Search results for: component based development

Authors: Toleen Alaqqad, Kadi Alshabramiy, Suad Zaafarany, Basma Musallam

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CADmapper is a significant tool of software for transforming geographic data into realistic CAD drawings. It speeds up and simplifies the conversion process by automating it. This allows architects, urban planners, engineers, and geographic information system (GIS) experts to solely concentrate on the imaginative and scientific parts of their projects. While the future incorporation of AI has the potential for further improvements, CADmapper's current capabilities make it an indispensable asset in the business. It covers a combination of 2D and 3D city and urban area models. The user can select a specific square section of the map to view, and the fee is based on the dimensions of the area being viewed. The procedure is straightforward: you choose the area you want, then pick whether or not to include topography. 3D architectural data (if available), followed by selecting whatever design program or CAD style you want to publish the document which contains more than 200 free broad town plans in DXF format. If you desire to specify a bespoke area, it's free up to 1 km2.

Keywords: cadmaper, gdata, 2d and 3d data conversion, automated cad drawing, urban planning software

Procedia PDF Downloads 68

Authors: Saba Ebrahimi, Saeed Ahmadian, Hedie Ashrafi

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World-wide spread of coronavirus grows the concern about planning for the excess demand of hospital services in response to COVID-19 pandemic. The surge in the hospital services demand beyond the current capacity leads to shortage of ICU beds and ventilators in some parts of US. In this study, we forecast the required number of hospital beds and possible shortage of beds in US during COVID-19 pandemic to be used in the planning and hospitalization of new cases. In this paper, we used a data on COVID-19 deaths and patients’ hospitalization besides the data on hospital capacities and utilization in US from publicly available sources and national government websites. we used a novel ensemble modelling of deep learning networks, based on stacking different linear and non-linear layers to predict the shortage in hospital beds. The results showed that our proposed approach can predict the excess hospital beds demand very well and this can be helpful in developing strategies and plans to mitigate this gap.

Keywords: COVID-19, deep learning, ensembled models, hospital capacity planning

Procedia PDF Downloads 157

Authors: Chuang-Hung Lin, Cheng-Yuan Hsu, Jia-Yan Lin

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It is an indispensible strategy to adopt greenery approach on architectural bases so as to improve ecological habitats, decrease heat-island effect, purify air quality, and relieve surface runoff as well as noise pollution, all of which are done in an attempt to achieve sustainable environment. How we can do with plant design to attain the best visual quality and ideal carbon dioxide fixation depends on whether or not we can appropriately make use of greenery according to the nature of architectural bases. To achieve the goal, it is a need that architects and landscape architects should be provided with sufficient local references. Current greenery studies focus mainly on the heat-island effect of urban with large scale. Most of the architects still rely on people with years of expertise regarding the adoption and disposition of plantation in connection with microclimate scale. Therefore, environmental design, which integrates science and aesthetics, requires fundamental research on landscape environment technology divided from building environment technology. By doing so, we can create mutual benefits between green building and the environment. This issue is extremely important for the greening design of the bases of green buildings in cities and various open spaces. The purpose of this study is to establish plant selection and allocation strategies under different building sunshade levels. Initially, with the shading of sunshine on the greening bases as the starting point, the effects of the shades produced by different building types on the greening strategies were analyzed. Then, by measuring the PAR( photosynthetic active radiation), the relative DLI( daily light integral) was calculated, while the DLI Map was established in order to evaluate the effects of the building shading on the established environmental greening, thereby serving as a reference for plant selection and allocation. The discussion results were to be applied in the evaluation of environment greening of greening buildings and establish the “right plant, right place” design strategy of multi-level ecological greening for application in urban design and landscape design development, as well as the greening criteria to feedback to the eco-city greening buildings.

Keywords: daily light integral, plant design, urban open space

Procedia PDF Downloads 511

Authors: Yihua Wang, Yunru Lai

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Statistical process control has been successfully applied in a variety of industries. In some applications, the quality of a process or product is better characterized and summarized by a functional relationship between a response variable and one or more explanatory variables. A collection of this type of data is called a profile. Profile monitoring is used to understand and check the stability of this relationship or curve over time. The independent assumption for the error term is commonly used in the existing profile monitoring studies. However, in many applications, the profile data show correlations over time. Therefore, we focus on a general linear regression model with a first-order autocorrelation between profiles in this study. We propose an exponentially weighted moving average charting scheme to monitor this type of profile. The simulation study shows that our proposed methods outperform the existing schemes based on the average run length criterion.

Keywords: autocorrelation, EWMA control chart, general linear regression model, profile monitoring

Procedia PDF Downloads 460

Authors: Kariem Elhelow

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The task of optimizing teeth surface relations remains perplexing for many dental practitioners. The well-being of teeth, periodontium, and the musculoskeletal system is closely associated with occlusal stability. Dental occlusion is rather far beyond the simple contact of the occlusal surfaces of the opposite jaws, a fact that turned the word “Occlusion” into one of the most complicated puzzles in dentistry. The literature describing the pathological approaches made the practice of occlusion even more intimidating. Understanding the biomechanics of teeth and jaw movements makes the goals of occlusal rehabilitation very lively and simple to practice. The purpose of this article is to establish a path for understanding and practicing the fundamental occlusal principles in a simple yet in depth way. Relying of the evidence based core would deliver a context for showing that occlusion is not as complicated as literatures might reflect. Conclusion: Maintaining a well-defined picture of what a healthy occlusion should be like is very gratifying to both the operator and the patient, with added worth of predictability, esthetics, and function to the whole treatment.

Keywords: occlusal, temporomandibular joint, prosthetic, dentition

Procedia PDF Downloads 129

Authors: Chiang Wei, Hui-Chung Yeh, Yen-Chang Chen

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The objective of this study is to estimate the rainfall using the new generation Himawari-8 meteorological satellite with multi-band, high-bit format, and high spatiotemporal resolution, ground rainfall data at the Chen-Yu-Lan watershed of Joushuei River Basin (443.6 square kilometers) in Central Taiwan. Accurate and fine-scale rainfall information is essential for rugged terrain with high local variation for early warning of flood, landslide, and debris flow disasters. 10-minute and 2 km pixel-based rainfall of Typhoon Megi of 2016 and meiyu on June 1-4 of 2017 were tested to demonstrate the new generation Himawari-8 meteorological satellite can capture rainfall variation in the rugged mountainous area both at fine-scale and watershed scale. The results provide the valuable rainfall information for early warning of future disasters.

Keywords: estimation, Himawari-8, rainfall, satellite imagery

Procedia PDF Downloads 194

Authors: Majeda S. Hammoud

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Background and Aim: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common pregnancy complication affecting around 14% of pregnancies globally that carries short and long-term consequences to the mother and her child. Pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity is the most consistently and strongly associated modifiable risk factor with GDM development. This analysis aimed to determine whether vitamin D status during pregnancy modulates the effect of pre-pregnancy obesity/overweight on GDM risk while stratifying by maternal age. Methods: Data from the Kuwait Birth Cohort (KBC) study were analyzed, which enrolled pregnant women in the second or third trimester of gestation. Pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) was categorized as under/normal weight (<25.0), overweight (25.0 to <30.0), and obesity (≥30.0). 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured in blood samples that were collected at recruitment and categorized as deficiency (<50 nmol/L) and insufficiency/sufficiency (≥50 nmol/L). GDM status was ascertained according to international guidelines. Logistic regression was used to evaluate associations, and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. Results: The analyzed study sample included a total of 982 pregnant women, with a mean (SD) age of 31.4 (5.2) years. The prevalence of GDM was estimated to be 17.3% (95% CI: 14.9-19.7), and the prevalence of pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity was 37.8% (95% CI: 34.8-40.8) and 28.8% (95% CI: 26.0-31.7), respectively. The prevalence of gestational vitamin D deficiency was estimated to be 55.3% (95% CI: 52.2-58.4). The association between pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity with GDM risk differed according to maternal age and gestational vitamin D status (Pinteraction[BMI × age × vitamin D = 0.047). Among pregnant women aged <35 years, prepregnancy obesity compared to under/normal weight was associated with increased GDM risk among women with gestational vitamin D deficiency (aOR: 3.65, 95% CI: 1.50-8.86, p = 0.004) and vitamin D insufficiency/sufficiency (aOR: 2.55, 95% CI: 1.16-5.61, p = 0.019). In contrast, among pregnant women aged ≥35 years, pre-pregnancy obesity compared to under/normal weight was associated with increased GDM risk among women with gestational vitamin D deficiency (aOR: 9.70, 95% CI: 2.01-46.69, p = 0.005), but not among women with vitamin D insufficiency/sufficiency (aOR: 1.46, 95% CI: 0.42-5.16, p = 0.553). Conclusion: The effect of pre-pregnancy obesity on GDM risk is modulated by maternal age and gestational vitamin D status, with the effect of pre-pregnancy obesity being more pronounced among older pregnant women (aged ≥35 years) with gestational vitamin D deficiency compared to those with vitamin D insufficiency/sufficiency. Whereas, among younger women (aged <35 years), the effect of pre-pregnancy obesity on GDM risk was not modulated by gestational vitamin D status. Therefore, vitamin D supplementation among pregnant women, specifically older women with pre-pregnancy obesity, may mitigate the effect of pre-pregnancy obesity on GDM risk.

Keywords: gestational diabetes mellitus, vitamin D, obesity, body mass index

Procedia PDF Downloads 38

Authors: Devika Tanna

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'Biometrics' means 'life measurement' but the term is usually associated with the use of unique physiological characteristics to identify an individual. It is important to secure the privacy of digital face image that is stored in central database. To impart privacy to such biometric face images, first, the digital face image is split into two host face images such that, each of it gives no idea of existence of the original face image and, then each cover image is stored in two different databases geographically apart. When both the cover images are simultaneously available then only we can access that original image. This can be achieved by using the XM2VTS and IMM face database, an adaptive algorithm for spatial greyscale. The algorithm helps to select the appropriate host images which are most likely to be compatible with the secret image stored in the central database based on its geometry and appearance. The encryption is done using GEVCS which results in a reconstructed image identical to the original private image.

Keywords: adaptive algorithm, database, host images, privacy, visual cryptography

Procedia PDF Downloads 130

Authors: Nikhil Padhye, Ellen Kintz, Dan Dorci

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Recent years have seen a rising interest in study and applications of materially uniform thin-structures (plates/shells) subject to finite-bending and stretching deformations. We introduce a well-posed 2D-model involving finite-bending and stretching of thin-structures to approximate the three-dimensional equilibria. Key features of this approach include: Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS)-based spatial discretization for finite elements, method of dynamic relaxation to predict stable equilibria, and no a priori kinematic assumption on the deformation fields. The approach is validated against the benchmark problems,and the use of NURBS for spatial discretization facilitates exact spatial representation and computation of curvatures (due to C1-continuity of interpolated displacements) for this higher-order accuracy 2D-model.

Keywords: Isogeometric Analysis, Plates/Shells , Finite Element Methods, Dynamic Relaxation

Procedia PDF Downloads 168

Authors: Stefanie Rukavina, Sascha Gruss, Steffen Walter, Holger Hoffmann, Harald C. Traue

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OPEN-EmoRecII is an open multimodal corpus with experimentally induced emotions. In the first half of the experiment, emotions were induced with standardized picture material and in the second half during a human-computer interaction (HCI), realized with a wizard-of-oz design. The induced emotions are based on the dimensional theory of emotions (valence, arousal and dominance). These emotional sequences - recorded with multimodal data (mimic reactions, speech, audio and physiological reactions) during a naturalistic-like HCI-environment one can improve classification methods on a multimodal level. This database is the result of an HCI-experiment, for which 30 subjects in total agreed to a publication of their data including the video material for research purposes. The now available open corpus contains sensory signal of: video, audio, physiology (SCL, respiration, BVP, EMG Corrugator supercilii, EMG Zygomaticus Major) and mimic annotations.

Keywords: open multimodal emotion corpus, annotated labels, intelligent interaction

Procedia PDF Downloads 416

Authors: Malik Abid Hussain Khokhar, Muhammad Naveed Tahir, Muhammad Amin

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Energy demand has been increased manifold due to increasing population, urban sprawl and rapid socio-economic improvements. Low water capacity in dams for continuation of hydrological power, land cover and land use are the key parameters which are creating problems for more energy production. Overall installed hydropower capacity of Pakistan is more than 35000 MW whereas Pakistan is producing up to 17000 MW and the requirement is more than 22000 that is resulting shortfall of 5000 - 7000 MW. Therefore, there is a dire need to develop small hydropower to fulfill the up-coming requirements. In this regards, excessive rainfall, snow nurtured fast flowing perennial tributaries and streams in northern mountain regions of Pakistan offer a gigantic scope of hydropower potential throughout the year. Rivers flowing in KP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) province, GB (Gilgit Baltistan) and AJK (Azad Jammu & Kashmir) possess sufficient water availability for rapid energy growth. In the backdrop of such scenario, small hydropower plants are believed very suitable measures for more green environment and power sustainable option for the development of such regions. Aim of this study is to estimate hydropower potential sites for small hydropower plants and stream distribution as per steam network available in the available basins in the study area. The proposed methodology will focus on features to meet the objectives i.e. site selection of maximum hydropower potential for hydroelectric generation using well emerging GIS tool SWAT as hydrological run-off model on the Neelum, Kunhar and the Dor Rivers’ basins. For validation of the results, NDWI will be computed to show water concentration in the study area while overlaying on geospatial enhanced DEM. This study will represent analysis of basins, watershed, stream links, and flow directions with slope elevation for hydropower potential to produce increasing demand of electricity by installing small hydropower stations. Later on, this study will be benefitted for other adjacent regions for further estimation of site selection for installation of such small power plants as well.

Keywords: energy, stream network, basins, SWAT, evapotranspiration

Procedia PDF Downloads 221

Authors: W. Sun, W. Wen, J. Lu, A. A. Becker

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In this work, methods for determining creep properties which can be used to represent the full life until failure from miniature specimen creep tests based on analytical solutions are presented. Examples used to demonstrate the application of the methods include a miniature rectangular thin beam specimen creep test under three-point bending and a miniature two-material tensile specimen creep test subjected to a steady load. Mathematical expressions for deflection and creep strain rate of the two specimens were presented for the Kachanov-Rabotnov creep damage model. On this basis, an inverse procedure was developed which has potential applications for deriving the full life creep damage constitutive properties from a very small volume of material, in particular, for various microstructure constitutive  regions, e.g. within heat-affected zones of power plant pipe weldments. Further work on validation and improvement of the method is addressed.

Keywords: creep damage property, miniature specimen, inverse approach, finite element modeling

Procedia PDF Downloads 231

Authors: Saleh Elawgali

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In order to present the effect of the dynamic eccentricity on the stator currents of squirrel cage induction machines, the current spectrums of a 550 kW induction motor was calculated for the cases of full symmetry and dynamic eccentricity. The calculations presented in this paper are based on the Poly-Harmonic Model accounting for static and dynamic eccentricity, stator and rotor slotting, parallel branches as well as cage asymmetry. The calculations were followed by Fourier analysis of the stator currents in steady state operation. The paper presents the stator current spectrums for full symmetry and dynamic eccentricity cases, and demonstrates the harmonics present in each case. The effect of dynamic eccentricity is demonstrating via comparing the current spectrums related to dynamic eccentricity cases with the full symmetry one.

Keywords: current spectrum, dynamic eccentricity, harmonics, Induction machine, slot harmonic zone.

Procedia PDF Downloads 399

Authors: Adel Almasarwah

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This study investigates the nature of association between profit warnings and stock price informativeness in the context of Jordan as an emerging country. The analysis is based on the response of stock price synchronicity to profit warnings percentages that have been published in Jordanian firms throughout the period spanning 2005–2016 in the Amman Stock Exchange. The standard of profit warnings indicators have related negatively to stock price synchronicity in Jordanian firms, meaning that firms with a high portion of profit warnings integrate with more firm-specific information into stock price. Robust regression was used rather than OLS as a parametric test to overcome the variances inflation factor (VIF) and heteroscedasticity issues recognised as having occurred during running the OLS regression; this enabled us to obtained stronger results that fall in line with our prediction that higher profit warning encourages firm investors to collect and process more firm-specific information than common market information.

Keywords: Profit Warnings, Jordanian Firms, Stock Price Informativeness, Synchronicity

Procedia PDF Downloads 142

Authors: Elmo Thiao Lins Cöuras Ford, Valentina Alessandra Carvalho do Vale, R. M. Nascimento, J. U. L. Mendes

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Now the great majority of the applications of thermal isolation in the strip of drops and averages temperatures (up to 200ºC), it is made being used from aggressive materials to the nature such an as: glass wool, rock wool, polystyrene, EPS among others. Such materials, in spite of the effectiveness in the retention of the flow of heat, possess considerable cost and when discarded they are long years to be to decompose. In that context, trying to adapt the world politics the about of the preservation of the environment, a study began with intention of developing a material composite, with properties of thermal, originating from insulating industrial residues. In this research, the behavior of the composite was analyzed, as submitted the fire. For this, the reaction rehearsals were accomplished to the fire for the composites 2:1; 1:1; 1:2 and for the latex, based in the "con" experiment in agreement with the norm ASTM–E 1334-90. As consequence, in function of the answers of the system, was possible to observe to the acting of each mixture proportion.

Keywords: composite, Latex, reacion to the fire, thermal isolation

Procedia PDF Downloads 435

Authors: Animut Meseret Simachew

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Parallel Code Phase Search Acquisition (PCSA) Algorithm has been considered as a promising method in GPS software receivers for detection and estimation of the accurate correlation peak between the received Global Positioning System (GPS) signal and locally generated replicas. GPS signal acquisition in highly dense multipath environments is the main research challenge. In this work, we proposed a robust variable step-size (RVSS) PCSA algorithm based on fast frequency transform (FFT) filtering technique to mitigate short time delay multipath signals. Simulation results reveal the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm over the conventional PCSA algorithm. The proposed RVSS-PCSA algorithm equalizes the received carrier wiped-off signal with locally generated C/A code.

Keywords: adaptive PCSA, detection and estimation, GPS signal acquisition, GPS software receiver

Procedia PDF Downloads 117

Authors: Evy Sulistianingsih, Mariatul Kiftiah, Dedi Rosadi, Heni Wahyuni

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This research attempts to analyse palm oil production and rubber production to prosperity of the community of ten districts in West Kalimantan namely Sanggau, Sintang, Sambas, Ketapang, Bengkayang, Landak, Singkawang, Kapuas Hulu, Melawi and Sekadau by panel regression. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the districts will be used to be a prosperity indicator on this research. Based on the result of analysis, it can be concluded that palm oil and rubber production statistically give contribution to GDP. Adjusted coefficient determination of Fixed Effect Model indicates that 76% of GDP’s variation can be explained by palm oil and rubber production. In another point of view, there should be a district’s government intervention to regulate the plantations. In addition, there is an obligation of the government to monitor regularly the plantations and to conduct researches in order to govern better planning of lands that have been used to the plantations. So that, the environmental effects that have been caused by the plantation can be diminished.

Keywords: gross domestic product (GDP), panel, palm, welfare

Procedia PDF Downloads 255

Authors: Agustin Baidez, Yolanda Ramirez

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There is currently a growing interest in the improvement of university governance and the disclosure of information on governance processes as an essential part of the transparency and accountability of universities. This paper aims to examine the extent and quality of voluntary corporate governance disclosure by public Spanish universities on their websites in relation to information need of stakeholders. The results of this study show that Spanish university stakeholders attach great importance to the disclosure of specific information on aspects of corporate governance. However, the quality of disclosed information on university governance in public Spanish universities websites is in the middle level. In order to satisfy the information needs of university stakeholders, Spanish universities can be recommended to focus on reporting higher quality information on university autonomy in financing, autonomy in management, autonomy regarding student selection and assessment, degree of consanguinity of executive directors, report on assigned public funding based on results, and management reports.

Keywords: university, governance, transparency, stakeholders

Procedia PDF Downloads 57

Authors: N. H. S. Mustafa, N. M. Yatim

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Thermoelectric materials arrange in segmented design could increase the conversion of heat to electricity performance. This is due to the properties of materials that perform peak at narrow temperature range. Performance of the materials determines by dimensionless figure-of-merit, ZT which consist of thermoelectric properties namely Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity. Since different materials were arrange in segmented, determination of ZT cannot be measured using the conventional approach. Therefore, this research used 'open-short circuit' technique to measure the segmented performance. Segmented thermoelectric materials consist of bismuth telluride, and lead telluride was segmented together under cold press technique. The results show thermoelectric properties measured is comparable with calculated based on commercially available of individual material. Performances of segmented sample under different polarity also indicate dependability of material with position and temperature. Segmented materials successfully measured under real condition and optimization of the segmented can be designed from the study of polarity change.

Keywords: thermoelectric, segmented, ZT, polarity, performance

Procedia PDF Downloads 202

Authors: Sunday Odunaiya

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The statistics of banks in operation in this current dispensation compared to some decades ago has brought about a lot of changes on the face of the financial system. The demand of customers, technological advancement, and government policies among others has therefore generated a lot of heat for financial sector’s growth, sustenance and survival. This paper discusses mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in banking sector using West Africa as a yardstick of evaluation. It explains rigorously the conditions that warrant mergers and acquisitions in the banking sector, its effect, and how to ensure mergers and acquisitions effectiveness in the banking sector. The conceptual and empirical review of the relevant literature were done systematically while value-increasing and value-decreasing theories were used to substantiate the discourse. Findings of this paper show that mergers and acquisitions is a practical and conscious activity in Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast from earliest time till date with tremendous turnaround in the financial sector. It was found out that M&A is consensually arrived at by the targets and the acquirer on a value-based account. In other words, merger and acquisition is a deliberate decision reached by the management of such bank for a ‘just cause’.

Keywords: acquisitions, merger, management, financial sector

Procedia PDF Downloads 276

Authors: Lisa Handwerker

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Using a Medical Anthropological lens, the paper will explore ideas elated to "aging in place" among Northern Californian older adults. Older adults seek independence, autonomy, flexibility, engagement, fulfillment and community in their pursuit of the highest quality of life. These values are at the heart of healthy and active "aging in place'. Drawing on a case study, the paper will examine one membership based non-profit organization for older adults united by the members' desire to be healthy and active while remaining in their homes for as long as possible. Relying on both volunteer and paid work, the paper explores the use of volunteer peer-to peer support, community building and advanced technologies toward this goal.

Keywords: aging in place, healthy and active aging, northern california, medical anthropologist, engagement, autonomy, flexibility, community, volunteers, quality of life

Procedia PDF Downloads 101

Authors: Mohamad Shurair, Fares Almomani, Simon Judd, Rahul Bhosale, Anand Kumar, Ujjal Gosh

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This study evaluated the use of mixed indigenous microalgae (MIMA) as a treatment process for wastewaters and CO2 capturing technology at different temperatures. The study follows the growth rate of MIMA, removals of organic matter, removal of nutrients from synthetic wastewater and its effectiveness as CO2 capturing technology from flue gas. A noticeable difference between the growth patterns of MIMA was observed at different CO2 and different operational temperatures. MIMA showed the highest growth grate when injected with CO2 dosage of 10% and limited growth was observed for the systems injected with 5% and 15 % of CO2 at 30 ◦C. Ammonia and phosphorus removals for Spirulina were 69%, 75%, and 83%, and 20%, 45%, and 75% for the media injected with 0, 5 and 10% CO2. The results of this study show that simple and cost-effective microalgae-based wastewater treatment systems can be successfully employed at different temperatures as a successful CO2 capturing technology even with the small probability of inhibition at high temperatures

Keywords: greenhouse, climate change, CO2 capturing, green algae

Procedia PDF Downloads 333

Authors: Fatima Gouiferda

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Uncertainty and competitiveness are changing firm’s environment to become more complicated. The competition is moving to supply chain’s level, and firms need to collaborate and innovate to survive. In the current economy, common efforts between organizations and developing new capacities mutually are the key resources in gaining collaborative advantage and enhancing supply chain performance. The purpose of this paper is to explore different practices of collaboration activities that exist in the pharmaceutical industry of Morocco. Also, to inquire how these practices affect supply chain performance. The exploration is based on interpretativism research paradigm. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews from supply chain practitioners. Qualitative data was analyzed via Iramuteq software to explore different themes of the study.The findings include descriptive analysis as a result of data processing using Iramuteq. It also encompasses the content analysis of the themes extracted from interviews.

Keywords: inter-firm relationships, collaboration, supply chain innovation, morocco

Procedia PDF Downloads 63

Authors: Yi-Hao Pai, Wen-Feng Chen

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The planting area of Pomelo in Hualien, Taiwan amounts to thousands of hectares. Especially in the blooming season of Pomelo, it is an important producing area for Pomelo honey, and it is also a good test field for promoting the "Under-forest Economy". However, in the current Pomelo garden planting and management operations, the large amount of agricultural waste generated by the pruning of the branches causes environmental sanitation concerns, which can lead to the hiding of pests or the infection of the Pomelo tree, and indirectly increase the health risks of bees. Therefore, how to deal with the pruning of the branches and avoid open burning is a topic of social concern in recent years. In this research, afeasibility study evaluating energy conversion efficiency through agricultural waste gasification from the Pomelo garden, Taiwan, is demonstrated. we used a high-temperature gasifier to convert the pruning of the branches into syngas and biochar. In terms of syngas composition and calorific value assessment, we use the biogas monitoring system for analysis. Then, we used Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy (EM) to diagnose the microstructure and surface morphology of biochar. The results indicate that the 1 ton of pruning of the branches can produce 1797.03m3 of syngas, corresponding to a calorific value of 9.1MJ/m3. The main components of the gas include CH4, H2, CO, and CO2, and the corresponding gas composition ratio is 16.8%, 7.1%, 13.7%, and 24.5%. Through the biomass syngas generator with a conversion efficiency of 30% for power generation, a total of 1,358kWh can be obtained per ton of pruning of the branches. In the research of biochar, its main characteristics in Raman spectroscopy are G bands and D bands. The first-order G and D bands are at 1580 and 1350 cm⁻¹, respectively. The G bands originates from the in-plane tangential stretching of the C−C bonds in the graphitic structure, and theD band corresponds to scattering from local defects or disorders present in carbon. The area ratio of D and G peaks (D/G) increases with the decrease of reaction temperature. The larger the D/G, the higher the defect concentration and the higher the porosity. This result is consistent with the microstructure displayed by SEM. The study is expected to be able to reuse agricultural waste and promote the development of agricultural and green energy circular economy.

Keywords: agricultural waste, gasification, energy conversion, pomelo garden

Procedia PDF Downloads 142

Authors: Oscar Orlando Ortiz Rodriguez, Raquel A. Villamizar-G, Alexander Araque

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There is a total of 1027 municipal development plants in Colombia, 70% of municipalities had Potable Water Treatment Plants (PWTPs) in urban areas and 20% in rural areas. These PWTPs are typically supplied by surface waters (mainly rivers) and resort to gravity, pumping and/or mixed systems to get the water from the catchment point, where the first stage of the potable water process takes place. Subsequently, a series of conventional methods are applied, consisting in a more or less standardized sequence of physicochemical and, sometimes, biological treatment processes which vary depending on the quality of the water that enters the plant. These processes require energy and chemical supplies in order to guarantee an adequate product for human consumption. Therefore, in this paper, we applied the environmental methodology of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental loads of a potable water treatment plant (PWTP) located in northeastern Colombia following international guidelines of ISO 14040. The different stages of the potable water process, from the catchment point through pumping to the distribution network, were thoroughly assessed. The functional unit was defined as 1 m³ of water treated. The data were analyzed through the database Ecoinvent v.3.01, and modeled and processed in the software LCA-Data Manager. The results allowed determining that in the plant, the largest impact was caused by Clarifloc (82%), followed by Chlorine gas (13%) and power consumption (4%). In this context, the company involved in the sustainability of the potable water service should ideally reduce these environmental loads during the potable water process. A strategy could be the use of Clarifloc can be reduced by applying coadjuvants or other coagulant agents. Also, the preservation of the hydric source that supplies the treatment plant constitutes an important factor, since its deterioration confers unfavorable features to the water that is to be treated. By concluding, treatment processes and techniques, bioclimatic conditions and culturally driven consumption behavior vary from region to region. Furthermore, changes in treatment processes and techniques are likely to affect the environment during all stages of a plant’s operation cycle.

Keywords: climate change, environmental impact, life cycle assessment, treated water

Procedia PDF Downloads 224

Authors: Abdulrazak Jinadu Otaru, Ahmed Almulhim, Hassan Alhassan, Mohammed Sabri

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Saudi Arabia is host to a state-owned oil and gas corporation, known as Saudi ARAMCO, that is responsible for the highest emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) due to the heavy reliance on fossil fuels as an energy source for various sectors such as transportation, aerospace, manufacturing, and residential use. Unfortunately, the detrimental consequences of CO₂ emissions include escalating temperatures in the Middle East region, posing significant obstacles in terms of food security and water scarcity for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As part of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to reduce the country's reliance on fossil fuels by 50 %, this study focuses on designing a plant that will produce approximately 100,000 metric tons per year (MTPY) of green hydrogen (H₂) using brine as the primary feedstock. The proposed facility incorporates a double electrolytic technology that first separates brine or sodium chloride (NaCl) into sodium hydroxide, hydrogen gas, and chlorine gas. The sodium hydroxide is then used as an electrolyte in the splitting of water molecules through the supply of electrical energy in a second-stage electrolyser to produce green hydrogen. The study encompasses a comprehensive analysis of process descriptions and flow diagrams, as well as materials and energy balances. It also includes equipment design and specification, cost analysis, and considerations for safety and environmental impact. The design capitalizes on the abundant brine supply, a byproduct of the world's largest desalination plant located in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the design incorporates the use of available renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, to power the proposed plant. This approach not only helps reduce carbon emissions but also aligns with Saudi Arabia's energy transition policy. Furthermore, it supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on Sustainable Cities and Communities (Goal 11) and Climate Action (Goal 13), benefiting not only Saudi Arabia but also other countries in the Middle East.

Keywords: plant design, electrolysis, brine, sodium hydroxide, chlorine gas, green hydrogen

Procedia PDF Downloads 48

Authors: H. Saadi-Idouhar, A. Smai, S. Zenia, F. Haddadj, A. Saadi, M. Aissi, S. Doumandji

Abstract:

In Algeria, the Partridge gambra is a highly sought-after game species and is appreciated for its meat. Game birds are of interest because they play an important role for hunting federations and for the economy of a country. The breeding of indigenous breeds is necessary because it is of great economic interest. However, gambra breeding in the hunting centre of Zeralda (northern west of Algiers) is not easy, several diseases affecting Perdreaux and reproducing adults have been noted. Most of the diseases observed are parasitic in origin. This study is conducted during the 2010 breeding season. It is based on the autopsy of cadavers collected at the hunting centre and parasitic coprology. Indeed, the flotation enrichment method has identified several parasites such as Eimeria spp., Capillaria spp., and Ascaridia spp. Autopsied corpses show the importance of two major diseases, syngamosis caused to Syngamus trachea and histomonosis caused to Histomonas meleagridis.

Keywords: partridge, livestock, eggs, affections pathology

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Authors: Arindam Chaudhuri

Abstract:

The research presents epsilon- hierarchical fuzzy twin support vector regression (epsilon-HFTSVR) based on epsilon-fuzzy twin support vector regression (epsilon-FTSVR) and epsilon-twin support vector regression (epsilon-TSVR). Epsilon-FTSVR is achieved by incorporating trapezoidal fuzzy numbers to epsilon-TSVR which takes care of uncertainty existing in forecasting problems. Epsilon-FTSVR determines a pair of epsilon-insensitive proximal functions by solving two related quadratic programming problems. The structural risk minimization principle is implemented by introducing regularization term in primal problems of epsilon-FTSVR. This yields dual stable positive definite problems which improves regression performance. Epsilon-FTSVR is then reformulated as epsilon-HFTSVR consisting of a set of hierarchical layers each containing epsilon-FTSVR. Experimental results on both synthetic and real datasets reveal that epsilon-HFTSVR has remarkable generalization performance with minimum training time.

Keywords: regression, epsilon-TSVR, epsilon-FTSVR, epsilon-HFTSVR

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Authors: Siamak Jamshidi

Abstract:

The Caspian Sea is the Earth's largest inland body of water. One of the most important issues related to the sea is water level changes. For measuring and recording Caspian Sea water level, there are at least three gauges and radar equipment in Anzali, Nowshahr and Amirabad Ports along the southern boundary of the Caspian Sea. It seems that evaporation, hotter surface air temperature, and in general climate change is the main reasons for its water level fluctuations. Gorgan Bay in the eastern part of the southern boundary of the Caspian Sea is one of the areas under the effect of water level fluctuation. Based on the results of field measurements near the Gorgan Bay mouth temperature ranged between 24°C–28°C and salinity was about 13.5 PSU in midsummer while temperature changed between 10-11.5°C and salinity mostly was 15-16.5 PSU in mid-winter. The decrease of Caspian Sea water level and rivers outflow are the two most important factors for the increase in water salinity of the Gorgan Bay. Results of field observations showed that, due to atmospheric factors, climate changes and decreasing of precipitation over the southern basin of the Caspian Sea during last decades, the water level of bay was reduced around 0.5 m.

Keywords: Caspian Sea, Gorgan Bay, water level fluctuation, climate changes

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Authors: Miyoko Taniguchi

Abstract:

Conflict and violence have prevailed over the last four decades in conflict-affected areas in Muslim Mindanao, despite the signing of several peace agreements between the Philippine government and Islamic separatist insurgents (the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)), and peacebuilding activities on the ground. In the meantime, the peace talks had been facilitated and mediated by international actors such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and its member countries such as Indonesia, and Malaysia, and Japan. In 2014, both the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF finally reached a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CAB) in 2014 under the Aquino III administration, though a Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) based on the CAB was not enacted at the Catholic-majority of the Philippine Congress. After a long process of deliberations at the Congress, Republic Act 11054, known as the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), was enacted in 2018 under the Duterate administration. In the beginning, President Duterte adopted an 'inclusive approach' that involves the MILF, all factions of the MNLF, non-Islamized indigenous peoples, and other influential clan leaders to align all peace processes under a single Bangsamoro peace process. A notable difference from past administrations, there is an explicit recognition of all agreements and legislations based on the rights of each stakeholder. This created a new identity as 'Bangsamoro', the residents of Muslim Mindanao, enhancing political legitimacy. Besides, it should be noted an important role of 'insider mediators' -a platform for the Bangsamoro from diverse sectors attempting to work within their respective organizations in Moro society. Give the above background, this paper aims at probing the effectiveness of insider mediation as one of the alternative approaches for mediation in the peace process. For the objectives, this research uses qualitative methods such as process-tracing and semi-structured interviews from diverse groups of stakeholders at from the state to the regional level, including the government officials involved in peace process under the Presidential Office, rebels (MILF and MNLF), civil society organizations involved in lobbying and facilitating peace process, especially in the legislative process. The key outcomes and findings are that the Insider Mediators Group, formed in 2016, had taken on a significant role in facilitating the achievement of a wider consensus among stakeholders on major Moro issues such as BBL’s passing during the last administration to call for unity among the Bangsamoro. Most of its members are well-educated professionals affiliated with the MILF, the MNLF, and influential clans. One of the group’s biggest achievements has been the lobbying and provision of legal advice to legislators who were not necessarily knowledgeable about the peace process during the deliberation of the bicameral conference of the BBL, which eventually led to its passage. It can be concluded that in the long run, strengthening vertical and horizontal relations between the Moro society and the State and among the Moro peoples that can be viewed as a means to sustainable peace.

Keywords: insider mediation, Mindanao, peace process, Moro Islamic liberation front

Procedia PDF Downloads 119