Search results for: building penetration loss

Authors: Nada Mohamed, Abdel Aziz Mohamed

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Climate change in coastal areas is a global issue that can be felt on local scale and will be around for decades and centuries to come to an end; it also has critical risks on the city’s economy, communities, and the natural environment. One of these changes that cause a huge risk on coastal cities is the sea level rise (SLR). SLR is a result of scarcity and reduction in global environmental system. The main cause of climate change and global warming is the countries with high development index (HDI) as Japan and Germany while the medium and low HDI countries as Egypt does not have enough awareness and advanced tactics to adapt with this changes that destroy urban areas and cause loss in land and economy. This is why Climate Resilience is one of the UN sustainable development goals 2030, which is calling for actions to strengthen climate change resilience through mitigation and adaptation. For many reasons, adaptation has received less attention than mitigation and it is only recently that adaptation has become a focal global point of attention. This adaption can be achieved through some actions such as upgrading the use and the design of the land, adjusting business and activities of people, and increasing community understanding of climate risks. To reach the adaption goals, and we have to apply a strategic pathway to Climate Resilience, which is the Urban Bioregionalism Paradigm. Resiliency has been framed as persistence, adaptation, and transformation. Climate Resilience decision support system includes a visualization platform where ecological, social, and economic information can be viewed alongside with specific geographies that's why Urban Bioregionalism is a socio-ecological system which is defined as a paradigm that has potential to help move social attitudes toward environmental understanding and deepen human-environment connections within ecological development. The research aim is to achieve an adaptive integrated urban development model throughout the analyses of tactics and strategies that can be used to adapt urban areas and coastal communities to the challenges of climate changes especially SLR and also simulation model using advanced technological software for a coastal city corridor to elaborates the suitable strategy to apply.

Keywords: climate resilience, sea level rise, SLR, coastal resilience, adaptive development simulation

Procedia PDF Downloads 133

Authors: Salsabila Meutia Meutia

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Indonesia as one of the countries that agreed to SDG's must commit to achieve this SDG's goal until the deadline of 2030. The government has tried hard to realize all the goals in the SDG’s, but there is still something that has not been achieved, especially the goal in number 4 which is to ensure that every human being has a decent and inclusive education and encourages lifelong learning opportunities for everyone. Teenagers who are the golden generation for Indonesia are starting to feel dependent on Youtube. The addictive virus of teenagers about using YouTube is both good news and bad news for the sustainability of government programs in achieving goals in SDG’s, especially in term of education. One popular YouTube channel among high school teenagers is Nihongo Mantappu which has 1.8 million followers. This channel contains interesting but quality content that can have a positive influence for the audience. This research was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the Nihongo Mantappu channel on Youtube as a means of fostering enthusiasm and awareness of learning in tenth graders of SMA Muhammadiyah 10 GKB, as well as how it affected in achieving quality educational goals as an effort to succeed in the Sustainable Development Goals of 2030. The objectives of this study were carried out with distributing questionnaires to tenth graders of SMA Muhammadiyah 10 GKB and observing objects in the real life. Then the data obtained are analyzed and described properly so that this research is a descriptive study. The results of the study mentioned that YouTube as one of the websites for viewing and sharing videos is a very effective media for disseminating information, especially among teenagers. The Nihongo Mantappu channel is also considered to be a very effective channel in building enthusiasm and awareness of learning in tenth graders of SMA Muhammadiyah 10 GKB. Students as the main subject of education have a great influence on the achievement of one of SDG’s fourth goals, named quality education. Students who are always on fire in the spirit and awareness of learning will greatly help the achievement of quality education goals in the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Keywords: Youtube, Nihongo, Mantappu, SDG's

Procedia PDF Downloads 131

Authors: Qianli Ma, Xuemin Zhao, Lingai Yao, Zhencheng Xu, Li Wang

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Heavy metal pollution accidents, frequently happened in this decade in China, severely threaten aquatic ecosystem and economy. In January 2012, a basin-scale accidental Cd pollution happened in Longjiang River in southwest China. Although water quality was recovered in short period by emergency treatment with flocculants, a large amount of contaminated cage-cultivated fish were left with the task of preventing or mitigating Cd contamination of fish. In this study, unpolluted Ctenopharyngodon idellus were fed by Cd-contaminated macrophytes for assessing the effect of Cd accumulation through food exposure, and the contaminated C. idellus were fed with Cd-free macrophytes for assessing the ability of Cd depuration. The on-site cultivation experiments were done in two sites of Lalang (S1, accidental Cd pollution originated) and Sancha (S2, a large amount of flocculants were added to accelerate Cd precipitation) in Longjiang river. Results showed that Cd content in fish muscle presented an increasing trend in the accumulation experiment. In S1, Cd content of fish muscle rose sharply from day 8 to day 18 with higher average Cd content in macrophytes and sediment, and kept in the range of 0.208-0.308 mg/kg afterward. In S2, Cd content of fish muscle rose gradually throughout the experiment and reached the maximum level of 0.285 mg/kg on day 76. The results of the depuration experiment showed that Cd content in fish muscle decreased and significant changes were observed in the first half time of the experiment. Meanwhile, fish with lower initial Cd content presented higher elimination constant. In S1, Cd content of fish significantly decreased from 0.713 to 0.304 mg/kg in 18 days and kept decreasing to 0.110 mg/kg in the end, and 84.6% of Cd content was eliminated. While in S2, there was a sharp decrease of Cd content of fish in 0-8 days from 0.355 mg/kg to 0.069 mg/kg. The total elimination percentage was 93.8% and 80.6% of which appeared in day 0-8. The elimination constant of fish in S2 was 0.03 which was higher than 0.02 in S1. Collectively, our results showed Cd could be absorbed through food exposure and accumulate in fish muscle, and the accumulated Cd in fish muscle can be excreted after isolated from the polluted food sources. This knowledge allows managers to assess health risk of Cd contaminated fish and minimize aquaculture loss when considering fish cultivation after accidental pollution.

Keywords: accidental pollution, cadmium accumulation and depuration, cage-cultivated fish, environmental management, river

Procedia PDF Downloads 251

Authors: Abdelsalam Elawwad, Mostafa Ragab, Hisham Abdel-Halim

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Leakage in sewerage system can cause groundwater and soil contamination in urban areas, especially in area with a high groundwater table. This is a serious problem in small villages in developing countries that rely on ground water as a source for irrigation and drinking purposes. In the developed countries, the recent trend in areas with low population densities is vacuum sewerage system, which is environmentally safer than conventional gravity system, protecting public health, preventing exfiltration to the ground water, very easily applied in a relatively short time and can cope with a faster expansion of the urbanized areas. The aim of this work is to assess the feasibility of using vacuum sewerage in developing country, such as Egypt. Knowledge of local conditions can determine the most suitable sewer system for a specific region. Technical, environmental and financial comparisons between conventional sewerage system and vacuum sewerage system were held using statistical analysis. Different conditions, such as population densities, geometry of area, and ground water depths were evaluated. Sample comprising of 30 Egyptian villages was selected, where a complete design for conventional sewerage system and vacuum sewerage system was done. Based on this study, it is recommended from the environmental point of view to construct the vacuum sewerage system in such villages with low population densities; however, it is not economic for all cases. From financial point of view, vacuum sewerage system was a good competitor to conventional systems in flat areas and areas with high groundwater table. The local market supplying of the construction equipment especially collection chambers will greatly affect the investment cost. Capacity building and social mobilization will also play a great role in sustainability of this system. At the end, it is noteworthy that environmental sustainability and public health are more important than the financial aspects.

Keywords: ground water, conventional system, vacuum system, statistics, cost, density, terrain

Procedia PDF Downloads 273

Authors: Swati Sundararajan, , Asit B. Samui, Prashant S. Kulkarni

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The global energy crisis has led to extensive research on alternative sources of energy. The gap between energy supply and demand can be met by thermal energy storage techniques, of which latent heat storage is most effective in the form of phase change materials (PCMs). Phase change materials utilize latent heat absorbed or released over a narrow temperature range of the material undergoing phase transformation, to store energy. The latent heat can be utilized for heating or cooling purposes. It can also be used for converting to electricity. All these actions amount to minimizing the load on electricity demand. These materials retain this property over repeated number of cycles. Different PCMs differ in the phase change temperature and the heat storage capacities. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was cross-linked to hydroxyl-terminated poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) in the presence of cross-linker, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and catalyst, dibutyltin dilaurate. Four different ratios of PEG and PDMS were reacted together, and the composition with the lowest PEG concentration resulted in the formation of a flexible solid-solid phase change membrane. The other compositions are obtained in powder form. The enthalpy values of the prepared PCMs were studied by using differential scanning calorimetry and the crystallization properties were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction and polarized optical microscopy. The incorporation of silicone moiety was expected to reduce the hydrophilic character of PEG, which was evaluated by measurement of contact angle. The membrane forming ability of this crosslinked polymer can be extended to several smart packaging, building and textile applications. The detailed synthesis, characterization and performance evaluation of the crosslinked polymer blend will be incorporated in the presentation.

Keywords: phase change materials, poly(ethylene glycol), poly(dimethyl siloxane), thermal energy storage

Procedia PDF Downloads 350

Authors: Giulia Cardoni, Francesca Fabbrii

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Living archives perform a function of social memory sharing, which contributes to building social bonds, communities, and identities. This potential lies in the ability to live archives to put together an archival function, which allows the conservation and transmission of memory with an artistic, performative and creative function linked to the present. As part of the DARE-UIA (Digital environment for collaborative alliances to regenerate urban ecosystems in middle-sized cities) project the creation of a living digital archive made it possible to create a narrative that would consolidate the cultural memory of the Darsena district of the city of Ravenna. The aim of the project is to stimulate the urban regeneration of a suburban area of a city, enhancing its cultural memory and identity heritage through digital heritage tools. The methodology used involves various digital storytelling actions necessary for the overall narrative using georeferencing systems (GIS), storymaps and 3D reconstructions for a transversal narration of historical content such as personal and institutional historical photos and to enhance the industrial archeology heritage of the neighborhood. The aim is the creation of an interactive and replicable narrative in similar contexts to the Darsena district in Ravenna. The living archive, in which all the digital contents are inserted, finds its manifestation towards the outside in the form of a museum spread throughout the neighborhood, making the contents usable on smartphones via QR codes and totems inserted on-site, creating thematic itineraries spread around the neighborhood. The construction of an interactive and engaging digital narrative has made it possible to enhance the material and immaterial heritage of the neighborhood by recreating the community that has historically always distinguished it.

Keywords: digital living archive, digital storytelling, GIS, 3D, open-air museum, urban regeneration, cultural memory

Procedia PDF Downloads 105

Authors: Daniel Wachira

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The study aims to determine factors contributing to increasing rates of DFU among DM patients attending clinics in Nyahururu County referral hospital, Lakipia County. The study objectives include;- To determine the demographic factors contributing to increased rates of DFU among DM patients, determining the sociocultural factors that contribute to increased rates of DFU among DM patients and determining the health facility factors contributing to increased rates of DFU among DM patients attending DM clinic at Nyahururu county referral hospital, Laikipia County. This study will adopt a descriptive cross-sectional study design. It involves the collection of data at a one-time point without follow-up. This method is fast and inexpensive, there is no loss to follow up as the data is collected at one time point and associations between variables can be determined. The study population includes all DM patients with or without DFU. The sampling technique that will be used is the probability sampling method, a simple random method of sampling will be used. The study will employ the use of questionnaires to collect the required information. Questionnaires will be a research administered questionnaires. The questionnaire developed was done in consultation with other research experts (supervisor) to ensure reliability. The questionnaire designed will be pre-tested by hand delivering them to a sample 10% of the sample size at J.M Kariuki Memorial hospital, Nyandarua county and thereafter collecting them dully filled followed by refining of errors to ensure it is valid for collection of data relevant for this study. Refining of errors on the questionnaires to ensure it was valid for collection of data relevant for this study. Data collection will begin after the approval of the project. Questionnaires will be administered only to the participants who met the selection criteria by the researcher and those who agreed to participate in the study to collect key information with regard to the objectives of the study. The study's authority will be obtained from the National Commission of Science and Technology and Innovation. Permission will also be obtained from the Nyahururu County referral hospital administration staff. The purpose of the study will be explained to the respondents in order to secure informed consent, and no names will be written on the questionnaires. All the information will be treated with maximum confidentiality by not disclosing who the respondent was and the information.

Keywords: diabetes, foot ulcer, social factors, hospital factors

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Authors: Abdullah Alenezi, Mane Alsudrawi, Rafat Misak

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Kuwait is faced with a potentially wide and harmful range of both natural and anthropogenic hazardous events such as dust storms, floods, fires, nuclear accidents, earthquakes, oil spills, tsunamis and other disasters. For Kuwait can be highly vulnerable to these complex environmental risks, an up-to-date and in-depth understanding of their typology, genesis, and impact on the Kuwaiti society is needed. Adequate anticipation and management of environmental crises further require a comprehensive system of decision support to the benefit of decision makers to further bridge the gap between (technical) risk understanding and public action. For that purpose, the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), intends to establish a decision support center for management of the environmental crisis in Kuwait. The center will support policy makers, stakeholders and national committees with technical information that helps them efficiently and effectively assess, monitor to manage environmental disasters using decision support tools. These tools will build on state of the art quantification and visualization techniques, such as remote sensing information, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), simulation and prediction models, early warning systems, etc. The center is conceived as a central facility which will be designed, operated and managed by KISR in coordination with national authorities and decision makers of the country. Our vision is that by 2035 the center will be recognized as a leading national source of scientific advice on national risk management in Kuwait and build unity of effort among Kuwaiti’s institutions, government agencies, public and private organizations through provision and sharing of information. The project team now focuses on capacity building through upgrading some KISR facilities manpower development, build strong collaboration with international alliance.

Keywords: decision support, environment, hazard, Kuwait

Procedia PDF Downloads 309

Authors: Prami Sengupta, Randall A. Cantrell, Tracy Johns

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A typical US household consumes more energy than households in other countries and is directly responsible for a considerable proportion of the atmospheric concentration of the greenhouse gases. This makes U.S. household a vital target group for energy conservation studies. Positive household behavior is central to residential energy conservation. However, for individuals to conserve energy they must not only know how to conserve energy but be also willing to do so. That is, a positive attitude towards residential conservation and an intention to conserve energy are two of the most important psychological determinants for energy conservation behavior. Most social science studies, to date, have studied the relationships between attitude, intention, and behavior by building upon socio-psychological theories of behavior. However, these frameworks, including the widely used Theory of Planned Behavior and Social Cognitive Theory, lack a spatial component. That is, these studies fail to capture the impact of the geographical locations of homeowners’ residences on their residential energy consumption and conservation practices. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore geospatial relationships between homeowners’ residential energy conservation-attitudes, conservation-intentions, and consumption behavior. The study analyzes residential conservation-attitudes and conservation-intentions of homeowners across 63 counties in Florida and compares it with quantifiable measures of residential energy consumption. Empirical findings revealed that the spatial distribution of high and/or low values of homeowners’ mean-score values of conservation-attitudes and conservation-intentions are more spatially clustered than would be expected if the underlying spatial processes were random. On the contrary, the spatial distribution of high and/or low values of households’ carbon footprints was found to be more spatially dispersed than assumed if the underlying spatial process were random. The study also examined the influence of potential spatial variables, such as urban or rural setting and presence of educational institutions and/or extension program, on the conservation-attitudes, intentions, and behaviors of homeowners.

Keywords: conservation-attitude, conservation-intention, geospatial analysis, residential energy consumption, spatial autocorrelation

Procedia PDF Downloads 187

Authors: Bengi Hakguder Taze, Sevcan Unluturk

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Şalak apricot (Prunus armeniaca L., cv. Şalak) is a specific variety grown in Igdir, Turkey. The fruit has distinctive properties distinguish it from other cultivars, such as its unique size, color, taste and higher water content. Drying is the widely used method for preservation of apricots. However, fresh consumption is preferred for Şalak apricot instead of drying due to its low dry matter content. Higher amounts of water in the structure and climacteric nature make the fruit sensitive against rapid quality loss during storage. Hence, alternative processing methods need to be introduced to extend the shelf life of the fresh produce. Mild heat (MH) treatment is of great interest as it can reduce the microbial load and inhibit enzymatic activities. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of mild heat treatment on the natural microflora found on Şalak apricot surfaces and some physical quality parameters of the fruit, such as color and firmness. For this purpose, apricot samples were treated at different temperatures between 40 and 60 ℃ for different periods ranging between 10 to 60 min using a temperature controlled water bath. Natural flora on the fruit surfaces was examined using standard plating technique both before and after the treatment. Moreover, any changes in color and firmness of the fruit samples were also monitored. It was found that control samples were initially containing 7.5 ± 0.32 log CFU/g of total aerobic plate count (TAPC), 5.8±0.31 log CFU/g of yeast and mold count (YMC), and 5.17 ± 0.22 log CFU/g of coliforms. The highest log reductions in TAPC and YMC were observed as 3.87-log and 5.8-log after the treatments at 60 ℃ and 50 ℃, respectively. Nevertheless, the fruit lost its characteristic aroma at temperatures above 50 ℃. Furthermore, great color changes (ΔE ˃ 6) were observed and firmness of the apricot samples was reduced at these conditions. On the other hand, MH treatment at 41 ℃ for 10 min resulted in 1.6-log and 0.91-log reductions in TAPC and YMC, respectively, with slightly noticeable changes in color (ΔE ˂ 3). In conclusion, application of temperatures higher than 50 ℃ caused undesirable changes in physical quality of Şalak apricots. Although higher microbial reductions were achieved at those temperatures, temperatures between 40 and 50°C should be further investigated considering the fruit quality parameters. Another strategy may be the use of high temperatures for short time periods not exceeding 1-5 min. Besides all, MH treatment with UV-C light irradiation can be also considered as a hurdle strategy for better inactivation results.

Keywords: color, firmness, mild heat, natural flora, physical quality, şalak apricot

Procedia PDF Downloads 135

Authors: Chuan Yang, Jing Bie, Yueh-Lung Lin, Zhong Wang

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Transportation planning is an academic integration discipline combining research and practice with the aim of mobility and accessibility improvements at both strategic-level policy-making and operational dimensions of practical planning. Transportation planning could build the linkage between traffic and social development goals, for instance, economic benefits and environmental sustainability. The transportation planning analysis and evaluation tend to apply empirical quantitative approaches with the guidance of the fundamental principles, such as efficiency, equity, safety, and sustainability. Space syntax theory has been applied in the spatial distribution of pedestrian movement or vehicle flow analysis, however rare has been written about its application in transportation planning. The correlated relationship between the variables of space syntax analysis and authentic observations have declared that the urban configurations have a significant effect on urban dynamics, for instance, land value, building density, traffic, crime. This research aims to explore the potentials of applying Space Syntax methodology to evaluate urban transportation planning through studying the effects of urban configuration on cities transportation performance. By literature review, this paper aims to discuss the effects that urban configuration with different degrees of integration and accessibility have on three elementary components of transportation planning - transportation efficiency, transportation safety, and economic agglomeration development - via intensifying and stabilising the nature movements generated by the street network. And then the potential and limits of Space Syntax theory to study the performance of urban transportation and transportation planning would be discussed in the paper. In practical terms, this research will help future research explore the effects of urban design on transportation performance, and identify which patterns of urban street networks would allow for most efficient and safe transportation performance with higher economic benefits.

Keywords: transportation planning, space syntax, economic agglomeration, transportation efficiency, transportation safety

Procedia PDF Downloads 193

Authors: Jatin Gupta, Bishakh Bhattacharya

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With the aging process, many people start suffering from the problem of weak limbs resulting in mobility disorders and loss of sensory and motor function of limbs. Wearable robotic devices are viable solutions to help people suffering from these issues by augmenting their strength. These robotic devices, popularly known as exoskeletons aides user by providing external power and controlling the dynamics so as to achieve desired motion. Present work studies a simplified dynamic model of the human gait. A four link open chain kinematic model is developed to describe the dynamics of Single Support Phase (SSP) of the human gait cycle. The dynamic model is developed integrating mathematical models of the motion of inverted and triple pendulums. Stance leg is modeled as inverted pendulum having single degree of freedom and swing leg as triple pendulum having three degrees of freedom viz. thigh, knee, and ankle joints. The kinematic model is formulated using forward kinematics approach. Lagrangian approach is used to formulate governing dynamic equation of the model. For a system of nonlinear differential equations, numerical method is employed to obtain system response. Reference trajectory is generated using human body simulator, LifeMOD. For optimal mechanical design and controller design of exoskeleton system, it is imperative to study parameter sensitivity of the system. Six different parameters viz. thigh, shank, and foot masses and lengths are varied from 85% to 115% of the original value for the present work. It is observed that hip joint of swing leg is the most sensitive and ankle joint of swing leg is the least sensitive one. Changing link lengths causes more deviation in system response than link masses. Also, shank length and thigh mass are most sensitive parameters. Finally, the present study gives an insight on different factors that should be considered while designing a lower extremity exoskeleton.

Keywords: lower limb exoskeleton, multibody dynamics, energy based formulation, optimal design

Procedia PDF Downloads 198

Authors: Yung-Gi Chen, Pei-Leun Kang, Yu-Hsin Lin, Shwu-Jen Chang

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Myocardial tissue has limited self-repair ability due to its loss of differentiation characteristic for most mature cardiomyocytes. Therefore, the effective use of stem cell technology in regenerative medicine is an important development to alleviate the current difficulties in cardiac disease treatment. The main purpose of this project was to develop a 3-D hydrogel electrical stimulating system for promoting the differentiation of stem cells into myocardial cells, and the patch will be used to repair damaged myocardial tissue. This project was focused on the preparation of the electrical stimulation system with carbon/CaCl₂ electrodes covered with carbon nanotube-hydrogel. In this study, we utilized screen imprinting techniques and used Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)(PLGA) membranes as printing substrates to fabricate a carbon/CaCl₂ interdigitated electrode that covered with alginate/carbon nanotube hydrogels. The single-walled carbon nanotube was added in the hydrogel to enhance the mechanical strength and conductivity of hydrogel. In this study, we used PLGA (85:15) as electrode preparing substrate. The CaCl₂/ EtOH solution (80% w/v) was mixed into carbon paste to prepare various concentration calcium-containing carbon paste (2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10% v/v). Different concentrations of alginate (1%, 1.5%, 2% v/v) and SWCNT(Diameter < 2nm, length between 5-15μm) (1, 1.5, 3 mg/ml) are gently immobilized on the electrode by cross-linking with calcium chloride. The three-dimensional hydrogel electrode was tested for its redox efficiency by cyclic voltammetry to determine the optimal parameters for the hydrogel electrode preparation. From the result of the final electrodes, it indicated that the electrode was not easy to maintain the pattern of the interdigitated electrode when the concentration of calcium of chloride was more than 10%. According to the gel rate test and cyclic voltammetry experiment results showed the SWCNT could increase the electron conduction of hydrogel electrodes significantly. So far the 3D electrode system has been completed, 2% alginate mixed with 3mg SWCNT is the optimal condition to construct the most complete structure for the hydrogel preparation.

Keywords: myocardial tissue engineering, screen printing technology, poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid), alginate, single walled carbon nanotube

Procedia PDF Downloads 109

Authors: Altilio Rosa, Chirico Francesco, Foglia Goffredo

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In recent years, the number of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has significantly increased. The rapid development of commercial and recreational drones makes them an important part of our society. Despite the growing list of their applications, these vehicles pose a huge threat to civil and military installations: detection, classification and neutralization of such flying objects become an urgent need. Radar is an effective remote sensing tool for detecting and tracking flying objects, but scenarios characterized by the presence of a high number of tracks related to flying birds make especially challenging the drone detection task: operator PPI is cluttered with a huge number of potential threats and his reaction time can be severely affected. Flying birds compared to UAVs show similar velocity, RADAR cross-section and, in general, similar characteristics. Building from the absence of a single feature that is able to distinguish UAVs and birds, this paper uses a multiple features approach where an original feature selection technique is developed to feed binary classifiers trained to distinguish birds and UAVs. RADAR tracks acquired on the field and related to different UAVs and birds performing various trajectories were used to extract specifically designed target movement-related features based on velocity, trajectory and signal strength. An optimization strategy based on a genetic algorithm is also introduced to select the optimal subset of features and to estimate the performance of several classification algorithms (Neural network, SVM, Logistic regression…) both in terms of the number of selected features and misclassification error. Results show that the proposed methods are able to reduce the dimension of the data space and to remove almost all non-drone false targets with a suitable classification accuracy (higher than 95%).

Keywords: birds, classification, machine learning, UAVs

Procedia PDF Downloads 215

Authors: Athanasios A. Gavrilidis, Mihai R. Nita, Larissa N. Stoia, Diana A. Onose

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Contemporary global environmental challenges must be primarily addressed at local levels. Cities are under continuous pressure as they must ensure high quality of life levels for their citizens and at the same time to adapt and address specific environmental issues. Innovative solutions using natural features or mimicking natural systems are endorsed by the scientific community as efficient approaches for both mitigating climate change effects and the decrease of environmental quality and for maintaining high standards of living for urban dwellers. The aim of this study was to assess whether Romanian cities’ authorities are considering nature-based innovation as solutions for their planning, management, and environmental issues. Data were gathered by applying 140 questionnaires to urban authorities throughout the country. The questionnaire was designed for assessinglocal policy makers’ perspective over the efficiency of nature-based innovations as a tool to address specific challenges. It also focused on extracting data about financing sources and challenges they must overcome for adopting nature-based approaches. The gather results from the municipalities participating in our study were statistically processed, and they revealed that Romanian city managers acknowledge the benefits of nature-based innovations, but investments in this sector are not on top of their priorities. More than 90% of the selected cities have agreed that in the last 10 years, their major concern was to expand the grey infrastructure (roads and public amenities) using traditional approaches. When asked how they would react if faced with different socio-economic and environmental challenges, local urban managers indicated investments nature-based solutions as a priority only in case of biodiversity loss and extreme weather, while for other 14 proposed scenarios, they would embrace the business-as-usual approach. Our study indicates that while new concepts of sustainable urban planning emerge within the scientific community, local authorities need more time to understand and implement them. Without the proper knowledge, personnel, policies, or dedicated budgets, local administrators will not embrace nature-based innovations as solutions for their challenges.

Keywords: nature based innovations, perception analysis, policy making, urban planning

Procedia PDF Downloads 168

Authors: David Obafemi Adebayo

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An occupational challenge has been identified as one of the factors that could cripple set goals and life ambitions of an Internally Displaced Person (IDP). The main thrust of this study is therefore, explore the use of life support/adjustment strategy with a view to repositioning these internally displaced persons in Nigeria in revamping their goals and achieving their life-long ambitions. The study intends to investigate whether there exist, on the basis of gender, religion, years of working experience and educational qualification any significant difference in the occupational challenges and adjustment strategies of IDPs. The study being descriptive of survey type adopted a multi-stage sampling technique to select the minimum of 400 internally displaced persons from IDP camps in Yimitu Village, Waru District in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The research instrument used for the study was a researcher-designed questionnaire entitled “Questionnaire on Occupational Challenges and Adjustment Strategy of Internally Displaced Persons (QOCASIDPs)”. Eight null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 alpha levels of significance. Frequency counts and percentages, means and rank order, t-test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) (where applicable) were employed to analyze the data. The Study determined whether occupational challenges of internally displaced persons included loss of employment, vocational discrimination, marginalization by employers of labour, isolation due to joblessness, lack of occupational freedom, which were found to be true. The results were discussed in line with the findings. The study established the place of notable adjustment strategies adopted by internally displaced person like engaging in petty trading, sourcing soft loans from NGOs, setting up small-scale businesses in groups, acquiring new skills, engaging in further education, among others. The study established that there was no significant difference in the occupational challenges of IDPs on the basis of years of working experience and highest educational qualifications, though there was significant difference on the basis of gender as well as religion. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were made.

Keywords: internally displaced persons, occupational challenges, adjustment strategies, Abuja-Nigeria

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Authors: Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, Anu Rani Sharma, Kamna Sachdeva

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Every year, fog formation over the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGPs) of Indian region during the winter months of December and January is believed to create numerous hazards, inconvenience, and economic loss to the inhabitants of this densely populated region of Indian subcontinent. The aim of the paper is to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of winter fog over IGPs. Long term ground observations of visibility and other meteorological parameters (1971-2010) have been analyzed to understand the formation of fog phenomena and its relevance during the peak winter months of January and December over IGP of India. In order to examine the temporal variability, time series and trend analysis were carried out by using the Mann-Kendall Statistical test. Trend analysis performed by using the Mann-Kendall test, accepts the alternate hypothesis with 95% confidence level indicating that there exists a trend. Kendall tau’s statistics showed that there exists a positive correlation between time series and fog frequency. Further, the Theil and Sen’s median slope estimate showed that the magnitude of trend is positive. Magnitude is higher during January compared to December for the entire IGP except in December when it is high over the western IGP. Decade wise time series analysis revealed that there has been continuous increase in fog days. The net overall increase of 99 % was observed over IGP in last four decades. Diurnal variability and average daily persistence were computed by using descriptive statistical techniques. Geo-statistical analysis of fog was carried out to understand the spatial variability of fog. Geo-statistical analysis of fog revealed that IGP is a high fog prone zone with fog occurrence frequency of more than 66% days during the study period. Diurnal variability indicates the peak occurrence of fog is between 06:00 and 10:00 local time and average daily fog persistence extends to 5 to 7 hours during the peak winter season. The results would offer a new perspective to take proactive measures in reducing the irreparable damage that could be caused due to changing trends of fog.

Keywords: fog, climatology, Mann-Kendall test, trend analysis, spatial variability, temporal variability, visibility

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Authors: Larry O. Awo, George N. Duru

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There are growing public and mental health concerns over the availability of gambling platforms and shops in Nigeria and the high level of youth involvement in gambling. Early theorizing maintained that gambling involvement was driven by a quest for resource gains. However, evidence shows that the economic model of gambling tends to explain the involvement of the gambling business owners (sport lottery operators: SLOs) as most gamblers lose more than they win. This loss, according to the law of effect, ought to discourage decisions to gamble. However, the quest to recover losses has often initiated prolonged gambling sessions. Therefore, the need to investigate mental contemplations (such as counterfactual reasoning (upward versus downward) of what “would, should, or could” have been, and feeling of the illusion of control; IOC) over gambling outcomes as risk or protective factors in gambling decisions became pertinent. The present study sought to understand the differential contributions and conditional effects of upward versus downward counterfactual reasoning as pathways through which the association between IOC and gambling decisions of Nigerian youths (N = 120, mean age = 18.05, SD = 3.81) could be explained. The study adopted a randomized group design, and data were obtained by means of stimulus material (the Gambling Episode; GE) and self-report measures of IOC and Gambling Decision. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) result showed that participants in the upward counterfactual reasoning group (M = 22.08) differed from their colleagues in the downward counterfactual reasoning group (M = 17.33) on the decision to gamble, and this difference was significant [F(1,112) = 23, P < .01]. HAYES PROCESS macro moderation analysis results showed that 1) IOC and upward counterfactual reasoning were positively associated with the decision to gamble (B = 14.21, t = 6.10, p < .01 and B = 7.22, t = 2.07, p <.05, respectively), 2) downward counterfactual reasoning was negatively associated with the decision to gamble more to recover losses (B = 10.03, t = 3.21, p < .01), 3) upward counterfactual reasoning did not moderate the association between IOC and gambling decision (p > .05), and 4) downward counterfactual reasoning negatively moderated the association between IOC and gambling decision (B = 07, t = 2.18, p < .05) such that the association was strong at the low level of downward counterfactual, but wane at high levels of downward counterfactual reasoning. The implication of these findings is that IOC and upward counterfactual reasoning were risk factors and promoted gambling behavior, while downward counterfactual reasoning protects individuals from gambling activities. Thus, it is concluded that downward counterfactual reasoning strategies should be included in gambling therapy and treatment packages as it could diminish feelings of both IOC and negative feelings of missed positive outcomes and the urge to gamble.

Keywords: counterfactual reasoning, gambling cognition, gambling decision, Nigeria, youths

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Authors: Ruth Nsibirano

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Online mode of delivery in higher institutions of learning, popularly known in some circles as e-Learning or distance education is a new phenomenon that is steadily taking root in African universities but specifically at Makerere University. For slightly over a decade, the Department of Open and Distance Learning has been offering the first generation mode of distance education. In this, learning and teaching experiences were based on the use of hard copy materials circulated through postal services in a rather correspondence mode. There were more challenges to this including high dropout rates, limited support to the learners and sustainability issues. Fortunately, the Department was supported by the Norwegian Government through a NORHED grant to “leapfrog” to the fifth generation of distance education that makes more use of educational technologies and tools. The capacity of faculty staff was gradually enhanced through a series of training to handle the upgraded structure of fifth generation distance education. The trained staff was then tasked to develop modules befitting an online delivery mode, for use on the program. This paper will present attitudes, experiences of the course writers with a view of sharing the good practices that enabled them leap from e-faculty trainees to distinct online course writers. This perspective will hopefully serve as building blocks to enhance the capacity of other upcoming distance education programs in low capacity universities and also promote the uptake of e-Education on the continent and beyond. Methodologically the findings were collected through individual interviews with the 30 course writers. In addition, semi structured questionnaires were designed to collect data on the profile, challenges and lessons from the writers. Findings show that the attitudes of course writers on project supported activities are so much tagged to the returns from their committed efforts. In conclusion, therefore, it is strategically useful to assess and selectively choose which individual to nominate for involvement at the initial stages.

Keywords: distance education, online course content, staff attitudes, best practices in online learning

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Authors: Evrim Colak, Andriy E. Serebryannikov, Thore Magath, Ekmel Ozbay

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Single beam deflection and unidirectional transmission are examined for oblique incidence in a Photonic Crystal (PC) structure which employs defect layer instead of surface corrugations at the interfaces. In all of the studied cases, the defect layer is placed such that the symmetry is broken. Two types of deflection are observed depending on whether the zeroth order is coupled or not. These two scenarios can be distinguished from each other by considering the simulated field distribution in PC. In the first deflection type, Floquet-Bloch mode enables zeroth order coupling. The energy of the zeroth order is redistributed between the diffraction orders at the defect layer, providing deflection. In the second type, when zeroth order is not coupled, strong diffractions cause blazing and the evanescent waves deliver energy to higher order diffraction modes. Simulated isofrequency contours can be utilized to estimate the coupling behavior. The defect layer is placed at varying rows, preserving the asymmetry of PC while evancescent waves can still couple to higher order modes. Even for deeply buried defect layer, asymmetric transmission and beam deflection are still encountered when the zeroth order is not coupled. We assume ε=11.4 (refractive index close to that of GaAs and Si) for the PC rods. A possible operation wavelength can be within microwave and infrared range. Since the suggested material is low loss, the structure can be scaled down to operate higher frequencies. Thus, a sample operation wavelength is selected as 1.5μm. Although the structure employs no surface corrugations transmission value T≈0.97 can be achieved by means of diffraction order m=-1. Moreover, utilizing an extra line defect, T value can be increased upto 0.99, under oblique incidence even if the line defect layer is deeply embedded in the photonic crystal. The latter configuration can be used to obtain deflection in one frequency range and can also be utilized for the realization of another functionality like defect-mode wave guiding in another frequency range but still using the same structure.

Keywords: asymmetric transmission, beam deflection, blazing, bi-directional splitting, defect layer, dual beam splitting, Floquet-Bloch modes, isofrequency contours, line defect, oblique incidence, photonic crystal, unidirectionality

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Authors: Husham Bayazed

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Purpose of presentation: Pregnancy represents the most important period for the conservation of the species. The immune system is one of the most important systems protecting the mother against the environment and preventing damage to the fetus. This presentation aims to review and discuss the role of the immune system during pregnancy, the evolutionary inflammatory process through pregnancy, infectious and environmental exposure influences on the mother and the fetus, and the impacts of sexual dimorphism of the placenta on offspring susceptibility to different disorders. Recent Findings: In 1960, Peter Medawar (Nobel Prize Winner) proposed that the fetus, a semi-allograft, is similar to a tissue graft that escapes rejection through a mechanism involving systemic immune suppression (Graft –Host response). However, recent researchers and studies have documented that implantation means inflammation, and the inflammatory process is considered a breach of tolerance in pregnancy with immune induction, which is necessary for the protection of the mother and the fetus against infections and environmental triggers. This inflammatory process should be maintained during different pregnancy phases till parturition, and any block at any phase will be associated with pregnancy complications, including pregnancy failure or loss, miscarriage, and preterm birth subsequently. Maternal immune activation following any trigger can have a positive effect on the fetus. The old concept of the placenta being asexual is inaccurate, and being with sexual dimorphism with clear differences in susceptibility to different factors that stimulate maternal immunity. Summary: The presence of different immune cells ((i.e., T cells, B cells, NK cells, etc.) at the implantation site is considered proof of a strong maternal immune response to the fetus. Therefore, human pregnancy is considered a unique immunological paradigm requiring maternal immune modulation rather than suppression. So Medawar's postulation of maternal systemic immunosuppression is wrong. Maternal immune system activation triggered by infections, stress, diet, and pollution can have a positive effect on the fetus, with the development of fetal-trained immunity necessary for survival. The sexual dimorphism of the placenta seems to have an impact on the differences in sex susceptible to the environment maternal risk stimuli. This link to why the incidence of autism is increasing more among boys than girls.

Keywords: pregnancy, maternal immunity, implantation and inflammation, placenta sexual dimorphism

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Authors: James Ladzekpo

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Background: The urgent need to identify new pharmacological targets for diabetes treatment and prevention has been amplified by the disease's extensive impact on individuals and healthcare systems. A deeper insight into the biological underpinnings of diabetes is crucial for the creation of therapeutic strategies aimed at these biological processes. Current predictive models based on genetic variations fall short of accurately forecasting diabetes. Objectives: Our study aims to pinpoint key epigenetic factors that predispose individuals to diabetes. These factors will inform the development of an advanced predictive model that estimates diabetes risk from genetic profiles, utilizing state-of-the-art statistical and data mining methods. Methodology: We have implemented a recursive feature elimination with cross-validation using the support vector machine (SVM) approach for refined feature selection. Building on this, we developed six machine learning models, including logistic regression, k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN), Naive Bayes, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, and Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network, to evaluate their performance. Findings: The Gradient Boosting Classifier excelled, achieving a median recall of 92.17% and outstanding metrics such as area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) with a median of 68%, alongside median accuracy and precision scores of 76%. Through our machine learning analysis, we identified 31 genes significantly associated with diabetes traits, highlighting their potential as biomarkers and targets for diabetes management strategies. Conclusion: Particularly noteworthy were the Gradient Boosting Classifier and Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network, which demonstrated potential in diabetes outcome prediction. We recommend future investigations to incorporate larger cohorts and a wider array of predictive variables to enhance the models' predictive capabilities.

Keywords: diabetes, machine learning, prediction, biomarkers

Procedia PDF Downloads 52

Authors: Hyeon Sop Baek

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This paper will briefly investigate Jeong Do-jeon’s political philosophy. Jeong Do-jeon was a Korean Confucian philosopher and politician during the turbulent 14th Century who revolted against the old order, founded Joseon Dynasty, and significantly impacted the development of Korean culture. Jeong’s vision of an ideal state involved a polity that has its roots in the people -that is, an ideal government prioritizes caring for the welfare of the people, respecting and attending to the diverse opinions and concerns of the people, and relies on the genuine, voluntary support of the people. With the neo-Confucian worldview in mind -that every human being has the equal potential to become a moral person- Jeong sought to create a world suitable for everybody to contribute to the decision-making procedure and be able to realize their potential fully. This paper will first examine his works and present a quick overview of his vision of the ideal government. Then, it will examine the Confucian virtues of ren (仁) and yi (義) and how they formulate the basis of his philosophy, and then discuss the central features of his vision of government: popular mandate, equity of wealth, promoting freedom of expression and political participation, and elevating caring disposition as the paramount quality of the political leaders. Furthermore, this paper aims to analyze the element of care inherent within his political philosophy, namely his view on the dynamics of power, nurturing the people, and noncoercive justice. Finally, a discussion on why his philosophy is still relevant in the contemporary context will be provided. Jeong’s view aimed at building a sustainable model of government, by proposing that the people should be the foundation of a state and that they need to be carefully nurtured so they can realize their inborn potential and continue to contribute to the sustenance of the world, is the focal point of Jeong’s philosophy. Just as he sought to rebuild his world following the turmoils of the 14th Century, his philosophy still has a substantial implication on how we should strive to rebuild our society today.

Keywords: Korea, Confucianism, Jeong Do-jeon, Joseon, Korean philosophy, political philosophy

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Authors: Nikica Mihaljević

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Published in 2023, "Tre ciotole. Rituali per un anno di crisi" is a collection of short stories completely disconnected from one another in regard to topics and the representation of characters. However, these short stories complete and somehow continue each other in a particular way. The book happens to be Murgia's last book, as the author died a few months later after the book's publication and it appears as a kind of summary of all her previous literary works. Namely, in her previous publications, Murgia already stressed certain characters' particularities, such as solitude and alienation from others, which are at the center of attention in this literary work, too. What all the stories present in "Tre ciotole" have in common is the dealing with characters' identity and self-awareness through the challenges they confront and the way the characters live their emotions in relation to the surrounding space. Although the challenges seem similar, the spatial element around the characters is different, but it confirms each time that characters' emotions, and, consequently, their self-awareness, can be formed and built only through their connection and relation to the surrounding space. In that way, the reader creates an imaginary network of complex relations among characters in all the short stories, which gives him/her the opportunity to search for a way to break out of the usual patterns that tend to be repeated while characters focus on building self-awareness. The aim of the paper is to determine and analyze the role of spatial elements in the creation of characters' emotions and in the process of self-awareness. As the spatial element changes or gets transformed and/or substituted, in the same way, we notice the arise of the unconscious desire for self-harm in the characters, which damages their self-awareness. Namely, the characters face a crisis that they cannot control by inventing other types of crises that can be controlled. That happens to be their way of acting in order to find the way out of the identity crisis. Consequently, we expect that the results of the analysis point out the similarities in the short stories in characters' depiction as well as to show the extent to which the characters' identities depend on the surrounding space in each short story. In this way, the results will highlight the importance of spatial elements in characters' identity formation in Michela Murgia's short stories and also summarize the importance of the whole Murgia's literary opus.

Keywords: Italian literature, short stories, environment, spatial element, emotions, characters

Procedia PDF Downloads 49

Authors: Vikas Kumar

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Portable batteries are reliable source of mobile energy to power smart wearable electronics, medical devices, communications, and others internet of thing (IoT) devices. There is a continuous increase in demand for thinner, more flexible battery with high energy density and reliability to meet the requirement. For a flexible battery, factors that affect these properties are the stability of current collectors, electrode materials and their interfaces with the corrosive electrolytes. State-of-the-art conventional and flexible batteries utilise carbon as an electrode and current collectors which cause high internal resistance (~100 ohms) and limit the peak current to ~1mA. This makes them unsuitable for a wide range of applications. Replacing the carbon parts with metallic components would reduce the internal resistance (and hence reduce parasitic loss), but significantly increases the risk of corrosion due to galvanic interactions within the battery. To overcome these challenges, low cost electroplated nickel (Ni) on copper (Cu) was studied as a potential anode current collector for a zinc-manganese oxide primary battery with different concentration of NH4Cl/ZnCl2 electrolyte. Using electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), we monitored the open circuit potential (OCP) of electroplated nickel (different thicknesses) in different concentration of electrolytes to optimise the thickness of Ni coating. Our results show that electroless Ni coating suffer excessive corrosion in these electrolytes. Corrosion rates of Ni coatings for different concentrations of electrolytes have been calculated with Tafel analysis. These results suggest that for electroplated Ni, channelling and/or open porosity is a major issue, which was confirmed by morphological analysis. These channels are an easy pathway for electrolyte to penetrate thorough Ni to corrode the Ni/Cu interface completely. We further investigated the incorporation of a special printed graphene layer on Ni to provide corrosion protection in this corrosive electrolyte medium. We find that the incorporation of printed graphene layer provides the corrosion protection to the Ni and enhances the chemical bonding between the active materials and current collector and also decreases the overall internal resistance of the battery system.

Keywords: corrosion, electrical impedance spectroscopy, flexible battery, graphene, metal current collector

Procedia PDF Downloads 126

Authors: Zuoji Huang, Jinyan Sun, Chunlin Wang, Haiming Qian, Nan Xu

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The spatial extent and area of central river bars can always vary due to the impact of water level, sediment supply and human activities. In 2016, a catastrophic flood disaster caused by sustained and heavy rainfall happened in the middle and lower Yangtze River. The flood led to the most serious economic and social loss since 1954, and strongly affected the central river bar. It is essential to continuously monitor the dynamics change of central bars because it can avoid frequent field measurements in central bars before and after the flood disaster and is helpful for flood warning. This paper focused on the dynamic change of central bars of Phoenix bar and Changsha bar in the Yangtze River in 2016. In this study, GF-1 (GaoFen-1) WFV(wide field view) data was employed owing to its high temporal frequency and high spatial resolution. A simple NDWI (Normalized Difference Water Index) method was utilized for river central bar mapping. Human-checking was then performed to ensure the mapping quality. The relationship between the area of central bars and the measured water level was estimated using four mathematical models. Furthermore, a risk assessment index was proposed to map the spatial pattern of inundation risk of central bars. The results indicate a good ability of the GF-1 WFV imagery with a 16-m spatial resolution to characterize the seasonal variation of central river bars and to capture the impact of a flood disaster on the area of central bars. This paper observed a significant negative but nonlinear relationship between the water level and the area of central bars, and found that the cubic function fits best among four models (R² = 0.9839, P < 0.000001, RMSE = 0.4395). The maximum of the inundated area of central bars appeared during the rainy season on July 8, 2016, and the minimum occurred during the dry season on December 28, 2016, which are consistent with the water level measured by the hydrological station. The results derived from GF-1 data could provide a useful reference for decision-making of real-time disaster early warning and post-disaster reconstruction.

Keywords: central bars, dynamic change, water level, the Yangtze river

Procedia PDF Downloads 241

Authors: Sherif Fayez Lewis Ghaly

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up to datefacupupdated planning has the mission of designing merchandise, plant life, procedures, enterprise, regions, and the development of a up to date. The requirements for up-to-date planning and the constructing of a updated have changed in recent years. everyday restructuring is turning inupupdated greater essential up-to-date hold the competitiveness of a manufacturing facilityupdated. restrictions in new regions, shorter existence cycles of product and manufacturing generation up-to-date a VUCA global (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity & Ambiguity) up-to-date greater frequent restructuring measures inside a manufacturing facilityupdated. A virtual up-to-date model is the making plans basis for rebuilding measures and up-to-date an fundamental up-to-date. short-time period rescheduling can now not be handled through on-web site inspections and manual measurements. The tight time schedules require 3177227fc5dac36e3e5ae6cd5820dcaa making plans fashions. updated the high variation fee of facup-to-dateries defined above, a method for rescheduling facupdatedries on the idea of a modern-day digital up to datery dual is conceived and designed for sensible software in updated restructuring projects. the point of interest is on rebuild approaches. The purpose is up-to-date preserve the planning basis (virtual up-to-date model) for conversions within a up to datefacupupdated updated. This calls for the application of a methodology that reduces the deficits of present techniques. The goal is up-to-date how a digital up to datery version may be up to date up to date during ongoing up to date operation. a method up-to-date on phoup to dategrammetry technology is presented. the focus is on developing a easy and fee-powerful up to date tune the numerous adjustments that arise in a manufacturing unit constructing in the course of operation. The method is preceded with the aid of a hardware and software assessment up-to-date become aware of the most cost effective and quickest version.

Keywords: building information modeling, digital factory model, factory planning, maintenance digital factory model, photogrammetry, restructuring

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Authors: Emran M. Badghish

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Overweight and obesity have now become an epidemic around the globe, both in high-, as well as low-income regions. It is important to use preventive measures that are cost-effective. Schools are the essence of building societies and engaging them in healthy nutrition will offer a way to reach individuals at an early stage in life, with many positive and significant impacts. Aim: Provide healthy food in schools of children aged 5 to 18 years old. Methods: Distributing healthy food to a school and implementation of a star rating system for healthier foods, with five stars for the healthiest option to a half a star for the unhealthiest. The stars system was developed in Australia and should motivate children to consume the healthier nutritional options. Each canteen should be allowed a minimum of 3.5 stars rating for the food provided. Outcome Measurement: Body-mass-index as an indicator of overweight and obesity should be checked at the beginning of the study annually for five years for all children. Another side measurement is the performance by checking the grades and a questionnaire on eating habits at the start of the study and yearly. Expected Outcome: A lower health-risk behaviour and assistance to children in reaching their potentials as they will adapt to eating healthier. Nutrition during childhood has the potential to prevent obesity, type 2 diabetes, dental diseases, hypertension and, in later life, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and a variety of cancers. In Australia NSW starting from 2016 is expecting a 5% reduction of childhood overweight and obesity by 2025. As for Saudi-Arabia, it is expected to have an, even more, reduction by 2023 as a lot of our children are canteen-dependent. Conclusion: Introducing healthy food in schools is a preventative method that would have significant influence on the reduction of the prevalence of obesity in Saudi-Arabia and improves its general health.

Keywords: food, healthy, children, obesity, schools

Procedia PDF Downloads 191

Authors: Aaron Huber, Manoj Karwa

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Floods, heat waves, drought, wildfires, tornadoes and other environmental disasters are a snapshot of looming national problems that can create increasing demands on the national grid. With nearly 500,000 school buses on the road and the environmental protection agency (EPA) providing nearly $1B for electric school buses, there is a solution for this national issue. Bidirectional batteries in electric school buses enable a future proof solution to sustain the power grid during adverse environmental conditions and other periods of high demand. School buses have larger batteries than standard electric vehicles. When they are not transporting students, these buses can spend peak solar hours parked and plugged into bi-directional direct current fast chargers (DCFC). A partnership with Highland Electric, Proterra and Rhombus enabled over 7 MWh of energy servicing Massachusetts and Vermont grids. The buses were part of a vehicle to grid (V2G) program with National Grid and Green Mountain Power that can charge an average American home for one month with a single bus. V2G infrastructure enables school systems to future proof their charging strategies, strengthen their local grids and can create additional revenue streams with their EV fleets. A bidirectional ecosystem with Highland, Proterra and Rhombus can enable grid resiliency or the ability to withstand power outages caused by excessive demands, natural disasters or rogue nation's attacks with no loss of service. A fleet of school buses is a standalone resilient asset that can be accessed across a city to keep its citizens safe without having any toxic fumes. Nearly 95% of all school buses across USA are powered by diesel internal combustion engines. Diesel exhaust has been classified as a human carcinogen, and it can lead to and exacerbate respiratory conditions. Bidirectional school buses and chargers enable energy justice by providing backup power in case of emergencies or high demand for marginalized communities and aim to make energy more accessible, affordable, clean, and democratically managed.

Keywords: V2G, vehicle to grid, electric buses, eBuses, DC fast chargers, DCFC

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Authors: Aimen Saleh

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The Silurian Lower Acacus sandstone is one of the main reservoirs in North West Libya. Our aim in this study is to grasp a robust understanding of the hydrocarbon potential and distribution in the area. To date, the depositional environment of the Lower Acacus reservoir still open to discussion and contradiction. Henceforth, building three dimensional (3D) property modelling is one way to support the analysis and description of the reservoir, its properties and characterizations, so this will be of great value in this project. The 3D model integrates different data set, these incorporates well logs data, petrophysical reservoir properties and seismic data as well. The finalized depositional environment model of the Lower Acacus concludes that the area is located in a deltaic transitional depositional setting, which ranges from a wave dominated delta into tide dominated delta type. This interpretation carried out through a series of steps of model generation, core description and Formation Microresistivity Image tool (FMI) interpretation. After the analysis of the core data, the Lower Acacus layers shows a strong effect of tidal energy. Whereas these traces found imprinted in different types of sedimentary structures, for examples; presence of some crossbedding, such as herringbones structures, wavy and flaser cross beddings. In spite of recognition of some minor marine transgression events in the area, on the contrary, the coarsening upward cycles of sand and shale layers in the Lower Acacus demonstrate presence of a major regressive phase of the sea level. However, consequently, we produced a final package of this model in a complemented set of facies distribution, porosity and oil presence. And also it shows the record of the petroleum system, and the procedure of Hydrocarbon migration and accumulation. Finally, this model suggests that the area can be outlined into three main segments of hydrocarbon potential, which can be a textbook guide for future exploration and production strategies in the area.

Keywords: Acacus, Ghadames , Libya, Silurian

Procedia PDF Downloads 138