Search results for: construction schedule management

Authors: Carole A. South-Winter

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Research-based learning gives students the opportunity to experience problems that require critical thinking and idea development. The skills they gain in working through these problems 'hands-on,' develop into attributes that benefit their careers in the professional field. The partnerships developed between students and industries give advantages to both sides. The students gain knowledge and skills that will increase their likelihood of success in the future and the industries are given research on new advancements that will give them a competitive advantage in their given field of work. The future of these partnerships is dependent on the success of current programs, enabling the enhancement and improvement of the research efforts. Once more students can complete research, there will be an increase in reliability of the results for each industry. The overall goal is to continue the support for research-based learning and the partnerships formed between students and industries.

Keywords: global healthcare, industry partnerships, research-driven decisions, short-term study abroad

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Authors: Mohammadamin Hashemi, Mohammadreza Kashizadeh

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Droughts pose a significant threat to sustainable water resource management, agriculture, and socioeconomic sectors, particularly in the field of climate change. This study investigates drought simulation using rainfall-runoff modelling in the Cuneo district, Italy, over the past 60-year period. The study leverages the TUW model, a lumped conceptual rainfall-runoff model with a semi-distributed operation capability. Similar in structure to the widely used Hydrologiska Byråns Vattenbalansavdelning (HBV) model, the TUW model operates on daily timesteps for input and output data specific to each catchment. It incorporates essential routines for snow accumulation and melting, soil moisture storage, and streamflow generation. Multiple catchments' discharge data within the Cuneo district form the basis for thorough model calibration employing the Kling-Gupta Efficiency (KGE) metric. A crucial metric for reliable drought analysis is one that can accurately represent low-flow events during drought periods. This ensures that the model provides a realistic picture of water availability during these critical times. Subsequent validation of monthly discharge simulations thoroughly evaluates overall model performance. Beyond model development, the investigation delves into drought analysis using the robust Standardized Runoff Index (SRI). This index allows for precise characterization of drought occurrences within the study area. A meticulous comparison of observed and simulated discharge data is conducted, with particular focus on low-flow events that characterize droughts. Additionally, the study explores the complex interplay between land characteristics (e.g., soil type, vegetation cover) and climate variables (e.g., precipitation, temperature) that influence the severity and duration of hydrological droughts. The study's findings demonstrate successful calibration of the TUW model across most catchments, achieving commendable model efficiency. Comparative analysis between simulated and observed discharge data reveals significant agreement, especially during critical low-flow periods. This agreement is further supported by the Pareto coefficient, a statistical measure of goodness-of-fit. The drought analysis provides critical insights into the duration, intensity, and severity of drought events within the Cuneo district. This newfound understanding of spatial and temporal drought dynamics offers valuable information for water resource management strategies and drought mitigation efforts. This research deepens our understanding of drought dynamics in the Cuneo region. Future research directions include refining hydrological modelling techniques and exploring future drought projections under various climate change scenarios.

Keywords: hydrologic extremes, hydrological drought, hydrological modelling, machine learning, rainfall-runoff modelling

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Authors: Jai Prakash Prasad, Suresh Chandra Mohan

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Modern wireless sensor networks (WSN) consist of small size, low cost devices which are networked through tight wireless communications. WSN fundamentally offers cooperation, coordination among sensor networks. Potential applications of wireless sensor networks are in healthcare, natural disaster prediction, data security, environmental monitoring, home appliances, entertainment etc. The design, development and deployment of WSN based on application requirements. The WSN design performance is optimized to improve network lifetime. The sensor node resources constrain such as energy and bandwidth imposes the limitation on efficient resource utilization and sensor node management. The proposed N-Tier GRID routing protocol focuses on the design of energy efficient large scale wireless sensor network for improved performance than the existing protocol.

Keywords: energy efficient, network lifetime, sensor networks, wireless communication

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Authors: Md. Nazmul Haque, Mahinur Rahman

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The objective of the research is to determine the quantity of household waste generated and forecast the future condition of Ward No 24 (Nirala). For performing that, three core issues are focused: (i) the capacity and service area of the dumping stations; (ii) the present waste generation amount per capita per day; (iii) the responsibility of the local authority in the household waste collection. This research relied on field survey-based data collection from all stakeholders and GIS-based secondary analysis of waste collection points and their coverage. However, these studies are mostly based on the inherent forecasting approaches, cannot predict the amount of waste correctly. The findings of this study suggest that Nirala is a formal residential area introducing a better approach to the waste collection - self-controlled and collection system. Here, a forecasting model proposed for waste generation as Y = -2250387 + 1146.1 * X, where X = year.

Keywords: eco-friendly environment, household waste, linear regression, waste management

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Authors: William Elnemer, Nauman Hussain, Samir Al-Ali, Henry Shu, Diane Ghanem, Babar Shafiq

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Introduction: The incidence of infection in open tibial shaft injuries varies depending on the severity of the injury, with rates ranging from 1.8% for Gustilo-Anderson type I to 42.9% for type IIIB fractures. The timely administration of antibiotics upon presentation to the emergency department (ED) is an essential component of fracture management, and evidence indicates that prompt delivery of antibiotics is associated with improved outcomes. The objective of this study is to identify factors that contribute to the expedient administration of antibiotics. Methods: This is a retrospective study of open tibial shaft fractures at an academic Level I trauma center. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes identified all patients treated for open tibial shaft fractures between 2015 and 2021. Open fractures were identified by reviewing ED and provider notes, and with ballistic fractures were considered open. Chart reviews were performed to extract demographics, fracture characteristics, postoperative outcomes, time to operative room, time to antibiotic order, and delivery. Univariate statistical analysis compared patients who received early antibiotics (EA), which were delivered within one hour of ED presentation, and those who received late antibiotics (LA), which were delivered outside of one hour of ED presentation. A multivariate analysis was performed to investigate patient, fracture, and transport/ED characteristics contributing to faster delivery of antibiotics. The multivariate analysis included the dependent variables: ballistic fracture, activation of Delta Trauma, Gustilo-Andersen (Type III vs. Type I and II), AO-OTA Classification (Type C vs. Type A and B), arrival between 7 am and 11 pm, and arrival via Emergency Medical Services (EMS) or walk-in. Results: Seventy ED patients with open tibial shaft fractures were identified. Of these, 39 patients (55.7%) received EA, while 31 patients (44.3%) received LA. Univariate analysis shows that the arrival via EMS as opposed to walk-in (97.4% vs. 74.2%, respectively, p = 0.01) and activation of Delta Trauma (89.7% vs. 51.6%, respectively, p < 0.001) was significantly higher in the EA group vs. the LA group. Additionally, EA cases had significantly shorter intervals between the antibiotic order and delivery when compared to LA cases (0.02 hours vs. 0.35 hours, p = 0.007). No other significant differences were found in terms of postoperative outcomes or fracture characteristics. Multivariate analysis shows that a Delta Trauma Response, arrival via EMS, and presentation between 7 am and 11 pm were independent predictors of a shorter time to antibiotic administration (Odds Ratio = 11.9, 30.7, and 5.4, p = 0.001, 0.016, and 0.013, respectively). Discussion: Earlier antibiotic delivery is associated with arrival to the ED between 7 am and 11 pm, arrival via EMS, and a coordinated Delta Trauma activation. Our findings indicate that in cases where administering antibiotics is critical to achieving positive outcomes, it is advisable to employ a coordinated Delta Trauma response. Hospital personnel should be attentive to the rapid administration of antibiotics to patients with open fractures who arrive via walk-in or during late-night hours.

Keywords: antibiotics, emergency department, fracture management, open tibial shaft fractures, orthopaedic surgery, time to or, trauma fractures

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Authors: Ibrahim Can, Fatih Tosunoğlu

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The flow duration curve (FDC) is an informative method that represents the flow regime’s properties for a river basin. Therefore, the FDC is widely used for water resource projects such as hydropower, water supply, irrigation and water quality management. The primary purpose of this study is to obtain synthetic daily flow duration curves for Çoruh Basin, Turkey. For this aim, we firstly developed univariate auto-regressive moving average (ARMA) models for daily flows of 9 stations located in Çoruh basin and then these models were used to generate 100 synthetic flow series each having same size as historical series. Secondly, flow duration curves of each synthetic series were drawn and the flow values exceeded 10, 50 and 95 % of the time and 95% confidence limit of these flows were calculated. As a result, flood, mean and low flows potential of Çoruh basin will comprehensively be represented.

Keywords: ARMA models, Çoruh basin, flow duration curve, Turkey

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Authors: Abdullah Erden, Filiz Erden

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In the present information society era, a change is seen in every field together with changing technology. Along with this change, importance given to information and human who is the producer of information increased. Work life and working conditions included in these changes have also been affected. The most important factors that disturb employees in offices are lighting, ventilation, noise and office furniture. Upon arrangement of these according to ergonomic principles, performance and efficiency of employees will increase. Fatigue and stress resulting from office environment are harmful for employees. Attention and efficiency of employee who feels bad will decrease. It should be noted that office employees are human and affected from environment. It should be allowed them to work in comfortable, healthy and peaceful environment. As a result, efficiency will increase and target will be reached. In this study, it has been focused on basic concepts such as office management and efficiency, effects of ergonomics on office efficiency has been examined. Also, a place is given to the factors affecting operational efficiency and effects of physical environment on employees.

Keywords: ergonomics, efficiency, office design, office

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Authors: Y. H. Tshela Ntumba, A. Przepiórkowska, M. Prochoń

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Polymeric materials have become an integral part of every aspect of today's industry. They have wide applications, inter alia, in areas such as medicine, food industry and agriculture. In agriculture, for example, they are used for the production of pots, irrigation systems and for soil mulching. The aim of this study was the attempt to produce a biodecomposable agricultural mat, by coating cotton fabric with a blend of carboxylated styrene-butadiene latex (LBSK) containing the enzymatic hydrolyzate of keratin from cattle hair, which would serve as a material for mulching. The production of such material allows the beneficial management of burdensome tannery waste constituted by keratin from cattle hair and at the same time, the production of agricultural mats that much faster undergo decomposition than commonly used polyethylene mats.

Keywords: agricultural mat, biodecomposition, biodegradation, carboxylated butadiene-styrene latex, cellulosic-elastomeric material, keratin hydrolyzate, mulching, protein hydrolyzate

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Authors: Rosana Silvina Codaro, Patricia Amelia Tomei

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This study explores the relationship between job satisfaction and alignment between the individual´s current occupation and his talents, needs and values, namely his 'career anchors'. With this purpose in mind, a quantitative survey was performed for a non- graduate probabilistic sample of management business students of a private university in Rio de Janeiro. The results of the survey showed there is no significant association between satisfaction at work and alignment with the individual’s career anchor. The most frequent career anchor found for both genders was lifestyle, showing a trend towards finding a career that allows some balance between professional and personal life. The study also showed that self-employed individuals are more satisfied with their work than the individuals employed by a company are, and men are more satisfied at work than women are, Individuals aligned and not satisfied tend to be the ones who have fewer years of work experience and individuals not aligned and satisfied tend to be older.

Keywords: careers, career anchors, job satisfaction, Schein´s career anchor model

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Authors: Besa Muthuri

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This paper examines the correlation between the organization's human resources (HR) and marketing entities and reviews the literature on customer acquisition and loyalty retention and the various aspects of employer branding. It will also explore how these concepts can be applied to the marketing and human resources departments. HR and marketing teams in the organization function to educate, attract and retain the attention and interests of the modern talent market. While the teams' target products, personas, or services tend to differ, their execution, desired results, and implementation of the respective activities are closely related. Therefore, promoting collaboration between HR and marketing enables the company to enhance business branding and recruitment of top-tier talents that will drive the much-needed change in the organization and promote a higher employee and customer retention rate. To achieve the ultimate HR and marketing relationship, organizations should build their external and internal awareness, track their performance and programs, and promote in-house meetings among employees from all interfacing departments.

Keywords: branding, employee retention, human resources, marketing

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Authors: Tomas Mitkus, Vaida Nedzinskaitė-Mitkė

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The objective of this study is to identify and explore how adequate is modern innovation support mechanism to developed creative industries. We argue that current development and support strategy for creative industries, although acknowledge high correlation between innovation and creativity, do not seek to improve conditions to promote systematic innovation development in the creative sector. Using the Lithuanian animation industry as a case study, this paper will examine innovation contribution to creativity and, for that matter, the competitiveness of animation enterprises. This paper proposes insights that contribute to theoretical and practical discussions on how creative profile companies build national and international competitiveness through innovations. The conclusions suggest that development of creative industries could greatly benefit if policymakers would implement tools that would encourage creative profile enterprises to invest in to development of innovation at a constant rate.

Keywords: creative industries, innovation policy, innovation, management

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Authors: Seyyedeh Mahdis Mousavi, Masoud Maghsoudi, Zahra Vahed

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The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence as conceptualized in Goleman’s competency model, and decision making styles in levels of management. To conduct this study, different level managers in Iran Broadcasting Organization completed a questionnaire on emotional intelligence and decision making styles. Researcher used descriptive and inferential statistics to describe data and analyze the two variables relationship in managers of three levels. Results revealed significant relationships for rational, dependent, avoidant, and spontaneous styles. No significant relationship was found for intuitive style. Yet the results indicate that avoidant style has negative relation to EI. Furthermore, EI has direct and strong relation to rational style.

Keywords: emotional intelligence (EI), decision making styles, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Iranian manager

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Authors: Jayesh M. Patel, Bharat P. Modi

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The availability of on mobile devices that can invoke the demonstrated that the total data demand from users is far higher than previously articulated by measurements based solely on a cellular-centric view of smart-phone usage. The ratio of Wi-Fi to cellular traffic varies significantly between countries, This paper is shown the compression between the cellular data usage and Wi-Fi data usage by the user. This strategy helps operators to understand the growing importance and application of yield management strategies designed to squeeze maximum returns from their investments into the networks and devices that enable the mobile data ecosystem. The transition from unlimited data plans towards tiered pricing and, in the future, towards more value-centric pricing offers significant revenue upside potential for mobile operators, but, without a complete insight into all aspects of smartphone customer behavior, operators will unlikely be able to capture the maximum return from this billion-dollar market opportunity.

Keywords: cellular, Wi-Fi, mobile, smart phone

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Authors: S. Jagadeesh Kumar

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Face detection and recognition is an authoritative technology for image database management, video surveillance, and human computer interface (HCI). Face recognition is a rapidly nascent method, which has been extensively discarded in forensics such as felonious identification, tenable entree, and custodial security. This paper recommends an erudite technique using curvature analysis (CA) that has less false positives incidence, operative in different light environments and confiscates the artifacts that are introduced during image acquisition by ring correction in polar coordinate (RCP) method. This technique affronts mean and median filtering technique to remove the artifacts but it works in polar coordinate during image acquisition. Investigational fallouts for face detection and recognition confirms decent recitation even in diagonal orientation and stance variation.

Keywords: curvature analysis, ring correction in polar coordinate method, face detection, face recognition, human computer interaction

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Authors: Peter Modregger, Özgül Öztürk

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Glass fabric reinforced thermoplastic (GFRT) are composite materials, which combine low weight and resilient mechanical properties rendering them especially suitable for automobile construction. However, defects in the glass fabric as well as in the polymer matrix can occur during manufacturing, which may compromise component lifetime or even safety. One type of these defects is local fiber shifts, which can be difficult to detect. Recently, we have experimentally demonstrated the reliable detection of local fiber shifts by X-ray scattering based on the edge-illumination (EI) principle. EI constitutes a novel X-ray imaging technique that utilizes two slit masks, one in front of the sample and one in front of the detector, in order to simultaneously provide absorption, phase, and scattering contrast. The principle of contrast formation is as follows. The incident X-ray beam is split into smaller beamlets by the sample mask, resulting in small beamlets. These are distorted by the interaction with the sample, and the distortions are scaled up by the detector masks, rendering them visible to a pixelated detector. In the experiment, the sample mask is laterally scanned, resulting in Gaussian-like intensity distributions in each pixel. The area under the curves represents absorption, the peak offset refraction, and the width of the curve represents the scattering occurring in the sample. Here, scattering is caused by the numerous glass fiber/polymer matrix interfaces. In our recent publication, we have shown that the standard deviation of the absorption and scattering values over a selected field of view can be used to distinguish between intact samples and samples with local fiber shift defects. The quantification of defect detection performance was done by using p-values (p=0.002 for absorption and p=0.009 for scattering) and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR=3.0 for absorption and CNR=2.1 for scattering) between the two groups of samples. This was further improved for the scattering contrast to p=0.0004 and CNR=4.2 by utilizing a harmonic decomposition analysis of the images. Thus, we concluded that local fiber shifts can be reliably detected by the X-ray scattering contrasts provided by EI. However, a potential application in, for example, production monitoring requires fast data acquisition times. For the results above, the scanning of the sample masks was performed over 50 individual steps, which resulted in long total scan times. In this paper, we will demonstrate that reliable detection of local fiber shift defects is also possible by using single images, which implies a speed up of total scan time by a factor of 50. Additional performance improvements will also be discussed, which opens the possibility for real-time acquisition. This contributes a vital step for the translation of EI to industrial applications for a wide variety of materials consisting of numerous interfaces on the micrometer scale.

Keywords: defects in composites, X-ray scattering, local fiber shifts, X-ray edge Illumination

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Authors: Toktam mehrabani

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Textiles, fashion, and architecture, though seemingly disparate fields, share a deep and evolving relationship. This paper explores the intersection of these disciplines, examining how the tactile, structural, and aesthetic qualities of textiles have influenced both fashion and architecture over time. By investigating historical and contemporary examples, this paper seeks to unravel the ways in which textiles and fashion have not only shaped architectural design but have also acted as a bridge between functionality, art, and human experience in the built environment.Textiles have been integral to human culture since the dawn of civilization. Their presence transcends mere functionality, serving as a medium for artistic expression, cultural identity, and social commentary. Fashion, derived from textiles, has long been associated with personal identity and societal trends, while architecture reflects human needs, environmental context, and cultural values. This paper posits that the relationship between textiles, fashion, and architecture is more interconnected than often perceived, with each influencing and inspiring the other across time. Textiles in Architectural Design: From ancient draperies in temples to tapestries in castles, textiles have adorned structures, softening rigid spaces and adding layers of warmth and luxury. Fabric screens and curtains have also served functional purposes, such as controlling light, acoustics, and temperature. Fashion as Architectural Expression: Renaissance and Baroque fashion used exaggerated forms, corsetry, and layers to mirror the grandiosity of architectural styles of the time. Clothing acted as wearable architecture, with structured garments mirroring the strong lines and curves of buildings..Structural Textiles in Architecture: In the 21st century, textiles are no longer just decorative; they have become integral to architectural innovation. Materials like tensile fabrics and smart textiles are used in creating flexible, lightweight structures. Iconic examples include Frei Otto’s work with tensile membranes, seen in the Munich Olympic Stadium.Technological advancements have drastically transformed the relationship between textiles, fashion, and architecture. Digital tools like 3D printing and laser cutting allow designers in both fields to push the limits of form and structure. Smart textiles that react to environmental stimuli are being explored for use in both wearable technology and adaptable architecture, such as facades that change in response to weather conditions. Textiles, fashion, and architecture are inextricably linked through their shared exploration of form, structure, and expression. This interdisciplinary relationship continues to evolve, driven by technological advancements and a growing emphasis on sustainability. As fashion becomes more architectural in its construction and architecture more fluid in its forms, the lines between these disciplines blur, offering new possibilities for creativity and functionality in both wearable and built environments.

Keywords: textiles in architecture, fashion and architecture, textile architecture, structural textiles, wearable architecture, architectural fashion

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Authors: Alhasan Hakami, Arun Kumar, Sung J. Shim, Yousef Abu Nahleh

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In recent years, many high intensity earthquakes have occurred around the world, such as the 2011 earthquake in Tohoku, Japan. These large-scale disasters caused huge casualties and losses. In addition, inefficient disaster response operations also caused the second wave of casualties and losses, and expanded the damage. Effective disaster management can be used to respond to the chaotic situation, and reduce the damage. However, some inefficient disaster response operations are still used. Therefore, this case study chose the 921 earthquakes for analysing disaster emergency logistics problems and proposed the Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) to solve disaster emergency logistics problems. Moreover, it analyses the effect of human factors on system operation, and suggests a solution to improve the system.

Keywords: soft systems methodology, emergency logistics, earthquakes, Japan, system operation

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Authors: Visvaganthie Moodley

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While rhetoric goes back as far as Aristotle who focalised its meaning as the “art of persuasion”, most scholars have focused on elocutio and dispositio canons, neglecting the rhetorical impact of multimodal texts, such as documentaries. Film documentaries are being increasingly rhetoric, often used by wildlife conservationists for influencing people to become more mindful about humanity’s connection with nature. This paper examines the award-winning film documentary, “My Octopus Teacher”, which depicts naturalist, Craig Foster’s unique discovery and relationship with a female octopus in the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Storms in South Africa. It is anchored in Leech and Short’s (2007) framework of linguistic and stylistic categories – comprising lexical items, grammatical features, figures of speech and other rhetoric features, and cohesiveness – with particular foci on diction, anthropomorphic language, metaphors and symbolism. It also draws on Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) multimodal analysis to show how verbal cues (the narrator’s commentary), visual images in motion, visual images as metaphors and symbolism, and aural sensory images such as music and sound synergise for rhetoric effect. In addition, the analysis of “My Octopus Teacher” is guided by Nichol’s (2010) narrative theory; features of a documentary which foregrounds the credibility of the narrative as a text that represents real events with real people; and its modes of construction, viz., the poetic mode, the expository mode, observational mode and participatory mode, and their integration – forging documentaries as multimodal texts. This paper presents a multimodal rhetoric discussion on the sequence of salient episodes captured in the slow moving one-and-a-half-hour documentary. These are: (i) The prologue: on the brink of something extraordinary; (ii) The day it all started; (iii) The narrator’s turmoil: getting back into the ocean; (iv) The incredible encounter with the octopus; (v) Establishing a relationship; (vi) Outwitting the predatory pyjama shark; (vii) The cycle of life; and (viii) The conclusion: lessons from an octopus. The paper argues that wildlife documentaries, characterized by plausibility and which provide researchers the lens to examine the ideologies about animals and humans, offer an assimilation of the various senses – vocal, visual and audial – for engaging viewers in stylized compelling way; they have the ability to persuade people to think and act in particular ways. As multimodal texts, with its use of lexical items; diction; anthropomorphic language; linguistic, visual and aural metaphors and symbolism; and depictions of anthropocentrism, wildlife documentaries are powerful resources for promoting wildlife conservation and conscientizing people of the need for establishing a harmonious relationship with nature and humans alike.

Keywords: documentaries, multimodality, rhetoric, style, wildlife, conservation

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Authors: Bingqing Chen

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The Opium War unlocked the gate of China. Since then, modern western culture has been imported strongly and spread throughout this Asian country. The monologue of traditional Chinese culture in the past has been replaced by the hustle and bustle of multiculturalism. In the field of music, starting from school music, China, a country without the concept of composition, was deeply influenced by western culture and professional music composition, and entered the era of professional music composition. Recognizing the importance of national culture, a group of insightful artists began to try to add ‘China’ to musical composition. However, due to the special historical origin of Chinese professional musical composition and the three times of cultural nihilism in China, professional musical composition at this time failed to interpret the deep language structure of local culture within Chinese traditional culture, but only regarded Chinese traditional music as a ‘melody material library.’ At this time, the cross-cultural composition still takes Western music as its ‘norm,’ while our own music culture only exists as the sound of the contrast of Western music. However, after reading scores extensively, watching video performances, and interviewing several active composers, we found that at least in the past 30 years, China has created some works that can be called intercultural music. In these kinds of music, composers put Chinese and Western, traditional and modern in an almost equal position to have a dialogue based on their deep understanding and respect for the two cultures. This kind of music connects two music worlds, and links the two cultural and ideological worlds behind it, and communicates and grows together. This paper chose the works of three composers with different educational backgrounds, and pay attention to how composers can make a dialogue at the organizational structure level of their works. Based on the strategies adopted by composers in structuring their works, this paper expounds on how the composer's music procedure shows intercultural in terms of whole sound effects and cultural symbols. By actively participating in this intercultural practice, composers resorting to various musical and extra-musical procedures to arrive at the so-called ‘innovation within tradition.’ Through the dialogue, we can activate the space of creative thinking and explore the potential contained in culture. This interdisciplinary research promotes the rethinking of the possibility of innovation in contemporary Chinese intercultural music composition, spanning the fields of sound studies, dialogue theory, cultural research, music theory, and so on. Recently, China is calling for actively promoting 'the construction of Chinese music canonization,’ expecting to form a particular music style to show national-cultural identity. In the era of globalization, it is possible to form a brand-new Chinese music style through intercultural composition, but it is a question about talents, and the key lies in how composers do it. There is no recipe for the formation of the Chinese music style, only the composers constantly trying and tries to solve problems in their works.

Keywords: dialogism, intercultural music, national-cultural identity, organization/structure, sound

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Authors: Stephane Maingard, Babu Paturi, Maura Daly, Finnola Armstrong

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Background: Perinatal optimization involves the implementation of twelve intervention bundles of care at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, reliably delivering evidence-based interventions in the antenatal, intrapartum, and neonatal period to improve preterm outcomes. These key interventions (e.g. Antenatal steroids, Antenatal counselling, Optimal cord management, Respiratory management etc.) are based on WHO (World Health Organization, BAPM (British Association of Perinatal Medicine), and the latest 2022 European Consensus guidelines recommendations. Methodology: In February 2023, a quality improvement project team (pediatricians, neonatologists, obstetricians, clinical skills managers) was established, and a project implementation plan was developed. The Program Study Act implemented the following: 1. Antenatal consultation pathway, 2. Creation and implementation of a perinatal checklist for preterm births less than 34 weeks of gestation, 3. Process changes to ensure the checklist is completed, 4. Completion of parent and staff surveys, 5. Ongoing training. We collected and compared a range of data before and after implementation. Results: Preliminary analysis so far at 1 month demonstrates improvement in the following areas: 50% increase in antenatal counselling. Right place of birth increased from 85% to 100%. Magnesium sulphate increased from 56% to 100%. No change was observed in buccal colostrum administration (28%), delayed cord clamping (75%), caffeine administration (100%), blood glucose level at one hour of life > 2,6mmol (85%). There was also no change noted in respiratory support at resuscitation, CPAP only (47%), IPPV with CPAP (45%), IPPV with intubation (20%), and surfactant administration (28%). A slight decrease in figures was noted in the following: steroid administration from 80% to 75% and thermal care obtaining optimal temperature on admission (65% to 50%). Discussion: Even though the findings are preliminary, the directional improvement shows promise. Improved communication has been achieved between all stakeholders, including our patients, who are key team members. Adherence to the bundles of care will help to improve survival and neurodevelopmental outcomes as well as reduce the length of stay, thereby overall reducing the financial cost, considering the lifetime cost of cerebral palsy is estimated at €800,000 and reducing the length of stay can result in savings of up to €206,000. Conclusion: Preliminary results demonstrate improvements across a range of patient, process, staff, and financial outcomes. Our future goal is a seamless pathway of patient centered care for babies and their families. This project is an interdisciplinary collaboration to implement best practices for a vulnerable patient cohort. Our two main challenges are changing our organization’s culture as well as ensuring the sustainability of the project.

Keywords: perinatal, optimization, antenatal, counselling, IPPV

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Authors: Hatem Abou-Senna, Essam Radwan

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With increasing traffic and limited resources, accommodating left-turning traffic has been a challenge for traffic engineers as they seek balance between intersection capacity and safety; these are two conflicting goals in the operation of a signalized intersection that are mitigated through signal phasing techniques. Hence, to increase the left-turn capacity and reduce the delay at the intersections, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) moves forward with a vision of optimizing intersection control using innovative intersection designs through the Transportation Systems Management & Operations (TSM&O) program. These alternative designs successfully eliminate the left-turn phase, which otherwise reduces the conventional intersection’s (CI) efficiency considerably, and divide the intersection into smaller networks that would operate in a one-way fashion. This study focused on the Crossover Displaced Left-turn intersections (XDL), also known as Continuous Flow Intersections (CFI). The XDL concept is best suited for intersections with moderate to high overall traffic volumes, especially those with very high or unbalanced left turn volumes. There is little guidance on determining whether partial XDL intersections are adequate to mitigate the overall intersection condition or full XDL is always required. The primary objective of this paper was to evaluate the overall intersection performance in the case of different partial XDL designs compared to a full XDL. The XDL alternative was investigated for 4 different scenarios; partial XDL on the east-west approaches, partial XDL on the north-south approaches, partial XDL on the north and east approaches and full XDL on all 4 approaches. Also, the impact of increasing volume on the intersection performance was considered by modeling the unbalanced volumes with 10% increment resulting in 5 different traffic scenarios. The study intersection, located in Orlando Florida, is experiencing recurring congestion in the PM peak hour and is operating near capacity with volume to a capacity ratio closer to 1.00 due to the presence of two heavy conflicting movements; southbound and westbound. The results showed that a partial EN XDL alternative proved to be effective and compared favorably to a full XDL alternative followed by the partial EW XDL alternative. The analysis also showed that Full, EW and EN XDL alternatives outperformed the NS XDL and the CI alternatives with respect to the throughput, delay and queue lengths. Significant throughput improvements were remarkable at the higher volume level with percent increase in capacity of 25%. The percent reduction in delay for the critical movements in the XDL scenarios compared to the CI scenario ranged from 30-45%. Similarly, queue lengths showed percent reduction in the XDL scenarios ranging from 25-40%. The analysis revealed how partial XDL design can improve the overall intersection performance at various demands, reduce the costs associated with full XDL and proved to outperform the conventional intersection. However, partial XDL serving low volumes or only one of the critical movements while other critical movements are operating near or above capacity do not provide significant benefits when compared to the conventional intersection.

Keywords: continuous flow intersections, crossover displaced left-turn, microscopic traffic simulation, transportation system management and operations, VISSIM simulation model

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Authors: Mariam Begadze

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Separation of Powers (SOP) has often been the most frequently posed objection against the judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights. Although a lot has been written to refute those, very rarely has it been assessed what effect the current practice of social rights adjudication has had on the construction of SOP doctrine in specific jurisdictions. Colombia is an appropriate case-study on this question. The notion of collaborative SOP in the 1991 Constitution has affected the court’s conception of its role. On the other hand, the trends in the jurisprudence have further shaped the collaborative notion of SOP. Other institutional characteristics of the Colombian constitutional law have played its share role as well. Tutela action, particularly flexible and fast judicial action for individuals has placed the judiciary in a more confrontational relation vis-à-vis the political branches. Later interventions through abstract review of austerity measures further contributed to that development. Logically, the court’s activism in this sphere has attracted attacks from political branches, which have turned out to be unsuccessful precisely due to court’s outreach to the middle-class, whose direct reliance on the court has turned into its direct democratic legitimacy. Only later have the structural judgments attempted to revive the collaborative notion behind SOP doctrine. However, the court-supervised monitoring process of implementation has itself manifested fluctuations in the mode of collaboration, moving into more managerial supervision recently. This is not surprising considering the highly dysfunctional political system in Colombia, where distrust seems to be the default starting point in the interaction of the branches. The paper aims to answer the question, what the appropriate judicial tools are to realize the collaborative notion of SOP in a context where the court has to strike a balance between the strong executive and the weak and largely dysfunctional legislative branch. If the recurrent abuse lies in the indifference and inaction of legislative branches to engage with political issues seriously, what are the tools in the court’s hands to activate the political process? The answer to this question partly lies in the court’s other strand of jurisprudence, in which it combines substantive objections with procedural ones concerning the operation of the legislative branch. The primary example is the decision on value-added tax on basic goods, in which the court invalidated the law based on the absence of sufficient deliberation in Congress on the question of the bills’ implications on the equity and progressiveness of the entire taxing system. The decision led to Congressional rejection of an identical bill based on the arguments put forward by the court. The case perhaps is the best illustration of the collaborative notion of SOP, in which the court refrains from categorical pronouncements, while does its bit for activating political process. This also legitimizes the court’s activism based on its role to counter the most perilous abuse in the Colombian context – failure of the political system to seriously engage with serious political questions.

Keywords: Colombian constitutional court, judicial review, separation of powers, social rights

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Authors: Marita Pigłowska, Beata Kurc, Maciej Galiński

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The application of carbon materials in the branches of the electrochemical industry shows an increasing tendency each year due to the many interesting properties they possess. These are, among others, a well-developed specific surface, porosity, high sorption capacity, good adsorption properties, low bulk density, electrical conductivity and chemical resistance. All these properties allow for their effective use, among others in supercapacitors, which can store electric charges of the order of 100 F due to carbon electrodes constituting the capacitor plates. Coals (including expanded graphite, carbon black, graphite carbon fibers, activated carbon) are commonly used in electrochemical methods of removing oil derivatives from water after tanker disasters, e.g. phenols and their derivatives by their electrochemical anodic oxidation. Phenol can occupy practically the entire surface of carbon material and leave the water clean of hydrophobic impurities. Regeneration of such electrodes is also not complicated, it is carried out by electrochemical methods consisting in unblocking the pores and reducing resistances, and thus their reactivation for subsequent adsorption processes. Graphite is commonly used as an anode material in lithium-ion cells, while due to the limited capacity it offers (372 mAh g-1), new solutions are sought that meet both capacitive, efficiency and economic criteria. Increasingly, biodegradable materials, green materials, biomass, waste (including agricultural waste) are used in order to reuse them and reduce greenhouse effects and, above all, to meet the biodegradability criterion necessary for the production of lithium-ion cells as chemical power sources. The most common of these materials are cellulose, starch, wheat, rice, and corn waste, e.g. from agricultural, paper and pharmaceutical production. Such products are subjected to appropriate treatments depending on the desired application (including chemical, thermal, electrochemical). Starch is a biodegradable polysaccharide that consists of polymeric units such as amylose and amylopectin that build an ordered (linear) and amorphous (branched) structure of the polymer. Carbon is also used as a catalyst. Elemental carbon has become available in many nano-structured forms representing the hybridization combinations found in the primary carbon allotropes, and the materials can be enriched with a large number of surface functional groups. There are many examples of catalytic applications of coal in the literature, but the development of this field has been hampered by the lack of a conceptual approach combining structure and function and a lack of understanding of material synthesis. In the context of catalytic applications, the integrity of carbon environmental management properties and parameters such as metal conductivity range and bond sequence management should be characterized. Such data, along with surface and textured information, can form the basis for the provision of network support services.

Keywords: carbon materials, catalysis, BET, capacitors, lithium ion cell

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Authors: Robin Molinier

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Industrial symbiosis (I.S) deals with the exchange of waste materials, fatal energy and utilities as resources for production. While it brings environmental benefits from resource conservation its economic profitability is one of the main barriers to its implementation. I.S involves several actors with their own objectives and resources so that each actor must be satisfied by ex-ante arrangements to commit toward investments and transactions. Regarding I.S Transaction cost economics helps to identify hybrid forms of governance for transactions governance due to I.S projects specificities induced by the need for customization (asset specificity, non-homogeneity). Thus we propose a framework to analyze the best contractual practices tailored to address I.S specific risks that we identified as threefold (load profiles and quality mismatch, value fluctuations). Schemes from cooperative game theory and contracting management are integrated to analyze value flows between actors. Contractual guidelines are then proposed to address the identified risks and to split the value for a set of I.S archetypes drawn from actual experiences.

Keywords: contracts, economics, industrial symbiosis, risks

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Authors: Nomfundo Ngombane, Topside E. Mathonsi

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Remote sensing and satellite imaging have been widely used to detect wildfires; nevertheless, the technologies present some limitations in terms of early wildfire detection as the technologies are greatly influenced by weather conditions and can miss small fires. The fires need to have spread a few kilometers for the technologies to provide accurate detection. The South African Advanced Fire Information System uses MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) as satellite imaging. MODIS has limitations as it can exclude small fires and can fall short in validating fire vulnerability. Thus in the future, a Machine Learning algorithm will be designed and implemented for the early detection of wildfires. A simulator will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed solution, and the results of the simulation will be presented.

Keywords: moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer, advanced fire information system, machine learning algorithm, detection of wildfires

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Authors: Wandera Stephen Ojumbo

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People living with hearing impairment in Uganda are one of the most excluded minority groups in the country. The Uganda National Association of the Deaf estimates that deaf people make up 3.4% of Uganda’s 43 million people. Deaf Children and youth often appear withdrawn because they face social stigma. In 2009, photojournalist Stephen Wandera Ojumbo conducted an exhibition in Kampala titled “Silent Voices with colourful Hearts” showcasing the life of deaf children at Uganda School for the Deaf, Ntinda, in order to create awareness of their plight, raising funds for the construction of a vocational centre for the deaf that didn’t continue their education due to: lack of funds, non-inclusive educational institutions, and for those who cannot read and write. These children, whose lives were exhibited in 2009, are currently youths. In Uganda, there are just five primary schools for the deaf (three of these are located in Kampala, the capital city), and barely five secondary schools for the deaf. At the moment, some deaf children only receive special needs training equivalent to primary seven levels and the majority don’t make it to secondary school education level due to the fact that English is a second language to them. There is a communication gap between speaking parents and deaf children, which leads to the breakage of family bonds. The deaf youth run away from their homes to form a community where they can communicate freely. Likewise, employment opportunities for the deaf are equally very limited. It’s for this reason that a follow-up photo exhibition was conducted to expose more about what the youthful deaf people and their guardians go through in Uganda to get jobs, live and fit in the community, how they communicate and get understood, bonding with families instead of running away to bond with fellow deaf persons. The photo exhibition under the theme “Loud Silence” was significant in showcasing the ability of deaf youths in Uganda and eliciting solutions to make a more inclusive society for the deaf. It is hoped that partners in development will join in for intervention. The methodology used included individual interviews with the deaf youth and their parents and caretakers; photography at household and community levels; document review at organizations working with the deaf; observations; and key informant interviews with relevant personnel working with the deaf. Some of the major findings include: i) Effective sign language communication is key in deaf education, family bonding, and developing a sense of belonging; ii) Love and intimacy can keep the deaf bound together; iii) Education is important; everybody should struggle even if alone; iv) Games and sports are a unifying factor and most loved among the deaf; and v) better communication skills build confidence in deaf youth. In conclusion, concerted efforts are still needed to make Uganda schools more inclusive for deaf persons. This will enable a secure future for deaf youths.

Keywords: deaf, education, excluded, photo exhibition

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Authors: A. Maghoul, A. Rostampouryasouri, MR. Maghami

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The development of an urban design and power network planning has been gaining momentum in recent years. The integration of renewable energy with urban design has been widely regarded as an increasingly important solution leading to climate change and energy security. Through the use of passive strategies and solar integration with Urban Building Energy Modeling (UBEM) tools, architects and designers can create high-quality designs that meet the needs of clients and stakeholders. To determine the most effective ways of combining renewable energy with urban development, we analyze the relationship between urban form and renewable energy production. The procedure involved in this practice include passive solar gain (in building design and urban design), solar integration, location strategy, and 3D models with a case study conducted in Tehran, Iran. The study emphasizes the importance of spatial and temporal considerations in the development of sector coupling strategies for solar power establishment in arid and semi-arid regions. The substation considered in the research consists of two parallel transformers, 13 lines, and 38 connection points. Each urban load connection point is equipped with 500 kW of solar PV capacity and 1 kWh of battery Energy Storage (BES) to store excess power generated from solar, injecting it into the urban network during peak periods. The simulations and analyses have occurred in EnergyPlus software. Passive solar gain involves maximizing the amount of sunlight that enters a building to reduce the need for artificial lighting and heating. Solar integration involves integrating solar photovoltaic (PV) power into smart grids to reduce emissions and increase energy efficiency. Location strategy is crucial to maximize the utilization of solar PV in an urban distribution feeder. Additionally, 3D models are made in Revit, and they are keys component of decision-making in areas including climate change mitigation, urban planning, and infrastructure. we applied these strategies in this research, and the results show that it is possible to create sustainable and energy-efficient urban environments. Furthermore, demand response programs can be used in conjunction with solar integration to optimize energy usage and reduce the strain on the power grid. This study highlights the influence of ancient Persian architecture on Iran's urban planning system, as well as the potential for reducing pollutants in building construction. Additionally, the paper explores the advances in eco-city planning and development and the emerging practices and strategies for integrating sustainability goals.

Keywords: energy-efficient urban planning, sustainable architecture, solar energy, sustainable urban design

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Authors: Jin Gang Lee, Hyun-Soo Lee, Moonseo Park

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The utilization of BIM and IFC allows project participants to collaborate across different areas by consistently sharing interoperable product information represented in a model. Comments or markups generated during the coordination process can be categorized as communication information, which can be shared in less standardized manner. It can be difficult to manage and reuse such information compared to the product information in a model. The present study proposes an interoperable coordination method using BCF (the BIM Collaboration Format) for managing and sharing the communication information during BIM based coordination process. A management function for coordination in the BIM collaboration system is developed to assess its ability to share the communication information in BIM collaboration projects. This approach systematically links communication information during the coordination process to the building model and serves as a type of storage system for retrieving knowledge created during BIM collaboration projects.

Keywords: design coordination, building information model, BIM collaboration format, industry foundation classes

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Authors: Y. Karbhari, A. Benamraoui, A. Fahmi Sheikh Hassan

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The study applies role theory to investigate the quality of the compliance review in Malaysia, which is perceived to have the most advanced Islamic banking governance framework in the Islamic world. Drawing from the questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews, our study reveals the existence of a well-established structure for compliance reviews which is found to be regulatory driven and contingent upon the level of commercial activity of individual Islamic bank’s. However, the compliance review process was found to be ceremonial and inadequately undertaken by some SBs with greater prominence placed on its advisory role. In particular, the study provides evidence of a lack of understanding on accounting issues when undertaking the compliance review. Problems in communication between SBs, board of directors and management were also reported to exist. Our findings raise concern over the quality and thus the credibility of the religious compliance assurance communicated in Islamic Banks annual reports.

Keywords: Islamic banks, religious compliance, Sharia board assurance, role theory

Procedia PDF Downloads 187

Authors: P. Mormile, M. Rippa, G. Bonanomi, F. Scala, Changrong Yan, L. Petti

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Photo-reflective films represent, in the panorama of agricultural films, a valid support for Spring and Summer cultivations, both in open field and under greenhouse. In fact, thanks to the high reflectivity of these films, thermal aggression, that causes serious problems to plants when traditional black mulch films are used, is avoided. Yellow or silver colored photo-reflective films protect plants from damages, assure the mulching effect, give a valid support to Integrated Pest Management and, according to recent trials, greatly contribute in saving water. This further advantage is determined by the high water condensation under the mulch film and this gives rise to reduction of irrigation. Water saving means also energy saving for electric system of water circulation. Trials performed at different geographic and ambient context confirm that the use of photo-reflective mulch films during the hot season allows to save water up to 30%.

Keywords: photo-selective mulches, saving water, water circulation, irrigation

Procedia PDF Downloads 513