Search results for: change making
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 11708

Search results for: change making

6128 The Impact of the Composite Expanded Graphite PCM on the PV Panel Whole Year Electric Output: Case Study Milan

Authors: Hasan A Al-Asadi, Ali Samir, Afrah Turki Awad, Ali Basem

Abstract:

Integrating the phase change material (PCM) with photovoltaic (PV) panels is one of the effective techniques to minimize the PV panel temperature and increase their electric output. In order to investigate the impact of the PCM on the electric output of the PV panels for a whole year, a lumped-distributed parameter model for the PV-PCM module has been developed. This development has considered the impact of the PCM density variation between the solid phase and liquid phase. This contribution will increase the assessment accuracy of the electric output of the PV-PCM module. The second contribution is to assess the impact of the expanded composite graphite-PCM on the PV electric output in Milan for a whole year. The novel one-dimensional model has been solved using MATLAB software. The results of this model have been validated against literature experiment work. The weather and the solar radiation data have been collected. The impact of expanded graphite-PCM on the electric output of the PV panel for a whole year has been investigated. The results indicate this impact has an enhancement rate of 2.39% for the electric output of the PV panel in Milan for a whole year.

Keywords: PV panel efficiency, PCM, numerical model, solar energy

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6127 Anonymous Editing Prevention Technique Using Gradient Method for High-Quality Video

Authors: Jiwon Lee, Chanho Jung, Si-Hwan Jang, Kyung-Ill Kim, Sanghyun Joo, Wook-Ho Son

Abstract:

Since the advances in digital imaging technologies have led to development of high quality digital devices, there are a lot of illegal copies of copyrighted video content on the internet. Thus, we propose a high-quality (HQ) video watermarking scheme that can prevent these illegal copies from spreading out. The proposed scheme is applied spatial and temporal gradient methods to improve the fidelity and detection performance. Also, the scheme duplicates the watermark signal temporally to alleviate the signal reduction caused by geometric and signal-processing distortions. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme achieves better performance than previously proposed schemes and it has high fidelity. The proposed scheme can be used in broadcast monitoring or traitor tracking applications which need fast detection process to prevent illegally recorded video content from spreading out.

Keywords: editing prevention technique, gradient method, luminance change, video watermarking

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6126 Guidelines of Elderly Care Businesses in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Authors: Nattanon Peerapen, Wanwisa Insang, Lanlalin Khumman, Wipada Juanprajak, Sikan Na Chiangmai, Wacharin Suksanan, Thanasak Tantinakom

Abstract:

This research was intended to study guidelines from elderly care businesses that are continuously growing and rapidly benefitting because these businesses respond to the needs of those who cannot find time to in take care of their elderly people, including intimate care services from the caregivers, thus rapidly expanding elderly care businesses to have recently become interesting domestically and internationally. Chiang Mai is a popular choice for the businesses because of excellent weathers and simple and peaceful ways of living, thus making the businesses grow rapidly and continuously. The sample group consisted of 5 persons, executives and staff, from each of the 4 businesses that provide elderly cares chosen to interview by the researches, which were Vivo Bene Village, Baan Donsuk, PT Nursing Home, and PD Nursing Home. The interviews indicated that most elderly care businesses are located in rural areas with moving traffics, shady environments, and far from crowded urban areas since elderly people need peacefulness and clean environments that will affect their physical and mental health directly. The sections within the businesses are distinctly divided with definite duties assigned to each personnel, including welfares, remunerations, uniforms, accommodations, food and social occasions, such as birthdays or New Year festivities.

Keywords: elderly, elderly care, business strategy, success factors

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6125 The Barriers in the Adoption of E-readiness and Affective E-Business of Developing Countries: From the Prospective of Pakistani Organizations

Authors: Asma Moomal, Maslin Masrom

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The literature has identified that the competition among the business firms has been intensified due to the change in operating environment such as; knowledge diffusion, amount of R&D investments, and the adoption of technological innovation. Correspondingly, the E-business has potential to add a higher value to business and consumers in developed countries than in developing countries. However, the technological innovation (such as e-readiness) also considered as the major influential element on the firms competitiveness and development, Yet most of the developing countries including Pakistan failed to reap the benefits offered by modern information and communication technologies adoption (e-readiness), e-business and other innovative technologies. Thus, this paper reviewed the relevant literature in order to examine the barriers to the adoption of e-readiness and e-business in the organizations of Pakistan. The data collection technique used in this study was done through the secondary data resources (i.e. the existing literature analysis). The result of the study reveals that the most of the organizations of Pakistan like other developing countries are lagging behind in terms of adoption of e-readiness and e-business as compared to the developed countries of the world.

Keywords: e-readiness, e-business, potential, technological innovation

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6124 An Analysis of the Efficacy of Criminal Sanctions in Combating Cartel Conduct: The Case of South Africa

Authors: S. Tavuyanago

Abstract:

Cartels within the international competition law framework have been dubbed the most egregious of competition law violations; this is because they entail a concerted effort by two or more competitor firms to knowingly ‘rob’ consumers of their welfare through their cooperation instead of competition. The net effect of cartel conduct is that the market is distorted as the colluding firms gain enough market power to constrain the supply of goods or services, ultimately driving up prices. As a result, consumers end up paying inflated prices for goods and services, which eventually affects their welfare. It is against this backdrop that competition authorities worldwide have mounted a robust fight against the proliferation of cartels. In South Africa, the fight against cartels saw an amendment to the Competition Act to allow for criminal prosecution of individuals who cause their firms to take part in cartels. The Competition Amendment Act 1 of 2009 introduced section 73A into the principal Competition Act, making it a criminal offence to engage in cartel conduct. This paper assesses the rationale for criminalisation of cartel conduct, discusses the challenges or potential challenges associated with criminalisation, and provides an evaluation of the efficacy of criminalisation of cartel conduct. It questions whether criminal sanctions for cartel conduct as a competition enforcement tool aimed at deterring such conduct are generally effective and whether they have been effective in South Africa specifically. It concludes by offering recommendations on how to effectively root out cartels.

Keywords: cartels, criminalisation, competition, deterrence, South Africa

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6123 Assessment of Spatial Development in Peri Urban Villages of Baramati

Authors: Rutuja Rajendra Ghadage

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Villages surrounding the city undergo the process of peri urbanization, which transforms their original village character. These villages undergo fast and unplanned physical growth and development. Due to the expansion of urban activities, peri-urban villages are experiencing extensive changes. Focusing on the peri-urban villages of Baramati city in Maharashtra, India, this paper assesses the nature and extent of spatial development and identifies the factors contributing to the rapid development of eleven sample Peri-urban villages. After reviewing similar studies, four indicators are selected to assess the spatial development of peri-urban villages; 1) population, 2) road network, 3) land use landcover change, and 4) built-up distribution. The spatial development of peri-urban villages of Baramati is uneven as few villages are still expanding or growing while few villages have started intensifying. The main factor for this development is the presence of industries and educational institutions. They have affected spatial development directly as well as indirectly. In the future, most of the peri-urban villages of Baramati will be in the intensification phase, so if this happens in an unplanned manner, it will create stress on services and facilities.

Keywords: factors and indicators of spatial development, peri urban villages, peri urbanization, spatial development

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6122 Business Challenges and Opportunities of Mobile Applications for Equity Trading in India

Authors: Helee Dave

Abstract:

Globalization has helped in the growth and change of the Indian economy to a great extent. The purchasing power of Indians has increased. IT Infrastructure has considerably improved in India. There is an increase in the usage of smartphones. The smartphones facilitate all sorts of work now a day, from getting groceries to planning a tour; it is just one click away. Similar is the case with equity trading. The traders in equity market can now deal with their stocks through mobile applications eliminating the middle man. The traders do not have an option but to open a dematerialization account with the banks which are compulsory enough irrespective of their mode of transaction that is online or offline. Considering that India is a young country having more than 50% of its population below the age of 25 and 65% of its population below the age of 35; this youth is comfortable with the usage of smartphones. The banking industry is also providing a virtual platform supporting equity market industry. Yet equity trading through online applications is at an infant stage. This paper primarily attempts to understand challenges and opportunities faced by equity trading through mobile apps in India.

Keywords: BPO, business process outsourcing, de-materialization account, equity, ITES, information technology enabled services

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6121 High Temperature Behaviour of Various Limestone Used in Heritage Buildings at Material and Block Scales

Authors: Ayoub Daoudi, Javad Eslami, Anne-Lise Beaucour, Martin Vigroux, Albert Noumowé

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As a fact, many cultural heritage masonry buildings have undergone violent fires during their history. In order to investigate the high temperature behaviour of stone masonry, six French limestones were heated to 600 °C at a rate of 9 °C/min. The main focus is the comparison between the high temperature behaviour of stones at the material and at the structural scale. In order to evaluate the risk of spalling, the tests have been carried out on the stone blocks (12x30x30 cm) instrumented with thermocouples and subjected to an unidirectional heating on one face. Thereafter, visual assessments and non-destructive measurements (dynamic elastic modulus) performed on blocks demonstrate a different behaviour from what was observed at the material scale. Finally, a series of thermo-mechanical computations, using finite element method, allowed us to highlight the difference between the behaviour of stones at material and block scales.

Keywords: limestones, hight temperature behaviour, damage, thermo-mechanical modeling, material and blocks scales, color change

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6120 MEIOSIS: Museum Specimens Shed Light In Biodiversity Shrinkage

Authors: Zografou Konstantina, Anagnostellis Konstantinos, Brokaki Marina, Kaltsouni Eleftheria, Dimaki Maria, Kati Vassiliki

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Body size is crucial to ecology, influencing everything from individual reproductive success to the dynamics of communities and ecosystems. Understanding how temperature affects variations in body size is vital for both theoretical and practical purposes, as changes in size can modify trophic interactions by altering predator-prey size ratios and changing the distribution and transfer of biomass, which ultimately impacts food web stability and ecosystem functioning. Notably, a decrease in body size is frequently mentioned as the third ‘universal’ response to climate warming, alongside shifts in distribution and changes in phenology. This trend is backed by ecological theories like the temperature-size rule (TSR) and Bergmann's rule, which have been observed in numerous species, indicating that many species are likely to shrink in size as temperatures rise. However, the thermal responses related to body size are still contradictory and further exploration is needed. To tackle this challenge, we developed the MEIOSIS project, aimed at providing valuable insights into the relationship between the body size of species, species’ traits, environmental factors and their response to climate change. We combined a digitized collection of butterflies from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich with our newly digitized butterfly collection from Goulandris Natural History Museum in Greece to analyze trends in time. For a total of 23868 images, the length of the right forewing was measured using ImageJ software. Each forewing was measured from the point at which the wing meets the thorax to the apex of the wing. The forewing length of museum specimens has been shown to have a strong correlation with wing surface area and has been utilized in prior studies as a proxy for overall body size. Temperature data corresponding to the years of collection were also incorporated into the datasets. A second dataset was generated when a custom computer vision tool was implemented for the automated morphological measuring of samples for the digitized collection in Zürich. Using the second dataset, we corrected manual measurements with ImageJ and a final dataset containing 31922 samples was used in analysis. Setting time as a smoother variable, species identity as a random factor and the length of right-wing size (as a proxy for body size) as the response variable, we ran a global model for a maximum period of 170 years (1840 – 2010). We also constructed individual models for each family (Pieridae, Lycaenidae, Hesperiidae, Nymphalidae, Papilionidae). All models confirmed our initial hypothesis and resulted in a decreasing trend of the wing length over the years. We expect that this first output can be provided as basic data for the next challenge, i.e., to identify the ecological traits that influence species' temperature-size responses, enabling us to predict the direction and intensity of a species' reaction to rising temperatures more accurately.

Keywords: butterflies, shrinking body size, museum specimens, climate change

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6119 A Method for Consensus Building between Teachers and Learners in a Value Co-Creative Learning Service

Authors: Ryota Sugino, Satoshi Mizoguchi, Koji Kimita, Keiichi Muramatsu, Tatsunori Matsui, Yoshiki Shimomura

Abstract:

Improving added value and productivity of services entails improving both value-in-exchange and value-in-use. Value-in-use is realized by value co-creation, where providers and receivers create value together. In higher education services, value-in-use comes from learners achieving learning outcomes (e.g., knowledge and skills) that are consistent with their learning goals. To enhance the learning outcomes of a learner, it is necessary to enhance and utilize the abilities of the teacher along with the abilities of the learner. To do this, however, the learner and the teacher need to build a consensus about their respective roles. Teachers need to provide effective learning content; learners need to choose the appropriate learning strategies by using the learning content through consensus building. This makes consensus building an important factor in value co-creation. However, methods to build a consensus about their respective roles may not be clearly established, making such consensus difficult. In this paper, we propose some strategies for consensus building between a teacher and a learner in value co-creation. We focus on a teacher and learner co-design and propose an analysis method to clarify a collaborative design process to realize value co-creation. We then analyze some counseling data obtained from a university class. This counseling aimed to build a consensus for value-in-use, learning outcomes, and learning strategies between the teacher and the learner.

Keywords: consensus building, value co-creation, higher education, learning service

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6118 Domain specific Ontology-Based Knowledge Extraction Using R-GNN and Large Language Models

Authors: Andrey Khalov

Abstract:

The rapid proliferation of unstructured data in IT infrastructure management demands innovative approaches for extracting actionable knowledge. This paper presents a framework for ontology-based knowledge extraction that combines relational graph neural networks (R-GNN) with large language models (LLMs). The proposed method leverages the DOLCE framework as the foundational ontology, extending it with concepts from ITSMO for domain-specific applications in IT service management and outsourcing. A key component of this research is the use of transformer-based models, such as DeBERTa-v3-large, for automatic entity and relationship extraction from unstructured texts. Furthermore, the paper explores how transfer learning techniques can be applied to fine-tune large language models (LLaMA) for using to generate synthetic datasets to improve precision in BERT-based entity recognition and ontology alignment. The resulting IT Ontology (ITO) serves as a comprehensive knowledge base that integrates domain-specific insights from ITIL processes, enabling more efficient decision-making. Experimental results demonstrate significant improvements in knowledge extraction and relationship mapping, offering a cutting-edge solution for enhancing cognitive computing in IT service environments.

Keywords: ontology mapping, R-GNN, knowledge extraction, large language models, NER, knowlege graph

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6117 Proposal of Commutation Protocol in Hybrid Sensors and Vehicular Networks for Intelligent Transport Systems

Authors: Taha Bensiradj, Samira Moussaoui

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Hybrid Sensors and Vehicular Networks (HSVN), represent a hybrid network, which uses several generations of Ad-Hoc networks. It is used especially in Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). The HSVN allows making collaboration between the Wireless Sensors Network (WSN) deployed on the border of the road and the Vehicular Network (VANET). This collaboration is defined by messages exchanged between the two networks for the purpose to inform the drivers about the state of the road, provide road safety information and more information about traffic on the road. Moreover, this collaboration created by HSVN, also allows the use of a network and the advantage of improving another network. For example, the dissemination of information between the sensors quickly decreases its energy, and therefore, we can use vehicles that do not have energy constraint to disseminate the information between sensors. On the other hand, to solve the disconnection problem in VANET, the sensors can be used as gateways that allow sending the messages received by one vehicle to another. However, because of the short communication range of the sensor and its low capacity of storage and processing of data, it is difficult to ensure the exchange of road messages between it and the vehicle, which can be moving at high speed at the time of exchange. This represents the time where the vehicle is in communication range with the sensor. This work is the proposition of a communication protocol between the sensors and the vehicle used in HSVN. The latter has as the purpose to ensure the exchange of road messages in the available time of exchange.

Keywords: HSVN, ITS, VANET, WSN

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6116 European Environmental Policy for Road Transport: Analysis of the Perverse Effects Generated and Proposals for a Good Practice Guide

Authors: Pedro Pablo Ramírez Sánchez, Alassane Ballé Ndiaye, Roberto Rendeiro Martín-Cejas

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The aim of this paper is to analyse the different environmental policies adopted in Europe for car emissions, to comment on some of the possible perverse effects generated and point out these policies which are considered more efficient under the environmental perspective. This paper is focused on passenger cars as this category is the most significant in road transport. The utility of this research lies in this being the first step or basis to improve and optimise actual policies. The methodology applied in this paper refers to a comparative analysis from a practical and theoretical point of view of European environmental policies in road transport. This work describes an overview of the road transport industry in Europe pointing out some relevant aspects such as the contribution of road transport to total emissions and the vehicle fleet in Europe. Additionally, we propose a brief practice guide with the combined policies in order to optimise their aim.

Keywords: air quality, climate change, emission, environment, perverse effect, road transport, tax policy

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6115 The Effects of Consistently Reading Whole Novels on the Reading Comprehension of Adolescents with Developmental Disabilities

Authors: Pierre Brocas, Konstantinos Rizos

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This study was conducted to test the effects of introducing a consistent pace and volume of reading whole narratives on adolescents' reading comprehension with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study was inspired by previous studies conducted on poorer adolescent readers in English schools. The setting was a Free Special Education Needs school in England. Nine male and one female student, between 11-13 years old, across two classrooms participated in the study. All students had a diagnosis of ASD, and all were classified as advanced learners. The classroom teachers introduced reading a whole challenging novel in 12 weeks with consistency as the independent variable. The study used a before-and-after design of testing the participants’ reading comprehension using standardised tests. The participants made a remarkable 1.8 years’ mean progress on the standardised tests of reading comprehension, with three participants making 4+ years progress. The researchers hypothesise that reading novels aloud and at a fast pace in each lesson, that are challenging but appropriate to the participants’ learning level, may have a beneficial effect on the reading comprehension of adolescents with learning difficulties, giving them a more engaged uninterrupted reading experience over a sustained period. However, more studies need to be conducted to test the independent variable across a bigger and more diverse population with a stronger design.

Keywords: autism, reading comprehension, developmental disabilities, narratives

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6114 Heat Waves Effect on Stock Return and Volatility: Evidence from Stock Market and Selected Industries in Pakistan

Authors: Sayed Kifayat Shah, Tang Zhongjun, Arfa Tanveer

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This study explores the significant heatwave effect on stock return and volatility. Using an ARCH/GARCH approach, it examines the relationship between the heatwave of Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore on the KSE-100 index. It also explores the impact of heatwave on returns of the pharmaceutical and electronics industries. The empirical results confirm that that stock return is positively related to the heat waves of Karachi, negatively related to that of Islamabad, and is not affected by the heatwave of Lahore. Similarly, pharmaceutical and electronics indices are also positively related to heatwaves. These differences in results can be ascribed to the change in the behavior of the residents of that city. The outcomes are useful for understanding an investor's behavior reacting to weather and fluxes in stock price related to heatwave severity levels. The results can support investors in fixing biases in behavior.

Keywords: ARCH/GARCH model, heat wave, KSE-100 index, stock market return

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6113 Forecasting Cancers Cases in Algeria Using Double Exponential Smoothing Method

Authors: Messis A., Adjebli A., Ayeche R., Talbi M., Tighilet K., Louardiane M.

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Cancers are the second cause of death worldwide. Prevalence and incidence of cancers is getting increased by aging and population growth. This study aims to predict and modeling the evolution of breast, Colorectal, Lung, Bladder and Prostate cancers over the period of 2014-2019. In this study, data were analyzed using time series analysis with double exponential smoothing method to forecast the future pattern. To describe and fit the appropriate models, Minitab statistical software version 17 was used. Between 2014 and 2019, the overall trend in the raw number of new cancer cases registered has been increasing over time; the change in observations over time has been increasing. Our forecast model is validated since we have good prediction for the period 2020 and data not available for 2021 and 2022. Time series analysis showed that the double exponential smoothing is an efficient tool to model the future data on the raw number of new cancer cases.

Keywords: cancer, time series, prediction, double exponential smoothing

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6112 Exploring Intercultural Communication and Organizational Challenges of Women's Stereotypes: Gendered Expectancies

Authors: Andrew Enaifoghe

Abstract:

Women's roles in the past and modern society were typically subordinate to men. This form of discrimination against women prevented them from taking on leadership roles as they were considered male roles. However, some theories, like social thought, suggest that human minds form a map during socialization, where each category of things/objects is represented in schemata or nodes. These representations or nodules are interrelated, subject to their probability of developing together and formed based on previous experiences. The consequences of gender roles and the threat of stereotyping in the workplace have been debated by the researcher. The study also looks at the effects of stereotypes beyond test performance and the submission of socio-cultural briefs low-cost interventions in the working environment through organizational and intercultural communication. This study adopted a qualitative research method with a systematic document analysis, which allows researchers to study by consulting and making sense of written materials available in the public or private domain. The study employed the Social Identity Theory (SIT) and Organizational Control Theory to conceptualize this paper. The study discovered that when women use an interpersonally oriented leadership style in male-dominated industries, they have been found to suffer from high levels of mental ill-health and continue to endure significant amounts of pressure from their professions.

Keywords: gender roles, stereotyping, organizational, intercultural communication

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6111 Chemistry Teachers’ Perception of the Militating and Mitigating Factors Affecting the Use of Information and Communication Technology in Teaching and Learning of Chemistry

Authors: Peter I. I. Ikokwu

Abstract:

Recent developments in the world, both in the health and education sectors, have further popularized the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). ICT is available for many purposes, including teaching and learning, and its use in education is believed to empower both teachers and students by making the educational process more effective and interactive. The study examined the perceptions of teachers on the factors affecting the use of ICT in the teaching and learning of chemistry and the mitigating factors. The study involved all the lecturers (herein referred to as teachers) in the Colleges of Education in South Eastern Nigeria. The survey design was employed. 35 teachers were selected by stratified random sampling from about 78 chemistry teachers in these Colleges. However, 34 questionnaires were recovered, comprising 13 males and 21 females. 3 research questions and 3 hypotheses guided the study. Results show that the teachers have a clear perception of the factors militating against the use of ICT in the teaching and learning of chemistry, with a pooled mean of 2.96. But there was no significant difference in the perceptions of male and female teachers. Also, they identified the mitigating factors highlighted with no significant difference between the perceptions of the males and females with pooled means of 3.23 and 3.11, respectively. In all, it is noteworthy that lack of funds, irregular and inadequate power supply, and inadequate time in the school timetable was among the militating factors. Recommendations were made for the consideration of the government, the teachers, and the Institutions.

Keywords: chemistry, teachers, perception, ICT, learning

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6110 Aging Time Effect of 58s Microstructure

Authors: Nattawipa Pakasri

Abstract:

58S (60SiO2-36CaO-4P2O5), three-dimensionally ordered macroporous bioactive glasses (3DOM-BGs) were synthesized by the sol-gel method using dual templating methods. non-ionic surfactant Brij56 used as templates component produced mesoporous and the spherical PMMA colloidal crystals as one template component yielded either three-dimensionally ordered microporous products or shaped bioactive glass nanoparticles. The bioactive glass with aging step for 12 h at room temperature, no structure transformation occurred and the 3DOM structure was produced (Figure a) due to no shrinkage process between the aging step. After 48 h time of o 3DOM structure remained and, nanocube with ∼120 nm edge lengths and nanosphere particle with ∼50 nm was obtained (Figure c, d). PMMA packing templates have octahedral and tetrahedral holes to make 2 final shapes of 3DOM-BGs which is rounded and cubic, respectively. The ageing time change from 12h, 24h and 48h affected to the thickness of interconnecting macropores network. The wall thickness was gradually decrease after increase aging time.

Keywords: three-dimensionally ordered macroporous bioactive glasses, sol-gel method, PMMA, bioactive glass

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6109 The Role of the Defense and Future War in Ukraine

Authors: Matthew J. Flynn

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In early 2022, a thirty-mile column of Russian armor and assault vehicles sat poised to move south on the road to Kiev. That force has withdrawn as the Russians concentrate on attacking eastern Ukraine. Vladimir Putin’s armies appear content to destroy cities in an effort to attrit the Ukrainian will to continue fighting. That pivot signifies the acceptance of the ascendancy of the defense that now dictates any battlefield world-wide. To defeat what military theorist Carl von Clausewitz labeled “the stronger form of war” with a successful offensive requires an exercise in future war. In the past, the ascendancy of the defense has been overcome by a number of things including the application of superior leadership, better technology, organizational adaptation, and surpassing environmental limitations. A look at how each of these factors came to impact battle can tell us a great deal about what Ukraine means to tomorrow’s fight, and where the focus should lie to win the next war. Civilians presently secure the defensive ascendancy impacting warfare by dominating the shifts from domain to domain thanks to controlling access to cyberspace. That mandate will be tested and eventually falter. This paper tests the desirability of that proposition, as well as hoping for something more from humanity other than repeated and frequent wars making future war look much like past wars. As nations struggle to control cyberspace, a referendum on war as part of the human condition comes into focus.

Keywords: cyber, domains, future war, Putin, Ukraine

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6108 Study on the Pavement Structural Performance of Highways in the North China Region Based on Pavement Distress and Ground Penetrating Radar

Authors: Mingwei Yi, Liujie Guo, Zongjun Pan, Xiang Lin, Xiaoming Yi

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With the rapid expansion of road construction mileage in China, the scale of road maintenance needs has concurrently escalated. As the service life of roads extends, the design of pavement repair and maintenance emerges as a crucial component in preserving the excellent performance of the pavement. The remaining service life of asphalt pavement structure is a vital parameter in the lifecycle maintenance design of asphalt pavements. Based on an analysis of pavement structural integrity, this study introduces a characterization and assessment of the remaining life of existing asphalt pavement structures. It proposes indicators such as the transverse crack spacing and the length of longitudinal cracks. The transverse crack spacing decreases with an increase in maintenance intervals and with the extended use of semi-rigid base layer structures, although this trend becomes less pronounced after maintenance intervals exceed 4 years. The length of longitudinal cracks increases with longer maintenance intervals, but this trend weakens after five years. This system can support the enhancement of standardization and scientific design in highway maintenance decision-making processes.

Keywords: structural integrity, highways, pavement evaluation, asphalt concrete pavement

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6107 Survey of Related Field for Artificial Intelligence Window Development

Authors: Young Kwon Yang, Bo Rang Park, Hyo Eun Lee, Tea Won Kim, Eun Ji Choi, Jin Chul Park

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To develop an artificial intelligence based automatic ventilation system, recent research trends were analyzed and analyzed. This research method is as follows. In the field of architecture and window technology, the use of artificial intelligence, the existing study of machine learning model and the theoretical review of the literature were carried out. This paper collected journals such as Journal of Energy and Buildings, Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, and articles published on Web-sites. The following keywords were searched for articles from 2000 to 2016. We searched for the above keywords mainly in the title, keyword, and abstract. As a result, the global artificial intelligence market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.0% from USD127bn in 2015 to USD165bn in 2017. Start-up investments in artificial intelligence increased from the US $ 45 million in 2010 to the US $ 310 million in 2015, and the number of investments increased from 6 to 54. Although AI is making efforts to advance to advanced countries, the level of technology is still in its infant stage. Especially in the field of architecture, artificial intelligence (AI) is very rare. Based on the data of this study, it is expected that the application of artificial intelligence and the application of architectural field will be revitalized through the activation of artificial intelligence in the field of architecture and window.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, window, fine dust, thermal comfort, ventilation system

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6106 Digital Dialogue Game, Epistemic Beliefs, Argumentation and Learning

Authors: Omid Noroozi, Martin Mulder

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The motivational potential of educational games is undeniable especially for teaching topics and skills that are difficult to deal with in traditional educational situations such as argumentation competence. Willingness to argue has an association with student epistemic beliefs, which can influence whether, and the way in which students engage in argumentative discourse activities and critical discussion. The goal of this study was to explore how undergraduate students engage with argumentative discourse activities which have been designed to intensify debate, and whether epistemic beliefs are significant to the outcomes. A pre-test, post-test design was used with students who were assigned to groups of four. They were asked to argue a controversial topic with the aim of exploring various perspectives, and the 'pros and cons' on the topic of 'Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)'. The results show that the game facilitated argumentative discourse and a willingness to argue and challenged peers, regardless of students’ epistemic beliefs. Furthermore, the game was evaluated positively in terms of students’ motivation and satisfaction with the learning experience.

Keywords: argumentation, attitudinal change, epistemic beliefs, dialogue, digital game objectives and theoretical

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6105 A Study on Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Rural Development

Authors: N. Amruth Raj, Suja S. Nair

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The last six decades have borne witness to a radical change in the private sectors relationship with both the state and civil society. Firms have been increasingly called upon to adopt strategies beyond the financial aspects of their operations and consider the social and environmental impact of their business activities. In this context, many companies have modified their policies and activities and engaged into Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) especially on Rural development in India. At the firm level, CSR is implemented through various practices, which aim to enhance the company’s social and environmental performance and may cover various topics. Examples of CSR practices are abundant in Andhra Pradesh relevant literature. For instance, in India especially at Andhra Pradesh companies like Amara Raaja requires from its suppliers to prohibit child labour, Nagarjuna Cements applies a series of programs for reducing its CO2 emissions, LANCO group of Industries addresses health and safety issues in the workplace whereas GVK works limited has adopted a series of policies for addressing human rights and environmental abuse related to its operations.

Keywords: CSR, limitations, need, objectives, rural development

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6104 Combustion Variability and Uniqueness in Cylinders of a Radial Aircraft Piston Engine

Authors: Michal Geca, Grzegorz Baranski, Ksenia Siadkowska

Abstract:

The work is a part of the project which aims at developing innovative power and control systems for the high power aircraft piston engine ASz62IR. Developed electronically controlled ignition system will reduce emissions of toxic compounds as a result of lowered fuel consumption, optimized combustion and engine capability of efficient combustion of ecological fuels. The tested unit is an air-cooled four-stroke gasoline engine of 9 cylinders in a radial setup, mechanically charged by a radial compressor powered by the engine crankshaft. The total engine cubic capac-ity is 29.87 dm3, and the compression ratio is 6.4:1. The maximum take-off power is 1000 HP at 2200 rpm. The maximum fuel consumption is 280 kg/h. Engine powers aircrafts: An-2, M-18 „Dromader”, DHC-3 „OTTER”, DC-3 „Dakota”, GAF-125 „HAWK” i Y5. The main problems of the engine includes the imbalanced work of cylinders. The non-uniformity value in each cylinder results in non-uniformity of their work. In radial engine cylinders arrangement causes that the mixture movement that takes place in accordance (lower cylinder) or the opposite (upper cylinders) to the direction of gravity. Preliminary tests confirmed the presence of uneven workflow of individual cylinders. The phenomenon is most intense at low speed. The non-uniformity is visible on the waveform of cylinder pressure. Therefore two studies were conducted to determine the impact of this phenomenon on the engine performance: simulation and real tests. Simplified simulation was conducted on the element of the intake system coated with fuel film. The study shows that there is an effect of gravity on the movement of the fuel film inside the radial engine intake channels. Both in the lower and the upper inlet channels the film flows downwards. It follows from the fact that gravity assists the movement of the film in the lower cylinder channels and prevents the movement in the upper cylinder channels. Real tests on aircraft engine ASz62IR was conducted in transients condition (rapid change of the excess air in each cylinder were performed. Calculations were conducted for mass of fuel reaching the cylinders theoretically and really and on this basis, the factors of fuel evaporation “x” were determined. Therefore a simplified model of the fuel supply to cylinder was adopted. Model includes time constant of the fuel film τ, the number of engine transport cycles of non-evaporating fuel along the intake pipe γ and time between next cycles Δt. The calculation results of identification of the model parameters are presented in the form of radar graphs. The figures shows the averages declines and increases of the injection time and the average values for both types of stroke. These studies shown, that the change of the position of the cylinder will cause changes in the formation of fuel-air mixture and thus changes in the combustion process. Based on the results of the work of simulation and experiments was possible to develop individual algorithms for ignition control. This work has been financed by the Polish National Centre for Research and Development, INNOLOT, under Grant Agreement No. INNOLOT/I/1/NCBR/2013.

Keywords: radial engine, ignition system, non-uniformity, combustion process

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6103 A Mixed-method Study of Psychological Empowerment in Child Protection Practitioners

Authors: Amy Bromley

Abstract:

Child protection practitioners are a vital part of systems designed to protect children from abuse and neglect. Reforms in Anglo-American systems have shown a trend towards compliance-culture that reduces practitioner autonomy and empowerment, increasing staff turnover and negatively impacting outcomes for children. This explanatory mixed-methods study examined psychological empowerment in a national sample of child protection practitioners in Australia (n=109) using the Psychological Empowerment Instrument followed by semi-structured interviews (n=19). The results show that practitioners experience the sub-dimensions of psychological empowerment differently, perceiving themselves to have high levels of competence and satisfaction in their work but limited opportunities for self-determination and low levels of impact on decision-making in their organizations. The qualitative data revealed that practitioners do not trust systemic reforms and have experienced them as ineffective, politically driven, and bureaucratic. The increased compliance demanded from these reforms has left practitioners feeling that their expertise is not valued, leading many to leave their organizations. The practitioners who remain employed in child protection identified their use of advocacy, curiosity, and child-centered values as ways of protecting their psychological empowerment. The findings highlight the ways psychological empowerment can be promoted within child protection systems, improving staff retention and building expertise.

Keywords: child protection, implementation, psychological empowerment, systems theory

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6102 3 Phase Induction Motor Control Using Single Phase Input and GSM

Authors: Pooja S. Billade, Sanjay S. Chopade

Abstract:

This paper focuses on the design of three phase induction motor control using single phase input and GSM.The controller used in this work is a wireless speed control using a GSM technique that proves to be very efficient and reliable in applications.The most common principle is the constant V/Hz principle which requires that the magnitude and frequency of the voltage applied to the stator of a motor maintain a constant ratio. By doing this, the magnitude of the magnetic field in the stator is kept at an approximately constant level throughout the operating range. Thus, maximum constant torque producing capability is maintained. The energy that a switching power converter delivers to a motor is controlled by Pulse Width Modulated signals applied to the gates of the power transistors in H-bridge configuration. PWM signals are pulse trains with fixed frequency and magnitude and variable pulse width. When a PWM signal is applied to the gate of a power transistor, it causes the turn on and turns off intervals of the transistor to change from one PWM period.

Keywords: index terms— PIC, GSM (global system for mobile), LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), IM (Induction Motor)

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6101 Career Development for Benjarong Porcelain Handicraft Communities in Central Thailand

Authors: Chutikarn Sriwiboon, Suwaree Yordchim

Abstract:

Benjarong handicraft product is one of the most important handicraft products from Thailand. It involves the management of traditional wisdom of arts and Thai culture. This paper drew upon data collection from local communities by using an in-depth interview technique which was conducted in Thailand during summer of 2014. The survey was structured primarily to obtain local wisdom and concerns toward their career development. This research paper was a qualitative research conducted by focus groups with a total of 51 cooperative women and occupational groups around Thailand which produced the Benjarong products. The data were significantly collected from many sources and many communities, which totaled 24,430 handicraft products, in which the 668 different patterns of Benjarong products were produced by 51 local community network groups in Thailand. The findings revealed that after applying the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy, there was a significantly positive change in their career development and the process of knowledge management enables local community to enhance their personal development and career.

Keywords: Benjarong, career development, community, handicraft

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6100 Contemporary Arabic Novel Probing the Self and the Other: A Contrapuntal Study of Identity, Sexuality, and Fundamentalism

Authors: Jihan Mahmoud

Abstract:

This paper examines the role played by Arabic novelists in revolutionary change in the Arab world, discussing themes of identity, sexuality and fundamentalism as portrayed in a selection of modern and contemporary Arabic novels that are either written in English or translated from Arabic into English. It particularly focuses on the post-Naguib Mahfouz era. Taking my cue from the current political changes in the Arab world, starting with 9/11/ terrorist attacks in the USA and the UK, the ‘Arab Spring’ revolutions, the rise of political Islam and the emergence of Isis, the Islamic state in Iraq and the Levant, the study analyses the differences in the ways contemporary Arab novelists from different Arabic countries represent the interaction between identity, sexual politics and fundamentalist ideas in the Arab world, with a specific focus on the overlap between literature, religion and international politics in the region. It argues that the post-Mahfouz era marked a new phase in the development of the political Arabic novel not only as a force of resistance against political-religious oppression, but as a call for revolution as well. Thus, the Arabic novel reshapes values and prompts future action.

Keywords: Arabic novel, Islam, politics, sexuality

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6099 Empirical Investigation of Antecedents of Perceived Recovery Service Quality: Evidence from Retail Banking in United Arab Emirates

Authors: Vimi Jham

Abstract:

The banking sector has undergone tremendous change in all forms of service it provides to its customers. The efforts of the banks is to avoid customer defection and lead to customer satisfaction. The purpose of the study was to examine the linkages among the constructs such as customer perceived service quality, perceived service recovery quality and customer satisfaction in the banking industry. The moderating effect of negative brand perception due to service failure on recovery satisfaction were investigated. Random sampling methods are used to draw the sample from the population. Data was collected from 262 banking customers and were analyzed with the help of structural equation modelling approach using Smart PLS to understand the relationship among variables being studied. The results of the study contribute to the research by proving that customer service recovery satisfaction is dependent on customer perceived service quality and the moderating effect of negative brand perception due to service failure was insignificant.

Keywords: service recovery satisfaction, perceived service recovery quality, perceived service quality, structural equation modelling

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