Search results for: visual comfort criteria

Authors: Maryam Kalkatechi

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The paper presents the construction unit that was proposed as a result of researching and finding solutions for challenges of the traditional masonry unit. The concept of ‘unit as arrangements of cells’ was investigated in four categories of structure, handling and assembly, thermal characteristics and weather ability which resulted in construction unit as an independent system which shapes a part of the envelope. Comparing to the traditional wall systems in which the system is in layers, the part system is a monolithic piece by itself. Even though the overall wythe-10 inches- is less than the combined layers-14 inches- in a traditional wall system, it is still seen as a spatial component. The component as a furnishing of envelope is discussed from material application point of view. The algorithm definition of the arrangement cells crafts the relationship between cells and functionality with material. This craft is realized as the envelope furnishing. Three alternative materials in relation to furnishing the envelope are discussed for printing the construction unit; transparent plastic, opaque plastic and glass. The qualities vary in the four categories, however this paper focuses on the visual qualities of materials applied. In a diagram the qualities of the materials are compared in relation to each other.

Keywords: furnishing envelope, 3D printed construction unit, opaque plastic, transparent plastic, glass

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Authors: Tatsanawalai Utarasakul

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Nowadays, green office principles are very broadly initiated in many offices, organizations, as well as in universities. The concepts of green office are composed of seven prominent issues. One of them, physical implementation, is to develop a pleasant atmosphere for staff in the faculty with selected optimum plant species for the office. 50 species from NASA research and other documents were studied for the selection criteria of plants which were appropriate for specific locations in order to reduce indoor air pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. For the copy and examination preparation room in which particulate matter and volatile organic compounds can be found, some plants such as peace lily, gerbera daisy, and bamboo palm should be set, which are very effective in treating trichloroethylene. For common rooms and offices where formaldehyde can be found, which is generated from many building materials, bamboo palm, mother-in-law's tongue, peace lily, striped dracaena, cornstalk plant, golden pathos, and green spider plant should be set.

Keywords: indoor plants, indoor air quality, phytoremediation, green office

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Authors: Aspasia Simpsi

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The aim of this study was to translate into Greek and then validate the psychometric properties of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) (Pontes & Griffiths, 2015). This is the first short standardized psychometric tool to assess Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) according to the DSM-V nine clinical criteria and among the most frequently examined. The translation of the test was done through the process of back-translation. To gain a better insight into the psychometric properties of this test, the questionnaire included demographic questions and the Greek version of the Internet Addiction Test (Young, 1998). The participants of the study were 241 adolescents aged between 12 to 18. They were nationally recruited in Greece through an online survey that was hosted on the platform of Qualtrics. Analysis revealed excellent reliability with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients α = .939 for IGDS9-SF and α = .940 for IAT. The use of Pearson product-moment correlation revealed a significant positive relationship between IGDS9-SF and IAT r (241) =.45, p < .001. Due to inconsistencies in terminology and tests in the field of IGD, what is recommended for future research is a consensus regarding IGD testing and research.

Keywords: internet gaming disorder, IGDS9-SF, psychometric properties, internet addiction

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Authors: Maamar Fatouma

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Mirror optical performance can experience varying levels of stress and tolerances, which can have a notable impact on optical parametric systems. to ensure proper optical figure and position of mirror mounting within design tolerances, it is crucial to have a robust support structure in place for optical systems. The optical figure tolerance determines the allowable deviation from the ideal form of the mirror and the position tolerance determines the location and orientations of the optical axis of the optical systems. A variety of factors influence the optical figure of the mirror. Included are self-weight (Deflection), excitation from temperature change, temperature gradients and dimensional instability. This study employs an analytical approach and finite element method to examine the effects of stress resulting from mirror mounting on the wavefront passing through the mirror. The combined effect of tolerance and deflection on mirror performance is represented by an error budget. Numerical mirror mounting is presented to illustrate the space application of performance techniques.

Keywords: opto-mechanical, bonded optic, tolerance, self-weight distortion, Rayleigh criteria

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Authors: S. Pramanik

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Since the early ages, the Hindu temples have been interpreted through various Vedic philosophies. These temples are visited by pilgrims which demonstrate the rituals and religious belief of communities, reflecting a variety of actions and behaviors. Darsana— a direct seeing, is a part of the pilgrimage activity. During the process of Darsana, a devotee is prepared for entry in the temple to realize the cognizing Truth culminating in visualizing the idol of God, placed at the Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum). For this, the pilgrim must pass through a sequential arrangement of spaces. During the process of progress, the pilgrims visualize the spaces differently from various points of views. The viewpoints create a variety of spatial patterns in the minds of pilgrims coherent to the Hindu philosophies. The space organization and its order are perceived by various techniques of spatial analysis. A temple, as examples of Kalinga stylistic variations, has been chosen for the study. This paper intends to demonstrate some visual patterns generated during the process of Darsana (visibility) and its accessibility by Point Isovist Studies and Visibility Graph Analysis from the entrance (Simha Dwara) to The Sanctum sanctorum (Garbhagriha).

Keywords: Hindu temple architecture, point isovist, space syntax analysis, visibility graph analysis

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Authors: N. C. Sarkar, A. Bhaskar, Z. Zheng

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The driving behavior in area-based (i.e., non-lane based) traffic is induced by the presence of other individuals in the choice space from the driver’s visual perception area. The driving behavior of a subject vehicle is constrained by the potential leaders and leaders are frequently changed over time. This paper is to determine a stochastic model for a parameter of modified intelligent driver model (MIDM) in area-based traffic (as in developing countries). The parametric and non-parametric distributions are presented to fit the parameters of MIDM. The goodness of fit for each parameter is measured in two different ways such as graphically and statistically. The quantile-quantile (Q-Q) plot is used for a graphical representation of a theoretical distribution to model a parameter and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test is used for a statistical measure of fitness for a parameter with a theoretical distribution. The distributions are performed on a set of estimated parameters of MIDM. The parameters are estimated on the real vehicle trajectory data from India. The fitness of each parameter with a stochastic model is well represented. The results support the applicability of the proposed modeling for parameters of MIDM in area-based traffic flow simulation.

Keywords: area-based traffic, car-following model, micro-simulation, stochastic modeling

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Authors: Kazi Rafikoddin

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Conditionality refers to a precondition for getting external funds from IMF or WB by giving consent for implementation of the program of economic or political reforms especially relating to open economies. These are put forth under the label of structural adjustment. It is a kind of challenge on the part of borrowing government to exercise balance between the domestic obligations and the expectations of external funding agencies. Countries have to take loans under certain criteria and regulations because better loans are often not readily available. Therefore taking loans and renewing them to pay the same with new interest rates and conditions makes the governments entangled in the circle of debt. They are forced to compete with well-established multinational companies. If their access to industrialized countries' markets is impaired through protectionism, the developed world will be condemning the indebted nations to perpetual financial crisis. On the other hand, the ability to sell their goods free in the world market is reduced through the introduction of Structural Adjustment Programmes. Although there are examples of positive effects on certain economies like India, some Third World, and poor countries have experienced the ire of these remedies. This paper tries to find out the effects of SAPs on some borrowing countries.

Keywords: IMF, world bank, conditionalities, SAPs, Third World Countries

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Authors: Ghassan Kbar, Shady Aly, Ibrahim Alsharawy, Akshay Bhatia, Nur Alhasan, Ronaldo Enriquez

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The Smart Help for persons with disability (PWD) is a part of the project SMARTDISABLE which aims to develop relevant solution for PWD that target to provide an adequate workplace environment for them. It would support PWD needs smartly through smart help to allow them access to relevant information and communicate with other effectively and flexibly, and smart editor that assist them in their daily work. It will assist PWD in knowledge processing and creation as well as being able to be productive at the work place. The technical work of the project involves design of a technological scenario for the Ambient Intelligence (AmI) - based assistive technologies at the workplace consisting of an integrated universal smart solution that suits many different impairment conditions and will be designed to empower the Physically disabled persons (PDP) with the capability to access and effectively utilize the ICTs in order to execute knowledge rich working tasks with minimum efforts and with sufficient comfort level. The proposed technology solution for PWD will support voice recognition along with normal keyboard and mouse to control the smart help and smart editor with dynamic auto display interface that satisfies the requirements for different PWD group. In addition, a smart help will provide intelligent intervention based on the behavior of PWD to guide them and warn them about possible misbehavior. PWD can communicate with others using Voice over IP controlled by voice recognition. Moreover, Auto Emergency Help Response would be supported to assist PWD in case of emergency. This proposed technology solution intended to make PWD very effective at the work environment and flexible using voice to conduct their tasks at the work environment. The proposed solution aims to provide favorable outcomes that assist PWD at the work place, with the opportunity to participate in PWD assistive technology innovation market which is still small and rapidly growing as well as upgrading their quality of life to become similar to the normal people at the workplace. Finally, the proposed smart help solution is applicable in all workplace setting, including offices, manufacturing, hospital, etc.

Keywords: ambient intelligence, ICT, persons with disability PWD, smart application, SHW

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Authors: Naveed Mazhar

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Our cities are known to have significant modifying effects on the local climate. The nature of the modifications depends on a range of physical variables, usually assessed at a wide range of spatial scales. Physical spatial dimensions, such as measured parameters of microclimates and their significant influence on human sensations, are known to have far-reaching effects on human thermal comfort and by corollary a force that influences human perception. Less scholarship has thrown light on the subjective dimension and insufficiently demonstrates a relational approach between human behavior and how it is affected by the phenomenon of urban microclimates. Other than identifying gaps in the most recent scholarship and providing future research opportunities, the scope of this study will help improve urban design guidelines and raise framework standards of socially responsive urban design. This study will help equip future professionals to ameliorate the effects of urban microclimates on participant’s perceptions enabling more frequent usage of the outdoor urban spaces. However, it is informed that the physical parameters of an outdoor open space determine psychological human adaptations and is a measure of the degree to which people are willing to adapt to their surroundings. A large amount of research is available related to urban microclimates. However, very few studies are focused on the elucidation of the critical factors influencing human perceptions of the microclimates in urban spatial configurations. Based on the most recent scholarship, this study has evaluated the role urban microclimatic conditions have in the formation of human perceptions and, by extension, behavioral patterns formulating in outdoor open spaces. Furthermore, this study also defines, in the backdrop of the current scholarly literature, the socio-spatial interdependence of behavioral patterns with relationship to the built urban fabric and its resultant correlation with human perception. A comprehensive review and analysis of the recent research conducted within the scope of the study will help frame gaps, issues, current research methods and future research opportunities.

Keywords: urban design, urban microcliamate, human perception, human behavioral patterns

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Authors: Yidnekachew Daget, Hong Zhang

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The decision-making process in order to select the suitable housing system for application in housing construction has been a challenge for many developing countries. This study evaluates the decision process to identify the suitable housing systems for adoption in Addis Ababa. Ten industrialized housing systems were considered as alternatives for comparison. These systems have been used in a housing development in different parts of the world. A relevant literature review and contextual analysis were conducted. An analytical hierarchy process and an Expert Choice Comparion platform were employed as a research technique and tool to evaluate the professionals’ level of preferences with regard to the housing systems. The findings revealed the priority rank and characteristics of the suitable housing systems to be adapted for application in housing development. The decision criteria and the analytical process used in this study can help the decision-makers and the housing developers in developing countries make effective evaluations and decisions.

Keywords: analytical hierarchy process, decision-making, expert choice comparion, industrialized housing systems

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Authors: Jiawen Wang, Qijun Chen

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The performance of most machine-learning methods for image inpainting depends on the quantity and quality of the training samples. However, it is very expensive or even impossible to obtain a great number of training samples in many scenarios. In this paper, an image inpainting model based on a generative adversary network (GAN) is constructed for the cases when the number of training samples is small. Firstly, a feature extraction network (F-net) is incorporated into the GAN network to utilize the available information of the inpainting image. The weighted sum of the extracted feature and the random noise acts as the input to the generative network (G-net). The proposed network can be trained well even when the sample size is very small. Secondly, in the phase of the completion for each damaged image, a genetic algorithm is designed to search an optimized noise input for G-net; based on this optimized input, the parameters of the G-net and F-net are further learned (Once the completion for a certain damaged image ends, the parameters restore to its original values obtained in the training phase) to generate an image patch that not only can fill the missing part of the damaged image smoothly but also has visual semantics.

Keywords: image inpainting, generative adversary nets, genetic algorithm, small-sample size

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Authors: Philipp Ruf, Massiwa Chabbi, Christoph Reich, Djaffar Ould-Abdeslam

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In recent years, convolutional neural networks (CNN) have demonstrated high performance in image analysis, but oftentimes, there is only structured data available regarding a specific problem. By interpreting structured data as images, CNNs can effectively learn and extract valuable insights from tabular data, leading to improved predictive accuracy and uncovering hidden patterns that may not be apparent in traditional structured data analysis. In applying a single neural network for analyzing multimodal data, e.g., both structured and unstructured information, significant advantages in terms of time complexity and energy efficiency can be achieved. Converting structured data into images and merging them with existing visual material offers a promising solution for applying CNN in multimodal datasets, as they often occur in a medical context. By employing suitable preprocessing techniques, structured data is transformed into image representations, where the respective features are expressed as different formations of colors and shapes. In an additional step, these representations are fused with existing images to incorporate both types of information. This final image is finally analyzed using a CNN.

Keywords: CNN, image processing, tabular data, mixed dataset, data transformation, multimodal fusion

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Authors: Collen T. Masilo, Brane Semolic, Pieter Steyn

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The Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and Hybrid Fibre-Coaxial (HFC) Broadband industrial sector landscape are rapidly changing and organisations within the industry need to stay competitive by exploring new business models so that they can be able to offer new services and products to customers. The business challenge in this industrial sector is meeting or exceeding high customer expectations across multiple content delivery modes. The increasing challenges in the IPTV and HFC broadband industrial sector encourage service providers to form strategic partnerships with key suppliers, marketing partners, advertisers, and technology partners. The need to form enterprise collaborative networks poses a challenge for any organisation in this sector, in selecting the right strategic partners who will ensure that the organisation’s services and products are marketed in new markets. Partners who will ensure that customers are efficiently supported by meeting and exceeding their expectations. Lastly, selecting cooperation partners who will represent the organisation in a positive manner, and contribute to improving the performance of the organisation. Companies in the IPTV and HFC broadband industrial sector tend to form informal partnerships with suppliers, vendors, system integrators and technology partners. Generally, partnerships are formed without thorough analysis of the real reason a company is forming collaborations, without proper evaluations of prospective partners using specific selection criteria, and with ineffective performance monitoring of partners to ensure that a firm gains real long term benefits from its partners and gains competitive advantage. Similar tendencies are illustrated in the research case study and are based on Skyline Communications, a global leader in end-to-end, multi-vendor network management and operational support systems (OSS) solutions. The organisation’s flagship product is the DataMiner network management platform used by many operators across multiple industries and can be referred to as a smart system that intelligently manages complex technology ecosystems for its customers in the IPTV and HFC broadband industry. The approach of the research is to develop the most efficient business model that can be deployed to improve a strategic partnership programme in order to significantly improve the performance and growth of organisations participating in a collaborative network in the IPTV and HFC broadband industrial sector. This involves proposing and implementing a new strategic partnership model and its main features within the industry which should bring about significant benefits for all involved companies to achieve value add and an optimal growth strategy. The proposed business model has been developed based on the research of existing relationships, value chains and business requirements in this industrial sector and validated in 'Skyline Communications'. The outputs of the business model have been demonstrated and evaluated in the research business case study the IPTV and HFC broadband service provider 'Skyline Communications'.

Keywords: growth, partnership, selection criteria, value chain

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Authors: Surini Duthika Fernandopulle, Kalamba Arachchige Pramodya Wijesinghe

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Macrocapsules containing phase change material (PCM) PEG4000 as core and Calcium Alginate as the shell was synthesized by in-situ polymerization process, and their suitability for textile applications was studied. PCM macro-capsules were sandwiched between two polyurethane foams at regular intervals, and the sandwiched foams were subsequently covered with 100% cotton woven fabrics. According to the mathematical modelling and calculations 46 capsules were required to provide cooling for a period of 2 hours at 56ºC, so a panel of 10 cm x 10 cm area with 25 parts (having 5 capsules in each for 9 parts are 16 parts spaced for air permeability) were effectively merged into one textile material without changing the textile's original properties. First, the available cooling techniques related to textiles were considered and the best cooling techniques suiting the Sri Lankan climatic conditions were selected using a survey conducted for Sri Lankan Public based on ASHRAE-55-2010 standard and it consisted of 19 questions under 3 sections categorized as general information, thermal comfort sensation and requirement of Personal Cooling Garments (PCG). The results indicated that during daytime, majority of respondents feel warm and during nighttime also majority have responded as slightly warm. The survey also revealed that around 85% of the respondents are willing to accept a PCG. The developed panels were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) tests and the findings from FTIR showed that the macrocapsules consisted of PEG 4000 as the core material and Calcium Alginate as the shell material and findings from TGA showed that the capsules had the average weight percentage for core with 61,9% and shell with 34,7%. After heating both control samples and samples incorporating PCM panels, it was discovered that only the temperature of the control sample increased after 56ºC, whereas the temperature of the sample incorporating PCM panels began to regulate the temperature at 56ºC, preventing a temperature increase beyond 56ºC.

Keywords: phase change materials, thermal regulation, textiles, macrocapsules

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Authors: R. C. Tyagi

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Quasi-periodicity of frequency intervals observed in Shruti based Absolute Scale of Music has been used to graphically identify the Anchor notes ‘Vadi’ and ‘Samvadi’ which are nodal points for expansion, elaboration and iteration of the emotional theme represented by the characteristic tonic arrangement in Raga compositions. This analysis leads to defining the Tonic parameters in the octave including the key-note frequency, tonic intervals’ anchor notes and the on-set and range of quasi-periodicities as exponents of 2. Such uniformity of representation of characteristic data would facilitate computational analysis and synthesis of music compositions and also help develop noise suppression techniques. Criteria for tuning of strings for compatibility with placement of frets on finger boards is discussed. Natural Rhythmic cycles in music compositions are analytically shown to lie between 3 and 126 beats.

Keywords: absolute scale, anchor notes, computational analysis, frets, innovation, noise suppression, Quasi-periodicity, rhythmic cycle, tonic interval, Shruti

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Authors: B. Farahani, R. Fadil, A. Aboonabi, B. Hoffmann, J. Loscheider, K. Tavakolian, S. Arzanpour

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Wheelchair users spend long hours in a sitting position, and selecting the right cushion is highly critical in preventing pressure ulcers in that demographic. Pressure mapping systems (PMS) are typically used in clinical settings by therapists to identify the sitting profile and pressure points in the sitting area to select the cushion that fits the best for the users. A PMS is a flexible mat composed of arrays of distributed networks of flexible sensors. The output of the PMS systems is a color-coded image that shows the intensity of the pressure concentration. Therapists use the PMS images to compare different cushions fit for each user. This process is highly subjective and requires good visual memory for the best outcome. This paper aims to develop an image processing technique to analyze the images of PMS and provide an objective measure to assess the cushions based on their pressure distribution mappings. In this paper, we first reviewed the skeletal anatomy of the human sitting area and its relation to the PMS image. This knowledge is then used to identify the important features that must be considered in image processing. We then developed an algorithm based on those features to analyze the images and rank them according to their fit to the users' needs.

Keywords: dynamic cushion, image processing, pressure mapping system, wheelchair

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Authors: Lamin B Ceesay, Cecilia Rossignoli

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Inter-organizational collaboration is a growing phenomenon in both research and practice. The partnership between organizations enables firms to leverage external resources, experiences, and technology that lie with other firms. This collaborative practice is a source of improved business model performance, technological advancement, and increased competitive advantage for firms. However, the competitive intents, and even diverse institutional logics of firms, make inter-firm innovation-based partnership even more complex, and its governance more challenging. The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic review of research linking the inter-organizational relationship of firms with their innovation practice and specify the different project management issues and gaps addressed in previous research. To do this, we employed a systematic review of the literature on inter-organizational innovation using two complementary scholarly databases - ScienceDirect and Web of Science (WoS). Article scoping relies on the combination of keywords based on similar terms used in the literature:(1) inter-organizational relationship, (2) business network, (3) inter-firm project, and (4) innovation network. These searches were conducted in the title, abstract, and keywords of conceptual and empirical research papers done in English. Our search covers between 2010 to 2019. We applied several exclusion criteria including Papers published outside the years under the review, papers in a language other than English, papers neither listed in WoS nor ScienceDirect and papers that are not sharply related to the inter-organizational innovation-based partnership were removed. After all relevant search criteria were applied, a final list of 84 papers constitutes the data for this review. Our review revealed an increasing evolution of inter-organizational relationship research during the period under the review. The descriptive analysis of papers according to Journal outlets finds that International Journal of Project Management (IJPM), Journal of Industrial Marketing, Journal of Business Research (JBR), etc. are the leading journal outlets for research in the inter-organizational innovation project. The review also finds that Qualitative methods and quantitative approaches respectively are the leading research methods adopted by scholars in the field. However, literature review and conceptual papers constitute the least in the field. During the content analysis of the selected papers, we read the content of each paper and found that the selected papers try to address one of the three phenomena in inter-organizational innovation research: (1) project antecedents; (2) project management and (3) project performance outcomes. We found that these categories are not mutually exclusive, but rather interdependent. This categorization also helped us to organize the fragmented literature in the field. While a significant percentage of the literature discussed project management issues, we found fewer extant literature on project antecedents and performance. As a result of this, we organized the future research agenda addressed in several papers by linking them with the under-researched themes in the field, thus providing great potential to advance future research agenda especially, in the under-researched themes in the field. Finally, our paper reveals that research on inter-organizational innovation project is generally fragmented which hinders a better understanding of the field. Thus, this paper contributes to the understanding of the field by organizing and discussing the extant literature to advance the theory and application of inter-organizational relationship.

Keywords: inter-organizational relationship, inter-firm collaboration, innovation projects, project management, systematic review

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Authors: Asep Adianto, Rinda Ulfah L., Wellya Wichi M., Lasmaria Manik

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Garbage is the waste result of daily human activity which is in some to countries can leads to a crucial problem. It is realized that garbage can brings to disastrous consequences for the environment and humans. Piles of garbage will cause to overflow disaster and health problems for human being. Basically, garbage can be processed into recycled products or other utilization. However, in some cases, awareness of environment cleanliness by throwing the garbage to the dustbin is still lacking, in both adults and children. Children tend to do things based on their visual observations without thinking about the impact of their actions. Associated with awareness of cleanliness, children often littering due to the reluctance on throwing garbage to the dustbin because in some place, it’s not that easy to find where the dustbin is. The obstacle should be accommodated by making some kind of compatible dustbin. In addition, the influence of the social environment and lack of education to environmental concerns makes it even worse. Therefore, we need a method to educate people, especially children, to always care about the environment and neighborhood they live in. Because of the intended target is children, the required method should be fun, easy to do, and it doesn’t contain any compulsion act. Therefore, Eco-Mini Bag is one of considerable method to educate children in society to become more aware about environment cleanliness. Eco-Mini bag is a kind of compatible dustbin and it’s going to prevent the children not to throwing garbage in reckless way. In brief, Eco-Mini bag can increase the environment awareness on children and the whole society through exciting and convenience way.

Keywords: children, eco-mini bag, environment, garbage

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Authors: Fatema Ali Lanewala, Akhtar Jamal Khan

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The ocular complications in renal transplant recipients at the biggest transplant center in Pakistan were seen to be diverse, multiple, and sight-threatening. These complications could mainly be due to the primary disease causing renal failure, the process of transplantation, and/or the medications used pre and post-transplantation. A retrospective case series recently published in the Journal of Pakistan Medical Association highlights the common ocular pathologies encountered in renal transplant population. Majority of the patients suffered from cataract, which is a known side-effect of long-term steroids routinely used for graft survival. There was a unique finding in Pakistani population, never reported before from any other transplant centre world over; a large number of recipients was reported to be suffering from night blindness, which significantly improved on vitamin A supplementation. There were a variety of other ocular complications seen which emphasizes the necessity of ocular care and routine examination of transplant recipient’s eyes by an ophthalmologist in order to avoid visual compromise and improve the quality of life of the transplant recipient.

Keywords: cataract, night blindness, ocular complications, renal transplantation

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Authors: Hind Bouami, Patrick Millot

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Medication dispensing system is a life-critical system whose failure may result in preventable adverse events leading to longer patient stays in hospitals or patient death. Automation has led to great improvements in life-critical systems as it increased safety, efficiency, and comfort. However, critical risks related to medical organization complexity and automated solutions integration can threaten drug dispensing security and performance. Knowledge about the system’s complexity aspects and human machine parameters to control for automated equipment’s security and performance will help operators to secure their automation process and to optimize their system’s reliability. In this context, this study aims to document the operator’s situation awareness about automation risks and parameters involved in automation security and performance. Our risk management approach has been deployed in the North Luxembourg hospital center’s pharmacy, which is equipped with automated drug dispensing systems since 2009. With more than 4 million euros of gains generated, North Luxembourg hospital center’s success story was enabled by the management commitment, pharmacy’s involvement in the implementation and improvement of the automation project, and the close collaboration between the pharmacy and Sinteco’s firm to implement the necessary innovation and organizational actions for automated solutions integration security and performance. An analysis of the actions implemented by the hospital and the parameters involved in automated equipment’s integration security and performance has been made. The parameters to control for automated equipment’s integration security and performance are human aspects (6.25%), technical aspects (50%), and human-machine interaction (43.75%). The implementation of an anthropocentric analysis system before automation would have prevented and optimized the control of risks related to automation.

Keywords: Automated drug delivery systems, Hospitals, Human-centered automated system, Risk management

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Authors: Karim Hamidi Machekposhti, Hossein Sedghi

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This study was designed to find the best stochastic model (using of time series analysis) for annual extreme streamflow (peak and maximum streamflow) of Karkheh River at Iran. The Auto-regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model used to simulate these series and forecast those in future. For the analysis, annual extreme streamflow data of Jelogir Majin station (above of Karkheh dam reservoir) for the years 1958–2005 were used. A visual inspection of the time plot gives a little increasing trend; therefore, series is not stationary. The stationarity observed in Auto-Correlation Function (ACF) and Partial Auto-Correlation Function (PACF) plots of annual extreme streamflow was removed using first order differencing (d=1) in order to the development of the ARIMA model. Interestingly, the ARIMA(4,1,1) model developed was found to be most suitable for simulating annual extreme streamflow for Karkheh River. The model was found to be appropriate to forecast ten years of annual extreme streamflow and assist decision makers to establish priorities for water demand. The Statistical Analysis System (SAS) and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) codes were used to determinate of the best model for this series.

Keywords: stochastic models, ARIMA, extreme streamflow, Karkheh river

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Authors: Nima Pirhadi, Yong Bo Shao, Xusheng Wa, Jianguo Lu

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Several models based on the simplified method introduced by Seed and Idriss (1971) have been developed to assess the liquefaction potential of saturated sandy soils. The procedure includes determining the cyclic resistance of the soil as the cyclic resistance ratio (CRR) and comparing it with earthquake loads as cyclic stress ratio (CSR). Of all methods to determine CRR, the methods using shear-wave velocity (Vs) are common because of their low sensitivity to the penetration resistance reduction caused by fine content (FC). To evaluate the capability of the models, based on the Vs., the new data from Bachu-Jianshi earthquake case history collected, then the prediction results of the models are compared to the measured results; consequently, the accuracy of the models are discussed via three criteria and graphs. The evaluation demonstrates reasonable accuracy of the models in the Banchu region.

Keywords: seismic liquefaction, banchu-jiashi earthquake, shear-wave velocity, liquefaction potential evaluation

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Authors: Syed Hassan Tanvir Ramzi, Ubaidullah Ansari, Sana Manzoor, Namal Ilyas, Nabeel Ahmed

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Objective: To better understand the prevalence of neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19, several factors, such as age, gender, and comorbidity, are explored to create a more holistic understanding of the impact of COVID-19. Methods: After meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria, 111 patients admitted to Ibne Sina Hospital were recruited between October 2021 and February 2022. A descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to summarize patients' most often encountered signs and symptoms concerning the above parameters. Results: Out of 111 patients, a significant proportion of symptoms occurred in patients aged 40-60 years, with Dysgeusia being the most widespread (75.5%), followed by Encephalitis (45.9%), GBS (28.8%), Encephalopathy (18.9%), and Ischemic Stroke (6.3%). These were most prevalent in hypertensive individuals (46%) and Diabetes Mellitus (31%). In asthmatic individuals, they are the least prevalent (10.8%). Conclusion: Despite the predominance of neurological manifestations, the present scientific literature cannot demonstrate a definitive causal association between the symptoms and the virus. This study carefully ensures a link between age, gender, and comorbidity, along with the prevalence of neurological manifestations of COVID-19. For a comprehensive treatment plan, a holistic understanding of symptoms is critical.

Keywords: COVID 19, neurological association, GBS, Encephalitis

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Authors: Jing Ren, Guifeng Han

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The mental health of most college students in China is negative due to the multiple pressures of academics, life, and employment. The problem of psychological stress has been widely discussed and needs to be resolved immediately. Therefore, six typical green spaces in Chongqing University, China, were selected to explore the relationship between eight environmental characteristics and students' stress relief. A path analysis model is established using Amos26.0 to explain the paths for environmental characteristics influencing psychological stress relief. The results show that (1) tree species diversity (TSD) has a positive effect on stress relief, thus green coverage ratio (GCR), the proportion of water area (WAP), visual green index (VGI), and color richness (CR) have both positive and negative effects; (2) CR could reduce stress directly and indirectly, while GCR, TSD, WAP, and VGI could only reduce stress indirectly, and the most effective path is TSD→extent→stress relief; (3) CR can reduce stress more greatly for males than females, CR and VGI have better effects for art students than science students. The study can provide a theoretical reference for planning and designing campus living environments to improve students' mental health.

Keywords: public health, residential environment, space planning and management, mental health, path analysis

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Authors: S. O. Oyamakin, A. U. Chukwu,

Abstract:

We proposed a Hyperbolic Gompertz Growth Model (HGGM), which was developed by introducing a stabilizing parameter called θ using hyperbolic sine function into the classical gompertz growth equation. The resulting integral solution obtained deterministically was reprogrammed into a statistical model and used in modeling the height and diameter of Pines (Pinus caribaea). Its ability in model prediction was compared with the classical gompertz growth model, an approach which mimicked the natural variability of height/diameter increment with respect to age and therefore provides a more realistic height/diameter predictions using goodness of fit tests and model selection criteria. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Shapiro-Wilk test was also used to test the compliance of the error term to normality assumptions while using testing the independence of the error term using the runs test. The mean function of top height/Dbh over age using the two models under study predicted closely the observed values of top height/Dbh in the hyperbolic gompertz growth models better than the source model (classical gompertz growth model) while the results of R2, Adj. R2, MSE, and AIC confirmed the predictive power of the Hyperbolic Monomolecular growth models over its source model.

Keywords: height, Dbh, forest, Pinus caribaea, hyperbolic, gompertz

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Authors: Naman Jain, Shaun Fernandes

Abstract:

With the increasing prevalence of online healthcare services, selecting the most suitable doctor has become a complex task, requiring careful consideration of both public sentiment and personal preferences. This paper proposes a sentiment analysis-driven method that integrates public reviews with user-specific criteria and correlated attributes to recommend online doctors. By leveraging Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, public sentiment is extracted from online reviews, which is then combined with user-defined preferences such as specialty, years of experience, location, and consultation fees. Additionally, correlated attributes like education and certifications are incorporated to enhance the recommendation accuracy. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed system significantly improves user satisfaction by providing personalized doctor recommendations that align with both public opinion and individual needs.

Keywords: sentiment analysis, online doctors, personal preferences, correlated attributes, recommendation system, healthcare, natural language processing

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Authors: Larissa Negris de Souza, Ana Regina Mizrahy Cuperschmid, Daniel de Carvalho Moreira

Abstract:

Augmented Reality (AR) alters the elaboration of the architectural project, which relates to project cognition: representation, visualization, and perception of information. Understanding these features from the earliest stages of the design can facilitate the study of relationships, zoning, and overall dimensions of the forms. This paper’s goal was to explore a new approach for information visualization during the early stages of architectural design using Augmented Reality (AR). A three-dimensional marker inspired by the Rubik’s Cube was developed, and its performance, evaluated. This investigation interwovens the acquired knowledge of traditional briefing methods and contemporary technology. We considered the concept of patterns (Alexander et al. 1977) to outline geometric forms and associations using visual programming. The Design Science Research was applied to develop the study. An SDK was used in a game engine to generate the AR app. The tool's functionality was assessed by verifying the readability and precision of the reconfigurable 3D marker. The results indicated an inconsistent response. To use AR in the early stages of architectural design the system must provide consistent information and appropriate feedback. Nevertheless, we conclude that our framework sets the ground for looking deep into AR tools for briefing design.

Keywords: augmented reality, cuboid marker, early design stages, graphic representation, patterns

Procedia PDF Downloads 98

Authors: I Nyoman Larry Julianto, Pribadi Widodo

Abstract:

The phenomenon of cultural change is the result of the process of shifting, reducing and adding elements of cultural systems because of the process of interaction with the environment. Interestingly in the temple area in Bali, there is a phenomenon of symbol visualization change in the form of pelinggih, which is in the shaped of the car. As a result of the sacralization process of the symbol, the function of its essence is remained as a place of worship. Hindu communities in Bali can accept that phenomenon in their religious life as a process of today's cultural acculturation. Through an interpretive ethnographic study, it is tried to understand the 'creative concept’of that symbol materialization in its interaction process. The result of the research stated that the interaction value of the symbol visualization change is constructed from the application of 'value' and 'meaning' of the previous pelinggih. The ritual procession and the reinforcement of the mythical mind, make the 'value' of the visualization change of the pelinggih leads to a sacred, religious conception. In the future, the development of the human mind is more functional, but it does not eliminate the mythological value due to the interaction with the surrounding social environment, so the visualization of the symbol in the form of pelinggih which is in the shape of the car will be the identity of a new cultural heritage. The understanding of the influence of mental representation of human being in an effort toward his spiritual awareness will be able to be the advanced research.

Keywords: the power of symbol, visual change, pelinggih, Bali

Procedia PDF Downloads 165

Authors: Selin Guney, Andres Riquelme

Abstract:

Among the main purposes of optimal and efficient forecasts of agricultural commodity prices is to guide the firms to advance the economic decision making process such as planning business operations and marketing decisions. Governments are also the beneficiaries and suppliers of agricultural price forecasts. They use this information to establish a proper agricultural policy, and hence, the forecasts affect social welfare and systematic errors in forecasts could lead to a misallocation of scarce resources. Various empirical approaches have been applied to forecast commodity prices that have used different methodologies. Most commonly-used approaches to forecast commodity sectors depend on classical time series models that assume values of the response variables are precise which is quite often not true in reality. Recently, this literature has mostly evolved to a consideration of fuzzy time series models that provide more flexibility in terms of the classical time series models assumptions such as stationarity, and large sample size requirement. Besides, fuzzy modeling approach allows decision making with estimated values under incomplete information or uncertainty. A number of fuzzy time series models have been developed and implemented over the last decades; however, most of them are not appropriate for forecasting repeated and nonconsecutive transitions in the data. The modeling scheme used in this paper eliminates this problem by introducing Markov modeling approach that takes into account both the repeated and nonconsecutive transitions. Also, the determination of length of interval is crucial in terms of the accuracy of forecasts. The problem of determining the length of interval arbitrarily is overcome and a methodology to determine the proper length of interval based on the distribution or mean of the first differences of series to improve forecast accuracy is proposed. The specific purpose of this paper is to propose and investigate the potential of a new forecasting model that integrates methodologies for determining the proper length of interval based on the distribution or mean of the first differences of series and Fuzzy Time Series- Markov Chain model. Moreover, the accuracy of the forecasting performance of proposed integrated model is compared to different univariate time series models and the superiority of proposed method over competing methods in respect of modelling and forecasting on the basis of forecast evaluation criteria is demonstrated. The application is to daily corn and soybean prices observed at three commercially important North Carolina markets; Candor, Cofield and Roaring River for corn and Fayetteville, Cofield and Greenville City for soybeans respectively. One main conclusion from this paper is that using fuzzy logic improves the forecast performance and accuracy; the effectiveness and potential benefits of the proposed model is confirmed with small selection criteria value such MAPE. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of integrating fuzzy logic and nonarbitrary determination of length of interval for the reliability and accuracy of price forecasts. The empirical results represent a significant contribution to our understanding of the applicability of fuzzy modeling in commodity price forecasts.

Keywords: commodity, forecast, fuzzy, Markov

Procedia PDF Downloads 217

Authors: S. Kaira, S. Mohamed, A. Rahman

Abstract:

Traditionally, highway infrastructure projects are initiated based on their economic benefits, thereafter environmental, social and governance impacts are addressed discretely for the selected project from a set of pre-determined alternatives. When opting for cost-benefit analysis (CBA), multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) has been used as the default assessment tool. But this tool has been critiqued as it does not mimic the real-world dynamic environment. Indeed, it is because of the fact that public sector projects like highways have to experience intense exposure to dynamic environments. Therefore, it is essential to appreciate the impacts of various dynamic factors (factors that change or progress with the system) on project performance. Thus, this paper presents various sustainability assessment tools that have been globally developed to determine sustainability performance of infrastructure projects during the design, procurement and commissioning phase. Indeed, identification of the current gaps in the available assessment methods provides a potential to add prominent part of knowledge in the field of ‘road project development systems and procedures’ that are generally used by road agencies.

Keywords: dynamic impact factors, micro and macro factors, sustainability assessment framework, sustainability performance

Procedia PDF Downloads 139