Search results for: research evaluation

Authors: Web Huei Chou, Li Yi Chun, Wenwe Yu, Han Teng Weng, H. Yuan, T. Yang

Abstract:

The prevalence of dementia is estimated to rise to 78 million by 2030 and 139 million by 2050. Among those affected, Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, contributing to 60–70% of cases. Addressing this growing challenge is crucial, especially considering the impact on older individuals and their caregivers. To reduce the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, people with dementia use a variety of pharmaceutical and non-pharmacological treatments, and some studies have found the use of non-pharmacological interventions. Treatment of depression, cognitive function, and social activities has potential benefits. Butler developed reminiscence therapy as a method of treating dementia. Through ‘life review,’ individuals can recall their past events, activities, and experiences, which can reduce the depression of the elderly and improve their Quality of life to help give meaning to their lives and help them live independently. The life review process uses a variety of memory triggers, such as household items, past objects, photos, and music, and can be conducted collectively or individually and structured or unstructured. However, despite the advantages of nostalgia therapy, past research has always pointed out that current research lacks rigorous experimental evaluation and cannot describe clear research results and generalizability. Therefore, this study aims to study physiological sensing experiments to find a feasible experimental and verification method to provide clearer design and design specifications for reminiscence therapy and to provide a more widespread application for healthy aging. This study is an ongoing research project, a collaboration between the School of Design at Yunlin University of Science and Technology in Taiwan and the Department of Medical Engineering at Chiba University in Japan. We use traditional rice dishes from Taiwan and Japan as nostalgic content to construct a narrative structure for the elderly in the two countries respectively for life review activities, providing an easy-to-carry nostalgic therapy game with an intuitive interactive design. This experiment is expected to be completed in 36 months. The design team constructed and designed the game after conducting literary and historical data surveys and interviews with elders to confirm the nostalgic historical data in Taiwan and Japan. The Japanese team planned the Electrodermal Activity (EDA) and Blood Volume Pulse (BVP) experimental environments and Data calculation model, and then after conducting experiments on elderly people in two places, the research results were analyzed and discussed together. The research has completed the first 24 months of pre-study, design work, and pre-study and has entered the project acceptance stage.

Keywords: reminiscence therapy, aging health, design research, life review

Procedia PDF Downloads 32

Authors: Àidan Higgins

Abstract:

Higher education will be crucial in the coming decades in helping to make Ireland a nation is known for innovation, competitive enterprise, and ongoing academic success, as well as a desirable location to live and work with a high quality of life, vibrant culture, and inclusive social structures. Higher education institutions will actively connect with each student community, society, and business; they will help students develop a sense of place and identity in Ireland and provide the tools they need to contribute significantly to the global community. It will also serve as a catalyst for novel ideas through research, many of which will become the foundation for long-lasting inventive businesses in the future as part of the 2030 National Strategy on Education focuses on change and developing our education system with a focus on how we carry out Research. The emphasis is central to knowledge transfer and a consistent research framework with exploiting opportunities and having the necessary expertise. The newly formed Technological Universities (TU) in Ireland are based on a government initiative to create a new type of higher education institution that focuses on applied and industry-focused research and education. The basis of the TU is to bring together two or more existing institutes of technology to create a larger and more comprehensive institution that offers a wider range of programs and services to students and industry partners. The TU model aims to promote collaboration between academia, industry, and community organizations to foster innovation, research, and economic development. The TU model also aims to enhance the student experience by providing a more seamless pathway from undergraduate to postgraduate studies, as well as greater opportunities for work placements and engagement with industry partners. Additionally, the TUs are designed to provide a greater emphasis on applied research, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship, with the goal of fostering innovation and contributing to economic growth. A project is a collection of organised tasks carried out precisely to produce a singular output (product or service) within a given time frame. Project management is a set of activities that facilitates the successful implementation of a project. The significant differences between research and development projects are the (lack of) precise requirements and (the inability to) plan an outcome from the beginning of the project. The evaluation criteria for a research project must consider these and other "particularities" in works; for instance, proving something cannot be done may be a successful outcome. This study intends to explore how a newly established multi-campus technological university manages research projects effectively. The study will identify the potential and difficulties of managing research projects, the tools, resources and processes available in a multi-campus Technological University context and the methods and approaches employed to deal with these difficulties. Key stakeholders like project managers, academics, and administrators will be surveyed as part of the study, which will also involve an explorative investigation of current literature and data. The findings of this study will contribute significantly to creating best practices for project management in this setting and offer insightful information about the efficient management of research projects within a multi-campus technological university.

Keywords: project management, research and research-related projects, multi-campus technology university, processes

Procedia PDF Downloads 60

Authors: Jonggeon Lee, Sungho Tae, Sungjoon Suk, Keunhyeok Yang, George Ford, Michael E. Smith, Omidreza Shoghli

Abstract:

In recent years, research to reduce carbon emissions through quantitative assessment of building life cycle carbon emissions has been performed as it relates to the construction industry. However, most research efforts related to building carbon emissions assessment have been focused on evaluation during the operational phase of a building’s life span. Few comprehensive studies of the carbon emissions during a building’s construction phase have been performed. The purpose of this study is to propose an assessment method that quantitatively evaluates the carbon emissions of buildings during the construction phase. The study analysed the amount of carbon emissions produced by 17 construction trades, and selected four construction trades that result in high levels of carbon emissions: reinforced concrete work; sheathing work; foundation work; and form work. Building materials, and construction and transport equipment used for the selected construction trades were identified, and carbon emissions produced by the identified materials and equipment were calculated for these four construction trades. The energy consumption of construction and transport equipment was calculated by analysing fuel efficiency and equipment productivity rates. The combination of the expected levels of carbon emissions associated with the utilization of building materials and construction equipment provides means for estimating the quantity of carbon emissions related to the construction phase of a building’s life cycle. The proposed carbon emissions assessment method was validated by case studies.

Keywords: building construction phase, carbon emissions assessment, building life cycle

Procedia PDF Downloads 751

Authors: Marcio S. da Silva, Jose Mauricio de B. Bezerra, Antonio E. de A. Nogueira

Abstract:

This paper aims to make a performance analysis of shield wire transmission lines against atmospheric discharges when it is made the option of sectioning the shield wire and verify if the tolerability of the change. As a goal of this work, it was established to make complete modeling of a transmission line in the ATPDraw program with shield wire grounded in all the towers and in some towers. The methodology used to make the proposed evaluation was to choose an actual transmission line that served as a case study. From the choice of transmission line and verification of all its topology and materials, complete modeling of the line using the ATPDraw software was performed. Then several atmospheric discharges were simulated by striking the grounded shield wires in each tower. These simulations served to identify the behavior of the existing line against atmospheric discharges. After this first analysis, the same line was reconsidered with shield wire segmentation. The shielding wire segmentation technique aims to reduce induced losses in shield wires and is adopted in some transmission lines in Brazil. With the same conditions of atmospheric discharge the transmission line, this time with shield wire segmentation was again evaluated. The results obtained showed that it is possible to obtain similar performances against atmospheric discharges between a shield wired line in multiple towers and the same line with shield wire segmentation if some precautions are adopted as verification of the ground resistance of the wire segmented shield, adequacy of the maximum length of the segmented gap, evaluation of the separation length of the electrodes of the insulator spark, among others. As a conclusion, it is verified that since the correct assessment and adopted the correct criteria of adjustment a transmission line with shielded wire segmentation can perform very similar to the traditional use with multiple earths. This solution contributes in a very important way to the reduction of energy losses in transmission lines.

Keywords: atmospheric discharges, ATPDraw, shield wire, transmission lines

Procedia PDF Downloads 169

Authors: Ezedin Geta Seid

Abstract:

Slope failures are among the common geo-environmental natural hazards in the hilly and mountainous terrain of the world causing damages to human life and destruction of infrastructures. In Ethiopia, the demand for the construction of infrastructures, especially highways and railways, has increased to connect the developmental centers. However, the failure of roadside slopes formed due to the difficulty of geographical locations is the major difficulty for this development. As a result, a comprehensive site-specific investigation of destabilizing agents and a suitable selection of slope profiles are needed during design. Hence, this study emphasized the stability analysis and performance evaluation of slope profiles (single slope, multi-slope, and benched slope). The analysis was conducted for static and dynamic loading conditions using limit equilibrium (slide software) and finite element method (Praxis software). The analysis results in selected critical sections show that the slope is marginally stable, with FS varying from 1.2 to 1.5 in static conditions, and unstable with FS below 1 in dynamic conditions. From the comparison of analysis methods, the finite element method provides more valuable information about the failure surface of a slope than limit equilibrium analysis. Performance evaluation of geometric profiles shows that geometric modification provides better and more economical slope stability. Benching provides significant stability for cut slopes (i.e., the use of 2m and 3m bench improves the factor of safety by 7.5% and 12% from a single slope profile). The method is more effective on steep slopes. Similarly, the use of a multi-slope profile improves the stability of the slope in stratified soil with varied strength. The performance is more significant when it is used in combination with benches. The study also recommends drainage control and slope reinforcement as a remedial measure for cut slopes.

Keywords: slope failure, slope profile, bench slope, multi slope

Procedia PDF Downloads 31

Authors: Arash Jafari, Somaye Bahrami, Mohammad Hossein Razi Jalali

Abstract:

The aim of this study was the isolation and identification of excretory-secretory and somatic antigens from D. dendriticum by SDS-PAGE and evaluation of humeral immune response against these antigens. The sera of infected sheep with different infection degrees were collected. Somatic and ES proteins were isolated with SDS PAGE. Immunogenicity properties of the resulting proteins were determined using western blot analysis. The total extract of somatic antigens analysed by SDS-PAGE revealed 21 proteins. In mild infection, bands of 130 KDa were immune dominant. In moderate infections 48, 80 and 130 KDa and in heavy infections 48, 60, 80, 130 KDa were detected as immune dominant bands. In ES antigens, mild infection 130 KDa, in moderate infection 100, 120 and 130 KDa and in heavy infection 45, 80, 85, 100, 120 and 130 KDa were immune dominant bands. The most immunogenic protein band during different degrees of infection was 130KDa.

Keywords: Dicrocoelium dendriticum excretory-secretory antigens, somatic antigens, western blot

Procedia PDF Downloads 602

Authors: Emmanuel Okechukwu Nwafor, Folake Olubunmi Akintayo, Denis Alcides Rezende

Abstract:

Decision tree models are versatile and interpretable machine learning algorithms widely used for both classification and regression tasks, which can be related to cities, whether physical or digital. The aim of this research is to assess how well decision tree algorithms can predict trip purposes in Makurdi, Nigeria, while also exploring their connection to the strategic digital city initiative. The research methodology involves formalizing household demographic and trips information datasets obtained from extensive survey process. Modelling and Prediction were achieved using Python Programming Language and the evaluation metrics like R-squared and mean absolute error were used to assess the decision tree algorithm's performance. The results indicate that the model performed well, with accuracies of 84% and 68%, and low MAE values of 0.188 and 0.314, on training and validation data, respectively. This suggests the model can be relied upon for future prediction. The conclusion reiterates that This model will assist decision-makers, including urban planners, transportation engineers, government officials, and commuters, in making informed decisions on transportation planning and management within the framework of a strategic digital city. Its application will enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and overall quality of transportation services in Makurdi, Nigeria.

Keywords: decision tree algorithm, trip purpose, intelligent transport, strategic digital city, travel pattern, sustainable transport

Procedia PDF Downloads 20

Authors: Khalid Almarri

Abstract:

The UAE is currently developing a peaceful nuclear energy program as part of its low Carbon energy strategy to meet future energy demands. Research of nuclear energy technologies is required to support nuclear energy generation projects and maximize their performance. Research of this type will require building an operating a research reactor (RR), a costly undertaking in most circumstances. Collaboration between government and private parties through public, private partnerships (PPP) can maximize the benefits expected from the adoption of an RR project. The aim of this research is to establish the critical success factors (CSF) for developing an RR project for newcomer countries, with the UAE taken as a case study, through the utilization of public, private partnerships (PPP). The results of this study were arrived at through the use of semi-structured interviews conducted with ten experts in the field of research reactors, using grounded theory method. Underutilization was identified as the main stumbling block that impairs the success of research reactors.

Keywords: public private partnerships, research reactors, grounded theory, critical success factors

Procedia PDF Downloads 280

Authors: Davoud Khodadadi Dehkordi

Abstract:

This research was planned in order to study the effect of drought stress and different levels of Superabsorbent and their effect on grain yield, biologic yield and harvest index. In this study, 3 different depths of irrigation were considered as the main treatment I1, I2, I3 as 100, 75 and 50 percent of water requirement of plants respectively and different levels of Superabsorbent were used as secondary treatment (S0, S1, S2 and S3, equal to 0 (control), 15, 30 and 45 gr/m2 respectively). According to the results, independent effects of irrigation and Superabsorbent treatments at 1% level on biologic and grain yield of corn were significant. In addition, independent effect of irrigation treatments at 5% level on harvest index was significant. But independent effect of Superabsorbent treatments on harvest index was not significant.

Keywords: corn, deficit irrigation, superabsorbent, yield

Procedia PDF Downloads 360

Authors: Dalu Zhang, Xiang Jin, Dejiang Zhou, Jianpeng Wang, Haiying Jiang

Abstract:

Traditional TCP/IP network is showing lots of shortages and research for future networks is becoming a hotspot. FIA (Future Internet Architecture) and FIA-NP (Next Phase) are supported by US NSF for future Internet designing. Moreover, virtual machine migration is a significant technique in cloud computing. As a network application, it should also be supported in XIA (expressive Internet Architecture), which is in both FIA and FIA-NP projects. This paper is an experimental study aims at verifying the feasibility of VM migration over XIA. We present three ways to maintain VM connectivity and communication states concerning DAG design and routing table modification. VM migration experiments are conducted intra-AD and inter-AD with KVM instances. The procedure is achieved by a migration control protocol which is suitable for the characters of XIA. Evaluation results show that our solutions can well supports full live VM migration over XIA network respectively, keeping services seamless.

Keywords: DAG, downtime, virtual machine migration, XIA

Procedia PDF Downloads 855

Authors: Adel A. Ghobbar, Ahmad Bakkar

Abstract:

Although special care is given to maintenance, aircraft systems fail, and these failures cause delays and cancellations. The occurrence of Delays and Cancellations affects operators and manufacturers negatively. To reduce technical delays and cancellations, one should be able to determine the important systems causing them. The goal of this research is to find a method to define the most expensive delays and cancellations systems for Airline operators. A predictive model was introduced to forecast the failure and their impact after carrying out research that identifies relevant information to tackle the problems faced while answering the questions of this paper. Data were obtained from the manufacturers’ services reliability team database. Subsequently, delays and cancellations evaluation methods were identified. No cost estimation methods were used due to their complexity. The model was developed, and it takes into account the frequency of delays and cancellations and uses weighting factors to give an indication of the severity of their duration. The weighting factors are based on customer experience. The data Analysis approach has shown that delays and cancellations events are not seasonal and do not follow any specific trends. The use of weighting factor does have an influence on the shortlist over short periods (Monthly) but not the analyzed period of three years. Landing gear and the navigation system are among the top 3 factors causing delays and cancellations for all three aircraft types. The results did confirm that the cooperation between certain operators and manufacture reduce the impact of delays and cancellations.

Keywords: reliability, availability, delays & cancellations, aircraft maintenance

Procedia PDF Downloads 132

Authors: Mohammed A. Hajeeh

Abstract:

Pumping systems are an integral part of water desalination plants, their effective functioning is vital for the operation of a plant. In this research work, the reliability and availability of pressurized pumps in a reverse osmosis desalination plant are studied with the objective of finding configurations that provides optimal performance. Six configurations of a series system with different number of warm and cold standby components were examined. Closed form expressions for the mean time to failure (MTTF) and the long run availability are derived and compared under the assumption that the time between failures and repair times of the primary and standby components are exponentially distributed. Moreover, a cost/ benefit analysis is conducted in order to identify a configuration with the best performance and least cost. It is concluded that configurations with cold standby components are preferable especially when the pumps are of the size.

Keywords: availability, cost/benefit, mean time to failure, pumps

Procedia PDF Downloads 283

Authors: V. Argyropoulos, M. Nikolaraizi, K. Tanou

Abstract:

There is little available information concerning the cognitive and communicative abilities of the people who are deaf-blind. This mainly stems from the general inadequacy of existing assessment instruments employed with deafblind individuals. Although considerable variability exists with regard to cognitive capacities of the deaf-blind, careful examination of the literature reveals that the majority of these persons suffer from significant deficits in cognitive and adaptive functioning. The few reports available primarily are case studies, narrative program descriptions, or position papers by workers in the field. Without the objective verification afforded by controlled research, specialists in psychology, education, and other rehabilitation services must rely on personal speculations or biases to guide their decisions in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of services to deaf-blind children and adults. This paper highlights the framework and discusses the results of an action research network. The aim of this study was twofold: a) to describe and analyse the different ways in which a student with deafblindness approached a number of developmental issues such as novel tasks, exploration and manipulation of objects, reactions to social stimuli, motor coordination, and quality of play and b) to map the appropriate functional approach for the specific student that could be used to develop strategies for classroom participation and socialization. The persons involved in this collaborative action research scheme were general teachers, a school counsellor, academic staff and student teachers. Rating scales and checklists were used to gather information in natural activities and settings, and additional data were also obtained through interviews with the educators of the student. The findings of this case study indicated that there is a great need to focus on the development of effective intervention strategies. The results showed that the identification of positive reinforcers for this population might represent an important and challenging aspect of behaviour programmes. Finally, the findings suggest that additional empirical work is needed to increase attention to methodological and social validity issues.

Keywords: action research, cognitive and communicative abilities, deafblindness, effective strategies

Procedia PDF Downloads 185

Authors: Tahere Fazilat

Abstract:

Caspian red deer or maral (Cervus elaphus maral) is the largest type of deer in iran. Maral in the past has lived in the north forests of Iran from the Caspian sea coast, Alborz mountains chain and oak forest of Zagros margin from the Azarbaijan up to fars province. However, the generation of them was completely destroyed in the north west and west of Iran. According to reports about 50 years and out of reach of humans. In the present studies, data were collected from 2004 to 2014 in the Mazandaran state Hyrcanian forest by means of guard of environment and justiciary office of department of environment of Mazandaran in this process the all arrested illegal hunting of red deer and the population census, estimation and the correlation of these data was assayed. We provide a first evaluation of how suitable these methods are by comparing the results with population estimates obtained using cohort analysis, and by analyzing the within-season variation in number of seen deer. The data gave us the future of red deer in northern forest of Iran and the results of policy of department of environment in Iran in red deer conservation.

Keywords: illegal hunting, red deer, census, concervation

Procedia PDF Downloads 552

Authors: Jerome D. Donovan

Abstract:

The pandemic has resulted in a dramatic re-consideration of the reliance on international student fees to support university models in Australia. A key resulting initiative for the Australian Federal Government has been shifting the way universities consider their research model, emphasising the importance of commercialising research. This study specifically examines this shift from the perspective of a university spin-off, examining how university support structures and incubation models have assisted in the translation of fundamental research into a high-growth university spin-off. A focused case study approach is adopted in this study, using an auto-ethnographic research method to document the experiences and insights drawn from being a co-founder in a university spin-off in a time where research commercialisation has emerged as a central focus in Australian universities.

Keywords: research commercialisation, spin-offs, university incubation, entrepreneurship

Procedia PDF Downloads 81

Authors: Kamel Abdelaziz Mohamed

Abstract:

Intoduction:Inadequate knowledge about obstetric admission and infrequent dealing with the obstetric patients in ICU results in high mortality and morbidity. Aim of the work:To evaluate the indications, course, severity of illness, and outcome of obstetric patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Patients and Methods: We collected baseline data and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) scores. ICU mortality was the primary outcome. Results: Seventy obstetric patients were admitted to the ICU over 3 years, 36 of these patients (51.4 %) were admitted during the antepartum period. The primary obstetric indication for ICU admission was pregnancy-induced hypertension (22 patients, 31.4%), followed by sepsis (8 patients, 11.4%) as the leading non-obstetric admission. The mean APACHE II score was 19.6. The predicted mortality rate based on the APACHE II score was 22%, however, only 4 maternal deaths (5.7%) were among the obstetric patients admitted to the ICU. Conclusion: Evaluation of obstetric patients by (APACHE II) scores showed higher predicted mortality rate, however the overall mortality was lower. Regular follow up, together with early detection of complications and prompt ICU admission necessitating proper management by specialized team can improve mortality.

Keywords: obstetric, complication, postpartum, sepsis

Procedia PDF Downloads 307

Authors: Eru Ihie Joel

Abstract:

This study was carried out to investigate the influence of information technology on financial management practice in secondary schools for transformation. In Zone C Senatorial District of Benue state. The study answered four research questions and tested four hypotheses. Related literature was reviewed to show the gap to be filled in the study. The population was 196 respondents made up of principals and finance clerks of secondary schools. The descriptive survey was adopted for the study. A structured 20 item questionnaire (IITFMPSQ) was constructed and used to collect date for the study. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistic. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the research question while the chi- square (x2) test of goodness of fit was used to test the hypothesis. The major findings revealed that the use of computer system significantly influences budgeting in secondary schools in zone senatorial district of Benue State for transformation. It was also established that the use of internet facilities influences the funding of secondary schools for transformation in the zone. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among other things that administrators and teachers in schools should be trained to make effective use of the computer in budgeting so as to facilitate delegations, control, evaluation, accountability for transformation. It was further suggested that the study be replicated on the effective use of information communication teaching (ITC) in teaching and learning in secondary school for transformation.

Keywords: influence, finance, management, technology

Procedia PDF Downloads 363

Authors: Abenezer Nigussie

Abstract:

Strategic control practice is a critical exercise, as it provides a sturdy influence towards firms or production partners to achieve the full implementation of effective predetermined plans. The importance of strategic control in a company is often measured by observing the relationship between strategic management and organizational performance. The conventional philosophy of strategic control in academia and the industry places significant emphasis on the ability to plan and execute initiatives. In contrast, the same emphasis on strategic management has received less attention in the housing industry. Although the pressures of project performance can often obscure the wider social, economic, and professional context in which strategic management is undertaken, it is these broad contextual areas that make strategic control a vital issue for construction businesses. Rapidly changing social and technological issues are creating an informed environment that will appear very different in the coming decades from what is experienced in today’s companies. Construction project activity is not adequately led by strategic management tools; projects are mostly executed through simple plans and schedules. The issues that this thesis addresses and solves involve the successful accompaniment of the construction project process through these strategic management tools. The second important aspect is an evaluation of project activity, which is mostly done through simple economic and technical valuation. However, during this research, effective strategic management tools are evaluated and suggested for the assessment of project activities. The research introduces a study of the current strategic management practices of construction companies and also presents the concept of strategic management and the areas that companies need to address to compete in the global market. A summary of an industry survey is documented along with the historical research that prompted the investigation of these topics with a focus on the implementation of tools. Strategic management is a concept that concerns making decisions and taking corrective actions to achieve the future goals and objectives of a company. The objective of this paper is to review the practice of strategic management in construction companies. Questionnaires were distributed to major construction companies listed under categories of each project capable of specifying the complete expression of strategic management tools. Findings of the research showed that the majority of development companies practice strategic management tools in the process and implementation of each tool.

Keywords: strategic management, management, analysis, project management

Procedia PDF Downloads 67

Authors: J. O. Idoko, I. Nwajiaku

Abstract:

Unripe and ripe plantain were dried and milled into flour and used with wheat flour in biscuit production to determine the best plantain-wheat composite flour for biscuit production. The blends as follows: 100% wheat flour, 100% ripe plantain flour, 100% unripe plantain flour, 50% wheat flour and 50% ripe plantain flour and 50% wheat flour and 50% unripe plantain flour. The Biscuit samples were stored at ambient temperature for 8 weeks after which the equilibrium moisture content and water activity were determined. The sensory evaluation of the biscuit samples was also determined. The results of these analyses showed 100% unripe plantain flour as the most stable of the biscuit samples judging from its equilibrium moisture content level of 0.32% and water activity of 0.62. The sensory evaluation results showed Biscuit made from 150:50 ripe plantain and wheat flour as most generally accepted at 5% level of significance.

Keywords: biscuit, equilibrium moisture content, performance, plantain, water activity

Procedia PDF Downloads 214

Authors: Mohamad Nizam Asmuni, Ahmad Naszeri Salleh, Yunus Adam, Azhar Yaacob, Mohd Hafiz Rosli, Muhamad Nazrul Hakim Abdullah

Abstract:

Athletes at the school should have good physical fitness to participate in tournament. Currently, there are no standards for the level of physical fitness for MARA Junior Science Collage (MJSC). Therefore, this research is to determine the level of physical fitness of rugby player at MJSC. A total of 62 samples (age 16.4 ± 0.75) among rugby players at MJSC were randomly selected to participate in this study. Height, weight, body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI) and other physical testing are measured and recorded. The results showed that the average of body mass index (BMI) for rugby players is 23.4 ± 4:51. Body mass index (BMI) of rugby players can be categorized as pre-obese based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. BMI for rugby players was categorized as healthy based on body fat ranges for standard adults at NY Obesity Research Center. Bleep test results show that the average Bleep test is level 7 and shuttle 5; average VO2max was 37.94 L/min. Physical fitness and performance of rugby players at MJSC is lower compared to the rugby junior athletes in University Putra Malaysia (UPM). Therefore, physical fitness of rugby players must be improved to ensure the rugby players at MJSC could be performs better in the tournament.

Keywords: physical fitness, MARA junior science collage (MJSC), body mass index (BMI), bleep test

Procedia PDF Downloads 482

Authors: Peng Li, Er-xiang Song

Abstract:

Numerical analysis of longitudinal tunnel seismic response due to spatial variation of earthquake ground motion is an important issue that cannot be ignored in the design and safety evaluation of tunnel structures. In this paper, numerical methods for analysis of tunnel longitudinal response under asynchronous seismic wave is extensively studied, including the improvement of the 1D time-domain finite element method, three dimensional numerical simulation technique for the site asynchronous earthquake response as well as the 3-D soil-tunnel structure interaction analysis. The study outcome will be beneficial to aid further research on the nonlinear meticulous numerical analysis and seismic response mechanism of tunnel structures under asynchronous earthquake motion.

Keywords: asynchronous input, longitudinal seismic response, tunnel structure, numerical simulation, traveling wave effect

Procedia PDF Downloads 437

Authors: Husham Mahmood Ahmed

Abstract:

For so many reasons, fresh water scarcity is one of major problems facing the world and in particularly in the third world in the Northern Africa, the Middle East, the Southwest of Asia, and many other desert areas. Solar distillation offers one of the most promising solutions of renewable energy to this aggravated situation. The main obstacle hindering the spread of the use of solar technology for fresh water production is its low efficiency. Therefore, enhancing the solar stills performances by studying the parameters affecting their productivity and implementing new ideas and a different design are the main goals of the investigators in recent years. The present research is experimental work that tests a new design of solar still with a hemispherical top cover for water desalination with and without external reflectors under the climate of the Kingdom of Bahrain during the autumn season. The hemispherical cover has a base diameter of 1m and a depth of 0.4m, die cast from a 6 mm thick Lexan plastic sheet. The net effective area was 0.785 m2. It has been found that the average daily production rate obtained from the hemispherical top cover solar still is 3.610 liter/day. This yield is 11.1% higher than the yield of a conventional simple type single slope solar still having 20ᴼ slope glass cover and a larger effective area of 1 m2 obtained in previous research under similar climatic conditions. It has also been found that adding 1.2m long by 0.15 curved reflectors increased the yield of the hemispherical solar still by 5.5 %, while the 1.2 long by 0.3m curved reflector increased the yield by about 8%.

Keywords: hemispherical solar still, solar desalination, solar energy, the Northern Africa

Procedia PDF Downloads 393

Authors: Matthew J. Zagumny

Abstract:

The current study reports an examination of the QUEST-25 (Q-Assessment of Undergraduate Epistemology and Scientific Thinking) online version for assessing the dispositional attitudes toward scientific thinking and intellectual curiosity among undergraduate students. The QUEST-25 consists of scientific thinking (SIQ-25) and intellectual curiosity (ICIQ-25), which were correlated in hypothesized directions with the Religious Commitment Inventory, Curiosity and Exploration Inventory, Belief in Science scale, and measures of academic self-efficacy. Additionally, concurrent validity was established by the resulting significant differences between those identifying the centrality of religious belief in their lives and those who do not self-identify as being guided daily by religious beliefs. This study demonstrates the utility of the QUEST-25 for research, evaluation, and theory development.

Keywords: guided-inquiry learning, intellectual curiosity, psychometric assessment, scientific thinking

Procedia PDF Downloads 262

Authors: Bet El Silisna Lagarense, Agustinus Walansendow

Abstract:

Manado Waterfront Development (MWD) occurs along the coastline of the city to meet the communities’ various needs and interests. Manado waterfront, with its various kinds of tourist attractions, is being developed to strengthen opportunities for both tourism and other businesses. There are many buildings that are used for trade and business purposes. The spatial distributions of tourism, commercial and residential land uses overlap. Field research at the study site consisted desktop scan, questionnaire-based survey, observation and in-depth interview with key informants and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) identified how MWD was initially planned and designed in the whole process of decision making in terms of resource and environmental management particularly for the waterfront tourism development in the long run. The study developed a clustered-based model for waterfront urban tourism in Manado through evaluation of spatial distribution of tourism uses along the waterfront.

Keywords: clustered-based model, Manado, urban tourism, waterfront

Procedia PDF Downloads 294

Authors: Shima Mahmoudi, Setareh Mamishi, Babak Pourakbari, Majid Marjani

Abstract:

In the last years, the potential role of distinct T-cell subsets as biomarkers of active tuberculosis TB and/or latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) has been studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of interleukin-2 (IL-2) in whole blood stimulated with M. tuberculosis-specific antigens in the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In Tube (QFT-G-IT) for the discrimination of active and latent tuberculosis. After 72-h of stimulation by antigens from the QFT-G-IT assay, IL-2 secretion was quantitated in supernatants by using ELISA (Mabtech AB, Sweden). Observing the level of IL-2 released after 72-h of incubation, we found that the level of IL-2 were significantly higher in LTBI group than in patients with active TB infection or control group (P value=0.019, Kruskal–Wallis test). The discrimination performance (assessed by the area under ROC curve) between LTBI and patients with active TB was 0.816 (95%CI: 0.72-0.97). Maximum discrimination was reached at a cut-off of 13.9 pg/mL for IL-2 following stimulation with 82% sensitivity and 86% specificity. In conclusion, although cytokine analysis has greatly contributed to the understanding of TB pathogenesis, data on cytokine profiles that might distinguish progression from latency of TB infection are scarce and even controversial. Our data indicate that the concomitant evaluation of IFN- γ and IL-2 could be instrumental in discriminating of active and latent TB infection.

Keywords: interleukin-2, discrimination, active TB, latent TB

Procedia PDF Downloads 408

Authors: M. Shaheed Hartley

Abstract:

There has been increasing pressure on education researchers and practitioners at higher education institutions to focus on the development of South Africa’s rural and peri-urban communities and improving their quality of life. Many tertiary institutions are obliged to review their outreach interventions in schools. To ensure that the support provided to schools is still relevant, a systemic evaluation of science educator needs is central to this process. These prioritised needs will serve as guide not only for the outreach projects of tertiary institutions, but also to service providers in general so that the process of addressing educators needs become coordinated, organised and delivered in a systemic manner. This paper describes one area of a broader needs assessment exercise to collect data regarding the needs of educators in a district of 45 secondary schools in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. This research focuses on the needs and challenges faced by science educators at these schools as articulated by the relevant stakeholders. The objectives of this investigation are two-fold: (1) to create a data base that will capture the needs and challenges identified by science educators of the selected secondary schools; and (2) to develop a needs profile for each of the participating secondary schools that will serve as a strategic asset to be shared with the various service providers as part of a community of practice whose core business is to support science educators and science education at large. The data was collected by a means of a needs assessment questionnaire (NAQ) which was developed in both actual and preferred versions. An open-ended questionnaire was also administered which allowed teachers to express their views. The categories of the questionnaire were predetermined by participating researchers, educators and education department officials. Group interviews were also held with the science teachers at each of the schools. An analysis of the data revealed important trends in terms of science educator needs and identified schools that can be clustered around priority needs, logistic reasoning and educator profiles. The needs database also provides opportunity for the community of practice to strategise and coordinate their interventions.

Keywords: needs assessment, science and mathematics education, evaluation, teaching and learning, South Africa

Procedia PDF Downloads 182

Authors: Roseline Chizoba Onuoha, Rose Ngozi Uzoka

Abstract:

This study aimed at investigating perceived effect of physical exercise on healthy well-being of pregnant mothers in Imo state. The study was guided by three research questions and three null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study was a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design involving pre and post tests. A sample of 92 pregnant women drawn from a total population of 922 registered pregnant women in ten randomly selected health centers in Imo State through multistage sampling technique was used. A 41 item structured instrument titled Physical Exercise Pregnancy Test (PEPT) was used for the study. The PEPT was validated by three experts from measurement and evaluation, educational psychology and health education. Crombach Alpha method was used to determine the reliability of Physical Exercise Pregnancy Test (PEPT) and reliability index of 0.82 was obtained. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions; while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used in analyzing the hypotheses. Findings of the study revealed that physical exercise affects physical, social and emotional wellbeing scores of pregnant women. The study also indicated that intervention using physical exercise significantly enhanced healthy well-being scores of pregnant mothers who were exposed to physical exercise than those who received conventional health talks; Location has no significant interaction effect on the mean well-being scores of pregnant women via PEPT. Among recommendations made were that pregnant women should participate in physical exercise.

Keywords: educational psychology, Imo state, Physical exercise, pregnant women

Procedia PDF Downloads 136

Authors: Hussein Abbas Jebur, Yasir Abd Ulrazzaq

Abstract:

This study was carried out at the farm of El-Gemmaiza Agriculture Research Station, El-Garbia Governorate Egypt, to determine the performance characteristics of an agricultural transport. The performance of this transportation was compared between three surfaces (asphalt, dusty and field). The study was concentrated on the rate of drawbar pull, slip ratio, tractive efficiency and specific energy per unit area. The comparison was made under three different surfaces (asphalt, dusty and field), different traveling speeds from (3.38 to 6.55 km/h) and variable weights (0 and 300 kg). The results showed that the highest value of the tractive efficiency 60.20% was obtained at traveling speed 4.00 km/h with weight on the rear wheel on the asphalt surface. The highest value of specific energy 1.93 kW.h/ton during use of ballast on rear tractor wheels at traveling speed 3.38 km/h on the field surface.

Keywords: tractor, energy, transportation, weight, power

Procedia PDF Downloads 288

Authors: Mst. Tuhin Akter, Sharun Akter Khushbu, S. M. Shaqib

Abstract:

A real-time system architecture is highly effective for monitoring and detecting various damaged products or fruits that may deteriorate over time or become infected with diseases. Deep learning models have proven to be effective in building such architectures. However, building a deep learning model from scratch is a time-consuming and costly process. A more efficient solution is to utilize deep neural network (DNN) based transfer learning models in the real-time monitoring architecture. This study focuses on using a novel strawberry dataset to develop effective transfer learning models for the proposed real-time monitoring system architecture, specifically for evaluating and detecting strawberry freshness. Several state-of-the-art transfer learning models were employed, and the best performing model was found to be Xception, demonstrating higher performance across evaluation metrics such as accuracy, recall, precision, and F1-score.

Keywords: strawberry freshness evaluation, deep neural network, transfer learning, image augmentation

Procedia PDF Downloads 90

Authors: Alpesh Adeshara, Rajendrasinh Jadeja, Praghnesh Bhatt

Abstract:

Implementation of advanced technologies requires sophisticated instruments that deal with the operation, control, restoration and protection of rapidly growing power system network under normal and abnormal conditions. Presently, the applications of Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) are widely found in real time operation, monitoring, controlling and analysis of power system network as it eliminates the various limitations of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA) conventionally used in power system. The use of PMU data is very rapidly increasing its importance for online and offline analysis. Wide Area Measurement System (WAMS) is developed as new technology by use of multiple PMUs in power system. The present paper proposes a model of MATLAB based PMU using Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) algorithm and evaluation of its operation under different contingencies. In this paper, PMU based two bus system having WAMS network is presented as a case study.

Keywords: GPS global positioning system, PMU phasor measurement system, WAMS wide area monitoring system, DFT, PDC

Procedia PDF Downloads 496