Search results for: human service professional

Authors: Andhika Danesjvara, Nur Widyastanti

Abstract:

The constitution regulates the forms, types, and powers of sState organs in a government. The powers of the organs are then regulated in more detail in the legislation. One of these organs is a government organ, headed by a president or by another name that serves as the main organizer of government. The laws and regulations will govern how the organs of government shall exercise their authority and functions. In a modern state, the function of enacting laws or called executive power does not exercise the functions of government alone, but there are other organs that help the government run the country. These organs are often called government agencies, government accelerating bodies, independent regulatory bodies, commissions, councils or other similar names. The legislation also limits the power of officials within the organs to keep from abusing its authority. The main question in this paper is whether organs are the implementation of a democratic country, or as a form of compromise with the power of stakeholders. It becomes important to see how the administrative organs perform their functions. The administrative organs that are bound by government procedures work in the public service; therefore the next question is how far the function of public service is appropriate and not contradictory to the constitution.

Keywords: administrative organs, constitution, democracy, government

Procedia PDF Downloads 277

Authors: Andrey Yatsun, Andrei Malchikov

Abstract:

Exoskeletons are used to support and compensate for the load on the human musculoskeletal system. Elastomers are an important component of exoskeletons, providing additional support and compensating for the load. The algorithm of the active elastomer tension system provides the required auxiliary force depending on the angle of rotation and the tilt speed of the operator's torso. Feedback for the drive is provided by a force sensor integrated into the attachment of the exoskeleton vest. The use of direct force measurement ensures the required accuracy in all settings of the man-machine system. Non-adjustable elastic elements make it difficult to move without load, tilt forward and walk. A strategy for the organization of the auxiliary forces management system is proposed based on the allocation of 4 operating modes of the human-machine system.

Keywords: soft exoskeleton, mathematical modeling, pre-tension elastomer, human-machine interaction

Procedia PDF Downloads 50

Authors: Namrata Mishra

Abstract:

Health of a person plays a vital role in the collective health of his community and hence the well-being of the society as a whole. But, in today’s fast paced technology driven world, health issues are increasingly being associated with human behaviors – their lifestyle. Social networks have tremendous impact on the health behavior of individuals. Many researchers have used social network analysis to understand human behavior that implicates their social and economic environments. It would be interesting to use a similar analysis to understand human behaviors that have health implications. This paper focuses on concepts of those behavioural analyses that have health implications using social networks analysis and provides possible algorithmic approaches. The results of these approaches can be used by the governing authorities for rolling out health plans, benefits and take preventive measures, while the pharmaceutical companies can target specific markets, helping health insurance companies to better model their insurance plans.

Keywords: breadth first search, directed graph, health behaviors, social network analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 458

Authors: João Rato, Nuno Costa

Abstract:

The human verbal communication is a two-way process which requires a mutual understanding that will result in some considerations. This kind of communication, also called dialogue, besides the supposed human agents it can also be performed between human agents and machines. The interaction between Men and Machines, by means of a natural language, has an important role concerning the improvement of the communication between each other. Aiming at knowing the performance of some speech recognition systems, this document shows the results of the accomplished tests according to the Word Error Rate evaluation method. Besides that, it is also given a set of information linked to the systems of Man-Machine communication. After this work has been made, conclusions were drawn regarding the Speech Recognition Systems, among which it can be mentioned their poor performance concerning the voice interpretation in noisy environments.

Keywords: automatic speech recognition, man-machine conversation, speech recognition, spoken dialogue systems, word error rate

Procedia PDF Downloads 309

Authors: Vuk M. Popovic, Dunja D. Popovic

Abstract:

Software maintenance phase is started once a software project has been developed and delivered. After that, any modification to it corresponds to maintenance. Software maintenance involves modifications to keep a software project usable in a changed or a changing environment, to correct discovered faults, and modifications, and to improve performance or maintainability. Software maintenance and management of software maintenance are recognized as two most important and most expensive processes in a life of a software product. This research is basing the prediction of maintenance, on risks and time evaluation, and using them as data sets for working with neural networks. The aim of this paper is to provide support to project maintenance managers. They will be able to pass the issues planned for the next software-service-patch to the experts, for risk and working time evaluation, and afterward to put all data to neural networks in order to get software maintenance prediction. This process will lead to the more accurate prediction of the working hours needed for the software-service-patch, which will eventually lead to better planning of budget for the software maintenance projects.

Keywords: laboratory information system, maintenance engineering, neural networks, software maintenance, software maintenance costs

Procedia PDF Downloads 336

Authors: Shreyansh Jain Jeetmal, Shobith P. Chadaga, Shreyas H. Srinivas

Abstract:

Internet of Things (IoT) is seen as the next major step in the ongoing revolution in the Information Age. It is predicted that in the near future billions of embedded devices will be communicating with each other to perform a plethora of tasks with or without human intervention. One of the major ongoing hotbed of research activity in IoT is Human Computer Interaction (HCI). HCI is used to facilitate communication between an intelligent system and a user. An intelligent system typically comprises of a system consisting of various sensors, actuators and embedded controllers which communicate with each other to monitor data collected from the environment. Communication by the user to the system is typically done using voice. One of the major ongoing applications of HCI is in home automation as a personal assistant. The prime objective of our project is to implement a use case of HCI for home automation. Our system is designed to detect and recognize the users and personalize the appliances in the house according to their individual preferences. Our HCI system is also capable of speaking with the user when certain commands are spoken such as searching on the web for information and controlling appliances. Our system can also monitor the environment in the house such as air quality and gas leakages for added safety.

Keywords: human computer interaction, internet of things, computer vision, sensor networks, speech to text, text to speech, android

Procedia PDF Downloads 348

Authors: Getachew Adugna

Abstract:

Background: Chronic energy malnutrition and human immune deficiency virus among pregnant women are highly prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa, and they are interrelated in a vicious cycle. However, the prevalence of chronic energy malnutrition and its determinant factors among human immune deficiency virus-positive pregnant women is not well studied in Ethiopia and Addis Ababa in particular. Objective: To determine the prevalence & associated factors of chronic energy malnutrition among human immune deficiency virus-positive pregnant women in health centres of Addis Ababa Ethiopia. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted and a systematic random sampling technique was used to select study subjects. A total of 253 study subjects were enrolled in the study—a structured and pre-tested questionnaire collected sociodemographic, maternal health-related, and nutritional-related variables. MUAC measurements were taken and medical charts were reviewed. Bi-variable and multi-variable logistic regression analyses were used to assess the effect of different factors on chronic energy malnutrition. Result: The overall prevalence of chronic energy malnutrition was 32.0%. It was significantly associated with dietary counselling (AOR: 0.062; 95%CI: 0.007, 0.549), CD4 level (AOR: 0.219; 95%CI: 0.025, 1.908), and clinical stage (AOR: 0.127; 95%CI: 0.053, 0.305). Conclusions: The prevalence of chronic energy malnutrition among Human Immune deficiency virus-infected pregnant women in Addis Ababa was high and Nutritional Intervention should be an integral part of the HIV care program.

Keywords: chronic energy malnutrition, HIV, MUAC, Addis Ababa

Procedia PDF Downloads 56

Authors: Kenneth Christie

Abstract:

Syria and Iraq are Arabian nightmares at the local, the regional and global levels in terms of human security and the protection of the vulnerable. Wracked by civil war, ethnic and political violence in the last 5 years in the case of Syria and 13 years in the case of Iraq, the body count now is staggering; the humanitarian crisis continues and there appears no end to this. A crisis that has claimed the lives of 200,000 people so far in Syria, sparked a humanitarian catastrophe fuelled violent Islamic extremism and exposed serious splits in the international community who appear to have no consensus. The international community’s failure to act is simply another sign of the desperate situation which has developed over conflicts that appears unsolvable in the immediate future and may be intractable in the long range. Three things are really at stake I’m going to argue in these continuing crises and how it will affect the human security dimensions of the conflict. Firstly, the protection of vulnerable individuals and civilians in the war, 2ndly, the dire consequences for regional instability as a result and thirdly the risks for minority and ethnic identities who are caught up in this, within and across these volatile borders. This paper will examine these elements and the consequences of the conflict in terms of human security, migration and development.

Keywords: human security, migration, Syria and Iraq, conflict and development

Procedia PDF Downloads 348

Authors: Mohsen Yaghmor, Sima Radmanesh

Abstract:

Rapid environmental changes have been threatening the life of many organizations. Enabling and productivity of human resource should be considered as the most important issue in order to increase performance and ensure survival of the organizations. In this research, the effectiveness of management factory in productivity and inability of human resource have been identified and reviewed at glance. Afterwards, answers were sought to questions "What are the factors effecting productivity and enabling of human resource?" and "What are the priority order based on effective management of human resource in Fars Poultry Complex?". A specified questionnaire has been designed regarding the priorities and effectiveness of the identified factors. Six factors were specified consisting of: individual characteristics, teaching, motivation, partnership management, authority or power submission and job development that have most effect on organization. Then a questionnaire was specified for priority and effect measurement of specified factors that were reached after collecting information and using statistical tests of Keronchbakh alpha coefficient r = 0.792, so that we can say the questionnaire has sufficient reliability. After information analysis of specified six factors by Friedman test their effects were categorized. Measurement on organization respectively consists of individual characteristics, job development or enrichment, authority submission, partnership management, teaching and motivation. Lastly, approaches has been introduced to increase productivity of manpower.

Keywords: productivity, empowerment, enrichment, authority submission, partnership management, teaching, motivation

Procedia PDF Downloads 250

Authors: Kerem Ok, Serafettin Senturk, Serdar Aktas, Cem Cevikbas

Abstract:

Mobile technology is very popular nowadays and it provides a digital world where users can experience many value-added services. Service Providers are also eager to offer diverse value-added services to users such as digital identity, mobile financial services and so on. In this context, the security of data storage in smartphones and the security of communication between the smartphone and service provider are critical for the success of these services. In order to provide the required security functions, the SIM card is one acceptable alternative. Since SIM cards include a Secure Element, they are able to store sensitive data, create cryptographically secure keys, encrypt and decrypt data. In this paper, we design and implement a SIM and a smartphone framework that uses a SIM card for secure key generation, key storage, data encryption, data decryption and digital signing for mobile financial services. Our frameworks show that the SIM card can be used as a controlled Secure Element to provide required security functions for popular e-services such as mobile financial services.

Keywords: SIM card, mobile financial services, cryptography, secure data storage

Procedia PDF Downloads 296

Authors: Mir Hussain Nawaz, Lyudmila Nedyalkova, Haizhong Zhu, Wael M. Rabeh

Abstract:

In this study, we aim to biochemically and structurally characterize the interactions of human HK2 with the mitochondria in addition to the role of its N-terminal domain in catalysis and stability of the full-length enzyme. Here, we solved the crystal structure of human HK2 in complex with glucose and glucose-6-phosphate (PDB code: 2NZT), where it is a homodimer with catalytically active N- and C-terminal domains linked by a seven-turn α-helix. Different from the inactive N-terminal domains of isozymes 1 and 3, the N- domain of HK2 not only capable to catalyze a reaction but it is responsible for the thermodynamic stabilizes of the full-length enzyme. Deletion of first α-helix of the N-domain that binds to the mitochondria altered the stability and catalytic activity of the full-length HK2. In addition, we found the linker helix between the N- and C-terminal domains to play an important role in controlling the catalytic activity of the N-terminal domain. HK2 is a major step in the regulation of glucose metabolism in cancer making it an ideal target for the development of new anticancer therapeutics. Characterizing the structural and molecular mechanisms of human HK2 and its role in cancer metabolism will accelerate the design and development of new cancer therapeutics that are safe and cancer specific.

Keywords: cancer metabolism, enzymology, drug discovery, protein stability

Procedia PDF Downloads 250

Authors: Ayyoub Jamali, Jennie Edlund, Alena Kozlová

Abstract:

This paper evaluates the monitoring, prevention, and enforcing mechanisms of the core values of international organisations (IOs) in a comparative human rights perspective. The IOs in focus are the European Union, the Council of Europe, the African Union, and the Organization of American States. The paper will take the founding treaties of these IOs and their relevant protocols as a starting point to identify the values and the mechanisms used for their implementation. It will explore the scope of violations, the procedures in place and evaluate what type of response to those breaches seems to work best in terms of achieving its declared objectives. The study will identify and compare the weaknesses and strengths of each mechanism used by the IOs and recognize common challenges and means, thereby drawing inter-organizational comparisons. Consequently, the findings of this paper can be used among the IOs to improve their system and thus enhance their effectiveness.

Keywords: international organizations, core values, human rights, enforcement mechanism, compliance

Procedia PDF Downloads 163

Authors: Jaroslav Fiala, Jaroslav Kaiser, Pavel Zlabek, Vaclav Mentl

Abstract:

The X-ray diffraction technique was recognized as a useful tool for the assessment of material degradation degree after a long-time service. In many industrial applications materials are subjected to degradation of mechanical properties as a result of real service conditions. The assessment of the remnant lifetime of components and structures is commonly based on correlated procedures including numerous destructive, non-destructive and mathematical techniques that should guarantee reasonable precise assessment of the current damage extent of materials in question and the remnant lifetime assessment. This paper summarizes results of an experimental programme concentrated on mechanical properties degradation of welded components. Steel an Al-alloy test specimens of base metal, containing welds and simple weldments were fatigue loaded at room temperature to obtain Woehler S-N curve. X-ray diffraction technique was applied to assess the degradation degree of material as a result of cyclic loading.

Keywords: fatigue loading, material degradation, steels, AL-alloys, X-ray diffraction

Procedia PDF Downloads 424

Authors: Manotar Tampubolon

Abstract:

Indonesia is a country that upholds the law, human rights and religious freedom. The freedom that implied in various laws and constitution (Undang-undang 1945) is not necessarily applicable in practice of religious life. In one side, the state has a duty as protector and guarantor of freedom, on the other side, however, it turns into one of the actors of freedom violations of religion minority. State action that interferes freedom of religion is done in various ways both intentionally or negligently or not to perform its obligations in the enforcement of human rights (human rights due diligence). Besides the state, non-state actors such as religious organizations, individuals also become violators of the rights of religious freedom. This article will discuss two fundamental issues that interfere freedom of religion in Indonesia after democratic era. In addition, this article also discusses a comprehensive state policy that discriminates minority religions to manifest their faith.

Keywords: religious freedom, constitution, minority faith, state actor

Procedia PDF Downloads 387

Authors: Enkhjargal Bat-Ochir

Abstract:

The global market of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) has increasing rapidly while the lifespan of these products has become increasingly shorter. So, e-waste is becoming the world’s fastest growing waste stream. E-waste is a huge problem when it’s not properly disposed of, as these devices contain substances that are harmful to the environment and to human health as they contaminate the land, water, and air. This paper tends to highlight e-waste problem and harmful effects and can grasp the extent of the problem and take the necessary measures to solve it in Mongolia and to improve standards and human health.

Keywords: e -waste, recycle, electrical, Mongolia

Procedia PDF Downloads 407

Authors: Zin Mar Lwin

Abstract:

Brain Computer Interface (BCI) Systems have developed for people who suffer from severe motor disabilities and challenging to communicate with their environment. BCI allows them for communication by a non-muscular way. For communication between human and computer, BCI uses a type of signal called Electroencephalogram (EEG) signal which is recorded from the human„s brain by means of an electrode. The electroencephalogram (EEG) signal is an important information source for knowing brain processes for the non-invasive BCI. Translating human‟s thought, it needs to classify acquired EEG signal accurately. This paper proposed a typical EEG signal classification system which experiments the Dataset from “Purdue University.” Independent Component Analysis (ICA) method via EEGLab Tools for removing artifacts which are caused by eye blinks. For features extraction, the Time and Frequency features of non-stationary EEG signals are extracted by Matching Pursuit (MP) algorithm. The classification of one of five mental tasks is performed by Multi_Class Support Vector Machine (SVM). For SVMs, the comparisons have been carried out for both 1-against-1 and 1-against-all methods.

Keywords: BCI, EEG, ICA, SVM

Procedia PDF Downloads 263

Authors: Chutikarn Sriviboon

Abstract:

The objectives of this research were to study the operation of the Labor Fund and to investigate the needs for money and assistance from Thai laborers both from within the system and out of the system and to compare between the assistance from domestic and international funds. The population of this study included three labor groups: group one was laborer in the system who were the members of saving cooperative, group two was laborer in the system who were not the members of saving cooperative, and group three was laborer who were not in the system. This was a mixed research of quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings can be categorized into four parts. First, the labor fund was beneficial to Thai laborers by giving access to government funds but the weakness was found to be poor public relations. Second, the labor funds should extend their assistance to laborer in the system who was not the members of saving cooperative. Third, the comparison between domestic labor funds and international labor funds revealed that there were no international funds which provided assistance the same way as Thai labor funds. Finally, there was a need to improve the management of labor funds and to provide long term assistance to Thai labors.

Keywords: effectiveness, quality, labor funds, service

Procedia PDF Downloads 338

Authors: G. Tamilpavai, C. Vishnuppriya

Abstract:

Studying DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) sequence is useful in biological processes and it is applied in the fields such as diagnostic and forensic research. DNA is the hereditary information in human and almost all other organisms. It is passed to their generations. Earlier stage detection of defective DNA sequence may lead to many developments in the field of Bioinformatics. Nowadays various tedious techniques are used to identify defective DNA. The proposed work is to analyze and identify the cancer-causing DNA motif in a given sequence. Initially the human DNA sequence is separated as k-mers using k-mer separation rule. The separated k-mers are clustered using Self Organizing Map (SOM). Using Levenshtein distance measure, cancer associated DNA motif is identified from the k-mer clusters. Experimental results of this work indicate the presence or absence of cancer causing DNA motif. If the cancer associated DNA motif is found in DNA, it is declared as the cancer disease causing DNA sequence. Otherwise the input human DNA is declared as normal sequence. Finally, elapsed time is calculated for finding the presence of cancer causing DNA motif using clustering formation. It is compared with normal process of finding cancer causing DNA motif. Locating cancer associated motif is easier in cluster formation process than the other one. The proposed work will be an initiative aid for finding genetic disease related research.

Keywords: bioinformatics, cancer motif, DNA, k-mers, Levenshtein distance, SOM

Procedia PDF Downloads 175

Authors: Loh Fu Quan, Fong Zi Heng, Burra Venkata Durga Kumar

Abstract:

Cloud computing has completely transformed the way many businesses operate. Traditionally, confidential data of a business is stored in computers located within the premise of the business. Therefore, a lot of business capital is put towards maintaining computing resources and hiring IT teams to manage them. The advent of cloud computing changes everything. Instead of purchasing and managing their infrastructure, many businesses have started to shift towards working with the cloud with the help of a cloud service provider (CSP), leading to cost savings. However, it also introduces security risks. This research paper focuses on the security risks that arise during data migration and user authentication in cloud computing. To overcome this problem, this paper provides a comprehensive framework that includes Transport Layer Security (TLS), user authentication, security tokens and multi-level data encryption. This framework aims to prevent authorized access to cloud resources and data leakage, ensuring the confidentiality of sensitive information. This framework can be used by cloud service providers to strengthen the security of their cloud and instil confidence in their users.

Keywords: Cloud computing, Cloud security, Cloud security issues, Cloud security framework

Procedia PDF Downloads 97

Authors: Xian-Peng Jiang, Catherine C. Baucom, Toby Jiang, Robert L. Elliott

Abstract:

HLA-G binds to the inhibitory receptors of uterine NK cells and plays an important role in protection of fetal cells from maternal NK lysis. HLA-G also mediates tumor escape, but the immunosuppressive role is often neglected. These studies have focused on the examination of HLA-G expression in human breast carcinoma and HLA-G immunosuppressive role in NK cytolysis. We examined HLA-G expression in breast cell lines by real time PCR, ELISA and immunofluorescent staining. We treated the breast cancer cell lines with anti-human HLA-G antibody or progesterone. Then, NK cytolysis was measured by using MTT assay. We find that breast carcinoma cell lines increase the expression of HLA-G mRNA and protein, compared to normal cells. Blocking HLA-G of the breast cancer cells by the antibody increases NK cytolysis. Progesterone upregulates HLA-G mRNA and protein of human breast cancer cell lines. The increased HLA-G expression suppresses NK cytolysis. In summary, human breast carcinoma overexpress HLA-G immunosuppressive molecules. Blocking HLA-G protein by antibody improves NK cytolysis. In contrast, upregulation of HLA-G expression by progesterone impairs NK cytolytic function. Thus, HLA-G is a new immunosuppressive checkpoint and potential cancer immunotherapeutic target.

Keywords: HLA-G, Breast carcinoma, NK cells, Immunosuppressive checkpoint

Procedia PDF Downloads 72

Authors: Babulayi B. Wilson

Abstract:

Unsatisfactory performance of construction projects in both the industrialised and developing countries indicate that there could be several defects in construction projects phases. Notwithstanding the fact that some project defects are often conceived at the initiation phase of construction projects, insufficient knowledge of contract procedures has been identified as one of the major sources of construction disputes. Contract procedures are a set of rules that outlines the primary obligations and liabilities of parties involved in the implementation of a construction project. Engineering professional bodies often codify contract procedures into standard forms of contract such as the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE, UK) and Association of Consulting Engineers (ACE, UK) and keep them under constant review by updating any clause to reflect any change in case law or relevant piece of legislation. Even so, it is the responsibility of a professional body or conditions of contract draftsperson to introduce contract-specific clauses that may be necessary for business efficacy but not covered in the chosen standard conditions of contract. In Botswana, the use of clients’ drafted and/or un-adapted for environment of use international forms of contract in conjunction with client-drafted pricing schedules is common. The product of the latter often impact negatively upon contractors’ claims and payments, in that, tender rates and prices can only be deemed to be sufficient if the chosen conditions of contract compliment the pricing schedule (use of standardised procurement documents). In addition, client drafted and the use of borrowed forms of contract such as FIDIC often conflict with domicile law resulting in costly disputes on the part of the client. It is upon the preceding text that the object of the research is to measure the level of knowledge of contract procedures amongst key stakeholders in the Botswana construction industry by requesting a representative sample from the industry and academia to respond to tutorial questions prepared from two commonly used forms of contract for civil works, that is, FIDIC (International Form of Contract) and ICE (UK). The questions were prepared under the following captions: (a) preparation of tender documents (b) obligations of the parties (c) contract administration; and (d) claims, variations, and valuation of variations. After ascertaining that the level of knowledge of contract procedures is insufficient among most practitioners in the Botswana construction industry, major procurement entities, and engineering institutions of learning; a guide to drafting a condition of a construction contract was developed and then validated through seminars and workshops. In the present, the effectiveness of the guide is not yet measured but feedback from seminars and workshops conducted indicates an appreciation of the guide by the majority of major construction industry stakeholders.

Keywords: contract procedures, conditions of contract, professional practice, construction law, forms of contract

Procedia PDF Downloads 177

Authors: T. Qasim, M. Obeidat, S. Al-Sharairi

Abstract:

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the excessive use of smartphones. Smartphones have enormous effects on the human body in that some musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and health problems might evolve. These days, there is a wide use of the smartphones among all age groups of society, thus, the focus on smartphone effects on human behavior and health, especially on the young and elderly people, becomes a crucial issue. This study was conducted in Jordan on smartphone users for different genders and ages, by conducting a survey to collect data related to the symptoms and MSDs that are resulted from the excessive use of smartphones. A total of 357 responses were used in the analysis. The main related symptoms were numbness, fingers pain, and pain in arm, all linked to age and gender for comparative reasons. A statistical analysis was performed to find the effects of extensive usage of a smartphone for long periods of time on the human body. Results show that the significant variables were the vision problems and the time spent when using the smartphone that cause vision problems. Other variables including age of user and ear problems due to the use of the headsets were found to be a border line significant.

Keywords: smart phone, age group, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), health problems

Procedia PDF Downloads 243

Authors: Adriano Mortada

Abstract:

Human history is rife with conflict, and the question of refugee status determination and their rehabilitation has been up for debate since. Refugee Status Determination is the administrative or legal process by which UNHCR or governments determine whether a person seeking international protection or asylum can be identified as a refugee under international, regional, or national law. Refugee Status Determination is considered to be a vital process in aiding refugees’ realization of their rights under international law. One of the major reasons why the refugee status determination is considered an “issue”, and is one that is much debated upon annually, is the fact that the national bureaucratic systems are rigid and unbending. This is particularly concerning in the 21st century despite human advancement in policy and diplomacy, working in tandem with the United Nations and their charters and resolutions on human rights and dignity. The paper seeks to criticize the European member states' response to the refugee crisis and their inflexible and prejudiced bureaucratic systems when it comes to refugee status determination. The paper looks at multiple case studies as primary evidence and the alternate case studies where the system helped refugees, like those in Jordan, Pakistan, Turkey, and Lebanon. The main concern of the paper is to highlight the bias in the selected European systems, which do not stem from the Human Rights Charter but rather on the basis of geographical backgrounds, cultural and religious affiliations of those seeking refugee status or asylum in their respective countries. The paper hopes to not only create awareness about this issue but also provide a research background to advocacy programs to bring a change in the systems.

Keywords: refugee status determination, human rights, bureaucracy, United Nations, European Union

Procedia PDF Downloads 85

Authors: S. Vanaja, P. Panneerselvam, S. Santhanakarthikeyan

Abstract:

Cloud Computing is a latest trend in Libraries. Entering in to cloud services, Librarians can suit the present information handling and they are able to satisfy needs of the knowledge society. Libraries are now in the platform of universalizing all its information to users and they focus towards clouds which gives easiest access to data and application. Cloud computing is a highly scalable platform promising quick access to hardware and software over the internet, in addition to easy management and access by non-expert users. In this paper, we discuss the cloud’s features and its potential applications in the library and information centers, how cloud computing actually works is illustrated in this communication and how it will be implemented. It discuss about what are the needs to move to cloud, process of migration to cloud. In addition to that this paper assessed the practical problems during migration in libraries, advantages of migration process and what are the measures that Libraries should follow during migration in to cloud. This paper highlights the benefits and some concerns regarding data ownership and data security on the cloud computing.

Keywords: cloud computing, cloud-service, cloud based-ILS, cloud-providers, discovery service, IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, virtualization, Web scale access

Procedia PDF Downloads 635

Authors: D. Shamatov

Abstract:

Becoming a teacher is a journey with significant learning experiences. Exploring teachers’ lives and experiences can provide much-needed insights into the multiple realities of teaching. Teachers’ stories through qualitative narrative studies help understand and appreciate the complexities of the socio-political, economic and practical realities facing teachers. Events and experiences, both past and present, that take place at home, school, and in the broader social sphere help to shape these teachers’ lives and careers. Researchers and educators share the responsibility of listening to these teachers’ stories and life experiences and being sensitive to their voices in order to develop effective models for teacher development. A better understanding of how teachers learn to become teachers can help teacher educators prepare more effective teacher education programs. This paper is based on qualitative research which includes individual and focus group interviews, as well as auto-biography stories of Master of Science in School Leadership students at Graduate School of Education of Nazarbayev University. Twenty five MSc students from across Kazakhstan reflected on their professional journey and wrote their professional autobiographies as teachers. Their autobiographies capture the richness of their experiences and beliefs as a teacher, but also serve as window to understand broader socio-economic and political contexts where these teachers live and work. The study also provides an understanding of the systemic and socio-economic challenges of teachers in the context of post-Soviet Kazakhstan. It helps the reader better understand how wider societal forces interact and frame the development of teachers. The paper presents the findings from these stories of MSc students and offers some practical and policy implications for teacher preparation and teacher development.

Keywords: becoming a teacher, Kazakhstan, teacher stories, teacher development

Procedia PDF Downloads 416

Authors: Clarissa Delariarte

Abstract:

With the aim of helping the poorest of the poor achieve quality education, Psychology students supported and served as teacher assistants to its Early Childhood Education Center in two barangays since the program began in 1999. Making use of qualitative approach, the impact of the program to 29 alumni who served as teacher assistants between 2000-2014 was assessed. Results show that the impact to the alumni is in cognitive as well as social-emotional in terms of feelings of deep satisfaction and sense of volunteerism which is being carried out in their respective workspaces. They also expressed positive feelings of inspiration, gratefulness and happiness. A wider perspective in life, being confident, creative and resourceful was also articulated as concrete impacts. It is concluded that the program had an impact on helping the helper and is a concrete manifestation of the academe being successful in its commitment of forming individuals into becoming integrated and compassionate in the service of the Church and Society. It implies that more opportunities of helping others be provided to students since, in the final analysis, is actually an opportunity of helping the helper be of better service to others.

Keywords: applied psychology, life skill, qualitative research, quality education

Procedia PDF Downloads 178

Authors: Hila Levi

Abstract:

Respect for human rights is a fundamental element of the European Union's (EU) identity and law. Surprisingly, however, the protection of human rights has been significantly restricted in the austerity programs ordered by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Commission (EC) (often labeled 'the Troika') in return for financial aid to the crisis-hit countries. This paper focuses on the role of the ECB in the crisis management. While other international financial institutions, such as the IMF or the World Bank, may opt to neglect human rights obligations, one might expect a greater respect of human rights from the ECB, which is bound by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. However, this paper argues that ECB officials made no significant effort to protect human rights or strike an adequate balance between competing financial and human rights needs while coping with the crisis. ECB officials were preoccupied with the need to stabilize the economy and prevent a collapse of the Eurozone, and paid only marginal attention to human rights concerns in the design and implementation of Troikas' programs. This paper explores the role of Organizational Culture (OC) in explaining this marginalization. While International Relations (IR) research on Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) behavior has traditionally focused on external interests of powerful member states, and on national and economic considerations, this study focuses on particular institutions' internal factors and independent processes. OC characteristics have been identified in OC literature as an important determinant of organizational behavior. This paper suggests that cultural characteristics are also vital for the examination of IGOs, and particularly for understanding the ECB's behavior during the crisis. In order to assess the OC of the ECB and the impact it had on its policies and decisions during the Eurozone crisis, the paper uses the results of numerous qualitative interviews conducted with high-ranking officials and staff members of the ECB involved in the crisis management. It further reviews primary sources of the ECB (such as ECB statutes, and the Memoranda of Understanding signed between the crisis countries and the Troika), and secondary sources (such as the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Austerity measures and economic, social, and cultural rights). It thus analyzes the interaction between the ECBs culture and the almost complete absence of human rights considerations in the Eurozone crisis resolution scheme. This paper highlights the importance and influence of internal ideational factors on IGOs behavior. From a more practical perspective, this paper may contribute to understanding one of the obstacles in the process of human rights implementation in international organizations, and provide instruments for better protection of social and economic rights.

Keywords: European central bank, eurozone crisis, intergovernmental organizations, organizational culture

Procedia PDF Downloads 139

Authors: Ilana Margalith, Yaron Niv

Abstract:

One of the most important factors of professional health treatment is teamwork, in which each discipline contributes its expert knowledge, thus ensuring quality and a high standard of care as well as efficient communication (one of the International Patient Safety Goals). However, in most countries, students are educated separately by each health discipline. They are exposed to teamwork only during their clinical experience, which in some cases is short and skill-oriented. In addition, health organizations in most countries are hierarchical and although changes have occurred in the hierarchy of the medical system, there are still disciplines that underrate the unique contributions of other health professionals, thus, young graduates of health professions develop and base their perception of their peers from other disciplines on insufficient knowledge. In order to establish a wide-ranging perception among nursing students as to the contribution of different health professionals to the health of their patients, students at the Clalit Nursing Academy, Rabin Campus (Dina), Israel, participated in an interdisciplinary clinical discussion with students from several different professions, other than nursing, who were completing their clinical experience at Rabin Medical Center in medicine, health psychology, social work, audiology, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. The discussion was led by a medical-surgical nursing instructor. Their tutors received in advance, a case report enabling them to prepare the students as to how to present their professional theories and interventions regarding the case. Mutual stimulation and acknowledgment of the unique contribution of each part of the team enriched the nursing students' understanding as to how their own nursing interventions could be integrated into the entire process towards a safe and speedy recovery of the patient.

Keywords: health professions' students, interdisciplinary clinical discussion, nursing education, patient safety

Procedia PDF Downloads 161

Authors: Xi Xiao, Chunhui Chen, Xinyu Liu, Guangwu Hu, Yong Jiang

Abstract:

Location sharing is a fundamental service in mobile Online Social Networks (mOSNs), which raises significant privacy concerns in recent years. Now, most location-based service applications adopt client/server architecture. In this paper, a location sharing system, named CSLocShare, is presented to provide flexible privacy-preserving location sharing with client/server architecture in mOSNs. CSLocShare enables location sharing between both trusted social friends and untrusted strangers without the third-party server. In CSLocShare, Location-Storing Social Network Server (LSSNS) provides location-based services but do not know the users’ real locations. The thorough analysis indicates that the users’ location privacy is protected. Meanwhile, the storage and the communication cost are saved. CSLocShare is more suitable and effective in reality.

Keywords: mobile online social networks, client/server architecture, location sharing, privacy-preserving

Procedia PDF Downloads 308

Authors: Nathaniel Oladimeji Dixon, Adekemi Dorcas Fadun

Abstract:

Educational managers have observed a downward trend in the administrative effectiveness of non-teaching staff in federal universities in South-west Nigeria. This is evident in the low-quality service delivery of administrators and unaccomplished institutional goals and missions of higher education. Scholars have thus indicated the need for the deployment and adoption of a practice that encourages information collection and sharing among stakeholders with a view to improving service delivery and outcomes. This study examined the extent to which knowledge management correlated with the administrative effectiveness of non-teaching staff in federal universities in South-west Nigeria. The study adopted the survey design. Three federal universities (the University of Ibadan, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, and Obafemi Awolowo University) were purposively selected because administrative ineffectiveness was more pronounced among non-teaching staff in government-owned universities, and these federal universities were long established. The proportional and stratified random sampling was adopted to select 1156 non-teaching staff across the three universities along the three existing layers of the non-teaching staff: secretarial (senior=311; junior=224), non-secretarial (senior=147; junior=241) and technicians (senior=130; junior=103). Knowledge Management Practices Questionnaire with four sub-scales: knowledge creation (α=0.72), knowledge utilization (α=0.76), knowledge sharing (α=0.79) and knowledge transfer (α=0.83); and Administrative Effectiveness Questionnaire with four sub-scales: communication (α=0.84), decision implementation (α=0.75), service delivery (α=0.81) and interpersonal relationship (α=0.78) were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regression at 0.05 level of significance, while qualitative data were content analyzed. About 59.8% of the non-teaching staff exhibited a low level of knowledge management. The indices of administrative effectiveness of non-teaching staff were rated as follows: service delivery (82.0%), communication (78.0%), decision implementation (71.0%) and interpersonal relationship (68.0%). Knowledge management had significant relationships with the indices of administrative effectiveness: service delivery (r=0.82), communication (r=0.81), decision implementation (r=0.80) and interpersonal relationship (r=0.47). Knowledge management had a significant joint prediction on administrative effectiveness (F (4;1151)= 0.79, R=0.86), accounting for 73.0% of its variance. Knowledge sharing (β=0.38), knowledge transfer (β=0.26), knowledge utilization (β=0.22), and knowledge creation (β=0.06) had relatively significant contributions to administrative effectiveness. Lack of team spirit and withdrawal syndrome is the major perceived constraints to knowledge management practices among the non-teaching staff. Knowledge management positively influenced the administrative effectiveness of the non-teaching staff in federal universities in South-west Nigeria. There is a need to ensure that the non-teaching staff imbibe team spirit and embrace teamwork with a view to eliminating their withdrawal syndromes. Besides, knowledge management practices should be deployed into the administrative procedures of the university system.

Keywords: knowledge management, administrative effectiveness of non-teaching staff, federal universities in the south-west of nigeria., knowledge creation, knowledge utilization, effective communication, decision implementation

Procedia PDF Downloads 79