Search results for: function of board members

Authors: L. Q. Yuan, J. Yang, A. Siddiqui

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A new regression uncertainty analysis methodology was applied to determine the uncertainties of the critical heat flux (CHF) power correlation for an advanced 43-element bundle design, which was developed by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) to achieve improved economics, resource utilization and energy sustainability. The new methodology is considered more appropriate than the traditional methodology in the assessment of the experimental uncertainty associated with regressions. The methodology was first assessed using both the Monte Carlo Method (MCM) and the Taylor Series Method (TSM) for a simple linear regression model, and then extended successfully to a non-linear CHF power regression model (CHF power as a function of inlet temperature, outlet pressure and mass flow rate). The regression uncertainty assessed by MCM agrees well with that by TSM. An equation to evaluate the CHF power regression uncertainty was developed and expressed as a function of independent variables that determine the CHF power.

Keywords: CHF experiment, CHF correlation, regression uncertainty, Monte Carlo Method, Taylor Series Method

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Authors: Filimonova Alexanra

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Inviscid incompressible fluid flows are considered. The object of the study is a vortex parquet – a structure consisting of distributed vortex spots of different directions, occupying the entire plane. The main attention is paid to the study of advection processes of passive particles in the corresponding velocity field. The dynamics of the vortex structures is considered in a rectangular region under the assumption that periodic boundary conditions are imposed on the stream function. Numerical algorithms are based on the solution of the initial-boundary value problem for nonstationary Euler equations in terms of vorticity and stream function. For this, the spectral-vortex meshless method is used. It is based on the approximation of the stream function by the Fourier series cut and the approximation of the vorticity field by the least-squares method from its values in marker particles. A vortex configuration, consisting of four vortex patches is investigated. Results of a numerical study of the dynamics and interaction of the structure are presented. The influence of the patch radius and the relative position of positively and negatively directed patches on the processes of interaction and mixing is studied. The obtained results correspond to the following possible scenarios: the initial configuration does not change over time; the initial configuration forms a new structure, which is maintained for longer times; the initial configuration returns to its initial state after a certain period of time. The processes of mass transfer of vorticity by liquid particles on a plane were calculated and analyzed. The results of a numerical analysis of the particles dynamics and trajectories on the entire plane and the field of local Lyapunov exponents are presented.

Keywords: ideal fluid, meshless methods, vortex structures in liquids, vortex parquet.

Procedia PDF Downloads 53

Authors: Oh Hyeon Jeon, WooYoung Jung

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In this study, seepage analysis was performed by the level difference between upstream and downstream of weir structure for safety evaluation of weir structure against flooding. Monte Carlo Simulation method was employed by considering the probability distribution of the adjacent ground parameter, i.e., permeability coefficient of weir structure. Moreover, by using a commercially available finite element program (ABAQUS), modeling of the weir structure is carried out. Based on this model, the characteristic of water seepage during flooding was determined at each water level with consideration of the uncertainty of their corresponding permeability coefficient. Subsequently, fragility function could be constructed based on this response from numerical analysis; this fragility function results could be used to determine the weakness of weir structure subjected to flooding disaster. They can also be used as a reference data that can comprehensively predict the probability of failur,e and the degree of damage of a weir structure.

Keywords: weir structure, seepage, flood disaster fragility, probabilistic risk assessment, Monte-Carlo simulation, permeability coefficient

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Authors: A. Movaghar, R. A. Mahdavinejad

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To analyze the effect of various parameters of fluid on the material properties such as surface and depth defects and/or cracks, it is possible to determine the affection of pressure field on these specifications. Stress tensor analysis is also able to determine the points in which the probability of defection creation is more. Besides, from pressure field, it is possible to analyze the affection of various fluid specifications such as viscosity and density on defect created in the material. In this research, the concerned boundary conditions are analyzed first. Then the solution network and stencil used are mentioned. With the determination of relevant equation on the fluid flow between notch and matrix and their discretion according to the governed boundary conditions, these equations can be solved. Finally, with the variation creations on fluid parameters such as density and viscosity, the affection of these variations can be determined on pressure field. In this direction, the flowchart and solution algorithm with their results as vortex and current function contours for two conditions with most applications in pressing process are introduced and discussed.

Keywords: pressing, notch, matrix, flow function, vortex

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Authors: Susan Lanz, Gary T. Burke, Omid Omidvar

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The intention to transfer ownership control across family generations is acknowledged to be central to developing a theoretical understanding of how family businesses differ and are distinct as a business group. However, in practice, most business-owning families face challenges to transfer their business ownership from one family generation to the next. To date, researchers have paid little attention to how and when ownership is passed across family generations and what the dynamics of such transitions are. This is primarily due to the prevailing assumption that ownership transfer is an unimportant and legalistic issue that occurs within a wider family management succession process. Yet, the limited evidence available suggests that family ownership transfer occurs inside and outside of the management succession process and is a difficult process for business-owning families to navigate. As a result, many otherwise viable family businesses are closing, leading to unnecessary loss of jobs and knowledge. This qualitative paper examines how family members understand and navigate the ownership transfer process. This study uses an inductive qualitative research design, conducted through in-depth interviews within eight business-owning families. It draws on family development theory and shows how a wide range of family-related events and dynamics outside of family business involvement underlie and shape the ownership transfer process. The findings extend the theory on how these events trigger ownership transfer and how they shape the ownership meanings held within business-owning families. This study found that ownership transfer meanings extend beyond that of transferring the legal control and financial appropriation rights of shareholders. The study concludes there are three different stages in the process of ownership transfer -symbolic, re-balancing, and protectionist. Each stage creates distinct family social constructions of the rights of family members to hold business ownership, and each stage occurs within a specific family development phase.

Keywords: business-owning family, family development theory, ownership transfer, process

Procedia PDF Downloads 135

Authors: Sabri Sudirman, Yuan-Hua Hsu, Zwe-Ling Kong

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Male reproductive dysfunction is predominantly due to insulin resistance and hyperglycemia result in inflammation and oxidative stress. Furthermore, nanotechnology provides an alternative approach to improve the bioavailability of natural active food ingredients. Therefore, the aim of this study were to investigate nanoencapsulated triterpenoids from petri-dish cultured Antrodia cinnamomea (PAC) nanoparticles whether it could increase the bioavailability; in addition, the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects could more effectively ameliorate the reproductive function of diabetic male rats. First, PAC encapsulated in chitosan-silica nanoparticles (Nano-PAC) were prepared by biosilicification method. Scanning electron micrographs confirm the average particle size is about 30 nm, and the encapsulation efficiency is 83.7% by HPLC. Diabetic male Sprague-Dawley rats were induced by high fat diet (40% kcal from fat) and streptozotocin (35 mg/kg). Nano-PAC was administered by oral gavage in three doses (4, 8 and 20 mg/kg) for 6 weeks. Besides, metformin (300 mg/kg) and nanoparticles (Nano) were treated as the positive and negative control respectively. Results indicated that 4 mg/kg Nano-PAC administration for 6 weeks improved hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and also reduced advanced glycation end products in plasma. In addition, 8 mg/kg Nano-PAC ameliorated morphological of testicular seminiferous tubules, sperm morphology and motility, reactive oxygen species production and mitochondrial membrane potential. Moreover, 20 mg/kg Nano-PAC restored reproductive endocrine system function and increased KiSS-1 level in plasma. In plasma or testis anti-oxidant superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase were increased whereas malondialdehyde, as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interferon-gamma, decreased. Most importantly, 8 mg/kg Nano-PAC down-regulated the oxidative stress induced c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway. Our study successfully nanoencapsulated PAC to form nanoparticles and low-dose Nano-PAC improved diabetes-induced hyperglycemia, inflammation and oxidative stress to ameliorate the reproductive function of diabetic male rats.

Keywords: Antrodia cinnamomea, diabetes mellitus, male reproduction, nanoparticles

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Authors: Shirin Sadat Ahmadi

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The number of people, particularly university students, migrating from Iran and applying for American and European universities has been rising during recent years. Different people may have various reasons and goals for migration, but one of the common issues among all these people is the cultural challenges they experience when living in the adopted society. Immigrants usually confront obstacles during the Intercultural transition and adaption process. Different variables such as age, religion, gender, education, knowing the spoken language in destination country, financial condition, interactions with natives, and using social media can affect the cultural challenges people face after migration and how they conquer issues appearing due to intercultural differences and conflicts. In this research we have interviewed a sample consisted of 15 Iranian students living and studying abroad found by using snowball sampling technique via video call to realize what cultural challenges they have experienced in the new society, how the mentioned variables above eased these challenges or made them harder and what approaches and solutions they adopted to adjust themselves to the new society and its cultural dimensions. Based on John Berry's acculturation theory of migrant-host relationship, we have classified these 15 people in five different categories: Assimilation, Separation, Marginalization, and Integration. In addition we have considered Y.Y. Kim's communication-based theory of cross-cultural adaption to explain how communications helped migrant populations in adaption process. Based on the findings of this study, 12 of 15 interviewed members of the study used the integration strategy to adapt to the new cultural environment, 3 of them used the assimilation strategy, and none of them used marginalization or separation strategies. Communicating with natives, knowing the language, and education were the factors that helped all the interviewed members of the sample to overcome the difficulties of intercultural transition.

Keywords: acculturation, culture, intercultural transition, migration

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Authors: Rebecca Bach, Evgenia Kanli, Nihat Kiziltoprak, Linda Hildebrand, Ulrich Knaack, Jens Schneider

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The building industry has a high demand for resources and at the same time is responsible for a significant amount of waste created worldwide. Today's building components need to contribute to the protection of natural resources without creating waste. This is defined in the product development phase and impacts the product’s degree of being cycle-oriented. Paper-based materials show advantage due to their renewable origin and their ability to incorporate different functions. Besides the ecological aspects like renewable origin and recyclability the main advantages of paper materials are its light-weight but stiff structure, the optimized production processes and good insulation values. The main deficits from building technology’s perspective are the material's vulnerability to humidity and water as well as inflammability. On material level, those problems can be solved by coatings or through material modification. On construction level intelligent setup and layering of a building component can improve and also solve these issues. The target of the present work is to provide an overview of developed building components and construction typologies mainly made from paper materials. The research is structured in four parts: (1) functions and requirements, (2) preselection of paper-based materials, (3) development of building components and (4) evaluation. As part of the research methodology at first the needs of the building sector are analyzed with the aim to define the main areas of application and consequently the requirements. Various paper materials are tested in order to identify to what extent the requirements are satisfied and determine potential optimizations or modifications, also in combination with other construction materials. By making use of the material’s potentials and solving the deficits on material and on construction level, building components and construction typologies are developed. The evaluation and the calculation of the structural mechanics and structural principals will show that different construction typologies can be derived. Profiles like paper tubes can be used at best for skeleton constructions. Massive structures on the other hand can be formed by plate-shaped elements like solid board or honeycomb. For insulation purposes corrugated cardboard or cellulose flakes have the best properties, while layered solid board can be applied to prevent inner condensation. Enhancing these properties by material combinations for instance with mineral coatings functional constructions mainly out of paper materials were developed. In summary paper materials offer a huge variety of possible applications in the building sector. By these studies a general base of knowledge about how to build with paper was developed and is to be reinforced by further research.

Keywords: construction typologies, cycle-oriented construction, innovative building material, paper materials, renewable resources

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Authors: Seyed Reza Mirdehghan, Mohammad Reza Haeri Yazdi

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In this paper, the stability and the performance of a two-degree-of-freedom robot under an interaction with a unknown environment has been investigated. The time when the robot returns to its initial position after an interaction and the primary resistance of the robot against the impact must be reduced. Thus, the applied torque on the motor will be reduced. The impedance control is an appropriate method for robot control in these conditions. The stability of the robot at interaction moment was transformed to be a robust stability problem. The dynamic of the unknown environment was modeled as a weight function and the stability of the robot under an interaction with the environment has been investigated using the robust control concept. To improve the performance of the system, a force controller has been designed which the normalized impedance after interaction has been reduced. The resistance of the robot has been considered as a normalized cost function and its value was 0.593. The results has showed reduction of resistance of the robot against impact and the reduction of convergence time by lower than one second.

Keywords: impedance control, control system, robots, interaction

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Authors: Magdy Abouzeid, Nancy Abouzeid, Afaf Salem

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Background: The elite child athletes are one who has superior athletic talent. Monofin (a single surface swim fin) swimming already proved to be the most efficient method of swimming for human being. This is a novel descriptive study examining myocardial function indices in prepubertal monofin children. The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of long-term monofin training (LTMT), 36 weeks, 6 times per week, 90 min per unit on Myocardial function adaptation in elite child monofin athletes. Methods: 14 elite monofin children aged 11.95 years (± 1.09 yr) took part for (LTMT). All subjects underwent two-dimension, M-mode, and Doppler echocardiography before and after training to evaluate cardiac dimensions and function; septal and posterior wall thickness. Statistical methods of SPSS, means ± SD and paired t test, % of improvement were used. Findings: There was significant difference (p<0.01) and % improvement for all echocardiography parameter after (LTMT). Inter ventricular septal thickness in diastole and in systole increased by 27.9 % and 42.75 %. Left ventricular end systolic dimension and diastole increased by 16.81 % and 42.7 % respectively. Posterior wall thickness in systole very highly increased by 283.3 % and in diastole increased by 51.78 %. Left ventricular mass in diastole and in systole increased by 44.8 % and 40.1 % respectively. Stroke volume (SV) and resting heart rate (HR) significant changed (sv) 25 %, (HR) 14.7 %. Interpretation: the unique swim fin tool and create propulsion and overcome resistance. Further researches are needed to determine the effects of monofin training on right ventricular in child athletes.

Keywords: prepubertal, monofin training, heart athlete's, elite child athlete, echocardiography

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Authors: Ju-Hong Lee, Ding-Chen Chung

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This paper deals with the optimal design of recursive doubly complementary (DC) digital filter design using a metaheuristic based optimization technique. Based on the theory of DC digital filters using two recursive digital all-pass filters (DAFs), the design problem is appropriately formulated to result in an objective function which is a weighted sum of the phase response errors of the designed DAFs. To deal with the stability of the recursive DC filters during the design process, we can either impose some necessary constraints on the phases of the recursive DAFs. Through a frequency sampling and a weighted least squares approach, the optimization problem of the objective function can be solved by utilizing a population based stochastic optimization approach. The resulting DC digital filters can possess satisfactory frequency response. Simulation results are presented for illustration and comparison.

Keywords: doubly complementary, digital all-pass filter, weighted least squares algorithm, particle swarm optimization

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Authors: Leen Al Kassab, Sarah Johns, Helen Noble, Nawal Nour, Elizabeth Janiak, Sarrah Shahawy

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Introduction: Immigrant and refugee women experience disparities in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes, partially as a result of barriers to SRH literacy and to regular healthcare access and engagement. Despite the existing data highlighting growing needs for culturally relevant and structurally competent care, interventions are scarce and not well-documented. Methods: In this IRB-approved study, we used a community-based participatory research approach, with the assistance of a community advisory board, to conduct a qualitative needs assessment of SRH knowledge and service engagement with immigrant and refugee women from Africa or the Middle East and currently residing in Boston. We conducted a total of nine focus group discussions (FGDs) in partnership with medical, community, and religious centers, in six languages: Arabic, English, French, Somali, Pashtu, and Dari. A total of 44 individuals participated. We explored migrant and refugee women’s current and evolving SRH care needs and gaps, specifically related to the development of interventions and clinical best practices targeting SRH literacy, healthcare engagement, and informed decision-making. Recordings of the FGDs were transcribed verbatim and translated by interpreter services. We used open coding with multiple coders who resolved discrepancies through consensus and iteratively refined our codebook while coding data in batches using Dedoose software. Results: Participants reported immigrant adaptation experiences, discrimination, and feelings of trust, autonomy, privacy, and connectedness to family, community, and the healthcare system as factors surrounding SRH knowledge and needs. The context of previously learned SRH knowledge was commonly noted to be in schools, at menstruation, before marriage, from family members, partners, friends, and online search engines. Common themes included empowering strength drawn from religious and cultural communities, difficulties bridging educational gaps with their US- born daughters, and a desire for more SRH education from multiple sources, including family, health care providers, and religious experts & communities. Regarding further SRH education, participants’ preferences varied regarding ideal platform (virtual vs. in-person), location (in religious and community centers or not), smaller group sizes, and the involvement of men. Conclusions: Based on these results, empowering SRH initiatives should include both community and religious center-based, as well as clinic-based, interventions. Interventions should be composed of frequent educational workshops in small groups involving age-grouped women, daughters, and (sometimes) men, tailored SRH messaging, and the promotion of culturally, religiously, and linguistically competent care.

Keywords: community, immigrant, religion, sexual & reproductive health, women's health

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Authors: Wanhyun Cho, Soonja Kang, Sanggoon Kim, Soonyoung Park

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We present probabilistic multinomial Dirichlet classification model for multidimensional data and Gaussian process priors. Here, we have considered an efficient computational method that can be used to obtain the approximate posteriors for latent variables and parameters needed to define the multiclass Gaussian process classification model. We first investigated the process of inducing a posterior distribution for various parameters and latent function by using the variational Bayesian approximations and important sampling method, and next we derived a predictive distribution of latent function needed to classify new samples. The proposed model is applied to classify the synthetic multivariate dataset in order to verify the performance of our model. Experiment result shows that our model is more accurate than the other approximation methods.

Keywords: multinomial dirichlet classification model, Gaussian process priors, variational Bayesian approximation, importance sampling, approximate posterior distribution, marginal likelihood evidence

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Authors: Shengdan Yang

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The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 has made public health issues to be re-examined. The value of green space configuration is an important measure of community health quality. By combining quantitative and qualitative methods, the structure and function of community green space can be better evaluated. This study selects Wuhan Kunhou Community as the site and proposes to analyze the daily health service function of the community's green infrastructure. Through GIS-based spatial analysis, case study, and field investigation, this study evaluates the accessibility of green infrastructure and discusses the ideal green space form based on health indicators. The findings show that Kunhou Community lacks access to green infrastructure and public space for daily activities. The research findings provide a bridge between public health indicators and community space planning and propose design suggestions for green infrastructure planning.

Keywords: accessibility, community health, GIS, green infrastructure

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Authors: Gabriel I. Loaiza Ossa, Carlos A. Cadavid Moreno, Juan C. Arango Parra

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It is known that the Riemannian manifold determined by the family of inverse Gaussian distributions endowed with the Fisher metric has negative constant curvature κ= -1/2, as does the family of usual Gaussian distributions. In the present paper, firstly, we arrive at this result by following a different path, much simpler than the previous ones. We first put the family in exponential form, thus endowing the family with a new set of parameters, or coordinates, θ₁, θ₂; then we determine the matrix of the Fisher metric in terms of these parameters; and finally we compute this matrix in the original parameters. Secondly, we define the inverse q-Gaussian distribution family (q < 3) as the family obtained by replacing the usual exponential function with the Tsallis q-exponential function in the expression for the inverse Gaussian distribution and observe that it supports two possible geometries, the Fisher and the q-Fisher geometry. And finally, we apply our strategy to obtain results about the Fisher and q-Fisher geometry of the inverse q-Gaussian distribution family, similar to the ones obtained in the case of the inverse Gaussian distribution family.

Keywords: base of changes, information geometry, inverse Gaussian distribution, inverse q-Gaussian distribution, statistical manifolds

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Authors: Azene Zenebe

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Deep learning is a subset of machine learning which incorporates techniques for the construction of artificial neural networks and found to be useful for modeling complex problems with large dataset. Deep learning requires a very high power computational and longer time for training. By aggregating computing power, high performance computer (HPC) has emerged as an approach to resolving advanced problems and performing data-driven research activities. Cyber threat intelligence (CIT) is actionable information or insight an organization or individual uses to understand the threats that have, will, or are currently targeting the organization. Results of review of literature will be presented along with results of experimental study that compares the performance of tree-based and function-base machine learning including deep learning algorithms using secondary dataset collected from darknet.

Keywords: deep-learning, cyber security, cyber threat modeling, tree-based machine learning, function-based machine learning, data science

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Authors: Dina Ahmad Alkhodary

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This study aimed to investigate the practices of Data Mining on the telecommunication companies in Jordan, from the viewpoint of the respondents. In order to achieve the goal of the study, and test the validity of hypotheses, the researcher has designed a questionnaire to collect data from managers and staff members from main department in the researched companies. The results shows improvements stages of the telecommunications companies towered Data Mining.

Keywords: data, mining, development, business

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Authors: Pauliina Haustein

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Improvisation was part of Western classical concert culture and performers’ skill sets until early 20th century. Historical accounts, as well as recent studies, indicate that improvisatory elements in the programme may contribute specifically towards the audiences’ experience of enhanced emotional engagement during the concert. This paper presents findings from the author’s artistic practice research, which explored re-introducing improvisation to Western classical performance practice as a musician (cellist and ensemble partner/leader). In an investigation of four concert cycles, the performer-researcher sought to gain solo and chamber music improvisation techniques (both related to and independent of repertoire), conduct ensemble improvisation rehearsals, design concerts with an improvisatory approach, and reflect on interactions with audiences after each concert. Data was collected through use of reflective diary, video recordings, measurement of sound parameters, questionnaires, a focus group, and interviews. The performer’s empirical experiences and findings from audience research components were juxtaposed and interrogated to better understand the (1) rehearsal and planning processes that enable improvisatory elements to return to Western classical concert experience and (2) the emotional experience and type of engagement that occur throughout the concert experience for both performer and audience members. This informed the development of a concert model, in which a programme of solo and chamber music repertoire and improvisations were combined according to historically evidenced performance practice (including free formal solo and ensemble improvisations based on audience suggestions). Inspired by historical concert culture, where elements of risk-taking, spontaneity, and audience involvement (such as proposing themes for fantasies) were customary, this concert model invited musicians to contribute to the process personally and creatively at all stages, from programme planning, and throughout the live concert. The type of democratic, personal, creative, and empathetic collaboration that emerged, as a result, appears unique in Western classical contexts, rather finding resonance in jazz ensemble, drama, or interdisciplinary settings. The research identified features of ensemble improvisation, such as empathy, emergence, mutual engagement, and collaborative creativity, that became mirrored in audience’s responses, generating higher levels of emotional engagement, empathy, inclusivity, and a participatory, co-creative experience. It appears that duringimprovisatory moments in the concert programme, audience members started feeling more like active participants in za\\a creative, collaborative exchange and became stakeholders in a deeper phenomenon of meaning-making and narrativization. Examining interactions between all involved during the concert revealed that performer-audience impulse exchange occurred on multiple levels of awareness and seemed to build upon each other, resulting in particularly strong experiences of both performer and audience’s engagement. This impact appeared especially meaningful for audience members who were seldom concertgoers and reported little familiarity with classical music. The study found that re-introducing improvisatory elements to Western classical concert programmes has strong potential in increasing audience’s emotional engagement with the musical performance, enabling audience members to connect more personally with the individual performers, and in reaching new-to-classical-music audiences.

Keywords: artistic research, audience engagement, audience experience, classical improvisation, ensemble improvisation, emotional engagement, improvisation, improvisatory approach, musical performance, practice research

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Authors: Pius Marthin, Nihal Ata Tutkun

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Survival analysis has become one of the paramount procedures in the modeling of time-to-event data. When we encounter complex survival problems, the traditional approach remains limited in accounting for the complex correlational structure between the covariates and the outcome due to the strong assumptions that limit the inference and prediction ability of the resulting models. Several studies exist on the deep learning approach to survival modeling; moreover, the application for the case of complex survival problems still needs to be improved. In addition, the existing models need to address the data structure's complexity fully and are subject to noise and redundant information. In this study, we design a deep learning technique (CmpXRnnSurv_AE) that obliterates the limitations imposed by traditional approaches and addresses the above issues to jointly predict the risk-specific probabilities and survival function for recurrent events with competing risks. We introduce the component termed Risks Information Weights (RIW) as an attention mechanism to compute the weighted cumulative incidence function (WCIF) and an external auto-encoder (ExternalAE) as a feature selector to extract complex characteristics among the set of covariates responsible for the cause-specific events. We train our model using synthetic and real data sets and employ the appropriate metrics for complex survival models for evaluation. As benchmarks, we selected both traditional and machine learning models and our model demonstrates better performance across all datasets.

Keywords: cumulative incidence function (CIF), risk information weight (RIW), autoencoders (AE), survival analysis, recurrent events with competing risks, recurrent neural networks (RNN), long short-term memory (LSTM), self-attention, multilayers perceptrons (MLPs)

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Authors: S. Shahzadi, J. Rizk

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This paper describes the pulse width modulated control of a three phase, 4 polar DC brushless motor. To implement this practically the Atmel’s AVR ATmega 328 microcontroller embedded on an Arduino Eleven board is utilized. The microcontroller programming is done in an open source Arduino IDE development environment. The programming logic effectively manipulated a six MOSFET bridge which was used to energize the stator windings as per control requirements. The results obtained showed accurate, precise and efficient pulse width modulated operation. Another advantage offered by this pulse width modulated control was the efficient speed control of the motor. By varying the time intervals between successive commutations, faster energizing of the stator windings was possible thereby leading to quicker rotor alignment with these energized phases and faster revolutions.

Keywords: brushless DC motors, commutation, MOSFET, PWM

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Authors: Irene Alevizos, Jessica Lewis, Marina Harper, John Boyce

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Acinetobacter baumannii causes a range of severe nosocomial-acquired infections, and many strains are multi-drug resistant. A. baumannii possesses survival mechanisms allowing it to thrive in competitive polymicrobial environments, including a Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) that injects effector proteins into other bacteria to give a competitive advantage. The effects of T6SS firing are broad and depend entirely on the effector that is delivered. Effects can include toxicity against prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells and the acquisition of essential nutrients. The T6SS of some species can deliver ‘specialised effectors’ that are fused directly to T6SS components, such as PAAR proteins. PAAR proteins are predicted to form the piercing tip of the T6SS and are essential for T6SS function. Although no specialised effectors have been identified in A. baumannii, many strains encode multiple PAAR proteins. Analysis of PAAR proteins across the species identified 12 families of PAAR proteins with distinct C-terminal extensions. A. baumannii AB307-0294 encodes two PAAR proteins, one of which has a C-terminal extension. Mutation of one or both of the PAAR-encoding genes in this strain showed that expression of either PAAR protein was sufficient for T6SS function. We employed a heterologous expression approach and determined that PAAR proteins from different A. baumannii strains, as well as the closely related A. baylyi species, could complement the A. baumannii ∆paar mutant and restore T6SS function. Furthermore, we showed that PAAR fusions could be used to deliver artificially cloned protein fragments by generating Histidine- and Streptavidin- tagged PAAR specialised effectors, which restored T6SS activity. This provides evidence that the fusion of protein fragments onto PAAR proteins in A. baumannii is compatible with a functional T6SS. Successful delivery by this mechanism extends the scope of what the T6SS can deliver, including user designed proteins.

Keywords: A. baumannii, effectors, PAAR, T6SS

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Authors: Jongtae Rhee, Sangkwon Han, Seungbin Ji, Junhyeong Park, Byeonghun Kim, Taekyung Kim, Byeonghyeon Jeon, Jiwoo Yang

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The shared kitchen is a concept that transfers the value of the sharing economy to the kitchen. It is a type of kitchen equipped with cooking facilities that allows multiple companies or chefs to share time and space and use it jointly. These shared kitchens provide economic benefits and convenience, such as reduced investment costs and rent, but also increase the risk of safety management, such as cross-contamination of food ingredients. Therefore, to manage the safety of food ingredients and finished products in a shared kitchen where several entities jointly use the kitchen and handle various types of food ingredients, it is critical to manage followings: the freshness of food ingredients, user hygiene and safety and cross-contamination of cooking equipment and facilities. In this study, it propose a machine learning-based system for hygiene safety and cross-contamination management, which are highly difficult to manage. User clothing management and user access management, which are most relevant to the hygiene and safety of shared kitchens, are solved through machine learning-based methodology, and cutting board usage management, which is most relevant to cross-contamination management, is implemented as an integrated safety management system based on artificial intelligence. First, to prevent cross-contamination of food ingredients, we use images collected through a real-time camera to determine whether the food ingredients match a given cutting board based on a real-time object detection model, YOLO v7. To manage the hygiene of user clothing, we use a camera-based facial recognition model to recognize the user, and real-time object detection model to determine whether a sanitary hat and mask are worn. In addition, to manage access for users qualified to enter the shared kitchen, we utilize machine learning based signature recognition module. By comparing the pairwise distance between the contract signature and the signature at the time of entrance to the shared kitchen, access permission is determined through a pre-trained signature verification model. These machine learning-based safety management tasks are integrated into a single information system, and each result is managed in an integrated database. Through this, users are warned of safety dangers through the tablet PC installed in the shared kitchen, and managers can track the cause of the sanitary and safety accidents. As a result of system integration analysis, real-time safety management services can be continuously provided by artificial intelligence, and machine learning-based methodologies are used for integrated safety management of shared kitchens that allows dynamic contracts among various users. By solving this problem, we were able to secure the feasibility and safety of the shared kitchen business.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, food safety, information system, safety management, shared kitchen

Procedia PDF Downloads 47

Authors: Mohammed Hamood Al-Amri, Fakhriya Khalfan Al Yahyai

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The current case study aimed to investigate the roles of art extra activities in promoting the psychological sides in the Higher Education Institutions in the Sultanate of Oman and its challenges. The sample of the study consisted of (331) students (111 males and 220 females) were chosen randomly from four higher education institutions in Oman. For the purpose of achieving the objectives of the study, the researchers prepared a questioner consisted of (52 items) divided into two main sections (psychological sides & challenges), and the validity and reliability were established. The results of the study showed that the important of the roles of art extra activities in promoting and supporting the psychologic sides in the Higher Education Institutions as the respondents scored highly in all study tool sections with means rated between (3.65 to 4.25). The results also indicated that there were statistically differences between the average scores of the study sample members regarding the roles of art extra activities in promoting the psychological sides in the Higher Education Institutions due to type of institution in favor of the private institutions as well as in favor of females' students. The results also show there is statistically significant differences in the type of accommodation regarding the psychological side due to inside compass accommodation. Regarding the challenges facing students to participating in art extra activities, the results showed that the challenges relating to the academic study become the first, followed by the personal challenges related to the students themselves. The results also indicated that there were statistically differences at (α=0.05) between the average scores of the study sample members regarding identify the challenges for students' reluctance in favour of the private institutions. The results also there were no statistically significant differences among the sample responds due to the agenda, year of study, and type of accommodations. This study ended up with some recommendations and suggestions to activate the roles of art extra activities in promoting the psychological sides in the Higher Education Institutions with references to some solutions for the challenges.

Keywords: art activities, psychological sides, higher education institutions, challenges and oman

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Authors: Yollande Sènan Djivoh, Dominique de Jaeger

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Background: Abdominal exercises are commonly practised nowadays. Specific techniques of abdominal muscles strengthening like hypopressive exercises have recently emerged and their practice is encouraged against the practice of Curl-up especially in postpartum. The acute and the training effects of these exercises did not allow to advise one exercise to the detriment of another. However, physiotherapists remain reluctant to perform Curl-up with postpartum women because of its potential harmful effect on the pelvic floor. Design: This study was a randomized control trial registered under the number PACTR202110679363984. Objective: to observe the training effect of two experimental protocols (Curl-up versus Drawing-in+Diaphragmatic aspiration) on the abdominal wall (interrecti distance, rectus and transversus abdominis thickness, abdominal strength) in Beninese postpartum women. Pelvic floor function (tone, endurance, urinary incontinence) will be assessed to evaluate potential side effects of exercises on the pelvic floor. Method: Postpartum women diagnosed with diastasis recti were randomly assigned to one of three groups (Curl-up, Drawingin+Diaphragmatic aspiration and control). Abdominal and pelvic floor parameters were assessed before and at the end of the 6-week protocol. The interrecti distance and the abdominal muscles thickness were assessed by ultrasound and abdominal strength by dynamometer. Pelvic floor tone and strength were assessed with Biofeedback and urinary incontinence was quantified by pad test. To compare the results between the three groups and the two measurements, a two-way Anova test with repeated measures was used (p<0.05). When interaction was significant, a posthoc using Student t test, with Bonferroni correction, was used to compare the three groups regarding the difference (end value minus initial value). To complete these results, a paired Student t test was used to compare in each group the initial and end values. Results: Fifty-eight women participated in this study, divided in three groups with similar characteristics regarding their age (29±5 years), parity (2±1 children), BMI (26±4 kg/m2 ), time since the last birth (10±2 weeks), weight of their baby at birth (330±50 grams). Time effect and interaction were significant (p<0.001) for all abdominal parameters. Experimental groups improved more than control group. Curl-up group improved more (p=0.001) than Drawing-in+Diaphragmatic aspiration group regarding the interrecti distance (9.3±4.2 mm versus 6.6±4.6 mm) and abdominal strength (20.4±16.4 Newton versus 11.4±12.8 Newton). Drawingin+Diaphragmatic aspiration group improved (0.8±0.7 mm) more than Curl-up group (0.5±0.7 mm) regarding the transversus abdominis thickness (p=0.001). Only Curl-up group improved (p<0.001) the rectus abdominis thickness (1.5±1.2 mm). For pelvic floor parameters, both experimental groups improved (p=0.01) except for tone which improved (p=0.03) only in Drawing-in+Diaphragmatic aspiration group from 19.9±4.1 cmH2O to 22.2±4.5 cmH2O. Conclusion: Curl-up was more efficient to improve abdominal function than Drawingin+Diaphragmatic aspiration. However, these exercises are complementary. None of them degraded the pelvic floor, but Drawing-in+Diaphragmatic aspiration improved further the pelvic floor function. Clinical implications: Curl-up, Drawing-in and Diaphragmatic aspiration can be used for the management of abdominal function in postpartum women. Exercises must be chosen considering the specific needs of each woman’s abdominal and pelvic floor function.

Keywords: curl-up, drawing-in, diaphragmatic aspiration, hypopressive exercise, postpartum women

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Authors: Karim Mohamed Fawzy Ghuiba, Alaa Aldeen Abd Al Hakeem Balbaa, Shams Elbaz

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Objectives: To compare between the effects continuous and pulsed ultrasound on pain and function in patient with knee osteoarthritis. Design: Randomized-Single blinded Study. Participants: 6 patients with knee osteoarthritis with mean age 53.66±3.61years, Altman Grade II or III. Interventions: Subjects were randomly assigned into two groups; Group A received continuous ultrasound and Group B received pulsed ultrasound. Outcome measures: Effects of pulsed and continuous ultrasound were evaluated by pain threshold assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and function assessed by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) scores. Results: There was no significant decrease in VAS and WOMAC scores in patients treated with pulsed or continuous ultrasound; and there were no significant differences between both groups. Conclusion: there is no difference between the effects of pulsed and continuous ultrasound in pain relief or functional outcome in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Keywords: knee osteoarthritis, pulsed ultrasound, ultrasound therapy, continuous ultrasound

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Authors: Ningning Liu, Gaoding Jia, Yinshan Wang, Haimei Li, Xinian Zuo, Yufeng Wang, Lu Liu, Qiujin Qian

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Background: There has been speculation that a high IQ may not necessarily provide protection against attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and there may be a U-shaped correlation between IQ and ADHD symptoms. However, this speculation has not been validated in the ADHD population in any study so far. Method: We conducted a study with 5,138 children who have been professionally diagnosed with ADHD and have a wide range of IQ levels. General Linear Models were used to determine the optimal model between IQ and ADHD core symptoms with sex and age as covariates. The ADHD symptoms we looked at included the total scores (TO), inattention (IA) and hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI). Wechsler Intelligence scale were used to assess IQ [Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ), Verbal IQ (VIQ), and Performance IQ (PIQ)]. Furthermore, we examined the correlation between IQ and the execution function [Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)], as well as between IQ and brain surface area, to determine if the associations between IQ and ADHD symptoms are reflected in executive functions and brain structure. Results: Consistent with previous research, the results indicated that FSIQ and VIQ both showed a linear negative correlation with the TO and IA scores of ADHD. However, PIQ showed an inverted U-shaped relationship with the TO and HI scores of ADHD, with 103 as the peak point. These findings were also partially reflected in the relationship between IQ and executive functions, as well as IQ and brain surface area. Conclusion: To sum up, the relationship between IQ and ADHD symptoms is not straightforward. Our study confirms long-standing academic hypotheses and finds that PIQ exhibits an inverted U-shaped relationship with ADHD symptoms. This study enhances our understanding of symptoms and behaviors of ADHD with varying IQ characteristics and provides some evidence for targeted clinical intervention.

Keywords: ADHD, IQ, execution function, brain imaging

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Authors: Karl Kingsley

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Many mechanisms are involved in the control of cellular differentiation and growth, which are often dysregulated in many cancers. Many distinct pathways are involved in these mechanisms of control, including deoxyribonuclease (DNA) methyltransferase and histone deacetylase (HDAC) activation that controls both genetic and epigenetic modifications and micro ribonucleic acid (RNA) expression. Less is known about the expression of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) and HDAC in oral cancers and the effect on microRNA expression. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the expression of DNMT and HDAC family members in oral cancer and the concomitant expression of cancer-associated microRNAs. Using commercially available oral cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)-4, SCC-9, SCC-15, and SCC-25, RNA was extracted and screened for DNMT, HDAC, and microRNA expression using highly-specific primers and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). These data revealed low or absent expression of DNMT-1, which is associated with cellular differentiation but increased expression of DNMT-3a and DNMT-3b in all SCC cell lines compared with normal non-cancerous cell controls. In addition, no expression of HDAC1 and HDAC2 expression was found among the normal, non-cancerous cells but was highly expressed in each of the SCC cell lines examined. Differential expression of oncogenic and cancer-associated microRNAs was also observed among the SCC cell lines, including miR-21, miR-133, miR-149, miR-155, miR-365, and miR-720. These findings also appeared to vary according to observed growth rates among these cells. These data may be the first to demonstrate the expression and association between HDAC and DNMT3 family members among oral cancers. In addition, the differential expression of these epigenetic modifiers may be associated with the expression of specific microRNAs in these cancers, which have not previously been observed to the best of the author's knowledge. In addition, some associations and relationships may exist between the expression of these biomarkers and the rates of growth and proliferation, which may suggest that these expression patterns might represent potentially useful biomarkers to determine tumor aggressiveness and other phenotypic behaviors among oral cancers.

Keywords: oral cancer, DNA methyltransferase, histone deacetylase, microRNA

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Authors: Ali Algryani

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Ellipsis involves the omission of an item or items that can be recovered from the preceding clause. Ellipsis is used as a cohesion marker; it enhances the cohesiveness of a text/discourse as a clause is interpretable only through making reference to an antecedent clause. The present study attempts to investigate the linguistic phenomenon of ellipsis from a translation perspective. It is mainly concerned with how ellipsis is translated from English into Arabic. The study covers different forms of ellipsis, such as noun phrase ellipsis, verb phrase ellipsis, gapping, pseudo-gapping, stripping, and sluicing. The primary aim of the study, apart from discussing the use and function of ellipsis, is to find out how such ellipsis phenomena are dealt with in English-Arabic translation and determine the implications of the translations of elliptical structures into Arabic. The study is based on the analysis of Dhofar University (DU) students' translations of sentences containing different forms of ellipsis. The initial findings of the study indicate that due to differences in syntactic structures and stylistic preferences between English and Arabic, Arabic tends to use lexical repetition in the translation of some elliptical structures, thus achieving a higher level of explicitness. This implies that Arabic tends to prefer lexical repetition to create cohesion more than English does. Furthermore, the study also reveals that the improper translation of ellipsis leads to interpretations different from those understood from the source text. Such mistranslations can be attributed to student translators’ lack of awareness of the use and function of ellipsis as well as the stylistic preferences of both languages. This has pedagogical implications on the teaching and training of translation students at DU. Students' linguistic competence needs to be enhanced through teaching linguistics-related issues with reference to translation and both languages, .i.e. source and target languages and with special emphasis on their use, function and stylistic preferences.

Keywords: cohesion, ellipsis, explicitness, lexical repetition

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Authors: Aziza Barnawi

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Background: Regular exercise reduces risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases. Over the past decade, exercise interventions have been introduced to reduce the risk of and prevent coronary artery disease (CAD). Elevated low-density lipoproteins (LDL) contribute to the formation of atherosclerosis, its manifestations on the endothelial narrow the coronary artery and affect the endothelial function. Therefore, flow-mediated dilation (FMD) technique is used to assess the function. The results of previous studies have been inconsistent and difficult to interpret across different types of exercise programs. The relationship between exercise therapy and lipid levels has been extensively studied, and it is known to improve the lipid profile and endothelial function. However, the effectiveness of exercise in altering LDL levels and improving blood flow is controversial. Objective: This review aims to explore the evidence and quantify the impact of exercise training on LDL levels and vascular function by FMD. Methods: Electronic databases were searched PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and EBSCO using the keywords: “low and/or moderate aerobic training”, “blood flow”, “atherosclerosis”, “LDL mediated blood flow”, “Cardiac Rehabilitation”, “low-density lipoproteins”, “flow-mediated dilation”, “endothelial function”, “brachial artery flow-mediated dilation”, “oxidized low-density lipoproteins” and “coronary artery disease”. The studies were conducted for 6 weeks or more and influenced LDL levels and/or FMD. Studies with different intensity training and endurance training in healthy or CAD individuals were included. Results: Twenty-one randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (14 FMD and 7 LDL studies) with 776 participants (605 exercise participants and 171 control participants) met eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review. Endurance training resulted in a greater reduction in LDL levels and their subfractions and a better FMD response. Overall, the training groups showed improved physical fitness status compared with the control groups. Participants whose exercise duration was ≥150 minutes /week had significant improvement in FMD and LDL levels compared with those with <150 minutes/week.Conclusion: In conclusion, although the relationship between physical training, LDL levels, and blood flow in CAD is complex and multifaceted, there are promising results for controlling primary and secondary prevention of CAD by exercise. Exercise training, including resistance, aerobic, and interval training, is positively correlated with improved FMD. However, the small body of evidence for LDL studies (resistance and interval training) did not prove to be significantly associated with improved blood flow. Increasing evidence suggests that exercise training is a promising adjunctive therapy to improve cardiovascular health, potentially improving blood flow and contributing to the overall management of CAD.

Keywords: exercise training, low density lipoprotein, flow mediated dilation, coronary artery disease

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Authors: Qi Peng

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The Chinese sport sector is currently undergoing a dramatic institutional change. A sport system that was heavily dominated by the government is starting to shift towards one that is driven by the market. During the past sixty years, the Chinese Football Association (CFA), although ostensibly a ‘non-governmental organization’, has been in fact operated under the close supervision and control of the government. The double-identity of CFA has taken most of the blame for the poor performance of the Chinese football team, especially the men’s team. In 2015, a policy initiated by the Chinese government introduced a potentially radical change to the institutional structure of CFA by delegating the power of government agency – the General Administration of Sport of China - to the organization (CFA) itself. Against such background, an overarching research question was brought up- will an organization remained institutionalized within the system change in response to the external (policy) jolt? To answer this question, three principal data collection methods were employed: document review, participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Document review provides the mapping of the structural and cultural framework in which the CFA functions during the change process. The author have had the chance to interact closely with the organization as participant observer in the organization for a period of time, long enough to collect the data, but never too long to get biased view of the situation. This stage enables the author to gain an in-depth understanding of how CFA managed to restructure the governance and legitimacy. Conducting semi-structured interviews with staff within the CFA and from staff within selected stakeholders of CFA also provided a crucial step to gain an insight into the factors for change as well as the implications of the change. A wide range of interviewees that have been and to be interviewed include: CFA members (senior officials and staff); local football associations members; senior Chinese Super League football club managers; CFA Super League Co., LTD (senior officials and staff); CSL broadcasters; Chinese Olympic Committee members. The preliminary research data shows that the CFA is currently undergoing two levels of change: although the settings of CFA has been gradually restructured (organizational framework), the organizational values and beliefs remain almost the same as the CFA before the reform. This means that the plan of shifting from a governmental agency to an autonomous association is an going process, and that organizational core beliefs and values are more difficult to change than its structural framework. This is due to the inertia of the organizational history and the effect of institutionalization. The change of Chinese Football Association is looked at as a pioneering sport organization in China to undertake the “decoupling” road. It is believed that many other sport organizations, especially sport governing bodies will follow the step of CFA in the near future. Therefore, the experience of CFA change is worthy of studying.

Keywords: Chinese Football Association, Organizational Change, Organizational Culture, Structural Framework

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