Search results for: insurance cycle
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 2371

Search results for: insurance cycle

1531 Operation and Management System of New Ahmadi Hospital Facility

Authors: Abdulrahman H. Alrashidi

Abstract:

Kuwait Oil Company provides health care services through Ahmadi hospital for oil sector employee and their families. Due to increasing number of entitled patients in Ahmadi hospital, the company starts health insurance option in 2010. In addition, a new Ahmadi hospital decided to build to accumulate all entitled patients. Operation and management of new Ahmadi hospital investigated in this research. In order to maintain the high quality of medical services and satisfaction rate among oil sector community and reducing the operation cost. Six operation and management options evaluated in order to implement in new Ahmadi hospital. Qualitative Risk assessment method used to investigate proposed options for operation and management of new Ahmadi hospital. Evaluation criteria consist of quality of medical services, operation cost and satisfaction rate among oil sector community. Results show that using the same operation and management system in existing Ahmadi hospital with new Ahmadi hospital will bring cost higher. This approach brings risk to KOC. Results from risk assessment show that partially operated new Ahmadi hospital is the best opportunity to meet the objectives of KOC’s medical group.

Keywords: Kuwait Oil Company, new Ahmadi hospital, operation and management, risk assessment

Procedia PDF Downloads 355
1530 Potential of Detailed Environmental Data, Produced by Information and Communication Technology Tools, for Better Consideration of Microclimatology Issues in Urban Planning to Promote Active Mobility

Authors: Živa Ravnikar, Alfonso Bahillo Martinez, Barbara Goličnik Marušić

Abstract:

Climate change mitigation has been formally adopted and announced by countries over the globe, where cities are targeting carbon neutrality through various more or less successful, systematic, and fragmentary actions. The article is based on the fact that environmental conditions affect human comfort and the usage of space. Urban planning can, with its sustainable solutions, not only support climate mitigation in terms of a planet reduction of global warming but as well enabling natural processes that in the immediate vicinity produce environmental conditions that encourage people to walk or cycle. However, the article draws attention to the importance of integrating climate consideration into urban planning, where detailed environmental data play a key role, enabling urban planners to improve or monitor environmental conditions on cycle paths. In a practical aspect, this paper tests a particular ICT tool, a prototype used for environmental data. Data gathering was performed along the cycling lanes in Ljubljana (Slovenia), where the main objective was to assess the tool's data applicable value within the planning of comfortable cycling lanes. The results suggest that such transportable devices for in-situ measurements can help a researcher interpret detailed environmental information, characterized by fine granularity and precise data spatial and temporal resolution. Data can be interpreted within human comfort zones, where graphical representation is in the form of a map, enabling the link of the environmental conditions with a spatial context. The paper also provides preliminary results in terms of the potential of such tools for identifying the correlations between environmental conditions and different spatial settings, which can help urban planners to prioritize interventions in places. The paper contributes to multidisciplinary approaches as it demonstrates the usefulness of such fine-grained data for better consideration of microclimatology in urban planning, which is a prerequisite for creating climate-comfortable cycling lanes promoting active mobility.

Keywords: information and communication technology tools, urban planning, human comfort, microclimate, cycling lanes

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1529 Stability Analysis of Rabies Model with Vaccination Effect and Culling in Dogs

Authors: Eti Dwi Wiraningsih, Folashade Agusto, Lina Aryati, Syamsuddin Toaha, Suzanne Lenhart, Widodo, Willy Govaerts

Abstract:

This paper considers a deterministic model for the transmission dynamics of rabies virus in the wild dogs-domestic dogs-human zoonotic cycle. The effect of vaccination and culling in dogs is considered on the model, then the stability was analysed to get basic reproduction number. We use the next generation matrix method and Routh-Hurwitz test to analyze the stability of the Disease-Free Equilibrium and Endemic Equilibrium of this model.

Keywords: stability analysis, rabies model, vaccination effect, culling in dogs

Procedia PDF Downloads 623
1528 Human-Tiger Conflict in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Authors: Abishek Poudel

Abstract:

Human-tiger conflicts are serious issues of conflicts between local people and park authority and the conflicting situation potentially play negative role in park management. The study aimed (1) To determine the trend and nature of human-tiger conflicts (2) To understand people's perception and mitigation measures towards tiger conservation. Both primary and secondary information were used to determine human- tiger conflicts in Chitwan National Park. Systematic random sampling with 5% intensity was done to collect the perception of the villagers regarding human-tiger conflicts. The study sites were selected based on frequencies of incidences of human attacks and livestock depredation viz. Rajahar and Ayodhyapuri VDCs respectively. The trend of human casualties by tiger has increased in last five year whereas the trend of livestock has decreased. Reportedly, between 2008 and 2012, tigers killed 22 people, injured 10 and killed at least 213 livestock. Conflict was less common in the park and more intense in the sub-optimal habitats of Buffer Zone. Goat was the most vulnerable livestock followed by cattle. The livestock grazing and human intrusion into tiger habitat were the causes of conflicts. Developing local stewardship and support for tiger conservation, livestock insurance, and compensation policy simplification may help reduce human-tiger conflicts.

Keywords: livestock depredation, sub optimal habitat, human-tiger, local stewardship

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1527 Dripping Modes of Newtonian Liquids: The Effect of Nozzle Inclination

Authors: Amaraja Taur, Pankaj Doshi, Hak Koon Yeoh

Abstract:

The dripping modes for a Newtonian liquid of viscosity µ emanating from an inclined nozzle at flow rate Q is investigated experimentally. As the liquid flow rate Q increases, starting with period-1 with satellite drops, the system transitions to period-1 dripping without satellite, then to limit cycle before showing chaotic responses. Phase diagrams shows the changes in the transitions between the different dripping modes for different nozzle inclination angle θ is constructed in the dimensionless (Q, µ) space.

Keywords: dripping, inclined nozzle, phase diagram, satellite

Procedia PDF Downloads 286
1526 Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Circular, Bio-Based and Industrialized Building Envelope Systems

Authors: N. Cihan KayaçEtin, Stijn Verdoodt, Alexis Versele

Abstract:

The construction industry is accounted for one-third of all waste generated in the European Union (EU) countries. The Circular Economy Action Plan of the EU aims to tackle this issue and aspires to enhance the sustainability of the construction industry by adopting more circular principles and bio-based material use. The Interreg Circular Bio-Based Construction Industry (CBCI) project was conceived to research how this adoption can be facilitated. For this purpose, an approach is developed that integrates technical, legal and social aspects and provides business models for circular designing and building with bio-based materials. In the scope of the project, the research outputs are to be displayed in a real-life setting by constructing a demo terraced single-family house, the living lab (LL) located in Ghent (Belgium). The realization of the LL is conducted in a step-wise approach that includes iterative processes for design, description, criteria definition and multi-criteria assessment of building components. The essence of the research lies within the exploratory approach to the state-of-art building envelope and technical systems options for achieving an optimum combination for a circular and bio-based construction. For this purpose, nine preliminary designs (PD) for building envelope are generated, which consist of three basic construction methods: masonry, lightweight steel construction and wood framing construction supplemented with bio-based construction methods like cross-laminated timber (CLT) and massive wood framing. A comparative analysis on the PDs was conducted by utilizing several complementary tools to assess the circularity. This paper focuses on the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach for evaluating the environmental impact of the LL Ghent. The adoption of an LCA methodology was considered critical for providing a comprehensive set of environmental indicators. The PDs were developed at the component level, in particular for the (i) inclined roof, (ii-iii) front and side façade, (iv) internal walls and (v-vi) floors. The assessment was conducted on two levels; component and building level. The options for each component were compared at the first iteration and then, the PDs as an assembly of components were further analyzed. The LCA was based on a functional unit of one square meter of each component and CEN indicators were utilized for impact assessment for a reference study period of 60 years. A total of 54 building components that are composed of 31 distinct materials were evaluated in the study. The results indicate that wood framing construction supplemented with bio-based construction methods performs environmentally better than the masonry or steel-construction options. An analysis on the correlation between the total weight of components and environmental impact was also conducted. It was seen that masonry structures display a high environmental impact and weight, steel structures display low weight but relatively high environmental impact and wooden framing construction display low weight and environmental impact. The study provided valuable outputs in two levels: (i) several improvement options at component level with substitution of materials with critical weight and/or impact per unit, (ii) feedback on environmental performance for the decision-making process during the design phase of a circular single family house.

Keywords: circular and bio-based materials, comparative analysis, life cycle assessment (LCA), living lab

Procedia PDF Downloads 182
1525 Performance Evaluation of Lithium Bromide Absorption Chiller

Authors: Z. Neffah, L. Merabti, N. Hatraf

Abstract:

Absorption refrigeration technology has been used for cooling purposes over a hundred years. Today, the technology developments have made of the absorption refrigeration an economic and effective alternative to the vapour compression cooling cycle. A parametric study was conducted over the entire admissible ranges of the generator and absorber temperatures. On the other hand, simultaneously raising absorber temperatures was seen to result in deterioration of coefficient of performance. The influence of generator, absorber temperatures, as well as solution concentration on the different performance indicators was also calculated and examined.

Keywords: absorption system, Aqueous solution, chiller, water-lithium bromide

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1524 Prioritization in Modern Portfolio Management - An Action Design Research Approach to Method Development for Scaled Agility

Authors: Jan-Philipp Schiele, Karsten Schlinkmeier

Abstract:

Allocation of scarce resources is a core process of traditional project portfolio management. However, with the popularity of agile methodology, established concepts and methods of portfolio management are reaching their limits and need to be adapted. Consequently, the question arises of how the process of resource allocation can be managed appropriately in scaled agile environments. The prevailing framework SAFe offers Weightest Shortest Job First (WSJF) as a prioritization technique, butestablished companies are still looking for methodical adaptions to apply WSJF for prioritization in portfolios in a more goal-oriented way and aligned for their needs in practice. In this paper, the relevant problem of prioritization in portfolios is conceptualized from the perspective of coordination and related mechanisms to support resource allocation. Further, an Action Design Research (ADR) project with case studies in a finance company is outlined to develop a practically applicable yet scientifically sound prioritization method based on coordination theory. The ADR project will be flanked by consortium research with various practitioners from the financial and insurance industry. Preliminary design requirements indicate that the use of a feedback loop leads to better team and executive level coordination in the prioritization process.

Keywords: scaled agility, portfolio management, prioritization, business-IT alignment

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1523 A Study on the Assessment of Prosthetic Infection after Total Knee Replacement Surgery

Authors: Chun-Lang Chang, Chun-Kai Liu

Abstract:

In this study, the patients that have undergone total knee replacement surgery from the 2010 National Health Insurance database were adopted as the study participants. The important factors were screened and selected through literature collection and interviews with physicians. Through the Cross Entropy Method (CE), Genetic Algorithm Logistic Regression (GALR), and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), the weights of the factors were obtained. In addition, the weights of the respective algorithms, coupled with the Excel VBA were adopted to construct the Case Based Reasoning (CBR) system. The results through statistical tests show that the GALR and PSO produced no significant differences, and the accuracy of both models were above 97%. Moreover, the area under the curve of ROC for these two models also exceeded 0.87. This study shall serve as a reference for medical staff as an assistance for clinical assessment of infections in order to effectively enhance medical service quality and efficiency, avoid unnecessary medical waste, and substantially contribute to resource allocations in medical institutions.

Keywords: Case Based Reasoning, Cross Entropy Method, Genetic Algorithm Logistic Regression, Particle Swarm Optimization, Total Knee Replacement Surgery

Procedia PDF Downloads 320
1522 Inertial Motion Capture System for Biomechanical Analysis in Rehabilitation and Sports

Authors: Mario Sandro F. Rocha, Carlos S. Ande, Anderson A. Oliveira, Felipe M. Bersotti, Lucas O. Venzel

Abstract:

The inertial motion capture systems (mocap) are among the most suitable tools for quantitative clinical analysis in rehabilitation and sports medicine. The inertial measuring units (IMUs), composed by accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers, are able to measure spatial orientations and calculate displacements with sufficient precision for applications in biomechanical analysis of movement. Furthermore, this type of system is relatively affordable and has the advantages of portability and independence from external references. In this work, we present the last version of our inertial motion capture system, based on the foregoing technology, with a unity interface designed for rehabilitation and sports. In our hardware architecture, only one serial port is required. First, the board client must be connected to the computer by a USB cable. Next, an available serial port is configured and opened to establish the communication between the client and the application, and then the client starts scanning for the active MOCAP_S servers around. The servers play the role of the inertial measuring units that capture the movements of the body and send the data to the client, which in turn create a package composed by the ID of the server, the current timestamp, and the motion capture data defined in the client pre-configuration of the capture session. In the current version, we can measure the game rotation vector (grv) and linear acceleration (lacc), and we also have a step detector that can be abled or disabled. The grv data are processed and directly linked to the bones of the 3D model, and, along with the data of lacc and step detector, they are also used to perform the calculations of displacements and other variables shown on the graphical user interface. Our user interface was designed to calculate and present variables that are important for rehabilitation and sports, such as cadence, speed, total gait cycle, gait cycle length, obliquity and rotation, and center of gravity displacement. Our goal is to present a low-cost portable and wearable system with a friendly interface for application in biomechanics and sports, which also performs as a product of high precision and low consumption of energy.

Keywords: biomechanics, inertial sensors, motion capture, rehabilitation

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1521 Combination of Modelling and Environmental Life Cycle Assessment Approach for Demand Driven Biogas Production

Authors: Juan A. Arzate, Funda C. Ertem, M. Nicolas Cruz-Bournazou, Peter Neubauer, Stefan Junne

Abstract:

— One of the biggest challenges the world faces today is global warming that is caused by greenhouse gases (GHGs) coming from the combustion of fossil fuels for energy generation. In order to mitigate climate change, the European Union has committed to reducing GHG emissions to 80–95% below the level of the 1990s by the year 2050. Renewable technologies are vital to diminish energy-related GHG emissions. Since water and biomass are limited resources, the largest contributions to renewable energy (RE) systems will have to come from wind and solar power. Nevertheless, high proportions of fluctuating RE will present a number of challenges, especially regarding the need to balance the variable energy demand with the weather dependent fluctuation of energy supply. Therefore, biogas plants in this content would play an important role, since they are easily adaptable. Feedstock availability varies locally or seasonally; however there is a lack of knowledge in how biogas plants should be operated in a stable manner by local feedstock. This problem may be prevented through suitable control strategies. Such strategies require the development of convenient mathematical models, which fairly describe the main processes. Modelling allows us to predict the system behavior of biogas plants when different feedstocks are used with different loading rates. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a technique for analyzing several sides from evolution of a product till its disposal in an environmental point of view. It is highly recommend to use as a decision making tool. In order to achieve suitable strategies, the combination of a flexible energy generation provided by biogas plants, a secure production process and the maximization of the environmental benefits can be obtained by the combination of process modelling and LCA approaches. For this reason, this study focuses on the biogas plant which flexibly generates required energy from the co-digestion of maize, grass and cattle manure, while emitting the lowest amount of GHG´s. To achieve this goal AMOCO model was combined with LCA. The program was structured in Matlab to simulate any biogas process based on the AMOCO model and combined with the equations necessary to obtain climate change, acidification and eutrophication potentials of the whole production system based on ReCiPe midpoint v.1.06 methodology. Developed simulation was optimized based on real data from operating biogas plants and existing literature research. The results prove that AMOCO model can successfully imitate the system behavior of biogas plants and the necessary time required for the process to adapt in order to generate demanded energy from available feedstock. Combination with LCA approach provided opportunity to keep the resulting emissions from operation at the lowest possible level. This would allow for a prediction of the process, when the feedstock utilization supports the establishment of closed material circles within a smart bio-production grid – under the constraint of minimal drawbacks for the environment and maximal sustainability.

Keywords: AMOCO model, GHG emissions, life cycle assessment, modelling

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1520 Batch and Dynamic Investigations on Magnesium Separation by Ion Exchange Adsorption: Performance and Cost Evaluation

Authors: Mohamed H. Sorour, Hayam F. Shaalan, Heba A. Hani, Eman S. Sayed

Abstract:

Ion exchange adsorption has a long standing history of success for seawater softening and selective ion removal from saline sources. Strong, weak and mixed types ion exchange systems could be designed and optimized for target separation. In this paper, different types of adsorbents comprising zeolite 13X and kaolin, in addition to, poly acrylate/zeolite (AZ), poly acrylate/kaolin (AK) and stand-alone poly acrylate (A) hydrogel types were prepared via microwave (M) and ultrasonic (U) irradiation techniques. They were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The developed adsorbents were evaluated on bench scale level and based on assessment results, a composite bed has been formulated for performance evaluation in pilot scale column investigations. Owing to the hydrogel nature of the partially crosslinked poly acrylate, the developed adsorbents manifested a swelling capacity of about 50 g/g. The pilot trials have been carried out using magnesium enriched Red Seawater to simulate Red Seawater desalination brine. Batch studies indicated varying uptake efficiencies, where Mg adsorption decreases according to the following prepared hydrogel types AU>AM>AKM>AKU>AZM>AZU, being 108, 107, 78, 69, 66 and 63 mg/g, respectively. Composite bed adsorbent tested in the up-flow mode column studies indicated good performance for Mg uptake. For an operating cycle of 12 h, the maximum uptake during the loading cycle approached 92.5-100 mg/g, which is comparable to the performance of some commercial resins. Different regenerants have been explored to maximize regeneration and minimize the quantity of regenerants including 15% NaCl, 0.1 M HCl and sodium carbonate. Best results were obtained by acidified sodium chloride solution. In conclusion, developed cation exchange adsorbents comprising clay or zeolite support indicated adequate performance for Mg recovery under saline environment. Column design operated at the up-flow mode (approaching expanded bed) is appropriate for such type of separation. Preliminary cost indicators for Mg recovery via ion exchange have been developed and analyzed.

Keywords: batch and dynamic magnesium separation, seawater, polyacrylate hydrogel, cost evaluation

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1519 Study on Varying Solar Blocking Depths in the Exploration of Energy-Saving Renovation of the Energy-Saving Design of the External Shell of Existing Buildings: Using Townhouse Residences in Kaohsiung City as an Example

Authors: Kuang Sheng Liu, Yu Lin Shih*, Chun Ta Tzeng, Cheng Chen Chen

Abstract:

Buildings in the 21st century are facing issues such as an extreme climate and low-carbon/energy-saving requirements. Many countries in the world are of the opinion that a building during its medium- and long-term life cycle is an energy-consuming entity. As for the use of architectural resources, including the United Nations-implemented "Global Green Policy" and "Sustainable building and construction initiative", all are working towards "zero-energy building" and "zero-carbon building" policies. Because of this, countries are cooperating with industry development using policies such as "mandatory design criteria", "green procurement policy" and "incentive grants and rebates programme". The results of this study can provide a reference for sustainable building renovation design criteria. Aimed at townhouses in Kaohsiung City, this study uses different levels of solar blocking depth to carry out evaluation of design and energy-saving renovation of the outer shell of existing buildings by using data collection and the selection of representative cases. Using building resources from a building information model (BIM), simulation and efficiency evaluation are carried out and proven with simulation estimation. This leads into the ECO-efficiency model (EEM) for the life cycle cost efficiency (LCCE) evalution. The buildings selected by this research sit in a north-south direction set with different solar blocking depths. The indoor air-conditioning consumption rates are compared. The current balcony depth of 1 metre as the simulated EUI value acts as a reference value of 100%. The solar blocking of the balcony is increased to 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 metres for a total of 5 different solar-blocking balcony depths, for comparison of the air-conditioning improvement efficacy. This research uses different solar-blocking balcony depths to carry out air-conditioning efficiency analysis. 1.5m saves 3.08%, 2m saves 6.74%, 2.5m saves 9.80% and 3m saves 12.72% from the air-conditioning EUI value. This shows that solar-blocking balconies have an efficiency-increasing potential for indoor air-conditioning.

Keywords: building information model, eco-efficiency model, energy-saving in the external shell, solar blocking depth.

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1518 Clique and Clan Analysis of Patient-Sharing Physician Collaborations

Authors: Shahadat Uddin, Md Ekramul Hossain, Arif Khan

Abstract:

The collaboration among physicians during episodes of care for a hospitalised patient has a significant contribution towards effective health outcome. This research aims at improving this health outcome by analysing the attributes of patient-sharing physician collaboration network (PCN) on hospital data. To accomplish this goal, we present a research framework that explores the impact of several types of attributes (such as clique and clan) of PCN on hospitalisation cost and hospital length of stay. We use electronic health insurance claim dataset to construct and explore PCNs. Each PCN is categorised as ‘low’ and ‘high’ in terms of hospitalisation cost and length of stay. The results from the proposed model show that the clique and clan of PCNs affect the hospitalisation cost and length of stay. The clique and clan of PCNs show the difference between ‘low’ and ‘high’ PCNs in terms of hospitalisation cost and length of stay. The findings and insights from this research can potentially help the healthcare stakeholders to better formulate the policy in order to improve quality of care while reducing cost.

Keywords: clique, clan, electronic health records, physician collaboration

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1517 Lower Risk of Ischemic Stroke in Hormone Therapy Users with Use of Chinese Herbal Medicine

Authors: Shu-Hui Wen, Wei-Chuan Chang, Hsien-Chang Wu

Abstract:

Background: Little is known about the benefits and risks of use of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in conditions related to hormone therapy (HT) use on the risk of ischemic stroke (IS). The aim of this study is to explore the risk of IS in menopausal women treated with HT and CHM. Materials and methods: A total of 32,441 menopausal women without surgical menopause aged 40- 65 years were selected from 2003 to 2010 using the 2-million random samples of the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. According to the medication usage of HT and CHM, we divided the current and recent users into two groups: an HT use-only group (n = 4,989) and an HT/CHM group (n = 9,265). Propensity-score matching samples (4,079 pairs) were further created to deal with confounding by indication. The adjusted hazard ratios (HR) of IS during HT or CHM treatment were estimated by the robust Cox proportional hazards model. Results: The incidence rate of IS in the HT/CHM group was significantly lower than in the HT group (4.5 vs. 12.8 per 1000 person-year, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis results indicated that additional CHM use was significant with a lower risk of IS (HR = 0.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.43). Further subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses had similar findings. Conclusion: We found that combined use of HT and CHM was associated with a lower risk for IS than HT use only. Further study is needed to examine possible mechanism underlying this association.

Keywords: Chinese herbal medicine, hormone therapy, ischemic stroke, menopause

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1516 Integration of Building Information Modeling Framework for 4D Constructability Review and Clash Detection Management of a Sewage Treatment Plant

Authors: Malla Vijayeta, Y. Vijaya Kumar, N. Ramakrishna Raju, K. Satyanarayana

Abstract:

Global AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) industry has been coined as one of the most resistive domains in embracing technology. Although this digital era has been inundated with software tools like CAD, STADD, CANDY, Microsoft Project, Primavera etc. the key stakeholders have been working in siloes and processes remain fragmented. Unlike the yesteryears’ simpler project delivery methods, the current projects are of fast-track, complex, risky, multidisciplinary, stakeholder’s influential, statutorily regulative etc. pose extensive bottlenecks in preventing timely completion of projects. At this juncture, a paradigm shift surfaced in construction industry, and Building Information Modeling, aka BIM, has been a panacea to bolster the multidisciplinary teams’ cooperative and collaborative work leading to productive, sustainable and leaner project outcome. Building information modeling has been integrative, stakeholder engaging and centralized approach in providing a common platform of communication. A common misconception that BIM can be used for building/high rise projects in Indian Construction Industry, while this paper discusses of the implementation of BIM processes/methodologies in water and waste water industry. It elucidates about BIM 4D planning and constructability reviews of a Sewage Treatment Plant in India. Conventional construction planning and logistics management involves a blend of experience coupled with imagination. Even though the excerpts or judgments or lessons learnt gained from veterans might be predictive and helpful, but the uncertainty factor persists. This paper shall delve about the case study of real time implementation of BIM 4D planning protocols for one of the Sewage Treatment Plant of Dravyavati River Rejuvenation Project in India and develops a Time Liner to identify logistics planning and clash detection. With this BIM processes, we shall find that there will be significant reduction of duplication of tasks and reworks. Also another benefit achieved will be better visualization and workarounds during conception stage and enables for early involvement of the stakeholders in the Project Life cycle of Sewage Treatment Plant construction. Moreover, we have also taken an opinion poll of the benefits accrued utilizing BIM processes versus traditional paper based communication like 2D and 3D CAD tools. Thus this paper concludes with BIM framework for Sewage Treatment Plant construction which will achieve optimal construction co-ordination advantages like 4D construction sequencing, interference checking, clash detection checking and resolutions by primary engagement of all key stakeholders thereby identifying potential risks and subsequent creation of risk response strategies. However, certain hiccups like hesitancy in adoption of BIM technology by naïve users and availability of proficient BIM trainers in India poses a phenomenal impediment. Hence the nurture of BIM processes from conception, construction and till commissioning, operation and maintenance along with deconstruction of a project’s life cycle is highly essential for Indian Construction Industry in this digital era.

Keywords: integrated BIM workflow, 4D planning with BIM, building information modeling, clash detection and visualization, constructability reviews, project life cycle

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1515 Anti-Aging Effects of Two Agricultural Plant Extracts and Their Underlying Mechanism

Authors: Shwu-Ling Peng, Chiung-Man Tsai, Chia-Jui Weng

Abstract:

Chronic micro-inflammation is a hallmark of many aging-related neurodegenerative and metabolic syndrome-driven diseases. In high glucose (HG) environment, reactive oxygen species (ROS) is generated and the ROS induced inflammation, cytokines secretion, DNA damage, and cell cycle arrest to lead to cellular senescence. Water chestnut shell (WCS) is a plant hull which containing polyphenolic compounds and showed antioxidant and anticancer activities. Orchid, which containing a natural polysaccharide compound, possesses many physiological activities including anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. These agricultural plants might be able to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. This study was used HG-induced human normal dermal fibroblasts (HG-HNDFs) as an in vitro model to disclose the effects of water extract of Phalaenopsis orchid flower (WEPF) and ethanol extract of water chestnut shell (EEWCS) on the anti-aging and their underlying molecular mechanisms. The toxicity of extracts on human normal dermal fibroblasts (HNDFs) was determined by MTT method. The senescence of cells was assayed by β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) kit. ROS and nitrate production was analyzed by Intracellular ROS contents and ELISA, respectively. Western blotting was used to detect the proteins in cells. The results showed that the exposure of HNDFs to HG (30 mM) for 72 h were caused cellular senescence and arrested cells at G0/G1 phase. Indeed, the treatment of HG-HNDFs with WEPF (200 μg/ml) and EEWCS (10 μg/ml) significantly released cell cycle arrest and promoted cell proliferation. The G1/S phase transition regulatory proteins such as protein retinoblastoma (pRb), p53, and p16ᴵᴺᴷ⁴ᵃ depressed by WEPF and EEWCS were also observed. Additionally, the treatment of WEPF and EEWCS increased the activity of HO-1 through upregulating Nrf2 as well as decreased the ROS and NO of HG-HNDFs. Therefore, the senescence marker protein-30 (SMP30) in cells was diminished. In conclusion, the WEPF and EEWCS might inhibit HG-induced aging of HNDFs by reducing oxidative stress and free radicals.

Keywords: agricultural plant extract, anti-aging, high glucose, Phalaenopsis orchid flower, water chestnut shell

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1514 Algae Biofertilizers Promote Sustainable Food Production and Nutrient Efficiency: An Integrated Empirical-Modeling Study

Authors: Zeenat Rupawalla, Nicole Robinson, Susanne Schmidt, Sijie Li, Selina Carruthers, Elodie Buisset, John Roles, Ben Hankamer, Juliane Wolf

Abstract:

Agriculture has radically changed the global biogeochemical cycle of nitrogen (N). Fossil fuel-enabled synthetic N-fertiliser is a foundation of modern agriculture but applied to soil crops only use about half of it. To address N-pollution from cropping and the large carbon and energy footprint of N-fertiliser synthesis, new technologies delivering enhanced energy efficiency, decarbonisation, and a circular nutrient economy are needed. We characterised algae fertiliser (AF) as an alternative to synthetic N-fertiliser (SF) using empirical and modelling approaches. We cultivated microalgae in nutrient solution and modelled up-scaled production in nutrient-rich wastewater. Over four weeks, AF released 63.5% of N as ammonium and nitrate, and 25% of phosphorous (P) as phosphate to the growth substrate, while SF released 100% N and 20% P. To maximise crop N-use and minimise N-leaching, we explored AF and SF dose-response-curves with spinach in glasshouse conditions. AF-grown spinach produced 36% less biomass than SF-grown plants due to AF’s slower and linear N-release, while SF resulted in 5-times higher N-leaching loss than AF. Optimised blends of AF and SF boosted crop yield and minimised N-loss due to greater synchrony of N-release and crop uptake. Additional benefits of AF included greener leaves, lower leaf nitrate concentration, and higher microbial diversity and water holding capacity in the growth substrate. Life-cycle-analysis showed that replacing the most effective SF dosage with AF lowered the carbon footprint of fertiliser production from 2.02 g CO₂ (C-producing) to -4.62 g CO₂ (C-sequestering), with a further 12% reduction when AF is produced on wastewater. Embodied energy was lowest for AF-SF blends and could be reduced by 32% when cultivating algae on wastewater. We conclude that (i) microalgae offer a sustainable alternative to synthetic N-fertiliser in spinach production and potentially other crop systems, and (ii) microalgae biofertilisers support the circular nutrient economy and several sustainable development goals.

Keywords: bioeconomy, decarbonisation, energy footprint, microalgae

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1513 Railway Accidents: Using the Global Railway Accident Database and Evaluation for Risk Analysis

Authors: Mathias Linden, André Schneider, Harald F. O. von Korflesch

Abstract:

The risk of train accidents is an ongoing concern for railway organizations, governments, insurance companies and other depended sectors. Safety technologies are installed to reduce and to prevent potential damages of train accidents. Since the budgetary for the safety of railway organizations is limited, it is necessary not only to achieve a high availability and high safety standard but also to be cost effective. Therefore, an economic assessment of safety technologies is fundamental to create an accurate risk analysis. In order to conduct an economical assessment of a railway safety technology and a quantification of the costs of the accident causes, the Global Railway Accident Database & Evaluation (GRADE) has been developed. The aim of this paper is to describe the structure of this accident database and to show how it can be used for risk analyses. A number of risk analysis methods, such as the probabilistic safety assessment method (PSA), was used to demonstrate this accident database’s different possibilities of risk analysis. In conclusion, it can be noted that these analyses would not be as accurate without GRADE. The information gathered in the accident database was not available in this way before. Our findings are relevant for railway operators, safety technology suppliers, assurances, governments and other concerned railway organizations.

Keywords: accident causes, accident costs, accident database, global railway accident database & evaluation, GRADE, probabilistic safety assessment, PSA, railway accidents, risk analysis

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1512 Development of DEMO-FNS Hybrid Facility and Its Integration in Russian Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Authors: Yury S. Shpanskiy, Boris V. Kuteev

Abstract:

Development of a fusion-fission hybrid facility based on superconducting conventional tokamak DEMO-FNS runs in Russia since 2013. The main design goal is to reach the technical feasibility and outline prospects of industrial hybrid technologies providing the production of neutrons, fuel nuclides, tritium, high-temperature heat, electricity and subcritical transmutation in Fusion-Fission Hybrid Systems. The facility should operate in a steady-state mode at the fusion power of 40 MW and fission reactions of 400 MW. Major tokamak parameters are the following: major radius R=3.2 m, minor radius a=1.0 m, elongation 2.1, triangularity 0.5. The design provides the neutron wall loading of ~0.2 MW/m², the lifetime neutron fluence of ~2 MWa/m², with the surface area of the active cores and tritium breeding blanket ~100 m². Core plasma modelling showed that the neutron yield ~10¹⁹ n/s is maximal if the tritium/deuterium density ratio is 1.5-2.3. The design of the electromagnetic system (EMS) defined its basic parameters, accounting for the coils strength and stability, and identified the most problematic nodes in the toroidal field coils and the central solenoid. The EMS generates toroidal, poloidal and correcting magnetic fields necessary for the plasma shaping and confinement inside the vacuum vessel. EMC consists of eighteen superconducting toroidal field coils, eight poloidal field coils, five sections of a central solenoid, correction coils, in-vessel coils for vertical plasma control. Supporting structures, the thermal shield, and the cryostat maintain its operation. EMS operates with the pulse duration of up to 5000 hours at the plasma current up to 5 MA. The vacuum vessel (VV) is an all-welded two-layer toroidal shell placed inside the EMS. The free space between the vessel shells is filled with water and boron steel plates, which form the neutron protection of the EMS. The VV-volume is 265 m³, its mass with manifolds is 1800 tons. The nuclear blanket of DEMO-FNS facility was designed to provide functions of minor actinides transmutation, tritium production and enrichment of spent nuclear fuel. The vertical overloading of the subcritical active cores with MA was chosen as prospective. Analysis of the device neutronics and the hybrid blanket thermal-hydraulic characteristics has been performed for the system with functions covering transmutation of minor actinides, production of tritium and enrichment of spent nuclear fuel. A study of FNS facilities role in the Russian closed nuclear fuel cycle was performed. It showed that during ~100 years of operation three FNS facilities with fission power of 3 GW controlled by fusion neutron source with power of 40 MW can burn 98 tons of minor actinides and 198 tons of Pu-239 can be produced for startup loading of 20 fast reactors. Instead of Pu-239, up to 25 kg of tritium per year may be produced for startup of fusion reactors using blocks with lithium orthosilicate instead of fissile breeder blankets.

Keywords: fusion-fission hybrid system, conventional tokamak, superconducting electromagnetic system, two-layer vacuum vessel, subcritical active cores, nuclear fuel cycle

Procedia PDF Downloads 145
1511 Loan Repayment Prediction Using Machine Learning: Model Development, Django Web Integration and Cloud Deployment

Authors: Seun Mayowa Sunday

Abstract:

Loan prediction is one of the most significant and recognised fields of research in the banking, insurance, and the financial security industries. Some prediction systems on the market include the construction of static software. However, due to the fact that static software only operates with strictly regulated rules, they cannot aid customers beyond these limitations. Application of many machine learning (ML) techniques are required for loan prediction. Four separate machine learning models, random forest (RF), decision tree (DT), k-nearest neighbour (KNN), and logistic regression, are used to create the loan prediction model. Using the anaconda navigator and the required machine learning (ML) libraries, models are created and evaluated using the appropriate measuring metrics. From the finding, the random forest performs with the highest accuracy of 80.17% which was later implemented into the Django framework. For real-time testing, the web application is deployed on the Alibabacloud which is among the top 4 biggest cloud computing provider. Hence, to the best of our knowledge, this research will serve as the first academic paper which combines the model development and the Django framework, with the deployment into the Alibaba cloud computing application.

Keywords: k-nearest neighbor, random forest, logistic regression, decision tree, django, cloud computing, alibaba cloud

Procedia PDF Downloads 126
1510 Experimental Quantification of the Intra-Tow Resin Storage Evolution during RTM Injection

Authors: Mathieu Imbert, Sebastien Comas-Cardona, Emmanuelle Abisset-Chavanne, David Prono

Abstract:

Short cycle time Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) applications appear to be of great interest for the mass production of automotive or aeronautical lightweight structural parts. During the RTM process, the two components of a resin are mixed on-line and injected into the cavity of a mold where a fibrous preform has been placed. Injection and polymerization occur simultaneously in the preform inducing evolutions of temperature, degree of cure and viscosity that furthermore affect flow and curing. In order to adjust the processing conditions to reduce the cycle time, it is, therefore, essential to understand and quantify the physical mechanisms occurring in the part during injection. In a previous study, a dual-scale simulation tool has been developed to help determining the optimum injection parameters. This tool allows tracking finely the repartition of the resin and the evolution of its properties during reactive injections with on-line mixing. Tows and channels of the fibrous material are considered separately to deal with the consequences of the dual-scale morphology of the continuous fiber textiles. The simulation tool reproduces the unsaturated area at the flow front, generated by the tow/channel difference of permeability. Resin “storage” in the tows after saturation is also taken into account as it may significantly affect the repartition and evolution of the temperature, degree of cure and viscosity in the part during reactive injections. The aim of the current study is, thanks to experiments, to understand and quantify the “storage” evolution in the tows to adjust and validate the numerical tool. The presented study is based on four experimental repeats conducted on three different types of textiles: a unidirectional Non Crimp Fabric (NCF), a triaxial NCF and a satin weave. Model fluids, dyes and image analysis, are used to study quantitatively, the resin flow in the saturated area of the samples. Also, textiles characteristics affecting the resin “storage” evolution in the tows are analyzed. Finally, fully coupled on-line mixing reactive injections are conducted to validate the numerical model.

Keywords: experimental, on-line mixing, high-speed RTM process, dual-scale flow

Procedia PDF Downloads 164
1509 Influence of Wind Induced Fatigue Damage in the Reliability of Wind Turbines

Authors: Emilio A. Berny-Brandt, Sonia E. Ruiz

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Steel tubular towers serving as support structures for large wind turbines are subject to several hundred million stress cycles arising from the turbulent nature of the wind. This causes high-cycle fatigue which can govern tower design. The practice of maintaining the support structure after wind turbines reach its typical 20-year design life have become common, but without quantifying the changes in the reliability on the tower. There are several studies on this topic, but most of them are based on the S-N curve approach using the Miner’s rule damage summation method, the de-facto standard in the wind industry. However, the qualitative nature of Miner’s method makes desirable the use of fracture mechanics to measure the effects of fatigue in the capacity curve of the structure, which is important in order to evaluate the integrity and reliability of these towers. Temporal and spatially varying wind speed time histories are simulated based on power spectral density and coherence functions. Simulations are then applied to a SAP2000 finite element model and step-by-step analysis is used to obtain the stress time histories for a range of representative wind speeds expected during service conditions of the wind turbine. Rainflow method is then used to obtain cycle and stress range information of each of these time histories and a statistical analysis is performed to obtain the distribution parameters of each variable. Monte Carlo simulation is used here to evaluate crack growth over time in the tower base using the Paris-Erdogan equation. A nonlinear static pushover analysis to assess the capacity curve of the structure after a number of years is performed. The capacity curves are then used to evaluate the changes in reliability of a steel tower located in Oaxaca, Mexico, where wind energy facilities are expected to grow in the near future. Results show that fatigue on the tower base can have significant effects on the structural capacity of the wind turbine, especially after the 20-year design life when the crack growth curve starts behaving exponentially.

Keywords: crack growth, fatigue, Monte Carlo simulation, structural reliability, wind turbines

Procedia PDF Downloads 511
1508 CO₂ Capture by Membrane Applied to Steel Production Process

Authors: Alexandra-Veronica Luca, Letitia Petrescu

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Steel production is a major contributor to global warming potential. An average value of 1.83 tons of CO₂ is emitted for every ton of steel produced, resulting in over 3.3 Mt of CO₂ emissions each year. The present paper is focused on the investigation and comparison of two O₂ separation methods and two CO₂ capture technologies applicable to iron and steel industry. The O₂ used in steel production comes from an Air Separation Unit (ASU) using distillation or from air separation using membranes. The CO₂ capture technologies are represented by a two-stage membrane separation process and the gas-liquid absorption using methyl di-ethanol amine (MDEA). Process modelling and simulation tools, as well as environmental tools, are used in the present study. The production capacity of the steel mill is 4,000,000 tones/year. In order to compare the two CO₂ capture technologies in terms of efficiency, performance, and sustainability, the following cases have been investigated: Case 1: steel production using O₂ from ASU and no CO₂ capture; Case 2: steel production using O₂ from ASU and gas-liquid absorption for CO₂ capture; Case 3: steel production using O₂ from ASU and membranes for CO₂ capture; Case 4: steel production using O₂ from membrane separation method and gas-liquid absorption for CO₂ capture and Case-5: steel production using membranes for air separation and CO₂ capture. The O₂ separation rate obtained in the distillation technology was about 96%, and about 33% in the membrane technology. Similarly, the O₂ purity resulting in the conventional process (i.e. distillation) is higher compared to the O₂ purity obtained in the membrane unit (e.g., 99.50% vs. 73.66%). The air flow-rate required for membrane separation is about three times higher compared to the air flow-rate for cryogenic distillation (e.g., 549,096.93 kg/h vs. 189,743.82 kg/h). A CO₂ capture rate of 93.97% was obtained in the membrane case, while the CO₂ capture rate for the gas-liquid absorption was 89.97%. A quantity of 6,626.49 kg/h CO₂ with a purity of 95.45% is separated from the total 23,352.83 kg/h flue-gas in the membrane process, while with absorption of 6,173.94 kg/h CO₂ with a purity of 98.79% is obtained from 21,902.04 kg/h flue-gas and 156,041.80 kg/h MDEA is recycled. The simulation results, performed using ChemCAD process simulator software, lead to the conclusion that membrane-based technology can be a suitable alternative for CO₂ removal for steel production. An environmental evaluation using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was also performed. Considering the electricity consumption, the performance, and environmental indicators, Case 3 can be considered the most effective. The environmental evaluation, performed using GaBi software, shows that membrane technology can lead to lower environmental emissions if membrane production is based on benzene derived from toluene hydrodealkilation and chlorine and sodium hydroxide are produced using mixed technologies.

Keywords: CO₂ capture, gas-liquid absorption, Life Cycle Assessment, membrane separation, steel production

Procedia PDF Downloads 288
1507 Improving Access and Quality of Patient Information Resources for Orthognathic Treatment: A Quality Improvement Project

Authors: Evelyn Marie Richmond, Andrew McBride, Chris Johnston, John Marley

Abstract:

Background: Good quality patient information resources for orthognathic treatment help to reinforce information delivered during the initial consultation and help patients make informed decisions about their care. The Consultant Orthodontists and a Dental Core Trainee noted limited patient engagement with the British Orthodontic Society (BOS) 'Your Jaw Surgery' online resources and that the existing BOS patient information leaflet (PIL) could be customised and developed to meet local requirements. Aim: The quality improvement project (QIP) aimed to improve patients' understanding of orthognathic treatment by ensuring at least 90% of patients had read the new in-house patient information leaflet (PIL) and a minimum of 50% of patients had accessed the British Orthodontic Society (BOS) 'Your Jaw Surgery' online resources before attending the joint orthognathic multidisciplinary clinic by June 2023. Methods: The QIP was undertaken in the orthodontic department of the School of Dentistry, Belfast. Data was collected prospectively during a 6-month period from January 2023 to June 2023 over 3 Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles. Suitable patients were identified at consultant orthodontic new patient clinics. Following initial consultation for orthognathic treatment, patients were contacted to complete a patient questionnaire. Design: The change ideas were a poster with a QR code directing patients to the BOS 'Your Jaw Surgery' website in consultation areas and a new in-house PIL with a QR code directing patients to the BOS 'Your Jaw Surgery' website. Results: In PDSA cycle 1, 86.7% of patients were verbally directed to the BOS 'Your Jaw Surgery' website, and 53.3% accessed the online resources after their initial consultation. Although 100% of patients reported reading the existing PIL, only 64.3% felt it discussed the risks of orthognathic treatment in sufficient detail. By PDSA cycle 3, 100% of patients reported being directed to the BOS 'Your Jaw Surgery' website, however, only 58.3% engaged with the website. 100% of patients who read the new PIL felt that it discussed the risks of orthognathic treatment in sufficient detail. Conclusion: The slight improvement in access to the BOS 'Your Jaw Surgery' website shows that patients do not necessarily choose to access information online despite its availability. The uptake of the new PIL was greater than reported patient engagement with the BOS 'Your Jaw Surgery' website, which indicates patients still value written information despite the availability of online resources.

Keywords: orthognathic surgery, patient information resources, quality improvement project, risks

Procedia PDF Downloads 56
1506 Characteristics of Clinical and Diagnostic Aspects of Benign Diseases of Cervi̇x in Women

Authors: Gurbanova J., Majidova N., Ali-Zade S., Hasanova A., Mikailzade P.

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Currently, the problem of oncogynecological diseases is widespread and remains relevant in terms of quantitative growth. It is known that due to the increase in the number of benign diseases of the cervix, the development of precancerous conditions occurs. Benign diseases of the cervix represent the most common gynecological problem, which are often precursors of malignant neoplasms, especially cervical cancer. According to statistics, benign diseases of the cervix cover 25-45% of all gynecological diseases. Among women's oncogynecological diseases, cervical cancer ranks second in the world after breast cancer and ranks first in the mortality rate among oncological diseases in economically underdeveloped countries. We performed a comprehensive clinical and laboratory examination of 130 women aged 18 to 73 with benign cervical diseases. 59 (38.5%) women of reproductive age, as well as 39 (30%) premenopausal and 41 (31.5%) menopausal patients, participated in the study. Detailed anamnesis was collected from all patients, objective and gynecological examination was performed, laboratory and instrumental examinations (USM, IPV DNA, smear microscopy, and PCR bacteriological examination of sexually transmitted infections), simple and extended colposcopy, liquid-based РАР-smear smear and РАР-classic smear examinations were conducted. As a result of the research, the following nosological forms were found in women with benign diseases of the cervix: non-specific vaginitis in 10 (7.7%) cases; ectopia, endocervicitis - 60(46.2%); cervical ectropion - 7(5.4%); cervical polyp - 9(6.9%); cervical leukoplakia - 15(11.5%); atrophic vaginitis - 7(5.4%); condyloma - 12(9.2%); cervical stenosis - 2(1.5%); endometriosis of the cervix - was noted in 8 (6.2%) cases (p<0.001), respectively. Characteristics of the menstrual cycle among the examined women: normal cycle in 97 (74.6%) cases; oligomenorrhea – 23 (17.7%); polymenorrhea – 4(3.1%); algomenorrhea – noted in 6 (4.6%) cases (p<0.001). Cytological examination showed that: the specificity of liquid-based cytology was 76.2%, and the traditional PAP test was set at 70.6%. The overall diagnostic value was calculated to be 86% in liquid-based cytology and 78.5% in conventional PAP tests. Treatment of women with benign diseases of the cervix was carried out by diathermocoagulation method and "FOTEK EA 141M" device. It should be noted that 6 months after the treatment, after treatment with the "FOTEK EA 141M" device, there was no relapse in any patient. Recurrence was found in 23.7% of patients after diathermoelectrocoagulation. Thus, it is clear from the above that the study of cervical pathologies, the determination of optimal examinations, and effective treatment methods is one of the urgent problems facing obstetrics and gynecology.

Keywords: cervical cancer, cytological examination, PAP-smear, non-specific vaginitis

Procedia PDF Downloads 109
1505 An Integrated Approach of Islamic Social Financing for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) Through Crowdfunding: A Model for Sharing Economy for Community Development in Bangladesh

Authors: Md. Abu Yousuf

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Islamic social financing (ISF) refers to the fair distribution of wealth and financial dealings and prevents economic exploitation at all levels. ISF instruments include Islamic institutions Zakat (obligatory charity), Sadaqah (voluntary charity) and Waqf (endowment) based on philanthropy such and Qard-al Hasan (beautiful loan), micro takaful (insurance) and social investments through Sukuk (bonds) based on cooperation. ISF contributes to socio-economic development, end poverty, protects environmental sustainability, promotes education, equality, social justice and above all, establishes social well-being since the birth of Islam. ISF tools are instrumental towards achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) set by United Nations (UN). The present study will explore the scope of ISF for community development in Bangladesh and examine the challenges in implementing ISF tools and will provide the most practical model of ISF. The study will adopt a mixed-method (MM) design in the process of data collection and analysis. The researcher will consider all issues related to ethics, reliability, validity and feasibility while conducting the study.

Keywords: Islamic social financing, sustainable development goals, poverty eradication, zakat, waqf, sadaqah, Islamic microfinance

Procedia PDF Downloads 181
1504 Agronomic Test to Determine the Efficiency of Hydrothermally Treated Alkaline Igneous Rocks and Their Potassium Fertilizing Capacity

Authors: Aaron Herve Mbwe Mbissik, Lotfi Khiari, Otmane Raji, Abdellatif Elghali, Abdelkarim Lajili, Muhammad Ouabid, Martin Jemo, Jean-Louis Bodinier

Abstract:

Potassium (K) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth, helping to regulate several physiological and metabolic processes. Evaporite-related potash salts, mainly sylvite minerals (K chloride or KCl), are the principal source of K for the fertilizer industry. However, due to the high potash-supply risk associated with its considerable price fluctuations and uneven geographic distribution for most agriculture-based developing countries, the development of alternative sources of fertilizer K is imperative to maintain adequate crop yield, reduce yield gaps, and food security. Alkaline Igneous rocks containing significant K-rich silicate minerals such as K feldspar are increasingly seen as the best alternative available. However, these rocks may require to be hydrothermally treatment to enhance the release of potassium. In this study, we evaluate the fertilizing capacity of raw and hydrothermally treated K-bearing silicate rocks from different areas in Morocco. The effectiveness of rock powders was tested in a greenhouse experiment using ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) by comparing them to a control (no K added) and to a conventional fertilizer (muriate of potash: MOP or KCl). The trial was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications, and plants were grown on K-depleted soils for three growing cycles. To achieve our objective, in addition to the analysis of the muriate response curve and the different biomasses, we also examined three necessary coefficients, namely: the K uptake, then apparent K recovery (AKR), and the relative K efficiency (RKE). The results showed that based on the optimum economic rate of MOP (230 kg.K.ha⁻¹) and the optimum yield (44 000 kg.K.ha⁻¹), the efficiency of K silicate rocks was as high as that of MOP. Although the plants took up only half of the K supplied by the powdered rock, the hydrothermal material was found to be satisfactory, with a biomass value reaching the optimum economic limit until the second crop cycle. In comparison, the AKR of the MOP (98.6%) and its RKE in the 1st cycle were higher than our materials: 39% and 38%, respectively. Therefore, the raw and hydrothermal materials mixture could be an appropriate solution for long-term agronomic use based on the obtained results.

Keywords: K-uptake, AKR, RKE, K-bearing silicate rock, MOP

Procedia PDF Downloads 87
1503 Analysis of the Relationship between the Old Days Hospitalized with Economic Lost Top Ten Age Productive Disease in Hospital Inpatient Inche Abdul Moeis Samarinda, Indonesia

Authors: Tri Murti Tugiman, Awalyya Fasha

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This research aims to analyze the magnitude of the economic losses incurred as a result of a person suffering from a particular disease of the ten highest in the productive age diseases in Hospitals Inche Abdul Moeis Samarinda. This research was a descriptive survey research and a secondary data analysis. For the analysis of economic losses populations used are all in patients who suffer from the 10 highest diseases in the productive age in hospitals IA Moeis Samarinda in 2011. Sampling was performed by using a stratified random sampling with samples of 77 people. Research results indicate that the direct cost community incurred to obtain medical services in hospitals IA Moeis is IDR 74437520. The amount of indirect costs incurred during service in a community hospital is IDR 10562000. The amount lost due to sickness fee is IDR 5377800. The amount of economic lost people to obtain medical services in hospitals IA Moeis is IDR 90377320. The number of days of hospitalization was as much as 171 respondents throughout the day. This study suggests the economic loss could be prevented by changes in the lifestyle of the people who clean and healthy along with the following insurance.

Keywords: hospitalized, economic lost, productive age diseases, secondary data analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 471
1502 Using Agility in Building Business Process Management Solutions

Authors: Krešimir Fertalj, Mladen Matejaš

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In turbulent modern economy, the companies need to properly manage their business processes. Well defined and stable business processes ensure the security of crucial data and application, and provide a quality product or service to the end customer. On the other side constant changes on the market, new regulatory provisions and emerging new technologies require the need of issuing prompt and effective changes of business process. In this article, we explore the use of agile principles in working with business process management (BPM) solutions. We deal with difficulties in BPM development cycle, review the benefits of using agility and choose the basic agile principles that ensure the success of a BPM project.

Keywords: agile development, BPM environment, Kanban, SCRUM, XP

Procedia PDF Downloads 317