Search results for: call center industry

Authors: Fernando Augusto Ullmann Tobe, Moacyr Amaral Domingues, Figueiredo, Stephany Rie Yamamoto Gushiken

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The purpose of this paper is to present the process of elaborating the layout of an assembly line of a welding industry using the principles of lean manufacturing as the main driver. The objective of this paper is relevant since the current layout of the assembly line causes non-productive times for operators, being related to the lean waste of unnecessary movements. The methodology used for the project development was Project-based Learning (PBL), which is an active way of learning focused on real problems. The process of selecting the methodology for layout planning was developed considering three criteria to evaluate the most relevant one for this paper's goal. As a result of this evaluation, Systematic Layout Planning was selected, and three steps were added to it – Value Stream Mapping for the current situation and after layout changed and the definition of lean tools and layout type. This inclusion was to consider lean manufacturing in the layout redesign of the industry. The layout change resulted in an increase in the value-adding time of operations carried out in the sector, reduction in movement times between previous and final assemblies, and in cost savings regarding the man-hour value of the employees, which can be invested in productive hours instead of movement times.

Keywords: assembly line, layout, lean manufacturing, systematic layout planning

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Authors: Mohammad-Ali Latifi, Harry Bouwman

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Changes in the business environment accelerated dramatically over the last decades as a result of changes in technology, regulation, market, and competitors’ behavior. Firms need to change the way they do business in order to survive or maintain their growth. Innovating business model (BM) can create competitive advantages and enhance firm performance. However, many companies fail to achieve expected outcomes in practice, mostly due to irreversible fundamental changes in key components of the company’s BM. This leads to more ambiguity, uncertainty, and risks associated with business performance. However, the relationship among BM Innovation, moderating factors, and the firm’s overall performance is by and large ignored in the current literature. In this study, we identified twenty moderating factors from our comprehensive literature review. We categorized these factors based on two criteria regarding the extent to which: the moderating factors can be controlled and managed by firms, and they are generic or specific changes to the firms. This leads to four moderation groups. The first group is BM implementation, which includes management support, employees’ commitment, employees’ skills, communication, detailed plan. The second group is called BM practices, which consists of BM tooling, BM experimentation, the scope of change, speed of change, degree of novelty. The third group is Firm characteristics, including firm size, age, and ownership. The last group is called Industry characteristics, which considers the industry sector, competitive intensity, industry life cycle, environmental dynamism, high-tech vs. low-tech industry. Through collecting data from 508 European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and using the structural equation modeling technique, the developed moderation model was examined. Results revealed that all factors highlighted through these four groups moderate the relation between BMI and firm performance significantly. Particularly, factors related to BM-Implementation and BM-Practices are more manageable and would potentially improve firm overall performance. We believe that this result is more important for researchers and practitioners since the possibility of working on factors in Firm characteristics and Industry characteristics groups are limited, and the firm can hardly control and manage them to improve the performance of BMI efforts.

Keywords: business model innovation, firm performance, implementation, moderation

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Authors: Kelechi Emmanuel, Kyaw Thein Aung, William Burch

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Introduction: Although rewarding in more ways than one, rural medicine can be challenging. The factors that lead to the challenges experienced in rural medicine include but are not limited to scarcity of resources, poor patient education inadequately trained professionals. This is the first single center study done on the challenges of and ways to improve diagnosis in rural medicine. Materials and Methods: Questionnaires were given to providers in a single hospital in rural Tennessee USA. In which providers were asked the question ‘In the past six months, what measures have you taken to improve your diagnostic accuracy given limited resources. Results: The questionnaire was passed to ten physicians working in a two hundred and twentyfive hospital bed. Physicians who participated included physicians in hospital medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, cardiology and gastroenterology. The study found that improved physical examination skills, access to specialist especially via telemedicine and affiliation to centers with more experienced professionals improved diagnosis and overall patient outcome in rural medicine. Conclusion: From this single center study, there is evidence to show that in addition to honing physical examination skills and having access to immediate results of testing done; hospital collaborations and access to highly trained specialist via telemedicine does improve diagnosis in rural medicine.

Keywords: rural medicine, diagnostic accuracy, diagnosis, telemedicine

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Authors: Hosein Alimadadi, Fatemeh Farahmand, Ali Jafarian, Nasir Fakhar, Mohammad Hassan Sohouli, Neda Raeesi

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Backgroundsː Regarding the important role of liver transplantation as the only treatment in many cases of end-stage liver disease in children, the aim of this study is to investigate the complications of liver transplantation and their management in children referred to the Children's Medical Center. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study on pediatric patients who have undergone liver transplants in the years 2016 to 2021. The indication for liver transplantation in this population was confirmed by a pediatric gastroenterologist, and a liver transplant was performed by a transplant surgeon. Finally, information about the patient before and after the transplantation was collected and recorded. Results: A total of 53 patients participated in this study, including 25 (47.2%) boys and 28 (52.8%) girls. The most common causes of liver transplantation were cholestatic and metabolic diseases. The most common early complication of liver transplantation in children was acute cellular rejection (ACR) and anastomotic biliary stricture. The most common late complication in these patients was an infection which was observed in 56.6% of patients. Among the drug side effects, neurotoxicity (convulsions) was seen more in patients, and 15.1% of the transplanted patients died. Conclusion: In this study, the most common early complication of liver transplantation in children was ACR and biliary stricture, and the most common late complication was infection. Neurotoxicity (convulsions) was the most common side effect of drugs.

Keywords: liver transplantation, complication, infection, survival rate

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Authors: Changtong Wang, Lingyun Wei

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The combination of auctions and supply chains is of great significance in improving the supply chain management system and enhancing the efficiency of economic and social operations. To address the gap in research on supply chain strategies under the auction mechanism, a model is developed for the 1-N auction model in a complete information environment, and it is concluded that the two-part contract auction model for retailers in this model can achieve supply chain coordination. The model is validated by substituting the model into the scenario of a fresh-cut flower industry flower auction in exchange for arithmetic examples to further prove the validity of the conclusions.

Keywords: auction mechanism, supply chain coordination strategy, fresh cut flowers industry, supply chain management

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Authors: Davinder Singh, Jaimal Singh Khamba, Tarun Nanda

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Growth of the Indian economy has accelerated to 8% and efforts are on to further propel it to 10%. Undoubtedly, all the segments of the economy, viz. agriculture, industry and services have to improve their contribution to the economy. Growth of Micro-small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) is a sine qua non for the growth of industry, exports and other segments of the economy. Furthermore, promotion of entrepreneurship is also vital for sustenance and upward movement of the current growth trajectory of the economy. The MSME sector acts as a catalyst in upholding and encouraging the creation of the innovative spirit and entrepreneurship in the economy, thereby helping in laying the foundation for rapid industrial development. In this competitive world, they need to be able to confront the increasing competition from developed and emerging economies and to plug into the new market opportunities.

Keywords: characteristics, management, MSMEs, technology infrastructure

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Authors: Muhammad Ade Andriansyah Efendi, Ika Monika

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Mini coal gasifier (GasMin) is a small reactor that could convert coal into combustible gas or producer gas which is designed to fulfill energy needs of small-scale industries. The producer gas can be utilized for both external and internal combustion. The design of coal gasifier is suitable for community require because it is easy to handle, affordable and environmentally friendly. The feasibility study shows that the substitution of 12 kg LPG or specially 50 kg LPG into GasMin of 20 kg coal capacity per hour is very attractive. The estimation price of 20 kg coal per hour capacity GasMin is 40 million rupiahs. In the year 2016, the implementation of GasMin conducted at alumunium industry and batik industry at Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Keywords: biomass, coal, energy, gasification

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Authors: Peter Park, Alfonso Ayala, Douglas Saeks, Jordan Miller, Carmen Flores, Karen Nelson

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Introduction Hip fractures account for more than 300,000 hospital admissions every year. Many present as fragility fractures in geriatric patients with multiple medical comorbidities. Standardized protocols for the multidisciplinary management of this patient population have been shown to improve patient outcomes. A hip fracture protocol was implemented at a Level I Trauma center with a focus on pre-operative medical optimization and early surgical care. This study evaluates the efficacy of that protocol, including the early transition period. Methods A retrospective review was performed of all patients ages 60 and older with isolated hip fractures who were managed surgically between 2020 and 2022. This included patients 1 year prior and 1 year following the implementation of a hip fracture protocol at a Level I Trauma center. Results 530 patients were identified: 249 patients were treated before, and 281 patients were treated after the protocol was instituted. There was no difference in mean age (p=0.35), gender (p=0.3), or Charlson Comorbidity Index (p=0.38) between the cohorts. Following the implementation of the protocol, there were observed increases in time to surgery (27.5h vs. 33.8h, p=0.01), hospital length of stay (6.3d vs. 9.7d, p<0.001), and ED LOS (5.1h vs. 6.2h, p<0.001). There were no differences in in-hospital mortality (2.01% pre vs. 3.20% post, p=0.39) and complication rates (25% pre vs 26% post, p=0.76). A trend towards improved outcomes was seen after the early transition period but failed to yield statistical significance. Conclusion Early medical management and surgical intervention are key determining factors affecting outcomes following fragility hip fractures. The implementation of a hip fracture protocol at this institution has not yet significantly affected these parameters. This could in part be due to the restrictions placed at this institution during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, the time to OR pre-and post-implementation was quicker than figures reported elsewhere in literature. Further longitudinal data will be collected to determine the final influence of this protocol. Significance/Clinical Relevance Given the increasing number of elderly people and the high morbidity and mortality associated with hip fractures in this population finding cost effective ways to improve outcomes in the management of these injuries has the potential to have enormous positive impact for both patients and hospital systems.

Keywords: hip fracture, geriatric, treatment algorithm, preoperative optimization

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Authors: Yi-Chu Liu, Hsiu-Huei Hung, Li-Hui Yang, Ming-Jyh Chen

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introduction: To promote environmental sustainability, the hospital formed a corporate volunteer team in 2016 to build the Green Experiential Education Center. Our green creation center utilizes attic space to achieve sustainability objectives such as energy efficiency and carbon reduction. Other than executing sustainable plans, the center emphasizes experiential education. We invite our community to actively participate in building a sustainable, economically viable environment. Since 2020, the China Medical University Hospital has provided medical care to the Tgbin community in Taichung City's Heping District. The tribe, primarily composed of Atayal people, the elderly comprise 18% of the total population, and these families' per capita income is relatively low compared to Taiwanese citizens elsewhere. Purpose / Methods: With the experiences at the Green Experiential Education Center, CMUH team identifies the following objectives: Create an aquaponic system to supply vulnerable local households with food. Create a solar renewable energy system to meet the electricity needs of vulnerable local households. Promote the purchase of green electricity certificates to reduce the hospital's carbon emissions and generate additional revenue for the local community. Materials and Methods: In March 2020, we visited the community and installed The aquaponic system in January 2021. CMUH spent 150,000NT (approximately 5000US dollars) in March 2021 to build a 100-square-meter aquaponic system. The production of vegetables and fish caught determines the number of vulnerable families that can be supported. The aquaponics system is a kind of Low energy consumption and environmentally friendly production method, and can simultaneously achieve energy saving, water saving, and fertilizer saving .In September 2023, CMUH will complete a solar renewable energy system. The system will cover an area of 308 square meters and costs approximately NT$240,000 (approximately US$8,000). The installation of electricity meters will enable statistical analysis of power generation. And complete the Taiwan National Renewable Energy Certificate application process. The green electricity certificate will be obtained based on the monthly power generation from the solar renewable energy system. Results: I Food availability and access are crucial considering the remote location and aging population. By creating a fish and vegetable symbiosis system, the vegetables and catches produced will enable economically disadvantaged families to lower food costs. In 2021 and 2022, the aquaponic system produced 52 kilograms of vegetables and 75 kilograms of catch. The production ensures the daily needs of 8 disadvantaged families. Conclusions: The hospital serves as a fortress for public health and the ideal setting for corporate social responsibility. China Medical University Hospital and the Green Experiential Education Center work to strengthen ties with rural communities and offer top-notch specialty medical care. We are committed to assisting people in escaping poverty and hunger as part of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Keywords: environmental education, sustainability, energy conservation, carbon emissions, rural area development

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Authors: Ahmad Fahad Alotaibi, Khalid Hamed Hajri, Humoud Hudiban Rashidi

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Intelligent information technology infrastructure is considered one of the enablers to enhance digital transformation in the gas and oil fields to optimize IT infrastructure reliability by supporting operations and maintenance in a safe and secure method to optimize resources. Smart IT buildings, communication rooms and shelters with intelligent technologies can strengthen the performance and profitability of gas and oil companies by ensuring business continuity. This paper describes the advantages of deploying intelligent IT infrastructure in the oil and gas industry by illustrating its positive impacts on some development aspects, for instance, operations, maintenance, safety, security and resource optimization. Moreover, it highlights the challenges and difficulties of providing smart IT services in a remote area and proposes solutions to overcome such difficulties.

Keywords: intelligent IT infrastructure, remote areas, oil and gas field, digitalization

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Authors: Bruno Nascimento, Cristina Wanzeller, Jorge Silva, João A. Dias, André Barbosa, José Ribeiro

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The increasing complexity of logistics operations stems from evolving business needs, such as the shift from mass production to mass customization, which demands greater efficiency and flexibility. In response, Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies provide improved solutions to enhance operational agility and better meet market demands. The management of kitting zones, combined with the use of Autonomous Mobile Robots, faces challenges related to coordination, resource optimization, and rapid response to customer demand fluctuations. Additionally, implementing lean manufacturing practices in this context must be carefully orchestrated by intelligent systems and human operators to maximize efficiency without sacrificing the agility required in an advanced production environment. This paper proposes and implements a microservices-based architecture integrating principles from Industry 4.0 and 5.0 with lean manufacturing practices. The architecture enhances communication and coordination between autonomous vehicles and kitting management systems, allowing more efficient resource utilization and increased scalability. The proposed architecture focuses on the modularity and flexibility of operations, enabling seamless flexibility to change demands and the efficient allocation of resources in realtime. Conducting this approach is expected to significantly improve logistics operations’ efficiency and scalability by reducing waste and optimizing resource use while improving responsiveness to demand changes. The implementation of this architecture provides a robust foundation for the continuous evolution of kitting management and process optimization. It is designed to adapt to dynamic environments marked by rapid shifts in production demands and real-time decision-making. It also ensures seamless integration with automated systems, aligning with Industry 4.0 and 5.0 needs while reinforcing Lean Manufacturing principles.

Keywords: microservices, event-driven, kitting, AMR, lean manufacturing, industry 4.0, industry 5.0

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Authors: Eda Üstünel, Seval Karacabey

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The students, who are enrolled in German Preparatory Language Programme at the School of Foreign Languages, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Turkey, learn German as a foreign language for two semesters in an academic year. Although the language programme is a skills-based one, the students lack German speaking skills due to their fear of making language mistakes while speaking in German. This problem of incompetency in German speaking skills exists also in their four-year departmental study at the Faculty of Education. In order to address this problem we design German speaking activities, which are extra-curricular activities. With the help of these activities, we aim to lead Turkish students of German language to speak in the target language, to improve their speaking skills in the target language and to create a stress-free atmosphere and a meaningful learning environment to communicate in the target language. In order to achieve these aims, an ERASMUS+ exchange staff (a German trainee teacher of German as a foreign language), who is from Schwabisch Gmünd University, Germany, conducted out-of-class German speaking activities once a week for three weeks in total. Each speaking activity is lasted for one and a half hour per week. 7 volunteered students of German preparatory language programme attended the speaking activity for three weeks. The activity took place at a cafe in the university campus, that’s the reason, we call it as an out-of-class activity. The content of speaking activity is not related to the topics studied at the units of coursebook, that’s the reason, we call this activity as extra-curricular one. For data collection, three tools are used. A questionnaire, which is an adapted version of Sabo’s questionnaire, is applied to seven volunteers. An interview session is then held with each student on individual basis. The interview questions are developed so as to ask students to expand their answers that are given at the questionnaires. The German trainee teacher wrote fieldnotes, in which the teacher described the activity in the light of her thoughts about what went well and which areas were needed to be improved. The results of questionnaires show that six out of seven students note that such an acitivity must be conducted by a native speaker of German. Four out of seven students emphasize that they like the way that the activities are designed in a learner-centred fashion. All of the students point out that they feel motivated to talk to the trainee teacher in German. Six out of seven students note that the opportunity to communicate in German with the teacher and the peers enable them to improve their speaking skills, the use of grammatical rules and the use of vocabulary.

Keywords: Learning a Foreign Language, Speaking Skills, Teaching German as a Foreign Language, Turkish Learners of German Language

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Authors: Abdolreza Heidari Noosh Abad, Amir Abedi, Davood Mirahmadi khaki

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The high strength and flexibility of TRIP steels are the major reasons for them being widely used in the automobile industry. Deep drawing is regarded as a common metal sheet manufacturing process is used extensively in the modern industry, particularly automobile industry. To investigate the potential of deep drawing characteristic of materials, steel sheet anisotropy is studied and expressed as R-Value. The TRIP steels have a multi-phase microstructure consisting typically of ferrite, bainite and retained austenite. The retained austenite appears to be the most effective phase in the microstructure of the TRIP steels. In the present research, Taguchi method has been employed to study investigates the effect of austempering temperature parameters on the anisotropy property of the TRIP steel. To achieve this purpose, a steel with chemical composition of 0.196C -1.42Si-1.41Mn, has been used and annealed at 810oC, and then austempered at 340-460oC for 3, 6, and 9 minutes. The results shows that the austempering temperature has a direct relationship with R-value, respectively. With increasing austempering temperature, residual austenite grain size increases as well as increased solubility, which increases the amount of R-value. According to the results of the Taguchi method, austempering temperature’s p-value less than 0.05 is due to effective on R-value.

Keywords: Taguchi method, hot rolling, thermomechanical process, anisotropy, R-value

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Authors: Chandan Deep Singh, Jaimal Singh Khamba, Harleen Kaur

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Eminence, charge, deliverance, modernism, and awareness underlie most manufacturing strategic plan today. Firms have traditionally pursued the above tasks through the implementation of advanced technologies and manufacturing practices, such as Reverse Engineering, Value Engineering, worker empowerment, etc. Recent developments in industry suggest the materialization of another route to manufacturing brilliance, that is, there is an increasing focus by industry regulators and professional bodies on the need to stimulate innovation in a broad range of manufacturing competencies. By ‘competencies’ we mean the methods, equipment and expertise that can be developed as a leading capability in one market sector or application and have real potential to be applied successfully across other sectors or applications as well. Further, competencies are the ability to apply or use a set of related knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform 'critical work functions' or tasks in a defined work setting. Competencies often serve as the basis for skill standards that specify the level of knowledge, skills, and abilities required for success in the workplace as well as potential measurement criteria for assessing competency attainment. The present research is so designed to come up to the level of the expectations of the industrialists, policy makers, designers of the competencies, specially, the manufacturing competencies upon which the whole strategic success of the industry depends.

Keywords: manufacturing competency, strategic success, manufacturing excellence, competitive strategy

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Authors: Maxat Bokambayev, Bella Tussupova, Aisha Mamyrova, Erlan Izbasarov

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Optimization of business processes in trading companies is reviewed in the report. There is the presentation of the “Wholesale Customer Order Handling Process” business process model applicable for small and medium businesses. It is proposed to apply the algorithm for automation of the customer order processing which will significantly reduce labor costs and time expenditures and increase the profitability of companies. An optimized business process is an element of the information system of accounting of spare parts trading network activity. The considered algorithm may find application in the trading industry as well.

Keywords: business processes, discrete-event simulation, management, trading industry

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Authors: Taleb L., Benarbia M., Brahmi M., Belmiloud H., Boukerche A.

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Introduction and purpose of the study: Cavum cancer in children and adolescents is rare and represents 8% of all nasopharyngeal cancers treated in our department. Our objective is to study its epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic, and evolutionary particularities. Material and methods: Retrospective study of 39 patients under 20 years old, treated for undifferentiated non-metastatic carcinoma of the nasopharynx at the Emir Abdelkader Cancer Center between 2014 and 2020. Results and statistical analysis: Median age was 14 years [7-19 years], with a sex ratio of 2.9. The median time to diagnosis was 5.6 months [1 to 14 months], the circumstances of the discovery of which were dominated by lymph node syndrome in 43.6% of cases (n=17) followed by a rhinological syndrome in 30.8% of cases (n=13). The tumor stage was T1 for two patients (5.1%), T2 for 8 (20.5%), T3 for 9 (23.1%), T4 for 20 (51.3%), N0 for 2 (5 .1%) N1 for 4 (10.3%), N2 for 28 (71.8%) and N3 for 5 (12.8%). All patients received induction chemotherapy followed by concomitant radiotherapy with cisplatin. The dose of irradiation delivered to the cavum and adenopathies was 66 Gy with fractionation of 2 Gy per session in 69.2% of cases (n=27) and 1.8 Gy in 30.8% of cases (n=12). With a median follow-up of 51 months (15 to 97 months), the locoregional, metastatic, specific, and overall relapse-free survival rates at five years were 91.1%, 73.5%, 66.1%, and 68.4, respectively. Conclusion: Chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment of cavum cancer in children and adolescents has allowed excellent locoregional control despite the advanced stage of the disease. However, the frequency of metastatic relapses could justify the possible use of systemic maintenance treatment.

Keywords: cancer, nasopharynx, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, survival

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Authors: Monika Gałwa-Widera, Anna Kwarciak–Kozłowska, Lucyna Sławik-Dembiczak

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Issues relating to management of sewage sludge from small and medium-sized wastewater treatment plants is a vital issue, which deal with such scholars as well as those directly involved in the issue of wastewater treatment and management of sedimentary. According to the Law on Waste generating waste is responsible for such processing to the product obtained impacted on the environment minimally. In small and medium-sized wastewater treatment plants have to deal with the technology of sludge management technology is far from drying and incineration of sewage sludge. So here you can use other technologies. One of them is the composting of sewage sludge. It is a process of processing and disposal of sewage sludge that effectively their disposal. By composting, we can obtain a product that contains significant amounts of organic matter to assess the fertilizing qualities. Modifications to the ongoing process in biological reactors allow for more rapid receipt of a wholesome product. The research presented and discussed in this publication relate to assist the composting process of sewage sludge and biomass structural material in the shares of rates: 35% biomass, 55% sludge, 10% structural material using a method which involves the re-spawning batch composting physical methods leachate from the composting process.

Keywords: biomass, composting, industry, sewage sludge

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Authors: Justyna Żywiołek, Marek Matulewski

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Data, is information processed by enterprises for primary and secondary purposes as processes. Thanks to processing, the sales process takes place; in the case of the surveyed companies, sales take place online. However, this indirect form of contact with the customer causes many problems for both customers and furniture manufacturers. The article presents solutions that would solve problems related to the analysis of data and information in the order fulfillment process sent to post-warranty service. The article also presents an analysis of threats to the security of this information, both for customers and the enterprise.

Keywords: ordering furniture online, information security, furniture industry, enterprise security, risk analysis

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Authors: Michiko Miyamoto

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The market for "functional foods" and "foods with functional claims" that are effective in maintaining and improving health, has expanded year by year due to the entry of major food and beverage manufacturers following the introduction of the specified health food system in 1991 in Japan. To bring health claims related products or services to the market, it is necessary to let consumers to learn about these products or services; an effective marketing through advertising are important. This research proposes a framework for an effective advertisement medium for the food supplement industry by using survey data of 2,500 people.

Keywords: functional foods, dietary supplements, marketing strategy, structural equation modeling

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Authors: Maria Brás

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The main purpose of the presentation is to identify the impacts and appropriate measures to prevent potential attacks, or minimize the risk of an attack in tourist destination. Terrorism has been growing in the shadow of unpredictability, however, is possible to minimize the danger of a terrorist attack by doing the: (1) recognition; (2); evaluation; (3) avoidance; (4) threat reduction. The vulnerability of tourism industry to terrorism is an undeniable fact, and terrorists know it. They use this advantage attacking tourists for very specific reasons, such as the: (1) international coverage by the media, “if it bleeds it leads” ; (2) chances of getting different nationalities at the same place and time; (3) possibility of destroyed the economy of a destination, or destinations (“terrorism contamination effect”), through the reduction of tourist demand; (4) psychological, and social disruption based on fear of negative consequences. Security incidents, such as terrorism, include different preventive measures that can be conducted in partnership with: tourism industry (hotels, airports, tourist attractions, among others); central government; public and/or private sector; local community; and media. The recovery strategies must be based on the dissemination of positive information to the media; in creating new marketing strategies that emphasize the social and cultural values of the destination; encourage domestic tourism; get government, or state, financial support.

Keywords: terrorism, tourism, safety, security, impacts, prevention, recovery

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Authors: Emrah Yaliniz, Ali Kalkanli

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ZE41A magnesium alloy has been extensively used in aerospace industry, especially for use in rotorcraft transmission casings. Due to the improved mechanical properties, the latest generation of magnesium casting alloy EV31A-T6 (Elektron 21® specified in AMS 4429) is seen as a potential replacement for ZE41A in terms of strength. Therefore, the necessity of enhancement has been arisen for ZE41A in order to avoid fully replacement. The main element affecting the strength of ZE41A is Zirconium (Zr), which acts as a grain refiner. The specified range of Zr element for ZE41A alloy is between 0.4 wt % and 1.0 wt % (unless otherwise stated by weight percentage after this point) as stated in AMS 4439. This paper investigates the effects of Zr amount on tensile and metallurgical properties of ZE41A magnesium alloy. The Zr alloying amount for the research has been chosen as 0.5 % and 1 %, which are standard amounts in a commercial alloy (average of 0.4-0.6%) and maximum percent in the standard, separately. 1 % Zr amount has been achieved via Zirmax (66.7 Mg-33.3 Zr) master alloy addition. The ultimate tensile strength of ZE41A with 1% Zr has been increased up to about 220-225 MPa in comparison to 200 MPa given in AMS 4439. The reason for the increase in strength with the addition of Zirmax is based on the decrease in grain size, which was measured about 30 µm. Optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) were used to detect the change in the microstructural futures via alloying. The zirconium rich coring at the center of the grains was observed in addition to the grain boundary intermetallic phases and bulk Mg-rich matrix. The solidification characteristics were also identified by using the cooling curve obtained from the sand casting mold during cooling of the alloys.

Keywords: aerospace, grain refinement, magnesium, sand casting, ZE41A

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Authors: Khomsan Laosillapacharoen

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This research paper was aimed to analyze the current situation of the furniture industry and embark a plan to enhance the export volume of Thai furniture. This is a qualitative research which utilized meta-analysis and focus group. A total of 24 experts in both government and private sectors were interviewed. The findings revealed that Thai furniture had some advantages of access to raw material, high quality of labors, and have a unique skill. However, the threat included a tendency to have more foreign competitors in domestic market. In addition, the strategies to enhance the level of export included increase the standard quality of Thai furniture, offer new and modern designs, use marketing on the internet, use modern technology, and gain tax incentive from the government.

Keywords: export, furniture, strategies, marketing

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Authors: Laura Vitola, Diana Bajare, Genadijs Sahmenko, Girts Bumanis

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About 8 % of CO2 emission in the world is produced by concrete industry therefore replacement of cement in concrete composition by additives with pozzolanic activity would give a significant impact on the environment. Material which contains silica SiO2 or amorphous silica SiO2 together with aluminum dioxide Al2O3 is called pozzolana type additives in the concrete industry. Pozzolana additives are possible to obtain from recycling industry and different production by-products such as processed bulb boric silicate (DRL type) and lead (LB type) glass, coal combustion bottom ash, utilized brick pieces and biomass ash, thus solving utilization problem which is so important in the world, as well as practically using materials which previously were considered as unusable. In the literature, there is no summarized method which could be used for quick waste-product pozzolana activity evaluation without the performance of wide researches related to the production of innumerable concrete contents and samples in the literature. Besides it is important to understand which parameters should be predicted to characterize the efficiency of waste-products. Simple methods of pozzolana activity increase for different types of waste-products are also determined. The aim of this study is to evaluate effectiveness of the different types of waste materials and industrial by-products (coal combustion bottom ash, biomass ash, waste glass, waste kaolin and calcined illite clays), and determine which parameters have the greatest impact on pozzolanic activity. By using materials, which previously were considered as unusable and landfilled, in concrete industry basic utilization problems will be partially solved. The optimal methods for treatment of waste materials and industrial by–products were detected with the purpose to increase their pozzolanic activity and produce substitutes for cement in the concrete industry. Usage of mentioned pozzolanic allows us to replace of necessary cement amount till 20% without reducing the compressive strength of concrete.

Keywords: cement substitutes, micro and nano fillers, pozzolanic properties, specific surface area, particle size, waste products

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Authors: Tareq Issa

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Lean manufacturing is concerned with the implementation of several tools and methodologies that aim for the continuous elimination of wastes throughout manufacturing process flow in the production system. This research addresses the implementation of lean principles and tools in a small-medium industry focusing on 'fused' plastic bags production company in Amman, Jordan. In this production operation, the major type of waste to eliminate include material, waiting-transportation, and setup wastes. The primary goal is to identify and implement selected lean strategies to eliminate waste in the manufacturing process flow. A systematic approach was used for the implementation of lean principles and techniques, through the application of Value Stream Mapping analysis. The current state value stream map was constructed to improve the plastic bags manufacturing process through identifying opportunities to eliminate waste and its sources. Also, the future-state value stream map was developed describing improvements in the overall manufacturing process resulting from eliminating wastes. The implementation of VSM, 5S, Kanban, Kaizen, and Reduced lot size methods have provided significant benefits and results. Productivity has increased to 95.4%, delivery schedule attained at 99-100%, reduction in total inventory to 1.4 days and the setup time for the melting process was reduced to about 30 minutes.

Keywords: lean implementation, plastic bags industry, value stream map, process flow

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Authors: Julie Berame

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The study probed that out of eight (8) lessons in Science Six have been validated, lessons 1-3 got the descriptive rating of very satisfactory and lessons 4-8 got the descriptive rating of outstanding based on the content analysis of the prepared CBL lesson plans. The evaluation of the lesson plans focused on the three main features such as statements of the lesson objectives, lesson content, and organization and effectiveness. The study used developmental research procedure that contained three phases, namely: Development phase consists of determining the learning unit, lesson plans, creation of the table of specifications, exercises/quizzes, and revision of the materials; Evaluation phase consists of the development of experts’ assessment checklist, presentation of checklist to the adviser, comments and suggestions, and final validation of the materials; and try-out phase consists of identification of the subject, try-out of the materials using CBL strategy, administering science attitude questionnaire, and statistical analysis to obtain the data. The findings of the study revealed that the relevance and usability of CBL lessons 1 and 2 in terms of lesson objective, lesson content, and organization and effectiveness got the rating of very satisfactory (4.4) and lessons 3-8 got the rating of outstanding (4.7). The lessons 1-8 got the grand rating of outstanding (4.6). Additionally, results showed that CBL strategy helped foster positive attitude among students and achieved effectiveness in psychomotor learning objectives.

Keywords: development, validation, center-based learning, science

Procedia PDF Downloads 237

Authors: Souid Wafa, Boudjenah-Haroun Saliha, Khacef Linda

Abstract:

In this work, we focused on the valuation of discharges from the dairy industry. Whey is by-product of dairy industry, which is a formidable pollution factor and contains components (lactose, minerals and proteins) with high nutritional value. Whey is an excellent culture medium for microorganisms. The objective of our work is to investigate the ability of a lactic strain (of the genus Lactococcus) to grow in culture media based on whey of cattle and camels and comparing it with that recorded on M17 as indicator medium. In this study we isolated from a local sample of camel milk a lactic strain (S1).the strain had positive Gram shaped, cocci form and catalase (-). The strain has been purified by the method of streaks on M17 medium. Phenotypic identification allows us to classify this strain in the species: Lactococcus lactis subsp. Cremoris. We subsequently tested the ability of this strain to grow in cattle whey medium and camel whey, both media were deproteinized and unsupplemented. The obtained results revealed that: The cattle and camel whey are appropriate media for the growth of the strain Lactococcus lactis subsp cremoris but is more adapted to grow on a medium rich in lactose as the camel whey. In fact, after 48h and at initial pH 6.8 this strain acidified more camel whey (pH 3.99) than cattle whey (pH 4.8). And biomass produced in the camel whey is 1.50g /1 by contributing to the cattle whey which is 1g / l.

Keywords: cremoris, dairy industry, Lactococcus lactis subsp, medium, whey

Procedia PDF Downloads 363

Authors: V. Emery David Jr., J. Wenchao, D. Mmereki, Y. John, F. Heriniaina

Abstract:

Healthcare waste management continues to present an array of challenges for developing countries, and Liberia is of no exception. There is insufficient information available regarding the generation, handling, and disposal of health care waste. This face serves as an impediment to healthcare management schemes. The specific objective of this study is to present an evaluation of the current health care management practices in Liberia. It also presented procedures, techniques used, methods of handling, transportation, and disposal methods of wastes as well as the quantity and composition of health care waste. This study was conducted as an investigative case study, covering three different health care facilities; a hospital, a health center, and a clinic in Monrovia, Montserrado County. The average waste generation was found to be 0-7kg per day at the clinic and health center and 8-15kg per/day at the hospital. The composition of the waste includes hazardous and non-hazardous waste i.e. plastic, papers, sharps, and pathological elements etc. Nevertheless, the investigation showed that the healthcare waste generated by the surveyed healthcare facilities were not properly handled because of insufficient guidelines for separate collection, and classification, and adequate methods for storage and proper disposal of generated wastes. This therefore indicates that there is a need for improvement within the healthcare waste management system to improve the existing situation.

Keywords: disposal, healthcare waste, management, Montserrado County, Monrovia

Procedia PDF Downloads 345

Authors: Ersumo Tessema, Bogale Girmaye Tamrat, Mohammed Burka

Abstract:

Background: Hyperthyroidism is a common thyroid disorder especially in women and characterized by increased thyroid hormone synthesis and secretion. The disorder manifests predominantly as Graves’ disease in iodine-sufficient areas and has increasing prevalence in iodine-deficient countries in patients with nodular thyroid disease and following iodine fortification. In Ethiopia, the magnitude of the disorder is unknown and, in Africa, due to scarcity of resources, its management remains suboptimal. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the pattern and management of patients with hyperthyroidism at the United Vision Medical Services Center, Addis Ababa between August 30, 2013, and February 1, 2018. Patients and methods: The study was a retrospective analysis of medical records of all patients with hyperthyroidism at the United Vision Private Medical Services Center, Addis Ababa. A questionnaire was filled out; the collected data entered into a computer and statistically analyzed using the SPSS package. The results were tabulated and discussed with literature review. Results: A total of 589 patients were included in this study. The median age was 40 years, and the male to female ratio was 1.0:7.9. Most patients (93%) presented with goiter and the associated features of toxic goiter except weight loss, sweating and tachycardia were uncommon. Majority of patients presented more than two years after the onset of their presenting symptoms. The most common physical finding (91%), as well as diagnosis, was toxic nodular goiter. The most frequent (83%) derangement in the thyroid function tests was a low thyroid-stimulating hormone, and the most commonly (94%) used antithyroid drug was a propylthiouracil. The most common (96%) surgical procedure in 213 patients was a near-total thyroidectomy with a postoperative course without incident in 92% of all the patients. Conclusion: The incidence and prevalence of hyperthyroidism are apparently on the increase in Addis Ababa, which may be related to the existing severe iodine-deficiency and or the salt iodation program (iodine-induced hyperthyroidism). Hyperthyroidism predominantly affects women and, in surgical services, toxic nodular goiter is more common than diffuse goiter, and the treatment of choice in experienced hands is a near-total thyroidectomy.

Keywords: Ethiopia, grave’s disease, hyperthyroidism, toxic nodular goiter

Procedia PDF Downloads 176

Authors: Tanu Malik, Eusebe Gnonlonfoun, Eudes L. Anihouvi

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The rise of nutrition-related diseases, increase of health care cost, and the social perception that food could directly affect health have naturally created an environment conducive to the development of foods and beverages with an asserted health benefit. Consumer habits have turned considerably healthier in recent years and led to the demand for fortified and enhanced foods that could adequately provide health benefits beyond necessary nutrients for humans when they are consumed as part of the diet and regularly. These trends have developed a global market for functional foods, that grows annually and undoubtedly requires to be diversified. Product development appears thus as a key research priority for both the food industry and science sectors. The health benefits of these functional foods are summarized in two possible ways: either indirectly as a desired result of biogenic effect or through the direct interaction of ingested live microorganisms with the host (probiotic effect). This paper reviews functional foods and their beneficial health effects with a key focus on probiotics for the possible expansion of their use by the food industry in order to develop non-dairy based probiotics foods. Likewise, it reveals the need for more researches oriented towards an accurate understanding of the possible interaction between probiotic strains and the matrix and, on the other hand, the interaction between probiotic strains and some enzymes used during food manufacturing.

Keywords: functional foods, food industry, health benefits, probiotics

Procedia PDF Downloads 132

Authors: Fatemeh Noori

Abstract:

The fashion industry is a dynamic and ever-evolving realm that continuously shapes societal perceptions of beauty and style. Within this industry, fashion modeling plays a crucial role, acting as the visual representation of brands and designers. However, behind the glamorous façade lies a complex web of legal considerations that govern the rights, responsibilities, and ethical practices within the field. This paper aims to explore the legal landscape surrounding fashion modeling, shedding light on key issues such as contract law, intellectual property, labor rights, and the increasing importance of ethical considerations in the industry. Fashion modeling involves the collaboration of various stakeholders, including models, designers, agencies, and photographers. To ensure a fair and transparent working environment, it is imperative to establish a comprehensive legal framework that addresses the rights and obligations of each party involved. One of the primary legal considerations in fashion modeling is the contractual relationship between models and agencies. Contracts define the terms of engagement, including payment, working conditions, and the scope of services. This section will delve into the essential elements of modeling contracts, the negotiation process, and the importance of clarity to avoid disputes. Models are not just individuals showcasing clothing; they are integral to the creation and dissemination of artistic and commercial content. Intellectual property rights, including image rights and the use of a model's likeness, are critical aspects of the legal landscape. This section will explore the protection of models' image rights, the use of their likeness in advertising, and the potential for unauthorized use. Models, like any other professionals, are entitled to fair and ethical treatment. This section will address issues such as working conditions, hours, and the responsibility of agencies and designers to prioritize the well-being of models. Additionally, it will explore the global movement toward inclusivity, diversity, and the promotion of positive body image within the industry. The fashion industry has faced scrutiny for perpetuating harmful standards of beauty and fostering a culture of exploitation. This section will discuss the ethical responsibilities of all stakeholders, including the promotion of diversity, the prevention of exploitation, and the role of models as influencers for positive change. In conclusion, the legal considerations in fashion modeling are multifaceted, requiring a comprehensive approach to protect the rights of models and ensure ethical practices within the industry. By understanding and addressing these legal aspects, the fashion industry can create a more transparent, fair, and inclusive environment for all stakeholders involved in the art of modeling.

Keywords: fashion modeling contracts, image rights in modeling, labor rights for models, ethical practices in fashion, diversity and inclusivity in modeling

Procedia PDF Downloads 77