Search results for: coastal environments

Authors: Muhammad Tayyab Sohail, Li Jiangfeng

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This study aimed at characterizing land cover dynamics for about three decades in capital city of Pakistan Islamabad. The specific objectives were identifying and map the major land cover types in 1993, 2002 and 2014 and check the reduction of greenery and urbanization rate and its some environments aspects. The study showed that overall grasslands decreased in the prescribed period. The key hotspots of these changes were distributed in all directions of the study area, but at different times. Urbanization is increasing every year in this city but the policies for this number of people are not sufficient to meet their living standard requirements. Apart from it, there is also an impact of urbanization on environmental related problems. Underground water is going down and down, traffic related issue and other associated problems are part of this research. Therefore, policies that integrate restoration and conservation of natural ecosystems with enhancement of agricultural productivity are strongly recommended. This will ensure environmental sustainability and socio-economic well-being in the area. Future research needs to address the problems related to urbanization and need to clarify the problems and solve it on high priority.

Keywords: land, Islamabad, water, urban

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Authors: Seung-Ho Choi, Jae Yuel Oh, Chi Sung Lim, Ho Seong Jung, Kang Su Kim

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In recent years, various strengthening methods for buildings have been developed, but most of them require quite a long construction period during which the building users need to be patient on uncomfortable working environments including various lousy noises or even evacuation of the buildings. In this study, externally anchored precast wall-panel method (EPCW) for strengthening non-seismic reinforced concrete (RC) structures has been proposed, which is occupant-friendly technique because the strengthening walls are manufactured at factory and can be tightened to the members very quickly at the site. In order to investigate the structural performance of the specimens strengthened by the EPCW method, a total of four specimens were fabricated, and tested under axial and reversed cyclic lateral loads. The test results showed that the lateral resistances of the specimens strengthened by the EPCW method were greatly enhanced in both positive and negative directions, compared to the RC specimen having non-seismic details.

Keywords: precast wall, seismic strengthening, reinforced concrete, externally-anchored

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Authors: Mohammed Amraouy, Mostafa Bellafkih, Abdellah Bennane, Aziza Benomar

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Distance education has become popular due to their ability to provide learning from almost anywhere and anytime. COVID-19 forced educational institutions to urgently introduce distance education to ensure pedagogical continuity, so all stakeholders were invited to adapt to this new paradigm. In order to identify strengths and weaknesses, the research focuses on the need to create an effective mechanism for evaluating distance education. The aims of this research were to explore and evaluate the use of digital media in general and official platforms in particular in distance education practices. To this end, we have developed and validated a questionnaire before administering it to a sample of 431 teachers in Morocco. Teachers reported lower knowledge and skills in the didactic use of ICT in the distance education process. In addition, although age and educative experience of the teachers continue to modulate the level of instrumental skills. Therefore, resources (digital resources and infrastructure) and the teachers’ ICT training present serious limitations, which require a training more focused on the distance educational paradigm and educational environments that allow teachers to create educational activities able to promote and facilitate the distance learning process.

Keywords: distance education, e-learning, teachers’ perceptions, assessment

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Authors: Ala Abobakr Abdulhafidh Al-Dubai

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Biomaterials, specifically metals and ceramics, are indispensable components in the realm of medical science, shaping the landscape of implantology and prosthetics. This study delves into the intricate interplay between these materials and biological systems, aiming to scrutinize their suitability, performance, and biocompatibility. Employing a multi-faceted approach, a range of methodologies were meticulously employed to comprehensively characterize these biomaterials. Advanced material characterization techniques were paramount in this research, with scanning electron microscopy providing intricate insights into surface morphology, and X-ray diffraction unraveling the crystalline structures. These analyses were complemented by in vitro assessments, which gauged the biological response of cells to metals and ceramics, shedding light on their potential applications within the human body. A key facet of our investigation involved a comparative study, evaluating the corrosion resistance and osseointegration potential of both metals and ceramics. Through a series of experiments, we sought to understand how these biomaterials interacted with physiological environments, paving the way for informed decisions in medical applications

Keywords: metals, ceramics, biomaterials, biocompatibility, osseointegration

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Authors: T. Sakamoto, S. Kainuma

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Firstly, in order to examine the influence of the remaining amount of the rust on the coating film durability, the accelerated deterioration tests were carried out. In order to prepare test specimens, uncoated steel plates were corroded by the Salt Spray Test (SST) prior to the accelerated deterioration tests, and then the prepared test specimens were coated by epoxy resin and phthalic acid resin each of which has different gas-barrier performance. As the result, it was confirmed that the under-film corrosion occurred in the area and the adjacency to great quantities of salt exists in the rust, and did not occurred in the specimen which was applied the epoxy resin paint after the surface preparation by the power tool. Secondly, in order to clarify the influence of the corrosive factors on the coating film durability, outdoor exposure tests were conducted for one year on actual steel bridge located at a coastal area. The tests specimens consist of coated corroded plates and the uncoated steel plates, and they were installed on the different structural members of the bridge for one year. From the test results, the uncoated steel plates which were installed on the underside of the member are easily corrosive and had highly correlation with the amount of salt in the rust. On the other hand, the most corrosive under-film steel was the vertical surface of the web plate. Thus, it was confirmed that under-film corrosion rate was not match with corrosion rate of the uncoated steel. Consequently, it is estimated that the main factors of under-film corrosion are gas-barrier property of coating film and corrosive factors such as water vapor and temperature. The salt which significantly corrodes the uncoated steel plate is not directly related to the under-film corrosion.

Keywords: accelerated deterioration test, coating durability, environmental factor, under-film corrosion

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Authors: Faisal Mehmood

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In this globalization era, the supply chain management has acquired strategic importance in diverse business environments. In the current highly competitive business environment, the success of any business considerably depends on the efficiency of the supply chain. Management has now realized that due to the inefficiency of any member of supply chain, the profitability of the business will be affected. This paper proposes an analysis of backward supply chain in the beverages industry of Pakistan. Although reuse of products and materials is a common phenomenon, companies have long ignored this important part of the supply chain, known as backward supply chain or reverse logistics. The beverage industry is among the pioneers of backward supply chain or reverse logistics in Pakistan. The empty glass bottles are returned back from the point of consumption to the warehouse for refilling and reusability purposes. Due to the lack of information on reverse flow of logistics and more attention on the forward distribution, beverages industry in Pakistan is facing high rate of inefficiencies and ineffectiveness. Analysis of backward or reverse logistics practiced in beverages industry is the subject of this study in which framework dictating the current needs of market will be developed.

Keywords: backward supply chain, reverse logistics, refilling, re-usability

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Authors: Ghazal Banitahmasb, Nazanin Khakipour

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More than 90 percent of the world's rice is produced and consumed in Asia. Heavy metal contamination of soil and water environments is a serious and growing problem. Toxin by human activities causes pollution in soils so that the intensity of metals in soils was exceeded. This study was done on 7 samples of rice cultivated in Savadkooh of Mazandaran province and soils; they were grown. The amount of heavy metals Arsenic, Lead and Cadmium were measured by atomic absorption. The test results showed that the amount of Lead in rice strain, Tarom A, was 0.768 ppm, the maximum amount of Cadmium in rice strain, Hashemi B, was 0.09 ppm and the highest levels of Arsenic was in red Tarom, 0.39 ppm. According to the results obtained in this study can be found all rice grown in Savadkooh city of Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead, but the measurements are less than specified in the national standard, and their use is safe for consumers. These results also indicate that positive and significant correlation between the studied heavy metals in soil and rice strains that grow there and by increasing the amount of heavy metals in the soil, the amount of these metals in crops grown on them is also increasing.

Keywords: heavy metals, Oryza sativa L., soil pollution, Savadkooh

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Authors: Pauline Logue

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In recent decades, the Irish Department of Education and Skills has pro-actively promoted student-center learning methodologies. Similarly, the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning has advocated such strategies, aligning them with student success. These developments have informed the author’s professional practice as a teacher educator. This qualitative student-perspective study focuses on a review of one pilot initiative in the academic year 2020-2021, namely, the implementation of universal design for learning strategies within teacher education, employing student-centered learning strategies. Findings included: that student-centered strategies enhanced student performance and success overall, with some minor evidence of student resistance. It was concluded that a dialogical review with student teachers on prior learning experiences (from intellectual and affective perspectives) and learning environments (physical, virtual, and emotional) could facilitate greater student ownership of learning. It is recommended to more formally structure such a dialogical review in a future delivery.

Keywords: professional practice, student-centered learning, teacher education, universal design for learning

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Authors: Sandesh Achar

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Artificial intelligence is being increasingly incorporated into many applications across various sectors such as health, education, security, and agriculture. Recently, there has been rapid development in cloud computing technology, resulting in AI’s implementation into cloud computing to enhance and optimize the technology service rendered. The deployment of AI in cloud-based applications has brought about autonomous computing, whereby systems achieve stated results without human intervention. Despite the amount of research into autonomous computing, work incorporating AI/ML into cloud computing to enhance its performance and resource allocation remain a fundamental challenge. This paper highlights different manifestations, roles, trends, and challenges related to AI-based cloud computing models. This work reviews and highlights excellent investigations and progress in the domain. Future directions are suggested for leveraging AI/ML in next-generation computing for emerging computing paradigms such as cloud environments. Adopting AI-based algorithms and techniques to increase operational efficiency, cost savings, automation, reducing energy consumption and solving complex cloud computing issues are the major findings outlined in this paper.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, cloud computing, deep learning, machine learning, internet of things

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Authors: Swati Naruka

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"Looking after one’s mind is as important as looking after one’s body". As part of one’s overall health, mental and emotional health or well being is a necessary condition to enable one to manage one’s life successfully. Mental health is the capacity of an individual to form harmonious adjustments to one’s social and physical environments. Universities and colleges are dealing with substantial challenges posed by the changing mental health needs of today’s college students. It is important for administrators, faculty, and staff to understand the profound impact that mental health problems can have on all aspects of campus life, and to treat mental health issues as an institutional responsibility and priority. Counselling centres can respond effectively to the current challenges if they have the support and commitment of the administration; and if they take steps to balance the demand for services with existing resources by reviewing priorities, establishing appropriate limits, employing innovative strategies, and practicing good self-care to minimize stress and burnout. The need for counselling centres has never been greater. They will continue to play an important role in supporting the mission of higher education institutions by providing counselling for students who are experiencing problems and assisting them in achieving their educational and personal goals.

Keywords: mental health, well being, India, college students

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Authors: Qingyu Zhang, Mei Cao

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As the environments become increasingly uncertain, firms have attempted to achieve greater supply chain collaboration. Supply chain collaboration can generate significant benefits to its members, e.g., reducing risks and decreasing transaction costs. However, a strong relationship is often related to firm’s culture (e.g., short-term vs. long-term interests). The objective of the study is to explore the effect of long-term oriented culture on product quality in a supply chain. Data was collected through a Web survey of U.S. manufacturing firms. Structural equation modeling (LISREL) was used to analyze the data. The results support the mediating roles of goal congruence and communication in the relationship between long-term orientation and product quality in the supply chain. Goal congruence partially mediates the relationship between long-term orientation and communication; communication completely mediates the relationship between goal congruence and product quality. Without high levels of communication, goal congruence cannot improve product quality in a positive way.

Keywords: communication, long-term orientation, product quality, supply chain

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Authors: Mohammed Saeed Jawad

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Metaverse involves the convergence of three major technologies trends of AI, VR, and AR. Together these three technologies can provide an entirely new channel for delivering healthcare with great potential to lower costs and improve patient outcomes on a larger scale. Telepresence is the technology that allows people to be together even if they are physically apart. Medical doctors can be symbolic as interactive avatars developed to have smart conversations and medical recommendations for patients at the different stages of the treatment. Medical digital assets such as Medical IoT for real-time remote healthcare monitoring as well as the symbolic doctors’ avatars as well as the hospital and clinical physical constructions and layout can be immersed in extended realities 3D metaverse environments where doctors, nurses, and patients can interact and socialized with the related digital assets that facilitate the data analytics of the sensed and collected personal medical data with visualized interaction of the digital twin of the patient’s body as well as the medical doctors' smart conversation and consultation or even in a guided remote-surgery operation.

Keywords: personal healthcare, metaverse, telemedicine, telepresence, avatar, medical consultation, remote-surgery

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Authors: Ather Saeed, Arif Khan, Jeffrey Gosper

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Sensor devices are prone to errors and sudden node failures, which are difficult to detect in a timely manner when deployed in real-time, hazardous, large-scale harsh environments and in medical emergencies. Therefore, the loss of data can be life-threatening when the sensed phenomenon is not disseminated due to sudden node failure, battery depletion or temporary malfunctioning. We introduce a set of partial differential equations for localizing faults, similar to Green’s and Maxwell’s equations used in Electrostatics and Electromagnetism. We introduce a node organization and clustering scheme for self-stabilizing sensor networks. Green’s theorem is applied to regions where the curve is closed and continuously differentiable to ensure network connectivity. Experimental results show that the proposed GTFD (Green’s Theorem fault-detection and Self-stabilization) protocol not only detects faulty nodes but also accurately generates network stability graphs where urgent intervention is required for dynamically self-stabilizing the network.

Keywords: Green’s Theorem, self-stabilization, fault-localization, RSSI, WSN, clustering

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Authors: Shuen-Tai Wang, Hsi-Ya Chang

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Cloud computing is becoming more and more matured over the last few years and consequently the demands for better cloud services is increasing rapidly. One of the research topics to improve cloud services is the desktop computing in virtualized environment. This paper aims at the development of an adaptive virtual desktop service in cloud computing platform based on our previous research on the virtualization technology. We implement cloud virtual desktop and application software streaming technology that make it possible for providing Virtual Desktop as a Service (VDaaS). Given the development of remote desktop virtualization, it allows shifting the user’s desktop from the traditional PC environment to the cloud-enabled environment, which is stored on a remote virtual machine rather than locally. This proposed effort has the potential to positively provide an efficient, resilience and elastic environment for online cloud service. Users no longer need to burden the platform maintenances and drastically reduces the overall cost of hardware and software licenses. Moreover, this flexible remote desktop service represents the next significant step to the mobile workplace, and it lets users access their desktop environments from virtually anywhere.

Keywords: cloud computing, virtualization, virtual desktop, VDaaS

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Authors: Cina Mosito, Toyin Mary Adewumi, Charlene Nissen

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One of the goals of inclusive education is to provide learners with suitable learning environments and prospects to best attain their potential. This study sought to determine the experiences of studying inclusive education on pre-service teachers’ teaching within the South African education context. A purposeful sample comprising 6 pre-service teachers was selected from a university of technology located in the Western Cape South Africa. Data were collected using open-ended questionnaires, which were exploratory in nature and analyzed thematically. The findings supported significant proportions of experiences as self-reported by pre-service teachers. The pre-service teachers’ experiences of studying inclusive education included inclusive education as an “eye-opener” to the fact that learners experiencing various barriers to learning can be accommodated in the regular classrooms, exposure to some aspects of inclusive education, such as diversity, learners’ rights, and curriculum differentiation. It was also revealed that studying inclusive education made pre-service teachers love and enjoy teaching more. The study shows that awareness of inclusive education has influenced pre-service teachers in South African schools.

Keywords: experience, inclusive education, pre-service teacher, South Africa

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Authors: Minseo Jo

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The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors in the hedonic price models, that has significance impact in determining the price of apartments. There are many variables employed in the hedonic price models and their effectiveness vary differently according to the researchers and the regions they are analysing. In order to consider various conditions, the meta-regression analysis has been selected for the study. In this paper, four meta-independent variables, from the 65 hedonic price models to analysis. The factors that influence the prices of apartments, as well as including factors that influence the prices of apartments, regions, which are divided into two of the research performed, years of research performed, the coefficients of the functions employed. The covariance between the four meta-variables and p-value of the coefficients and the four meta-variables and number of data used in the 65 hedonic price models have been analyzed in this study. The six factors that are most important in deciding the prices of apartments are positioning of apartments, the noise of the apartments, points of the compass and views from the apartments, proximity to the public transportations, companies that have constructed the apartments, social environments (such as schools etc.).

Keywords: hedonic price model, housing price, meta-regression analysis, characteristics

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Authors: Krishna Mohana Rao Gurram, R. Padmini, P. Vamsi Krishna

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As a part of extensive research for ecologically safe and operator friendly cutting fluids, this paper presents the experimental investigations on the performance of eco-friendly vegetable oil based nanofluids in turning operation. In order to assess the quality of nano cutting fluids used during machining, cutting temperatures, cutting forces and surface roughness under constant cutting conditions are measured. The influence of two types of nanofluids prepared from nano boric acid and CNT particles mixed separately with coconut oil, on machining performance during turning operation is examined. Comparative analysis of the results obtained is done under dry and lubricant environments. Results obtained using cutting fluids prepared from vegetable oil based nanofluids are encouraging and more pronouncing by the application of CCCNT at machining zone. The extent of improvement in reduction of cutting temperatures, main cutting force, tool wear and surface roughness is tracked to be 13%, 37.5%, 44% and 40% respectively by the application of CCCNT compared to dry machining.

Keywords: nanoparticles, vegetable oil, machining, MQL, surface roughness

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Authors: Juan Pablo Bertuzzi, Mauro Chiarella

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Employing a communication studies perspective and a socio-technological approach, this paper introduces a theoretical framework for understanding the concept of hybrid world; the avatarization phenomena; and the communicational archetype of co-hybridization. This analysis intends to make a contribution to future design of virtual reality experimental applications. Ultimately, this paper presents an ongoing research project that proposes the study of human-avatar interactions in digital educational environments, as well as an innovative reflection on inner digital communication. The aforementioned project presents the analysis of human-avatar interactions, through the development of an interactive experience in virtual reality. The goal is to generate an innovative communicational dimension that could reinforce the hypotheses presented throughout this paper. Being thought for its initial application in educational environments, the analysis and results of this research are dependent and have been prepared in regard of a meticulous planning of: the conception of a 3D digital platform; the interactive game objects; the AI or computer avatars; the human representation as hybrid avatars; and lastly, the potential of immersion, ergonomics and control diversity that can provide the virtual reality system and the game engine that were chosen. The project is divided in two main axes: The first part is the structural one, as it is mandatory for the construction of an original prototype. The 3D model is inspired by the physical space that belongs to an academic institution. The incorporation of smart objects, avatars, game mechanics, game objects, and a dialogue system will be part of the prototype. These elements have all the objective of gamifying the educational environment. To generate a continuous participation and a large amount of interactions, the digital world will be navigable both, in a conventional device and in a virtual reality system. This decision is made, practically, to facilitate the communication between students and teachers; and strategically, because it will help to a faster population of the digital environment. The second part is concentrated to content production and further data analysis. The challenge is to offer a scenario’s diversity that compels users to interact and to question their digital embodiment. The multipath narrative content that is being applied is focused on the subjects covered in this paper. Furthermore, the experience with virtual reality devices proposes users to experiment in a mixture of a seemingly infinite digital world and a small physical area of movement. This combination will lead the narrative content and it will be crucial in order to restrict user’s interactions. The main point is to stimulate and to grow in the user the need of his hybrid avatar’s help. By building an inner communication between user’s physicality and user’s digital extension, the interactions will serve as a self-guide through the gameworld. This is the first attempt to make explicit the avatarization phenomena and to further analyze the communicational archetype of co-hybridization. The challenge of the upcoming years will be to take advantage from these forms of generalized avatarization, in order to create awareness and establish innovative forms of hybridization.

Keywords: avatar, hybrid worlds, socio-technology, virtual reality

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Authors: Sanjay Adhikesaven

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Workplace accidents are a critical problem that causes many deaths, injuries, and financial losses. Climate change has a severe impact on industrial workers, partially caused by global warming. To reduce such casualties, it is important to proactively find unsafe environments where injuries could occur by detecting the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and identifying unsafe activities. Thus, we propose an industrial workplace alerting and monitoring platform to detect PPE use and classify unsafe activity in group settings involving multiple humans and objects over a long period of time. Our proposed method is the first to analyze prolonged actions involving multiple people or objects. It benefits from combining pose estimation with PPE detection in one platform. Additionally, we propose the first open-source annotated data set with video data from industrial workplaces annotated with the action classifications and detected PPE. The proposed system can be implemented within the surveillance cameras already present in industrial settings, making it a practical and effective solution.

Keywords: computer vision, deep learning, workplace safety, automation

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Authors: Ivan Župan

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Critical infrastructure is essential for the functioning of a country and is designated for special protection by governments worldwide. Due to the increase in smart technology usage in every facet of the industry, including critical infrastructure, the exposure to malicious cyber-physical attacks has grown in the last few years. Proper security measures must be undertaken in order to defend against cyber-physical threats that can disrupt the normal functioning of critical infrastructure and, consequently the functioning of the country. This paper provides a review of the scientific literature of models, methods and technologies used to protect from cyber-physical threats in industries. The focus of the literature was observed from three aspects. The first aspect, resilience, concerns itself with the robustness of the system’s defense against threats, as well as preparation and education about potential future threats. The second aspect concerns security risk management for systems with cyber-physical aspects, and the third aspect investigates available testbed environments for testing developed models on scaled models of vulnerable infrastructure.

Keywords: critical infrastructure, cyber-physical security, smart industry, security methodology, security technology

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Authors: Cristina Costa-Lobo, Ana Campina, José Menezes

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Creativity implies originality, but originality does not imply the existence of creativity. Today, one of the challenges of the educational context is the development of educated, autonomous, prudent and competent citizens with a critical attitude, a well-founded questioning and a creative search for innovative alternatives and solutions. These supposedly cognitive capacities impose emotional analysis and decision making, and emotion is also considered as a creative act. Authors emphasize the importance of family and school in the creative manifestation of children and young people, and these agents can stimulate or impede creative expression. Thus, children entering the school system are faced with a barrier that blocks the externalization of this competence. This work deals with the implementation of specific strategies and promoters of an educational environment suitable for the development of creativity. The construct of creativity is discussed in a transdisciplinary perspective, and the importance of the construct is enhanced in psychoeducational practices, in challenging and multifaceted environments. It is assumed that the stimulation and early experience of creative thinking in an educational context are conditions that promote the development of problem-solving skills and future challenges.

Keywords: creativity, education, psychology, pedagogy

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Authors: Lenka Matulova

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Geopolymers are alumosilicate materials that have long been studied. Despite this fact, little is known about the long-term stability of geopolymer mechanical and structural properties, so crucial for their successful industrial application. To improve understanding, we investigated the effect of four different types of environments on the mechanical and structural properties of a metakaolin-based geopolymer (MK GP). The MK GP samples were stored in laboratory conditions (control samples), in water at 20 °C, in water at 80 °C, and outside exposed to the weather. Compressive and tensile strengths were measured after 28, 56, 90, and 360 days. In parallel, structural properties were analyzed using XRD, SEM, and mercury intrusion porosimetry. Whereas the mechanical properties of the samples in laboratory conditions and in 20 °C water were stable, the mechanical properties of the outdoor samples and the samples 80 °C water decreased noticeably after 360 days. Structural analyses were focused on changes in sample microstructure (developing microcrack network, porosity) and identifying zeolites, the presence of which would indicate detrimental processes in the structure that can change it from amorphous to crystalline. No zeolites were found during the 360-day period in MK GP samples, but the reduction in mechanical properties coincided with a developing network of microcracks and changes in pore size distribution.

Keywords: geopolymer, long-term properties, mechanical properties, metakaolin, structural properties

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Authors: Shathya Duobiene, Gediminas Račiukaitis

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Solar-powered wireless sensor nodes work best when they operate continuously with minimal energy consumption. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are a new technology opens up wide studies, and advancements are expanding the prevalence of numerous monitoring applications and real-time aid for environments. The Selective Surface Activation Induced by Laser (SSAIL) technology is an exciting development that gives the design of WSNs more flexibility in terms of their shape, dimensions, and materials. This research work proposes a methodology for using SSAIL technology for forest ecosystem monitoring by wireless sensor networks. WSN monitoring the temperature and humidity were deployed, and their architectures are discussed. The paper presents the experimental outcomes of deploying newly built sensor nodes in forested areas. Finally, a practical method is offered to extend the WSN's lifespan and ensure its continued operation. When operational, the node is independent of the base station's power supply and uses only as much energy as necessary to sense and transmit data.

Keywords: internet of things (IoT), wireless sensor network, sensor nodes, SSAIL technology, forest ecosystem

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Authors: Ehsan Eshtehardian, Saeed Khodaverdi

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This paper surveys the studies on construction change and reveals some of the potential future works. A full-scale investigation of change literature, including change definitions, types, causes and effects, and change management systems, is accomplished to explore some of the coming change trends. It is tried to pick up the critical works in each section to deduct a true timeline of construction changes. The findings show that leaping from best practice guides in late 1990s and generic process models in the early 2000s to very advanced modeling environments in the mid-2000s and the early 2010s have made gaps along with opportunities for change researchers in order to develop some more easy and applicable models. Another finding is that there is a compelling similarity between the change and risk prediction models. Therefore, integrating these two concepts, specifically from proactive management point of view, may lead to a synergy and help project teams avoid rework. Also, the findings show that exploitation of cause-effect relationship models, in order to facilitate the dispute resolutions, seems to be an interesting field for future works.

Keywords: construction change, change management systems, dispute resolutions, change literature

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Authors: M. Al Nur, M. S. Kaiser

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Corrosion behaviour of hypereutectic Al-19Si automotive alloy in different pH=1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 environments was carried out using conventional gravimetric measurements and was complemented by resistivity, optical micrograph, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray analyzer (EDX) investigations. Gravimetric analysis confirmed that the highest corrosion rate is shown at pH 13 followed by pH 1. Minimum corrosion occurs in the pH range of 3.0 to 11 due to establishment of passive layer on the surface. The highest corrosion rate at pH 13 is due to the presence of sodium hydroxide in the solution which dissolves the surface oxide film at a steady rate. At pH 1, it can be attributed that the presence of aggressive chloride ions serves to pick up the damage of the passive films at localized regions. With varying exposure periods by both, the environment complies with the normal corrosion rate profile that is an initial steep rise followed by a nearly constant value of corrosion rate. Resistivity increases in case of pH 1 solution for the higher pit formation and decreases at pH 13 due to formation of thin film. The SEM image of corroded samples immersed in pH 1 solution clearly shows pores on the surface and in pH 13 solution, and the corrosion layer seems more compact and homogenous and not porous.

Keywords: Al-Si alloy, corrosion, pH, resistivity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

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Authors: Xizhen Zhou, Yanjie Ji

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The charging behavior of drivers provides a reference for the planning and management of charging facilities. Based on the real trajectory data of electric vehicles, this study explored the influence of the surrounding environments of the parking spot on charging decisions. The built environment, the condition of vehicles, and the nearest charging station were all considered. And the mixed binary logit model was used to capture the impact of unobserved heterogeneity. The results show that the number of fast chargers in the charging station, parking price, dwell time, and shopping services all significantly impact the charging decision, while the leisure services, scenic spots, and mileage since the last charging are opposite. Besides, factors related to unobserved heterogeneity include the number of fast chargers, parking and charging prices, residential areas, etc. The interaction effects of random parameters further illustrate the complexity of charging choice behavior. The results provide insights for planning and managing charging facilities.

Keywords: charging decision, trajectory, electric vehicle, infrastructure, mixed logit

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Authors: Nur Farah Ain Zainee, Ahmad Ismail, Nazlina Ibrahim, Asmida Ismail

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The study of genus Halimeda in Malaysia is in the early stage due to less specific study on its taxonomy. Most of the previous research tend to choose other genus such as Caulerpa and Gracilaria because of the potential of being utilized. The identification of Halimeda is complex by the high morphological variation within individual species due to different types of habitat and the changes in composition of seawater. The study was completed to study the diversity and distribution of Halimeda in Malaysia and to identify the morphological and anatomical differences between Halimeda species. The methods which have been used for this study are collection of Halimeda and seawater, preservation of specimen, identification of the specimen including the preparation of the temporary slide and decalcification of the calcium layer by using diluted hydrochloric acid. The specimen were processed in laboratory and kept as herbarium specimen in Algae Herbarium, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Environmental parameters were tested by using YSI multiparameter probe and the recorded data were temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen. The nutrient content of seawater such as nitrate and phosphate were analysed by using Hach kit model DR 2000. In the present study, out of 330 herbarium specimen, ten species were identified as Halimeda cuneata, H. discoidea, H. macroloba, H. macrophysa, H. opuntia, H. simulans, H. stuposa, H. taenicola, H. tuna and H. velasquezii. Of these, five species were new record to Malaysia. They are Halimeda cuneata, H. macrophysa, H. stuposa, H. taenicola and H. velasquezii. H. opuntia was found as the most abundance species with wide distribution in Malaysia coastal area. Meanwhile, from the study of their distribution, two localities in which Pulau Balak Balak, Kudat and Pulau Langkawi, Kedah, were noted having high number of Halimeda species. As a conclusion, this study has successfully identified ten species of Halimeda of Malaysia with full description of morphological characteristics that may assist further researcher to differentiate and identify Halimeda.

Keywords: Distribution, diversity, Halimeda, morphological, taxonomy

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Authors: Islam Abou El-Magd, Elham Ali, Moahmed Zakzouk, Nesreen Khairy, Naglaa Zanaty

Abstract:

Maine environment and coastal zone are wealthy with natural resources that contribute to the local economy of Egypt. The Gulf of Suez and Red Sea area accommodates diverse human activities that contribute to the local economy, including oil exploration and production, touristic activities, export and import harbors, etc, however, it is always under the threat of pollution due to human interaction and activities. This research aimed at integrating in-situ measurements and remotely sensed data with hydrodynamic model to map and simulate the oil pollution. High-resolution satellite sensors including Sentinel 2 and Plantlab were functioned to trace the oil pollution. Spectral band ratio of band 4 (infrared) over band 3 (red) underpinned the mapping of the point source pollution from the oil industrial estates. This ratio is supporting the absorption windows detected in the hyperspectral profiles. ASD in-situ hyperspectral device was used to measure experimentally the oil pollution in the marine environment. The experiment used to measure water behavior in three cases a) clear water without oil, b) water covered with raw oil, and c) water after a while from throwing the raw oil. The spectral curve is clearly identified absorption windows for oil pollution, particularly at 600-700nm. MIKE 21 model was applied to simulate the dispersion of the oil contamination and create scenarios for crises management. The model requires precise data preparation of the bathymetry, tides, waves, atmospheric parameters, which partially obtained from online modeled data and other from historical in-situ stations. The simulation enabled to project the movement of the oil spill and could create a warning system for mitigation. Details of the research results will be described in the paper.

Keywords: oil pollution, remote sensing, modelling, Red Sea, Egypt

Procedia PDF Downloads 347

Authors: Tiedan Huang, Chun Zhang, Caitlin Coe

Abstract:

This study investigated the quality of instructional support for young Emergent Multilingual Learners (EMLs) in 50 Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) classroom in New York City (NYC). This is one of the first empirical studies examining the instructional support for this student population. We collected data using a mixed method of structured observations of teacher-child interactions in 50 classrooms, and surveys and interviews with program leaders and the teaching teams. We found that NYC’s UPK classrooms offered warm and supportive environments for EMLs. Nevertheless, in general, instructional support was relatively low. This study identified large mindset, knowledge, and practice gaps—and a real opportunity—among NYC early childhood professionals, specifically in the areas of providing adequate instructional and linguistic support for EMLs as well as partnering with families in capturing their cultural and home literacy assets. Consistent, rigorous, and meaningful use of data is necessary to support both EMLs’ language and literacy development and teachers’/leaders’ professional development.

Keywords: high quality instruction, culturally and linguistically responsive practices, professional development, workforce development

Procedia PDF Downloads 80

Authors: Khaled Abkar Alkodimi

Abstract:

This paper attempts to explore Bishop’s eco-poetics and environmental consciousness from an ecocritical perspective. It focuses on her representations of animals, environments, and natural phenomena and the connection between a broad range of human activities and flora, fauna habitats. Indeed, Bishop shows a sense of human responsibility towards the earth in her peculiar treatment of place and livestock, which appears to be more than a static growth process. Her poetry is totally contrary to egoism and egotism, and this can be easily noticed in her subjective understanding of nature and creatures. The findings show Bishop as an eco-poet who committed herself and her poetry to highlight the significance of nature and world life at large. This is obvious through her representation of natural phenomena such as seasonal cycles, weather, and physical and ecological elements, including air, earth, and water, which essentially constitute and inform the poet’s environmental thoughts. Examining Bishop’s conception of a human relationship with ‘external nature through the examination of her poetic language, this study shows how the environmental imagination can suggest social responsibility to readers.

Keywords: elizabeth bishop, eco-criticism, eco-poetry, environmental consciousness, man-nature relationship

Procedia PDF Downloads 193