Search results for: knowledge management best practice

Authors: Anne Allmrodt

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Regions of South-East Europe are characterised by high out-migration for decades. The reasons for leaving range from the hope of a better work situation to a better health care system and beyond. In Serbia, this high out-migration hits the rural areas in particular so that the population number is in the red repeatedly. It might not be hard to guess that this negative population growth has the potential to create different challenges for those who stay in rural areas. So how are they coping with the – statistically proven – high out-migration? Having this in mind, the study is investigating the people‘s individual awareness of the social phenomenon high out-migration and their daily life strategies in rural areas. Furthermore, the study seeks to find out the people’s resilient skills in that context. Is the condition of high out-migration conducive for resilience? The methodology combines a quantitative and a qualitative approach (mixed methods). For the quantitative part, a standardised questionnaire has been developed, including a multiple choice section and a choice experiment. The questionnaire was handed out to people living in rural areas of Serbia only (n = 100). The sheet included questions about people’s awareness of high out-migration, their own daily life strategies or challenges and their social network situation (data about the social network was necessary here since it is supposed to be an influencing variable for resilience). Furthermore, test persons were asked to make different choices of coping with high out-migration in a self-designed choice experiment. Additionally, the study included qualitative interviews asking citizens from rural areas of Serbia. The topics asked during the interview focused on their awareness of high out-migration, their daily life strategies, and challenges as well as their social network situation. Results have shown the following major findings. The awareness of high out-migration is not the same with all test persons. Some declare it as something positive for their own life, others as negative or not effecting at all. The way of coping generally depended – maybe not surprising – on the people’s social network. However – and this might be the most important finding - not everybody with a certain number of contacts had better coping strategies and was, therefore, more resilient. Here the results show that especially people with high affiliation and proximity inside their network were able to cope better and shew higher resilience skills. The study took one step forward in terms of knowledge about societal resilience as well as coping strategies of societies in rural areas. It has shown part of the other side of nowadays migration‘s coin and gives a hint for a more sustainable rural development and community empowerment.

Keywords: coping, out-migration, resilience, rural development, social networks, south-east Europe

Procedia PDF Downloads 128

Authors: Oscar Armando González-Marin, Jhon F. Rodríguez-León, Oscar Mota-Pérez, Jorge Pineda-Piñón, Roberto S. Velázquez-González., Julio C. Sosa-Savedra

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Over the past six years, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has recorded the warmest years since 1880, primarily attributed to climate change. In addition, the overexploitation of agricultural lands, combined with food and water scarcity, has highlighted the urgent need for sustainable cultivation methods. Hydroponics has emerged as a sustainable farming technique that enables plant cultivation using nutrient solutions without the requirement for traditional soil. Among hydroponic methods, the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) facilitates plant growth by circulating a nutrient solution continuously. This approach allows the monitoring and precise control of nutritional parameters, with potential for automation and technological integration. This study aims to present the state of the art of automated NFT hydroponic systems, discussing their design methodologies and considerations for implementation. Moreover, a medium-scale NFT system developed at CICATA-QRO is introduced, detailing its current manual management and progress toward automation.

Keywords: automation, hydroponics, nutrient film technique, sustainability

Procedia PDF Downloads 39

Authors: E. Mas de les Valls, M. Castells-Sanabra, R. Capdevila, N. Pla, Rosa M. Fernandez-Canti, V. de Medina, A. Mujal, C. Barahona, E. Velo, M. Vigo, M. A. Santos, T. Soto

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Absenteeism in universities, including polytechnical universities, is influenced by a variety of factors. Some factors overlap with those causing absenteeism in schools, while others are specific to the university and work-related environments. Indeed, these factors may stem from various sources, including students, educators, the institution itself, or even the alignment of degree curricula with professional requirements. In Spain, there has been an increase in absenteeism in polytechnical university studies, especially after the Covid crisis, posing a significant challenge for institutions to address. This study focuses on Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya• BarcelonaTech (UPC) and aims to quantify the current level of absenteeism and identify its main causes. The study is part of the teaching innovation project ASAP-UPC, which aims to minimize absenteeism through the redesign of teaching methodologies. By understanding the factors contributing to absenteeism, the study seeks to inform the subsequent phases of the ASAP-UPC project, which involve implementing methodologies to minimize absenteeism and evaluating their effectiveness. The study utilizes surveys conducted among students and polytechnical companies. Students' perspectives are gathered through both online surveys and in-person interviews. The surveys inquire about students' interest in attending classes, skill development throughout their UPC experience, and their perception of the skills required for a career in a polytechnical field. Additionally, polytechnical companies are surveyed regarding the skills they seek in prospective employees. The collected data is then analyzed to identify patterns and trends. This analysis involves organizing and categorizing the data, identifying common themes, and drawing conclusions based on the findings. This mixed-method approach has revealed that higher levels of absenteeism are observed in large student groups at both the Bachelor's and Master's degree levels. However, the main causes of absenteeism differ between these two levels. At the Bachelor's level, many students express dissatisfaction with in-person classes, perceiving them as overly theoretical and lacking a balance between theory, experimental practice, and problem-solving components. They also find a lack of relevance to professional needs. Consequently, they resort to using online available materials developed during the Covid crisis and attending private academies for exam preparation instead. On the other hand, at the Master's level, absenteeism primarily arises from schedule incompatibility between university and professional work. There is a discrepancy between the skills highly valued by companies and the skills emphasized during the studies, aligning partially with students' perceptions. These findings are of theoretical importance as they shed light on areas that can be improved to offer a more beneficial educational experience to students at UPC. The study also has potential applicability to other polytechnic universities, allowing them to adapt the surveys and apply the findings to their specific contexts. By addressing the identified causes of absenteeism, universities can enhance the educational experience and better prepare students for successful careers in polytechnical fields.

Keywords: absenteeism, polytechnical studies, professional skills, university challenges

Procedia PDF Downloads 68

Authors: Konstantin S. Vainutis, Mark E. Andreev, Anastasia N. Voronova, Mikhail Yu. Shchelkanov

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Introduction: The trematodes from the family Cyclocoelidae (cyclocoelids) belong to the superfamily Echinostomatoidea infecting air sacs and trachea of wild birds. At present, the family Cyclocoelidae comprises nine valid genera in three subfamilies: Cyclocoelinae (type taxon), Haematotrephinae, and Typhlocoelinae. To our best knowledge, in this study, molecular genetic methods were used for the first time for studying cyclocoelids from the Russian Far East. Here we provide the data on the morphology and phylogeny of cyclocoelids from gadwall from the Russian Far East. The morphological and genetic data obtained for cyclocoelids indicated the necessity to revise the previously proposed classification within the family Cyclocoelidae. Objectives: The first objective was performing the morphological study of cyclocoelids found in M. strepera from the Russian Far East. The second objective is to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of the studied trematodes with other cyclocoelids using the 28S gene. Material and methods: During the field studies in the Khasansky district of the Primorsky region, 21 cyclocoelids were recovered from the air sacs of a single gadwall Mareca strepera. Seven samples of cyclocoelids were overstained in alum carmine, dehydrated in a graded ethanol series, cleared in clove oil, and mounted in Canada balsam. Genomic DNA was extracted from four cyclocoelids using the alkaline lysis method HotShot. The 28S rDNA fragment was amplified using the forward primer Digl2 and the reverse primer 1500R. Results: According to morphological features (ovary intratesticular, forming a triangle with the testes), the studied worms belong to the subfamily Cyclocoelinae Stossich, 1902. In particular, the highest morphological similarity was observed in relation to the trematodes of the genus Cyclocoelum Brandes, 1892 – genital pores are pharyngeal. However, the genetic analysis has shown significant discrepancies between the trematodes studied regarding the genus Cyclocoelum. On the phylogenetic tree, these trematodes took the sister position in relation to the genus Morishitium (previously considered in the subfamily Szidatitrematinae). Conclusion: Based on the results of the morphological and genetic studies, cyclocoelids isolated from Mareca strepera are suggested to be described in the previously unknown genus and differentiated from the type genus Cyclocoelum of the type subfamily Cyclocoelinae. Considering the available molecular data, including described cyclocoelids, the family Cyclocoelidae comprises ten valid genera in the three subfamilies mentioned above.

Keywords: new species, trematoda, phylogeny, cyclocoelidae

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Authors: M. J. Falade

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Field experiment was conducted to compare the efficacy of hot water extracts of three plants (Ricinus communis, Jatropha gossypifolia and Datura stramonium) with benomyl in the control of cowpea anthracnose disease. Three concentrations of the extracts (65, 50 and 30%) were used in the study. Result from the experiment shows that all the extracts at the tested concentration reduced the incidence and severity of the disease. D. stramonium at 65% concentration compares favourably with that of benomyl fungicide in reducing incidence and severity of infection. At 65% concentration of D. stramonium, incidence of the disease was 22% on pooled mean basis, and this was not significantly different from that of benomyl (21%). Similarly, the percentage of normal seeds recorded at this same concentration of the extract was 85% and was not significantly different from that of benomyl (86%). In terms of disease severity trace infections were observed on the cowpea plants at this concentration of the extract and that of benomyl. However, at lower concentrations of all the extracts, significant variations were observed on incidence of disease and percentage of normal seeds such that values obtained from use of benomyl were higher than those obtained from the use of the extracts. The study, therefore, shows that extracts of these indigenous plants can be used as a substitute for the benomyl fungicide in the management of anthracnose disease.

Keywords: benomyl, C. lindemuthianum, disease incidence, disease severity

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Authors: Arash Sepehri Bonab

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Techniques to switch cells between development and differentiation, which tend to be commonly exclusive, are utilized in arrange to supply an expansive cell mass that can perform particular separated capacities required for the tissue to develop. Approaches to tissue engineering center on the have to give signals to cell populaces to advance cell multiplication and separation. Current tissue regenerative procedures depend primarily on tissue repair by transplantation of synthetic/natural inserts. In any case, restrictions on the existing procedures have expanded the request for tissue designing approaches. Tissue engineering innovation and stem cell investigation based on tissue building have made awesome advances in overcoming the issues of tissue and organ damage, useful loss, and surgical complications. Bone tissue has the capability to recover itself; in any case, surrenders of a basic estimate anticipate the bone from recovering and require extra support. The advancement of bone tissue building has been utilized to form useful options to recover the bone. This paper primarily portrays current advances in tissue engineering in different fields of bone and talks about the long-term trend of tissue designing innovation in the treatment of complex diseases.

Keywords: tissue engineering, bone, technologies, treatment

Procedia PDF Downloads 95

Authors: Adam Pitluk

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In a time period populated by legacy newspaper readers who throw around the term “fake news” as though it has long been a part of the lexicon, journalism schools must convince would-be students that their degree is still viable and that they are not teaching a curriculum of deception. As such, journalism schools’ academic administrators tasked with creating and maintaining conversant curricula must stay ahead of legacy newspaper industry trends – both in the print and online products – and ensure that what is being taught in the classroom is both fresh and appropriate to the demands of the evolving legacy newspaper industry. This study examines the information obtained from the result of interviews of journalism academic administrators in order to identify institutional pedagogy for recent journalism school graduates interested in pursuing careers at legacy newspapers. This research also explores the existing relationship between journalism school academic administrators and legacy newspaper editors. The results indicate the value administrators put on various academy teachings, and they also highlight a perceived disconnect between journalism academic administrators and legacy newspaper hiring editors.

Keywords: academic administration, education, journalism, journalism school graduates, media management, newspapers, grounded theory

Procedia PDF Downloads 125

Authors: H. H. Goh, K. C. Goh, T. W. Seow, N. S. Said, S. E. P. Ang

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Malaysia is rich with historic buildings, particularly in Penang and Malacca states. Restoration activities are increasingly important as these states are recognized under UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Restoration activities help to maintain the uniqueness and value of a heritage building. However, increasing in restoration activities has resulted in large quantities of waste. To cope with this problem, the 3R concept (reduce, reuse and recycle) is introduced. The 3R concept is one of the waste management hierarchies. This concept is still yet to apply in the building restoration industry compared to the construction industry. Therefore, this study aims to promote the 3R concept in the heritage building restoration industry. This study aims to examine the importance of 3R concept and to identify challenges in applying the 3R concept in the heritage building restoration industry. This study focused on contractors and consultants who are involved in heritage restoration projects in Penang. Literature review and interviews helps to reach the research objective. Data that obtained is analyzed by using content analysis. For the research, application of 3R concept is important to conserve natural resources and reduce pollution problems. However, limited space to organise waste is the obstruction during the implementation of this concept. In conclusion, the 3R concept plays an important role in promoting environmental conservation and helping in reducing the construction waste

Keywords: 3R Concept, heritage building, restoration activities, building science

Procedia PDF Downloads 313

Authors: Man Ying Kang, Joshua Kin Man Nan

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The prolonged pandemic has posed alarming public health challenges to various parts of the world, and face-to-face mental health treatment is largely discounted for the control of virus transmission, online psychological services and self-help mental health kits have become essential. Online self-help mindfulness-based interventions have proved their effects on fostering mental health for different populations over the globe. This paper was to test the effectiveness of an online short-term audio-based mindfulness (SAM) program in enhancing wellbeing, dispositional mindfulness, and reducing stress and negative affect in community settings in China, and to explore possible mechanisms of how dispositional mindfulness, stress, and negative affect influenced the intervention effects on wellbeing. Community-dwelling adults were recruited via online social networking sites (e.g., QQ, WeChat, and Weibo). Participants (n=100) were randomized into the mindfulness group (n=50) and a waitlist control group (n=50). In the mindfulness group, participants were advised to spend 10–20 minutes listening to the audio content, including mindful-form practices (e.g., eating, sitting, walking, or breathing). Then practice daily mindfulness exercises for 3 weeks (a total of 21 sessions), whereas those in the control group received the same intervention after data collection in the mindfulness group. Participants in the mindfulness group needed to fill in the World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index (WHO), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI) four times: at baseline (T0) and at 1 (T1), 2 (T2), and 3 (T3) weeks while those in the waitlist control group only needed to fill in the same scales at pre- and post-interventions. Repeated-measure analysis of variance, paired sample t-test, and independent sample t-test was used to analyze the variable outcomes of the two groups. The parallel process latent growth curve modeling analysis was used to explore the longitudinal moderated mediation effects. The dependent variable was WHO slope from T0 to T3, the independent variable was Group (1=SAM, 2=Control), the mediator was FMI slope from T0 to T3, and the moderator was T0NA and T0PSS separately. The different levels of moderator effects on WHO slope was explored, including low T0NA or T0PSS (Mean-SD), medium T0NA or T0PSS (Mean), and high T0NA or T0PSS (Mean+SD). The results found that SAM significantly improved and predicted higher levels of WHO slope and FMI slope, as well as significantly reduced NA and PSS. FMI slope positively predict WHO slope. FMI slope partially mediated the relationship between SAM and WHO slope. Baseline NA and PSS as the moderators were found to be significant between SAM and WHO slope and between SAM and FMI slope, respectively. The conclusion was that SAM was effective in promoting levels of mental wellbeing, positive affect, and dispositional mindfulness as well as reducing negative affect and stress in community settings in China. SAM improved wellbeing faster through the faster enhancement of dispositional mindfulness. Participants with medium-to-high negative affect and stress buffered the therapy effects of SAM on wellbeing improvement speed.

Keywords: mindfulness, negative affect, stress, wellbeing, randomized control trial

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Authors: Khaled Darwish, Islam El Madahh, Hoda Mohamed, Hadia El Hennawy

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Cloud computing has been one of the fastest growing parts in IT industry mainly in the context of the future of the web where computing, communication, and storage services are main services provided for Internet users. Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) is gaining stream which can be used to extend cloud computing functions, services and results to the world of future mobile applications and enables delivery of a large variety of cloud application to billions of smartphones and wearable devices. This paper describes reliability for MCC by determining the ability of a system or component to function correctly under stated conditions for a specified period of time to be able to deal with the estimation and management of high levels of lifetime engineering uncertainty and risks of failure. The assessment procedures consists of determine Mean Time between Failures (MTBF), Mean Time to Failure (MTTF), and availability percentages for main components in both cloud computing and MCC structures applied on single node OpenStack installation to analyze its performance with different settings governing the behavior of participants. Additionally, we presented several factors have a significant impact on rates of change overall cloud system reliability should be taken into account in order to deliver highly available cloud computing services for mobile consumers.

Keywords: cloud computing, mobile cloud computing, reliability, availability, OpenStack

Procedia PDF Downloads 397

Authors: Phatthara Surachon, Tosaphol Ratniyomchai, Thanatchai Kulworawanichpong

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This paper presents an aerodynamic brake study of reducing braking distance for high-speed trains (HST) using aerodynamic brakes as inspiration from the applications on the commercial aircraft wings. In case of emergency, both braking distance and stopping time are longer than the usual situation. Therefore, the passenger safety and the HST driving control management are definitely obtained by reducing the time and distance of train braking during emergency situation. Due to the limited study and implementation of the aerodynamic brake in HST, the possibility in use and the effectiveness of the aerodynamic brake to the train dynamic movement during braking are analyzed and considered. Regarding the aircraft’s flaps that applied in the HST, the areas of the aerodynamic brake acted as an additional drag force during train braking are able to vary depending on the operating angle and the required dynamic braking force. The HST with a varying speed of 200 km/h to 350 km/h is taken as a case study of this paper. The results show that the stopping time and the brake distance are effectively reduced by the aerodynamic brakes. The mechanical brake and its maintenance are effectively getting this benefit by extending its lifetime for longer use.

Keywords: high-speed train, aerodynamic brake, brake distance, drag force

Procedia PDF Downloads 199

Authors: N. Pritchard

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Within architectural education, students arrive fore-armed with; their life-experience; knowledge gained from subject-based learning; their brains and more specifically their imaginations. The learning-by-doing that they embark on in studio-based/project-based learning calls for supervision that allows the student to proactively undertake research and experimentation with design solution possibilities. The degree to which this supervision includes direction is subject to debate and differing opinion. It can be argued that if the student is to learn-by-doing, then design decision making within the design process needs to be instigated and owned by the student so that they have the ability to personally reflect on and evaluate those decisions. Within this premise lies the problem that the student's endeavours can become unstructured and unfocused as they work their way into a new and complex activity. A resultant weakness can be that the design activity is compartmented and not holistic or comprehensive, and therefore, the student's reflections are consequently impoverished in terms of providing a positive, informative feedback loop. The construct proffered in this paper is that a supportive 'armature' or 'Heuristic-Framework' can be developed that facilitates a holistic approach and reflective learning. The normal explorations of architectural design comprise: Analysing the site and context, reviewing building precedents, assimilating the briefing information. However, the student can still be compromised by 'not knowing what they need to know'. The long-serving triad 'Firmness, Commodity and Delight' provides a broad-brush framework of considerations to explore and integrate into good design. If this were further atomised in subdivision formed from the disparate aspects of architectural design that need to be considered within the design process, then the student could sieve through the facts more methodically and reflectively in terms of considering their interrelationship conflict and alliances. The words facts and sieve hold the acronym of the aspects that form the Heuristic-Framework: Function, Aesthetics, Context, Tectonics, Spatial, Servicing, Infrastructure, Environmental, Value and Ecological issues. The Heuristic could be used as a Hermeneutic Model with each aspect of design being focused on and considered in abstraction and then considered in its relation to other aspect and the design proposal as a whole. Importantly, the heuristic could be used as a method for gathering information and enhancing the design brief. The more poetic, mysterious, intuitive, unconscious processes should still be able to occur for the student. The Heuristic-Framework should not be seen as comprehensive prescriptive formulaic or inhibiting to the wide exploration of possibilities and solutions within the architectural design process.

Keywords: atomistic, hermeneutic, holistic, approach architectural design studio education

Procedia PDF Downloads 260

Authors: Gulfam Haider, sana danish

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Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have emerged as powerful tools for image classification, and the choice of optimizers profoundly affects their performance. The study of optimizers and their adaptations remains a topic of significant importance in machine learning research. While numerous studies have explored and advocated for various optimizers, the efficacy of these optimization techniques is still subject to scrutiny. This work aims to address the challenges surrounding the effectiveness of optimizers by conducting a comprehensive analysis and evaluation. The primary focus of this investigation lies in examining the performance of different optimizers when employed in conjunction with the popular activation function, Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU). By incorporating ReLU, known for its favorable properties in prior research, the aim is to bolster the effectiveness of the optimizers under scrutiny. Specifically, we evaluate the adjustment of these optimizers with both the original Softmax activation function and the modified ReLU activation function, carefully assessing their impact on overall performance. To achieve this, a series of experiments are conducted using a well-established benchmark dataset for image classification tasks, namely the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research dataset (CIFAR-10). The selected optimizers for investigation encompass a range of prominent algorithms, including Adam, Root Mean Squared Propagation (RMSprop), Adaptive Learning Rate Method (Adadelta), Adaptive Gradient Algorithm (Adagrad), and Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD). The performance analysis encompasses a comprehensive evaluation of the classification accuracy, convergence speed, and robustness of the CNN models trained with each optimizer. Through rigorous experimentation and meticulous assessment, we discern the strengths and weaknesses of the different optimization techniques, providing valuable insights into their suitability for image classification tasks. By conducting this in-depth study, we contribute to the existing body of knowledge surrounding optimizers in CNNs, shedding light on their performance characteristics for image classification. The findings gleaned from this research serve to guide researchers and practitioners in making informed decisions when selecting optimizers and activation functions, thus advancing the state-of-the-art in the field of image classification with convolutional neural networks.

Keywords: deep neural network, optimizers, RMsprop, ReLU, stochastic gradient descent

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Authors: Amir Hosseinvand

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Probiotics have health-giving effects on the human body, so by stimulating the immune system, they prevent many occurrences they are diseases and food allergies in humans. There are various bacteria in the human digestive system; some are useful, some are harmless, and other groups of bacteria are harmful to human health. These bacteria should be in balance in the body of people in a normal state. In certain conditions, such as a person's high stress, aging, continuous use of antibiotics, or improper diet, the intestinal microbial flora has changed, and these changes cause some diseases in people. Probiotics have health benefits for the human body and are often found in the digestive system of healthy people. Nevertheless, fermented foods such as fermented dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, buttermilk or fermented pickles contain some species of these bacteria that are useful. But the important point that should be noted is that due to modern and industrial life, high fat and high protein diets, and excessive use of antibiotics, the number of these bacteria in people's bodies has decreased, and it is necessary to consume probiotics either in the form of probiotic foods or in the form of supplements. Probiotics with mild stimulation of the immune system increase the immunity level of the body and prevent the occurrence of food allergies in people.

Keywords: human health, dairy products, food allergies, probiotic

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Authors: Gopikrishnan Seshadhri, V. M. Topkar

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Facility management post occupation is a facet that has gained tremendous ground in the recent times. While the efficiency of expenditure and utilization of all types of resources are monitored to ensure timely completion with minimum cost and acceptable quality during construction phase, value for money comes out only when the facility performs satisfactorily post occupation, meeting aspirations and expectations of users of the facility. It is more so for the public facilities. Due to the paradigm shift in focus to outcome based performance evaluation, user satisfaction obtained mainly through questionnaires has become the single important criterion in performance evaluation. Questionnaires presently being used to gauge user satisfaction being subjective, the feedback obtained do not necessarily reflect actual performance. Hence, there is a requirement of developing a survey instrument that can gauge user satisfaction as objectively as possible and truly reflects the ground reality. A near correct picture of actual performance of the built facility from the user point of view will enable facility managers to address pertinent issues. This paper brings out the need for an effective survey instrument that will elicit more objective user response. It also lists steps involved in formulation of such an instrument.

Keywords: facility performance evaluation, attributes, attribute descriptors, user satisfaction surveys, statistical methods, performance indicators

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Authors: Zeytu G. Asfaw, Serkalem K. Abrha, Demisew G. Degefu

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Background: HIV/AIDS remains a major public health problem in Ethiopia and heavily affecting people of productive and reproductive age. We aimed to compare the performance of Parametric Survival Analysis and Bayesian Survival Analysis using simulations and in a real dataset application focused on determining predictors of HIV patient survival. Methods: A Parametric Survival Models - Exponential, Weibull, Log-normal, Log-logistic, Gompertz and Generalized gamma distributions were considered. Simulation study was carried out with two different algorithms that were informative and noninformative priors. A retrospective cohort study was implemented for HIV infected patients under Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in Alamata General Hospital, North Ethiopia. Results: A total of 320 HIV patients were included in the study where 52.19% females and 47.81% males. According to Kaplan-Meier survival estimates for the two sex groups, females has shown better survival time in comparison with their male counterparts. The median survival time of HIV patients was 79 months. During the follow-up period 89 (27.81%) deaths and 231 (72.19%) censored individuals registered. The average baseline cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) cells count for HIV/AIDS patients were 126.01 but after a three-year antiretroviral therapy follow-up the average cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) cells counts were 305.74, which was quite encouraging. Age, functional status, tuberculosis screen, past opportunistic infection, baseline cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) cells, World Health Organization clinical stage, sex, marital status, employment status, occupation type, baseline weight were found statistically significant factors for longer survival of HIV patients. The standard error of all covariate in Bayesian log-normal survival model is less than the classical one. Hence, Bayesian survival analysis showed better performance than classical parametric survival analysis, when subjective data analysis was performed by considering expert opinions and historical knowledge about the parameters. Conclusions: Thus, HIV/AIDS patient mortality rate could be reduced through timely antiretroviral therapy with special care on the potential factors. Moreover, Bayesian log-normal survival model was preferable than the classical log-normal survival model for determining predictors of HIV patients survival.

Keywords: antiretroviral therapy (ART), Bayesian analysis, HIV, log-normal, parametric survival models

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Authors: Humayun Murshed, Shibly Abdullah

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The research conducted in early seventies apparently assumed the existence of a universal decision model for union negotiators and furthermore tended to regard financial information as a ‘neutral’ input into a rational decision-making process. However, research in the eighties began to question the neutrality of financial information as an input in collective bargaining rather viewing it as a potentially effective means for controlling the labour force. Furthermore, this later research also started challenging the simplistic assumptions relating particularly to union objectives which have underpinned the earlier search for universal union decision models. Despite the above developments there seems to be a dearth of studies in developing countries concerning the use of financial information in collective bargaining. This paper seeks to begin to remedy this deficiency. Utilising a case study approach based on two enterprises, one in the public sector and the other a multinational, the universal decision model is rejected and it is argued that the decision whether or not to use financial information is a contingent one and such a contingency is largely defined by the context and environment in which both union and management negotiators work. An attempt is also made to identify the factors constraining as well as promoting the use of financial information in collective bargaining, these being regarded as unique to the organizations within which the case studies are conducted.

Keywords: collective bargaining, developing countries, disclosures, financial information

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Authors: Jillian Gardner, Hilde D. Miniggio

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The increasing prevalence of obesity has driven the pursuit of alternative weight loss strategies, such as jaw wiring (or ‘slimming wires’), a technique known in the medical community as maxillomandibular fixation, which has evolved beyond its original intention of treating temporomandibular joint disorders. Individuals have increasingly sought and utilized the procedure for weight loss purposes. Although legal in South Africa, this trend presents dentists with ethical dilemmas, as they face requests for interventions that prioritize aesthetic preferences over medical necessity. Drawing on scholarly literature and the four principles framework of Beauchamp and Childress, this ethical analysis offers guidance for dentists facing the ethical dilemma of patient requests for jaw wiring as a weight management intervention. The ethical analysis concludes that dentists who refuse autonomous requests to perform jaw wiring for purely weight loss purposes are ethically justified within the principlist framework in overriding these requests when the principles of non-maleficence and beneficence are at stake. The well-being and health of the patient, as well as societal and professional obligations, justify the refusal to perform jaw wiring purely for weight loss.

Keywords: ethics, jaw wiring, maxillomandibular fixation, principlism, weight loss

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Authors: Bruno Tassin, Robin Treilles, Cleo Stratmann, Minh Trang Nguyen, Sam Azimi, Vincent Rocher, Rachid Dris, Johnny Gasperi

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Microplastics (<5mm) in the environment and in hydro systems is one of the major present environmental issues. Over the last five years a research programme was conducted in order to assess the behavior of microplastics in the Seine river catchment, in a Man-Land-Sea continuum approach. Results show that microplastic concentration varies at the seasonal scale, but also at much smaller scales, during flood events and with tides in the estuary for instance. Moreover, microplastic sampling and characterization issues emerged throughout this work. The Seine river is a 750km long river flowing in Northwestern France. It crosses the Paris megacity (12 millions inhabitants) and reaches the English Channel after a 170 km long estuary. This site is a very relevant one to assess the effect of anthropogenic pollution as the mean river flow is low (mean flow around 350m³/s) while the human presence and activities are very intense. Monthly monitoring of the microplastic concentration took place over a 19-month period and showed significant temporal variations at all sampling stations but no significant upstream-downstream increase, indicating a possible major sink to the sediment. At the scale of a major flood event (winter and spring 2018), microplastic concentration shows an evolution similar to the well-known suspended solids concentration, with an increase during the increase of the flow and a decrease during the decrease of the flow. Assessing the position of the concentration peak in relation to the flow peak was unfortunately impossible. In the estuary, concentrations vary with time in connection with tides movements and in the water column in relation to the salinity and the turbidity. Although major gains of knowledge on the microplastic dynamics in the Seine river have been obtained over the last years, major gaps remain to deal mostly with the interaction with the dynamics of the suspended solids, the selling processes in the water column and the resuspension by navigation or shear stress increase. Moreover, the development of efficient chemical characterization techniques during the 5 year period of this pluriannual research programme led to the improvement of the sampling techniques in order to access smaller microplastics (>10µm) as well as larger but rare ones (>500µm).

Keywords: microplastics, Paris megacity, seine river, suspended solids

Procedia PDF Downloads 198

Authors: Tamanna Rimi

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A large body of literature has discussed the determinants of migration decision. However, the potential role of individual risk attitudes on migration decision has so far been overlooked. The research on migration literature has studied how the expected income differential influences migration flows for a risk neutral individual. However, migration takes place when there is no expected income differential or even the variability of income appears as lower than in the current location. This migration puzzle motivates a recent trend in the literature that analyzes how attitudes towards risk influence the decision to migrate. However, the significance of risk attitudes on migration decision has been addressed mostly in a theoretical perspective in the mainstream migration literature. The efficient outcome of labor market and overall economy are largely influenced by migration in many countries. Therefore, attitudes towards risk as a determinant of migration should get more attention in empirical studies. To author’s best knowledge, this is the first study that has examined the relationship between relative risk aversion and migration decision in US market. This paper considers movement across United States as a means of migration. In addition, this paper also explores the network effect due to the increasing size of one’s own ethnic group to a source location on the migration decision and how attitudes towards risk vary with network effect. Two ethnic groups (i.e. Asian and Hispanic) have been considered in this regard. For the empirical estimation, this paper uses two sources of data: 1) U.S. census data for social, economic, and health research, 2010 (IPUMPS) and 2) University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, 2010 (HRS). In order to measure relative risk aversion, this study uses the ‘Two Sample Two-Stage Instrumental Variable (TS2SIV)’ technique. This is a similar method of Angrist (1990) and Angrist and Kruegers’ (1992) ‘Two Sample Instrumental Variable (TSIV)’ technique. Using a probit model, the empirical investigation yields the following results: (i) risk attitude has a significantly large impact on migration decision where more risk averse people are less likely to migrate; (ii) the impact of risk attitude on migration varies by other demographic characteristics such as age and sex; (iii) people with higher concentration of same ethnic households living in a particular place are expected to migrate less from their current place; (iv) the risk attitudes on migration vary with network effect. The overall findings of this paper relating risk attitude, migration decision and network effect can be a significant contribution addressing the gap between migration theory and empirical study in migration literature.

Keywords: migration, network effect, risk attitude, U.S. market

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Authors: Josh Felton

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There’s a common misconception that sports is an escape from the reality of life, and that it is what disconnects us from the agendas of tomorrow. While this may be true for a select few, there’s more to sports than just competition and banter. The bearing and impact society has on the sports we know and love has always existed and is greater than ever. However, to many in the national media, it is almost seen as a taboo subject. Whether one realizes it or not, sports and society intersect at every turn and it’s not a coincidence. In collaboration with the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, a video and podcast series titled Intersection of sports and society (ISS), dedicated to studying some of the most polarizing and some of the least recognized issues in the world of sports that have a powerful social bearing on every demographic will debut in the Summer of 2023. Issues like race, gender, and sexuality, as well as how they have been challenged and addressed historically in the sports realm will be discussed to a great extent in the series. With the collaboration of many authors, researchers, and former athletes, the podcast will be a platform for them to not only share their discoveries but to have an extensive dialogue on the impact their work and current events have had on the issues. Set to be released in the summer of 2023, the series will have a list of great researchers and authors, headlined by New York Times writer and best-selling author Jonathan Abrams, who in 2017, published a book titled Boys Among Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution. His expertise on the matters of the high school and collegiate sports will be reflected in a very important conversation on the evolution of the high school-to-professional route, the historic exploitation of black student athletes by the NCAA, and how the new rules allowing for greater freedom of choice for young athletes has benefitted minority athletes coming from impoverished backgrounds. This episode is just a preview of a list of important topics that to the author’s best knowledge aren't typically discussed by the national media. Many more topics include women’s sports representation, the struggle for achieving fair minority representation in NFL coaching and front office positions, the story of race and baseball within the Boston Red Sox organization, and what the rise of the black quarterback means for America. Many people fail to realize how the sports we all know and love have any social bearing on them and the athletes who play them. The hope with this project is to shed light on the social relevance that exists in the realm of sports, where we have for years failed to see and acknowledge a connection between sports and society.

Keywords: sports, society, race, gender

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Authors: Leesa Mohanty, Ashok Banerjee

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Better audit quality signifies the financial statements of the auditee firm reflect true and fair view of their actual state of affairs, which reduces information asymmetry between management and shareholders, as a result, helps protect interests of shareholders. This study examines the impact of joint audit on audit quality. It is motivated by the ongoing debate where The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), the regulatory body governing auditors, has advocated the finance ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for the mandatory use of joint audit in private banks to enhance the quality of audit. Earlier, the Government of India had rejected the plea by ICAI for mandatory joint audits in large companies stating it is not a viable option for promoting domestic firms. We introduce a new measure of audit quality. Drawing from the domain of text analytics, we use relevant phrases in audit reports to gauge audit quality and demonstrate that joint audit improves audit quality. We also, for robustness, use prevalent proxy for audit quality (Big N Auditor, ratio of audit fees to total fees) and find negative effect of joint audit on audit quality. We, therefore highlight that different proxy for audit quality show opposite effect of joint audit.

Keywords: audit fees, audit quality, Big N. Auditor, joint audit

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Authors: Surrya Khanam

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Understanding the population characteristics of pest species is crucial to develop suitable management plans. The present study was aimed to determine the population ecology of House rat (Rattus rattus) in rural human dwellings of Pothwar, Pakistan. Seasonal rodent trapping was conducted in four villages of Pothwar area from March 2012 to February 2014. A total of 217 individuals of R.rattus were captured from houses, shops, and farm houses. There was no significant difference in the abundance of species across different trapping seasons. The species sex ratio was unbiased and did not differ significantly from 1:1 at all the sites and across all the trapping seasons. The population of R. Rattus had individuals of different age groups, viz., juvenile, sub adults and adults. Overall, more adult individuals were captured in spring and summer season. Breeding activity was continuous throughout the year and reproductively active individuals relatively outnumbered inactive individuals. The results showed that village indoor habitats provided a suitable habitat for rat populations all the year round. The information obtained from this study will be helpful in the development of control strategies for R. rattus populations in commensal habitats.

Keywords: ecology, indoor pests, Rattus rattus, population characteristics

Procedia PDF Downloads 153

Authors: Sibongile Masemola

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In 2018, South Africa decriminalised recreational cannabis use and private cultivation, since then, cannabis businesses have been established to meet the demand. However, marketing activities remain limited in this industry, and businesses are unable to disseminate promotional messages, however, as a solution, firms can promote their brands and positioning instead of the actual product (Bick, 2015). Branding is essential to create differences among cannabis firms and to attract and keep customers (Abrahamsson, 2014). Building cannabis firms into brands can better position them in the mind of the consumer so that they become and remain competitive. The aim of this study was to explore how South African cannabis retailers can build brand equity in a stigmatised market, despite significant restrictions on marketing efforts. Keller’s (2001) customer-based brand equity (CBBE) model was used as the as the theoretical framework and explored how cannabis firms build their businesses into brands through developing their brand identity, meaning, performance, and relationships, and ultimately creating brand equity. The study employed a qualitative research method, using semi-structured in-depth interviews among 17 participants to gain insights from cannabis owners and marketers in the recreational cannabis environment. Most findings were presented according to the blocks of CBBE model. Furthermore, a conceptual framework named the stigma-based brand equity (SBBE) model was adapted from Keller’s CBBE model to include an additional building block that accounts for industry-specific characteristics unique to stigmatised markets. Findings revealed the pervasiveness of education and its significance to brand building in a stigmatised industry. Results also demonstrated the overall effect stigma has on businesses and their consumers due to the longstanding negative evaluations of cannabis. Hence, through stigma-bonding, brands can develop deep identity-related psychological bonds with their consumers that will potentially lead to strong brand resonance. This study aims to contribute business-relevant knowledge for firms operating in core-stigmatised markets under controlled marketing regulations by exploring how cannabis firms can build brand equity. Practically, this study presents recommendations for retailers in stigmatised markets on how to destigmatise, build brand identity, create brand meaning, elicit desired brand responses, and develop brand relationships – ultimately building brand equity.

Keywords: branding, brand equity, cannabis, organisational stigma

Procedia PDF Downloads 103

Authors: Zahra Hatami, Hesham Ali, David Volkman

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Selecting a portfolio for investing is a crucial decision for individuals and legal entities. In the last two decades, with economic globalization, a stream of financial innovations has rushed to the aid of financial institutions. The importance of selecting stocks for the portfolio is always a challenging task for investors. This study aims to create a financial network to identify optimal portfolios using network centralities metrics. This research presents a community detection technique of superior stocks that can be described as an optimal stock portfolio to be used by investors. By using the advantages of a network and its property in extracted communities, a group of stocks was selected for each of the various time periods. The performance of the optimal portfolios compared to the famous index. Their Sharpe ratio was calculated in a timely manner to evaluate their profit for making decisions. The analysis shows that the selected potential portfolio from stocks with low centrality measurement can outperform the market; however, they have a lower Sharpe ratio than stocks with high centrality scores. In other words, stocks with low centralities could outperform the S&P500 yet have a lower Sharpe ratio than high central stocks.

Keywords: portfolio management performance, network analysis, centrality measurements, Sharpe ratio

Procedia PDF Downloads 154

Authors: Shinji Kajiwara, Tadamasa Fukuoka

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The formula project of Kinki University has been involved in the student Formula SAE of Japan (JSAE) since the second year the competition was held. The vehicle developed in the project uses a ZX-6R engine, which has been manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries for the JSAE competition for the eighth time. The limited performance of the concept vehicle was improved through the development of a power train. The supercharger loading, engine dry sump, and engine cooling management of the vehicle were also enhanced. The supercharger loading enabled the vehicle to achieve a maximum output of 59.6 kW (80.6 PS)/9000 rpm and a maximum torque of 70.6 Nm (7.2 kgf m)/8000 rpm. We successfully achieved 90% of the engine’s torque band (4000–10000 rpm) with 50% of the revolutions in regular engine use (2000–12000 rpm). Using a dry sump system, we periodically managed hydraulic pressure during engine operation. A system that controls engine stoppage when hydraulic pressure falls was also constructed. Using the dry sump system at 80 mm reduced the required engine load and the vehicle’s center of gravity. Even when engine motion was suspended by the electromotive force exerted by the water pump, the circulation of cooling water was still possible. These findings enabled us to create a cooling system in accordance with the requirements of the competition.

Keywords: engine, combustion, cooling system, numerical simulation, power, torque, mechanical super charger

Procedia PDF Downloads 300

Authors: Muhammad Noor Ul Ane, Dong-Soon Kim, Myron P. Zalucki

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Models can be useful to help understand population dynamics of insects under diverse environmental conditions and in developing strategies to manage pest species better. Adult longevity and fecundity of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) were evaluated against a wide range of constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 37.5ᵒC). The modified Sharpe and DeMichele model described adult aging rate and was used to estimate adult physiological age. Maximum fecundity of H. armigera was 973 egg/female at 25ᵒC decreasing to 72 eggs/female at 37.5ᵒC. The relationship between adult fecundity and temperature was well described by an extreme value function. Age-specific cumulative oviposition rate and age-specific survival rate were well described by a two-parameter Weibull function and sigmoid function, respectively. An oviposition model was developed using three temperature-dependent components: total fecundity, age-specific oviposition rate, and age-specific survival rate. The oviposition model was validated against independent field data and described the field occurrence pattern of egg population of H. armigera very well. Our model should be a useful component for population modeling of H. armigera and can be independently used for the timing of sprays in management programs of this key pest species.

Keywords: cotton bollworm, life table, temperature-dependent adult development, temperature-dependent fecundity

Procedia PDF Downloads 151

Authors: Lateefat Amao, Misagh Faezipour

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Implementing electronic health records (EHR) in healthcare is a pivotal transition aimed at digitizing and optimizing patient health information management. The expectations associated with this transition are high, even towards other health information systems (HIS) and health technology. This multifaceted process involves careful planning and execution to improve the quality and efficiency of patient care, especially as healthcare technology is a sensitive niche. Key considerations include a thorough needs assessment, judicious vendor selection, robust infrastructure development, and training and adaptation of healthcare professionals. Comprehensive training programs, data migration from legacy systems and models, interoperability, as well as security and regulatory compliance are imperative for healthcare staff to navigate EHR systems adeptly. The purpose of this work is to offer a comprehensive review of the literature on EHR implementation. It explores the impact of this health technology on health practices, highlights challenges and barriers to its successful utility, and offers practical strategies that can impact its success in healthcare. This paper provides a thorough review of studies on the adoption of EHRs, emphasizing the wide range of experiences and results connected to EHR use in the medical field, especially across different types of healthcare organizations.

Keywords: healthcare, electronic health records, EHR implementation, patient care, interoperability

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Authors: Stanislav Babaev, Vladimir Cuk, Sjef Cobben, Jan Desmet

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The procedures for performing harmonic studies for medium-voltage distribution feeders have become relatively mature topics since the early 1980s. The efforts of various electric power engineers and researchers were mainly focused on handling large harmonic non-linear loads connected scarcely at several buses of medium-voltage feeders. In order to assess the impact of these loads on the voltage quality of the distribution system, specific modeling and simulation strategies were proposed. These methodologies could deliver a reasonable estimation accuracy given the requirements of least computational efforts and reduced complexity. To uphold these requirements, certain analysis assumptions have been made, which became de facto standards for establishing guidelines for harmonic analysis. Among others, typical assumptions include balanced conditions of the study and the negligible impact of impedance frequency characteristics of various power system components. In latter, skin and proximity effects are usually omitted, and resistance and reactance values are modeled based on the theoretical equations. Further, the simplifications of the modelling routine have led to the commonly accepted practice of neglecting phase angle diversity effects. This is mainly associated with developed load models, which only in a handful of cases are representing the complete harmonic behavior of a certain device as well as accounting on the harmonic interaction between grid harmonic voltages and harmonic currents. While these modelling practices were proven to be reasonably effective for medium-voltage levels, similar approaches have been adopted for low-voltage distribution systems. Given modern conditions and massive increase in usage of residential electronic devices, recent and ongoing boom of electric vehicles, and large-scale installing of distributed solar power, the harmonics in current low-voltage grids are characterized by high degree of variability and demonstrate sufficient diversity leading to a certain level of cancellation effects. It is obvious, that new modelling algorithms overcoming previously made assumptions have to be accepted. In this work, a simulation approach aimed to deal with some of the typical assumptions is proposed. A practical low-voltage feeder is modeled in PowerFactory. In order to demonstrate the importance of diversity effect and harmonic interaction, previously developed measurement-based models of photovoltaic inverter and battery charger are used as loads. The Python-based script aiming to supply varying voltage background distortion profile and the associated current harmonic response of loads is used as the core of unbalanced simulation. Furthermore, the impact of uncertainty of feeder frequency-impedance characteristics on total harmonic distortion levels is shown along with scenarios involving linear resistive loads, which further alter the impedance of the system. The comparative analysis demonstrates sufficient differences with cases when all the assumptions are in place, and results indicate that new modelling and simulation procedures need to be adopted for low-voltage distribution systems with high penetration of non-linear loads and renewable generation.

Keywords: electric power system, harmonic distortion, power quality, public low-voltage network, harmonic modelling

Procedia PDF Downloads 159

Authors: Tsai-Pei Liu, Zhi-Rou Zheng, Tzu-Tzu Wen

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Innovative logistics system simulation teaching is to extract the characteristics of the system through simulation methodology. The system has randomness and interaction problems in the execution time. Therefore, the simulation model can usually deal with more complex logistics process problems, giving students different learning modes. Students have more autonomy in learning time and learning progress. System simulation has become a new educational tool, but it still needs to accept many tests to use it in the teaching field. Although many business management departments in Taiwan have started to promote, this kind of simulation system teaching is still not popular, and the prerequisite for popularization is to be supported by students. This research uses an extension of Integration Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) to explore the acceptance of students in universities of science and technology to use system simulation as a learning tool. At the same time, it is hoped that this innovation can explore the effectiveness of the logistics system simulation after the introduction of teaching. The results indicated the significant influence of performance expectancy, social influence and learning value on students’ intention towards confirmed the influence of facilitating conditions and behavioral intention. The extended UTAUT2 framework helps in understanding students’ perceived value in the innovative logistics system teaching context.

Keywords: UTAUT2, logistics system simulation, learning value, Taiwan

Procedia PDF Downloads 115