Search results for: idea screening

Authors: Baiju Soren

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This research investigates village residents' feelings about rural landscapes and their attitudes toward preserving them, as well as the impact of attachment on participation in preserving those environments. To understand these relationships, 100 respondents from Bandudumha village : a tribal village, Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, were interviewed with a set of questionnaires and photographs. This framework is based on the idea that establishing environmental oversight and desire to cooperate in the development and preservation process can help to establish community values and meaning tied to places. As a result, a personal connection to the rural environment will be explored through an examination of place attachment, landscape choice, and the possible conservation value of landscapes to the people who live there. The findings suggest that commitment to a place can lead to unique ideas on collaborative preservation and the creation of truly relevant, socially inclusive landscapes. Furthermore, the data show how emotional ties to locations provide social support and provide insight into people–place relationships.

Keywords: participation in preservation, place attachment, preservation, rural landscape, sense of place

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Authors: Zal U’yun Wan Mahmood, Norfaizal Mohamed, Nita Salina Abu Bakar, Yii Mei Wo, Abdul Kadir Ishak, Mohamad Noh Sawon, Mohd Tarmizi Ishak, Khairul Nizam Razali

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The study of thorium radiotracer bioaccumulation in the whole body tropical freshwater fish (Anabas testudeneus; climb pearch) was performed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different Th-232 activity concentration andradiological dose in Anabas testudeneus under the laboratory bioaccumulation condition. Anabas testudeneus adults were exposed to different waterborne Th-232 levels: 0 BqL-1 (control), 50 BqL-1, 100 BqL-1,150 BqL-1and 200 BqL-1for 30 days. Radionuclide concentration ratios between the whole body levels and water levels were calculated and; total dose rates and risk quotients using ERICA Assessment Tool were also estimated. The results showed the increase of waterborne Th-232 concentration corresponded to a progressive decrease of Th concentration ratio. Meanwhile, the total dose rate (internal and external) in the whole body of Anabas testudeneus less than the ERICA dose rate screening value of 10 µGyh-1 and the risk quotient less than one. Thus, the findings can be concluded that the radiological dose of Th-232 to Anabas testudeneus is a very low probability and the situation may be considered to be of negligible radiological concern.

Keywords: Anabas testudeneus, bioaccumulation, radiological dose, Th-232

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Authors: Napoleana-Anna Chaliasou, Andrew Heath, Kevin Paine

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Fly ash-slag based Geopolymer Cement (GPC) is presenting mechanical properties and environmental advantages that make it the predominant “green” alternative to Portland Cement (PC). Although numerous life-cycle analyses praising its environmental advantages, disposal after the end of its life remains as an issue that has been barely explored. The present study is investigating the recyclability of fly ash-slag GPC as aggregate in mortars. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of GPC fine Recycled Aggregates (RA), at replacement levels of 25% and 50%, on the main mechanical properties of PC and GPC mortar mixes. The results were compared with those obtained by corresponding mixes incorporating natural and PC-RA. The main physical properties of GPC-RA were examined and proven to be comparable to those of PC-RA and slightly inferior to those of natural sand. A negligible effect was observed at 28-day compressive and flexural strength of PC mortars with GPC aggregates having a milder effect than PC. As far as GPC mortars are concerned, the influence of GPC aggregates was enhancing for the investigated mechanical properties. Additionally, a screening test showed that recycled geopolymer aggregates are not prone of inducing alkali silica reaction.

Keywords: concrete recycling, geopolymer cement, fly ash, construction wastes

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Authors: Linyu Wang, Jiahui Ma, Jianhong Xiang, Hanyu Jiang

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the traditional greedy compressed sensing algorithm needs to know the signal sparsity when recovering the signal, but the signal sparsity in the practical application can not be obtained as a priori information, and the recovery accuracy is low, which does not meet the needs of practical application. To solve this problem, this paper puts forward Piecewise adaptive backtracking orthogonal least squares algorithm. The algorithm is divided into two stages. In the first stage, the sparsity pre-estimation strategy is adopted, which can quickly approach the real sparsity and reduce time consumption. In the second stage iteration, the correction strategy and adaptive step size are used to accurately estimate the sparsity, and the backtracking idea is introduced to improve the accuracy of signal recovery. Through experimental simulation, the algorithm can accurately recover the estimated signal with fewer iterations when the sparsity is unknown.

Keywords: compressed sensing, greedy algorithm, least square method, adaptive reconstruction

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Authors: Chandra Upadhyaya, Arup Kumar Sarma

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In the North Eastern part of India several hydro power projects are being proposed and execution for some of them are already initiated. There are controversies surrounding these constructions. Impact of these dams in the downstream part of the rivers needs to be assessed so that eco-system and people living downstream are protected by redesigning the projects if it becomes necessary. This may result in reducing the stresses to the affected ecosystem and people living downstream. At present many index based ecological methods are present to assess impact on ecology. However, none of these methods are capable of assessing the affect resulting from dam induced diurnal variation of flow in the downstream. We need environmental flow methodology based on hydrological index which can address the affect resulting from dam induced diurnal variation of flow and play an important role in a riverine ecosystem management and be able to provide a qualitative idea about changes in the habitat for aquatic and riparian species.

Keywords: ecosystem, environmental flow assessment, entropy, IHA, TNC

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Authors: Yveta Pohnětalová

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The topic of possible forms of future schools according to rapid changes of life in the 21st century has become to reach several economic and social prognoses. In our research, we have tried to find out what the future school form is according to pupils’ parent’s view. School is a part of life of each person and based on own experience there is a certain individual picture created about a possible look of future education. The aim of our quantitative research was to find out how parents of first grade primary school pupils see the ideal school of the future. The quantitative research realized at the Faculty of Education of the University of Hradec Králové (Czech Republic). By statistical analysis of gained data from 120 respondents, there have been several views of schools of future identified in terms of mission and also the way of education. But a common indicator according to addressed parents would be more focused on the overall personality development rather than the field practice which is related to a realistic idea that school of the future is not and will not be the only source of education.

Keywords: parents’ approach, school of the future, survey, ways of education

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Authors: Hilmi Yazici

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Just after Ottoman period, new more homogenic republic was struggling to form a national identity and dealing with the cultural and historical background of the nation. This new republic had an aim of modernization and westernization which started in the late ottoman period. In this process, the culture was an important basis to form a new nation and it clearly put forward that the new citizens of the new national republic are to have a modern and national culture. The result of this aimed change was to find the Turkish culture suppressed among the common people of the Anatolia and to take the western modernization and breed this with national culture. So in this context, we can say that this approach separated the people from ottoman culture and its roots to empower the national identity. Repeatedly, it may be said that Turkish folkloric music was an important basis for the new revolution, on the other hand classical Turkish music was alienated with the idea that it didn’t belong to Turkish culture. So the aim of this study is to determine how these efforts to nationalize a new identity and culture was successful and conscious intervention to folkloric Turkish music became efficient.

Keywords: opera, nationalism in music, Turkish music

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Authors: Sanghamitra Sadhu

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A paradigm shift from capitalism to information technology is discerned in the era globalisation. The idea of public sphere, which was theorized in terms of its decline in the wake of the rise of commercial mass media has now emerged as a transnational or global sphere with the discourse being dominated by the ‘network society’. In other words, the dynamic of globalisation has brought about ‘a spatial turn’ in the social and political sciences which is also manifested in the public sphere, Especially the global public sphere. The paper revisits the Habermasian concept of the public sphere and focuses on the various social networking sites with their plausibility to create a virtual global public sphere. Situating Habermas’s notion of the bourgeois public sphere in the present context of global public sphere, it considers the changing dimensions of the public sphere across time and examines the concept of the ‘public’ with its shifting transformation from the concrete collective to the fluid ‘imagined’ category. The paper addresses the problematic of multimodal self-portraiture in the social networking sites as well as various online diaries/journals with an attempt to explore the nuances of the networked self.

Keywords: globalisation, network society, public sphere, self-fashioning, identity, autonomy

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Authors: Ayomi Indika Irugalbandara

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Reproductive Health (RE) education among Sri Lankan Adolescents (comprising one fifth inner population) remains unsatisfactory despite 91.8% of them completing primary education & 56.2 % receiving post secondary level education. The main reason for this large population not receiving satisfactory RH education is traditional values and longstanding taboos surrounding sexuality. The current study was undertaken with there objectives. The relevance of achieving them being to formulate RH educational policies and programs that address a sizable and sensitive chunk of the population thereby achieving the goal of mental and social well being and not merely the absence of reproductive disease or infirmity. This research was a descriptive study, using random sampling technique, sample of the study consisting of 160 adolescent in the age group of 16-19, studying in government schools in Sri Lanka. Questionnaire was the main instrument of data collection, qualitative and quantitative techniques were used in data analysis. According to the data it was revealed that a majority has some idea about RH education. While this awareness had been provided by the school, the source of information had been Health and Physical Education. The entire sample mentioned that more RH information, than was provided, should be given and everybody wanted further knowledge regarding sexuality, and in depth information on it was essential. About 96 adolescents were of the opinion that their behavior was respectful to elders and 64 felt embarrassed while communicating with elders regarding RH issues. About their preferred sources of information, both genders named health providers as their first choice, followed by family members and friends. The internet was cited by a few boys; less than 5 percent cited religious figures. More than 50% of respondents had no knowledge about abortion and they were unaware of dangerous abortion. The practice of abortion was reported among zero percent. Although every member of the sample did not possess knowledge of the scientific process involved in abortion, all of them totally rejected the idea of destroying a foetus. Adolescence is a critical period in the life of girls and boys and sexuality education empowers young people to protect their health and well-being. Schools have the proper staff, and environment for learning. It might be stated that the greater segment of individuals entering adolescents and going through their adolescence are still in the school. This becomes the reason why it is mandatory that the school should be geared to handle this critical stage of the students. Adolescents or those approaching adolescence are best educated by the relevant parents, but this being quite a sensitive issue in the socio cultural context, it is somewhat doubtful whether all parents are prepared to handle this candidly, due either to lack of knowledge or absence of the appropriate state of mind. As such it is best that seminars/workshops be conducted to enlighten parents on handling HR issues related to their adolescent children. Apart from the awareness on HR provided through the school curriculum a greater impact can be brought about through street dramas, exhibitions etc. specific to HR. Finally the researcher would like to suggest that Sunday schools be harnessed for the provision of HR education linked with cultural values, ethics, and social well-being.

Keywords: reproductive health, awareness, perception, school curriculum

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Authors: Jiang Hua Zhou

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According to the article "New Theoretical System of Physics in the 21st Century" published by the author, it is proposed to use the "scientific principle" of the "balanced distance" between "gravity" and "repulsion" between "planets" to "research" - "space flying saucer", and The formula for the law of universal repulsion between substances is proposed. Under the guidance of the new theoretical system, according to the principle of "planet" gravitational and repulsive force, the research and development idea of developing discharge-type "space flying saucer" is put forward. This paper expounds the reasons why flying saucers have the following characteristics: Flying Saucers can fly at high speed, change direction immediately, hover at any height on the earth, and there is no sound when flying. With the birth of the theoretical system of physics in the 21st century advocated by the author, a era of interstellar "space flying saucer" research will be created.

Keywords: planet, attraction, repulsive force, balance spacing, scientific principles, research, space, flying saucer

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Authors: M. Pramila Devi, J. Praveena

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In today’s industrial scenario, the expectations and demand of customers are reaching great heights. In order to satisfy the customer requirements the users are increasingly turning towards fourth party logistics (4PL) service providers to manage their total supply chain operations. In this present research, initially, the criteria for the selection of integrated service providers have been identified and an integrated modal based on their inter-relationship has been developed with help of shippers, with this idea of what factors to be considered and their inter-relationships while selecting integrated service provider. Later, various methods deriving the priority weights viz. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) have been employed for 4PL service provider selection. The derived priorities of 4PL alternatives using methods have been critically analyzed and compared for effective selection. The use of the modal indicates that the computed quantitative evaluation can be applied to improve the precision of the selection.

Keywords: analytical hierarchy process, fourth party logistics, priority weight, criteria selection

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Authors: Naragain Phumchusri, Krisada Roekdethawesab, Manoj Lohatepanont

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Overbooking is an approach of selling more goods or services than available capacities because sellers anticipate that some buyers will not show-up or may cancel their bookings. At present, many airlines deploy overbooking strategy in order to deal with the uncertainty of their customers. Particularly, some airlines sell more cargo capacity than what they have available to freight forwarders with beliefs that some of them will cancel later. In this paper, we propose methods to find the optimal overbooking level of volume and weight for air cargo in order to minimize the total cost, containing cost of spoilage and cost of offloaded. Cancellations of volume and weight are jointly random variables with a known joint distribution. Heuristic approaches applying the idea of weight and volume independency is considered to find an appropriate answer to the full problem. Computational experiments are used to explore the performance of approaches presented in this paper, as compared to a naïve method under different scenarios.

Keywords: air cargo overbooking, offloading capacity, optimal overbooking level, revenue management, spoilage capacity

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Authors: Peter Okpamen

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The issue of environmental degradation in Nigeria is of serious concern. The colonial period brought a major change in environmental awareness and relationship with the environment. This period introduced a model of development, the major thrust of which was the exploration and transformation of natural and human resources for the benefit of the colonial masters. There is abundant evidence in the literature that there are various manifestations of environmental degradation in Nigeria, which have resulted in the various problems found throughout the Nigeria national space. The idea of the environment acting as a constraint to the growth of human activity has given way to the contrary. Environmental education, going by the literature, exists at the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. In short, the 1st National conference on environmental education gave several suggestions on how it could be realised. Thus, to realise sustainable environmental development we need to accelerate the process of providing basic education for both the old and young. Environmental education should cover the whole federation, and resources should be made available for the training of environmental education teachers and research into environmental education for the development of appropriate learning resources.

Keywords: degradation, development, education, environment, sustainable

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Authors: Fantazi Walid, Ezzedine Tahar, Bargaoui Zoubeida

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This research presents the main ideas to implement an intelligent system composed by communicating wireless sensors measuring environmental data linked to drought indicators (such as air temperature, soil moisture , etc...). On the other hand, the setting up of a spatio temporal database communicating with a Web mapping application for a monitoring in real time in activity 24:00 /day, 7 days/week is proposed to allow the screening of the drought parameters time evolution and their extraction. Thus this system helps detecting surfaces touched by the phenomenon of drought. Spatio-temporal conceptual models seek to answer the users who need to manage soil water content for irrigating or fertilizing or other activities pursuing crop yield augmentation. Effectively, spatio-temporal conceptual models enable users to obtain a diagram of readable and easy data to apprehend. Based on socio-economic information, it helps identifying people impacted by the phenomena with the corresponding severity especially that this information is accessible by farmers and stakeholders themselves. The study will be applied in Siliana watershed Northern Tunisia.

Keywords: WSN, database spatio-temporal, GIS, web mapping, indicator of drought

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Authors: Devika Tanna

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'Biometrics' means 'life measurement' but the term is usually associated with the use of unique physiological characteristics to identify an individual. It is important to secure the privacy of digital face image that is stored in central database. To impart privacy to such biometric face images, first, the digital face image is split into two host face images such that, each of it gives no idea of existence of the original face image and, then each cover image is stored in two different databases geographically apart. When both the cover images are simultaneously available then only we can access that original image. This can be achieved by using the XM2VTS and IMM face database, an adaptive algorithm for spatial greyscale. The algorithm helps to select the appropriate host images which are most likely to be compatible with the secret image stored in the central database based on its geometry and appearance. The encryption is done using GEVCS which results in a reconstructed image identical to the original private image.

Keywords: adaptive algorithm, database, host images, privacy, visual cryptography

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Authors: Aniruddha Kulkarni

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In very few cases of external hernias we require imaging modalities as on most occasions clinical examination tests are good enough. Ultrasound will help in chronic abdominal or groin pain, equivocal clinical results & complicated hernias. Ultrasound is useful in assessment of cause of raised intrabdominal pressure. In certain cases will comment about etiology, complications and chronicicty of lesion. Screening of rest of abdominal organs too is important advantage being real time modality. Cost effectiveness, no radiation allows modality be used repeatedly in indicated cases. Sonography is better accepted by patients too as it is cost effective. Best advanced tissue harmonic equipment and increasing expertise making it popular. Ultrasound can define surgical anatomy, rent size, contents, etiological /recurrence factors in great detail and with authority hence accidental findings in a planned surgical procedure can be easily avoided. Clinical dynamic valselva and reducibility test can better documented by real time ultrasound study. In case of recurrence, Sonography will help in assessing the hernia details better as being dynamic real time investigation. Ultrasound signs in case of internal hernias are well comparable with CT findings.

Keywords: laparoscopic repair, Hernia, CT findings, chronic pain

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Authors: Arif Ahmed Mohammed Al-Ahdal

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Poetry, tales, and fables have always been a part of the L1 repertoire and one that takes the learners to another amazing and fascinating world of imagination. The storytelling class and the genre of poems are activities greatly enjoyed by all age groups. The very significant idea behind their inclusion in the language curriculum is to sensitize young minds to a wide range of human emotions that are believed to greatly contribute to building their social resilience, emotional stability, empathy towards fellow creatures, and literacy. Quite certainly, the learning objective at this stage is not language acquisition (though it happens as an automatic process) but getting the young learners to be acquainted with an entire spectrum of what may be called the ‘noble’ abilities of the human race. They enrich their very existence, inspiring them to unearth ‘selves’ that help them as adults and enable them to co-exist fruitfully and symbiotically with their fellow human beings. By extension, ‘higher’ training in these literature genres shows the universality of human emotions, sufferings, aspirations, and hopes. The current study is anchored on the Reader-Response-Theory in literature learning, which suggests that the reader reconstructs work and re-enacts the author's creative role. Reiteratingly, literary works provide clues or verbal symbols in a linguistic system, widely accepted by everyone who shares the language, but everyone reads their own life experiences and situations into them. The significance of words depends on the reader, even if they have a typical relationship. In every reading, there is an interaction between the reader and the text. The process of reading is an experience in which the reader tries to comprehend the literary work, which surpasses its full potential since it provides emotional and intellectual reactions that are not anticipated from the document but cannot be affirmed just by the reader as a part of the text. The idea is that the text forms the basis of a unifying experience. A reinterpretation of the literary text may transform it into a guiding principle to respond to actual experiences and personal memories. The impulses delivered to the reader vary according to poetry or texts; nevertheless, the readers differ considerably even with the same material. Previous studies confirm that poetry is a useful tool for learning a language. This present paper works on these hypotheses and proposes to study the impetus given to L2 learning as a factor of exposure to poetry and meaningful stories in L1. The driving force behind the choice of this topic is the first-hand experience that the researcher had while teaching a literary text to a group of BA students who, as a reaction to the text, initially burst into tears and ultimately turned the class into an interactive session. The study also intends to compare the performance of male and female students post intervention using pre and post-tests, apart from undertaking a detailed inquiry via interviews with college learners of English to understand how L1 literature plays a great role in the acquisition of L2.

Keywords: SLA, literary text, poetry, tales, affective factors

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Authors: Izdihar Ismail, Alona C. Linatoc, Maryati Mohamed

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The tropical rainforest of Malaysia is known for its rich biological diversity and high endemicity. The potential for these forests to hold the cure for many diseases and illnesses is high and much is yet to be discovered. This study explores the richness of the tropical rainforest of Endau-Rompin National Park in Johor, Malaysia in search of plants traditionally used by the indigenous people in the treatment of malaria and malaria-like symptoms. Seven species of plants were evaluated and tested for antiplasmodial activities. Different plant parts were subjected to methanolic and aqueous extractions. A total of 24 extracts were evaluated by histidine-rich protein II (HRP2) assay against K1 strain of Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine-resistant. Ten extracts showed significant inhibition of the growth of P. falciparum. Phytochemical screening of the same extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids and anthraquinones. This study affirms that tropical rainforests may still hold undiscovered cures for many diseases and illnesses that have inflicted millions of people worldwide. The species studied herein have not known to have been studied elsewhere before.

Keywords: Endau-Rompin, malaria, Malaysia, tropical rainforest, traditional knowledge

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Authors: Reginaldo Cardoso, Magno Enrique Mendoza Meza

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This work focuses on simulation and comparison of two control skyhook techniques applied to a quarter-car of the active suspension. The objective is to provide comfort to the driver. The main idea of skyhook control is to imagine a damper connected to an imaginary sky; thus, the feedback is performed with the resultant force between the imaginary and the suspension damper. The first control technique is the Mandani fuzzy skyhook and the second control technique is a Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy skyhook controller, in the both controllers the inputs are the relative velocity between the two masses and the vehicle body velocity, the output of the Mandani fuzzy skyhook is the coefficient of imaginary damper viscous-friction and the Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy skyhook is the force. Finally, we compared the techniques. The Mandani fuzzy skyhook showed a more comfortable response to the driver, followed closely by the Takagi- Sugeno fuzzy skyhook.

Keywords: active suspention, Mandani, quarter-car, skyhook, Sugeno

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Authors: Serges Mendomo Meye, Li Guowei, Shen Zhenzhong, Gan Lei, Xu Liqun

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Given the limitations of the original whale optimization algorithm (WAO) in local optimum and low convergence accuracy in truss structure optimization problems, based on the fundamental whale algorithm, an improved whale optimization algorithm (SWAO) based on information entropy is proposed. The information entropy itself is an uncertain measure. It is used to control the range of whale searches in path selection. It can overcome the shortcomings of the basic whale optimization algorithm (WAO) and can improve the global convergence speed of the algorithm. Taking truss structure as the optimization research object, the mathematical model of truss structure optimization is established; the cross-sectional area of truss is taken as the design variable; the objective function is the weight of truss structure; and an improved whale optimization algorithm (SWAO) is used for optimization design, which provides a new idea and means for its application in large and complex engineering structure optimization design.

Keywords: information entropy, structural optimization, truss structure, whale algorithm

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Authors: Manel Brichni, Abdelhak-Djamel Seriai

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Systems are increasingly complex. To reduce their complexity, an abstract view of the system can simplify its development. To overcome this problem, we propose a method to decompose systems into subsystems while reducing their coupling. These subsystems represent components. Consisting of an existing object-oriented systems, the main idea of our approach is based on modelling as graphs all entities of an oriented object source code. Such modelling is easy to handle, so we can apply restructuring algorithms based on graph metrics. The particularity of our approach consists in integrating in addition to standard metrics, such as coupling and cohesion, some graph metrics giving more precision during the components identication. To treat this problem, we relied on the ROMANTIC approach that proposed a component-based software architecture recovery from an object oriented system.

Keywords: software reengineering, software component and interfaces, metrics, graphs

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Authors: Saad M. Darwish

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Recently, software quality issues have come to be seen as important subject as we see an enormous growth of agencies involved in software industries. However, these agencies cannot guarantee the quality of their products, thus leaving users in uncertainties. Software certification is the extension of quality by means that quality needs to be measured prior to certification granting process. This research participates in solving the problem of software assessment by proposing a model for assessment and certification of software product that uses a fuzzy inference engine to integrate both of process–driven and application-driven quality assurance strategies. The key idea of the on hand model is to improve the compactness and the interpretability of the model’s fuzzy rules via employing an ant colony optimization algorithm (ACO), which tries to find good rules description by dint of compound rules initially expressed with traditional single rules. The model has been tested by case study and the results have demonstrated feasibility and practicability of the model in a real environment.

Keywords: software quality, quality assurance, software certification model, software assessment

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Authors: Abdelkrim Cheriti, Mebarka Belboukhari, Nasser Belboukhari

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Launaea Cass. is a small genus of the family Asteraceae (tribe Lactuceae, subtribe Sonchinae), consisting of 54 species, of which 9 are presented in the flora of Algeria and is mainly distributed in the South Mediterranean, Africa and SW Asia. Plants in the Launaea genus have been used ethnobotanically as bitter stomachic, for treating diarrhea, gastrointestinal tracts, as anti-inflammatory, for skin diseases, treatment of infected wounds, hepatic pains, children fever, as soporific, lactagogue, diuretic and as insecticidal. Antioxidants are vital substances, which possess the ability to protect the body from damages caused by free radical induced oxidative stress. A variety of free radical scavenging antioxidants is found in a number of dietary sources. The main objective of this study focused on the screening of antioxidant activity of Launaea nudicaulis (Asteraceae) extracts. The in vitro antioxidant activity was investigated with DPPH radical scavenging assay. The quantitative evaluation of DPPH scavenging activity showed that n-BuOH and EtOAc extracts are the most active extracts with a percentage of antiradical activity of 89,62% and 71,57% respectively.

Keywords: Launaea, phytochemical, South Algeria, Sahara, endemic specie

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Authors: Miju Choi

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Shopping tourism is an emerging concept in tourism research, thus contradicting the notion that shopping is not a novel idea. Tourists have long been performing shopping activities, such as purchasing authentic handicrafts and souvenirs, to benefit from a pleasant tourism experience. Some scholars regarded shopping as one of the oldest tourist activities and stressed that a trip is incomplete without shopping. Others then asserted that shopping is inseparable from other activities in tourist destinations and may in fact be considered a main purpose for travel. In other words, shopping is regarded as an incidental tourist activity, thereby indicating its potential as a primary travel motivation. The current study investigates the personal values of shopping tourists and their satisfaction levels. Via convenience sampling, 230 samples were collected. The software packages SPSS Statistics 20.0 and AMOS 20.0 were used for statistical analysis. Findings showed that both hedonic and utilitarian values positively influence tourist satisfaction and positive word of mouth. Therefore, this research deepens understanding regarding tourist behavior in the context of shopping tourism research.

Keywords: shopping tourism, hedonic value, utilitarian value, tourist satisfaction

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Authors: Zohreh Ramin

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One of the most important contributions that Edward Said has had in the realm of critical theory is his insistence on the worldliness of the text and the critic. By this, Said meant that the critic and the text must be considered in their ‘material’ contexts. Foregrounding the substantial role of a critic as embodying what he refers to as ‘critical consciousness’, a true critic, Said maintains, is one who can stand between the ‘dominant culture’ and ‘the totalizing forms of critical systems.’ Considered as one of Iran’s major contemporary intellectuals, Jalal Ale Ahmad is responsible for introducing the idea of ‘Westoxication’ in Iran, constructing a social paradigm of the necessity to return to tradition in contemporary Iran. The present paper intends to study Al-Ahmad’s definition of the orient versus the occident, his criticism of the ‘machination’ of contemporary Iranian society, and his solution to the problem of ‘Westoxication’. The objective of this study is to see whether Ale Ahmad can be considered as embodying the spirit of ‘critical consciousness’ as described by Said as the necessary tool in the hands of an intellectual who is simultaneously attached filitavely to his culture but can detach himself affilitavely through employing critical consciousness.

Keywords: Westoxication, filiative, affiliative, machination

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Authors: Dejan Metodijeski, Elizabeta Mitreva, Nako Taskov, Oliver Filiposki

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Tourism development strategies are an important link in the tourism policy that is used to make its management better and easier. A public-public partnership (PUP) is a partnership between two or more public authorities or between a public authority and any non-profit organization with the goal of providing services and facilities or transferring technical skills. The paper presents this kind of partnership between two public authorities in Macedonia, the Municipality of Gazi Baba on one hand, and the University of Goce Delcev on the other. The main idea of this partnership is the development of a tourism strategy for the Municipality of Gazi Baba by the University on one side, and on the other, the construction of a mini park in the court of the University by the Municipality. This paper presents the causes and analyzes the procedures relating to this partnership and the methodology of the tourism development strategy. It contains a relevant literature review related to PUPs and tourism development strategy. The results and benefits of this partnership are presented with figures.

Keywords: public-public partnership, tourism development strategy, municipality of Gazi Baba, Macedonia

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Authors: Vincent Kheswa

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X-rays are ionizing electromagnetic radiation that is used in various industries such as computed tomography scans, dental X-rays, and screening freight trains. However, they pose health risks to humans if they are not shielded properly. In recent years, many researchers around the globe have been searching for nontoxic best possible glass materials for shielding X-rays. In this work, the x-ray shielding properties of 45Na₂O + 10 Bi₂O₃ + (5 - x)TiO₂+ (x) Nb₂O₅ + 40 P₂O₅, were x = 0, 1, 3, 5 mol%, glass materials were studied. The results revealed that the glass sample with the highest TiO2 content has the highest mass and linear attenuation coefficients and lowest half-value thickness, tenth-value thickness and mean-free path in the 20 to 80 keV energy region. The sample with 3 mol% of Nb₂O₅ has the highest mass and linear attenuation coefficients and the lowest half-value thickness, tenth-value thickness, and mean-free path at 15 keV and photon energies between 80 to 300 keV. It was, therefore, concluded that 45Na₂O + 10 Bi₂O₃ + 5 TiO₂ + 40 P₂O₅ glass is best for shielding x-rays of energies between 20 and 80 keV, while 45Na₂O + 10 Bi₂O₃ + 2 TiO₂ + 3 Nb₂O₅ + 40 P₂O₅ is best for shielding 15 keV x-rays and x-rays of energies between 80 keV and 300 keV.

Keywords: bismuth-titanium-phosphate glass, x-ray shielding, LAC, MAC, radiation shielding

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Authors: Svetlana Polskaya

Abstract:

The study deals with the issue of using the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) concept when teaching Master Program students majoring in neuromarketing and entrepreneurship. Present-day employers expect young graduates to conduct professional communication with their English-speaking peers and demonstrate proper knowledge of the industry’s terminology and jargon. The idea of applying CLIL was the result of the above-mentioned students possessing high proficiency in English, thus, not requiring any further knowledge of the English language in terms of traditional grammar or lexis. Due to this situation, a CLIL-type program was devised, allowing learners to acquire new knowledge of entrepreneurship and neuromarketing spheres combined with simultaneous honing their English language practical usage. The case study analyzes CLIL application within this particular program as well as the experience accumulated in the process.

Keywords: CLIL, entrepreneurship, neuromarketing, foreign language acquisition, proficiency level

Procedia PDF Downloads 72

Authors: Rabail Khalid

Abstract:

Social media has changed the business communication strategies in the corporate world. Firms are using social media to reach their maximum stakeholders in minimum time at different social media forums. The current study examines the role of firm-created social media communication on consumer brand perceptions and their loyalty to brand. An online survey is conducted through social media forums including Facebook and Twitter to collect data regarding social media communication of a well-reputed clothing company’s brand in Pakistan. A link is sent to 900 customers of that company. Out of 900 questionnaires, 534 were received. So, the response rate is 59.33%. During data screening and entry, 13 questionnaires are rejected due to incomplete answer. Therefore, 521 questionnaires are completed in all respect and seem to be helpful for the study. So, the positive response rate is 57.89%. The empirical results report positive and significant influence of company-generated social media communication on brand trust, brand equity, and brand loyalty. The findings of this study provide important information to the marketing professionals and brand managers to understand consumer behavior through social media communication.

Keywords: firm-created social media communication, brand trust, brand equity, consumer behavior, brand loyalty

Procedia PDF Downloads 373

Authors: M. H. Kazemi, D. Salac

Abstract:

A semi-implicit phase field method for droplet evolution is proposed. Using the phase field Cahn-Hilliard equation, we are able to track the interface in multiphase flow. The idea of a semi-implicit finite difference scheme is reviewed and employed to solve two nonlinear equations, including the Navier-Stokes and the Cahn-Hilliard equations. The use of a semi-implicit method allows us to have larger time steps compared to explicit schemes. The governing equations are coupled and then solved by a GMRES solver (generalized minimal residual method) using modified Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization. To show the validity of the method, we apply the method to the simulation of a rising droplet, a leaky dielectric drop and the coalescence of drops. The numerical solutions to the phase field model match well with existing solutions over a defined range of variables.

Keywords: coalescence, leaky dielectric, numerical method, phase field, rising droplet, semi-implicit method

Procedia PDF Downloads 456