Search results for: technological diffusion

Authors: Ayesha Khatun

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In 21st century where markets are unstable, technologies rapidly proliferate, competitors multiply, products and services become obsolete almost overnight and customers demand low cost high value product, leveraging and harnessing knowledge is not just a potential source of competitive advantage rather a necessity in technology based and information intensive industries. Knowledge management focuses on leveraging the available knowledge and sharing the same among the individuals in the organization so that the employees can make best use of it towards achieving the organizational goals. Knowledge is not a discrete object. It is embedded in people and so difficult to transfer outside the immediate context that it becomes a major competitive advantage. However, internal transfer of knowledge among the employees is essential to maximize the use of knowledge available in the organization in an unstructured manner. But as knowledge is the source of competitive advantage for the organization it is also the source of competitive advantage for the individuals. People think that knowledge is power and sharing the same may lead to lose the competitive position. Moreover, the very nature of tacit knowledge poses many difficulties in sharing the same. But sharing tacit knowledge is the vital part of knowledge management process because it is the tacit knowledge which is inimitable. Knowledge management has been made synonymous with the use of software and technology leading to the management of explicit knowledge only ignoring personal interaction and forming of informal networks which are considered as the most successful means of sharing tacit knowledge. Factors responsible for effective sharing of tacit knowledge are grouped into –individual, organizational and technological factors. Different factors under each category have been identified. Creating a positive organizational culture, encouraging personal interaction, practicing reward system are some of the strategies that can help to overcome many of the barriers to effective sharing of tacit knowledge. Methodology applied here is completely secondary. Extensive review of relevant literature has been undertaken for the purpose.

Keywords: knowledge, tacit knowledge, knowledge management, sustainable competitive advantage, organization, knowledge sharing

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Authors: Samiyah Tasleem, Muhammad Abdul Haq, Syed Baqir Shyum Naqvi, Muhammad Abid Husnain, Sajjad Haider Naqvi

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The objective of the present study was: a) to investigate the antimicrobial activity of honey samples of different floral sources of Pakistan, b) to recover the phenolic acids in them as a possible contributing factor of antimicrobial activity. Six honey samples from different floral sources, namely: Trachysperm copticum, Acacia species, Helianthus annuus, Carissa opaca, Zizyphus and Magnifera indica were used. The antimicrobial activity was investigated by the disc diffusion method against eight freshly isolated clinical isolates (Staphylococci aureus, Staphylococci epidermidis, Streptococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris and Candida albicans). Antimicrobial activity of honey was compared with five commercial antibiotics, namely: doxycycline (DO-30ug/mL), oxytetracycline (OT-30ug/mL), clarithromycin (CLR–15ug/mL), moxifloxacin (MXF-5ug/mL) and nystatin (NT – 100 UT). The fractions responsible for antimicrobial activity were extracted using ethyl acetate. Solid phase extraction (SPE) was used to recover the phenolic acids of honey samples. Identification was carried out via High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The results indicated that antimicrobial activity was present in all honey samples and found comparable to the antibiotics used in the study. In the microbiological assay, the ethyl acetate honey extract was found to exhibit a very promising antimicrobial activity against all the microorganisms tested, indicating the existence of phenolic compounds. Six phenolic acids, namely: gallic, caffeic, ferulic, vanillic, benzoic and cinnamic acids were identified besides some unknown substance by HPLC. In conclusion, Pakistani honey samples showed a broad spectrum antibacterial and promising antifungal activity. Identification of six different phenolic acids showed that Pakistani honey samples are rich sources of phenolic compounds that could be the contributing factor of antimicrobial activity.

Keywords: Pakistani honey, antimicrobial activity, Phenolic acids eg.gallic, caffeic, ferulic, vanillic, benzoic and cinnamic acids

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Authors: Abhivardhan, Ritu Agarwal

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The role of entrepreneurial ethics is connected with materializing the core components of human life, and the flexible and gullible attributions dominate the materialization of human lifestyle and outreach in the age of the internet and globalization. One of the key bi-products of the age of information – Artificial Intelligence has become a relevant mechanism to materialize and understand human empathy and originality via various algorithmic policing methodologies with specific intricacies. Since it has a special connection with ethnocentrism – it has the potential to influence the approach of international law and politics owed to the rise of and approach towards perception and communication via populism in progressive and third world countries. The paper argues about the cultural persona of artificial intelligence, and its ontological resemblance in human life is connected with the ethnocentric treatment of cyberspace, with an analysis of the influence of the ethics of entrepreneurship in international politics. The paper further provides an analysis of fake news and misinformation as the sub-strata of communication strategies involving populism determined as a communication strategy and about the legal case of constitutional redemption in recent legislative developments in Europe, the U.S, and Asia with reference to certain important strategies, policy documentation, declarations, and legal instruments. The paper concludes that the capillaries of the anthropomorphic developments of cultural perception via towards artificial intelligence have a hidden and unstable connection with the common approach of entrepreneurial ethics, which influences populism to disrupt the peaceful order of international politics via some minor backlashes in the technological, legal and social realm of human life. Suggestions with the conclusion are hereby provided.

Keywords: ethnocentrism, perception politics, populism, international law, slacktivism, artificial intelligence ethics, enculturation

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Authors: L. Krpalkova, N. O' Mahony, A. Carvalho, S. Campbell, G. Corkery, E. Broderick, J. Walsh

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Farm management and operations will drastically change due to access to real-time data, real-time forecasting, and tracking of physical items in combination with Internet of Things developments to further automate farm operations. Dairy farms have embraced technological innovations and procured vast amounts of permanent data streams during the past decade; however, the integration of this information to improve the whole farm-based management and decision-making does not exist. It is now imperative to develop a system that can collect, integrate, manage, and analyse on-farm and off-farm data in real-time for practical and relevant environmental and economic actions. The developed systems, based on machine learning and artificial intelligence, need to be connected for useful output, a better understanding of the whole farming issue, and environmental impact. Evolutionary computing can be very effective in finding the optimal combination of sets of some objects and, finally, in strategy determination. The system of the future should be able to manage the dairy farm as well as an experienced dairy farm manager with a team of the best agricultural advisors. All these changes should bring resilience and sustainability to dairy farming as well as improving and maintaining good animal welfare and the quality of dairy products. This review aims to provide an insight into the state-of-the-art of big data applications and evolutionary computing in relation to smart dairy farming and identify the most important research and development challenges to be addressed in the future. Smart dairy farming influences every area of management, and its uptake has become a continuing trend.

Keywords: big data, evolutionary computing, cloud, precision technologies

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Authors: Pui-Lai To, Chechen Liao, Ming-Chi Sung

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Work and family life are the most important areas for men and women today. Every professional is required to meet and fulfill the responsibilities of work and family roles. Although the development and popularity of communication technology bring a lot of benefits, including effective and efficient communication, may also generate conflicts between work and family life. Since mobile devices and the applications of mobile devices, such as instant messages, are ubiquitous, the boundaries of work and family roles are increasingly blurred. Professionals may be in the risk of work over-loading and work-family conflict. This study examines the impact of work stress on professionals’ life and health in the context of instant messaging application of smart phone. This study uses a web-based questionnaire to collect samples. The questionnaires are sent via virtual community sites, instant messaging applications, and e-mail. The study develops and empirically validates a work-family conflict model by integrating the pressure theory and technostress factors. The causal relationship between variables in the research model is tested. In terms of data analysis, Partial Least Square (PLS) in Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used for sample analysis and research model testing. The results of this study are as follows. First, both the variables of work-related stress and technological violations positively affect the work-family conflict. Second, both the variables of work-loading and technology-overloading have no effect on work-family conflict. Third, work-family conflict has negative effect on job satisfaction, family satisfaction, physical health, and mental health.

Keywords: mental health, physical health, technostress, work-family conflict, work-related stress

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Authors: E. Er, Y. S. Cheng

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The role of parents and caregivers in their children’s education is pivotal. Parental involvement (PI) is often associated with a range of student outcomes. This includes academic achievements, socioemotional development, adaptive skills, physical fitness and school attendance. This study is the first in Singapore to (1) explore the relationship between parental involvement and student outcomes; (2) determine the effects of family structure and socioeconomic status (SES) on parental involvement and (3) investigate factors that inform involvement in parents of children with specific developmental disabilities. Approval for the study was obtained from Nanyang Technological University’s Institutional Review Board in Singapore. The revised version of a comprehensive theoretical model on parental involvement was used as the theoretical framework in this study. Parents were recruited from a SPED school in Singapore which caters to school-aged children (7 to 21 years old). Pearson’s product moment correlation, analysis of variance and multiple regression analyses were used as statistical techniques in this study. Results indicate that there are significant associations between parental involvement and educational outcomes in students with developmental disabilities. Next, SES has a significant impact on levels of parental involvement. In addition, parents in the current study reported being more involved at home, in school activities and the community, when teachers specifically requested their involvement. Home-based involvement was also predicted by parents’ perceptions of their time and energy, efficacy and beliefs in supporting their child’s education, as well as their children’s invitations to be more involved. An interesting and counterintuitive inverse relationship was found between general school invitations and parental involvement at home. Research findings are further discussed, and suggestions are put forth to increase involvement for this specific group of parents.

Keywords: autism, developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, parental involvement, Singapore

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Authors: Begum Serim-Yildiz

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The aim of this study is to examine the role of parents' emotional and behavioral reactions on fears of children in the COVID-19 pandemic considering Rachman’s Three Pathways Theory. For this purpose, a phenomenological qualitative study was conducted. Thirteen participants living with their children were utilized through criterion and snowball sampling. In semi-structured interviews parents were asked about their own and their children’s beahavioral and emotional reactions in the COVID-19 pandemic, and they were expected to give detailed information about fears of their children before and in pandemic. Firstly, parents were asked about their behavioral and emotional reactions in the COVID-19 pandemic. As behavioral reactions, precautions taken by parents to protect the rest of the family from negative physical and emotional impact of the pandemic were mentioned, while emotional reactions were defined as acquisition of negative emotions like fear, anxiety, and worry. Secondly, parents were asked about their children’s behavioral and emotional reactions. Some of the parents talked about positive behavioral changes such as gaining self-control, while some others explained negative behavioral changes like increased time spent with technological tools. In the emotional changes section, all of the parents explained at least one negative emotion. All of the parents stated that their children had COVID-19 related fears. According to parents’ expressions, fears of children in pandemic were examined in two dimensions. Fears directly related to COVID-19 were fear of virus/microbes, illness or death of someone in family and death and fears. Fears indirectly related to COVID-19 were fear of going out, sleep alone at night, separation, touching stuff outside the home, and cold. Considering existing literature and based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that children’s modelling experiences have impact on acquisition of negative emotions, especially fear, therefore, preventive interventions involving caregivers should be provided by mental health professionals working with children.

Keywords: children’s fears, COVID-19 pandemic, modelling experiences, parents’ reactions

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Authors: Jelena Filipović, Milenko Košutić, Vladimir Filipović

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In the last decades urban population is characterized by sedentary lifestyles, low physical activity and "fast food". These changes in diet and physical non activity have been associated with the increase of chronic non diseases. Bread is one of the most popularly wheat products consumed worldwide. Spelt wheat has shown potential in various food applications, including bread, pasta, breakfast cereal and other products of altered nutritional characteristics compared to conventional wheat products. It has very high protein content and even 30 to 60% higher concentration of mineral elements Fe, Zn, Cu, Mg and P compared to Triticum Aestivum. Spelt wheat is growing without the use of pesticides in harsh ecological conditions and it is an old cultivar. So it can be used for organic and health safe food. Changes in the formulation of bread with the aim to improve their nutritional and functional properties usually lead to changes in the dough properties which is related reflected to the quality of the finished product. The aim of this paper is researching the impact of adding yeast extract to bread on sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance of a new product as a key factor for successful marketing of a new product. The sensory analysis of bread with 5% yeast extract is as follows: the technological quality is very good (3.8) and the color of the product is excellent (4.85). Based on data consumers survey declared that they liked the taste of bread with 5% yeast extract (74%), consumers marked the product as likeable (70%), and 75% of the total number of respondents would buy this new product. This paper is promoting a new type of bread with 5% yeast extract (Z score 0.80) to improve diet and novel functional product which intended for consumers conscious about their health and diet.

Keywords: bread, yeast extract, sensory analysis, consumer survey, score analysis Z

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Authors: Matthias Stange

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Architectural visualization has been practiced for as long as there have been buildings. Visualization (lat.: visibilis "visible") generally refers to bringing abstract data and relationships into a graphically, visually comprehensible form. Particularly, visualization refers to the process of translating relationships that are difficult to formulate linguistically or logically into visual media (e.g., drawings or models) to make them comprehensible. Building owners have always been interested in knowing how their building will look before it is built. In the empirical part of this study, the roots of architectural visualization are examined, starting from the ancient civilizations to the end of the Roman Empire. Extensive literature research on architectural theory and architectural history forms the basis for this analysis. The focus of the analysis is basic research from the emergence of the first two-dimensional drawings in the Neolithic period to the triggers of significant further developments of architectural representation, as well as their importance for subsequent methods and the transmission of knowledge over the following epochs. The analysis focuses on the development of analog methods of representation from the first Neolithic house floor plans to the Greek detailed stone models and paper drawings in the Roman Empire. In particular, the question of socio-cultural, socio-political, and economic changes as possible triggers for the development of representational media and methods will be analyzed. The study has shown that the development of visual building representation has been driven by scientific, technological, and social developments since the emergence of the first civilizations more than 6000 years ago first by the change in human’s subsistence strategy, from food appropriation by hunting and gathering to food production by agriculture and livestock, and the sedentary lifestyle required for this.

Keywords: ancient Greece, ancient orient, Roman Empire, architectural visualization

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Authors: Deepa Kundu, Prabhakar Sharma, Sayan Bhattacharya, Jianying Shang

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The discharge of dye-containing effluents in the water bodies has raised concern due to the potential hazards related to their toxicity in the environment. There are various treatment technologies available for the removal of dyes from wastewaters. The use of biosorbent to remove dyes from wastewater is one of the effective and inexpensive techniques. In the study, the adsorption of phenothiazine dye methylene blue onto biosorbent prepared from Lantana camara L. has been studied in aqueous solutions. The batch adsorption experiments were conducted and the effects of various parameters such as pH (3-12), contact time, adsorbent dose (100-400 mg/L), initial dye concentration (5-20 mg/L), and temperature (303, 313 and 323 K) were investigated. The prepared leaf (BCL600) and shoot (BCS600) biochar of Lantana were characterized using FTIR, SEM, elemental analysis, and zeta potential (pH~7). A comparison between the adsorption potential of both the biosorbent was also evaluated. The results indicated that the amount of methylene blue dye (mg/g) adsorbed onto the surface of biochar was highly dependent on the pH of the dye solutions as it increased with an increase in pH from 3 to 12. It was observed that the dye treated with BCS600 and BCL600 attained an equilibrium within 60 and 100 minutes, respectively. The rate of the adsorption process was determined by performing the Lagergren pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetics. It was found that dye treated with both BCS600 and BCL600 followed pseudo-second-order kinetics implying the multi-step nature of the adsorption process involving external adsorption and diffusion of dye molecules into the interior of the adsorbents. The data obtained from batch experiments were fitted well with Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms (R² > 0.98) to indicate the multilayer adsorption of dye over the biochar surfaces. The thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption process is favourable, spontaneous, and endothermic in nature. Based on the results, the inexpensive and easily available Lantana camara biomass can be used to remove methylene blue dye from wastewater. It can also help in managing the growth of the notorious weed in the environment.

Keywords: adsorption kinetics, biochar, Lantana camara, methylene blue dye, possible mechanism, thermodynamics

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Authors: John Lloyd Angolluan, Jennile Caday, Crystal Mae Estrella, Reike Alliyah Taladua, Zion Michael Ysulat

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One of the requirements of having the ability to communicate in English is by having adequate vocabulary. Nowadays, people are more engaged in watching movie streams on which they can watch movies in a very portable way, such as Netflix. Wherein Netflix became global demand for online media has taken off in recent years. This research aims to know whether the use of bimodal subtitles on Netflix English movies can enhance vocabulary. This study is quantitative and utilizes a descriptive method, and this study aims to explore the use of bimodal subtitles on Netflix English movies to enhance the vocabulary of students. The respondents of the study were the selected Second-year English majors of Rizal Technological University Pasig and Boni Campus using the purposive sampling technique. The researcher conducted a survey questionnaire through the use of Google Forms. In this study, the weighted mean was used to evaluate the student's responses to the statement of the problems of the study of the use of bimodal subtitles on Netflix English movies. The findings of this study revealed that the bimodal subtitle on Netflix English movies enhanced students’ vocabulary learning acquisition by providing learners with access to large amounts of real and comprehensible language input, whether accidentally or intentionally, and it turns out that bimodal subtitles on Netflix English movies help students recognize vocabulary, which has a positive impact on their vocabulary building. Therefore, the researchers advocate that watching English Netflix movies enhances students' vocabulary by using bimodal subtitled movie material during their language learning process, which may increase their motivation and the usage of bimodal subtitles in learning new vocabulary. Bimodal subtitles need to be incorporated into educational film activities to provide students with a vast amount of input to expand their vocabulary.

Keywords: bimodal subtitles, Netflix, English movies, vocabulary, subtitle, language, media

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Authors: Aylin Mohammadalipour Tofighi

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Marine-based geoengineering methods, proposed to mitigate climate change, operate primarily through two mechanisms: reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and diminishing solar absorption by the oceans. While these approaches promise beneficial outcomes, they are fraught with environmental, legal, ethical, and political challenges, necessitating robust international governance. This paper underscores the critical role of international cooperation within the governance framework, offering a focused analysis of existing international environmental mechanisms applicable to marine-based geoengineering governance. It evaluates the efficacy and limitations of current international legal structures, including treaties and organizations, in managing marine-based geoengineering, noting significant gaps such as the absence of specific regulations, dedicated international entities, and explicit governance mechanisms such as monitoring. To rectify these problems, the paper advocates for concrete steps to bolster international cooperation. These include the formulation of dedicated marine-based geoengineering guidelines within international agreements, the establishment of specialized supervisory entities, and the promotion of transparent, global consensus-building. These recommendations aim to foster governance that is environmentally sustainable, ethically sound, and politically feasible, thereby enhancing knowledge exchange, spurring innovation, and advancing the development of marine-based geoengineering approaches. This study emphasizes the importance of collaborative approaches in managing the complexities of marine-based geoengineering, contributing significantly to the discourse on international environmental governance in the face of rapid climate and technological changes.

Keywords: climate change, environmental law, international cooperation, international governance, international law, marine-based geoengineering, marine law, regulatory frameworks

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Authors: Alma Lucero Ortiz, Mario Gomez

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Technological advances contribute to the well-being of humanity by allowing man to perform in a more efficient way. Technology offers tangible advantages to countries with the adoption of information technologies, communication, and the Internet in all social and productive sectors. The Internet is a networking infrastructure that allows the communication of people throughout the world, exceeding the limits of time and space. Nowadays the internet has changed the way of doing business leading to a digital economy. In this way, e-commerce has emerged as a commercial transaction conducted over the Internet. For this inquiry e-commerce is seen as a source of economic growth for the country. Thereby, these research aims to answer the research question, which are the main variables that have affected the development of e-commerce in Mexico. The research includes a period of study from 1990 to 2017. This inquiry aims to get insight on how the independent variables influence the e-commerce development. The independent variables are information infrastructure construction, urbanization level, economic level, technology level, human capital level, educational level, standards of living, and price index. The results suggest that the independent variables have an impact on development of the e-commerce in Mexico. The present study is carried out in five parts. After the introduction, in the second part, a literature review about the main qualitative and quantitative studies to measure the variables subject to the study is presented. After, an empirical study is applied through time series data, and to process the data an econometric model is performed. In the fourth part, the analysis and discussion of results are presented, and finally, some conclusions are included.

Keywords: digital economy, e-commerce, econometric model, economic growth, internet

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Authors: Violet Justine Mtonga, Cecilia Diaz

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this paper explores the prevalence of loyalty programs in the UK gambling industry and their association with unintended consequences and harm amongst program members. The use of loyalty programs within the UK gambling industry has risen significantly with over 40 million cards in circulation. Some research suggests that as of 2013-2014, nearly 95% of UK consumers have at least one loyalty card with 78% being members of two or more programs, and the average household possesses ‘22 loyalty programs’, nearly half of which tend to be used actively. The core design of loyalty programs is to create a relational ‘win-win’ approach where value is jointly created between the parties involved through repetitive engagement. However, main concern about the diffusion of gambling organisations’ loyalty programs amongst consumers, might be the use by the organisations within the gambling industry to over influence customer engagement and potentially cause unintended harm. To help understand the complex phenomena of the diffusions and adaptation of the use of loyalty programs in the gambling industry, and the potential unintended outcomes, this study is theoretically underpinned by the social exchange theory of relationships entrenched in the processes of social exchanges of resources, rewards, and costs for long-term interactions and mutual benefits. Qualitative data were collected via in-depth interviews from 14 customers and 12 employees within the UK land-based gambling firms. Data were analysed using a combination of thematic and clustering analysis to help reveal and discover the emerging themes regarding the use of loyalty cards for gambling companies and exploration of subgroups within the sample. The study’s results indicate that there are different unintended consequences and harm of loyalty program engagement and usage such as maladaptive gambling behaviours, risk of compulsiveness, and loyalty programs promoting gambling from home. Furthermore, there is a strong indication of a rite of passage among loyalty program members. There is also strong evidence to support other unfavorable behaviors such as amplified gambling habits and risk-taking practices. Additionally, in pursuit of rewards, loyalty program incentives effectuate overconsumption and heighten expenditure. Overall, the primary findings of this study show that loyalty programs in the gambling industry should be designed with an ethical perspective and practice.

Keywords: gambling, loyalty programs, social exchange theory, unintended harm

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Authors: Ginevra Addis

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The possibility of reproducing physical artifacts in a digital format is one of the opportunities offered by the technological advancements in information and communication most frequently promoted by museums. Indeed, the study and conservation of our cultural heritage have seen significant advancement due to the three-dimensional acquisition and modeling technology. A variety of laser scanning systems has been developed, based either on optical triangulation or on time-of-flight measurement, capable of producing digital 3D images of complex structures with high resolution and accuracy. It is necessary, however, to explore the challenges and opportunities that this practice brings within museums. The purpose of this paper is to understand what change is introduced by digital techniques in those museums that are hosting digital masterpieces. The methodology used will investigate three distinguished Italian exhibitions, related to the territory of Milan, trying to analyze the following issues about museum practices: 1) how digitizing art masterpieces increases the number of visitors; 2) what the need that calls for the digitization of artworks; 3) which techniques are most used; 4) what the setting is; 5) the consequences of a non-publication of hard copies of catalogues; 6) envision of these practices in the future. Findings will show how interconnection plays an important role in rebuilding a collection spread all over the world. Secondly how digital artwork duplication and extension of reality entail new forms of accessibility. Thirdly, that collection and preservation through digitization of images have both a social and educational mission. Fourthly, that convergence of the properties of different media (such as web, radio) is key to encourage people to get actively involved in digital exhibitions. The present analysis will suggest further research that should create museum models and interaction spaces that act as catalysts for innovation.

Keywords: digital masterpieces, education, interconnection, Italian museums, preservation

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Authors: Manisha Choudhary, Sudarsan Neogi

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Malachite green (MG), an organic basic dye, has been widely used for the dyeing purpose, as well as a fungicide and antiseptic in aquaculture industry to control fish parasites and disease. However, MG has now turned out to be an extremely controversial compound due to its adverse impact on living beings. Due to high toxicity, proper treatment of wastewater containing MG is utmost important. Among different available technologies, adsorption process is one of the most efficient and cost-effective treatment method due to its simplicity of design, ease of operation and regeneration of used materials. Nonetheless, commercial activated carbon is expensive leading the researchers to focus on utilizing natural resources. In the present work, a species of cactus, Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI), was used to develop a highly efficient, low-cost powdered activated carbon by chemical activation using NaOH. The biosorbent was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and X-ray diffraction analysis. Batch adsorption studies were performed to remove MG from an aqueous solution as a function of contact time, initial solution pH, initial dye concentration, biosorbent dosages, the presence of salt and temperature. By increasing the initial dye concentration from 100 to 500 mg/l, adsorption capacity increased from 165.45 to 831.58 mg/g. The adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model and the chemisorption mechanisms were revealed. The electrostatic attractions and chemical interactions were observed between amino and hydroxyl groups of the biosorbent and amine groups of the dye. The adsorption was solely controlled by film diffusion. Different isotherm models were used to fit the adsorption data. The excellent recovery of adsorption efficiency after the regeneration of biosorbent indicated the high potential of this adsorbent to remove MG from aqueous solution and an excellent cost-effective biosorbent for wide application in wastewater treatment.

Keywords: adsorption, biosorbent, cactus, malachite green

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Authors: C. Salis, D. Zedda, M. F. Wilson

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The IDEA project was conceived for teachers who are interested in enhancing their capacity to effectively implement the use of specific technologies in their teaching practice. Participating teachers are coached and supported as they explore technologies applied to the educational context. They access tools such as the technological platform developed by our team. Among the platform functionalities, teachers access an instructional systems design (ISD) tool (learning designer) that was adapted to the needs of our project. The tool is accessible from computers or mobile devices and used in association with other technologies to create new, meaningful learning environments. The objective of an instructional systems design is to guarantee the quality and effectiveness of education and to enhance learning. This goal involves both teachers who want to become more efficient in transferring knowledge or skills and students as the final recipient of their teaching. The use of Blooms’s taxonomy enables teachers to classify the learning objectives into levels of complexity and specificity, thus making it possible to highlight the kind of knowledge teachers would like their students to reach. The fact that the instructional design features can be visualized through the IDEA platform is a guarantee for those who are looking for specific educational materials to be used in their lessons. Despite the benefits offered, a number of teachers are reluctant to use ISD because the preparatory work of having to thoroughly analyze the teaching/learning objectives, the planning of learning material, assessment activities, etc., is long and felt to be time-consuming. This drawback is minimized using a learning designer, as the tool facilitates to reuse of the didactic contents having a clear view of the processes of analysis, planning, and production of educational or testing materials uploaded on our platform. In this paper, we shall present the feedback of the teachers who used our tool in their didactic.

Keywords: educational benefits, educational quality, educational technology, ISD tool

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Authors: Babak Mohajeri

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In recent years, the conventional business model of ownership has been changed towards accessibility in a variety of markets. Two trends can be observed in the evolution of this rental-like business model. Firstly, the technological development that enables the emergence of new business models. These new business models increasingly become agile and flexible. For example Spotify, an online music stream company provides consumers access to over millions of music tracks, conveniently through the smartphone, tablet or computer. Similarly, Car2Go, the car sharing company accesses its members with flexible and nearby sharing cars. The second trend is the increasing communication and connections via social networks. This trend enables a shift to peer-to-peer accessibility based business models. Conventionally, companies provide access for their customers to own companies products or services. In peer-to-peer model, nonetheless, companies facilitate access and connection across their customers to use other customers owned property or skills, competencies or services .The is so-called the sharing economy business model. The aim of this study is to investigate into a new and emerging type of the sharing economy model in which role of customers and service providers may dramatically change. This new model is called Collaborative Service Networks. We propose a mechanism for Collaborative Service Networks business model. Uber and Airbnb, two successful growing companies, have been selected for our case studies and their business models are analyzed. Finally, we study the emergence of the collaborative service networks in the manufacturing domain. Our finding results to a new manufacturing paradigm called social manufacturing.

Keywords: sharing economy, collaborative service networks, social manufacturing, manufacturing development

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Authors: Evelyn Osehontue Uroro, Richard Bright, Jing Yang Quek, Krasimir Vasilev

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Bacterial infections have been a challenge both in the public and private sectors. The colonization of bacteria often occurs in medical devices such as catheters, heart valves, respirators, and orthopaedic implants. When biomedical devices are inserted into patients, the deposition of macromolecules such as fibrinogen and immunoglobin on their surfaces makes it easier for them to be prone to bacteria colonization leading to the formation of biofilms. The formation of biofilms on medical devices has led to a series of device-related infections which are usually difficult to eradicate and sometimes cause the death of patients. These infections require surgical replacements along with prolonged antibiotic therapy, which would incur additional health costs. It is, therefore, necessary to prevent device-related infections by inhibiting the formation of biofilms using intelligent technology. Antibiotic resistance of bacteria is also a major threat due to overuse. Different antimicrobial agents have been applied to microbial infections. They include conventional antibiotics like rifampicin. The use of conventional antibiotics like rifampicin has raised concerns as some have been found to have hepatic and nephrotoxic effects due to overuse. Hence, there is also a need for proper delivery of these antibiotics. Different techniques have been developed to encapsulate and slowly release antimicrobial agents, thus reducing host cytotoxicity. Examples of delivery systems are solid lipid nanoparticles, hydrogels, micelles, and polymeric nanoparticles. The different ways by which drugs are released from polymeric nanoparticles include diffusion-based release, elution-based release, and chemical/stimuli-responsive release. Polymeric nanoparticles have gained a lot of research interest as they are basically made from biodegradable polymers. An example of such a biodegradable polymer is polycaprolactone (PCL). PCL degrades slowly by hydrolysis but is often sensitive and responsive to stimuli like enzymes to release encapsulants for antimicrobial therapy. This study presents the synthesis of PCL nanoparticles loaded with rifampicin and the on-demand release of rifampicin for treating staphylococcus aureus infections.

Keywords: enzyme, Staphylococcus aureus, PCL, rifampicin

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Authors: Ipek Gunay, Efe B. Orman, Metin Ozer, Bekir Salih, Ali R. Ozkaya

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Phthalocyanines with macrocyclic ring containing at least three heteroatoms have nine or more membered structures. Metal-free phthalocyanines react with metal salts to obtain chelate complexes. This is one of the most important features of metal-free phthalocyanine as ligand structure. Although phthalocyanines have very similar properties with porphyrins, they have some advantages such as lower cost, easy to prepare, and chemical and thermal stability. It’s known that Pc compounds have shown one-electron metal-and/or ligand-based reversible or quasi-reversible reduction and oxidation processes. The redox properties of phthalocyanines are critically related to the desirable properties of these compounds in their technological applications. Thus, Pc complexes have also been receiving increasing interest in the area of fuel cells due to their high electrocatalytic activity in dioxygen reduction and fuel cell applications. In this study, novel phthalocyanine complexes coordinated with Fe(II) and Co (II) to be used as catalyst were synthesized. Aiming this goal, a new nitrile ligand was synthesized starting from 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxy benzyl alcohol and 4-nitrophthalonitrile in the presence of K2CO3 as catalyst. After the isolation of the new type of nitrile and metal complexes, the characterization of mentioned compounds was achieved by IR, H-NMR and UV-vis methods. In addition, the electrochemical behaviour of Pc complexes was identified by cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry and in situ spectroelectrochemical measurements. Furthermore, the catalytic performances of Pc complexes for oxygen reduction were tested by dynamic voltammetry measurements, carried out by the combined system of rotating ring-disk electrode and potentiostat, in a medium similar to fuel-cell working conditions.

Keywords: phthalocyanine, electrocatalysis, electrochemistry, in-situ spectroelectrochemistry

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Authors: O. D. Adegbehingbe, S. D. Eyono Obono

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The education sector is constantly faced with rapid changes in technologies in terms of ensuring that the curriculum is up to date and in terms of making sure that students are aware of these technological changes. This challenge can be seen as the motivation for this study, which is to examine the factors affecting computing students’ awareness of the latest Information Technologies (ICTs). The aim of this study is divided into two sub-objectives which are: the selection of relevant theories and the design of a conceptual model to support it as well as the empirical testing of the designed model. The first objective is achieved by a review of existing literature on technology adoption theories and models. The second objective is achieved using a survey of computing students in the four universities of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Data collected from this survey is analyzed using Statistical package for the Social Science (SPSS) using descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Pearson correlations. The main hypothesis of this study is that there is a relationship between the demographics and the prior conditions of the computing students and their awareness of general ICT trends and of Digital Switch Over (DSO) a new technology which involves the change from analog to digital television broadcasting in order to achieve improved spectrum efficiency. The prior conditions of the computing students that were considered in this study are students’ perceived exposure to career guidance and students’ perceived curriculum currency. The results of this study confirm that gender, ethnicity, and high school computing course affect students’ perceived curriculum currency while high school location affects students’ awareness of DSO. The results of this study also confirm that there is a relationship between students prior conditions and their awareness of general ICT trends and DSO in particular.

Keywords: education, information technologies, IDT, awareness

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Authors: Shirka Kassam Jwasshaka

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Graduates from higher educational institutions in Nigeria need to leave with the necessary skills to be independent in the emergence work environment. The goal of this study is to develop a framework of digital skills that Nigerian graduates in building construction need to be proficient in various digital skills to comfortably fit into the global advances in a technological labour market. The descriptive survey design was used in this investigation. The study's population consisted of building construction experts selected from different sites within the North Central geographical zones of Nigeria. Using random sampling approaches, 120 seasoned experts were chosen. Three research questions raised by the researchers guided the study. The data was gathered using a 60-item, structured questionnaire. The questions were formulated around three key skill areas such as digital skills related to ICT, digital skills related to general workforce, and basic digital literacy skills that students should have. A building construction specialist validated the questionnaire. Winstep in conjunction with SPSS was used to determine the Cronbach Alpha reliability of the items' internal consistency and person separation,item measure, item fit based on PTMEA CORR, polarity items, misfit items, unidimensionality, and a person-item map. The Cronbach Coefficient reliability of items for the three sub constructs was 0.70. The results showed nearly every sub component within the three areas of digital skills was regarded as significant to be learn by experts. The researchers recommended among other things, that all parties involved in the education sector should work together to develop a curriculum that covers digital skills which can meet employer’s' needs.

Keywords: lifelong learning, digital skill, framework, building technology

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Authors: Gülnar Bayramoğlu Barman

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Since the industrial revolution, technological developments and increased population have caused environmental damages. To protect the nature and architectural environment, firstly, green architecture, ecological architecture and then sustainability occurred. This term has been proposed not to be a new term but a response to environmental disturbances caused by human activities and it is re-conceptualization of architecture. Sustainable architecture or sustainability is lot more extensive than ecological and green architecture. It contains the imbalance between environmental problems that is natural environment and consumption that occurred all around the world. An important part of sustainability debate focused on urban planning and design for more sustainable forms and patterns. In particular, it is discussed that planning and design of urban areas have a major effect on transport and therefore can help reduce car usage, emissions, global warming and climate change. There are many planning and design approaches and movement that introduce certain criteria and strategies to prevent car dependency and encourage people to use public transportation and walking. However, when review the literature, it is seen that planning movements, such as New Urbanism and Transit Oriented Development originated and were implemented mostly in West European and North American Cities. The purpose of this study is to find out whether all those criteria, principles and strategies are also relevant planning approaches for more non-western cities like Baku, which has a very different planning background and therefore possibly different urban form and transport issues. In order to answer the above mentioned question, planning and design approaches in the literature and these recent planning movements were studied and a check list was formed which indicate planning and design approaches that can help attain a more sustainable transport outcome. The checklist was then applied to the case of Baku.

Keywords: sustainability, sustainable development, sustainable transportation, transport, urban design

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Authors: John Olorunfemi Abe, Olawale Muhammed Popoola, Abimbola Patricia Idowu Popoola

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Hydrogen is an appealing alternative to fossil fuels because of its abundance, low weight, high energy density, and relative lack of contaminants. However, its low density presents a number of storage challenges. Therefore, this work studies the influence of refractory nitride additives consisting of 5 wt. % each of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), titanium nitride (TiN), and aluminum nitride (AlN) on hydrogen storage and electrochemical characteristics of Ti6Al4V-based materials produced by spark plasma sintering. The microstructure and phase constituents of the sintered materials were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (in conjunction with energy-dispersive spectroscopy) and X-ray diffraction, respectively. Pressure-composition-temperature (PCT) measurements were used to assess the hydrogen absorption/desorption behavior, kinetics, and storage capacities of the sintered materials, respectively. The pure Ti6Al4V alloy displayed a two-phase (α+β) microstructure, while the modified composites exhibited apparent microstructural modifications with the appearance of nitride-rich secondary phases. It is found that the diffusion process controls the kinetics of the hydrogen absorption. Thus, a faster rate of hydrogen absorption at elevated temperatures ensued. The additives acted as catalysts, lowered the activation energy and accelerated the rate of hydrogen sorption in the composites relative to the monolithic alloy. Ti6Al4V-5 wt. % h-BN appears to be the most promising candidate for hydrogen storage (2.28 wt. %), followed by Ti6Al4V-5 wt. % TiN (2.09 wt. %), whereas Ti6Al4V-5 wt. % AlN shows the least hydrogen storage performance (1.35 wt. %). Accordingly, the developed hydride system (Ti6Al4V-5h-BN) may be competitive for use in applications involving short-range continuous vehicles (~50-100km) as well as stationary applications such as electrochemical devices, large-scale storage cylinders in hydrogen production locations, and hydrogen filling stations.

Keywords: hydrogen storage, Ti6Al4V hydride system, pressure-composition-temperature measurements, refractory nitride additives, spark plasma sintering, Ti6Al4V-based materials

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Authors: U. V. Okpala

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Flood is an overflow of water that submerges or ‘drowns’ land. In developing countries it occurs as a result of blocking of natural and man-made drainages and poor maintenance of water dams/reservoirs which seldom give way after persistent heavy down pours. In coastal lowlands and swamp lands, flooding is aided mainly by blocked channels and indiscriminate sand fling of coastal swamp areas and natural drainage channel for urban development/constructions. In this paper, the causes of flood and possible scientific, technological, political, economic and social impacts of flood disaster on the environment a case study of Anambra State have been studied. Often times flooding is caused by climate change, especially in the developed economy where scientific mitigating options are highly employed. Researchers have identified Green Houses Gases (GHG) as the cause of global climate change. The recent flood disaster in Anambra State which caused physical damage to structures, social dislocation, contamination of clean drinking water, spread of water-borne diseases, shortage of crops and food supplies, death of non-tolerant tree species, disruption in transportation system, serious economic loss and psychological trauma is a function of climate change. There is need to encourage generation of renewable energy sources, use of less carbon intensive fuels and other energy efficient sources. Carbon capture/sequestration, proper management of our drainage systems and good maintenance of our dams are good option towards saving the environment.

Keywords: flooding, climate change, carbon capture, energy systems

Procedia PDF Downloads 359

Authors: P. Larpsomboonchai

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Agro-industry is one of major industries that has strong impacts on national economic incomes, growth, stability, and sustainable development. Moreover, this industry also has strong influences on social, cultural and political issues. Furthermore, this industry, as producing primary and secondary products, is facing challenges from such diverse factors such as demand inconsistency, intense international competition, technological advancements and new competitors. In order to maintain and to improve industry’s competitiveness in both domestics and international markets, science and technology are key factors. Besides hard sciences and technologies, modern industrial engineering concepts such as Just in Time (JIT) Total Quality Management (TQM), Quick Response (QR), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Lean can be very effective to supportant to increase efficiency and effectiveness of these agricultural products on world stage. Onion is one of Thailand’s major export products which brings back national incomes. But, it also facing challenges in many ways. This paper focused its interests in onion packing process and its related activities such as storage and shipment from one of major packing plant and storage in Mae Wang District, Chiang Mai, Thailand, by applying Toyota Production System (TPS) or Lean concepts, to improve process capability throughout the entire packing and distribution process which will be profitable for the whole onion supply chain. And it will be beneficial to other related agricultural products in Thailand and other ASEAN countries.

Keywords: packing process, Toyota Production System (TPS), lean concepts, waste reduction, lean in agro-industries activities

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Authors: S. I. Usenko, V. N. Golubeva, I. A. Konopkina, I. V. Astakhova, O. V. Vakhnina, A. A. Korableva, A. A. Kalinina, K. B. Zhogova

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Gold can be determined in natural objects and manufactured articles of different origin. The up-to-date status of research and problems of high gold level determination in alloys and manufactured articles are described in detail in the literature. No less important is the task of this metal determination in minerals, process products and waste pieces. The latters, as objects of gold content chemical analysis, are most hard-to-study for two reasons: Because of high requirements to accuracy of analysis results and because of difference in chemical and phase composition. As a rule, such objects are characterized by compound, variable and very often unknown matrix composition that leads to unpredictable and uncontrolled effect on accuracy and other analytical characteristics of analysis technique. In this paper, the methods for the determination of gold are described, using flame atomic-absorption spectrophotometry and gravimetric analysis technique. The techniques are aimed at gold determination in a solution for gold etching (KJ+J2), in the technological mixture formed after cleaning stainless steel members of vacuum-deposit installation with concentrated nitric and hydrochloric acids as well as in gold-containing powder resulted from liquid wastes reprocessing. Optimal conditions for sample preparation and analysis of liquid and solid waste specimens of compound and variable matrix composition were chosen. The boundaries of relative resultant error were determined for the methods within the range of gold mass concentration from 0.1 to 30g/dm3 in the specimens of liquid wastes and mass fractions from 3 to 80% in the specimens of solid wastes.

Keywords: microelectronics waste pieces, gold, sample preparation, atomic-absorption spectrophotometry, gravimetric analysis technique

Procedia PDF Downloads 186

Authors: M. Nita-Lazar, E. Manea, C. Bumbac, A. Banciu, C. Stoica

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The population and economic growth have generated a significant new number of pollutant compounds which have to be degraded before reaching the environment. The wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been the last barrier between the domestic and/or industrial wastewaters and the environment. At present, the conventional WWTPs have very high operational costs, most of them linked to the aeration process (60-65% from total energy costs related to wastewater treatment). In addition, they have had a low efficiency in pollutants removal such as pharmaceutical and other resilient anthropogenic compounds. In our study, we have been focused on new wastewater treatment strategies to enhance the efficiency of pollutants removal and decrease the wastewater treatment operational costs. The usage of mixed microalgae-bacteria granules technology generated high efficiency and low costs by a better harvesting and less expensive aeration. The intertrophic relationships between microalgae and bacteria have been characterized by the structure of the population community to their metabolic relationships. The results, obtained by microscopic studies, showed well-organized and stratified microalgae-bacteria granules where bacteria have been enveloped in the microalgal structures. Moreover, their population community structure has been modulated as well as their nitrification, denitrification processes (analysis based on qPCR genes expression) by the type of the pollutant compounds and amounts. In conclusion, the understanding and modulation of intertrophic relationships between microalgae and bacteria could be an economical and technological viable alternative to the conventional wastewater treatment. Acknowledgements: This research was supported by grant PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2016-0865 from the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation CNCS/CCCDI-UEFISCDI.

Keywords: activated sludge, bacteria, granules, microalgae

Procedia PDF Downloads 102

Authors: Stefano Ruggieri, Rubinia C. Bonfanti

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Research on leadership in sports organizations has proved extremely fruitful in recent decades, favoring the growing and diffusion of figures such as mental coaches, trainers, etc. Recent scholarly attention on organizations has been directed towards the phenomenon of leader self-sacrifice, wherein leaders who display such behavior are perceived by their followers as more effective, charismatic, and legitimate compared to those who prioritize self-interest. This growing interest reflects the importance of leaders who prioritize the collective welfare over personal gain, as they inspire greater loyalty, trust, and dedication among their followers, ultimately fostering a more cohesive and high-performing team environment. However, there is limited literature on the mechanisms through which self-sacrifice influences both group dynamics (such as cohesion and team identification) and individual factors (such as self-competence). The aim of the study is to analyze the impact of the leader self-sacrifice on cohesion, team identification and self-competence. Team identification is a crucial determinant of individual identity, delineated by the extent to which a team member aligns with a specific organizational team rather than broader social collectives. This association motivates members to synchronize their actions with the collective interests of the group, thereby fostering cohesion among its constituents, and cultivating a shared sense of purpose and unity within the team. In the domain of team sports, particularly soccer and water polo, two studies involving 447 participants (men = 238, women = 209) between 22 and 35 years old (M = 26.36, SD = 5.51) were conducted. The first study employed a correlational methodology to investigate the predictive capacity of self-sacrifice on cohesion, team identification, self-efficacy, and self-competence. The second study utilized an experimental design to explore the relationship between team identification and self-sacrifice. Together, these studies provided comprehensive insights into the multifaceted nature of leader self-sacrifice and its profound implications for group cohesion and individual well-being within organizational settings. The findings underscored the pivotal role of leader self-sacrifice in not only fostering stronger bonds among team members but also in enhancing critical facets of group dynamics, ultimately contributing to the overall effectiveness and success of the team.

Keywords: cohesion, leadership, self-sacrifice, sports organizations, team-identification

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Authors: H. Haryati, A. Nor Azura

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Over the turn of the century, the advertising landscape has evolved significantly, from print media to digital media. In line with the shift to the advanced science and technology dramatically shake the framework of societies Fifth Industrial Revolution (IR5.0), technological endeavors have increased exponentially, which influenced user interaction more inspiring through online advertising that intentionally leads to buying behavior. Users are more accustomed to interactive content that responds to their actions. Thus, immersive experience has transformed into a new engagement experience To centennials. The purpose of this paper is to investigate pleasure and arousal as the fundamental elements of consumer emotions and affective responses to marketing stimuli. A quasi-experiment procedure will be adopted in the research involving 40 undergraduate students in Nilai, Malaysia. This study employed a 2 (celebrity endorser vs. Social media influencer) X 2 (high and low visual complexity) factorial between-subjects design. Participants will be exposed to a printed version depicting a fashion product endorsed by a celebrity and social media influencers, presented in high and low levels of visual complexity. While the questionnaire will be Distributing during the lab test session is used to control their honesty, real feedback, and responses through the latest Instagram design and engagement. Therefore, the research aims to define the immersive experience on Instagram and the interaction between pleasure and arousal. An advertisement that evokes pleasure and arousal will be likely getting more attention from the target audience. This is one of the few studies comparing the endorses in Instagram advertising. Also, this research extends the existing knowledge about the immersive visual complexity in the context of social media advertising.

Keywords: immersive visual experience, instagram, pleasure, arousal

Procedia PDF Downloads 163