Search results for: marketing research and strategy

Authors: K. A. Adeleke

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Often in epidemiological research, introducing stratified Cox model can account for the existence of interactions of some inherent factors with some major/noticeable factors. This research work aimed at modelling correlated variables in infant mortality with the existence of some inherent factors affecting the infant survival function. An alternative semiparametric Stratified Cox model is proposed with a view to take care of multilevel factors that have interactions with others. This, however, was used as a tool to model infant mortality data from Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) with some multilevel factors (Tetanus, Polio, and Breastfeeding) having correlation with main factors (Sex, Size, and Mode of Delivery). Asymptotic properties of the estimators are also studied via simulation. The tested model via data showed good fit and performed differently depending on the levels of the interaction of the strata variable Z*. An evidence that the baseline hazard functions and regression coefficients are not the same from stratum to stratum provides a gain in information as against the usage of Cox model. Simulation result showed that the present method produced better estimates in terms of bias, lower standard errors, and or mean square errors.

Keywords: stratified Cox, semiparametric model, infant mortality, multilevel factors, cofounding variables

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Authors: Naznine Anwar, Kim Cornish, Izelle Labuschagne, Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis

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Falls and subsequent injuries are common features in symptomatic Huntington’s disease (symp-HD) individuals. As part of daily walking, navigating around obstacles may incur a greater risk of falls in symp-HD. We designed obstacle-crossing experiment to examine adaptive gait dynamics and to identify underlying spatiotemporal gait characteristics that could increase the risk of falling in symp-HD. This experiment involved navigating around one or two ground-based obstacles under two conditions (walking while navigating around one obstacle, and walking while navigating around two obstacles). A total of 32 participants were included, 16 symp-HD and 16 healthy controls with age and sex matched. We used a GAITRite electronic walkway to examine the spatiotemporal gait characteristics and inter-trail gait variability when participants walked at their preferable speed. A minimum of six trials were completed which were performed for baseline free walk and also for each and every condition during navigating around the obstacles. For analysis, we separated all walking steps into three phases as approach steps, navigating steps and recovery steps. The mean and inter-trail variability (within participant standard deviation) for each step gait variable was calculated across the six trails. We found symp-HD individuals significantly decreased their gait velocity and step length and increased step duration variability during the navigating steps and recovery steps compared with approach steps. In contrast, HC individuals showed less difference in gait velocity, step time and step length variability from baseline in both respective conditions as well as all three approaches. These findings indicate that increasing spatiotemporal gait variability may be a possible compensatory strategy that is adopted by symp-HD individuals to effectively navigate obstacles during walking. Such findings may offer benefit to clinicians in the development of strategies for HD individuals to improve functional outcomes in the home and hospital based rehabilitation program.

Keywords: Huntington’s disease, gait variables, navigating around obstacle, basal ganglia dysfunction

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Authors: Emil Aliyev

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The main focus of this conference paper is on the aspects of the environmental sustainability of onshore hydrocarbon pipelines. The latter is notorious for being a source of major environmental contamination and a consumer of vast amounts of natural resources such as water, land, steel, etc. Therefore, the environmentally sustainable operation of pipelines is a concern that requires attention and research. The geographical scope of the paper is confined to onshore hydrocarbon pipelines operated in the Middle East region. The research contains elements of originality as it draws on the author’s field experience and practical implementation of environmental and sustainability solutions in a major Middle East-based pipeline organization. The authors describe some of the most common significant environmental aspects of pipeline operations and provide examples of various approaches and technologies that can be successfully utilized to make pipelines more environmentally sustainable. The author concludes that the operation of onshore hydrocarbon pipelines can be made environmentally sustainable. This can be achieved by adopting a systematic framework, focusing limited resources on significant aspects, integrating a circular economy into day-to-day activities, and having strong management support.

Keywords: pipelines, onshore hydrocarbon pipelines, environmental sustainability, significant environmental aspects

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Authors: Tobias Bader, Joerg Rickert

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One key factor in achieving net zero emissions along the cement and concrete value chain in Europe by 2050 is the use of distinct constituents to produce improved and advanced cements. These cements will contain e.g. calcined clays, recycled concrete fines that are chemically similar as well as X-ray amorphous and therefore difficult to distinguish. This leads to enhanced requirements on the analytical methods for quality control regarding accuracy as well as reproducibility due to the more complex cement composition. With the methods currently provided for in the European standards, it will be a challenge to ensure reliable analyses of the composition of the cements. In an ongoing research project, infrared (IR) spectroscopy in combination with mathematical tools (chemometrics) is going to be evaluated as an additional analytical method with fast and low preparation effort for the characterization of silicate-based cement constituents. The resulting comprehensive database should facilitate determination of the composition of new cements. First results confirmed the applicability of near-infrared IR for the characterization of traditional silicate-based cement constituents (e.g. clinker, granulated blast furnace slag) and modern X-ray amorphous constituents (e.g. calcined clay, recycled concrete fines) as well as different sulfate species (e.g. gypsum, hemihydrate, anhydrite). A multivariant calibration model based on numerous calibration mixtures is in preparation. The final analytical concept to be developed will form the basis for establishing IR spectroscopy as a rapid analytical method for characterizing material flows of known and unknown inorganic substances according to their material properties online and offline. The underlying project was funded by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building with funds from the ‘Zukunft Bau’ research programme.

Keywords: cement, infrared spectroscopy, quality control, X-ray amorphous

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Authors: Chechen Liao, Hung Wen Shaw

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Recently, online impulse buying has been growing rapidly. It has become a major issue of concern and provided a lot of opportunities for online businesses. This study examines the effect of hedonic shopping values on hedonic motivations, and in turn affecting the urge of impulse buying. The study also explores the effects of website quality and the individual characteristics of impulsiveness on the urge of impulse buying. A total of 459 valid questionnaires were collected. Structural equation modelling was used to test the research hypothesis. This study found that adventure shopping, value shopping, and social shopping have a positive effect on hedonic motivations, which in turn positively affect the urge of impulse buying. Website quality and the individual characteristics of impulsiveness have a positive effect on the urge of impulse buying. The result of this study validates the phenomenon of online impulse buying behavior. This study also suggests that having a good website quality is the most important factor for increasing the likelihood of consumer impulse purchase. The study could serve as a basis for future research regarding online impulse buying behavior.

Keywords: hedonic motivation, hedonic shopping value, impulse buying, impulsiveness, website quality

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Authors: Keith Diamond, Tracy Collier, Ciara Sterling, Ben Kraal

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The increased frequency and intensity of disaster events in the Asia-Pacific region is likely to require organisations to better understand how their initiatives, and the support they provide to their customers, intersect with other organisations aiming to support communities in achieving disaster resilience. While there is a growing awareness that disaster response and recovery rebuild programmes need to adapt to more integrated, community-led approaches, there is often a discrepancy between how programmes intend to work and how they are collectively experienced in the community, creating undesired effects on community resilience. Following Australia’s North Queensland Monsoon Disaster of 2019, this research set out to understand and evaluate how the service and support ecosystem impacted on the local community’s experience and influenced their ability to respond and recover. The purpose of this initiative was to identify actionable, cross-sector, people-centered improvements that support communities to recover and thrive when faced with disaster. The challenge arose as a group of organisations, including utility providers, banks, insurers, and community organisations, acknowledged that improving their own services would have limited impact on community wellbeing unless the other services people need are also improved and aligned. The research applied human-centred service design methods, typically applied to single products or services, to design a new way to understand a whole-of-community journey. Phase 1 of the research conducted deep contextual interviews with residents and small business owners impacted by the North Queensland Monsoon and qualitative data was analysed to produce community journey maps that detailed how individuals navigated essential services, such as accommodation, finance, health, and community. Phase 2 conducted interviews and focus groups with frontline workers who represented industries that provided essential services to assist the community. Data from Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the research was analysed and combined to generate a systems map that visualised the positive and negative impacts that occurred across the disaster response and recovery service ecosystem. Insights gained from the research has catalysed collective action to address future Australian disaster events. The case study outlines a transformative way for sectors and industries to rethink their corporate social responsibility activities towards a cross-sector partnership model that shares responsibility and approaches disaster response and recovery as a single service that can be designed to meet the needs of communities.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility, cross sector partnerships, disaster resilience, human-centred design, service design, systems change

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Authors: Muhammad Umer Zubair, Kamran Akhtar, Muhammad Arsalan Khan

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This paper is based on a research carried out on a failed slope in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase I, Islamabad. The research included determination of Soil parameters, Site Surveying and Cost Estimation. Apart from these, the use of three dimensional (3D) slope stability analysis in conjunction with two dimensional (2D) analysis was used determination of slope conditions. In addition collection of soil reports, a detailed survey was carried out to create a 3D model in Surfer 8 software. 2D cross-sections that needed to be analyzed for stability were generated from 3D model. Slope stability softwares, Rocscience Slide 6.0 and Clara-W were employed for 2D and 3D Analyses respectively which have the ability to solve complex mathematical functions. Results of the analyses were used to confirm site conditions and the threats were identified to recommend suitable remedies.The most effective remedy was suggested for slope stability after analyzing all remedies in software Slide 6 and its feasibility was determined through cost benefit analysis. This paper should be helpful to Geotechnical engineers, design engineers and the organizations working with slope stability.

Keywords: slope stability, Rocscience, Clara W., 2d analysis, 3D analysis, sensitivity analysis

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Authors: Sima Radmanesh, Nahid Radmanesh, Mohsen Yaghmoor

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The presence of large number of active rival gas companies on Persian Gulf border necessitates the adaptation and implementation of effective employee retention strategies as well as implementation of promoting loyalty and belonging strategies of specialized staffs in the South Pars gas company. Hence, this study aims at assessing the amount of organizational loyalty and explaining the effect of institutional justice on organizational justice with regard to the role of mediator variables of spirituality in the work place and organizational trust. Therefore, through reviewing the related literature, the researchers achieve a conceptual model for the effect of these factors on organizational loyalty. To this end, this model was assessed and tested through questionnaires in South Pars gas company. The research method was descriptive and correlation-structural equation modeling. The findings of the study indicated a significant relationship between the concepts addressed in the research and conceptual models were confirmed. Finally, according to the results to improve effectiveness factors affecting organizational loyalty, recommendations are provided.

Keywords: organizational loyalty, organizational trust, organizational justice, organizational spirit, oil and gas company

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Authors: Shlomit Hon-Snir, Sharon Teitler-Regev, Anabel Lifszyc Friedlander

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Tourism, one of the world's largest and fastest growing industries, exerts a major economic influence. The number of international tourists is growing every year, and the relative portion of independent (FIT) tourists is growing as well. The characteristics of independent tourists differ from those of tourists who travel in organized trips. The purpose of the research is to identify the factors that affect the individual tourist's expenses in Israel: total expenses, expenses per day, expenses per tourist, expenses per day per tourist, accommodation expenses, dining expenses and transportation expenses. Most of the research analyzed the total expenses using OLS regression. The determinants influencing expenses were divided into four groups: budget constraints, socio-demographic data, psychological characteristics and travel-related characteristics. Since the effect of each variable may change over different levels of total expenses the quantile regression (QR) theory will be applied. The current research will use data collected by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism in 2015 from individual independent tourists at the end of their visit to Israel. Preliminary results show that: At lower levels of expense, only income has a (positive) effect on total expenses, while at higher levels of expense, both income and length of stay have (positive) effects. -The effect of income on total expenses is higher for higher levels of expenses than for lower level of expenses. -The number of sites visited during the trip has a (negative) effect on tourist accommodation expenses only for tourists with a high level of total expenses. Due to the increasing share of independent tourism in Israel and around the world and due to the importance of tourism to Israel, it is very important to understand the factors that influence the expenses and behavior of independent tourists. Understanding the factors that affect independent tourists' expenses in Israel can help Israeli policymakers in their promotional efforts to attract tourism to Israel.

Keywords: independent tourist, quantile regression theory, tourism expenses, tourism

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Authors: Francesca di Donato, Sara Trucco

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Green accounting is a growing topic of interest. Indeed, nowadays, most firms affect the environment; therefore, companies are seeking the best way to disclose environmental information. Furthermore, companies are increasingly committed to improving the environment, and the topic is gaining more importance to the public, governments, and policymakers. Green accounting is a type of accounting that considers environmental costs and their impact on the financial performance of firms. Thus, the motivation of the current research is to investigate the state-of-the-art literature on the relationship between green accounting and firm performance since the birth of the topic of green accounting and to investigate gaps in the literature that represent fruitful terrain for future research. In doing so, this study provides a bibliometric literature review of existing evidence related to the link between green accounting and firm performance since 2000. The search, based on the most relevant databases for scientific journals (which are Scopus, Emerald, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Econlit), returned 1917 scientific articles. The articles were manually reviewed in order to identify only the relevant studies in the field by excluding articles with titles and abstracts out of scope. The final sample was composed of 107 articles. A content analysis was carried out on the final sample of articles; in doing so, a classification system has been proposed. Findings show the most relevant environmental costs and issues considered in previous studies and how green accounting may be linked to the financial and non-financial performance of a firm. The study also offers suggestions for future research in this domain. This study has several practical implications. Indeed, the topic of green accounting may be applied to different sectors and different types of companies. Therefore, this study may help managers to better understand the most relevant environmental information to disclose and how environmental issues may be managed to improve the performance of the firms. Moreover, the bibliometric literature review may be of interest to those stakeholders who are interested in the historical evolution of the topic.

Keywords: bibliometric literature review, firm performance, green accounting, literature review

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Authors: Masome Moeni, Roya Abedizadeh, Elham Aram, Hamid Sadeghi-Abandansari, Davood Sabour, Robert Menzel, Ali Hassanpour

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Mitochondria- targeting immunogenic cell death inducers (MT-ICD) have been designed to trigger intrinsic apoptosis signalling pathway in malignant cells and revive the antitumour immune system. MT-ICD inducers have considered to be non-specific, which can deteriorate the ability to initiate mitochondria-selective oxidative stress, causing high toxicity. Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) can be an ideal candidate as vehicles for utilizing in immunotherapy due to their biocompatibility, modifiable surface chemistry, magnetic characteristics and multi-functional applications in single platform. These types of NPs can facilitate a real time imaging which can provide an effective strategy to analyse pharmacokinetic parameters of nano-formula, including blood circulation time, targeted and controlled release at tumour microenvironment. To our knowledge, the conjugation of IONPs with MT-ICD and oxaliplatin (a chemotherapeutic agent used for the treatment of colorectal cancer) for immunotherapy have not been investigated. Herein, IONPs were generated via co-precipitation reaction at high temperatures, followed by coating the colloidal suspension with tetraethyl orthosilicate and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane to optimize their bio-compatibility, preventing aggregation and maintaining stability at physiological pH, then functionalized with (3-carboxypropyl) triphenyl phosphonium bromide for mitochondrial delivery. Analytical results demonstrated the successful process of IONPs functionalization. In particular, the colloidal particles of doped IONPs exhibited an excellent stability and dispersibility. The resultant particles were also successfully loaded with the oxaliplatin for an active mitochondrial targeting in immunotherapy, resulting in well-maintained super-paramagnetic characteristics and stable structure of the functionalized IONPs with nanoscale particle sizes.

Keywords: Immunotherapy, mitochondria, cancer, iron oxide nanoparticle

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Authors: Francesca Radice

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Domestic and sexual violence provokes, on average in Australia, one female death per week due to intimate violence behaviours. 83% of couples meet online, and intercepting domestic and sexual violence at this level would be beneficial. It has been observed that violent or coercive behaviour has been apparent from initial conversations on dating apps like Tinder. Child pornography, stalking, and coercive control are some criminal offences from dating apps, including women murdered after finding partners through Tinder. Police databases and predictive policing are novel approaches taken to prevent crime before harm is done. This research will investigate how police databases can be used in a privacy-preserving way to characterise users in terms of their potential for violent crime. Using the COPS database of NSW Police, we will explore how the past criminal record can be interpreted to yield a category of potential danger for each dating app user. It is up to the judgement of each subscriber on what degree of the potential danger they are prepared to enter into. Sentiment analysis is an area where research into natural language processing has made great progress over the last decade. This research will investigate how sentiment analysis can be used to interpret interchanges between dating app users to detect manipulative or coercive sentiments. These can be used to alert law enforcement if continued for a defined number of communications. One of the potential problems of this approach is the potential prejudice a categorisation can cause. Another drawback is the possibility of misinterpreting communications and involving law enforcement without reason. The approach will be thoroughly tested with cross-checks by human readers who verify both the level of danger predicted by the interpretation of the criminal record and the sentiment detected from personal messages. Even if only a few violent crimes can be prevented, the approach will have a tangible value for real people.

Keywords: sentiment analysis, data mining, predictive policing, virtual manipulation

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Authors: Anocha Rojanapanich

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This research investigates the effect of financial accounting information and non-financial accounting reports on corporate credibility via strength of board of directors and market environment volatility as moderating effect. Data in this research is collected by questionnaire form non-financial companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Multiple regression statistic technique is used for analyzing the data. Results find that firms with greater financial accounting information reports and non-financial accounting information reports will gain greater corporate credibility. Therefore, the corporate reporting has the value for the firms. Moreover, the strength of board of directors will positively moderate the financial and non-financial accounting information reports and corporate credibility relationship. And market environment volatility will negatively moderate the financial and nonfinancial accounting information reports and corporate credibility relationship and the contribution of accounting information reports on corporate credibility is generated to the corporate image. That is the corporate image has affected by corporate credibility.

Keywords: corporate credibility, financial and non-financial reports, firms performance, corporate image

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Authors: Kgopa Bontle, Tholen Sodi

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Climate change poses a major threat to the well-being of both people and the environment, with subsistence farmers most affected as they rely on local supply systems that are sensitive to climate variation. This study documented psychological resilience factors associated with climate change adaptations by subsistence farmers in Maruleng Municipality, Limpopo Province. A qualitative study was conducted to examine the notions of climate change by subsistence farmers, the psychological resilience factors, the strategies to cope with climate change, adaptation methods, and the development of subsistence farmers’ psychological resilience factors model. Data were collected through direct interactions with participants using a grounded theory research design. An open-ended interview was used to collect data with a sample of 15 participants selected through theoretical sampling in Maruleng Municipality. The participants were both Sepedi and Xitsonga speaking from 2 villages, mostly unemployed, pensioners and dependent on social grants. The study included both males and females who were predominately the elderly. The research findings indicate that farmers have limited knowledge of what climate change is and what causes it. Furthermore, the research reflects that although their responses were non-scientific but sensible enough to know what they were dealing with. They mentioned extreme weather, which includes hot days and less rainfall and changes in seasons, as some of the impacts brought by climate change. The results also indicated that participants have learned to adapt through several adaptation strategies, including mulching, changes in irrigation time slots and being innovative. The resilience factors that emerged from the study were a passion for farming, hope, enthusiasm, courage, acceptance/tolerance, livelihood and belief systems. Looking at the socio-economic factors of the current study setting argumentation leads to the conclusion that it is important that government should assist the subsistence farmers as it was observed from the participants that they felt neglected by the government and policymakers as they are small scale farmers and are not included like commercial farmers.

Keywords: climate change, psychological resilience factors, human adaptation, subsistence farmers

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Authors: Erica Siqueira, Adriana Bin, Rachel Stefanuto

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The paper aims to identify and to discuss the impact and results of ex-ante, mid-term and ex-post evaluation initiatives in Brazilian Social Enterprises from the point of view of the entrepreneurs and investors, highlighting the processes involved in these activities and their aftereffects. The study was conducted using a descriptive methodology, primarily qualitative. A multiple-case study was used, and, for that, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten entrepreneurs in the (i) social finance, (ii) education, (iii) health, (iv) citizenship and (v) green tech fields, as well as three representatives of various impact investments, which are (i) venture capital, (ii) loan and (iii) equity interest areas. Convenience (non-probabilistic) sampling was adopted to select both businesses and investors, who voluntarily contributed to the research. The evaluation is still incipient in most of the studied business cases. Some stand out by adopting well-known methodologies like Global Impact Investing Report System (GIIRS), but still, have a lot to improve in several aspects. Most of these enterprises use nonexperimental research conducted by their own employees, which is ordinarily not understood as 'golden standard' to some authors in the area. Nevertheless, from the entrepreneur point of view, it is possible to identify that most of them including those routines in some extent in their day-by-day activities, despite the difficulty they have of the business in general. In turn, the investors do not have overall directions to establish evaluation initiatives in respective enterprises; they are funding. There is a mechanism of trust, and this is, usually, enough to prove the impact for all stakeholders. The work concludes that there is a large gap between what the literature states in regard to what should be the best practices in these businesses and what the enterprises really do. The evaluation initiatives must be included in some extension in all enterprises in order to confirm social impact that they realize. Here it is recommended the development and adoption of more flexible evaluation mechanisms that consider the complexity involved in these businesses’ routines. The reflections of the research also suggest important implications for the field of Social Enterprises, whose practices are far from what the theory preaches. It highlights the risk of the legitimacy of these enterprises that identify themselves as 'social impact', sometimes without the proper proof based on causality data. Consequently, this makes the field of social entrepreneurship fragile and susceptible to questioning, weakening the ecosystem as a whole. In this way, the top priorities of these enterprises must be handled together with the results and impact measurement activities. Likewise, it is recommended to perform further investigations that consider the trade-offs between impact versus profit. In addition, research about gender, the entrepreneur motivation to call themselves as Social Enterprises, and the possible unintended consequences from these businesses also should be investigated.

Keywords: evaluation practices, impact, results, social enterprise, social entrepreneurship ecosystem

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Authors: Tianyi Wang, Hieyong Jeong, An Guo, Yuko Ohno

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Healthcare robot for assisting sit-to-stand (STS) performance had aroused numerous research interests. To author’s best knowledge, knowledge about how evaluating healthcare robot is still unknown. Robot should be labeled as fault if users feel demanding during STS when they are assisted by robot. In this research, we aim to propose a method to evaluate sit-to-stand assist robot through center of pressure (CoP), then classify different STS performance. Experiments were executed five times with ten healthy subjects under four conditions: two self-performed STSs with chair heights of 62 cm and 43 cm, and two robot-assisted STSs with chair heights of 43 cm and robot end-effect speed of 2 s and 5 s. CoP was measured using a Wii Balance Board (WBB). Bayesian classification was utilized to classify STS performance. The results showed that faults occurred when decreased the chair height and slowed robot assist speed. Proposed method for fault classification showed high probability of classifying fault classes form others. It was concluded that faults for STS assist robot could be detected by inspecting center of pressure and be classified through proposed classification algorithm.

Keywords: center of pressure, fault classification, healthcare robot, sit-to-stand movement

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Authors: Richard O’Riordan, Saritha Unnikrishnan

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Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) are incorporating an increasing number of ADAS features, including automated lane-keeping systems. In recent years, many research papers into lane detection algorithms have been published, varying from computer vision techniques to deep learning methods. The transition from lower levels of autonomy defined in the SAE framework and the progression to higher autonomy levels requires increasingly complex models and algorithms that must be highly reliable in their operation and functionality capacities. Furthermore, these algorithms have no room for error when operating at high levels of autonomy. Although the current research details existing computer vision and deep learning algorithms and their methodologies and individual results, the research also details challenges faced by the algorithms and the resources needed to operate, along with shortcomings experienced during their detection of lanes in certain weather and lighting conditions. This paper will explore these shortcomings and attempt to implement a lane detection algorithm that could be used to achieve improvements in AV lane detection systems. This paper uses a pre-trained LaneNet model to detect lane or non-lane pixels using binary segmentation as the base detection method using an existing dataset BDD100k followed by a custom dataset generated locally. The selected roads will be modern well-laid roads with up-to-date infrastructure and lane markings, while the second road network will be an older road with infrastructure and lane markings reflecting the road network's age. The performance of the proposed method will be evaluated on the custom dataset to compare its performance to the BDD100k dataset. In summary, this paper will use Transfer Learning to provide a fast and robust lane detection algorithm that can handle various road conditions and provide accurate lane detection.

Keywords: ADAS, autonomous vehicles, deep learning, LaneNet, lane detection

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Authors: Carlos David Carrillo Trujillo, Rebelín Echeverría Echeverría, Nancy Evia Alamilla, Rocío Quintal López

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Gender as a social construct is a term now widely studied. Within the social sciences it has become very important. In this sense, psychology tries to make some contributions from your area. The intention is to promote equal opportunities for men and women. Social, employment and educational inequities perpetuate sexism, violence and other important social problems in Mexico. The gender perspective is conceptualized as a tool to promote laws, policies, plans, programs and procedures where women are made ​​visible and empowered. The aim of this is the pursuit of equality. Thus, gender mainstreaming is one of the main challenges of education in Mexico. Only a few universities have programs, research or subjects related to the topic. Human resources, and time allocated to teachers are identified as obstacles to the institutionalization of gender. The objective was to make a diagnosis on course offerings and policies on gender. A documentary study and interviews with managers of at least 20 higher education institutions (IES's) were performed. The results indicate the need for greater gender courses, research projects and intervention. The need to promote policies that seek equal opportunities between men and women is also noted.

Keywords: gender mainstreaming, institutionalization, universities, intervention

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Authors: Anna Lower, Michal Lower, Robert Masztalski, Agnieszka Szumilas

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Contemporary cities are facing serious congestion and parking problems. In urban transport policy the introduction of the park and ride system (P&R) is an increasingly popular way of limiting vehicular traffic. The determining of P&R facilities location is a key aspect of the system. Criteria for assessing the quality of the selected location are formulated generally and descriptively. The research outsourced to specialists are expensive and time consuming. The most focus is on the examination of a few selected places. The practice has shown that the choice of the location of these sites in a intuitive way without a detailed analysis of all the circumstances, often gives negative results. Then the existing facilities are not used as expected. Methods of location as a research topic are also widely taken in the scientific literature. Built mathematical models often do not bring the problem comprehensively, e.g. assuming that the city is linear, developed along one important communications corridor. The paper presents a new method where the expert knowledge is applied to fuzzy inference model. With such a built system even a less experienced person could benefit from it, e.g. urban planners, officials. The analysis result is obtained in a very short time, so a large number of the proposed location can also be verified in a short time. The proposed method is intended for testing of car parks location in a city. The paper will show selected examples of locations of the P&R facilities in cities planning to introduce the P&R. The analysis of existing objects will also be shown in the paper and they will be confronted with the opinions of the system users, with particular emphasis on unpopular locations. The research are executed using the fuzzy inference model which was built and described in more detail in the earlier paper of the authors. The results of analyzes are compared to documents of P&R facilities location outsourced by the city and opinions of existing facilities users expressed on social networking sites. The research of existing facilities were conducted by means of the fuzzy model. The results are consistent with actual users feedback. The proposed method proves to be good, but does not require the involvement of a large experts team and large financial contributions for complicated research. The method also provides an opportunity to show the alternative location of P&R facilities. The performed studies show that the method has been confirmed. The method can be applied in urban planning of the P&R facilities location in relation to the accompanying functions. Although the results of the method are approximate, they are not worse than results of analysis of employed experts. The advantage of this method is ease of use, which simplifies the professional expert analysis. The ability of analyzing a large number of alternative locations gives a broader view on the problem. It is valuable that the arduous analysis of the team of people can be replaced by the model's calculation. According to the authors, the proposed method is also suitable for implementation on a GIS platform.

Keywords: fuzzy logic inference, park and ride system, P&R facilities, P&R location

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Authors: Panaya Sudta, Wanchalerm Patanacharoenwong, Prachya Bumrungkun

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As With the evolution of smart grids, ensuring the reliability and efficiency of electrical systems in smart cities has become crucial. This paper proposes a distinct approach that combines advanced machine learning techniques to accurately predict electrical failures and address voltage reliability issues. This approach aims to improve the accuracy and efficiency of reliability evaluations in smart cities. The aim of this research is to develop a comprehensive predictive model that accurately predicts electrical failures and voltage reliability in smart cities. This model integrates RFM analysis, K-means clustering, and LSTM networks to achieve this objective. The research utilizes RFM analysis, traditionally used in customer value assessment, to categorize and analyze electrical components based on their failure recency, frequency, and monetary impact. K-means clustering is employed to segment electrical components into distinct groups with similar characteristics and failure patterns. LSTM networks are used to capture the temporal dependencies and patterns in customer data. This integration of RFM, K-means, and LSTM results in a robust predictive tool for electrical failures and voltage reliability. The proposed model has been tested and validated on diverse electrical utility datasets. The results show a significant improvement in prediction accuracy and reliability compared to traditional methods, achieving an accuracy of 92.78% and an F1-score of 0.83. This research contributes to the proactive maintenance and optimization of electrical infrastructures in smart cities. It also enhances overall energy management and sustainability. The integration of advanced machine learning techniques in the predictive model demonstrates the potential for transforming the landscape of electrical system management within smart cities. The research utilizes diverse electrical utility datasets to develop and validate the predictive model. RFM analysis, K-means clustering, and LSTM networks are applied to these datasets to analyze and predict electrical failures and voltage reliability. The research addresses the question of how accurately electrical failures and voltage reliability can be predicted in smart cities. It also investigates the effectiveness of integrating RFM analysis, K-means clustering, and LSTM networks in achieving this goal. The proposed approach presents a distinct, efficient, and effective solution for predicting and mitigating electrical failures and voltage issues in smart cities. It significantly improves prediction accuracy and reliability compared to traditional methods. This advancement contributes to the proactive maintenance and optimization of electrical infrastructures, overall energy management, and sustainability in smart cities.

Keywords: electrical state prediction, smart grids, data-driven method, long short-term memory, RFM, k-means, machine learning

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Authors: Md. Minhazul Islam, Shah Ashisul Abed Nipun, Majharul Islam, Md. Abdur Rakib Rahat, Jonayet Miah, Salsavil Kayyum, Anwar Shadaab, Faiz Al Faisal

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The target of this research is to predict Myocardial Infarction using unsupervised Machine Learning algorithms. Myocardial Infarction Prediction related to heart disease is a challenging factor faced by doctors & hospitals. In this prediction, accuracy of the heart disease plays a vital role. From this concern, the authors have analyzed on a myocardial dataset to predict myocardial infarction using some popular Machine Learning algorithms K-Means and Hierarchical Clustering. This research includes a collection of data and the classification of data using Machine Learning Algorithms. The authors collected 345 instances along with 26 attributes from different hospitals in Bangladesh. This data have been collected from patients suffering from myocardial infarction along with other symptoms. This model would be able to find and mine hidden facts from historical Myocardial Infarction cases. The aim of this study is to analyze the accuracy level to predict Myocardial Infarction by using Machine Learning techniques.

Keywords: Machine Learning, K-means, Hierarchical Clustering, Myocardial Infarction, Heart Disease

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Authors: Nawt Almutairi, Ramzi El-Haddadeh

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With the extensive increase in the number of online shops, loyalty becomes the most purpose for e-retailers by which they can maintain their exit customers and regular income instead of spending large deal of money to target new segmentation. To obtain customers’ loyalty e-marketers should firstly satisfy customers by providing a high quality of services that could fulfil their demand. They have to satisfy them to trust the web-site then increase their intention to re-visit it. This study intends to investigate to what extend the elements of e-service quality presented in the literature affect customers’ satisfaction and how these influences contribute to customers’ trust and loyalty. Three dimensions of service quality are estimated. The first element is web-site interactivity, which is perceived the quality of interactive support and the accessible communications-tool. The second aspect is security/privacy, which is perceived the quality of controlling security and privacy while transaction over the web-site. The third element is web-design that perceived a pleasant user interface with visual appealing. These elements present positive effects on shoppers’ satisfaction. Thus, To examine the proposed constructs of this research, some measurements scale-items adapted from similar prior studies. Survey data collected online from Saudi customers (n=106) were utilized to test the research hypotheses. After that, the hypotheses were analyzed by using a variety of regression tools. The analytical results of this study propose that perceived quality of interactivity and security/privacy affects customers’ satisfaction. As well as trust seems to be a substantial construct that highly affects loyalty in online shopping. This study provides a developed model to obtain a simple understanding of the series of customers’ loyalty in online shopping. One construct presenting in the research model is web-design appears to be not important antecedent of satisfaction (the path to loyalty) in online shopping.

Keywords: e-service, satisfaction, trust, loyalty

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Authors: Nagendra P. Luitel, Mark J. D. Jordans

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Globally, there is a significant gap between the number of individuals in need of mental health care and those who actually receive treatment. The evidence is accumulating that mental health services can be delivered effectively by primary health care workers through community-based programs and task-sharing approaches. Changing the role of specialist mental health workers from service delivery to building clinical capacity of the primary health care (PHC) workers could help in reducing treatment gap in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). We developed a comprehensive mental health care plan in 2012 and evaluated its feasibility and effectiveness over the past three years. Initially, a mixed method formative study was conducted for the development of mental health care plan (MHCP). Routine monitoring and evaluation data, including client flow and reports of satisfaction, were obtained from beneficiaries (n=135) during the pilot-testing phase. Repeated community survey (N=2040); facility detection survey (N=4704) and the cohort study (N=576) were conducted for evaluation of the MHCP. The resulting MHCP consists of twelve packages divided over the community, health facility, and healthcare organization platforms. Detection of mental health problems increased significantly after introducing MHCP. Service implementation data support the real-life applicability of the MHCP, with reasonable treatment uptake. Currently, MHCP has been implemented in the entire Chitwan district where over 1400 people (438 people with depression, 406 people with psychosis, 181 people with epilepsy, 360 people with alcohol use disorder and 51 others) have received mental health services from trained health workers. Key barriers were identified and addressed, namely dissatisfaction with privacy, perceived burden among health workers, high drop-out rates and continue the supply of medicines. The results indicated that involvement of PHC workers in detection and management of mental health problems is an effective strategy to minimize treatment gap on mental health care in Nepal.

Keywords: mental health, Nepal, primary care, treatment gap

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Authors: M. Ahmed Eldesouky, S. Nasr, A. Beltagy

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Groundwater is generally considered as the best source for aquaculture as it is well protected from contamination. The most common problem limiting the use of groundwater in Egypt is its high iron, manganese and ammonia content. This problem is often overcome by applying the treatment before use. Aeration in many cases is not enough to oxidize iron and manganese in complex forms with organics. Most of the treatment we use potassium permanganate as an oxidizer followed by a pressurized closed green sand filter. The aim of present study is to investigate the optimum characteristics of groundwater to give lowest iron, manganese and ammonia, maximum production and quality of fish in aquaculture in El-Max Research Station. The major design goal of the system was determined the optimum time for harvesting the treated water, pH, and Glauconite weight to use it for aquaculture process in the research site and achieve the Egyptian law (48/1982) and EPA level required for aquaculture. The water characteristics are [Fe = 0.116 mg/L, Mn = 1.36 mg/L,TN = 0.44 mg/L , TP = 0.07 mg/L , Ammonia = 0.386 mg/L] by using the glauconite filter we obtained high efficiency for removal for [(Fe, Mn and Ammonia] ,but in the Lab we obtained result for (Fe, 43-97), ( Mn,92-99 ), and ( Ammonia, 66-88 )]. We summarized the results to show the optimum time, pH, Glauconite weight, and the best model for design in the region.

Keywords: aquaculture, ammonia in groundwater, groundwater, iron and manganese in water, groundwater treatment

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Authors: Anne Kubai

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Since the Lisbon Summit in 2007, discussion and dialogue on ways of enhancing collaboration between Africa and the EU on the issues of migration, mobility and employment has intensified. The Africa-EU Partnership on migration, mobility and employment aims to provide far-reaching responses on migration and employment challenges; and facilitate mobility of people in Africa and the EU. However, since the outcomes of the proposed policies depend on the political interests and institutional capacities of both the EU and African states that are involved, the results have so far been uncoordinated and scattered. Also, many European countries have eased their entry regulations with regard to highly skilled migrants, and there is need to explore the implications of such changes. Therefore, this contribution will address the following questions: How has the progression of migration and border management in the Nordic countries, particularly Sweden, affected the flow and mobility of highly skilled migrants from Africa? What is the possible impact of the changes in receiving countries (such as introduction of tuition fees and more stringent admission regulations for foreign students in Sweden) on skilled migration and mobility? How can highly skilled immigrants be a source of research knowledge between international and local institutions and researchers both in sending and receiving countries?

Keywords: academic mobility, skilled, African, knowledge, research, migrants, Sweden

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Authors: Suruchi

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This study aims to examine the spatial and temporal patterns of fog occurrences across Czech Republic. It utilizes satellite imagery and other data sources to achieve this goal. The main objective is to understand the role of fog in atmospheric deposition processes and its potential impact on the environment and ecosystems. Through satellite image analysis, the study will identify and categorize different types of fog, including radiation fog, orographic fog, and mountain fog. Fog detection algorithms and cloud type products will be evaluated to assess the frequency and distribution of fog events throughout the Czech Republic. Furthermore, the regions covered by fog will be classified based on their fog type and associated pollution levels. This will provide insights into the variability in fog characteristics and its implications for atmospheric deposition. Spatial analysis techniques will be used to pinpoint areas prone to frequent fog events and evaluate their pollution levels. Statistical methods will be employed to analyze patterns in fog occurrence over time and its connection with environmental factors. The ultimate goal of this research is to offer fresh perspectives on fog's role in atmospheric deposition processes, enhancing our understanding of its environmental significance and informing future research and environmental management initiatives.

Keywords: pollution, GIS, FOG, satellie, atmospheric deposition

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Authors: Miriam Filipová, Peter Balco

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At present, in Slovak and Czech Republic, the education within the field of Project Management is carried out either within the higher education or via commercial entities, whilst the most used contents are the commonly used methodologies of project management. Obtaining a diploma after completing a university degree or a training certificate does not automatically mean the success of the project or the success of the project manager. The importance of leadership and soft skills in project management is either not included at all within the training of project managers, or it is only partially reflected. From the methodology perspective, the most important things during the preparation and management of the projects are preparation of the project plan, resource planning, and project realization in accordance with the chosen methodology. However, the key element on which the success of the project depends on are the people – whether they are team members on the supplier's side, the stakeholders, or the end users. This research focuses on the real needs of working project managers, on the development of their strengths, expertise, skills, and knowledge regarding leadership and soft skills. At the same time, it looks into identifying the elements that they consider to be key to the success of the projects they have managed and successfully delivered. The result of this research is the input for creating recommendations for a comprehensive education of project managers in the field of leadership and soft skills.

Keywords: project management, leadership, soft skills, education, academic degree, certificates, skills, talents, knowledge

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Authors: Marta Bas-Szymaszek

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This research examines the intricate relationship between language practices and beliefs within international environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs), with a particular focus on the Climate Action Network Europe (CAN Europe). While acknowledging that ENGOs often employ multilingual staff, this study aims to analyze the dual role of English within this sector. While English facilitates practical communication among individuals from diverse backgrounds, it also perpetuates inequalities and marginalization within CAN Europe. Instances of linguistic dominance impede participation and representation, reinforcing language hierarchies. Furthermore, the symbolic power of English risks overshadowing the multilingual skills of NGO employees. Through fourteen in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and observations, this research uncovers the lived experiences of individuals navigating Europe’s largest environmental NGO network. By analyzing CAN Europe’s implicit language policy and the hegemony of English, this study illuminates the challenges within multilingual settings. The organization advocates for the implementation of more inclusive language policies and practices, with the objective of recognizing and embracing linguistic diversity within international environmental NGOs.

Keywords: language policy, English, NGOs, linguistic inclusion, multilingualism

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Authors: Phutthiwat Waiyawuththanapoom, Pimploi Tirastittam, Manop Tirastittam

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Thailand is the agriculture country which mainly exports the agriculture product to the other countries in so many ways which are fresh vegetable, chilled vegetable or frozen vegetable. The gross export for Thailand’s vegetable is 30-40 billion baht per year, and the growth rate is about 15-20 percent per year. Ginger is one of the main vegetable product that Thailand export to Japan because Thailand’s Ginger has a good quality and be able to supply Japan’s demand with a reasonable price. This research paper is aimed to study the factors which affect the efficiency of the supply chain process of Thailand’s ginger to Japan. There are 5 factors which related to the exporting Thailand’s ginger to Japan which are quality, price, equipment and supply standard, custom process and distribution pattern. The result of the research showed that the factor which reached the 'very good' significant level is quality of Thailand’s ginger with the score of 4.86. The other 5 factors are in the 'good' significant level. So the most important factor for Thai ginger farmer to concern is the quality of the product.

Keywords: critical success factor, export, ginger, supply chain

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Authors: Danika Tynes

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Innovations in technology have implications for sustainable development in health and wellness. Remote monitoring is one innovation for which the evidence-base has grown to support its viability as a quality healthcare delivery adjunct. This research reviews global data on telehealth adoption, in particular, remote monitoring, and the conditions under which its success becomes more likely. System-level indicators were selected to represent four constructs of DoI theory (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, and observability) and assessed against 5 types of Telehealth (Teleradiology, Teledermatology, Telepathology, Telepsychology, and Remote Monitoring) using ordinal logistic regression. Analyses include data from 84 countries, as extracted from the World Health Organization, World Bank, ICT (Information Communications Technology) Index, and HDI (Human Development Index) datasets. Analyses supported relative advantage and compatibility as the strongest influencers of remote monitoring adoption. Findings from this research may help focus on the allocation of resources, as a sustainability concern, through consideration of systems-level factors that may influence the success of remote monitoring adoption.

Keywords: remote monitoring, diffusion of innovation, telehealth, digital health

Procedia PDF Downloads 125