Search results for: conditional proportional reversed hazard rate model

Authors: Gia Surguladze, Nino Topuria, Lily Petriashvili, Giorgi Surguladze

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Modeling of building processes of a multimodal freight transportation support information system is discussed based on modern CASE technologies. Functional efficiencies of ports in the eastern part of the Black Sea are analyzed taking into account their ecological, seasonal, resource usage parameters. By resources, we mean capacities of berths, cranes, automotive transport, as well as work crews and neighbouring airports. For the purpose of designing database of computer support system for Managerial (Logistics) function, using Object-Role Modeling (ORM) tool (NORMA – Natural ORM Architecture) is proposed, after which Entity Relationship Model (ERM) is generated in automated process. The software is developed based on Process-Oriented and Service-Oriented architecture, in Visual Studio.NET environment.

Keywords: seaport resources, business-processes, multimodal transportation, CASE technology, object-role model, entity relationship model, SOA

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Authors: Olaf Visker, Arnout De Vries, Lambert Schomaker

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Predictive policing refers to the usage of analytical techniques to identify potential criminal activity. It has been widely implemented by various police departments. Being a relatively new area of research, there are, to the author’s knowledge, no absolute tried, and true methods and they still exhibit a variety of potential problems. One of those problems is closely related to the lack of understanding of how acting on these prediction influence crime itself. The goal of law enforcement is ultimately crime reduction. As such, a policy needs to be established that best facilitates this goal. This research aims to find such a policy by using adversarial agent-based modeling in combination with modern reinforcement learning techniques. It is presented here that a baseline model for both law enforcement and criminal agents and compare their performance to their respective reinforcement models. The experiments show that our smart law enforcement model is capable of reducing crime by making more deliberate choices regarding the locations of potential criminal activity. Furthermore, it is shown that the smart criminal model presents behavior consistent with popular crime theories and outperforms the baseline model in terms of crimes committed and time to capture. It does, however, still suffer from the difficulties of capturing long term rewards and learning how to handle multiple opposing goals.

Keywords: adversarial, agent based modelling, predictive policing, reinforcement learning

Procedia PDF Downloads 152

Authors: Sharadha G., Suresh Kanakkanavar

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Background: Placenta previa is a condition characterized by partial or complete implantation of the placenta in the lower uterine segment. It is one of the main causes of vaginal bleeding in the third trimester and a significant cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Materials and Methods: This is an observational study involving 130 patients diagnosed with placenta previa and satisfying inclusion criteria. The demographic data, clinical, surgical, and treatment, along with maternal and neonatal outcome parameters, were noted in proforma. Results: The incidence of placenta previa among scarred uterus was 1.32%, and in unscarred uterus was 0.67%. The mean age of the study population was 27.12±4.426years. High parity, high abortion rate, multigravida status, and less gestational age at delivery were commonly seen in scarred uterus compared to unscarred uterus. Complete placenta previa, anterior placental position, and adherent placenta were significantly associated with a scarred uterus compared to an unscarred uterus. The rate of caesarean hysterectomy was higher in the scarred uterus, along with statistical association to previous lower-segment caesarean sections. Intraoperative procedures like uterine artery ligation, bakri balloon insertion, and iliac artery ligation were higher in the scarred group. The maternal intensive care unit admission rate was higher in the scarred group and also showed its statistical association with previous lower segment caesarean section. Neonatal outcomes in terms of pre-term birth, still birth, neonatal intensive care unit admission, and neonatal death, though higher in the scarred group, did not differ statistically among the groups. Conclusion: Advancing maternal age, multiparity, prior uterine surgeries, and abortions are independent risk factors for placenta previa. Maternal morbidity is higher in the scarred uterus group compared to the unscarred group. Neonatal outcomes did not differ statistically among the groups. This knowledge would help the obstetricians to take measures to reduce the incidence of placenta previa and scarred uterus which would improve the fetomaternal outcome of placenta previa.

Keywords: placenta previa, scarred uterus, unscarred uterus, adherent placenta

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Authors: A. Jatau, Q. Majeed, H. M. Bandiya

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The efficacy of five local spices, namely; Hot pepper (Capsicum annum L.), Black pepper (Piper guinese Schum and Thonn), Sweet basil (Occimum canum Sim), African nut-meg (Monodora myristica Dunal), and Ginger (Zingiber officianale Ross) with conventional insecticide against the D. maculatus was studied under ambient laboratory conditions. The plants were pulverized into powders and applied at the rate of 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0g per 25g of disinfected dried fish. The same amount of fish (25g) was treated with 5ml of 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 percent solution of conventional insecticide (dichlorvos) and air dried for 2hrs. Ten newly hatched 1st instar larvae (24hrs old) were introduced into each powdered smoked fish in separate beakers. Untreated control was also set up. Observation on the mortality and development were recorded daily until the larvae pupated. Each of the treated smoked fish showed significant (p<0.05) effect on the larval mortality and development when compared with the control. The Piper guinense was as efficacious as dichlorvos in killing all the larvae (100%) at all concentrations before pupation. Ocimum Canunm gave the second best results (50.00, 63.33 and 100%), while the other three spices resulted in less than 50% mortalities at all rate of application. The spice powders were also observed to have extended the larval developmental period. Thus, the spices tested can be recommended for the control of D. maculatus.

Keywords: development, dermestes maculatus, insecticide, local spices, mortality

Procedia PDF Downloads 266

Authors: Benjamin K. Ghansah, Richard K. Appoh, Iliya Nababa, Eric K. Forkuo

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The Nasia River is an important source of water for domestic and agricultural purposes to the inhabitants of its catchment. Major farming activities takes place within the floodplain of the river and its network of tributaries. The actual inundation extent of the river system is; however, unknown. Reasons for this lack of information include financial constraints and inadequate human resources as flood modelling is becoming increasingly complex by the day. Knowledge of the inundation extent will help in the assessment of risk posed by the annual flooding of the river, and help in the planning of flood recession agricultural activities. This study used a simple terrain based algorithm, Height Above Nearest Drainage (HAND), to delineate the floodplain of the Nasia River and its tributaries. The HAND model is a drainage normalized digital elevation model, which has its height reference based on the local drainage systems rather than the average mean sea level (AMSL). The underlying principle guiding the development of the HAND model is that hillslope flow paths behave differently when the reference gradient is to the local drainage network as compared to the seaward gradient. The new terrain model of the catchment was created using the NASA’s SRTM Digital Elevation Model (DEM) 30m as the only data input. Contours (HAND Contour) were then generated from the normalized DEM. Based on field flood inundation survey, historical information of flooding of the area as well as satellite images, a HAND Contour of 2m was found to best correlates with the flood inundation extent of the river and its tributaries. A percentage accuracy of 75% was obtained when the surface area created by the 2m contour was compared with surface area of the floodplain computed from a satellite image captured during the peak flooding season in September 2016. It was estimated that the flooding of the Nasia River and its tributaries created a floodplain area of 1011 km².

Keywords: digital elevation model, floodplain, HAND contour, inundation extent, Nasia River

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Authors: Jiyoung Bae, Gyoomi Kim

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This study explores a range of linguistic features used in Korean college students’ argumentative writings for the purpose of developing a model that identifies variables which predict writing proficiencies. This study investigated the latent variable structure of L2 linguistic features, including syntactic complexity, the lexical complexity, and fluency. One hundred forty-six university students in Korea participated in this study. The results of the study’s confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that indicators of linguistic features from this study-provided a foundation for re-categorizing indicators found in extant research on L2 Korean writers depending on each latent variable of linguistic features. The CFA models indicated one measurement model of L2 syntactic complexity and L2 learners’ writing proficiency; these two latent factors were correlated with each other. Based on the overall findings of the study, integrated linguistic features of L2 writings suggested some pedagogical implications in L2 writing instructions.

Keywords: linguistic features, syntactic complexity, lexical complexity, fluency

Procedia PDF Downloads 174

Authors: M. Bidi, H. Akhbari, S. Eslami, A. Bakhtiari

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Due to the high potential of solar energy utilization in Iran, development of related technologies is of great necessity. Linear parabolic collectors are among the most common and most efficient means to harness the solar energy. The main goal of this paper is design and construction of a parabolic trough collector to produce hot water and steam in Tehran. To provide precise and practical plans, 3D models of the collector under consideration were developed using Solidworks software. This collector was designed in a way that the tilt angle can be adjusted manually. To increase concentraion ratio, a small diameter absorber tube is selected and to enhance solar absorbtion, a shape of U-tube is used. One of the outstanding properties of this collector is its simple design and use of low cost metal and plastic materials in its manufacturing procedure. The collector under consideration was installed in Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran and the values of solar irradiation, ambient temperature, wind speed and collector steam production rate were measured in different days and hours of July. Results revealed that a 1×2 m parabolic trough collector located in Tehran is able to produce steam by the rate of 300ml/s under the condition of atmospheric pressure and without using a vacuum cover over the absorber tube.

Keywords: desalination, parabolic trough collector, direct steam production, solar water heater, design and construction

Procedia PDF Downloads 315

Authors: Byragondanahalli Suresh Navya, Linjer Chen, Chiu-Wen Chen, Cheng-Di Dong

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This study explores the fabrication and detailed characterization of cost-effective copper oxide (CuO)/graphene (G) nano-heterostructure photocatalyst designed for environmental remediation. Utilizing a hydrothermal synthesis method, the CuO/G nanocomposite was successfully developed. It demonstrated exceptional photocatalytic activity for degrading methylene blue (MB), a commonly used dye and model pollutant in wastewater treatment research. The optimized CuO/G nanocomposite achieved a remarkable photodegradation efficiency of 98.4% under visible light irradiation, significantly surpassing the performance of bare CuO. To understand the kinetics of the degradation process, reaction rate constants (“k”) were analyzed. The CuO/G nanocomposite exhibited a rate constant 10.8 times higher than that of bare CuO, emphasizing the role of graphene in enhancing charge carrier separation and reducing recombination. The synergy between CuO and graphene improved catalytic efficiency and increased the photocatalyst's stability and reusability. Advanced analytical techniques, including high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS), were employed to identify the intermediates formed during the MB degradation. These analyses facilitated the proposal of a comprehensive reaction pathway, shedding light on the degradation mechanism. The degradation steps involved oxidative cleavage, demethylation, and aromatic ring breakdown, ultimately leading to the mineralization of MB into simpler, less harmful by-products. The remarkable photocatalytic efficiency of the CuO/G nanocomposite can be attributed to the integration of graphene, which provides a high surface area, excellent electronic conductivity, and enhanced interaction with CuO nanoparticles. The nano-heterostructure facilitates efficient light absorption and charge transfer, thereby boosting photocatalytic activity under visible light. Additionally, the material’s low cost and straightforward synthesis method make it highly scalable and suitable for large-scale environmental applications. This study underscores the potential of CuO/G heterostructures as a robust and economical solution for wastewater treatment and other environmental remediation challenges. By addressing the growing need for clean water and sustainable pollution management technologies, the CuO/G nanocomposite represents a significant step forward in the development of advanced photocatalytic materials. Its ease of synthesis, outstanding photocatalytic performance, and environmental compatibility highlight its practical relevance and adaptability for addressing global water pollution issues.

Keywords: copper oxide, graphene, nanocomposite, methylene blue, photocatalytic, clean energy

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Authors: Aleksandr A. Gajour, Vladimir G. Merzlikin, Vladimir I. Veselov

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This paper refers to the analysis of the characteristics of industrial and lifestyle facilities heat- energy objects as a part of the thermal envelope of Earth's surface for inclusion in any database of economic forecasting. The idealized model of the Earth's surface is discussed. This model gives the opportunity to obtain the energy equivalent for each element of terrain and world ocean. Energy efficiency criterion of comfortable human existence is introduced. Dynamics of changes of this criterion offers the possibility to simulate the possible technogenic catastrophes with the spontaneous industrial development of the certain Earth areas. Calculated model with the confirmed forecast of the Gulf Stream freezing in the polar regions in 2011 due to the heat-energy balance disturbance for the oceanic subsurface oil polluted layer is given. Two opposing trends of human development under limited and unlimited amount of heat-energy resources are analyzed.

Keywords: Earth's surface, heat-energy consumption, energy criteria, technogenic catastrophes

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Authors: T. J. B. van Niekerk, J. Viviers, E. J. Cilliers

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Substantial efforts were made in South Africa, stemming from a historic political change in 1994, to remedy the inequality and injustice, resulting from a dispensation where spatial patterns were largely based on racial segregation. Spatially distorted patterns predominantly originated from colonialism in the beginning of the twentieth century, ensuing a physical imprint on South African cities relating to architecture, urban layout and planning, frequently reflecting European norms and standards. As a consequence of physical and land use barriers, and well-established dual cities, attempts to address spatial injustices, apart from limited occurrences in metropolitan areas, gravely failed. Interception of incessant segregated growth, combined with urban sprawl is becoming increasingly evident. Intervention is a prerequisite to duly address the impact of colonial planning and its legacy still prevalent in most urban areas. During 1998, the National Department of Transport prepared the “Moving South Africa” strategy; presenting the Corridor Densification Option Model for the first time, as it was deemed more fitting to the existing South African urban tenure patterns than more familiar planning approaches. Urban planners are progressively contemplating the Corridor Densification Option Model and its attributes, besides its transportation emphasis, as an alternative approach to address spatial imbalances and to attain the physical integration of contemporary urban forms. In attaining a clearer understanding of the Corridor Densification Option Model, its rationale was analysed in greater detail. This research further investigated the provisional applications of the model in spatially segregated cities and illustrated that viable options are present to effectively employ it. Research revealed that the application of the model will, however, be dependent on the occurrence of specific characteristics in spatially segregated cities to warrant augmentation thereof.

Keywords: corridor densification option model, spatially segregated settlements, integration, urban restructuring

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Authors: C. J. Coetzee, E. Horn

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One of the main challenges in using the Discrete Element Method (DEM) is to specify the correct input parameter values. In general, the models are sensitive to the input parameter values and accurate results can only be achieved if the correct values are specified. For the linear contact model, micro-parameters such as the particle density, stiffness, coefficient of friction, as well as the particle size and shape distributions are required. There is a need for a procedure to accurately calibrate these parameters before any attempt can be made to accurately model a complete bulk materials handling system. Since DEM is often used to model applications in the mining and quarrying industries, a calibration procedure was developed for materials that consist of relatively large (up to 40 mm in size) particles. A coarse crushed aggregate was used as the test material. Using a specially designed large shear box with a diameter of 590 mm, the confined Young’s modulus (bulk stiffness) and internal friction angle of the material were measured by means of the confined compression test and the direct shear test respectively. DEM models of the experimental setup were developed and the input parameter values were varied iteratively until a close correlation between the experimental and numerical results was achieved. The calibration process was validated by modelling the pull-out of an anchor from a bed of material. The model results compared well with experimental measurement.

Keywords: Discrete Element Method (DEM), calibration, shear box, anchor pull-out

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Authors: Tomoaki Hashimoto

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Recent technological advance has prompted significant interest in developing the control theory of quantum systems. Following the increasing interest in the control of quantum dynamics, this paper examines the control problem of Schrödinger equation because quantum dynamics is basically governed by Schrödinger equation. From the practical point of view, stochastic disturbances cannot be avoided in the implementation of control method for quantum systems. Thus, we consider here the robust stabilization problem of Schrödinger equation against stochastic disturbances. In this paper, we adopt model predictive control method in which control performance over a finite future is optimized with a performance index that has a moving initial and terminal time. The objective of this study is to derive the stability criterion for model predictive control of Schrödinger equation under stochastic disturbances.

Keywords: optimal control, stochastic systems, quantum systems, stabilization

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Authors: Ghodhbani Salah, Jemili Farah

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With the growth of cyber attacks, information safety has become an important issue all over the world. Many firms rely on security technologies such as intrusion detection systems (IDSs) to manage information technology security risks. IDSs are considered to be the last line of defense to secure a network and play a very important role in detecting large number of attacks. However the main problem with today’s most popular commercial IDSs is generating high volume of alerts and huge number of false positives. This drawback has become the main motivation for many research papers in IDS area. Hence, in this paper we present a data mining technique to assist network administrators to analyze and reduce false positive alarms that are produced by an IDS and increase detection accuracy. Our data mining technique is unsupervised clustering method based on hybrid ANT algorithm. This algorithm discovers clusters of intruders’ behavior without prior knowledge of a possible number of classes, then we apply K-means algorithm to improve the convergence of the ANT clustering. Experimental results on real dataset show that our proposed approach is efficient with high detection rate and low false alarm rate.

Keywords: intrusion detection system, alarm filtering, ANT class, ant clustering, intruders’ behaviors, false alarms

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Authors: Mahmoud Tarek, Alaa Obeida, Mai Magdy, Khalid Hussein, Aly Shalaby

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Background: More doctors are complaining of burnout than before, Burnout is a state of physical and mental exhaustion caused by the doctor’s lifestyle, unfortunately, Medical errors are also more likely in those suffering from burnout and these may result in malpractice suits. Methodology: It is a retrospective audit of burnout response on all neonatologists over a 9 months period. We gathered data using burnout questionnaire, it was obtained from 23 physicians, the physicians divided into 5 categories according to the final score of the 28 questions in the questionnaire. Category 1 with score from 28-38 with almost no work stress, category 2 with score (38-50) who express a low amount of job related stress, category 3 with score (51-70) with moderate amount of stress, category 4 with score (71-90) those express a high amount of job stress and begun to burnout, category 5 with score (91 and above) who are under a dangerous amount of stress and advanced stage of burnout. Results: 33 neonatologists have received the questionnaire, 23 responses were sent back with a response rate of 69.6%. The results showed that 61% of physicians fall in category 4, 31% of the physician in category 5, while 8% of physicians equally distributed between category 2 and 3 (4% each of them). On the other hand, there is no physician present in category 1. Conclusion: Burnout is prevalent in SNICUs, So interventions to minimize burnout prevalence may be of greater importance as this may be reflected indirectly on medical conditions of the patients and physicians, efforts should be done to decrease this high rate of burnout.

Keywords: Cairo, work overload, exhaustion, surgery, neonatal ICU

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Authors: Sohaibullah Zarghoon, Syed Yousaf, Cyril Belavy, Stanislav Duris, Samuel Emebu, Radek Matusu

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Induction heating is extensively employed in industrial furnaces due to its swift response and high energy efficiency. Designing and optimising these furnaces necessitates the use of computer-aided simulations. This study aims to develop an accurate temperature field model for a rectangular steel billet in an induction furnace by leveraging various parameters in COMSOL Multiphysics software. The simulation analysis incorporated temperature dynamics, considering skin depth, temperature-dependent, and constant parameters of the steel billet. The resulting data-driven model was transformed into a state-space model using MATLAB's System Identification Toolbox for the purpose of designing a linear quadratic regulator (LQR). This controller was successfully implemented to regulate the core temperature of the billet from 1000°C to 1200°C, utilizing the distributed parameter system circuit.

Keywords: induction heating, LQR controller, skin depth, temperature field

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Authors: A. Mohamed, A. El-Aziz

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The pH of the body plays a great role in the degradation kinetics of biodegradable Mg-Ca orthopedic implants. At the location of fracture, the pH of the body becomes no longer neutral which draws the attention towards studying a range of different pH values of the body fluid. In this study, the pH of Hank’s balanced salt solution (HBSS) was modified by phosphate buffers into an aggressive acidic pH 1.8, a slightly acidic pH 5.3 and an alkaline pH 8.1. The biodegradation of Mg-0.8Ca implant was tested in those three different media using immersion test and electrochemical polarization means. It was proposed that the degradation rate has increased with decreasing the pH of HBSS. The immersion test revealed weight gain for all the samples followed by weight loss as the immersion time increased. The highest weight gain was pronounced for the acidic pH 1.8 and the least weight gain was observed for the alkaline pH 8.1. This was in agreement with the electrochemical polarization test results where the degradation rate was found to be high (7.29 ± 2.2 mm/year) in the aggressive acidic solution of pH 1.8 and relatively minimum (0.31 ± 0.06 mm/year) in the alkaline medium of pH 8.1. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the pH of HBSS has reached a steady state of an alkaline pH (~pH 11) at the end of the two-month immersion period regardless of the initial pH of the solution. Finally, the corrosion products formed on the samples’ surface were investigated by SEM, EDX and XRD analyses that revealed the formation of magnesium and calcium phosphates with different morphologies according to the pH.

Keywords: biodegradable, electrochemical polarization means, orthopedics, immersion test, simulated body fluid

Procedia PDF Downloads 128

Authors: Nina Tsvetkova, Rumen Harizanov, Aleksandra Ivanova, Iskra Rainova, Nina Yancheva-Petrova, Dimitar Strashimirov, Raina Enikova, Mihaela Videnova, Eleonora Kaneva, Iskren Kaftandjiev, Viktoria Levterova, Ivan Simeonovski, Nikolay Yanev, Georgi Hinkov

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The Pneumocystis jirovecii (P. jirovecii) and protozoan of the genera Acanthamoeba, Cryptosporidium, and Toxoplasma gondii are opportunistic pathogens that can cause life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients. Aim of the study was to evaluate the coinfection rate with opportunistic protozoal agents among Bulgarian patients diagnosed with P. jirovecii pneumonia. Thirty-eight pulmonary samples were collected from 38 patients (28 HIV-infected) with P. jirovecii infection. P. jirovecii DNA was detected by real-time PCR targeting the large mitochondrial subunit ribosomal RNA gene. Acanthamoeba was determined by genus-specific conventional PCR assay. Real-time PCR for the detection of a Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium DNA fragment was used. Pneumocystis DNA was detected in all 38 specimens; 28 (73.7%) were from HIV-infected patients. Three (10,7%) of them were co-infected with T. gondii and 1 (3.6%) with Cryptosporidium. In the group of non-HIV-infected (n=10), Cryptosporidium DNA was detected in an infant (10%). Acanthamoeba DNA was not found in the tested samples. The current study showed a relatively low rate of coinfections of Cryptosporidium spp./T. gondii and P. jirovecii in the Bulgarian patients studied.

Keywords: coinfection, opportunistic protozoal agents, Pneumocystis jirovecii, pulmonary infections

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Authors: Joachim Onyike

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The Federal Government of Nigeria in 2012 came up with a new National Housing Policy; one of its major objectives was to make housing affordable to the poor. Six years down the line, this study was carried out to find out whether the poor have fared better under the new housing policy. Owerri, the capital of Imo State, was adopted as a case study to mirror the situation nationwide. The study population was made up of low-income civil servants, i.e., grade levels 1–6 in the Imo State Civil Service. The study looked at household size, household income, rental levels, house prices, costs of major building materials, land values, land tenure, the interest rate on mortgages, inflation rate, and the status of government interventions, owing to their obvious effect on housing affordability by the low-income earners. The study made use of physical observations, questionnaires, and interviews as well as library studies to elicit relevant information. Housing affordability by the subject population did not improve. It rather dropped. The study came to the conclusion that in spite of the new National Housing Policy, housing affordability by the low-income earners has not improved. The policy as it affects the poor has not been duly implemented by both Federal and State Governments.

Keywords: house prices, housing affordability, housing policy, land values, low-income earners

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Authors: Hashim Isam Jameel Al-Safi, P. Ranjan Sarukkalige

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Climate change is likely to impact the Australian continent by changing the trends of rainfall, increasing temperature, and affecting the accessibility of water quantity and quality. This study investigates the possible impacts of future climate change on the hydrological system of the Harvey River catchment in Western Australia by using the conceptual modelling approach (HBV mode). Daily observations of rainfall and temperature and the long-term monthly mean potential evapotranspiration, from six weather stations, were available for the period (1961-2015). The observed streamflow data at Clifton Park gauging station for 33 years (1983-2015) in line with the observed climate variables were used to run, calibrate and validate the HBV-model prior to the simulation process. The calibrated model was then forced with the downscaled future climate signals from a multi-model ensemble of fifteen GCMs of the CMIP3 model under three emission scenarios (A2, A1B and B1) to simulate the future runoff at the catchment outlet. Two periods were selected to represent the future climate conditions including the mid (2046-2065) and late (2080-2099) of the 21^st century. A control run, with the reference climate period (1981-2000), was used to represent the current climate status. The modelling outcomes show an evident reduction in the mean annual streamflow during the mid of this century particularly for the A1B scenario relative to the control run. Toward the end of the century, all scenarios show a relatively high reduction trends in the mean annual streamflow, especially the A1B scenario, compared to the control run. The decline in the mean annual streamflow ranged between 4-15% during the mid of the current century and 9-42% by the end of the century.

Keywords: climate change impact, Harvey catchment, HBV model, hydrological modelling, GCMs, LARS-WG

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Authors: Martin Van, Mohammed Javed, Sarah Hemington-Gorse

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Aim: Our aim was to determine the effect of size and tumor depth of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) on surgical margin clearance. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery (WCBPS), Morriston Hospital between 1 Jan 2016 – 31 July 2016. Only patients with confirmed BCC on histopathological analysis were included. Patient data including anatomical region treated, lesion size, histopathological clearance margins and histological sub-types were recorded. An independent T-test was performed determine statistical significance. Results: A total of 228 BCCs were excised in 160 patients. Eleven lesions (4.8%) were incompletely excised. The nose area had the highest rate of incomplete excision. The mean diameter of incompletely excised lesions was 11.4mm vs 11.5mm in completely excised lesions (p=0.959) and the mean histological depth of incompletely excised lesions was 4.1mm vs. 2.5mm for completely excised BCCs (p < 0.05). Conclusions: BCC tumor depth of > 4.1 mm was associated with high rate of incomplete margin clearance. Hence, in prospective patients, a BCC tumor depth (>4 mm) on tissue biopsy should alert the surgeon of potentially higher risk of incomplete excision of lesion.

Keywords: basal cell carcinoma, excision margins, plastic surgery, treatment

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Authors: Md. Jisan Ahmed, M. A. Taher

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One of the cities in Bangladesh that is developing the fastest is Narayanganj City Corporation. In 2011, the municipality of Narayanganj was transformed into a city corporation, with 27 wards combining Kadamrasul Municipality, Siddhirganj Municipality, and Narayanganj Town. It is also one of Bangladesh's most important industrial centers in Bangladesh. Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC), which has had high development growth, is also generating more solid waste on a high per-capita basis. Because of the increasing rate of population expansion, business activity, industrial development, and fast urbanization, NCC is today creating more waste than ever before. The enormous amount of solid garbage produced in NCC is currently causing air pollution, soil contamination, water pollution, drainage system blockages, and an unpleasant urban environment. The study aimed to find out the amount of solid waste produced per day in NCC by exploring the waste composition and potentiality of resource recovery from the produced solid waste. This study considered household surveys, polythene bag surveys, questionnaire surveys in commercial and industrial sectors, KIIs, FGDs, and lab tests to identify the total amount of waste generated in NCC with waste composition and potentiality for energy recovery from the generated waste. This study has explored that NCC is producing about 922 tons of solid waste per day from households, commercial activities, and industrial sectors where the existing waste collection rate by NCC authority is only about 50% of total generated waste. This study has also explored that about 75% of daily-produced solid waste is perishable with comparatively high moisture content whereas 18 % and 7% are non-perishable and hazardous. It is also explored that there is no resource recovery plant for solid waste management in NCC. On the other hand, this study has explored that the calorific value of the produced solid waste favors resource recovery like waste to electricity. The generated solid waste composition is also in favor of waste-to-biogas, and waste-to-compost fertilizer production. This study has advocated that initiatives need to develop a solid waste management plant in NCC for resource recovery from solid waste. This research may provide a quick overview of the rate of solid waste generation, its composition, and the potential for resource recovery from solid waste in Bangladesh's metropolitan regions. It can also provide information and knowledge to other trash departments in different cities and municipalities in Bangladesh.

Keywords: solid waste, waste composition, waste management, resource recovery from solid waste

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Authors: R. Al-Dujele, K. A. Cashell

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A tubular flange girder is an I-shaped steel girder with either one of both of the usual flat flange plates replaced with a hollow section. Typically, these hollow sections are either rectangular or circular in shape. Concrete filled tubular flange girders (CFTFGs) are unconventional I-shaped beams that use a hollow structural section as the top flange which is filled with concrete. The resulting section offers very high lateral torsional buckling strength and stiffness compared with conventional steel I-beams of similar depth, width and weight, typically leading to a reduction in lateral bracing requirements. This paper is focussed on investigating the ultimate capacity of concrete filled rectangular tubular flange girders (CFRTFGs). These are complex members and their behaviour is governed by a number of inter-related parameters. The FE model is developed using ABAQUS software, 3-D finite element (FE) model for simply supported CFRTFGs subjected to two point loads applied at the third-span points is built. An initial geometrical imperfection of (L/1000), as well as geometrical and material nonlinearities, are introduced into the model, where L denotes the span of the girder. In this numerical model, the concrete and steel materials are modelled using eight-node solid and four-node shell elements, respectively. In addition to the FE model, simplified analytical expressions for the flexural capacity are also proposed, and the results are compared to those from the FE analyses. The analytical expressions, which are suitable for design, are also shown to be capable of providing an accurate depiction of the bending moment capacity.

Keywords: concrete-filled rectangular tubular flange girders, ultimate capacity, confining effect, finite element analysis

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Authors: El Hassan Abba, Touria Hachi, Mhamed Khaffou, Nezha El Adel, Abdelkhalek Zraouti, Hassan ElIdrissi

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The present study has the overall objective of studying the effect of garlic and Argan oil on the growth of Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fingerlings at the Ras El Ma (Azrou) salmon farming station during the 2023 production period. The fingerlings were distributed in seven tanks at a rate of 1000 per lot. The first control tank (B0) received only the feed without additives. Tanks B1, B2, B3, and B4 received garlic as a feed additive at a rate of 1%, 1.5%, 2% and 2.5% respectively. The fingerlings in tanks B5 and B6, in addition to 2.5% garlic, received 5 and 10ml argon oil, respectively. During this two-month experiment, the weight growth of the fingerlings and the physico-chemical parameters of the water that are favorable for fry rearing (hydrogen potential, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and electrical conductivity) were monitored. The weight growth of fingerlings receiving garlic was positive (mean weight: 4.95g, 5.43g, 5.13g, and 5.06g) compared with control fingerlings (mean weight: 3.88g). The maximum average weight was obtained with 1.5% garlic (average weight: 5.43g). The addition of 5 and 10ml of argon oil to B5 and B6 resulted in a slight increase in weight for the B5 fingerlings (5.37g) compared with the B4 control fingerlings (mean weight: 5.06g) but a minor decrease for the B6 batch (4.73g). The experimental results showed that the use of these feed additives had a positive effect on growth and yield, regardless of the quantities used.

Keywords: Oncorhychus mykiss, fry, feed additive, garlic, argon oil, weight growth

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Authors: Nelson Bii, Christopher Ouma, John Odhiambo

Abstract:

Non-response is a potential source of errors in sample surveys. It introduces bias and large variance in the estimation of finite population parameters. Regression models have been recognized as one of the techniques of reducing bias and variance due to random non-response using auxiliary data. In this study, it is assumed that random non-response occurs in the survey variable in the second stage of cluster sampling, assuming full auxiliary information is available throughout. Auxiliary information is used at the estimation stage via a regression model to address the problem of random non-response. In particular, the auxiliary information is used via an improved Nadaraya-Watson kernel regression technique to compensate for random non-response. The asymptotic bias and mean squared error of the estimator proposed are derived. Besides, a simulation study conducted indicates that the proposed estimator has smaller values of the bias and smaller mean squared error values compared to existing estimators of finite population mean. The proposed estimator is also shown to have tighter confidence interval lengths at a 95% coverage rate. The results obtained in this study are useful, for instance, in choosing efficient estimators of the finite population mean in demographic sample surveys.

Keywords: mean squared error, random non-response, two-stage cluster sampling, confidence interval lengths

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Authors: Suraina Sulong

Abstract:

Keyboard support is one of the main accessibility requirements for web pages and web applications for blind user. But it is not sufficient that the blind user can perform all actions on the page using the keyboard. In addition, designers of web sites or web applications have to make sure that keyboard users can use their pages with acceptable performance. We present GOMS models for navigation in web pages with specific task given to the blind user to accomplish. These models can be used to construct the user model for accessible website.

Keywords: GOMS analysis, usability factor, blind user, human computer interaction

Procedia PDF Downloads 154

Authors: Vladimir A. Todiras

Abstract:

Spatio-temporal models provide new possibilities for real-time action in pest risk analysis. It should be noted that estimation of the possibility and probability of introduction of a pest and of its economic consequences involves many uncertainties. We present a new mapping technique that assesses pest invasion risk using online BioClass software. BioClass is a GIS tool designed to solve multiple-criteria classification and optimization problems based on fuzzy logic and level set methods. This research describes a method for predicting the potential establishment and spread of a plant pest into new areas using a case study: corn rootworm (Diabrotica spp.), tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta) and plum fruit moth (Grapholita funebrana). Our study demonstrated that in BioClass we can combine fuzzy logic and geographic information systems with knowledge of pest biology and environmental data to derive new information for decision making. Pests are sensitive to a warming climate, as temperature greatly affects their survival and reproductive rate and capacity. Changes have been observed in the distribution, frequency and severity of outbreaks of Helicoverpa armigera on tomato. BioClass has demonstrated to be a powerful tool for applying dynamic models and map the potential future distribution of a species, enable resource to make decisions about dangerous and invasive species management and control.

Keywords: classification, model, pest, risk

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Authors: Anwar Hasan Abdullah Othman, Ahamed Kameel, Hasanuddeen Abdul Aziz

Abstract:

In this study, an attempt has been made to investigate the relationship specifically the causal relation between fund unit prices of Islamic equity unit trust fund which measure by fund NAV and the selected macro-economic variables of Malaysian economy by using VECM causality test and Granger causality test. Monthly data has been used from Jan, 2006 to Dec, 2012 for all the variables. The findings of the study showed that industrial production index, political election and financial crisis are the only variables having unidirectional causal relationship with fund unit price. However, the global oil prices is having bidirectional causality with fund NAV. Thus, it is concluded that the equity unit trust fund industry in Malaysia is an inefficient market with respect to the industrial production index, global oil prices, political election and financial crisis. However, the market is approaching towards informational efficiency at least with respect to four macroeconomic variables, treasury bill rate, money supply, foreign exchange rate and corruption index.

Keywords: fund unit price, unit trust industry, Malaysia, macroeconomic variables, causality

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Authors: Feng Tao, Han Ye, Shaoyi Liao

Abstract:

City constructions collapse after earthquake and people will be buried under ruins. Search and rescue should be conducted as soon as possible to save them. Therefore, according to the complicated environment, irregular aftershocks and rescue allow of no delay, a kind of target localization method based on RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication) is proposed in this article. The target localization technology based on RSSI with the features of low cost and low complexity has been widely applied to nodes localization in WSN (Wireless Sensor Networks). Based on the theory of RSSI transmission and the environment impact to RSSI, this article conducts the experiments in five scenes, and multiple filtering algorithms are applied to original RSSI value in order to establish the signal propagation model with minimum test error respectively. Target location can be calculated from the distance, which can be estimated from signal propagation model, through improved centroid algorithm. Result shows that the localization technology based on RSSI is suitable for large-scale nodes localization. Among filtering algorithms, mixed filtering algorithm (average of average, median and Gaussian filtering) performs better than any other single filtering algorithm, and by using the signal propagation model, the minimum error of distance between known nodes and target node in the five scene is about 3.06m.

Keywords: signal propagation model, centroid algorithm, localization, mixed filtering, RSSI

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Authors: S. Dey, T. Mukhopadhyay, S. Adhikari

Abstract:

This paper presents an exhaustive comparative investigation on sampling techniques of polynomial regression model based stochastic natural frequency of composite plates. Both individual and combined variations of input parameters are considered to map the computational time and accuracy of each modelling techniques. The finite element formulation of composites is capable to deal with both correlated and uncorrelated random input variables such as fibre parameters and material properties. The results obtained by Polynomial regression (PR) using different sampling techniques are compared. Depending on the suitability of sampling techniques such as 2k Factorial designs, Central composite design, A-Optimal design, I-Optimal, D-Optimal, Taguchi’s orthogonal array design, Box-Behnken design, Latin hypercube sampling, sobol sequence are illustrated. Statistical analysis of the first three natural frequencies is presented to compare the results and its performance.

Keywords: composite plate, natural frequency, polynomial regression model, sampling technique, uncertainty quantification

Procedia PDF Downloads 516

Authors: India Sanders, Jeffrey Sherman

Abstract:

Colorism has been a persistent and ingrained issue in the history of the United States, with far-reaching consequences that continue to affect various aspects of daily life, institutional policies, public spaces, economic structures, and social norms. This complex problem has had a particularly profound impact on the African-American community, shaping how they are perceived and treated within society at large. The prevalence of negative stereotypes surrounding African Americans can lead to severe repercussions such as discrimination and mental health disparities. The effects of such biases can also materialize in diverse forms, impacting the well-being and livelihoods of individuals within this community. Current research has examined how people from different racial groups perceive different skin tones of Black people, looking at the cognitive processes that manifest through categorization and stereotypes. Additionally, studies observed consequences related to colorism and how it directly affects those with darker versus lighter skin tones. However, not much research has been conducted on the influence of stereotypes associated with various skin tones. In the present study, it is hypothesized that participants in Group A will rate positive stereotypes associated with lighter skin tones significantly higher than positive stereotypes associated with darker skin tones. It is also hypothesized that participants in Group B will rate negative stereotypes associated with darker skin tones significantly higher than negative stereotypes associated with lighter skin tones. For this study, a quantitative study on stereotypes of skin tone representation within the African-American community will be conducted. Participants will rate the accuracy of various visual representations within mass media of African Americans with light skin tones and dark skin tones using a Likert scale. Participants will also be provided a questionnaire further examining the perception of stereotypes and how this affects their interactions with African Americans with lighter versus darker skin tones. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of skin tone portrayals on African Americans, including associated stereotypes and societal perceptions. It is expected that participants will more likely associate negative stereotypes with African Americans who have darker skin tones, as this is a common and reinforced viewpoint in the cultural and social system.

Keywords: colorism, discrimination, racism, stereotype

Procedia PDF Downloads 72