Search results for: management of intellectual property rights

Authors: Imen Debbabi, Hédi BelHadjSalah

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The Improved Element Free Galerkin (IEFG) method is presented to treat the steady states and the transient heat transfer problems. As a result of a combination between the Improved Moving Least Square (IMLS) approximation and the Element Free Galerkin (EFG) method, the IEFG's shape functions don't have the Kronecker delta property and the penalty method is used to impose the Dirichlet boundary conditions. In this paper, two heat transfer problems, transient and steady states, are studied to improve the efficiency of this meshfree method for 2D heat transfer problems. The performance of the IEFG method is shown using the comparison between numerical and analytic results.

Keywords: meshfree methods, the Improved Moving Least Square approximation (IMLS), the Improved Element Free Galerkin method (IEFG), heat transfer problems

Procedia PDF Downloads 395

Authors: Ossama Matrane

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Information System has become a strategic lever for enterprises. It contributes effectively to align business processes on strategies of enterprises. It is regarded as an increase in productivity and effectiveness. So, many organizations are currently involved in implementing sustainable Information System. And, a large number of studies have been conducted the last decade in order to define the success factors of information system. Thus, many studies on maturity model have been carried out. Some of this study is referred to the maturity model of Information System. In this article, we report on development of maturity models specifically designed for information system. This model is built based on three components derived from Maturity Model for Information Security Management, OPM3 for Project Management Maturity Model and processes of COBIT for IT governance. Thus, our proposed model defines three maturity stages for corporate a strong Information System to support objectives of organizations. It provides a very practical structure with which to assess and improve Information System Implementation.

Keywords: information system, maturity models, information security management, OPM3, IT governance

Procedia PDF Downloads 450

Authors: Sathish Kumar Jayaraj

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The study of urban traffic dynamics, underpinned by the principles of fluid dynamics, offers a distinct perspective to comprehend and enhance the efficiency of traffic flow within bustling cityscapes. Leveraging the concept of the Traffic Flow Factor (TFF) as an analog to the Reynolds number, this research delves into the intricate interplay between traffic density, velocity, and road category, drawing compelling parallels to fluid dynamics phenomena. By introducing the notion of Vehicle Shearing Resistance (VSR) as an analogy to dynamic viscosity, the study sheds light on the multifaceted influence of traffic regulations, lane management, and road infrastructure on the smoothness and resilience of traffic flow. The TFF equation serves as a comprehensive metric for quantifying traffic dynamics, enabling the identification of congestion hotspots, the optimization of traffic signal timings, and the formulation of data-driven traffic management strategies. The study underscores the critical significance of integrating fluid dynamics principles into the domain of urban traffic management, fostering sustainable transportation practices, and paving the way for a more seamless and resilient urban mobility ecosystem.

Keywords: traffic flow factor (TFF), urban traffic dynamics, fluid dynamics principles, vehicle shearing resistance (VSR), traffic congestion management, sustainable urban mobility

Procedia PDF Downloads 67

Authors: Md. Tawohidul Haque

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The main objective of this study is to explore the nature, types and, causes of the involvement of criminal activities of the university students using social media namely Social Networking Sites (SNS). The evidence shows that the students have greater chance to involve such criminal activities during sharing their personal messages, photos, and even sharing their academic works. Used qualitative case studies with six students from two universities, this study provides a detail information about the processes how this media provokes the students to commit to the criminal activities such as unethical pose, naked picture, post against persona’s prestige and dignity as well as social position, phone call at midnight, personal threats, sexual offer, kidnapping attitude, and so on. This finding would be an important guideline for the media persons, policy makers, restorative justice, and human rights workers.

Keywords: social media, criminal victimization, human gathering scheme, social code of ethics

Procedia PDF Downloads 159

Authors: Okpanachi Linus Odiji, Chris Ogwu Attah

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Election is no doubt widely assumed as one of the most suitable means of resolving political quagmires even though it has never been bereft of conflict which can manifest before, during, or after polls. What, however, advances democracy and promotes electoral integrity is the existence and effectiveness of institutional frameworks for electoral conflict management. Electoral conflicts are no doubt unique in the sense that they represent the struggles of people over the control of public resources. In most cases, the stakes involved are high and emotional that they do not only undermine inter-group relationship but also threaten national security. The need, therefore, for an effectively functional conflict management apparatus becomes imperative. While at the State level, there exist numerous governmental initiatives at various electoral stages aimed at managing conflicts, this paper examines the activities of the mass media, which is another prominent stakeholder in the electoral process. Even though media influence has increased tremendously in the last decade, researchers are yet to agree on its utility in the management of conflicts. Guided by the social responsibility theory of media reporting and drawing data from observed trends in Kogi state, the paper, which context analyses the 2019 gubernatorial election coverage in the state, observes both conflict escalation and de-escalation roles in the media. To mitigate conflict reporting misrepresentation, therefore, a common approach to conflict reporting should be designed and ordered by the National Broadcasting Commission as well as the Nigerian Press Council. This should be garnished with the training of journalists on conflict reporting and development of a standard conflict reporting procedure.

Keywords: conflict management, electoral conflict, mass media, media reporting

Procedia PDF Downloads 158

Authors: D. Ponnamma, E. Alper, P. Sharma, M. A. AlMaadeed

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Integrating efficient energy harvesting materials into soft, flexible and eco-friendly substrates could yield significant breakthroughs in wearable and flexible electronics. Here we present a tri phasic filler combination of one-dimensional titanium dioxide nanotubes, two-dimensional reduced graphene oxide, and three-dimensional strontium titanate, introduced into a semi crystalline polymer, Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene). Simple mixing method is adopted for the composite fabrication after ensuring a high interaction among the various fillers. The films prepared were mainly tested for the piezoelectric responses and the mechanical stretchability. The results show that the piezoelectric constant has increased while changing the total filler concentration. We propose an integration of these materials in fabricating energy conversion devices useful in flexible and wearable electronics.

Keywords: dielectric property, hydrothermal growth, piezoelectricity, polymer nanocomposites

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Authors: Liang Zhao, Guangwen Wang, Guichang Liu

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Constant potometer is an important component of pipeline anti-corrosion systems in the chemical industry. Based on Internet of Things (IoT) technology, Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) technology and database technology, this paper developed a set of a constant potometer remote monitoring management system. The remote monitoring and remote adjustment of the working status of the constant potometer are realized. The system has real-time data display, historical data query, alarm push management, user permission management, and supporting Web access and mobile client application (APP) access. The actual engineering project test results show the stability of the system, which can be widely used in cathodic protection systems.

Keywords: internet of things, pipe corrosion protection, potentiostat, remote monitoring

Procedia PDF Downloads 151

Authors: Maciej Kozlowski, Agnieszka Piotrowska-Piatek

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Purpose: This article analyses the most important financial participation programmes (FPP) in Poland to show the relationship between the programmes applied and the socio-economic results of enterprises and assesses the impact of participation on these results and the impact of selected factors on the introduction of FPP. Methodology: The research has been based on a questionnaire answered by senior management of listed Polish companies that had at least one out of three major FPPs in operation, namely share ownership, profit-sharing, or a stock option scheme. Findings: The results of the empirical study conducted indicate the existence of some peculiar relationships. The vast majority of schemes in Polish public companies are aimed at the participation of the management personnel; these programmes are narrow-based (only for management) and rather hermetic, with a high concentration of stocks or shares in the hands of the management. Conclusion: FPPs generally have a positive influence on enterprise functioning. However, the effects are more social than economic (no significant economic improvement after programme implementation). The paper contributes to the debate about financial participation and suggests actions to popularize these programmes on a wider scale.

Keywords: financial participation, profit sharing, stock options, worker attitude, worker ownership

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Authors: Leila Niroomand, Reza Rafigh

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Nowadays, the world is going under a dramatic change from an industry-centered society to an information-centered one. In other words, we are experiencing a transition from real, physical world into a virtual one. Stepping into the information age and running an effective life within the information-centered society demands getting acquainted with characteristics peculiar to such society. Recently, new technologies such as telecommunication and mobile technologies have changed vehemently and accumulation of achievements and information has become so important and brought about changes in occupational structures. The intellectual structure of this day and age depends on deep attention to creative and knowledge-based human resource collaboration instead of merely functioning human resource. Present study scrutinizes the contribution of different dimensions of mobile technologies including perceived use, perceived enjoyment, continuance intention, confirmation and satisfaction to the creativity of personnel. The statistical population included infrastructure communications company employees totaling 2431 persons out of which 331 individuals were chosen as sample based on Morgan and Krejcie table. This research is descriptive and the questionnaire was used for data gathering and it was distributed among those who used telegram application. 228 questionnaires were analyzed by the researcher. Applying SPSS software, Pierson correlation coefficient was analyzed and it was found out that all dimensions of mobile technologies except satisfaction correlate with the creativity of employees.

Keywords: mobile technologies, continuance intention, perceived enjoyment, confirmation, satisfaction, creativity, perceived use

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Authors: Monette S. De Castro, Veneranda A. Magpantay, Christine B. Adiova, Mark D. Arboleda

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One-hundred-layer chicken farmers were randomly selected and interviewed using structured questionnaires to assess the production system and management practices in layer chicken farms. The respondents belonged to the commercial scale operation. Results showed that the predominant rearing and housing systems were intensive/complete confinement and open-sided, while slatted was the common type of flooring used during the brood-grow period. Dekalb and Lohmann were the common chicken layer strains reared by farmers. The majority of commercial chicken layer farms preferred ready-to-lay (RTL) pullets as their replacement stocks. Selling was the easiest way for farmers to dispose of and utilize poultry manure, while veterinary waste and mortality were disposed of in pits. Biosecurity practices employed by the farmers conformed with the ASEAN Biosecurity Management Manual for Commercial Poultry Farming. Flies and odor were the major problems in most layer farms that are associated with their farm wastes. Therefore, the application of new technologies and husbandry practices through training and actual demonstrations could be implemented to further improve the layer chicken raising in the province.

Keywords: layer chicken farms, marketing, production system, waste management

Procedia PDF Downloads 78

Authors: Naser Ojaroudi Parchin, Atta Ullah, Haleh Jahanbakhsh Basherlou, Raed A. Abd-Alhameed, Peter S. Excell

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A design of beam-steerable antenna array for the future cellular communication (5G) is presented. The proposed design contains eight elements of compact end-fire antennas arranged on the top edge of smartphone printed circuit board (PCB). Configuration of the antenna element consists of the conductive patterns on the top and bottom copper foil layers and a substrate layer with a via-hole. The simulated results including input-impedance and also fundamental radiation properties have been presented and discussed. The impedance bandwidth (S₁₁ ≤ -10 dB) of the antenna spans from 17.5 to 21 GHz (more than 3 GHz bandwidth) with a resonance at 19 GHz. The antenna exhibits end-fire (directional) radiation beams with wide-angle scanning property and could be used for the future 5G beam-forming. Furthermore, the characteristics of the array design in the vicinity of user-hand are studied.

Keywords: beam-steering, end-fire radiation mode, mobile-phone antenna, phased array

Procedia PDF Downloads 160

Authors: Zareen Shahid

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Rapid increase in population has resulted in uncontrolled and unplanned growth of metropolitan cities in Pakistan. Pakistan is facing unprecedented challenges of acute housing shortages, unhealthy living conditions and a non-existent or dilapidated infrastructure across the country. The government of Pakistan has also failed to devise a comprehensive and long-term strategy to cope with the problem of housing and better infrastructure development and management that has resulted in congestion, overcrowding and deterioration of environment in cities. On the other hand public has developed intense faith upon Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Lahore. This research paper is about to observe the difference in residential estate development and services provided by DHA Lahore. This paper attempts to identify the factors which are contributing towards the success of DHA and recommend measures for improvement in public sector for betterment.

Keywords: residential estate, development and management, defence housing authority

Procedia PDF Downloads 538

Authors: Gregor Bouville, Celine Schmidt

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This article presents a French case study on lean production drawing on a mixed method design which has received little attention in French management research-especially in French human resources research. The purpose is to show that using a mixed method approach in this particular case overstep the limitations of previous studies in lean production studies. The authors use the embedded design as a special articulation of mixed method to analyse and understand the effects of three organizational practices on job satisfaction and workers’ health. Results show that low scheduled autonomy, quality management, time constraint have deleterious effects on job satisfaction. Furthermore, these three practices have ambivalent effects on health work. Interest in the subjects of mixed method has been growing up among French health researchers and practioners, also recently among French management researchers. This study reinforces and refines how mixed methods may offer interesting perspectives in an integrated framework included human resources, management, and health fields. Finally, potentials benefits and limits for those interdisciplinary researches programs are discussed.

Keywords: lean production, mixed method, work organization practices, job satisfaction

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Authors: A. Sadeghi, M. Sedghi, M. R. Emami Azadi, R. Gharraei Khosroshahi

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Flags are objects with very low bending stiffness and under wind forces start to vibrate and finally to flutter. Even in lower velocities of wind their flutter can be seen. In this research physical property of fabric is determined by performing tensile tests. Then with performing laboratory experiments in wind tunnel, determination of initial flapping speed and also study of displacement amplitude at leech and calculation of their frequency would be targeted. Laboratory tests are performed in a wind tunnel and with different velocities of wind flow for specimens with different dimensions. The results show that extension of specimens' width increase flutter initiation velocity and increase of specimen length decreases it. Also by increasing wind velocity displacement amplitude at leech of specimens are decreased. This displacement has a straight relation with specimens' length and width.

Keywords: flag, flutter, wind velocity, flutter amplitudes, wind tunnel

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Authors: Lucian Pîslaru-Dănescu, George-Claudiu Zărnescu, Laurențiu Constantin Lipan, Rareș-Andrei Chihaia

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In recent years, the utilization of supercapacitors for energy storage (ES) devices that are designed for energy harvesting (EH) applications has increased substantially. The use of supercapacitors as energy storage devices in hybrid energy harvesting systems allows the miniaturization of electronic structures for energy storage. This study is concerned with the concept of energy management capacitors – supercapacitors and the new electronic structures for energy storage used for energy harvesting devices. Supercapacitors are low-voltage devices, and electronic overvoltage protection is needed for powering the source. The power management device that uses these proposed new electronic structures for energy storage is better than conventional electronic structures used for this purpose, like rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, and hybrid systems. A hybrid energy harvesting system with energy storage management is able to simultaneously use several energy sources with recovery from the environment. The power management device uses a summing electronic block to combine the electric power obtained from piezoelectric composite plates and from a photovoltaic conversion system. Also, an overvoltage protection circuit used as a voltage detector and an improved concept of charging supercapacitors is presented. The piezoelectric composite plates are realized only by pressing two printed circuit boards together without damaging or prestressing the piezoceramic elements. The photovoltaic conversion system has the advantage that the modules are covered with glass plates with nanostructured film of ZnO with the role of anti-reflective coating and to improve the overall efficiency of the solar panels.

Keywords: supercapacitors, energy storage, electronic overvoltage protection, energy harvesting

Procedia PDF Downloads 93

Authors: Kapil Khanna, Swee Kuik, Joowon Ban

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The current linear economic system is unsustainable due to its dependence on the uncontrolled exploitation of diminishing natural resources. The integration of business innovation and supply chain management has brought about the redesign of business processes through the implementation of a closed-loop approach. The circular economy (CE) offers a sustainable solution to improve business opportunities in the near future by following the principles of rejuvenation and reuse inspired by nature. Those business owners start to rethink and consider using waste as raw material to make new products for consumers. The implementation of CE helps organisations to incorporate new strategic plans for decreasing the use of virgin materials and nature resources. Supply chain partners that are geographically dispersed rely heavily on innovative approaches to support supply chain management. Presently, numerous studies have attempted to establish the concept of supply chain management (SCM) by integrating CE principles, which are commonly denoted as circular SCM. While many scholars have recognised the challenges of transitioning to CE, there is still a lack of consensus on business best practices that can facilitate companies in embracing CE across the supply chain. Hence, this paper strives to scrutinize the SCM practices utilised for CE, identify the obstacles, and recommend best practices that can enhance a company's ability to incorporate CE principles toward business innovation and supply chain performance. Further, the paper proposes future research in the field of using specific technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and blockchain as business innovation tools for supply chain management and CE adoption.

Keywords: business innovation, challenges, circular supply chain, supply chain management, technology

Procedia PDF Downloads 108

Authors: A. Swetha

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This study aims to prioritize and explore critical risks in construction project assessment, employing the Weighted Average Index method and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Through extensive literature review and expert interviews, project assessment risk factors were identified across Budget and Cost Management Risk, Schedule and Time Management Risk, Scope and Planning Risk, Safety and Regulatory Compliance Risk, Resource Management Risk, Communication and Stakeholder Management Risk, and Environmental and Sustainability Risk domains. A questionnaire was distributed to stakeholders involved in construction activities in Hyderabad, India, with 180 completed responses analyzed using the Weighted Average Index method to prioritize risk factors. Subsequently, PCA was used to understand relationships between these factors and uncover underlying patterns. Results highlighted dependencies on critical resources, inadequate risk assessment, cash flow constraints, and safety concerns as top priorities, while factors like currency exchange rate fluctuations and delayed information dissemination ranked lower but remained significant. These insights offer valuable guidance for stakeholders to mitigate risks effectively and enhance project outcomes. By adopting systematic risk assessment and management approaches, construction projects in Hyderabad and beyond can navigate challenges more efficiently, ensuring long-term viability and resilience.

Keywords: construction project assessment risk factor, risk prioritization, weighted average index, principal component analysis, project risk factors

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Authors: Rubaiyat Jahan, Nasreen Sultana Mitu

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This paper examines the theoretical construct of transformative practices, and reports some evidence of transformative practices from a couple of Bangladeshi English teachers. The idea of transformative practices calls for teachers’ capabilities to invest their intellectual labor in teaching with an assumption that along with the academic advancement of the learners, it aims for the personal transformation for both the learners as well for themselves. Following an ethnographic research approach, data for this study were collected through in-depth interviews, informal talks and classroom observations for a period of one year. In relevance to the English classroom of the Bangladeshi context, from this study, references of transformative practices have been underlined from the participant teachers’ views on English language teaching as well as from their actual practices. According to data of this research, some evidence of transformative practices in the form of critical language awareness and personal theories of practices emerge from the participants’ articulation of the beliefs on teaching; and from the participant teachers’ classroom practices evidence of self-directed acts of teaching, self-directed acts of professional development, and liberatory autonomy have been highlighted as the reflections of transformative practices. The implication of this paper refers to the significance of practicing teachers’ articulation of beliefs and views on teaching along with their orientation to critical pedagogical relations.

Keywords: critical language awareness, personal theories of practice, teacher autonomy, transformative practices

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Authors: M. T. M. D. R. Perera, N. Senanayake

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Cotesia plutellae is a locally available larval parasitoid of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, which can be used to manage P. xylostella in the field in an integrated pest management strategy. A study was undertaken to find out the best time of releasing C. plutellae for effective management of P. xylostella using three release times; 2, 3 and 4 weeks after transplanting of cabbage in farmer’s fields at Marassana in Kandy District, Sri Lanka, during Yala 2014 and 2015 seasons. Results revealed that the percentage mean values of parasitization in Yala 2015, was significantly high; 69.47 and 43.85, when introduced at 2 and 3 weeks after transplanting respectively and significantly low 23.31, when released at 4 weeks after transplanting. It is therefore evident that the parasitoid release should be done before 3 weeks, preferably at 2 weeks after transplanting of cabbage in the field. The highest percentage parasitism achieved was 83.90 at 2 weeks after transplanting in Yala 2015 and the lowest being 18.85 and 12.00% at 4 weeks after transplanting in Yala 2014 and 2015 respectively. Unparasitized larvae were able to maintain high P. xylostella populations up to harvest. Even though there is no yield advantage by using parasitoids for P. xylostella management, the cost incurred for insect pest management was greatly reduced compared to use of synthetic chemicals.

Keywords: cabbage, Cotesia plutellae, larval parasitoid, Plutella xylostella, time of release

Procedia PDF Downloads 154

Authors: R. F. Louh, Cathy Chou, Victor Wang, Howard Yan

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The aim of this study is to manufacture titania and reduced graphene oxide (TiO2/rGO) composite nanofibers via electrospinning (ESP) of precursor fluid consisted of titania sol containing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) and GO solution. The GO nanoparticles were derived from Hummers’ method. A metal grid ring was used to provide the bias voltage to reach higher ESP yield and nonwoven fabric with dense network of TiO2/GO composite nanofibers. The ESP product was heat treated at 500°C for 2 h in nitrogen atmosphere to acquire TiO2/rGO nanofibers by thermal reduction of GO and phase transformation into anatase TiO2. The TiO2/rGO nanofibers made from various volume fractions of GO solution by ESP were analyzed by FE-SEM, TEM, XRD, EDS, BET and FTIR. Such TiO2/rGO fibers having photocatalytic property, high specific surface area and electrical conductivity can be used for photovoltaics and chemical sensing applications.

Keywords: electrospinning process, titanium oxide, thermally reduced graphene oxide, composite nanofibers

Procedia PDF Downloads 456

Authors: Wahid Dianbudiyanto, Shou Heng Liu

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Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a prospective desalination technology, which can be operated at low voltage, low temperature and potentially consume low energy for brackish water desalination. To obtain the optimal electrosorption, an electrode should possess high electrical conductivity, large surface area, good wettability, highly mesoporous structure which provide efficient pathways for ion distribution. In this work, a 3D structure graphene was fabricated using hydrothermal method which is assisted with microwave treatments to form 3D rGO (3DG-Mw-Hyd). The prepared samples have excellent specific capacitance (189.2 F / g) and ultrahigh electrosorption capacity (30 mg/g) for the desalination of 500 mg / l NaCl. These results are superior to the electrode which is fabricated only using the hydrothermal method without microwave assistance (3DG-Hyd) and traditional reflux method. Physical characterizations such as SEM, TEM, and XRD have been used to study the property difference of the materials. The preliminary results show that 3DG-Mw-Hyd is one of the promising electrodes for CDI in the practical applications.

Keywords: capacitive deionization, graphene, microwave, hydrothermal, electrosorption

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Authors: Sadia Suri Kashif, Raheeda Fatima, Maqsood Ahmed Khan

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Purpose of the study: The objective of this research was to determine the perception of Pakistani physicians (whether primary care, specialists or residents) in Karachi, being one of the largest and highly populated cities of Pakistan, regarding clinical approaches towards diet, exercise, and therapy in obese patients. This research determines their understanding of obesity and employability of obesity management in their daily practices. Research methodology: This is a questionnaire-based survey. A minimum of 300 questionnaires (N=300) were distributed and filled by practicing physicians in a random selection of medical setups in Karachi. Randomly 246 physicians responded to the survey. The survey tested their views regarding weight management, importance of general awareness and their strategies to control weight. Results: In the first part of survey the physicians responded to almost 66% regarding the seriousness of obesity management with advising diet modification, physical exercise and decreasing calorie intake; 57% failed to employ Body Mass Index and Waist Hip Ratio as weight measurement tools in their daily practice; 50% disagreed on using pharmacotherapy as an option; 67% were not sure about the proper dosage and indication of anti-obesity medication while almost same disagreed on using surgical options for management of obesity; 83.3% physicians agreed on the increased obesity pandemic in Pakistan. Conclusion: The findings indicate that there is a gap between awareness and knowledge among Pakistani practicing physicians regarding pharmacotherapy for obesity. There is a need to frequently update latest guidelines to help manage this condition, which is becoming more prevalent in our country day by day. Physicians should be obligated to use updated knowledge for managing obesity.

Keywords: obesity, physicians, BMI, weight management, obesity awareness

Procedia PDF Downloads 174

Authors: R. Nagarani

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An intrinsic property of software in a real-world environment is its need to evolve, which is usually accompanied by the increase of software complexity and deterioration of software quality, making software maintenance a tough problem. Refactoring is regarded as an effective way to address this problem. Many refactoring approaches at the method and class level have been proposed. But the extent of research on software refactoring at the package level is less. This work presents a novel approach to refactor the package structures of object oriented software using genetic algorithm based community detection. It uses software networks to represent classes and their dependencies. It uses a constrained community detection algorithm to obtain the optimized community structures in software networks, which also correspond to the optimized package structures. It finally provides a list of classes as refactoring candidates by comparing the optimized package structures with the real package structures.

Keywords: community detection, complex network, genetic algorithm, package, refactoring

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Authors: Roukaya Dalbouchi, Abdelkrin Zitouni

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In this paper, we propose a novel design methodology for Dynamic Partial Reconfigurable (DPR) system. This type of system has the property of being able to be modified after its design and during its execution. The suggested design methodology is generic in terms of granularity, number of modules, and reconfigurable region and suitable for any type of modern application. It is based on the interconnection between several design stages. The recommended methodology represents a guide for the design of DPR architectures that meet compromise reconfiguration/performance. To validate the proposed methodology, we use as an application a video watermarking. The comparison result shows that the proposed methodology supports all stages of DPR architecture design and characterized by a high abstraction level. It provides a dynamic/partial reconfigurable architecture; it guarantees material efficiency, the flexibility of reconfiguration, and superior performance in terms of frequency and power consumption.

Keywords: dynamically reconfigurable system, block matching algorithm, partial reconfiguration, motion vectors, video watermarking

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Authors: Ana Alvarenga De Castro

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Food sovereignty has been brought by the international peasants’ movement, La Via Campesina, as a precondition to food security, speaking about the right of each nation to keep its own supply of foods respecting cultural, sustainable practices and productive diversity. The political conceptualization nowadays goes beyond saying that this term is about achieving the rights of farmers to control the food systems according to local specificities, and about equality in the access to natural resources and quality food. The current feminization of agroecosystems and of food insecurity identified by researchers and recognized by international agencies like the UN and FAO has enhanced the feminist discourse into the food sovereignty movement, considering the historical inequalities that place women farmers in subaltern positions inside the families and rural communities. The current tendency in many rural areas of more women taking responsibility for food production and still facing the lack of access to natural resources meets particular aspects in Latin America due to the global economic logic which places the Global South in the position of raw material supplier for the industrialized North, combined with regional characteristics. In this context, Latin American countries play the role of commodities exporters in the international labor division, including among exported items grains, soybean paste, and ores, to the expense of local food chains which provide domestic quality food supply under more sustainable practices. The connections between gender inequalities and global territorial inequalities related to the access and control of food and natural resources are pointed out by feminist political ecology - FPE - authors, and are linked in this article to the potentialities and limitations of women farmers to reproduce diversified agroecosystems in the tropical environments. The work brings the importance of local practices held by women farmers which are crucial to maintaining sustainable agricultural systems and their results on seeds, soil, biodiversity and water conservation. This work presents an analysis of documents, releases, videos and other publicized experiences launched by some peasants’ organizations in Latin America which evidence the different technical and political answers that meet food sovereignty from peasants’ groups that are attributed to women farmers. They are associated with articles presenting the empirical analysis of women farmers' practices in Latin America. The combination drove to discuss the benefits of peasants' conceptions about food systems and their connections with local realities and the gender issues linked to the food sovereignty conceptualization. Conclusion meets that reality on the field cannot reach food sovereignty's ideal homogeneously and that agricultural sustainable practices are dependent on rights' achievement and social inequalities' eradication.

Keywords: food sovereignty, gender, diversified agricultural systems, access to natural resources

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Authors: Jongtae Rhee, Sangkwon Han, Seungbin Ji, Junhyeong Park, Byeonghun Kim, Taekyung Kim, Byeonghyeon Jeon, Jiwoo Yang

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The shared kitchen is a concept that transfers the value of the sharing economy to the kitchen. It is a type of kitchen equipped with cooking facilities that allows multiple companies or chefs to share time and space and use it jointly. These shared kitchens provide economic benefits and convenience, such as reduced investment costs and rent, but also increase the risk of safety management, such as cross-contamination of food ingredients. Therefore, to manage the safety of food ingredients and finished products in a shared kitchen where several entities jointly use the kitchen and handle various types of food ingredients, it is critical to manage followings: the freshness of food ingredients, user hygiene and safety and cross-contamination of cooking equipment and facilities. In this study, it propose a machine learning-based system for hygiene safety and cross-contamination management, which are highly difficult to manage. User clothing management and user access management, which are most relevant to the hygiene and safety of shared kitchens, are solved through machine learning-based methodology, and cutting board usage management, which is most relevant to cross-contamination management, is implemented as an integrated safety management system based on artificial intelligence. First, to prevent cross-contamination of food ingredients, we use images collected through a real-time camera to determine whether the food ingredients match a given cutting board based on a real-time object detection model, YOLO v7. To manage the hygiene of user clothing, we use a camera-based facial recognition model to recognize the user, and real-time object detection model to determine whether a sanitary hat and mask are worn. In addition, to manage access for users qualified to enter the shared kitchen, we utilize machine learning based signature recognition module. By comparing the pairwise distance between the contract signature and the signature at the time of entrance to the shared kitchen, access permission is determined through a pre-trained signature verification model. These machine learning-based safety management tasks are integrated into a single information system, and each result is managed in an integrated database. Through this, users are warned of safety dangers through the tablet PC installed in the shared kitchen, and managers can track the cause of the sanitary and safety accidents. As a result of system integration analysis, real-time safety management services can be continuously provided by artificial intelligence, and machine learning-based methodologies are used for integrated safety management of shared kitchens that allows dynamic contracts among various users. By solving this problem, we were able to secure the feasibility and safety of the shared kitchen business.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, food safety, information system, safety management, shared kitchen

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Authors: Qinglei Liu, Ali Charkhesht, Tiva Sharifi, Ashkan Bahadoran

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Graphene sheets are promising nanoscale building blocks as a support material for the dispersion of nanoparticles. In this work, a solvothermal method employed to directly grow Co1-xZnxFe2O4 ferrite nanospheres on graphene oxide support that is subsequently reduced to graphene. The samples morphology, structure and crystallography were investigated using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The influences of the Zn2+ content on photocatalytic activity, electrical conductivity and magnetic property of the samples are also investigated. The results showed that Co1-x Znx Fe2 O4 nanoparticles are dispersed on graphene sheets and obtained nanocomposites are soft magnetic materials. In addition the samples showed excellent photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation.

Keywords: reduced graphene oxide, ferrite, magnetic nanocomposite, photocatalytic activity, solvothermal method

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Authors: Kawinphat Lertpongmanee

Abstract:

The purposes of this study were (1) investigate the English language learning motivation and the attainment of their English proficiency, (2) to find out how motivation and motivational variables of the high and low proficiency subjects are related to their English proficiency. The respondents were 80 fourth-year from Faculty of Management Sciences students in Rajabhat Suansunadha University. The instruments used for data collection were questionnaires. The statistically analyzed by using the SPSS program for frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, standard deviation (SD), t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation coefficient. The findings of this study are summarized as there was a significant difference in overall motivation between high and low proficiency groups of subjects at .05 (p < .05), but not in overall motivational variables. Additionally, the high proficiency group had a significantly higher level of intrinsic motivation than did the low proficiency group at .05 (p < .05).

Keywords: English language proficiency, faculty of management sciences, motivation factors, proficiency subjects

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Authors: Mohamad Reza Asariha

Abstract:

Crises are an integral part of social life, and their diversity is increasing day by day. Every aspect of life for humans involves a crisis, and these crises are becoming more varied over time. In times of crisis, the media has a special responsibility to inform the public and raise awareness of the situation. The public can be calmed by the media and inspired to take positive action or vice versa; the media can terrorize the public and cause mayhem. Media are regarded as one of the most significant forms of communication in the information age. Media plays an important role in different stages of crises. Before a crisis occurs, they can prevent the spread of the crisis and reduce its losses by warning about the consequences. At the time of the crisis, they can minimize the crisis by creating a scientific and rational atmosphere, or as mediators between the crisis agents and the interest groups, they can minimize the political clashes and be effective in attracting and participating the audience in crisis management. There is widespread access to the media, so it has a significant role in moderating and changing public opinion.

Keywords: media, crisis, crisis communication, crisis management, emergency situations

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Authors: Dora Martins, Susana Silva, Cândida Silva

Abstract:

Human Resources Management (HRM) has been recognized by academics and practitioners as an important element in organizations. Therefore, this paper explores the best practices of HRM and seeks to understand the level of participation in the development of these practices by human resources managers in the hospitality industry and compare it with other industries. Thus, the study compared the HRM practices of companies in the hospitality sector with HRM practices of companies in other sectors, and identifies the main differences between their HRM practices. The results show that the most frequent HRM practices in all companies, independently of its sector of activity, are hiring and training. When comparing hospitality sector with other sectors of activity, some differences were noticed, namely in the adoption of the practices of communication and information sharing, and of recruitment and selection. According to these results, the paper discusses the major theoretical and practical implications. Suggestions for future research are also presented.

Keywords: exploratory study, human resources management practices, human resources manager, hospitality companies, Portuguese companies

Procedia PDF Downloads 487