep and shrinkage, CEB-FIP MC90 model, finite element method, static behavior
Procedia PDF Downloads 30912571 Estimation of Carbon Sequestration and Air Quality of Terrestrial Ecosystems Using Remote Sensing Techniques
Authors: Kanwal Javid, Shazia Pervaiz, Maria Mumtaz, Muhammad Ameer Nawaz Akram
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Forests and grasslands ecosystems play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Land management activities influence both ecosystems and enable them to absorb and sequester carbon dioxide (CO2). Similarly, in Pakistan, these terrestrial ecosystems are well known to mitigate carbon emissions and have a great source to supply a variety of services such as clean air and water, biodiversity, wood products, wildlife habitat, food, recreation and carbon sequestration. Carbon sequestration is the main agenda of developed and developing nations to reduce the impacts of global warming. But the amount of carbon storage within these ecosystems can be affected by many factors related to air quality such as land management, land-use change, deforestation, over grazing and natural calamities. Moreover, the long-term capacity of forests and grasslands to absorb and sequester CO2 depends on their health, productivity, resilience and ability to adapt to changing conditions. Thus, the main rationale of this study is to monitor the difference in carbon amount of forests and grasslands of Northern Pakistan using MODIS data sets and map results using Geographic Information System. Results of the study conclude that forests ecosystems are more effective in reducing the CO2 level and play a key role in improving the quality of air.Keywords: carbon sequestration, grasslands, global warming, climate change.
Procedia PDF Downloads 18712570 A Method to Enhance the Accuracy of Digital Forensic in the Absence of Sufficient Evidence in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Fahad Alanazi, Andrew Jones
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Digital forensics seeks to achieve the successful investigation of digital crimes through obtaining acceptable evidence from digital devices that can be presented in a court of law. Thus, the digital forensics investigation is normally performed through a number of phases in order to achieve the required level of accuracy in the investigation processes. Since 1984 there have been a number of models and frameworks developed to support the digital investigation processes. In this paper, we review a number of the investigation processes that have been produced throughout the years and introduce a proposed digital forensic model which is based on the scope of the Saudi Arabia investigation process. The proposed model has been integrated with existing models for the investigation processes and produced a new phase to deal with a situation where there is initially insufficient evidence.Keywords: digital forensics, process, metadata, Traceback, Sauid Arabia
Procedia PDF Downloads 35912569 Measurement of VIP Edge Conduction Using Vacuum Guarded Hot Plate
Authors: Bongsu Choi, Tae-Ho Song
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Vacuum insulation panel (VIP) is a promising thermal insulator for buildings, refrigerator, LNG carrier and so on. In general, it has the thermal conductivity of 2~4 mW/m•K. However, this thermal conductivity is that measured at the center of VIP. The total effective thermal conductivity of VIP is larger than this value due to the edge conduction through the envelope. In this paper, the edge conduction of VIP is examined theoretically, numerically and experimentally. To confirm the existence of the edge conduction, numerical analysis is performed for simple two-dimensional VIP model and a theoretical model is proposed to calculate the edge conductivity. Also, the edge conductivity is measured using the vacuum guarded hot plate and the experiment is validated against numerical analysis. The results show that the edge conductivity is dependent on the width of panel and thickness of Al-foil. To reduce the edge conduction, it is recommended that the VIP should be made as big as possible or made of thin Al film envelope.Keywords: envelope, edge conduction, thermal conductivity, vacuum insulation panel
Procedia PDF Downloads 40612568 3D Object Retrieval Based on Similarity Calculation in 3D Computer Aided Design Systems
Authors: Ahmed Fradi
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Nowadays, recent technological advances in the acquisition, modeling, and processing of three-dimensional (3D) objects data lead to the creation of models stored in huge databases, which are used in various domains such as computer vision, augmented reality, game industry, medicine, CAD (Computer-aided design), 3D printing etc. On the other hand, the industry is currently benefiting from powerful modeling tools enabling designers to easily and quickly produce 3D models. The great ease of acquisition and modeling of 3D objects make possible to create large 3D models databases, then, it becomes difficult to navigate them. Therefore, the indexing of 3D objects appears as a necessary and promising solution to manage this type of data, to extract model information, retrieve an existing model or calculate similarity between 3D objects. The objective of the proposed research is to develop a framework allowing easy and fast access to 3D objects in a CAD models database with specific indexing algorithm to find objects similar to a reference model. Our main objectives are to study existing methods of similarity calculation of 3D objects (essentially shape-based methods) by specifying the characteristics of each method as well as the difference between them, and then we will propose a new approach for indexing and comparing 3D models, which is suitable for our case study and which is based on some previously studied methods. Our proposed approach is finally illustrated by an implementation, and evaluated in a professional context.Keywords: CAD, 3D object retrieval, shape based retrieval, similarity calculation
Procedia PDF Downloads 26212567 Community Based Heritage Tourism in the Old City of Nazareth
Authors: Alon Gelbman, Daniel Laven
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The paper focuses on a case study of a small-scale heritage tourism venture that seeks to influence tourism development in Nazareth’s old city. This is an exploratory case study that uses qualitative research methods including extensive participant observation and in-depth interviews with the venture’s senior management group and selected employees. Study findings indicate a model of the relationship between community-based tourism development, heritage, and peace-building in a city that has experienced a wide range of cross-cultural conflicts. This model represents an alternative view to the notion that heritage serves to enhance differences and dissonance between different cultural groups. In contrast, findings from this study suggest that heritage in the form of tourism; can help create shared interests between different communities in settings characterized by cross-cultural conflict. This model represents an alternative view to the notion that heritage serves to enhance differences and dissonance between different cultural groups. In contrast, findings from this study suggest that heritage in the form of tourism; can help create shared interests between different communities in settings characterized by cross-cultural conflict.Keywords: cultural heritage tourism, tourism and peace, community-based tourism, sustainable tourism, cross-cultural conflict, Nazareth historic city
Procedia PDF Downloads 43012566 Assessment of Factors Influencing Business Process Harmonization: A Case Study in an Industrial Company
Authors: J. J. M. Trienekens, H. L. Romero, L. Cuenca
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While process harmonization is increasingly mentioned and unanimously associated with several benefits, there is a need for more understanding of how it contributes to business process redesign and improvement. This paper presents the application, in an industrial case study, of a conceptual harmonization model on the relationship between drivers and effects of process harmonization. The drivers are called contextual factors which influence harmonization. Assessment of these contextual factors in a particular business domain, clarifies the extent of harmonization that can be achieved, or that should be strived at. The case study shows how the conceptual harmonization model can be made operational and can act as a valuable assessment tool. From both qualitative, as well as some quantitative, assessment results, insights are being discussed on the extent of harmonization that can be achieved, and action plans are being defined for business (process) harmonization.Keywords: case study, contextual factors, process harmonization, industrial company
Procedia PDF Downloads 39512565 Investigating Knowledge Management in Financial Organisation: Proposing a New Model for Implementing Knowledge Management
Authors: Ziba R. Tehrani, Sanaz Moayer
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In the age of the knowledge-based economy, knowledge management has become a key factor in sustainable competitive advantage. Knowledge management is discovering, acquiring, developing, sharing, maintaining, evaluating, and using right knowledge in right time by right person in organization; which is accomplished by creating a right link between human resources, information technology, and appropriate structure, to achieve organisational goals. Studying knowledge management financial institutes shows the knowledge management in banking system is not different from other industries but because of complexity of bank’s environment, the implementation is more difficult. The bank managers found out that implementation of knowledge management will bring many advantages to financial institutes, one of the most important of which is reduction of threat to lose subsequent information of personnel job quit. Also Special attention to internal conditions and environment of the financial institutes and avoidance from copy-making in designing the knowledge management is a critical issue. In this paper, it is tried first to define knowledge management concept and introduce existing models of knowledge management; then some of the most important models which have more similarities with other models will be reviewed. In second step according to bank requirements with focus on knowledge management approach, most major objectives of knowledge management are identified. For gathering data in this stage face to face interview is used. Thirdly these specified objectives are analysed with the response of distribution of questionnaire which is gained through managers and expert staffs of ‘Karafarin Bank’. Finally based on analysed data, some features of exiting models are selected and a new conceptual model will be proposed.Keywords: knowledge management, financial institute, knowledge management model, organisational knowledge
Procedia PDF Downloads 36012564 Behaviour of Reinforced Concrete Infilled Frames under Seismic Loads
Authors: W. Badla
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A significant portion of the buildings constructed in Algeria is structural frames with infill panels which are usually considered as non structural components and are neglected in the analysis. However, these masonry panels tend to influence the structural response. Thus, these structures can be regarded as seismic risk buildings, although in the Algerian seismic code there is little guidance on the seismic evaluation of infilled frame buildings. In this study, three RC frames with 2, 4, and 8 story and subjected to three recorded Algerian accelerograms are studied. The diagonal strut approach is adopted for modeling the infill panels and a fiber model is used to model RC members. This paper reports on the seismic evaluation of RC frames with brick infill panels. The results obtained show that the masonry panels enhance the load lateral capacity of the buildings and the infill panel configuration influences the response of the structures.Keywords: seismic design, RC frames, infill panels, non linear dynamic analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 54612563 The Role of Leapfrogging: Cross-Level Interactions and MNE Decision-Making in Conflict-Settings
Authors: Arrian Cornwell, Larisa Yarovaya, Mary Thomson
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This paper seeks to examine the transboundary nature of foreign subsidiary exit vs. stay decisions when threatened by conflict in a host country. Using the concepts of nested vulnerability and teleconnections, we show that the threat of conflict can transcend bounded territories and have non-linear outcomes for actors, institutions and systems at broader scales of analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this has not been done before. By introducing the concepts of ‘leapfrogging upwards’ and ‘cascading downwards’, we develop a two-stage model which characterises the impacts of conflict as transboundary phenomena. We apply our model to a dataset of 266 foreign subsidiaries in six conflict-afflicted host countries over 2011-2015. Our results indicate that information is transmitted upwards and subsequent pressure flows cascade downwards, which, in turn, influence exit decisions.Keywords: subsidiary exit, conflict, information transmission, pressure flows, transboundary
Procedia PDF Downloads 27712562 Automatic Number Plate Recognition System Based on Deep Learning
Authors: T. Damak, O. Kriaa, A. Baccar, M. A. Ben Ayed, N. Masmoudi
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In the last few years, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems have become widely used in the safety, the security, and the commercial aspects. Forethought, several methods and techniques are computing to achieve the better levels in terms of accuracy and real time execution. This paper proposed a computer vision algorithm of Number Plate Localization (NPL) and Characters Segmentation (CS). In addition, it proposed an improved method in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) based on Deep Learning (DL) techniques. In order to identify the number of detected plate after NPL and CS steps, the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) algorithm is proposed. A DL model is developed using four convolution layers, two layers of Maxpooling, and six layers of fully connected. The model was trained by number image database on the Jetson TX2 NVIDIA target. The accuracy result has achieved 95.84%.Keywords: ANPR, CS, CNN, deep learning, NPL
Procedia PDF Downloads 30612561 Sensorless Controller of Induction Motor Using Backstepping Approach and Fuzzy MRAS
Authors: Ahmed Abbou
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This paper present a sensorless controller designed by the backstepping approach for the speed control of induction motor. In this strategy of control, we also combined the method Fuzzy MRAS to estimate the rotor speed and the observer type Luenburger to observe Rotor flux. The control model involves a division by the flux variable that may lead to unbounded solutions. Such a risk is avoided by basing the controller design on Lyapunov function that accounts for the model singularity. On the other hand, this mixed method gives better results in Sensorless operation and especially at low speed. The response time at 5% of the flux is 20ms while the error between the speed with sensor and the estimated speed remains in the range of ±0.8 rad/s for the rated functioning and ±1.5 rad/s for low speed.Keywords: backstepping approach, fuzzy logic, induction motor, luenburger observer, sensorless MRAS
Procedia PDF Downloads 37312560 The Effect of Global Solar Variations on the Performance of n- AlGaAs/ p-GaAs Solar Cells
Authors: A. Guechi, M. Chegaar
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This study investigates how AlGaAs/GaAs thin film solar cells perform under varying global solar spectrum due to the changes of environmental parameters such as the air mass and the atmospheric turbidity. The solar irradiance striking the solar cell is simulated using the spectral irradiance model SMARTS2 (Simple Model of the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer of Sunshine) for clear skies on the site of Setif (Algeria). The results show a reduction in the short circuit current due to increasing atmospheric turbidity, it is 63.09% under global radiation. However increasing air mass leads to a reduction in the short circuit current of 81.73%.The efficiency decrease with increasing atmospheric turbidity and air mass.Keywords: AlGaAs/GaAs, solar cells, environmental parameters, spectral variation, SMARTS
Procedia PDF Downloads 39712559 Mechanism of Melanin Inhibition of Morello Flavone- 7″- Sulphate and Sargaol extracts from Garcinia livingstonei (Clusiaceae): Homology Modelling, Molecular Docking, and Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Authors: Ncoza Dlova, Tivani Mashamba-Thompson
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Garcinia livingstonei (Clusiaceae) extracts, morelloflavone- 7″- sulphate and sargaol were shown to be effective against hyper-pigmentation through inhibition of tyrosinase enzyme, in vitro . The aim of this study is to elucidate the structural mechanism through which morelloflavone- 7″- sulphate and sargaol binds human tyrosinase. Implementing a homology model to construct a tyrosinase model using the crystal structure of a functional unit from Octopus hemocyanin (PDB: 1JS8) as a reference template enabled us to create a human tyrosinase model. Molecular dynamics and binding free energy calculations were optimized to enable molecular dynamics simulation of the copper dependent inhibitors. Results show the importance of the hydrogen bond formation morelloflavone- 7″- sulphate and sargaol between compound and active site residues. Both complexes demonstrated the metallic coordination between compound and arginine residue as well as copper ions within the active site. The comprehensive molecular insight gained from this study should be vital in understanding the binding mechanism morelloflavone- 7″- sulphate and sargaol. Moreover, these results will assist in the design of novel of metal ion dependent enzyme inhibitors as potential anti-hyper-pigmentation disorder therapies.Keywords: hyper-pigmentation disorders, dyschromia African skin, morelloflavone- 7″- sulphate, sagoal
Procedia PDF Downloads 40612558 Models Development of Graphical Human Interface Using Fuzzy Logic
Authors: Érick Aragão Ribeiro, George André Pereira Thé, José Marques Soares
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Graphical Human Interface, also known as supervision software, are increasingly present in industrial processes supported by Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems and so it is evident the need for qualified developers. In order to make engineering students able to produce high quality supervision software, method for the development must be created. In this paper we propose model, based on the international standards ISO/IEC 25010 and ISO/IEC 25040, for the development of graphical human interface. When compared with to other methods through experiments, the model here presented leads to improved quality indexes, therefore help guiding the decisions of programmers. Results show the efficiency of the models and the contribution to student learning. Students assessed the training they have received and considered it satisfactory.Keywords: software development models, software quality, supervision software, fuzzy logic
Procedia PDF Downloads 37312557 A Comparative Study of Approaches in User-Centred Health Information Retrieval
Authors: Harsh Thakkar, Ganesh Iyer
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In this paper, we survey various user-centered or context-based biomedical health information retrieval systems. We present and discuss the performance of systems submitted in CLEF eHealth 2014 Task 3 for this purpose. We classify and focus on comparing the two most prevalent retrieval models in biomedical information retrieval namely: Language Model (LM) and Vector Space Model (VSM). We also report on the effectiveness of using external medical resources and ontologies like MeSH, Metamap, UMLS, etc. We observed that the LM based retrieval systems outperform VSM based systems on various fronts. From the results we conclude that the state-of-art system scores for MAP was 0.4146, P@10 was 0.7560 and NDCG@10 was 0.7445, respectively. All of these score were reported by systems built on language modeling approaches.Keywords: clinical document retrieval, concept-based information retrieval, query expansion, language models, vector space models
Procedia PDF Downloads 32012556 Tectonic Setting of Hinterland and Foreland Basins According to Tectonic Vergence in Eastern Iran
Authors: Shahriyar Keshtgar, Mahmoud Reza Heyhat, Sasan Bagheri, Ebrahim Gholami, Seyed Naser Raiisosadat
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Various tectonic interpretations have been presented by different researchers to explain the geological evolution of eastern Iran, but there are still many ambiguities and many disagreements about the geodynamic nature of the Paleogene mountain range of eastern Iran. The purpose of this research is to clarify and discuss the tectonic position of the foreland and hinterland regions of eastern Iran from the tectonic perspective of sedimentary basins. In the tectonic model of oceanic subduction crust under the Afghan block, the hinterland is located to the east and on the Afghan block, and the foreland is located on the passive margin of the Sistan open ocean in the west. After the collision of the two microcontinents, the foreland basin must be located somewhere on the passive margin of the Lut block. This basin can deposit thick Paleocene to Oligocene sediments on the Cretaceous and older sediments. Thrust faults here will move towards the west. If we accept the subduction model of the Sistan Ocean under the Lut Block, the hinterland is located to the west towards the Lut Block, and the foreland basin is located towards the Sistan Ocean in the east. After the collision of the two microcontinents, the foreland basin with Paleogene sediments should expand on the Sefidaba basin. Thrust faults here will move towards the east. If we consider the two-sided subduction model of the ocean crust under both Lut and Afghan continental blocks, the tectonic position of the foreland and hinterland basins will not change and will be similar to the one-sided subduction models. After the collision of two microcontinents, the foreland basin should develop in the central part of the eastern Iranian orogen. In the oroclinic buckling model, the foreland basin will continue not only in the east and west but continuously in the north as well. In this model, since there is practically no collision, the foreland basin is not developed, and the remnants of the Sistan Ocean ophiolites and their deep turbidite sediments appear in the axial part of the mountain range, where the Neh and Khash complexes are located. The structural data from this research in the northern border of the Sistan belt and the Lut block indicate the convergence of the tectonic vergence directions towards the interior of the Sistan belt (in the Ahangaran area towards the southwest, in the north of Birjand towards the south-southeast, in the Sechengi area to the southeast). According to this research, not only the general movement of thrust sheets do not follow the linear orogeny models, but the expected active foreland basins have not been formed in the mentioned places in eastern Iran. Therefore, these results do not follow previous tectonic models for eastern Iran (i.e., rifting of eastern Iran continental crust and subsequent linear collision of the Lut and Afghan blocks), but it seems that was caused by buckling model in the Late Eocene-Oligocene.Keywords: foreland, hinterland, tectonic vergence, orocline buckling, eastern Iran
Procedia PDF Downloads 6712555 Reference Architecture for Intelligent Enterprise Solutions
Authors: Shankar Kambhampaty, Harish Rohan Kambhampaty
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Data in IT systems in enterprises has been growing at a phenomenal pace. This has provided opportunities to run analytics to gather intelligence on key business parameters that enable them to provide better products and services to customers. While there are several artificial intelligence (AI/ML) and business intelligence (BI) tools and technologies available in the marketplace to run analytics, there is a need for an integrated view when developing intelligent solutions in enterprises. This paper progressively elaborates a reference model for enterprise solutions, builds an integrated view of data, information, and intelligence components, and presents a reference architecture for intelligent enterprise solutions. Finally, it applies the reference architecture to an insurance organization. The reference architecture is the outcome of experience and insights gathered from developing intelligent solutions for several organizations.Keywords: architecture, model, intelligence, artificial intelligence, business intelligence, AI, BI, ML, analytics, enterprise
Procedia PDF Downloads 14312554 Prediction Factor of Recurrence Supraventricular Tachycardia After Adenosine Treatment in the Emergency Department
Authors: Welawat Tienpratarn, Chaiyaporn Yuksen, Rungrawin Promkul, Chetsadakon Jenpanitpong, Pajit Bunta, Suthap Jaiboon
Abstract:
Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is an abnormally fast atrial tachycardia characterized by narrow (≤ 120 ms) and constant QRS. Adenosine was the drug of choice; the first dose was 6 mg. It can be repeated with the second and third doses of 12 mg, with greater than 90% success. The study found that patients observed at 4 hours after normal sinus rhythm was no recurrence within 24 hours. The objective of this study was to investigate the factors that influence the recurrence of SVT after adenosine in the emergency department (ED). The study was conducted retrospectively exploratory model, prognostic study at the Emergency Department (ED) in Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, a university-affiliated super tertiary care hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. The study was conducted for ten years period between 2010 and 2020. The inclusion criteria were age > 15 years, visiting the ED with SVT, and treating with adenosine. Those patients were recorded with the recurrence SVT in ED. The multivariable logistic regression model developed the predictive model and prediction score for recurrence PSVT. 264 patients met the study criteria. Of those, 24 patients (10%) had recurrence PSVT. Five independent factors were predictive of recurrence PSVT. There was age>65 years, heart rate (after adenosine) > 100 per min, structural heart disease, and dose of adenosine. The clinical risk score to predict recurrence PSVT is developed accuracy 74.41%. The score of >6 had the likelihood ratio of recurrence PSVT by 5.71 times. The clinical predictive score of > 6 was associated with recurrence PSVT in ED.Keywords: supraventricular tachycardia, recurrance, emergency department, adenosine
Procedia PDF Downloads 11712553 Simulation for the Magnetized Plasma Compression Study
Authors: Victor V. Kuzenov, Sergei V. Ryzhkov
Abstract:
Ongoing experimental and theoretical studies on magneto-inertial confinement fusion (Angara, C-2, CJS-100, General Fusion, MagLIF, MAGPIE, MC-1, YG-1, Omega) and new constructing facilities (Baikal, C-2W, Z300 and Z800) require adequate modeling and description of the physical processes occurring in high-temperature dense plasma in a strong magnetic field. This paper presents a mathematical model, numerical method, and results of the computer analysis of the compression process and the energy transfer in the target plasma, used in magneto-inertial fusion (MIF). The computer simulation of the compression process of the magnetized target by the high-power laser pulse and the high-speed plasma jets is presented. The characteristic patterns of the two methods of the target compression are being analysed.Keywords: magnetized target, magneto-inertial fusion, mathematical model, plasma and laser beams
Procedia PDF Downloads 296