Search results for: accessibility of historical cities

Authors: Fernanda Conforto de Oliveira

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has a central role in global financial governance as the world’s leading crisis lender. Its practice of conditional lending – conditioning loans on the implementation of economic policy adjustments – is the primary lever by which the institution interacts with and influences the policy choices of member countries and has been a key topic of interest to scholars and public opinion. However, empirical evidence about the economic and (geo)political determinants of IMF lending behavior remains inconclusive, and no model that explains IMF policies has been identified. This research moves beyond panel analysis to focus on financial negotiations for the first IMF programs in Argentina and Brazil in the early post-war period. It seeks to understand why negotiations achieved distinct objectives: Argentinean officials cooperated and complied with IMF policies, whereas their Brazilian counterparts hesitated. Using qualitative and automated text analysis, this paper analyses the hypothesis about whether a differential IMF treatment could help to explain these distinct outcomes. This paper contributes to historical studies on IMF-Latin America relations and the broader literature in international policy economy about IMF policies.

Keywords: international monetary fund, international history, financial history, Latin American economic history, natural language processing, sentiment analysis

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Authors: Wolfgang Haupt

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When considering the future city one repeatedly comes across two sometimes sparsely differentiated terms: Sustainable and smart. ‘A European Strategy for Smart, Sustainable, and Inclusive Growth’, this is how the European Commission named its current growth strategy. Thus, Europe should become smarter and more sustainable. Both, the smart and the sustainable city represent a positive vision of urban development as well as a subject area for contemporary and future urban policies. However, more clarity on what is actually behind these terminologies is required. The paper analyses how the terms are defined academically and how this academic understanding is represented in the funding mechanisms of European urban policies. The theoretical framework is mainly based on sources such as journal articles and policy reports. It became clear that despite some similarities, such as the broad field of work or the tendency to operationalize the terms by defining sub-categories, both ideas are distinctly different in terms of the development history, the main driving forces behind and the theoretical scope. Moreover, the significantly more comprehensively defined term sustainability has found its way into the centre of European regional funding policies. On the contrary, the smart city vision still lacks terminological and content-related clarity and as a consequence, the corresponding European funding landscape is more small-scaled and less customized.

Keywords: European spatial policy, European union, smart city, urban sustainable development

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Authors: Rayeheh Khatami, Toktam Hanaei, Mohammad Reza Mansouri Daneshvar

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Today, many local and national governments are developing urban agriculture as an effective tool in responding to challenges such as food security, poverty and environmental problems. In fact, urban agriculture plays an important role in food system, which can provide citizens' income and become one of the components of economic, social and environmental systems. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the urban agriculture and urban food systems in order to understand the impact of urban foods production on environmental planning in non-western city region context. To achieve such objective, we carry out a case study in Mashhad city of Iran by using qualitative approaches. A survey on documentary studies and planning tools integrate with face to face interview with experts which explain the role of food system in environmental planning process. The paper extends the use of food in the environmental planning, specifically to examine this role to create agricultural garden as a mean to improve agricultural system in non-western country. The paper is concluded with a set of recommendations for researchers and policymakers who seek to create spaces in order to implement urban agriculture in cities for food justice.

Keywords: urban agriculture , agricultural park, city region food system, Mashhad

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Authors: I. Nazari, B. Shaabani, P. Abaasifar

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In small quantities certain heavy metals are nutritionally essential for a healthy life. The heavy metals linked most often to human poisoning are lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium. Other heavy metals including copper, zinc and chromium are actually required by the body in small quantity but can also be toxic in large doses. Nowadays, we have contamination to this heavy metals in some untreated industrial waste waters and even in several populated cities drinking waters around the world. The contamination of ground and underground water sources to heavy metals can be concentrated and travel up to food chain by drinking water and agricultural products. In recent years, the need for safe and economical methods for removal of heavy metals from contaminated water has necessitated research interest towards the finding low-cost alternatives. Bio-adsorbents have emerged as low-cost and efficient materials for the removal of heavy metals from waste and ground waters. The bio-adsorbents have an affinity for heavy metals ions to form metal complexes or chelates due to having functional groups including carboxyl, hydroxyl, imidazole, and etc. The objective of this study is to review researches in less expensive adsorbents and their utilization possibilities for various low-cost bio-adsorbents such as coffee beans, rice husk, and saw dust for the removal of heavy metals from contaminated waters.

Keywords: heavy metals, water pollution, bio-adsorbents, low cost adsorbents

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Authors: Chad A. Long

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The United States military is now commonly responding to complex humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters around the world. From catastrophic earthquakes in Haiti to typhoons devastating the Philippines, U.S. military assistance is requested when the event exceeds the local government's ability to assist the population. This study assesses the characteristics of catastrophes that surpass a nation’s individual ability to respond and recover from the event. The paper begins with a historical summary of military aid and then analyzes over 40 years of the United States military humanitarian response. Over 300 military operations were reviewed and coded based on the nature of the disaster. This in-depth study reviewed the U.S. military’s deployment events for cyclones and earthquakes to determine the strength of the natural disaster requiring external assistance. The climatological data for cyclone landfall and magnitude data for earthquake epicenters were identified, grouped into regions and analyzed for time-based trends. The results showed that foreign countries will likely request the U.S. military for cyclones with speeds greater or equal to 125 miles an hour and earthquakes at the magnitude of 7.4 or higher. These results of this study will assist the geographic combatant commands in determining future military response requirements.

Keywords: military, natural disasters, earthquakes, cyclone

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Authors: Siamak Eskandari, Neda Ebadi

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After discovering and using Freon as refrigerant in refrigerators and air conditioners, researchers have been working hard to minimize massive environmental damage caused by this type of systems, including ozone depletion, heat production, and urban warming. However, there is a growing concern for global warming and climate change and its impacts on climates. Although gas air conditioners can provide comfort in short term, there are long-term consequences and effects, including global warming, polar ice melting, sea level rising, rising sea surface temperatures, reduction in seasonal precipitation, tropical storms, and drought. In this theoretical and practical study, Peltier electronic chip was used with no gas in the structure and operation. In fact, cooling and heating are based on bipolar electronics. With an innovative method, Peltier air conditioners provide cooling in warm seasons and heating in cold seasons in buildings. Such a system prevents ambient warming. The problem of air circulation between high buildings in large cities and draught will be considerably resolved through the use of the silent fan in the system. In addition, the system is designed and developed in accordance with international standards such as LEED and Energy Star.

Keywords: energy, Building cooling and heating, peltier, leed, energy star

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Authors: Dena Alhaloul

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The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is characterized by diverse cultures, economies, and social structures. Fertility rates in MENA have seen significant changes over time, with variations among countries and subregions. Understanding fertility patterns in this region is essential due to its impact on demographic dynamics, healthcare, labor markets, and social policies. Rising or declining fertility rates have far-reaching consequences for the region's socioeconomic development. The main thrust of this study is to comprehensively examine fertility rates in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It aims to understand the distribution, determinants, and temporal trends of fertility rates in MENA countries. The study seeks to provide insights into the factors influencing fertility decisions, assess how fertility rates have evolved over time, and potentially develop statistical models to characterize these trends. As for the methodology of the study, the study uses descriptive statistics to summarize and visualize fertility rate data. It also uses regression analyses to identify determinants of fertility rates as well as statistical modeling to characterize temporal trends in fertility rates. The conclusion of this study The research will contribute to a deeper understanding of fertility dynamics in the MENA region, shedding light on the distribution of fertility rates, their determinants, and historical trends.

Keywords: fertility, distribution, modeling, regression

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Authors: Maria M. Giannakou, Athanasios K. Ziliaskopoulos

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Transmission pipelines carrying natural gas are often routed through populated cities, industrial and environmentally sensitive areas. While the need for these networks is unquestionable, there are serious concerns about the risk these lifeline networks pose to the people, to their habitat and to the critical infrastructures, especially in view of natural disasters such as earthquakes. This work presents an Integrated Pipeline Risk Management methodology (IPRM) for assessing the hazard associated with a natural gas pipeline failure due to natural or manmade disasters. IPRM aims to optimize the allocation of the available resources to countermeasures in order to minimize the impacts of pipeline failure to humans, the environment, the infrastructure and the economic activity. A proposed knapsack mathematical programming formulation is introduced that optimally selects the proper mitigation policies based on the estimated cost – benefit ratios. The proposed model is demonstrated with a small numerical example. The vulnerability analysis of these pipelines and the quantification of consequences from such failures can be useful for natural gas industries on deciding which mitigation measures to implement on the existing pipeline networks with the minimum cost in an acceptable level of hazard.

Keywords: cost benefit analysis, knapsack problem, natural gas distribution network, risk management, risk mitigation

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Authors: Innocent Uzougbo Onwuegbuzie

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Healthcare delivery in low-income markets is fraught with numerous challenges, including limited access to essential medical resources, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, and a significant shortage of trained healthcare professionals. These constraints lead to suboptimal health outcomes and a higher incidence of preventable diseases. This paper explores the application of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) as a transformative solution to enhance healthcare delivery in these underserved regions. WSNs, comprising spatially distributed sensor nodes that collect and transmit health-related data, present opportunities to address critical healthcare needs. Leveraging WSN technology facilitates real-time health monitoring and remote diagnostics, enabling continuous patient observation and early detection of medical issues, especially in areas with limited healthcare facilities and professionals. The implementation of WSNs can enhance the overall efficiency of healthcare systems by enabling timely interventions, reducing the strain on healthcare facilities, and optimizing resource allocation. This paper highlights the potential benefits of WSNs in low-income markets, such as cost-effectiveness, increased accessibility, and data-driven decision-making. However, deploying WSNs involves significant challenges, including technical barriers like limited internet connectivity and power supply, alongside concerns about data privacy and security. Moreover, robust infrastructure and adequate training for local healthcare providers are essential for successful implementation. It further examines future directions for WSNs, emphasizing innovation, scalable solutions, and public-private partnerships. By addressing these challenges and harnessing the potential of WSNs, it is possible to revolutionize healthcare delivery and improve health outcomes in low-income markets.

Keywords: wireless sensor networks (WSNs), healthcare delivery, low-Income markets, remote patient monitoring, health data security

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Authors: Rafael Vicente Salar

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Cities are steadily transforming their productive systems based on value-adding strategies, with the aim of becoming more competitive in a globalized economy. This fact is reflected in inner urban spaces which are increasingly accommodating new economic activities related to knowledge, culture, creativity, and tourism, to the detriment of traditional activities. This is the case of the Trafalgar Garment District (TGD), located in Barcelona´s Eixample Dret neighborhood, an economic urban space historically devoted to the garment wholesale trade. This district is currently experiencing the transformation of its traditional economic specialization. In the last 50 years, external and internal factors have caused, firstly, the disintegration of the Catalonian garment regional cluster. This has resulted in the closure of the majority of metropolitan garment workshops. Secondly, this has also caused either the disappearance of wholesale firms or their relocation to more suitable spaces in the metropolitan area. Specifically, the TGD's economic restructuration is related to the attraction of firms related to the lodging industry and the new economy. In addition, some of the wholesale businesses are adopting new management strategies in order to remain in the TGD. These initiatives are thought to allow them, on one hand, to upgrade their products and, on the other, to reconfigure their internal organization in order to be more competitive.

Keywords: Barcelona, garment district, new economy, tourism, garmen wholesale trade

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Authors: Vishavjeet Singh Goraya, Bashir Ahmed Dar

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Sikhism is one of the youngest religions which came into existence only 550 years ago with Guru Nanak Dev. Guru Nanak and his successors not only gave religious sermons but also made bold commentaries on the politico-social situations of their times. Sikhism has consistently stood against autocratic regimes and societal polarization. The Sikh Gurus envisioned a political system based on equality, brotherhood, freedom of conscience, justice, and secularism where there was no discrimination and human rights of all were protected. The Sikh Gurus visualized a society based on an amalgamation of politics and religion without compromising morality and resisting any form of oppression and tyranny. The fifth guru of the Sikhs, Guru Arjan Dev, compiled the verses of his predecessors and many other saints belonging to different religions and castes in the form of Adi Granth, highlighting the egalitarian and secular foundations of Sikhism. Later tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, gave a concrete shape to the concepts of the earlier gurus written in Adi Granth and created an openly political and sovereign community known as Khalsa Panth with a distinct identity. This paper will use the qualitative historical approach to highlight Sikhism’s enduring commitment to fight oppression and tyranny, and it also examines how Sikhism offers solutions to contemporary issues of authoritarianism and polarization.

Keywords: sikhism, Gurus, political thought, equality, scriptures

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Authors: Rana Muhammad Ayyub, Muhammad Bilal, Tahir Mahmood

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In multicultural societies, food preferences are taking dimensions in both minorities as well as majority ethnic groups. The food consumption behavior of minority ethnic groups has been studied adequately; however, this paper intends to study the consumer behavioral dimensions of majority ethnic groups regarding Halal foods (a minority-related food) in the USA. In this quantitative study, the online questionnaire survey (n=223) was collected through surveymonkey.com from non-Muslims living in various cities in the USA through random sampling. The theory of consumer animosity was a theoretical underpinning. The validated scales were adopted and adapted for all constructs. AMOS 24 was used to apply structural equation modelling (SEM) to the data. Among the majority of ethnic groups, it was found that consumer racism (β= -25) and consumer animosity (β= - 27) negatively affect intention to choose Halal foods, whereas food neophobia has a positive effect (β=36) on this intention. This study will prove instrumental in removing the blame of “Marketing Myopia” from marketing academics and will highlight the importance of prevalent market realities for one of the fastest growing ethnic food markets, i.e., Halal of the world. It has practical implications for Halal food marketers in particular and other ethnic food marketers in general.

Keywords: consumer racism, animosity, Halal foods, ethnic consumption, food neophobia

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Authors: Jamilu Adamu

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Radical political activities among the people of Northern Nigeria and Sabon Birni, in particular from the formation of the Northern Element Progressive Union (NEPU) and Northern People Congress (NPC) in the last decade of colonial rule, led to the dramatic spread of radical ideas that were expressed through party politics. The above two parties were said to be more prominent in each of the movements throughout the period covered by this study. The NEPU and NPC were said to have opposed one another in an attempt to establish their political control in the area. What is apparent about the nature of the opposition is that the earlier NEPU and People Redemption Party (PRP) emerged from the idea of liberating the common man (Talakawa) against all forms of oppression, thereby rejecting a contrary idea of supporting the native elites and their colonial collaborators as envisaged in the ideology of the later NPC and National Party of Nigeria (NPN). This laid the ground for ideological confrontation between the supporters of the two opposing wings all over the northern emirates and the Sabon Birni district in particular. The study used a qualitative method of data collection. This study examines the historical developments of radical party politics among the Gobirawa people of the Sabon Birni District of Sokoto. It also investigates the factors that inspired opposition politics among the Gobirawa people of Sabon Birni. These were analyses side-by-side with the role of the traditional leaders in the area in suppressing the activities of the opposition party.

Keywords: NEPU, NPC, radical politics, Sabon-Birni District

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Authors: Olusola Olasupo, E. O. C. Ijeoma

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The University of Fort Hare and the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU), the registered labor union at the University recognizes the significance of collective bargaining. This prompted both parties to enter into agreement with the notion to strengthening the relationship between them. The agreement was therefore entered into between NEHAWU representing the employees and the University. The agreement was signed on August 31st, 2005. The study adopting historical research method reveals the trend and implementation of bargaining agreements at University of Fort Hare from 2012 to 2016. This study examines how the implementation of bargaining agreement is utilized to solve labor related challenges and also improve on employee’s wages and conditions of service thereby strengthening the relationship between the management and employees at University of Fort Hare. The study contributes to knowledge on the effects of the implementation of bargaining agreement on wages and other conditions of service leading to harmonious relationship between the Staff and the management towards the effective administration of the University of Fort Hare. Findings reveal that ever since 2005 when the agreement was reached, University of Fort Hare and NEHAWU have been committed to improving the employees’ wages through substantive agreement. The study concludes by recommending a more effective implementation of bargaining agreement at University of Fort Hare.

Keywords: agreement, bargaining, implementation, trend

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Authors: Suleiman Garba, Haruna Ishaku

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Information and communication technology (ICT) includes any communication device encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them. The significance of ICT cannot be over-emphasized in education. The teaching and learning processes have integrated with the application of ICTs for effectiveness and enhancement of academic performance among the students. Today, as the educational sector is faced with series of changes and reforms, it was noted that the problem of information technology illiteracy was a serious one among the schools’ teachers in the country as it cuts across primary, secondary schools and tertiary institutions. This study investigated the impact of ICT on the academic performance of senior secondary schools students in Gwagwalada Area Council of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. A sample of 120 SSS III students was involved in the study. They were selected by using simple random sampling technique. A questionnaire was developed and validated through expert judgement and reliability co-efficient of 0.81 was obtained. It was used to gather relevant data from the respondents. Findings revealed that there was positive impact of ICT on academic performance of senior secondary schools students. The findings indicated the causes of poor academic performance among the students as lack of qualified teachers to teach in schools, peer group influence, and bullying. Significantly, the findings revealed that ICT had a positive impact on students’ academic performance. The null hypotheses were tested using t-test at 0.05 level of significance. It was discovered that there was significant difference between male and female secondary schools’ students' impact of ICT on academic performance in Gwagawalada Area Council of FCT-Abuja. Based on these findings, some recommendations were made which include: adequate funds should be provided towards procurement of ICT resources, relevant textbooks to enhance students’ active participation in learning processes and students should be provided with internet accessibility at inexpensive rate so as to create a platform for accessing useful information in the pursuit of academic excellence.

Keywords: academic performance, impact, information communication technology, schools, students

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Authors: Rituparna Nath, Shawn J. Marshall

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Glaciers are one of the main sensitive climatic indicators, as they respond strongly to small climatic shifts. We develop a flow line model of glacier dynamics to simulate the past and future extent of glaciers in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, with the aim of coupling this model within larger scale regional climate models of glacier response to climate change. This paper will focus on glacier-climate modeling and reconstructions of glacier volume from the Little Ice Age (LIA) to present for Athabasca Glacier, Alberta, Canada. Glacier thickness, volume and mass change will be constructed using flow line modelling and examination of different climate scenarios that are able to give good reconstructions of LIA ice extent. With the availability of SPOT 5 imagery, Digital elevation models and GIS Arc Hydro tool, ice catchment properties-glacier width and LIA moraines have been extracted using automated procedures. Simulation of glacier mass change will inform estimates of meltwater run off over the historical period and model calibration from the LIA reconstruction will aid in future projections of the effects of climate change on glacier recession. Furthermore, the model developed will be effective for further future studies with ensembles of glaciers.

Keywords: flow line modeling, Athabasca Glacier, glacier mass balance, Remote Sensing, Arc hydro tool, little ice age

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Authors: Mohammed Elsayed Lotfy Elsayed Abouzeid, Tomonobu Senjyu

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A novel multi-objective park and ride control approach is presented in this research. Park and ride will encourage the owners of the vehicles to leave their cars in the nearest points (on the edges of the crowded cities) and use public transportation facilities (train, bus, metro, or mon-rail) to reach their work inside the crowded city. The proposed control scheme is used to design electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) to charge 1000 electric vehicles (EV) during their owners' work time. Cairo, Egypt is used as a case study. Photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage system (BESS) are used to meet the EVCS demand. Two multi-objective optimization techniques (MOGA and epsilon-MOGA) are utilized to get the optimal sizes of PV and BESS so as to meet the load demand and minimize the total life cycle cost. Detailed analysis and comparison are held to investigate the performance of the proposed control scheme using MATLAB.

Keywords: Battery Energy Storage System, Electric Vehicle, Park and Ride, Photovoltaic, Multi-objective

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Authors: Sadeeq Launi

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NGOs, the world over, have been recognized as part of the institutions that complement government activities in providing services to the people, particularly in respect of human development. This study examined the role played by the NGOs in human development in Bauchi State, Nigeria, between 2004 and 2013. The emphasis was on reproductive health and access to education role of the selected NGOs. All the research questions, objectives and hypotheses were stated in line with these variables. The theoretical framework that guided the study was the participatory development approach. Being a survey research, data were generated from both primary and secondary sources with questionnaires and interviews as the instruments for generating the primary data. The population of the study was made up of the staff of the selected NGOs, beneficiaries, health staff and school teachers in Bauchi State. The sample drawn from these categories were 90, 107 and 148 units respectively. Stratified random and simple random sampling techniques were adopted for NGOs staff, and Health staff and school teachers data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively and hypotheses were tested using Pearson Chi-square test through SPSS computer statistical package. The study revealed that despite the challenges facing NGOs operations in the study area, NGOs rendered services in the areas of health and education This research recommends among others that, both government and people should be more cooperative to NGOs to enable them provide more efficient and effective services. Governments at all levels should be more dedicated to increasing accessibility and affordability of basic education and reproductive health care facilities and services in Bauchi state through committing more resources to the Health and Education sectors, this would support and facilitate the complementary role of NGOs in providing teaching facilities, drugs, and other reproductive health services in the States. More enlightenment campaigns should be carried out by governments to sensitize the public, particularly women on the need to embrace immunization programmes for their children and antenatal care services being provided by both the government and NGOs.

Keywords: access to education, human development, NGOs, reproductive health

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Authors: Lojain Suliman, Xinrong Liu, Xiaohan Zhou

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Since most tunnels are built in crowded metropolitan settings, the excavation process must take place in highly condensed locations, including high-density cities. In this way, the tunnels are typically located close together, which leads to more interaction between the parallel existing tunnels, and this, in turn, leads to more settlement. This research presents an examination of the impact of a large-scale tunnel excavation on two forms of settlement: surface settlement and settlement surrounding the tunnel. Additionally, research has been done on the properties of interactions between two and three parallel tunnels. The settlement has been evaluated using three primary techniques: theoretical modeling, numerical simulation, and data monitoring. Additionally, a parametric investigation on how distance affects the settlement characteristic for parallel tunnels with short distances has been completed. Additionally, it has been observed that the sequence of excavation has an impact on the behavior of settlements. Nevertheless, a comparison of the model test and numerical simulation yields significant agreement in terms of settlement trend and value. Additionally, when compared to the FEM study, the suggested analytical solution exhibits reduced sensitivity in the settlement prediction. For example, the settlement of the small tunnel diameter does not appear clearly on the settlement curve, while it is notable in the FEM analysis. It is advised, however, that additional studies be conducted in the future employing analytical solutions for settlement prediction for parallel tunnels.

Keywords: settlement, FEM, analytical solution, parallel tunnels

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Authors: Warnakulasuriya Arachichige Malisha Ann Rosary Fernando, Udalamatta Gamage Omila Chalanka Jinadasa, Bihini Pabasara Amandi Amarasinghe, Manul Thisuraka Mandalawatta, Uthpala Samarakoon, Manori Gamage

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The surge in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has become a critical public health crisis demanding urgent attention and action. Like many other nations, Sri Lanka is grappling with a significant increase in STDs due to a lack of education and awareness regarding their dangers. Presently, the available applications for tracking and managing STDs cover only a limited number of easily detectable infections, resulting in a significant gap in effectively controlling their spread. To address this gap and combat the rising STD rates, it is essential to leverage technology and data. Employing technology to enhance the tracking and management of STDs is vital to prevent their further propagation and to enable early intervention and treatment. This requires adopting a comprehensive approach that involves raising public awareness about the perils of STDs, improving access to affordable healthcare services for early detection and treatment, and utilizing advanced technology and data analysis. The proposed mobile application aims to cater to a broad range of users, including STD patients, recovered individuals, and those unaware of their STD status. By harnessing cutting-edge technologies like image detection, symptom-based identification, prevention methods, doctor and clinic recommendations, and virtual counselor chat, the application offers a holistic approach to STD management. In conclusion, the escalating STD rates in Sri Lanka and across the globe require immediate action. The integration of technology-driven solutions, along with comprehensive education and healthcare accessibility, is the key to curbing the spread of STDs and promoting better overall public health.

Keywords: STD, machine learning, NLP, artificial intelligence

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Authors: Eman Mohamed Ali Elalwani

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The Libyan heritage buildings are currently facing a number of crises that pose a threat to their structural integrity, functionality, and overall performance. One of the challenges pertains to the loss of community identity, which has arisen due to the lack of awareness and unconscious behavior of the residents. An additional issue arises from inadequate site management practices, including the implementation of modern techniques and innovative building materials that are incompatible with structural elements, resulting in the deformation of certain sections of the buildings. The security concerns of the city, along with the ongoing civil conflict, fostered a conducive environment for violations, resulting in the vandalism of certain monuments in the city. However, the degradation of this valuable heritage is mainly attributed to the city's neglect and pollution. The elevated groundwater level resulting from pollution has led to erosion in the building's foundations. Mitigating these negative consequences through strategic interventions and rehabilitation is required to preserve this treasure. In order to assist the local community in recovering from those crises, this paper stated a viable strategy for promoting preservation efforts that aimed at safeguarding the heritage sites while also providing guidance to decision-makers and the local community on how to avoid these crises, preserve, enhance, and recognize the significance of the Libyan heritage.

Keywords: cultural heritage, historical buildings, Tripoli’s old city, Red Castle, crises, preservation

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Authors: Burova Anna

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The current reality, changes in the world system, and the accelerating process of internationalization of the economies of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa dictate new challenges and opportunities. As cultural identity comes to the fore, understanding and developing cross-cultural competencies for effective collaboration becomes essential. Today, we are experiencing both -the integration of the world's economies and cultural disintegration, as each country feels the need for its own cultural, political, and economic sovereignty. Global and effective economic ties are critically needed at this stage of our common historical development. The role of intercultural aspects and sociocultural characteristics of our partners and colleagues cannot be exaggerated. This article presents an analysis of the most common intercultural conflicts in the general corporate environment and current ways of preventing as well as resolving them. A comparative analysis of business communications has revealed certain features of interaction. Based on contextual “landmarks” and points of fundamental disagreement in the perception of verbal and non-verbal messages of representatives of different national cultures, practical conclusions were drawn, and specific recommendations were formed to overcome weaknesses and develop strengths to establish closer and more effective economic and business ties in the international community.

Keywords: cross-cultural business communications, management of cross-cultural teams, intercultural conflicts prevention, intercultural competencies development, management, cross-culture

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Authors: Hesham Osman

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The challenges facing aging urban infrastructure systems require a more holistic and comprehensive approach to their management. The large number of urban infrastructure renewal activities occurring in cities throughout the world leads to social, economic and environmental impacts on the communities in its vicinity. As such, a coordinated effort is required to streamline these activities. This paper presents a framework to enable temporal (time-based) coordination of water, sewer and road intervention activities. Intervention activities include routine maintenance, renewal, and replacement of physical assets. The coordination framework considers 1) Life-cycle costs, 2) Infrastructure level-of-service, and 3) Risk exposure to system operators. The model enables infrastructure asset managers to trade-off options of delaying versus bringing forward intervention activities of one system in order to be executed in conjunction with another co-located system in the right-of-way. The framework relies on a combination of meta-heuristics and goal-based optimization. In order to demonstrate the applicability of the framework, a case study for a major infrastructure corridor in Cairo, Egypt is taken as an example. Results show that the framework can be scaled-up to include other infrastructure systems located in the right-of-way like electricity, gas and telecom, provided that information can be shared among these entities.

Keywords: infrastructure, rehabilitation, construction, optimization

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Authors: Amany A. Ragheb, Ghada Ragheb, Abd ElRahman A.

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Egypt has a countless heritage of mansions, castles, cities, towns, villages, industrial and manufacturing sites. This richness of heritage provides endless and matchless prospects for culture. Despite being famous worldwide, Egypt’s heritage still is in constant need of protection. Political conflicts and religious revolutions form a direct threat to buildings in various areas, historic, archaeological sites, and religious monuments. Egypt has witnessed two revolutions in less than 60 years; both had an impact on its architectural heritage. In this paper, the authors aim to review legal and policy framework to protect the cultural heritage and present the risk management strategy for cultural heritage in conflict. Through a review of selected international models of devastated architectural heritage in conflict zones and highlighting some of their changes, we can learn from the experiences of other countries to assist towards the development of a methodology to halt the plundering of architectural heritage. Finally, the paper makes an effort to enhance the formulation of a risk management strategy for protection and conservation of cultural heritage, through which to end the plundering of Egypt’s architectural legacy in the Egyptian community (revolutions, 1952 and 2011); and by presenting to its surrounding community the benefits derived from maintaining it.

Keywords: cultural heritage, legal regulation, risk management, preservation

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Authors: Prejily Thomas John

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Flooding of urban areas often has an adverse impact on the dense population residing in cities. The vulnerable areas are the most affected due to flooding, which even results in loss of life. The increasing trend of urban floods is a universal phenomenon and leads to a vital loss in the physical, economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The shift from floods being natural disasters to man-made disasters due to unplanned urban growth is evident from national and international reports. Thiruvalla, bordered by the Manimala River in the Pathanamthitta district, is an important urban node and a drainage point of various estuaries. The city is often faced with flash floods and overflow from rivers since it is a low-lying land. The need for urban flood resilience for planned urban development is a necessity for livability in consideration of the topography. The paper focuses on developing an urban design framework in everyday urban spaces through the principles of resilient urbanism. The principles guide the creation of flood-resilient spaces and productive urban landscapes for the city to enable better and safer living conditions. A flood-resilient city not only prepares the city for disasters but also improves the ecological and economic conditions.

Keywords: everyday urban spaces, flood resilience, resilient urbanism, productive urban landscapes

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Authors: Hani Mustafa, Cristina Gonzalez Ruiz, Estelle Bech

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The growing influence of digital technologies has made learning and interaction more accessible, resulting in effective collaboration if properly managed. Technology enabled learning has become an important conduit for learning, including collaborative learning. The use of wiki technology, for example, has opened a new learning platform that enables the integration of social, linguistic, and cognitive processes of language learning. It encourages students to collaborate in the construction, analysis, and understanding of knowledge. But to what extent is the use of wikis effective in promoting collaborative learning among students. In addition, how do students perceive this technology in enhancing their language learning? In this study, students were be given a wiki project to complete collaboratively with their group members. Students had to write collaboratively to produce and present a seven-day travel plan in which they had to describe places to visit and things to do to explore the best historical and cultural aspects of the country. The study involves students learning French, Malay, and Spanish as a foreign language. In completing this wiki project, students will move from passive learning of language to real engagement with classmates, requiring them to collaborate and negotiate effectively with one another. The objective of the study is to ascertain to what extent does wiki technology helped in promoting collaborative learning and improving language skills from students’ perception. It is found that while there was improvement in students language skills, the overall experience was less positive due to unfamiliarity with a new learning tool.

Keywords: collaborative learning, foreign language, wiki, teaching

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Authors: Anurag Jha

Abstract:

Dharavi is the largest slum in Asia, for which many redevelopment projects have been put forth, to improve the housing conditions of the locals. And yet, these projects are met with much-unexpected resistance from the locals. The research analyses the why and the how of the resistances these projects face and analyses these programs and points out the flaws and benefits of such projects, by predicting its impact on the regulars of Dharavi. The research aims to analyze various aspects of Dharavi, which affect its socio-cultural backdrops, such as its history, and eventual growth into a mega slum. Through various surveys, the research aims to analyze the life of a slum dweller, the street life, and the effect of such settlement on the urban fabric. Various development projects such as Dharavi Museum Movement, are analyzed, and a feasibility and efficiency analysis of the proposals for redevelopment of Dharavi Slums has been theorized. Flaws and benefits of such projects, by predicting its impact on the regulars of Dharavi has been the major approach to the research. Also, prediction the implementation of these projects in another prominent slum area, Anand Nagar, Bhopal, with the use of generated hypothetical model has been done. The research provides a basic framework for a comparative analysis of various redevelopment projects and the effect of implementation of such projects on the general populace. Secondly, it proposes a hypothetical model for feasibility of such projects in certain slum areas.

Keywords: Anand Nagar, Bhopal slums, Dharavi, slum redevelopment programmes

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Authors: Waleed Afandi

Abstract:

Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly transformed various sectors, including education. This paper explores the integration of AI in education, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize learning processes, enhance teaching methodologies, and personalize education. We examine the historical context of AI in education, current applications, and the potential challenges and ethical considerations associated with its implementation. By reviewing a wide range of literature, this study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how AI can be leveraged to improve educational outcomes and the future directions of AI-driven educational innovations. Additionally, the paper discusses the impact of AI on student engagement, teacher support, and administrative efficiency. Case studies highlighting successful AI applications in diverse educational settings are presented, showcasing the practical benefits and real-world implications. The analysis also addresses potential disparities in access to AI technologies and suggests strategies to ensure equitable implementation. Through a balanced examination of the promises and pitfalls of AI in education, this study seeks to inform educators, policymakers, and technologists about the optimal pathways for integrating AI to foster an inclusive, effective, and innovative educational environment.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, education, personalized learning, teaching methodologies, educational outcomes, AI applications, student engagement, teacher support, administrative efficiency, equity in education

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Authors: Chetan R. Patel, G. J. Joshi

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The present study is carried out on six lane divided urban arterial road in Patna and Pune city of India. Both the road having distinct differences in terms of the vehicle composition and the road side parking. Arterial road in Patan city has 33% of non-motorized mode, whereas Pune arterial road dominated by 65% of Two wheeler. Also road side parking is observed in Patna city. The field studies using vidiographic techniques are carried out for traffic data collection. Data are extracted for one minute duration for vehicle composition, speed variation and flow rate on selected arterial road of the two cities. Speed flow relationship is developed and capacity is determine. Equivalency factor in terms of dynamic car unit is determine to represent the vehicle is single unit. The variation in the capacity due to side friction, presence of non motorized traffic and effective utilization of lane width is compared at concluding remarks.

Keywords: arterial road, capacity, dynamic equivalency factor, effect of non motorized mode, side friction

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Authors: Amrin Moger, Martin Mathew, Sagar Bhalerao

Abstract:

Mass media may be categorized into print and digital, former being the traditional form of reaching the masses to inform and educate on various issues. The Indian print media is more than two centuries old. Its strengths have largely been shaped by its historical experience and, in particular, by its association with the freedom struggle as well as movements for social emancipation, reform, and amelioration. Therefore, it is highly regarded in the Indian society. Persons with disability are part of Indian Society. Persons with Disability have always been looked down upon and not considered as part of the society. People with disabilities were commonly feared, pitied, and neglected. Much of the literature on disability in India has pointed to the importance of the concept of karma in attitudes to disability, with disability perceived either as punishment for misdeeds in the past lives of the PWD, or the wrongdoings of their parents. Some Indian authors consider the passage of the PWD Act as a landmark step in the history of rehabilitation services in India have put it, ‘At a profoundly serious and spiritual level, disability represents divine justice’. The newspaper has to play a role where it changes this attitude of the people. A short comparative content analysis of two English newspapers of Mumbai edition was selected, to analyze the language that is used for reporting disability issues. Software Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to gather and analyze data.

Keywords: content analysis, disability, newspaper dailies, language

Procedia PDF Downloads 286