Search results for: software security verification validation and test

Authors: U. Pangnakorn, S. Kanlaya

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The efficiency of wood vinegar mixed with each individual of three plants extract such as: citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus), neem seed (Azadirachta indica A. Juss), and yam bean seed (Pachyrhizus erosus Urb.) were tested against the second instar larvae of housefly (Musca domestica L.). Steam distillation was used for extraction of the citronella grass while neem and yam bean were simple extracted by fermentation with ethyl alcohol. Toxicity test was evaluated in laboratory based on two methods of larvicidal bioassay: topical application method (contact poison) and feeding method (stomach poison). Larval mortality was observed daily and larval survivability was recorded until the survived larvae developed to pupae and adults. The study resulted that treatment of wood vinegar mixed with citronella grass showed the highest larval mortality by topical application method (50.0%) and by feeding method (80.0%). However, treatment of mixed wood vinegar and neem seed showed the longest pupal duration to 25 day and 32 days for topical application method and feeding method respectively. Additional, larval duration on treated M. domestica larvae was extended to 13 days for topical application method and 11 days for feeding method. Thus, the feeding method gave higher efficiency compared with the topical application method.

Keywords: housefly (Musca domestica L.), neem seed (Azadirachta indica), citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus), yam bean seed (Pachyrhizus erosus), mortality

Procedia PDF Downloads 325

Authors: Yeaji Seok, Myung Kyung Lee

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Background: Even if patients survive after a stroke, stroke patients may experience disability in mobility, sensation, cognition, and speech and language. Stroke patients require rehabilitation for functional recovery and daily life for a considerable time. During rehabilitation, the role of caregivers is important. However, the stroke patients’ quality of life may deteriorate due to family caregivers’ non-preparedness and increased role burden. Purpose: To investigate the prediction of caregivers' preparedness and role burden on stroke patients’ quality of life. Methods: The target population was stroke patients who were hospitalized for rehabilitation and their family care providers. A total of 153 patient-family caregiver dyads were recruited from June to August 2021. Data were collected from self-reported questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-squared test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and multiple regression with SPSS statistics 28 programs. Results: Family caregivers’ preparedness affected stroke patients’ mobility (β = .20, p < 0.05) and character (β = -.084, p < 0.05) and production activities (β = -.197, p < 0.05) in quality of life. The role burden of family caregivers affected language skills (β = .310, p<0.05), visual functions (β=-.357, p < 0.05), thinking skills (β = 0.443, p = 0.05), mood conditions (β = 0.565, p < 0.001), family roles (β = -0.361, p < 0.001), and social roles (β = -0.304, p < 0.001), while the caregivers’ burden of performing self-protection negatively affected patients’ social roles (β = .180, p=.048). In addition, caregivers’ role burden of personal life sacrifice affected patients’ mobility (β = .311, p < 0.05), self-care (β =.232, p < 0.05) and energy (β = .239, p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study indicated that family caregivers' preparedness and role burden affected stroke patients’ quality of life. The results of this study suggested that intervention to improve family caregivers’ preparedness and to reduce role burden should be required for quality of life in stroke patients.

Keywords: quality of life, preparedness, role burden, caregivers, stroke

Procedia PDF Downloads 184

Authors: Won Young Choi, Kwan Kyu Park

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Recently, the road depression happening in the urban area is different from the cause of the sink hole and the generation mechanism occurring in the limestone area. The main cause of sinkholes occurring in the city center is the loss of soil due to the damage of old underground buried materials and groundwater discharge due to large underground excavation works. The method of detecting the sinkhole in the urban area is mostly using the Ground Penetration Radar (GPR). However, it is challenging to implement compact system and detecting watery state since it is based on electromagnetic waves. Although many ultrasonic underground detection studies have been conducted, near-ground detection (several tens of cm to several meters) has been developed for bulk systems using geophones as a receiver. The goal of this work is to fabricate a miniaturized sinkhole detecting system based on low-cost ultrasonic transducers of 40 kHz resonant frequency with high transmission pressure and receiving sensitivity. Motived by biomedical ultrasonic imaging methods, we detect air layers below the ground such as asphalt through the pulse-echo method. To improve image quality using multi-channel, linear array system is implemented, and image is acquired by classical synthetic aperture imaging method. We present the successful feasibility test of multi-channel sinkhole detector based on ultrasonic transducer. In this work, we presented and analyzed image results which are imaged by single channel pulse-echo imaging, synthetic aperture imaging.

Keywords: road depression, sinkhole, synthetic aperture imaging, ultrasonic transducer

Procedia PDF Downloads 124

Authors: Vu Hoang Thu Huong

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Background and Purpose: The effects of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) in the participants with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) were unclear on physical performance although its effects on pain had been investiagted. This study aims to explore the effects of ESWT on pain relief and physical performance on KOA. Methods: The studies with the randomized controlled design to investigate the effects of ESWT on KOA were systematically searched using inclusion and exclusion criteria through seven electronic databases including Pubmed etc. between 1990 and Dec 2022. To summarize those data, visual analog scale (VAS) or pain scores were determined for measure of pain intensity. Range of knee motion, or the scores of physical activities including Lequesne index (LI), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) were determined for measure of physical performances. The first evaluate after treatment period was define as the effect of post-treatment period or immediately effect; and the last evaluate was defined as the effect of following period or the end effect in our study. Data analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4.1 software. A significant level was set at p<0.05. Results: Eight studies (number of participant= 499) reporting the ESWT effects on mild-to-moderate severity (Grades I to III Kellgren–Lawrence) of KOA were qualified for meta-analysis. Compared with sham or placebo group, the ESWT group had a significant decrease of VAS rest score (0.90[0.12~1.67] as mean difference [95% confidence interval]) and pain score WOMAC (2.49[1.22~3.76]), and a significant improvement of physical performance with a decrease of the scores of WOMAC activities (8.18[3.97~12.39]), LI (3.47[1.68~5.26]), and KOOS (5.87[1.73~ 10.00]) in the post-treatment period. There were also a significant decrease of WOMAC pain score (2.83[2.12~3.53]) and a significant decrease of the scores of WOMAC activities (9.47[7.65~11.28]) and LI (4.12[2.34 to 5.89]) in the following period. Besides, compared with other treatment groups, ESWT also displayed the improvement in pain and physical performance, but it is not significant. Conclusions: The ESWT was effective and valuable method in pain relief as well as in improving physical activities in the participants with mild-to-moderate KOA. Clinical Relevance: There are the effects of ESWT on pain relief and the improvement of physical performance in the with KOA.

Keywords: knee osteoarthritis, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, pain relief, physical performance, shockwave

Procedia PDF Downloads 63

Authors: Mohamed I. Alzarah

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Passive dew harvesting and rainwater collection requires a very small financial investment meanwhile they can exploit a free and clean source of water in rural or remote areas. Dew condensation on greenhouse dryer cladding and assorted other surfaces was frequently noticed. Accordingly, this study was performed in order to measure the quantity of condensation in the arid regions. Dew was measured by using three different kinds of collectors which were glass of flat plate solar collector, tempered glass of photovoltaic (PV) and double sloped (25°) acrylic plexiglas of greenhouse dryer. The total amount of dew collection for three different types of collectors was measured during December 2013 to March 2014 in Alahsa, Saudi Arabia. Meteorological data were collected for one year. The condensate dew drops were collected naturally (before scraping) and by scraping once and twice. Dew began to condense most likely between 12:00 am and 6:30 am and its intensity reached the peak at about 45 min before sunrise. The cumulative dew yield on double-sloped test roof was varying with wind speed and direction. Results indicated that, wiping twice gave more dew yield compared to wiping once or collection by gravity. Dew and rain pH were neutral (close to 7) and the total mineralization was considerable. The ions concentration agrees with the World Health Organization recommendations for potable water. Using existing drying system for dew and rain harvesting cold provide a potable water source for arid region.

Keywords: PV module, flat plate solar collector, greenhouse, drying system, dew collection, water vapor, rainwater harvesting

Procedia PDF Downloads 311

Authors: Szymon Kuczynski, Krystian Liszka, Mariusz Laciak, Andrii Oliinyk, Adam Szurlej

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The history of gaseous fuel use in the motive power of vehicles dates back to the second half of the nineteenth century, and thus the beginnings of the automotive industry. The engines were powered by coal gas and became the prototype for internal combustion engines built so far. It can thus be considered that this construction gave rise to the automotive industry. As the socio-economic development advances, so does the number of motor vehicles. Although, due to technological progress in recent decades, the emissions generated by internal combustion engines of cars have been reduced, a sharp increase in the number of cars and the rapidly growing traffic are an important source of air pollution and a major cause of acoustic threat, in particular in large urban agglomerations. One of the solutions, in terms of reducing exhaust emissions and improving air quality, is a more extensive use of alternative fuels: CNG, LNG, electricity and hydrogen. In the case of electricity use for transport, it should be noted that the environmental outcome depends on the structure of electricity generation. The paper shows selected regulations affecting the use of alternative fuels for transport (including Directive 2014/94/EU) and its dynamics between 2000 and 2015 in Poland and selected EU countries. The paper also gives a focus on the impact of alternative fuels on the environment by comparing the volume of individual emissions (compared to the emissions from conventional fuels: petrol and diesel oil). Bearing in mind that the extent of various alternative fuel use is determined in first place by economic conditions, the article describes the price relationships between alternative and conventional fuels in Poland and selected EU countries. It is pointed out that although Poland has a wealth of experience in using methane alternative fuels for transport, one of the main barriers to their development in Poland is the extensive use of LPG. In addition, a poorly developed network of CNG stations in Poland, which does not allow easy transport, especially in the northern part of the country, is a serious problem to a further development of CNG use as fuel for transport. An interesting solution to this problem seems to be the use of home CNG filling stations: Home Refuelling Appliance (HRA, refuelling time 8-10 hours) and Home Refuelling Station (HRS, refuelling time 8-10 minutes). The team is working on HRA and HRS technologies. The article also highlights the impact of alternative fuel use on energy security by reducing reliance on imports of crude oil and petroleum products.

Keywords: alternative fuels, CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), CNG stations, LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), NGVs (Natural Gas Vehicles), pollutant emissions

Procedia PDF Downloads 210

Authors: Sophie Oakes-Rogers, Di Bailey, Karen Slade

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Female offenders are a uniquely vulnerable group, who are at high risk of suicide. Whilst the prevention of self-harm and suicide remains a key global priority, we need to better understand the relationship between these challenging behaviours that constitute a pressing problem, particularly in environments designed to prioritise safety and security. Method choice is unlikely to be random, and is instead influenced by a range of cultural, social, psychological and environmental factors, which change over time and between countries. A key aspect of self-harm and suicide in women receiving forensic care is the lack of free access to methods. At a time where self-harm and suicide rates continue to rise internationally, understanding the role of these influencing factors and the impact of current suicide prevention strategies on the use of near-lethal methods is crucial. This poster presentation will present findings from 25 interviews and 3 focus groups, which enlisted a Participatory Action Research approach to explore the differences between self-harming and suicidal behavior. A key element of this research was using the lived experiences of women receiving forensic care from one forensic pathway in the UK, and the staffs who care for them, to discuss the role of near-lethal self-harm (NLSH). The findings and suggestions from the lived accounts of the women and staff will inform a draft assessment tool, which better assesses the risk of suicide based on the lethality of methods. This tool will be the first of its kind, which specifically captures the needs of women receiving forensic services. Preliminary findings indicate women engage in NLSH for two key reasons and is determined by their history of self-harm. Women who have a history of superficial non-life threatening self-harm appear to engage in NLSH in response to a significant life event such as family bereavement or sentencing. For these women, suicide appears to be a realistic option to overcome their distress. This, however, differs from women who appear to have a lifetime history of NLSH, who engage in such behavior in a bid to overcome the grief and shame associated with historical abuse. NLSH in these women reflects a lifetime of suicidality and indicates they pose the greatest risk of completed suicide. Findings also indicate differences in method selection between forensic provisions. Restriction of means appears to play a role in method selection, and findings suggest it causes method substitution. Implications will be discussed relating to the screening of female forensic patients and improvements to the current suicide prevention strategies.

Keywords: forensic mental health, method substitution, restriction of means, suicide

Procedia PDF Downloads 160

Authors: Ferhat Erdal, Osman Tunca, Serkan Tas, Serdar Carbas

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Web-expanded steel beams provide an easy and economical solution for the systems having longer structural members. The main goal of manufacturing these beams is to increase the moment of inertia and section modulus, which results in greater strength and rigidity. Until recently, there were two common types of open web-expanded beams: with hexagonal openings, also called castellated beams, and beams with circular openings referred to as cellular beams, until the generation of sinusoidal web-expanded beams. In the present research, the optimum design of a new generation beams, namely sinusoidal web-expanded beams, will be carried out and the design results will be compared with castellated and cellular beam solutions. Thanks to a reduced fabrication process and substantial material savings, the web-expanded beam with sinusoidal holes (Angelina™ Beam) meets the economic requirements of steel design problems while ensuring optimum safety. The objective of this research is to carry out non-linear finite element analysis (FEA) of the web-expanded beam with sinusoidal holes. The FE method has been used to predict their entire response to increasing values of external loading until they lose their load carrying capacity. FE model of each specimen that is utilized in the experimental studies is carried out. These models are used to simulate the experimental work to verify of test results and to investigate the non-linear behavior of failure modes such as web-post buckling, shear buckling and vierendeel bending of beams.

Keywords: steel structures, web-expanded beams, angelina beam, optimum design, failure modes, finite element analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 261

Authors: Isabella Schwartz, Ori Safran, Naama Karniel, Michal Abel, Adina Berko, Martin Seyres, Tamir Tsoar, Sigal Portnoy

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Virtual Reality allows to manipulate the patient’s perception, thereby providing a motivational addition to real-time biofeedback exercises. We aimed to test the effect of manipulated virtual kinematic intervention on measures of active and passive Range of Motion (ROM), pain, and disability level in individuals with traumatic stiff shoulder. In a double-blinded study, patients with stiff shoulder following proximal humerus fracture and non-operative treatment were randomly divided into a non-manipulated feedback group (NM-group; N=6) and a manipulated feedback group (M-group; N=7). The shoulder ROM, pain, and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores were tested at baseline and after the 6 sessions, during which the subjects performed shoulder flexion and abduction in front of a graphic visualization of the shoulder angle. The biofeedback provided to the NM-group was the actual shoulder angle and the feedback provided to the M-group was manipulated so that 10° were constantly subtracted from the actual angle detected by the motion capture system. The M-group showed greater improvement in the active flexion ROM, with median and interquartile range of 197.1 (140.5-425.0) compared to 142.5 (139.1-151.3) for the NM-group (p=.046). Also, the M-group showed greater improvement in the DASH scores, with median and interquartile range of 67.7 (52.8-86.2) compared to 89.7 (83.8-98.3) for the NM-group (p=.022). Manipulated intervention is beneficial in individuals with traumatic stiff shoulder and should be further tested for other populations with orthopedic injuries.

Keywords: virtual reality, biofeedback, shoulder pain, range of motion

Procedia PDF Downloads 104

Authors: Rabih Ghostine, Craig Kapfer, Viswanathan Kannan, Ibrahim Hoteit

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Urban flooding resulting from a sudden release of water due to dam-break or excessive rainfall is a serious threatening environment hazard, which causes loss of human life and large economic losses. Anticipating floods before they occur could minimize human and economic losses through the implementation of appropriate protection, provision, and rescue plans. This work reports on the numerical modelling of flash flood propagation in urban areas after an excessive rainfall event or dam-break. A two-dimensional (2D) depth-averaged shallow water model is used with a refined unstructured grid of triangles for representing the urban area topography. The 2D shallow water equations are solved using a second-order well-balanced discontinuous Galerkin scheme. Theoretical test case and three flood events are described to demonstrate the potential benefits of the scheme: (i) wetting and drying in a parabolic basin (ii) flash flood over a physical model of the urbanized Toce River valley in Italy; (iii) wave propagation on the Reyran river valley in consequence of the Malpasset dam-break in 1959 (France); and (iv) dam-break flood in October 1982 at the town of Sumacarcel (Spain). The capability of the scheme is also verified against alternative models. Computational results compare well with recorded data and show that the scheme is at least as efficient as comparable second-order finite volume schemes, with notable efficiency speedup due to parallelization.

Keywords: dam-break, discontinuous Galerkin scheme, flood modeling, shallow water equations

Procedia PDF Downloads 157

Authors: Diep The Tai, Huynh Phuong Thao, Tran Cong Luan, Nguyen Thi Hong Huong, Truong Thi Xuan Lien

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Backgrounds: Depression is a prevalent mental health concern among university students. This cross-sectional study explores the factors associated with depression among university students in Vietnam. Methods: In 2022, a web-based survey was conducted among 2,304 students from different universities across North, Central, and South Vietnam. The Pearson chi-squared test was used to analyze the statistical associations between socio-demographic factors, depression levels, and social media addiction. Results: The results showed that 33,9% of freshmen experienced severe depression, with higher rates among females (69,8%) than males (30,2%). Health field students had the highest proportion of severe depression (52%). Social media addiction was prevalent among freshmen (29%) and health students (54,4%). Factors such as family infections, study pressure, hometown, studying in public places, and social media addiction were strongly linked to higher depression levels. However, spending more time communicating with friends and studying at home had a protective effect against depression. Notably, social media addiction was significantly associated with increased depression levels. Conclusion: The study highlights the influence of family COVID-19 infections, academic pressures, studying in public places, hometown, social media addiction, and lack of social interactions on depression levels. It underscores the importance of comprehensive approaches to address depression, promote resilience, and provide support to students during future outbreaks.

Keywords: Depression, social media addiction, mental health, university students, Vietnam

Procedia PDF Downloads 58

Authors: Saima Kalsoom, Sobia Masood, Muhammad Faran

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This study aimed to examine the association between emotional intelligence and gender role attitudes of married individuals. Another aim of this study was to test the moderating role of gender work status of married individuals for predicting gender role attitudes from emotional intelligence. A sample of (N = 500) married working men and women (both working & housewives) was approached through purposive convenience sampling technique. The data was collected employing cross-sectional research design. The indigenous versions of the Gender Role Attitudes Scale and perceived Emotional Intelligence Scale were used. The results of alpha coefficients for both the scales and subscales used in this study designated satisfactory evidence for internal consistency and reliability. Assessment of correlation coefficients showed significant positive correlation between gender role attitudes and emotional intelligence, subfactors of emotional intelligence i.e., emotional self-regulation, emotional self-awareness, and interpersonal skills with gender role attitudes. Results of model testing revealed that gender (the effect was significant for women) and work status (the effect was more significant for married working women than married working men and housewives) of the married individuals significantly moderated the relationship between emotional intelligence and gender role attitudes into the positive direction. Further, it was also found that gender and work status also moderated the relationship between emotional self-regulation (as sub factor of emotional intelligence) and gender role attitudes in a positive direction. In conclusion, this empirical evidence is vital contribution derived from the traditional and collectivistic socio-cultural background of Pakistan.

Keywords: gender role attitudes, emotional intelligence, emotional self-regulation, gender, work status, married working women

Procedia PDF Downloads 90

Authors: Nathen A. Spitz, Dennis Martin Kivlighan III, Arwa Aburizik

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Background and Purpose: Presently, there is a paucity of naturalistic studies that directly compare the effectiveness of psychotherapy versus concurrent psychotherapy and psychiatric care for the treatment of depression and anxiety in cancer patients. Informed by previous clinical trials examining the efficacy of concurrent approaches, this study sought to test the hypothesis that a combined approach would result in the greatest reduction of depression and anxiety symptoms. Methods: Data for this study consisted of 433 adult cancer patients, with 252 receiving only psychotherapy and 181 receiving concurrent psychotherapy and psychiatric care at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Longitudinal PHQ9 and GAD7 data were analyzed between both groups using latent growth curve analyses. Results: After controlling for treatment length and provider effects, results indicated that concurrent care was more effective than psychotherapy alone for depressive symptoms (γ₁₂ = -0.12, p = .037). Specifically, the simple slope for concurrent care was -0.25 (p = .022), and the simple slope for psychotherapy alone was -0.13 (p = .006), suggesting that patients receiving concurrent care experienced a greater reduction in depressive symptoms compared to patients receiving psychotherapy alone. In contrast, there were no significant differences between psychotherapy alone and concurrent psychotherapy and psychiatric care in the reduction of anxious symptoms. Conclusions: Overall, as both psychotherapy and psychiatric care may address unique aspects of mental health conditions, in addition to potentially providing synergetic support to each other, a combinatorial approach to mental healthcare for cancer patients may improve outcomes.

Keywords: psychiatry, psychology, psycho-oncology, combined care, psychotherapy, behavioral psychology

Procedia PDF Downloads 100

Authors: Yuta Chishima, Tatsuya Murakami, Michael McKay

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Temporal focus is described as one component of an individual’s time perspective and defined as the attention individuals devote to thinking about the past, present, and future. It affects how people incorporate perceptions about past experiences, current situations, and future expectations into their attitudes, cognitions, and behavior. The 12-item Temporal Focus Scale (TFS) is comprised of three-factors (past, current and future focus). The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of TFS scores in Japanese adolescents and young adults. The TFS was translated into Japanese by a professional translator, and the original author confirmed the back translated items. Study 1 involved 979 Japanese university students aged 18-25 years old in a questionnaire-based study. The hypothesized three-factor structure (with reliability) was confirmed, although there were problems with item 10. Internal consistency estimates for scores without item 10 were over .70, and test-retest reliability was also adequate. To verify the concurrent and convergent validity, we tested the relationship between TFS scores and life satisfaction, time perspective, self-esteem, and career efficacy. Results of correlational analyses supported our hypotheses. Specifically, future focus was strongly correlated to career efficacy, while past and current focus was not. Study 2 involved 1030 Japanese junior and junior high school students aged 12-18 years old in a questionnaire-based study, and results of multigroup analyses supported the age invariance of the TFS.

Keywords: Japanese, reliability, scale, temporal focus, validity

Procedia PDF Downloads 328

Authors: Dayane de Almeida

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This work aims at presenting a study that demonstrates the usability of categories of analysis from Discourse Semiotics – also known as Greimassian Semiotics in authorship cases in forensic contexts. It is necessary to know if the categories examined in semiotic analysis (the ‘grammar’ of the content plane) can distinguish authors. Thus, a study with 4 sets of texts from a corpus of ‘not on demand’ written samples (those texts differ in formality degree, purpose, addressees, themes, etc.) was performed. Each author contributed with 20 texts, separated into 2 groups of 10 (Author1A, Author1B, and so on). The hypothesis was that texts from a single author were semiotically more similar to each other than texts from different authors. The assumptions and issues that led to this idea are as follows: -The features analyzed in authorship studies mostly relate to the expression plane: they are manifested on the ‘surface’ of texts. If language is both expression and content, content would also have to be considered for more accurate results. Style is present in both planes. -Semiotics postulates the content plane is structured in a ‘grammar’ that underlies expression, and that presents different levels of abstraction. This ‘grammar’ would be a style marker. -Sociolinguistics demonstrates intra-speaker variation: an individual employs different linguistic uses in different situations. Then, how to determine if someone is the author of several texts, distinct in nature (as it is the case in most forensic sets), when it is known intra-speaker variation is dependent on so many factors?-The idea is that the more abstract the level in the content plane, the lower the intra-speaker variation, because there will be a greater chance for the author to choose the same thing. If two authors recurrently chose the same options, differently from one another, it means each one’s option has discriminatory power. -Size is another issue for various attribution methods. Since most texts in real forensic settings are short, methods relying only on the expression plane tend to fail. The analysis of the content plane as proposed by greimassian semiotics would be less size-dependable. -The semiotic analysis was performed using the software Corpus Tool, generating tags to allow the counting of data. Then, similarities and differences were quantitatively measured, through the application of the Jaccard coefficient (a statistical measure that compares the similarities and differences between samples). The results showed the hypothesis was confirmed and, hence, the grammatical categories of the content plane may successfully be used in questioned authorship scenarios.

Keywords: authorship attribution, content plane, forensic linguistics, greimassian semiotics, intraspeaker variation, style

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Authors: Carolina Silva Ansélmo

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Airports are demand-generating poles that affect the flow of traffic around them. The airport access system must be fast, convenient, and adequately planned, considering its potential users. An airport with good ground access conditions can provide the user with a more satisfactory access experience. When several transport options are available, service providers must understand users' preferences and the expected quality of service. The present study focuses on airport access in a comparative scenario between bus, private vehicle, subway, taxi and urban mobility transport applications to São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport. The objectives are (i) to identify the factors that influence the choice, (ii) to measure Willingness to Pay (WTP), and (iii) to estimate the market share for each modal. The applied method was Adaptive Choice-based Conjoint Analysis (ACBC) technique using Sawtooth Software. Conjoint analysis, rooted in Utility Theory, is a survey technique that quantifies the customer's perceived utility when choosing alternatives. Assessing user preferences provides insights into their priorities for product or service attributes. An additional advantage of conjoint analysis is its requirement for a smaller sample size compared to other methods. Furthermore, ACBC provides valuable insights into consumers' preferences, willingness to pay, and market dynamics, aiding strategic decision-making to provide a better customer experience, pricing, and market segmentation. In the present research, the ACBC questionnaire had the following variables: (i) access time to the boarding point, (ii) comfort in the vehicle, (iii) number of travelers together, (iv) price, (v) supply power, and (vi) type of vehicle. The case study questionnaire reached 213 valid responses considering the scenario of access from the São Paulo city center to São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport. As a result, the price and the number of travelers are the most relevant attributes for the sample when choosing airport access. The market share of the selection is mainly urban mobility transport applications, followed by buses, private vehicles, taxis and subways.

Keywords: adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis, ground access to airport, market share, willingness to pay

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Authors: Chu Wai Ching, Kan Chi Wai

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Fashion industry is fast moving with intense competitions; it is hard for fashion retailers to stand out among their peers. In order to promote and enhance uniqueness, fashion retailers have collaborated with different brands or celebrity in their marketing campaign recently. As brand-celebrity collaboration is a growing phenomenon in the Hong Kong fashion industry, this research aims to investigate the effect of celebrity on altering consumer’s brand association and the overall attitude towards the co-branded products. One of the popular celebrity-collaborated fashion brands was chosen for this study and a survey was conducted among university students in Hong Kong which yielded 222 responses. By using factor analysis, linear regression and bootstrap test for the mediation, the results show that three celebrity attributes namely “expertise”, “trustworthiness” and “attractiveness” affect the evaluation of the co-branded products. In addition, the change in the association of the brand and co-branded product attributes mediates the relationship between the characteristics of the celebrity and the overall attitude of the co-branded product. The result shows “expertise” of the celebrity has a perfect mediation, while “trustworthiness” and “attractiveness” of the celebrity have partial mediation. This implies that expertise of the celebrity is capable in altering the association towards both the brand and core product attributes and bringing a positive attitude towards the co-brand. The trustworthiness and the attractiveness of the celebrity are able to alter the consumer association towards the brand, but do not guarantee a complete positive attitude towards the co-branded product. This means that change in brand attributes is not a definite mediator as direct relationship may happen or there may be other factors that can affect the relationship between the celebrity’s persuasiveness and the overall attitude towards the co-branded collection.

Keywords: brand attribute, brand-celebrity collaborations, co-branding, fashion industry

Procedia PDF Downloads 306

Authors: Nana Segu Acquaah-Harrison, James Osei Mensah, Richard Aidoo, David Amponsah, Amy Buah, Gilbert Aboagye

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The study aimed at assessing the feasibility of commercial meat rabbit production in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. Structured and unstructured questionnaires were utilized in obtaining information from two hundred meat consumers and 15 meat rabbit farmers. Data were analyzed using Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR)/Profitability Index (PI) technique, percentages and chi-square contingency test. The study found that the current demand for rabbit meat is low (36%). The desirable nutritional attributes of rabbit meat and other socio economic factors of meat consumers make the potential demand for rabbit meat high (69%). It was estimated that GH¢5,292 (approximately $ 2672) was needed as a start-up capital for a 40-doe unit meat rabbit farm in Kumasi Metropolis. The cost of breeding animals, housing and equipment formed 12.47%, 53.97% and 24.87% respectively of the initial estimated capital. A Net Present Value of GH¢ 5,910.75 (approximately $ 2984) was obtained at the end of the fifth year, with an internal rate return and profitability index of 70% and 1.12 respectively. The major constraints identified in meat rabbit production were low price of rabbit meat, shortage of fodder, pest and diseases, high cost of capital, high cost of operating materials and veterinary care. Based on the analysis, it was concluded that meat rabbit production is feasible in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. The study recommends embarking on mass advertisement; farmer association and adapting to new technologies in the production process will help to enhance productivity.

Keywords: feasibility, commercial meat rabbit, production, Kumasi, Ghana

Procedia PDF Downloads 105

Authors: Ishwor Paudel, Pratima Gautam, Sandeep Bhattarai

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Bile spillage occurs frequently during laparoscopic cholecystectomy yet its impact on postoperative outcomes remains unknown. It might not be as innocuous as some surgeons tend to believe and in fact, might be associated with post-operative surgical site infections (SSI). It often leads to patient dissatisfaction, emergency department visits, with subsequent readmission and additional procedures. While some authors found no increase in SSI following bile spillage (BS) compared to non-bile spillage cases, others found bile spillage to be associated with SSI. Therefore we sought to examine whether bile spillage is indeed associated with an increased risk of postoperative wound infections after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. I hypothesize that patients who experience BS during operation, have an increased risk of SSI compared to those who do not. This is a prospective observational study conducted in the Department of Surgery, Patan Hospital over a period of one year. Patients undergoing Laparoscopic cholecystectomy were included and bile spillage, if happened was noted. All cases were followed up for 30 days and SSI was diagnosed as per CDC-defined criteria. Fisher’s test was applied to compare SSI in bile spillage versus non-bile spillage cases. A total of 112 patients were included in the final analysis. Bile spillage occurred in 20 cases and was absent in the rest i.e.92 cases. Among bile spillage cases, SSI was found in 4 cases (20%), whereas in nonbile spillage cases, SSI was found in 8 cases (8.7%). However, it was statistically not significant (p-value>0.05). Eleven (92%) cases were superficial SSI and one was an organ-space infection. No mortality or 30-day readmission. Spillage of Gallbladder content does not lead to an increase in SSIs. However as the rate of SSI is still higher, Surgeons should be careful to avoid iatrogenic gallbladder perforation and in case of bile spillage thorough peritoneal irrigation with normal saline should be done.

Keywords: organ space infection, Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, biliary spillage, surgical site infection

Procedia PDF Downloads 53

Authors: Mauricio Gómez, Esmeralda López, Ian Becar, Jaime Pizarro, Paula A. Zapata

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A biodegradable material is developed with adsorptive capacity for metals ion for intended use in mining tailings mitigating the environmental impact with economic retribution, two types of fibers were elaborated by electrospinning: (1) a cellulose acetate (CA) matrix and (2) a cellulose acetate (CA)/chitosan (CH) matrix evaluating the effect of CH in CA on its physicochemical properties. Through diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) the incorporation of chitosan in the matrix was identified, observing the band of the amino group at 1500 - 1600 [cm-1]. By scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Hg porosimetry, and CO2 isotherm at 273 [K], the intrafiber microporosity and interfiber macroporosity were identified, with an increase in the distribution of macropores for CA/CH fibers. In the tensile test, CH into the matrix produces a more ductile and tenacious behavior, where the % elongation at break increased by 33% with the other parameters constant. Thermal analysis by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) showed that the incorporation of chitosan produces higher retention of water molecules due to the functional groups (amino groups (- NH3)), but there is a decrease in the specific heat and thermoplastic properties of the matrix since the glass transition temperature and softening temperature disappear. The effect of the optimum pH for CA and CA/CH fibers were studied in a batch system. In the adsorption kinetic study, the best isotherm model adapted to the experimental results corresponds to the Sips model and the kinetics corresponds to pseudo-second order

Keywords: environmental materials, wastewater treatment, electrospun fibers, biopolymers (cellulose acetate/chitosan), metals recovery

Procedia PDF Downloads 58

Authors: Mahboubeh Varmaziar

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Depression is a significant public health concern affecting people of all ages and genders. Physical activity has been shown to have a positive effect on mental health, particularly in alleviating symptoms of depression. This study aims to explore the impact of continuous exercise on depression levels among young female athletes in Hamadan Province, Iran. In this randomized controlled trial, 72 women aged 20 to 35 years attending sports centers in Hamadan Province were selected through convenient sampling and randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group. The experimental group participated in a continuous exercise program consisting of 20 sessions over six weeks, with each session lasting 30 minutes. In contrast, the control group maintained their usual daily activities at the sports center. Both groups completed demographic and Beck Depression Inventory questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including two-way ANOVA. The results of the two-way ANOVA, after controlling for the pre-test effect, revealed a significant difference in the mean depression scores between the control and experimental groups (p < 0.001). This suggests that the continuous exercise program significantly reduced depression levels in the young female athletes. The findings suggest that continuous exercise is an effective non-pharmacological intervention for reducing depression in young female athletes. Incorporating regular physical activity into treatment plans may serve as a complementary therapy alongside conventional treatments, offering a low-risk and beneficial approach to managing depression.

Keywords: depression, exercise, female athletes, yong women

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Authors: Haripriya Chakraborty

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The healthcare system in the United States is considered to be one of the most inefficient and expensive systems when compared to other developed countries. Consequently, there are persistent concerns regarding the overall functioning of this system. For instance, the large number of uninsured individuals and high premiums are pressing issues that are shown to have a negative effect on health outcomes with possible life-threatening consequences. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was signed into law in 2010, was aimed at improving some of these inefficiencies. This paper aims at providing a computational mechanism to examine some of these inefficiencies and the effects that policy proposals may have on reducing these inefficiencies. Agent-based modeling is an invaluable tool that provides a flexible framework to model complex systems. It can provide an important perspective into the nature of some interactions that occur and how the benefits of these interactions are allocated. In this paper, we propose a novel and versatile agent-based model with realistic assumptions to simulate the dynamics of a health insurance marketplace that contains a mixture of private and public insurers and individuals. We use this model to analyze the characteristics, motivations, payoffs, and strategies of these agents. In addition, we examine the effects of certain policies, including some of the provisions of the ACA, aimed at reducing the uninsured rate and the cost of premiums to move closer to a system that is more equitable and improves health outcomes for the general population. Our test results confirm the usefulness of our agent-based model in studying this complicated issue and suggest some implications for public policies aimed at healthcare reform.

Keywords: agent-based modeling, healthcare reform, insurance markets, public policy

Procedia PDF Downloads 119

Authors: Keiko Naito, Y. Nakashima, S. Yamauchi, Y. Kunitani, Y. Ishigami, K. Numata, M. Mizobe, Y. Homma, J. Takahashi, T. Inoue, T. Shiga, H. Funakoshi

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Background: A presence of severe acidemia, defined as pH < 7.2, is common during endotracheal intubation for critically ill patients in the emergency department (ED). Severe acidemia is widely recognized as a predisposing factor for intubation failure. However, it is unclear that acidemic condition itself actually makes endotracheal intubation more difficult. We aimed to evaluate if a presence of severe acidemia before intubation is associated with the lower first attempt intubation success rate in the ED. Methods: This is a retrospective observational cohort study in the ED of an urban hospital in Japan. The collected data included patient demographics, such as age, sex, and body mass index, presence of one or more factors of modified LEMON criteria for predicting difficult intubation, reasons for intubation, blood gas levels, airway equipment, intubation by emergency physician or not, and the use of the rapid sequence intubation technique. Those with any of the following were excluded from the analysis: (1) no blood gas drawn before intubation, (2) cardiopulmonary arrest, and (3) under 18 years of age. The primary outcome was the first attempt intubation success rates between a severe acidemic patients (SA) group and a non-severe acidemic patients (NA) group. Logistic regression analysis was used to test the first attempt success rates for intubations between those two groups. Results: Over 5 years, a total of 486 intubations were performed; 105 in the SA group and 381 in the NA group. The univariate analysis showed that the first attempt intubation success rate was lower in the SA group than in the NA group (71.4% vs 83.5%, p < 0.01). The multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that severe acidemia was significantly associated with the first attempt intubation failure (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.03-3.68, p = 0.04). Conclusions: A presence of severe acidemia before endotracheal intubation lowers the first attempt intubation success rate in the ED.

Keywords: acidemia, airway management, endotracheal intubation, first-attempt intubation success rate

Procedia PDF Downloads 229

Authors: Christiana Ene Ogwuche, Joseph Amupitan, George Ndukwe, Rachael Ayo

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Maesobotrya barteri (Baill), belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae, is a medicinal plant growing widely in tropical Africa. The Aerial plant parts of Maesobotrya barteri (Baill) were collected fresh from Orokam, Ogbadibo local Government of Benue State, Nigeria in July 2013. Taxonomical identification was done by Mallam Musa Abdullahi at the Herbarium unit of Biological Sciences Department, ABU, Zaria, Nigeria. Pulverized aerial parts of Maesobotrya barteri (960g) was exhaustively extracted successively using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol and concentrated in the rotary evaporator at 40°C. The Petroleum ether extract had the second highest activity against test microbes from preliminary crude microbial screenings. The Petroleum ether extract was subjected to phytochemical studies, antimicrobial analysis and column chromatography (CC). The column chromatography yielded fraction PE, which was further purified using preparative thin layer chromatography to give PE1. The structure of the isolated compound was established using 1-D NMR and 2-D NMR spectroscopic analysis and by direct comparison with data reported in literature was confirmed to be a mixture, an isomer of Betulinic acid and Oleanolic acid, both with the molecular weight (C₃₀H₄₈O₃). The bioactivity of this compound was carried out using some clinical pathogens and the activity compared with standard drugs, and this was found to be comparable with the standard drug.

Keywords: Maesobotrya barteri, medicinal plant, bioactivity, petroleum spirit extract, butellinic acid, oleanilic acid

Procedia PDF Downloads 174

Authors: Venkata Buddharaju, Irene Mccarron, Hazel Alba

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Introduction: Male external catheters (MECs) are commonly used to collect and drain urine. MECs are increasingly used in acute care, long-term acute care hospitals, and nursing facilities, and in other patients as an alternative to invasive urinary catheters to reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI).MECs are also used to avoid the need for incontinence pads and diapers. Most of the Male External Catheters are held in place by skin adhesive, with the exception of a few, which uses a foam strap clamp around the penile shaft. The adhesive condom catheters typically stay for 24 hours or less. It is also a common practice that extra skin adhesive tape is wrapped around the condom catheter for additional security of the device. The fixed nature of the adhesive will not allow the normal skin expansion of penile size over time. The adhesive can cause skin irritation, redness, erosion, and skin damage. Acanthus condom catheter (ACC) is a patented, specially designed, stretchable silicone catheter without adhesive, adapts to the size and contour of the penis. It is held in place with a single elastic strap that wraps around the lower back and tied to the opposite catheter ring holescriss cross. It can be reused for up to 5 days on the same patient after daily cleaning and washingpotentially reducing cost. Methods: The study was conducted from September 17th to October 8th, 2020. The nursing staff was educated and trained on how to use and reuse the catheter. After identifying five (5) appropriate patients, the catheter was placed and maintained by nursing staff. The data on the ease of use, leak, and skin damage were collected and reported by nurses to the nursing education department of the hospital for analysis. Setting: RML Chicago, long-term acute care hospital, an affiliate of Loyola University Medical Center, Chicago, IL USA. Results: The data showed that the catheter was easy to apply, remove, wash and reuse, without skin problems or urine infections. One patient had used for 16 days after wash, reuse, and replacement without any urine leak or skin issues. A minimal leak was observed on two patients. Conclusion: Acanthus condom catheter was easy to use, functioned well with minimal or no leak during use and reuse. The skin was intact in all patients studied. There were no urinary tract infections in any of the studied patients.

Keywords: CAUTI, male external catheter, reusable, skin adhesive

Procedia PDF Downloads 89

Authors: Banca Patricia Pena Revuelta, Ramiro Gonzalez Avalos, Juan Leonardo Rocha Valdez, Jose Gonzalez Avalos, Karla Rodriguez Hernandez

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Probiotics are a promising alternative to improve productivity and animals' health. In addition, they can be part of the composition of different types of products, including foods (functional foods), medicines, and dietary supplements. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the effect of the feeding of Holstein calves supplemented with bacillus subtilis PB6 in morbidity and mortality. 60 newborn animals were used, randomly included in 1 of 3 treatments. The treatments were as follows: T1 = control, T2 = 10 g / calf / day. The first takes within 20 min after birth, T3 = 10 g / calf/day. The first takes between 12 and 24 h after birth. In all the treatments, 432 L of pasteurized whole milk divided into two doses/day 07:00 and 15:00, respectively, were given for 60 days. The addition of bacillus subtilis PB6 was carried out in the milk tub at the time of feeding them. The first colostrum intake (2 L • intake) was given within 2 h after birth, after which they were given a second 6 h after the first one. The diseases registered to monitor the morbidity and mortality of the calves were: diarrhea and pneumonia. The registry was carried out from birth to 60 days of life. The parameter evaluated was food consumption. The variable statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance, and comparison of means was performed using the Tukey test. The value of P < 0.05 was used to consider the statistical difference. The results of the present study in relation to the consumption of food show no statistical difference P < 0.05 between treatments (14,762, 11,698, and 12,403 kg of food average, respectively). Calves group to which they were not provided Bacillus subtilis PB6 obtained higher feed intake. The addition of Bacillus subtilis PB6 in feeding calves does not increase feed intake.

Keywords: feeding, development, milk, probiotic

Procedia PDF Downloads 122

Authors: Marco Furinghetti, Alberto Pavese, Michele Rinaldi

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Concave Surface Slider devices have been more and more used in real applications for seismic protection of both bridge and building structures. Several research activities have been carried out, in order to investigate the lateral response of such a typology of devices, and a reasonably high level of knowledge has been reached. If radial analysis is performed, the frictional force is always aligned with respect to the restoring force, whereas under bidirectional seismic events, a bi-axial interaction of the directions of motion occurs, due to the step-wise projection of the main frictional force, which is assumed to be aligned to the trajectory of the isolator. Nonetheless, if non-linear time history analyses have to be performed, standard codes provide precise rules for the definition of an averagely spectrum-compatible set of accelerograms in radial conditions, whereas for bidirectional motions different combinations of the single components spectra can be found. Moreover, nowadays software for the adjustment of natural accelerograms are available, which lead to a higher quality of spectrum-compatibility and to a smaller dispersion of results for radial motions. In this endeavor a simplified design procedure is defined, for building structures, base-isolated by means of Concave Surface Slider devices. Different case study structures have been analyzed. In a first stage, the capacity curve has been computed, by means of non-linear static analyses on the fixed-base structures: inelastic fiber elements have been adopted and different direction angles of lateral forces have been studied. Thanks to these results, a linear elastic Finite Element Model has been defined, characterized by the same global stiffness of the linear elastic branch of the non-linear capacity curve. Then, non-linear time history analyses have been performed on the base-isolated structures, by applying seven bidirectional seismic events. The spectrum-compatibility of bidirectional earthquakes has been studied, by considering different combinations of single components and adjusting single records: thanks to the proposed procedure, results have shown a small dispersion and a good agreement in comparison to the assumed design values.

Keywords: concave surface slider, spectrum-compatibility, bidirectional earthquake, base isolation

Procedia PDF Downloads 275

Authors: Taweesak Janyacharoen, Lalita Pradubgool, Lalita Wongsorn, Pitchayapa Janyacharoen

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Street dance is a form of exercise that is classified as aerobic and is very suitable for teenagers. Street dance is a dance that can create new dance moves all the time. It often incorporates elements from gymnastics and is accompanied by fast-paced music that emphasizes excitement and energy. It is a combination of high-intensity and low-intensity activities. Few studies have looked at the effects of street dance on cardiovascular endurance, and previous studies have long-term effects. However, no research study in Thailand has studied acute effects before. This study was to investigate the acute effect of street dance exercise on blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation and physical fitness in sedentary subjects. Subjects were divided into 2 groups: the control group (n=15) received health education and rest, and the experimental group (n=15) received street dance exercise. Both groups will measure their blood pressure (BP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and six-minute walk test (6MWT) before and after completing the program. The results found that both groups had significantly different HR when comparing before and after the program (p<0.05). MAP, HR and SpO₂ had significantly different (p<0.05) when compared between groups. This study concluded that the acute effect of street dance exercise could be increased in HR while the SpO₂ decreased. In clinical, it was seen that the values that were changed are still within the range that is considered normal. Therefore, street dance exercises can be used as one choice of alternative exercise.

Keywords: street dance, exercise, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation

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Authors: Patricia Jiménez, Rafael Corchuelo, Hassan A. Sleiman

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Web mining is gaining importance at an increasing pace. Currently, there are many complementary research topics under this umbrella. Their common theme is that they all focus on applying knowledge discovery techniques to data that is gathered from the Web. Sometimes, these data are relatively easy to gather, chiefly when it comes from server logs. Unfortunately, there are cases in which the data to be mined is the data that is displayed on a web document. In such cases, it is necessary to apply a pre-processing step to first extract the information of interest from the web documents. Such pre-processing steps are performed using so-called information extractors, which are software components that are typically configured by means of rules that are tailored to extracting the information of interest from a web page and structuring it according to a pre-defined schema. Paramount to getting good mining results is that the technique used to extract the source information is exact, which requires to evaluate and compare the different proposals in the literature from an empirical point of view. According to Google Scholar, about 4 200 papers on information extraction have been published during the last decade. Unfortunately, they were not evaluated within a homogeneous framework, which leads to difficulties to compare them empirically. In this paper, we report on an original information extraction evaluation method. Our contribution is three-fold: a) this is the first attempt to provide an evaluation method for proposals that work on semi-structured documents; the little existing work on this topic focuses on proposals that work on free text, which has little to do with extracting information from semi-structured documents. b) It provides a method that relies on statistically sound tests to support the conclusions drawn; the previous work does not provide clear guidelines or recommend statistically sound tests, but rather a survey that collects many features to take into account as well as related work; c) We provide a novel method to compute the performance measures regarding unsupervised proposals; otherwise they would require the intervention of a user to compute them by using the annotations on the evaluation sets and the information extracted. Our contributions will definitely help researchers in this area make sure that they have advanced the state of the art not only conceptually, but from an empirical point of view; it will also help practitioners make informed decisions on which proposal is the most adequate for a particular problem. This conference is a good forum to discuss on our ideas so that we can spread them to help improve the evaluation of information extraction proposals and gather valuable feedback from other researchers.

Keywords: web information extractors, information extraction evaluation method, Google scholar, web

Procedia PDF Downloads 233

Authors: Alireza Nikbakht Shahbazi, Emadeddin Shirali

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Since optimization issues of water resources are complicated due to the variety of decision making criteria and objective functions, it is sometimes impossible to resolve them through regular optimization methods or, it is time or money consuming. Therefore, the use of modern tools and methods is inevitable in resolving such problems. An accurate and essential utilization policy has to be determined in order to use natural resources such as water reservoirs optimally. Water reservoir programming studies aim to determine the final cultivated land area based on predefined agricultural models and water requirements. Dam utilization rule curve is also provided in such studies. The basic information applied in water reservoir programming studies generally include meteorological, hydrological, agricultural and water reservoir related data, and the geometric characteristics of the reservoir. The system of Dez dam water resources was simulated applying the basic information in order to determine the capability of its reservoir to provide the objectives of the performed plan. As a meta-exploratory method, genetic algorithm was applied in order to provide utilization rule curves (intersecting the reservoir volume). MATLAB software was used in order to resolve the foresaid model. Rule curves were firstly obtained through genetic algorithm. Then the significance of using rule curves and the decrease in decision making variables in the system was determined through system simulation and comparing the results with optimization results (Standard Operating Procedure). One of the most essential issues in optimization of a complicated water resource system is the increasing number of variables. Therefore a lot of time is required to find an optimum answer and in some cases, no desirable result is obtained. In this research, intersecting the reservoir volume has been applied as a modern model in order to reduce the number of variables. Water reservoir programming studies has been performed based on basic information, general hypotheses and standards and applying monthly simulation technique for a statistical period of 30 years. Results indicated that application of rule curve prevents the extreme shortages and decrease the monthly shortages.

Keywords: optimization, rule curve, genetic algorithm method, Dez dam reservoir

Procedia PDF Downloads 247