Search results for: ranked search
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 2159

Search results for: ranked search

1349 Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Reputation: A Bibliometric Analysis

Authors: Songdi Li, Louise Spry, Tony Woodall

Abstract:

Nowadays, Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) is becoming a buzz word, and more and more academics are putting efforts on CSR studies. It is believed that CSR could influence Corporate Reputation (CR), and they hold a favourable view that CSR leads to a positive CR. To be specific, the CSR related activities in the reputational context have been regarded as ways that associate to excellent financial performance, value creation, etc. Also, it is argued that CSR and CR are two sides of one coin; hence, to some extent, doing CSR is equal to establishing a good reputation. Still, there is no consensus of the CSR-CR relationship in the literature; thus, a systematic literature review is highly in need. This research conducts a systematic literature review with both bibliometric and content analysis. Data are selected from English language sources, and academic journal articles only, then, keyword combinations are applied to identify relevant sources. Data from Scopus and WoS are gathered for bibliometric analysis. Scopus search results were saved in RIS and CSV formats, and Web of Science (WoS) data were saved in TXT format and CSV formats in order to process data in the Bibexcel software for further analysis which later will be visualised by the software VOSviewer. Also, content analysis was applied to analyse the data clusters and the key articles. In terms of the topic of CSR-CR, this literature review with bibliometric analysis has made four achievements. First, this paper has developed a systematic study which quantitatively depicts the knowledge structure of CSR and CR by identifying terms closely related to CSR-CR (such as ‘corporate governance’) and clustering subtopics emerged in co-citation analysis. Second, content analysis is performed to acquire insight on the findings of bibliometric analysis in the discussion section. And it highlights some insightful implications for the future research agenda, for example, a psychological link between CSR-CR is identified from the result; also, emerging economies and qualitative research methods are new elements emerged in the CSR-CR big picture. Third, a multidisciplinary perspective presents through the whole bibliometric analysis mapping and co-word and co-citation analysis; hence, this work builds a structure of interdisciplinary perspective which potentially leads to an integrated conceptual framework in the future. Finally, Scopus and WoS are compared and contrasted in this paper; as a result, Scopus which has more depth and comprehensive data is suggested as a tool for future bibliometric analysis studies. Overall, this paper has fulfilled its initial purposes and contributed to the literature. To the author’s best knowledge, this paper conducted the first literature review of CSR-CR researches that applied both bibliometric analysis and content analysis; therefore, this paper achieves its methodological originality. And this dual approach brings advantages of carrying out a comprehensive and semantic exploration in the area of CSR-CR in a scientific and realistic method. Admittedly, its work might exist subjective bias in terms of search terms selection and paper selection; hence triangulation could reduce the subjective bias to some degree.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility, corporate reputation, bibliometric analysis, software program

Procedia PDF Downloads 115
1348 An Amphibious House for Flood Prone Areas in Godavari River Basin

Authors: Gangadhara Rao K.

Abstract:

In Andhra Pradesh traditionally, the flood problem had been confined to the flooding of smaller rivers. But the drainage problem in the coastal delta zones has worsened, multiplying the destructive potential of cyclones and increasing flood hazards. As a result of floods, the people living around these areas are forced to move out of their traditions in search of higher altitude places. This paper will be discussing about suitability of techniques used in Bangladesh in context of Godavari river basin in Andhra Pradesh. The study considers social, physical and environmental conditions of the region. The methods for achieving this objective includes the study of both cases from Bangladesh and Andhra Pradesh. Comparison with the existing techniques and suit to our requirements and context. If successful, we can adopt those techniques and this might help the people living in riverfront areas to stay safe during the floods without losing their traditional lands.

Keywords: amphibious, bouyancy, floating, architecture, flood resistent

Procedia PDF Downloads 158
1347 Medical Neural Classifier Based on Improved Genetic Algorithm

Authors: Fadzil Ahmad, Noor Ashidi Mat Isa

Abstract:

This study introduces an improved genetic algorithm procedure that focuses search around near optimal solution corresponded to a group of elite chromosome. This is achieved through a novel crossover technique known as Segmented Multi Chromosome Crossover. It preserves the highly important information contained in a gene segment of elite chromosome and allows an offspring to carry information from gene segment of multiple chromosomes. In this way the algorithm has better possibility to effectively explore the solution space. The improved GA is applied for the automatic and simultaneous parameter optimization and feature selection of artificial neural network in pattern recognition of medical problem, the cancer and diabetes disease. The experimental result shows that the average classification accuracy of the cancer and diabetes dataset has improved by 0.1% and 0.3% respectively using the new algorithm.

Keywords: genetic algorithm, artificial neural network, pattern clasification, classification accuracy

Procedia PDF Downloads 462
1346 A Geoprocessing Tool for Early Civil Work Notification to Optimize Fiber Optic Cable Installation Cost

Authors: Hussain Adnan Alsalman, Khalid Alhajri, Humoud Alrashidi, Abdulkareem Almakrami, Badie Alguwaisem, Said Alshahrani, Abdullah Alrowaished

Abstract:

Most of the cost of installing a new fiber optic cable is attributed to civil work-trenching-cost. In many cases, information technology departments receive project proposals in their eReview system, but not all projects are visible to everyone. Additionally, if there was no IT scope in the proposed project, it is not likely to be visible to IT. Sometimes it is too late to add IT scope after project budgets have been finalized. Finally, the eReview system is a repository of PDF files for each project, which commits the reviewer to manual work and limits automation potential. This paper details a solution to address the late notification of the eReview system by integrating IT Sites GIS data-sites locations-with land use permit (LUP) data-civil work activity, which is the first step before securing the required land usage authorizations and means no detailed designs for any relevant project before an approved LUP request. To address the manual nature of eReview system, both the LUP System and IT data are using ArcGIS Desktop, which enables the creation of a geoprocessing tool with either Python or Model Builder to automate finding and evaluating potentially usable LUP requests to reduce trenching between two sites in need of a new FOC. To achieve this, a weekly dump was taken from LUP system production data and loaded manually onto ArcMap Desktop. Then a custom tool was developed in model builder, which consisted of a table of two columns containing all the pairs of sites in need of new fiber connectivity. The tool then iterates all rows of this table, taking the sites’ pair one at a time and finding potential LUPs between them, which satisfies the provided search radius. If a group of LUPs was found, an iterator would go through each LUP to find the required civil work between the two sites and the LUP Polyline feature and the distance through the line, which would be counted as cost avoidance if an IT scope had been added. Finally, the tool will export an Excel file named with sites pair, and it will contain as many rows as the number of LUPs, which met the search radius containing trenching and pulling information and cost. As a result, multiple projects have been identified – historical, missed opportunity, and proposed projects. For the proposed project, the savings were about 75% ($750,000) to install a new fiber with the Euclidean distance between Abqaiq GOSP2 and GOSP3 DCOs. In conclusion, the current tool setup identifies opportunities to bundle civil work on single projects at a time and between two sites. More work is needed to allow the bundling of multiple projects between two sites to achieve even more cost avoidance in both capital cost and carbon footprint.

Keywords: GIS, fiber optic cable installation optimization, eliminate redundant civil work, reduce carbon footprint for fiber optic cable installation

Procedia PDF Downloads 209
1345 Tumor Detection of Cerebral MRI by Multifractal Analysis

Authors: S. Oudjemia, F. Alim, S. Seddiki

Abstract:

This paper shows the application of multifractal analysis for additional help in cancer diagnosis. The medical image processing is a very important discipline in which many existing methods are in search of solutions to real problems of medicine. In this work, we present results of multifractal analysis of brain MRI images. The purpose of this analysis was to separate between healthy and cancerous tissue of the brain. A nonlinear method based on multifractal detrending moving average (MFDMA) which is a generalization of the detrending fluctuations analysis (DFA) is used for the detection of abnormalities in these images. The proposed method could make separation of the two types of brain tissue with success. It is very important to note that the choice of this non-linear method is due to the complexity and irregularity of tumor tissue that linear and classical nonlinear methods seem difficult to characterize completely. In order to show the performance of this method, we compared its results with those of the conventional method box-counting.

Keywords: irregularity, nonlinearity, MRI brain images, multifractal analysis, brain tumor

Procedia PDF Downloads 431
1344 Intelligent Swarm-Finding in Formation Control of Multi-Robots to Track a Moving Target

Authors: Anh Duc Dang, Joachim Horn

Abstract:

This paper presents a new approach to control robots, which can quickly find their swarm while tracking a moving target through the obstacles of the environment. In this approach, an artificial potential field is generated between each free-robot and the virtual attractive point of the swarm. This artificial potential field will lead free-robots to their swarm. The swarm-finding of these free-robots dose not influence the general motion of their swarm and nor other robots. When one singular robot approaches the swarm then its swarm-search will finish, and it will further participate with its swarm to reach the position of the target. The connections between member-robots with their neighbours are controlled by the artificial attractive/repulsive force field between them to avoid collisions and keep the constant distances between them in ordered formation. The effectiveness of the proposed approach has been verified in simulations.

Keywords: formation control, potential field method, obstacle avoidance, swarm intelligence, multi-agent systems

Procedia PDF Downloads 425
1343 Particle Swarm Optimization Based Method for Minimum Initial Marking in Labeled Petri Nets

Authors: Hichem Kmimech, Achref Jabeur Telmoudi, Lotfi Nabli

Abstract:

The estimation of the initial marking minimum (MIM) is a crucial problem in labeled Petri nets. In the case of multiple choices, the search for the initial marking leads to a problem of optimization of the minimum allocation of resources with two constraints. The first concerns the firing sequence that could be legal on the initial marking with respect to the firing vector. The second deals with the total number of tokens that can be minimal. In this article, the MIM problem is solved by the meta-heuristic particle swarm optimization (PSO). The proposed approach presents the advantages of PSO to satisfy the two previous constraints and find all possible combinations of minimum initial marking with the best computing time. This method, more efficient than conventional ones, has an excellent impact on the resolution of the MIM problem. We prove through a set of definitions, lemmas, and examples, the effectiveness of our approach.

Keywords: marking, production system, labeled Petri nets, particle swarm optimization

Procedia PDF Downloads 168
1342 A Hybrid Distributed Algorithm for Multi-Objective Dynamic Flexible Job Shop Scheduling Problem

Authors: Aydin Teymourifar, Gurkan Ozturk

Abstract:

In this paper, a hybrid distributed algorithm has been suggested for multi-objective dynamic flexible job shop scheduling problem. The proposed algorithm is high level, in which several algorithms search the space on different machines simultaneously also it is a hybrid algorithm that takes advantages of the artificial intelligence, evolutionary and optimization methods. Distribution is done at different levels and new approaches are used for design of the algorithm. Apache spark and Hadoop frameworks have been used for the distribution of the algorithm. The Pareto optimality approach is used for solving the multi-objective benchmarks. The suggested algorithm that is able to solve large-size problems in short times has been compared with the successful algorithms of the literature. The results prove high speed and efficiency of the algorithm.

Keywords: distributed algorithms, apache-spark, Hadoop, flexible dynamic job shop scheduling, multi-objective optimization

Procedia PDF Downloads 341
1341 Hackers’ Artwork in Search for a Name: An Analysis of Hackers’ Artwork

Authors: Sultana Ismet Jerin, Md. Waseq Ur Rahman

Abstract:

Artworks of hacker artists are one of the new trends in the field of new media arts. When someone hears a name of hacker or anything related to hacking, what comes to one’s mind is usually not connected to art due to its divisive meaning. While it is fascinating that every year a number of hacker summits and hacker art fest are being organized among the respective community, it is at the same time true that people are yet to understand what hacker art really is. However, this new phenomenon of artwork under the title ‘hacker art’ has little been studied. Understanding this new form of art is important as the artists of hacker art belong to the era of digital revolution which is a very significant part of our history. Therefore, it is important to find out the challenges in defining them and find out solutions to preserve them. In this paper, the key question that has been addressed is why artworks of hacker artists are facing the complicacies to be defined or categorized. Content analysis of the hacker manifesto (a short historical essay written by a hacker) and two hacker art projects has been conducted to find out the issues surrounding the key research questions. The paper ends with discussing the findings and possible solutions to the challenges hacker artists facing.

Keywords: media art, hacker art, hacker artist, new media

Procedia PDF Downloads 176
1340 Understanding Co-Living Experience through University Residential Halls - A Pilot Study

Authors: Michelle W. T. Cheng, Yau Y.

Abstract:

Hong Kong continues to be ranked as the least affordable housing market in the world, making co-living a feasible alternative in this high-density city. Although the number of co-living residences has increased in Hong Kong, co-living as a housing typology is still a new concept for many. Little research has been conducted on this new housing typology, let alone the co-living experience. To address this gap, this study targeted student residents in university residential halls as it is a more controlled environment (e.g., with established rules and guidelines regarding the use of communal facilitates and housing management) for studying co-living experiences in Hong Kong. To date, no research study has systematically identified anti-social behavior (ASB) in co-living spaces. Since ASB can be influenced by factors such as social norms and individual interpretation, it has an elastic definition that results in different levels of acceptance. Unlike other types of housing, co-living spaces can be potentially more influenced by the neighborhood as residents share more time and space. As a pilot study, this research targeted one university residential hall to examine student co-living experiences. To clarify, the research question is focused on identifying the social factors that impact the residential satisfaction of those who co-living in residential halls. Quantitative data (n=100) were collected via a structured questionnaire to measure the residential environment, including ASB, social neighboring, community attachment, and perceived hall management efficacy. The survey was distributed at the end of the academic year to ensure that respondents had at least one year of first-hand experience living in a co-living space. To gather qualitative data, follow-up focus group interviews were conducted with 16 participants who completed the survey. The semi-structured interviews aimed to elicit the participants' perspectives on their co-living experience. Through analyzing their co-living experiences, the researcher identified factors that affected their residential satisfaction and provided recommendations to enhance their co-living experience.

Keywords: co-living, university residential hall, anti-social behabiour, neighbour relationship, community attachement

Procedia PDF Downloads 68
1339 Climate Change and Health: Scoping Review of Scientific Literature 1990-2015

Authors: Niamh Herlihy, Helen Fischer, Rainer Sauerborn, Anneliese Depoux, Avner Bar-Hen, Antoine Flauhault, Stefanie Schütte

Abstract:

In the recent decades, there has been an increase in the number of publications both in the scientific and grey literature on the potential health risks associated with climate change. Though interest in climate change and health is growing, there are still many gaps to adequately assess our future health needs in a warmer world. Generating a greater understanding of the health impacts of climate change could be a key step in inciting the changes necessary to decelerate global warming and to target new strategies to mitigate the consequences on health systems. A long term and broad overview of existing scientific literature in the field of climate change and health is currently missing in order to ensure that all priority areas are being adequately addressed. We conducted a scoping review of published peer-reviewed literature on climate change and health from two large databases, PubMed and Web of Science, between 1990 and 2015. A scoping review allowed for a broad analysis of this complex topic on a meta-level as opposed to a thematically refined literature review. A detailed search strategy including specific climate and health terminology was used to search the two databases. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied in order to capture the most relevant literature on the human health impact of climate change within the chosen timeframe. Two reviewers screened the papers independently and any differences arising were resolved by a third party. Data was extracted, categorized and coded both manually and using R software. Analytics and infographics were developed from results. There were 7269 articles identified between the two databases following the removal of duplicates. After screening of the articles by both reviewers 3751 were included. As expected, preliminary results indicate that the number of publications on the topic has increased over time. Geographically, the majority of publications address the impact of climate change and health in Europe and North America, This is particularly alarming given that countries in the Global South will bear the greatest health burden. Concerning health outcomes, infectious diseases, particularly dengue fever and other mosquito transmitted infections are the most frequently cited. We highlight research gaps in certain areas e.g climate migration and mental health issues. We are developing a database of the identified climate change and health publications and are compiling a report for publication and dissemination of the findings. As health is a major co-beneficiary to climate change mitigation strategies, our results may serve as a useful source of information for research funders and investors when considering future research needs as well as the cost-effectiveness of climate change strategies. This study is part of an interdisciplinary project called 4CHealth that confronts results of the research done on scientific, political and press literature to better understand how the knowledge on climate change and health circulates within those different fields and whether and how it is translated to real world change.

Keywords: climate change, health, review, mapping

Procedia PDF Downloads 303
1338 Neutral Heavy Scalar Searches via Standard Model Gauge Boson Decays at the Large Hadron Electron Collider with Multivariate Techniques

Authors: Luigi Delle Rose, Oliver Fischer, Ahmed Hammad

Abstract:

In this article, we study the prospects of the proposed Large Hadron electron Collider (LHeC) in the search for heavy neutral scalar particles. We consider a minimal model with one additional complex scalar singlet that interacts with the Standard Model (SM) via mixing with the Higgs doublet, giving rise to an SM-like Higgs boson and a heavy scalar particle. Both scalar particles are produced via vector boson fusion and can be tested via their decays into pairs of SM particles, analogously to the SM Higgs boson. Using multivariate techniques, we show that the LHeC is sensitive to heavy scalars with masses between 200 and 800 GeV down to scalar mixing of order 0.01.

Keywords: beyond the standard model, large hadron electron collider, multivariate analysis, scalar singlet

Procedia PDF Downloads 126
1337 The Current Status of Middle Class Internet Use in China: An Analysis Based on the Chinese General Social Survey 2015 Data and Semi-Structured Investigation

Authors: Abigail Qian Zhou

Abstract:

In today's China, the well-educated middle class, with stable jobs and above-average income, are the driving force behind its Internet society. Through the analysis of data from the 2015 Chinese General Social Survey and 50 interviewees, this study investigates the current situation of this group’s specific internet usage. The findings of this study demonstrate that daily life among the members of this socioeconomic group is closely tied to the Internet. For Chinese middle class, the Internet is used to socialize and entertain self and others. It is also used to search for and share information as well as to build their identities. The empirical results of this study will provide a reference, supported by factual data, for enterprises seeking to target the Chinese middle class through online marketing efforts.

Keywords: middle class, Internet use, network behaviour, online marketing, China

Procedia PDF Downloads 105
1336 Sol-Gel Synthesis and Photoluminescent Properties of YPO4: Pr3+ Nanophosphors

Authors: Badis Kahouadji, Lakhdar Guerbous, Lyes Lamiri

Abstract:

For many years, the luminescent materials were investigated principally in the infrared and visible areas, because the ultraviolet (UV) and especially in vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) are technically more difficult to explore, especially absence of applications requiring of materials suitable to short wavelengths.Recent necessary, related to the development of certain technologies, encouraged research in these spectra domains. It is in this context that the 4Fn-4Fn-1 5d transitions of rare earth in insulating materials, lying in the UV and VUV, are the aim of large number of studies. These studies relate in particular to search for new scintillator materials used for spectroscopy and X-ray, ɤ, as well as medical imaging. The 4Fn- 4Fn-15d transitions of the rare earth dependent to the host-matrix, several matrices ions were used to study these transitions, in this work we are suggeting to study on a very specific class of inorganic scintillators that are orthophosphate doped with rare earth ions, this study focused on the Pr3+ concentration on the structural and optical properties of Pr3+ doped YPO4 (yttriumorthophosphate) with powder form prepared by the Sol Gel method.

Keywords: rare earth, scintillator, YPO4:Pr3+ nanophosphors, sol gel, 4Fn-4Fn-15d transitions

Procedia PDF Downloads 588
1335 Power of Sales and Marketing in Electronics Engineering with E-commerce: Connecting the Circuits

Authors: Muhammad Awais Kiani, Maryam Kiani

Abstract:

In today's digital age, the field of electronics engineering is experiencing unprecedented growth and innovation. To keep pace with this rapidly evolving industry, effective sales and marketing strategies are crucial, especially when combined with the power of e-commerce. This study explores the significance of integrating sales and marketing techniques with e-commerce platforms in the context of electronics engineering. It highlights the benefits, challenges, and best practices in leveraging e-commerce for sales and marketing in this industry. By embracing e-commerce, electronics engineering companies can reach a wider customer base, enhance brand visibility, and personalize customer experiences. Furthermore, this abstract delves into the importance of utilizing digital marketing tools such as search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, and content creation to optimize online sales. Therefore, this research aims to provide insights and recommendations for electronics engineering professionals to effectively navigate the dynamic landscape of sales and marketing in conjunction with e-commerce.

Keywords: electronics engineering, marketing, sales, E-commerce

Procedia PDF Downloads 65
1334 A Preliminary Study for Building an Arabic Corpus of Pair Questions-Texts from the Web: Aqa-Webcorp

Authors: Wided Bakari, Patrce Bellot, Mahmoud Neji

Abstract:

With the development of electronic media and the heterogeneity of Arabic data on the Web, the idea of building a clean corpus for certain applications of natural language processing, including machine translation, information retrieval, question answer, become more and more pressing. In this manuscript, we seek to create and develop our own corpus of pair’s questions-texts. This constitution then will provide a better base for our experimentation step. Thus, we try to model this constitution by a method for Arabic insofar as it recovers texts from the web that could prove to be answers to our factual questions. To do this, we had to develop a java script that can extract from a given query a list of html pages. Then clean these pages to the extent of having a database of texts and a corpus of pair’s question-texts. In addition, we give preliminary results of our proposal method. Some investigations for the construction of Arabic corpus are also presented in this document.

Keywords: Arabic, web, corpus, search engine, URL, question, corpus building, script, Google, html, txt

Procedia PDF Downloads 311
1333 Hybrid Method for Smart Suggestions in Conversations for Online Marketplaces

Authors: Yasamin Rahimi, Ali Kamandi, Abbas Hoseini, Hesam Haddad

Abstract:

Online/offline chat is a convenient approach in the electronic markets of second-hand products in which potential customers would like to have more information about the products to fill the information gap between buyers and sellers. Online peer in peer market is trying to create artificial intelligence-based systems that help customers ask more informative questions in an easier way. In this article, we introduce a method for the question/answer system that we have developed for the top-ranked electronic market in Iran called Divar. When it comes to secondhand products, incomplete product information in a purchase will result in loss to the buyer. One way to balance buyer and seller information of a product is to help the buyer ask more informative questions when purchasing. Also, the short time to start and achieve the desired result of the conversation was one of our main goals, which was achieved according to A/B tests results. In this paper, we propose and evaluate a method for suggesting questions and answers in the messaging platform of the e-commerce website Divar. Creating such systems is to help users gather knowledge about the product easier and faster, All from the Divar database. We collected a dataset of around 2 million messages in Persian colloquial language, and for each category of product, we gathered 500K messages, of which only 2K were Tagged, and semi-supervised methods were used. In order to publish the proposed model to production, it is required to be fast enough to process 10 million messages daily on CPU processors. In order to reach that speed, in many subtasks, faster and simplistic models are preferred over deep neural models. The proposed method, which requires only a small amount of labeled data, is currently used in Divar production on CPU processors, and 15% of buyers and seller’s messages in conversations is directly chosen from our model output, and more than 27% of buyers have used this model suggestions in at least one daily conversation.

Keywords: smart reply, spell checker, information retrieval, intent detection, question answering

Procedia PDF Downloads 176
1332 DURAFILE: A Collaborative Tool for Preserving Digital Media Files

Authors: Santiago Macho, Miquel Montaner, Raivo Ruusalepp, Ferran Candela, Xavier Tarres, Rando Rostok

Abstract:

During our lives, we generate a lot of personal information such as photos, music, text documents and videos that link us with our past. This data that used to be tangible is now digital information stored in our computers, which implies a software dependence to make them accessible in the future. Technology, however, constantly evolves and goes through regular shifts, quickly rendering various file formats obsolete. The need for accessing data in the future affects not only personal users but also organizations. In a digital environment, a reliable preservation plan and the ability to adapt to fast changing technology are essential for maintaining data collections in the long term. We present in this paper the European FP7 project called DURAFILE that provides the technology to preserve media files for personal users and organizations while maintaining their quality.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, digital preservation, social search, digital preservation plans

Procedia PDF Downloads 432
1331 Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment, Simulation for the Nurse Practitioner Student

Authors: Helen Coronel, Will Brewer, Peggy Bergeron, Clarissa Hall, Victoria Casson

Abstract:

Simulation-based training provides the nurse practitioner (NP) student with a safe and controlled environment in which they can practice a real-life scenario. This type of learning fosters critical thinking skills essential to practice. The expectation of this study was that students would have an increase in their competency and confidence after performing the simulation. Approximately 8.4% of Americans suffer from depression. The state of Alabama is ranked 47th out of 50 for access to mental health care. As a result of this significant shortage of mental health providers, primary care providers are frequently put in the position of screening for and treating mental health conditions, such as depression. Family nurse practitioners are often utilized as primary care providers, making their ability to assess, diagnose and treat these disorders a necessary skill. The expected outcome of this simulation is an increase in confidence, competency and the empowerment of the nurse practitioner student’s ability to assess, diagnose and treat a common mood disorder they may encounter in practice. The Kirkpatrick Module was applied for this study. A non-experimental design using descriptive statistical analysis was utilized. The simulation was based on a common psychiatric mood disorder frequently observed in primary care and mental health clinics. Students were asked to watch a voiceover power point presentation prior to their on-campus simulation. The presentation included training on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of a patient with depression. Prior to the simulation, the students completed a pre-test, then participated in the simulation, and completed a post-test when done. Apple iPads were utilized to access a simulated health record. Major findings of the study support an increase in students’ competency and confidence when assessing, diagnosing, and treating an adult patient with depression.

Keywords: advanced practice, nurse practitioner, simulation, primary care, depression

Procedia PDF Downloads 85
1330 Value Clusters of Grade 9 Teachers in the District of Trece Martires City, Division of Cavite: Basis for a Revised Values Education Program (RVEP)"

Authors: Juland D. Salayo

Abstract:

With numerous innovations introduced in the Philippine educational system, the country’s struggle of materializing its national goal of transforming lives ends with great loss. Many agree that the failure to emerge the integral values of the program, framework and the implementers impedes realization. Employing a descriptive-correlational method, it aimed to determine the value clusters of the Grade 9 teachers as assessed by themselves and by the students, the significant difference of the assessed values and the significant difference on the values based on their profile. Respondents were composed of sixty-nine (69) teachers and three hundred forty (340) students using simple random sampling. Through a survey-questionnaire, the study revealed that the teachers have high regards on their self-reliance, honesty and trustworthiness, obedience, politeness and respect and self-discipline and spirituality. In contrast, they have ranked the following values fairly: justice and fairness, courage, responsibility and punctuality and nationalism and patriotism. Having assessed by the students, they have highly regarded their teachers’ self-reliance, responsibility and punctuality, obedience, politeness and respect and fair play and sportsmanship. On the other hand, the student-respondents made a low assessment on the level of the teachers’ justice and fairness, nationalism and patriotism, honesty and trustworthiness and excellence. Using t-test, it showed that there is a significant difference between the assessments of the respondents. Finally, among the demographic profiles, only civil status and age rejected the hypothesis. The following were recommended: provide educators value-enhancement trainings and conferences, organize value-oriented organizations and activities, and make intensive value-campaigns heightening the low-assessed values. Thus, a Revised Values Education Program (RVEP) was made to further meet the objectives of the program, address the needs of its clienteles, and responding to the demands of both education and society towards excellence in service, social and economic revolution, and constructive national goals which are based from integral values.

Keywords: values, value clusters, values education program, values education, teachers' assessed values

Procedia PDF Downloads 275
1329 Bandwidth Control Using Reconfigurable Antenna Elements

Authors: Sudhina H. K, Ravi M. Yadahalli, N. M. Shetti

Abstract:

Reconfigurable antennas represent a recent innovation in antenna design that changes from classical fixed-form, Fixed function antennas to modifiable structures that can be adapted to fit the requirements of a time varying system. The ability to control the operating band of an antenna system can have many useful applications. Systems that operate in an acquire-and-track configuration would see a benefit from active bandwidth control. In such systems a wide band search mode is first employed to find a desired signal, Then a narrow band track mode is used to follow only that signal. Utilizing active antenna bandwidth control, A single antenna would function for both the wide band and narrow band configurations providing the rejection of unwanted signals with the antenna hardware. This ability to move a portion of the RF filtering out of the receiver and onto the antenna itself will also aid in reducing the complexity of the often expensive RF processing subsystems.

Keywords: designing methods, mems, stack, reconfigurable elements

Procedia PDF Downloads 259
1328 Effect of Low Level Laser Therapy versus Ultrasound on Musculoskeletal Conditions

Authors: Andrew Anis Fakhrey Mosaad

Abstract:

This Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are a major contributing factor in disability. This becomes more challenging as the world population is witnessing an increase in the geriatric population. Various treatment strategies are being researched to provide the most effective and non-invasive approach. To date, low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is one of the emerging modalities to treat different musculoskeletal conditions in physical therapy practice. Physical therapy practice uses different modalities to control pain and inflammation. LLLT has been under research for the last two decades and has shown varying results. This literature review focuses on the effectiveness of LLLT in different musculoskeletal conditions. Using search engines of PubMed and Google Scholar, a number of articles have been reviewed based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. LLLT shows promising results in treating different musculoskeletal conditions. However, clinicians need to ensure to follow the recommended dosage parameters for specific musculoskeletal conditions.

Keywords: musculoskeletal conditions, low level laser therapy, ultrasound, wavelength, pain and inflammation

Procedia PDF Downloads 92
1327 Waste from Drinking Water Treatment: The Feasibility for Application in Building Materials

Authors: Marco Correa

Abstract:

The increasing reduction of the volumes of surface water sources supplying most municipalities, as well as the rising demand for treated water, combined with the disposal of effluents from washing of decanters and filters of water treatment plants generates a continuous search for correct environmentally solutions to these problems. The effluents generated by the water treatment industry need to be suitably processed for return to the environment or re-use. This article shows alternatives for sludge dehydration from the water treatment plants (WTP) and eventual disposal of sludge drained. Using the simple design methodology, it is presented a case study for drainage in tanks geotextile, full-scale, which involve five sledge drainage tanks from WTP of the city of Rio Verde. Aiming to the reutilization of drained water from the sledge and enabling its reuse both at the beginning of the treatment process at the WTP and in less noble services as for watering the gardens of the local town hall. The sludge will be used to in the production of building materials.

Keywords: dehydration, effluent discharges, re-use, sludge, WTP sludge

Procedia PDF Downloads 299
1326 Discretization of Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm for Solving Quadratic Assignment Problems

Authors: Elham Kazemi

Abstract:

Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP) is one the combinatorial optimization problems about which research has been done in many companies for allocating some facilities to some locations. The issue of particular importance in this process is the costs of this allocation and the attempt in this problem is to minimize this group of costs. Since the QAP’s are from NP-hard problem, they cannot be solved by exact solution methods. Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm is a Meta-heuristicmethod which has higher capability to find the global optimal points. It is an algorithm which is basically raised to search a continuous space. The Quadratic Assignment Problem is the issue which can be solved in the discrete space, thus the standard arithmetic operators of Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm need to be redefined on the discrete space in order to apply the Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm on the discrete searching space. This paper represents the way of discretizing the Cuckoo optimization algorithm for solving the quadratic assignment problem.

Keywords: Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP), Discrete Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm (DCOA), meta-heuristic algorithms, optimization algorithms

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1325 Digital Repositories in Algerian Universities: Content and Search Possibilities

Authors: Hakim Benoumelghar

Abstract:

The launch in 1999 of the open access Initiative (OAI) and the protocol for sharing metadata, OAI-PMH, in parallel with the provision of deposit platforms, open-source software, such as DSpace in 2002, which allow libraries to develop digital repositories and play a leading role in the open access movement, and by building institutional open archives alongside the theme. This study focuses on Algerian universities and their projects and platforms for digital repositories of theses and scientific papers and the possibilities of access to the university community to develop research and access to archives of scientific digital content offered by the scientific community. This contribution attempts to compare Algerian and foreign institutional deposits in developed countries in order to have development and perspectives to facilitate scientific research and give more possibilities to the scientific community in documentary matters.

Keywords: digital repository, repository software, university, algeria

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1324 Impact of Preksha Meditation on Academic Anxiety of Female Teenagers

Authors: Neelam Vats, Madhvi Pathak Pillai, Rajender Lal, Indu Dabas

Abstract:

The pressure of scoring higher marks to be able to get admission in a higher ranked institution has become a social stigma for school students. It leads to various social and academic pressures on them, causing psychological anxiety. This undue stress on students sometimes may even steer to aggressive behavior or suicidal tendencies. Human mind is always surrounded by the some desires, emotions and passions, which usually disturbs our mental peace. In such a scenario, we look for a solution that helps in removing all the obstacles of mind and make us mentally peaceful and strong enough to be able to deal with all kind of pressure. Preksha meditation is one such technique which aims at bringing the positive changes for overall transformation of personality. Hence, the present study was undertaken to assess the impact of Preksha Meditation on the academic anxiety on female teenagers. The study was conducted on 120 high school students from the capital city of India. All students were in the age group of 13-15 years. They also belonged to similar social as well as economic status. The sample was equally divided into two groups i.e. experimental group (N = 60) and control group (N = 60). Subjects of the experimental group were given the intervention of Preksha Meditation practice by the trained instructor for one hour per day, six days a week, for three months for the first experimental stage and another three months for the second experimental stage. The subjects of the control group were not assigned any specific type of activity rather they continued doing their normal official activities as usual. The Academic Anxiety Scale was used to collect data during multi-level stages i.e. pre-experimental stage, post-experimental stage phase-I, and post-experimental stage phase-II. The data were statistically analyzed by computing the two-tailed-‘t’ test for inter group comparison and Sandler’s ‘A’ test with alpha = or p < 0.05 for intra-group comparisons. The study concluded that the practice for longer duration of Preksha Meditation practice brings about very significant and beneficial changes in the pattern of academic anxiety.

Keywords: academic anxiety, academic pressure, Preksha, meditation

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1323 A Second Chance to Live and Move: Lumbosacral Spinal Cord Ischemia-Infarction after Cardiac Arrest and the Artery of Adamkiewicz

Authors: Anna Demian, Levi Howard, L. Ng, Leslie Simon, Mark Dragon, A. Desai, Timothy Devlantes, W. David Freeman

Abstract:

Introduction: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) can carry a high mortality. For survivors, the most common complication is hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI). Rarely, lumbosacral spinal cord and/or other spinal cord artery ischemia can occur due to anatomic variation and variable mean arterial pressure after the return of spontaneous circulation. We present a case of an OHCA survivor who later woke up with bilateral leg weakness with preserved sensation (ASIA grade B, L2 level). Methods: We describe a clinical, radiographic, and laboratory presentation, as well as a National Library of Medicine (NLM) search engine methodology, characterizing incidence/prevalence of this entity is discussed. A 70-year-old male, a longtime smoker, and alcohol user, suddenly collapsed at a bar surrounded by friends. He had complained of chest pain before collapsing. 911 was called. EMS arrived, and the patient was in pulseless electrical activity (PEA), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated, and the patient was intubated, and a LUCAS device was applied for continuous, high-quality CPR in the field by EMS. In the ED, central lines were placed, and thrombolysis was administered for a suspected Pulmonary Embolism (PE). It was a prolonged code that lasted 90 minutes. The code continued with the eventual return of spontaneous circulation. The patient was placed on an epinephrine and norepinephrine drip to maintain blood pressure. ECHO was performed and showed a “D-shaped” ventricle worrisome for PE as well as an ejection fraction around 30%. A CT with PE protocol was performed and confirmed bilateral PE. Results: The patient woke up 24 hours later, following commands, and was extubated. He was found paraplegic below L2 with preserved sensation, with hypotonia and areflexia consistent with “spinal shock” or anterior spinal cord syndrome. MRI thoracic and lumbar spine showed a conus medullaris level spinal cord infarction. The patient was given IV steroids upon initial discovery of cord infarct. NLM search using “cardiac arrest” and “spinal cord infarction” revealed 57 results, with only 8 review articles. Risk factors include age, atherosclerotic disease, and intraaortic balloon pump placement. AoA (Artery of Adamkiewicz) anatomic variation along with existing atherosclerotic factors and low perfusion were also known risk factors. Conclusion: Acute paraplegia from anterior spinal cord infarction of the AoA territory after cardiac arrest is rare. Larger prospective, multicenter trials are needed to examine potential interventions of hypothermia, lumbar drains, which are sometimes used in aortic surgery to reduce ischemia and/or other neuroprotectants.

Keywords: cardiac arrest, spinal cord infarction, artery of Adamkiewicz, paraplegia

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1322 Design and Development of a Computerized Medical Record System for Hospitals in Remote Areas

Authors: Grace Omowunmi Soyebi

Abstract:

A computerized medical record system is a collection of medical information about a person that is stored on a computer. One principal problem of most hospitals in rural areas is using the file management system for keeping records. A lot of time is wasted when a patient visits the hospital, probably in an emergency, and the nurse or attendant has to search through voluminous files before the patient's file can be retrieved, this may cause an unexpected to happen to the patient. This Data Mining application is to be designed using a Structured System Analysis and design method which will help in a well-articulated analysis of the existing file management system, feasibility study, and proper documentation of the Design and Implementation of a Computerized medical record system. This Computerized system will replace the file management system and help to quickly retrieve a patient's record with increased data security, access clinical records for decision-making, and reduce the time range at which a patient gets attended to.

Keywords: programming, computing, data, innovation

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1321 Discriminant Analysis as a Function of Predictive Learning to Select Evolutionary Algorithms in Intelligent Transportation System

Authors: Jorge A. Ruiz-Vanoye, Ocotlán Díaz-Parra, Alejandro Fuentes-Penna, Daniel Vélez-Díaz, Edith Olaco García

Abstract:

In this paper, we present the use of the discriminant analysis to select evolutionary algorithms that better solve instances of the vehicle routing problem with time windows. We use indicators as independent variables to obtain the classification criteria, and the best algorithm from the generic genetic algorithm (GA), random search (RS), steady-state genetic algorithm (SSGA), and sexual genetic algorithm (SXGA) as the dependent variable for the classification. The discriminant classification was trained with classic instances of the vehicle routing problem with time windows obtained from the Solomon benchmark. We obtained a classification of the discriminant analysis of 66.7%.

Keywords: Intelligent Transportation Systems, data-mining techniques, evolutionary algorithms, discriminant analysis, machine learning

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1320 Iron Metabolism and Ferroptosis in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Authors: Fangfang Wang, Tianjing Wang, Leyi Fu, Feng Yun, Ningning Xie, Jue Zhou, Fan Qu

Abstract:

Background: Ferroptosis, a recently discovered form of programmed cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, may be linked to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Diseases marked by iron overload have been correlated with ferroptosis. Coincidently, investigations have revealed anomalies in iron metabolism among women with PCOS; however, there were inconsistencies in the evidence. Objective and Rationale: This review aimed to comprehensively explore the potential relationship between ferroptosis and PCOS by investigating the differences in iron metabolism among women with PCOS in comparison to a control group. Additionally, a narrative synthesis was provided on the past research status regarding the association between PCOS and ferroptosis. Methods: A systematic search of the literature was performed using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science from inception up to December 2022. Search terms relating to assisted PCOS, ferroptosis, and iron metabolism were used. PRISMA guidance was followed. RevMan 5.4 was utilized for conducting the meta-analysis, wherein the investigated outcomes included iron status (ferritin, iron, transferrin saturation) and a systemic iron-regulatory hormone (hepcidin). A narrative synthesis was performed to explore the correlation between PCOS and ferroptosis. Results: In the meta-analysis comprising a total of 16 studies, significant differences in serum ferritin levels between the PCOS group and the control group were observed (15 studies, standardized mean difference (SMD): 0.41, 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.59, P<0.01). This indicates elevated serum ferritin levels in PCOS patients compared to women without PCOS. The transferrin saturation in PCOS patients was significantly higher than that in the control group (3 studies, mean difference (MD): 4.39, 95% CI: 1.67 to 7.11, P<0.01). Regarding serum iron (6 studies, SMD: 0.05, 95% CI: -0.24 to 0.33, P=0.75) and serum hepcidin (4 studies, SMD: -0.44, 95% CI: -1.41 to 0.52, P=0.37), no statistically significant differences were observed between the PCOS group and the control group. Other studies have found that ferroptosis is involved in the occurrence and development of PCOS, offering valuable insights for guiding potential treatment measures and prognosis evaluation of PCOS. In addition, ferroptosis is involved in the miscarriage of PCOS-like rats; thus, controlling ferroptosis might improve pregnancy outcomes in PCOS. Conclusions: The observation of a significant elevation in serum ferritin and transferrin saturation levels in women with PCOS may suggest an underlying disturbance in iron metabolism, potentially inducing the activation of ferroptosis. Further research is imperative to elucidate the underlying pathophysiology, providing insights for potential preventive measures and therapeutic strategies. Limitation: There are some limitations as follows: First, due to limited extractable information, we excluded purely abstract publications and non-English publications. Second, the majority of original articles were case-control studies, making it difficult to determine the causal relationship between iron metabolism abnormalities and the onset of PCOS. Third, there is substantial heterogeneity in the definition of PCOS.

Keywords: polycystic ovary syndrome, ferroptosis, iron metabolism, systematic review and meta-analysis

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