Search results for: educational standards
2683 Implementing Learner-Centered Teaching Approach In Iraqi Higher Education
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 5482682 Shari'ah Governance in Islamic Banking and Finance - A Comparison Between Malaysia and Other Selected Countries, Current Challenges and Potential Solution
Authors: Muhamad Badri Bin Othman
Abstract:
As a role model and leading country in the world that establishes and promotes Islamic banking and finance, Malaysia has set up and come up with a set of standards and frameworks to govern its Shari’ah function towards implementing the desired outcome of Islamic banking and finance as new source of wealth creation. This paper, examines and highlights, at the very minimum, the importance and application of Shari’ah governance in Islamic banking and finance in Malaysia as a leading country in Islamic banking and finance. This paper also, compares on Shari’ah governance, which is being adopted between Malaysia and other selected countries namely, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. This paper also, aims at highlighting the current challenges and issues faced by the scholars in Shari’ah Supervisory Board (SSB) in deliberating their opinions and fatwa towards the implementation of new products in Islamic banking industry to promote innovation among the industry players. The author of this paper will highlight the major challenges and issues faced by the SSB members of Islamic banks in Malaysia, taking into account the complexity of the operation wise and products of Islamic banking, and how they overcome those challenges and issues identified. This will be done through a series of face-to-face interview sessions which will be conducted with a few prominent figures of Islamic banking and finance scholars in Malaysia to highlight the issues and challenges they are facing towards Islamic financial innovation and subsequently finding solutions for the identified issues and challenges.Keywords: Shari’ah governance, Shari’ah supervisory board (SSB), Issues and challenges, Islamic financial innovation
Procedia PDF Downloads 4212681 Corporate Governance and Disclosure Quality: Taxonomy of Tunisian Listed Firms Using the Decision Tree Method Based Approach
Authors: Wided Khiari, Adel Karaa
Abstract:
This study aims to establish a typology of Tunisian listed firms according to their corporate governance characteristics and disclosure quality. The paper uses disclosed scores to examine corporate governance practices of Tunisian listed firms. A content analysis of 46 Tunisian listed firms from 2001 to 2010 has been carried out and a disclosure index developed to determine the level of disclosure of the companies. The disclosure quality is appreciated through the quantity and also through the nature (type) of information disclosed. Applying the decision tree method, the obtained tree diagrams provide ways to know the characteristics of a particular firm regardless of its level of disclosure. Obtained results show that the characteristics of corporate governance to achieve good quality of disclosure are not unique for all firms. These structures are not necessarily all of the recommendations of best practices, but converge towards the best combination. Indeed, in practice, there are companies which have a good quality of disclosure, but are not well-governed. However, we hope that by improving their governance system their level of disclosure may be better. These findings show, in a general way, a convergence towards the standards of corporate governance with a few exceptions related to the specificity of Tunisian listed firms and show the need for the adoption of a code for each context. These findings shed the light on corporate governance features that enhance incentives for good disclosure. It allows identifying, for each firm and in any date, corporate governance determinants of disclosure quality. More specifically, and all being equal, obtained tree makes a rule of decision for the company to know the level of disclosure based on certain characteristics of the governance strategy adopted by the latter.Keywords: corporate governance, disclosure, decision tree, economics
Procedia PDF Downloads 3352680 Teaching: Using Co-teaching as an Instructional Model
Authors: Beverley Gallimore
Abstract:
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) has helped to improve outcomes for students with special education needs. Through IDEA, students with Special Education Needs (SEN) have opportunities for more equitable education within the General Education classroom. However, students with disabilities lack access to instructions that can help them to maximize their fullest learning potential. Recently, educational stakeholders have emphasized Integrated Co-teaching as a tool to increase engagement and learning outcomes for students with disabilities in general education classrooms. As a result of this new approach, general and special education teachers are working collaboratively to teach students with disabilities. However, co-teaching models are not properly designed and structured to effectively benefit students with disabilities. Teachers must be oriented correctly in the co-teaching models if it is to be beneficial for students.Keywords: CO-teaching, differentiation, equitable, collaborative
Procedia PDF Downloads 812679 Medical Waste Management in Nigeria: A Case Study
Authors: Y. Y. Babanyara, D. B. Ibrahim, T. Garba
Abstract:
Proper management of medical waste is a crucial issue for maintaining human health and the environment. The waste generated in the hospitals has the potential for spreading infections and causing diseases. The study is aimed at assessing the medical waste management practices in Nigeria. Three instruments, questionnaire administration, in-depth interview and observation method for data collection were adopted in the study. The results revealed that the hospital does not quantify medical waste. Segregation of medical wastes is not conducted according to definite rules and standards. Wheeled trolleys are used for on-site transportation of waste from the points of production to the temporary storage area. Offsite transportation of the hospital waste is undertaken by a private waste management company. Small pickups are mainly used to transport waste daily to an off-site area for treatment and disposal. The main treatment method used in the final disposal of infectious waste is incineration. Non-infectious waste is disposed off using land disposal method. The study showed that the hospital does not have a policy and plan in place for managing medical waste. The study revealed number of problems the hospital faces in terms of medical waste management, including; lack of necessary rules, regulations and instructions on the different aspects of collections and disposal of waste, failure to quantify the waste generated in reliable records, lack of use of coloured bags by limiting the bags to only one colour for all waste, the absence of a dedicated waste manager, and no committee responsible for monitoring the management of medical waste. Recommendations are given with the aim of improving medical waste management in the hospital.Keywords: medical waste, treatment, disposal, public health
Procedia PDF Downloads 3182678 Machine Learning Strategies for Data Extraction from Unstructured Documents in Financial Services
Authors: Delphine Vendryes, Dushyanth Sekhar, Baojia Tong, Matthew Theisen, Chester Curme
Abstract:
Much of the data that inform the decisions of governments, corporations and individuals are harvested from unstructured documents. Data extraction is defined here as a process that turns non-machine-readable information into a machine-readable format that can be stored, for instance, in a database. In financial services, introducing more automation in data extraction pipelines is a major challenge. Information sought by financial data consumers is often buried within vast bodies of unstructured documents, which have historically required thorough manual extraction. Automated solutions provide faster access to non-machine-readable datasets, in a context where untimely information quickly becomes irrelevant. Data quality standards cannot be compromised, so automation requires high data integrity. This multifaceted task is broken down into smaller steps: ingestion, table parsing (detection and structure recognition), text analysis (entity detection and disambiguation), schema-based record extraction, user feedback incorporation. Selected intermediary steps are phrased as machine learning problems. Solutions leveraging cutting-edge approaches from the fields of computer vision (e.g. table detection) and natural language processing (e.g. entity detection and disambiguation) are proposed.Keywords: computer vision, entity recognition, finance, information retrieval, machine learning, natural language processing
Procedia PDF Downloads 1132677 Implementation of Risk Management System to Improve the Quality of Higher Education Institutes
Authors: Muhammad Wasif, Asif Ahmed Shaikh, Sarosh Hashmat Lodi, Muhammad Aslam Bhutto, Riazuddin
Abstract:
Risk Management System is quite popular in profit- based organizations, health and safety and project management fields since the last few decades. But due to rapidly changing environment and requirement of ISO 9001:2015 standards, public-sector institution, especially higher education institutes are also performing risk assessment to monitor the performance of the institution and aligning it with the latest benchmark. In this context, NED University of Engineering and Technology performed research and developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the risk assessment, its monitoring and control. In this research, risks are broken into the four sources, namely; Internal Academics Risks, External Academics Risks, Internal Non-academic Risks, External Non-academic Risks. Risks are identified by the management at all levels. Severity and likelihood of the risks are assigned based on the previous audit results and the customer complains. Risk Ratings are calculated to orderly arrange the risk according to the Risk Rating, and controls for the risks are designed, which are assigned to the responsible person. At the end of the article, result and analysis on the different sources of risk are discussed in details and the conclusion is drawn. Discussion on few sample risks are presented in this article. Hence it is presented in the research that the Risk Management System can be applied in a Higher Education Institute to effectively control the risks which might affect the scope and Quality Management System of an organization.Keywords: higher education, quality management system, risk assessment, risk management
Procedia PDF Downloads 3102676 Sport and Exercise Behavior of Students in Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University
Authors: Pimporn Thongmuang
Abstract:
The purpose of this research is to study sport and exercise behavior of students in Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University in September of 2012. The sample group used in this research was a group of regular students in undergraduate school enrolled in faculty of science and technology. This sample group consisted of 1,858 students. The research tool used to collect result was the checklist. The data was calculated by statistical percentage. From the research, it was discovered that most students did exercise in previous month. 71.6% of students exercised by running. 61.1% of students exercised in their neighborhood. 60.4% of students exercised in order to keep fit. 60.2% of students agreed that the result from this research can be educational and inspirational for students in campus in terms of living healthily by exercise.Keywords: exercise behavior, sport behavior, students, health
Procedia PDF Downloads 4702675 The Effects of Computer Game-Based Pedagogy on Graduate Students Statistics Performance
Authors: Eva Laryea, Clement Yeboah Authors
Abstract:
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 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, experimental design, achievement, statistics-related anxiety
Procedia PDF Downloads 582674 Evaluation and Analysis of the Regulations of Health and Safety in the Construction Industry: A Case of Study in Skikda, Algeria
Authors: Khorief Ouissem, Sassi Boudmagh Souad, Mahimoud Aissa
Abstract:
The health and safety problem in the construction companies has been a major subject of research in Algeria for many years. The latest statistics of the Algerian National Social Security Fund (CNAS) shows that a third of accidents recorded at the national level are originated from construction activities. It is becoming increasingly essential and urgent to investigate and address its causes in order to find measures to overcome the deficiencies in this area. Thus, this paper takes in investigating this problem through a study conducted in the city of Skikda, Algeria. The study was carried out through questionnaire where twenty construction companies were taking into consideration. First, the study identifies the regulations and the laws related to the health and safety in the construction sector in Algeria. Then it goes on to assess and evaluate the implementation of the identified regulations in the companies selected. The result of the assessment indicates that the majority of the construction companies considered do not meet the health and safety standards and regulations. To extract the main causes of the failure of the system to control this industry, the observations and the evaluation were analyzed using the 5M or Ichikawa diagram method. This method is based on identifying the causes of the problem in terms of purpose, the list of potential causes for families. These families often correspond to 5M (Labor, Material, Methods, Middle, and Management). Finally, having identified the primary motives, the present authors propose a list of actions to move towards a more controlled and effective health and safety system for the construction industry.Keywords: health and safety, construction industry, performance measurement, Algeria
Procedia PDF Downloads 3402673 Structural Analysis and Strengthening of the National Youth Foundation Building in Igoumenitsa, Greece
Authors: Chrysanthos Maraveas, Argiris Plesias, Garyfalia G. Triantafyllou, Konstantinos Petronikolos
Abstract:
The current paper presents a structural assessment and proposals for retrofit of the National Youth Foundation Building, an existing reinforced concrete (RC) building in the city of Igoumenitsa, Greece. The building is scheduled to be renovated in order to create a Municipal Cultural Center. The bearing capacity and structural integrity have been investigated in relation to the provisions and requirements of the Greek Retrofitting Code (KAN.EPE.) and European Standards (Eurocodes). The capacity of the existing concrete structure that makes up the two central buildings in the complex (buildings II and IV) has been evaluated both in its present form and after including several proposed architectural interventions. The structural system consists of spatial frames of columns and beams that have been simulated using beam elements. Some RC elements of the buildings have been strengthened in the past by means of concrete jacketing and have had cracks sealed with epoxy injections. Static-nonlinear analysis (Pushover) has been used to assess the seismic performance of the two structures with regard to performance level B1 from KAN.EPE. Retrofitting scenarios are proposed for the two buildings, including type Λ steel bracings and placement of concrete shear walls in the transverse direction in order to achieve the design-specification deformation in each applicable situation, improve the seismic performance, and reduce the number of interventions required.Keywords: earthquake resistance, pushover analysis, reinforced concrete, retrofit, strengthening
Procedia PDF Downloads 2922672 An Automatic Method for Building Learners’ Groups in Virtual Environment
Authors: O. Bourkoukou, Essaid El Bachari
Abstract:
The group composing is one of the key issue in collaborative learning to achieve a positive educational experience. The goal of this work is to propose for teachers and tutors a method to create effective collaborative learning groups in e-learning environment based on the learner profile. For this purpose, a new function was defined to rate implicitly learning objects used by the learner during his learning experience. This paper describes the proposed algorithm to build an adequate collaborative learning group. In order to verify the performance of the proposed algorithm, several experiments were conducted in real data set in virtual environment. Results show the effectiveness of the method for which it appears that the proposed approach may be promising to produce better outcomes.Keywords: building groups, collaborative learning, e-learning, learning objects
Procedia PDF Downloads 2972671 Robotic Lingulectomy for Primary Lung Cancer: A Video Presentation
Authors: Abraham J. Rizkalla, Joanne F. Irons, Christopher Q. Cao
Abstract:
Purpose: Lobectomy was considered the standard of care for early-stage non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) after the Lung Cancer Study Group trial demonstrated increased locoregional recurrence for sublobar resections. However, there has been heightened interest in segmentectomies for selected patients with peripheral lesions ≤2cm, as investigated by the JCOG0802 and CALGB140503 trials. Minimally invasive robotic surgery facilitates segmentectomies with improved maneuverability and visualization of intersegmental planes using indocyanine green. We hereby present a patient who underwent robotic lingulectomy for an undiagnosed ground-glass opacity. Methodology: This video demonstrates a robotic portal lingulectomy using three 8mm ports and a 12mm port. Stereoscopic direct vision facilitated the identification of the lingula artery and vein, and intra-operative bronchoscopy was performed to confirm the lingula bronchus. The intersegmental plane was identified by indocyanine green and a near-infrared camera. Thorough lymph node sampling was performed in accordance with international standards. Results: The 18mm lesion was successfully excised with clear margins to achieve R0 resection with no evidence of malignancy in the 8 lymph nodes sampled. Histopathological examination revealed lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma, pathological stage IA. Conclusion: This video presentation exemplifies the standard approach for robotic portal lingulectomy in appropriately selected patients.Keywords: lung cancer, robotic segmentectomy, indocyanine green, lingulectomy
Procedia PDF Downloads 672670 New Employee on-Boarding Program: Effective Tool for Reducing the Prevalence of Workplace Injuries/Accidents
Authors: U. Ugochukwu, J. Lee, P. Conley
Abstract:
According to a recent survey by the UT Southwestern Workplace Safety Committee, the three most common on-the-job injuries reported by workers at the medical center are musculoskeletal injuries, slip-and-fall injuries and repetitive motion injuries. Last year alone, of the 650 documented workplace injuries and accidents, 45% were seen in employees in their first-two years of employment. UT Southwestern New Employee On-Boarding program was created and modeled to follows OSHA’s model that consist of: determining if training is needed, identifying training needs, identifying goals and objectives, developing learning activities, conducting the training, evaluating program effectiveness, and improving the program. The hospital’s management best practices were recreated to limit and control workplace injuries and accidents. Regular trainings and workshops on workplace safety and compliance were initiated for new employees. Various computer workstations were evaluated and recommendations were made to reduce musculoskeletal disorders. Post exposure protocols and workers protection programs were remodeled for infectious agents and chemicals used in the hospital, and medical surveillance programs were updated, for every emerging threat, to ensure they are in compliance with the US policy, regulatory and standard setting organizations. If ignorance of specific job hazards and of proper work practices is to blame for this higher injury rate, then training will help to provide a solution. Use of this program in training activities is just one of many ways UT Southwestern complied with the OSHA standards that relate to training while enhancing the safety and health of their employees.Keywords: ergonomics, hazard, on-boarding, surveillance, workplace
Procedia PDF Downloads 3302669 STEM Curriculum Development Using Robotics with K-12 Students in Brazil
Authors: Flavio Campos
Abstract:
This paper describes an implementation of a STEM curriculum program using robotics as a technological resource at a private school in Brazil. Emphasized the pedagogic and didactic aspects and brings a discussion about STEM curriculum and the perspective of using robotics and the relation between curriculum, science and technologies into the learning process. The results indicate that STEM curriculum integration with robotics as a technological resource in K-12 students learning process has complex aspects, such as relation between time/space, the development of educators and the relation between robotics and other subjects. Therefore, the comprehension of these aspects could indicate some steps that we should consider when integrating STEM basis and robotics into curriculum, which can improve education for science and technology significantly.Keywords: STEM curriculum, educational robotics, constructionist approach, education and technology
Procedia PDF Downloads 3422668 The Changing Face of Pedagogy and Curriculum Development Sub-Components of Teacher Education in Nigeria: A Comparative Evaluation of the University of Lagos, Lagos State University, and Sokoto State University Models
Authors: Saheed A. Rufai
Abstract:
Courses in Pedagogy and Curriculum Development expectedly occupy a core place in the professional education components of teacher education at Lagos, Lagos State, and Sokoto State Universities. This is in keeping with the National Teacher Education Policy statement that stipulates that for student teachers to learn effectively teacher education institutions must be equipped to prepare them adequately. However, there is a growing concern over the unfaithfulness of some of the dominant Nigerian models of teacher education, to this policy statement on teacher educators’ knowledge and skills. The purpose of this paper is to comparatively evaluate both the curricular provisions and the manpower for the pedagogy and curriculum development sub-components of the Lagos, Lagos State, and Sokoto State models of teacher preparation. The paper employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Preliminary analysis revealed a new trend in teacher educators’ pedagogical knowledge and understanding, with regard to the two intertwined sub-components. The significance of such a study lies in its potential to determine the degree of conformity of each of the three models to the stipulated standards. The paper’s contribution to scholarship lies in its correlation of deficiencies in teacher educators’ professional knowledge and skills and articulation of the implications of such deficiencies for the professional knowledge and skills of the prospective teachers, with a view to providing a framework for reforms.Keywords: curriculum development, pedagogy, teacher education, dominant Nigerian teacher preparation models
Procedia PDF Downloads 4442667 Non-Destructive Testing of Selective Laser Melting Products
Authors: Luca Collini, Michele Antolotti, Diego Schiavi
Abstract:
At present, complex geometries within production time shrinkage, rapidly increasing demand, and high-quality standard requirement make the non-destructive (ND) control of additively manufactured components indispensable means. On the other hand, a technology gap and the lack of standards regulating the methods and the acceptance criteria indicate the NDT of these components a stimulating field to be still fully explored. Up to date, penetrant testing, acoustic wave, tomography, radiography, and semi-automated ultrasound methods have been tested on metal powder based products so far. External defects, distortion, surface porosity, roughness, texture, internal porosity, and inclusions are the typical defects in the focus of testing. Detection of density and layers compactness are also been tried on stainless steels by the ultrasonic scattering method. In this work, the authors want to present and discuss the radiographic and the ultrasound ND testing on additively manufactured Ti₆Al₄V and inconel parts obtained by the selective laser melting (SLM) technology. In order to test the possibilities given by the radiographic method, both X-Rays and γ-Rays are tried on a set of specifically designed specimens realized by the SLM. The specimens contain a family of defectology, which represent the most commonly found, as cracks and lack of fusion. The tests are also applied to real parts of various complexity and thickness. A set of practical indications and of acceptance criteria is finally drawn.Keywords: non-destructive testing, selective laser melting, radiography, UT method
Procedia PDF Downloads 1462666 Public Policy for Quality School Lunch Development in Thailand
Authors: W. Kongnoo, J. Loysongkroa, S. Chotivichien, N. Viriyautsahakul, N. Saiwongse
Abstract:
Obesity, stunting and wasting problems among Thai school-aged children are increasing due to inappropriate food consumption behavior and poor environments for desirable nutritional behavior. Because of a low school lunch budget of only 0.40 USD per person per day, food quality is not up to nutritional standards. Therefore, the Health Department with the Education Ministry and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation have developed a quality school lunch project during 2009–2013. The program objectives were development and management of public policy to increase school lunch budget. The methods used a healthy public policy motivation process and movement in 241 local administrative organizations and 538 schools. The problem and solution research was organized to study school food and nutrition management, create a best practice policy mobilization model and hold a public hearing to motivate an increase of school meal funding. The results showed that local public policy has been motivated during 2009-2011 to increase school meal budget using local budgets. School children with best food consumption behavior and exercise increased from 13.2% in 2009 to 51.6% in 2013 and stunting decreased from 6.0% in 2009 to 4.7% in 2013. As the result of national policy motivation (2012-2013), the cabinet meeting on October 22, 2013 has approved an increase of school lunch budget from 0.40 USD to 0.62 USD per person per day. Thus, 5,800,469 school children nationwide have benefited from the budget increase.Keywords: public policy, quality school lunch, Thailand, obesity
Procedia PDF Downloads 3482665 Health Hazards in SME Garment Industries in India
Authors: Pranab Kumar Goswami
Abstract:
According to WHO, over 1000 million people worldwide are employed in small-scale industries. The ‘garment’ industry’ is one such industry in developing countries. These garment SMEs are mostly run by private establishments in the unorganized sector to avoid legal obligations of OSH provisions. The OSH standards are very poor and even basic health and safety provisions are not provided in such units. The study has been conducted in India among workers employed in the ‘garment’ industry with the objectives to analyze the types and extent of occupational health hazards of the garment workers and to assess the relationship of sociodemographic and occupational factors with various health hazards. The survey method, the tabular method followed by applying simple statistical technique, has been taken into account to analyze the data collected from three SME garment industries in Delhi (India-Asia). The study was conducted in Delhi from August-2019 to October-2020. A random sampling of 70 workers from three factories has been chosen for this study. The study shows that most of the workers were males (82%) and were in the 18-50 age group (78%), with none below 18 years of age. It was found that 26% of the workers were illiterate and most of them belonged to poor socioeconomic status. The study revealed that the nature of the hazards in garment industries in India is mostly physical and mechanical. We found that musculoskeletal problems (54%) were the commonest health problem. The body areas commonly affected were neck, low back, hand, wrist, finger, and shoulder. If garment workers’ health is affected by occupational hazards, it will impact on national health and economic growth of developing countries. Health is a joint responsibility of both government and employing authority.Keywords: garment, MSD, health hazard, social factor
Procedia PDF Downloads 1992664 Bridging the Gap: Living Machine in Educational Nature Preserve Center
Authors: Zakeia Benmoussa
Abstract:
Pressure on freshwater systems comes from removing too much water to grow crops; contamination from economic activities, land use practices, and human waste. The paper will be focusing on how water management can influence the design, implementation, and impacts of the ecological principles of biomimicry as sustainable methods in recycling wastewater. At Texas State, United States of America, in particular the lower area of the Trinity River refuge, there is a true example of the diversity to be found in that area, whether when exploring the lands or the waterways. However, as the Trinity River supplies water to the state’s residents, the lower part of the river at Liberty County presents several problem of wastewater discharge in the river. Therefore, conservation efforts are particularly important in the Trinity River basin. Clearly, alternative ways must be considered in order to conserve water to meet future demands. As a result, there should be another system provided rather than the conventional water treatment. Mimicking ecosystem's technologies out of context is not enough, but if we incorporate plants into building architecture, in addition to their beauty, they can filter waste, absorb excess water, and purify air. By providing an architectural proposal center, a living system can be explored through several methods that influence natural resources on the micro-scale in order to impact sustainability on the macro-scale. The center consists of an ecological program of Plant and Water Biomimicry study which becomes a living organism that purifies the river water in a natural way through architecture. Consequently, a rich beautiful nature could be used as an educational destination, observation and adventure, as well as providing unpolluted fresh water to the major cities of Texas. As a result, these facts raise a couple of questions: Why is conservation so rarely practiced by those who must extract a living from the land? Are we sufficiently enlightened to realize that we must now challenge that dogma? Do architects respond to the environment and reflect on it in the correct way through their public projects? The method adopted in this paper consists of general research into careful study of the system of the living machine, in how to integrate it at architectural level, and finally, the consolidation of the all the conclusions formed into design proposal. To summarise, this paper attempts to provide a sustainable alternative perspective in bridging physical and mental interaction with biodiversity to enhance nature by using architecture.Keywords: Biodiversity, Design with Nature, Sustainable architecture, Waste water treatment.
Procedia PDF Downloads 2972663 Analysis of Factors Affecting Public Awareness in Paying Zakat
Authors: Roikhan Mochamad Aziz
Abstract:
This study aims to analze the interdependence of several variables simultaneously in order to simplify the form of the relationship between some of the variables studied a number of factors less than the variable studied which means it can also describe the data structure of a research. Based 100 respondents from the public, such as the people of South Tangerang, this study used factor analysis tool. The results of this study indicate that the studied variables being formed into nine factors, namely faith factors, community factors, factors of social care, confidence factor, factor income, educational factors, self-satisfaction factors, factors work, and knowledge factor. Total variance of the 9 factors is 67,30% means that all nine of these factors are factors that can contribute too paying zakat of muzakki consciousness of 67,30% while the remaining 32,70% is supported by other factors outside the 9 factors.Keywords: zakat, analysis factor, faith, education, knowledge
Procedia PDF Downloads 2802662 Power Supply by Soil Battery and Production of Hydrogen Fuel for Greenhouse and Space Heating
Authors: Mohsen Azarmjoo, Yasaman Azarmjoo, Zahra Alikhani Koopaei
Abstract:
The increasing global population and continued growth in energy consumption underscore the need for renewable and sustainable energy sources more than ever. Soil batteries are a method for generating electrical energy by using recycled materials. Recycled materials include galvanized and copper sheets and recycled tires. Additionally, hydrogen, being a clean and efficient fuel, has the potential to replace fossil fuels. Consequently, hydrogen production from water presents a sustainable solution for energy supply. By utilizing aged materials, hydrogen production becomes more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. This article focuses on energy-deprived agricultural lands, explaining how soil batteries and hydrogen can provide the necessary energy for agricultural equipment, such as irrigation, lighting, greenhouse ventilation, and heating. The article explores the benefits of utilizing this method, emphasizing its potential to reduce environmental pollution through the use of recyclable materials. It is worth mentioning that these technologies face challenges, but their progress toward achieving zero-energy consumer standards positions them as promising future technologies for electricity generation. This article provides detailed insights into emerging technologies using a constructed case study involving soil batteries and a hydrogen fuel production device.Keywords: electricity generation, soil batteries, tires, hydrogen, heat supply, water, aged materials, recycling, agricultural lands
Procedia PDF Downloads 642661 The Effect of Maritime Security on National Development in Nigeria
Authors: Adegboyega Adedolapo Ola
Abstract:
Globally, a country’s maritime security has a significant impact on its national development because it serves as a major source of a commercial contact and food supply. However, the country has been faced with a number of problems, such as piracy, kidnapping, illegal bunkering and oil theft. As such, the study examined the contribution and the relationship between maritime security and Nigeria’s development, as well as the prospects and challenges of maritime security in Nigeria. The study utilized a questionnaire and focused group discussion/interview as instruments for data collection. The method of analysis employed in the study is descriptive. A total of Three Hundred and Ninety (390) respondents were randomly selected. The result of the study showed that maritime security contributes to national development in Nigeria by guaranteeing food security in Nigeria, creating employment opportunities as well as increasing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the economy. It was also found that maritime security is yet to provide sufficient support for national development in Nigeria. It is further established that it has prospects for development through the creation of employment opportunities, increase in foreign earnings, and fostering improved living standards for citizens. The study concluded that the high level of corruption, piracy and kidnapping, lack of political will by the government and the porosity of the Nigerian borders are serious obstacles, among others. In attempting to solve the problem of piracy and kidnapping in Nigerian maritime, to contribute to National development, it is primordial to address the cancer of corruption, poverty, and youth unemployment. In view of this, the study recommends: among other things, that the maritime industry should be well secured by removing its constraints/bottlenecks so as to enhance its contributions to national development.Keywords: maritime security, national development, terrorism, piracy
Procedia PDF Downloads 812660 Legal Regulations for the Environmental Pollution of Multinational Corporations in China
Authors: Zhang Rui
Abstract:
Multinational corporations have significantly increased their investment in China due to their strong economic strength and advanced production technology. On the one hand, this has promoted the development of China's economy, created a large amount of tax revenue for China's finance, and brought huge economic benefits to China's economic development. On the other hand, it has also consumed huge resources in China and even caused serious environmental damage, which has attracted widespread attention from all sectors of society to the environmental violations committed by multinational corporations in China. Due to the incomplete legal regulation of environmental responsibility of multinational corporations in China, there are legal gaps that provide convenient conditions for them to transfer pollution. These multinational corporations in China will take advantage of the loopholes in Chinese laws and even achieve "zero pollution" in their home country's environmental protection, but their branches in China only meet the minimum standards stipulated by Chinese environmental protection laws. Therefore, the differential treatment of environmental protection by multinational corporations urgently needs to be regulated from a legal perspective in China to promote the balance and harmony between ecological environment protection and economic development. At present, the environmental pollution caused by multinational corporations in China has received widespread attention from Chinese scholars. Through research on the environmental pollution and legal aspects of multinational corporations in China, it not only helps to enrich the theoretical research results of environmental pollution and legal regulation of multinational corporations in China, but also promotes the continuous improvement of the relevant legal system for environmental pollution caused by multinational corporations in China, so as to effectively regulate the environmental pollution caused by multinational corporations in China in practice, and provide legal basis for the governance of environmental violations.Keywords: international law, environmental law, multinational corporations, jurisdiction
Procedia PDF Downloads 182659 Teacher’s Self-Efficacy and Self-Perception of Teaching Professional Competences
Authors: V. Biasi, A. M. Ciraci, G. Domenici, N. Patrizi
Abstract:
We present two studies centered on the teacher’s perception of self-efficacy and professional competences. The first study aims to evaluate the levels of self-efficacy as attitude in 200 teachers of primary and secondary schools. Teacher self-efficacy is related to many educational outcomes: such as teachers’ persistence, enthusiasm, commitment and instructional behavior. High level of teacher self-efficacy beliefs enhance student motivation and pupil’s learning level. On this theoretical and empirical basis we are planning a second study oriented to assess teacher self-perception of competences that are linked to teacher self-efficacy. With the CDVR Questionnaire, 287 teachers graduated in Education Sciences in e-learning mode, showed an increase in their self-perception of didactic-evaluation and relational competences and an increased confidence also in their own professionalism.Keywords: teacher competence, teacher self-efficacy, selfperception, self-report evaluation
Procedia PDF Downloads 5202658 Prototype for Measuring Blue Light Protection in Sunglasses
Authors: A. D. Loureiro, L. Ventura
Abstract:
Exposure to high-energy blue light has been strongly linked to the development of some eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration. Over the past few years, people have become more and more concerned about eye damage from blue light and how it can be prevented. We developed a prototype that allows users to self-check the blue light protection of their sunglasses and determines if the protection is adequate. Weighting functions approximating those defined in ISO 12312-1 were used to measure the luminous transmittance and blue light transmittance of sunglasses. The blue light transmittance value must be less than 1.2 times the luminous transmittance to be considered adequate. The prototype consists of a Golden Dragon Ultra White LED from OSRAM and a TCS3472 photodetector from AMS TAOS. Together, they provide four transmittance values weighted with different functions. These four transmittance values were then linearly combined to produce transmittance values with weighting functions close to those defined in ISO 12312-1 for luminous transmittance and for blue light transmittance. To evaluate our prototype, we used a VARIAN Cary 5000 spectrophotometer, a gold standard in the field, to measure the luminous transmittance and the blue light transmittance of 60 sunglasses lenses. (and Bland-Altman analysis was performed) Bland-Altman analysis was performed and showed non-significant bias and narrow 95% limits of agreement within predefined tolerances for both luminous transmittance and blue light transmittance. The results show that the prototype is a viable means of providing blue light protection information to the general public and a quick and easy way for industry and retailers to test their products. In addition, our prototype plays an important role in educating the public about a feature to look for in sunglasses before purchasing.Keywords: blue light, sunglasses, eye protective devices, transmittance measurement, standards, ISO 12312-1
Procedia PDF Downloads 1642657 Water Quality Assessment of Deep Wells in Western Misamis Oriental, Philippines
Authors: Girlie D. Leopoldo, Myrna S. Ceniza, Ronnie L. Besagas, Antonio Y. Asoy, Noel T. Dael, Romeo M. Del Rosario
Abstract:
The quality of groundwater from main deep well sources of seven (7) municipalities in Western Misamis Oriental, Philippines was examined. The study looks at the well waters’ physicochemical properties (temperture, pH, turbidity, conductivity, TDS, salinity, chlorides, TOC, and total hardness), the heavy metals and other metals (Pb, Cd, Al, As, Hg, Sb, Zn, Cu, Fe) and their microbiological (total coliform and E. coli) characteristics. The physicochemical properties of groundwater samples were found to be within the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water (PNSDW)/US-EPA except for the TDS, chlorides, and hardness of some sources. Well waters from both Initao and Gitagum municipalities have TDS values of 643.2 mg/L and 578.4 mg/L, respectively, as compared to PNSDW/US-EPA standard limit of 500 mg/L. These same two municipalities Initao and Gitagum as well as the municipality of Libertad also have chloride levels beyond the 250 mg/L limit of PNSDW/US-EPA/EU with values at 360, 318 and 277 mg/L respectively. The Libertad sample also registered a total hardness of 407.5 mg/L CaCO3 as compared to the 300 mg/L PNSDW limit. These mentioned three (3) municipalities are noticed to have similar geologic structures. Although metal analyses revealed the presence of Zn, Cu and Fe in almost all well water sources, their concentrations are below allowable limit. All well waters from the seven municipalities failed in total coliform count. Escherichia coli were also found in well waters from four (4) municipalities including Laguindingan, Lugait, Gitagum, and Libertad. The presence of these pathogens in the well waters needs to be addressed to make the waters suitable for human consumption.Keywords: groundwater, deep well, physico-chemical, heavy metal, microbiological
Procedia PDF Downloads 5932656 Migration, Assimilation and Well-Being of Interstate Migrant Workers in Kerala: A Critical Assessment
Authors: Arun Perumbilavil Anand
Abstract:
It may no longer be just anecdotal that every twelfth person in Kerala is a migrant worker from outside the state. For the past few years, the state has been witnessing large inflow of migrants from other states of India, which emerged as a result of demographic transition and Gulf emigration. Initially, the migrants were from the neighbouring states but, at a later period, the state started getting migrants from the distant parts of the country. Currently, migrants have turned to be a decisive force in the state and their increasing numbers have already started creating turbulences in the state. Over the past years, the increasing involvement of migrants in unlawful and criminal activities have generated apprehensions on their presence in the state. Moreover, at present, the Kerala society is not just hosting the first generation migrants, but there has been an increase in the second generation migrants making the situations more complex and diverse. In such a paradigm, the study ponders into the issues of migrants concerning their assimilation and well-being in the host society. Also, the study looks into the factors that impede the assimilation process, along with the perceptions of the migrants about the host society and the people. The study also tries to bring out the differences in the levels of assimilation among the migrants along the lines of religion, caste, state of origin, gender, stay duration and education. Methodology: The study is based on the empirical findings obtained out of the primary survey conducted on migrants employed in the Kanjikode industrial area of Kerala. The samples were selected through purposive sampling and the study employed techniques like observation, questionnaire and in-depth interviews. The findings are based on interviews conducted with 100 migrants. Findings and Conclusion: The study was an attempt of its kind in addressing the issues of assimilation and integration of interstate migrants working in the Kerala. As mentioned, the study could bring out differences in the levels of assimilation along the lines of different characteristics. The study could also locate the importance, and the role played by the peer groups and neighborhoods in accelerating the process of assimilation among the migrants. As an extension, the study also looked at the assimilation and educational issues of the migrant children living in Kerala, and it found that the place of birth, age at entry and the peer group plays a pivotal role in the assimilation process. The study through its findings recommends the need for incorporating the concept of inclusive education into the state educational system by giving due emphasis to the needs of the marginalized. The study points out that owing to the existing demographic conditions, the state will inevitably have to depend on migrant labor in future. Moreover, in such a paradigm, the host community and the government should strive to create a conducive environment for the proper assimilation of the migrants and which in turn can be an impetus for the fulfilment of the needs of both the migrants and the state.Keywords: assimilation, integration, Kerala, migrant workers, well-being
Procedia PDF Downloads 1442655 Criminal Responsibility of Minors in Russia: The Age of Liability and Penalties
Authors: Natalia Selezneva
Abstract:
The level of crime depends on a number of factors, such as political and economic instability, social inequality and ineffective legislation. A special place in the overall level of crime takes juvenile delinquency. United Nations Standard Minimum developed rules for the administration of juvenile justice (The Beijing Rules), in order to ensure the rights of juvenile offenders under the various legal systems. Most countries support these recommendations, and Russia is no exception. Russia's criminal code establishes the minimum age of criminal liability; types of crimes for which the possible involvement of minors to justice; punishment; sentencing and execution of punishment for minors. However, these provisions cause heated debates in the scientific literature. The high level of juvenile crime indicates the ineffectiveness of legal regulation of criminal liability of minors. In order to ensure compliance with international standards require new and modern approaches to improve national legislation and practice of its application. Achieving this goal will be achieved through the following tasks: 1. Create sub-branches of law regulating the legal status of minors; 2. Improving the types of penalties; 3. The possibility of using alternative measures; 4. The introduction of the procedure of extrajudicial settlement of the conflict. The criminal law of each country depends on the historical, national and cultural characteristics. The development of the Russian legislation taking into account international experience is extremely essential and will be a new stage in the formation of a legal state, especially in the sphere of protection of the rights of juvenile offenders.Keywords: criminal law, juvenile offender, punishment, the age of criminal responsibility
Procedia PDF Downloads 5432654 Innovations in the Organization of Adaptation Program for International Students in Russia Based on Human Capital Approach
Authors: Kalinina Anastasiya, Pevnaya Mariya
Abstract:
The authors present the results of research of educational and cultural habitat of international students at Ural Federal University, revealing problem zones in the organization of adaptation program in 2014-2015 as well as innovations in adaptation program for 2015-2016. The research is based on U-curve theory of culture shock and theory of human capital. The authors provide also the first results for all stakeholders of practically implemented pilot adaptation program for foreign students which was based on the human capital approach.Keywords: adaptation, human capital, international students, student volunteering, social community, youth politics
Procedia PDF Downloads 348