Search results for: residential area model
22424 Estimation of Probabilistic Fatigue Crack Propagation Models of AZ31 Magnesium Alloys under Various Load Ratio Conditions by Using the Interpolation of a Random Variable
Authors: Seon Soon Choi
Abstract:
The essential purpose is to present the good fatigue crack propagation model describing a stochastic fatigue crack growth behavior in a rolled magnesium alloy, AZ31, under various load ratio conditions. Fatigue crack propagation experiments were carried out in laboratory air under four conditions of load ratio, R, using AZ31 to investigate the crack growth behavior. The stochastic fatigue crack growth behavior was analyzed using an interpolation of random variable, Z, introduced to an empirical fatigue crack propagation model. The empirical fatigue models used in this study are Paris-Erdogan model, Walker model, Forman model, and modified Forman model. It was found that the random variable is useful in describing the stochastic fatigue crack growth behaviors under various load ratio conditions. The good probabilistic model describing a stochastic fatigue crack growth behavior under various load ratio conditions was also proposed.Keywords: magnesium alloys, fatigue crack propagation model, load ratio, interpolation of random variable
Procedia PDF Downloads 41022423 A Comparison of Tsunami Impact to Sydney Harbour, Australia at Different Tidal Stages
Authors: Olivia A. Wilson, Hannah E. Power, Murray Kendall
Abstract:
Sydney Harbour is an iconic location with a dense population and low-lying development. On the east coast of Australia, facing the Pacific Ocean, it is exposed to several tsunamigenic trenches. This paper presents a component of the most detailed assessment of the potential for earthquake-generated tsunami impact on Sydney Harbour to date. Models in this study use dynamic tides to account for tide-tsunami interaction. Sydney Harbour’s tidal range is 1.5 m, and the spring tides from January 2015 that are used in the modelling for this study are close to the full tidal range. The tsunami wave trains modelled include hypothetical tsunami generated from earthquakes of magnitude 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 MW from the Puysegur and New Hebrides trenches as well as representations of the historical 1960 Chilean and 2011 Tohoku events. All wave trains are modelled for the peak wave to coincide with both a low tide and a high tide. A single wave train, representing a 9.0 MW earthquake at the Puysegur trench, is modelled for peak waves to coincide with every hour across a 12-hour tidal phase. Using the hydrodynamic model ANUGA, results are compared according to the impact parameters of inundation area, depth variation and current speeds. Results show that both maximum inundation area and depth variation are tide dependent. Maximum inundation area increases when coincident with a higher tide, however, hazardous inundation is only observed for the larger waves modelled: NH90high and P90high. The maximum and minimum depths are deeper on higher tides and shallower on lower tides. The difference between maximum and minimum depths varies across different tidal phases although the differences are slight. Maximum current speeds are shown to be a significant hazard for Sydney Harbour; however, they do not show consistent patterns according to tide-tsunami phasing. The maximum current speed hazard is shown to be greater in specific locations such as Spit Bridge, a narrow channel with extensive marine infrastructure. The results presented for Sydney Harbour are novel, and the conclusions are consistent with previous modelling efforts in the greater area. It is shown that tide must be a consideration for both tsunami modelling and emergency management planning. Modelling with peak tsunami waves coinciding with a high tide would be a conservative approach; however, it must be considered that maximum current speeds may be higher on other tides.Keywords: emergency management, sydney, tide-tsunami interaction, tsunami impact
Procedia PDF Downloads 24222422 CTHTC: A Convolution-Backed Transformer Architecture for Temporal Knowledge Graph Embedding with Periodicity Recognition
Authors: Xinyuan Chen, Mohd Nizam Husen, Zhongmei Zhou, Gongde Guo, Wei Gao
Abstract:
Temporal Knowledge Graph Completion (TKGC) has attracted increasing attention for its enormous value; however, existing models lack capabilities to capture both local interactions and global dependencies simultaneously with evolutionary dynamics, while the latest achievements in convolutions and Transformers haven't been employed in this area. What’s more, periodic patterns in TKGs haven’t been fully explored either. To this end, a multi-stage hybrid architecture with convolution-backed Transformers is introduced in TKGC tasks for the first time combining the Hawkes process to model evolving event sequences in a continuous-time domain. In addition, the seasonal-trend decomposition is adopted to identify periodic patterns. Experiments on six public datasets are conducted to verify model effectiveness against state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods. An extensive ablation study is carried out accordingly to evaluate architecture variants as well as the contributions of independent components in addition, paving the way for further potential exploitation. Besides complexity analysis, input sensitivity and safety challenges are also thoroughly discussed for comprehensiveness with novel methods.Keywords: temporal knowledge graph completion, convolution, transformer, Hawkes process, periodicity
Procedia PDF Downloads 7822421 A Nonlinear Parabolic Partial Differential Equation Model for Image Enhancement
Authors: Tudor Barbu
Abstract:
We present a robust nonlinear parabolic partial differential equation (PDE)-based denoising scheme in this article. Our approach is based on a second-order anisotropic diffusion model that is described first. Then, a consistent and explicit numerical approximation algorithm is constructed for this continuous model by using the finite-difference method. Finally, our restoration experiments and method comparison, which prove the effectiveness of this proposed technique, are discussed in this paper.Keywords: anisotropic diffusion, finite differences, image denoising and restoration, nonlinear PDE model, anisotropic diffusion, numerical approximation schemes
Procedia PDF Downloads 31322420 The Influence of Audio-Visual Resources in Teaching Business Subjects in Selected Secondary Schools in Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria
Authors: Oluwole Victor Falobi, Lawrence Olusola Ige
Abstract:
The cardinal drawing force of this study is to examine the influence of audio-visual resources in teaching business subjects in selected secondary schools in IfakoIjaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was employed for the study. By using a quantitative research approach and a sample size of 120 students were randomly selected from four public schools. Three research questions with one hypothesis guided the study. Data collected were analysed using frequency, the mean and standard deviation for the research questions, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation PPMC were used to analysed the inferential statistic. Findings from the study revealed that the Influence of audio-visual resources in teaching business subjects in selected secondary schools in IfakoIjaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State is low. It further revealed data the knowledge of teachers on the use of audio-visual resources is high in Ifako Local Government Area. It was recommended that government should create a timely monitoring system in other to check secondary school laboratories and classrooms to replace outdated facilities and also purchase needed facilities for effective teaching and learning to take place.Keywords: audio-visual resources, business subjects, school, teaching
Procedia PDF Downloads 9922419 Catalytic Activity Study of Fe, Ti Loaded TUD-1
Authors: Supakorn Tantisriyanurak, Hussaya Maneesuwan, Thanyalak Chaisuwan, Sujitra Wongkasemjit
Abstract:
TUD-1 is a siliceous mesoporous material with a three-dimensional amorphous structure of random, interconnecting pores, large pore size, high surface area (400-1000 m2/g), hydrothermal stability, and tunable porosity. However, the significant disadvantage of the mesoporous silicates is few catalytic active sites. In this work, a series of bimetallic Fe and Ti incorporated into TUD-1 framework is successfully synthesized by sol–gel method. The synthesized Fe,Ti-TUD-1 is characterized by various techniques. To study the catalytic activity of Fe, Ti–TUD-1, phenol hydroxylation was selected as a model reaction. The amounts of residual phenol and oxidation products were determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with UV-detector (HPLC-UV).Keywords: iron, phenol hydroxylation, titanium, TUD-1
Procedia PDF Downloads 25822418 Artificial Neural Network to Predict the Optimum Performance of Air Conditioners under Environmental Conditions in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Amr Sadek, Abdelrahaman Al-Qahtany, Turkey Salem Al-Qahtany
Abstract:
In this study, a backpropagation artificial neural network (ANN) model has been used to predict the cooling and heating capacities of air conditioners (AC) under different conditions. Sufficiently large measurement results were obtained from the national energy-efficiency laboratories in Saudi Arabia and were used for the learning process of the ANN model. The parameters affecting the performance of the AC, including temperature, humidity level, specific heat enthalpy indoors and outdoors, and the air volume flow rate of indoor units, have been considered. These parameters were used as inputs for the ANN model, while the cooling and heating capacity values were set as the targets. A backpropagation ANN model with two hidden layers and one output layer could successfully correlate the input parameters with the targets. The characteristics of the ANN model including the input-processing, transfer, neurons-distance, topology, and training functions have been discussed. The performance of the ANN model was monitored over the training epochs and assessed using the mean squared error function. The model was then used to predict the performance of the AC under conditions that were not included in the measurement results. The optimum performance of the AC was also predicted under the different environmental conditions in Saudi Arabia. The uncertainty of the ANN model predictions has been evaluated taking into account the randomness of the data and lack of learning.Keywords: artificial neural network, uncertainty of model predictions, efficiency of air conditioners, cooling and heating capacities
Procedia PDF Downloads 7422417 The Quantitative Analysis of the Traditional Rural Settlement Plane Boundary
Authors: Yifan Dong, Xincheng Pu
Abstract:
Rural settlements originate from the accumulation of residential building elements, and their agglomeration forms the settlement pattern and defines the relationship between the settlement and the inside and outside. The settlement boundary is an important part of the settlement pattern. Compared with the simplification of the urban settlement boundary, the settlement of the country is more complex, fuzzy and uncertain, and then presents a rich and diverse boundary morphological phenomenon. In this paper, China traditional rural settlements plane boundary as the research object, using fractal theory and fractal dimension method, quantitative analysis of planar shape boundary settlement, and expounds the research for the architectural design, ancient architecture protection and renewal and development and the significance of the protection of settlements.Keywords: rural settlement, border, fractal, quantification
Procedia PDF Downloads 24922416 Dynamic Investigation of Brake Squeal Problem in The Presence of Kinematic Nonlinearities
Authors: Shahroz Khan, Osman Taha Şen
Abstract:
In automotive brake systems, brake noise has been a major problem, and brake squeal is one of the critical ones which is an instability issue. The brake squeal produces an audible sound at high frequency that is irritating to the human ear. To study this critical problem, first a nonlinear mathematical model with three degree of freedom is developed. This model consists of a point mass that simulates the brake pad and a sliding surface that simulates the brake rotor. The model exposes kinematic and clearance nonlinearities, but no friction nonlinearity. In the formulation, the friction coefficient is assumed to be constant and the friction force does not change direction. The nonlinear governing equations of the model are first obtained, and numerical solutions are sought for different cases. Second, a computational model for the squeal problem is developed with a commercial software, and computational solutions are obtained with two different types of contact cases (solid-to-solid and sphere-to-plane). This model consists of three rigid bodies and several elastic elements that simulate the key characteristics of a brake system. The response obtained from this model is compared with numerical solutions in time and frequency domain.Keywords: contact force, nonlinearities, brake squeal, vehicle brake
Procedia PDF Downloads 24622415 Development of a Wind Resource Assessment Framework Using Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model, Python Scripting and Geographic Information Systems
Authors: Jerome T. Tolentino, Ma. Victoria Rejuso, Jara Kaye Villanueva, Loureal Camille Inocencio, Ma. Rosario Concepcion O. Ang
Abstract:
Wind energy is rapidly emerging as the primary source of electricity in the Philippines, although developing an accurate wind resource model is difficult. In this study, Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model, an open source mesoscale Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) model, was used to produce a 1-year atmospheric simulation with 4 km resolution on the Ilocos Region of the Philippines. The WRF output (netCDF) extracts the annual mean wind speed data using a Python-based Graphical User Interface. Lastly, wind resource assessment was produced using a GIS software. Results of the study showed that it is more flexible to use Python scripts than using other post-processing tools in dealing with netCDF files. Using WRF Model, Python, and Geographic Information Systems, a reliable wind resource map is produced.Keywords: wind resource assessment, weather research and forecasting (WRF) model, python, GIS software
Procedia PDF Downloads 44222414 The Process of Crisis: Model of Its Development in the Organization
Authors: M. Mikušová
Abstract:
The main aim of this paper is to present a clear and comprehensive picture of the process of a crisis in the organization which will help to better understand its possible developments. For a description of the sequence of individual steps and an indication of their causation and possible variants of the developments, a detailed flow diagram with verbal comment is applied. For simplicity, the process of the crisis is observed in four basic phases called: symptoms of the crisis, diagnosis, action and prevention. The model highlights the complexity of the phenomenon of the crisis and that the various phases of the crisis are interweaving.Keywords: crisis, management, model, organization
Procedia PDF Downloads 29222413 Geotechnical Characterization of Residual Soil for Deterministic Landslide Assessment
Authors: Vera Karla S. Caingles, Glen A. Lorenzo
Abstract:
Soil, as the main material of landslides, plays a vital role in landslide assessment. An efficient and accurate method of doing an assessment is significantly important to prevent damage of properties and loss of lives. The study has two phases: to establish an empirical correlation of the residual soil thickness with the slope angle and to investigate the geotechnical characteristics of residual soil. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) in Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to establish the slope map and to program sampling points for field investigation. Physical and index property tests were undertaken on the 20 soil samples obtained from the area with Pliocene-Pleistocene geology and different slope angle in Kibawe, Bukidnon. The regression analysis result shows that the best fitting model that can describe the soil thickness-slope angle relationship is an exponential function. The physical property results revealed that soils contain a high percentage of clay and silts ranges from 41% - 99.52%. Based on the index properties test results, the soil exhibits a high degree of plasticity and expansion but not collapsible. It is deemed that this compendium will serve as primary data for slope stability analysis and deterministic landslide assessment.Keywords: collapsibility, correlation, expansiveness, landslide, plasticity
Procedia PDF Downloads 16022412 Factors Affecting Harvested Rain Water Quality and Quantity in Yatta Area, Palestine
Authors: Nibal Al-Batsh, Issam Al-Khatib, Subha Ghannam
Abstract:
Yatta is the study area for this research, located 9 km south of Hebron City in the West Bank in Palestine. It has been connected to a water network since 1974 serving nearly 85% of the households. The water network is old and inadequate to meet the needs of the population. The water supply made available to the area is also very limited, estimated to be around 20 l/c.d. Residents are thus forced to rely on water vendors which supply water with a lower quality compared to municipal water while being 400% more expensive. As a cheaper and more reliable alternative, rainwater harvesting is a common practice in the area, with the majority of the households owning at least one cistern. Rainwater harvesting is of great socio-economic importance in areas where water sources are scarce or polluted. The quality of harvested rainwater used for drinking and domestic purposes in the Yatta area was assessed throughout a year long period. A total of 100 water samples were collected from (50 rainfed cisterns) with an average capacity of 69 m3, adjacent to cement-roof catchment with an average area of 145 m2. Samples were analyzed for a number of parameters including: pH, Alkalinity, Hardness, Turbidity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), NO3, NH4, chloride and salinity. Microbiological contents such as Total Coliforms (TC) and Fecal Coliforms (FC) bacteria were also analyzed. Results showed that most of the rainwater samples were within WHO and EPA guidelines set for chemical parameters while revealing biological contamination. The pH values of mixed water ranged from 6.9 to 8.74 with a mean value of 7.6. collected Rainwater had lower pH values than mixed water ranging from 7.00 to 7.57 with a mean of 7.21. Rainwater also had lower average values of conductivity (389.11 µScm-1) compared to that of mixed water (463.74 µScm-1) thus indicating lower values of salinity (0.75%). The largest TDS value measured in rainwater was 316 mg/l with a mean of 199.86 mg /l. As far as microbiological quality is concerned, TC and FC were detected in 99%, 52% of collected rainwater samples, respectively. The research also addressed the impact of different socio-economic attributes on rainwater harvesting using information collected through a survey from the area. Results indicated that the majority of homeowners have the primary knowledge necessary to collect and store water in cisterns. Most of the respondents clean both the cisterns and the catchment areas. However, the research also arrives at a conclusion that cleaning is not done in a proper manner. Results show that cisterns with an operating capacity of 69 m3 would provide sufficient water to get through the dry summer months. However, the catchment area must exceed 146 m2 to produce sufficient water to fill a cistern of this size in a year receiving average precipitation.Keywords: rainwater harvesting, runoff coefficient, water quality, microbiological contamination
Procedia PDF Downloads 28522411 Macrobenthic Fauna in the Intertidal Zone of Carmen, Agusan Del Norte
Authors: Maricris I. Abuan
Abstract:
This assessment of macrobenthic fauna found in the intertidal zone of Brgy. Poblacion, Carmen Agusan del Norte was conducted during the lowest tides of the month of June 2008. Transect-quadrat method was employed during the sampling. Twenty-transect lines were established in the area with lengths depending on the topography of the intertidal zone and were laid perpendicular to the shore, at intervals of fifty meters. Twenty-six (26) macrobenthic species with a total of seventy (70) individuals were identified in the study area. These species belong to the four Phyla -Arthropoda, Mollusca, Echinodermata and Annelida. The three most abundant macrobenthos were hermit crabs (Phylum Arthropoda) , Archaster typicus (Phylum Echinodermata), and Nassarius pullus (Phylum Mollusca). The diversity index value was 2.36. Most species exhibited random distribution And only few species had regular and clumped distribution. The pH, salinity, and sea water temperature readings were within the normal range. Results showed a very scarce macrobenthic species present in the study area.Keywords: diversity index, macrobenthic fauna, macrobenthos, phyla
Procedia PDF Downloads 32622410 Seismic Response of Belt Truss System in Regular RC Frame Structure at the Different Positions of the Storey
Authors: Mohd Raish Ansari, Tauheed Alam Khan
Abstract:
This research paper is a comparative study of the belt truss in the Regular RC frame structure at the different positions of the floor. The method used in this research is the response spectrum method with the help of the ETABS Software, there are six models in this paper with belt truss. The Indian standard code used in this work are IS 456:2000, IS 800:2007, IS 875 part-1, IS 875 part-1, and IS 1893 Part-1:2016. The cross-section of the belt truss is the I-section, a grade of steel that is made up of Mild Steel. The basic model in this research paper is the same, only position of the belt truss is going to change, and the dimension of the belt truss is remain constant for all models. The plan area of all models is 24.5 meters x 28 meters, and the model has G+20, where the height of the ground floor is 3.5 meters, and all floor height is 3.0 meters remains constant. This comparative research work selected some important seismic parameters to check the stability of all models, the parameters are base shear, fundamental period, storey overturning moment, and maximum storey displacement.Keywords: belt truss, RC frames structure, ETABS, response spectrum analysis, special moment resisting frame
Procedia PDF Downloads 9322409 Classification Based on Deep Neural Cellular Automata Model
Authors: Yasser F. Hassan
Abstract:
Deep learning structure is a branch of machine learning science and greet achievement in research and applications. Cellular neural networks are regarded as array of nonlinear analog processors called cells connected in a way allowing parallel computations. The paper discusses how to use deep learning structure for representing neural cellular automata model. The proposed learning technique in cellular automata model will be examined from structure of deep learning. A deep automata neural cellular system modifies each neuron based on the behavior of the individual and its decision as a result of multi-level deep structure learning. The paper will present the architecture of the model and the results of simulation of approach are given. Results from the implementation enrich deep neural cellular automata system and shed a light on concept formulation of the model and the learning in it.Keywords: cellular automata, neural cellular automata, deep learning, classification
Procedia PDF Downloads 19822408 Comparison of Wind Fragility for Window System in the Simplified 10 and 15-Story Building Considering Exposure Category
Authors: Viriyavudh Sim, WooYoung Jung
Abstract:
Window system in high rise building is occasionally subjected to an excessive wind intensity, particularly during typhoon. The failure of window system did not affect overall safety of structural performance; however, it could endanger the safety of the residents. In this paper, comparison of fragility curves for window system of two residential buildings was studied. The probability of failure for individual window was determined with Monte Carlo Simulation method. Then, lognormal cumulative distribution function was used to represent the fragility. The results showed that windows located on the edge of leeward wall were more susceptible to wind load and the probability of failure for each window panel increased at higher floors.Keywords: wind fragility, window system, high rise building, wind disaster
Procedia PDF Downloads 31422407 Astronomy in the Education Area: A Narrative Review
Authors: Isabella Lima Leite de Freitas
Abstract:
The importance of astronomy for humanity is unquestionable. Despite being a robust science, capable of bringing new discoveries every day and quickly increasing the ability of researchers to understand the universe more deeply, scientific research in this area can also help in various applications outside the domain of astronomy. The objective of this study was to review and conduct a descriptive analysis of published studies that presented the importance of astronomy in the area of education. A narrative review of the literature has been performed, considering the articles published in the last five years. As astronomy involves the study of physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and technology, one of the studies evaluated presented astronomy as the gateway to science, demonstrating the presence of astronomy in 52 school curricula in 37 countries, with celestial movement the dominant content area. Another intervention study, evaluating individuals aged 4-5 years, demonstrated that the attribution of personal characteristics to cosmic bodies, in addition to the use of comprehensive astronomy concepts, favored the learning of science in preschool-age children, considering the use of practical activities of accompaniment and free drawing. Aiming to measure scientific literacy, another study developed in Turkey, motivated the authorities of this country to change the teaching materials and curriculum of secondary schools after the term “astronomy” appeared as one of the most attractive subjects for young people aged 15 to 24. There are also reports in the literature of the use of pedagogical tools, such as the representation of the Solar System on a human scale, where students can walk along the orbits of the planets while studying the laws of dynamics. The use of this tool favored the teaching of the relationship between distance, duration and speed over the period of the planets, in addition to improving the motivation and well-being of students aged 14-16. An important impact of astronomy on education was demonstrated in the study that evaluated the participation of high school students in the Astronomical Olympiads and the International Astronomy Olympiad. The study concluded that these Olympics have considerable influence on students who pursue a career in teaching or research later on, many of whom are in the area of astronomy itself. In addition, the literature indicates that the teaching of astronomy in the digital age has facilitated the availability of data for researchers, but also for the general population. This fact can increase even more the curiosity that the astronomy area has always instilled in people and promote the dissemination of knowledge on an expanded scale. Currently, astronomy has been considered an important ally in strengthening the school curricula of children, adolescents and young adults. This has been used as teaching tools, in addition to being extremely useful for scientific literacy, being increasingly used in the area of education.Keywords: astronomy, education area, teaching, review
Procedia PDF Downloads 10422406 Optimization of Scheduling through Altering Layout Using Pro-Model
Authors: Zouhair Issa Ahmed, Ahmed Abdulrasool Ahmed, Falah Hassan Abdulsada
Abstract:
This paper presents a layout of a factory using Pro-Model simulation by choosing the best layout that gives the highest productivity and least work in process. The general problem is to find the best sequence in which jobs pass between the machines which are compatible with the technological constraints and optimal with respect to some performance criteria. The best simulation with Pro-Model program increased productivity and reduced work in process by balancing lines of production compared with the current layout of factory when productivity increased from 45 products to 180 products through 720 hours.Keywords: scheduling, Pro-Model, simulation, balancing lines of production, layout planning, WIP
Procedia PDF Downloads 63622405 Examination of Wall Art in Slums to Prevent Crime Case Study: Jabal Al-Natheef
Authors: Dana Jaber, Lilian Mansor, Lilan Al-Nablsi, Lujain Arabiat, Mariam Attoun
Abstract:
Preventing crime through environmental designs (CPTED) and situational crime prevention methods (SCP) are used to prevent crimes before they occur by anticipating people's actions and behavior in social situations. Many theories focused on wall art in preventing crimes, Graffiti, and situational crime prevention. The main aim of this research is to assess the wall art in slums and how it could avoid crimes by increasing surveillance by studying Jabal Al-Natheef—using a quantitative methodology to study the social life in the site and accumulate the intended actions to prevent crimes by using art. It was shown that the crimes in the area are severe, and they occur in slums due to the bad conditions, maintenance, and lack of surveillance. A finding of how people in the area would react to the art was a positive conclusion to how it could prevent the crimes. The research findings revealed that implementing wall art in slums would decrease the crimes in the area. This research concluded with a proposal to recommend implementing such skills to deter crimes.Keywords: CPTED, situational crime prevention, wall art, slums
Procedia PDF Downloads 8322404 Gender and Sustainable Rural Tourism: A Study into the Experiences and the Roles of Local Women in the Sundarbans Area of Bangladesh
Authors: Jakia Rajoana
Abstract:
The key aim of this research is to achieve Sustainable Rural Tourism (SRT) through women’s empowerment in the Sundarbans area of Bangladesh. Women in rural areas in developing countries depend on biomass for their survival and that of their family. Yet they have an unequal access to resources as well as decision making, thus making them more vulnerable to any changes in the environment. Women in the developing countries experience gender inequality which is culturally embedded resulting into women having less access to and control over financial and material resources, information, and also a lack of recognition of their contribution as compared to men. Their disadvantaged social position is augmented by their extreme poverty, little or no power they have over their own lives vis-à-vis the disproportionate burden they bear in reproduction and child-raising. Despite the significance of the need to pay attention to gender related issues in sustainable rural tourism (SRT), research remains rather scant. For instance, there is very little research that illustrates the role of women in tourism in the Sundarbans area. Thus empirically, this research seeks to fill a significant gap by focusing on rural areas and in particular focus on considerably under-researched area, namely the Sundarbans women’s role in tourism. In order to fully comprehend their experiences and life stories, this research will apply the empowerment theory and consider it along with the research on sustainable rural tourism. Since, women’s empowerment can act as a potential tool for SRT development and also examine the role tourism plays in the lives of Sundarbans’ women. Methodologically, this study will follow a qualitative research design using an ethnographic approach. Participant observation, semi- structured interviews, and documentation will be the primary data collection instruments in four communities – Shayamnagar, Koyra, Mongla and Sarankhola – in the Sundarbans area. It is hoped that by focusing on the life stories of these invisible women, research is better able to engage with nuances inherent in marginal and significantly under-researched communities.Keywords: gender, sustainable rural tourism, women empowerment, Sundarbans
Procedia PDF Downloads 29922403 Thriving Organisations: Recommendations to Create a Workplace Culture That Prioritises Both Well-being and Performance Equally
Authors: Clare Victoria Martin
Abstract:
With reports of increased mental health problems and a lack of proactive, consistent well-being initiatives, well-being is a topical issue in the workplace, as well as a wider public health concern. Additionally, workplace well-being is closely linked to performance, both from a business perspective and in psychological research. Businesses are therefore becoming increasingly motivated to promote well-being, yet there are still barriers, including a lack of evidence-based workplace interventions, issues with measuring effectiveness and problems creating lasting cultural change. This review aimed to collate workplace well-being research to propose a comprehensive new model for delivering evidence-based workplace well-being training with a real potential for lasting impact. Method: A narrative review was conducted to meta-synthesise relevant research. Thematic analysis was then adopted as a systematic method of identifying key themes from the review to lead to practical recommendations. Interventions focusing on strengths, psychological capital, mindfulness and positivity (SPMP) dominated the research in this area, suggesting benefits of incorporating all four into training. However, to avoid a ‘quick fix’ mentality, the concept of training ‘well-being ambassadors’ as a preventative counterpart to mental health ‘first aiders’ was proposed alongside a new ‘REST and RISE’ model: well-being interventions should be ‘relatable’, ‘enjoyable’, ‘sociable’ and ‘trackable’ (REST) in order to increase ‘resilience’, ‘innovation’, ‘strengths’ and ‘engagement’ (RISE). If the REST principles are applied to interventions focusing on SPMP, research suggests individuals will RISE. Future research should empirically test this new well-being ambassador programme and REST/RISE model in an applied setting.Keywords: performance, positive psychology, thriving, workplace well-being
Procedia PDF Downloads 11622402 Risk Assessment of Natural Gas Pipelines in Coal Mined Gobs Based on Bow-Tie Model and Cloud Inference
Authors: Xiaobin Liang, Wei Liang, Laibin Zhang, Xiaoyan Guo
Abstract:
Pipelines pass through coal mined gobs inevitably in the mining area, the stability of which has great influence on the safety of pipelines. After extensive literature study and field research, it was found that there are a few risk assessment methods for coal mined gob pipelines, and there is a lack of data on the gob sites. Therefore, the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method is widely used based on expert opinions. However, the subjective opinions or lack of experience of individual experts may lead to inaccurate evaluation results. Hence the accuracy of the results needs to be further improved. This paper presents a comprehensive approach to achieve this purpose by combining bow-tie model and cloud inference. The specific evaluation process is as follows: First, a bow-tie model composed of a fault tree and an event tree is established to graphically illustrate the probability and consequence indicators of pipeline failure. Second, the interval estimation method can be scored in the form of intervals to improve the accuracy of the results, and the censored mean algorithm is used to remove the maximum and minimum values of the score to improve the stability of the results. The golden section method is used to determine the weight of the indicators and reduce the subjectivity of index weights. Third, the failure probability and failure consequence scores of the pipeline are converted into three numerical features by using cloud inference. The cloud inference can better describe the ambiguity and volatility of the results which can better describe the volatility of the risk level. Finally, the cloud drop graphs of failure probability and failure consequences can be expressed, which intuitively and accurately illustrate the ambiguity and randomness of the results. A case study of a coal mine gob pipeline carrying natural gas has been investigated to validate the utility of the proposed method. The evaluation results of this case show that the probability of failure of the pipeline is very low, the consequences of failure are more serious, which is consistent with the reality.Keywords: bow-tie model, natural gas pipeline, coal mine gob, cloud inference
Procedia PDF Downloads 25022401 Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Ground Water in the Coastal Part of Cauvery Deltaic Region, South India
Authors: Gnanachandrasamy G., Zhou Y., Ramkumar T., Venkatramanan S., Wang S., Mo Liping, Jingru Zhang
Abstract:
In order to assess the heavy metal contamination totally fourty five groundwater samples were collected from the coastal part of Cauvery deltaic region, South India, during monsoon season in the year of 2017. The study area lies between longitudes 79º15’ to 79º 50’ E and latitudes 10º10’ to 11º20’ N with total area of 2,569 km². The concentration of As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The heavy metals ranged between 0.007-117.8 µg/l for As, 8.503-1281 µg/l for Ba, 0.006-0.12 µg/l for Cd, 0.23-5.572µg/l for Cr, 0.44-17.9 µg/l for Co, 0.633-11.56 µg/l for Cu, 0.467-29.34 µg/l for Ni, 0.008-5.756 µg/l for Pb, 0.979 to 45.49 µg/l for Se, and 2.712-10480 µg/l for Zn in the groundwaters. A comparison of heavy metal concentration with WHO and BIS drinking water standards shows that Ni, Zn, As, Se, and Ba level is higher than the drinking water standards in some of the groundwater samples, and the concentrations of all the other heavy metals were lower than the drinking water standards. The present levels of heavy metal concentration in the studied area groundwaters are moderate to severe to public health and environmental concerns and need attention.Keywords: cauvery delta, drinking water, groundwater, heavy metals
Procedia PDF Downloads 34522400 Impact Factor Analysis for Spatially Varying Aerosol Optical Depth in Wuhan Agglomeration
Authors: Wenting Zhang, Shishi Liu, Peihong Fu
Abstract:
As an indicator of air quality and directly related to concentration of ground PM2.5, the spatial-temporal variation and impact factor analysis of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) have been a hot spot in air pollution. This paper concerns the non-stationarity and the autocorrelation (with Moran’s I index of 0.75) of the AOD in Wuhan agglomeration (WHA), in central China, uses the geographically weighted regression (GRW) to identify the spatial relationship of AOD and its impact factors. The 3 km AOD product of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) is used in this study. Beyond the economic-social factor, land use density factors, vegetable cover, and elevation, the landscape metric is also considered as one factor. The results suggest that the GWR model is capable of dealing with spatial varying relationship, with R square, corrected Akaike Information Criterion (AICc) and standard residual better than that of ordinary least square (OLS) model. The results of GWR suggest that the urban developing, forest, landscape metric, and elevation are the major driving factors of AOD. Generally, the higher AOD trends to located in the place with higher urban developing, less forest, and flat area.Keywords: aerosol optical depth, geographically weighted regression, land use change, Wuhan agglomeration
Procedia PDF Downloads 35722399 Commercial Automobile Insurance: A Practical Approach of the Generalized Additive Model
Authors: Nicolas Plamondon, Stuart Atkinson, Shuzi Zhou
Abstract:
The insurance industry is usually not the first topic one has in mind when thinking about applications of data science. However, the use of data science in the finance and insurance industry is growing quickly for several reasons, including an abundance of reliable customer data, ferocious competition requiring more accurate pricing, etc. Among the top use cases of data science, we find pricing optimization, customer segmentation, customer risk assessment, fraud detection, marketing, and triage analytics. The objective of this paper is to present an application of the generalized additive model (GAM) on a commercial automobile insurance product: an individually rated commercial automobile. These are vehicles used for commercial purposes, but for which there is not enough volume to apply pricing to several vehicles at the same time. The GAM model was selected as an improvement over GLM for its ease of use and its wide range of applications. The model was trained using the largest split of the data to determine model parameters. The remaining part of the data was used as testing data to verify the quality of the modeling activity. We used the Gini coefficient to evaluate the performance of the model. For long-term monitoring, commonly used metrics such as RMSE and MAE will be used. Another topic of interest in the insurance industry is to process of producing the model. We will discuss at a high level the interactions between the different teams with an insurance company that needs to work together to produce a model and then monitor the performance of the model over time. Moreover, we will discuss the regulations in place in the insurance industry. Finally, we will discuss the maintenance of the model and the fact that new data does not come constantly and that some metrics can take a long time to become meaningful.Keywords: insurance, data science, modeling, monitoring, regulation, processes
Procedia PDF Downloads 7622398 The Checkout and Separation of Environmental Hazards of the Range Overlooking the Meshkin City
Authors: F. Esfandyari Darabad, Z. Samadi
Abstract:
Natural environments have always been affected by one of the most important natural hazards, which is called, the mass movements that cause instability. Identifying the unstable regions and separating them so as to detect and determine the risk of environmental factors is one of the important issues in mountainous areas development. In this study, the northwest of Sabalan hillsides overlooking the Meshkin city and the surrounding area of that have been delimitated, in order to analyze the range processes such as landslides and debris flows based on structural and geomorphological conditions, by means of using GIS. This area due to the high slope of the hillsides and height of the region and the poor localization of roads and so because of them destabilizing the ranges own an inappropriate situation. This study is done with the purpose of identifying the effective factors in the range motion and determining the areas with high potential for zoning these movements by using GIS. The results showed that the most common range movements in the area, are debris flows, rocks falling and landslides. The effective factors in each one of the mass movements, considering a small amount of weight for each factor, the weight map of each factor and finally, the map of risk zoning for the range movements were provided. Based on the zoning map resulted in the study area, the risking level of damaging has specified into the four zones of very high risk, high risk, medium risk, low risk, in which areas with very high and high risk are settled near the road and along the Khyav river and in the mountainous district.Keywords: debris flow, environmental hazards, GIS, landslide
Procedia PDF Downloads 52522397 Digital Structural Monitoring Tools @ADaPT for Cracks Initiation and Growth due to Mechanical Damage Mechanism
Authors: Faizul Azly Abd Dzubir, Muhammad F. Othman
Abstract:
Conventional structural health monitoring approach for mechanical equipment uses inspection data from Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) during plant shut down window and fitness for service evaluation to estimate the integrity of the equipment that is prone to crack damage. Yet, this forecast is fraught with uncertainty because it is often based on assumptions of future operational parameters, and the prediction is not continuous or online. Advanced Diagnostic and Prognostic Technology (ADaPT) uses Acoustic Emission (AE) technology and a stochastic prognostic model to provide real-time monitoring and prediction of mechanical defects or cracks. The forecast can help the plant authority handle their cracked equipment before it ruptures, causing an unscheduled shutdown of the facility. The ADaPT employs process historical data trending, finite element analysis, fitness for service, and probabilistic statistical analysis to develop a prediction model for crack initiation and growth due to mechanical damage. The prediction model is combined with live equipment operating data for real-time prediction of the remaining life span owing to fracture. ADaPT was devised at a hot combined feed exchanger (HCFE) that had suffered creep crack damage. The ADaPT tool predicts the initiation of a crack at the top weldment area by April 2019. During the shutdown window in April 2019, a crack was discovered and repaired. Furthermore, ADaPT successfully advised the plant owner to run at full capacity and improve output by up to 7% by April 2019. ADaPT was also used on a coke drum that had extensive fatigue cracking. The initial cracks are declared safe with ADaPT, with remaining crack lifetimes extended another five (5) months, just in time for another planned facility downtime to execute repair. The prediction model, when combined with plant information data, allows plant operators to continuously monitor crack propagation caused by mechanical damage for improved maintenance planning and to avoid costly shutdowns to repair immediately.Keywords: mechanical damage, cracks, continuous monitoring tool, remaining life, acoustic emission, prognostic model
Procedia PDF Downloads 7722396 Form of Distribution of Traffic Accident and Environment Factors of Road Affecting of Traffic Accident in Dusit District, Only Area Responsible of Samsen Police Station
Authors: Musthaya Patchanee
Abstract:
This research aimed to study form of traffic distribution and environmental factors of road that affect traffic accidents in Dusit District, only areas responsible of Samsen Police Station. Data used in this analysis is the secondary data of traffic accident case from year 2011. Observed area units are 15 traffic lines that are under responsible of Samsen Police Station. Technique and method used are the Cartographic Method, the Correlation Analysis, and the Multiple Regression Analysis. The results of form of traffic accidents show that, the Samsen Road area had most traffic accidents (24.29%), second was Rachvithi Road (18.10%), third was Sukhothai Road (15.71%), fourth was Rachasrima Road (12.38%), and fifth was Amnuaysongkram Road (7.62%). The result from Dusit District, only areas responsible of Samsen police station, has suggested that the scale of accidents have high positive correlation with statistic significant at level 0.05 and the frequency of travel (r=0.857). Traffic intersection point (r=0.763)and traffic control equipments (r=0.713) are relevant factors respectively. By using the Multiple Regression Analysis, travel frequency is the only one that has considerable influences on traffic accidents in Dusit district only Samsen Police Station area. Also, a factor in frequency of travel can explain the change in traffic accidents scale to 73.40 (R2 = 0.734). By using the Multiple regression summation from analysis was Y ̂=-7.977+0.044X6.Keywords: form of traffic distribution, environmental factors of road, traffic accidents, Dusit district
Procedia PDF Downloads 39122395 Affordable Aerodynamic Balance for Instrumentation in a Wind Tunnel Using Arduino
Authors: Pedro Ferreira, Alexandre Frugoli, Pedro Frugoli, Lucio Leonardo, Thais Cavalheri
Abstract:
The teaching of fluid mechanics in engineering courses is, in general, a source of great difficulties for learning. The possibility of the use of experiments with didactic wind tunnels can facilitate the education of future professionals. The objective of this proposal is the development of a low-cost aerodynamic balance to be used in a didactic wind tunnel. The set is comprised of an Arduino microcontroller, programmed by an open source software, linked to load cells built by students from another project. The didactic wind tunnel is 5,0m long and the test area is 90,0 cm x 90,0 cm x 150,0 cm. The Weq® electric motor, model W-22 of 9,2 HP, moves a fan with nine blades, each blade 32,0 cm long. The Weq® frequency inverter, model WEGCFW 08 (Vector Inverter) is responsible for wind speed control and also for the motor inversion of the rotational direction. A flat-convex profile prototype of airfoil was tested by measuring the drag and lift forces for certain attack angles; the air flux conditions remained constant, monitored by a Pitot tube connected to a EXTECH® Instruments digital pressure differential manometer Model HD755. The results indicate a good agreement with the theory. The choice of all of the components of this proposal resulted in a low-cost product providing a high level of specific knowledge of mechanics of fluids, which may be a good alternative to teaching in countries with scarce educational resources. The system also allows the expansion to measure other parameters like fluid velocity, temperature, pressure as well as the possibility of automation of other functions.Keywords: aerodynamic balance, wind tunnel, strain gauge, load cell, Arduino, low-cost education
Procedia PDF Downloads 445