Search results for: connected speech

Authors: Megan Burfoot, Ali GhaffarianHoseini, Nicola Naismith, Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini

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Intelligent Acoustic Technology (IAT) is a novel architectural device used in buildings to automatically vary the acoustic conditions of space. IAT is realized by integrating two components: Variable Acoustic Technology (VAT) and an intelligent system. The VAT passively alters the RT by changing the total sound absorption in a room. In doing so, the Reverberation Time (RT) is changed and thus, the sound strength and clarity are altered. The intelligent system detects sound waves in real-time to identify the aural situation, and the RT is adjusted accordingly based on pre-programmed algorithms. IAT - the synthesis of these two components - can dramatically improve acoustic comfort, as the acoustic condition is automatically optimized for any detected aural situation. This paper presents an evaluation of the improvements of acoustic comfort in an existing tertiary classroom located at Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand. This is a pilot case study, the first of its’ kind attempting to quantify the benefits of IAT. Naturally, the potential acoustic improvements from IAT can be actualized by only installing the VAT component of IAT and by manually adjusting it rather than utilizing an intelligent system. Such a simplified methodology is adopted for this case study to understand the potential significance of IAT without adopting a time and cost-intensive strategy. For this study, the VAT is built by overlaying reflective, rotating louvers over sound absorption panels. RT's are measured according to international standards before and after installing VAT in the classroom. The louvers are manually rotated in increments by the experimenter and further RT measurements are recorded. The results are compared with recommended guidelines and reference values from national standards for spaces intended for speech and communication. The results obtained from the measurements are used to quantify the potential improvements in classroom acoustic comfort, where IAT to be used. This evaluation reveals the current existence of poor acoustic conditions in the classroom caused by high RT's. The poor acoustics are also largely attributed to the classrooms’ inability to vary acoustic parameters for changing aural situations. The classroom experiences one static acoustic state, neglecting to recognize the nature of classrooms as flexible, dynamic spaces. Evidently, when using VAT the classroom is prescribed with a wide range of RTs it can achieve. Namely, acoustic requirements for varying teaching approaches are satisfied, and acoustic comfort is improved. By quantifying the benefits of using VAT, it can confidently suggest these same benefits are achieved with IAT. Nevertheless, it is encouraged that future studies continue this line of research toward the eventual development of IAT and its’ acceptance into mainstream architecture.

Keywords: acoustic comfort, classroom acoustics, intelligent acoustics, variable acoustics

Procedia PDF Downloads 172

Authors: Matt Stichter

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Moral development requires learning from one’s failures, but that turnsout to be especially challenging when dealing with moral failures. The distress prompted by moral failure can cause responses ofdefensiveness or disengagement rather than attempts to make amends and work on self-change. The most potentially distressing response to moral failure is a shame. However, there appears to be two different senses of “shame” that are conflated in the literature, depending on whether the failure is appraised as the result of a global and unalterable self-defect, or a local and alterable self-defect. One of these forms of shame does prompt self-improvement in response to moral failure. This occurs if one views the failure as indicating only a specific (local) defect in one’s identity, where that’s something repairable, rather than asanoverall(orglobal)defectinyouridentity that can’t be fixed. So, if the whole of one’s identity as a morally good person isn’t being called into question, but only a part, then that is something one could work on to improve. Shame, in this sense, provides motivation for self-improvement to fix this part oftheselfinthe long run, and this would be important for moral development. One factor that looks to affect these different self-attributions in the wake of moral failure can be found in mindset theory, as reactions to moral failure in these two forms of shame are similar to how those with a fixed or growth mindset of their own abilities, such as intelligence, react to failure. People fall along a continuum with respect to how they view abilities – it is more of a fixed entity that you cannot do much to change, or it is malleable such that you can train to improve it. These two mindsets, ‘fixed’ versus ‘growth’, have different consequences for how we react to failure – a fixed mindset leads to maladaptive responses because of feelings of helplessness to do better; whereas a growth mindset leads to adaptive responses where a person puts forth effort to learn how to act better the next time. Here we can see the parallels between a fixed mindset of one’s own (im)morality, as the way people respond to shame when viewed as indicating a global and unalterable self-defect parallels the reactions people have to failure when they have a fixed mindset. In addition, it looks like there may be a similar structure to pride. Pride is, like shame, a self-conscious emotion that arises from internal attributions about the self as being the cause of some event. There are also paradoxical results from research on pride, where pride was found to motivate pro-social behavior in some cases but aggression in other cases. Research suggests that there may be two forms of pride, authentic and hubristic, that are also connected to different self-attributions, depending on whether one is feeling proud about a particular (local) aspect of the self versus feeling proud about the whole of oneself (global).

Keywords: emotion, mindset, moral development, moral psychology, pride, shame, self-regulation

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Authors: I. Rodionov, A. Semenov, E. Gosteva, O. Sokolova

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Currently, the venture capital becomes more and more advanced and effective source of the innovation project financing, connected with a high-risk level. In the developed countries, it plays a key role in transforming innovation projects into successful businesses and creating prosperity of the modern economy. Actually, in Russia there are many necessary preconditions for creation of the effective venture investment system: the network of the public institutes for innovation financing operates; there is a significant number of the small and medium-sized enterprises, capable to sell production with good market potential. However, the current system does not confirm the necessary level of efficiency in practice that can be substantially explained by the absence of the accurate plan of action to form the national venture model and by the lack of experience of successful venture deals with profitable exits in Russian economy. This paper studies the influence of various factors on the venture industry development by the example of the IT-sector in Russia. The choice of the sector is based on the fact, that this segment is the main driver of the venture capital market growth in Russia, and the necessary set of data exists. The size of investment of the second round is used as the dependent variable. To analyse the influence of the previous round such determinant as the volume of the previous (first) round investments is used. There is also used a dummy variable in regression to examine that the participation of an investor with high reputation and experience in the previous round can influence the size of the next investment round. The regression analysis of short-term interrelations between studied variables reveals prevailing influence of the volume of the first round investments on the venture investments volume of the second round. Because of the research, the participation of investors with first-class reputation has a small impact on an indicator of the value of investment of the second round. The expected positive dependence of the second round investments on the forecasted market growth rate now of the deal is also rejected. So, the most important determinant of the value of the second-round investment is the value of first–round investment, so it means that the most competitive on the Russian market are the start-up teams which can attract more money on the start, and the target market growth is not the factor of crucial importance.

Keywords: venture industry, venture investment, determinants of the venture sector development, IT-sector

Procedia PDF Downloads 332

Authors: Nor Hafizah Selamat, Intan Hashima Mohd Hashim, Noraida Endut, Shariffah Suraya Syed Jamaludin, Sharifah Zahhura Syed Abdullah, Suziana Mat Yasin, Nurul Jannah Ambak

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In Malaysia, report on discrimination against pregnant women at work does exist, and this issue should be taken seriously as large proportion of women in the workforce in Malaysia are of reproductive age. It has been well established that women tend to leave the workforce because of their responsibility in raising the family, to care for family members and, also due to lack of work-life balance. In this case, women find themselves disadvantaged in career and job advancements due to gender roles and expectations connected with maternity. This maternity discrimination have pushed women out of work although The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to which Malaysia is a party, considers discrimination on the ground of maternity is a form of gender discrimination because it hinders women of their effective right to work and requires that special protection be provided for women during maternity to ensure their ability to enjoy the right to work (Article 11(2). What factors prevent women from returning to work and at the same time performing their gender roles expectations? Using semi-structured in-depth interviews this paper explores the experiences of maternity discrimination and their perspectives towards their work employment. 15 women employees who were pregnant or had given birth during her employment period in public and private organizations in Malaysia were participated in this study. While data were analyzed using narrative analysis, respondents were asked on issues related to managing pregnancy, maternity leave and returning to work. The findings revealed that several respondents from private companies stated that they were either dismissed or forced to take unpaid leave due to the company policies. In some cases, respondents also shared how they were treated poorly that they felt that they had to leave their jobs. However, in public organization, the maternity policy implemented showed the support that the employees received from their employer. Study shows that supportive family and employers will encourage employees to return to work. Reasonable adjustments in terms of maternity policies at workplace such as allowing sufficient time in postnatal appointments, offering clear explanation on maternity issues at workplace are something that employees expected from their employers.

Keywords: maternity discrimination, women and work, gender, maternity protection, Malaysia

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Authors: Izabela Kapsa

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Civic participation is an important aspect of democracy. The contemporary model of democracy is based on citizens' participation in political decision-making (deliberative democracy, participatory democracy). This participation takes many forms of activities like display of slogans and symbols, voting, social consultations, political demonstrations, membership in political parties or organizing civil disobedience. The countries of Central and Eastern Europe after 1989 are characterized by great social, economic and political diversity. Civil society is also part of the process of democratization. Civil society, funded by the rule of law, civil rights, such as freedom of speech and association and private ownership, was to play a central role in the development of liberal democracy. Among the many interpretations of concepts, defining the concept of contemporary democracy, one can assume that the terms civil society and democracy, although different in meaning, nowadays overlap. In the post-communist countries, the process of shaping and maturing societies took place in the context of a struggle with a state governed by undemocratic power. State fraud or repudiation of the institution is a representative state, which in the past was the only way to manifest and defend its identity, but after the breakthrough became one of the main obstacles to the development of civil society. In Central and Eastern Europe, there are many obstacles to the development of civil society, for example, the elimination of economic poverty, the implementation of educational campaigns, consciousness-related obstacles, the formation of social capital and the deficit of social activity. Obviously, civil society does not only entail an electoral turnout but a broader participation in the decision-making process, which is impossible without direct and participative democratic institutions. This article considers such broad forms of civic participation and their characteristics in Central and Eastern Europe. The paper is attempts to analyze the functioning of electronic forms of civic participation in Central and Eastern European states. This is not accompanied by a referendum or a referendum initiative, and other forms of political participation, such as public consultations, participative budgets, or e-Government. However, this paper will broadly present electronic administration tools, the application of which results from both legal regulations and increasingly common practice in state and city management. In the comparative analysis, the experiences of post-communist bloc countries will be summed up to indicate the challenges and possible goals for further development of this form of citizen participation in the political process. The author argues that for to function efficiently and effectively, states need to involve their citizens in the political decision-making process, especially with the use of electronic tools.

Keywords: Central and Eastern Europe, e-participation, e-government, post-communism

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Authors: Filipa Cruz, Grecia P. Matos

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An Inexhaustible Will of Infinite is ongoing practice-based research focused on a psychophysiological conception of body and on the creative will that seeks to examine the possibility of art being simultaneously a pacifier and an intensifier in a physiological artistic production. This is a study where philosophy and art converge in a commentary on the affection of the concept of will to power in the art world through Nietzsche’s commentaries, through the analysis of case studies and a reflection arising from artistic practice. Through Nietzsche, it is sought to compare concepts that communicate with the artistic practice since creation is an intensification and engenders perspectives. It is also a practice highly embedded in the body, in the non-verbal, in the physiology of art and in the coexistence between the sensorial and the thought. It is questioned if the physiology of art could be thought of as a thinking-feeling with no primacy of the thought over the sensorial. Art as a manifestation of the will to power participates in a comprehension of the world. In this article, art is taken as a privileged way of communication – implicating corporeal-sensorial-conceptual – and of connection between humans. Problematized is the dream and the drunkenness as intensifications and expressions of life’s comprehension. Therefore, art is perceived as suggestion and invention, where the artistic intoxication breaks limits in the experience of life, and the artist, dominated by creative forces, claims, orders, obeys, proclaims love for life. The intention is also to consider how one can start from pain to create and how one can generate new and endless artistic forms through nightmares, daydreams, impulses, intoxication, enhancement, intensification in a plurality of subjects and matters. It is taken into consideration the fact that artistic creation is something that is intensified corporeally, expanded, continuously generated and acting on bodies. It is inextinguishable and a constant movement intertwining Apollonian and Dionysian instincts of destruction and creation of new forms. The concept of love also appears associated with conquering, that, in a process of intensification and drunkenness, impels the artist to generate and to transform matter. Just like a love relationship, love in Nietzsche requires time, patience, effort, courage, conquest, seduction, obedience, and command, potentiating the amplification of knowledge of the other / the world. Interlacing Nietzsche's philosophy, not with Modern Art, but with Contemporary Art, it is argued that intoxication, will to power (strongly connected with the creative will) and love still have a place in the artistic production as creative agents.

Keywords: artistic creation, body, intensification, psychophysiology, will to power

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Authors: A. Giani

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The current pedagogical culture recognizes an educational scope within the sports practices. It is widely accepted, in the pedagogical culture, that thanks to the acquisition and development of motor skills, it is also possible to exercise abilities that concern the way of facing and managing the difficulties of everyday life. Sport is a peculiar educational environment: the children have the opportunity to discover the possibilities of their body, to correlate with their peers, and to learn how to manage the rules and the relationship with authorities, such as coaches. Educational aspects of the sport concern both non-formal and formal educational environments. Coaches play a critical role in an agonistic sphere: exactly like the competencies developed by the children, coaches have to work on their skills to properly set up the educational scene. Facing these new educational tasks - which are not new per se, but new because they are brought back to awareness - a few questions arise: does the coach have adequate preparation? Is the training of the coach in this specific area appropriate? This contribution aims to explore the issue in depth by focusing on the reality of the Football School. Starting from a possible sense of pedagogical inadequacy detected during a series of meetings with several football clubs in Piedmont (Italy), there have been highlighted some important educational needs within the professional training of sports coaches. It is indeed necessary for the coach to know the processes underlying the educational relationship in order to better understand the centrality of the assessment during the educational intervention and to be able to manage the asymmetry in the coach-athlete relationship. In order to provide a response to these pedagogical needs, a formative plan has been designed to allow both an in-depth study of educational issues and a correct self-evaluation of certain pedagogical skills’ control levels, led by the coach. This plan has been based on particular practices, the Educational Practices of Pre-test (EPP), a specific version of community practices designed for the extracurricular activities. The above-mentioned practices realized through the use of texts meant as pre-tests, promoted a reflection within the group of coaches: they set up real and plausible sports experiences - in particular football, triggering a reflection about the relationship’s object, spaces, and methods. The characteristic aspect of pre-tests is that it is impossible to anticipate the reflection as it is necessarily connected to the personal experience and sensitivity, requiring a strong interest and involvement by participants: situations must be considered by the coaches as possible settings in which they could be found on the field.

Keywords: relational needs, values, responsibility, self-evaluation

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Authors: R. Farhoud, G. Hermand, S. Delepine-lesoille

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Future underground facility of French radioactive waste disposal, named Cigeo, is designed to store intermediate and high level - long-lived French radioactive waste. Intermediate level waste cells are tunnel-like, about 400m length and 65 m² section, equipped with several concrete layers, which can be grouted in situ or composed of tunnel elements pre-grouted. The operating space into cells, to allow putting or removing waste containers, should be monitored for several decades without any maintenance. To provide the required information, design was performed and tested in situ in Andra’s underground laboratory (URL) at 500m under the surface. Based on distributed optic fiber sensors (OFS) and backscattered Brillouin for strain and Raman for temperature interrogation technics, the design consists of 2 loops of OFS, at 2 different radiuses, around the monitored section (Orthoradiale strains) and longitudinally. Strains measured by distributed OFS cables were compared to classical vibrating wire extensometers (VWE) and platinum probes (Pt). The OFS cables were composed of 2 cables sensitive to strains and temperatures and one only for temperatures. All cables were connected, between sensitive part and instruments, to hybrid cables to reduce cost. The connection has been made according to 2 technics: splicing fibers in situ after installation or preparing each fiber with a connector and only plugging them together in situ. Another challenge was installing OFS cables along a tunnel mad in several parts, without interruption along several parts. First success consists of the survival rate of sensors after installation and quality of measurements. Indeed, 100% of OFS cables, intended for long-term monitoring, survived installation. Few new configurations were tested with relative success. Measurements obtained were very promising. Indeed, after 3 years of data, no difference was observed between cables and connection methods of OFS and strains fit well with VWE and Pt placed at the same location. Data, from Brillouin instrument sensitive to strains and temperatures, were compensated with data provided by Raman instrument only sensitive to temperature and into a separated fiber. These results provide confidence in the next steps of the qualification processes which consists of testing several data treatment approach for direct analyses.

Keywords: monitoring, fiber optic, sensor, data treatment

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Authors: Zeina Bou Diab, Arij Daou

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The neural mechanisms of sequential behaviors are intensively studied, with songbirds a focus for learned vocal production. We are studying the premotor nucleus HVC at a nexus of multiple pathways contributing to song learning and production. The HVC consists of multiple classes of neuronal populations, each has its own cellular, electrophysiological and functional properties. During singing, a large subset of motor cortex analog-projecting HVCRA neurons emit a single 6-10 ms burst of spikes at the same time during each rendition of song, a large subset of basal ganglia-projecting HVCX neurons fire 1 to 4 bursts that are similarly time locked to vocalizations, while HVCINT neurons fire tonically at average high frequency throughout song with prominent modulations whose timing in relation to song remains unresolved. This opens the opportunity to define models relating explicit HVC circuitry to how these neurons work cooperatively to control learning and singing. We developed conductance-based Hodgkin-Huxley models for the three classes of HVC neurons (based on the ion channels previously identified from in vitro recordings) and connected them in several physiologically realistic networks (based on the known synaptic connectivity and specific glutaminergic and gabaergic pharmacology) via different architecture patterning scenarios with the aim to replicate the in vivo firing patterning behaviors. We are able, through these networks, to reproduce the in vivo behavior of each class of HVC neurons, as shown by the experimental recordings. The different network architectures developed highlight different mechanisms that might be contributing to the propagation of sequential neural activity (continuous or punctate) in the HVC and to the distinctive firing patterns that each class exhibits during singing. Examples of such possible mechanisms include: 1) post-inhibitory rebound in HVCX and their population patterns during singing, 2) different subclasses of HVCINT interacting via inhibitory-inhibitory loops, 3) mono-synaptic HVCX to HVCRA excitatory connectivity, and 4) structured many-to-one inhibitory synapses from interneurons to projection neurons, and others. Replication is only a preliminary step that must be followed by model prediction and testing.

Keywords: computational modeling, neural networks, temporal neural sequences, ionic currents, songbird

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Authors: László Schmidt

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“Post hoc ergo propter hoc” means after it, therefore because of it. In other words: If event Y followed event X, then event Y must have been caused by event X. The question of causation has long been a central theme in philosophical thought, and many different theories have been put forward. However, causality is an essentially contested concept (ECC), as it has no universally accepted definition and is used differently in everyday, scientific, and legal thinking. In the field of law, the question of causality arises mainly in the context of establishing legal liability: in criminal law and in the rules of civil law on liability for damages arising either from breach of contract or from tort. In the study some philosophical theories of causality will be presented and how these theories correlate with legal causality. It’s quite interesting when philosophical abstractions meet the pragmatic demands of jurisprudence. In Hungarian criminal judicial practice the principle of equivalence of conditions is the generally accepted and applicable standard of causation, where all necessary conditions are considered equivalent and thus a cause. The idea is that without the trigger, the subsequent outcome would not have occurred; all the conditions that led to the subsequent outcome are equivalent. In the case where the trigger that led to the result is accompanied by an additional intervening cause, including an accidental one, independent of the perpetrator, the causal link is not broken, but at most the causal link becomes looser. The importance of the intervening causes in the outcome should be given due weight in the imposition of the sentence. According to court practice if the conduct of the offender sets in motion the causal process which led to the result, it does not exclude his criminal liability and does not interrupt the causal process if other factors, such as the victim's illness, may have contributed to it. The concausa does not break the chain of causation, i.e. the existence of a causal link establish the criminal liability of the offender. Courts also adjudicates that if an act is a cause of the result if the act cannot be omitted without the result being omitted. This essentially assumes a hypothetical elimination procedure, i.e. the act must be omitted in thought and then examined to see whether the result would still occur or whether it would be omitted. On the substantive side, the essential condition for establishing the offence is that the result must be demonstrably connected with the activity committed. The provision on the assessment of the facts beyond reasonable doubt must also apply to the causal link: that is to say, the uncertainty of the causal link between the conduct and the result of the offence precludes the perpetrator from being held liable for the result. Sometimes, however, the courts do not specify in the reasons for their judgments what standard of causation they apply, i.e. on what basis they establish the existence of (legal) causation.

Keywords: causation, Hungarian criminal law, responsibility, philosophy of law

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Authors: Massimiliano Condotta, Paolo Ruggeri, Chiara Scanagatta, Giovanni Borga

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Architects and urban planners, when designing and renewing cities, have to face a complex set of problems, including the issues of noise and air pollution which are considered as hot topics (i.e., the Clean Air Act of London and the Soundscape definition). It is usually taken for granted that these problems go by together because the noise pollution present in cities is often linked to traffic and industries, and these produce air pollutants as well. Traffic congestion can create both noise pollution and air pollution, because NO₂ is mostly created from the oxidation of NO, and these two are notoriously produced by processes of combustion at high temperatures (i.e., car engines or thermal power stations). We can see the same process for industrial plants as well. What have to be investigated – and is the topic of this paper – is whether or not there really is a correlation between noise pollution and air pollution (taking into account NO₂) in urban areas. To evaluate if there is a correlation, some low-cost methodologies will be used. For noise measurements, the OpeNoise App will be installed on an Android phone. The smartphone will be positioned inside a waterproof box, to stay outdoor, with an external battery to allow it to collect data continuously. The box will have a small hole to install an external microphone, connected to the smartphone, which will be calibrated to collect the most accurate data. For air, pollution measurements will be used the AirMonitor device, an Arduino board to which the sensors, and all the other components, are plugged. After assembling the sensors, they will be coupled (one noise and one air sensor) and placed in different critical locations in the area of Mestre (Venice) to map the existing situation. The sensors will collect data for a fixed period of time to have an input for both week and weekend days, in this way it will be possible to see the changes of the situation during the week. The novelty is that data will be compared to check if there is a correlation between the two pollutants using graphs that should show the percentage of pollution instead of the values obtained with the sensors. To do so, the data will be converted to fit on a scale that goes up to 100% and will be shown thru a mapping of the measurement using GIS methods. Another relevant aspect is that this comparison can help to choose which are the right mitigation solutions to be applied in the area of the analysis because it will make it possible to solve both the noise and the air pollution problem making only one intervention. The mitigation solutions must consider not only the health aspect but also how to create a more livable space for citizens. The paper will describe in detail the methodology and the technical solution adopted for the realization of the sensors, the data collection, noise and pollution mapping and analysis.

Keywords: air quality, data analysis, data collection, NO₂, noise mapping, noise pollution, particulate matter

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Authors: Suteera Pradubwong, Pattama Surit, Sumalee Pongpagatip, Tharinee Pethchara, Bowornsilp Chowchuen

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Background: Cleft lip and palate (CLP) is a congenital anomaly of the lip and palate that is caused by several factors. It was found in approximately one per 500 to 550 live births depending on nationality and socioeconomic status. The Tawanchai Center and out-patients surgical room of Srinagarind Hospital are responsible for providing care to patients with CLP (starting from birth to adolescent) and their caregivers. From the observations and interviews with nurses working in these units, they reported that both patients and their caregivers confronted many problems which affected their physical and mental health. Based on the Soukup’s model (2000), the researchers used evidence triggers from clinical practice (practice triggers) and related literature (knowledge triggers) to investigate the problems. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the problems of care for patients with CLP in the Tawanchai Center and out-patient surgical room of Srinagarind Hospital. Material and Method: The descriptive method was used in this study. For practice triggers, the researchers obtained the data from medical records of ten patients with CLP and from interviewing two patients with CLP, eight caregivers, two nurses, and two assistant workers. Instruments for the interview consisted of a demographic data form and a semi-structured questionnaire. For knowledge triggers, the researchers used a literature search. The data from both practice and knowledge triggers were collected between February and May 2016. The quantitative data were analyzed through frequency and percentage distributions, and the qualitative data were analyzed through a content analysis. Results: The problems of care gained from practice and knowledge triggers were consistent and were identified as holistic issues, including 1) insufficient feeding, 2) risks of respiratory tract infections and physical disorders, 3) psychological problems, such as anxiety, stress, and distress, 4) socioeconomic problems, such as stigmatization, isolation, and loss of income, 5)spiritual problems, such as low self-esteem and low quality of life, 6) school absence and learning limitation, 7) lack of knowledge about CLP and its treatments, 8) misunderstanding towards roles among the multidisciplinary team, 9) no available services, and 10) shortage of healthcare professionals, especially speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Conclusion: From evidence-triggers, the problems of care affect the patients and their caregivers holistically. Integrated long-term care by the multidisciplinary team is needed for children with CLP starting from birth to adolescent. Nurses should provide effective care to these patients and their caregivers by using a holistic approach and working collaboratively with other healthcare providers in the multidisciplinary team.

Keywords: evidence-triggers, cleft lip, cleft palate, problems of care

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Authors: Natalia Banasik

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Comprehension of verbal irony is an example of pragmatic competence in understanding figurative language. The knowledge of how it develops may shed new light on the understanding of social and communicative competence that is crucial for one's effective functioning in the society. Researchers agree it is a competence that develops late in a child’s development. One of the abilities that seems crucial for irony comprehension is theory of mind (ToM), that is the ability to understand that others may have beliefs, desires and intentions different from one’s own. Although both theory of mind and irony comprehension require the ability to understand the figurative use of the false description of the reality, the exact relationship between them is still unknown. Also, even though irony comprehension in children has been studied for over thirty years, the results of the studies are inconsistent as to the age when this competence are acquired. The presented study aimed to answer questions about the developmental trajectories of irony comprehension and ascribing function to ironic utterances by preschool children. Specifically, we were interested in how it is related to the development of ToM and how comprehension of the function of irony changes with age. Data was collected from over 150 monolingual, Polish-speaking children and (so far) thirty bilingual children speaking Polish and English who live in the US. Four-, five- and six-year-olds were presented with a story comprehension task in the form of audio and visual stimuli programmed in the E-prime software (pre-recorded narrated stories, some of which included ironic utterances, and pictures accompanying the stories displayed on a touch screen). Following the presentation, the children were then asked to answer a series of questions. The questions checked the children’s understanding of the intended utterance meaning, evaluation of the degree to which it was funny and evaluation of how nice the speaker was. The children responded by touching the screen, which made it possible to measure reaction times. Additionally, the children were asked to explain why the speaker had uttered the ironic statement. Both quantitive and qualitative analyses were applied. The results of our study indicate that for irony recognition there is a significant difference among the three age groups, but what is new is that children as young as four do understand the real meaning behind the ironic statement as long as the utterance is not grammtically or lexically complex also, there is a clear correlation of ToM and irony comprehension. Although four-year olds and six-year olds understand the real meaning of the ironic utterance, it is not earlier than at the age of six when children start to explain the reason of using this marked form of expression. They talk about the speaker's intention to tell a joke, be funny, or to protect the listener's emotions. There are also some metalinguistic references, such as "mommy sometimes says things that don't make sense and this is called a metaphor".

Keywords: child's pragmatics, figurative speech, irony comprehension in children, theory of mind and irony

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Authors: Henda Gnakate Biba, Ndassa Mouafon Issa

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Dictionaries modeled on the Western model [tonic accent languages] are not suitable and do not account for tonal languages phonologically, which is why the [prosodic and phonological] ethnographic dictionary was designed. It is a glossary that expresses the tones and the rhythm of words. It recreates exactly the speaking or singing of a tonal language, and allows the non-speaker of this language to pronounce the words as if they were a native. It is a dictionary adapted to tonal languages. It was built from ethnomusicological theorems and phonological processes, according to Jean. J. Rousseau 1776 hypothesis /To say and to sing were once the same thing/. Each word in the French dictionary finds its corresponding language, ekaη. And each word ekaη is written on a musical staff. This ethnographic dictionary is also an inventive, original and innovative research thesis, but it is also an inventive, original and innovative research thesis. A contribution to the theoretical, musicological, ethno musicological and linguistic conceptualization of languages, giving rise to the practice of interlocution between the social and cognitive sciences, the activities of artistic creation and the question of modeling in the human sciences: mathematics, computer science, translation automation and artificial intelligence. When you apply this theory to any text of a folksong of a world-tone language, you do not only piece together the exact melody, rhythm, and harmonies of that song as if you knew it in advance but also the exact speaking of this language. The author believes that the issue of the disappearance of tonal languages and their preservation has been structurally resolved, as well as one of the greatest cultural equations related to the composition and creation of tonal, polytonal and random music. The experimentation confirming the theorization designed a semi-digital, semi-analog application which translates the tonal languages of Africa (about 2,100 languages) into blues, jazz, world music, polyphonic music, tonal and anatonal music and deterministic and random music). To test this application, I use a music reading and writing software that allows me to collect the data extracted from my mother tongue, which is already modeled in the musical staves saved in the ethnographic (semiotic) dictionary for automatic translation ( volume 2 of the book). Translation is done (from writing to writing, from writing to speech and from writing to music). Mode of operation: you type a text on your computer, a structured song (chorus-verse), and you command the machine a melody of blues, jazz and, world music or, variety etc. The software runs, giving you the option to choose harmonies, and then you select your melody.

Keywords: music, language, entenglement, science, research

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Authors: Nikkey Keshri

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Arctic is a polar region located at the north of the earth. This consists of the Arctic Ocean and other parts of Canada, Russia, the United States, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. Arctic has vast natural resources which are exploited with modern technology, and the economic opening up of Russia has given new opportunities. All these states have connected with the Arctic region for economic activities and this effect the region ecology. The pollution problem is a serious threat to the people health living around pollution sources. Due to the prevailing worldwide sea and air currents, the Arctic area is the fallout region for long-range transport pollutants, and in some places the concentrations exceed the levels of densely populated urban areas. The Arctic is especially vulnerable to the effects of global warming, as has become apparent in the melting sea ice in recent years. Climate models predict much greater warming in the Arctic than the global average, resulting in significant international attention to the region. The global warming has an adverse impact on the climate, indigenous people, wildlife, and infrastructure. However, there are several opportunities that have emerged in the form of shipping routes, resources, and new territories. The shipping route through the Arctic is a reality and is currently navigable for a few weeks during summers. There are large deposits of oil and gas, minerals and fish and the surrounding countries with Arctic coastlines are becoming quite assertive about exercising their sovereignty over the newfound wealth. The main part of the research is that how the opening of Northern Sea Route is providing opportunities or problem in the Arctic and it is becoming geopolitically important. It focuses on the interest Arctic and non Arctic states, their present and anticipated global geopolitical aims. The Northern Sea Route might open up due to climate changes and that Iceland might benefit or has an impact from the situation. Efforts will be made to answer the research question: ‘Whether Opening of North Sea Route is providing opportunities or becoming a risk for Arctic region?’ Every research has a structure which usually called design. In this research, both Qualitative and Quantitative method is used in terms of various literature, maps, pie- charts, etc to find out the answer for the research question. The aim of this research is to find out the impact of Opening of North Sea Route over Arctic region and how this make arctic geopolitically important. The aim behind this research is to find out the impact of climate change and how the particular geographical area is being affected.

Keywords: climate change, geopolitics, international relation, Northern Sea Route

Procedia PDF Downloads 246

Authors: Celine Davis

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The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, which has detrimental respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological effects impacting over one million lives in the United States. New researches has emerged indicating long-term neurologic consequences in those who survive COVID-19 infections, including more than seven million Americans and another 27 million people worldwide. These consequences include attentional deficits, memory impairments, executive function deficits and aphasia-like symptoms which fall within the purview of speech-language pathology. The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is a comprehensive annual survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), a branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States. The NHIS is one of the most significant sources of health-related data in the country and has been conducted since 1957. The longitudinal nature of the study allows for analysis of trends in various variables over the years, which can be essential for understanding societal changes and making treatment recommendations. This current study will utilize NHIS data from 2020-2022 which contained interview questions specifically related to COVID-19. Adult cases of individuals between the ages of 18-50 diagnosed with COVID-19 in the United States during 2020-2022 will be identified using the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Multiple regression analysis of self-reported data confirming COVID-19 infection status and challenges with concentration, communication, and memory will be performed. Latent class analysis will be utilized to identify subgroups in the population to indicate whether certain demographic groups have higher susceptibility to cognitive-linguistic deficits associated with COVID-19. Completion of this study will reveal whether there is an association between confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and heightened incidence of cognitive deficits and subsequent implications, if any, on activities of daily living. This study is distinct in its aim to utilize national survey data to explore the relationship between confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and the prevalence of cognitive-communication deficits with a secondary focus on resulting activity limitations. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this will be the first large-scale epidemiological study investigating the associations between cognitive-linguistic deficits, COVID-19 and implications on activities of daily living in the United States population. These findings will highlight the need for targeted interventions and support services to address the cognitive-communication needs of individuals recovering from COVID-19, thereby enhancing their overall well-being and functional outcomes.

Keywords: cognition, COVID-19, language, limitations, memory, NHIS

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Authors: Izabella Szollosi, Klara Marton

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Aphasia can be defined as a weakness in accessing linguistic information. Accessing linguistic information is strongly related to information processing, which in turn is associated with the cognitive control system. According to the literature, a deficit in the cognitive control system interferes with language processing and contributes to non-fluent speech performance. The aim of our study was to explore this hypothesis by investigating how cognitive control interacts with language performance in participants with non-fluent aphasia. Cognitive control is a complex construct that includes working memory (WM) and the ability to resist proactive interference (PI). Based on previous research, we hypothesized that impairments in domain-general (DG) cognitive control abilities have negative effects on language processing. In contrast, better DG cognitive control functioning supports goal-directed behavior in language-related processes as well. Since stroke itself might slow down information processing, it is important to examine its negative effects on both cognitive control and language processing. Participants (N=52) in our study were individuals with non-fluent Broca’s aphasia (N = 13), with transcortical motor aphasia (N=13), individuals with stroke damage without aphasia (N=13), and unimpaired speakers (N = 13). All participants performed various computer-based tasks targeting cognitive control functions such as WM and resistance to PI in both linguistic and non-linguistic domains. Non-linguistic tasks targeted primarily DG functions, while linguistic tasks targeted more domain specific (DS) processes. The results showed that participants with Broca’s aphasia differed from the other three groups in the non-linguistic tasks. They performed significantly worse even in the baseline conditions. In contrast, we found a different performance profile in the linguistic domain, where the control group differed from all three stroke-related groups. The three groups with impairment performed more poorly than the controls but similar to each other in the verbal baseline condition. In the more complex verbal PI condition, however, participants with Broca’s aphasia performed significantly worse than all the other groups. Participants with Broca’s aphasia demonstrated the most severe language impairment and the highest vulnerability in tasks measuring DG cognitive control functions. Results support the notion that the more severe the cognitive control impairment, the more severe the aphasia. Thus, our findings suggest a strong interaction between cognitive control and language. Individuals with the most severe and most general cognitive control deficit - participants with Broca’s aphasia - showed the most severe language impairment. Individuals with better DG cognitive control functions demonstrated better language performance. While all participants with stroke damage showed impaired cognitive control functions in the linguistic domain, participants with better language skills performed also better in tasks that measured non-linguistic cognitive control functions. The overall results indicate that the level of cognitive control deficit interacts with the language functions in individuals along with the language spectrum (from severe to no impairment). However, future research is needed to determine any directionality.

Keywords: cognitive control, information processing, language performance, non-fluent aphasia

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Authors: Klazina T. Havinga, Hilde R. H. de Geus

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Introduction: Pre-operative coagulation management of Apixaban prescribed patients, a new oral anticoagulant (a factor Xa inhibitor), is difficult, especially when chronic kidney disease (CKD) causes drug overdose. Apixaban is not dialyzable due to its high level of protein binding. An antidote, Andexanet α, is available but expensive and has an unfavorable short half-life. We report the successful extracorporeal removal of Apixaban prior to emergency surgery with the CytoSorb® Hemoadsorption device. Methods: A 89-year-old woman with CKD, with an Apixaban prescription for atrial fibrillation, was presented at the ER with traumatic rib fractures, a flail chest, and an unstable spinal fracture (T12) for which emergency surgery was indicated. However, due to very high Apixaban levels, this surgery had to be postponed. Based on the Apixaban-specific anti-factor Xa activity (AFXaA) measurements at admission and 10 hours later, complete clearance was expected after 48 hours. In order to enhance the Apixaban removal and reduce the time to operation, and therefore reduce pulmonary complications, CRRT with CytoSorb® cartridge was initiated. Apixaban-specific anti-factor Xa activity (AFXaA) was measured frequently as a substitute for Apixaban drug concentrations, pre- and post adsorber, in order to calculate the adsorber-related clearance. Results: The admission AFXaA concentration, as a substitute for Apixaban drug levels, was 218 ng/ml, which decreased to 157 ng/ml after ten hours. Due to sustained anticoagulation effects, surgery was again postponed. However, the AFXaA levels decreased quickly to sub-therapeutic levels after CRRT (Multifiltrate Pro, Fresenius Medical Care, Blood flow 200 ml/min, Dialysate Flow 4000 ml/h, Prescribed renal dose 51 ml-kg-h) with Cytosorb® connected in series into the circuit was initiated (within 5 hours). The adsorber-related (indirect) Apixaban clearance was calculated every half hour (Cl=Qe * (AFXaA pre- AFXaA post/ AFXaA pre) with Qe=plasma flow rate calculated with Ht=0.38 and system blood flow rate 200 ml-min): 100 ml/min, 72 ml/min and 57 ml/min. Although, as expected, the adsorber-related clearance decreased quickly due to saturation of the beads, still the reduction rate achieved resulted in a very rapid decrease in AFXaA levels. Surgery was ordered and possible within 5 hours after Cytosorb initiation. Conclusion: The CytoSorb® Hemoadsorption device enabled rapid correction of Apixaban associated anticoagulation.

Keywords: Apixaban, CytoSorb, emergency surgery, Hemoadsorption

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Authors: Afifa Hafidh, Fathi Touati, Ahmed Hichem Hamzaoui, Sayda Somrani

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The objective of the present study has been to synthesize and to characterize silica hybrid materials using sol-gel technic and to investigate their properties. Silica materials were successfully fabricated using various bi-functional 1,3,4-thiadiazoles and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as co-precursors via a facile one-pot sol-gel pathway. TEOS was introduced at room temperature with 1,3,4-thiadiazole 2,5-difunctiunal adducts, in ethanol as solvent and using HCl acid as catalyst. The sol-gel process lead to the formation of monolithic, coloured and transparent gels. TEOS was used as a principal network forming agent. The incorporation of 1,3,4-thiadiazole molecules was realized by attachment of these later onto a silica matrix. This allowed covalent linkage between organic and inorganic phases and lead to the formation of Si-N and Si-S bonds. The prepared hybrid materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, NMR ²⁹Si and ¹³C, scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen absorption-desorption measurements. The optic and magnetic properties of hybrids are studied respectively by ultra violet-visible spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance. It was shown in this work, that heterocyclic moieties were successfully attached in the hybrid skeleton. The formation of the Si-network composed of cyclic units (Q3 structures) connected by oxygen bridges (Q4 structures) was proved by ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy. The Brunauer-Elmet-Teller nitrogen adsorption-desorption method shows that all the prepared xerogels have isotherms type IV and are mesoporous solids. The specific surface area and pore volume of these materials are important. The obtained results show that all materials are paramagnetic semiconductors. The data obtained by Nuclear magnetic resonance ²⁹Si and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, show that Si-OH and Si-NH groups existing in silica hybrids can participate in adsorption interactions. The obtained materials containing reactive centers could exhibit adsorption properties of metal ions due to the presence of OH and NH functionality in the mesoporous frame work. Our design of a simple method to prepare hybrid materials may give interest of the development of mesoporous hybrid systems and their use within the domain of environment in the future.

Keywords: hybrid materials, sol-gel process, 1, 3, 4-thiadaizole, TEOS

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Authors: Ezra Kavana

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This article analyses the role those East African countries play in enforcing crude oil pipeline regulations. The paper finds that countries are more likely to have responsibility for enforcing these regulations if they have larger networks of gathering and transmission lines and if their citizens are more liberal and more pro-environment., Pipeline operations, transportation costs, new pipeline construction, and environmental effects are all heavily controlled. All facets of pipeline systems and the facilities connected to them are governed by statutory bodies. In order to support the project manager on such new pipeline projects, companies building and running these pipelines typically include personnel and consultants who specialize in these permitting processes. The primary permissions that can be necessary for pipelines carrying different commodities are mentioned in this paper. National, regional, and local municipalities each have their own permits. Through their right-of-way group, the contractor's project compliance leadership is typically directly responsible for obtaining those permits, which are typically obtained through government agencies. The whole list of local permits needed for a planned pipeline can only be found after a careful field investigation. A country's government regulates pipelines that are entirely within its borders. With a few exceptions, state regulations governing ratemaking and safety have been enacted to be consistent with regulatory requirements. Countries that produce a lot of energy are typically more involved in regulating pipelines than countries that produce little to no energy. To identify the proper regulatory authority, it is important to research the several government agencies that regulate pipeline transportation. Additionally, it's crucial that the scope determination of a planned project engage with a various external professional with experience in linear facilities or the company's pipeline construction and environmental professional to identify and obtain any necessary design clearances, permits, or approvals. These professionals can offer precise estimations of the costs and length of time needed to process necessary permits. Governments with a stronger energy sector, on the other hand, are less likely to take on control. However, the performance of the pipeline or national enforcement activities are unaffected significantly by whether a government has taken on control. Financial fines are the most efficient government enforcement instrument because they greatly reduce occurrences and property damage.

Keywords: crude oil, pipeline, regulatory compliance, and construction permits

Procedia PDF Downloads 69

Authors: Débora P. Jaeschke, Eduardo A. Merlo, Rosane Rech, Giovana D. Mercali, Ligia D. F. Marczak

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Carotenoids are high value added pigments that can be alternatively extracted from some microalgae species. However, the application of carotenoids synthetized by microalgae is still limited due to the utilization of organic toxic solvents. In this context, studies involving alternative extraction methods have been conducted with more sustainable solvents to replace and reduce the solvent volume and the extraction time. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the extraction time of carotenoids from the microalgae Heterochlorella luteoviridis using moderate electric field (MEF) as a pre-treatment to the extraction. The extraction methodology consisted of a pre-treatment in the presence of MEF (180 V) and ethanol (25 %, v/v) for 10 min, followed by a diffusive step performed for 50 min using a higher ethanol concentration (75 %, v/v). The extraction experiments were conducted at 30 °C and, to keep the temperature at this value, it was used an extraction cell with a water jacket that was connected to a water bath. Also, to enable the evaluation of MEF effect on the extraction, control experiments were performed using the same cell and conditions without voltage application. During the extraction experiments, samples were withdrawn at 1, 5 and 10 min of the pre-treatment and at 1, 5, 30, 40 and 50 min of the diffusive step. Samples were, then, centrifuged and carotenoids analyses were performed in the supernatant. Furthermore, an exhaustive extraction with ethyl acetate and methanol was performed, and the carotenoids content found for this analyses was considered as the total carotenoids content of the microalgae. The results showed that the application of MEF as a pre-treatment to the extraction influenced the extraction yield and the extraction time during the diffusive step; after the MEF pre-treatment and 50 min of the diffusive step, it was possible to extract up to 60 % of the total carotenoids content. Also, results found for carotenoids concentration of the extracts withdrawn at 5 and 30 min of the diffusive step did not presented statistical difference, meaning that carotenoids diffusion occurs mainly in the very beginning of the extraction. On the other hand, the results for control experiments showed that carotenoids diffusion occurs mostly during 30 min of the diffusive step, which evidenced MEF effect on the extraction time. Moreover, carotenoids concentration on samples withdrawn during the pre-treatment (1, 5 and 10 min) were below the quantification limit of the analyses, indicating that the extraction occurred in the diffusive step, when ethanol (75 %, v/v) was added to the medium. It is possible that MEF promoted cell membrane permeabilization and, when ethanol (75 %) was added, carotenoids interacted with the solvent and the diffusion occurred easily. Based on the results, it is possible to infer that MEF promoted the decrease of carotenoids extraction time due to the increasing of the permeability of the cell membrane which facilitates the diffusion from the cell to the medium.

Keywords: moderate electric field (MEF), pigments, microalgae, ethanol

Procedia PDF Downloads 443

Authors: Santosh Kaware, Dnyandeo Patil, Moninder Modgil, Hemant Bhoir, Debendra Behera

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The Unified Field Theory has been an area of intensive research since many decades. This paper focuses on philosophy and metaphysics of unified field theory at Planck scale - and its relationship with super string theory and Quantum Vacuum Dynamic Physics. We examined the epistemology of questions such as - (1) what is the Unified Field of universe? (2) can it actually - (a) permeate the complete universe - or (b) be localized in bound regions of the universe - or, (c) extend into the extra dimensions? - -or (d) live only in extra dimensions? (3) What should be the emergent ontological properties of Unified field? (4) How the universe is manifesting through its Quantum Vacuum energies? (5) How is the space time metric coupled to the Unified field? We present a number of ansatz - which we outline below. It is proposed that the unified field possesses consciousness as well as a memory - a recording of past history - analogous to ‘Consistent Histories’ interpretation of quantum mechanics. We proposed Planck scale geometry of Unified Field with circle like topology and having 32 energy points on its periphery which are the connected to each other by 10 dimensional meta-strings which are sources for manifestation of different fundamentals forces and particles of universe through its Quantum Vacuum energies. It is also proposed that the sub energy levels of ‘Conscious Unified Field’ are used for the process of creation, preservation and rejuvenation of the universe over a period of time by means of negentropy. These epochs can be for the complete universe, or for localized regions such as galaxies or cluster of galaxies. It is proposed that Unified field operates through geometric patterns of its Quantum Vacuum energies - manifesting as various elementary particles by giving spins to zero point energy elements. Epistemological relationship between unified field theory and super-string theories is examined. Properties of ‘consciousness’ and 'memory' cascades from universe, into macroscopic objects - and further onto the elementary particles - via a fractal pattern. Other properties of fundamental particles - such as mass, charge, spin, iso-spin also spill out of such a cascade. The manifestations of the unified field can reach into the parallel universes or the ‘multi-verse’ and essentially have an existence independent of the space-time. It is proposed that mass, length, time scales of the unified theory are less than even the Planck scale - and can be called at a level which we call that of 'Super Quantum Gravity (SQG)'.

Keywords: super string theory, Planck scale geometry, negentropy, super quantum gravity

Procedia PDF Downloads 254

Authors: Valeria Tatano, Francesca Guidolin, Francesca Peltrera

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The preservation of historical Italian heritage, at the urban and architectural scale, has to consider restrictions and requirements connected with conservation issues and usability needs, which are often at odds with historical heritage preservation. Recent decades have been marked by the search for increased accessibility not only of public and private buildings, but to the whole historical city, also for people with disability. Moreover, in the last years the concepts of Smart City and Healthy City seek to improve accessibility both in terms of mobility (independent or assisted) and fruition of goods and services, also for historical cities. The principles of Inclusive Design have introduced new criteria for the improvement of public urban space, between current regulations and best practices. Moreover, they have contributed to transforming “special needs” into an opportunity of social innovation. These considerations find a field of research and analysis in the historical city of Venice, which is at the same time a site of UNESCO world heritage, a mass tourism destination bringing in visitors from all over the world and a city inhabited by an aging population. Due to its conformation, Venetian urban fabric is only partially accessible: about four thousand bridges divide thousands of islands, making it almost impossible to move independently. These urban characteristics and difficulties were the base, in the last 20 years, for several researches, experimentations and solutions with the aim of eliminating architectural barriers, in particular for the usability of bridges. The Venetian Municipality with the EBA Office and some external consultants realized several devices (e.g. the “stepped ramp” and the new accessible ramps for the Venice Marathon) that should determine an innovation for the city, passing from the use of mechanical replicable devices to specific architectural projects in order to guarantee autonomy in use. This paper intends to present the state-of-the-art in bridges accessibility, through an analysis based on Inclusive Design principles and on the current national and regional regulation. The purpose is to evaluate some possible strategies that could improve performances, between limits and possibilities of interventions. The aim of the research is to lay the foundations for the development of a strategic program for the City of Venice that could successfully bring together both conservation and improvement requirements.

Keywords: accessibility of historical cities, historical heritage preservation, inclusive design, technological and social innovation

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Authors: Chabungbam Niranjit Khuman, Makarand Madhao Ghangrekar, Arunabha Mitra

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The cost of aeration is one of the limiting factors in the upscaling of microbial fuel cells (MFC) for field-scale applications. Wetland macrophytes have the ability to release oxygen into the water to maintain aerobic conditions in their root zone. In this experiment, the efficacy of rhizospheric oxygen release of wetland macrophytes as a source of oxygen in the cathodic chamber of MFC was conducted. The experiment was conducted in an MFC consisting of a three-liter anodic chamber made of ceramic cylinder and a 27 L cathodic chamber. Untreated carbon felts were used as electrodes (i.e., anode and cathode) and connected to an external load of 100 Ω using stainless steel wire. Wetland macrophytes (Canna indica) were grown in the cathodic chamber of the MFC in a hydroponic fashion using a styrofoam sheet (termed as macrophytes assisted-microbial fuel cell, M-MFC). The catholyte (i.e., water) in the M-MFC had negligible contact with atmospheric air due to the styrofoam sheet used for maintaining the hydroponic condition. There was no mixing of the catholyte in the M-MFC. Sucrose based synthetic wastewater having chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 3000 mg/L was fed into the anodic chamber of the MFC in fed-batch mode with a liquid retention time of four days. The C. indica thrived well throughout the duration of the experiment without much care. The average dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration and pH value in the M-MFC were 3.25 mg/L and 7.07, respectively, in the catholyte. Since the catholyte was not in contact with air, the DO in the catholyte might be considered as solely liberated from the rhizospheric oxygen release of C. indica. The maximum COD removal efficiency of M-MFC observed during the experiment was 76.9%. The inadequacy of terminal electron acceptor in the cathodic chamber in M-MFC might have hampered the electron transfer, which in turn, led to slower specific microbial activity, thereby resulting in lower COD removal efficiency than the traditional MFC with aerated catholyte. The average operating voltage (OV) and open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 294 mV and 594 mV, respectively, were observed in M-MFC. The maximum power density observed during polarization was 381 mW/m³, and the maximum sustainable power density observed during the experiment was 397 mW/m³ in M-MFC. The maximum normalized energy recovery and coulombic efficiency of 38.09 Wh/m³ and 1.27%, respectively, were observed. Therefore, it was evidenced that rhizospheric oxygen release of wetland macrophytes (C. indica) was capable of sustaining the cathodic reaction in MFC for field-scale applications.

Keywords: hydroponic, microbial fuel cell, rhizospheric oxygen release, wetland macrophytes

Procedia PDF Downloads 117

Authors: Ali Kadivar, Kaveh Niayesh

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This report summarizes a simulation-based approach to estimate the current interruption behavior of a fuse element utilized in a DC network protecting battery banks under different stresses. Due to internal resistance of the battries, the short circuit current in very close to the nominal current, and it makes the fuse designation tricky. The base configuration considered in this report consists of five fuse units in parallel. The simulations are performed using a multi-physics software package, COMSOL® 5.6, and the necessary material parameters have been calculated using two other software packages.The first phase of the simulation starts with the heating of the fuse elements resulted from the current flow through the fusing element. In this phase, the heat transfer between the metallic strip and the adjacent materials results in melting and evaporation of the filler and housing before the aluminum strip is evaporated and the current flow in the evaporated strip is cut-off, or an arc is eventually initiated. The initiated arc starts to expand, so the entire metallic strip is ablated, and a long arc of around 20 mm is created within the first 3 milliseconds after arc initiation (v_elongation = 6.6 m/s. The final stage of the simulation is related to the arc simulation and its interaction with the external circuitry. Because of the strong ablation of the filler material and venting of the arc caused by the melting and evaporation of the filler and housing before an arc initiates, the arc is assumed to burn in almost pure ablated material. To be able to precisely model this arc, one more step related to the derivation of the transport coefficients of the plasma in ablated urethane was necessary. The results indicate that an arc current interruption, in this case, will not be achieved within the first tens of milliseconds. In a further study, considering two series elements, the arc was interrupted within few milliseconds. A very important aspect in this context is the potential impact of many broken strips parallel to the one where the arc occurs. The generated arcing voltage is also applied to the other broken strips connected in parallel with arcing path. As the gap between the other strips is very small, a large voltage of a few hundred volts generated during the current interruption may eventually lead to a breakdown of another gap. As two arcs in parallel are not stable, one of the arcs will extinguish, and the total current will be carried by one single arc again. This process may be repeated several times if the generated voltage is very large. The ultimate result would be that the current interruption may be delayed.

Keywords: DC network, high current / low SC fuses, FEM simulation, paralle fuses

Procedia PDF Downloads 51

Authors: Haowen Xu, Xiaobing Liu, Jin Dong, Jianming Lian

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Emerging smart buildings often employ cyberinfrastructure, cyber-physical systems, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to increase the automation and responsiveness of building operations for better energy efficiency and lower carbon emission. These operations include the control of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and lighting systems, which are often considered a major source of energy consumption in both commercial and residential buildings. Developing energy-saving control models for optimizing HVAC operations usually requires the collection of high-quality instrumental data from iterations of in-situ building experiments, which can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. This abstract describes a digital twin approach to automate building energy experiments for optimizing HVAC operations through the design and development of an adaptive web-based platform. The platform is created to enable (a) automated data acquisition from a variety of IoT-connected HVAC instruments, (b) real-time situational awareness through domain-based visualizations, (c) adaption of HVAC optimization algorithms based on experimental data, (d) sharing of experimental data and model predictive controls through web services, and (e) cyber-physical control of individual instruments in the HVAC system using outputs from different optimization algorithms. Through the digital twin approach, we aim to replicate a real-world building and its HVAC systems in an online computing environment to automate the development of building-specific model predictive controls and collaborative experiments in buildings located in different climate zones in the United States. We present two case studies to demonstrate our platform’s capability for real-time situational awareness and cyber-physical control of the HVAC in the flexible research platforms within the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) main campus. Our platform is developed using adaptive and flexible architecture design, rendering the platform generalizable and extendable to support HVAC optimization experiments in different types of buildings across the nation.

Keywords: energy-saving buildings, digital twins, HVAC, cyber-physical system, BIM

Procedia PDF Downloads 82

Authors: Michel Soto Chalhoub

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Building designers in the Mediterranean region and other parts of the world utilize natural stone panels on the exterior façades as skin cover. This type of finishing is not only intended for aesthetic reasons but also environmental. The stone, since the earliest ages of civilization, has been used in construction and to-date some of the most appealing buildings owe their beauty to stone finishing. The stone also provides warmth in winter and freshness in summer as it moderates heat transfer and absorbs radiation. However, as structural codes became increasingly stringent about the dynamic performance of buildings, it became essential to study the performance of stone panels under cyclic loading – a condition that arises under the building is subjected to wind or earthquakes. The present paper studies the performance of stone panels using mechanical connectors when subjected to load reversal. In this paper, we present a theoretical model that addresses modes of failure in the steel connectors, by yield, and modes of failure in the stone, by fracture. Then we provide an experimental set-up and test results for rectangular stone panels of varying thickness. When the building is subjected to an earthquake, its rectangular panels within the structural system are subjected to shear deformations, which in turn impart stress into the stone cover. Rectangular stone panels, which typically range from 40cmx80cm to 60cmx120cm, need to be designed to withstand transverse loading from the direct application of lateral loads, and to withstand simultaneously in-plane loading (membrane stress) caused by inter-story drift and overall building lateral deflection. Results show correlation between the theoretical model which we derive from solid mechanics fundamentals and the experimental results, and lead to practical design recommendations. We find that for panel thickness below a certain threshold, it is more advantageous to utilize structural adhesive materials to connect stone panels to the main structural system of the building. For larger panel thicknesses, it is recommended to utilize mechanical connectors with special detailing to ensure a minimum level of ductility and energy dissipation.

Keywords: solid mechanics, cyclic loading, mechanical connectors, natural stone, seismic, wind, building skin

Procedia PDF Downloads 245

Authors: G. Ghamrawi, Y. Abunnasr, M. Fawaz, S. Yazigi

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Coastal cities are constantly exposed to environmental degradation and economic regression fueled by rapid and uncontrolled urban growth as well as continuous resource depletion. This is the case of the City of Mina in Tripoli (Lebanon), where lack of awareness to preserve social, ecological, and historical assets, coupled with the increasing development pressures, are threatening the socioeconomic status of the city residents, the quality of life and accessibility to the coast. To address these challenges, a holistic coastal urban design and planning approach was developed to analyze the environmental, political, legal, and socioeconomic context of the city. This approach aims to investigate the potential of balancing urban development with the protection and enhancement of cultural, ecological, and environmental assets under an integrated coastal zone management approach (ICZM). The analysis of Mina's different sectors adopted several tools that include direct field observation, interviews with stakeholders, analysis of available data, historical maps, and previously proposed projects. The findings from the analysis were mapped and graphically represented, allowing the recognition of character zones that become the design intervention units. Consequently, the thesis proposes an urban, city-scale intervention that identifies 6 different character zones (the historical fishing port, Abdul Wahab island, the abandoned Port Said, Hammam el Makloub, the sand beach, and the new developable area) and proposes context-specific design interventions that capitalize on the main characteristics of each zone. Moreover, the intervention builds on the institutional framework of ICZM as well as other studies previously conducted for the coast and adopts nature-based solutions with hybrid systems for providing better environmental design solutions for developing the coast. This enables the realization of an all-inclusive, well-connected shoreline with easy and free access towards the sea; a developed shoreline with an active local economy, and an improved urban environment.

Keywords: blue green infrastructure, coastal cities, hybrid solutions, integrated coastal zone management, sustainable development, urban planning

Procedia PDF Downloads 133

Authors: Natalia Kalinowska

Abstract:

The adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation, (GDPR) finished the four-year work of the European Commission in this area in the European Union. Considering far-reaching changes, which will be applied by GDPR, the European legislator envisaged two-year transitional period. Member states and companies have to prepare for a new regulation until 25 of May 2018. The idea, which becomes a new look at an attitude to data protection in the European Union is risk-based approach. So far, as a result of implementation of Directive 95/46/WE, in many European countries (including Poland) there have been adopted very particular regulations, specifying technical and organisational security measures e.g. Polish implementing rules indicate even how long password should be. According to the new approach from May 2018, controllers and processors will be obliged to apply security measures adequate to level of risk associated with specific data processing. The risk in GDPR should be interpreted as the likelihood of a breach of the rights and freedoms of the data subject. According to Recital 76, the likelihood and severity of the risk to the rights and freedoms of the data subject should be determined by reference to the nature, scope, context and purposes of the processing. GDPR does not indicate security measures which should be applied – in recitals there are only examples such as anonymization or encryption. It depends on a controller’s decision what type of security measures controller considered as sufficient and he will be responsible if these measures are not sufficient or if his identification of risk level is incorrect. Data protection regulation indicates few levels of risk. Recital 76 indicates risk and high risk, but some lawyers think, that there is one more category – low risk/now risk. Low risk/now risk data processing is a situation when it is unlikely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons. GDPR mentions types of data processing when a controller does not have to evaluate level of risk because it has been classified as „high risk” processing e.g. processing on a large scale of special categories of data, processing with using new technologies. The methodology will include analysis of legal regulations e.g. GDPR, the Polish Act on the Protection of personal data. Moreover: ICO Guidelines and articles concerning risk based approach in GDPR. The main conclusion is that an appropriate risk assessment is a key to keeping data safe and avoiding financial penalties. On the one hand, this approach seems to be more equitable, not only for controllers or processors but also for data subjects, but on the other hand, it increases controllers’ uncertainties in the assessment which could have a direct impact on incorrect data protection and potential responsibility for infringement of regulation.

Keywords: general data protection regulation, personal data protection, privacy protection, risk based approach

Procedia PDF Downloads 238

Authors: Liqin Zhang, Liang Yan

Abstract:

This paper addresses the speed synchronization control problem for a network-based multi-motor system from the perspective of cluster consensus theory. Each motor is considered as a single agent connected through fixed and undirected network. This paper presents an improved control protocol from three aspects. First, for the purpose of improving both tracking and synchronization performance, this paper presents a distributed leader-following method. The improved control protocol takes the importance of each motor’s speed into consideration, and all motors are divided into different groups according to speed weights. Specifically, by using control parameters optimization, the synchronization error and tracking error can be regulated and decoupled to some extent. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed strategy. In practical engineering, the simplified models are unrealistic, such as single-integrator and double-integrator. And previous algorithms require the acceleration information of the leader available to all followers if the leader has a varying velocity, which is also difficult to realize. Therefore, the method focuses on an observer-based variable structure algorithm for consensus tracking, which gets rid of the leader acceleration. The presented scheme optimizes synchronization performance, as well as provides satisfactory robustness. What’s more, the existing algorithms can obtain a stable synchronous system; however, the obtained stable system may encounter some disturbances that may destroy the synchronization. Focus on this challenging technological problem, a state-dependent-switching approach is introduced. In the presence of unmeasured angular speed and unknown failures, this paper investigates a distributed fault-tolerant consensus tracking algorithm for a group non-identical motors. The failures are modeled by nonlinear functions, and the sliding mode observer is designed to estimate the angular speed and nonlinear failures. The convergence and stability of the given multi-motor system are proved. Simulation results have shown that all followers asymptotically converge to a consistent state when one follower fails to follow the virtual leader during a large enough disturbance, which illustrates the good performance of synchronization control accuracy.

Keywords: consensus control, distributed follow, fault-tolerant control, multi-motor system, speed synchronization

Procedia PDF Downloads 110