Search results for: maritime technology

Authors: Norhayati Mat Wajid, Abdul Murad Zainal Abidin, Hasila Jarimi, Kamaruzaman Sopian, Adnan Ibrahim, Ahmad Fazlizan, Afif Safwan

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Solar-adsorption air-conditioning system (SADCS) is an alternative to the conventional vapor compression system (VCS). SADCS have advantages over VCS system, such as 1) a green cooling technology which utilizes solar energy to drive the adsorption/desorption cycle, 2) can be operated using green refrigerant HFC free pure water, 3) mechanically simpler, and 4) lower operating noise level since it has no moving parts other than the magnetic valves. Several advancements have been achieved in these fields in the last decade, but further research is still needed to escalate this technology to a practical level. Hence, this paper presents a literature survey and a review that add insights into the current state-of-the-art of SADCS technologies with emphasis on the practical researches that were conducted at the laboratory scale and commercial level. In this paper, the performance evaluation of vermiculite as adsorbent material for SADCS in tropical climate discussed in comparison to other adsorbent material such as silica gel.

Keywords: adsorption cooling, solar-assisted cooling, HVAC, tropical climate, solar thermal

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Authors: Sirine Sayed, Mahrez Ait Mohammed, Mourad Nachtane, Abdelwahed Barkaoui, Khalid Bouziane, Mostapha Tarfaoui

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This study addresses a critical challenge in transitioning to a hydrogen-based economy by introducing and validating a one-dimensional (1D) tool for modelling hydrogen permeability through hybrid materials, focusing on tank applications. The model developed integrates rigorous experimental validation, published data, and advanced computational modelling using the PanDiffusion framework, significantly enhancing its validity and applicability. By elucidating complex interactions between material properties, storage system configurations, and operational parameters, the tool demonstrates its capability to optimize design and operational parameters in real-world scenarios, as illustrated through a case study of hydrogen leakage. This comprehensive approach to assessing hydrogen permeability contributes significantly to overcoming key barriers in hydrogen infrastructure development, potentially accelerating the widespread adoption of hydrogen technology across various industrial sectors and marking a crucial step towards a more sustainable energy future.

Keywords: hydrogen storage, composite tank, permeability modelling, PanDiffusion, energy carrier, transportation technology

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Authors: Shuen-Tai Wang, Yu-Ching Lin, Hsi-Ya Chang

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With the development of virtualization technologies, a new type of service named cloud computing service is produced. Cloud users usually encounter the problem of how to use the virtualized platform easily over the web without requiring the plug-in or installation of special software. The object of this paper is to develop a system and a method enabling process interfacing within an automation scenario for accessing remote application by using the web browser. To meet this challenge, we have devised a web-based interface that system has allowed to shift the GUI application from the traditional local environment to the cloud platform, which is stored on the remote virtual machine. We designed the sketch of web interface following the cloud virtualization concept that sought to enable communication and collaboration among users. We describe the design requirements of remote application technology and present implementation details of the web application and its associated components. We conclude that this effort has the potential to provide an elastic and resilience environment for several application services. Users no longer have to burden the system maintenances and reduce the overall cost of software licenses and hardware. Moreover, this remote application service represents the next step to the mobile workplace, and it lets user to use the remote application virtually from anywhere.

Keywords: virtualization technology, virtualized platform, web interface, remote application

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Authors: Dial Tassadit Rania, Figueiredo De Oliveira Gabriel

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In this paper, we investigate the relationship between ports and their hinterland and foreland environments and the competitive relationship between the ports themselves. These two environments are changing, evolving and introducing new challenges for commercial and economic development at the regional, national and international levels. Because of the rise of the containerization phenomenon, shipping costs and port handling costs have considerably decreased due to economies of scale. The volume of maritime trade has increased substantially and the markets served by the ports have expanded. On these bases, overlapping hinterlands can give rise to the phenomenon of competition between ports. Our main contribution comparing to the existing literature on this issue, is to build a set of hinterland, foreland and competition indicators. Using these indicators? we investigate the effect of hinterland accessibility, foreland connectivity and inter-ports competition on containerized traffic of Europeans ports. For this, we have a 10-year panel database from 2004 to 2014. Our hinterland indicators are given by two indicators of accessibility; they describe the market potential of a port and are calculated using information on population and wealth (GDP). We then calculate population and wealth for different neighborhoods within a distance from a port ranging from 100 to 1000km. For the foreland, we produce two indicators: port connectivity and number of partners for each port. Finally, we compute the two indicators of inter-port competition and a market concentration indicator (Hirshmann-Herfindhal) for different neighborhood-distances around the port. We then apply a fixed-effect model to test the relationship above. Again, with a fixed effects model, we do a sensitivity analysis for each of these indicators to support the results obtained. The econometric results of the general model given by the regression of the accessibility indicators, the LSCI for port i, and the inter-port competition indicator on the containerized traffic of European ports show a positive and significant effect for accessibility to wealth and not to the population. The results are positive and significant for the two indicators of connectivity and competition as well. One of the main results of this research is that the port development given here by the increase of its containerized traffic is strongly related to the development of its hinterland and foreland environment. In addition, it is the market potential, given by the wealth of the hinterland that has an impact on the containerized traffic of a port. However, accessibility to a large population pool is not important for understanding the dynamics of containerized port traffic. Furthermore, in order to continue to develop, a port must penetrate its hinterland at a deep level exceeding 100 km around the port and seek markets beyond this perimeter. The port authorities could focus their marketing efforts on the immediate hinterland, which can, as the results shows, not be captive and thus engage new approaches of port governance to make it more attractive.

Keywords: accessibility, connectivity, European containerization, European hinterland and foreland, inter-port competition

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Authors: Roseline Unoma Chidobi

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The purpose of this study is to identify the extent of Information Communication Technology (ICT) application in record management and some factors militating against the utilization of e-learning in the universities in Enugu state. The study was a survey research the quantitative data were collected through a 30 – item questionnaire title extent of ICT Application in Record management and militating Factors in the utilization of e-learning (EIARMMFUE). This was administered on a population of 603 respondents made up of university academic staff and senior administrative staff. The data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and t-test statistics on a modified 4 point rating scale. Findings of the study revealed among others that ICT are not adequately applied in the management of records in the Universities in Nigeria. Factors like wrong notion or superstitious believe hinder the effective utilization of e – learning approach. The study recommended that the use of ICT in record management should be enhanced in order to achieve effective school management. All the factors militating against the effective utilization of e-learning approach should be addressed for the maximum realization of teaching and learning.

Keywords: e-learning, information communication, teaching, technology, tertiary institution

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Authors: Wesley Preßler, Lucie Schmidt

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Digital transformation is playing an increasingly important role in the development of smart residential quarters. In order to accompany and steer this process and ultimately make the success of the transformation efforts measurable, it is helpful to use an appropriate maturity model. However, conventional maturity models for digital transformation focus primarily on the evaluation of processes and neglect the information and power imbalances between the stakeholders, which affects the validity of the results. The Multi-Generation Smart Community (mGeSCo) research project is developing an interdisciplinary maturity model that integrates the dimensions of digital literacy, interpretive patterns, and technology acceptance to address this gap. As part of the mGeSCo project, the technological development of selected dimensions in the Smart Quarter Jena-Lobeda (Germany) is being investigated. A specific maturity model, based on Cohen's Smart Cities Wheel, evaluates the central dimensions Working, Living, Housing and Caring. To improve the reliability and relevance of the maturity assessment, the factors Digital Literacy, Interpretive Patterns and Technology Acceptance are integrated into the developed model. The digital literacy dimension examines stakeholders' skills in using digital technologies, which influence their perception and assessment of technological maturity. Digital literacy is measured by means of surveys, interviews, and participant observation, using the European Commission's Digital Literacy Framework (DigComp) as a basis. Interpretations of digital technologies provide information about how individuals perceive technologies and ascribe meaning to them. However, these are not mere assessments, prejudices, or stereotyped perceptions but collective patterns, rules, attributions of meaning and the cultural repertoire that leads to these opinions and attitudes. Understanding these interpretations helps in assessing the overarching readiness of stakeholders to digitally transform a/their neighborhood. This involves examining people's attitudes, beliefs, and values about technology adoption, as well as their perceptions of the benefits and risks associated with digital tools. These insights provide important data for a holistic view and inform the steps needed to prepare individuals in the neighborhood for a digital transformation. Technology acceptance is another crucial factor for successful digital transformation to examine the willingness of individuals to adopt and use new technologies. Surveys or questionnaires based on Davis' Technology Acceptance Model can be used to complement interpretive patterns to measure neighborhood acceptance of digital technologies. Integrating the dimensions of digital literacy, interpretive patterns and technology acceptance enables the development of a roadmap with clear prerequisites for initiating a digital transformation process in the neighborhood. During the process, maturity is measured at different points in time and compared with changes in the aforementioned dimensions to ensure sustainable transformation. Participation, co-creation, and co-production are essential concepts for a successful and inclusive digital transformation in the neighborhood context. This interdisciplinary maturity model helps to improve the assessment and monitoring of sustainable digital transformation processes in smart residential quarters. It enables a more comprehensive recording of the factors that influence the success of such processes and supports the development of targeted measures to promote digital transformation in the neighborhood context.

Keywords: digital transformation, interdisciplinary, maturity model, neighborhood

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Authors: Eman Alarfaj, Hissah Alabdullatif, Huda Alabdullatif, Ghazal Albakri, Nor Shahriza Abdul Karim

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Autism Spectrum Disorder is extensively spread amid children; it affects their social, communication and interactive skills. As robotics technology has been proven to be a significant helpful utility those able individuals to overcome their disabilities. Robotic technology is used in ASD therapy. The purpose of this research is to show how Nao robots can improve the social skills for children who suffer from autism in Saudi Arabia by interacting with the autistic child and perform a number of tasks. The objective of this research is to identify, implement, and test the effectiveness of the module for interacting with ASD children in an autism center in Saudi Arabia. The methodology in this study followed the ten layers of protocol that needs to be followed during any human-robot interaction. Also, in order to elicit the scenario module, TEACCH Autism Program was adopted. Six different qualified interaction modules have been elicited and designed in this study; the robot will be programmed to perform these modules in a series of controlled interaction sessions with the Autistic children to enhance their social skills.

Keywords: humanoid robot Nao, ASD, human-robot interaction, social skills

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Authors: Karim Monir Halim Salib

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The article discusses the use of modern technology to achieve environmental marketing goals in business and customer relations. The purpose of this article is to show the possibilities of the application of modern technology. In B2C relationships, marketing departments face challenges arising from the need to quickly segment customers and share information across multiple systems, which seriously hinders the achievement of marketing objectives. Therefore, the Article states that modern IT solutions are used in the marketing of business activities, taking into account environmental objectives. For this reason, its importance in the economic and social development of developing countries has increased. While traditional companies emphasize profit as the most important business principle, social enterprises have to address social issues at the expense of profit. This mindset gives social enterprises more than traditional businesses to meet the needs of those at the bottom of the pyramid. This also poses a great challenge for social business, as social business works for the public good on the one hand and financial stability on the other. Otherwise, the company cannot be evacuated. Cultures are involved in business communication and research. Using the example of language in international relations, the article poses the problem of cultural discourse in management and linguistic and cultural studies. After reviewing current research on language in international relations, this article presents communication methods in the international economy from a linguistic perspective and attempts to explain communication problems in business from the perspective of linguistic research. A step towards multidisciplinary research combining research in management and linguistics.

Keywords: international marketing, marketing mix, marketing research, small and medium-sized enterprises, strategic marketing, B2B digital marketing strategy, digital marketing, digital marketing maturity model, SWOT analysis consumer behavior, experience, experience marketing, marketing employee organizational performance, internal marketing, internal customer, direct marketing, mobile phones mobile marketing, Sms advertising.

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Authors: Joel Weymouth, Ramesh K. Karne, Alexander L. Wijesinha

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Bare Machine Internet is part of the Bare Machine Computing (BMC) paradigm. It is used in programming application ns to run directly on a device. It is software that runs directly against the hardware using CPU, Memory, and I/O. The software application runs without an Operating System and resident mass storage. An important part of the BMC paradigm is the Bare Machine Internet. It utilizes an Application Development model software that interfaces directly with the hardware on a network server and file server. Because it is “bare,” it is a powerful teaching and research tool that can readily display the internals of the network protocols, software, and hardware of the applications running on the Bare Server. It was also demonstrated that the bare server was accessible by laptop and by smartphone/android. The purpose was to show the further practicality of Bare Internet in Computer Engineering and Computer Science Education and Research. It was also to show that an undergraduate student could take advantage of a bare server with any device and any browser at any release version connected to the internet. This paper presents the Bare Web Server as an educational tool. We will discuss possible applications of this paradigm.

Keywords: bare machine computing, online research, network technology, visualizing network internals

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Authors: Viktor R. Stoynov, Zlatka V. Valkova-Jarvis

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The intelligent management and optimisation of radio resource technologies will lead to a considerable improvement in the overall performance in Next Generation Networks (NGNs). Carrier Aggregation (CA) technology, also known as Spectrum Aggregation, enables more efficient use of the available spectrum by combining multiple Component Carriers (CCs) in a virtual wideband channel. LTE-A (Long Term Evolution–Advanced) CA technology can combine multiple adjacent or separate CCs in the same band or in different bands. In this way, increased data rates and dynamic load balancing can be achieved, resulting in a more reliable and efficient operation of mobile networks and the enabling of high bandwidth mobile services. In this paper, several distinct CA deployment strategies for the utilisation of spectrum bands are compared in indoor-outdoor scenarios, simulated via the recently-developed Realistic Indoor Environment Generator (RIEG). We analyse the performance of the User Equipment (UE) by integrating the average throughput, the level of fairness of radio resource allocation, and other parameters, into one summative assessment termed a Comparative Factor (CF). In addition, comparison of non-CA and CA indoor mobile networks is carried out under different load conditions: varying numbers and positions of UEs. The experimental results demonstrate that the CA technology can improve network performance, especially in the case of indoor scenarios. Additionally, we show that an increase of carrier frequency does not necessarily lead to improved CF values, due to high wall-penetration losses. The performance of users under bad-channel conditions, often located in the periphery of the cells, can be improved by intelligent CA location. Furthermore, a combination of such a deployment and effective radio resource allocation management with respect to user-fairness plays a crucial role in improving the performance of LTE-A networks.

Keywords: comparative factor, carrier aggregation, indoor mobile network, resource allocation

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Authors: Mathias U. Bonet, Pericles Pilidis, Georgios Doulgeris

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An aero-derivative marine Gas Turbine engine model is simulated to be installed as the main propulsion prime mover to power a cruise ship which is designed and routed to transport intending Muslim pilgrims for the annual hajj pilgrimage from Nigeria to the Islamic port city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. A performance assessment of the Gas Turbine engine has been conducted by examining the effect of varying aerodynamic and hydrodynamic conditions encountered at various geographical locations along the scheduled transit route during the voyage. The investigation focuses on the overall behavior of the Gas Turbine engine employed to power and propel the ship as it operates under ideal and adverse conditions to be encountered during calm and rough weather according to the different seasons of the year under which the voyage may be undertaken. The variation of engine performance under varying operating conditions has been considered as a very important economic issue by determining the time the speed by which the journey is completed as well as the quantity of fuel required for undertaking the voyage. The assessment also focuses on the increased resistance caused by the fouling of the submerged portion of the ship hull surface with its resultant effect on the power output of the engine as well as the overall performance of the propulsion system. Daily ambient temperature levels were obtained by accessing data from the UK Meteorological Office while the varying degree of turbulence along the transit route and according to the Beaufort scale were also obtained as major input variables of the investigation. By assuming the ship to be navigating the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea during winter, spring and summer seasons, the performance modeling and simulation was accomplished through the use of an integrated Gas Turbine performance simulation code known as ‘Turbomach’ along with a Matlab generated code named ‘Poseidon’, all of which have been developed at the Power and Propulsion Department of Cranfield University. As a case study, the results of the various assumptions have further revealed that the marine Gas Turbine is a reliable and available alternative to the conventional marine propulsion prime movers that have dominated the maritime industry before now. The techno-economic and environmental assessment of this type of propulsion prime mover has enabled the determination of the effect of changes in weather and sea conditions on the ship speed as well as trip time and the quantity of fuel required to be burned throughout the voyage.

Keywords: ambient temperature, hull fouling, marine gas turbine, performance, propulsion, voyage

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Authors: Mourad Bakouka, Abdelaziz Rabehi

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Companies need to have logistics and transportation in place that can adapt to the changing nature of construction sites. This ensures they can react quickly when needed. A study was conducted to develop a way to locate and track materials on construction sites. The system is an RFID/GPS integration that's required to pull off this feat. The study also reports how the platform has been used in construction. They found many advantages to using it, including reductions in both time and costs as well as improved management of materials orders. . For example, the time in which a project could start up was shortened from two weeks to three days with just a single digital order. As of now, the technology is still limited in its widespread adoption due largely to overall lack of awareness and difficulty connecting to it. However, as more and more companies embrace it in construction, the technology is expected to become ubiquitous. The developed platform provides contractors and construction managers with real-time information about the status of materials and work, allowing them to better manage the workflow in a project. The study sheds new light on this subject, which is essential to know. This work is becoming increasingly aware of the use of smart tools in constructing buildings.

Keywords: materials management, internet of things (IoT), radio frequency identification (RFID), construction site, supply chain management

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Authors: Alkhathlan Mansour

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Current research aims at achieving the organizational development in the educational institutions in the governorate of Al-Kharj through the human performance technology (HPT) model that is named; “The Intellectual Model to improve human performance”. To achieve the goal of this research, it tools -that it is consisting of targeted questionnaires to research sample numbered (120)- have been set up. This sample is represented in; department managers in Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University (50), educational supervisors in the Department of Education (40), school administrators in the governorate (30), and the views of education experts through personal interviews in the proposal to achieve organizational development through the intellectual model to improve human performance. Among the most important research results is that there are many obstacles prevent the organizational development in the educational institutions, so the research suggested a model to achieve organizational development through human performance technologies, as well as the researcher recommended through the results of his research that the administrators have to take into account the justice in the distribution of incentives to employees of educational institutions and training leaders in educational institutions on organizational development strategies and working on the preparation of experts of organizational development in the educational institutions to develop the necessary policies and procedures of each institution.

Keywords: human performance, development, education, organizational

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Authors: Aber Salem Aboalgasm, Rupert Ward

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Teaching art by digital means is a big challenge for the majority of teachers of art and artistic design courses in primary education schools. These courses can clearly identify relationships between art, technology and creativity in the classroom .The aim of this article is to present a modern way of teaching art, using digital tools in the art classroom in order to improve creative ability in pupils aged between 9 and 11 years; it also presents a conceptual model for creativity based on digital art. The model could be useful for pupils interested in learning drawing and using an e-drawing package, and for teachers who are interested in teaching their students modern digital art, and improving children’s creativity. This model is designed to show the strategy of teaching art through technology, in order for children to learn how to be creative. This will also help education providers to make suitable choices about which technological approaches they should choose to teach students and enhance their creative ability. To define the digital art tools that can benefit children develop their technical skills. It is also expected that use of this model will help to develop social interactive qualities that may improve intellectual ability.

Keywords: digital tools, motivation, creative activity, technical skill

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Authors: Tigmanshu Bhatnagar, Petra Badke-Schaub

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Facilitating Design Thinking (DT) and Creative Problem Solving (CPS) in engineering education could benefit students by aiding them to think creatively and meaningfully in their education and future profession. A study in the pseudonym of a ‘popup class’ was conducted for a week at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IITD) to have an indication for the perceived relevance, benefits and challenges of DT and CPS from the perspective of engineering students in India. 30 third year Bachelor of Technology students from various technical fields participated in the study. They were introduced to the notion of DT and CPS via a mix of theoretical lectures, case discussions and practical workshops. Their reactions were identified on the basis of silent observations made during the course and responses were recorded through a questionnaire, which was filled after the course. All the respondents felt that DT and CPS are relevant to their education. It was perceived by them that there is a subtle improvement in the quality, quantity and approach of solutions to open ended problems. 90% responded positively to the induction of such an exercise in their education and reasoned it by stating that it’s important for engineers to know, how to solve open-ended real world problems in a meaningful and innovative way.

Keywords: creative problem solving, design thinking, India, undergraduate engineering education

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Authors: Cheng Li, Jie Shen, Yutian Tang

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Embracing the upcoming era of urbanization with the challenges of limitation of resources, disappearing cultural identities and conflicts among different groups of stakeholders, new integrated approaches are offered in our urban practice to help decision-makers and stakeholders frame and develop well-conceived, practical strategies for urban developing trajectories to approach urban-level sustainability in multiple social, cultural, ecological dimensions. Through bottom-up participation, we take advantage of tourism and leisure industries as driving forces for urbanization in China to promote integrated sustainable systems, with the hope of approaching both historical and ecological aspects of urban sustainability; and also thanks to top-down participation, we have codes, standards and rules established by the governments to strengthen the implementation of ecological urban sustainability. The results are monitored and evaluated experimentally and multidimensionally and the sustainable systems we constructed with local stakeholder groups turned out to be effective. The presentation of our selected projects would indicate our different focuses on urban sustainability.

Keywords: urban sustainability, integrated urban strategy, tourism and leisure industries, history, modern technology

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Authors: Mohammad Mushir Khan, C. Satyanarayana

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Education is considered as one of the prime bottlenecks in the economic growth of India. The Ministry of Human Resource & Development, Government of India has, therefore, given special attention to this issue and the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education has increased marginally during last five years, with the efforts and various policy decisions like Right to Education (RTE) and other fee reimbursement schemes, initiated by the State Governments. But still this is one of the lowest, if assessed at the global level. It is true that the GER has improved but the survey reveals that the quality has been badly affected. This paper tries to assess the impact of lack of quality education in various sectors that affects Indian Economy and thereby signifies the need of immediate policy decision at the government level. It is to be noted that in higher education, science, management, engineering and technology plays vital role as far as shaping country’s economy is concerned and as such the quality needs to be addressed, particularly, in these streams. The paper, after carefully studying lots of survey reports and other government/ non-government documents recommends measures to be initiated by the Central Government, on priority, for improving quality of education. The quality up-gradation in higher education single handedly provides real fuel to the India’s growth Engine, as it has potential to touch each and every sector that strengthens country’s economy.

Keywords: higher education, economy, accreditation, industry, technology

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Authors: Hannah S. Elizabeth, D. Gnanasekaran, M. R. Manju Gowda, Antony George

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Phytoremediation a new technology of remediating the contaminated soil, water and air using plants and serves as a green technology with environmental friendly approach. The main aim of this technique is cleansing and detoxifying of organic compounds, organo-phosphorous pesticides, heavy metals like arsenic, iron, cadmium, gold, radioactive elements which cause teratogenic and life threatening diseases to mankind and animal kingdom when consume the food crops, vegetables, fruits, cerals, and millets obtained from the contaminated soil. Also, directly they may damage the genetic materials thereby alters the biosynthetic pathways of secondary metabolites and other phytoconstituents which may have different pharmacological activities which lead to lost their efficacy and potency as well. It would reflect in mutagenicity, drug resistance and affect other antagonistic properties of normal metabolism. Is the technology for real clean-up of contaminated soils and the contaminants which are potentially toxic. It reduces the risks produced by a contaminated soil by decreasing contaminants using plants as a source. The advantages are cost-effectiveness and less ecosystem disruption. Plants may also help to stabilize contaminants by accumulating and precipitating toxic trace elements in the roots. Organic pollutants can potentially be chemically degraded and ultimately mineralized into harmless biological compounds. Hence, the use of plants to revitalize contaminated sites is gaining more attention and preferred for its cost-effective when compared to other chemical methods. The introduction of harmful substances into the environment has been shown to have many adverse effects on human health, agricultural productivity, and natural ecosystems. Because the costs of growing a crop are minimal compared to those of soil removal and replacement, the use of plants to remediate hazardous soils is seen as having great promise.

Keywords: cost effective, eco-friendly, phytoremediation, secondary metabolites

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Authors: Zhao Hong

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When international students study Chinese as a foreign or second language, it is important for them to form constructive viewpoints and possess an open mindset on Chinese culture. This helps them to make faster progress in their language acquisition. Observations from African students at Liaoning Institute of Science and Technology show that by integrating video-focused social networking apps such as Tiktok (“Douyin”) on a controlled basis, students raise their interest not only in making an effort in learning the Chinese language, but also in the understanding of the Chinese culture. During the last twelve months, our research group explored a teaching model using selected contents in certain classroom settings, including virtual classrooms during lockdown periods due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using interviews, a survey was conducted on international students from African countries at the Liaoning Institute of Science and Technology in Chinese language courses. Based on the results, a teaching model was built for Chinese language acquisition by entering the "mobile Chinese culture".

Keywords: Chinese as a foreign language, cultural education, social networking apps, teaching model

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Authors: Avi Shrivastava

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Our world continues to grapple with a lot of social issues. Economic growth and scientific advancements have not completely eradicated poverty, homelessness, discrimination and bias, gender inequality, health issues, mental illness, addiction, and other social issues. So, how do we improve the human condition in a world driven by advanced technology? The answer is simple: we will have to leverage technology to address some of the most important social challenges of the day. AI, or artificial intelligence, has emerged as a critical tool in the battle against issues that deprive marginalized and disadvantaged groups of the right to enjoy benefits that a society offers. Social work professionals can transform their lives by harnessing it. The lack of reliable data is one of the reasons why a lot of social work projects fail. Social work professionals continue to rely on expensive and time-consuming primary data collection methods, such as observation, surveys, questionnaires, and interviews, instead of tapping into AI-based technology to generate useful, real-time data and necessary insights. By leveraging AI’s data-mining ability, we can gain a deeper understanding of how to solve complex social problems and change lives of people. We can do the right work for the right people and at the right time. For example, AI can enable social work professionals to focus their humanitarian efforts on some of the world’s poorest regions, where there is extreme poverty. An interdisciplinary team of Stanford scientists, Marshall Burke, Stefano Ermon, David Lobell, Michael Xie, and Neal Jean, used AI to spot global poverty zones – identifying such zones is a key step in the fight against poverty. The scientists combined daytime and nighttime satellite imagery with machine learning algorithms to predict poverty in Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Malawi. In an article published by Stanford News, Stanford researchers use dark of night and machine learning, Ermon explained that they provided the machine-learning system, an application of AI, with the high-resolution satellite images and asked it to predict poverty in the African region. “The system essentially learned how to solve the problem by comparing those two sets of images [daytime and nighttime].” This is one example of how AI can be used by social work professionals to reach regions that need their aid the most. It can also help identify sources of inequality and conflict, which could reduce inequalities, according to Nature’s study, titled The role of artificial intelligence in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, published in 2020. The report also notes that AI can help achieve 79 percent of the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). AI is impacting our everyday lives in multiple amazing ways, yet some people do not know much about it. If someone is not familiar with this technology, they may be reluctant to use it to solve social issues. So, before we talk more about the use of AI to accomplish social work objectives, let’s put the spotlight on how AI and social work can complement each other.

Keywords: social work, artificial intelligence, AI based social work, machine learning, technology

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Authors: Chalermsri Sorasit, Siriporn Mongkhonthawornchai, Darawan Augsornwan, Sudthanom Kamollirt

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Background: Although knowledge of pain and pain management is improving, they are still inadequate to patients. The Nursing Division of Srinagarind Hospital is responsible for setting the pain management system, including work instruction development and pain management indicators. We have developed an information technology program for monitoring pain quality indicators, which was implemented to all nursing departments in April 2013. Objective: To study outcomes of acute pain management in process and outcome indicators. Method: This is a retrospective descriptive study. The sample population was patients who had acute pain 24-48 hours after receiving a procedure, while admitted to Srinagarind Hospital in 2014. Data were collected from the information technology program. 2709 patients with acute pain from 10 Nursing Departments were recruited in the study. The research tools in this study were 1) the demographic questionnaire 2) the pain management questionnaire for process indicators, and 3) the pain management questionnaire for outcome indicators. Data were analyzed and presented by percentages and means. Results: The process indicators show that nurses used pain assessment tool and recorded 99.19%. The pain reassessment after the intervention was 96.09%. The 80.15% of the patients received opioid for pain medication and the most frequency of non-pharmacological intervention used was positioning (76.72%). For the outcome indicators, nearly half of them (49.90%) had moderate–severe pain, mean scores of worst pain was 6.48 and overall pain was 4.08. Patient satisfaction level with pain management was good (49.17%) and very good (46.62%). Conclusion: Nurses used pain assessment tools and pain documents which met the goal of the pain management process. Patient satisfaction with pain management was at high level. However the patients had still moderate to severe pain. Nurses should adhere more strictly to the guidelines of pain management, by using acute pain guidelines especially when pain intensity is particularly moderate-high. Nurses should also develop and practice a non-pharmacological pain management program to continually improve the quality of pain management. The information technology program should have more details about non-pharmacological pain techniques.

Keywords: outcome, pain management, acute pain, Srinagarind Hospital

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Authors: Andrea Bikfalvi, Josep Llach, Ferran Lazaro, Bojan Jovanovski

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Due to the continuous need to foster university-business cooperation in both developed and developing countries, some higher education institutions face the challenge of designing, piloting, operating, and consolidating knowledge and technology transfer units. University-business cooperation has different maturity stages worldwide, with some higher education institutions excelling in these practices, but with lots of others that could be qualified as intermediate, or even some situated at the very beginning of their knowledge transfer adventure. These latter face the imminent necessity to formally create the technology transfer unit and to draw its roadmap. The complexity of this operation is due to various aspects that need to align and coordinate, including a major change in mission, vision, structure, priorities, and operations. Qualitative in approach, this study presents 5 case studies, consisting of higher education institutions located in the Western Balkans – 2 in Albania, 2 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1 in Montenegro- fully immersed in the entrepreneurial journey of creating their knowledge and technology transfer unit. The empirical evidence is developed in a pan-European project, illustratively called KnowHub (reconnecting universities and enterprises to unleash regional innovation and entrepreneurial activity), which is being implemented in three countries and has resulted in at least 15 pilot cooperation agreements between academia and business. Based on a peer-mentoring approach including more experimented and more mature technology transfer models of European partners located in Spain, Finland, and Austria, a series of initial lessons learned are already available. The findings show that each unit developed its tailor-made approach to engage with internal and external stakeholders, offer value to the academic staff, students, as well as business partners. The latest technology underpinning KnowHub services and institutional commitment are found to be key success factors. Although specific strategies and plans differ, they are based on a general strategy jointly developed and based on common tools and methods of strategic planning and business modelling. The main output consists of providing good practice for designing, piloting, and initial operations of units aiming to fully valorise knowledge and expertise available in academia. Policymakers can also find valuable hints on key aspects considered vital for initial operations. The value of this contribution is its focus on the intersection of three perspectives (service orientation, organisational innovation, business model) since previous research has only relied on a single topic or dual approaches, most frequently in the business context and less frequently in higher education.

Keywords: business model, capacity building, entrepreneurial education, knowledge transfer

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Authors: Lesley Northrop, Justin DeGrazia, Jessica Greenwood

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ASPIRA Labs now offers an en-suit and ready-to-implement technology transfer solution to enable labs and hospitals that lack the resources to build it themselves to offer in-house genetic testing. This unique platform employs a patented Molecular Inversion Probe (MIP) technology that combines the specificity of a hybrid capture protocol with the ease of an amplicon-based protocol and utilizes an advanced bioinformatics analysis pipeline based on machine learning. To demonstrate its efficacy, two independent genetic tests were validated on this technology transfer platform: expanded carrier screening (ECS) and hereditary cancer testing (HC). The analytical performance of ECS and HC was validated separately in a blinded manner for calling three different types of variants: SNVs, short indels (typically, <50 bp), and large indels/CNVs defined as multi-exonic del/dup events. The reference set was constructed using samples from Coriell Institute, an external clinical genetic testing laboratory, Maine Molecular Quality Controls Inc. (MMQCI), SeraCare and GIAB Consortium. Overall, the analytical performance showed a sensitivity and specificity of >99.4% for both ECS and HC in detecting SNVs. For indels, both tests reported specificity of 100%, and ECS demonstrated a sensitivity of 100%, whereas HC exhibited a sensitivity of 96.5%. The bioinformatics pipeline also correctly called all reference CNV events resulting in a sensitivity of 100% for both tests. No additional calls were made in the HC panel, leading to a perfect performance (specificity and F-measure of 100%). In the carrier panel, however, three additional positive calls were made outside the reference set. Two of these calls were confirmed using an orthogonal method and were re-classified as true positives leaving only one false positive. The pipeline also correctly identified all challenging carrier statuses, such as positive cases for spinal muscular atrophy and alpha-thalassemia, resulting in 100% sensitivity. After confirmation of additional positive calls via long-range PCR and MLPA, specificity for such cases was estimated at 99%. These performance metrics demonstrate that this tech-transfer solution can be confidently internalized by clinical labs and hospitals to offer mainstream ECS and HC as part of their test catalog, substantially increasing access to quality germline genetic testing for labs of all sizes and resources levels.

Keywords: clinical genetics, genetic testing, molecular genetics, technology transfer

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Authors: Chin-Yuan Hsieh, Wei-Chun Lu, Yu-Hong Zeng

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The situation of a group of fish die is frequently found due to the fish disease caused by the deterioration of aquaculture water quality. The toxic ammonia is produced by animals as a byproduct of protein. The system is designed by the smart sensor technology and developed by the mathematical model to monitor the water parameters 24 hours a day and predict the relationship among twelve water quality parameters for monitoring the water quality in aquaculture. All data measured are stored in cloud server. In productive ponds, the daytime pH may be high enough to be lethal to the fish. The sudden change of the aquaculture conditions often results in the increase of PH value of water, lack of oxygen dissolving content, water quality deterioration and yield reduction. From the real measurement, the system can send the message to user’s smartphone successfully on the bad conditions of water quality. From the data comparisons between measurement and model simulation in fish aquaculture site, the difference of parameters is less than 2% and the correlation coefficient is at least 98.34%. The solubility rate of oxygen decreases exponentially with the elevation of water temperature. The correlation coefficient is 98.98%.

Keywords: aquaculture, sensor, ammonia, dissolved oxygen

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Authors: Bisi Olawoyin

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The idea of knowledge sharing facilitated by the internet and complemented by a collaborative offline process in form of shared workshops called Makerspaces has become an attractive economic development agenda worldwide. Towards this end, Nigeria has established a number of Technology Incubation Centers (TICs) across the country with a view to using them as institutional mechanisms for commercializing Research and Development results; thus helping to promote venture creation and economic development. This study thus examines the impact of the nurturing by the TICs, on the performance of selected incubated enterprises that have grown into medium scale businesses in different sectors of the economy. The objective is to determine the extent to which the process of incubation has contributed to their growth in relation to similar businesses that developed outside the TICs. Six enterprises nurtured by TICs and six others outside, these were selected for the study. Data were collected in respect of the twelve enterprises covering their first five years of operation. Performances in terms of annual turnover, market share, and product range were analysed by scatter diagram plotted to show these variables against time and on comparative basis between TIC and non-TIC enterprises. Results showed an initial decline in performance for most of the incubatees in the first two years due to sluggish adjustment to withdrawal of subsidies enjoyed at the TICs. However, four of them were able to catch up with improved performance and surpass their non–TIC counterparts consistently from the third year. Analysis of year on year performance also showed average growth rate of 7% and 5 % respectively for TIC and non–TIC enterprises. The study, therefore, concludes that TICs have great role to play in nurturing new, innovative businesses but sees the need for government to address the provision of critical facilities especially electricity and utilities that constitute critical cost components for businesses. It must also address the issue of investment grants, loans including the development of technology/industrial parks that will serve to boost business survival.

Keywords: entrepreneurship, incubation, innovation, makerspaces

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Authors: Shady S. Hassan, Brijesh K. Tiwari, Gwilym A. Williams, Amit K. Jaiswal

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Waste materials from a wide range of agro-industrial processes may be used as substrates for microbial growth, and subsequently the production of a range of high value products and bioenergy. In addition, utilization of these agro-residues in bioprocesses has the dual advantage of providing alternative substrates, as well as solving their disposal problems. Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are a by-product (45%) of coffee processing. SCG is a lignocellulosic material, which is composed mainly of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. Thus, a pretreatment process is required to facilitate an efficient enzymatic hydrolysis of such carbohydrates. In this context, microwave pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass without the addition of harsh chemicals represents a green technology. Moreover, microwave treatment has a high heating efficiency and is easy to implement. Thus, microwave pretreatment of SCG without adding of harsh chemicals investigated as a green technology to enhance enzyme hydrolysis. In the present work, microwave pretreatment experiments were conducted on SCG at varying power levels (100, 250, 440, 600, and 1000 W) for 60 s. By increasing microwave power to a certain level (which vary by varying biomass), reducing sugar increases, then reducing sugar from biomass start to decrease with microwave power increase beyond this level. Microwave pretreatment of SCG at 60s followed by enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in total reducing sugars of 91.6 ± 7.0 mg/g of biomass (at microwave power of 100 w). Fourier transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to investigate changes in functional groups of biomass after pretreatment, while high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed for determination of glucose. Pretreatment of lignocellulose using microwave was found to be an effective and energy efficient technology to improve saccharification and glucose yield. Energy performance will be evaluated for the microwave pretreatment, and the enzyme hydrolysate will be used as media component substitute for the production of ethanol and other high value products.

Keywords: lignocellulose, microwave, pretreatment, spent coffee grounds

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Authors: T. T. K. Nguyen, T. H. Doan

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The study investigates students’ perceptions and students’ use of vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) among non-English majors at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH). Three main issues addressed are (1) to determine students’ perception in terms of their awareness and the level of the importance of vocabulary learning strategies; (2) students’ use in terms of frequency and preference; (3) the correlation between students’ perception in terms of the level of the importance of vocabulary learning strategies and their use in terms of frequency. The mixed method is applied in this investigation; additionally, questionnaires focus on social groups, memory groups, cognitive groups, and metacognitive groups with 350 sophomores from four different majors, and 10 sophomores are invited to structured interviews. The results showed that the vocabulary learning strategies of the current study were well aware. All those strategies were perceived as important in learning vocabulary, and four groups of vocabulary were used frequently. Students’ responses in terms of preference also confirmed students’ use in terms of frequency. On the other hand, students’ perception correlated with students’ use in only the cognitive group of vocabulary learning strategies, but not the three others.

Keywords: vocabulary learning strategies, students' perceptions, students' use, mixed methods, non-English majors

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Authors: S. Archsana, Vajira Balasuriya

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In Trincomalee of Sri Lanka, a post-conflict area, resettlement projects and policy initiatives are taking place to improve the wealth of the rural communities through promoting economic activities by way of encouraging the rural women to opt to commence and operate Micro and Small Scale (MSS) businesses. This study attempts to identify the manner in which the institutional environment could facilitate these MSS businesses owned and operated by women in the rural environment. The respondents of this study are the beneficiaries of the Divi Neguma Development Training Program (DNDTP); a project designed to aid women owned MSS businesses, in Trincomalee district. 96 women business operators, who had obtained financing facilities from the DNDTP, are taken as the sample based on fixed interval random sampling method. The study reveals that primary challenges encountered by 82% of the women business operators are lack of initial capital followed by 71% initial market finding and 35% access to technology. The low level of education and language barriers are the constraints in accessing support agencies/service providers. Institutional support; specifically management and marketing services, have a significant relationship with wealth augmentation. Institutional support at the setting-up stage of businesses are thin whereas terms and conditions of the finance facilities are perceived as ‘too challenging’. Although diversification enhances wealth of the rural women business operators, assistance from the institutional framework to prepare financial reports that are required for business expansion is skinny. The study further reveals that institutional support is very much weak in terms of providing access to new technology and identifying new market networks. A mechanism that could facilitate the institutional framework to support the rural women business operators to access new technology and untapped market segments, and assistance in preparation of legal and financial documentation is recommended.

Keywords: business facilitation, institutional support, rural women business operators, wealth augmentation

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Authors: Soultana Konstantinidou, Tiziana Schmidt, Elena Landi, Alessandro De Carli, Giovanni Maltinti, Darius Witt, Alicja Dziadosz, Agnieszka Lindstaedt, Michele Lai, Mauro Pistello, Valentina Cappello, Luciana Dente, Chiara Gabellini, Piotr Barski, Vittoria Raffa

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CRISPR/Cas9 technology has gained the interest of researchers in the field of biotechnology for genome editing. Since its discovery as a microbial adaptive immune defense, this system has been widely adopted and is acknowledged for having a variety of applications. However, critical barriers related to safety and delivery are persisting. Here, we propose a new concept of genome engineering, which is based on a nano-formulation of Cas9. The Cas9 enzyme was conjugated to a gold nanoparticle (AuNP-Cas9). The AuNP-Cas9 maintained its cleavage efficiency in vitro, to the same extent as the ribonucleoprotein, including non-conjugated Cas9 enzyme, and showed high gene editing efficiency in vivo in zebrafish embryos. Since CRISPR/Cas9 technology is extensively used in cancer research, melanoma was selected as a validation target. Cell studies were performed in A375 human melanoma cells. Particles per se had no impact on cell metabolism and proliferation. Intriguingly, the AuNP-Cas9 internalized spontaneously in cells and localized as a single particle in the cytoplasm and organelles. More importantly, the AuNP-Cas9 showed a high nuclear localization signal. The AuNP-Cas9, overcoming the delivery difficulties of Cas9, could be used in cellular biology and localization studies. Taking advantage of the plasmonic properties of gold nanoparticles, this technology could potentially be a bio-tool for combining gene editing and photothermal therapy in cancer cells. Further work will be focused on intracellular interactions of the nano-formulation and characterization of the optical properties.

Keywords: CRISPR/Cas9, gene editing, gold nanoparticles, nanotechnology

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Authors: Sonja Giese, Tess N. Peacock

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South African based Innovation Edge is experimenting with technology to drive positive behavior change, enable data-driven decision making, and scale quality early years services. This paper uses five case studies to illustrate how technology can be used in resource-constrained environments to first, encourage parenting practices that build early language development (using a stage-based mobile messaging pilot, ChildConnect), secondly, to improve the quality of ECD programs (using a mobile application, CareUp), thirdly, how to affordably scale services for the early detection of visual and hearing impairments (using a mobile tool, HearX), fourthly, how to build a transparent and accountable system for the registration and funding of ECD (using a blockchain enabled platform, Amply), and finally enable rapid data collection and feedback to facilitate quality enhancement of programs at scale (the Early Learning Outcomes Measure). ChildConnect and CareUp were both developed using a design based iterative research approach. The usage and uptake of ChildConnect and CareUp was evaluated with qualitative and quantitative methods. Actual child outcomes were not measured in the initial pilots. Although parents who used and engaged on either platform felt more supported and informed, parent engagement and usage remains a challenge. This is contrast to ECD practitioners whose usage and knowledge with CareUp showed both sustained engagement and knowledge improvement. HearX is an easy-to-use tool to identify hearing loss and visual impairment. The tool was tested with 10000 children in an informal settlement. The feasibility of cost-effectively decentralising screening services was demonstrated. Practical and financial barriers remain with respect to parental consent and for successful referrals. Amply uses mobile and blockchain technology to increase impact and accountability of public services. In the pilot project, Amply is being used to replace an existing paper-based system to register children for a government-funded pre-school subsidy in South Africa. Early Learning Outcomes Measure defines what it means for a child to be developmentally ‘on track’ at aged 50-69 months. ELOM administration is enabled via a tablet which allows for easy and accurate data collection, transfer, analysis, and feedback. ELOM is being used extensively to drive quality enhancement of ECD programs across multiple modalities. The nature of ECD services in South Africa is that they are in large part provided by disconnected private individuals or Non-Governmental Organizations (in contrast to basic education which is publicly provided by the government). It is a disparate sector which means that scaling successful interventions is that much harder. All five interventions show the potential of technology to support and enhance a range of ECD services, but pathways to scale are still being tested.

Keywords: assessment, behavior change, communication, data, disabilities, mobile, scale, technology, quality

Procedia PDF Downloads 133