Search results for: educational environments

Authors: Tomaž Tollazzi, Matjaž Šraml, Chiara Gruden, Marko Renčelj

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Motorcycle riders are an increasing group of road users. The intrinsic characteristics of powered two-wheelers (PTW) allow them to be particularly flexible, both in urban and extra-urban environments. Nevertheless, crash statistics indicate that riders involved in road accidents are highly likely to suffer severe injuries, underlining the vulnerability of this group of road users. An element that can greatly affect the safety of PTW users is road design, as roads are usually designed for two-track vehicles (cars, buses, and lorries) and usually do not consider the needs of PTWs. Additionally, handling a motorcycle is quite different from driving a car; thus, the behavior of riders is different from that of drivers. The aim of this research was to compare how different road designs are perceived by riders and drivers and to preliminarily assess if riders’ behavior and attention allocation are related. For this research, an eye-tracking experiment was developed outdoors. Both drivers and riders travelled along a route comprising four different road designs and various road layouts, and the output was analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Although it was not possible to carry out a statistical analysis due to the limited number of participants, the results demonstrate that there is a difference in the gaze behavior of drivers and riders, with the latter being far more focused on the left-hand side of the road and concentrating on defined elements of road design. Furthermore, the experiment demonstrated that a higher number of fixations is related to lower speeds. Finally, it was noted that both kinds of road users focus well on the carriageway, leading to the conclusion that the indications given through road markings may be much more effective than vertical signalization, which has rarely been observed.

Keywords: road safety, powered two-wheelers, eye-tracking, gaze behavior

Procedia PDF Downloads 66

Authors: Auj-E Taqaddas

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The use of proton beam therapy is increasing globally. It seems to offer dosimetric advantages, especially in paediatric central nervous system (CNS) and brain tumours. A short E-survey was conducted to assess the clinical, technical, and educational resources and strategies employed in the state of the art proton beam therapy (PBT) centres in the USA to determine the current status of proton beam therapy. The study also aimed at finding out which PBT skills are in demand as well as what improvements are needed to ensure efficient treatment planning, delivery, and dosimetry. The study resulted in identifying areas for future research and development and in identifying cancers for which PBT is most suitable compared to other modalities to facilitate the implementation and use of PBT in clinical settings for cancer treatment.

Keywords: cancer, intensity modulated proton therapy, proton beam therapy, single field uniform scanning

Procedia PDF Downloads 185

Authors: Abdollah Jamshidi, Tayebeh Zeinali, Mehrnaz Rad, Jamshid Razmyar

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Listeria infections occur worldwide in variety of animals and man. Listeriae are widely distributed in nature. The organism has been isolated from the feces of humans and several animals, different soils, plants, aquatic environments and food of animal and vegetable origin. Listeria monocytogenes is recognized as important food-borne pathogens due to its high mortality rate. This organism is able to growth at refrigeration temperature, and high osmotic pressure. Poultry can become contaminated environmentally or through healthy carrier birds. In recent decades, prophylactic use of antimicrobial agents may be lead to emergence of antibiotic resistant organisms, which can be transmitted to human through consumption of contaminated foods. In this study, from 200 fresh chicken carcasses samples which were collected randomly from different supermarkets and butcheries, 80 samples were detected as contaminate with Listeria spp. and 19% of the isolates identified as Listeria monocytogene using multiplex PCR assay. Conventional methods were used to differentiate other species of the listeria genus. The results showed the most prevalent isolates as L. monocytogenes (48.75%). Other isolates were detected as Listeria innocua (28.75%), Listeria murrayi (20%), Listeria grayi (3.75%) and Listeria welshimeri (2.5%).The Majority of the isolates had multidrug resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Most of them were resistant to erythromycin (50%), followed by Tetracycline (44.44%), Clindamycin (41.66%), and Trimethoprim (25%). Some of them showed resistance to chloramphenicol (17.65%). The results indicate the resistance of the isolates to antimicrobials commonly used to treat human listeriosis, which could be a potential health hazard for consumers.

Keywords: listeria species, L. monocytogenes, antibiotic resistance, chicken carcass

Procedia PDF Downloads 365

Authors: Aliya Kamilyevna Salahova

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This study examines the effectiveness of the Kids Science Labs intervention program, based on STEM, in fostering independent thinking among preschool and elementary school children and its influence on their academic achievement. Through a comprehensive methodology involving interviews, surveys, observations, case studies, and statistical tests, data were collected from various sources to accurately analyze the program's effects. The findings indicate a significant positive impact on children's independent thinking abilities, leading to improved academic performance in mathematics and science, enhanced learning motivation, and a propensity to critically evaluate problem-solving approaches. This research contributes to the theoretical understanding of how STEM activities can foster independent thinking and academic success in young children, providing valuable insights for the development of educational programs. Introduction: The goal of this study is to investigate the influence of the Kids Science Labs intervention program, grounded in STEM, on the development of independent thinking skills among preschool and elementary school children. By addressing this objective, we aim to explore the program's potential to enhance academic performance in mathematics and science. The study's findings have theoretical significance as they shed light on the ways in which STEM activities can foster independent thinking in young children, thus enabling educators to design effective learning programs that promote academic success. Methodology: This study employs a robust methodology that includes interviews, surveys, observations, case studies, and statistical tests. These methods were carefully selected to collect comprehensive data from multiple sources, such as documents and records, ensuring a thorough analysis of the program's effects. The use of diverse data collection and analysis procedures facilitated an in-depth exploration of the research questions and yielded reliable results. Results: The results indicate that children participating in the Kids Science Labs program experienced a sustained positive impact on their independent thinking abilities. Moreover, these children demonstrated improved academic performance in mathematics and science, displaying higher learning motivation and the capacity to critically evaluate problem-solving methods and seek optimal solutions. Theoretical Importance: This study contributes significantly to the existing theoretical knowledge by elucidating how STEM activities can foster independent thinking and enhance academic success in preschool and elementary school children. The findings have practical implications for educators, empowering them to develop learning programs that stimulate independent thinking, leading to improved academic performance in young children. Discussion: The findings of this research affirm that the Kids Science Labs intervention program is highly effective in fostering independent thinking among preschool and elementary school children. The program's positive impact extends to improved academic performance in mathematics and science, highlighting its potential to enhance learning outcomes. Educators can leverage these findings to develop educational programs that promote independent thinking and elevate academic achievement in young children. Conclusion: In conclusion, the Kids Science Labs intervention program has been found to be highly effective in fostering independent thinking among preschool and elementary school children. Furthermore, participation in the program correlates with improved academic performance in mathematics and science. The study's outcomes underscore the importance of developing educational initiatives that stimulate independent thinking in young children, thereby enhancing their academic success.

Keywords: STEM in preschool, STEM in elementary school, kids science labs, independent thinking, STEM activities in early childhood education

Procedia PDF Downloads 75

Authors: Arlett A. Rosado-Torres, Ismael Marino-Tapia

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Changes in benthic cover of coral dominated systems to macroalgae dominance are widely studied worldwide. Watershed pollutants are potentially as important as overfishing causing phase shift. In certain regions of the world most of the continental inputs are through submarine groundwater discharges (SGD), which can play a significant ecological role because the concentration of its nutrients is usually greater that the one found in surface seawater. These stressors have adversely affected coral reefs, particularly in the Caribbean. Measurements of benthic cover (with video tracing, through a Go Pro camera), reef roughness (acoustic estimates with an Acoustic Doppler Current Velocity profiler and a differential GPS), thermohaline conditions (conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) instrument) and nutrient measurements were taken in different sites in the reef lagoon of Puerto Morelos, Q. Roo, Mexico including those with influence of SGD and without it. The results suggest a link between SGD, macroalgae cover and structural complexity. Punctual water samples and data series from a CTD Diver confirm the presence of the SGD. On the site where the SGD is, the macroalgae cover is larger than in the other sites. To establish a causal link between this phase shift and SGD, the DELFT 3D hydrodynamic model (FLOW and WAVE modules) was performed under different environmental conditions and discharge magnitudes. The model was validated using measurements of oceanographic instruments anchored in the lagoon and forereef. The SGD is consistently favoring macroalgae populations and affecting structural complexity of the reef.

Keywords: hydrodynamic model, macroalgae, nutrients, phase shift

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Authors: Mahdi Babaee, Arnaud Castel

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One of the main hurdles for commercial adaptation of geopolymer concrete (GPC) as a low-embodied-carbon alternative for Portland cement concrete (PCC) is the durability aspects and its long-term performance in aggressive/corrosive environments. GPC is comparatively a new engineering material and in the absence of a track record of successful durability performance, proper experimental studies to investigate different durability-related characteristics of GPC seem inevitable. In this context, this paper aims to study the bulk electrical resistivity of geopolymer mortars fabricated of blends of low-calcium fly ash (FA) and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS). Bulk electrical resistivity is recognized as one of the most important parameters influencing the rate of corrosion of reinforcing bars during the propagation phase of corrosion. To investigate the effect of alkali concentration on the resistivity of the samples, 100x200 mm mortar cylinders were cast at different alkali concentration levels, whereas the modulus ratio (the molar ratio of SiO2/Na2O) was fixed for the mixes, and the bulk electrical resistivity was then measured. Also, the effect of the binder composition was assessed with respect to the ratio of FA to GGBS used. Results show a superior performance of samples with higher GGBS content. Lower concentration of the solution has increased the resistivity by reducing the amount of mobile alkali ions in the pore solution. Moreover, GGBS-based samples showed a much sharper increase in the electrical resistivity with decreasing the moisture content.

Keywords: bulk resistivity, corrosion, durability, geopolymer concrete

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Authors: Clement Yeboah, Eva Laryea

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A pretest-posttest within subjects experimental design was employed to examine the effects of a computerized basic statistics learning game on achievement and statistics-related anxiety of students enrolled in introductory graduate statistics course. Participants (N = 34) were graduate students in a variety of programs at state-funded research university in the Southeast United States. We analyzed pre-test posttest differences using paired samples t-tests for achievement and for statistics anxiety. The results of the t-test for knowledge in statistics were found to be statistically significant, indicating significant mean gains for statistical knowledge as a function of the game-based intervention. Likewise, the results of the t-test for statistics-related anxiety were also statistically significant, indicating a decrease in anxiety from pretest to posttest. The implications of the present study are significant for both teachers and students. For teachers, using computer games developed by the researchers can help to create a more dynamic and engaging classroom environment, as well as improve student learning outcomes. For students, playing these educational games can help to develop important skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. Students can develop an interest in the subject matter and spend quality time to learn the course as they play the game without knowing that they are even learning the presupposed hard course. The future directions of the present study are promising as technology continues to advance and become more widely available. Some potential future developments include the integration of virtual and augmented reality into educational games, the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence to create personalized learning experiences, and the development of new and innovative game-based assessment tools. It is also important to consider the ethical implications of computer game-based pedagogy, such as the potential for games to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and biases. As the field continues to evolve, it will be crucial to address these issues and work towards creating inclusive and equitable learning experiences for all students. This study has the potential to revolutionize the way basic statistics graduate students learn and offers exciting opportunities for future development and research. It is an important area of inquiry for educators, researchers, and policymakers and will continue to be a dynamic and rapidly evolving field for years to come.

Keywords: pretest-posttest within subjects, computer game-based learning, statistics achievement, statistics anxiety

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Authors: Kunyanuth Kularbphettong, Cholticha Tongsiri

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This paper aims to create the model for student in choosing an emphasized track of student majoring in computer science at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University. The objective of this research is to develop the suggested system using data mining technique to analyze knowledge and conduct decision rules. Such relationships can be used to demonstrate the reasonableness of student choosing a track as well as to support his/her decision and the system is verified by experts in the field. The sampling is from student of computer science based on the system and the questionnaire to see the satisfaction. The system result is found to be satisfactory by both experts and student as well.

Keywords: data mining technique, the decision support system, knowledge and decision rules, education

Procedia PDF Downloads 408

Authors: Anita Vidacs, Csaba Vagvolgyi, Judit Krisch

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The attachment of microorganisms to different surfaces and the development of biofilms can lead to outbreaks of food-borne diseases and economic losses due to perished food. In food processing environments, bacterial communities are generally formed by mixed cultures of different species. Plants are sources of several antimicrobial substances that may be potential candidates for the development of new disinfectants. We aimed to investigate cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), marjoram (Origanum majorana), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris). Essential oils and their major components (cinnamaldehyde, terpinene-4-ol, and thymol) on four-species biofilms of E. coli, L. monocytogenes, P. putida, and S. aureus. Experiments had three parts: (i) determination of minimum bactericide concentration and the killing time with microdilution methods; (ii) elimination of the four-species 24– and 168-hours old biofilm from stainless steel, polypropylene, tile and wood surfaces; and (iii) comparing the disinfectant effect with industrial used per-acetic based sanitizer (HC-DPE). E. coli and P. putida were more resistant to investigated essential oils and their main components in biofilm, than L. monocytogenes and S. aureus. These Gram-negative bacteria were detected on the surfaces, where the natural based disinfectant had not total biofilm elimination effect. Most promoted solutions were the cinnamon essential oil and the terpinene-4-ol that could eradicate the biofilm from stainless steel, polypropylene and even from tile, too. They have a better disinfectant effect than HC-DPE. These natural agents can be used as alternative solutions in the battle against bacterial biofilms.

Keywords: biofilm, essential oils, surfaces, terpinene-4-ol

Procedia PDF Downloads 88

Authors: Neda Seyyedi, Reza Berangi

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Voice over IP (VOIP) network, also known as Internet telephony, is growing increasingly having occupied a large part of the communications market. With the growth of each technology, the related security issues become of particular importance. Taking advantage of this technology in different environments with numerous features put at our disposal, there arises an increasing need to address the security threats. Being IP-based and playing a signaling role in VOIP networks, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) lets the invaders use weaknesses of the protocol to disable VOIP service. One of the most important threats is denial of service attack, a branch of which in this article we have discussed as flooding attacks. These attacks make server resources wasted and deprive it from delivering service to authorized users. Distributed denial of service attacks and attacks with a low rate can mislead many attack detection mechanisms. In this paper, we introduce a mechanism which not only detects distributed denial of service attacks and low rate attacks, but can also identify the attackers accurately. We detect and prevent flooding attacks in SIP protocol using Shannon (FDP-S), Renyi (FDP-R) and Tsallis (FDP-T) entropy. We conducted an experiment to compare the percentage of detection and rate of false alarm messages using any of the Shannon, Renyi and Tsallis entropy as a measure of disorder. Implementation results show that, according to the parametric nature of the Renyi and Tsallis entropy, by changing the parameters, different detection percentages and false alarm rates will be gained with the possibility to adjust the sensitivity of the detection mechanism.

Keywords: VOIP networks, flooding attacks, entropy, computer networks

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Authors: Hailekiros Tadesse Tekle, Yemane Tsehaye, Fetien Abay

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Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is one of the most important cereal crops in the world, grown for the poor farmers in Tigray with low yield production. The purpose of this research was to estimate the performance of 166 barley genotypes against the quantitative traits with detailed analysis of the variance component, heritability, genetic advance, and genetic usefulness parameters. The finding of ANOVA was highly significant variation (p ≤ 0:01) for all the genotypes. We found significant differences in coefficient of variance (CV of 15%) for 5 traits out of the 12 quantitative traits. The topmost broad sense heritability (H2) was recorded for seeds per spike (98.8%), followed by thousand seed weight (96.5%) with 79.16% and 56.25%, respectively, of GAM. The traits with H2 ≥ 60% and GA/GAM ≥ 20% suggested the least influenced by the environment, governed by the additive genes and direct selection for improvement of such beneficial traits for the studied genotypes. Hence, the 20 outstanding recombinant inbred lines (RIL) barley genotypes performing early maturity, high yield, and 1000 seed weight traits simultaneously were the top ranked group barley genotypes out of the 166 genotypes. These are; G5, G25, G33, G118, G36, G123, G28, G34, G14, G10, G3, G13, G11, G32, G8, G39, G23, G30, G37, and G26. They were early in maturity, high TSW and GYP (TSW ≥ 55 g, GYP ≥ 15.22 g/plant, and DTM below 106 days). In general, the 166 genotypes were classified as high (group 1), medium (group 2), and low yield production (group 3) genotypes in terms of yield and yield component trait analysis by clustering; and genotype parameter analysis such as the heritability, genetic advance, and genetic usefulness traits in this investigation.

Keywords: barley, clustering, genetic advance, heritability, usefulness, variability, yield

Procedia PDF Downloads 69

Authors: Kristof Grätz

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Background: Coping with crisis situations (e.g., the identity crisis in adolescence) is omnipresent in today's socialization and should be encouraged as a child. For this reason, students should be given the opportunity to create, endure and manage these crisis situations in a sporting context within the project “Herausforderung.” They should prove themselves by working on a self-assigned task, accompanied by ‚coaches’ in a place outside of their hometown. The aim of the project is to observe this process from a resource-oriented perspective. Health promotion, as called for by the WHO in the Ottawa Charter since 1986, includes strengthening psychosocial resources. These include cognitive, emotional, and social potentials that contribute to improving the quality of life, provide favourable conditions for coping with health burdens and enable people to influence their physical performance and well-being self-confidently and actively. A systematic strengthening of psychosocial resources leads to an improvement in mental health and contributes decisively to the regular implementation and long-term maintenance of this health behavior. Previous studies have already shown significant increases in self-concept following experiential educational measures [Fengler, 2007; Eberle & Fengler, 2018] and positive effects of experience-based school trips on the social competence of students [Reuker, 2009]. Method: The research project examines the influence of the project “Herausforderung” on psychosocial resources such as self-efficacy, self-concept, social support, and group cohesion. The students participating in the project will be tested in a pre-post design in the context of the challenge. This test includes specific questions to capture the different psychosocial resources. For the measurement, modifications of existing scales with good item selectivity and reliability are used to a large extent, so that acceptable item and scale values can be expected. If necessary, the scales were adapted or shortened to the specific context in order to ensure a balanced relationship between reliability and test economy. Specifically, these are already tested scales such as FRKJ 8-16, FSKN, GEQ, and F-SozU. The aim is to achieve a sample size of n ≥ 100. Conclusion: The project will be reviewed with regard to its effectiveness, and implications for a resource-enhancing application in sports settings will be given. Conclusions are drawn as to which extent to specific experiential educational content in physical education can have a health-promoting effect on the participants.

Keywords: children, education, health promotion, psychosocial resources

Procedia PDF Downloads 134

Authors: Vildan Kistik, Tuncay Can

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From a business perspective, cost and profit are two key factors for businesses. The intent of most businesses is to minimize the cost to maximize or equalize the profit, so as to provide the greatest benefit to itself. However, the physical system is very complicated because of technological constructions, rapid increase of competitive environments and similar factors. In such a system it is not easy to maximize profits or to minimize costs. Businesses must decide on the competence and competence of the personnel to be recruited, taking into consideration many criteria in selecting personnel. There are many criteria to determine the competence and competence of a staff member. Factors such as the level of education, experience, psychological and sociological position, and human relationships that exist in the field are just some of the important factors in selecting a staff for a firm. Personnel selection is a very important and costly process in terms of businesses in today's competitive market. Although there are many mathematical methods developed for the selection of personnel, unfortunately the use of these mathematical methods is rarely encountered in real life. In this study, unlike other methods, an exponential programming model was established based on the possibilities of failing in case the selected personnel was started to work. With the necessary transformations, the problem has been transformed into unconstrained Geometrical Programming problem and personnel selection problem is approached with geometric programming technique. Personnel selection scenarios for a classroom were established with the help of normal distribution and optimum solutions were obtained. In the most appropriate solutions, the personnel selection process for the classroom has been achieved with minimum cost.

Keywords: geometric programming, personnel selection, non-linear programming, operations research

Procedia PDF Downloads 254

Authors: K. Rasool

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Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRBs) induced biofilm formation is a global industrial concern due to its role in the development of microbial-induced corrosion (MIC). Herein, we have developed a biodegradable chitosan/lignosulfonate nanocomposite (CS@LS) as an efficient green biocide for the inhibition of SRBs biofilms. We investigated in detail the inhibition mechanism of SRBs by CS@LS in seawater media. Stable CS@LS-1:1 with 150–200 nm average size and zeta potential of + 34.25 mV was synthesized. The biocidal performance of CS@LS was evaluated by sulfate reduction profiles coupled with analysis of extracted extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assays. As the nanocomposite concentration was increased from 50 to 500 µg/mL, the specific sulfate reduction rate (SSRR) decreased from 0.278 to 0.036 g-sulfate/g-VSS*day showing a relative sulfate reduction inhibition of 86.64% as compared to that of control. Similarly, the specific organic uptake rate (SOUR) decreased from 0.082 to 0.039 0.036 g-TOC/g-VSS*day giving a relative co-substrate oxidation inhibition of 52.19% as compared to that of control. The SRBs spiked with 500 µg/mL CS@LS showed a reduction in cell viability to 1.5 × 106 MPN/mL. To assess the biosafety of the nanocomposite on the marine biota, the 72-hours acute toxicity assays using the zebrafish embryo model revealed that the LC50 for the CS@LS was 103.3 µg/mL. Thus, CS@LS can be classified as environmentally friendly. The nanocomposite showed long-term stability and excellent antibacterial properties against SRBs growth and is thus potentially useful for combating the problems of biofilm growth in harsh marine and aquatic environments.

Keywords: green biocides, chitosan/lignosulfonate nanocomposite, SRBs, toxicity

Procedia PDF Downloads 101

Authors: Zoubida Mahi

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A successful satellite mission in space requires a reliable attitude and orbit control system to command, control and position the satellite in appropriate orbits. Several sensors are used for attitude control, such as magnetic sensors, earth sensors, horizon sensors, gyroscopes, and solar sensors. The star tracker is the most accurate sensor compared to other sensors, and it is able to offer high-accuracy attitude control without the need for prior attitude information. There are mainly three approaches in star sensor research: digital simulation, hardware in the loop simulation, and field test of star observation. In the digital simulation approach, all of the processes are done in software, including star image simulation. Hence, it is necessary to develop star image simulation software that could simulate real space environments and various star sensor configurations. In this paper, we present a new stellar image simulation tool that is used to test and validate the stellar sensor algorithms; the developed tool allows to simulate of stellar images with several types of noise, such as background noise, gaussian noise, Poisson noise, multiplicative noise, and several scenarios that exist in space such as the presence of the moon, the presence of optical system problem, illumination and false objects. On the other hand, we present in this paper a new star extraction algorithm based on a new centroid calculation method. We compared our algorithm with other star extraction algorithms from the literature, and the results obtained show the star extraction capability of the proposed algorithm.

Keywords: star tracker, star simulation, star detection, centroid, noise, scenario

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Authors: Bernardo Cortez, Florian Peter, Thomas Lausenhammer, Paulo Oliveira

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Designing missiles’ autopilot controllers have been a complex task, given the extensive flight envelope and the nonlinear flight dynamics. A solution that can excel both in nominal performance and in robustness to uncertainties is still to be found. While Control Theory often debouches into parameters’ scheduling procedures, Reinforcement Learning has presented interesting results in ever more complex tasks, going from videogames to robotic tasks with continuous action domains. However, it still lacks clearer insights on how to find adequate reward functions and exploration strategies. To the best of our knowledge, this work is a pioneer in proposing Reinforcement Learning as a framework for flight control. In fact, it aims at training a model-free agent that can control the longitudinal non-linear flight dynamics of a missile, achieving the target performance and robustness to uncertainties. To that end, under TRPO’s methodology, the collected experience is augmented according to HER, stored in a replay buffer and sampled according to its significance. Not only does this work enhance the concept of prioritized experience replay into BPER, but it also reformulates HER, activating them both only when the training progress converges to suboptimal policies, in what is proposed as the SER methodology. The results show that it is possible both to achieve the target performance and to improve the agent’s robustness to uncertainties (with low damage on nominal performance) by further training it in non-nominal environments, therefore validating the proposed approach and encouraging future research in this field.

Keywords: Reinforcement Learning, flight control, HER, missile autopilot, TRPO

Procedia PDF Downloads 248

Authors: T. Manesh, Abdalla A. Alameen, M. Mohemmed Sha, A. Mohamed Mustaq Ahmed

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Email and instant messaging applications are foremost and extensively used electronic communication methods in this era of information explosion. These applications are generally used for exchange of information using several frontend applications from various service providers by its users. Almost all such communications are now secured using SSL or TLS security over HTTP communication. At the same time, it is also noted that cyber criminals and terrorists have started exchanging information using these methods. Since communication is encrypted end-to-end, tracing significant forensic details and actual content of messages are found to be unattended and severe challenges by available forensic tools. These challenges seriously affect in procuring substantial evidences against such criminals from their working environments. This paper presents a vibrant forensic exploration and architectural framework which not only decrypts any communication or network session but also reconstructs actual message contents of email as well as instant messaging applications. The framework can be effectively used in proxy servers and individual computers and it aims to perform forensic reconstruction followed by analysis of webmail and ICQ messaging applications. This forensic framework exhibits a versatile nature as it is equipped with high speed packet capturing hardware, a well-designed packet manipulating algorithm. It regenerates message contents over regular as well as SSL encrypted SMTP, POP3 and IMAP protocols and catalyzes forensic presentation procedure for prosecution of cyber criminals by producing solid evidences of their actual communication as per court of law of specific countries.

Keywords: forensics, network sessions, packet reconstruction, packet reordering

Procedia PDF Downloads 325

Authors: Rujnan Tuna, Ayse Cil Akinci

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Work life takes up an important place in human life, and an employed person faces many stimuli from internal and external environments and is affected by them in a positive or negative way. Also, the handover process, which is the process of sharing information about the patient with other health professionals, is an important criterion to maintain patient care and enhance the quality of care provided. Handover is a key component for sustaining daily basic clinical practices and is also essential to maintain the safe patient care. This investigation followed a descriptive and correlation design in order to establish job stress and the handover efficiency of nurses and the relationship in between. The study was conducted with 192 nurses working in a public hospital in Istanbul between January and March 2017. Descriptive information form, Job Stressors Scale, and Handover Evaluation Scale were used to collect the data of the study. The data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 statistical software. Approvals from participants, managers of institution, and ethics committee were taken for the study. As a result of the research, it was found that job stress was above the median value, and the highest score in the ‘work role conflict’ subdimension. Also, it was found that the effectiveness of the nurses' handover effectiviness was above the median value and the highest score in the ‘quality of information’ subdimension. In the study, there was a negatively weak correlation between ‘work role overload’ subdimension of Job Stressors Scale and ‘interaction and support’ subdimension of Handover Evaluation Scale. There is a need for further study in order to maintain patient safety.

Keywords: handover, job stress, nurse, patient

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Authors: Tianjie Zhang, Bingqian Cheng, Peng Zeng

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Engineering science and technology progress and innovation have become an important engine to promote social development. The reform exploration of "new engineering" in China has drawn extensive attention around the world, with its connotation as "to cultivate future diversified, innovative and outstanding engineering talents by taking ‘fostering character and civic virtue’ as the guide, responding to changes and shaping the future as the construction concept, and inheritance and innovation, crossover and fusion, coordination and sharing as the principal approach". In this context, Tianjin University, as a traditional Chinese university with advantages in engineering, further launched the CCII (Coherent-Collaborative-Interdisciplinary-Innovation) program, raising the cultivation idea of integrating new liberal arts education, multidisciplinary engineering education and personalized professional education. As urban planning practice in China has undergone the evolution of "physical planning -- comprehensive strategic planning -- resource management-oriented planning", planning education has also experienced the transmutation process of "building foundation -- urban scientific foundation -- multi-disciplinary integration". As a characteristic and advantageous discipline of Tianjin University, the major of Urban and Rural Planning, in accordance with the "CCII Program of Tianjin University", aims to build China's top and world-class major, and implements the following educational reform measures: 1. Adding corresponding English courses, such as advanced course on GIS Analysis, courses on comparative studies in international planning involving ecological resources and the sociology of the humanities, etc. 2. Holding "Academician Forum", inviting international academicians to give lectures or seminars to track international frontier scientific research issues. 3. Organizing "International Joint Workshop" to provide students with international exchange and design practice platform. 4. Setting up a business practice base, so that students can find problems from practice and solve them in an innovative way. Through these measures, the Urban and Rural Planning major of Tianjin University has formed a talent training system with multi-disciplinary cross integration and orienting to the future science and technology.

Keywords: China, higher education reform, innovation, new engineering education, rural and urban planning, Tianjin University

Procedia PDF Downloads 109

Authors: Nesrine Lenchi, Salima Kebbouche-Gana, Laddada Belaid, Mohamed Lamine Khelfaoui, Mohamed Lamine Gana

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Saline lakes are extreme hypersaline environments that are considered five to ten times saltier than seawater (150 – 300 g L-1 salt concentration). Hypersaline regions differ from each other in terms of salt concentration, chemical composition and geographical location, which determine the nature of inhabitant microorganisms. In order to explore the diversity of moderate and extreme halophiles Bacteria in Chott Tinsilt (East of Algeria), an isolation program was performed. In the first time, water samples were collected from the saltern during pre-salt harvesting phase. Salinity, pH and temperature of the sampling site were determined in situ. Chemical analysis of water sample indicated that Na +and Cl- were the most abundant ions. Isolates were obtained by plating out the samples in complex and synthetic media. In this study, seven halophiles cultures of Bacteria were isolated. Isolates were studied for Gram’s reaction, cell morphology and pigmentation. Enzymatic assays (oxidase, catalase, nitrate reductase and urease), and optimization of growth conditions were done. The results indicated that the salinity optima varied from 50 to 250 g L-1, whereas the optimum of temperature range from 25°C to 35°C. Molecular identification of the isolates was performed by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. The results showed that these cultured isolates included members belonging to the Halomonas, Staphylococcus, Salinivibrio, Idiomarina, Halobacillus Thalassobacillus and Planococcus genera and what may represent a new bacterial genus.

Keywords: bacteria, Chott, halophilic, 16S rRNA

Procedia PDF Downloads 264

Authors: Timothy E. Frank, Josh R. Aldred, Sophie B. Boulware, Michelle K. Cabonce, Justin H. White

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Materials degrade at different rates in different environments depending on factors such as temperature, aridity, salinity, and solar radiation. Therefore, predicting asset longevity depends, in part, on the environmental conditions to which the asset is exposed. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are critical to building operations yet are responsible for a significant proportion of their energy consumption. HVAC energy use increases substantially with slight operational inefficiencies. Understanding the environmental influences on HVAC degradation in detail will inform maintenance schedules and capital investment, reduce energy use, and increase lifecycle management efficiency. HVAC inspection records spanning 14 years from 21 locations across the United States were compiled and associated with the climate conditions to which they were exposed. Three environmental features were explored in this study: average high temperature, average low temperature, and annual precipitation, as well as four non-environmental features. Initial insights showed no correlations between individual features and the rate of HVAC component degradation. Using neighborhood component analysis, however, the most critical features related to degradation were identified. Two models were considered, and results varied between them. However, longitude and latitude emerged as potentially the best predictors of average HVAC component degradation. Further research is needed to evaluate additional environmental features, increase the resolution of the environmental data, and develop more robust models to achieve more conclusive results.

Keywords: climate, degradation, HVAC, neighborhood component analysis

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Authors: Simon Oga Egboja, Agi Sunday

Abstract:

The government of Nigeria have invested so much in our tertiary education but the desire qualitative goals and objectives are yet to be achieved because management at all level are not efficient and effective in implementing the desired educational policies and programmes due to some management challenges. This paper investigates some of the major challenges to effective management of tertiary institution in Nigeria some variable that are important to effective management includes political stability, adequate funding, establishment of information system, recruitment and appointment of qualified teachers and condition of service.

Keywords: effective management includes political stability, adequate funding, establishment of information system, recruitment and appointment of qualified teachers

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Authors: Sarah Mohammed, Huda Allagany, Ayah Barakat, Muna Elyas

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This paper delves into the history and development of ChatGPT, tracing its evolution from its inception by OpenAI to its current state, and emphasizing its design improvements and strategic partnerships. It also explores the performance and applicability of ChatGPT versions 3.5 and 4 in various contexts, examining its capabilities and limitations in producing accurate and relevant responses. Utilizing a quantitative approach, user satisfaction, speed of response, learning capabilities, and overall utility in academic performance were assessed through surveys and analysis tools. Findings indicate that while ChatGPT generally delivers high accuracy and speed in responses, the need for clarification and more specific user instructions persists. The study highlights the tool's increasing integration across different sectors, showcasing its potential in educational and professional settings.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, chat GPT, analysis, education

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Authors: Kyllie Cripps

Abstract:

In Australia, not dissimilar to other jurisdictions with indigenous populations, indigenous women are more likely to experience violence than any other section of society. In recent years in response to horrific examples of Indigenous women’s deaths, Australian Coronial courts have investigated, wanting to know more about the circumstances that led to the deaths. This paper critically examined 12 Coronial Court investigations from around Australia, analyzing them thematically. The analysis highlighted the differential vulnerability of indigenous women to intimate partner homicides. In all the cases reviewed, it was evident that the women’s deaths, in most instances were entirely preventable. Evidence was also presented demonstrating that services were aware of the women’s heightened risks but were unable to sufficiently coordinate themselves to provide wrap around support to minimise the risk of violence and to maximise the women’s safety. Consequently, putting the women in environments where their deaths were both predictable and inevitable. The profound system failings at the intersections of law, policy, and practice have ultimately cost indigenous women their lives. This paper firstly explores the nuances of the Coronial Court findings – demonstrating the similarities and differences present within the cases. Part two interrogates the reported system failings, and part three considers potential improvements in system integration to prevent future deaths. The paper concludes recognizing that Indigenous women play important valued roles in indigenous communities, their loss has profound costs and consequences, and to honor their memory, we must learn from their deaths and improve responses to intimate partner violence.

Keywords: homicide, intimate partner violence, indigenous women

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Authors: Siwei Chang, Heng Li, Haitao Wu, Xin Fang

Abstract:

Construction robots are receiving more and more attention as a promising solution to the manpower shortage issue in the construction industry. The development of intelligent control techniques that assist in controlling the robots to avoid transparency and reflected building obstacles is crucial for guaranteeing the adaptability and flexibility of mobile construction robots in complex construction environments. With the boom of computer vision techniques, a number of studies have proposed vision-based methods for transparent obstacle avoidance to improve operation accuracy. However, vision-based methods are also associated with disadvantages such as high computational costs. To provide better perception and value evaluation, this study aims to analyze the performance of vision-based techniques for avoiding transparent building obstacles. To achieve this, commonly used sensors, including a lidar, an ultrasonic sensor, and a USB camera, are equipped on the robotic platform to detect obstacles. A Raspberry Pi 3 computer board is employed to compute data collecting and control algorithms. The turtlebot3 burger is employed to test the programs. On-site experiments are carried out to observe the performance in terms of success rate and detection distance. Control variables include obstacle shapes and environmental conditions. The findings contribute to demonstrating how effectively vision-based obstacle avoidance strategies for transparent building obstacle avoidance and provide insights and informed knowledge when introducing computer vision techniques in the aforementioned domain.

Keywords: construction robot, obstacle avoidance, computer vision, transparent obstacle

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Authors: Areej R. Banjar, Abraham G. Campbell

Abstract:

The use of Mixed Reality (MR) in teaching and training is growing popular and can improve students’ ability to perform technical procedures. This short paper outlines the creation of an interactive educational MR 3D application that aims to improve the quality of instruction for dentistry students. This application is called MRImplantology and aims to teach the fundamentals and preoperative planning of dental implant placement. MRImplantology uses cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images as the source for 3D dental models that dentistry students will be able to freely manipulate within a 3D MR world to aid their learning process.

Keywords: augmented reality, education, dentistry, cone-beam computed tomography CBCT, head mounted display HMD, mixed reality

Procedia PDF Downloads 171

Authors: Mohammad Saraj Sharifzai, Keisuke Kitagawa, Ahmad Javid Habib Mohammad Kamil Halimee, Daishi Sakaguchi

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The main purpose of this research is to recognize indoor comfort in contemporary Afghan courtyard house with outdoor welfare in housing layout and neighborhood design where sustainability is a local consideration. This research focuses on three new neighborhoods (Gawoond) in three different provinces of Afghanistan. Since 2001, the capital Kabul and major cities including Kandahar, which will be compared with Peshawar city in Pakistan, have faced a fast, rough-and-tumble process of urban innovation. The effects of this innovation necessitate reconsideration of the formation of sustainable urban environments and in-house thermal comfort. The lack of sustainable urban life in many newly developed Afghan neighborhoods can pose a major challenge to the process of sustainable urban development. Several factors can affect the success or failure of new neighborhoods in the context of urban life. For thermal analysis, we divide our research into three different climatic zones. This study is an evaluation of the environmental impacts of the interior comfort of contemporary courtyard housing with the exterior welfare of neighborhood sustainable design strategy in dry and cold, semi-hot and arid, and semi-humid and hot climates in Afghan cities and Peshawar.

Keywords: Afghan contemporary courtyard house, neighbourhood, street pattern and housing layout, sustainability, welfare, comfort, climate zone, Afghanistan

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Authors: Ogbeta I. Joseph, Habiba B. A. Awwalu, Otokiti Jimoh

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This paper entitled science education in Nigeria issues and challenges highlighted the role of science education to the development of science and technology in Nigeria. Science embraces every attempt of human to explore and manage the natural world, the contribution of science education to the technological development of the nation, the role of science education in ICT development, the importance of mathematics in the development of science education, the paper also analyzed the challenges facing the development of science education to include corruption, insecurity, and political instability, the paper concluded by encouraging the government and other stakeholders in educational sector to pay more attention to the teaching and learning of science in our schools. Therefore recommended the development that emphasizes should be on the teaching and learning of science base subjects in the school.

Keywords: education, science, technology and national development, challenges

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Authors: M. Rodionov, Z. Dedovets

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This article discusses plausible reasoning use for solution to practical problems. Such reasoning is the major driver of motivation and implementation of mathematical, scientific and educational research activity. A general, practical problem solving algorithm is presented which includes an analysis of specific problem content to build, solve and interpret the underlying mathematical model. The author explores the role of practical problems such as the stimulation of students' interest, the development of their world outlook and their orientation in the modern world at the different stages of learning mathematics in secondary school. Particular attention is paid to the characteristics of those problems which were systematized and presented in the conclusions.

Keywords: mathematics, motivation, secondary school, student, practical problem

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Authors: Iman Ali Ahmed Al-Rashed

Abstract:

This paper directs attention to the limitations of the teacher-centered strategy in teaching. The aim of this study is to draw more educational attention to learner-centered strategy in order to shift the emphasis from the traditional concept of teaching to a new concept in teaching. To begin bridging the traditional concept of teaching and the new concept, the study will explore the new concept of teaching to support teaching in Arab World generally and in Iraq specifically. A qualitative case study orientation was used to collect data in the form of classroom observations, interviews and field notes. The teaching practices used by three university instructors are investigated and according to the findings, some explanations and recommendations are made.

Keywords: case study, learner-centered strategy, qualitative study, teacher-centered strategy, traditional teaching

Procedia PDF Downloads 531