Search results for: training effectiveness

Authors: Mohammad K. Rumjaun, Sana Amjed, Muhammad A. Ghazi, Safa G. Attar, Jason Raw

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Background: National Health Service (NHS) in England is one of the leading healthcare systems in the world and it heavily relies on the recruitment of overseas doctors. 30.7% of the doctors currently serving in NHS are overseas doctors. Most of these doctors do not receive the essential induction required to work in the NHS when they first arrive and therefore, they mostly struggle to work effectively in the first few months of their new jobs as compared to UK graduates. In our hospital, the clinical need for a dedicated induction programme for the International Medical Graduates (IMGs) was identified for their initial settling period and this programme was designed to achieve this. Methods: A questionnaire was designed for the previous 7 IMGs (Group 1) in order to identify the difficulties they faced in their initial phase. Thereafter, an induction programme consisting of presentations explaining the NHS and hospital framework, communication skills practice sessions, the clinical ceiling of care and patient simulation training was implemented for 6 new IMGs (Group 2). Another survey was done and compared with the previous. Results: After this programme, group 2 required only 1 week to understand the complexity of the IT systems as compared 3 weeks in group 1. 83% of group 2 was well-supported for their on-call duties after this programme as compared to 29% and 100% of group 2 was aware of their role in the job after the induction as compared to 0%. Furthermore, group 2 was able to function independently and confidently in their roles after only 1 month as compared to an average of 3 months for group 1. After running the PDSA cycles, our results show clear evidence that this programme has tremendously benefitted the IMGs in settling in the NHS. The IMGs really appreciated this initiative and have given positive feedback. Conclusion: Leaving your home country to begin your career in a different country is not an easy transition and undoubtedly, everyone struggles. It is important to invest in a well-structured induction programme for the IMGs in the initial phase of their jobs as this will improve not only their confidence and efficacy but also patients’ safety.

Keywords: induction programme, international medical graduates, NHS, overseas doctors struggles.

Procedia PDF Downloads 133

Authors: Camille Lacan, Pierre Desmet

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In the crowdfunding model, a campaign succeeds by collecting the funds required over a predefined duration. The success of a CF campaign depends both on the capacity to attract members of the online communities concerned, and on the community members’ involvement in online word-of-mouth recommendations. To maximize the campaign's success probability, project creators (i.e., an organization appealing for financial resources) send messages to contributors to ask them to issue word of mouth. Internet users relay information about projects through Word of Mouth which is defined as “a critical tool for facilitating information diffusion throughout online communities”. The effectiveness of these messages depends on the message framing and the time at which they are sent to contributors (i.e., at the start of the campaign or close to the deadline). This article addresses the following question: What are the effect of message framing and temporal distance on the willingness to share word of mouth? Drawing on Perspectives Theory and Construal Level Theory, this study examines the interplay between message framing (Gains vs. Losses) and temporal distance (message while the deadline is coming vs. far) on intention to share word of mouth. A between-subject experimental design is conducted to test the research model. Results show significant differences between a loss-framed message (lack of benefits if the campaign fails) associated with a short deadline (ending tomorrow) compared to a gain-framed message (benefits if the campaign succeeds) associated with a distant deadline (ending in three months). However, this effect is moderated by the anticipated regret of a campaign failure and the temporal orientation. These moderating effects contribute to specifying the boundary condition of the framing effect. Handling the message framing and the temporal distance are thus the key decisions to influence the willingness to share word of mouth.

Keywords: construal levels, crowdfunding, message framing, word of mouth

Procedia PDF Downloads 251

Authors: Camila Parodi, Viviana Letelier, Giacomo Moriconi

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The cement industry is responsible for around a 5% of the CO2 emissions worldwide and considering that concrete is one of the most used materials in construction its total effect is important. An alternative to reduce the environmental impact of concrete production is to incorporate certain amount of residues in the dosing, limiting the replacement percentages to avoid significant losses in the mechanical properties of the final material. Previous researches demonstrate the feasibility of using brick and rust residues, separately, as a cement replacement. This study analyses the variation in the mechanical properties of mortars by incorporating masonry residue composed of clay bricks and cement mortar. In order to improve the mechanical properties of masonry residue, this was subjected to a heat treatment of 650 ° C for four hours and its effect is analyzed in this study. Masonry residue was obtained from a demolition of masonry perimetral walls. The residues were crushed and sieved and the maximum size of particles used was 75 microns. The percentages of cement replaced by masonry residue were 0%, 10%, 20% and 30%. The effect of masonry residue addition and its heat treatment in the mechanical properties of mortars is evaluated through compressive and flexural strength tests after 7, 14 and 28 curing days. Results show that increasing the amount of masonry residue used increases the losses in compressive strength and flexural strength. However, the use of up to a 20% of masonry residue, when a heat treatment is applied, allows obtaining mortars with similar compressive strength to the control mortar. Masonry residues mortars without a heat treatment show losses in compressive strengths between 15% and 27% with respect to masonry residues with heat treatment, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the heat treatment. From this analysis it can be conclude that it is possible to use up to 20% of masonry residue with heat treatment as cement replacement without significant losses in mortars mechanical properties, reducing considerably the environmental impact of the final material.

Keywords: cement replacement, environmental impact, masonry residue, mechanical properties of recycled mortars

Procedia PDF Downloads 391

Authors: Shu Hwang Ang, Choo Yee Yu, Geik Yong Ang, Yean Yean Chan, Yatimah Binti Alias, And Sook Mei Khor

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With the high prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus across the world, the morbidities and mortalities associated with Type 2 diabetes have significant impact on the production line for a nation. With routine scheduled clinical visits to manage Type 2 diabetes, diabetic patients with hectic lifestyles can have low clinical compliance. Hence, it often decreases the effectiveness of diabetic management personalized for each diabetic patient. Here, we report a useful developed point-of-care (POC) device that detect glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c, biomarker for long-term Type 2 diabetic management). In fact, the established POC devices certified to be used in clinical setting are not only expensive ($ 8 to $10 per test), they also require skillful practitioners to perform sampling and interpretation. As a paper-based biosensor, the developed HbA1c biosensor utilized lateral flow principle to offer an alternative for cost-effective (approximately $2 per test) and end-user friendly device for household testing. Requiring as little as 2 L of finger-picked blood, the test can be performed at the household with just simple dilution and washings. With visual interpretation of numbers of test lines shown on the developed biosensor, it can be interpreted as easy as a urine pregnancy test, aided with scale of intensity provided. In summary, the developed HbA1c immunosensor has been tested to have high selectivity towards HbA1c, and is stable with reasonably good performance in clinical testing. Therefore, our developed HbA1c immunosensor has high potential to be an effective diabetic management tool to increase patient compliance and thus contain the progression of the diabetes.

Keywords: blood, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lateral flow, type 2 diabetes mellitus

Procedia PDF Downloads 528

Authors: Shimaa Nagro, Russell Campion

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Mobile devices are becoming ever more widely available, with growing functionality, and are increasingly used as an enabling technology to give students access to educational material anytime and anywhere. However, the design of educational material user interfaces for mobile devices is beset by many unresolved research issues such as those arising from emphasising the information concepts then mapping this information to appropriate media (modelling information then mapping media effectively). This report describes a multimedia user interface design method for mobile learning. The method covers specification of user requirements and information architecture, media selection to represent the information content, design for directing attention to important information, and interaction design to enhance user engagement based on Human-Computer Interaction design strategies (HCI). The method will be evaluated by three different case studies to prove the method is suitable for application to different areas / applications, these are; an application to teach about major computer networking concepts, an application to deliver a history-based topic; (after these case studies have been completed, the method will be revised to remove deficiencies and then used to develop a third case study), an application to teach mathematical principles. At this point, the method will again be revised into its final format. A usability evaluation will be carried out to measure the usefulness and effectiveness of the method. The investigation will combine qualitative and quantitative methods, including interviews and questionnaires for data collection and three case studies for validating the MDMLM method. The researcher has successfully produced the method at this point which is now under validation and testing procedures. From this point forward in the report, the researcher will refer to the method using the MDMLM abbreviation which means Multimedia Design Mobile Learning Method.

Keywords: human-computer interaction, interface design, mobile learning, education

Procedia PDF Downloads 241

Authors: Rimel Mwamba, Mohan Gundeti

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Introduction: The use of robot-assisted laparoscopic surgeries (RALS) has largely increased in recent years, offering faster and safer treatment options for pediatric patients. In the field of urology, RALS has shown a significant advantage over laparoscopic and open surgeries but continues to be controversial in pediatric cases due to limited comprehensive data on its use. Methods: In this review, we aim to summarize the factors associated with RALS use in pediatric cases involving pyeloplasty, ureteral reimplantation, heminephrectomy, and lower urinary tract reconstruction. We used PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews to systematically search for literature on the topic. We then critically assessed and compiled data on RALS outcomes, complications, and associated factors. Results: To date, numerous comparative studies have been conducted on pediatric RALS, with only one randomized control trial investigating the nuances of robotic use against standard of care treatments. These robotic approaches have shown promise in post-surgical outcomes for pediatric patients undergoing upper and lower urinary tract reconstruction. Barriers to use still persist, however, showcasing a need to increase access to the technology, refine instruments for pediatric use, address cost barriers, and provide proper training for surgeons. Conclusion: RALS providesan opportunity to improve pediatric patient outcomes for numerous urologic complications. Additional studies are required to better compare the use of RALS with current standard practices. Due to the difficult nature of conducting randomized control trials, additional prospective observational studies are needed.

Keywords: pediatric urology, robot-assisted laparoscopic surgeries (RALS), pyeloplasty, ureteral reimplantation, heminephrectomy, and lower urinary tract reconstruction

Procedia PDF Downloads 97

Authors: Claudia Koby, Merav Boaz, Meirav Zaiger Kober

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Krembo Wings is an all-inclusive youth movement which brings children and youth with any disability together with their able-bodied peers (counselors) for weekly fun and educational social activities. Krembo Wings utilizes a socio-educational framework to create and lead social change through members with and without disabilities. All the work that Krembo Wings engages in stems from its central goal of promoting inclusion and integration using social and psychological theories to develop its unique model and approach. The key to Krembo Wings' approach in promoting inclusion is active participation – each member, with and without disabilities, is enabled to participate to their fullest capacity in the youth movement and its activities. In order for this to be achieved, all activities are adjustable and are modified to fit the abilities of each member. Additionally, youth counselors – most of whom are members without disabilities – go through extensive training in order to act as 'intermediaries' for their partner with disabilities, enabling and facilitating their partner's participation in a way that allows them to be as independent and active as possible. The relationship is one of friendship and not of caretaking. There is always a nurse on-hand to tend to any caretaking needs. Two essential elements of Krembo Wings' model is the broadening of concepts – shifting and changing the understanding of certain concepts such as what it means to be 'independent' or 'able' – and the development of a unique language – creating a language which both reflects and shapes reality. These elements of Krembo Wings' model foster the development of the values of acceptance and appreciation of those who are 'different'. It instills in members and counselors a new way of perceiving the world, one in which inclusion and integration are achievable and natural. Krembo Wings is certain that implementation of this model will promote the participation and inclusion of individuals with disabilities in society while promoting diversity. This model can serve as a platform which can be replicated and adjusted to suit any environment.

Keywords: innovative model for inclusion, socio-educational movement, youth leadership, youth with and without disabilities

Procedia PDF Downloads 127

Authors: Chi-Hsuan Cheng

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This research aims to evaluate public-private partnerships against cyberattacks by comparing the UK and Taiwan. First, the study analyses major cyberattacks and factors influencing cybersecurity in both countries. Second, it assesses the effectiveness of current cyber defence strategies in combating cyberattacks by comparing the approaches taken in the UK and Taiwan, while also evaluating the cyber resilience of both nations. Lastly, the research evaluates existing public-private partnerships by comparing those in the UK and Taiwan, and proposes recommendations for enhancing cooperation and collaboration mechanisms in tackling cyberattacks. Grounded theory serves as the core research method. Theoretical sampling is used to recruit participants in both the UK and Taiwan, including investigators, police officers, and professionals from cybersecurity firms. Semi-structured interviews are conducted in English in the UK and Mandarin in Taiwan, recorded with consent, and pseudonymised for privacy. Data analysis involves open coding, grouping excerpts into codes, and categorising codes. Axial coding connects codes into categories, leading to the development of a codebook. The process continues iteratively until theoretical saturation is reached. Finally, selective coding identifies the core topic, evaluating public-private cooperation against cyberattacks and its implications for social and policing strategies in the UK and Taiwan, which highlights the current status of the cybersecurity industry, governmental plans for cybersecurity, and contributions to cybersecurity from both government sectors and cybersecurity firms, with a particular focus on public-private partnerships. In summary, this research aims to offer practical recommendations to law enforcement, private sectors, and academia for reflecting on current strategies and tailoring future approaches in cybersecurity

Keywords: cybersecurity, cybercrime, public private partnerships, cyberattack

Procedia PDF Downloads 74

Authors: Gertrude I. Hewapathirana, Loi A. Nguyen, Mohammed M. Mostafa

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Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and tools are swiftly integrating into many functions of all organizations as a competitive drive to enhance innovations, productivity, efficiency, faster and precise decision making to keep up with rapid changes in the global business arena. Despite increasing research on AI technologies in production, manufacturing, and information management, AI in human resource disciplines is still lagging. Though a few research studies on HR informatics, recruitment, and HRM in general, how to integrate AI in other HR functional disciplines (e.g., compensation, training, mentoring and coaching, employee motivation) is rarely researched. Many inconsistencies of research hinder developing up-to-date knowledge on AI in HR disciplines. Therefore, exploring eight research questions, using bibliometric network analysis combined with a meta-analysis of published research literature. The authors attempt to generate knowledge on the role of AI in improving the efficiency of HR functional disciplines. To advance the knowledge for the benefit of researchers, academics, policymakers, and practitioners, the study highlights the types of AI innovations and outcomes, trends, gaps, themes and topics, fast-moving disciplines, key players, and future directions.AI in HR informatics in high tech firms is the dominant theme in many research publications. While there is increasing attention from researchers and practitioners, there are many gaps between the promise, potential, and real AI applications in HR disciplines. A higher knowledge gap raised many unanswered questions regarding legal, ethical, and morale aspects of AI in HR disciplines as well as the potential contributions of AI in HR disciplines that may guide future research directions. Though the study provides the most current knowledge, it is limited to peer-reviewed empirical, theoretical, and conceptual research publications stored in the WoS database. The implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, human resources, bibliometric analysis, research directions

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Authors: Raquib Ahsan, Md. Mahir Asif, Md. Zahidul Alam

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A huge portion of old masonry buildings in Bangladesh are vulnerable to earthquake. In most of the cases these buildings contain unreinforced masonry wall which are most likely to be subjected to earthquake damages. Due to deterioration of mortar joint and aging, shear resistance of these unreinforced masonry walls dwindle. So, retrofitting of these old buildings has become an important issue. Among many researched and experimented techniques, ferrocement retrofitting can be a low cost technique in context of the economic condition of Bangladesh. This study aims at investigating the behavior of ferrocement retrofitted unconfined URM walls under different types of cyclic loading. Four 725 mm × 725 mm masonry wall units were prepared with bricks jointed by stretcher bond with 12.5 mm mortar between two adjacent layers of bricks. To compare the effectiveness of ferrocement retrofitting a particular type wire mesh was used in this experiment which is 20 gauge woven wire mesh with 12.5 mm × 12.5 mm square opening. After retrofitting with ferrocement these wall units were tested by applying cyclic deformation along the diagonals of the specimens. Then a comparative study was performed between the retrofitted specimens and control specimens for both partially reversed cyclic load condition and cyclic compression load condition. The experiment results show that ultimate load carrying capacities of ferrocement retrofitted specimens are 35% and 27% greater than the control specimen under partially reversed cyclic loading and cyclic compression respectively. And before failure the deformations of ferrocement retrofitted specimens are 43% and 33% greater than the control specimen under reversed cyclic loading and cyclic compression respectively. Therefore, the test results show that the ultimate load carrying capacity and ductility of ferrocement retrofitted specimens have improved.

Keywords: cyclic compression, cyclic loading, ferrocement, masonry wall, partially reversed cyclic load, retrofitting

Procedia PDF Downloads 239

Authors: Mamta Thakur, Dr. Shashi Mawar, Ms. Levis Murry, Dr. D.k.sharma

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Aim: The aim of this study is to develop nephrology nursing procedure protocol after clinical audit of current nephrology nursing practices. Materials and methods: This descriptive observational study was conducted on 40 nurses who were working in Nephrology Department of AIIMS, New Delhi to observe their current practices to assess the existing gaps in the practice. The nurses were enrolled through total enumerative sampling. Sociodemographic profile of nurses and clinical profile for site of procedure was collected. Observation checklist was formed on the basis of standard nursing practices, which included 7 dimensions for hemodialysis procedure and 3 dimensions for procedure of assisting renal biopsy. Based on the gaps identified, nephrology nursing procedure protocol will be developed. Nurses were observed during two shifts, and each nurse was observed once. Scoring of items were done in each dimension, and for acceptable practices, nurses have to score ≥80% in each dimension. Results: Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Majority of nurses (73.7%) in nephrology ward and (80.9%) in hemodialysis unit have not undergone any special training in nephrology. Most of nurses (80.9%) followed the acceptable nursing practices for procedure of connection for hemodialysis. None of nurses followed the acceptable level (≥80%) of nursing practices for the procedure of predialysis assessment, the procedure for site preparation, during dialysis assessment and post dialysis assessment. None (100%) showed the acceptable level of nursing practices for all the dimensions of assisting renal biopsy procedure. Nephrology nursing procedure protocol was developed by researcher following a rigorous process, and this will reduce the gaps in the nursing practice. Conclusion: Clinical audit found that there were gaps in the existing nursing practices compared to the standardised nursing practices for procedure of hemodialysis and assisting renal biopsy, and these gaps have been addressed by the development of the protocol.

Keywords: nursing practice, nephrology nursing procedure, nursing protocol, renal biopsy, hemodialysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 100

Authors: Nneka U. Igboeli, Maxwell O. Adibe

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Iron and folate supplementation in pregnancy are important interventions that prevent maternal anaemia and fetal anomaly. Thus, daily oral doses of iron and folic acid are recommended throughout pregnancy as part of antenatal care. However, low adherence has been a major drawback leading to low effectiveness of these programs. The effect of mobile text message reminders to pregnant women to take their routine medications on adherence was evaluated in this study. The first 100 women who consented to the study were recruited and randomized to either receive a text message reminder on adherence to routine medications or not. Adherence was assessed using the 8-item Modified Morisky Adherence Scale (8-MMAS). The folders of successfully recruited women were tagged with the a study number assigned to each of them. The womens’ phone numbers were collected and these were used to send text messages reminders on adhering to routine drugs only to women in the intervention group. The text messages were sent three times per week for a period of four weeks with an adherence reassessment at the one month follow-up antenatal visit for recruited women. At one month follow-up, the lost to follow-up were 6 (16%) women for the intervention group and 17 (34%) for the control group. The across group mean difference in adherence score was 0.07 (-0.96 – 1.10) at baseline and 0.3 (-0.31 – 0.92) after intervention, both insignificant at p > 0.05. The within group change were increases of 0.58 (0.00 – 1.16) (p = 0.05) from baseline for the intervention group and a 0.35 (-0.51 – 1.20) (p = 0.395) for the control group. Non-significant increase in adherence scores were recorded for both groups. However, the increase in adherence scores of women in the intervention group was greater and may be potentially transformed into more positive results if the study period is increased with possibly reduced study drop-outs shows great promise for more positive results.

Keywords: adherence, mobile phone, pregnant women, reminders

Procedia PDF Downloads 172

Authors: Maimuna Akram, Khadija Zia, Sohaib Naseer

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Pedagogical objectives and the nature of the course content may lead instructors to take varied approaches to selecting a student for the cold call, specifically in a studio setup where students work on different projects independently and show progress work time to time at scheduled critiques. Cold-calling often proves to be an effective tool in eliciting a response without enforcing judgment onto the recipients. While there is a mixed range of behavior exhibited by students who are cold-called, a classification of responses from anxiety-provoking to inspiring may be elicited; there is a need for a greater understanding of utilizing the exchanges in bringing about fruitful and engaging outcomes of studio discussions. This study aims to unravel the dimensions of utilizing the cold-call approach in a didactic exchange within studio pedagogy. A questionnaire survey was conducted in an undergraduate class at Arts and Design School. The impact of cold calling on students’ participation was determined through various parameters, including course choice, participation frequency, students’ comfortability, and teaching methodology. After analyzing the surveys, specific classroom teachers were interviewed to provide a qualitative perspective of the faculty. It was concluded that cold-calling increases students’ participation frequency and also increases preparation for class. Around 67% of students responded that teaching methods play an important role in learning activities and students’ participation during class discussions. 84% of participants agreed that cold calling is an effective way of learning. According to research, cold-calling can be done in large numbers without making students uncomfortable. As a result, the findings of this study support the use of this instructional method to encourage more students to participate in class discussions.

Keywords: active learning, class discussion, class participation, cold calling, pedagogical methods, student engagement

Procedia PDF Downloads 34

Authors: S. Priya

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A project based learning assignment in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) context based on Communicative English as prescribed in the university syllabus for engineering students and its learning outcome from ESP context is the focus of analysis through this paper. The task based on Project Based Learning (PBL) was conducted in the digital language lab which had audio visual aids to support the team presentation. The total strength of 48 students of Mechanical Branch were divided into 6 groups, each consisting of 8 students. The group members were selected on random numbering basis. They were given a group task to represent a power point presentation on a topic related to their core branch. They had to discuss the issue and choose their topic and represent in a given format. It provided the individual role of each member in the presentation. A brief overview of the project and the outcome of its technical aspects were also had to be included. Each group had to highlight the contributions of that innovative technology through their presentation. The power point should be provided in a CD format. The variations in the choice of subjects, their usage of digital technologies, co-ordination for competition, learning experience of first time stage presentation, challenges of team cohesiveness were some criteria observed as their learning experience. For many other students undergoing the stages of planning, preparation and practice as steps for presentation had been the learning outcomes as given through their feedback form. The evaluation pattern is distributed for individual contribution and group effectiveness which promotes quality of presentation. The evaluated skills are communication skills, group cohesiveness, and audience response, quality of technicality and usage of technical terms. This paper thus analyses how project based learning improves the communication, life skills and technical skills in English for Specific learning context through PBL.

Keywords: language lab, ESP context, communicative skills, life skills

Procedia PDF Downloads 238

Authors: Molin A., De Ramos J. M., Cadion L. G., Pico R. L.

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Malnutrition and food insecurity represent significant global challenges affecting millions of individuals, particularly in low-income and developing regions. The researchers created a solar-powered enzymatic composting bioreactor with an Arduino-based monitoring system for pH, humidity, and temperature. It manages mixed municipal solid wastes incorporating industrial enzymes and whey additives for accelerated composting and minimized carbon footprint. Within 15 days, the bioreactor yielded 54.54% compost compared to 44.85% from traditional methods, increasing yield by nearly 10%. Tests showed that the bioreactor compost had 4.84% NPK, passing metal analysis standards, while the traditional pit compost had 3.86% NPK; both are suitable for agriculture. Statistical analyses, including ANOVA and Tukey's HSD test, revealed significant differences in agricultural yield across different compost types based on leaf length, width, and number of leaves. The study compared the effects of different composts on Brassica rapa subsp. Chinesis (Petchay) and Brassica juncea (Mustasa) plant growth. For Pechay, significant effects of compost type on plant leaf length (F(5,84) = 62.33, η² = 0.79) and leaf width (F(5,84) = 12.35, η² = 0.42) were found. For Mustasa, significant effects of compost type on leaf length (F(4,70) = 20.61, η² = 0.54), leaf width (F(4,70) = 19.24, η² = 0.52), and number of leaves (F(4,70) = 13.17, η² = 0.43) were observed. This study explores the effectiveness of the enzymatic composting bioreactor and its viability in promoting carbon farming as a solution to food insecurity and malnutrition.

Keywords: malnutrition, food insecurity, enzymatic composting bioreactor, arduino-based monitoring system, enzymes, carbon farming, whey additive, NPK level

Procedia PDF Downloads 56

Authors: Michael Salib, Samer Ezeldin, Ahmed Waly

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There are numerous challenges and problems facing the construction industry in several countries in the Middle East, as a result of numerous economic and political effects. As an example in Egypt, several construction companies have shut down and left the market since 2016. The closure of these companies occurred, as they did not respond with the suitable techniques and strategies that will enable them to survive during this economic turmoil period. A research is conducted in order to identify adequate strategies to be implemented by the Egyptian contractors that could allow them survive and keep competing during such economic hardship period. Two different techniques were used in order to identify these startegies. First, a deep research were conducted on the companies located in countries that suffered similar economic harship to identify the strategies they used in order to survive. Second, interviews were conducted with experts in the construction field in order to list the effective strategies they used that allowed them to survive. Moreover, at the end of each interview, the experts were asked to rate the applicability of the previously identified strategies used in the foreign countries, then the efficiency of each strategy if used in Egypt. A framework model is developed in order to assist the construction companies in choosing the suitable techniques to their company size, through identifying the top ranked strategies and techniques that should be adopted by the company based on the parameters given to the model. In order to verify this framework, the financial statements of two leading companies in the Egyptian construction market were studied. The first Contractor has applied nearly all the top ranked strategies identified in this paper, while the other contractor has applied only few of the identified top ranked strategies. Finally, another expert interviews were conducted in order to validate the framework. These experts were asked to test the model and rate through a questionnaire its applicability and effectiveness.

Keywords: construction management, economic hardship, recession, survive

Procedia PDF Downloads 125

Authors: Sangita Pokhrel, Nalinda Somasiri, Rebecca Jeyavadhanam, Swathi Ganesan

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Tourism is a booming industry with huge future potential for global wealth and employment. There are countless data generated over social media sites every day, creating numerous opportunities to bring more insights to decision-makers. The integration of Big Data Technology into the tourism industry will allow companies to conclude where their customers have been and what they like. This information can then be used by businesses, such as those in charge of managing visitor centers or hotels, etc., and the tourist can get a clear idea of places before visiting. The technical perspective of natural language is processed by analysing the sentiment features of online reviews from tourists, and we then supply an enhanced long short-term memory (LSTM) framework for sentiment feature extraction of travel reviews. We have constructed a web review database using a crawler and web scraping technique for experimental validation to evaluate the effectiveness of our methodology. The text form of sentences was first classified through Vader and Roberta model to get the polarity of the reviews. In this paper, we have conducted study methods for feature extraction, such as Count Vectorization and TFIDF Vectorization, and implemented Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) classifier algorithm for the sentiment analysis to decide the tourist’s attitude towards the destinations is positive, negative, or simply neutral based on the review text that they posted online. The results demonstrated that from the CNN algorithm, after pre-processing and cleaning the dataset, we received an accuracy of 96.12% for the positive and negative sentiment analysis.

Keywords: counter vectorization, convolutional neural network, crawler, data technology, long short-term memory, web scraping, sentiment analysis

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Authors: V. Suganya, V. Balasuriya

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The functioning of Micro and Small Scale (MSS) businesses in the northern part of Sri Lanka was vulnerable due to three decades of internal conflict and the subsequent post-war economic openings has resulted new market prospects for MSS businesses. MSS businesses survive and operate with limited resources and struggle to access finance, raw material, markets, and technology. This study attempts to identify the manner in which entrepreneurial orientation puts into practice by the business operators to overcome these business challenges. Business operators in the traditional food processing sector are taken for this study as this sub-sector of the food industry is developing at a rapid pace. A review of the literature was done to recognize the concepts of entrepreneurial orientation, defining MMS businesses and the manner in which business performance is measured. Direct interview method supported by a structured questionnaire is used to collect data from 80 respondents; based on a fixed interval random sampling technique. This study reveals that more than half of the business operators have opted to commence their business ventures as a result of identifying a market opportunity. 41 per cent of the business operators are highly entrepreneurial oriented in a scale of 1 to 5. Entrepreneurial orientation shows significant relationship and strongly correlated with business performance. Pro-activeness, innovativeness and competitive aggressiveness shows a significant relationship with business performance while risk taking is negative and autonomy is not significantly related to business performance. It is evident that entrepreneurial oriented business practices contribute to better business performance even though 70 per cent prefer the ideas/views of the support agencies than the stakeholders when making business decisions. It is recommended that appropriate training should be introduced to develop entrepreneurial skills focusing to improve business networks so that new business opportunities and innovative business practices are identified.

Keywords: Micro and Small Scale (MMS) businesses, entrepreneurial orientation (EO), food processing, business operators

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Authors: Renee Fabian, Jordan Davidson

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Current research on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) provides ample insights on best practices for caregivers and clinicians to address and reduce NSSI behavior among adolescents. However, the efficacy of evidenced-based NSSI interventions and their delivery from the perspective of adolescent patients does not receive significant attention, creating a gap between the efficacy of research-based NSSI interventions and adolescent perceptions of NSSI treatment and adolescent willingness to engage in NSSI interventions. To address the gap between practice and patient perspectives and inform more effective treatment outcomes, the current survey aims to identify major patient-reported adverse reactions to NSSI disclosures from caregivers, treating mental health clinicians, and medical professionals using a mixed methods survey of 2,500 people with a history of NSSI completed by editors at a consumer-facing health publication. Based on the analyzed results of the survey, a majority of adolescents with a history of NSSI found parents and caregivers ineffective at empathetically addressing NSSI, and a significant number of participants reported at least one treating mental health professional inadequately responded to NSSI behaviors, in addition to other findings of adverse reactions to NSSI disclosures that serve as a barrier to treatment. NSSI is a significant risk factor for future suicide attempts. Addressing patient-reported adverse reactions to NSSI disclosures in the adolescent population can remove barriers to the effectiveness of caregiver and clinician NSSI interventions and reduce the risk of NSSI-related harm and lower the risk of future suicide attempts or completions.

Keywords: adolescent self-injury, non-suicidal self-injury, patient perspectives, self-harm interventions

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Authors: A. S. Adegoke, O. N. Popoola

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The central purpose of management in any organization is that of coordinating the efforts of people towards the achievement of its goal. Effective and productive management is the function of leadership. Leadership plays a critical role in helping groups, organizations and societies to achieve their goals. Factors considered to make leadership to be effective are intelligence, social maturity, inner motivation and achievement drives and lastly, human relations attitudes. The factors affecting leadership style and effectiveness were examined. Also, the study examined which of the various leadership style best befits an organization and discussed the ways in which the style was determined. In order to meet the objectives of this study, different types of methods of data gathering were carried out. The methods include data from primary and secondary sources. The primary sources include personal interview, personal observation, and questionnaire while data from secondary sources were derived from various books, journal write up and other documentary records. Data were collected from respondents through questionnaire, and the field research carried out through oral interview to test each of the related hypotheses. From the data analysed it was determined that 45% strongly agreed that leadership traits are inborn not acquired and 28.3% agreed that leadership traits are inborn, while 11.7% and 10% strongly disagreed and disagreed respectively and 5% were undecided. 48.4% strongly agreed, and 43.3% agreed that environmental factors determined the appropriate style of leadership to be employed while 3.3% strongly disagreed, 1.7% disagreed and 3.3% were undecided. From the study, no single style of leadership is appropriate in any situation instead of concentrating on single leadership style; leader can vary approaches depending on forces in the leaders, characteristic of the subordinates, situational forces of the organization, lastly the expectations and behaviour of superior.

Keywords: hypothesis, leadership, management, organization

Procedia PDF Downloads 143

Authors: Tanira Kingi, Oscar Montes Oca, Reina Tamepo

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The introduction of the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act (2019) and the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (2020) both contain underpinning statements that refer to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and cultural concepts of stewardship and environmental protection. Maori interests in New Zealand’s agricultural, forestry, fishing and horticultural sectors are significant. The organizations that manage these investments do so on behalf of extended family groups that hold inherited interests based on genealogical connections (whakapapa) to particular tribal units (iwi and hapu) and areas of land (whenua) and freshwater bodies (wai). This paper draws on the findings of current research programmes funded by the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC) and the Our Land & Water National Science Challenge (OLW NSC) to understand the impact of cultural knowledge and imperatives on agricultural GHG and freshwater mitigation and land-use change decisions. In particular, the research outlines mitigation and land-use change scenario decision support frameworks that model changes in emissions profiles (reductions in biogenic methane, nitrous oxide and nutrient emissions to freshwater) of agricultural and forestry production systems along with impacts on key economic indicators and socio-cultural factors. The paper also assesses the effectiveness of newly introduced partnership arrangements between Maori groups/organizations and key government agencies on policy co-design and implementation, and in particular, decisions to adopt mitigation practices and to diversify land use.

Keywords: co-design and implementation of environmental policy, indigenous environmental knowledge, Māori land tenure and agribusiness, mitigation and land use change decision support frameworks

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Authors: Afshin Zohdi, Selçuk Özdemir, Mustafa Aksoy

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Tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC-Co) is a widely utilized material for cold forming dies, including those employed in fastener production. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of the pack boriding method in improving the surface properties of WC-Co cold forging dies. The boriding process involved embedding WC-Co samples, along with a steel control sample, within a chamber made of H13 tool steel. A boriding powder mixture was introduced into the chamber, which was then sealed using a paste. Subsequently, the samples were subjected to a temperature of 700°C for 5 hours in a furnace. Microstructural analysis, including cross-sectional examination and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confirmed successful boron diffusion and its presence on the surface of the borided samples. The microhardness of the borided layer was significantly increased (3980 HV1) compared to the unborided sample (1320 HV3), indicating enhanced hardness. The borided layer exhibited an acceptable thickness of 45 microns, with a diffusion coefficient of 1.125 × 10-7 mm²/s, signifying a moderate diffusion rate. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) mapping revealed an increase in boron content, desirable for the intended purpose, while an undesired increase in oxygen content was observed. Furthermore, the pin-on-disk wear test demonstrated a reduction in friction coefficient, indicating improved mechanical and tribological properties of the surface. The successful implementation of the pack boriding process highlights its potential for enhancing the performance of WC-Co cold forging dies.

Keywords: WC-Co, cold forging dies, pack boriding, surface hardness, wear resistance, microhardness, diffusion coefficient, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy

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Authors: Fatmah Almathkour

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Managing and controlling the construction supply chain (CSC) are very important components of effective construction project execution. The goals of managing the CSC are to reduce uncertainty and optimize the performance of a construction project by improving efficiency and reducing project costs. The heart of much SC activity is addressing risk, and the CSC is no different. The delivery and consumption of construction materials is highly variable due to the complexity of construction operations, rapidly changing demand for certain components, lead time variability from suppliers, transportation time variability, and disruptions at the job site. Current notions of managing and controlling CSC, involve focusing on one project at a time with a push-based material ordering system based on the initial construction schedule and, then, holding a tremendous amount of inventory. A two-stage methodology was proposed to coordinate the feed-forward control of advanced order placement with a supplier to a feedback local control in the form of adding the ability to transship materials between projects to improve efficiency and reduce costs. It focused on the single supplier integrated production and transshipment problem with multiple products. The methodology is used as a design tool for the CSC because it includes an external storage site not associated with one of the projects. The idea is to add this feature to a highly constrained environment to explore its effectiveness in buffering the impact of variability and maintaining project schedule at low cost. The methodology uses deterministic optimization models with objectives that minimizing the total cost of the CSC. To illustrate how this methodology can be used in practice and the types of information that can be gleaned, it is tested on a number of cases based on the real example of multiple construction projects in Kuwait.

Keywords: construction supply chain, inventory control supply chain, transshipment

Procedia PDF Downloads 121

Authors: Ma Cecilia Siva

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This study introduces a Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT)-based machine learning model aimed at improving educational counseling by automating the process of recommending academic strands for students. The framework is designed to streamline and enhance the strand selection process by analyzing students' profiles and suggesting suitable academic paths based on their interests, strengths, and goals. Data was gathered from a sample of 200 grade 10 students, which included personal essays and survey responses relevant to strand alignment. After thorough preprocessing, the text data was tokenized, label-encoded, and input into a fine-tuned BERT model set up for multi-label classification. The model was optimized for balanced accuracy and computational efficiency, featuring a multi-category classification layer with sigmoid activation for independent strand predictions. Performance metrics showed an F1 score of 88%, indicating a well-balanced model with precision at 80% and recall at 100%, demonstrating its effectiveness in providing reliable recommendations while reducing irrelevant strand suggestions. To facilitate practical use, the final deployment phase created a recommendation framework that processes new student data through the trained model and generates personalized academic strand suggestions. This automated recommendation system presents a scalable solution for academic guidance, potentially enhancing student satisfaction and alignment with educational objectives. The study's findings indicate that expanding the data set, integrating additional features, and refining the model iteratively could improve the framework's accuracy and broaden its applicability in various educational contexts.

Keywords: tokenized, sigmoid activation, transformer, multi category classification

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Authors: Essang Anwana Onuntuei, Chinyere Blessing Azunwoke

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The study focused on probing the effectiveness of online consumer privacy and protection laws, electronic transaction laws, privacy and data protection laws, and cybercrime legislation amid frequent cyber-attacks and malware types worldwide. An empirical analysis was engaged to uncover ties and causations between the stringency and implementation of these legal structures and the prevalence of cyber threats. A deliberate sample of seventy-eight countries (thirteen countries each from six continents) was chosen as sample size to study the challenges linked with trending regulations and possible panoramas for improving cybersecurity through refined legal approaches. Findings establish if the frequency of cyber-attacks and malware types vary significantly. Also, the result proved that various cybercrime laws differ statistically, and electronic transactions law does not statistically impact the frequency of cyber-attacks. The result also statistically revealed that the online Consumer Privacy and Protection law does not influence the total number of cyber-attacks. In addition, the results implied that Privacy and Data Protection laws do not statistically impact the total number of cyber-attacks worldwide. The calculated value also proved that cybercrime law does not statistically impact the total number of cyber-attacks. Finally, the computed value concludes that combined multiple cyber laws do not significantly impact the total number of cyber-attacks worldwide. Suggestions were produced based on findings from the study, contributing to the ongoing debate on the validity of legal approaches in battling cybercrime and shielding consumers in the digital age.

Keywords: cybercrime legislation, cyber attacks, consumer privacy and protection law, detection, electronic transaction law, prevention, privacy and data protection law, prohibition, prosecution

Procedia PDF Downloads 39

Authors: Robin V. Cupido

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Online dispute resolution has been identified in many countries as a viable alternative for resolving conflicts which have arisen in the so-called digital age. This system of dispute resolution is developing alongside the Internet, and as new types of transactions are made possible by our increased connectivity, new ways of resolving disputes must be explored. Developed nations, such as the United States of America and the European Union, have been involved in creating these online dispute resolution mechanisms from the outset, and currently have sophisticated systems in place to deal with conflicts arising in a number of different fields, such as e-commerce, domain name disputes, labour disputes and conflicts arising from family law. Specifically, in the field of e-commerce, the Internet’s borderless nature has served as a way to promote cross-border trade, and has created a global marketplace. Participation in this marketplace boosts a country’s economy, as new markets are now available, and consumers can transact from anywhere in the world. It would be especially advantageous for developing nations to be a part of this global marketplace, as it could stimulate much-needed investment in these nations, and encourage international co-operation and trade. However, for these types of transactions to proliferate, an effective system for resolving the inevitable disputes arising from such an increase in e-commerce is needed. Online dispute resolution scholarship and practice is flourishing in developed nations, and it is clear that the gap is widening between developed and developing nations in this regard. The potential for implementing online dispute resolution in developing countries has been discussed, but there are a number of obstacles that have thus far prevented its continued development. This paper aims to evaluate the various political, infrastructural and socio-economic challenges faced in developing nations, and to question how these have impacted the acceptance and development of online dispute resolution, scholarship and training of online dispute resolution practitioners and, ultimately, developing nations’ readiness to participate in cross-border e-commerce.

Keywords: developing countries, feasibility, online dispute resolution, progress

Procedia PDF Downloads 301

Authors: Mahdi PourAsghar, Abbas Mas'udzadeh, Abdulhakim Tirgari, Saeed Dabiri Roushan, Hooman Rashidi, Fariba Salehi

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Objective: One of the major objectives in sports areas is to achieve maximum athletic performance. Physical and psychological preparations are the basic factors for achieving maximum performance in athletes. Unfortunately, in the field of physical preparation, we can see maximum attention and planning of trainers and sports officials. But despite the importance of psychological preparation of athletes and its serious and profound effect on athletic performance, the results of sports competitions show that less attention is paid to this topic, and it is less under the control of counselors and psychologists in different areas of our sport. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the attitude of athletes and coaches to sport psychology. Materials and methods: A descriptive study with a sample size of 234 elite athletes and 216 skilled coaches was conducted in different areas of sports, in Sari, Mazandaran in 2015.The instrument was a questionnaire consisting of two parts of demographic data and Martin questionnaire, assessing the attitude to sport psychology. The data from this study were analyzed using Spss version 18, descriptive statistics tests, and Chi-square test. Results: In this study, positive attitudes of participants in need and confidence towards sport psychology consultation in athletes and coaches group were 55/1 and 56/5 percent, respectively. The positive attitude of female athletes in belief to psychology consultation was more than male athletes. Athletes with higher education had more positive attitude towards the presence of psychologists and psychiatrists in fields of sports. Conclusion: According to the findings based on the need to the psychology consultation in different areas of sports, it is recommended that through training of specialists in the field of sport psychology and review of sports programs in different fields of sports, the presence of these counselors to maintain the psychological preparation of athletes to achieve maximum athletic performance and reduce anxiety and stress be used.

Keywords: Keywords: Athletes, Eliteathletes, Coaches, Attitude, Sport psychology.

Procedia PDF Downloads 343

Authors: Liudmila Garzanova, Lidia Ananyeva, Olga Koneva, Olga Ovsyannikova, Oxana Desinova, Mayya Starovoytova, Rushana Shayahmetova, Anna Khelkovskaya-Sergeeva

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Objectives: The duration of the disease could be one of the leading factors in the effectiveness of therapy in systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim of the study was to assess how the duration of the disease affects the changes of lung function in patients(pts) with interstitial lung disease (ILD) associated with SSc during long-term RTX therapy. Methods: We prospectively included 113pts with SSc in this study. 85% of pts were female. Mean age was 48.1±13years. The diffuse cutaneous subset of the disease had 62pts, limited–40, overlap–11. The mean disease duration was 6.1±5.4years. Pts were divided into 2 groups depending on the disease duration - group 1 (less than 5 years-63pts) and group 2 (more than 5 years-50 pts). All pts received prednisolone at mean dose of 11.5±4.6 mg/day and 53 of them - immunosuppressants at inclusion. The parameters were evaluated over the periods: at baseline (point 0), 13±2.3mo (point 1), 42±14mo (point 2) and 79±6.5mo (point 3) after initiation of RTX therapy. Cumulative mean dose of RTX in group 1 at point 1 was 1.7±0.6 g, at point 2 = 3.3±1.5g, at point 3 = 3.9±2.3g; in group 2 at point 1 = 1.6±0.6g, at point 2 = 2.7±1.5 g, at point 3 = 3.7±2.6 g. The results are presented in the form of mean values, delta(Δ), median(me), upper and lower quartile. Results. There was a significant increase of forced vital capacity % predicted (FVC) in both groups, but at points 1 and 2 the improvement was more significant in group 1. In group 2, an improvement of FVC was noted with a longer follow-up. Diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide % predicted (DLCO) remained stable at point 1, and then significantly improved by the 3rd year of RTX therapy in both groups. In group 1 at point 1: ΔFVC was 4.7 (me=4; [-1.8;12.3])%, ΔDLCO = -1.2 (me=-0.3; [-5.3;3.6])%, at point 2: ΔFVC = 9.4 (me=7.1; [1;16])%, ΔDLCO =3.7 (me=4.6; [-4.8;10])%, at point 3: ΔFVC = 13 (me=13.4; [2.3;25.8])%, ΔDLCO = 2.3 (me=1.6; [-5.6;11.5])%. In group 2 at point 1: ΔFVC = 3.4 (me=2.3; [-0.8;7.9])%, ΔDLCO = 1.5 (me=1.5; [-1.9;4.9])%; at point 2: ΔFVC = 7.6 (me=8.2; [0;12.6])%, ΔDLCO = 3.5 (me=0.7; [-1.6;10.7]) %; at point 3: ΔFVC = 13.2 (me=10.4; [2.8;15.4])%, ΔDLCO = 3.6 (me=1.7; [-2.4;9.2])%. Conclusion: Patients with an early SSc have more quick response to RTX therapy already in 1 year of follow-up. Patients with a disease duration more than 5 years also have response to therapy, but with longer treatment. RTX is effective option for the treatment of ILD-SSc, regardless of the duration of the disease.

Keywords: interstitial lung disease, systemic sclerosis, rituximab, disease duration

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Authors: Dhara Shah, Chandrakant Shah

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Construction industry utilizes plenty of water in the name of curing. Looking at the present scenario, the days are not so far when all construction industries will have to switch over to an alternative-self curing system, not only to save water for sustainable development of the environment but also to promote indoor and outdoor construction activities even in water scarce areas. At the same time, curing is essential for the development of proper strength and durability. IS 456-2000 recommends a curing period of 7 days for ordinary Portland cement concrete, and 10 to 14 days for concrete prepared using mineral admixtures or blended cements. But, being the last act in the concreting operations, it is often neglected or not fully done. Consequently, the quality of hardened concrete suffers, more so, if the freshly laid concrete gets exposed to the environmental conditions of low humidity, high wind velocity and high ambient temperature. To avoid the adverse effects of neglected or insufficient curing, which is considered a universal phenomenon, concrete technologist and research scientists have come up with curing compounds. Concrete is said to be self-cured, if it is able to retain its water content to perform chemical reaction for the development of its strength. Curing compounds are liquids which are either incorporated in concrete or sprayed directly onto concrete surfaces and which then dry to form a relatively impermeable membrane that retards the loss of moisture from the concrete. They are an efficient and cost-effective means of curing concrete and may be applied to freshly placed concrete or that which has been partially cured by some other means. However, they may affect the bond between concrete and subsequent surface treatments. Special care in the choice of a suitable compound needs to be exercised in such circumstances. Curing compounds are generally formulated from wax emulsions, chlorinated rubbers, synthetic and natural resins, and from PVA emulsions. Their effectiveness varies quite widely, depending on the material and strength of the emulsion.

Keywords: curing methods, self-curing compound, compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, durability

Procedia PDF Downloads 327

Authors: Hannah Patricia S., Louise Margarrette R., Josking Oliver L., Denisse Katrina C., Justine Kali O.

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Aims: In the Philippines, there has been an astronomical increase in the population of elderly sent to nursing home facilities which has been studied to induce despair and loss of self-worth. Nurses in institutionalized facilities generally care for the elderly. Although supportive group therapy has been explored to mend this psychological disparity, nursing research has limited published studies about this in the institutionalized setting. Hence, the study determined the effectiveness of supportive group therapy in depression, self-esteem and quality of life among institutionalized elderly. Methodology: A one-group pre-test-post-test design was conducted among 20-purposively selected institutionalized elderly after the Ethics Research Board approval. All eligible participants underwent the supportive group therapy after being subdivided into session groups. The Geriatric Depression Scale, which has a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.90; the Rosenberg Self-Esteem, which has a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient = 0.84; and the Older People Quality of Life, which has a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient =0.88, were utilized to measure depression, self-esteem, and quality of life, respectively. Descriptive statistics and Repeated Measures-Multivariate Analysis of Variance (RM-MANOVA) analyzed gathered data. Results: Results showed that the supportive group therapy significantly decreased post-test depression scores (F(1,19)=78.69,p=0.0001,partial η2=0.805), significantly improved post-test self-esteem score (F(1,19)=28.07,p=0.0001,partial η2=0.596), and significantly increased the post-test quality of life (F(1,19)=79.73,p=0.0001,partial η2=0.808) after the intervention has been rendered. Conclusion: Supportive group therapy is effective in alleviating depression and in improving self-esteem and quality of life among institutionalized elderly and can be utilized by nursing homes as an intervention to improve the over-all psychosocial status of elderly patients.

Keywords: supportive group therapy, institutionalized elderly, depression, self-esteem, quality of life

Procedia PDF Downloads 424