Search results for: process capability indices

Authors: Cassandra Maffei, Effie Pomaki, Salomé Deslauriers-Brouillard, Levana Dahan, Caroline Storr, Ramasubramanian Ponnusamy, Philippe S. Archambault

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Sexual health education following spinal cord injury (SCI) remains poorly integrated into the rehabilitation process, especially in low-income countries where the topics of disability and sexuality are stigmatized. This research aimed to evaluate a sexual health manual that was created and distributed amongst males with SCI who had received rehabilitation services at Amar Seva Sangam (ASSA), a rehabilitation center located in rural South India. A service evaluation was completed to collect data from a convenience sample of 37 males with spinal cord injuries. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The service evaluation showed that the manual was well received by the sample and had positive impacts on secondary outcome measures, including relationship dynamics and quality of life. It can thus be used as an effective adjunct tool to support the improvement of sexual health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of individuals with SCI.

Keywords: spinal cord injury, sexual health, rehabilitation, India, education, service evaluation

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Authors: A. Esra İdemen, Sinan M. Şener, Emrah Acar

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The technological paradigm of the disaster management field, especially in the case of governmental intervention strategies, is generally based on rapid and flexible accommodation solutions. From various technical solution patterns used to address the immediate housing needs of disaster victims, the adaptive re-use of existing buildings can be considered to be both low-cost and practical. However, there is a scarcity of analytical methods to screen, select and adapt buildings to help decision makers in cases of emergency. Following an extensive literature review, this paper aims to highlight key points and problem areas associated with the adaptive re-use of buildings within the disaster management context. In other disciplines such as real estate management, the adaptive re-use potential (ARP) of existing buildings is typically based on the prioritization of a set of technical and non-technical criteria which are then weighted to arrive at an economically viable investment decision. After a disaster, however, the assessment of the ARP of buildings requires consideration of different/additional layers of analysis which stem from general disaster management principles and the peculiarities of different types of disasters, as well as of their victims. In this paper, a discussion of the development of an adaptive re-use potential (ARP) assessment model is presented. It is thought that governmental and non-governmental decision makers who are required to take quick decisions to accommodate displaced masses following disasters are likely to benefit from the implementation of such a model.

Keywords: adaptive re-use of buildings, disaster management, temporary housing, assessment model

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Authors: Diana Pombo, Maria Loaiza, Mauricio Quijano, Alberto Cadena, Juan Pablo Tello

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In this paper, we present a semi-automatic tool for calculating ejection fraction from an echocardiographic video signal which is derived from a database in DICOM format, of Clinica de la Costa - Barranquilla. Described in this paper are each of the steps and methods used to find the respective calculation that includes acquisition and formation of the test samples, processing and finally the calculation of the parameters to obtain the ejection fraction. Two imaging segmentation methods were compared following a methodological framework that is similar only in the initial stages of processing (process of filtering and image enhancement) and differ in the end when algorithms are implemented (Active Contour and Region Growing Algorithms). The results were compared with the measurements obtained by two different medical specialists in cardiology who calculated the ejection fraction of the study samples using the traditional method, which consists of drawing the region of interest directly from the computer using echocardiography equipment and a simple equation to calculate the desired value. The results showed that if the quality of video samples are good (i.e., after the pre-processing there is evidence of an improvement in the contrast), the values provided by the tool are substantially close to those reported by physicians; also the correlation between physicians does not vary significantly.

Keywords: echocardiography, DICOM, processing, segmentation, EDV, ESV, ejection fraction

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Authors: Katharine Pollock

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Feminist scholars assert that a defining aspect of feminist confessional literature is that it expresses both an individual and communal identity, one which is predicated on the commonly-shared aspects of female experience. Reading feminist confessional literature in this way accommodates a plurality of readerly experiences and textual interpretations. It affirms the individual whilst acknowledging those experiences which bind women together, and refuses traditional objective criticism. It invites readers to see themselves reflected in the text, and encourages them to share their own stories. Similarly, music which communicates women’s personal experience, fictive or not, expresses a dual identity. There is an inherent risk of imposing a confessional reading upon a musical or literary text. Understanding music as being multivocal in the same way as confessional literature negates this patriarchal tendency, and allows listeners to engage with both the subjective and collective aspects of a text. By hearing their own stories reflected in the music, listeners engage in an ongoing dialogic process in which female stories are prioritised. This refuses patriarchal silencing and ensures a diversity of female voices. To demonstrate the veracity of these claims, literary criticism is applied to Lily Allen’s music, and memoir My Thoughts Exactly.

Keywords: confession, female, feminist, literature, music

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Authors: Mulatu Kassie Birhanu

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Electro-oxidation of glycerol is an important process to convert the less price glycerol into other expensive (essential) and energy-rich chemicals. In this study, nickel was electro-deposited on laboratory-made carbon ceramic electrode (CCE) substrate using electrochemical techniques that is cyclic voltammetry (CV) to prepare an electro-catalyst (Ni/CCE) for electro-oxidation of glycerol. Carbon ceramic electrode was prepared from graphite and methyl tri-methoxy silane (MTMOS) through the processes called hydrolysis and condensation with methanol in acidic media (HCl) by a sol-gel technique. Physico-chemical characterization of bare CCE and modified (deposited) CCE (Ni/CCE) was measured and evaluated by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Electro-oxidation of glycerol was performed in 0.1 M glycerol in alkaline media (0.5 M NaOH). High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) technique was used to identify and determine the concentration of glycerol, reaction intermediates and oxidized products of glycerol after its electro-oxidation is performed. The conversion (%) of electro-oxidation of glycerol during 9-hour oxidation was 73% and 36% at 1.8V and 1.6V vs. RHE, respectively. Formate, oxalate, glycolate and glycerate are the main oxidation products of glycerol with selectivity (%) of 75%, 8.6%, 1.1% and 0.95 % at 1.8 V vs. RHE and 55.4%, 2.2%, 1.0% and 0.6% at 1.6 V vs. RHE respectively. The result indicates that formate is the main product in the electro-oxidation of glycerol on Ni/CCE using the indicated applied potentials.

Keywords: carbon-ceramic electrode, electrodeposition, electro-oxidation, Methyltrimethoxysilane

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Authors: Dmitri Terzi

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The article presents the results of an algorithmic study of a special optimization problem of the transport type (traveling salesman problem): 1) To solve the problem, a new natural algorithm has been developed based on the decomposition of the initial data into convex hulls, which has a number of advantages; it is applicable for a fairly large dimension, does not require a large amount of memory, and has fairly good performance. The relevance of the algorithm lies in the fact that, in practice, programs for problems with the number of traversal points of no more than twenty are widely used. For large-scale problems, the availability of algorithms and programs of this kind is difficult. The proposed algorithm is natural because the optimal solution found by the exact algorithm is not always feasible due to the presence of many other factors that may require some additional restrictions. 2) Another inverse problem solved here is to describe a class of traveling salesman problems that have a predetermined optimal solution. The constructed algorithm 2 allows us to characterize the structure of traveling salesman problems, as well as construct test problems to evaluate the effectiveness of algorithms and other purposes. 3) The appendix presents a software implementation of Algorithm 1 (in MATLAB), which can be used to solve practical problems, as well as in the educational process on operations research and optimization methods.

Keywords: traveling salesman problem, solution construction algorithm, convex hulls, optimality verification

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Authors: Luís Fernando Cusioli, Leticia Nishi, Lucas Bairros, Gabriel Xavier Jorge, Sandro Rogério Lautenschalager, Celso Varutu Nakamura, Rosângela Bergamasco

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Focusing on the elimination of nitrogen and phosphorus from sewage, the study proposes to face the challenges of eutrophication and to optimize the effectiveness of sewage treatment through biofilms and filling produced by a 3D printer, seeking to identify the most effective Polylactic Acid (PLA), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). The study also proposes to evaluate the nitrification process in a Submerged Aerated Biological Filter (FBAS) on a pilot plant scale, quantifying the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus. The experiment will consist of two distinct phases, namely, a bench stage and the implementation of a pilot plant. During the bench stage, samples will be collected at five points to characterize the microbiota. Samples will be collected, and the microbiota will be investigated using Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH), deepening the understanding of the performance of biofilms in the face of multiple variables. In this context, the study contributes to the search for effective solutions to mitigate eutrophication and, thus, strengthen initiatives to improve effluent treatment.

Keywords: eutrophication, sewage treatment, biofilms, nitrogen and phosphorus removal, 3d printer, environmental efficiency

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Authors: Mounir Kehal

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The post-globalization epoch has placed businesses everywhere in new and different competitive situations where knowledgeable, effective and efficient behavior has come to provide the competitive and comparative edge. Enterprises have turned to explicit - and even conceptualizing on tacit - knowledge management to elaborate a systematic approach to develop and sustain the intellectual capital needed to succeed. To be able to do that, you have to be able to visualize your organization as consisting of nothing but knowledge and knowledge flows, whilst being presented in a graphical and visual framework, referred to as automated organizational cartography. Hence, creating the ability of further actively classifying existing organizational content evolving from and within data feeds, in an algorithmic manner, potentially giving insightful schemes and dynamics by which organizational know-how is visualized. It is discussed and elaborated on most recent and applicable definitions and classifications of knowledge management, representing a wide range of views from mechanistic (systematic, data driven) to a more socially (psychologically, cognitive/metadata driven) orientated. More elaborate continuum models, for knowledge acquisition and reasoning purposes, are being used for effectively representing the domain of information that an end user may contain in their decision making process for utilization of available organizational intellectual resources (i.e. Autocart). In this paper, we present an empirical research study conducted previously to try and explore knowledge diffusion in a specialist knowledge domain.

Keywords: knowledge management, knowledge maps, knowledge diffusion, organizational cartography

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Authors: Buse T. Aydin, Enver Ozdemir

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An automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) system has serious security problems. In this study, a double layer authentication scheme between the aircraft and ground station, aircraft to aircraft, ground station to ATC tower is designed to prevent any unauthorized aircrafts from introducing themselves as friends. This method can be used as a solution to the problem of authentication. The method is a combination of classical cryptographic methods and new generation physical layers. The first layer has employed the embedded key of the aircraft. The embedded key is assumed to installed during the construction of the utility. The other layer is a physical attribute (flight path, distance, etc.) between the aircraft and the ATC tower. We create a mathematical model so that two layers’ information is employed and an aircraft is authenticated as a friend or unknown according to the accuracy of the results of the model. The results of the aircraft are compared with the results of the ATC tower and if the values found by the aircraft and ATC tower match within a certain error margin, we mark the aircraft as friend. As a result, the ADS-B messages coming from this authenticated friendly aircraft will be processed. In this method, even if the embedded key is captured by the unknown aircraft, without the information of the second layer, the unknown aircraft can easily be determined. Overall, in this work, we present a reliable system by adding physical layer in the authentication process.

Keywords: ADS-B, authentication, communication with physical layer security, cryptography, identification friend or foe

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Authors: Tesfaye Mengistu

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This thesis aims to investigate the effectiveness of Reinforcement Learning (RL) for Autonomous Energy Management solutions. The study explores the potential of Model Free RL approaches, such as Monte Carlo RL and Q-learning, to improve energy management by autonomously adjusting energy management strategies to maximize efficiency. The research investigates the implementation of RL algorithms for optimizing energy consumption in a single-agent environment. The focus is on developing a framework for the implementation of RL algorithms, highlighting the importance of RL for enabling autonomous systems to adapt quickly to changing conditions and make decisions based on previous experiences. Moreover, the paper proposes RL as a novel energy management solution to address nations' CO2 emission goals. Reinforcement learning algorithms are well-suited to solving problems with sequential decision-making patterns and can provide accurate and immediate outputs to ease the planning and decision-making process. This research provides insights into the challenges and opportunities of using RL for energy management solutions and recommends further studies to explore its full potential. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into how RL can be used to improve the efficiency of energy management systems and supports the use of RL as a promising approach for developing autonomous energy management solutions in residential buildings.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, reinforcement learning, monte carlo, energy management, CO2 emission

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Authors: Z. Younsi, L. Koufi, H. Gidik, D. Lahem, W. Wim Thielemans

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This study investigated the efficiency of photocatalytic textile to remove the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) present in indoor air. Functionalization of the fabric was achieved by adding a photocatalyst material active in the visible spectrum of light. This is a modified titanium dioxide photocatalyst doped with non-metal ions synthesized via sol-gel process, which should allow the degradation of the pollutants – ideally into H₂O and CO₂ – using photocatalysis based on visible light and no additionnal external energy source. The visible light photocatalytic activity of textile sample was evaluated for toluene and benzene gaseous removal, under the visible irradiation, in a test chamber with the total volume of 1m³. The suggested approach involves experimental investigations of the global behavior of the photocatalytic textile. The experimental apparatus permits simultaneous measurements of the degradation of pollutants and presence of eventually formed by-products. It also allows imposing and measuring concentration variations with respect to selected time scales in the test chamber. The observed results showed that the amount of TiO₂ incorporation improved the photocatalytic efficiency of functionalized textile significantly under visible light. The results obtained with such textile are very promising.

Keywords: benzene, C₆H₆, efficiency, photocatalytic degradation, textile fabrics, titanium dioxide, TiO₂, toluene, C₇H₈, visible light

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Authors: P. Charvin, R. Bourrou, F. Lemont, C. Lafon, A. Russello

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For nuclear waste treatment and confinement, a specific IN-CAN melting module based on low-frequency induction heating have been designed. The frequency of 50Hz has been chosen to improve penetration length through metal. In this design, the liquid metal, strongly stirred by electromagnetic effects, presents shape of a dome caused by strong Laplace forces developing in the bulk of bath. Because of a lower density, the glass phase is located above the metal phase and is heated and stirred by metal through interface. Electric parameters (Intensity, frequency) give precious information about metal load and composition (resistivity of alloy) through impedance modification. Then, power supply can be adapted to energy transfer efficiency for suitable process supervision. Modeling of this system allows prediction of metal dome shape (in agreement with experimental measurement with a specific device), glass and metal velocity, heat and motion transfer through interface. MHD modeling is achieved with COMSOL and Fluent. First, a simplified model is used to obtain the shape of the metal dome. Then the shape is fixed to calculate the fluid flow and the thermal part.

Keywords: electromagnetic stirring, induction heating, interface modeling, metal load

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Authors: Sabina Jordan, Marjana Šijanec Zavrl, Miha Tomšič, Friderik Knez

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To determine the possibilities for the implementation of sustainable building indicators in Slovenia, testing of the first version of the indicators, developed in the CARE4CLIMATE project and based on the EU Level(s) framework, was carried out in 2022. Invited and interested stakeholders of the construction process were provided with video content and instructions on the Slovenian e-platform of sustainable building indicators. In addition, workshops and lectures with individual subjects were also performed. The final phase of the training and testing procedure included a questionnaire, which was used to obtain information about the participants' opinions regarding the indicators. The analysis of the results of the testing, which was focused on level 2, confirmed the key preliminary finding of the development group, namely that currently, due to the lack of certain knowledge, data, and tools, all indicators for this level are not yet feasible in practice. The research also highlighted the greater need for training and specialization of experts in this field. At the same time, it showed that the testing of the first version itself was a big challenge: only 30 experts fully participated and filled out the online questionnaire. This number seems alarmingly low at first glance, but compared to level(s) testing in the EU member states, it is much more than 50 times higher. However, for the further execution of the indicators in Slovenia, it will therefore be necessary to invest a lot of effort and engagement. It is likely that state support will also be needed, for example, in the form of financial mechanisms or incentives and/or legislative background.

Keywords: sustainability, building, indicator, implementation, testing, questionnaire

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Authors: Renáta Nagy, Alexandra Csongor, Vilmos Warta

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The presentation aims at eliciting insight into the results of ongoing research regarding evolving trends and attitudes towards online assessment of English and other languages. The focus pinpoints online as one of the most trending forms available during the global pandemic. The study was first initiated in 2019 in which its main target was to reveal the intriguing question of students’ and assessors’ attitudes towards online assessment. The research questions the attitudes towards the latest trends, possible online task types, and their advantages and disadvantages through an in-depth experimental process currently undergoing implementation. Material and methods include surveys, needs and wants analysis, and thorough investigations regarding candidates’ and assessors’ attitudes towards online tests in the field of languages. Over 400 respondents from more than 28 countries participated in the survey, which gives us an international and intercultural insight into how students with different cultural and educational background deal with the evolving online world. The results show the pandemic’s impact, which brought the slumbering online world of assessing roaring alive, fully operational, and now bears phenomenal relevance in today’s global education. Undeniably, the results can be used as a perspective in a vast array of contents. The survey hypothesized the generation of the 21st century expect everything readily available online, however, questions whether they are ready for this challenge are lurking in the background.

Keywords: assessment, english, intercultural, international, online, testing

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Authors: Edicio M. Faller

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The use of technology in the delivery of teaching and learning is vital nowadays especially in education. Computer Assisted Learning Module (CALM) software is the use of computer in the delivery of instruction with a tailored fit program intended for a specific lesson or a set of topics. The CALM software developed in this study is intended to supplement the traditional teaching methods in technical-vocational (TECH-VOC) instruction specifically the Consumer Electronics Servicing course. There are three specific objectives of this study. First is to create a learning enhancement and review materials on the selected lessons. Second, is to computerize the end-of-chapter quizzes. Third, is to generate a computerized mock exam and summative assessment. In order to obtain the objectives of the study the researcher adopted the Agile Model where the development of the study undergoes iterative and incremental process of the Software Development Life Cycle. The study conducted an acceptance testing using a survey questionnaire to evaluate the CALM software. The results showed that CALM software was generally interpreted as very satisfactory. To further improve the CALM software it is recommended that the program be updated, enhanced and lastly, be converted from stand-alone to a client/server architecture.

Keywords: computer assisted learning module, software development life cycle, computerized mock exam, consumer electronics servicing

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Authors: Ahmet Kayabasi, Ali Akdagli

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In this study, three robust predicting methods, namely artificial neural network (ANN), adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and support vector machine (SVM) were used for computing the resonant frequency of A-shaped compact microstrip antennas (ACMAs) operating at UHF band. Firstly, the resonant frequencies of 144 ACMAs with various dimensions and electrical parameters were simulated with the help of IE3D™ based on method of moment (MoM). The ANN, ANFIS and SVM models for computing the resonant frequency were then built by considering the simulation data. 124 simulated ACMAs were utilized for training and the remaining 20 ACMAs were used for testing the ANN, ANFIS and SVM models. The performance of the ANN, ANFIS and SVM models are compared in the training and test process. The average percentage errors (APE) regarding the computed resonant frequencies for training of the ANN, ANFIS and SVM were obtained as 0.457%, 0.399% and 0.600%, respectively. The constructed models were then tested and APE values as 0.601% for ANN, 0.744% for ANFIS and 0.623% for SVM were achieved. The results obtained here show that ANN, ANFIS and SVM methods can be successfully applied to compute the resonant frequency of ACMAs, since they are useful and versatile methods that yield accurate results.

Keywords: a-shaped compact microstrip antenna, artificial neural network (ANN), adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), support vector machine (SVM)

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Authors: Bruno Pinto Vieira, Marco Antonio Calijorne Soares, Armando Sérgio de Aguiar Filho

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Nowadays, a massive amount of information has been produced by different data sources, including mobile devices and transactional systems. In this scenario, concerns arise on how to maintain or establish data quality, which is now treated as a product to be defined, measured, analyzed, and improved to meet consumers' needs, which is the one who uses these data in decision making and companies strategies. Information that reaches low levels of quality can lead to issues that can consume time and money, such as missed business opportunities, inadequate decisions, and bad risk management actions. The step of selecting, identifying, evaluating, and selecting data sources with significant quality according to the need has become a costly task for users since the sources do not provide information about their quality. Traditional data quality control methods are based on user experience or business rules limiting performance and slowing down the process with less than desirable accuracy. Using advanced machine learning algorithms, it is possible to take advantage of computational resources to overcome challenges and add value to companies and users. In this study, machine learning is applied to data quality analysis on different datasets, seeking to compare the performance of the techniques according to the dimensions of quality assessment. As a result, we could create a ranking of approaches used, besides a system that is able to carry out automatically, data quality assessment.

Keywords: machine learning, data quality, quality dimension, quality assessment

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Authors: Umran Erciyes, Filiz Okumus

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The purpose of this study was the determination of factors which impact the pregnancy, birth experience and the opinions regarding the delivery type of the puerperants, after vaginal birth. This descriptive study includes 349 patients who gave births with normal birth in one of the hospital in İstanbul in May- November 2014. After birth, we interview with these women face to face. The descriptive information form and Perception of Birth Scale were used as data collection tool. SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) was used for statistical analysis. The average age of patients was 27.13, and the average score was 76.93±20.22. The patients are primary school graduate, and they do not have a job. They expressed an income outcome equality. More than half of women did not get educated before birth. Among educated patients, few women got educated overcoming the pain during labor process. As the time spent in the hospital for the birth increases, the birth perception of mothers is affected negatively. %86.8 of participants gave assisted delivery. Spontaneous vaginal birth has positive effects on birth perception. Establishing a vascular access, induction of labor performing enema, restriction of orally intake and movement, fundal pressure, episiotomy, nor to perform skin to skin contact with the baby after birth has adverse effects on the birth perceptions.

Keywords: antenatal care, birth experience, perception of birth, vaginal birth

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Authors: Ben-Caleb Egbide, Iyoha Francis, Egharevba Mathew, Oduntan Emmanuel

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The prosperity of any nation is determined not just by the availability of resources, but also by the discipline exercised in the management of those resources. This paper examines the functional association between adherence to budgetary estimates or budget discipline (BDISC) and national prosperity proxied by Real Gross Domestic Product (RGDP) and Relative Poverty Index (RPI)/Human Development Index (HDI). Adopting a longitudinal retrospective research strategy, time series data relating to both the endogenous and exogenous variables were extracted from official government publications for 36 years’ (1980-2015 in the case of RGDP and RPI), and for 26 years (1990-2015 in the case of HDI). Ordinary Least Square (OLS), as well as cointegration regressions, were employed to gauge both the short term and long term impact of BDISC on RPI/HDI and RGDP. The results indicated that BDISC is directly related with RGDP but indirectly related with RPI. The implication is that while adherence to budgetary estimate can enhance economic growth, it has the capacity to slow down the rate of poverty in the long run. The paper, therefore, recommend stricter adherence to budgets as a way out of economic under performance in Nigeria and engender the process of promoting human development and national prosperity.

Keywords: budget discipline, human development index, national prosperity, Nigeria

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Authors: S. Bualert, K. Duangmal

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Atmospheric boundary layer shows effects of land cover on atmospheric characteristic in term of temperature gradient and wind profile. They are key factors to control atmospheric process such as atmospheric dilution and mixing via thermal and mechanical turbulent. Bangkok, ChiangMai, and Hatyai are major cities of central, southern and northern of Thailand, respectively. The different of them are location, geography and size of the city, Bangkok is the most urbanized city and classified as mega city compared to ChiangMai and HatYai, respectively. They have been suffering from air pollution episode such as transboundary haze. The worst period of the northern part of Thailand was occurred at the end of February through April of each year. The particulate matter less than 10 micrometer (PM10) concentrations were higher than Thai’s ambient air quality standard (120 micrograms per cubic meter) more than two times. Radiosonde technique and air pollutant (CO, PM10, TSP, O3, NOx) measurements were used to identify characteristics of urban boundary layer and air pollutions problems in the cities. Furthermore, air pollutant profiles showed good relationship to characteristic’s urban boundary layer especially on daytime temperature inversion on 29 February 2009 caused two times higher than normal concentrations of CO and particulate matter.

Keywords: haze episode, micrometeorology, temperature inversion, urban boundary layer

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Authors: Emmanuel Chinagorom Nwadike, Joseph Tagbo Nwabanne, Matthew Ndubuisi Abonyi, Onyemazu Andrew Azaka

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This research focused on the modeling of the convective drying of aerial yam using finite element methods. The thermo-gravimetric analyzer was used to determine the thermal stability of the sample. An aerial yam sample of size 30 x 20 x 4 mm was cut with a mold designed for the purpose and dried in a convective dryer set at 4m/s fan speed and temperatures of 68.58 and 60.56°C. The volume shrinkage of the resultant dried sample was determined by immersing the sample in a toluene solution. The finite element analysis was done with PDE tools in Matlab 2015. Seven kinetic models were employed to model the drying process. The result obtained revealed three regions in the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) profile of aerial yam. The maximum thermal degradation rates of the sample occurred at 432.7°C. The effective thermal diffusivity of the sample increased as the temperature increased from 60.56°C to 68.58°C. The finite element prediction of moisture content of aerial yam at an air temperature of 68.58°C and 60.56°C shows R² of 0.9663 and 0.9155, respectively. There was a good agreement between the finite element predicted moisture content and the measured moisture content, which is indicative of a highly reliable finite element model developed. The result also shows that the best kinetic model for the aerial yam under the given drying conditions was the Logarithmic model with a correlation coefficient of 0.9991.

Keywords: aerial yam, finite element, convective, effective, diffusivity

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Authors: Khalida Douibi, Rodrigo Balp, Solène Le Bars

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In the medical field, applications related to human experiments are frequently linked to reduced samples size, which makes the training of machine learning models quite sensitive and therefore not very robust nor generalizable. This is notably the case in Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) studies, where the sample size rarely exceeds 20 subjects or a few number of trials. To address this problem, several resampling approaches are often used during the data preparation phase, which is an overly critical step in a data science analysis process. One of the naive approaches that is usually applied by data scientists consists in the transformation of the entire database before the resampling phase. However, this can cause model’ s performance to be incorrectly estimated when making predictions on unseen data. In this paper, we explored the effect of data leakage observed during our BCI experiments for device control through the real-time classification of SSVEPs (Steady State Visually Evoked Potentials). We also studied potential ways to ensure optimal validation of the classifiers during the calibration phase to avoid overfitting. The results show that the scaling step is crucial for some algorithms, and it should be applied after the resampling phase to avoid data leackage and improve results.

Keywords: data leackage, data science, machine learning, SSVEP, BCI, overfitting

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Authors: I. Ben Kaddour, S. Larbaoui

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Since their first synthesis, the Silicoaluminophosphates materials have proved their efficiency as a good adsorbent and catalyst in several environmental and energetic applications. In this work, the photocatalytic hydrogen production from water splitting reactions has been conducted under visible radiations in the presence of a series of iron and/or titanium-containing microporous silico-alumino-phosphates materials synthesized by hydrothermal method, using triethylamine as an organic structuring agent to obtain the AFI structure type. These photo-catalysts were then characterized by various physicochemical methods to determine their structural, textural and morphological properties such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with X rays microanalysis, nitrogen adsorption measurements, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis-DRS), and X-rays photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the analysis revealed that these materials have significant photocatalytic properties. The hydrogen production process has been followed by photoelectrochemical characterization (PEC). The results showed that hydrogen is the only gas produced, and the reaction takes place in the conduction band where water is reduced to hydrogen. The electron recombination has also been avoided, as holes are entrapped using hole scavengers. In addition, these catalysts have been shown to remain stable during reuse for up to five cycles.

Keywords: photocatalysis, SAPO-5, hydrothermal synthesis, hydrogen production

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Authors: Hirreche Baghdad Mohamed

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Our research is linked to cultural policies because the initiation to taste and beauty is a matter for all cultural and educational institutions. It's done by a downstream process (programs, actions, lessons, etc.) that begins at a young age in order to inscribe aesthetic values in memories, imaginations, and practices. Preparing future art lovers probably takes a lot of time. Upstream, continuity is ensured by the "cultural industries" which make cultural products available to actors in the "art market" through professional training, production, dissemination, and sales processes. It turns out that the cultural industries borrow from the "classical" industries the same processes and logic: product, production, marketing, diffusion, profit and profits, supply and demand, the market, the creation of wealth, the entrepreneurship. Today, culture has become a product almost like the others. In the cultural industries system, we protect the rights of authors (owners) and the rights of intermediaries (entrepreneurs of culture), and we provide consumers with an accessible product that meets their needs and expectations. We aim to present an inventory and to reveal, through the speeches of the actors themselves, the processes and modes of operation and deployment of the plastic arts market by showing how it is perceived, imagined, and lived in the city of 'Oran from the 2000s to the present day. However, it is possible to clarify this field of research by looking at previous periods; and even to make comparisons with other regions in Algeria in order to give meaning to practices in various contexts.

Keywords: Oran, Algeria, fine art, art market

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Authors: Raymon P. Española

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Hearing impaired students are admitted to regular high schools in the context of inclusive education. In this setting, several academic difficulties and social struggles are disregarded by many educators. The study aimed to describe the aspirations and lived experiences in mainstream classrooms of hearing impaired students. In the research process, the participants were interviewed using sign language. Thematic analysis of interview responses was done, supplemented by interviews with teachers and classroom observations. The study revealed four patterns of experiences: academic difficulties, coping mechanisms, identification with hearing peers, and impression management. This means that these learners were struggling in inclusive classrooms, where identification with and modeling the positive qualities of hearing peers were done to cope with academic difficulties and alter negative impressions about them. By implication, these learners tended to socially immerse themselves rather than resort to isolation. Along with this tendency was the aspiration for achievement as they were eager to finish post-secondary technical-vocational education. This means aspiring for continuing social immersion into the mainstream. All these findings provide insights to K-12 educators to increase the use of collaborative techniques and experiential learning strategies, as well as to adequately address the special educational needs of these students.

Keywords: descriptive, experiences and aspirations of hearing impaired learners, inclusive classrooms, Surigao City Philippines

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Authors: Yun-An Chen, Hung-Jun Lin, Tai-Horng Young, Der-Zen Liu

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Decellularized brain extracellular matrix had been shown that it has the ability to influence on cell proliferation, differentiation and associated cell phenotype. However, this scaffold is thought to have poor mechanical properties and rapid degradation, it is hard for cell recellularization. In this study, we used decellularized brain extracellular matrix combined with chitosan, which is naturally occurring polysaccharide and non-cytotoxic polymer, forming a 3-D scaffold for neural stem/precursor cells (NSPCs) regeneration. HE staining and DAPI fluorescence staining confirmed decellularized process could effectively vanish the cellular components from the brain. GAGs and collagen I, collagen IV were be showed a great preservation by Alcain staining and immunofluorescence staining respectively. Decellularized brain extracellular matrix was well mixed in chitosan to form a 3-D scaffold (DB-C scaffold). The pore size was approximately 50±10 μm examined by SEM images. Alamar blue results demonstrated NSPCs had great proliferation ability in DB-C scaffold. NSPCs that were cultured in this complex scaffold differentiated into neurons and astrocytes, as reveled by NSPCs expression of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). In conclusion, DB-C scaffold may provide bioinformatics cues for NSPCs generation and aid for CNS injury functional recovery applications.

Keywords: brain, decellularization, chitosan, scaffold, neural stem/precursor cells

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Authors: Chuanphit Chumkhong

Abstract:

This research aimed 1) to study the effects of the management of Active Learning among 3rd year students enrolled in teacher’s profession courses and 2) to assess the satisfaction of the students with courses using the Active Learning approach. The population for the study consisted of 442 3rd year undergraduate students enrolled in two teacher education courses in 2015: Curriculum Development and Learning Process Management. They were 442 from 11 education programs. Respondents for evaluation of satisfaction with Active Learning management comprised 432 students. The instruments used in research included a detailed course description and rating scale questionnaire on Active Learning. The data were analyzed using arithmetic mean and standard deviation. The results of the study reveal the following: 1. Overall, students gain a better understanding of the Active Learning due to their actual practice on the activity of course. Students have the opportunity to exchange learning knowledge and skills. The AL teaching activities make students interested in the contents and they seek to search for knowledge on their own. 2. Overall, 3rd year students are satisfied with the Active Learning management at a ‘high’ level with a mean score (μ) of 4.12 and standard deviation (σ) of. 51. By individual items, students are satisfied with the 10 elements in the two courses at a ‘high’ level with the mean score (μ) between 3.79 to 4.41 and a standard deviation (σ) between to 68. 79.

Keywords: active learning teaching model, teacher’s professional courses, professional courses, curriculum and instruction teacher's

Procedia PDF Downloads 248

Authors: Mary Butler

Abstract:

Background: Screening programmes for older drivers in Europe (though not the UK), and in many states in the US and in Australia are based on medical assessment of fitness to drive. These programmes require physicians (including general practitioners) to carry out an assessment of fitness to drive in their offices. In 2006, New Zealand changed from doing on-road driving tests with all older drivers from the age of 80, to a screening programme that uses medical assessment of fitness to drive only. Aim: This study set out to understand the experience of New Zealand GPs as they manage the process of medical assessment of fitness to drive assessments for older people. In particular, it aimed to establish how GPs understand the role of specialist driving assessment and rehabilitation carried out by occupational therapists. Design and setting: The study used an interpretive descriptive approach to analyze data from ten interviews with GPs in New Zealand. Results: The results indicated that GPs lack understanding about how occupational therapists can assist their patients, and tend to refer only when there is a disagreement with the patient. Conclusion: There are problems with the medical assessment of fitness to drive carried out by GPs, and there is a need for a more comprehensive community approach to driving cessation. Patients, families and the multidisciplinary team all have a role in deciding when driving cessation should occur. Occupational therapists have a particular responsibility for strategic leadership in this area of practice.

Keywords: assessment, driving, older people, occupational therapy

Procedia PDF Downloads 139

Authors: Niranjan Koirala, Sumangala Darsandhari, Hye Jin Jung, Jae Kyung Sohng

Abstract:

Sakuranetin, an antifungal agent and genkwanin, an anti-inflammatory agent, are flavonoids with several potential pharmaceutical applications. To produce such valuable flavonoids in large quantity, an Escherichia coli cell factory has been created. E. coli harboring O-methyltransferase (SaOMT2) derived from Streptomyces avermitilis was employed for regiospecific methylation of naringenin and apigenin. In order to increase the production via biotransformation, metK gene was overexpressed and the conditions were optimized. The maximum yield of sakuranetin and genkwanin under optimized conditions was 197 µM and 170 µM respectively when 200 µM of naringenin and apigenin were supplemented in the separate cultures. Furthermore, sakuranetin was purified in large scale and used as a substrate for in vitro glycosylation by YjiC to produce glucose and galactose derivatives of sakuranetin for improved solubility. We also found that unlike naringenin, sakuranetin effectively inhibits α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-stimulated melanogenesis in B16F10 melanoma cells. In addition, genkwanin more potently inhibited angiogenesis than apigenin. Based on our findings, we speculate that these compounds warrant further investigation in vivo as potential new therapeutic anti-carcinogenic, anti-melanogenic and anti-angiogenic agents.

Keywords: anti-carcinogenic, anti-melanogenic, glycosylation, methylation

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Authors: Eseldin Keleb

Abstract:

In the pharmaceutical industry particle size distribution is an important parameter for the characterization of pharmaceutical powders. The powder flowability, reactivity and compatibility, which have a decisive impact on the final product, are determined by particle size and size distribution. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of processing parameters on the particle size distribution measurements. Different Size fractions of α-lactose monohydrate and 5% polyvinylpyrrolidone were prepared by wet granulation and were used for the preparation of samples. The influence of sieve load (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, and 350 g), processing time (5, 10, and 15 min), sample size ratios (high percentage of small and large particles), type of disturbances (vibration and shaking) and process reproducibility have been investigated. Results obtained showed that a sieve load of 50 g produce the best separation, a further increase in sample weight resulted in incomplete separation even after the extension of the processing time for 15 min. Performing sieving using vibration was rapider and more efficient than shaking. Meanwhile between day reproducibility showed that particle size distribution measurements are reproducible. However, for samples containing 70% fines or 70% large particles, which processed at optimized parameters, the incomplete separation was always observed. These results indicated that sieving reliability is highly influenced by the particle size distribution of the sample and care must be taken for samples with particle size distribution skewness.

Keywords: sieving, reliability, particle size distribution, processing parameters

Procedia PDF Downloads 613