Search results for: higher order thinking skills
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 25279

Search results for: higher order thinking skills

13879 International Law and Its Role in Protecting Human Rights

Authors: Yrfet Shkreli

Abstract:

To determine the content of human rights norms in national constitutions, international law - in the form of treaties, declarations and case law from international monitoring bodies, and comparative case law from other countries - is often discussed in the judgments of domestic courts. This paper explores the extent to which international law has influenced domestic human rights case law in Africa. The paper first explores how the human rights provisions of African constitutions came into being before turning to the role played by international law in the constitutional order of various African states and how treaties, declarations and findings of international monitoring bodies have been used in African countries to interpret and expand on constitutional human rights provisions.

Keywords: European Union, global governance, globalization, normative power

Procedia PDF Downloads 353
13878 The Influence of Disturbances Generated by Arc Furnaces on the Power Quality

Authors: Z. Olczykowski

Abstract:

The paper presents the impact of work on the electric arc furnace. Arc equipment is one of the largest receivers powered by the power system. Electric arc disturbances arising during melting process occurring in these furnaces are the cause of an abrupt change of the passive power of furnaces. Currents drawn by these devices undergo an abrupt change, which in turn cause voltage fluctuations and light flicker. The quantitative evaluation of the voltage fluctuations is now the basic criterion of assessment of an influence of unquiet receiver on the supplying net. The paper presents the method of determination of range of voltage fluctuations and light flicker at parallel operation of arc devices. The results of measurements of voltage fluctuations and light flicker indicators recorded in power supply networks of steelworks were presented, with different number of parallel arc devices. Measurements of energy quality parameters were aimed at verifying the proposed method in practice. It was also analyzed changes in other parameters of electricity: the content of higher harmonics, asymmetry, voltage dips.

Keywords: power quality, arc furnaces, propagation of voltage fluctuations, disturbances

Procedia PDF Downloads 121
13877 Bitplanes Image Encryption/Decryption Using Edge Map (SSPCE Method) and Arnold Transform

Authors: Ali A. Ukasha

Abstract:

Data security needed in data transmission, storage, and communication to ensure the security. The single step parallel contour extraction (SSPCE) method is used to create the edge map as a key image from the different Gray level/Binary image. Performing the X-OR operation between the key image and each bit plane of the original image for image pixel values change purpose. The Arnold transform used to changes the locations of image pixels as image scrambling process. Experiments have demonstrated that proposed algorithm can fully encrypt 2D Gary level image and completely reconstructed without any distortion. Also shown that the analyzed algorithm have extremely large security against some attacks like salt & pepper and JPEG compression. Its proof that the Gray level image can be protected with a higher security level. The presented method has easy hardware implementation and suitable for multimedia protection in real time applications such as wireless networks and mobile phone services.

Keywords: SSPCE method, image compression, salt and peppers attacks, bitplanes decomposition, Arnold transform, lossless image encryption

Procedia PDF Downloads 481
13876 Social Media Marketing Efforts and Hospital Brand Equity: An Empirical Investigation

Authors: Abrar R. Al-Hasan

Abstract:

Despite the widespread use of social media by consumers and marketers, empirical research investigating their economic value in the healthcare industry still lags. This study explores the impact of the use of social media marketing efforts on a hospital's brand equity and, ultimately, consumer response. Using social media data from Twitter and Facebook, along with an online and offline survey methodology, data is analyzed using logistic regression models. A random sample of (728) residents of the Kuwaiti population is used. The results of this study found that social media marketing efforts (SMME) in terms of use and validation lead to higher hospital brand equity and in turn, patient loyalty and patient visit. The study highlights the impact of SMME on hospital brand equity and patient response. Healthcare organizations should guide their marketing efforts to better manage this new way of marketing and communicating with patients to enhance their consumer loyalty and financial performance.

Keywords: brand equity, healthcare marketing, patient visit, social media, SMME

Procedia PDF Downloads 155
13875 Contention Window Adjustment in IEEE 802.11-based Industrial Wireless Networks

Authors: Mohsen Maadani, Seyed Ahmad Motamedi

Abstract:

The use of wireless technology in industrial networks has gained vast attraction in recent years. In this paper, we have thoroughly analyzed the effect of contention window (CW) size on the performance of IEEE 802.11-based industrial wireless networks (IWN), from delay and reliability perspective. Results show that the default values of CWmin, CWmax, and retry limit (RL) are far from the optimum performance due to the industrial application characteristics, including short packet and noisy environment. An adaptive CW algorithm (payload-dependent) has been proposed to minimize the average delay. Finally a simple, but effective CW and RL setting has been proposed for industrial applications which outperforms the minimum-average-delay solution from maximum delay and jitter perspective, at the cost of a little higher average delay. Simulation results show an improvement of up to 20%, 25%, and 30% in average delay, maximum delay and jitter respectively.

Keywords: average delay, contention window, distributed coordination function (DCF), jitter, industrial wireless network (IWN), maximum delay, reliability, retry limit

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13874 Numerical Simulation of the Production of Ceramic Pigments Using Microwave Radiation: An Energy Efficiency Study Towards the Decarbonization of the Pigment Sector

Authors: Pedro A. V. Ramos, Duarte M. S. Albuquerque, José C. F. Pereira

Abstract:

Global warming mitigation is one of the main challenges of this century, having the net balance of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to be null or negative in 2050. Industry electrification is one of the main paths to achieving carbon neutrality within the goals of the Paris Agreement. Microwave heating is becoming a popular industrial heating mechanism due to the absence of direct GHG emissions, but also the rapid, volumetric, and efficient heating. In the present study, a mathematical model is used to simulate the production using microwave heating of two ceramic pigments, at high temperatures (above 1200 Celsius degrees). The two pigments studied were the yellow (Pr, Zr)SiO₂ and the brown (Ti, Sb, Cr)O₂. The chemical conversion of reactants into products was included in the model by using the kinetic triplet obtained with the model-fitting method and experimental data present in the Literature. The coupling between the electromagnetic, thermal, and chemical interfaces was also included. The simulations were computed in COMSOL Multiphysics. The geometry includes a moving plunger to allow for the cavity impedance matching and thus maximize the electromagnetic efficiency. To accomplish this goal, a MATLAB controller was developed to automatically search the position of the moving plunger that guarantees the maximum efficiency. The power is automatically and permanently adjusted during the transient simulation to impose stationary regime and total conversion, the two requisites of every converged solution. Both 2D and 3D geometries were used and a parametric study regarding the axial bed velocity and the heat transfer coefficient at the boundaries was performed. Moreover, a Verification and Validation study was carried out by comparing the conversion profiles obtained numerically with the experimental data available in the Literature; the numerical uncertainty was also estimated to attest to the result's reliability. The results show that the model-fitting method employed in this work is a suitable tool to predict the chemical conversion of reactants into the pigment, showing excellent agreement between the numerical results and the experimental data. Moreover, it was demonstrated that higher velocities lead to higher thermal efficiencies and thus lower energy consumption during the process. This work concludes that the electromagnetic heating of materials having high loss tangent and low thermal conductivity, like ceramic materials, maybe a challenge due to the presence of hot spots, which may jeopardize the product quality or even the experimental apparatus. The MATLAB controller increased the electromagnetic efficiency by 25% and global efficiency of 54% was obtained for the titanate brown pigment. This work shows that electromagnetic heating will be a key technology in the decarbonization of the ceramic sector as reductions up to 98% in the specific GHG emissions were obtained when compared to the conventional process. Furthermore, numerical simulations appear as a suitable technique to be used in the design and optimization of microwave applicators, showing high agreement with experimental data.

Keywords: automatic impedance matching, ceramic pigments, efficiency maximization, high-temperature microwave heating, input power control, numerical simulation

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13873 Home Owner Focused Investment Analysis Tool for Energy Refurbishment

Authors: Jonas Hinker, Lisa Zumholz, Johanna M. A. Myrzik

Abstract:

Despite strong efforts by the German government to make a transition to higher quality level of building stocks, the rate of renovation continues to remain below the proclaimed level of 2%. As the mandatory standards for residential retrofits are well-balanced in such a way that strict adherence to them guarantees profit from the investment, it becomes difficult to explain the reasons why there are so many people hesitant with their investments. Risks and transaction costs can be understood as socio-technical boundaries and have to be taken into consideration to be able to understand why a worthwhile investment is postponed or rejected. This paper therefore presents a method for investment analyses that is focused on such socio-technical constraints, which helps to reveal the strongest misconceptions of home owners. By depicting sensitivities and risk factors in an integrated and impartial way, such a tool can be utilized by home owners to address reservations and misunderstandings. In the end, this leads to an exploitation of smaller energy efficiency measures that makes up a big demand reduction in the residential sector altogether.

Keywords: energy refurbishment, investment analysis, residential buildings, risk-aware investment strategy

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13872 Determination of Complexity Level in Merged Irregular Transposition Cipher

Authors: Okike Benjamin, Garba Ejd

Abstract:

Today, it has been observed security of information along the superhighway is often compromised by those who are not authorized to have access to such information. In order to ensure the security of information along the superhighway, such information should be encrypted by some means to conceal the real meaning of the information. There are many encryption techniques out there in the market. However, some of these encryption techniques are often easily decrypted by adversaries. The researcher has decided to develop an encryption technique that may be more difficult to decrypt. This may be achieved by splitting the message to be encrypted into parts and encrypting each part separately and swapping the positions before transmitting the message along the superhighway. The method is termed Merged Irregular Transposition Cipher. Also, the research would determine the complexity level in respect to the number of splits of the message.

Keywords: transposition cipher, merged irregular cipher, encryption, complexity level

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13871 Teacher Mental Health during Online Teaching

Authors: Elisabeth Desiana Mayasari, Laurensia Aptik Evanjeli, Brigitta Erlita Tri Anggadewi

Abstract:

The condition of the COVID-19 pandemic demands adaptation in various aspects of human life, including in the field of education. Teachers are expected to do distance learning or Learning From Home (LFH). The teacher said that he experienced stress, anxiety, feeling depressed, and afraid based on the interview. Learning adaptations and pandemic situations can impact the mental health of teachers, so the purpose of this study is to determine the mental health of teachers while teaching online. This research was conducted with a quantitative approach using a survey method. The subjects in this study were 330 elementary school teachers under the auspices of a foundation in Yogyakarta. Teachers' mental health was measured using the Indonesian version of The Mental Health Inventory (MHI-38), which has a reliability of 0.888. The results showed that the teachers generally had a good mental health condition marked by a lower negative aspect score than the positive aspect. In addition, the overall mental health aspect shows that some teachers have better mental health when compared to the average score, as well as higher positive aspect scores in all sub-aspects.

Keywords: mental health, teacher, COVID-19 pandemic, MHI-38

Procedia PDF Downloads 168
13870 Numerical Approach for Solving the Hyper Singular Integral Equation in the Analysis of a Central Symmetrical Crack within an Infinite Strip

Authors: Ikram Slamani, Hicheme Ferdjani

Abstract:

This study focuses on analyzing a Griffith crack situated at the center of an infinite strip. The problem is reformulated as a hyper-singular integral equation and solved numerically using second-order Chebyshev polynomials. The primary objective is to calculate the stress intensity factor in mode 1, denoted as K1. The obtained results reveal the influence of the strip width and crack length on the stress intensity factor, assuming stress-free edges. Additionally, a comparison is made with relevant literature to validate the findings.

Keywords: center crack, Chebyshev polynomial, hyper singular integral equation, Griffith, infinite strip, stress intensity factor

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13869 Study on the Effect of Vitamin D on the Biochemical Parameters in Cyprinus carpio

Authors: Mojdeh Chelemal Dezfoul Nejad, Ali Mohammadzadeh Shobeagar, Mehrzad Mesbah

Abstract:

This study was conducted in order to characterize the different levels of dietary vitamin D on some of biochemical parameters of Cyprinus carpio. For this purpose, 180 pieces of Cyprinus carpio with an average weight of 20-25 grams were divided into four treatments and each treatment was divided into three replications and treatments were fed at three different doses (1000 IU, 3000 IU, 5000 IU) of vitamin D for 60 days. The fish were fed 3% of their wet b.wt. per day for a 60 days period. Blood samples were obtained from six fish of each tank at the end of experiment. Based on the results significant difference was observed on the mean amount of total protein, urea, glucose and cholesterol between treatments (p < 0.05). But, there was no significant difference in the mean amount of triglyceride and albumin with the different diets designed for this experiment (p > 0.05).

Keywords: Cyprinus carpio, vitamin D, biochemical parameters, glucose

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13868 Numerical Study of Developing Laminar Forced Convection Flow of Water/CuO Nanofluid in a Circular Tube with a 180 Degrees Curve

Authors: Hamed K. Arzani, Hamid K. Arzani, S.N. Kazi, A. Badarudin

Abstract:

Numerical investigation into convective heat transfer of CuO-Water based nanofluid in a pipe with return bend under laminar flow conditions has been done. The impacts of Reynolds number and the volume concentration of nanoparticles on the flow and the convective heat transfer behaviour are investigated. The results indicate that the increase in Reynolds number leads to the enhancement of average Nusselt number, and the increase in specific heat in the presence of the nanofluid results in improvement in heat transfer. Also, the presence of the secondary flow in the curve plays a key role in increasing the average Nusselt number and it appears higher than the inlet and outlet tubes. However, the pressure drop curve increases significantly in the tubes with the increase in nanoparticles concentration.

Keywords: laminar forced convection, curve pipe, return bend, nanufluid, CFD

Procedia PDF Downloads 285
13867 Degree of Hydrolysis of Proteinaceous Components of Porang Flour Using Papain

Authors: Fadilah Fadilah, Rochmadi Rochmadi, Siti Syamsiah, Djagal W. Marseno

Abstract:

Glucomannan can be found in the tuber of porang together with starch and proteinaceous components which were regarded as impurities. An enzymatic process for obtaining higher glucomannan content from Porang flour have been conducted. Papain was used for hydrolysing proteinaceous components in Porang flour which was conducted after a simultaneous extraction of glucomannan and enzymatic starch hydrolysis. Three variables affecting the rate were studied, i.e. temperature, the amount of enzyme and the stirring speed. The ninhydrin method was used to determine degree of protein hydrolysis. Results showed that the rising of degree of hydrolysis were fast in the first ten minutes of the reaction and then proceeded slowly afterward. The optimum temperature for hydrolysis was 60 oC. Increasing the amount of enzyme showed a remarkable effect to degree of hydrolysis, but the stirring speed had no significant effect. This indicated that the reaction controlled the rate of hydrolysis.

Keywords: degree of hydrolysis, ninhydrin, papain, porang flour, proteinaceous components

Procedia PDF Downloads 237
13866 Enhancement in the Absorption Efficiency of GaAs/InAs Nanowire Solar Cells through a Decrease in Light Reflection

Authors: Latef M. Ali, Farah A. Abed, Zheen L. Mohammed

Abstract:

In this paper, the effect of the Barium fluoride (BaF2) layer on the absorption efficiency of GaAs/InAs nanowire solar cells was investigated using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. By inserting the BaF2 as antireflection with the dominant size of 10 nm to fill the space between the shells of wires on the Si (111) substrate. The absorption is significantly improved due to the strong reabsorption of light reflected at the shells and compared with the reference cells. The present simulation leads to a higher absorption efficiency (Qabs) and reaches a value of 97%, and the external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) above 92% are observed. The current density (Jsc) increases by 0.22 mA/cm2 and the open-circuit voltage (Voc) is enhanced by 0.11 mV. it explore the design and optimization of high-efficiency solar cells on low-reflective absorption efficiency of GaAs/InAs using simulation software tool. The changes in the core and shell diameters profoundly affects the generation and recombination process, thus affecting the conversion efficiency of solar cells.

Keywords: nanowire solar cells, absorption efficiency, photovoltaic, band structures, FDTD simulation

Procedia PDF Downloads 35
13865 Sliding Mode Control of the Power of Doubly Fed Induction Generator for Variable Speed Wind Energy Conversion System

Authors: Ahmed Abbou, Ali Mousmi, Rachid El Akhrif

Abstract:

This research paper aims to reduce the chattering phenomenon due to control by sliding mode control applied on a wind energy conversion system based on the doubly fed induction generator (DFIG). Our goal is to offset the effect of parametric uncertainties and come as close as possible to the dynamic response solicited by the control law in the ideal case and therefore force the active and reactive power generated by the DFIG to accurately follow the reference values which are provided to it. The simulation results using Matlab / Simulink demonstrate the efficiency and performance of the proposed technique while maintaining the simplicity of control by first order sliding mode.

Keywords: correction of the equivalent command, DFIG, induction machine, sliding mode controller

Procedia PDF Downloads 398
13864 Initializing E-Classroom in a Multigrade School in the Philippines

Authors: Karl Erickson I. Ebora

Abstract:

Science and technology are two inseparable terms which bring wonders to all aspects of life such as education, medicine, food production and even the environment. In education, technology has become an integral part as it brings many benefits to the teaching-learning process. However, in the Philippines, being one of the developing countries resources are scarce and not all schools enjoy the fruits brought by technology. Much of this ordeal impacts that of multigrade instruction. These schools are often the last priority in resources allocation since these have limited number of students. In fact, it is not surprising that these schools do not have even a single computer unit much more a computer laboratory. This paper sought to present a plan on how public schools would receive its e-classroom. Specifically, this paper sought to answer questions like the level of the school readiness in terms of facilities and equipment; the attitude of the respondents towards the use of e-classroom; level of teacher’s familiarity in using different e-classroom software and the plans of interventions undertaken by the school to make it e-classroom ready. After gathering and analysing the necessary data, this paper came up with the following conclusions that in terms of facilities and equipment, Guisguis Talon Elementary School (Main), though a multigrade school, is ready to receive e-classroom.; that the respondents show positive disposition in technology utilization in teaching after they strongly agree that technology plays essential role in the teaching-learning process. Also, they strongly agree that technology is a good motivator; it makes the teaching and learning more interesting and effective; it makes teaching easy; and that technology enhances student’s learning. Additionally, Teacher-respondents in Guisguis Talon Elementary School (Main) show familiarity in using software. They are very familiar with MS Word; MS Excel; MS PowerPoint; and internet and email. Moreover, they are very familiar with basic e-classroom computer operations and basic application software. They are very familiar with MS office and can do simple editing and formatting; in accessing and saving information from CD/DVD, external hard drives, USB and the like; and in browsing effectively different search engines and educational sites, download and upload files. Likewise respondents strongly agree to the interventions undertaken by the school to make it e-classroom ready. They strongly agree that funding and support are needed by the school; that stakeholders should be encouraged to consider donating of equipment; and that school and community should try to mobilize their resources in order to help the school; that the teachers should be provided with trainings in order for them to be technologically competent; and that principals and administrators should motivate their teachers to undergo continuous professional development.

Keywords: e-classroom, multi-grade school, DCP, classroom computers

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13863 Physico‑chemical Behavior and Microstructural Manipulation of Nanocomposites Containing Hydroxyapatite, Alumina, and Graphene Oxide

Authors: Reim A. Almotiri, Manal M. Alkhamisi

Abstract:

Ternary nanocomposites based on hydroxyapatite (HAP) and alumina (Al2O3) were embedded through graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets to be investigated for medical applications. The composition of the preparations has been confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy have shown the typical morphologies of the components of the nanocomposites with hydroxyapatite nanorods reaching an average diameter of 22.26±2 nm and an average length of 69.56±19.25 nm in the ternary nanocomposites. The ternary nanocomposite has a microhardness of 5.8±0.1 GPa and a higher average roughness of 6.5 nm compared to pure HAP preparation with an average roughness of 2.7 nm. All preparations have shown an acceptable cytotoxicity profile with a percent osteoblasts cell viability of 98.6±1.3% after culturing with the ternary nanocomposite. The TNC has also shown the highest antibacterial activity compared to preparations of each of its constituents and their nanocomposites, with a zone of inhibition’s diameter of 14.1±0.8 mm and 13.6±0.6 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively, compared to no zone of inhibition for the pure hydroxyapatite preparation.

Keywords: hydroxypatite, cytotoxicity, nanocomposites, X-ray analysis

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13862 A Strategic Approach for Promoting Renewable Energy Technologies in Developing Countries

Authors: Hanee Ryu

Abstract:

The supporting policies for renewable energy have been designed to deploy renewable energy technology targeting domestic market. The government encourages market creation through obligations such as FIT or RPS on an energy supplier. With these policy measures, the securing vast market needs to induce technology development. Furthermore, it is crucial that ensuring developing market can make the environment nurture the renewable energy industry. Overseas expansion to countries being in demand is essential under immature domestic market. Extending its business abroad can make the domestic company get the knowledge through learning-by-doing. Besides, operation in the countries to be rich in renewable resources such as weather conditions helps to develop proven track record required for verifying technologies. This paper figures out the factor to hamper the global market entry and build up the strategies to overcome difficulties. Survey conducted renewable energy company having overseas experiences at least once. Based on the survey we check the obstacle against exporting home goods and services. As a result, securing funds is salient fact to proceed to business. It is difficult that only private bank or investment agencies participate in the project under uncertainty which renewable energy development project bears inherently. These uncertainties need public fund such as ODA to encourage private sectors to start a business. Furthermore, international organizations such as IRENA or multilateral development banks as WBG play a role to guarantee the investment including risk insurance against uncertainty. It can also manage excavation business cooperating with developing countries and supplement inadequate government funding involved. With survey results strategies to obtain the order, the international organization places are categorized according to the type of getting a contract. This paper suggests 3 types approaching to the international organization project (going through international competitive bidding, using ODA and project financing) and specifies the role of government to support the domestic firms with running out of funds. Under renewable energy industry environment where hard to being created as a spontaneous market, government policy approach needs to motivate the actors to get into the business. It is one of the good strategies that countries with the low demand of renewable energies participate in the project international agencies order in the developing countries having abundant resources. This provides crucial guidance for the formulation of renewable energy development policy and planning with consideration of business opportunities and funding.

Keywords: exporting strategies, multilateral development banks, promoting in developing countries, renewable energy technologies

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13861 The Evaluation of Caustic and Corrosive Poisoning in Children

Authors: Sabiha Sahin

Abstract:

Introduction: We have planned this study because of the increasing number of corrosive substance poisoning who admitted to the Pediatric Emergency Department. Method: 636 corrosive substance poisoning cases applied to the Osmangazi University PED between 1 January 2015 - 31 December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: 438 (69%) cases were male.The poisoning rate of groups 0-4 was significantly higher and occurred by accident. A total of 616 cases (96.9%) were poisoned by the oral route, and 20 cases were poisoned by inhalation.462 Patients were admitted to the hospital within an hour (72.8%). Of the 134 patients who had only erosion and redness around the mouth, 24 patients had salivation and dysphagia symptoms besides these. Of the 28 cases of 158 patients with symptoms, eusaphegeal stenosis was detected. on third day examination. Although there was no statistically significant correlation between esophageal stenosis and erosion and redness around the mouth, there was a statistically significant correlation between dysphagia and salivation between esophageal stenosis Conclusion: The increased salivation and the dysphagia are important signs of risk of devoloping esophageal stenosis at first examination corrosive poisoning in children.

Keywords: caustic, corrosive, poisoning, children

Procedia PDF Downloads 139
13860 An Improved Cuckoo Search Algorithm for Voltage Stability Enhancement in Power Transmission Networks

Authors: Reza Sirjani, Nobosse Tafem Bolan

Abstract:

Many optimization techniques available in the literature have been developed in order to solve the problem of voltage stability enhancement in power systems. However, there are a number of drawbacks in the use of previous techniques aimed at determining the optimal location and size of reactive compensators in a network. In this paper, an Improved Cuckoo Search algorithm is applied as an appropriate optimization algorithm to determine the optimum location and size of a Static Var Compensator (SVC) in a transmission network. The main objectives are voltage stability improvement and total cost minimization. The results of the presented technique are then compared with other available optimization techniques.

Keywords: cuckoo search algorithm, optimization, power system, var compensators, voltage stability

Procedia PDF Downloads 533
13859 Lobbying Regulation in the EU: Transparency’s Achilles’ Heel

Authors: Krambia-Kapardis Maria, Neophytidou Christina

Abstract:

Lobbying is an inherent aspect within the democratic regimes across the globe. Although it can provide decision-makers with valuable knowledge and grant access to stakeholders in the decision-making process, it can also lead to undue influence and unfair competition at the expense of the public interest if it not transparent. Given the multi-level governance structure of the EU, it is no surprise that the EU policy-making arena has become a place-to-be for lobbyists. However, in order to ensure that influence is legitimate and not biased of any business interests, lobbying must be effectively regulated. A comparison with the US and Canadian lobbying regulatory framework and utilising some good practices from EU countries it is apparent that lobbying is the Achilles’ heel to transparency in the EU. It is evident that EU institutions suffer from ineffective regulations and could in fact benefit from a more robust, mandatory and better implemented system of lobbying regulation.

Keywords: EU, lobbying regulation, transparency, democratic regimes

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13858 Examining the Role of Farmer-Centered Participatory Action Learning in Building Sustainable Communities in Rural Haiti

Authors: Charles St. Geste, Michael Neumann, Catherine Twohig

Abstract:

Our primary aim is to examine farmer-centered participatory action learning as a tool to improve agricultural production, build resilience to climate shocks and, more broadly, advance community-driven solutions for sustainable development in rural communities across Haiti. For over six years, sixty plus farmers from Deslandes, Haiti, organized in three traditional work groups called konbits, have designed and tested low-input agroecology techniques as part of the Konbit Vanyan Kapab Pwoje Agroekoloji. The project utilizes a participatory action learning approach, emphasizing social inclusion, building on local knowledge, experiential learning, active farmer participation in trial design and evaluation, and cross-community sharing. Mixed methods were used to evaluate changes in knowledge and adoption of agroecology techniques, confidence in advancing agroecology locally, and innovation among Konbit Vanyan Kapab farmers. While skill and knowledge in application of agroecology techniques varied among individual farmers, a majority of farmers successfully adopted techniques outside of the trial farms. The use of agroecology techniques on trial and individual farms has doubled crop production in many cases. Farm income has also increased, and farmers report less damage to crops and property caused by extreme weather events. Furthermore, participatory action strategies have led to greater local self-determination and greater capacity for sustainable community development. With increased self-confidence and the knowledge and skills acquired from participating in the project, farmers prioritized sharing their successful techniques with other farmers and have developed a farmer-to-farmer training program that incorporates participatory action learning. Using adult education methods, farmers, trained as agroecology educators, are currently providing training in sustainable farming practices to farmers from five villages in three departments across Haiti. Konbit Vanyan Kapab farmers have also begun testing production of value-added food products, including a dried soup mix and tea. Key factors for success include: opportunities for farmers to actively participate in all phases of the project, group diversity, resources for application of agroecology techniques, focus on group processes and overcoming local barriers to inclusive decision-making.

Keywords: agroecology, participatory action learning, rural Haiti, sustainable community development

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13857 Defending the Right to Send Children with Disabilities to the Local School in New Zealand

Authors: Barbara A. Fogarty-Perry

Abstract:

This paper draws on one to one interviews with parents of children with high and complex needs conducted in 2019. Those interviewed were asked questions around various areas of well-being, and these were transcribed and then thematically analysed. Results were plotted to identify strategies that enhance resilience in parents of children with physical disabilities. The parents were asked to highlight challenges in the support systems they utilized, and all of those interviewed identified difficulties in the New Zealand education system. Legally in New Zealand, children have the right to attend their local primary school, but for 100% of those interviewed, this was an issue. This paper will discuss the way these parents navigated the New Zealand education system in order to defend this right for their children. The New Zealand education system is having to become more inclusive through parental actions despite precarious times of counter-movement by the New Zealand government.

Keywords: autoethnography, human rights, inclusion, parents voice in disability

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13856 The Impact of International Student Mobility on Trade and Gross Domestic Product: The Case of China

Authors: Yasir Khan

Abstract:

The continued growth in international students coming to China for higher education had a significant positive impact on trade and GDP in China. Student mobility may expend trade with their country of origin, owing to superior knowledge, or preferential access to market opportunities. We test this hypothesis using Chinese trade data from 1999 to 2017. In fully-modify (OLS) and dynamic (OLS) testing estimation, we find that a 1.24 percent increase in student inward mobility is associated with a 1 percent increase in Chinese export trade. On the other hand, we find that a 1.18 percent increase in the student inward mobility to China is associated with a 1 percent increase in import trade. In addition, we find that a 1.13 percent increase in international student inward mobility is associated with a 1 percent increase in the GDP. The outcome suggests that international students have a strong influence on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), exports and imports trade. However, the study holds that the government should attach great attachment and importance to the role of international students in the export and import trade.

Keywords: international student mobility, China, export, import, GDP, FMOLS, DOLS

Procedia PDF Downloads 202
13855 Solar Seawater Desalination Still with Seawater Preheater Using Efficient Heat Transfer Oil: Numerical Investigation and Data Verification

Authors: Ahmed N. Shmroukh, Gamal Tag Abdel-Jaber, Rashed D. Aldughpassi

Abstract:

The feasibility of improving the performance of the proposed solar still unit which operated in very hot climate is investigated numerically and verified with experimental data. This solar desalination unit with proposed auxiliary device as seawater preheating system using petrol based textherm oil was used to produce pure fresh water from seawater. The effective evaporation area of basin is about 1 m2. The unit was tested in two main operation modes which are normal and with seawater preheating system. The results showed that, there is good agreement between the theoretical data and the experimental data; this means that the numerical model can be accurately dependable for predicting the proposed solar still performance and design parameters. The results also showed that the fresh water productivity of the solar still in the modified preheating case which is higher than normal case, leads to an increase in productivity of 42%.

Keywords: improving productivity, seawater desalination, solar stills, theoretical model

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13854 Thermoelastic Analysis of a Tube Subjected to Internal Heating with Temperature Dependent Material Properties

Authors: Yasemin Kaya, Ahmet N. Eraslan

Abstract:

In this study, the thermoelastic behavior of a long tube is studied by taking into account the temperature dependency of all mechanical and thermal properties. As the tube is heated slowly, an uncoupled solution procedure is adopted under free and radially constrained boundary conditions. The nonlinear heat conduction equation is solved by a finite element collocation procedure and the corresponding distributions of stress and strain are computed by shooting iterations. The computational model is verified in comparison to the analytical solution by shutting down the temperature dependency of physical properties. In the analysis, experimental data available in the literature is used to describe the coefficient of thermal expansion $\alpha$, the thermal conductivity $k$, the modulus of rigidity $G$, the yield strength $\sigma_{0}$, and the Poisson's ratio $\nu$ of Nickel. Results of the analysis are presented in comparison to those having constant physical properties. As a result of the calculations, the temperature dependency of the material properties should be taken into account at higher temperature ranges.

Keywords: thermoelasticity, long tube, temperature-dependent properties, internal heating

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13853 The Effectiveness of Conflict Management of Factories' Employee in Thailand

Authors: Pacharaporn Lekyan

Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to explore the conflict management affecting the workplace and analyze the ability of the prediction of leadership of the headman and the methods to handle the conflict in an organization. The quantitative research and developed the questionnaire in order to collect information from the respondents from 200 samples from leader or manager who worked in frozen food factories in Thailand. The result analysis shows about the problem of the relationship between conflict management factors, leadership, and the confliction in organization. The emotion of the leader in the organization is not the only factor that can affect conflict management but also the emotion of surrounding people which this factor can happen all the time and shows that four out of five factors of interpersonal conflict management have affected on emotion intelligence and also shows that the behaviors of leadership have an influence on conflict management.

Keywords: conflict management, emotional intelligence, leadership, factories' employee

Procedia PDF Downloads 352
13852 Optimum Design of Photovoltaic Water Pumping System Application

Authors: Sarah Abdourraziq, Rachid El Bachtiri

Abstract:

The solar power source for pumping water is one of the most promising areas in photovoltaic applications. The implementation of these systems allows to protect the environment and reduce the CO2 gas emission compared to systems trained by diesel generators. This paper presents a comparative study between the photovoltaic pumping system driven by DC motor, and AC motor to define the optimum design of this application. The studied system consists of PV array, DC-DC Boost Converter, inverter, motor-pump set and storage tank. The comparison was carried out to define the characteristics and the performance of each system. Each subsystem is modeled in order to simulate the whole system in MATLAB/ Simulink. The results show the efficiency of the proposed technique.

Keywords: photovoltaic water pumping system, DC motor-pump, AC motor-pump, DC-DC boost converter

Procedia PDF Downloads 310
13851 Performance Analysis of Transformerless DC-DC Boost Converter

Authors: Nidhi Vijay, A. K. Sharma

Abstract:

Many industrial applications require power from dc source. DC-DC boost converters are now being used all over the world for rapid transit system. Although these provide high efficiency, smooth control, fast response and regeneration, conventional DC-DC boost converters are unable to provide high step up voltage gain due to effect of power switches, rectifier diodes and equivalent series resistance of inductor and capacitor. This paper proposes new transformerless dc-dc converters to achieve high step up voltage gain as compared to the conventional converter without an extremely high duty ratio. Only one power stage is used in this converter. Steady-state analysis of voltage gain is discussed in brief. Finally, a comparative analysis is given in order to verify the results.

Keywords: MATLAB, DC-DC boost converter, voltage gain, voltage stress

Procedia PDF Downloads 414
13850 Local Culture and Ability to Access Funding on Beef Cattle Farmer

Authors: Aslina Asnawi, A. Amidah Amrawaty, Nirwana

Abstract:

This article examines the relationship of local culture on the ability to access finance on beef cattle farmer. The local culture in this study associated with the values held by the farmer community so far and affect the character of farmers both in his personal life and his relationship with the surrounding environment. The data was collected by using interview and questionnaire instrument. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and correlation analysis. The result show that local culture identified in this study include: honesty, cleverness, decency, firmness, hard work, and shame. It’s important result that local culture has been associated with the ability to access financing for beef cattle farmers. The higher values are adopted and maintained by farmers will increase their ability to obtain loans from both informal and formal institutions. Strengthening the local culture is important because it affects the character of farmers who became one of the considerations for lenders other than collateral, capacity and capital is precisely the financing constraints for them.

Keywords: access funding, beef cattle farmers, character, local culture

Procedia PDF Downloads 315