Search results for: international standard industrial classification
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 12990

Search results for: international standard industrial classification

10770 Valence and Arousal-Based Sentiment Analysis: A Comparative Study

Authors: Usama Shahid, Muhammad Zunnurain Hussain

Abstract:

This research paper presents a comprehensive analysis of a sentiment analysis approach that employs valence and arousal as its foundational pillars, in comparison to traditional techniques. Sentiment analysis is an indispensable task in natural language processing that involves the extraction of opinions and emotions from textual data. The valence and arousal dimensions, representing the intensity and positivity/negativity of emotions, respectively, enable the creation of four quadrants, each representing a specific emotional state. The study seeks to determine the impact of utilizing these quadrants to identify distinct emotional states on the accuracy and efficiency of sentiment analysis, in comparison to traditional techniques. The results reveal that the valence and arousal-based approach outperforms other approaches, particularly in identifying nuanced emotions that may be missed by conventional methods. The study's findings are crucial for applications such as social media monitoring and market research, where the accurate classification of emotions and opinions is paramount. Overall, this research highlights the potential of using valence and arousal as a framework for sentiment analysis and offers invaluable insights into the benefits of incorporating specific types of emotions into the analysis. These findings have significant implications for researchers and practitioners in the field of natural language processing, as they provide a basis for the development of more accurate and effective sentiment analysis tools.

Keywords: sentiment analysis, valence and arousal, emotional states, natural language processing, machine learning, text analysis, sentiment classification, opinion mining

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10769 An Assessment into the Drift in Direction of International Migration of Labor: Changing Aspirations for Religiosity and Cultural Assimilation

Authors: Syed Toqueer Akhter, Rabia Zulfiqar

Abstract:

This paper attempts to trace the determining factor- as far as individual preferences and expectations are concerned- of what causes the direction of international migration to drift in certain ways owing to factors such as Religiosity and Cultural Assimilation. The narrative on migration has graduated from the age long ‘push/pull’ debate to that of complex factors that may vary across each individual. We explore the longstanding factor of religiosity widely acknowledged in mentioned literature as a key variable in the assessment of migration, wherein the impact of religiosity in the form of a drift into the intent of migration has been analyzed. A more conventional factor cultural assimilation is used in a contemporary way to estimate how it plays a role in affecting the drift in direction. In particular what our research aims at achieving is to isolate the effect our key variables: Cultural Assimilation and Religiosity have on direction of migration, and to explore how they interplay as a composite unit- and how we may be able to justify the change in behavior displayed by these key variables. In order to establish a true sense of what drives individual choices we employ the method of survey research and use a questionnaire to conduct primary research. The questionnaire was divided into six sections covering subjects including household characteristics, perceptions and inclinations of the respondents relevant to our study. Religiosity was quantified using a proxy of Migration Network that utilized secondary data to estimate religious hubs in recipient countries. To estimate the relationship between Intent of Migration and its variants three competing econometric models namely: the Ordered Probit Model, the Ordered Logit Model and the Tobit Model were employed. For every model that included our key variables, a highly significant relationship with the intent of migration was estimated.

Keywords: international migration, drift in direction, cultural assimilation, religiosity, ordered probit model

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10768 Nation Branding as Reframing: From the Perspective of Translation Studies

Authors: Ye Tian

Abstract:

Soft power has replaced hard power and become one of the most attractive ways nations pursue to expand their international influence. One of the ways to improve a nation’s soft power is to commercialise the country and brand or rebrand it to the international audience, and thus attract interests or foreign investments. In this process, translation has often been regarded as merely a tool, and researches in it are either in translating literature as culture export or in how (in)accuracy of translation influences the branding campaign. This paper proposes to analyse nation branding campaign with framing theory, and thus gives an entry for translation studies to come to a central stage in today’s soft power research. To frame information or elements of a text, an event, or, as in this paper, a nation is to put them in a mental structure. This structure can be built by outsiders or by those who create the text, the event, or by citizens of the nation. To frame information like this can be regarded as a process of translation, as what translation does in its traditional meaning of ‘translating a text’ is to put a framework on the text to, deliberately or not, highlight some of the elements while hiding the others. In the discourse of nations, then, people unavoidably simplify a national image and put the nation into their imaginary framework. In this way, problems like stereotype and prejudice come into being. Meanwhile, if nations seek ways to frame or reframe themselves, they make efforts to have in control what and who they are in the eyes of international audiences, and thus make profits, economically or politically, from it. The paper takes African nations, which are usually perceived as a whole, and the United Kingdom as examples to justify passive and active framing process, and assesses both positive and negative influence framing has on nations. In conclusion, translation as framing causes problems like prejudice, and the image of a nation is not always in the hands of nation branders, but reframing the nation in a positive way has the potential to turn the tide.

Keywords: framing, nation branding, stereotype, translation

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10767 Challenges for Interface Designers in Designing Sensor Dashboards in the Context of Industry 4.0

Authors: Naveen Kumar, Shyambihari Prajapati

Abstract:

Industry 4.0 is the fourth industrial revolution that focuses on interconnectivity of machine to machine, human to machine and human to human via Internet of Things (IoT). Technologies of industry 4.0 facilitate communication between human and machine through IoT and forms Cyber-Physical Production System (CPPS). In CPPS, multiple shop floors sensor data are connected through IoT and displayed through sensor dashboard to the operator. These sensor dashboards have enormous amount of information to be presented which becomes complex for operators to perform monitoring, controlling and interpretation tasks. Designing handheld sensor dashboards for supervision task will become a challenge for the interface designers. This paper reports emerging technologies of industry 4.0, changing context of increasing information complexity in consecutive industrial revolutions and upcoming design challenges for interface designers in context of Industry 4.0. Authors conclude that information complexity of sensor dashboards design has increased with consecutive industrial revolutions and designs of sensor dashboard causes cognitive load on users. Designing such complex dashboards interfaces in Industry 4.0 context will become main challenges for the interface designers.

Keywords: Industry4.0, sensor dashboard design, cyber-physical production system, Interface designer

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10766 Decoupling Evaluation of Resource Consumption and Economic Development of Urban Industries Under the View of Sustainable Development: The Case of Secondary and Tertiary Industries in Jiangsu Province, China

Authors: Jianghua Chen

Abstract:

Sustainable urban development requires the coordination of economic growth and resource environment, and industrial transformation and upgrading is the key link. Based on the decoupling theory and the improved decoupling decomposition model, the quantitative evaluation and comprehensive analysis of the degree of decoupling between resource consumption and economic development in Jiangsu Province are carried out by utilizing the data related to resource consumption and economic growth of the secondary and tertiary industries in Jiangsu Province from 2013 to 2018, so as to explore the sustainable development path of industrial transformation in Jiangsu Province. The results show that from the decoupling status, the degree of decoupling of economic development of the secondary industry to the required coke resources, water resources and human resources is gradually deepening, and the decoupling index of economic development of the tertiary industry to the required water resources is fluctuating; from the perspective of the driving factors, the technological effect is the main driving factor for decoupling the economic growth of Jiangsu Province to the resources, and the structural effect has a significant impact on the driving index of the decoupling of economic growth of the secondary and tertiary industries to the consumption of resources in Jiangsu Province. In terms of driving factors, the technology effect is the main driving factor for economic growth in Jiangsu Province to realize decoupling of resources, while the structural effect is the main driving factor for economic growth in Jiangsu Province's second and third industries to realize decoupling of resources. Finally, we discuss the difficulties of industrial transformation and layout faced by Jiangsu Province at present.

Keywords: resource consumption, economic growth, industrial transformation, decoupling theory

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10765 Performance of Different Spray Nozzles in the Application of Defoliant on Cotton Plants (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Authors: Mohamud Ali Ibrahim, Ali Bayat, Ali Bolat

Abstract:

Defoliant spraying is an important link in the mechanized cotton harvest because adequate and uniform spraying can improve defoliation quality and reduce cotton trash content. In defoliant application, application volume and spraying technology are extremely important. In this study, the effectiveness of defoliant application to cotton plant that has come to harvest with two different application volumes and three different types of nozzles with a standard field crop sprayer was determined. Experiments were carried in two phases as field area trials and laboratory analysis. Application rates were 250 l/ha and 400 L/ha, and spraying nozzles were (1) Standard flat fan nozzle (TP8006), (2) Air induction nozzle (AI 11002-VS), and (3) Dual Pattern nozzle (AI307003VP). A tracer (BSF) and defoliant were applied to mature cotton with approximately 60% open bolls and samplings for BSF deposition and spray coverage on the cotton plant were done at two plant height (upper layer, lower layer) of plant. Before and after spraying, bolls open and leaves rate on cotton plants were calculated, and filter papers were used to detect BSF deposition, and water sensitive papers (WSP) were used to measure the coverage rate of spraying methods used. Spectrofluorophotometer was used to detect the amount of tracer deposition on targets, and an image process computer programme was used to measure coverage rate on WSP. In analysis, conclusions showed that air induction nozzle (AI 11002-VS) achieved better results than the dual pattern and standard flat fan nozzles in terms of higher depositions, coverages, and leaf defoliations, and boll opening rates. AI nozzles operating at 250 L/ha application rate provide the highest deposition and coverage rate on applications of the defoliant; in addition, BSF as an indicator of the defoliant used reached on leaf beneath in merely this spray nozzle. After defoliation boll opening rate was 85% on the 7th and 12th days after spraying and falling rate of leaves was 76% at application rate of 250 L/ha with air induction (AI1102) nozzle.

Keywords: cotton defoliant, air induction nozzle, dual pattern nozzle, standard flat fan nozzle, coverage rate, spray deposition, boll opening rate, leaves falling rate

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10764 Initiative Strategies on How to Increase Value Add of the Recycling Business

Authors: Yananda Siraphatthada

Abstract:

The current study was the succession of a previous study on value added of recycling business management. Its aims are to 1) explore conditions on how to increasing value add of Thai recycling business, and 2) exam the implementation of the 3-staged plan (short, medium, and long term), suggested by the former study, to increase value added of the recycling business as immediate mechanisms to accelerate government operation. Quantitative and qualitative methods were utilized in this research. A qualitative research consisted of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Responses were obtained from owners of the waste separation plants, and recycle shops, as well as officers in relevant governmental agencies. They were randomly selected via Quota Sampling. Data was analyzed via content analysis. The sample used for quantitative method consisted of 1,274 licensed recycling operators in eight provinces. The operators were randomly stratified via sampling method. Data were analyzed via descriptive statistics frequency, percentage, average (mean), and standard deviation. The study recommended three-staged plan: short, medium, and long terms. The plan included the development of logistics, the provision of quality market/plants, the amendment of recycling rules/regulation, the restructuring recycling business, the establishment of green-purchasing recycling center, support for the campaigns run by the International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN), conferences/workshops as a public forum to share insights among experts/concern people.

Keywords: strategies, value added, recycle, business

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10763 New Method for the Determination of Montelukast in Human Plasma by Solid Phase Extraction Using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Authors: Vijayalakshmi Marella, NageswaraRaoPilli

Abstract:

This paper describes a simple, rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography / tandem mass spectrometry assay for the determination of montelukast in human plasma using montelukast d6 as an internal standard. Analyte and the internal standard were extracted from 50 µL of human plasma via solid phase extraction technique without evaporation, drying and reconstitution steps. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a C18 column by using a mixture of methanol and 5mM ammonium acetate (80:20, v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. Good linearity results were obtained during the entire course of validation. Method validation was performed as per FDA guidelines and the results met the acceptance criteria. A run time of 2.5 min for each sample made it possible to analyze more number of samples in short time, thus increasing the productivity. The proposed method was found to be applicable to clinical studies.

Keywords: Montelukast, tandem mass spectrometry, montelukast d6, FDA guidelines

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10762 Electronic Device Robustness against Electrostatic Discharges

Authors: Clara Oliver, Oibar Martinez

Abstract:

This paper is intended to reveal the severity of electrostatic discharge (ESD) effects in electronic and optoelectronic devices by performing sensitivity tests based on Human Body Model (HBM) standard. We explain here the HBM standard in detail together with the typical failure modes associated with electrostatic discharges. In addition, a prototype of electrostatic charge generator has been designed, fabricated, and verified to stress electronic devices, which features a compact high voltage source. This prototype is inexpensive and enables one to do a battery of pre-compliance tests aimed at detecting unexpected weaknesses to static discharges at the component level. Some tests with different devices were performed to illustrate the behavior of the proposed generator. A set of discharges was applied according to the HBM standard to commercially available bipolar transistors, complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor transistors and light emitting diodes. It is observed that high current and voltage ratings in electronic devices not necessarily provide a guarantee that the device will withstand high levels of electrostatic discharges. We have also compared the result obtained by performing the sensitivity tests based on HBM with a real discharge generated by a human. For this purpose, the charge accumulated in the person is monitored, and a direct discharge against the devices is generated by touching them. Every test has been performed under controlled relative humidity conditions. It is believed that this paper can be of interest for research teams involved in the development of electronic and optoelectronic devices which need to verify the reliability of their devices in terms of robustness to electrostatic discharges.

Keywords: human body model, electrostatic discharge, sensitivity tests, static charge monitoring

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10761 Economic Impact of Rana Plaza Collapse

Authors: Md. Omar Bin Harun Khan

Abstract:

The collapse of the infamous Rana Plaza, a multi-storeyed commercial building in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh has brought with it a plethora of positive and negative consequences. Bangladesh being a key player in the export of clothing, found itself amidst a wave of economic upheaval following this tragic incident that resulted in numerous Bangladeshis, most of whom were factory workers. This paper compares the consequences that the country’s Ready Made Garments (RMG) sector is facing now, two years into the incident. The paper presents a comparison of statistical data from study reports and brings forward perspectives from all dimensions of Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations in Bangladesh following the event. The paper brings across the viewpoint of donor organizations and donor countries, the impacts of several initiatives taken by foreign organizations like the International Labour Organization, and local entities like the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) in order to reinforce compliance and stabilize the shaky foundation that the RMG sector had found itself following the collapse. Focus of the paper remains on the stance taken by the suppliers in Bangladesh, with inputs from buying houses and factories, and also on the reaction of foreign brands. The paper also focuses on the horrific physical, mental and financial implications sustained by the victims and their families, and the consequent uproar from workers in general regarding compliance with work safety and workers’ welfare conditions. The purpose is to get across both sides of the scenario: the economic impact that suppliers / factories/ sellers/ buying houses/exporters have faced in Bangladesh as a result of complete loss of reliability on them regarding working standards; and also to cover the aftershock felt on the other end of the spectrum by the importers/ buyers, particularly the foreign entities, in terms of the sudden accountability of being affiliated with non- compliant factories. The collapse of Rana Plaza has received vast international attention and strong criticism. Nevertheless, the almost immediate strengthening of labourrights and the wholesale reform undertaken on all sides of the supply chain, evidence a move of all local and foreign stakeholders towards greater compliance and taking of precautionary steps for prevention of further disasters. The tragedy that Rana Plaza embodies served as a much-needed epiphany for the soaring RMG Sector of Bangladesh. Prompt co-operation on the part of all stakeholders and regulatory bodies now show a move towards sustainable development, which further ensures safeguarding against any future irregularities and pave the way for steady economic growth.

Keywords: economy, employment standards, Rana Plaza, RMG

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10760 The Effectiveness of Sulfate Reducing Bacteria in Minimizing Methane and Sludge Production from Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME)

Authors: K. Abdul Halim, E. L. Yong

Abstract:

Palm oil industry is a major revenue earner in Malaysia, despite the growth of the industry is synonymous with a massive production of agro-industrial wastewater. Through the oil extraction processes, palm oil mill effluent (POME) contributes to the largest liquid wastes generated. Due to the high amount of organic compound, POME can cause inland water pollution if discharged untreated into the water course as well as affect the aquatic ecosystem. For more than 20 years, Malaysia adopted the conventional biological treatment known as lagoon system that apply biological treatment. Besides having difficulties in complying with the standard, a large build up area is needed and retention time is higher. Although anaerobic digester is more favorable, this process comes along with enormous volumes of sludge and methane gas, demanding attention from the mill operators. In order to reduce the sludge production, denitrifiers are to be removed first. Sulfate reducing bacteria has shown the capability to inhibit the growth of methanogens. This is expected to substantially reduce both the sludge and methane production in anaerobic digesters. In this paper, the effectiveness of sulfate reducing bacteria in minimizing sludge and methane will be examined.

Keywords: methane reduction, palm oil mill effluent, sludge minimization, sulfate reducing bacteria, sulfate reduction

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10759 Digital Environment as a Factor of the City's Competitiveness in Attracting Tourists: The Case of Yekaterinburg

Authors: Alexander S. Burnasov, Anatoly V. Stepanov, Maria Y. Ilyushkina

Abstract:

In the conditions of transition to the digital economy, the digital environment of the city becomes one of the key factors of its tourism attractiveness. Modern digital environment makes travelling more accessible, improves the quality of travel services and the attractiveness of many tourist destinations. The digitalization of the industry allows to use resources more efficiently, to simplify business processes, to minimize risks, and to improve travel safety. The city promotion as a tourist destination in the foreign market becomes decisive in the digital environment. Information technologies are extremely important for the functioning of not only any tourist enterprise but also the city as a whole. In addition to solving traditional problems, it is also possible to implement some innovations from the tourism industry, such as the availability of city services in international systems of booking tickets and booking rooms in hotels, the possibility of early booking of theater and museum tickets, the possibility of non-cash payment by cards of international payment systems, Internet access in the urban environment for travelers. The availability of the city's digital services makes it possible to reduce ordering costs, contributes to the optimal selection of tourist products that meet the requirements of the tourist, provides increased transparency of transactions. The users can compare prices, features, services, and reviews of the travel service. The ability to share impressions with friends thousands of miles away directly affects the image of the city. It is possible to promote the image of the city in the digital environment not only through world-scale events (such as World Cup 2018, international summits, etc.) but also through the creation and management of services in the digital environment aimed at supporting tourism services, which will help to improve the positioning of the city in the global tourism market.

Keywords: competitiveness, digital environment, travelling, Yekaterinburg

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10758 Real-World Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Nigeria

Authors: F. Fatoye, C. E. Mbada, T. Gebrye, A. O. Ogunsola, C. Fatoye, O. Oyewole

Abstract:

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a major cause of pain and disability. It is likely to become a greater economic and public health burden that is unnecessary. Thus, reliable prevalence figures are important for both clinicians and policy-makers to plan health care needs for those affected with the disease. This study estimated hospital based real-world prevalence of MSDs in Nigeria. A review of medical charts for adult patients attending Physiotherapy Outpatient Clinic at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Osun State, Nigeria between 2009 and 2018 was carried out to identify common MSDs including low back pain (LBP), cervical spondylosis (CSD), post immobilization stiffness (PIS), sprain, osteoarthritis (OA), and other conditions. Occupational class of the patients was determined using the International Labour Classification (ILO). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency and percentages. Overall, medical charts of 3,340 patients were reviewed within the span of ten years (2009 to 2018). Majority of the patients (62.8%) were in the middle class, and the remaining were in low class (25.1%) and high class (10.5%) category. An overall prevalence of 47.35% of MSD was found within the span of ten years. Of this, the prevalence of LBP, CSD, PIS, sprain, OA, and other conditions was 21.6%, 10%, 18.9%, 2%, 6.3%, and 41.3%, respectively. The highest (14.2%) and lowest (10.5%) prevalence of MSDs was recorded in the year of 2012 and 2018, respectively. The prevalence of MSDs is considerably high among Nigerian patients attending outpatient a physiotherapy clinic. The high prevalence of MSDs underscores the need for clinicians and decision makers to put in place appropriate strategies to reduce the prevalence of these conditions. In addition, they should plan and evaluate healthcare services to improve the health outcomes of patients with MSDs. Further studies are required to determine the economic burden of the condition and examine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions for patients with MSDs.

Keywords: musculoskeletal disorders, Nigeria, prevalence, real world

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10757 Rangeland Monitoring by Computerized Technologies

Authors: H. Arzani, Z. Arzani

Abstract:

Every piece of rangeland has a different set of physical and biological characteristics. This requires the manager to synthesis various information for regular monitoring to define changes trend to get wright decision for sustainable management. So range managers need to use computerized technologies to monitor rangeland, and select. The best management practices. There are four examples of computerized technologies that can benefit sustainable management: (1) Photographic method for cover measurement: The method was tested in different vegetation communities in semi humid and arid regions. Interpretation of pictures of quadrats was done using Arc View software. Data analysis was done by SPSS software using paired t test. Based on the results, generally, photographic method can be used to measure ground cover in most vegetation communities. (2) GPS application for corresponding ground samples and satellite pixels: In two provinces of Tehran and Markazi, six reference points were selected and in each point, eight GPS models were tested. Significant relation among GPS model, time and location with accuracy of estimated coordinates was found. After selection of suitable method, in Markazi province coordinates of plots along four transects in each 6 sites of rangelands was recorded. The best time of GPS application was in the morning hours, Etrex Vista had less error than other models, and a significant relation among GPS model, time and location with accuracy of estimated coordinates was found. (3) Application of satellite data for rangeland monitoring: Focusing on the long term variation of vegetation parameters such as vegetation cover and production is essential. Our study in grass and shrub lands showed that there were significant correlations between quantitative vegetation characteristics and satellite data. So it is possible to monitor rangeland vegetation using digital data for sustainable utilization. (4) Rangeland suitability classification with GIS: Range suitability assessment can facilitate sustainable management planning. Three sub-models of sensitivity to erosion, water suitability and forage production out puts were entered to final range suitability classification model. GIS was facilitate classification of range suitability and produced suitability maps for sheep grazing. Generally digital computers assist range managers to interpret, modify, calibrate or integrating information for correct management.

Keywords: computer, GPS, GIS, remote sensing, photographic method, monitoring, rangeland ecosystem, management, suitability, sheep grazing

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10756 Intercultural and Inclusive Teaching Competency Implementation within a Canadian Polytechnic's Academic Model: A Pre- and Post-Assessment Analysis

Authors: Selinda England, Ben Bodnaryk

Abstract:

With an unprecedented increase in provincial immigration and government support for greater international and culturally diverse learners, a trade/applied learning-focused polytechnic with four campuses within one Canadian province saw the need for intercultural awareness and an intercultural teaching competence strategy for faculty training. An institution-wide pre-assessment needs survey was conducted in 2018, in which 87% of faculty professed to have some/no training when working with international and/or culturally diverse learners. After researching fellow Polytechnics in Canada and seeing very little in the way of faculty support for intercultural competence, an institutional project team comprised of members from all facets of the Polytechnic was created and included: Indigenous experts, Academic Chairs, Directors, Human Resource Managers, and international/settlement subject matter experts. The project team was organized to develop and implement a new academic model focused on enriching intercultural competence among faculty. Utilizing a competency based model, the project team incorporated inclusive terminology into competency indicators and devised a four-phase proposal for implementing intercultural teacher training: a series of workshops focused on the needs of international and culturally diverse learners, including teaching strategies based on current TESOL methodologies, literature and online resources for quick access when planning lessons, faculty assessment examples and models of interculturally proficient instructors, and future job descriptions - all which promote and encourage development of specific intercultural skills. Results from a post-assessment survey (to be conducted in Spring 2020) and caveats regarding improvements and next steps will be shared. The project team believes its intercultural and inclusive teaching competency-based model is one of the first, institution-wide faculty supported initiatives within the Canadian college and Polytechnic post-secondary educational environment; it aims to become a leader in both the province and nation regarding intercultural competency training for trades, industry, and business minded community colleges and applied learning institutions.

Keywords: cultural diversity and education, diversity training teacher training, teaching and learning, teacher training

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10755 An Analysis of Laboratory Management Practices and Laid down Standard in Some Colleges of Education in Kano State, Nigeria

Authors: Joseph Abiodun Ayo

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The main purpose of this study was to investigate the science laboratory management practices employed in some colleges of education in Kano State, Nigeria. Four specific objectives were stated to guide the study, four research questions were investigated, four null hypothesis were tested at 0.05 level of significance. A survey design was used and science laboratory management questionnaires which solicit responses that was used in answering the research questions and testing of hypotheses. These questionnaires were distributed to the respective respondents in the sampled colleges. The respondents for the study comprised biology chemistry, physics, integrated science teacher trainers and the paraprofessionals. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the questions. Chi-square statistical technique was used to test the hypothesis. The findings of the study revealed that all procedures on control of laboratory activities were rarely observed. Safety procedures were occasionally practiced. On provision and procurement of laboratory equipment and materials it was observed that both academic and the paraprofessional were not fully involved. While maintenance measures were occasionally observed, furthermore science laboratory management procedures are not frequently practiced. Hence making the acquisition of science process skills by students becoming difficult. To arrest these anomalies, it is recommended that direct labor in the maintenance of laboratory equipment and other apparatus by paraprofessional is crucial. Training of academic and paraprofessional through workshops to acquire technical skills in maintenance of science laboratory equipment be instituted to increase professionalism. Periodic supervision of activities in the science laboratories should be done promptly.

Keywords: laboratory, management, standard, facility

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10754 JEDI Now! Creating a Knowledge Platform to Achieve Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) in Higher Education Geared Towards Internationalisation

Authors: Naziema Jappie

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There is a wealth of knowledge about JEDI (Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion), but unfortunately this remains at a discrete initiative level at universities. South African universities are committed to social justice by promoting inclusive teaching, learning and research environments, diversity and equity in access and participation of students and staff regardless of age; disability; gender; sexual orientation; nationality, ethnic or national origin; religion; and socioeconomic background in all aspects of higher education at a national level. Universities strive to promote and protect equal rights and equity of access is safeguarded for international students by recognizing the foreign policies and practices. Nevertheless, many international students remain underrepresented, alienated and often without employment. Universities see internationalisation as a commercial venture, but where does JEDI fit into this plan? Given the focus on diversity in higher education institutions, one would assume that JEDI should have a broader compass rather than a narrow scope. Over the past decades, national trends have emerged in the commitment to international diversification by admitting students and recruiting staff, mainly from the African continent. Most importantly, emergence of statements of broader diversity and equity plans across the campuses, included in the strategic plans of institutions are counterproductive to the statements of the Employment Equity plans and targets when aligned to the recruitment processes. These trends are certainly significant and relevant given the increasing diverse populations in higher education. What is missing in JEDI initiatives is the lack of global perspective and situating JEDI within a larger and inclusive context to embrace institutional internationalization. It is not a separate construct but internationalization framework takes the JEDI vision from local to global. Embracing JEDI and internationalization are fundamental for future economic growth. JEDI creates diverse perspectives and builds a team of top diverse and international talent that will gives a competitive edge. Increasing internationalization efforts and creating a knowledge platform will affect the innovation performance of the economy. Transforming South African policies require a comprehensive educational strategy on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI).

Keywords: equity, diversity, inclusion, internationalization, justice, higher education

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10753 Parent’s Evaluation of the Services Offered to Their Children with Autism in UAE Centres

Authors: Mohammad Ali Fteiha, Ghanem Al Bustami

Abstract:

The study aimed to identify the assessment of parents of children with Autism for services provided by the Center for special care in the United Arab Emirates, in terms of quality, comprehensive and the impact of some factors related to the diagnosis and place of service provision and efficient working procedures of service and the child age. In order to achieve the objective of the study, researchers used Parent’s Satisfaction Scale, and Parents Evaluation of Services Effectiveness, both the scale and the parents reports provided with accepted level of validity and reliability. Sample includes 300 families of children with Autism receiving educational and rehabilitation services, treatment and support services in both governmental and private centers in United Arab Emirates. ANOVA test was used through SPSS program to analyze the collected data. The results of the study have indicated that there are significant differences in the assessment of services provided by centers due to a place of service, the nature of the diagnosis, child's age at the time of the study, as well as statistically significance differences due to age when first diagnosed. The results also showed positive evaluation for the good level of services as international standard, and the quality of these services provided by autism centers in the United Arab Emirates, especially in governmental centers. At the same time, the results showed the presence of many needs problems faced by the parents do not have appropriate solutions. Based on the results the recommendations were stated.

Keywords: autism, evaluation, diagnosis, parents, autism programs, supportive services, government centers, private centers

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10752 Stabilization of Spent Engine Oil Contaminated Lateritic Soil Admixed with Cement Kiln Dust for Use as Road Construction Materials

Authors: Johnson Rotimi Oluremi, A. Adedayo Adegbola, A. Samson Adediran, O. Solomon Oladapo

Abstract:

Spent engine oil contains heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which contribute to chronic health hazards, poor soil aeration, immobilisation of nutrients and lowering of pH in soil. It affects geotechnical properties of lateritic soil thereby constituting geotechnical and foundation problems. This study is therefore based on the stabilization of spent engine oil (SEO) contaminated lateritic soil using cement kiln dust (CKD) as a mean of restoring it to its pristine state. Geotechnical tests which include sieve analysis, atterberg limit, compaction, California bearing ratio and unconfined compressive strength tests were carried out on the natural, SEO contaminated and CKD stabilized SEO contaminated lateritic soil samples. The natural soil classified as A-2-7 (2) by AASHTO classification and GC according to the Unified Soil Classification System changed to A-4 non-plastic soil due to SEO contaminated even under the influence of CKD it remained unchanged. However, the maximum dry density (MDD) of the SEO contaminated soil increased while the optimum moisture content (OMC) behaved vice versa with the increase in the percentages of CKD. Similarly, the bearing strength of the stabilized SEO contaminated soil measured by California Bearing Ratio (CBR) increased with percentage increment in CKD. In conclusion, spent engine oil has a detrimental effect on the geotechnical properties of the lateritic soil sample but which can be remediated using 10% CKD as a stand alone admixture in stabilizing spent engine oil contaminated soil.

Keywords: spent engine oil, lateritic soil, cement kiln dust, stabilization, compaction, unconfined compressive strength

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10751 [Keynote Talk]: sEMG Interface Design for Locomotion Identification

Authors: Rohit Gupta, Ravinder Agarwal

Abstract:

Surface electromyographic (sEMG) signal has the potential to identify the human activities and intention. This potential is further exploited to control the artificial limbs using the sEMG signal from residual limbs of amputees. The paper deals with the development of multichannel cost efficient sEMG signal interface for research application, along with evaluation of proposed class dependent statistical approach of the feature selection method. The sEMG signal acquisition interface was developed using ADS1298 of Texas Instruments, which is a front-end interface integrated circuit for ECG application. Further, the sEMG signal is recorded from two lower limb muscles for three locomotions namely: Plane Walk (PW), Stair Ascending (SA), Stair Descending (SD). A class dependent statistical approach is proposed for feature selection and also its performance is compared with 12 preexisting feature vectors. To make the study more extensive, performance of five different types of classifiers are compared. The outcome of the current piece of work proves the suitability of the proposed feature selection algorithm for locomotion recognition, as compared to other existing feature vectors. The SVM Classifier is found as the outperformed classifier among compared classifiers with an average recognition accuracy of 97.40%. Feature vector selection emerges as the most dominant factor affecting the classification performance as it holds 51.51% of the total variance in classification accuracy. The results demonstrate the potentials of the developed sEMG signal acquisition interface along with the proposed feature selection algorithm.

Keywords: classifiers, feature selection, locomotion, sEMG

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10750 Breaking the Barrier of Service Hostility: A Lean Approach to Achieve Operational Excellence

Authors: Mofizul Islam Awwal

Abstract:

Due to globalization, industries are rapidly growing throughout the world which leads to many manufacturing organizations. But recently, service industries are beginning to emerge in large numbers almost in all parts of the world including some developing countries. In this context, organizations need to have strong competitive advantage over their rivals to achieve their strategic business goals. Manufacturing industries are adopting many methods and techniques in order to achieve such competitive edge. Over the last decades, manufacturing industries have been successfully practicing lean concept to optimize their production lines. Due to its huge success in manufacturing context, lean has made its way into the service industry. Very little importance has been addressed to service in the area of operations management. Service industries are far behind than manufacturing industries in terms of operations improvement. It will be a hectic job to transfer the lean concept from production floor to service back/front office which will obviously yield possible improvement. Service processes are not as visible as production processes and can be very complex. Lack of research in this area made it quite difficult for service industries as there are no standardized frameworks for successfully implementing lean concept in service organization. The purpose of this research paper is to capture the present scenario of service industry in terms of lean implementation. Thorough analysis of past literature will be done on the applicability and understanding of lean in service structure. Classification of research papers will be done and critical factors will be unveiled for implementing lean in service industry to achieve operational excellence.

Keywords: lean service, lean literature classification, lean implementation, service industry, service excellence

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10749 Development of High Quality Refractory Bricks from Fireclays for Industrial Applications

Authors: David E. Esezobor, Friday I. Apeh, Harrison O. Onovo, Ademola A. Agbeleye

Abstract:

Available indigenous refractory bricks in Nigeria can only be used in the lining of furnaces for melting of cast iron operating at less than 1,400°C or in preheating furnaces due to their low refractoriness less than 1,500°C. The bricks crack and shatter on heating at 1350 to 1450°C. In this paper, a simple and adaptable technology of manufacturing high-quality refractory bricks from selected Nigerian clays for furnace linings was developed. Fireclays from Onibode, Owode-Ketu in Ogun State and Kwoi in Kaduna State were crushed, ground, and sieved into various grain sizes using standard techniques. The pulverized clays were blended with alumina in various mix ratios and indurated in the furnace at 900 – 16000C. Their chemical, microstructure and mineralogical properties were characterized using atomic absorption spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction spectrometry respectively. The mineralogical and spectrochemical analyses suggested that the clays are of siliceous alumino-silicate and acidic in nature. The appropriate blending of fireclays with alumina provided the tremendous improvement in the refractoriness of the bricks and other acceptable service properties comparable with imported refractory bricks. The change in microstructure from pseudo-hexagonal grains to equiaxed grains of well – ordered sequence of structural layers could be responsible for the improved properties.

Keywords: alumina, furnace, industry, manufacturing, refractoriness

Procedia PDF Downloads 239
10748 Reading in Multiple Arabic's: Effects of Diglossia and Orthography

Authors: Aula Khatteb Abu-Liel

Abstract:

The study investigated the effects of diglossia and orthography on reading in Arabic, manipulating reading in Spoken Arabic (SA), using Arabizi, in which it is written using Latin letters on computers/phones, and the two forms of the conventional written form Modern Standard Arabic (MSA): vowelled (shallow) and unvowelled (deep). 77 skilled readers in 8th grade performed oral reading of single words and narrative and expository texts, and silent reading comprehension of both genres of text. Oral reading and comprehension revealed different patterns. Single words and texts were read faster and more accurately in unvoweled MSA, slowest and least accurately in vowelled MSA, and in-between in Arabizi. Comprehension was highest for vowelled MSA. Narrative texts were better than expository texts in Arabizi with the opposite pattern in MSA. The results suggest that frequency of the type of texts and the way in which phonology is encoded affect skilled reading.

Keywords: Arabic, Arabize, computer mediated communication, diglossia, modern standard Arabic

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10747 Assessment of Air Quality Status Using Pollution Indicators in Industrial Zone of Brega City

Authors: Tawfig Falani, Abdulalaziz Saleh

Abstract:

Air pollution has become a major environmental issue with definitive repercussions on human health. Global concerns have been raised about the health effects of deteriorating air quality due mainly to widespread industrialization and urbanization. To assess the quality of air in Brega, air quality indicators were calculated using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency procedure. Air quality was monitored from 01/10/2019 to 28/02/2021 with a daily average measuring six pollutants of particulate matter <2.5µm (PM2.5), and <10µm (PM₁₀), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃), and carbon monoxide (CO). The result indicated that air pollution at general air quality monitoring sites for sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, PM₁₀ and PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide are always within the permissible limit. Referring to a monthly average of Pollutants in the Brega Industrial area, all months were out of AQG limit for NO₂, and the same with O₃ except for two months. For PM2.5 and PM₁₀ 7, 5 out of 17 months were out of limits, respectively. Relative AQI for ozone is found in the range of moderate category of general air pollution, and the worst month was Nov. 2020, which was marked as Very Unhealthy category, then the next two months (Dec. 2020 and Jan. 2021 ) were Unhealthy categories. It's the first time that we have used the AQI in SOC, and not usually used in Libya to identify the quality of air pollution. So, I think it will be useful if AQI is used as guidance for specified air pollution. That dictate putting monitoring stations beside any industrial activity that has emissions of the six major air pollutants.

Keywords: air quality, air pollutants, air quality index (AQI), particulate matter

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10746 Development of International Entry-Level Nursing Competencies to Address the Continuum of Substance Use

Authors: Cheyenne Johnson, Samantha Robinson, Christina Chant, Ann M. Mitchell, Carol Price, Carmel Clancy, Adam Searby, Deborah S. Finnell

Abstract:

Introduction: Substance use along the continuum from at-risk use to a substance use disorder (SUD) contributes substantially to the burden of disease and related harms worldwide. There is a growing body of literature that highlights the lack of substance use related content in nursing curricula. Furthermore, there is also a lack of consensus on key competencies necessary for entry-level nurses. Globally, there is a lack of established nursing competencies related to prevention, health promotion, harm reduction and treatment of at-risk substance use and SUDs. At a critical time in public health, this gap in nursing curricula contributes to a lack of preparation for entry-level nurses to support people along the continuum of substance use. Thus, in practice, early opportunities for screening, support, and interventions may be missed. To address this gap, an international committee was convened to develop international entry-level nursing competencies specifying the knowledge, skills, and abilities that all nurses should possess in order to address the continuum of substance use. Methodology: An international steering committee, including representation from Canada, United States, United Kingdom, and Australia was established to lead this work over a one-year time period. The steering committee conducted a scoping review, undertaken to examine nursing competency frameworks, and to inform a competency structure that would guide this work. The next steps were to outline key competency areas and establish leaders for working groups to develop the competencies. In addition, a larger international committee was gathered to contribute to competency working groups, review the collective work and concur on the final document. Findings: A comprehensive framework was developed with competencies covering a wide spectrum of substance use across the lifespan and in the context of prevention, health promotion, harm reduction and treatment, including special populations. The development of this competency-based framework meets an identified need to provide guidance for universities, health authorities, policy makers, nursing regulators and other organizations that provide and support nursing education which focuses on care for patients and families with at-risk substance use and SUDs. Conclusion: Utilizing these global competencies as expected outcomes of an educational and skill building curricula for entry-level nurses holds great promise for incorporating evidence-informed training in the care and management of people across the continuum of substance use.

Keywords: addiction nursing, addiction nursing curriculum, competencies, substance use

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10745 Monte Carlo Simulation of Pion Particles

Authors: Reza Reiazi

Abstract:

Attempts to verify Geant4 hadronic physic to transport antiproton beam using standard physics list have not reach to a reasonable results because of lack of reliable cross section data or non reliable model to predict the final states of annihilated particles. Since most of the antiproton annihilation energy is carried away by recoiling nuclear fragments which are result of pions interactions with surrounding nucleons, it should be investigated if the toolkit verified for pions. Geant4 version 9.4.6.p01 was used. Dose calculation was done using 700 MeV pions hitting a water tank applying standards physic lists. We conclude Geant4 standard physics lists to predict the depth dose of Pion minus beam is not same for all investigated models. Since the nuclear fragments will deposit their energy in a small distance, they are the most important source of dose deposition in the annihilation vertex of antiproton beams.

Keywords: Monte Carlo, Pion, simulation, antiproton beam

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10744 COVID-19 and Heart Failure Outcomes: Readmission Insights from the 2020 United States National Readmission Database

Authors: Induja R. Nimma, Anand Reddy Maligireddy, Artur Schneider, Melissa Lyle

Abstract:

Background: Although heart failure is one of the most common causes of hospitalization in adult patients, there is limited knowledge on outcomes following initial hospitalization for COVID-19 with heart failure (HCF-19). We felt it pertinent to analyze 30-day readmission causes and outcomes among patients with HCF-19 using the United States using real-world big data via the National readmission database. Objective: The aim is to describe the rate and causes of readmissions and morbidity of heart failure with coinciding COVID-19 (HFC-19) in the United States, using the 2020 National Readmission Database (NRD). Methods: A descriptive, retrospective study was conducted on the 2020 NRD, a nationally representative sample of all US hospitalizations. Adult (>18 years) inpatient admissions with COVID-19 with HF and readmissions in 30 days were selected based on the International Classification of Diseases-Tenth Revision, Procedure Code. Results: In 2020, 2,60,372 adult patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 and HF. The median age was 74 (IQR: 64-83), and 47% were female. The median length of stay was 7(4-13) days, and the total cost of stay was 62,025 (31,956 – 130,670) United States dollars, respectively. Among the index hospital admissions, 61,527 (23.6%) died, and 22,794 (11.5%) were readmitted within 30 days. The median age of patients readmitted in 30 days was 73 (63-82), 45% were female, and 1,962 (16%) died. The most common principal diagnosis for readmission in these patients was COVID-19= 34.8%, Sepsis= 16.5%, HF = 7.1%, AKI = 2.2%, respiratory failure with hypoxia =1.7%, and Pneumonia = 1%. Conclusion: The rate of readmission in patients with heart failure exacerbations is increasing yearly. COVID-19 was observed to be the most common principal diagnosis in patients readmitted within 30 days. Complicated hypertension, chronic pulmonary disease, complicated diabetes, renal failure, alcohol use, drug use, and peripheral vascular disorders are risk factors associated with readmission. Familiarity with the most common causes and predictors for readmission helps guide the development of initiatives to minimize adverse outcomes and the cost of medical care.

Keywords: Covid-19, heart failure, national readmission database, readmission outcomes

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10743 Flight Safety Hazard: An Investigation into Bird Strike Prevention in the Vicinity of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand

Authors: Chantarat Manvichien

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The purpose of this research paper was aimed to examine the bird strike prevention in the vicinity of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand. A bird strike event occurs when a bird or a flock of birds collide with an operating airplane and results in flight interruption. This is the reason why International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a part of the United Nations, has an assumption that birds, including other wildlife, are a serious hazard to aircraft and attempts should be accomplished to overcome this hazard. ICAO requires all airports worldwide to set up proactive countermeasures in order to reduce the risk from bird strike and wildlife hazard. In Thailand, the Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited which manages Suvarnabhumi Airport, also known as Bangkok International Airport, responds to the requirements and spends a lot of effort to ensure this hazard is manageable. An intensive study on the countermeasures to prevent aircraft accident from bird strike and other wildlife have been continuously executed since the early construction of the Airport until nowadays.

Keywords: bird strike, flight safety, wildlife hazard, Suvarnabhumi airport

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10742 Chemical Mechanical Polishing Wastewater Treatment through Membrane Distillation

Authors: Imtisal-e-Noor, Andrew Martin, Olli Dahl

Abstract:

Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) has developed as a chosen planarization technique in nano-electronics industries for fabrication of the integrated circuits (ICs). These CMP processes release a huge amount of wastewater that contains oxides of nano-particles (silica, alumina, and ceria) and oxalic acid. Since, this wastewater has high solid content (TS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and turbidity (NTU); therefore, in order to fulfill the environmental regulations, it needs to be treated up to the local and international standards. The present study proposed a unique CMP wastewater treatment method called Membrane Distillation (MD). MD is a non-isothermal membrane separation process, which allows only volatiles, i.e., water vapors to permeate through the membrane and provides 100% contaminants rejection. The performance of the MD technology is analyzed in terms of total organic carbon (TOC), turbidity, TS, COD, and residual oxide concentration in permeate/distilled water while considering different operating conditions (temperature, flow rate, and time). The results present that high-quality permeate has been recovered after removing 99% of the oxide particles and oxalic acid. The distilled water depicts turbidity < 1 NTU, TOC < 3 mg/L, TS < 50 mg/L, and COD < 100 mg/L. These findings clearly show that the MD treated water can be reused further in industrial processes or allowable to discharge in any water body under the stringent environmental regulations.

Keywords: chemical mechanical polishing, environmental regulations, membrane distillation, wastewater treatment

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10741 Participatory Culture and Value Perception Amongst the Korean and Chinese Drama International Fandom

Authors: Patricia P. M. C. Lourenco, Javier Bringué Sala, Anaisa D. A. de Sena

Abstract:

Almost everyone in Dramaland knows the names of big Korean stars that grace their computer screens on a roll through social media and video streaming platforms that enable awareness of Korean dramas and lifestyle at a click. A surface culture instilled with notions of belonging has redefined the meaning of friendship and challenged deep inner values. Not everyone, however, knows Chinese Dramas or their stars, which is a consequence of Dramaland's focus on Korean dramas and promoting the Korean experience. Despite a parity in terms of production quality, star power, scripts and compelling visual settings, Chinese Dramas have been playing catch up to their famous counterparts. While they might have a strong competitive soft power for international drama fans, the soft power of Korean dramas is imbued with substantial societal values that they want to share with others. Those values are portrayed in an artistic way that connects with audiences who experience loneliness in the non-virtual world contrary to the way Chinese Dramas are perceived.

Keywords: Chinese dramas, fandom, Korean dramas, participatory culture, value perception, soft power, surface culture

Procedia PDF Downloads 154