Search results for: Cox proportional hazard regression

Authors: Rhaetian Bern D. Azaula

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The Philippines' indigenous population, estimated to be 10%-20%, is protected by the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), passed in 1997. However, due to their isolation and limited access to basic services such as health education or needs for health assistance, the law's implementation remains a challenge. As traditional medicine continues to play a significant role in society as the prevention and treatment of some illnesses, it is still customary and widely used to use plants in both traditional and modern ways; however, commercially prepared drugs are progressively advanced as time goes by. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative study is to investigate the indigenous community at Barangay Magsikap General Nakar, Quezon, and analyze the factors that affect the respondent’s preferences in an indigenous community and reasons for patronizing traditional and commercially prepared medicines and proposes updated health education strategies and instructional materials. Slovin's formula was utilized to reduce the total population representation, followed by stratified sampling for proportional allocation of respondents. The study selects respondents (1) from an Indigenous Community in Barangay Magsikap, General Nakar, Quezon, (2) aged 60 and above, and (3) who are willing to participate. The researcher utilized a checklist-based questionnaire with a Tagalog version, and a Likert Scale was utilized to assess the respondent's choices on selected items. The researcher obtained informed consent from the indigenous community's regional and local office, the chieftain of the tribe, and the respondents, ensuring confidentiality in the collection and retrieval of data. The study revealed that respondents aged 60-69, males with no formal education, are unemployed and have no income source. They prefer traditional medicines due to their affordability, availability, and cultural practices but lack safe preparation, dosages, and contraindications of used medicines. Commercially prepared medications are acknowledged, but respondents are not fully aware of proper administration instructions and dosage labels. Recommendations include disseminating approved herbal medicines and ensuring proper preparation, indications, and contraindications.

Keywords: traditional medicine, commercially prepared medicine, indigenous community, elderly adult

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Authors: Dahmani Aziz, Mekdad Yousra

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The intellectual capital is an important source of profitability and the main supporter of the competitive where this study examines the contribution of expenditure on intellectual capital in the performance of industrial enterprises Algerian, and through a case study Sonatrach as the most important industrial enterprises in Algeria and the driving force of the Algerian economy. It has been the use of value-added intellectual coefficient (VAIC) in measuring the contribution of intellectual capital and analyzing data Sonatrach during the period from the year 2001 until the year 2012, and test the validity of hypotheses using Stepwise Regression model through the SPSS statistical software, and the study has proved the existence of a positive relationship between spending on human capital and financial performance and a stronger degree relationship between the structural capital and economic performance.

Keywords: industrial enterprise, intellectual capital, performance, economy of Algeria, spending

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Authors: Gongbing Shan, Shiming Li, Zhao Zhang, Bingjun Wan

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Badminton originated in ancient civilizations in Europe and Asia more than 2000 years ago. Presently, it is played almost everywhere with estimated 220 million people playing badminton regularly, ranging from professionals to recreational players; and it is the second most played sport in the world after soccer. In Asia, the popularity of badminton and involvement of people surpass soccer. Unfortunately, scientific researches on badminton skills are hardly proportional to badminton’s popularity. A search of literature has shown that the literature body of biomechanical investigations is relatively small. One of the dominant skills in badminton is the forehand overhead smash, which consists of 1/5 attacks during games. Empirical evidences show that one has to adjust the body position in relation to the coming shuttlecock to produce a powerful and accurate smash. Therefore, positioning is a fundamental aspect influencing smash quality. A search of literature has shown that there is a dearth/lack of study on this fundamental aspect. The goals of this study were to determine the influence of positioning and training experience on smash quality in order to discover information that could help learn/acquire the skill. Using a 10-camera, 3D motion capture system (VICON MX, 200 frames/s) and 15-segment, full-body biomechanical model, 14 skilled and 15 novice players were measured and analyzed. Results have revealed that the body positioning has direct influence on the quality of a smash, especially on shuttlecock release angle and clearance height (passing over the net) of offensive players. The results also suggest that, for training a proper positioning, one could conduct a self-selected comfort position towards a statically hanged shuttlecock and then step one foot back – a practical reference marker for learning. This perceptional marker could be applied in guiding the learning and training of beginners. As one gains experience through repetitive training, improved limbs’ coordination would increase smash quality further. The researchers hope that the findings will benefit practitioners for developing effective training programs for beginners.

Keywords: 3D motion analysis, biomechanical modeling, shuttlecock release speed, shuttlecock release angle, clearance height

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Authors: Jožef Ritonja

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The biochemical industry is one of the most important modern industries. Biochemical reactors are crucial devices of the biochemical industry. The essential bioprocess carried out in bioreactors is the fermentation process. A thorough insight into the fermentation process and the knowledge how to control it are essential for effective use of bioreactors to produce high quality and quantitatively enough products. The development of the control system starts with the determination of a mathematical model that describes the steady state and dynamic properties of the controlled plant satisfactorily, and is suitable for the development of the control system. The paper analyses the fermentation process in bioreactors thoroughly, using existing mathematical models. Most existing mathematical models do not allow the design of a control system for controlling the fermentation process in batch bioreactors. Due to this, a mathematical model was developed and presented that allows the development of a control system for batch bioreactors. Based on the developed mathematical model, a control system was designed to ensure optimal response of the biochemical quantities in the fermentation process. Due to the time-varying and non-linear nature of the controlled plant, the conventional control system with a proportional-integral-differential controller with constant parameters does not provide the desired transient response. The improved adaptive control system was proposed to improve the dynamics of the fermentation. The use of the adaptive control is suggested because the parameters’ variations of the fermentation process are very slow. The developed control system was tested to produce dairy products in the laboratory bioreactor. A carbon dioxide concentration was chosen as the controlled variable. The carbon dioxide concentration correlates well with the other, for the quality of the fermentation process in significant quantities. The level of the carbon dioxide concentration gives important information about the fermentation process. The obtained results showed that the designed control system provides minimum error between reference and actual values of carbon dioxide concentration during a transient response and in a steady state. The recommended control system makes reference signal tracking much more efficient than the currently used conventional control systems which are based on linear control theory. The proposed control system represents a very effective solution for the improvement of the milk fermentation process.

Keywords: biochemical reactor, fermentation process, modelling, adaptive control

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Authors: M. A. Ahmed, Sidra A. Shaikh, M. W. Akhtar

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Solar radiation on horizontal surface over three southern cities of Sindh, namely Karachi, Hyderabad and Nawabshah has been investigated to asses the feasibility of solar energy application for power generation. In the present work, measured data of bright sunshine hour of the region have been used to estimate the global and diffuse solar radiation. The regression coefficient 'a' and 'b' have been calculated using first order Angstrom type co-relation. The result obtained shows that the contribution of direct solar radiation is low and diffuse radiation is high during the monsoon months July and August for Karachi and Hyderabad. The sky remains clear from September to June, whereas for Nawabshah the global radiation remains high throughout the year. The potential of grid quality solar photovoltaic power in Karachi is estimated for 10 square meter area of solar panel.

Keywords: solar potential over Sindh, global and diffuse solar radiation, radiation over three cities of Sindh, solar panels

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Authors: Maryam Khalilzadeh Poshtegal, Seyed Ahmad Mirbagheri, Mojtaba Noury

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In this paper, by application of the input yearly data of rainfall, temperature and flow to the Urmia Lake, the simulation of water level fluctuation were applied by means of three models. According to the climate change investigation the fluctuation of lakes water level are of high interest. This study investigate data-driven models, support vector machines (SVM), SVM method which is a new regression procedure in water resources are applied to the yearly level data of Lake Urmia that is the biggest and the hyper saline lake in Iran. The evaluated lake levels are found to be in good correlation with the observed values. The results of SVM simulation show better accuracy and implementation. The mean square errors, mean absolute relative errors and determination coefficient statistics are used as comparison criteria.

Keywords: simulation, water level fluctuation, urmia lake, support vector machine

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Authors: Saba Harati, Nasrin Arian Parsa

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The current research was an attempt to investigate the effect of resilience on mental health and life satisfaction. In one Cross Sectional research, 287 (173 females and 114 males) students of Tehran University were participated their average age was 23.17 years old (SD=4.9). The instruments used for assessing the research variables included: Cutter and Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC), the short form of the depression-anxiety-stress scale, and life satisfaction scale. The data analysis was done in the form of structural equation model. The results of Simultaneous Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analysis indicated that there was a significant mediating role of the negative emotions (depression, anxiety, and stress), in the relationship between the family resilience (p < 0.001) and satisfaction with life (p < 0.001). Resilience results in life satisfaction by reducing the emotional problems (or increasing the mental health level). The effect of the resilience variable on life satisfaction was indirect.

Keywords: resilience, negative emotion, mental health, life satisfaction

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Authors: Bita Kharazi

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The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of innovations in human resource practices, innovation capabilities, and competitive advantage on company performance. This research was applied in terms of purpose and in terms of method, it was descriptive research of correlation type. The statistical population of this research was all the employees of Zar Industrial and Research Group. The sampling method was available in this research, and Cochran's formula was used to determine the statistical sample size. A standard questionnaire was used to collect information in this research, and SPSS software and simultaneous regression statistical tests were used to analyze the data. Based on the findings of the present research, it was found that the components of creativity in human resource practices, innovation capability, and competitive advantage have a significant impact on the company's performance.

Keywords: human resource management, innovation, competitive advantage, company performance

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Authors: Oluwafunmibi Omotayo Fasanya, Augustine Kena Adjei

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Effective management of hypertension remains a critical public health challenge, particularly among racially and ethnically diverse populations. This study employs sophisticated statistical models to rigorously investigate the predictors of poor blood pressure (BP) control, with a specific focus on demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical risk factors. Leveraging a large sample of 19,253 adults drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) across three distinct time periods (2013-2014, 2015-2016, and 2017-2020), we applied multivariable logistic regression and generalized estimating equations (GEE) to account for the clustered structure of the data and potential within-subject correlations. Our multivariable models identified significant associations between poor BP control and several key predictors, including race/ethnicity, age, gender, body mass index (BMI), prevalent diabetes, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Non-Hispanic Black individuals consistently exhibited higher odds of poor BP control across all periods (OR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.69, 2.36 for the overall sample; OR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.79, 3.02 for 2017-2020). Younger age groups demonstrated substantially lower odds of poor BP control compared to individuals aged 75 and older (OR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.11, 0.20 for ages 18-44). Men also had a higher likelihood of poor BP control relative to women (OR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.31, 1.82), while BMI ≥35 kg/m² (OR = 1.76; 95% CI: 1.40, 2.20) and the presence of diabetes (OR = 2.20; 95% CI: 1.80, 2.68) were associated with increased odds of poor BP management. Further analysis using GEE models, accounting for temporal correlations and repeated measures, confirmed the robustness of these findings. Notably, individuals with chronic kidney disease displayed markedly elevated odds of poor BP control (OR = 3.72; 95% CI: 3.09, 4.48), with significant differences across the survey periods. Additionally, higher education levels and better self-reported diet quality were associated with improved BP control. College graduates exhibited a reduced likelihood of poor BP control (OR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.89), particularly in the 2015-2016 period (OR = 0.48; 95% CI: 0.28, 0.84). Similarly, excellent dietary habits were associated with significantly lower odds of poor BP control (OR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.94), underscoring the importance of lifestyle factors in hypertension management. In conclusion, our findings provide compelling evidence of the complex interplay between demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic factors in predicting poor BP control. The application of advanced statistical techniques such as GEE enhances the reliability of these results by addressing the correlated nature of repeated observations. This study highlights the need for targeted interventions that consider racial/ethnic disparities, clinical comorbidities, and lifestyle modifications in improving BP control outcomes.

Keywords: hypertension, blood pressure, NHANES, generalized estimating equations

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Authors: Vitas Valinčius, Rolandas Uscila, Viktorija Grigaitienė, Žydrūnas Kavaliauskas, Romualdas Kėželis

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Determination of integral dynamical and energy characteristics of high-temperature gas flows is a very important task of gas-dynamic for hazardous substances destruction systems. They are also always necessary for the investigation of high-temperature turbulent flow dynamics, heat and mass transfer. It is well known that distribution of dynamical and thermal characteristics of high-temperature flows and jets is strongly related to heat flux variation over an imposed area of heating. As is visible from numerous experiments and theoretical considerations, the fundamental properties of an isothermal jet are well investigated. However, the establishment of regularities in high-temperature conditions meets certain specific behavior comparing with moderate-temperature jets and flows. Their structures have not been thoroughly studied yet, especially in the cases of plasma ambient. It is well known that the distribution of local plasma jet parameters in high temperature and isothermal jets and flows may significantly differ. High temperature axisymmetric air jet generated by atmospheric pressure DC arc plasma torch was investigated employing enthalpy probe 3.8∙10-3 m of diameter. Distribution of velocities and temperatures were established in different cross-sections of the plasma jet outflowing from 42∙10-3 m diameter pipe at the average mean velocity of 700 m∙s-1, and averaged temperature of 4000 K. It has been found that gas heating fractionally influences shape and values of a dimensionless profile of velocity and temperature in the main zone of plasma jet and has a significant influence in the initial zone of the plasma jet. The width of the initial zone of the plasma jet has been found to be lesser than in the case of isothermal flow. The relation between dynamical thickness and turbulent number of Prandtl has been established along jet axis. Experimental results were generalized in dimensionless form. The presence of convective heating shows that heat transfer in a moving high-temperature jet also occurs due to heat transfer by moving particles of the jet. In this case, the intensity of convective heat transfer is proportional to the instantaneous value of the flow velocity at a given point in space. Consequently, the configuration of the temperature field in moving jets and flows essentially depends on the configuration of the velocity field.

Keywords: plasma jet, plasma torch, heat transfer, enthalpy probe, turbulent number of Prandtl

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Authors: Sitti Rahmawati

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Payment system of cataract surgery implemented by professional attendant of doctor and nurse has been increasing, through health insurance program and this has become one of the factors that affects a lot of government in the budget establishment. This system has been implemented in purpose of quality and expenditure control, i.e., controlling health overpayment to obtain benefit (moral hazard) by the user of insurance or health service provider. The increasing health cost becomes the main issue that hampers the society to receive required health service in cash payment-system. One of the efforts that should be taken by the government in health payment is by securing health insurance through society's health insurance. The objective of the study is to learn the capability of a patient to pay cataract eye operation for the elders. Method of study sample population in this study was patients who obtain health insurance board card for the society that was started in the first of tri-semester (January-March) 2015 and claimed in Indonesian software-Case Based Group as a purposive sampling of 40 patients. Results of the study show that total unit cost analysis of surgery service unit was obtained $75 for unit cost without AFC and salary of nurse and doctor. The operation tariff that has been implemented today at Anutapura hospitals in eye department is tariff without AFC and the salary of the employee is $80. The operation tariff of the unit cost calculation with double distribution model at $65. Conclusion, the calculation result of actual unit cost that is much greater causes incentive distribution system provided to an ophthalmologist at $37 and nurse at $20 for one operation. The surgery service tariff is still low; consequently, the hospital receives low revenue and the quality of health insurance in eye operation department is relatively low. In purpose of increasing the service quality, it requires adequately high cost to equip medical equipment and increase the number of professional health attendant in serving patients in cataract eye operation at hospital.

Keywords: economic evaluation, cataract operation, health attendant, health insurance system

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Authors: Werner Grommes

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The institute of occupational safety and health works in a working group for building a normative standard for illuminated warning vests and did a lot of experiments and measurements as basic work (cooperation). Intelligent car headlamps are able to suppress conventional warning vests with retro-reflective stripes as a disturbing light. Illuminated warning vests are therefore required for occupational safety. However, they must not pose any danger to the wearer or other persons. Here, the risks of the batteries (lithium types), the maximum brightness (glare) and possible interference radiation from the electronics on the implant carrier must be taken into account. The all-around visibility, as well as the required range, play an important role here. For the study, many luminance measurements of already commercially available LEDs and electroluminescent warning vests, as well as their electromagnetic interference fields and aspects of electrical safety, were measured. The results of this study showed that LED lighting is all far too bright and causes strong glare. The integrated controls with pulse modulation and switching regulators cause electromagnetic interference fields. Rechargeable lithium batteries can explode depending on the temperature range. Electroluminescence brings even more hazards. A test method was developed for the evaluation of visibility at distances of 50, 100, and 150 m, including the interview of test persons. A measuring method was developed for the detection of glare effects at close range with the assignment of the maximum permissible luminance. The electromagnetic interference fields were tested in the time and frequency ranges. A risk and hazard analysis were prepared for the use of lithium batteries. The range of values for luminance and risk analysis for lithium batteries were discussed in the standards working group. These will be integrated into the standard. This paper gives a brief overview of the topics of illuminated warning vests, which takes into account the risks and hazards for the vest wearer or others

Keywords: illuminated warning vest, optical tests and measurements, risks, hazards, optical glare effects, LED, E-light, electric luminescent

Procedia PDF Downloads 114

Authors: Reda A. Elkhyat, Mahmoud Nasr, Amel A. Tammam, Mohamed A. Ghazy

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Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are a unique group of emerging contaminants continuously introduced into the aquatic ecosystem at concentrations capable of inducing adverse effects on humans and aquatic organisms, even at trace levels ranging from ppt to ppm. Amongst the common pharmaceutical emerging pollutants detected in several aquatic environments, acetaminophen has been recognized for its high toxicity. Once released into the aquatic environment, acetaminophen could be degraded by the microbial community and adsorption/ uptake by the plants. Although many studies have investigated the hazard risks of acetaminophen pollutants on aquatic animals, the number of studies demonstrating its removal efficiency and effects on the aquatic plant still needs to be expanded. In this context, this study aims to apply the aquatic plant-based phytoremediation system to eliminate this emerging contaminant from domestic wastewater. The phytoremediation experiment was performed in a hydroponic system containing Eichhornia crassipes and operated under the natural environment at 25°C to 30°C. This system was subjected to synthetic domestic wastewater with the maximum initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 390 mg/L and three different acetaminophen concentrations of 25, 50, and 200 mg/L. After 17 d of operation, the phytoremediation system achieved removal efficiencies of about 100% and 85.6±4.2% for acetaminophen and COD, respectively.Moreover, the Eichhornia crassipes could withstand the toxicity associated with increasing the acetaminophen concentrations from 25 to 200 mg/L. This high treatment performance could be assigned to the well-adaptation of the water hyacinth to the phytoremediation factors. Moreover, it has been proposed that this phytoremediation system could be largely supported by phytodegradation and plant uptaking mechanisms; however, detecting the generated intermediates, metabolites, and degradation products are still under investigation. Applying this free-floating plant in wastewater treatment and reducing emerging contaminants would meet the targets of SDGs 3, 6, and. 14. The cost-benefit analysis was performed for the phytoremediation system. The phytoremediation system is financially viable as the net profit was 2921 US $/ y with a payback period of nine years.

Keywords: domestic wastewater, emerging pollutants, hydrophyte Eichhornia crassipes, paracetamol removal efficiency, sustainable development goals (SDGs)

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Authors: Paul W. Murray, Marco Barajas

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Recent changes in supply chains, especially globalization and collaboration, have created new risks for enterprises of all sizes. A variety of complex frameworks, often based on enterprise risk management strategies have been presented under the heading of Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM). The literature on promotes the benefits of a robust SCRM strategy; however, implementing SCRM is difficult and resource demanding for Large Enterprises (LEs), and essentially out of reach for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This research debunks the idea that SCRM is necessary for all enterprises and instead proposes a simple and effective Vendor Selection Template (VST). Empirical testing and a survey of supply chain practitioners provide a measure of validation to the VST. The resulting VSTis a valuable contribution because is easy to use, provides practical results, and is sufficiently flexible to be universally applied to SMEs.

Keywords: multiple regression analysis, supply chain management, risk assessment, vendor selection

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Authors: Baguma Daniel Kajura

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The study explores socio-economic factors, health related and individual factors that influence the breastfeeding habits of mothers and their effect on the nutritional status of their infants in the Rwenzori region of Western Uganda. A cross-sectional research design was adopted, and it involved the use of self-administered questionnaires, interview guides, and focused group discussion guides to assess the extent to which socio-demographic factors associated with breastfeeding practices influence child malnutrition. Using this design, data was collected from 276 mother-paired infants out of the selected 318 mother-paired infants over a period of ten days. Using a sample size formula by Kish Leslie for cross-sectional studies N= Zα2 P (1- P) / δ2, where N= sample size estimate of paired mother paired infants. P= assumed true population prevalence of mother–paired infants with malnutrition cases, P = 29.3%. 1-P = the probability of mother-paired infants not having malnutrition, so 1-P = 70.7% Zα = Standard normal deviation at 95% confidence interval corresponding to 1.96.δ = Absolute error between the estimated and true population prevalence of malnutrition of 5%. The calculated sample size N = 1.96 × 1.96 (0.293 × 0.707) /0,052= 318 mother paired infants. Demographic and socio-economic data for all mothers were entered into Microsoft Excel software and then exported to STATA 14 (StataCorp, 2015). Anthropometric measurements were taken for all children by the researcher and the trained assistants who physically weighed the children. The use of immunization card was used to attain the age of the child. The bivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between socio-demographic factors associated with breastfeeding practices and child malnutrition. The multivariable regression analysis was used to draw a conclusion on whether or not there are any true relationships between the socio-demographic factors associated with breastfeeding practices as independent variables and child stunting and underweight as dependent variables in relation to breastfeeding practices. Descriptive statistics on background characteristics of the mothers were generated and presented in frequency distribution tables. Frequencies and means were computed, and the results were presented using tables, then, we determined the distribution of stunting and underweight among infants by the socioeconomic and demographic factors. Findings reveal that children of mothers who used milk substitutes besides breastfeeding are over two times more likely to be stunted compared to those whose mothers exclusively breastfed them. Feeding children with milk substitutes instead of breastmilk predisposes them to both stunting and underweight. Children of mothers between 18 and 34 years of age are less likely to be underweight, as were those who were breastfed over ten times a day. The study further reveals that 55% of the children were underweight, and 49% were stunted. Of the underweight children, an equal number (58/151) were either mildly or moderately underweight (38%), and 23% (35/151) were severely underweight. Empowering community outreach programs by increasing knowledge and increased access to services on integrated management of child malnutrition is crucial to curbing child malnutrition in rural areas.

Keywords: infant and young child feeding, breastfeeding, child malnutrition, maternal health

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Authors: Ivan Balachin, Geanette Polanco, Jiang Xingliang, Hu Qin

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The problem of global warming raised up interest towards renewable energy sources. To reduce cost of wind energy is a challenge. Before building of wind park conditions such as: average wind speed, direction, time for each wind, probability of icing, must be considered in the design phase. Operation values used on the setting of control systems also will depend on mentioned variables. Here it is proposed a procedure to be include in the evaluation of the performance of a wind turbine, based on the amplitude of wind changes, the number of changes and their duration. A generic study case based on actual data is presented. Data analysing techniques were applied to model the power required for yaw system based on amplitude and data amount of wind changes. A theoretical model between time, amplitude of wind changes and angular speed of nacelle rotation was identified.

Keywords: field data processing, regression determination, wind turbine performance, wind turbine placing, yaw system losses

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Authors: Arti Devi, Parthasarthi Choudhury

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Extreme rainfall frequency analysis for Meteorological Sub-Division 4 of India was analysed using L-moments approach. Serial Correlation and Mann Kendall tests were conducted for checking serially independent and stationarity of the observations. The discordancy measure for the sites was conducted to detect the discordant sites. The regional homogeneity was tested by comparing with 500 generated homogeneous regions using a 4 parameter Kappa distribution. The best fit distribution was selected based on ZDIST statistics and L-moments ratio diagram from the five extreme value distributions GPD, GLO, GEV, P3 and LP3. The LN3 distribution was selected and regional rainfall frequency relationship was established using index-rainfall procedure. A regional mean rainfall relationship was developed using multiple linear regression with latitude and longitude of the sites as variables.

Keywords: L-moments, ZDIST statistics, serial correlation, Mann Kendall test

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Authors: Sajed Yaghoubnezhad, Mina Karimi, Seyede Marjan Modirkhazeni

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The goal of this research was to study the relationship between codependency, perceived social support and depression in mothers of children with intellectual disability (ID). The correlational method was used in this study. The research population is comprised of mothers of educable children with ID in the age range of 25 to 61 years. From among this, a sample of 251 individuals, in the multistage cluster sampling method, was selected from educational districts in Tehran, who responded to the Spann-Fischer Codependency Scale (SFCDS), the Social Support Questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The findings of this study indicate that among mothers of children with ID depression has a positive and significant correlation with codependency (P<0.01, r=0.4) and a negative and significant correlation with the total score of social support (P<0.01, r=-0.34). Moreover, the results of stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that codependency is allocated a higher variance than social support in explaining depression (R²=0.023).

Keywords: codependency, social support, depression, mothers of children with ID

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Authors: Mohamed Zakaulla, A. R. Anwar Khan

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Al6061 alloy base matrix, reinforced with particles of silicon carbide (10 wt %) and Graphite powder (1wt%), known as hybrid composites have been fabricated by liquid metallurgy route (stir casting technique) and optimized at different parameters like applied load, sliding speed and sliding distance by taguchi method. A plan of experiment generated through taguchi technique was used to perform experiments based on L27 orthogonal array. The developed ANOVA and regression equations are used to find the optimum coefficient of friction and wear under the influence of applied load, sliding speed and sliding distance. On the basis of “smaller the best” the dry sliding wear resistance was analysed and finally confirmation tests were carried out to verify the experimental results.

Keywords: analysis of variance, dry sliding wear, hybrid composite, orthogonal array, Taguchi technique

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Authors: J. Nesleha, H. Florianova

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The goal of the study is to provide results of a conducted study devoted to financial literacy in the Czech Republic and to introduce a project related to financial education in the Czech Republic. Financial education has become an important part of education in the country, yet it is still neglected on the lowest level of formal education–primary schools. The project is based on investigation of financial literacy on primary schools in the Czech Republic. Consequently, the authors aim to formulate possible amendments related to this type of education. The gained dataset is intended to be used for analysis concerning financial education in the Czech Republic. With regard to used methods, the most important one is regression analysis for disclosure of predictors causing different levels of financial literacy. Furthermore, comparison of different groups is planned, for which t-tests are intended to be used. The study also employs descriptive statistics to introduce basic relationship in the data file.

Keywords: Czech Republic, financial education, financial literacy, primary school

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Authors: Abdel Hadi N. Ebraheim, Eman Azomi, Nefisa A. Fahmy

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This paper designs and implements a computer-aided system (CAS) to help detect and diagnose liver cirrhosis in patients with Chronic Hepatitis C. Our system reduces the required features (tests) the patient is asked to do to tests to their minimal best most informative subset of tests, with a diagnostic accuracy above 99%, and hence saving both time and costs. We use the Support Vector Machine (SVM) with cross-validation, a Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network (MLP), and a Generalized Regression Neural Network (GRNN) that employs a base of radial functions for functional approximation, as classifiers. Our system is tested on 199 subjects, of them 99 Chronic Hepatitis C.The subjects were selected from among the outpatient clinic in National Herpetology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute (NHTMRI).

Keywords: liver cirrhosis, artificial neural network, support vector machine, multi-layer perceptron, classification, accuracy

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Authors: Nataša Šarlija, Sanja Pfeifer

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This study analyzes the innovative orientation of the Croatian entrepreneurs. Innovative orientation is represented by the perceived extent to which an entrepreneur’s product or service or technology is new, and no other businesses offer the same product. The sample is extracted from the GEM Croatia Adult Population Survey dataset for the years 2003-2013. We apply descriptive statistics, t-test, Chi-square test and logistic regression. Findings indicate that innovative orientations vary with personal, firm, meso and macro level variables, and between different stages in entrepreneurship process. Significant predictors are occupation of the entrepreneurs, size of the firm and export aspiration for both early stage and established entrepreneurs. In addition, fear of failure, expecting to start a new business and seeing an entrepreneurial career as a desirable choice are predictors of innovative orientation among early stage entrepreneurs.

Keywords: multilevel determinants of the innovative orientation, Croatian early stage entrepreneurs, established businesses, GEM evidence

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Authors: Mayank Raj, V. G. Narendra

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Ever since the DARPA challenge on autonomous vehicles in 2005, there has been a lot of buzz about ‘Autonomous Vehicles’ amongst the major tech giants such as Google, Uber, and Tesla. Numerous approaches have been adopted to solve this problem, which can have a long-lasting impact on mankind. In this paper, we have used Deep Learning techniques and TensorFlow framework with the goal of building a neural network model to predict (speed, acceleration, steering angle, and brake) features needed for navigation of autonomous vehicles. The Deep Neural Network has been trained on images and sensor data obtained from the comma.ai dataset. A heatmap was used to check for correlation among the features, and finally, four important features were selected. This was a multivariate regression problem. The final model had five convolutional layers, followed by five dense layers. Finally, the calculated values were tested against the labeled data, where the mean squared error was used as a performance metric.

Keywords: autonomous vehicles, deep learning, computer vision, artificial intelligence

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Authors: Proud Arunrangsiwed

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Slash or Yaoi fan art is the artwork that contains a homosexual relationship between fictional male characters, which were heterosexual in the original media. Previous belief about Slash or Yaoi fan art is that the fan fiction writers and the fan artists need to see the equality in romantic relationship. They do not prefer the pairing of man and woman, since both genders are not equal. The objectives of the current study are to confirm this belief, and to examine the relationship between equality found in Slash fan art, friendship in original media, and violence contained in fan art. Mean comparisons show that equality could be found in the pairing of hero and hero, but rarely found in the pairing of hero and villain. Regression analysis shows that the level of equality in fan art and friendship in original media are significant predictors of violence contained in fan art. Since villain-related pairings yield a high level of violence in fan art and a low level of equality, researchers of future studies should find the strategies to prevent fans to include villains in their Slash or Yaoi fan art.

Keywords: equality, fan art, slash, violence, yaoi

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Authors: M. Capocelli, A. Caputo, M. De Falco, D. Mazzei, V. Piemonte

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This paper presents the experimental results and the related modeling of a thermal energy storage (TES) facility, ideated and realized by ENEA and realizing the thermocline with an innovative geometry. Firstly, the thermal energy exchange model of an equivalent shell & tube heat exchanger is described and tested to reproduce the performance of the spiral exchanger installed in the TES. Through the regression of the experimental data, a first-order thermocline model was also validated to provide an analytical function of the thermocline, useful for the performance evaluation and the comparison with other systems and implementation in simulations of integrated systems (e.g. power plants). The experimental data obtained from the plant start-up and the short-cut modeling of the system can be useful for the process analysis, for the scale-up of the thermal storage system and to investigate the feasibility of its implementation in actual case-studies.

Keywords: CSP plants, thermal energy storage, thermocline, mathematical modelling, experimental data

Procedia PDF Downloads 331

Authors: S. H. Arnaud Kanga, O. Hili, S. Dabo-Niang

Abstract:

Spatial prediction is an issue appealing and attracting several fields such as agriculture, environmental sciences, ecology, econometrics, and many others. Although multiple non-parametric prediction methods exist for spatial data, those are based on the conditional expectation. This paper took a different approach by examining a non-parametric spatial predictor of the conditional quantile. The study especially observes the stationary multidimensional spatial process over a rectangular domain. Indeed, the proposed quantile is obtained by inverting the conditional distribution function. Furthermore, the proposed estimator of the conditional distribution function depends on three kernels, where one of them controls the distance between spatial locations, while the other two control the distance between observations. In addition, the almost complete convergence and the convergence in mean order q of the kernel predictor are obtained when the sample considered is alpha-mixing. Such approach of the prediction method gives the advantage of accuracy as it overcomes sensitivity to extreme and outliers values.

Keywords: conditional quantile, kernel, nonparametric, stationary

Procedia PDF Downloads 156

Authors: Elnaz Saeedi, Jamileh Abolaghasemi, Mohsen Nasiri Tousi, Saeedeh Khosravi

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Goals and Objectives: A typical analysis of survival data involves the modeling of time-to-event data, such as the time till death. A frailty model is a random effect model for time-to-event data, where the random effect has a multiplicative influence on the baseline hazard function. This article aims to investigate the use of gamma frailty model with concomitant variable in order to individualize the prognostic factors that influence the liver cirrhosis patients’ survival times. Methods: During the one-year study period (May 2008-May 2009), data have been used from the recorded information of patients with liver cirrhosis who were scheduled for liver transplantation and were followed up for at least seven years in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Iran. In order to determine the effective factors for cirrhotic patients’ survival in the presence of latent variables, the gamma frailty distribution has been applied. In this article, it was considering the parametric model, such as Exponential and Weibull distributions for survival time. Data analysis is performed using R software, and the error level of 0.05 was considered for all tests. Results: 305 patients with liver cirrhosis including 180 (59%) men and 125 (41%) women were studied. The age average of patients was 39.8 years. At the end of the study, 82 (26%) patients died, among them 48 (58%) were men and 34 (42%) women. The main cause of liver cirrhosis was found hepatitis 'B' with 23%, followed by cryptogenic with 22.6% were identified as the second factor. Generally, 7-year’s survival was 28.44 months, for dead patients and for censoring was 19.33 and 31.79 months, respectively. Using multi-parametric survival models of progressive and regressive, Exponential and Weibull models with regard to the gamma frailty distribution were fitted to the cirrhosis data. In both models, factors including, age, bilirubin serum, albumin serum, and encephalopathy had a significant effect on survival time of cirrhotic patients. Conclusion: To investigate the effective factors for the time of patients’ death with liver cirrhosis in the presence of latent variables, gamma frailty model with parametric distributions seems desirable.

Keywords: frailty model, latent variables, liver cirrhosis, parametric distribution

Procedia PDF Downloads 262

Authors: I. Erins, J. Erina

Abstract:

The aim of the present article is to determine the impact of the external and internal factors of bank performance on the profitability indicators of the CEE countries banks in the period from 2006 to 2012. On the basis of research conducted abroad on bank and macroeconomic profitability indicators, in order to obtain research results, the authors evaluated return on average assets (ROAA) and return on average equity (ROAE) indicators of the CEE countries banks. The authors analyzed profitability indicators of banks using descriptive methods, SPSS data analysis methods as well as data correlation and linear regression analysis. The authors concluded that most internal and external indicators of bank performance have no direct effect on the profitability of the banks in the CEE countries. The only exceptions are credit risk and bank size which affect one of the measures of bank profitability–return on average equity.

Keywords: banks, CEE countries, profitability ROAA, ROAE

Procedia PDF Downloads 369

Authors: Hajar Mohafezatkar Abadi

Abstract:

The family foundation is formed by marriage, and each couple, with their unique attitudes and personalities, takes a step into marriage. The more efficient and flexible these variables are, the more stable the marriage will be predicted. This group of couples sees their conflicts as an opportunity for growth, not as a threat to their shared life. Regarding family issue importance, a lot of research has been done around this topic which can be an effective step toward improving couples' life quality. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of personality and attitude on marital conflict. 306 couples (153 females, 153 males) were selected using multistage cluster sampling. The participants completed the personality Questionnaire (16PF, Cattell, 1975), marital conflict Questionnaire (MCQ-R, Sanaee Zaker, 1387), and dysfunctional attitude Questionnaire (DAS-26, Weissman & beck. 1987). The regression analysis results indicated that some personality traits and dysfunctional attitudes had a significant positive correlation with marital conflict.

Keywords: marital conflict, dysfunctional attitude, personality, personality questionnaire (16PF)

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Authors: Chih-Lin Chang, Tzu-Ching Weng

Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between corporate political ties and independent directors' functions. With reference to the literature variables such as the characteristics of the relevant board of directors in the past, a single comprehensive function indicator is established as a substitute variable for the function of independent directors, and the impact of political connection on the independent board of directors is further discussed. This research takes Taiwan listed enterprises from 2014 to 2020 as the main research object and conducts empirical research through descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis. The empirical results show that companies with political connections will have a positive impact on the number of independent directors; political connections also have a significant positive relationship with the functional part of independent directors, which means that because companies have political connections, they have a positive impact on the seats or functions of independent directors. will pay more attention and increase their oversight functions.

Keywords: political, connection, independent, director, function

Procedia PDF Downloads 99