Search results for: strategic directions of sustainable development.
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 19700

Search results for: strategic directions of sustainable development.

13880 Perceived Self-Efficacy of Children with Characteristics of Giftedness

Authors: Cristina Costa-Lobo, Ana Medeiros, Ana Campina

Abstract:

This study refers to the appropriateness of the psychopedagogical intervention programs focused on the adjustment and psychological well-being of children with characteristics of giftedness and the interests of promoting specialized and permanent follow-up to these children. It was intended to find out the impact on perceived self-efficacy in children with characteristics of giftedness after the frequency of a psychopedagogical intervention program. For this was applied to Multidimensional Scale Perceived Self-Efficacy, in two times (pre and post program frequency), in a quasi-experimental design. Innovative data are presented in reports to the relationship of perceived self-efficacy with giftedness, highlighting the evidence of this program focusing on the development of personal, social and emotional skills, applied to 20 children with characteristics of giftedness, in Northern Portugal, in the 2014-2015 school year, have no influence on perceived self-efficacy of children with characteristics of giftedness. The main implication of this research is congruent with the conclusions of studies that point that the greatest challenge in the education of children with characteristics of giftedness is to extend the traditional investment in intellectual production and creative capital to include an equal investment in social capital and the development of competencies of executive functions, dimensions that development programs stimulate. This study appeals to the need of children with characteristics of giftedness to be targets of psychopedagogical intervention programs with the constant specialization and constant updating of the knowledge of the professionals who work with them, motivated by being individuals with such specific and ever-changing characteristics reflecting an inclusive school life.

Keywords: giftedness, perceived self-efficacy, EMAEP, psychopedagogical intervention programs

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13879 Design, Prototyping, Integration, Flight Testing of a 20 cm Span Fully Autonomous Fixed Wing Micro Air Vehicle

Authors: Vivek Paul, Abel Nelly, Shoeb A Adeel, R. Tilak, S. Maheshwaran, S. Pulikeshi, Roshan Antony, C. S. Suraj

Abstract:

This paper presents the complete design and development cycle of a 20 cm span fixed wing micro air vehicle that was developed at CSIR-NAL, under the micro air vehicle development program. The design is a cropped delta flying wing MAV with a modified N22 airfoil of 12.3% thickness. The design was fabricated using the fused deposition method- RPT technique. COTS components were procured and integrated into this RPT prototype. A commercial autopilot that was proven in the earlier MAV designs was used for this MAV. The MAV was flown fully autonomous for 14mins at an open field. The flight data showed good performance as expected from the MAV design. The paper also describes about the process involved in the design of MAVs.

Keywords: autopilot, autonomous mode, flight testing, MAV, RPT

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13878 Optimization of Palm Oil Plantation Revitalization in North Sumatera

Authors: Juliza Hidayati, Sukardi, Ani Suryani, Sugiharto, Anas M. Fauzi

Abstract:

The idea of making North Sumatera as a barometer of national oil palm industry requires efforts commodities and agro-industry development of oil palm. One effort that can be done is by successful execution plantation revitalization. The plantation Revitalization is an effort to accelerate the development of smallholder plantations, through expansion and replanting by help of palm Estate Company as business partner and bank financed plantation revitalization fund. Business partner agreement obliged and bound to make at least the same smallholder plantation productivity with business partners, so that the refund rate to banks become larger and prosperous people as a plantation owner. Generally low productivity of smallholder plantations under normal potential caused a lot of old and damaged plants with plant material at random. The purpose of revitalizing oil palm plantations is which are to increase their competitiveness through increased farm productivity. The research aims to identify potential criteria in influencing plantation productivity improvement priorities to be observed and followed up in order to improve the competitiveness of destinations and make North Sumatera barometer of national palm oil can be achieved. Research conducted with Analytical Network Process (ANP), to find the effect of dependency relationships between factors or criteria with the knowledge of the experts in order to produce an objective opinion and relevant depict the actual situation.

Keywords: palm barometer, acceleration of plantation development, productivity, revitalization

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13877 How Technology Can Help Teachers in Reflective Practice

Authors: Ambika Perisamy, Asyriawati binte Mohd Hamzah

Abstract:

The focus of this presentation is to discuss teacher professional development (TPD) through the use of technology. TPD is necessary to prepare teachers for future challenges they will face throughout their careers and to develop new skills and good teaching practices. We will also be discussing current issues in embracing technology in the field of early childhood education and the impact on the professional development of teachers. Participants will also learn to apply teaching and learning practices through the use of technology. One major objective of this presentation is to coherently fuse practical, technology and theoretical content. The process begins by concretizing a set of preconceived ideas which need to be joined with theoretical justifications found in the literature. Technology can make observations fairer and more reliable, easier to implement, and more preferable to teachers and principals. Technology will also help principals to improve classroom observations of teachers and ultimately improve teachers’ continuous professional development. Video technology allows the early childhood teachers to record and keep the recorded video for reflection at any time. This will also provide opportunities for her to share with her principals for professional dialogues and continuous professional development plans. A total of 10 early childhood teachers and 4 principals were involved in these efforts which identified and analyze the gaps in the quality of classroom observations and its co relation to developing teachers as reflective practitioners. The methodology used involves active exploration with video technology recordings, conversations, interviews and authentic teacher child interactions which forms the key thrust in improving teaching and learning practice. A qualitative analysis of photographs, videos, transcripts which illustrates teacher’s reflections and classroom observation checklists before and after the use of video technology were adopted. Arguably, although PD support can be magnanimously strong, if teachers could not connect or create meaning out of the opportunities made available to them, they may remain passive or uninvolved. Therefore, teachers must see the value of applying new ideas such as technology and approaches to practice while creating personal meaning out of professional development. These video recordings are transferable, can be shared and edited through social media, emails and common storage between teachers and principals. To conclude the importance of reflective practice among early childhood teachers and addressing the concerns raised before and after the use of video technology, teachers and principals shared the feasibility, practical and relevance use of video technology.

Keywords: early childhood education, reflective, improve teaching and learning, technology

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13876 Status of Vocational Education and Training in India: Policies and Practices

Authors: Vineeta Sirohi

Abstract:

The development of critical skills and competencies becomes imperative for young people to cope with the unpredicted challenges of the time and prepare for work and life. Recognizing that education has a critical role in reaching sustainability goals as emphasized by 2030 agenda for sustainability development, educating youth in global competence, meta-cognitive competencies, and skills from the initial stages of formal education are vital. Further, educating for global competence would help in developing work readiness and boost employability. Vocational education and training in India as envisaged in various policy documents remain marginalized in practice as compared to general education. The country is still far away from the national policy goal of tracking 25% of the secondary students at grade eleven and twelve under the vocational stream. In recent years, the importance of skill development has been recognized in the present context of globalization and change in the demographic structure of the Indian population. As a result, it has become a national policy priority and taken up with renewed focus by the government, which has set the target of skilling 500 million people by 2022. This paper provides an overview of the policies, practices, and current status of vocational education and training in India supported by statistics from the National Sample Survey, the official statistics of India. The national policy documents and annual reports of the organizations actively involved in vocational education and training have also been examined to capture relevant data and information. It has also highlighted major initiatives taken by the government to promote skill development. The data indicates that in the age group 15-59 years, only 2.2 percent reported having received formal vocational training, and 8.6 percent have received non-formal vocational training, whereas 88.3 percent did not receive any vocational training. At present, the coverage of vocational education is abysmal as less than 5 percent of the students are covered by the vocational education programme. Besides, launching various schemes to address the mismatch of skills supply and demand, the government through its National Policy on Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015 proposes to bring about inclusivity by bridging the gender, social and sectoral divide, ensuring that the skilling needs of socially disadvantaged and marginalized groups are appropriately addressed. It is fundamental that the curriculum is aligned with the demands of the labor market, incorporating more of the entrepreneur skills. Creating nonfarm employment opportunities for educated youth will be a challenge for the country in the near future. Hence, there is a need to formulate specific skill development programs for this sector and also programs for upgrading their skills to enhance their employability. There is a need to promote female participation in work and in non-traditional courses. Moreover, rigorous research and development of a robust information base for skills are required to inform policy decisions on vocational education and training.

Keywords: policy, skill, training, vocational education

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13875 A Research Review of Cycling Suitability Assessment for Mountainous Cities

Authors: Xiaofeng Fu

Abstract:

This paper begins with the deconstruction of the localization of China's bicycle renaissance. Then think about how to scientifically plan bicycle traffic in a sustainable way in typed cities, especially in mountainous cities, because they need to respond to more serious geographical issues. Therefore, by sorting out the international research on bicycle traffic in mountainous cities, bike-ability is summarized as a prevalent qualitative analysis medium. Then this paper lists the influencing factors of likeability, the general research framework, and responds to the common problem of mountain cities, that is, the treatment of road longitudinal slopes, to assist urban managers in assessing whether the city's complex terrain is suitable for cycling and identifying possible improvements.

Keywords: traffic planning, bikeability, cycling suitability, mountainous cities

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13874 Early-Age Cracking of Low Carbon Concrete Incorporating Ferronickel Slag as Supplementary Cementitious Material

Authors: Mohammad Khan, Arnaud Castel

Abstract:

Concrete viscoelastic properties such as shrinkage, creep, and associated relaxation are important in assessing the risk of cracking during the first few days after placement. This paper investigates the early-age mechanical and viscoelastic properties, restrained shrinkage-induced cracking and time to cracking of concrete incorporating ferronickel slag (FNS) as supplementary cementitious material. Compressive strength, indirect tensile strength and elastic modulus were measured. Tensile creep and drying shrinkage was measured on dog-bone shaped specimens. Restrained shrinkage induced stresses and concrete cracking age were assessed by using the ring test. Results revealed that early-age strength development of FNS blended concrete is lower than that of the corresponding ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete. FNS blended concrete showed significantly higher tensile creep. The risk of early-age cracking for the restrained specimens depends on the development of concrete tensile stress considering both restrained shrinkage and tensile creep and the development of the tensile strength. FNS blended concrete showed only 20% reduction in time to cracking compared to reference OPC concrete, and this reduction is significantly lower compared to fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag blended concretes at similar replacement level.

Keywords: ferronickel slag, restraint shrinkage, tensile creep, time to cracking

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13873 Formative Assessment of Creative Thinking Skills Embedded in Learning Through Play

Authors: Yigal Rosen, Garrett Jaeger, Michelle Newstadt, Ilia Rushkin, Sara Bakken

Abstract:

All children are capable of advancing their creative thinking skills and engaging in creative play. Creative play puts children in charge of exploring ideas, relationships, spaces and problems. Supported by The LEGO Foundation, the creative thinking formative assessment is designed to provide valid, reliable and informative measurement to support the development of creative skills while children are engaged in Learning through Play. In this paper we provide an overview of the assessment framework underpinned the assessment of creative thinking and report the results from the 2022 pilot study demonstrating promising evidence on the ability to measure creative skills in a conceptually and ecologically valid way to inform the development of creative skills.

Keywords: creativity, creative thinking, assessment, learning through play, creative play, learning progressions

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13872 An Integrated Solid Waste Management Strategy for Semi-Urban and Rural Areas of Pakistan

Authors: Z. Zaman Asam, M. Ajmal, R. Saeed, H. Miraj, M. Muhammad Ahtisham, B. Hameed, A. -Sattar Nizami

Abstract:

In Pakistan, environmental degradation and consequent human health deterioration has rapidly accelerated in the past decade due to solid waste mismanagement. As the situation worsens with time, establishment of proper waste management practices is urgently needed especially in semi urban and rural areas of Pakistan. This study uses a concept of Waste Bank, which involves a transfer station for collection of sorted waste fractions and its delivery to the targeted market such as recycling industries, biogas plants, composting facilities etc. The management efficiency and effectiveness of Waste Bank depend strongly on the proficient sorting and collection of solid waste fractions at household level. However, the social attitude towards such a solution in semi urban/rural areas of Pakistan demands certain prerequisites to make it workable. Considering these factors the objectives of this study are to: [A] Obtain reliable data about quantity and characteristics of generated waste to define feasibility of business and design factors, such as required storage area, retention time, transportation frequency of the system etc. [B] Analyze the effects of various social factors on waste generation to foresee future projections. [C] Quantify the improvement in waste sorting efficiency after awareness campaign. We selected Gujrat city of Central Punjab province of Pakistan as it is semi urban adjoined by rural areas. A total of 60 houses (20 from each of the three selected colonies), belonging to different social status were selected. Awareness sessions about waste segregation were given through brochures and individual lectures in each selected household. Sampling of waste, that households had attempted to sort, was then carried out in the three colored bags that were provided as part of the awareness campaign. Finally, refined waste sorting, weighing of various fractions and measurement of dry mass was performed in environmental laboratory using standard methods. It was calculated that sorting efficiency of waste improved from 0 to 52% as a result of the awareness campaign. The generation of waste (dry mass basis) on average from one household was 460 kg/year whereas per capita generation was 68 kg/year. Extrapolating these values for Gujrat Tehsil, the total waste generation per year is calculated to be 101921 tons dry mass (DM). Characteristics found in waste were (i) organic decomposable (29.2%, 29710 tons/year DM), (ii) recyclables (37.0%, 37726 tons/year DM) that included plastic, paper, metal and glass, and (iii) trash (33.8%, 34485 tons/year DM) that mainly comprised of polythene bags, medicine packaging, pampers and wrappers. Waste generation was more in colonies with comparatively higher income and better living standards. In future, data collection for all four seasons and improvements due to expansion of awareness campaign to educational institutes will be quantified. This waste management system can potentially fulfill vital sustainable development goals (e.g. clean water and sanitation), reduce the need to harvest fresh resources from the ecosystem, create business and job opportunities and consequently solve one of the most pressing environmental issues of the country.

Keywords: integrated solid waste management, waste segregation, waste bank, community development

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13871 Identification of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Supervised Learning Algorithms

Authors: Sagri Sharma

Abstract:

Analysis of diseases integrating multi-factors increases the complexity of the problem and therefore, development of frameworks for the analysis of diseases is an issue that is currently a topic of intense research. Due to the inter-dependence of the various parameters, the use of traditional methodologies has not been very effective. Consequently, newer methodologies are being sought to deal with the problem. Supervised Learning Algorithms are commonly used for performing the prediction on previously unseen data. These algorithms are commonly used for applications in fields ranging from image analysis to protein structure and function prediction and they get trained using a known dataset to come up with a predictor model that generates reasonable predictions for the response to new data. Gene expression profiles generated by DNA analysis experiments can be quite complex since these experiments can involve hypotheses involving entire genomes. The application of well-known machine learning algorithm - Support Vector Machine - to analyze the expression levels of thousands of genes simultaneously in a timely, automated and cost effective way is thus used. The objectives to undertake the presented work are development of a methodology to identify genes relevant to Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) from gene expression dataset utilizing supervised learning algorithms and statistical evaluations along with development of a predictive framework that can perform classification tasks on new, unseen data.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, biomarker, gene expression datasets, hepatocellular carcinoma, machine learning, supervised learning algorithms, support vector machine

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13870 Evaluation of Video Development about Exclusive Breastfeeding as a Nutrition Education Media for Posyandu Cadre

Authors: Ari Istiany, Guspri Devi Artanti, M. Si

Abstract:

Based on the results Riskesdas, it is known that breastfeeding awareness about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding is still low at only 15.3 %. These conditions resulted in a very infant at risk for infectious diseases, such as diarrhea and acute respiratory infection. Therefore, the aim of this study to evaluate the video development about exclusive breastfeeding as a nutrition education media for posyandu cadre. This research used development methods for making the video about exclusive breastfeeding. The study was conducted in urban areas Rawamangun, East Jakarta. Respondents of this study were 1 media experts from the Department of Educational Technology - UNJ, 2 subject matter experts from Department of Home Economics - UNJ and 20 posyandu cadres to assess the quality of the video. Aspects assessed include the legibility of text, image display quality, color composition, clarity of sound, music appropriateness, duration, suitability of the material and language. Data were analyzed descriptively likes frequency distribution table, the average value, and deviation standard. The result of this study showed that the average score assessment according to media experts, subject matter experts, and posyandu cadres respectively was 3.43 ± 0.51 (good), 4.37 ± 0.52 (very good) and 3.6 ± 0.73 (good). The conclusion is on exclusive breastfeeding video as feasible as a media for nutrition education. While suggestions for the improvement of visual media is multiply illustrations, add material about the correct way of breastfeeding and healthy baby pictures.

Keywords: exclusive breastfeeding, posyandu cadre, video, nutrition education

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13869 Psychological Compatibility of Football Players According to Success Achievement and Failure Avoidance Motivation

Authors: Konstantin A. Bochaver, Alexandra O. Savinkina

Abstract:

The study analyzed the relationship between the homogeneity-heterogeneity of players in a football team and their efficiency. Compatible players were examined in terms of level of socio-psychological development of the team for which they act. It was shown that in teams of high level of socio-psychological development more compatible were athletes with different levels of failure avoidance motivation. But in low-level teams – bucking the trend. The homogeneity of success achievement motivation was not a factor in the effectiveness of the football team.

Keywords: compatibility, failure avoidance motivation, football, heterogeneity, homogeneity, soccer, sport team, success achievement motivation

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13868 Influence of Non-Formal Physical Education Curriculum, Based on Olympic Pedagogy, for 11-13 Years Old Children Physical Development

Authors: Asta Sarkauskiene

Abstract:

The pedagogy of Olympic education is based upon the main idea of P. de Coubertin, that physical education can and has to support the education of the perfect person, the one who was an aspiration in archaic Greece, when it was looking towards human as a one whole, which is composed of three interconnected functions: physical, psychical and spiritual. The following research question was formulated in the present study: What curriculum of non-formal physical education in school can positively influence physical development of 11-13 years old children? The aim of this study was to formulate and implement curriculum of non-formal physical education, based on Olympic pedagogy, and assess its effectiveness for physical development of 11-13 years old children. The research was conducted in two stages. In the first stage 51 fifth grade children (Mage = 11.3 years) participated in a quasi-experiment for two years. Children were organized into 2 groups: E and C. Both groups shared the duration (1 hour) and frequency (twice a week) but were different in their education curriculum. Experimental group (E) worked under the program developed by us. Priorities of the E group were: training of physical powers in unity with psychical and spiritual powers; integral growth of physical development, physical activity, physical health, and physical fitness; integration of children with lower health and physical fitness level; content that corresponds children needs, abilities, physical and functional powers. Control group (C) worked according to NFPE programs prepared by teachers and approved by school principal and school methodical group. Priorities of the C group were: motion actions teaching and development; physical qualities training; training of the most physically capable children. In the second stage (after four years) 72 sixth graders (Mage = 13.00) attended in the research from the same comprehensive schools. Children were organized into first and second groups. The curriculum of the first group was modified and the second - the same as group C. The focus groups conducted anthropometric (height, weight, BMI) and physiometric (VC, right and left handgrip strength) measurements. Dependent t test indicated that over two years E and C group girls and boys height, weight, right and left handgrip strength indices increased significantly, p < 0.05. E group girls and boys BMI indices did not change significantly, p > 0.05, i.e. height and weight ratio of girls, who participated in NFPE in school, became more proportional. C group girls VC indices did not differ significantly, p > 0.05. Independent t test indicated that in the first and second research stage differences of anthropometric and physiometric measurements of the groups are not significant, p > 0.05. Formulated and implemented curriculum of non-formal education in school, based on olympic pedagogy, had the biggest positive influence on decreasing 11-13 years old children level of BMI and increasing level of VC.

Keywords: non – formal physical education, olympic pedagogy, physical development, health sciences

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13867 Management Software for the Elaboration of an Electronic File in the Pharmaceutical Industry Following Mexican Regulations

Authors: M. Peña Aguilar Juan, Ríos Hernández Ezequiel, R. Valencia Luis

Abstract:

For certification, certain goods of public interest, such as medicines and food, it is required the preparation and delivery of a dossier. For its elaboration, legal and administrative knowledge must be taken, as well as organization of the documents of the process, and an order that allows the file verification. Therefore, a virtual platform was developed to support the process of management and elaboration of the dossier, providing accessibility to the information and interfaces that allow the user to know the status of projects. The development of dossier system on the cloud allows the inclusion of the technical requirements for the software management, including the validation and the manufacturing in the field industry. The platform guides and facilitates the dossier elaboration (report, file or history), considering Mexican legislation and regulations, it also has auxiliary tools for its management. This technological alternative provides organization support for documents and accessibility to the information required to specify the successful development of a dossier. The platform divides into the following modules: System control, catalog, dossier and enterprise management. The modules are designed per the structure required in a dossier in those areas. However, the structure allows for flexibility, as its goal is to become a tool that facilitates and does not obstruct processes. The architecture and development of the software allows flexibility for future work expansion to other fields, this would imply feeding the system with new regulations.

Keywords: electronic dossier, cloud management software, pharmaceutical industry, sanitary registration

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13866 Process Modeling in an Aeronautics Context

Authors: Sophie Lemoussu, Jean-Charles Chaudemar, Robertus A. Vingerhoeds

Abstract:

Many innovative projects exist in the field of aeronautics, each addressing specific areas so to reduce weight, increase autonomy, reduction of CO2, etc. In many cases, such innovative developments are being carried out by very small enterprises (VSE’s) or small and medium sized-enterprises (SME’s). A good example concerns airships that are being studied as a real alternative to passenger and cargo transportation. Today, no international regulations propose a precise and sufficiently detailed framework for the development and certification of airships. The absence of such a regulatory framework requires a very close contact with regulatory instances. However, VSE’s/SME’s do not always have sufficient resources and internal knowledge to handle this complexity and to discuss these issues. This poses an additional challenge for those VSE’s/SME’s, in particular those that have system integration responsibilities and that must provide all the necessary evidence to demonstrate their ability to design, produce, and operate airships with the expected level of safety and reliability. The main objective of this research is to provide a methodological framework enabling VSE’s/SME’s with limited resources to organize the development of airships while taking into account the constraints of safety, cost, time and performance. This paper proposes to provide a contribution to this problematic by proposing a Model-Based Systems Engineering approach. Through a comprehensive process modeling approach applied to the development processes, the regulatory constraints, existing best practices, etc., a good image can be obtained as to the process landscape that may influence the development of airships. To this effect, not only the necessary regulatory information is taken on board, also other international standards and norms on systems engineering and project management are being modeled and taken into account. In a next step, the model can be used for analysis of the specific situation for given developments, derive critical paths for the development, identify eventual conflicting aspects between the norms, standards, and regulatory expectations, or also identify those areas where not enough information is available. Once critical paths are known, optimization approaches can be used and decision support techniques can be applied so to better support VSE’s/SME’s in their innovative developments. This paper reports on the adopted modeling approach, the retained modeling languages, and how they all fit together.

Keywords: aeronautics, certification, process modeling, project management, regulation, SME, systems engineering, VSE

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13865 Dynamic Wind Effects in Tall Buildings: A Comparative Study of Synthetic Wind and Brazilian Wind Standard

Authors: Byl Farney Cunha Junior

Abstract:

In this work the dynamic three-dimensional analysis of a 47-story building located in Goiania city when subjected to wind loads generated using both the Wind Brazilian code, NBR6123 (ABNT, 1988) and the Synthetic-Wind method is realized. To model the frames three different methodologies are used: the shear building model and both bi and three-dimensional finite element models. To start the analysis, a plane frame is initially studied to validate the shear building model and, in order to compare the results of natural frequencies and displacements at the top of the structure the same plane frame was modeled using the finite element method through the SAP2000 V10 software. The same steps were applied to an idealized 20-story spacial frame that helps in the presentation of the stiffness correction process applied to columns. Based on these models the two methods used to generate the Wind loads are presented: a discrete model proposed in the Wind Brazilian code, NBR6123 (ABNT, 1988) and the Synthetic-Wind method. The method uses the Davenport spectrum which is divided into a variety of frequencies to generate the temporal series of loads. Finally, the 47- story building was analyzed using both the three-dimensional finite element method through the SAP2000 V10 software and the shear building model. The models were loaded with Wind load generated by the Wind code NBR6123 (ABNT, 1988) and by the Synthetic-Wind method considering different wind directions. The displacements and internal forces in columns and beams were compared and a comparative study considering a situation of a full elevated reservoir is realized. As can be observed the displacements obtained by the SAP2000 V10 model are greater when loaded with NBR6123 (ABNT, 1988) wind load related to the permanent phase of the structure’s response.

Keywords: finite element method, synthetic wind, tall buildings, shear building

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13864 The Human Process of Trust in Automated Decisions and Algorithmic Explainability as a Fundamental Right in the Exercise of Brazilian Citizenship

Authors: Paloma Mendes Saldanha

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Access to information is a prerequisite for democracy while also guiding the material construction of fundamental rights. The exercise of citizenship requires knowing, understanding, questioning, advocating for, and securing rights and responsibilities. In other words, it goes beyond mere active electoral participation and materializes through awareness and the struggle for rights and responsibilities in the various spaces occupied by the population in their daily lives. In times of hyper-cultural connectivity, active citizenship is shaped through ethical trust processes, most often established between humans and algorithms. Automated decisions, so prevalent in various everyday situations, such as purchase preference predictions, virtual voice assistants, reduction of accidents in autonomous vehicles, content removal, resume selection, etc., have already found their place as a normalized discourse that sometimes does not reveal or make clear what violations of fundamental rights may occur when algorithmic explainability is lacking. In other words, technological and market development promotes a normalization for the use of automated decisions while silencing possible restrictions and/or breaches of rights through a culturally modeled, unethical, and unexplained trust process, which hinders the possibility of the right to a healthy, transparent, and complete exercise of citizenship. In this context, the article aims to identify the violations caused by the absence of algorithmic explainability in the exercise of citizenship through the construction of an unethical and silent trust process between humans and algorithms in automated decisions. As a result, it is expected to find violations of constitutionally protected rights such as privacy, data protection, and transparency, as well as the stipulation of algorithmic explainability as a fundamental right in the exercise of Brazilian citizenship in the era of virtualization, facing a threefold foundation called trust: culture, rules, and systems. To do so, the author will use a bibliographic review in the legal and information technology fields, as well as the analysis of legal and official documents, including national documents such as the Brazilian Federal Constitution, as well as international guidelines and resolutions that address the topic in a specific and necessary manner for appropriate regulation based on a sustainable trust process for a hyperconnected world.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, ethics, citizenship, trust

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13863 Design and Construction of a Solar Dehydration System as a Technological Strategy for Food Sustainability in Difficult-to-Access Territories

Authors: Erika T. Fajardo-Ariza, Luis A. Castillo-Sanabria, Andrea Nieto-Veloza, Carlos M. Zuluaga-Domínguez

Abstract:

The growing emphasis on sustainable food production and preservation has driven the development of innovative solutions to minimize postharvest losses and improve market access for small-scale farmers. This project focuses on designing, constructing, and selecting materials for solar dryers in certain regions of Colombia where inadequate infrastructure limits access to major commercial hubs. Postharvest losses pose a significant challenge, impacting food security and farmer income. Addressing these losses is crucial for enhancing the value of agricultural products and supporting local economies. A comprehensive survey of local farmers revealed substantial challenges, including limited market access, inefficient transportation, and significant postharvest losses. For crops such as coffee, bananas, and citrus fruits, losses range from 0% to 50%, driven by factors like labor shortages, adverse climatic conditions, and transportation difficulties. To address these issues, the project prioritized selecting effective materials for the solar dryer. Various materials, recovered acrylic, original acrylic, glass, and polystyrene, were tested for their performance. The tests showed that recovered acrylic and glass were most effective in increasing the temperature difference between the interior and the external environment. The solar dryer was designed using Fusion 360® software (Autodesk, USA) and adhered to architectural guidelines from Architectural Graphic Standards. It features up to sixteen aluminum trays, each with a maximum load capacity of 3.5 kg, arranged in two levels to optimize drying efficiency. The constructed dryer was then tested with two locally available plant materials: green plantains (Musa paradisiaca L.) and snack bananas (Musa AA Simonds). To monitor performance, Thermo hygrometers and an Arduino system recorded internal and external temperature and humidity at one-minute intervals. Despite challenges such as adverse weather conditions and delays in local government funding, the active involvement of local producers was a significant advantage, fostering ownership and understanding of the project. The solar dryer operated under conditions of 31°C dry bulb temperature (Tbs), 55% relative humidity, and 21°C wet bulb temperature (Tbh). The drying curves showed a consistent drying period with critical moisture content observed between 200 and 300 minutes, followed by a sharp decrease in moisture loss, reaching an equilibrium point after 3,400 minutes. Although the solar dryer requires more time and is highly dependent on atmospheric conditions, it can approach the efficiency of an electric dryer when properly optimized. The successful design and construction of solar dryer systems in difficult-to-access areas represent a significant advancement in agricultural sustainability and postharvest loss reduction. By choosing effective materials such as recovered acrylic and implementing a carefully planned design, the project provides a valuable tool for local farmers. The initiative not only improves the quality and marketability of agricultural products but also offers broader environmental benefits, such as reduced reliance on fossil fuels and decreased waste. Additionally, it supports economic growth by enhancing the value of crops and potentially increasing farmer income. The successful implementation and testing of the dryer, combined with the engagement of local stakeholders, highlight its potential for replication and positive impact in similar contexts.

Keywords: drying technology, postharvest loss reduction, solar dryers, sustainable agriculture

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13862 Switching of Series-Parallel Connected Modules in an Array for Partially Shaded Conditions in a Pollution Intensive Area Using High Powered MOSFETs

Authors: Osamede Asowata, Christo Pienaar, Johan Bekker

Abstract:

Photovoltaic (PV) modules may become a trend for future PV systems because of their greater flexibility in distributed system expansion, easier installation due to their nature, and higher system-level energy harnessing capabilities under shaded or PV manufacturing mismatch conditions. This is as compared to the single or multi-string inverters. Novel residential scale PV arrays are commonly connected to the grid by a single DC–AC inverter connected to a series, parallel or series-parallel string of PV panels, or many small DC–AC inverters which connect one or two panels directly to the AC grid. With an increasing worldwide interest in sustainable energy production and use, there is renewed focus on the power electronic converter interface for DC energy sources. Three specific examples of such DC energy sources that will have a role in distributed generation and sustainable energy systems are the photovoltaic (PV) panel, the fuel cell stack, and batteries of various chemistries. A high-efficiency inverter using Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) for all active switches is presented for a non-isolated photovoltaic and AC-module applications. The proposed configuration features a high efficiency over a wide load range, low ground leakage current and low-output AC-current distortion with no need for split capacitors. The detailed power stage operating principles, pulse width modulation scheme, multilevel bootstrap power supply, and integrated gate drivers for the proposed inverter is described. Experimental results of a hardware prototype, show that not only are MOSFET efficient in the system, it also shows that the ground leakage current issues are alleviated in the proposed inverter and also a 98 % maximum associated driver circuit is achieved. This, in turn, provides the need for a possible photovoltaic panel switching technique. This will help to reduce the effect of cloud movements as well as improve the overall efficiency of the system.

Keywords: grid connected photovoltaic (PV), Matlab efficiency simulation, maximum power point tracking (MPPT), module integrated converters (MICs), multilevel converter, series connected converter

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13861 Sustainability Assessment Tool for the Selection of Optimal Site Remediation Technologies for Contaminated Gasoline Sites

Authors: Connor Dunlop, Bassim Abbassi, Richard G. Zytner

Abstract:

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a powerful tool established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that can be used to assess the environmental impacts of a product or process from cradle to grave. Many studies utilize the LCA methodology within the site remediation field to compare various decontamination methods, including bioremediation, soil vapor extraction or excavation, and off-site disposal. However, with the authors' best knowledge, limited information is available in the literature on a sustainability tool that could be used to help with the selection of the optimal remediation technology. This tool, based on the LCA methodology, would consider site conditions like environmental, economic, and social impacts. Accordingly, this project was undertaken to develop a tool to assist with the selection of optimal sustainable technology. Developing a proper tool requires a large amount of data. As such, data was collected from previous LCA studies looking at site remediation technologies. This step identified knowledge gaps or limitations within project data. Next, utilizing the data obtained from the literature review and other organizations, an extensive LCA study is being completed following the ISO 14040 requirements. Initial technologies being compared include bioremediation, excavation with off-site disposal, and a no-remediation option for a generic gasoline-contaminated site. To complete the LCA study, the modelling software SimaPro is being utilized. A sensitivity analysis of the LCA results will also be incorporated to evaluate the impact on the overall results. Finally, the economic and social impacts associated with each option will then be reviewed to understand how they fluctuate at different sites. All the results will then be summarized, and an interactive tool using Excel will be developed to help select the best sustainable site remediation technology. Preliminary LCA results show improved sustainability for the decontamination of a gasoline-contaminated site for each technology compared to the no-remediation option. Sensitivity analyses are now being completed on on-site parameters to determine how the environmental impacts fluctuate at other contaminated gasoline locations as the parameters vary, including soil type and transportation distances. Additionally, the social improvements and overall economic costs associated with each technology are being reviewed. Utilizing these results, the sustainability tool created to assist in the selection of the overall best option will be refined.

Keywords: life cycle assessment, site remediation, sustainability tool, contaminated sites

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13860 Electric Propulsion System Development for High Floor Trolley Bus

Authors: Asep Andi Suryandi, Katri Yulianto, Dewi Rianti Mandasari

Abstract:

The development of environmentally friendly vehicles increasingly attracted the attention of almost all countries in the world, including Indonesia. There are various types of environmentally friendly vehicles, such as: electric vehicles, hybrid, and fuel gas. The Electric vehicle has been developed in Indonesia, a private or public vehicle. But many electric vehicles had been developed using the battery as a power source, while the battery technology for electric vehicles still constraints in capacity, dimensions of the battery itself and charging system. Trolley bus is one of the electric buses with the main power source of the network catenary / overhead line with trolley pole as the point of contact. This paper will discuss the design and manufacture electrical system in Trolleybus.

Keywords: trolley bus, electric propulsion system, design, manufacture, electric vehicle

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13859 Developing and Enacting a Model for Institutional Implementation of the Humanizing Pedagogy: Case Study of Nelson Mandela University

Authors: Mukhtar Raban

Abstract:

As part of Nelson Mandela University’s journey of repositioning its learning and teaching agenda, the university adopted and foregrounded a humanizing pedagogy-aligning with institutional goals of critically transforming the academic project. The university established the Humanizing Pedagogy Praxis and Research Niche (HPPRN) as a centralized hub for coordinating institutional work exploring and advancing humanizing pedagogies and tasked the unit with developing and enacting a model for humanizing pedagogy exploration. This investigation endeavored to report on the development and enactment of a model that sought to institutionalize a humanizing pedagogy at a South African university. Having followed a qualitative approach, the investigation presents the case study of Nelson Mandela University’s HPPRN and the model it subsequently established and enacted for the advancement towards a more common institutional understanding, interpretation and application of the humanizing pedagogy. The study adopted an interpretive lens for analysis, complementing the qualitative approach of the investigation. The primary challenge that confronted the HPPRN was the development of a ‘living model’ that had to complement existing institutional initiatives while accommodating a renewed spirit of critical reflection, innovation and research of continued and new humanizing pedagogical exploration and applications. The study found that the explicit consideration of tenets of humanizing and critical pedagogies in underpinning and framing the HPPRN Model contributed to the sense of ‘lived’ humanizing pedagogy experiences during enactment. The multi-leveled inclusion of critical reflection in the development and enactment stages was found to further the processes of praxis employed at the university, which is integral to the advancement of humanizing and critical pedagogies. The development and implementation of a model that seeks to institutionalize the humanizing pedagogy at a university rely not only on sound theoretical conceptualization but also on the ‘richness of becoming more human’ explicitly expressed and encountered in praxes and application.

Keywords: humanizing pedagogy, critical pedagogy, institutional implementation, praxis

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13858 OILU Tag: A Projective Invariant Fiducial System

Authors: Youssef Chahir, Messaoud Mostefai, Salah Khodja

Abstract:

This paper presents the development of a 2D visual marker, derived from a recent patented work in the field of numbering systems. The proposed fiducial uses a group of projective invariant straight-line patterns, easily detectable and remotely recognizable. Based on an efficient data coding scheme, the developed marker enables producing a large panel of unique real time identifiers with highly distinguishable patterns. The proposed marker Incorporates simultaneously decimal and binary information, making it readable by both humans and machines. This important feature opens up new opportunities for the development of efficient visual human-machine communication and monitoring protocols. Extensive experiment tests validate the robustness of the marker against acquisition and geometric distortions.

Keywords: visual markers, projective invariants, distance map, level sets

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13857 The Effect of Penalizing Wrong Answers in the Computerized Modified Multiple Choice Testing System

Authors: Min Hae Song, Jooyong Park

Abstract:

Even though assessment using information and communication technology will most likely lead the future of educational assessment, there is little research on this topic. Computerized assessment will not only cut costs but also measure students' performance in ways not possible before. In this context, this study introduces a tool which can overcome the problems of multiple choice tests. Multiple-choice tests (MC) are efficient in automatic grading, however structural problems of multiple-choice tests allow students to find the correct answer from options even though they do not know the answer. A computerized modified multiple-choice testing system (CMMT) was developed using the interactivity of computers, that presents questions first, and options later for a short time when the student requests for them. This study was conducted to find out whether penalizing for wrong answers in CMMT could lower random guessing. In this study, we checked whether students knew the answers by having them respond to the short-answer tests before choosing the given options in CMMT or MC format. Ninety-four students were tested with the directions that they will be penalized for wrong answers, but not for no response. There were 4 experimental conditions: two conditions of high or low percentage of penalizing, each in traditional multiple-choice or CMMT format. In the low penalty condition, the penalty rate was the probability of getting the correct answer by random guessing. In the high penalty condition, students were penalized at twice the percentage of the low penalty condition. The results showed that the number of no response was significantly higher for the CMMT format and the number of random guesses was significantly lower for the CMMT format. There were no significant between the two penalty conditions. This result may be due to the fact that the actual score difference between the two conditions was too small. In the discussion, the possibility of applying CMMT format tests while penalizing wrong answers in actual testing settings was addressed.

Keywords: computerized modified multiple choice test format, multiple-choice test format, penalizing, test format

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13856 Kuwait Environmental Remediation Program: Waste Management Data Analytics for Planning and Optimization of Waste Collection

Authors: Aisha Al-Baroud

Abstract:

The United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), Kuwait National Focal Point (KNFP) and Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) cooperated in a joint project to undertake comprehensive and collaborative efforts to remediate 26 million m3 of crude oil contaminated soil that had resulted from the Gulf War in 1990/1991. These efforts are referred to as the Kuwait Environmental Remediation Program (KERP). KOC has developed a Total Remediation Solution (TRS) for KERP, which will guide the Remediation projects, comprises of alternative remedial solutions with treatment techniques inclusive of limited landfills for non-treatable soil materials disposal, and relies on treating certain ranges of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) contamination with the most appropriate remediation techniques. The KERP Remediation projects will be implemented within the KOC’s oilfields in North and South East Kuwait. The objectives of this remediation project is to clear land for field development and treat all the oil contaminated features (dry oil lakes, wet oil lakes, and oil contaminated piles) through TRS plan to optimize the treatment processes and minimize the volume of contaminated materials to be placed into landfills. The treatment strategy will comprise of Excavation and Transportation (E&T) of oil contaminated soils from contaminated land to remote treatment areas and to use appropriate remediation technologies or a combination of treatment technologies to achieve remediation target criteria (RTC). KOC has awarded five mega projects to achieve the same and is currently in the execution phase. As a part of the company’s commitment to environment and for the fulfillment of the mandatory HSSEMS procedures, all the Remediation contractors needs to report waste generation data from the various project activities on a monthly basis. Data on waste generation is collected in order to implement cost-efficient and sustainable waste management operations. Data analytics approaches can be built on the top of the data to produce more detailed, and in-time waste generation information for the basis of waste management and collection. The results obtained highlight the potential of advanced data analytic approaches in producing more detailed waste generation information for planning and optimization of waste collection and recycling.

Keywords: waste, tencnolgies, KERP, data, soil

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13855 Development and Efficacy Assessment of an Enteric Coated Porous Tablet Loaded with F4 Fimbriae for Oral Vaccination against Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Infections

Authors: Atul Srivastava, D. V. Gowda

Abstract:

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infection is one of the major causes contributing to the development of diarrhoea in adults and children in developing countries. To date, no preventive/treatment strategy showed promising results, which could be due to the lack of potent vaccines, and/or due to the development of resistance of ETEC to antibiotics. Therefore, in the present investigation, a novel porous Sodium Alginate (SA) tablet formulation loaded with F4 fimbriae antigen was developed and tested for efficacy against ETEC infections in piglet models. Pre-compression parameters of the powder mixes and post compression parameters of tablets have been evaluated and results were found to be satisfactory. Loading of F4 fimbrial antigens in to the tablets was achieved by inducing pores in the tablets via the sublimation of camphor followed by incubation with purified F4 fimbriae. The loaded tablets have been coated with Eudragit L100 to protect the F4 fimbriae from (a) highly acidic gastric environment; (b) proteolytic cleavage by pepsin; and (c) to promote subsequent release in the intestine. Evaluation of developed F4 fimbrial tablets in a Pig model demonstrated induction of mucosal immunity, and a significant reduction of F4+ E. coli in faeces. Therefore, F4 fimbriae loaded porous tablets could be a novel oral vaccination candidate to induce mucosal and systemic immunity against ETEC infections.

Keywords: porous tablets, sublimation, f4 fimbriae, eudragit l100, vaccination

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13854 An Approach to Capture, Evaluate and Handle Complexity of Engineering Change Occurrences in New Product Development

Authors: Mohammad Rostami Mehr, Seyed Arya Mir Rashed, Arndt Lueder, Magdalena Missler-Behr

Abstract:

This paper represents the conception that complex problems do not necessarily need a similar complex solution in order to cope with the complexity. Furthermore, a simple solution based on established methods can provide a sufficient way to deal with the complexity. To verify this conception, the presented paper focuses on the field of change management as a part of the new product development process in the automotive sector. In this field, dealing with increasing complexity is essential, while only non-flexible rigid processes that are not designed to handle complexity are available. The basic methodology of this paper can be divided into four main sections: 1) analyzing the complexity of the change management, 2) literature review in order to identify potential solutions and methods, 3) capturing and implementing expertise of experts from the change management field of an automobile manufacturing company and 4) systematical comparison of the identified methods from literature and connecting these with defined requirements of the complexity of the change management in order to develop a solution. As a practical outcome, this paper provides a method to capture the complexity of engineering changes (EC) and includes it within the EC evaluation process, following case-related process guidance to cope with the complexity. Furthermore, this approach supports the conception that dealing with complexity is possible while utilizing rather simple and established methods by combining them into a powerful tool.

Keywords: complexity management, new product development, engineering change management, flexibility

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13853 A Development of a Weight-Balancing Control System Based On Android Operating System

Authors: Rattanathip Rattanachai, Piyachai Petchyen, Kunyanuth Kularbphettong

Abstract:

This paper describes the development of a Weight- Balancing Control System based on the Android Operating System and it provides recommendations on ways of balancing of user’s weight based on daily metabolism process and need so that user can make informed decisions on his or her weight controls. The system also depicts more information on nutrition details. Furthermore, it was designed to suggest to users what kinds of foods they should eat and how to exercise in the right ways. We describe the design methods and functional components of this prototype. To evaluate the system performance, questionnaires for system usability and Black Box Testing were used to measure expert and user satisfaction. The results were satisfactory as followed: Means for experts and users were 3.94 and 4.07 respectively.

Keywords: weight-balancing control, Android operating system, daily metabolism, black box testing

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13852 Afrikan Natural Medicines: An Innovation-Based Model for Medicines Production, Curriculum Development and Clinical Application

Authors: H. Chabalala, A. Grootboom, M. Tang

Abstract:

The innovative development, production, and clinical utilisation of African natural medicines requires frameworks from systematisation, innovation, registration. Afrika faces challenges when it comes to these sectors. The opposite is the case as is is evident in ancient Asian (Traditional Chinese Medicine and Indian Ayurveda and Siddha) medical systems, which are interfaced into their respective national health and educational systems. Afrikan Natural Medicines (ANMs) are yet to develop systematisation frameworks, i.e. disease characterisation and medicines classification. This paper explores classical medical systems drawn from Afrikan and Chinese experts in natural medicines. An Afrikological research methodology was used to conduct in-depth interviews with 20 key respondents selected through purposeful sampling technique. Data was summarised into systematisation frameworks for classical disease theories, patient categorisation, medicine classification, aetiology and pathogenesis of disease, diagnosis and prognosis techniques and treatment methods. It was discovered that ancient Afrika had systematic medical cosmologies, remnants of which are evident in most Afrikan cultural health practices. Parallels could be drawn from classical medical concepts of antiquity, like Chinese Taoist and Indian tantric health systems. Data revealed that both the ancient and contemporary ANM systems were based on living medical cosmologies. The study showed that African Natural Healing Systems have etiological systems, general pathogenesis knowledge, differential diagnostic techniques, comprehensive prognosis and holistic treatment regimes. Systematisation models were developed out of these frameworks, and this could be used for evaluation of clinical research, medical application including development of curriculum for high-education. It was envisaged that frameworks will pave way towards the development, production and commercialisation of ANMs. This was piloted in inclusive innovation, technology transfer and commercialisation of South African natural medicines, cosmeceuticals, nutraceuticals and health infusions. The central model presented here in will assist in curriculum development and establishment of Afrikan Medicines Hospitals and Pharmaceutical Industries.

Keywords: African Natural Medicines, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Medical Cosmology, Clinical Application

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13851 Overview of Fiber Optic Gyroscopes as Ring Laser Gyros and Fiber Optic Gyros and the Comparison Between Them

Authors: M. Abdo, Mohamed Shalaby

Abstract:

A key development in the field of inertial sensors, fiber-optic gyroscopes (FOGs) are currently thought to be a competitive alternative to mechanical gyroscopes for inertial navigation and control applications. For the past few years, research and development efforts have been conducted all around the world using the FOG as a crucial sensor for high-accuracy inertial navigation systems. The main fundamentals of optical gyros were covered in this essay, followed by discussions of the main types of optical gyros and fiber optic gyroscopes and ring laser gyroscopes and comparisons between them. We also discussed different types of fiber optic gyros, including interferometric, resonator, and Brillion fiber optic gyroscopes.

Keywords: mechanical gyros, ring laser gyros, interferometric finer optic gyros, Resonator fiber optic gyros

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