Search results for: neuropsychology and musical performance

Authors: Elham Fakhrpoor, Daryush Mohammadi Zanjirani, Maziyar Nojaba

Abstract:

Business process reengineering is one of the most important strategies in banks in recent years that not only it increases customers’ satisfaction, but also it increases performance of banks. The purpose of elementary (initial) business process reengineering is reinforcing banks abilities to obtain new customers and making long-term relationships with existed customers and increasing customers’ satisfaction among service quality in global level. Banks specially the private ones are the main streams of state, because cash flow is necessary to survive a state. What guarantees survival and permanency of financial institutes’ activities is providing favorite, certain, and proper services. Capital market being small and state financial system being bank-oriented needs optimum usage from banks. According to this fact and role and importance of developing banking system, the present study tried to offer a constructed model using Lisrel and also spss software to evaluate effects of business process reengineering on performance of private banks. We have one min hypothesis and four sub-hypotheses. The main hypothesis says reengineering factors have positive effects on bank performances (balanced- scores card aspects). These hypotheses were tested by structural equations modeling.

Keywords: effect, business, reengineering, private bank

Procedia PDF Downloads 278

Authors: Saeedeh Shafiee Nahrkhalaji

Abstract:

Metacognitive knowledge increases EFL students’ ability to be successful learners. Although this relationship has been investigated by a number of scholars, EFL teachers’ explicit awareness of their cognitive knowledge has not been sufficiently explored. The aim of this study was to examine the role of EFL teachers’ metacognitive knowledge in their pedagogical performance. Furthermore, the role played by years of their academic education and teaching experience was also studied. Fifty female EFL teachers were selected. They completed Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) that assessed six components of metacognition including procedural knowledge, declarative knowledge, conditional knowledge, planning, evaluating, and management strategies. Near the end of the academic semester, the students of each class filled in ‘the Language Teacher Characteristics Questionnaire’ to evaluate their teachers’ pedagogical performance. Four elements of MAI, declarative knowledge, planning, evaluating, and management strategies were found to be significantly correlated with EFL teachers’ pedagogical success. Significant correlation was also established between metacognitive knowledge and EFL teachers’ years of academic education and teaching experience. The findings obtained from this research have contributing implication for EFL teacher educators. The discussion concludes by setting out directions for future research.

Keywords: metacognotive knowledge, pedagogical performance, language teacher characteristics questionnaire, metacognitive awareness inventory

Procedia PDF Downloads 327

Authors: Shima Soleimani, Steven Eckels

Abstract:

One area of special importance for surface-level study of heat exchangers is tubes with internal micro-fins (< 0.5 mm tall). Micro-finned surfaces are a kind of extended solid surface in which energy is exchanged with water that acts as the source or sink of energy. Significant performance gains are possible for either shell, tube, or double pipe heat exchangers if the best surfaces are identified. The parametric studies of micro-finned tubes that have appeared in the literature left some key parameters unexplored. Specifically, they ignored three-dimensional (3D) micro-fin configurations, conduction heat transfer in the fins, and conduction in the solid surface below the micro-fins. Thus, this study aimed at implementing a parametric study of 3D micro-finned tubes that considered micro-fin height and discontinuity features. A 3D conductive and convective heat-transfer simulation through coupled solid and periodic fluid domains is applied in a commercial package, ANSYS Fluent 19.1. The simulation is steady-state with turbulent water flow cooling inner wall of a tube with micro-fins. The simulation utilizes a constant and uniform temperature on the tube outer wall. Performance is mapped for 18 different simulation cases, including a smooth tube using a realizable k-ε turbulence model at a Reynolds number of 48,928. Results compared the performance of 3D tubes with results for the similar two-dimensional (2D) one. Results showed that the micro-fin height has greater impact on performance factor than discontinuity features in 3D micro-fin tubes. A transformed 3D micro-fin tube can enhance heat transfer and pressure drop up to 21% and 56% compared to a 2D one, respectfully.

Keywords: three-dimensional micro-finned tube, heat transfer, friction factor, heat exchanger

Procedia PDF Downloads 114

Authors: Kemal Polat

Abstract:

In this study, it has been estimated whether there is skin by using RBG values obtained from the camera and k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) classifier. The dataset used in this study has an unbalanced distribution and a linearly non-separable structure. This problem can also be called a big data problem. The Skin dataset was taken from UCI machine learning repository. As the classifier, we have used the k-NN method to handle this big data problem. For k value of k-NN classifier, we have used as 1. To train and test the k-NN classifier, 50-50% training-testing partition has been used. As the performance metrics, TP rate, FP Rate, Precision, recall, f-measure and AUC values have been used to evaluate the performance of k-NN classifier. These obtained results are as follows: 0.999, 0.001, 0.999, 0.999, 0.999, and 1,00. As can be seen from the obtained results, this proposed method could be used to predict whether the image is skin or not.

Keywords: k-NN classifier, skin or non-skin classification, RGB values, classification

Procedia PDF Downloads 246

Authors: Karolína Vozková, Matěj Kuc

Abstract:

This paper deals with the impact of decrease in interest rates on the performance of commercial and cooperative banks in the Eurozone measured by net interest margin. The analysis was performed on balanced dataset of 268 commercial and 726 cooperative banks spanning the 2008-2015 period. We employed Fixed Effects estimation panel method. As expected, we found a negative relationship between market rates and net interest margin. Our results suggest that the impact of negative interest income differs across individual banking business models. More precisely, those cooperative banks were much more hit by the decrease of market interest rates which might be due to their ownership structure and more restrictive business regulation.

Keywords: cooperative banks, performance, negative interest rates, risk management

Procedia PDF Downloads 178

Authors: Seong Jun Yoon, Jasurbek Doliev, Sang Min Oh, Rodi Hartono, Kyoojae Shin

Abstract:

Electric power steering (EPS), which is commonly used in electric vehicles recently, is an electric-driven steering device for vehicles. Compared to hydraulic systems, EPS offers advantages such as simple system components, easy maintenance, and improved steering performance. However, because the EPS system is a nonlinear model, difficult problems arise in controller design. To address these, various machine learning and artificial intelligence approaches, notably artificial neural networks (ANN), have been applied. ANN can effectively determine relationships between inputs and outputs in a data-driven manner. This research explores two main areas: designing an EPS identifier using an ANN-based backpropagation (BP) algorithm and enhancing the EPS system controller with an ANN-based Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithm. The proposed ANN-based BP algorithm shows superior performance and accuracy compared to linear transfer function estimators, while the LM algorithm offers better input angle reference tracking and faster response times than traditional PID controllers. Overall, the proposed ANN methods demonstrate significant promise in improving EPS system performance.

Keywords: ANN backpropagation modelling, electric power steering, transfer function estimator, electrical vehicle driving system

Procedia PDF Downloads 42

Authors: Yahya Maeni

Abstract:

It is well established that amblyopic patients have a reduced reading performance and oculomotor deficits. Word length has a significant impact on reading performance and eye movement behaviour during reading. As there no previous attempts to assess whether amblyopic eyes would be affected by word length while reading. This study aims to assess the effect of word length on amblyopic eye movement behaviour during reading including fixation duration, number of fixation and gaze duration. 21 adults with amblyopia and 21 age-matched controls participated in the study (age ± SD) (23.80 ± 4.66) for amblyopes and (24.20 ± 3.58) for Controls. Eye movement was recorded during reading binocularly using Eyelink 1000. Study was designed as 2 x 2 (amblyopia vs. control) x 2 lengths (4 letters, and 8 letters). Compared to controls, the amblyopic participants report significant longer duration of fixation, higher number of fixation and longer gaze duration for short words with far higher significant difference for long words. It could be concluded that eye movement in amblyopia during reading might be accounted for by the length of a word within a text and this could possible explanation of reduced reading performance among amblyopes. By understanding the effect of word length on amblyopia will shed light on reading deficits in amblyopia and help to determine the reading needs of amplyopes in educational and clinical settings.

Keywords: amblyopia, eye movement, reading, fixation

Procedia PDF Downloads 148

Authors: Halison da Silva Pereira, Ciro Sobrinho Campolina Martins, Vitor Mainenti Leal Lopes

Abstract:

Long range performance is a goal for aircraft configuration optimization. Blended Wing Body (BWB) is presented in many works of literature as the most aerodynamically efficient design for a fixed-wing aircraft. Because of its high weight to thrust ratio, BWB is the ideal configuration for many Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) missions on geomatics applications. In this work, a BWB aerodynamic design for typical light geomatics payload is presented. Aerodynamic non-dimensional coefficients are predicted using low Reynolds number computational techniques (3D Panel Method) and wing parameters like aspect ratio, taper ratio, wing twist and sweep are optimized for high cruise performance and flight quality. The methodology of this work is a summary of tailless aircraft wing design and its application, with appropriate computational schemes, to light UAV subjected to low Reynolds number flows leads to conclusions like the higher performance and flight quality of thicker airfoils in the airframe body and the benefits of using aerodynamic twist rather than just geometric.

Keywords: blended wing body, low Reynolds number, panel method, UAV

Procedia PDF Downloads 585

Authors: Guneet Saini, Shahrukh, Sunil Sharma

Abstract:

Traffic congestion is the most critical issue faced by those in the transportation profession today. Over the past few years, roundabouts have been recognized as a measure to promote efficiency at intersections globally. In developing countries like India, this type of intersection still faces a lot of issues, such as bottleneck situations, long queues and increased waiting times, due to increasing traffic which in turn affect the performance of the entire urban network. This research is a case study of a non-conventional roundabout, in terms of geometric design, in a small town in India. These types of roundabouts should be analyzed for their functionality in mixed traffic conditions, prevalent in many developing countries. Microscopic traffic simulation is an effective tool to analyze traffic conditions and estimate various measures of operational performance of intersections such as capacity, vehicle delay, queue length and Level of Service (LOS) of urban roadway network. This study involves analyzation of an unsymmetrical non-circular 6-legged roundabout known as “Kala Aam Chauraha” in a small town Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, India using VISSIM simulation package which is the most widely used software for microscopic traffic simulation. For coding in VISSIM, data are collected from the site during morning and evening peak hours of a weekday and then analyzed for base model building. The model is calibrated on driving behavior and vehicle parameters and an optimal set of calibrated parameters is obtained followed by validation of the model to obtain the base model which can replicate the real field conditions. This calibrated and validated model is then used to analyze the prevailing operational traffic performance of the roundabout which is then compared with a proposed alternative to improve efficiency of roundabout network and to accommodate pedestrians in the geometry. The study results show that the alternative proposed is an advantage over the present roundabout as it considerably reduces congestion, vehicle delay and queue length and hence, successfully improves roundabout performance without compromising on pedestrian safety. The study proposes similar designs for modification of existing non-conventional roundabouts experiencing excessive delays and queues in order to improve their efficiency especially in the case of developing countries. From this study, it can be concluded that there is a need to improve the current geometry of such roundabouts to ensure better traffic performance and safety of drivers and pedestrians negotiating the intersection and hence this proposal may be considered as a best fit.

Keywords: operational performance, roundabout, simulation, VISSIM

Procedia PDF Downloads 138

Authors: Lee Ock-Sun

Abstract:

The effective development of a geoscience education and training program takes account of the rapidly changing environment in the geoscience market, includes information about resource-rich countries which have international education demands. In this paper, we introduce the geoscience program run bythe International School for Geoscience Resources at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (IS-Geo of KIGAM),and show its remarkable performance. To further effective geoscience program planning and operation, we present recommendations for strategic management for customer-oriented operation with a more favorable program format and advanced training aids. Above all, the IS-Geo of KIGAM should continue improve through‘plan-do-see-feedback’activities based on the recommendations.

Keywords: demand survey, geoscience program, program performance, strategic management

Procedia PDF Downloads 442

Authors: Farhat Hajer, Khir Tahar, Cherni Rafik, Dakhli Radhouen, Ammar Ben Brahim

Abstract:

This paper presents the energy and exergy optimization of a real gas turbine power plant performance of 100 MW of power, installed in the South East of Tunisia. A simulation code is established using the EES (Engineering Equation Solver) software. The parameters considered are those of the actual operating conditions of the gas turbine thermal power station under study. The results show that thermal and exergetic efficiency decreases with the increase of the ambient temperature. Air excess has an important effect on the thermal efficiency. The emission of NOx rises in the summer and decreases in the winter. The obtained rates of NOx are compared with measurements results.

Keywords: efficiency, exergy, gas turbine, temperature

Procedia PDF Downloads 282

Authors: Jonathan E. Oghenekohwo

Abstract:

The return to scale constitutes a significant investment index in the determination of the quantum of resources that is deployed in investment decision on worker’s continuing professional development. Such investment decision is always predicted on the expected outcomes to the individual, institution and the society in context. Several investments in the development of human capacity on the job have been made, but the return to the scale of such seems not to have been correlated positively with the quantum of resources invested in terms of productivity and performance among workers in many universities. This paper thus found out that, despite the commitment and policy instrument to avail workers the right of continuing professional development, the multiplier effects are not evident in diligence, commitment, honesty, dedication, productivity and improved performance on the job among most administrative staff in Nigerian Universities This author, therefore concludes that, given the policy on the right of workers to get trained on-the job, the outcomes of such training must reflect on the overall performance indices, otherwise, institutions should carry out a forensic analysis of the types of continuing professional development programmes that workers participate in, whether or not, they are consistent with the vision and mission of the institutions in terms of economies of scale of workers professional development to the individual, institution and the nation in context.

Keywords: continuing, professional development, economies of scale, worker’s education, administrative staff

Procedia PDF Downloads 324

Authors: Glebert C. Dadol, Pamela Mae L. Ucab, Camila Flor Y. Lobarbio, Noel Peter B. Tan

Abstract:

Water scarcity is a global problem and membrane-based desalination technologies are one of the promising solutions to this problem. In this study, a passive solar-driven membrane distiller was fabricated and tested for its desalination performance. The distiller was composed of a TiNOX plate solar absorber, cellulose-based upper and lower hydrophilic layers, a hydrophobic middle layer, and aluminum heatsinks. The effect of the middle layer material and thickness on the desalination performance was investigated in terms of distillate productivity and salinity. The materials used for the middle layer were a screen mesh (2 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm thickness) to generate an air gap, a PTFE membrane (0.3 mm thickness)), and a combination of the screen mesh and the PTFE membrane (2.3 mm total thickness). Salt water (35 g/L NaCl) was desalinated using the distiller at a rooftop setting at the University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines. The highest distillate productivity of 1.08 L/m2-h was achieved using a 2-mm screen mesh (air gap) but it also resulted in a high distillate salinity of 25.20 g/L. Increasing the thickness of the air gap lowered the distillate salinity but also decreased the distillate productivity. The lowest salinity of 1.07 g/L was achieved using a 6-mm air gap but the productivity was reduced to 0.08 L/m2-h. The use of the hydrophobic PTFE membrane increased the productivity (0.44 L/m2-h) compared to a 6-mm air gap but produced a distillate with high salinity (16.68 g/L). When using a combination of the screen mesh and the PTFE membrane, the productivity was 0.13 L/m2-h and a distillate salinity of 1.61 g/L. The distiller with a thick air gap as the middle layer can deliver a distillate with low salinity and is preferred over a thin hydrophobic PTFE membrane. The use of a combination of the air gap and PTFE membrane slightly increased the productivity with comparable distillate salinity. Modifications and optimizations to the distiller can be done to improve further its performance.

Keywords: desalination, membrane distillation, passive solar-driven membrane distiller, solar distillation

Procedia PDF Downloads 116

Authors: Gürol Önal, Kevser Dinçer, Salih Yayla

Abstract:

In this study, performance of proton exchange membrane PEM fuel cell was experimentally investigated. Coating on the anode side of the PEM fuel cell was accomplished with the spin method by using YSZ+SDC. A solution having 0,1 gr YttriaStabilized Zirconia (YSZ) + 0,1 Samarium-Doped Ceria (SDC) + 10 mL methanol was prepared. This solution was taken out and filled into a micro-pipette. Then the anode side of PEM fuel cell was coated with YSZ+ SDC by using spin method. In the experimental study, current, voltage and power performances before and after coating were recorded and then compared to each other. It was found that the efficiency of PEM fuel cell increases after the coating with YSZ+SDC.

Keywords: fuel cell, Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM), membrane, spin method

Procedia PDF Downloads 561

Authors: Can Xiao, Ouanhong Jiang

Abstract:

Based on the two instruction sets of complex instruction set computing (CISC) and reduced instruction set computing (RISC), processors developed in their respective “expertise” fields. This paper will summarize research on the differences in performance and energy efficiency between CISC and RISC and strive to eliminate the influence of peripheral configuration factors. We will discuss whether processor performance is centered around instruction sets or implementation. In addition, the rapidly developing RISC-V poses a challenge to existing models. We will analyze research results, analyze the impact of instruction sets themselves, and finally make suggestions for the development of RISC-V.

Keywords: ISA, RISC-V, ARM, X86, power, energy efficiency

Procedia PDF Downloads 87

Authors: Seedwell Sithole

Abstract:

One of the persistent problems in accounting education is how to effectively support students’ learning. A promising technique to this issue is to investigate the extent that learning is determined by the design of instructional material. This study examines the academic performance of students using three instructional designs in financial accounting. Student’s performance scores and reported mental effort ratings were used to determine the instructional effectiveness. The findings of this study show that accounting students prefer graph and text designs that are integrated. The results suggest that spatially separated graph and text presentations in accounting should be reorganized to align with the requirements of human cognitive architecture.

Keywords: accounting, cognitive load, education, instructional preferences, students

Procedia PDF Downloads 149

Authors: Sophia C. Alih, Mohammadreza Vafaei, Farnoud Rahimi Mansour, Nur Hajarul Falahi Abdul Halim

Abstract:

Built-up columns have been widely employed by practice engineers in the design and construction of buildings and bridges. However, failures have been observed in this type of columns in previous seismic events. This study analyses the performance of built-up columns with different configurations of battens when it is subjected to seismic loads. Four columns with different size of battens were simulated and subjected to three different intensities of axial load along with a lateral cyclic load. Results indicate that the size of battens influences significantly the seismic behavior of columns. Lower shear capacity of battens results in higher ultimate strength and ductility for built-up columns. It is observed that intensity of axial load has a significant effect on the ultimate strength of columns, but it is less influential on the yield strength. For a given drift value, the stress level in the centroid of smaller size battens is significantly more than that of larger size battens signifying damage concentration in battens rather than chords. It is concluded that design of battens for shear demand lower than code specified values only slightly reduces initial stiffness of columns; however, it improves seismic performance of battened columns.

Keywords: battened column, built-up column, cyclic behavior, seismic design, steel column

Procedia PDF Downloads 253

Authors: Maximilian Elsen, Frank Tietze

Abstract:

The development and diffusion of green technologies are crucial for achieving our ambitious climate targets. The Paris Agreement commits its members to develop strategies for achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by the second half of the century. Governments, executives, and academics are working on net-zero strategies and the business of rating organisations on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance has grown tremendously in its public interest. ESG data is now commonly integrated into traditional investment analysis and an important factor in investment decisions. Creating these metrics, however, is inherently challenging as environmental and social impacts are hard to measure and uniform requirements on ESG reporting are lacking. ESG metrics are often incomplete and inconsistent as they lack fully accepted reporting standards and are often of qualitative nature. This study explores the use of patent data for assessing the environmental performance of companies by focusing on their patented inventions in the space of climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies (CCMAT). The present study builds on the successful identification of CCMAT patents. In this context, the study adopts the Y02 patent classification, a fully cross-sectional tagging scheme that is fully incorporated in the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC), to identify Climate Change Adaptation Technologies. The Y02 classification was jointly developed by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and provides means to examine technologies in the field of mitigation and adaptation to climate change across relevant technologies. This paper develops sustainability-related metrics for firm-level patent portfolios. We do so by adopting a three-step approach. First, we identify relevant CCMAT patents based on their classification as Y02 CPC patents. Second, we examine the technological strength of the identified CCMAT patents by including more traditional metrics from the field of patent analytics while considering their relevance in the space of CCMAT. Such metrics include, among others, the number of forward citations a patent receives, as well as the backward citations and the size of the focal patent family. Third, we conduct our analysis on a firm level by sector for a sample of companies from different industries and compare the derived sustainability performance metrics with the firms’ environmental and financial performance based on carbon emissions and revenue data. The main outcome of this research is the development of sustainability-related metrics for firm-level environmental performance based on patent data. This research has the potential to complement existing ESG metrics from an innovation perspective by focusing on the environmental performance of companies and putting them into perspective to conventional financial performance metrics. We further provide insights into the environmental performance of companies on a sector level. This study has implications of both academic and practical nature. Academically, it contributes to the research on eco-innovation and the literature on innovation and intellectual property (IP). Practically, the study has implications for policymakers by deriving meaningful insights into the environmental performance from an innovation and IP perspective. Such metrics are further relevant for investors and potentially complement existing ESG data.

Keywords: climate change mitigation, innovation, patent portfolios, sustainability

Procedia PDF Downloads 83

Authors: Abel Olayinka Ogbungbemi, I. A. Omunagbe, O. R. King, O. H. Akingbade

Abstract:

This study examined the influence of environmental factors on the academic performance of students in Lagos State Polytechnic. One hundred and thirty-eight students (138) questionnaire was randomly administered among 2,600 students in the 6 departments in the school of environmental studies, Lagos state Polytechnic. The result of the study established that the school environment affects learning. Hence, improper maintenance of fixtures led to lower than average student’s performance. Based on this, the school should endeavour to sustain the school facilities and dull colour points should not be used for painting, interactions between teachers and students should be encouraged, and teachers should relate to all the students irrespective of their age, level of study, department of study and gender.

Keywords: environment, learning, responsiveness, school effect

Procedia PDF Downloads 192

Authors: Shuwen Wu, Zhi LI

Abstract:

Atomically dispersed Fe‒N₄ catalysts are proven as promising alternatives to commercial Pt/C for the oxygen reduction reaction. Most reported Fe‒N₄ catalysts suffer from inferior O‒O bond-breaking capability due to superoxo-like O₂ adsorption, though the isolated dual-atomic metal sites strategy is extensively adopted. Atomic Fe clusters hold greater promise for promoting O‒O bond cleavage by forming peroxo-like O₂ adsorption. However, the excessively strong binding strength between Fe clusters and oxygenated intermediates sacrifices the activity. Here, we first report a Fex/Cu‒N@CF catalyst with atomic Fe clusters functionalized by adjacent single Cu‒N₄ sites anchoring on a porous carbon nanofiber membrane. The theoretical calculation indicates that the single Cu‒N₄ sites can modulate the electronic configuration of Fe clusters to reduce O₂* protonation reaction free energy, which ultimately enhances the electrocatalytic performance. Particularly, the Cu‒N₄ sites can increase the overlaps between the d orbitals of Fe and p orbitals of O to accelerate O‒O cleavage in OOH*. As a result, this unique atomic catalyst exhibits a half potential (E1/2) of 0.944 V in an alkaline medium exceeding that of commercial Pt/C, whereas acidic performance E1/2 = 0.815 V is comparable to Pt/C. This work shows the great potential of single atoms for improvements in atomic cluster catalysts.

Keywords: Hierarchical porous fibers, atomic Fe clusters, Cu single atoms, oxygen reduction reaction; O-O bond cleavage

Procedia PDF Downloads 114

Authors: Jordy Padilla

Abstract:

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) initiated a research project to install and evaluate Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) as an overlay on existing bridges. The project aims to implement UHPC overlays in NJDOT bridge deck strategies for preservation and repair. During design, four bridges were selected for construction. The construction involved the removal of the existing bridge asphalt overlays, partially removing the existing concrete deck surface, and resurfacing the deck with a UHPC overlay. In some cases, a new asphalt riding surface was placed. Additionally, existing headers were replaced with full-depth UHPC. The UHPC overlay is monitored through coring and Non-destructive testing (NDT) to ensure that the interfacial bond is intact and that the desired conditions are maintained. The NDT results show no evidence that the bond between the new UHPC overlay and the existing concrete deck is compromised. Bond strength test data demonstrates that, in general, the desired bond was achieved between UHPC and the substrate concrete, although the results were lower than anticipated. Chloride content is also within expectations except for one anomaly. The baseline testing was successful, and no significant defects were encountered.

Keywords: ultra-high performance concrete, rehabilitation, non-destructive testing

Procedia PDF Downloads 79

Authors: Ibrahim Ali, Adamu Danlami Ahmed

Abstract:

This study examines the impact of depreciation on taxable income and financial performance of consumer goods companies quoted on the Nigerian stock exchange. The study adopts ex-post factor research design. Data were collected using a secondary source. The findings of the study suggest that, method of depreciation adopted in any organization influence the taxable profit. Depreciation techniques can either be: depressive, accelerative and linear depreciation. It was also recommended that consumer goods should adjust their method of depreciation to make sure an appropriate method is adopted. This will go a long way to revitalize their taxable profit.

Keywords: accelerated, linear, depressive, depreciation

Procedia PDF Downloads 282

Authors: Raneem O. Salem, Najwa Al-Mously, Nihal Mohamed Nabil, Abdulmohsen H. Al-Zalabani, Abeer F. Al-Dhawi, Nasser Al-Hamdan

Abstract:

Objective: There are various demographic and educational factors that affect the academic performance of undergraduate medical students. The objective of this study is to identify these factors and correlate them to the GPA of the students. Methods: A cross-sectional study design utilizing grade point averages (GPAs) of two cohorts of students in both levels of the pre-clinical phase. In addition, self-administered questionnaire was used to evaluate the effect of these factors on students with poor and good cumulative GPA. Results: Among the various factors studied, gender, marital status, and the transportation used to reach the faculty significantly affected academic performance of students. Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater significantly differed than those with a GPA of less than 3.0 being higher in female students, in married students, and type of transportation used to reach the college. Factors including age, educational factors, and type of transportation used have shown to create a significant difference in GPA between male and females. Conclusion: Factors such as age, gender, marital status, learning resources, study time, and the transportation used have been shown to significantly affect medical student GPA as a whole batch as well as when they are tested for gender.

Keywords: academic performance, educational factors, learning resources, study time, gender, socio-demographic factors

Procedia PDF Downloads 272

Authors: Meor Othman Hamzah, Lillian Gungat, Nur Izzi Md. Yusoff, Jan Valentin

Abstract:

The recent hike in raw materials costs and the quest for preservation of the environment has prompted asphalt industries to adopt greener road construction technology. This paper presents a study on such technology by means of asphalt recycling and use of warm mix asphalt (WMA) additive. It evaluates the effects of a WMA named RH-WMA on binder rheological properties and asphalt mixture performance. The recycled asphalt, obtained from local roads, was processed, fractionated, and incorporated with virgin aggregate and binder. For binder testing, the recycled asphalt was extracted and blended with virgin binder. The binder and mixtures specimen containing 30 % and 50 % recycled asphalt contents were mixed with 3 % RH-WMA. The rheological properties of the binder were evaluated based on fundamental, viscosity, and frequency sweep tests. Indirect tensile strength and resilient modulus tests were carried out to assess the mixture’s performances. The rheological properties and strength performance results showed that the addition of RH-WMA slightly reduced the binder and mixtures stiffness. The percentage of recycled asphalt increased the stiffness of binder and mixture, and thus improves the resistance to rutting. Therefore, the integration of recycled asphalt and RH-WMA can be an alternative material for road sustainable construction for countries in the tropics.

Keywords: recycled asphalt, warm mix additive, rheological, mixture performance

Procedia PDF Downloads 514

Authors: Young-Su Ryu, Su-Hyun Jung, Myoung-Jin Kim, Hyoung-Kyu Song

Abstract:

In this paper, improved performance scheme for joint transmission is proposed in downlink (DL) coordinated multi-point(CoMP) in case of constraint transmission power. This scheme is that serving transmission point (TP) request a joint transmission to inter-TP and selects one pre-coding technique according to channel state information(CSI) from user equipment(UE). The simulation results show that the bit error rate(BER) and throughput performances of the proposed scheme provide high spectral efficiency and reliable data at the cell edge.

Keywords: CoMP, joint transmission, minimum mean square error, zero-forcing, zero-forcing dirty paper coding

Procedia PDF Downloads 551

Authors: Clara Theresia, Hardianto Iridiastadi

Abstract:

Drowsiness is one of the main factors that contribute to the occurrence of accidents, particularly in the transportation sector. While the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive functions have been reported, the exact relationships remain a critical issue. This study aimed at quantifying the effects of extreme sleep deprivation on vigilance, fatigue, and performance during simulated train driving. A total of 12 participants were asked to drive a train simulator continuously for 4 hours, either in a sleep deprived condition (2-hr of sleep) or normal (8-hr of sleep) condition. Dependent variables obtained during the task included Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) parameters, degree of fatigue (assessed via Visual Analogue Scale/VAS) and sleepiness (reported using Karolinska Sleepiness Scale/KSS), and driving performance (the number of speed limit violations). Findings from this study demonstrated substantial decrements in vigilance in the sleep-deprived condition. This condition also resulted in 75% increase in speed violation and a two-fold increase in the degree of fatigue and sleepiness. Extreme sleep deprivation was clearly associated with substantially poorer response. The exact effects, however, were dependent upon the types of responses.

Keywords: cognitive function, psychomotor vigilance task, sleep deprivation, train simulator

Procedia PDF Downloads 185

Authors: Wang Yuan-hao, Habtamu Ayalew, Jing Wang, Shugeng Wu, Kai Qiu, Guanghai Qi, Haijun Zhang

Abstract:

N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) has emerged as a promising candidate for regulating endogenous arginine synthesis, thereby promoting desirable growth, carcass traits, and muscle development in broilers. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of NCG in ovo feeding on the growth performance, growth hormones, and meat quality of Ross 308 breeder broilers. A total of 1680 embryo eggs were equally allocated into three treatment groups: non punctured control (NC), saline-injected control (SC; 100μL/egg), and N-carbamylglutamate injected group (NCG; 2 mg/egg). The treatment solution was injected into the amniotic cavity of the embryo at 17.5 days of incubation (DOI). For the subsequent 42 days of post hatch experimental sampling, a total of 360 broiler chicks with 6 replications per treatment and 15 chicks per replication were used. Chickens in the NCG group showed significantly higher (P<0.05) body weight gain (BWG) and final body weight (FBW) at both 21 and 42 days after hatch (DAH), while feed conversion efficiency (FCE) was significantly improved (P<0.05) at 42 DAH. The weight and percentage of drums at 21 DAH and the weight and percentage of breast muscle at 42 DAH were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the NCG group. In addition, insulin (INS), growth hormone (GH), and testosterone (T) levels were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the NCG groups at 21 and 42 DAH. Furthermore, triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine (T4) levels were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the NCG treatment group. Interestingly, meat color values were also significantly higher (P<0.05) in the NCG group at 24 hrs postmortem. Collectively, these findings show that 2 mg NCG in ovo injection improves the growth performance and meat quality of broilers; even the effects extend into the market age of the chickens.

Keywords: N-carbamylglutamate, broiler, in ovo injection, growth performance, meat quality

Procedia PDF Downloads 75

Authors: F. Amin, S. Feizi

Abstract:

Big data has the potential to improve the quality of services; enable infrastructure that businesses depend on to adapt continually and efficiently; improve the performance of employees; help organizations better understand customers; and reduce liability risks. Analytics and marketing models of fixed and mobile operators are falling short in combating churn and declining revenue per user. Big Data presents new method to reverse the way and improve profitability. The benefits of Big Data and next-generation network, however, are more exorbitant than improved customer relationship management. Next generation of networks are in a prime position to monetize rich supplies of customer information—while being mindful of legal and privacy issues. As data assets are transformed into new revenue streams will become integral to high performance.

Keywords: big data, next generation networks, network transformation, strategy

Procedia PDF Downloads 359

Authors: MinHee Chung, BoYeob Lee, Yuri Kim, Eon Ku Rhee

Abstract:

With an increase in the interest in the energy conservation for buildings, and the emergence of many methods and easily-understandable approaches to it, energy conservation has now become the public’s main interest, as compared to in the past when it was only focused upon by experts. This study aims to help the occupants of a building to understand the energy efficiency and consumption of the building by providing them information on the building’s energy efficiency through a mobile application. The energy performance assessment models are proposed on the basis of the actual energy usage and building characteristics such as the architectural scheme and the building equipment. The university buildings in Korea are used as a case to demonstrate the mobile application.

Keywords: energy consumption, energy performance assessment, mobile application, university buildings

Procedia PDF Downloads 544

Authors: Amrutha Kishor

Abstract:

Today, with the rising global warming and depletion of resources every industry is moving toward sustainability and energy efficiency. As part of this movement, it is nowadays obligatory for architects to play their part by creating energy predictions for their designs. But in a lot of cases, these predictions do not reflect the real quantities of energy in newly built buildings when operating. These can be described as ‘Energy Performance Gaps’. This study aims to determine the underlying reasons for these gaps. Seven houses designed by Allan Joyce Architects, UK from 1998 until 2019 were considered for this study. The data from the residents’ energy bills were cross-referenced with the predictions made with the software SefairaPro and from energy reports. Results indicated that the predictions did not match the actual energy usage. An account of how energy was used in these seven houses was made by means of personal interviews. The main factors considered in the study were occupancy patterns, heating systems and usage, lighting profile and usage, and appliances’ profile and usage. The study found that the main reasons for the creation of energy gaps were the discrepancies in occupant usage and patterns of energy consumption that are predicted as opposed to the actual ones. This study is particularly useful for energy-conscious architectural firms to fine-tune the approach to designing houses and analysing their energy performance. As the findings reveal that energy usage in homes varies based on the way residents use the space, it helps deduce the most efficient technological combinations. This information can be used to set guidelines for future policies and regulations related to energy consumption in homes. This study can also be used by the developers of simulation software to understand how architects use their product and drive improvements in its future versions.

Keywords: architectural simulation, energy efficient design, energy performance gaps, environmental design

Procedia PDF Downloads 117