Search results for: zinc based metal matrix composites
19736 Effects of the Fractional Order on Nanoparticles in Blood Flow through the Stenosed Artery
Authors: Mohammed Abdulhameed, Sagir M. Abdullahi
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In this paper, based on the applications of nanoparticle, the blood flow along with nanoparticles through stenosed artery is studied. The blood is acted by periodic body acceleration, an oscillating pressure gradient and an external magnetic field. The mathematical formulation is based on Caputo-Fabrizio fractional derivative without singular kernel. The model of ordinary blood, corresponding to time-derivatives of integer order, is obtained as a limiting case. Analytical solutions of the blood velocity and temperature distribution are obtained by means of the Hankel and Laplace transforms. Effects of the order of Caputo-Fabrizio time-fractional derivatives and three different nanoparticles i.e. Fe3O4, TiO4 and Cu are studied. The results highlights that, models with fractional derivatives bring significant differences compared to the ordinary model. It is observed that the addition of Fe3O4 nanoparticle reduced the resistance impedance of the blood flow and temperature distribution through bell shape stenosed arteries as compared to TiO4 and Cu nanoparticles. On entering in the stenosed area, blood temperature increases slightly, but, increases considerably and reaches its maximum value in the stenosis throat. The shears stress has variation from a constant in the area without stenosis and higher in the layers located far to the longitudinal axis of the artery. This fact can be an important for some clinical applications in therapeutic procedures.Keywords: nanoparticles, blood flow, stenosed artery, mathematical models
Procedia PDF Downloads 25419735 A Short Survey of Integrating Urban Agriculture and Environmental Planning
Authors: Rayeheh Khatami, Toktam Hanaei, Mohammad Reza Mansouri Daneshvar
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The growth of the agricultural sector is known as an essential way to achieve development goals in developing countries. Urban agriculture is a way to reduce the vulnerability of urban populations of the world toward global environmental change. It is a sustainable and efficient system to respond to the environmental, social and economic needs of the city, which leads to urban sustainability. Today, many local and national governments are developing urban agriculture as an effective tool in responding to challenges such as poverty, food security, and environmental problems. In this study, we follow a perspective based on urban agriculture literature in order to indicate the urban agriculture’s benefits in environmental planning strategies in non-western countries like Iran. The methodological approach adopted is based on qualitative approach and documentary studies. A total of 35 articles (mixed quantitative and qualitative methods studies) were studied in final analysis, which are published in relevant journals that focus on this subject. Studies show the wide range of positive benefits of urban agriculture on food security, nutrition outcomes, health outcomes, environmental outcomes, and social capital. However, there was no definitive conclusion about the negative effects of urban agriculture. This paper provides a conceptual and theoretical basis to know about urban agriculture and its roles in environmental planning, and also conclude the benefits of urban agriculture for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who seek to create spaces in cities for implementation urban agriculture in future.Keywords: urban agriculture, environmental planning, urban planning, literature
Procedia PDF Downloads 13419734 The Optimum Biodiesel Blend in Low Sulfur Diesel and Its Physico-Chemical Properties and Economic Aspect
Authors: Ketsada Sutthiumporn, Sittichot Thongkaw, Malee Santikunaporn
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In Thailand, biodiesel has been utilized as an attractive substitute of petroleum diesel and the government imposes a mandatory biodiesel blending requirement in transport sector to improve energy security, support agricultural sector and reduce emissions. Though biodiesel blend has many advantages over diesel fuel such as improved lubricity, low sulfur content and higher flash point, there are still some technical problems such as oxidative stability, poor cold- flow properties and impurity. Such problems were related to the fatty acid composition in feedstock. Moreover, Thailand has announced the use of low sulfur diesel as a base diesel and will be continually upgrading to EURO 5 in 2023. With ultra low sulfur content, it may affect the diesel fuel properties especially lubricity as well. Therefore, in this study, the physical and chemical properties of palm oil-based biodiesel in low sulfur diesel blends from different producers will be investigated by standard methods per ASTM and EN. Also, its economic benefits based on diesel price structure in Thailand will be highlighted. The appropriate biodiesel blend ratio can affect the physico-chemical properties and reasonable price in the country. Properties of biodiesel, including specific gravity, kinematic viscosity, FAME composition, flash point, sulfur, water, oxidation stability and lubricity were measured by standard methods of ASTM and EN. The results show that the FAME composition of biodiesel has the fatty acid of C12:0 to C20:1, mostly in C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, and C18:2, which were main characteristic compositions of palm biodiesel. The physical and chemical properties of biodiesel blended diesel was found to be increases with an increasing amount of biodiesel such as specific gravity, flash point and kinematic viscosity while sulfur value was decreased. Moreover, in this study, the various properties of each biodiesel blends were plotted to determine the appropriate proportional range of biodiesel-blended diesel with an optimum fuel price.It can be seen that the amount of B100 can be filled from 1% up to 7% in which the quality was in accordance with Notification of the department of Energy business.The understanding of relation between physico-chemical properties of palm oil-based biodiesel and pricing is beneficial to guide the better development of desired feedstock in Thailand and to implement biodiesel blends with comparative price and diesel engine performance.Keywords: fatty acid methyl ester, biodiesel, fuel price structure, palm oil in Thailand
Procedia PDF Downloads 10919733 Community Health Commodities Distribution of integrated HIV and Non-Communicable Disease Services during COVID-19 Pandemic – Eswatini Case Study
Authors: N. Dlamini, Mpumelelo G. Ndlela, Philisiwe Dlamini, Nicholus Kisyeri, Bhekizitha Sithole
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Accessing health services during the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated scarcity to routine medication. To ensure continuous accessibility to services, Eswatini launched Community Health Commodities Distribution (CHCD). Eligible Antiretroviral Therapy(ART) stable clients (VL<1,000) and patients on Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) medications were attended at community pick up points (PUP) based on distance between clients’ residence and the public health facility. Services provided includes ART and Pre-Exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) refills and NCD drug refills). The number of community PUP was 14% higher than health facility visits. Among all medications and commodities distributed between April and October 2020 at the PUP, 64% were HIV-related (HIV rapid test, HIVST, VL test, PrEP meds), and 36% were NCD related. The rapid roll out of CHCD during COVID-19 pandemic reduced the risk of COVID-19 transmission to clients as travel to health facilities was eliminated. It Additionally increased access to commodities during COVID-19-driven lockdown, decongested health facilities, integrated model of care, and increase service coverage. It was also noted that CHCD added different curative and HIV related services based on client specific needs and availability of the commodities.Keywords: community health commodities distribution, pick up points, antiretroviral therapy, pre-exposure prophylaxis
Procedia PDF Downloads 12819732 Monitoring the Drying and Grinding Process during Production of Celitement through a NIR-Spectroscopy Based Approach
Authors: Carolin Lutz, Jörg Matthes, Patrick Waibel, Ulrich Precht, Krassimir Garbev, Günter Beuchle, Uwe Schweike, Peter Stemmermann, Hubert B. Keller
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Online measurement of the product quality is a challenging task in cement production, especially in the production of Celitement, a novel environmentally friendly hydraulic binder. The mineralogy and chemical composition of clinker in ordinary Portland cement production is measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X ray fluorescence (XRF), where only crystalline constituents can be detected. But only a small part of the Celitement components can be measured via XRD, because most constituents have an amorphous structure. This paper describes the development of algorithms suitable for an on-line monitoring of the final processing step of Celitement based on NIR-data. For calibration intermediate products were dried at different temperatures and ground for variable durations. The products were analyzed using XRD and thermogravimetric analyses together with NIR-spectroscopy to investigate the dependency between the drying and the milling processes on one and the NIR-signal on the other side. As a result, different characteristic parameters have been defined. A short overview of the Celitement process and the challenging tasks of the online measurement and evaluation of the product quality will be presented. Subsequently, methods for systematic development of near-infrared calibration models and the determination of the final calibration model will be introduced. The application of the model on experimental data illustrates that NIR-spectroscopy allows for a quick and sufficiently exact determination of crucial process parameters.Keywords: calibration model, celitement, cementitious material, NIR spectroscopy
Procedia PDF Downloads 49619731 Cooling of Exhaust Gases Emitted Into the Atmosphere as the Possibility to Reduce the Helicopter Radiation Emission Level
Authors: Mateusz Paszko, Mirosław Wendeker, Adam Majczak
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Every material body that temperature is higher than 0K (absolute zero) emits infrared radiation to the surroundings. Infrared radiation is highly meaningful in military aviation, especially in military applications of helicopters. Helicopters, in comparison to other aircraft, have much lower flight speeds and maneuverability, which makes them easy targets for actual combat assets like infrared-guided missiles. When designing new helicopter types, especially for combat applications, it is essential to pay enormous attention to infrared emissions of the solid parts composing the helicopter’s structure, as well as to exhaust gases egressing from the engine’s exhaust system. Due to their high temperature, exhaust gases, egressed to the surroundings are a major factor in infrared radiation emission and, in consequence, detectability of a helicopter performing air combat operations. Protection of the helicopter in flight from early detection, tracking and finally destruction can be realized in many ways. This paper presents the analysis of possibilities to decrease the infrared radiation level that is emitted to the environment by helicopter in flight, by cooling exhaust in special ejection-based coolers. The paper also presents the concept 3D model and results of numeric analysis of ejective-based cooler cooperation with PA-10W turbine engine. Numeric analysis presented promising results in decreasing the infrared emission level by PA W-3 helicopter in flight.Keywords: exhaust cooler, helicopter propulsion, infrared radiation, stealth
Procedia PDF Downloads 34219730 First-Principles Calculations of Hydrogen Adsorbed in Multi-Layer Graphene
Authors: Mohammad Shafiul Alam, Mineo Saito
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Graphene-based materials have attracted much attention because they are candidates for post silicon materials. Since controlling of impurities is necessary to achieve nano device, we study hydrogen impurity in multi-layer graphene. We perform local spin Density approximation (LSDA) in which the plane wave basis set and pseudopotential are used. Previously hydrogen monomer and dimer in graphene is well theoretically studied. However, hydrogen on multilayer graphene is still not clear. By using first-principles electronic structure calculations based on the LSDA within the density functional theory method, we studied hydrogen monomers and dimers in two-layer graphene. We found that the monomers are spin-polarized and have magnetic moment 1 µB. We also found that most stable dimer is much more stable than monomer. In the most stable structures of the dimers in two-layer graphene, the two hydrogen atoms are bonded to the host carbon atoms which are nearest-neighbors. In this case two hydrogen atoms are located on the opposite sides. Whereas, when the two hydrogen atoms are bonded to the same sublattice of the host materials, magnetic moments of 2 µB appear in two-layer graphene. We found that when the two hydrogen atoms are bonded to third-nearest-neighbor carbon atoms, the electronic structure is nonmagnetic. We also studied hydrogen monomers and dimers in three-layer graphene. The result is same as that of two-layer graphene. These results are very important in the field of carbon nanomaterials as it is experimentally difficult to show the magnetic state of those materials.Keywords: first-principles calculations, LSDA, multi-layer gra-phene, nanomaterials
Procedia PDF Downloads 32519729 Effects of Beeswax Coating on the Properties of Cocoa Bean Shell Based Papers
Authors: Sri Rejeki, Tamrin Tamrin, RH. F. Faradilla, Muhammad N. Ibrahim, Mariana M., Irnawati Irnawati
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Cocoa bean shells, despite their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, are still considered as an underutilized agricultural waste. The functional properties and their lignocelluloses content make cocoa bean shells a potential material for paper-based food packaging. In our previous research, we have successfully produced papers from cocoa bean shells that had antioxidant and antibacterial activities. However, the hydrophilic nature of the lignocelluloses of cocoa bean shells hinders the application of the paper to be used as a food packaging. In this research, we aimed to study the effects of beeswax coating on the wettability and mechanical properties of the paper. The coating was done by dipping the papers in beeswax solution several times and in three different beeswax concentrations. The number of dipping and beeswax concentration significantly (p<0.05) affected the water contact angle of the papers. Results show that the water contact angle increases dramatically due to the coating treatment. The control paper or uncoated paper had a contact angle of 40.50o, while the contact angle of the best-coated paper (D3B3: 3x dipping, 3g/10mL beeswax) reached 96.93o. Both tensile strength and percent elongation were not significantly (p>0.05) affected by the coating treatment. This showed that beeswax was a potential organic material to improve the hydrophobicity of paper from cocoa bean shells without any undesirable effects on the mechanical properties of the paper.Keywords: cocoa bean shell, paper, beeswax, coating, contact angle
Procedia PDF Downloads 14319728 Gender Bias and the Role It Plays in Student Evaluation of Instructors
Authors: B. Garfolo, L. Kelpsh, R. Roak, R. Kuck
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Often, student ratings of instructors play a significant role in the career path of an instructor in higher education. So then, how does a student view the effectiveness of instructor teaching? This question has been address by literally thousands of studies found in the literature. Yet, why does this question still persist? A literature review reveals that while it is true that student evaluations of instructors can be biased, there is still a considerable amount of work that needs to be done in understanding why. As student evaluations of instructors can be used in a variety of settings (formative or summative) it is critical to understand the nature of the bias. The authors believe that not only is some bias possible in student evaluations, it should be expected for the simple reason that a student evaluation is a human activity and as such, relies upon perception and interpersonal judgment. As such, student ratings are affected by the same factors that can potentially affect any rater’s judgment, such as stereotypes based on gender, culture, race, etc. Previous study findings suggest that student evaluations of teacher effectiveness differ between male and female raters. However, even though studies have shown that instructor gender does play an important role in influencing student ratings, the exact nature and extent of that role remains the subject of debate. Researchers, in their attempt to define good teaching, have looked for differences in student evaluations based on a variety of characteristics such as course type, class size, ability level of the student and grading practices in addition to instructor and student characteristics (gender, age, etc.) with inconsistent results. If a student evaluation represents more than an instructor’s teaching ability, for example, a physical characteristic such as gender, then this information must be taken into account if the evaluation is to have meaning with respect to instructor assessment. While the authors concede that it is difficult or nearly impossible to separate gender from student perception of teaching practices in person, it is, however, possible to shield an instructor’s gender identity with respect to an online teaching experience. The online teaching modality presents itself as a unique opportunity to experiment directly with gender identity. The analysis of the differences of online behavior of individuals when they perceive that they are interacting with a male or female could provide a wealth of data on how gender influences student perceptions of teaching effectiveness. Given the importance of the role student ratings play in hiring, retention, promotion, tenure, and salary deliberations in academic careers, this question warrants further attention as it is important to be aware of possible bias in student evaluations if they are to be used at all with respect to any academic considerations. For experimental purposes, the author’s constructed and online class where each instructors operate under two different gender identities. In this study, each instructor taught multiple sections of the same class using both a male identity and a female identity. The study examined student evaluations of teaching based on certain student and instructor characteristics in order to determine if and where male and female students might differ in their ratings of instructors based on instructor gender. Additionally, the authors examined if there are differences between undergraduate and graduate students' ratings with respect to the experimental criteria.Keywords: gender bias, ethics, student evaluations, student perceptions, online instruction
Procedia PDF Downloads 26019727 Petrology Investigation of Apatite Minerals in the Esfordi Mine
Authors: Haleh Rezaei Zanjirabadi, Fatemeh Saberi, Bahman Rahimzadeh, Fariborz Masoudi, Mohammad Rahgosha
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In this study, apatite minerals from the iron-phosphate deposit of Yazd have been investigated within the microcontinent zone of Iran in the Zagros structural zone. The geological units in the Esfordi area belong to the pre-Cambrian to lower-Cambrian age, consisting of a succession of carbonate rocks (dolomite), shale, tuff, sandstone, and volcanic rocks. In addition to the mentioned sedimentary and volcanic rocks, the granitoid mass of Bahabad, which is the largest intrusive mass in the region, has intruded into the eastern part of this series and has caused its metamorphism and alteration. After collecting the available data, various samples of Esfordi’s apatite were prepared, and their mineralogy and crystallography were investigated using laboratory methods such as petrographic microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, EDS, and SEM. In non-destructive Raman spectroscopy, the molecular structure of apatite minerals was revealed in four distinct spectral ranges. Initially, the spectra of phosphate and aluminum bonds with O2HO, OH, were observed, followed by the identification of Cl, OH, Al, Na, Ca and hydroxyl units depending on the type of apatite mineral family. In SEM analysis, based on various shapes and different phases of apatites, their constituent major elements were identified through EDS, indicating that the samples from the Esfordi mining area exhibit a dense and coherent texture with smooth surfaces. Based on the elemental analysis results by EDS, the apatites in the Esfordi area are classified into the calcic apatite group.Keywords: petrology, apatite, Esfordi, EDS, SEM, Raman spectroscopy
Procedia PDF Downloads 5419726 Proposal Method of Prediction of the Early Stages of Dementia Using IoT and Magnet Sensors
Authors: João Filipe Papel, Tatsuji Munaka
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With society's aging and the number of elderly with dementia rising, researchers have been actively studying how to support the elderly in the early stages of dementia with the objective of allowing them to have a better life quality and as much as possible independence. To make this possible, most researchers in this field are using the Internet Of Things to monitor the elderly activities and assist them in performing them. The most common sensor used to monitor the elderly activities is the Camera sensor due to its easy installation and configuration. The other commonly used sensor is the sound sensor. However, we need to consider privacy when using these sensors. This research aims to develop a system capable of predicting the early stages of dementia based on monitoring and controlling the elderly activities of daily living. To make this system possible, some issues need to be addressed. First, the issue related to elderly privacy when trying to detect their Activities of Daily Living. Privacy when performing detection and monitoring Activities of Daily Living it's a serious concern. One of the purposes of this research is to achieve this detection and monitoring without putting the privacy of the elderly at risk. To make this possible, the study focuses on using an approach based on using Magnet Sensors to collect binary data. The second is to use the data collected by monitoring Activities of Daily Living to predict the early stages of Dementia. To make this possible, the research team suggests developing a proprietary ontology combined with both data-driven and knowledge-driven.Keywords: dementia, activity recognition, magnet sensors, ontology, data driven and knowledge driven, IoT, activities of daily living
Procedia PDF Downloads 9219725 Machine Learning Analysis of Eating Disorders Risk, Physical Activity and Psychological Factors in Adolescents: A Community Sample Study
Authors: Marc Toutain, Pascale Leconte, Antoine Gauthier
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Introduction: Eating Disorders (ED), such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating, are psychiatric illnesses that mostly affect young people. The main symptoms concern eating (restriction, excessive food intake) and weight control behaviors (laxatives, vomiting). Psychological comorbidities (depression, executive function disorders, etc.) and problematic behaviors toward physical activity (PA) are commonly associated with ED. Acquaintances on ED risk factors are still lacking, and more community sample studies are needed to improve prevention and early detection. To our knowledge, studies are needed to specifically investigate the link between ED risk level, PA, and psychological risk factors in a community sample of adolescents. The aim of this study is to assess the relation between ED risk level, exercise (type, frequency, and motivations for engaging in exercise), and psychological factors based on the Jacobi risk factors model. We suppose that a high risk of ED will be associated with the practice of high caloric cost PA, motivations oriented to weight and shape control, and psychological disturbances. Method: An online survey destined for students has been sent to several middle schools and colleges in northwest France. This survey combined several questionnaires, the Eating Attitude Test-26 assessing ED risk; the Exercise Motivation Inventory–2 assessing motivations toward PA; the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale assessing anxiety and depression, the Contour Drawing Rating Scale; and the Body Esteem Scale assessing body dissatisfaction, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale assessing self-esteem, the Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised assessing PA dependence, the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness assessing interoceptive awareness and the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale assessing perfectionism. Machine learning analysis will be performed in order to constitute groups with a tree-based model clustering method, extract risk profile(s) with a bootstrap method comparison, and predict ED risk with a prediction method based on a decision tree-based model. Expected results: 1044 complete records have already been collected, and the survey will be closed at the end of May 2022. Records will be analyzed with a clustering method and a bootstrap method in order to reveal risk profile(s). Furthermore, a predictive tree decision method will be done to extract an accurate predictive model of ED risk. This analysis will confirm typical main risk factors and will give more data on presumed strong risk factors such as exercise motivations and interoceptive deficit. Furthermore, it will enlighten particular risk profiles with a strong level of proof and greatly contribute to improving the early detection of ED and contribute to a better understanding of ED risk factors.Keywords: eating disorders, risk factors, physical activity, machine learning
Procedia PDF Downloads 7619724 A Student Centered Learning Environment in Engineering Education: Design and a Longitudinal Study of Impact
Authors: Tom O'Mahony
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This article considers the design of a student-centered learning environment in engineering education. The learning environment integrates a number of components, including project-based learning, collaborative learning, two-stage assignments, active learning lectures, and a flipped-classroom. Together these elements place the individual learner and their learning at the center of the environment by focusing on understanding, enhancing relevance, applying learning, obtaining rich feedback, making choices, and taking responsibility. The evolution of this environment from 2014 to the present day is outlined. The impact of this environment on learners and their learning is evaluated via student questionnaires that consist of both open and closed-ended questions. The closed questions indicate that students found the learning environment to be really interesting and enjoyable (rated as 4.7 on a 5 point scale) and encouraged students to adopt a deep approach towards studying the course materials (rated as 4.0 on a 5 point scale). A content analysis of the open-ended questions provides evidence that the project, active learning lectures, and flipped classroom all contribute to the success of this environment. Furthermore, this analysis indicates that the two-stage assessment process, in which feedback is provided between a draft and final assignment, is the key component and the dominant theme. A limitation of the study is the small class size (less than 20 learners per year), but, to some degree, this is compensated for by the longitudinal nature of the study.Keywords: deep approaches, formative assessment, project-based learning, student-centered learning
Procedia PDF Downloads 10719723 A Questionnaire-Based Survey: Therapists Response towards Upper Limb Disorder Learning Tool
Authors: Noor Ayuni Che Zakaria, Takashi Komeda, Cheng Yee Low, Kaoru Inoue, Fazah Akhtar Hanapiah
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Previous studies have shown that there are arguments regarding the reliability and validity of the Ashworth and Modified Ashworth Scale towards evaluating patients diagnosed with upper limb disorders. These evaluations depended on the raters’ experiences. This initiated us to develop an upper limb disorder part-task trainer that is able to simulate consistent upper limb disorders, such as spasticity and rigidity signs, based on the Modified Ashworth Scale to improve the variability occurring between raters and intra-raters themselves. By providing consistent signs, novice therapists would be able to increase training frequency and exposure towards various levels of signs. A total of 22 physiotherapists and occupational therapists participated in the study. The majority of the therapists agreed that with current therapy education, they still face problems with inter-raters and intra-raters variability (strongly agree 54%; n = 12/22, agree 27%; n = 6/22) in evaluating patients’ conditions. The therapists strongly agreed (72%; n = 16/22) that therapy trainees needed to increase their frequency of training; therefore believe that our initiative to develop an upper limb disorder training tool will help in improving the clinical education field (strongly agree and agree 63%; n = 14/22).Keywords: upper limb disorder, clinical education tool, inter/intra-raters variability, spasticity, modified Ashworth scale
Procedia PDF Downloads 30719722 Managing Uncertainty in Unmanned Aircraft System Safety Performance Requirements Compliance Process
Authors: Achim Washington, Reece Clothier, Jose Silva
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System Safety Regulations (SSR) are a central component to the airworthiness certification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). There is significant debate on the setting of appropriate SSR for UAS. Putting this debate aside, the challenge lies in how to apply the system safety process to UAS, which lacks the data and operational heritage of conventionally piloted aircraft. The limited knowledge and lack of operational data result in uncertainty in the system safety assessment of UAS. This uncertainty can lead to incorrect compliance findings and the potential certification and operation of UAS that do not meet minimum safety performance requirements. The existing system safety assessment and compliance processes, as used for conventional piloted aviation, do not adequately account for the uncertainty, limiting the suitability of its application to UAS. This paper discusses the challenges of undertaking system safety assessments for UAS and presents current and envisaged research towards addressing these challenges. It aims to highlight the main advantages associated with adopting a risk based framework to the System Safety Performance Requirement (SSPR) compliance process that is capable of taking the uncertainty associated with each of the outputs of the system safety assessment process into consideration. Based on this study, it is made clear that developing a framework tailored to UAS, would allow for a more rational, transparent and systematic approach to decision making. This would reduce the need for conservative assumptions and take the risk posed by each UAS into consideration while determining its state of compliance to the SSR.Keywords: Part 1309 regulations, risk models, uncertainty, unmanned aircraft systems
Procedia PDF Downloads 17719721 Using Mathematical Models to Predict the Academic Performance of Students from Initial Courses in Engineering School
Authors: Martín Pratto Burgos
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The Engineering School of the University of the Republic in Uruguay offers an Introductory Mathematical Course from the second semester of 2019. This course has been designed to assist students in preparing themselves for math courses that are essential for Engineering Degrees, namely Math1, Math2, and Math3 in this research. The research proposes to build a model that can accurately predict the student's activity and academic progress based on their performance in the three essential Mathematical courses. Additionally, there is a need for a model that can forecast the incidence of the Introductory Mathematical Course in the three essential courses approval during the first academic year. The techniques used are Principal Component Analysis and predictive modelling using the Generalised Linear Model. The dataset includes information from 5135 engineering students and 12 different characteristics based on activity and course performance. Two models are created for a type of data that follows a binomial distribution using the R programming language. Model 1 is based on a variable's p-value being less than 0.05, and Model 2 uses the stepAIC function to remove variables and get the lowest AIC score. After using Principal Component Analysis, the main components represented in the y-axis are the approval of the Introductory Mathematical Course, and the x-axis is the approval of Math1 and Math2 courses as well as student activity three years after taking the Introductory Mathematical Course. Model 2, which considered student’s activity, performed the best with an AUC of 0.81 and an accuracy of 84%. According to Model 2, the student's engagement in school activities will continue for three years after the approval of the Introductory Mathematical Course. This is because they have successfully completed the Math1 and Math2 courses. Passing the Math3 course does not have any effect on the student’s activity. Concerning academic progress, the best fit is Model 1. It has an AUC of 0.56 and an accuracy rate of 91%. The model says that if the student passes the three first-year courses, they will progress according to the timeline set by the curriculum. Both models show that the Introductory Mathematical Course does not directly affect the student’s activity and academic progress. The best model to explain the impact of the Introductory Mathematical Course on the three first-year courses was Model 1. It has an AUC of 0.76 and 98% accuracy. The model shows that if students pass the Introductory Mathematical Course, it will help them to pass Math1 and Math2 courses without affecting their performance on the Math3 course. Matching the three predictive models, if students pass Math1 and Math2 courses, they will stay active for three years after taking the Introductory Mathematical Course, and also, they will continue following the recommended engineering curriculum. Additionally, the Introductory Mathematical Course helps students to pass Math1 and Math2 when they start Engineering School. Models obtained in the research don't consider the time students took to pass the three Math courses, but they can successfully assess courses in the university curriculum.Keywords: machine-learning, engineering, university, education, computational models
Procedia PDF Downloads 8519720 Innovative In-Service Training Approach to Strengthen Health Care Human Resources and Scale-Up Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Tsegahun Manyazewal, Francesco Marinucci, Getachew Belay, Abraham Tesfaye, Gonfa Ayana, Amaha Kebede, Tsegahun Manyazewal, Francesco Marinucci, Getachew Belay, Abraham Tesfaye, Gonfa Ayana, Amaha Kebede, Yewondwossen Tadesse, Susan Lehman, Zelalem Temesgen
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In-service health trainings in Sub-Saharan Africa are mostly content-centered with higher disconnection with the real practice in the facility. This study intended to evaluate in-service training approach aimed to strengthen health care human resources. A combined web-based and face-to-face training was designed and piloted in Ethiopia with the diagnosis of tuberculosis. During the first part, which lasted 43 days, trainees accessed web-based material and read without leaving their work; while the second part comprised a one-day hands-on evaluation. Trainee’s competency was measured using multiple-choice questions, written-assignments, exercises and hands-on evaluation. Of 108 participants invited, 81 (75%) attended the course and 71 (88%) of them successfully completed. Of those completed, 73 (90%) scored a grade from A to C. The approach was effective to transfer knowledge and turn it into practical skills. In-service health training should transform from a passive one-time-event to a continuous behavioral change of participants and improvements on their actual work.Keywords: Ethiopia, health care, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, training
Procedia PDF Downloads 49219719 Interaction of Chemical, Microbiological and Ecological Aspects in the Brown Alga Zonaria Tournefortii
Authors: Sonia Hamiche, Naima Bouzidi, Mohamed Reda Zahi, Yasmina Daghbouche, Abdelmalek Badis, Mohamed El Hattab
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This study was carried out on the brown alga Zonaria tourfortii harvested on the central coast of Algeria. The chemical study enabled the characterization of phenolic compounds, mainly acyl phloroglucinol and chromone metabolites. The study isolated a significant quantity of all-cis-5,8,11,14,17 eicosapentanoic acid (EPA). Based on a literature review, we have proposed a biosynthetic pathway leading from EPA to phenolic metabolites. Bacterial screening from the algal surface led to isolate 30 bacterial strains, including 26 Gram+ containing the Staphylococcus and Bacillus genus, and 4 Gram- containing the Acinetobacter and Enterobacteracea genus. In terms of activity profiles, strain S13 (identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens based on 16S rRNA technique) proved highly interesting inhibitory activities against target germs, as well as its production of diffusible and volatile compounds. Bacterial cells from the B. amyloliquefaciens S13 strain were used to recover a volatile fraction. Analysis was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The main volatile compounds identified were: 13-epi-manoyl oxide (29.39%), manool (17.39%), 15,16-dinorlabd-8(20)-en-13-one (13.17%), labda-8(17),13Z-dien-15-ol (9. 51%) and 3-acetoxy-13 epimanoyl oxide (5.26%) belonging to the labdane class of diterpenes, the latter having never been described in the category of microbial volatile organic compounds. Ecological aspects were discussed.Keywords: chemical analysis, acylphloroglucinols, phenolic compounds, microbial volatiles, Zonaria tournefortii
Procedia PDF Downloads 3719718 An Innovative High Energy Density Power Pack for Portable and Off-Grid Power Applications
Authors: Idit Avrahami, Alex Schechter, Lev Zakhvatkin
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This research focuses on developing a compact and light Hydrogen Generator (HG), coupled with fuel cells (FC) to provide a High-Energy-Density Power-Pack (HEDPP) solution, which is 10 times Li-Ion batteries. The HEDPP is designed for portable & off-grid power applications such as Drones, UAVs, stationary off-grid power sources, unmanned marine vehicles, and more. Hydrogen gas provided by this device is delivered in the safest way as a chemical powder at room temperature and ambient pressure is activated only when the power is on. Hydrogen generation is based on a stabilized chemical reaction of Sodium Borohydride (SBH) and water. The proposed solution enables a ‘No Storage’ Hydrogen-based Power Pack. Hydrogen is produced and consumed on-the-spot, during operation; therefore, there’s no need for high-pressure hydrogen tanks, which are large, heavy, and unsafe. In addition to its high energy density, ease of use, and safety, the presented power pack has a significant advantage of versatility and deployment in numerous applications and scales. This patented HG was demonstrated using several prototypes in our lab and was proved to be feasible and highly efficient for several applications. For example, in applications where water is available (such as marine vehicles, water and sewage infrastructure, and stationary applications), the Energy Density of the suggested power pack may reach 2700-3000 Wh/kg, which is again more than 10 times higher than conventional lithium-ion batteries. In other applications (e.g., UAV or small vehicles) the energy density may exceed 1000 Wh/kg.Keywords: hydrogen energy, sodium borohydride, fixed-wing UAV, energy pack
Procedia PDF Downloads 7819717 Determining the Relationship Between Maternal Stress and Depression and Child Obesity: The Mediating Role of Maternal Self-efficacy
Authors: Alireza Monzavi Chaleshtori, Mahnaz Aliakbari Dehkordi, Maryam Aliakbari, Solmaz Seyed Mostafaii
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Objective: Considering the growing obesity among children and the role of mother's psychological factors as well as the need to prevent childhood obesity, this study aimed to investigate the mediating role of mother's self-efficacy in the relationship between mother's stress and depression and child obesity. Method: For this purpose, in a descriptive-correlation study, 222 mothers and children aged 1 to 5 years in Tehran, who had the opportunity to answer an online questionnaire, were selected by random sampling and to the depression scales of the Kroenke and Spitzer Patient Health Questionnaire, Cohen's stress and Self-efficacy of Berkeley mothers answered. Pearson correlation test and path analysis were used for data analysis. Findings: The findings showed that maternal depression had an indirect and significant effect on child obesity, and the effect of stress and depression on child obesity was indirect and non-significant. Therefore, the model has a good fit with the research data, and stress and depression indirectly predicted child obesity with the mediating role of self-efficacy. Conclusion: The hypothesized model tested based on mother's stress and depression with the mediating role of mother's self-efficacy was a good model in explaining the prediction of child obesity. Based on the findings of this research, a practical framework can be provided to explain the psychological factors of the mother in relation to child obesity and its treatment.Keywords: stress, self-efficacy, child obesity, depression
Procedia PDF Downloads 6119716 Development of Multilayer Capillary Copper Wick Structure using Microsecond CO₂ Pulsed Laser
Authors: Talha Khan, Surendhar Kumaran, Rajeev Nair
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The development of economical, efficient, and reliable next-generation thermal and water management systems to provide efficient cooling and water management technologies is being pursued application in compact and lightweight spacecraft. The elimination of liquid-vapor phase change-based thermal and water management systems is being done due to issues with the reliability and robustness of this technology. To achieve the motive of implementing the principle of using an innovative evaporator and condenser design utilizing bimodal wicks manufactured using a microsecond pulsed CO₂ laser has been proposed in this study. Cylin drical, multilayered capillary copper wicks with a substrate diameter of 39 mm are additively manufactured using a pulsed laser. The copper particles used for layer-by-layer addition on the substrate measure in a diameter range of 225 to 450 micrometers. The primary objective is to develop a novel, high-quality, fast turnaround, laser-based additive manufacturing process that will eliminate the current technical challenges involved with the traditional manufacturing processes for nano/micro-sized powders, like particle agglomeration. Raster-scanned, pulsed-laser sintering process has been developed to manufacture 3D wicks with controlled porosity and permeability.Keywords: liquid-vapor phase change, bimodal wicks, multilayered, capillary, raster-scanned, porosity, permeability
Procedia PDF Downloads 18319715 Establishing an Evidence-Based Trauma Informed Care Pathway for Survivors of Modern Slavery
Authors: I. Brezeanu, J. Mackrill, A. Cajo, C. Mogollon
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Modern Slavery is a serious crime, where often the victims are unable to leave their situation of exploitation, being controlled by threats, punishment, violence, coercion, and deception. In the UK, this term encompasses both Slavery and Human Trafficking. The number of potential victims who were referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) increased exponentially in the past decade, passing from fewer than 700 potential victims referred in 2010 to more than 12.000 in 2021. Our study aims to explore how the concept of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) approach can be adopted by services working with survivors of Modern Slavery and Trafficking (MST). Notably, in this paper, we will elaborate on how the complex needs of survivors are related to their traumatic experiences and what are the necessary steps and resources for implementing a Modern Slavery Trauma-Informed model. While there are relatively few services in the UK that have a deep understanding of the survivors’ and practitioners’ views of how trauma impacts their daily life, there is a strong need for developing services that are organised and delivered in ways that prevent retraumatisation and enable trauma survivors to engage safely with the right professionals at the right time, promoting healing through positive relationships. Such models, known as Trauma-Informed Approaches (TIAs), are seen as crucial to the empowerment of survivors, yet they remain a marginal implementation model by governments, law enforcement, judiciary, or care providers, who are frequently survivors’ first point of contact in the recovery process. In order to understand better how to provide best practice and to adopt the concept, this study is based on a multi-disciplinary approach, encompassing both theoretical perspectives and co-production. By combining qualitative and quantitative research and comparing different analysis of applied examples of TIC in the US and the UK, we gained important insights about the prevention and impact of trauma on survivors’ life. The articulation between more general expertise on Trauma-Informed Care developed by other institutions operating in the field, and the SJOG delivery, based on the Salvation Army’s Modern Slavery Victim Care and Coordination Contract (MSVCC) and the Care Quality Commission regulations, allowed to identify on one side what are the complex needs of survivors derived from their traumatic experiences, and on the other side, how could MST services prevent retraumatisation. Additional, two in-depth interviews with survivors, who receive support from one of our services at Olallo House in London, and a survey shared among all colleagues working with MST services completed the findings of the research with their personal experience and knowledge. Ultimately, we developed an evidence-based Trauma-Informed Care Pathway that aims to improve the wellbeing of survivors and to support them to live a meaningful life. The establishedpathway delivers three main outcomes belonging to the social determinants of health criteria – health and wellbeing, purpose and relationship, and covers key themes of the context of trauma, needs of individuals, and service support.Keywords: trauma-informed care, modern slavery, human trafficking, trauma, retraumatisation
Procedia PDF Downloads 8819714 Time Parameter Based for the Detection of Catastrophic Faults in Analog Circuits
Authors: Arabi Abderrazak, Bourouba Nacerdine, Ayad Mouloud, Belaout Abdeslam
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In this paper, a new test technique of analog circuits using time mode simulation is proposed for the single catastrophic faults detection in analog circuits. This test process is performed to overcome the problem of catastrophic faults being escaped in a DC mode test applied to the inverter amplifier in previous research works. The circuit under test is a second-order low pass filter constructed around this type of amplifier but performing a function that differs from that of the previous test. The test approach performed in this work is based on two key- elements where the first one concerns the unique square pulse signal selected as an input vector test signal to stimulate the fault effect at the circuit output response. The second element is the filter response conversion to a square pulses sequence obtained from an analog comparator. This signal conversion is achieved through a fixed reference threshold voltage of this comparison circuit. The measurement of the three first response signal pulses durations is regarded as fault effect detection parameter on one hand, and as a fault signature helping to hence fully establish an analog circuit fault diagnosis on another hand. The results obtained so far are very promising since the approach has lifted up the fault coverage ratio in both modes to over 90% and has revealed the harmful side of faults that has been masked in a DC mode test.Keywords: analog circuits, analog faults diagnosis, catastrophic faults, fault detection
Procedia PDF Downloads 43419713 How Is a Machine-Translated Literary Text Organized in Coherence? An Analysis Based upon Theme-Rheme Structure
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With the ultimate goal to automatically generate translated texts with high quality, machine translation has made tremendous improvements. However, its translations of literary works are still plagued with problems in coherence, esp. the translation between distant language pairs. One of the causes of the problems is probably the lack of linguistic knowledge to be incorporated into the training of machine translation systems. In order to enable readers to better understand the problems of machine translation in coherence, to seek out the potential knowledge to be incorporated, and thus to improve the quality of machine translation products, this study applies Theme-Rheme structure to examine how a machine-translated literary text is organized and developed in terms of coherence. Theme-Rheme structure in Systemic Functional Linguistics is a useful tool for analysis of textual coherence. Theme is the departure point of a clause and Rheme is the rest of the clause. In a text, as Themes and Rhemes may be connected with each other in meaning, they form thematic and rhematic progressions throughout the text. Based on this structure, we can look into how a text is organized and developed in terms of coherence. Methodologically, we chose Chinese and English as the language pair to be studied. Specifically, we built a comparable corpus with two modes of English translations, viz. machine translation (MT) and human translation (HT) of one Chinese literary source text. The translated texts were annotated with Themes, Rhemes and their progressions throughout the texts. The annotated texts were analyzed from two respects, the different types of Themes functioning differently in achieving coherence, and the different types of thematic and rhematic progressions functioning differently in constructing texts. By analyzing and contrasting the two modes of translations, it is found that compared with the HT, 1) the MT features “pseudo-coherence”, with lots of ill-connected fragments of information using “and”; 2) the MT system produces a static and less interconnected text that reads like a list; these two points, in turn, lead to the less coherent organization and development of the MT than that of the HT; 3) novel to traditional and previous studies, Rhemes do contribute to textual connection and coherence though less than Themes do and thus are worthy of notice in further studies. Hence, the findings suggest that Theme-Rheme structure be applied to measuring and assessing the coherence of machine translation, to being incorporated into the training of the machine translation system, and Rheme be taken into account when studying the textual coherence of both MT and HT.Keywords: coherence, corpus-based, literary translation, machine translation, Theme-Rheme structure
Procedia PDF Downloads 19519712 Graph-Based Semantical Extractive Text Analysis
Authors: Mina Samizadeh
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In the past few decades, there has been an explosion in the amount of available data produced from various sources with different topics. The availability of this enormous data necessitates us to adopt effective computational tools to explore the data. This leads to an intense growing interest in the research community to develop computational methods focused on processing this text data. A line of study focused on condensing the text so that we are able to get a higher level of understanding in a shorter time. The two important tasks to do this are keyword extraction and text summarization. In keyword extraction, we are interested in finding the key important words from a text. This makes us familiar with the general topic of a text. In text summarization, we are interested in producing a short-length text which includes important information about the document. The TextRank algorithm, an unsupervised learning method that is an extension of the PageRank (algorithm which is the base algorithm of Google search engine for searching pages and ranking them), has shown its efficacy in large-scale text mining, especially for text summarization and keyword extraction. This algorithm can automatically extract the important parts of a text (keywords or sentences) and declare them as a result. However, this algorithm neglects the semantic similarity between the different parts. In this work, we improved the results of the TextRank algorithm by incorporating the semantic similarity between parts of the text. Aside from keyword extraction and text summarization, we develop a topic clustering algorithm based on our framework, which can be used individually or as a part of generating the summary to overcome coverage problems.Keywords: keyword extraction, n-gram extraction, text summarization, topic clustering, semantic analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 6119711 Sociodemographic Predictors of Flourishing among Older Adults in Rural and Urban Mongolia
Authors: Saranchuluun Otgon, Sugarmaa Myagmarjav, Khorolsuren Lkhagvasuren, Fabio Casati
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Background: Flourishing is a eudaimonic dimension of psychological well-being that has been associated with positive social and health-related outcomes. Determining the factors associated with health and well-being is important to the development of evidence-based intervention programs, policies, and action plans targeting the older adult population, especially in low- and middle-income countries, such as Mongolia, where evidence-based research on aging, health, and well-being is still scarce. This study makes important contributions to the study of well-being in later age and also to policy activities for the older population in Mongolia. Methods: We employed multiple regression models to predict the factors of flourishing using data from 304 older adults living in urban and rural Mongolia. Data is collected by the standardized and validated questionnaire adopted by Ed Diener. Results: The median score of the flourishing of urban and rural older adults in Mongolia was significantly different, 53 and 50, respectively. The sex (β = 2.52,p = 0.034), level of education(β = 0.94, p = 0.026), receive help for the activity of daily living (β = 2.16, p = 0.022) determine the flourishing of older adults living in a rural area, while self-reported health (β = 0.94, p = 0.026), the number of social activities, friends network determine to flourish of older adults living urban area. Conclusion: Older adults who live in urban areas have more psychological resources and strengths than those in rural areas. Determinants of flourishing are different in different settings. For instance, individual and family factors determine flourishing in rural areas, and social ties determine flourishing in urban areas.Keywords: flourishing, predictors, older adults, Mongolia, psychological well-being
Procedia PDF Downloads 12319710 Microbial Biogeography of Greek Olive Varieties Assessed by Amplicon-Based Metagenomics Analysis
Authors: Lena Payati, Maria Kazou, Effie Tsakalidou
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Table olives are one of the most popular fermented vegetables worldwide, which along with olive oil, have a crucial role in the world economy. They are highly appreciated by the consumers for their characteristic taste and pleasant aromas, while several health and nutritional benefits have been reported as well. Until recently, microbial biogeography, i.e., the study of microbial diversity over time and space, has been mainly associated with wine. However, nowadays, the term 'terroir' has been extended to other crops and food products so as to link the geographical origin and environmental conditions to quality aspects of fermented foods. Taking the above into consideration, the present study focuses on the microbial fingerprinting of the most important olive varieties of Greece with the state-of-the-art amplicon-based metagenomics analysis. Towards this, in 2019, 61 samples from 38 different olive varieties were collected at the final stage of ripening from 13 well spread geographical regions in Greece. For the metagenomics analysis, total DNA was extracted from the olive samples, and the 16S rRNA gene and ITS DNA region were sequenced and analyzed using bioinformatics tools for the identification of bacterial and yeasts/fungal diversity, respectively. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) was also performed for data clustering based on the average microbial composition of all samples from each region of origin. According to the composition, results obtained, when samples were analyzed separately, the majority of both bacteria (such as Pantoea, Enterobacter, Roserbergiella, and Pseudomonas) and yeasts/fungi (such as Aureobasidium, Debaromyces, Candida, and Cladosporium) genera identified were found in all 61 samples. Even though interesting differences were observed at the relative abundance level of the identified genera, the bacterial genus Pantoea and the yeast/fungi genus Aureobasidium were the dominant ones in 35 and 40 samples, respectively. Of note, olive samples collected from the same region had similar fingerprint (genera identified and relative abundance level) regardless of the variety, indicating a potential association between the relative abundance of certain taxa and the geographical region. When samples were grouped by region of origin, distinct bacterial profiles per region were observed, which was also evident from the PCA analysis. This was not the case for the yeast/fungi profiles since 10 out of the 13 regions were grouped together mainly due to the dominance of the genus Aureobasidium. A second cluster was formed for the islands Crete and Rhodes, both of which are located in the Southeast Aegean Sea. These two regions clustered together mainly due to the identification of the genus Toxicocladosporium in relatively high abundances. Finally, the Agrinio region was separated from the others as it showed a completely different microbial fingerprinting. However, due to the limited number of olive samples from some regions, a subsequent PCA analysis with more samples from these regions is expected to yield in a more clear clustering. The present study is part of a bigger project, the first of its kind in Greece, with the ultimate goal to analyze a larger set of olive samples of different varieties and from different regions in Greece in order to have a reliable olives’ microbial biogeography.Keywords: amplicon-based metagenomics analysis, bacteria, microbial biogeography, olive microbiota, yeasts/fungi
Procedia PDF Downloads 11019709 Engage, Connect, Empower: Agile Approach in the University Students' Education
Authors: D. Bjelica, T. Slavinski, V. Vukimrovic, D. Pavlovic, D. Bodroza, V. Dabetic
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Traditional methods and techniques used in higher education may be significantly persuasive on the university students' perception about quality of the teaching process. Students’ satisfaction with the university experience may be affected by chosen educational approaches. Contemporary project management trends recognize agile approaches' beneficial, so modern practice highlights their usage, especially in the IT industry. A key research question concerns the possibility of applying agile methods in youth education. As agile methodology pinpoint iteratively-incremental delivery of results, its employment could be remarkably fruitful in education. This paper demonstrates the agile concept's application in the university students’ education through the continuous delivery of student solutions. Therefore, based on the fundamental values and principles of the agile manifest, paper will analyze students' performance and learned lessons in their encounter with the agile environment. The research is based on qualitative and quantitative analysis that includes sprints, as preparation and realization of student tasks in shorter iterations. Consequently, the performance of student teams will be monitored through iterations, as well as the process of adaptive planning and realization. Grounded theory methodology has been used in this research, as so as descriptive statistics and Man Whitney and Kruskal Wallis test for group comparison. Developed constructs of the model will be showcase through qualitative research, then validated through a pilot survey, and eventually tested as a concept in the final survey. The paper highlights the variability of educational curricula based on university students' feedbacks, which will be collected at the end of every sprint and indicates to university students' satisfaction inconsistency according to approaches applied in education. Values delivered by the lecturers will also be continuously monitored; thus, it will be prioritizing in order to students' requests. Minimal viable product, as the early delivery of results, will be particularly emphasized in the implementation process. The paper offers both theoretical and practical implications. This research contains exceptional lessons that may be applicable by educational institutions in curriculum creation processes, or by lecturers in curriculum design and teaching. On the other hand, they can be beneficial regarding university students' satisfaction increscent in respect of teaching styles, gained knowledge, or even educational content.Keywords: academic performances, agile, high education, university students' satisfaction
Procedia PDF Downloads 12319708 Measuring Human Perception and Negative Elements of Public Space Quality Using Deep Learning: A Case Study of Area within the Inner Road of Tianjin City
Authors: Jiaxin Shi, Kaifeng Hao, Qingfan An, Zeng Peng
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Due to a lack of data sources and data processing techniques, it has always been difficult to quantify public space quality, which includes urban construction quality and how it is perceived by people, especially in large urban areas. This study proposes a quantitative research method based on the consideration of emotional health and physical health of the built environment. It highlights the low quality of public areas in Tianjin, China, where there are many negative elements. Deep learning technology is then used to measure how effectively people perceive urban areas. First, this work suggests a deep learning model that might simulate how people can perceive the quality of urban construction. Second, we perform semantic segmentation on street images to identify visual elements influencing scene perception. Finally, this study correlated the scene perception score with the proportion of visual elements to determine the surrounding environmental elements that influence scene perception. Using a small-scale labeled Tianjin street view data set based on transfer learning, this study trains five negative spatial discriminant models in order to explore the negative space distribution and quality improvement of urban streets. Then it uses all Tianjin street-level imagery to make predictions and calculate the proportion of negative space. Visualizing the spatial distribution of negative space along the Tianjin Inner Ring Road reveals that the negative elements are mainly found close to the five key districts. The map of Tianjin was combined with the experimental data to perform the visual analysis. Based on the emotional assessment, the distribution of negative materials, and the direction of street guidelines, we suggest guidance content and design strategy points of the negative phenomena in Tianjin street space in the two dimensions of perception and substance. This work demonstrates the utilization of deep learning techniques to understand how people appreciate high-quality urban construction, and it complements both theory and practice in urban planning. It illustrates the connection between human perception and the actual physical public space environment, allowing researchers to make urban interventions.Keywords: human perception, public space quality, deep learning, negative elements, street images
Procedia PDF Downloads 10519707 Biogeography Based CO2 and Cost Optimization of RC Cantilever Retaining Walls
Authors: Ibrahim Aydogdu, Alper Akin
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In this study, the development of minimizing the cost and the CO2 emission of the RC retaining wall design has been performed by Biogeography Based Optimization (BBO) algorithm. This has been achieved by developing computer programs utilizing BBO algorithm which minimize the cost and the CO2 emission of the RC retaining walls. Objective functions of the optimization problem are defined as the minimized cost, the CO2 emission and weighted aggregate of the cost and the CO2 functions of the RC retaining walls. In the formulation of the optimum design problem, the height and thickness of the stem, the length of the toe projection, the thickness of the stem at base level, the length and thickness of the base, the depth and thickness of the key, the distance from the toe to the key, the number and diameter of the reinforcement bars are treated as design variables. In the formulation of the optimization problem, flexural and shear strength constraints and minimum/maximum limitations for the reinforcement bar areas are derived from American Concrete Institute (ACI 318-14) design code. Moreover, the development length conditions for suitable detailing of reinforcement are treated as a constraint. The obtained optimum designs must satisfy the factor of safety for failure modes (overturning, sliding and bearing), strength, serviceability and other required limitations to attain practically acceptable shapes. To demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of the presented BBO algorithm, the optimum design example for retaining walls is presented and the results are compared to the previously obtained results available in the literature.Keywords: bio geography, meta-heuristic search, optimization, retaining wall
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