Search results for: advanced reactive system screening tool

Authors: Easter Faasoo-Tuilagi

Abstract:

Study abroad has become a significant aspect of the tertiary system for New Zealand tertiary institutions and has been having a valuable contribution to student achievement and completion rate. The purpose of this doctoral study was to explore the significance and value of study abroad at an individual (learner), institutional (university), and national (government) level, with a focus on Māori and Pasifika learners. Previous research had conducted on the values and benefits of study abroad; however, there is a gap in knowledge on how study abroad can contribute to the educational experience of Māori and Pasifika students in tertiary studies in New Zealand. This study’s main focus aimed to explore the current participation and history of involvement of Māori and Pasifika students with study abroad using the University of Auckland and the University of Otago as case studies. It analysed the experiences of Māori and Pasifika students who were interested in study abroad or have returned from a study abroad. This research also explored how study abroad had become a significant aspect of the tertiary system in New Zealand, focusing on Tertiary Education Strategies. These questions were analysed using a range of methodologies, including a literature review to review how various institutions and nations, in particular New Zealand, were approaching study abroad, semi-structured interviews with Māori and Pasifika students on their experiences expressing interest in study abroad, and case studies of current/ returning Māori and Pasifika students who have had a study abroad experience. The anticipated results from this research will address several gaps in the existing literature and provide ways to better support Māori and Pasifika students who want to have a study abroad experience. This study will also inform education policy at an institutional and national level to boost the achievement of Māori and Pasifika students aligning with the Tertiary Education Strategy priorities.

Keywords: study abroad, Māori and Pasifika learners, international education, tertiary education strategy

Procedia PDF Downloads 58

Authors: Sihyun Chae, Ryoto Arai, Waldo Concepcion, Paula Popescu

Abstract:

The kidneys perform an important role in the human hormones that regulate the blood pressure, produce an active form of vitamin D and control the production of red blood cells. Kidney disease can cause health problems, such as heart disease. Also, increase the chance of having a stroke or heart attack. There are mainly to types of treatments for kidney disease, dialysis, and kidney transplant. For a better quality of life, the kidney transplant is desirable. However, kidney transplant can cause antibody reaction and patients’ body would be attacked by immune system of their own. For solving that issue, patients with transplanted kidney always take immunosuppressive drugs which can hurt kidney as side effects. Patients willing to do a kidney transplant have a waiting time of 3.6 years in average searching to find an appropriate kidney, considering there are almost 96,380 patients waiting for kidney transplant. There is a promising method to solve these issues: bioartificial kidney. Our membrane is specially designed with unique perforations capable to filter the blood cells separating the white blood cells from red blood cells. White blood cells will not pass through the encapsulated kidney preventing the immune system to attack the new organ and eliminating the need of a matching donor. It is possible to construct life-time long encapsulation without needing pumps or a power supply on the cell’s separation method preventing futures surgeries due the Cross-Channel Flow inside the device. This technology allows the possibility to use an animal kidney, prevent cancer cells to spread through the body, arm and leg transplants in the future. This project aims to improve the quality of life of patients with kidney disease.

Keywords: kidney encapsulation, immunosuppression filter, leukocyte filter, leukocyte

Procedia PDF Downloads 188

Authors: J. B. Athavale, Sean Clarke

Abstract:

Introduction According to ancient Indian scriptures, a person’s consciousness includes the physical body, the vital energy sheath (Pranshakti), the mental body (which includes one’s feelings and emotions), the intellectual body (which refers to one’s decision-making ability), and the Soul (which is the God Principle that resides in every person). Apart from the physical body, all the other aspects are subtle in nature. In today’s world, much attention is given to one’s physical appearance and intellectual prowess. While there have been improvements in the attention given to mental health, its complete nature is not understood, and in many cultures, mental ill health is considered taboo and looked down upon. Regarding the spiritual well-being of a person, our spiritual research has shown that people’s understanding and efforts are mostly lacking and superficial as they do not conform to Universal Spiritual Principles. Also, true well-being occurs only when all the bodies are healthy. Methodology The spiritual research team at the University has found that the spiritual aspect of a person’s life affects all the physical, psychological, and intellectual bodies of a person resulting in ill health. Cleansing these bodies at a spiritual level is essential to regain well-being. Using Aura and Energy Scanners and advanced sixth sense, we studied what causes spiritual impurity in various bodies and how to cleanse them. We measured the spiritual vibrations of a person and how they get affected due to various daily activities. For example, we studied the difference in a person’s aura before and after applying chemical-based makeup vs. natural makeup. Key Findings From the various spiritual research experiments we conducted, we found that: • All our actions and our thoughts affect our various bodies and have the potential to change the aura for the better or worse. • When there is an increase in negative vibrations around a person, negative energies from the subtle dimension are more likely to affect a person. • As the person’s spiritual level increases, the positivity in their aura also increases, and it is much easier to cleanse the various bodies spiritually. • Spiritual practice is like a general spiritual tonic that increases the positivity in one’s aura. The benefits of this are that it leads to mental stability and intellectual clarity. • Spiritual healing remedies augment any spiritual practice to obtain a faster healing effect. Conclusion Taking care of oneself spiritually has a positive halo effect on all one’s bodies. Spiritual cleansing is required regularly if one wants to attain a state of well-being. Spiritual practice and spiritual healing lead to spiritual growth, stability of mind, and less stress and reactions. Spiritually purer people affect the environment positively, and there is less unrest and more harmony between man and nature.

Keywords: body, spirituality, cleansing, consciousness

Procedia PDF Downloads 61

Authors: Anastasia Constantinou, Stephen Morris

Abstract:

Background: The adoption of synchronous and asynchronous telemedicine modalities for primary care consultations has exponentially increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is limited understanding of how virtual consultations influence healthcare resource utilization and other quality measures including safety, timeliness, efficiency, patient and provider satisfaction, cost-effectiveness and environmental impact. Aim: Quantify the rate of follow-up visits, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, request for investigations and prescriptions and comment on the effect on different quality measures associated with different telemedicine modalities used for primary care services and primary care referrals to secondary care Design and setting: Systematic review in primary care Methods: A systematic search was carried out across three databases (Medline, PubMed and Scopus) between August and November 2023, using terms related to telemedicine, general practice, electronic referrals, follow-up, use and efficiency and supported by citation searching. This was followed by screening according to pre-defined criteria, data extraction and critical appraisal. Narrative synthesis and metanalysis of quantitative data was used to summarize findings. Results: The search identified 2230 studies; 50 studies are included in this review. There was a prevalence of asynchronous modalities in both primary care services (68%) and referrals from primary care to secondary care (83%), and most of the study participants were females (63.3%), with mean age of 48.2. The average follow-up for virtual consultations in primary care was 28.4% (eVisits: 36.8%, secure messages 18.7%, videoconference 23.5%) with no significant difference between them or F2F consultations. There was an average annual reduction of primary care visits by 0.09/patient, an increase in telephone visits by 0.20/patient, an increase in ED encounters by 0.011/patient, an increase in hospitalizations by 0.02/patient and an increase in out of hours visits by 0.019/patient. Laboratory testing was requested on average for 10.9% of telemedicine patients, imaging or procedures for 5.6% and prescriptions for 58.7% of patients. When looking at referrals to secondary care, on average 36.7% of virtual referrals required follow-up visit, with the average rate of follow-up for electronic referrals being higher than for videoconferencing (39.2% vs 23%, p=0.167). Technical failures were reported on average for 1.4% of virtual consultations to primary care. When using carbon footprint estimates, we calculate that the use of telemedicine in primary care services can potentially provide a net decrease in carbon footprint by 0.592kgCO2/patient/year. When follow-up rates are taken into account, we estimate that virtual consultations reduce carbon footprint for primary care services by 2.3 times, and for secondary care referrals by 2.2 times. No major concerns regarding quality of care, or patient satisfaction were identified. 5/7 studies that addressed cost-effectiveness, reported increased savings. Conclusions: Telemedicine provides quality, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable care for patients in primary care with inconclusive evidence regarding the rates of subsequent healthcare utilization. The evidence is limited by heterogeneous, small-scale studies and lack of prospective comparative studies. Further research to identify the most appropriate telemedicine modality for different patient populations, clinical presentations, service provision (e.g. used to follow-up patients instead of initial diagnosis) as well as further education for patients and providers alike on how to make best use of this service is expected to improve outcomes and influence practice.

Keywords: telemedicine, healthcare utilisation, digital interventions, environmental impact, sustainable healthcare

Procedia PDF Downloads 46

Authors: Sandra Biewers Grimm

Abstract:

International studies such as Pisa have shown an increasing social inequality in the education system, which is determined in particular by social origin and migration status. This is especially the case in the Luxembourg school system, which creates challenges for many young people due to the multilingualism in the country. While the international and also the national debate on education in the immediate aftermath of the publications of the Pisa results mainly focused on the further development of school-based learning venues and formal educational processes, it initially remained largely unclear what role exactly out-of-school learning venues and non-formal and informal learning processes could play in this further development. This has changed in the meantime. Both in the political discourses and in the scientific disciplines, those voices have become louder that draw attention to the important educational function and the enormous educational potential of out-of-school learning places as a response to the crisis of the formal education system and more than this. Youth work as an actor and approach of non-formal education is particularly in demand here. Due to its principles of self-education, participation and openness, it is considered to have a special potential in supporting the acquisition of important key competencies. In this context, the study "Educational experiences in non-formal settings" at CCY takes a differentiated look behind the scenes of education-oriented youth work and describes on the basis of empirical data what and how young people learn in youth centers and which significance they attach to these educational experiences for their subjective life situation. In this sense, the aim of the study is to reconstruct the subjective educational experiences of young people in Open Youth Work as well as to explore the value that these experiences have for young people. In doing so, it enables scientifically founded conclusions about the educational potential of youth work from the user's perspective. Initially, the study focuses on defining the concept of education in the context of non-formal education and thus sets a theoretical framework for the empirical analysis. This socio-educational term of education differs from the relevant conception of education in curricular, formal education as the acquisition of knowledge. It also differs from the operationalization of education as competence, or the differentiation into cultural, social and personal or into factual, social or methodological competence, which is often used in the European context and which has long been interpreted as a "social science reading of the question of education" (XX). Now the aim is to define a "broader" concept of education that goes beyond the normative and educational policy dimensions of a "non-formal education" and includes the classical socio-educational dimensions. Furthermore, the study works with different methods of empirical social research: In addition to ethnographic observation and an online survey, group discussions were conducted with the young people. The presentation gives an insight into the context, the methodology and the results of this study.

Keywords: non-formal education, youth research, qualitative research, educational theory

Procedia PDF Downloads 152

Authors: Khalil Aryanfar, Shahrzad Sanjari, Elmira Hafez, Pariya Gholipor

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to Evaluate and compare the male and female students’ life skills of theoretical, technical-vocational and Job and Knowledge branches of secondary high school period. The research method is descriptive - survey Research population was 5892 students from three high schools in Tehran, sample size was determined 342 patients according to Morgan’s table and by stratified random sampling. The data collection tool was a questionnaire designed by the researchers that the reliability was more than 85/0 respectively. Data was anglicized by Kryskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney U-test. In three branches of theoretical, technical-vocational and Job and Knowledge The variables of academic achievement, the importance of organization, problem solving, seeking knowledge, good habits, mental and physical self-concept, family orientation and future orientation was not significant differences, in the variables of cooperative behavior, and ready for change was but significant differences. Variables such as academic achievement, seek knowledge, good habits, mental and physical, seeking direction to future cooperative behavior between boys and girls with the confidence of at least 95/0 and the variable ready for change among boys and girls by ensuring 0932 / There was an However, the importance of variables, problem solving, self-concept and family orientation was not significantly different.

Keywords: life skills, high school, theoretical, technical-vocational, job and knowledge

Procedia PDF Downloads 372

Authors: Taleb Lotfi, Benarbia Maheidine, Allam Hamza, Boutira Fatima, Boukerche Abdelbaki

Abstract:

Introduction and purpose of the study: This is a retrospective single-center study with an analytical aim to determine the prognostic factors for relapse in patients treated with radiotherapy after total laryngectomy with lymph node dissection for laryngeal cancer at the Emir Abdelkader cancer center in Oran (Algeria). Material and methods: During the study period from January 2014 to December 2018, eighty-nine patients (n=89) with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx were treated with postoperative radiotherapy. Relapse-free survival was studied in the univariate analysis according to pre-treatment criteria using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. We performed a univariate analysis to identify relapse factors. Statistically significant factors have been studied in the multifactorial analysis according to the Cox model. Results and statistical analysis: The average age was 62.7 years (40-86 years). It was a squamous cell carcinoma in all cases. Postoperatively, the tumor was classified as pT3 and pT4 in 93.3% of patients. Histological lymph node involvement was found in 36 cases (40.4%), with capsule rupture in 39% of cases, while the limits of surgical excision were microscopically infiltrated in 11 patients (12.3%). Chemotherapy concomitant with radiotherapy was used in 67.4% of patients. With a median follow-up of 57 months (23 to 104 months), the probabilities of relapse-free survival and five-year overall survival are 71.2% and 72.4%, respectively. The factors correlated with a high risk of relapse were locally advanced tumor stage pT4 (p=0.001), tumor site in case of subglottic extension (p=0.0003), infiltrated surgical limits R1 (p=0.001), l lymph node involvement (p=0.002), particularly in the event of lymph node capsular rupture (p=0.0003) as well as the time between surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy (p=0.001). However, in the subgroup analysis, the major prognostic factors for disease-free survival were subglottic tumor extension (p=0.001) and time from surgery to adjuvant radiotherapy (p=0.005). Conclusion: Combined surgery and postoperative radiation therapy are effective treatment modalities in the management of laryngeal cancer. Close cooperation of the entire cervicofacial oncology team is essential, expressed during a multidisciplinary consultation meeting, with the need to respect the time between surgery and radiotherapy.

Keywords: laryngeal cancer, laryngectomy, postoperative radiotherapy, survival

Procedia PDF Downloads 89

Authors: Carol Leroy

Abstract:

This presentation focuses on the analysis qualitative case studies in the graduate education of reading specialists. The presentation describes the development and application of an integrated conceptual framework for reading specialist education, drawing on Robert Stake’s work on case study research, Kenneth Zeichner’s work on professional learning, and various tools for reading assessment (e.g. the Qualitative Reading Inventory). Social constructivist theory is used to provide intersecting links between the various influences on the processes used to assess and teaching reading within the case study framework. Illustrative examples are described to show the application of the framework in reading specialist education in a teaching clinic at a large urban university. Central to education of reading specialists in this teaching clinic is the collection, analysis and interpretation of data for the design and implementation of reading and writing programs for struggling readers and writers. The case study process involves the integrated interpretation of data, which is central to qualitative case study inquiry. An emerging theme in this approach to graduate education is the ambiguity and uncertainty that governs work with the adults and children who attend the clinic for assistance. Tensions and contradictions are explored insofar as they reveal overlapping but intersecting frameworks for case study analysis in the area of literacy education. An additional theme is the interplay of multiple layers of data with a resulting depth that goes beyond the practical need of the client and toward the deeper pedagogical growth of the reading specialist. The presentation makes a case for the value of qualitative case studies in reading specialist education. Further, the use of social constructivism as a unifying paradigm provides a robustness to the conceptual framework as a tool for understanding the pedagogy that is involved.

Keywords: assessment, case study, professional education, reading

Procedia PDF Downloads 440

Authors: Rowane May A. Fesalbon, Greyland C. Agno, Jodel L. Cuasay, Dindo A. Malonzo, Ma. Rosario Concepcion O. Ang

Abstract:

The Department of Energy of the Republic of the Philippines estimates that the country’s energy reserves for 2015 are dwindling– observed in the rotating power outages in several localities. To aid in the energy crisis, a national hydropower resource assessment scheme is developed. Hydropower is a resource that is derived from flowing water and difference in elevation. It is a renewable energy resource that is deemed abundant in the Philippines – being an archipelagic country that is rich in bodies of water and water resources. The objectives of this study is to develop a methodology for a national hydropower resource assessment using hydrologic modeling and geospatial techniques in order to generate resource maps for future reference and use of the government and other stakeholders. The methodology developed for this purpose is focused on two models – the implementation of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for the river discharge and the use of geospatial techniques to analyze the topography and obtain the head, and generate the theoretical hydropower potential sites. The methodology is highly coupled with Geographic Information Systems to maximize the use of geodatabases and the spatial significance of the determined sites. The hydrologic model used in this workflow is SWAT integrated in the GIS software ArcGIS. The head is determined by a developed algorithm that utilizes a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)-derived digital elevation model (DEM) which has a resolution of 10-meters. The initial results of the developed workflow indicate hydropower potential in the river reaches ranging from pico (less than 5 kW) to mini (1-3 MW) theoretical potential.

Keywords: ArcSWAT, renewable energy, hydrologic model, hydropower, GIS

Procedia PDF Downloads 298

Authors: Rajinikanth Siddalingam, Poonguzhali Subramanian

Abstract:

The present study aims to prepare and evaluate the self-nano emulsifying drug delivery (SNEDDS) system to enhance the dissolution rate of a poorly soluble drug dutasteride. The formulation was prepared using capryol PGMC, Cremophor EL, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) 400 as oil, surfactant and co-surfactant, respectively. The pseudo-ternary phase diagrams with presence and absence of drug were plotted to find out the nano emulsification range and also to evaluate the effect of dutasteride on the emulsification behavior of the phases. Prepared SNEDDS formulations were evaluated for its particle size distribution, nano emulsifying properties, robustness to dilution, self-emulsification time, turbidity measurement, drug content and in-vitro dissolution. The optimized formulations are further evaluated for heating cooling cycle, centrifugation studies, freeze-thaw cycling, particle size distribution and zeta potential were carried out to confirm the stability of the formed SNEDDS formulations. The particle size, zeta potential and polydispersity index of the optimized formulation found to be 35.45 nm, -15.45 and 0.19, respectively. The in vitro results are revealed that the prepared formulation enhanced the dissolution rate of dutasteride significantly as compared with pure drug. The in vivo studies in was conducted using rats and the results are revealed that SNEDDS formulation has enhanced the bioavailability of dutasteride drug significantly as compared with raw drug. Based the results, it was concluded that the dutasteride-loaded SNEDDS shows potential to enhance the dissolution of dutasteride, thus improving the bioavailability and therapeutic effects.

Keywords: self-emulsifying drug delivery system, dutasteride, enhancement of bioavailability, dissolution enhancement

Procedia PDF Downloads 252

Authors: Jeanne Grace, Melkamu D. Kassa

Abstract:

Background: Despite the recognized benefits of physical exercise, including a reduction of health risk factor indicators, illness and deaths related to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer, the extent of its recognition and use as a prevention strategy by healthcare professionals working in Ethiopian referral hospitals is unknown. Objective: This study explored healthcare professionals’ use of physical exercise as a non-communicable disease prevention strategy in the Ethiopian public sector healthcare system. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a self-administered questionnaire was conducted after being piloted to ensure validity and reliability. For the study, 312 participants were selected from 13 purposively selected Ethiopian referral hospitals, these being 99 physicians who were purposively selected and 213 nurses who were proportionately and randomly selected. Results: The results indicated that three-quarters (78%) of healthcare professionals working in Ethiopian hospitals are not using physical exercise as a strategy to prevent NCDs. Increased specialization (AOR = 20.203, p < 0.001), longer service years (AOR = 0.041, p = 0.014), young age (AOR = 19.871, p < 0.001), and being male (AOR = 0.269, p < 0.001), were predictors of using physical exercise as a strategy for the prevention of NCDs. Conclusion: Healthcare professionals’ utilization of physical exercise as a strategy for NCDs prevention was inadequate in Ethiopia. Given the increasing burden of NCD disease in Ethiopia, training nurses, physicians and medical managers have to acknowledge the use of physical exercise as an NCD prevention strategy. The results of this study highlight the importance of formulating physical exercise intervention strategies for NCDs patients, and the need to incorporate training for healthcare professionals on the type, intensity, duration, and frequency of physical exercise to prevent NCDs in the Ethiopian healthcare system.

Keywords: exercise, medical managers, nurses, physicians

Procedia PDF Downloads 156

Authors: Menglu Yang, Ani Beybutyan, Rocio Pina, Miguel Angel Soria

Abstract:

Domestic violence against women is one of the most serious social problems in the world. Attitudes toward domestic violence against women play an important role in the perpetration of violence against women, the way that victims respond to the violence, and how the community responds to violence against women. China and Spain are countries which have been influenced by the culture which males hold power and dominance over the female for a long time. However, as more connected with other European countries, the legal enforcement related to domestic violence against women developed earlier in Spain, and consequently, social awareness of violence against women evolved differently in two countries. The present study aimed to explore and compare the attitudes toward domestic violence against women across China and Spain, and their influence factors, such as gender equality attitudes and coercive control. Totally 506 participants, 255 from China and 251 from Spain completed questionnaires, including attitudes toward domestic violence against women, definition of violence behavior, justification for violence, gender equity attitudes, and coercive control. Results demonstrated that Chinese participants were less aware of domestic violence against women issue but more agreed that such issue was a crime than Spanish participants. In addition to cultural difference, gender equality attitudes, coercive control, gender, and age also affected attitudes toward domestic violence against women. Our findings imply attitudes toward domestic violence against women differ from countries along with the difference in gender equity attitudes and coercive control; such a difference may arise from cultural, traditional belief and current justice system influence. Despite the developed justice system, male dominance culture may lead to maintain the belief that domestic violence is domestic and private issue which police and justice force may not get involved.

Keywords: cross-cultural differences, domestic violence, public attitudes, violence against women

Procedia PDF Downloads 259

Authors: Syed Asif Ali Naqvi, Muhammad Azeem Tufail

Abstract:

Inadequate sanitation causes direct costs of treating illnesses and loss of income through reduced productivity. This study estimated the economic cost of health (ECH) due to poor sanitation and factors determining the lack of access to latrine for the rural, backward hamlets and slums of district Faisalabad, Pakistan. Cross sectional data were collected and analyzed for the study. As the population under study was homogenous in nature, it is why a simple random sampling technique was used for the collection of data. Data of 440 households from 4 tehsils were gathered. The ordinary least square (OLS) model was used for health cost analysis, and the Probit regression model was employed for determining the factors responsible for inaccess to toilets. The results of the study showed that condition of toilets, situation of sewerage system, access to adequate sanitation, Cholera, diarrhea and dysentery, Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) maintenance, source of medical treatment can plausibly have a significant connection with the dependent variable. Outcomes of the second model showed that the variables of education, family system, age, and type of dwelling have positive and significant sway with the dependent variable. Variable of age depicted an insignificant association with access to toilets. Variable of monetary expenses would negatively influence the dependent variable. Findings revealed the fact, health risks are often exacerbated by inadequate sanitation, and ultimately, the cost on health also surges. Public and community toilets for youths and social campaigning are suggested for public policy.

Keywords: sanitation, toilet, economic cost of health, water, Punjab

Procedia PDF Downloads 107

Authors: Yury S. Shpanskiy, Boris V. Kuteev

Abstract:

Development of a fusion-fission hybrid facility based on superconducting conventional tokamak DEMO-FNS runs in Russia since 2013. The main design goal is to reach the technical feasibility and outline prospects of industrial hybrid technologies providing the production of neutrons, fuel nuclides, tritium, high-temperature heat, electricity and subcritical transmutation in Fusion-Fission Hybrid Systems. The facility should operate in a steady-state mode at the fusion power of 40 MW and fission reactions of 400 MW. Major tokamak parameters are the following: major radius R=3.2 m, minor radius a=1.0 m, elongation 2.1, triangularity 0.5. The design provides the neutron wall loading of ~0.2 MW/m², the lifetime neutron fluence of ~2 MWa/m², with the surface area of the active cores and tritium breeding blanket ~100 m². Core plasma modelling showed that the neutron yield ~10¹⁹ n/s is maximal if the tritium/deuterium density ratio is 1.5-2.3. The design of the electromagnetic system (EMS) defined its basic parameters, accounting for the coils strength and stability, and identified the most problematic nodes in the toroidal field coils and the central solenoid. The EMS generates toroidal, poloidal and correcting magnetic fields necessary for the plasma shaping and confinement inside the vacuum vessel. EMC consists of eighteen superconducting toroidal field coils, eight poloidal field coils, five sections of a central solenoid, correction coils, in-vessel coils for vertical plasma control. Supporting structures, the thermal shield, and the cryostat maintain its operation. EMS operates with the pulse duration of up to 5000 hours at the plasma current up to 5 MA. The vacuum vessel (VV) is an all-welded two-layer toroidal shell placed inside the EMS. The free space between the vessel shells is filled with water and boron steel plates, which form the neutron protection of the EMS. The VV-volume is 265 m³, its mass with manifolds is 1800 tons. The nuclear blanket of DEMO-FNS facility was designed to provide functions of minor actinides transmutation, tritium production and enrichment of spent nuclear fuel. The vertical overloading of the subcritical active cores with MA was chosen as prospective. Analysis of the device neutronics and the hybrid blanket thermal-hydraulic characteristics has been performed for the system with functions covering transmutation of minor actinides, production of tritium and enrichment of spent nuclear fuel. A study of FNS facilities role in the Russian closed nuclear fuel cycle was performed. It showed that during ~100 years of operation three FNS facilities with fission power of 3 GW controlled by fusion neutron source with power of 40 MW can burn 98 tons of minor actinides and 198 tons of Pu-239 can be produced for startup loading of 20 fast reactors. Instead of Pu-239, up to 25 kg of tritium per year may be produced for startup of fusion reactors using blocks with lithium orthosilicate instead of fissile breeder blankets.

Keywords: fusion-fission hybrid system, conventional tokamak, superconducting electromagnetic system, two-layer vacuum vessel, subcritical active cores, nuclear fuel cycle

Procedia PDF Downloads 138

Authors: Hasna Mekkaoui Alaoui, Mariem Mekkaoui Alaoui

Abstract:

In a context marked by a growing and pressing demand for online training within Moroccan universities, massive open online courses (Moocs) are undergoing constant evolution, amplified by the widespread use of digital technology and accentuated by the Coronavirus pandemic. However, despite their growing popularity and expansion, these courses are still lacking in terms of tools, enabling teachers and researchers to carry out a fine-grained analysis of the learning processes taking place within them. What's more, the circulation and sharing of knowledge within these environments is becoming increasingly important. The crucial aspect of traceability emerges here, as MOOCs record and generate traces from the most minute to the most visible. This leads us to consider traceability as a valuable approach in the field of educational research, where the trace is envisaged as a research tool in its own right. In this exploratory research project, we are looking at aspects of community knowledge sharing based on traces observed in the "Communication des organisations" Mooc. Focusing in particular on the mediating trace and its impact in identifying knowledge circulation processes in this learning space, we have mobilized the traces of video capsules as an index of knowledge circulation in the Mooc device. Our study uses a methodological approach based on thematic analysis, and although the results show that learners reproduce knowledge from different video vignettes in almost identical ways, they do not limit themselves to the knowledge provided to them. This research offers concrete perspectives for improving the dynamics of online devices, with a potentially positive impact on the quality of online university teaching.

Keywords: circulation, index, digital environments, mediation., trace

Procedia PDF Downloads 49

Authors: Paolo Lenzuni

Abstract:

Cost-effectiveness of noise abatement treatments at the workplace has not yet received adequate consideration. Furthermore, most of the published work is focused on productivity, despite the poor correlation of this quantity with noise levels. There is currently no tool to estimate the social benefit associated to a specific noise abatement treatment, and no comparison among different options is accordingly possible. In this paper, we present an algorithm which has been developed to predict the cost-effectiveness of any planned noise control treatment in a workplace. This algorithm is based the estimates of hearing threshold shifts included in ISO 1999, and on compensations that workers are entitled to once their work-related hearing impairments have been certified. The benefits of a noise abatement treatment are estimated by means of the lower compensation costs which are paid to the impaired workers. Although such benefits have no real meaning in strictly monetary terms, they allow a reliable comparison between different treatments, since actual social costs can be assumed to be proportional to compensation costs. The existing European legislation on occupational exposure to noise it mandates that the noise exposure level be reduced below the upper action limit (85 dBA). There is accordingly little or no motivation for employers to sustain the extra costs required to lower the noise exposure below the lower action limit (80 dBA). In order to make this goal more appealing for employers, the algorithm proposed in this work also includes an ad-hoc element that promotes actions which bring the noise exposure down below 80 dBA. The algorithm has a twofold potential: 1) it can be used as a quality index to promote cost-effective practices; 2) it can be added to the existing criteria used by workers’ compensation authorities to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of technical actions, and support dedicated employers.

Keywords: cost-effectiveness, noise, occupational exposure, treatment

Procedia PDF Downloads 305

Authors: Sadam Elayah

Abstract:

Background: One of the most critical competencies in advanced dentistry is alveolar ridge preservation after exodontia. The aim of this clinical trial was to assess the impact of autologous concentrated growth factor (CGF) as a socket-filling material and its ridge preservation properties following the lower third molar extraction. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 sides of 30 participants who had completely symmetrical bilateral impacted lower third molars were enrolled. The short-term outcome variables were wound healing, swelling and pain, clinically assessed at different time intervals (1st, 3rd & 7th days). While the long-term outcome variables were bone height & width, bone density and socket surface area in the coronal section. Cone beam computed tomography images were obtained immediately after surgery and three months after surgery as a temporal measure. Randomization was achieved by opaque, sealed envelopes. Follow-up data were compared to baseline using Paired & Unpaired t-tests. Results: The wound healing index was significantly better in the test sides (P =0.001). Regarding the facial swelling, the test sides had significantly fewer values than the control sides, particularly on the 1st (1.01±.57 vs 1.55 ±.56) and 3rd days (1.42±0.8 vs 2.63±1.2) postoperatively. Nonetheless, the swelling disappeared within the 7th day on both sides. The pain scores of the visual analog scale were not a statistically significant difference between both sides on the 1st day; meanwhile, the pain scores were significantly lower on the test sides compared with the control sides, especially on the 3rd (P=0.001) and 7th days (P˂0.001) postoperatively. Regarding long-term outcomes, CGF sites had higher values in height and width when compared to Control sites (Buccal wall 32.9±3.5 vs 29.4±4.3 mm, Lingual wall 25.4±3.5 vs 23.1±4 mm, and Alveolar bone width 21.07±1.55vs19.53±1.90 mm) respectively. Bone density showed significantly higher values in CGF sites than in control sites (Coronal half 200±127.3 vs -84.1±121.3, Apical half 406.5±103 vs 64.2±158.6) respectively. There was a significant difference between both sites in reducing periodontal pockets. Conclusion: CGF application following surgical extraction provides an easy, low-cost, and efficient option for alveolar ridge preservation. Thus, dentists may encourage using CGF during dental extractions, particularly when alveolar ridge preservation is required.

Keywords: platelet, extraction, impacted teeth, alveolar ridge, regeneration, CGF

Procedia PDF Downloads 50

Authors: Amrit Gupta, Suchi Rani, Vineeta Agarwal, Swast Tiwari, Anup Kumar, Sachin Sharma

Abstract:

Pregnancy is a unique state in which a balance of immune tolerance and suppression is necessary to protect the fetus without compromising the mother’s health. Human papilloma virus (HPV) is viral infection which mainly gets transmitted through sexual contact. The HPV infection can cause infections in the placenta and increase the inflammatory response in the mother, affecting pregnancy outcomes. This may result in adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. The objectives of this research are to evaluate the effect on clinical course in pregnancy and maternal outcome in pregnant women with HPV infection and to evaluate the effect on neonatal health in terms of adverse clinical effects. Methodology: The prospective cohort study was done in a tertiary care institution over two years. In this study, 250 participants were recruited. The study included pregnant women who attended the antenatal clinic for routine check-ups. Written informed consent was obtained from each participant. Participants were asked to fill out a detailed questionnaire about their lifestyle, including demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, past gynecological history, and medical and surgical history. HPV was the preliminary screening method, and a Pap smear was done in patients who came out to be HPV positive. Samples were collected with the cotton stick or HC2 sampler brush. Cyto-brush was rotated 3–5 times in the region of ecto-cervix. After the collection of the sample, it was dissolved in PBS buffer and stored at − 80° for HPV DNA analysis. HPV DNA was detected using a hybrid capture assay (marketed as Digene HC2 high-risk HPV DNA test; Cat. No./ID: 5199–1220). The cohort was divided into two study groups: 1) those who were HPV positive and 2) those who were HPV negative. The chi-square test is used to compare categorical variables across groups. AQ5 Unpaired t-tests and independent sample tests are used to test the statistical significance of intergroup mean differences. P-values are considered significant if they are less than 0.05. In MS Windows, SPSS20 (IBM Corporation; NY, USA) was used for statistical analysis of all data. Results: Out of 228 pregnant women, 27.63% (n=63) of pregnant women were found positive for the HPV DNA test. In comparing the HPV-positive (N=63) and HPV-negative (N=165) groups using chi-square tests, several demographic variables exhibited statistically significant differences. Habitat distribution shows a significant difference (p<0.001), with 28.6% of HPV-positive individuals residing in rural areas compared to 8.5% of HPV-negative individuals. The presence of morbidity besides HPV infection differed significantly (p<0.001), with HPV-positive participants more likely to have additional morbidities (54%) compared to HPV-negative participants (32.1%). The mode of delivery showed significant differences (p<0.05), particularly in emergency lower segment cesarean section (HPV+: 41.3%, HPV-: 23.6%). Gestational age at delivery was significantly lower in the HPV-positive group (median 37.28 weeks, IQR 36.43-37.85) compared to the HPV-negative group (median 37.71 weeks, IQR 37.14-38.42), with a P-value of 0.003. Finally, birth weight was significantly lower in the HPV-positive group (median 2.75 kg, IQR 2.5-2.9425) compared to the HPV-negative group (median 2.9 kg, IQR 2.67-3.25) with a P-value of 0.001. Conclusion: In summary, our study offers valuable insights into the relationship between HPV infection during pregnancy, basic demographic factors and maternal and neonatal health outcomes.

Keywords: human papilloma virus, maternal health, fetal outcome, pregnancy

Procedia PDF Downloads 0

Authors: Bu Kyung Park

Abstract:

Background: The survival rate of pediatric cancer patients has been increased. Thus, the needs of long-term management and follow-up education after discharge continue to grow. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of pediatric cancer patients and their families from first diagnosis to returning their social life. The ultimate goal of this study was to assess which information and intervention did pediatric cancer patients and their families required and needed, so that this could provide fundamental information for developing educational content of web-based intervention program for pediatric cancer patients. Research Approach: This study was based on a descriptive qualitative research design using semi-structured focus group interview. Participants: Twelve pediatric cancer patients and 12 family members participated in a total six focus group interview sessions. Methods: All interviews were audiotaped after obtaining participants’ approval. The recordings were transcribed. Qualitative Content analysis using the inductive coding approach was performed on the transcriptions by three coders. Findings: Eighteen categories emerged from the six main themes: 1) Information needs, 2) Support system, 3) Barriers to treatment, 4) Facilitators to treatment, 5) Return to social life, 6) Healthcare system issues. Each theme had both pediatric cancer patients’ codes and their family members’ codes. Patients and family members had high information needs through the whole process of treatment, not only the first diagnosis but also after completion of treatment. Hospitals provided basic information on chemo therapy, medication, and various examinations. However, they were more likely to rely on information from other patients and families by word of mouth. Participants’ information needs were different according to their treatment stage (e.g., first admitted patients versus cancer survivors returning to their social life). Even newly diagnosed patients worried about social adjustment after completion of all treatment, such as return to school and diet and physical activity at home. Most family members had unpleasant experiences while they were admitted in hospitals and concerned about healthcare system issues, such as medical error and patient safety. Conclusions: In conclusion, pediatric cancer patients and their family members wanted information source which can provide tailored information based on their needs. Different information needs with patients and their family members based on their diagnosis, progress, stage of treatment were identified. Findings from this study will be used to develop a patient-centered online health intervention program for pediatric cancer patients. Pediatric cancer patients and their family members had variety fields of education needs and soak the information from various sources. Web-based health intervention program for them is required to satisfy their inquiries to provide reliable information.

Keywords: focus group interview, family caregivers, pediatric cancer patients, qualitative content analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 171

Authors: M. C. Teng, M. C. Ke, C. Y. Yang, S. S. Ke

Abstract:

There are more than one thousand times a year of felt earthquakes in Taiwan. Because earthquakes are disaster threats to urban infrastructure, they often disrupt infrastructure services. For example, the highway system is very important to transportation infrastructure; however, it is vulnerable to earthquakes and typhoons in Taiwan. When a highway system is damaged by disaster, it will create a major impact on post-disaster communications and emergency relief and affect disaster relief works. In a study case on September 18th, 2022, the Taitung Chihshang earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.8 on the Richter scale with a depth of 7 km, caused one death; 171 people were injured and had a significant urban infrastructure impact. Hualien and Taitung areas have a large number of surface ruptures, road disruptions due to the collapses, over ten cases of bridges failure or closed, partial railroad section service shutdown, building collapses, and casualties. Taitung Chihshang earthquake, the peak ground acceleration is 585 gal (cm/s²), and the seismic intensity is Level 6 Upper(6+)in Chishang, Taitung County. After the earthquakes, we conducted on-site disaster investigation works in the disaster area; the disaster investigation works included a public and private building survey, a transportation facility survey, a total of ten damaged bridges, and one railroad station damaged were investigated in this investigation. The results showed that the affected locations were mainly concentrated along the Chihshang fault and the Yuli fault in the Huatung Longitudinal Valley. We recorded and described the impact and assessed its influence region in terms of its susceptibility to and the consequences of earthquake attacks. In addition, a lesson is learned from this study regarding the key issues after the Taitung Chihshang earthquake.

Keywords: earthquake, infrastructure, disaster investigation, lesson learned

Procedia PDF Downloads 47

Authors: Irati Barandiaran, Xabier Velasco-Iza, Galder Kortaberria

Abstract:

Hybrid inorganic/organic nanostructured materials based on block copolymers are of considerable interest in the field of Nanotechnology, taking into account that these nanocomposites combine the properties of polymer matrix and the unique properties of the added nanoparticles. The use of block copolymers as templates offers the opportunity to control the size and the distribution of inorganic nanoparticles. This research is focused on the surface modification of inorganic nanoparticles to reach a good interface between nanoparticles and polymer matrices which hinders the nanoparticle aggregation. The aim of this work is to obtain a good and selective dispersion of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles into different types of block copolymers such us, poly(styrene-b-methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA), poly(styrene-b-ε-caprolactone) (PS-b-PCL) poly(isoprene-b-methyl methacrylate) (PI-b-PMMA) or poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-methyl methacrylate) (SBM) by using different grafting strategies. Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles have been surface-modified with polymer or block copolymer brushes following different grafting methods (grafting to, grafting from and grafting through) to achieve a selective location of nanoparticles into desired domains of the block copolymers. Morphology of fabricated hybrid nanocomposites was studied by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and with the aim to reach well-ordered nanostructured composites different annealing methods were used. Additionally, nanoparticle amount has been also varied in order to investigate the effect of the nanoparticle content in the morphology of the block copolymer. Nowadays different characterization methods were using in order to investigate magnetic properties of nanometer-scale electronic devices. Particularly, two different techniques have been used with the aim of characterizing synthesized nanocomposites. First, magnetic force microscopy (MFM) was used to investigate qualitatively the magnetic properties taking into account that this technique allows distinguishing magnetic domains on the sample surface. On the other hand, magnetic characterization by vibrating sample magnetometer and superconducting quantum interference device. This technique demonstrated that magnetic properties of nanoparticles have been transferred to the nanocomposites, exhibiting superparamagnetic behavior similar to that of the maghemite nanoparticles at room temperature. Obtained advanced nanostructured materials could found possible applications in the field of dye-sensitized solar cells and electronic nanodevices.

Keywords: atomic force microscopy, block copolymers, grafting techniques, iron oxide nanoparticles

Procedia PDF Downloads 248

Authors: Slim Naifar, Sonia Bradai, Christian Viehweger, Olfa Kanoun

Abstract:

Vibration provides an interesting source of energy since it is available in many indoor and outdoor applications. Nevertheless, in order to have an efficient design of the harvesting system, vibration converters have to satisfy some criterion in terms of robustness, compactness and energy outcome. In this work, an electromagnetic converter based on mechanical spring principle is proposed. The designed harvester is formed by a coil oscillating around ten ring magnets using a mechanical spring. The proposed design overcomes one of the main limitation of the moving coil by avoiding the contact between the coil wires with the mechanical spring which leads to a better robustness for the converter. In addition, the whole system can be implemented in a cavity of a screw. Different parameters in the harvester were investigated by finite element method including the magnet size, the coil winding number and diameter and the excitation frequency and amplitude. A prototype was realized and tested. Experiments were performed for 0.5 g to 1 g acceleration. The used experimental setup consists of an electrodynamic shaker as an external artificial vibration source controlled by a laser sensor to measure the applied displacement and frequency excitation. Together with the laser sensor, a controller unit, and an amplifier, the shaker is operated in a closed loop which allows controlling the vibration amplitude. The resonance frequency of the proposed designs is in the range of 24 Hz. Results indicate that the harvester can generate 612 mV and 1150 mV maximum open circuit peak to peak voltage at resonance for 0.5 g and 1 g acceleration respectively which correspond to 4.75 mW and 1.34 mW output power. Tuning the frequency to other values is also possible due to the possibility to add mass to the moving part of the or by changing the mechanical spring stiffness.

Keywords: energy harvesting, electromagnetic principle, vibration converter, moving coil

Procedia PDF Downloads 283

Authors: Lan Cheng, Harry Qin, Yang Wang

Abstract:

Background: COVID-19 has induced the largest digital learning experiment in history. There is also emerging research evidence that students have paid a high cost of learning loss from virtual learning. University-wide survey results demonstrate that digital learning remains difficult for students who struggle with learning challenges, isolation, or a lack of resources. Large-scale efforts are therefore increasingly utilized for digital education. To better prepare students in higher education for this grand scientific and technological transformation, STEM education has been prioritized and promoted as a strategic imperative in the ongoing curriculum reform essential for unfinished learning needs and whole-person development. Building upon five key elements identified in the STEM education literature: Problem-based Learning, Community and Belonging, Technology Skills, Personalization of Learning, Connection to the External Community, this case study explores the potential of pedagogical innovation that integrates computational and experimental methodologies to support, enrich, and navigate STEM education. Objectives: The goal of this case study is to create a high-fidelity prototype design for STEM education with knowledge transfer technology that contains a Cooperative Multi-Agent System (CMAS), which has the objectives of (1) conduct assessment to reveal a virtual learning mechanism and establish strategies to facilitate scientific learning engagement, accessibility, and connection within and beyond university setting, (2) explore and validate an interactional co-creation approach embedded in project-based learning activities under the STEM learning context, which is being transformed by both digital technology and student behavior change,(3) formulate and implement the STEM-oriented campaign to guide learning network mapping, mitigate the loss of learning, enhance the learning experience, scale-up inclusive participation. Methods: This study applied a case study strategy and a methodology informed by Social Network Analysis Theory within a cross-disciplinary communication paradigm (students, peers, educators). Knowledge transfer technology is introduced to address learning challenges and to increase the efficiency of Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithms. A co-creation learning framework was identified and investigated in a context-specific way with a learning analytic tool designed in this study. Findings: The result shows that (1) CMAS-empowered learning support reduced students’ confusion, difficulties, and gaps during problem-solving scenarios while increasing learner capacity empowerment, (2) The co-creation learning phenomenon have examined through the lens of the campaign and reveals that an interactive virtual learning environment fosters students to navigate scientific challenge independently and collaboratively, (3) The deliverables brought from the STEM educational campaign provide a methodological framework both within the context of the curriculum design and external community engagement application. Conclusion: This study brings a holistic and coherent pedagogy to cultivates students’ interest in STEM and develop them a knowledge base to integrate and apply knowledge across different STEM disciplines. Through the co-designing and cross-disciplinary educational content and campaign promotion, findings suggest factors to empower evidence-based learning practice while also piloting and tracking the impact of the scholastic value of co-creation under the dynamic learning environment. The data nested under the knowledge transfer technology situates learners’ scientific journey and could pave the way for theoretical advancement and broader scientific enervators within larger datasets, projects, and communities.

Keywords: co-creation, cross-disciplinary, knowledge transfer, STEM education, social network analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 100

Authors: Kiran Datta, Daniella Holland-Hart, Anthony Byrne

Abstract:

Introduction: Oesophago-gastric (OG) cancers are the fifth commonest in the UK, accounting for over 12,000 deaths each year. Most patients will present at later stages of the disease, with only 21% of patients with stage 4 disease surviving longer than a year. As a result, many patients are unsuitable for curative surgery and instead receive palliative treatment to improve prognosis and symptom burden. However, palliative chemotherapy can result in significant toxicity: almost half of the patients are unable to complete their chemotherapy regimen, with this proportion rising significantly in older and frailer patients. In addition, clinical trials often exclude older and frailer patients due to strict inclusion criteria, meaning there is limited evidence to guide which patients are most likely to benefit from palliative chemotherapy. Inappropriate chemotherapy administration is at odds with the goals of palliative treatment and care, which are to improve quality of life, and this also represents a significant resource expenditure. This literature review aimed to examine and appraise evidence regarding treatment resilience in order to guide clinicians in identifying the most suitable candidates for palliative chemotherapy. Factors influencing treatment resilience were assessed, as measured by completion rates, dose reductions, and toxicities. Methods: This literature review was conducted using rapid review methodology, utilising modified systematic methods. A literature search was performed across the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases, with results limited to papers within the last 15 years and available in English. Key inclusion criteria included: 1) participants with either oesophageal, gastro-oesophageal junction, or gastric cancers; 2) patients treated with palliative chemotherapy; 3) available data evaluating the association between baseline participant characteristics and treatment resilience. Results: Of the 2326 papers returned, 11 reports of 10 studies were included in this review after excluding duplicates and irrelevant papers. Treatment resilience factors that were assessed included: age, performance status, frailty, inflammatory markers, and sarcopenia. Age was generally a poor predictor for how well patients would tolerate chemotherapy, while poor performance status was a better indicator of the need for dose reduction and treatment non-completion. Frailty was assessed across one cohort using multiple screening tools and was an effective marker of the risk of toxicity and the requirement for dose reduction. Inflammatory markers included lymphopenia and the Glasgow Prognostic Score, which assessed inflammation and hypoalbuminaemia. Although quick to obtain and interpret, these findings appeared less reliable due to the inclusion of patients treated with palliative radiotherapy. Sarcopenia and body composition were often associated with chemotherapy toxicity but not the rate of regimen completion. Conclusion: This review demonstrates that there are numerous measures that can estimate the ability of patients with oesophago-gastric cancer to tolerate palliative chemotherapy, and these should be incorporated into clinical assessments to promote personalised decision-making around treatment. Age should not be a barrier to receiving chemotherapy and older and frailer patients should be included in future clinical trials to better represent typical patients with oesophago-gastric cancers. Decisions regarding palliative treatment should be guided by these factors identified as well as patient preference.

Keywords: frailty, oesophago-gastric cancer, palliative chemotherapy, treatment resilience

Procedia PDF Downloads 60

Authors: Sayed M. Soleimani, Nader H. Ghareeb, Nourhan H. Shaker, Muhammad B. Siddiqui

Abstract:

Honeycomb sandwich panels have been widely used as protective structural elements against blast loading. The main advantages of these panels include their light weight due to the presence of voids, as well as their energy absorption capability. Terrorist activities have imposed new challenges to structural engineers to design protective measures for vital structures. Since blast loading is not usually considered in the load combinations during the design process of a structure, researchers around the world have been motivated to study the behavior of potential elements capable of resisting sudden loads imposed by the detonation of explosive materials. One of the best candidates for this objective is the honeycomb sandwich panel. Studying the effects of explosive materials on the panels requires costly and time-consuming experiments. Moreover, these type of experiments need permission from defense organizations which can become a hurdle. As a result, modeling and simulation using an appropriate tool can be considered as a good alternative. In this research work, the finite element package ABAQUS® is used to study the behavior of hexagonal and squared honeycomb steel sandwich panels under the explosive effects of different amounts of trinitrotoluene (TNT). The results of finite element modeling of a specific honeycomb configuration are initially validated by comparing them with the experimental results from literature. Afterwards, several configurations including different geometrical properties of the honeycomb wall are investigated and the results are compared with the original model. Finally, the effectiveness of the core shape and wall thickness are discussed, and conclusions are made.

Keywords: Abaqus, blast loading, finite element modeling, steel honeycomb sandwich panel

Procedia PDF Downloads 335

Authors: Linnan Zhang

Abstract:

Linguists, as well as psychologists, have shown great interests in implicit causality in reference processing. However, most frequently-used approaches to this issue are psychological experiments (such as eye tracking or self-paced reading, etc.). This research is a corpus-based one and is assisted with statistical tool – software R. The main focus of the present study is about the competition between verb-based implicit causality and theme structure’s influence on anaphora bias in Mandarin Chinese sentences. In Accessibility Theory, it is believed that salience, which is also known as accessibility, and relevance are two important factors in reference processing. Theme structure, which is a special syntactic structure in Chinese, determines the salience of an antecedent on the syntactic level while verb-based implicit causality is a key factor to the relevance between antecedent and anaphora. Therefore, it is a study about anaphora, combining psychology with linguistics. With analysis of the sentences from corpus as well as the statistical analysis of Multinomial Logistic Regression, major findings of the present study are as follows: 1. When the sentence is stated in a ‘cause-effect’ structure, the theme structure will always be the antecedent no matter forward biased verbs or backward biased verbs co-occur; in non-theme structure, the anaphora bias will tend to be the opposite of the verb bias; 2. When the sentence is stated in a ‘effect-cause’ structure, theme structure will not always be the antecedent and the influence of verb-based implicit causality will outweigh that of theme structure; moreover, the anaphora bias will be the same with the bias of verbs. All the results indicate that implicit causality functions conditionally and the noun in theme structure will not be the high-salience antecedent under any circumstances.

Keywords: accessibility theory, anaphora, theme strcture, verb-based implicit causality

Procedia PDF Downloads 183

Authors: Yi-Guang Li, Suresh Sampath

Abstract:

Gas turbine performance degrades over time, and the degradation is greatly affected by environmental, ambient, and operating conditions. The engines may degrade slowly under favorable conditions and result in a waste of engine life if a scheduled maintenance scheme is followed. They may also degrade fast and fail before a scheduled overhaul if the conditions are unfavorable, resulting in serious secondary damage, loss of engine availability, and increased maintenance costs. To overcome these problems, gas turbine owners are gradually moving from scheduled maintenance to condition-based maintenance, where condition monitoring is one of the key supporting technologies. This paper presents an integrated adaptive GPA diagnostics and performance monitoring system developed at Cranfield University for gas turbine gas path condition monitoring. It has the capability to predict the performance degradation of major gas path components of gas turbine engines, such as compressors, combustors, and turbines, using gas path measurement data. It is also able to predict engine key performance parameters for condition monitoring, such as turbine entry temperature that cannot be directly measured. The developed technology has been implemented into digital twin computer Software, Pythia, to support the condition monitoring of gas turbine engines. The capabilities of the integrated GPA condition monitoring system are demonstrated in three test cases using a model gas turbine engine similar to the GE aero-derivative LM2500 engine widely used in power generation and marine propulsion. It shows that when the compressor of the model engine degrades, the Adaptive GPA is able to predict the degradation and the changing engine performance accurately using gas path measurements. Such a presented technology and software are generic, can be applied to different types of gas turbine engines, and provide crucial engine health and performance parameters to support condition monitoring and condition-based maintenance.

Keywords: gas turbine, adaptive GPA, performance, diagnostics, condition monitoring

Procedia PDF Downloads 66

Authors: Asim Majeed, Anwar Ul Haq, Ayesha Asim, Mike Lloyd-Williams, Arshad Jamal, Usman Butt

Abstract:

This study aims to investigate the impact of data leak of M&S customers on digital communities. Modern businesses are using digital communities as an important public relations tool for marketing purposes. This form of communication helps companies to build better relationship with their customers which also act as another source of information. The communication between the customers and the organizations is not regulated so users may post positive and negative comments. There are new platforms being developed on a daily basis and it is very crucial for the businesses to not only get themselves familiar with those but also know how to reach their existing and perspective consumers. The driving force of marketing and communication in modern businesses is the digital communities and these are continuously increasing and developing. This phenomenon is changing the way marketing is conducted. The current research has discussed the implications on M&S business performance since the data was exploited on digital communities; users contacted M&S and raised the security concerns. M&S closed down its website for few hours to try to resolve the issue. The next day M&S made a public apology about this incidence. This information was proliferated on various digital communities and it has impacted negatively on M&S brand name, sales and customers. The content analysis approach is being used to collect qualitative data from 100 digital bloggers including social media communities such as Facebook and Twitter. The results and finding provide useful new insights into the nature and form of security concerns of digital users. Findings have theoretical and practical implications. This research will showcase a large corporation utilizing various digital community platforms and can serve as a model for future organizations.

Keywords: Digital, communities, performance, dissemination, implications, data, exploitation

Procedia PDF Downloads 381

Authors: Verónica Díaz

Abstract:

A Cartesian graph, as a mathematical object, becomes a tool for configuration of change. Its best comprehension is done through everyday life problem-solving associated with its representation. Despite this, the current educational framework favors general graphs, without consideration of their argumentation. Students are required to find the mathematical function without associating it to the development of graphical language. This research describes the use made by students of configurations made prior to Cartesian graphs with regards to an everyday life problem related to a time and distance variation phenomenon. The theoretical framework describes the function conditions of study and their modeling. This is a qualitative, descriptive study involving six undergraduate case studies that were carried out during the first term in 2016 at University of Los Lagos. The research problem concerned the graphic modeling of a real person’s movement phenomenon, and two levels of analysis were identified. The first level aims to identify local and global graph interpretations; a second level describes the iconicity and referentiality degree of an image. According to the results, students were able to draw no figures before the Cartesian graph, highlighting the need for students to represent the context and the movement of which causes the phenomenon change. From this, they managed Cartesian graphs representing changes in position, therefore, achieved an overall view of the graph. However, the local view only indicates specific events in the problem situation, using graphic and verbal expressions to represent movement. This view does not enable us to identify what happens on the graph when the movement characteristics change based on possible paths in the person’s walking speed.

Keywords: cartesian graphs, higher education, movement modeling, problem solving

Procedia PDF Downloads 207

Authors: Pedro Llanos, Diego García

Abstract:

Spaceflight is considered the last frontier in terms of science, technology, and engineering. But it is also the next frontier in terms of human physiology and performance. After more than 200,000 years humans have evolved under earth’s gravity and atmospheric conditions, spaceflight poses environmental stresses for which human physiology is not adapted. Hypoxia, accelerations, and radiation are among such stressors, our research involves suborbital flights aiming to develop effective countermeasures in order to assure sustainable human space presence. The physiologic baseline of spaceflight participants is subject to great variability driven by age, gender, fitness, and metabolic reserve. The objective of the present study is to characterize different physiologic variables in a population of STEM practitioners during an aerobatic flight. Cardiovascular and pulmonary responses were determined in Science Astronaut Candidates (SACs) during unusual attitude aerobatic flight indoctrination. Physiologic data recordings from 20 subjects participating in high-G flight training were analyzed. These recordings were registered by wearable sensor-vest that monitored electrocardiographic tracings (ECGs), signs of dysrhythmias or other electric disturbances during all the flight. The same cardiovascular parameters were also collected approximately 10 min pre-flight, during each high-G/unusual attitude maneuver and 10 min after the flights. The ratio (pre-flight/in-flight/post-flight) of the cardiovascular responses was calculated for comparison of inter-individual differences. The resulting tracings depicting the cardiovascular responses of the subjects were compared against the G-loads (Gs) during the aerobatic flights to analyze cardiovascular variability aspects and fluid/pressure shifts due to the high Gs. In-flight ECG revealed cardiac variability patterns associated with rapid Gs onset in terms of reduced heart rate (HR) and some scattered dysrhythmic patterns (15% premature ventricular contractions-type) that were considered as triggered physiological responses to high-G/unusual attitude training and some were considered as instrument artifact. Variation events were observed in subjects during the +Gz and –Gz maneuvers and these may be due to preload and afterload, sudden shift. Our data reveal that aerobatic flight influenced the breathing rate of the subject, due in part by the various levels of energy expenditure due to the increased use of muscle work during these aerobatic maneuvers. Noteworthy was the high heterogeneity in the different physiological responses among a relatively small group of SACs exposed to similar aerobatic flights with similar Gs exposures. The cardiovascular responses clearly demonstrated that SACs were subjected to significant flight stress. Routine ECG monitoring during high-G/unusual attitude flight training is recommended to capture pathology underlying dangerous dysrhythmias in suborbital flight safety. More research is currently being conducted to further facilitate the development of robust medical screening, medical risk assessment approaches, and suborbital flight training in the context of the evolving commercial human suborbital spaceflight industry. A more mature and integrative medical assessment method is required to understand the physiology state and response variability among highly diverse populations of prospective suborbital flight participants.

Keywords: g force, aerobatic maneuvers, suborbital flight, hypoxia, commercial astronauts

Procedia PDF Downloads 109