Search results for: civil emergencies
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 1000

Search results for: civil emergencies

850 Investigation of Kinesiophobia in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes

Authors: Ismail Okur, Betul Taspinar, Turkan Pasali Kilit, Eda O. Okur, Ferruh Taspinar

Abstract:

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most important global health emergencies and every year more and more people are affected by T2DM. T2DM causes life-changing complications by affecting organ and systems. Although diet and exercise are the best way to treat patients with T2DM, those patients generally have a sedentary life style. This study was planned to determine whether patients with T2DM have kinesiophobia (fear of movement). A controlled trial was conducted on 87 adults. Forty-one individuals with T2DM (study group, 34 female and 7 male) and 46 nondiabetic individuals (control group, 39 female and 7 male) were included in the study. Patients were screened for fear of movement using the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK). The data including age, sex, weight, height, and TSK scores were obtained. Mann Whitney U test were used to analyse the data. The mean ages and BMI of study and control groups were 51.98 ± 6.03 year and 49.52 ± 5.61 year and 31.82 ± 2.88 kg/m2 and 30.22 ± 2.91 kg/m2, respectively. The groups have similar demographic properties. The kinesiophobia scores of study and control groups were 42.78 ± 5.50 and 39.48 ± 5.05, respectively and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.05). This study showed that patients with T2DM had high kinesiophobia scores rather than nondiabetics. Those patients might avoid to do exercise. In other words, patients with T2DM might have lower physical activity level. Therefore the authors suggest that to evaluate and interfere with kinesiophobia before conducting exercise therapy will be useful for diabetes care.

Keywords: diabetes, fear of movement, kinesiophobia, type 2 diabetes mellitus

Procedia PDF Downloads 354
849 The Terminology of Mandatory Mediation on Commercial Disputes in Türkiye and the Differences from England and Wales’s Approaches

Authors: Sevgi Karaca

Abstract:

Since December 6, 2018, mediation has become mandatory for commercial disputes under the Turkish Commercial Code. Mandatory mediation became one of the “causes of action”, and being compulsory means starting the mediation process before going to court. As it contemplates looking at “the causes of the action”, the terminology may lead to misinterpretation of the core of the phrases. However, the terms pertain to a prerequisite for starting the lawsuit. The court will examine failure to comply with such requirements, and the case will be dismissed without further action. Türkiye’s use of obligatory mediation is highly unusual. It is neither judge-led nor judge-assisted mediation but rather a mediation conducted outside of court with the participation of a third party (mediators). What distinguishes it is the incorporation of obligatory mediation into the causes of actions listed in the Code of Civil Procedure. Being one of the causes of action in a legal case implies that the absence of any of them may result in the procedural dismissal of the case without any further action. The case must be presented to the mediator first, and if the parties are unable to reach an agreement, they must deliver the results of the mediation session. Other than submitting the minutes, parties are ineligible to file a lawsuit. However, despite a lengthy history of use in England and Wales, there are considerable reservations about making mediation mandatory. The Civil Procedure Code does not explicitly mention making mediation mandatory. For the time being, there is no Mediation Code, and case law limits the growth of obligatory mediation. Some renowned judges voiced their desire to re-evaluate the notion of required mediation, prompting the Civil Justice Council to release a study in 2021 on the significance of amending case law and the high value of mandatory mediation. By contrasting the approaches to mandatory mediation in England and Wales, the study will investigate the method of controlled mandatory mediation and its effects on the success of mediation in Türkiye.

Keywords: alternative dispute resolution, case law, cause of action, litigation process, mandatory mediation

Procedia PDF Downloads 56
848 Iraqi Women’s Rights Under State Civil Law and Conservative Influences: A Study of Legal Documents and Social Implementation

Authors: Rose Hattab

Abstract:

Women have been an important dynamic in religious context and the state-building process of Arab countries throughout history. During the 1970s as the movement for women’s activism and rights developed, the Iraqi state under the Ba’ath Party began to provide Iraqi women with legal and civil rights. This was done to liberate women from the grasps of social traditions and was a tangible espousing of equality between men and women in the process of nation-building. Whereas women’s rights were stronger and more supported throughout the earliest years of the Ba’ath Regime (1970-1990), the aftermath of the Gulf War and economic sanctions on the conditions of Iraqi society laid the foundation for a division of women’s rights between civil and religious authorities. Personal status codes that were secured in 1959 were being pushed back by amendments made in coordination with religious leaders. Civil laws were present on paper, but religious authority took prominence in practice. The written legal codes were inclusive of women’s rights, but there is not an active or ensured practice of these rights within Iraqi society. This is due to many different factors, such as religious, sectarian, political and conservative reasons that hold back or limit the ability for Iraqi women to have autonomy in aspects such as participation in the workforce, getting married, and ensuring social justice. This paper argues that the Personal Status Code introduced in 1959 – which replaced Sharia-run courts with personal status courts – provided Iraqi women with equality and increased mobility in social and economic dynamics. The statewide crisis felt after the Gulf War and the economic sanctions imposed by the United Nations led to a stark shift in the Ba’ath party’s political ideology. This ideological turn guided the social system to the embracement of social conservatism and religious traditions in the 1990s. The effect of this implementation continued after the establishment of a new Iraqi government during 2003-2005. Consequently, Iraqi women's rights in employment, marriage, and family became divided into paper and practice by religious authorities and civil law from that period to the present day. This paper also contributes to the literature by expanding on the gap between legal codes on paper and in practice, through providing an analysis of Iraqi women’s rights in the Iraqi Constitution of 2005 and Iraq’s Penal Code. The turn to conservative and religious traditions is derived from the multiplicity of identities that make up the Iraqi social fabric. In the aftermath of a totalitarian regime, active wars, and economic sanctions, the Iraqi people attempted to unite together through their different identities to create a sense of security in the midst of violence and chaos. This is not an excuse to diminish the importance of women’s rights, but in the process of building a new nation-state, women were lost from the narrative. Thus, the presence of gender equity is found in the written text but is not practiced and upheld in the social context.

Keywords: civil rights, Iraqi women, nation building, religion and conflict

Procedia PDF Downloads 122
847 A Case Study Approach to the Rate the Eco Sensitivity of Green Infrastructure Solutions

Authors: S. Saroop, D. Allopi

Abstract:

In the area of civil infrastructure, there is an urgent need to apply technologies that deliver infrastructure sustainably in a way that is cost-effective. Civil engineering projects can have a significant impact on ecological and social systems if not correctly planned, designed and implemented. It can impact climate change by addressing the issue of flooding and sustainability. Poor design choices now can result in future generations to live in a climate with depleted resources and without green spaces. The objectives of the research study were to rate the sensitivity of various greener infrastructure technologies that can be used in township infrastructure, at the various stages of the project. This paper discusses the Green Township Infrastructure Design Toolkit, that is used to rate the sustainability of infrastructure service projects. Various case studies were undertaken on a range of infrastructure projects to test the sensitivity of various design solution against sustainability criteria. The Green reporting tools ensure efficient, economical and sustainable provision of infrastructure services.

Keywords: eco-efficiency, green infrastructure, green technology, infrastructure design, sustainable development

Procedia PDF Downloads 356
846 A Geoprocessing Tool for Early Civil Work Notification to Optimize Fiber Optic Cable Installation Cost

Authors: Hussain Adnan Alsalman, Khalid Alhajri, Humoud Alrashidi, Abdulkareem Almakrami, Badie Alguwaisem, Said Alshahrani, Abdullah Alrowaished

Abstract:

Most of the cost of installing a new fiber optic cable is attributed to civil work-trenching-cost. In many cases, information technology departments receive project proposals in their eReview system, but not all projects are visible to everyone. Additionally, if there was no IT scope in the proposed project, it is not likely to be visible to IT. Sometimes it is too late to add IT scope after project budgets have been finalized. Finally, the eReview system is a repository of PDF files for each project, which commits the reviewer to manual work and limits automation potential. This paper details a solution to address the late notification of the eReview system by integrating IT Sites GIS data-sites locations-with land use permit (LUP) data-civil work activity, which is the first step before securing the required land usage authorizations and means no detailed designs for any relevant project before an approved LUP request. To address the manual nature of eReview system, both the LUP System and IT data are using ArcGIS Desktop, which enables the creation of a geoprocessing tool with either Python or Model Builder to automate finding and evaluating potentially usable LUP requests to reduce trenching between two sites in need of a new FOC. To achieve this, a weekly dump was taken from LUP system production data and loaded manually onto ArcMap Desktop. Then a custom tool was developed in model builder, which consisted of a table of two columns containing all the pairs of sites in need of new fiber connectivity. The tool then iterates all rows of this table, taking the sites’ pair one at a time and finding potential LUPs between them, which satisfies the provided search radius. If a group of LUPs was found, an iterator would go through each LUP to find the required civil work between the two sites and the LUP Polyline feature and the distance through the line, which would be counted as cost avoidance if an IT scope had been added. Finally, the tool will export an Excel file named with sites pair, and it will contain as many rows as the number of LUPs, which met the search radius containing trenching and pulling information and cost. As a result, multiple projects have been identified – historical, missed opportunity, and proposed projects. For the proposed project, the savings were about 75% ($750,000) to install a new fiber with the Euclidean distance between Abqaiq GOSP2 and GOSP3 DCOs. In conclusion, the current tool setup identifies opportunities to bundle civil work on single projects at a time and between two sites. More work is needed to allow the bundling of multiple projects between two sites to achieve even more cost avoidance in both capital cost and carbon footprint.

Keywords: GIS, fiber optic cable installation optimization, eliminate redundant civil work, reduce carbon footprint for fiber optic cable installation

Procedia PDF Downloads 198
845 Earthquake Effect in Micro Hydro Sector: Case Study of Dulakha District, Nepal

Authors: Keshav Raj Dhakal, Jit Bahadur Rokaya Chhetri

Abstract:

The Micro Hydro (MH) is one of the successful technology in Rural Nepal. Out of 75 district, 59 districts have installed 1287 MH projects with a total capacity of 24 Mega Watt (MW). Now, the challenge is how to sustain them. Dolakha is a prominent district for sustainable endues of power to sustain the MH projects. A total of 37 MH projects have been constructed with producing 886 Kilo Watt (KW) of energy in the district. This study traces out the impact of earthquake in MH sector in Dolakha district. It shows that 59 % of projects have been affected by devastating earthquake in April and May, 2015 where 29 % are completely damaged. Most of the damages are in civil structures like Penstock, forebay, power house, Canal, Intake. Transmission and distribution line have been partially damaged. This paper analysis failure of the civil structural component of MH projects and its financial consequence to the community. This study recommends that a disaster impact assessment is essential before construction of MH projects.

Keywords: micro hydro, earthquake, structural failure, financial consequence

Procedia PDF Downloads 184
844 A Comparative Analysis of the Enforceability of Social and Economic Rights: Nigeria and South Africa as Case Studies

Authors: Foluke Abimbola

Abstract:

There are two separate groups of a recognised body of human rights. These are known as Civil and Political Rights, and Economic and Social Rights. There is however an impression that civil and political rights are enforceable in courts while socio-economic rights are not. Nigeria is an example of one of such countries whose constitution has social, economic and cultural rights’ provisions as well as civil and political rights. However, the socio-economic rights provided in the Nigerian constitution are not justiciable or are unenforceable in a court of law. On the other hand, a comparative examination of the socio-economic right provisions in the South African constitution and judgments of the constitutional court of South Africa reveals that socio-economic rights may be enforceable. This position may ensure the protection of the socio-economic rights of the poor and vulnerable groups. These rights include the rights to food, adequate shelter, health, and education. Moreover, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) which incorporates similar socio-economic right provisions, has been recognized as a domestic law in Nigeria and its provisions are enforceable by the domestic courts by virtue of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap A9 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. It is not only a regional treaty signed and adopted by Nigeria but has been passed into law by the National Assembly and can be enforced like any other local law. This paper will propose that in view of the provisions of the African Charter and mechanisms for implementation as well as other international conventions and national constitutional provisions on human rights, domestic courts may be able to assess state responsibilities in the light of socio-economic rights. Cases decided by South African courts and other jurisdictions will be discussed in order to lend weight to the notion that socio-economic rights can be enforced in jurisdictions such as Nigeria even though the constitution provides otherwise.

Keywords: african charter, constitutional court of south africa, nigerian constitution, socio-economic rights, south african constitution

Procedia PDF Downloads 126
843 Applications of Green Technology and Biomimicry in Civil Engineering with a Maglev Car Elevator

Authors: Sameer Ansari, Suhas Nitsure

Abstract:

Biomimicry has made a big move into the built environment by adapting nature's solutions to human designs and inventions. We can examine numerous aspects of the built environment right from generating energy, fed by rainwater and powered by sun to over all land use impacts. This paper discusses the potential of a man made building which will work for the welfare of humans and reduce the impact of the harmful environment on us which we ourselves created for us. Building services inspired by nature such as building walls from homeostasis in organisms, natural ventilation from termites, artificial aggregates from natural aggregates, solar panels from photosynthesis and building structure itself compared to tree as a cantilever. Environmental services such as using CO2 as a feedstock for construction related activities, using Ornilux glasses and  saving birds from collision with buildings, using prefabricated steel for fast building members- save time and also negligible waste as no formwork is used. Maglev inspired car elevators in building which is unique and giving all together new direction to technology.

Keywords: biomimicry, green technology, maglev car elevator, civil engineering

Procedia PDF Downloads 554
842 Commercial Law Between Custom and Islamic Law

Authors: Mohamed Zakareia Ghazy Aly Belal

Abstract:

Commercial law is the set of legal rules that apply to business and regulates the trade of trade. The meaning of this is that the commercial law regulates certain relations only that arises as a result of carrying out certain businesses. which are business, as it regulates the activity of a specific sect, the sect of merchants, and the commercial law as other branches of the law has characteristics that distinguish it from other laws and various, and various sources from which its basis is derived from It is the objective or material source. the historical source, the official source and the interpretative source, and we are limited to official sources and explanatory sources. so what do you see what these sources are, and what is their degree and strength in taking it in commercial disputes. The first topic / characteristics of commercial law. Commercial law has become necessary for the world of trade and economics, which cannot be dispensed with, given the reasons that have been set as legal rules for commercial field. In fact, it is sufficient to refer to the stability and stability of the environment, and in exchange for the movement and the speed in which the commercial environment is in addition to confidence and credit. the characteristic of speed and the characteristic of trust, and credit are the ones that justify the existence of commercial law. Business is fast, while civil business is slow, stable and stability. The person concludes civil transactions in his life only a little. And before doing any civil action. he must have a period of thinking and scrutiny, and the investigation is the person who wants the husband, he must have a period of thinking and scrutiny. as if the person who wants to acquire a house to live with with his family, he must search and investigate Discuss the price before the conclusion of a purchase contract. In the commercial field, transactions take place very quickly because the time factor has an important role in concluding deals and achieving profits. This is because the merchant in contracting about a specific deal would cause a loss to the merchant due to the linkage of the commercial law with the fluctuations of the economy and the market. The merchant may also conclude more than one deal in one and short time. And that is due to the absence of commercial law from the formalities and procedures that hinder commercial transactions.

Keywords: law, commercial law, business, commercial field

Procedia PDF Downloads 44
841 Client Importance and Audit Quality under Civil Law versus Common Law Societies

Authors: Kelly Grani Yuen

Abstract:

Accounting scandals and auditing frauds are perceived to be driven by aggressive companies and misrepresentation of audit reports. However, local legal systems and law enforcements may affect the services auditors provide to their ‘important’ clients. Under the civil law and common law jurisdictions, the standard setters, the government, and the regulatory bodies treat cases differently. As such, whether or not different forms of legal systems and extent of law enforcement plays an important role in auditor’s Audit Quality is a question this paper attempts to explore. The paper focuses on the investigation in Asia, where Hong Kong represents the common-law jurisdiction, while Taiwan and China represent the civil law jurisdiction. Only the ten reputable accounting firms are used in this study due to the differences in rankings and establishments of some of the small local audit firms. This will also contribute to the data collected between the years 2007-2013. By focusing on the use of multiple regression based on the dependent (Audit Quality) and independent variables (Client Importance, Law Enforcement, and Press Freedom), six different models are established. Results demonstrate that since different jurisdictions have different legal systems and market regulations, auditor’s treatment on ‘important’ clients will vary. However, with the moderators in place (law enforcement and press freedom), the relationship between client importance and audit quality may be smoothed out. With that in mind, this study contributes to local governments and standard setters’ consideration on legal reform and proper law enforcement in the market. Perhaps, with such modifications on the economic systems, collusion between companies and auditors can finally be put to a halt.

Keywords: audit quality, client importance, jurisdiction, modified audit opinions

Procedia PDF Downloads 396
840 Police Violence, Activism, and the Changing Rural United States: A Digital History and Mapping Narrative

Authors: Joel Zapata

Abstract:

Chicana/o Activism in the Southern Plains Through Time and Space, a digital history project available at PlainsMovement.com, helps reveal an understudied portion of the Chicana/o Civil Rights Movement: the way it unfolded on the Southern Plains. The project centers around an approachable interactive map and timeline along with a curated collection of materials. Therefore, the project provides a digital museum experience that has not emerged within the region’s museums. That is, this digital history project takes scholarly research to the wider public, making it is also a publicly facing history project. In this way, the project adds to both scholarly and socially significant conversations, showing that the region was home to a burgeoning wing of the Chicana/o Movement and that instances of police brutality largely spurred this wing of the social justice movement. Moreover, the curated collection of materials demonstrates that police brutality united the plains’ Mexican population across political ideology, a largely overlooked aspect within the study of Mexican American civil rights movements. Such a finding can be of use today since contemporary Latina/o social justice organizations generally ignore policing issues even amid a rise in national awareness regarding police abuse. In making history accessible to Mexican origin and Latina/o communities, these same communities may in-turn use the knowledge gained from historical research towards the betterment of their social positions—the foundational goal of Chicana/o history and the related field of Chicana/o Studies. Ultimately, this digital history project is intended to draw visitors to further explore the Chicana/o Civil Rights Movement within and beyond the plains.

Keywords: Chicana/o Movement, digital history, police brutality, newspapers, protests, student activism

Procedia PDF Downloads 94
839 Women in Urban Agriculture: Institutional Challenges, COVID-19 and the War in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Authors: Meseret Gebeyehu Yehuala

Abstract:

Women represent the majority of urban farmers engaged in vegetable and fruit production in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. We examine urban agriculture in Bahir Dar city in the context of disruptions caused by the civil war and COVID-19. The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework serves as a conceptual frame to explore the vulnerability context, the structural and institutional challenges faced by women, and how this impacts their livelihoods. A total of 25 urban women farmers and 6 key informants were involved in the study through explorative and structured interviews conducted in 2021. Observations and informal conversations during repeated visits provided deeper insights. In addition, key informants employed in civil service institutions and experts were interviewed. Data were analysed by applying qualitative content analysis by using Atlas tia software. Women report that they experience a lack of access to land, insecurity of tenure, irregular technical support and input provision by agricultural extension services, and lack of access to credit and formal marketplaces. The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions aggravated this situation by delaying agricultural extension offices’ provision of necessary inputs and disrupting food handling and storage leading to the loss of perishable products. Bombing in relation to the civil war has destroyed harvests and left women in fear of returning to their fields. Women stated that vegetable and fruit production could contribute to their incomes, household food supplies, and more diversified diets. However, the city municipal office has, so far, not committed to supporting urban agriculture as a livelihood strategy.

Keywords: urban agriculture, institutional challenges, Bahir Dar, sustainable livelihood framework

Procedia PDF Downloads 76
838 Digital Literacy Skills for Geologist in Public Sector

Authors: Angsumalin Puntho

Abstract:

Disruptive technology has had a great influence on our everyday lives and the existence of an organization. Geologists in the public sector need to keep up with digital technology and be able to work and collaborate in a more effective manner. The result from SWOT and 7S McKinsey analyses suggest that there are inadequate IT personnel, no individual digital literacy development plan, and a misunderstanding of management policies. The Office of Civil Service Commission develops digital literacy skills that civil servants and government officers should possess in order to work effectively; it consists of nine dimensions, including computer skills, internet skills, cyber security awareness, word processing, spreadsheets, presentation programs, online collaboration, graphics editors and cyber security practices; and six steps of digital literacy development including self-assessment, individual development plan, self-learning, certified test, learning reflection, and practices. Geologists can use digital literacy as a learning tool to develop themselves for better career opportunities.

Keywords: disruptive technology, digital technology, digital literacy, computer skills

Procedia PDF Downloads 77
837 Commercial Law Between Custom and Islamic Law

Authors: Shimaa Abdel-Rahman Amin El-Badawy

Abstract:

Commercial law is the set of legal rules that apply to business and regulates the trade of trade. The meaning of this is that the commercial law regulates certain relations only that arises as a result of carrying out certain businesses. which are business, as it regulates the activity of a specific sect, the sect of merchants, and the commercial law as other branches of the law has characteristics that distinguish it from other laws and various, and various sources from which its basis is derived from It is the objective or material source. the historical source, the official source and the interpretative source, and we are limited to official sources and explanatory sources. so what do you see what these sources are, and what is their degree and strength in taking it in commercial disputes. The first topic / characteristics of commercial law. Commercial law has become necessary for the world of trade and economics, which cannot be dispensed with, given the reasons that have been set as legal rules for commercial field.In fact, it is sufficient to refer to the stability and stability of the environment, and in exchange for the movement and the speed in which the commercial environment is in addition to confidence and credit. the characteristic of speed and the characteristic of trust, and credit are the ones that justify the existence of commercial law.Business is fast, while civil business is slow, stable and stability. The person concludes civil transactions in his life only a little. And before doing any civil action. he must have a period of thinking and scrutiny, and the investigation is the person who wants the husband, he must have a period of thinking and scrutiny. as if the person who wants to acquire a house to live with with his family, he must search and investigate. Discuss the price before the conclusion of a purchase contract. In the commercial field, transactions take place very quickly because the time factor has an important role in concluding deals and achieving profits. This is because the merchant in contracting about a specific deal would cause a loss to the merchant due to the linkage of the commercial law with the fluctuations of the economy and the market. The merchant may also conclude more than one deal in one and short time. And that is due to the absence of commercial law from the formalities and procedures that hinder commercial transactions.

Keywords: law, commercial law, Islamic law, custom and Islamic law

Procedia PDF Downloads 47
836 Urban Search, Rescue and Rapid Field Assessment of Damaged and Collapsed Building Structures

Authors: Abid I. Abu-Tair, Gavin M. Wilde, John M. Kinuthia

Abstract:

Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) is a functional capability that has been developed to allow the United Kingdom Fire and Rescue Service to deal with ‘major incidents’ primarily involving structural collapse. The nature of the work undertaken by USAR means that staying out of a damaged or collapsed building structure is not usually an option for search and rescue personnel. As a result, there is always a risk that they could become victims. For this paper, a systematic and investigative review using desk research was undertaken to explore the role which structural engineering can play in assisting search and rescue personnel to conduct structural assessments when in the field. The focus is on how search and rescue personnel can assess damaged and collapsed building structures, not just in terms of the structural damage that may be countered, but also in relation to structural stability. Natural disasters, accidental emergencies, acts of terrorism and other extreme events can vary significantly in nature and ferocity, and can cause a wide variety of damage to building structures. It is not possible or, even realistic, to provide search and rescue personnel with definitive guidelines and procedures to assess damaged and collapsed building structures as there are too many variables to consider. However, understanding what implications damage may have upon the structural stability of a building structure will enable search and rescue personnel to judge better and quantify the risk from a life-safety standpoint. It is intended that this will allow search and rescue personnel to make informed decisions and ensure every effort is made to mitigate risk so that they do not become victims.

Keywords: damaged and collapsed building structures, life safety, quantifying risk, search and rescue personnel, structural assessments in the field

Procedia PDF Downloads 368
835 Development of a Program for the Evaluation of Thermal Performance Applying the Centre Scientifique et Techniques du Bâtiment Method Case Study: Classroom

Authors: Iara Rezende, Djalma Silva, Alcino Costa Neto

Abstract:

Considering the transformations of the contemporary world linked to globalization and climate changes caused by global warming, the environmental and energy issues have been increasingly present in the decisions of the world scenario. Thus, the aim of reducing the impacts caused by human activities there are the energy efficiency measures, which are also applicable in the scope of Civil Engineering. Considering that a large part of the energy demand from buildings is related to the need to adapt the internal environment to the users comfort and productivity, measures capable of reducing this need can minimize the climate changes impacts and also the energy consumption of the building. However, these important measures are currently little used by civil engineers, either because of the interdisciplinarity of the subject, the time required to apply certain methods or the difficult interpretation of the results obtained by computational programs that often have a complex and little applied approach. Thus, it was proposed the development of a Java application with a simpler and applied approach to evaluate the thermal performance of a building in order to obtain results capable of assisting the civil engineers in the decision making related to the users thermal comfort. The program was built in Java programming language and the method used for the evaluation was the Center Scientifique et Technique du Batiment (CSTB) method. The program was used to evaluate the thermal performance of a university classroom. The analysis was carried out from simulations considering the worst climatic situation of the building occupation. Thus, at the end of the process, the favorable result was obtained regarding the classroom comfort zone and the feasibility of using the program, thus achieving the proposed objectives.

Keywords: building occupation, CSTB method, energy efficiency measures, Java application, thermal comfort

Procedia PDF Downloads 111
834 Improving the Training for Civil Engineers by Introducing Virtual Reality Technique

Authors: Manar Al-Ateeq

Abstract:

The building construction industry plays a major role in the economy of the word and the state of Kuwait. This paper evaluates existing new civil site engineers, describes a new system for improvement and insures the importance of prequalifying and developing for new engineers. In order to have a strong base in engineering, educational institutes and workplaces should be responsible to continuously train engineers and update them with new methods and techniques in engineering. As to achieve that, school of engineering should constantly update computational resources to be used in the professions. A survey was prepared for graduated Engineers based on stated objectives to understand the status of graduate engineers in both the public and private sector. Interviews were made with different sectors in Kuwait, and several visits were made to different training centers within different workplaces in Kuwait to evaluate training process and try to improve it. Virtual Reality (VR) technology could be applied as a complement to three-dimensional (3D) modeling, leading to better communication whether in job training, in education or in professional practice. Techniques of 3D modeling and VR can be applied to develop the models related to the construction process. The 3D models can support rehabilitation design as it can be considered as a great tool for monitoring failure and defaults in structures; also it can support decisions based on the visual analyses of alternative solutions. Therefore, teaching computer-aided design (CAD) and VR techniques in school will help engineering students in order to prepare them to site work and also will assist them to consider these technologies as important supports in their later professional practice. This teaching technique will show how the construction works developed, allow the visual simulation of progression of each type of work and help them to know more about the necessary equipment needed for tasks and how it works on site.

Keywords: three dimensional modeling (3DM), civil engineers (CE), professional practice (PP), virtual reality (VR)

Procedia PDF Downloads 149
833 Assessing the NYC's Single-Family Housing Typology for Urban Heat Vulnerability and Occupants’ Health Risk under the Climate Change Emergency

Authors: Eleni Stefania Kalapoda

Abstract:

Recurring heat waves due to the global climate change emergency pose continuous risks to human health and urban resources. Local and state decision-makers incorporate Heat Vulnerability Indices (HVIs) to quantify and map the relative impact on human health in emergencies. These maps enable government officials to identify the highest-risk districts and to concentrate emergency planning efforts and available resources accordingly (e.g., to reevaluate the location and the number of heat-relief centers). Even though the framework of conducting an HVI is unique per municipality, its accuracy in assessing the heat risk is limited. To resolve this issue, varied housing-related metrics should be included. This paper quantifies and classifies NYC’s single detached housing typology within high-vulnerable NYC districts using detailed energy simulations and post-processing calculations. The results show that the variation in indoor heat risk depends significantly on the dwelling’s design/operation characteristics, concluding that low-ventilated dwellings are the most vulnerable ones. Also, it confirmed that when building-level determinants of exposure are excluded from the assessment, HVI fails to capture important components of heat vulnerability. Lastly, the overall vulnerability ratio of the housing units was calculated between 0.11 to 1.6 indoor heat degrees in terms of ventilation and shading capacity, insulation degree, and other building attributes.

Keywords: heat vulnerability index, energy efficiency, urban heat, resiliency to heat, climate adaptation, climate mitigation, building energy

Procedia PDF Downloads 55
832 The Relationship between Citizens’ Perception of Public Officials’ Ethical Performance and Public Trust in the Government in Egypt

Authors: Nevine Henry Wasef

Abstract:

The research discusses how Egyptian citizens perceive the performance of public sector officials, particularly the ethical values manifested in their behavior. It aims at answering the question of how Egyptian citizens’ perception of public officials affects citizens' trust in the government at large and the process of public service delivery specifically. The hypothesis is that public opinion about civil servants’ ethical values would be proportional to citizens’ trust in the government, which means that the more citizens regard administrators with high ethical standards, the higher trust in the government they would have and vice versa. The research would focus on the independent variable of trust in the government and the dependent variable of public perception of administrators’ ethical performance. The data would be collected through surveys designed to measure the public evaluation of public officials they are interacting with and the quality of services delivered to them. The study concludes that implementing ethical values in public administration has a crucial role in improving citizens’ trust in the government based on various case studies of governments that successfully adopted ethical training programs for their civil servants.

Keywords: trust, distrust, ethics, performance, integrity, values, public service

Procedia PDF Downloads 62
831 The Right to State Lands: A Case Study of a Squatter Community in Egypt

Authors: Salwa Salman

Abstract:

On February 2016, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi ordered the former Prime Minister, Ibrahim Mehleb, to establish a committee responsible for retrieving looted state lands or providing squatters with land titles according to their individual cases. The specificity of desert lands emerges from its unique position in both Islamic law and Egypt’s Civil Code. In Egypt, desert lands can be transferred to private ownership through peaceful occupation and cultivation. This study explores the (re-) conceptualization of land rights, state territoriality, and sovereignty as a part of an emerging narrative on informal land tenure. Through the lens of an informal settlement, the study employs methodological insights from studies in the anthropology of development and their interpretation of Foucauldian discourse analysis to examine official representations on squatting over state lands and put them in conversation with individual narratives on land ownership and dispossession. It also employs Bruno Latour’s actor-network theory to explore the development of social networks through primary land contracts and informal local resource management.

Keywords: State lands, squatter community, Islamic law, Egypt’s Civil Code

Procedia PDF Downloads 140
830 The Use of Artificial Intelligence to Curb Corruption in Brazil

Authors: Camila Penido Gomes

Abstract:

Over the past decade, an emerging body of research has been pointing to artificial intelligence´s great potential to improve the use of open data, increase transparency and curb corruption in the public sector. Nonetheless, studies on this subject are scant and usually lack evidence to validate AI-based technologies´ effectiveness in addressing corruption, especially in developing countries. Aiming to fill this void in the literature, this paper sets out to examine how AI has been deployed by civil society to improve the use of open data and prevent congresspeople from misusing public resources in Brazil. Building on the current debates and carrying out a systematic literature review and extensive document analyses, this research reveals that AI should not be deployed as one silver bullet to fight corruption. Instead, this technology is more powerful when adopted by a multidisciplinary team as a civic tool in conjunction with other strategies. This study makes considerable contributions, bringing to the forefront discussion a more accurate understanding of the factors that play a decisive role in the successful implementation of AI-based technologies in anti-corruption efforts.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, civil society organization, corruption, open data, transparency

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829 Health Care using Queuing Theory

Authors: S. Vadivukkarasi, K. Karthi, M. Karthick, C. Dinesh, S. Santhosh, A. Yogaraj

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The appointment system was designed to minimize patient’s idle time overlooking patients waiting time in hospitals. This is no longer valid in today’s consumer oriented society. Long waiting times for treatment in the outpatient department followed by short consultations has long been a complaint. Nowadays, customers use waiting time as a decisive factor in choosing a service provider. Queuing theory constitutes a very powerful tool because queuing models require relatively little data and are simple and fast to use. Because of this simplicity and speed, modelers can be used to quickly evaluate and compare various alternatives for providing service. The application of queuing models in the analysis of health care systems is increasingly accepted by health care decision makers. Timely access to care is a key component of high-quality health care. However, patient delays are prevalent throughout health care systems, resulting in dissatisfaction and adverse clinical consequences for patients as well as potentially higher costs and wasted capacity for providers. Arguably, the most critical delays for health care are the ones associated with health care emergencies. The allocation of resources can be divided into three general areas: bed management, staff management, and room facility management. Effective and efficient patient flow is indicated by high patient throughput, low patient waiting times, a short length of stay at the hospital and overtime, while simultaneously maintaining adequate staff utilization rates and low patient’s idle times.

Keywords: appointment system, patient scheduling, bed management, queueing calculation, system analysis

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828 Educational Sustainability: Teaching the Next Generation of Educators in Medical Simulation

Authors: Thomas Trouton, Sebastian Tanner, Manvir Sandher

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The use of simulation in undergraduate and postgraduate medical curricula is ever-growing, is a useful addition to the traditional apprenticeship model of learning within medical education, and better prepares graduates for the team-based approach to healthcare seen in real-life clinical practice. As a learning tool, however, undergraduate medical students often have little understanding of the theory behind the use of medical simulation and have little experience in planning and delivering their own simulated teaching sessions. We designed and implemented a student-selected component (SSC) as part of the undergraduate medical curriculum at the University of Buckingham Medical School to introduce students to the concepts behind the use of medical simulation in education and allow them to plan and deliver their own simulated medical scenario to their peers. The SSC took place over a 2-week period in the 3rd year of the undergraduate course. There was a mix of lectures, seminars and interactive group work sessions, as well as hands-on experience in the simulation suite, to introduce key concepts related to medical simulation, including technical considerations in simulation, human factors, debriefing and troubleshooting scenarios. We evaluated the success of our SSC using “Net Promotor Scores” (NPS) to assess students’ confidence in planning and facilitating a simulation-based teaching session, as well as leading a debrief session. In all three domains, we showed an increase in the confidence of the students. We also showed an increase in confidence in the management of common medical emergencies as a result of the SSC. Overall, the students who chose our SSC had the opportunity to learn new skills in medical education, with a particular focus on the use of simulation-based teaching, and feedback highlighted that a number of students would take these skills forward in their own practice. We demonstrated an increase in confidence in several domains related to the use of medical simulation in education and have hopefully inspired a new generation of medical educators.

Keywords: simulation, SSC, teaching, medical students

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827 Effect of Open-Ended Laboratory toward Learners Performance in Environmental Engineering Course: Case Study of Civil Engineering at Universiti Malaysia Sabah

Authors: N. Bolong, J. Makinda, I. Saad

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Laboratory activities have produced benefits in student learning. With current drives of new technology resources and evolving era of education methods, renewal status of learning and teaching in laboratory methods are in progress, for both learners and the educators. To enhance learning outcomes in laboratory works particularly in engineering practices and testing, learning via hands-on by instruction may not sufficient. This paper describes and compares techniques and implementation of traditional (expository) with open-ended laboratory (problem-based) for two consecutive cohorts studying environmental laboratory course in civil engineering program. The transition of traditional to problem-based findings and effect were investigated in terms of course assessment student feedback survey, course outcome learning measurement and student performance grades. It was proved that students have demonstrated better performance in their grades and 12% increase in the course outcome (CO) in problem-based open-ended laboratory style than traditional method; although in perception, students has responded less favorable in their feedback.

Keywords: engineering education, open-ended laboratory, environmental engineering lab

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826 Legal Personality and Responsibility of Robots

Authors: Mehrnoosh Abouzari, Shahrokh Sahraei

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Arrival of artificial intelligence or smart robots in the modern world put them in charge on pericise and at risk. So acting human activities with robots makes criminal or civil responsibilities for their acts or behavior. The practical usage of smart robots has entered them in to a unique situation when naturalization happens and smart robots are identifies as members of society. There would be some legal situation by adopting these new smart citizens. The first situation is about legal responsibility of robots. Recognizing the naturalization of robot involves some basic right , so humans have the rights of employment, property, housing, using energy and other human rights may be employed for robots. So how would be the practice of these rights in the society and if some problems happens with these rights, how would the civil responsibility and punishment? May we consider them as population and count on the social programs? The second episode is about the criminal responsibility of robots in important activity instead of human that is the aim of inventing robots with handling works in AI technology , but the problem arises when some accidents are happened by robots who are in charge of important activities like army, surgery, transporting, judgement and so on. Moreover, recognizing independent identification for robots in the legal world by register ID cards, naturalization and civilian rights makes and prepare the same rights and obligations of human. So, the civil responsibility is not avoidable and if the robot commit a crime it would have criminal responsibility and have to be punished. The basic component of criminal responsibility may changes in so situation. For example, if designation for criminal responsibility bounds to human by sane, maturity, voluntariness, it would be for robots by being intelligent, good programming, not being hacked and so on. So it is irrational to punish robots by prisoning , execution and other human punishments for body. We may determine to make digital punishments like changing or repairing programs, exchanging some parts of its body or wreck it down completely. Finally the responsibility of the smart robot creators, programmers, the boss in chief, the organization who employed robot, the government which permitted to use robot in important bases and activities , will be analyzing and investigating in their article.

Keywords: robot, artificial intelligence, personality, responsibility

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825 Time Pressure and Its Effect at Tactical Level of Disaster Management

Authors: Agoston Restas

Abstract:

Introduction: In case of managing disasters decision makers can face many times such a special situation where any pre-sign of the drastically change is missing therefore the improvised decision making can be required. The complexity, ambiguity, uncertainty or the volatility of the situation can require many times the improvisation as decision making. It can be taken at any level of the management (strategic, operational and tactical) but at tactical level the main reason of the improvisation is surely time pressure. It is certainly the biggest problem during the management. Methods: The author used different tools and methods to achieve his goals; one of them was the study of the relevant literature, the other one was his own experience as a firefighting manager. Other results come from two surveys that are referred to; one of them was an essay analysis, the second one was a word association test, specially created for the research. Results and discussion: This article proves that, in certain situations, the multi-criteria, evaluating decision-making processes simply cannot be used or only in a limited manner. However, it can be seen that managers, directors or commanders are many times in situations that simply cannot be ignored when making decisions which should be made in a short time. The functional background of decisions made in a short time, their mechanism, which is different from the conventional, was studied lately and this special decision procedure was given the name recognition-primed decision. In the article, author illustrates the limits of the possibilities of analytical decision-making, presents the general operating mechanism of recognition-primed decision-making, elaborates on its special model relevant to managers at tactical level, as well as explore and systemize the factors that facilitate (catalyze) the processes with an example with fire managers.

Keywords: decision making, disaster managers, recognition primed decision, model for making decisions in emergencies

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824 Maternity Care Model during Natural Disaster or Humanitarian Emegerncy Setting in Rural Pakistan

Authors: Humaira Maheen, Elizabeth Hoban, Catherine Bennette

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Background: Globally, role of Community Health Workers (CHW) as front line disaster health work force is underutilized. Developing countries which are at risk of natural disasters or humanitarian emergencies should lay down effective strategies especially to ensure adequate access to maternity care during crisis situation by using CHW as they are local, trained, and most of them possess a good relationship with the community. The Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) is a set of universal guidelines that addresses women’s reproductive health needs during the first phase of an emergency. According to the MISP, pregnant women should have access to a skilled birth attendant and adequate transportation arrangements so they can access a maternity care facility. Pakistan is one of the few countries which has been severely affected by a number of natural disaster as well as humanitarian emergencies in last decade. Pakistan has a young and structured National Disaster Management System in place, where District Authorities play a vital role in disaster management. The District Health Department develops the contingency health plan for an emergency situation and implements it under the existing district health human resources (health workers and medical staff at the health facility) and infrastructure (health care facilities). Methods: A mixed methods study was conducted in rural villages of Sindh adjacent to the river Indus, and included in-depth interviews with 15 women who gave birth during the floods, structured interviews with 668 women who were pregnant during 2010-2014, and in-depth interviews with 25 community health workers (CHW) and 30 key informants. Results: Women said that giving birth in the relief camps during the floods was one of the most challenging times of their life. The district health department didn’t make transportation arrangement for labouring women from relief camp to the nearest health care facility. As a result 91.2% women gave birth in temporary shelters with the help of a traditional birth attendant (Dai) with no clean physical space available to birth. Of the 332 women who were pregnant at the time of the floods, 26 had adverse birth outcomes; 10 had miscarriages, 14 had stillbirths and there were four neonatal deaths. Conclusion: The district health department was not able to provide access to adequate maternity care during according to the international standard during the floods in 2011. We propose a model where CHWs will be used as frontline maternity care providers during any emergency or disaster situations in Pakistan. A separate "birthing station" should be mandatory in all district relief camps, managed by CHWs. Community midwives (CMW) would and the Lady Health Workers (LHW) would provide antenatal and postnatal care alongside, vaccination for pregnant women, neonates and children under five. There must be an ambulance facility for emergency obstetric cases and all district health facilities should have at least two medical staff identified and trained for emergency obstetric management. The District Health Department must provide clean birthing kits and regular and emergency contraceptives in the relief camps. Methods: A mixed methods study was conducted in rural villages of Sindh adjacent to the river Indus, and included in-depth interviews with 15 women who gave birth during the floods, structured interviews with 668 women who were pregnant during 2010-2014, and in-depth interviews with 25 community health workers (CHW) and 30 key informants. Results: Women said that giving birth in the relief camps during the floods was one of the most challenging times of their life. Nearly 91.2% women gave birth in temporary shelters with the help of a traditional birth attendant (Dai) with no clean physical space available to birth, and the health camp was mostly accessed by men and always overcrowded. There was no obstetric trained medical staff in the health camps or transportation provided to take women with complications to the nearest health facility. The rate of adverse outcome following disaster was 22.2% (95% CI: 8.62% – 42.2%) amongst 27 women who did not evacuate as compare to 7.91% (95% CI: 5.03% – 11.8%) among 278 women who lived in relief camp study participants. There were 27 women who evacuated on pre-flood warning and had 0% rate of adverse outcome. Conclusion: We propose a model where CHWs will be used as frontline maternity care providers during any emergency or disaster situations in Pakistan. A separate "birthing station" should be mandatory in all district relief camps, managed by CHWs. Community midwives (CMW) would and the Lady Health Workers (LHW) would provide antenatal and postnatal care alongside, vaccination for pregnant women, neonates and children under five. There must be an ambulance facility for emergency obstetric cases and all district health facilities should have at least two medical staff identified and trained for emergency obstetric management. The District Health Department must provide clean birthing kits and regular and emergency contraceptives in the relief camps.

Keywords: natural disaster, maternity care model, rural, Pakistan, community health workers

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823 Emergency Management of Poisoning Tracery Care Hospital in India

Authors: Rajiv Ratan Singh, Sachin Kumar Tripathi, Pradeep Kumar Yadav

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The timely evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of people who have been exposed to toxic chemicals is a crucial component of emergency poison management in the medical field. The various substances that can poison include chemicals, medications, and naturally occurring poisons. The toxicology of the particular drug involved, as well as the symptoms and indicators of poisoning, must be thoroughly understood to handle poisoning emergencies effectively. One of the most important aspects of emergency poison management in medicine is the prompt examination, diagnosis, and treatment of persons who have been exposed to dangerous substances. To properly manage poisoning crises, one must have a good understanding of the toxicology of the particular medication concerned, as well as the signs and indicators of poisoning. Emergency management of poisoning includes not only prompt medical attention but also patient education, follow-up care, and monitoring for any long-term consequences. To achieve the greatest results for patients, the management of poisoning is a complicated and dynamic process that calls for collaboration between medical professionals, first responders, and toxicologists. All poisoned patients who present to the emergency room are assessed and diagnosed based on a collection of symptoms and a biochemical diagnosis, and they are then provided targeted, specialized treatment for the toxin identified. This article focuses on the loxodromic strategy as the primary method of treatment for poisoned patients. The authors of this article conclude that mortality and morbidity can be reduced if patients visit the emergency room promptly and receive targeted treatment.

Keywords: antidotes, blood poisoning, emergency medicine, gastric lavage, medico-legal aspects, patient care

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822 The Tariffs of Water Service for Productive Users: A Model for Defining Fare Classes

Authors: M. Macchiaroli, V. Pellecchia, L. Dolores

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The water supply for production users (craft, commercial, industrial), understood as the set of water supply and wastewater collection services becomes an increasingly felt problem in a water scarcity regime. In fact, disputes are triggered between the different social parties for the fair and efficient use of water resources. Within this aspect, the problem arises of the different pricing of services between civil users and production users. Of particular interest is the question of defining the tariff classes depending on consumption levels. If for civil users, this theme is strongly permeated by social profiles (a topic dealt with by the author in a forthcoming research contribution) connected with the inalienability of the right to have water and with the reconciliation of the needs of the weakest groups of the population, for consumers in the production sector the logic adopted by the manager may be inspired by criteria of greater corporate rationality. This work illustrates the Italian regulatory framework and shows an optimization model of tariff classes in the production sector that reconciles the public objective of sustainable use of the resource and the needs of a production system in search of recovery after the depressing effects caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: decision making, economic evaluation, urban water management, water tariff

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821 Determination of International Jurisdiction of Courts over Disputes Arising from Electronic Consumer Contracts

Authors: Aslihan Coban

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As a result of the rapid development of information communication technology, especially the internet, consumers have become an active party in commerce and in law. Consequently, the protection of consumers in cross-border contracts has become increasingly important. This paper is confined to the international jurisdiction of courts over disputes arising from electronic consumer contracts according to the ‘5718 Turkish Act on Private International Law and Civil Procedure’ and the ‘1215/2012 Council Regulation On Jurisdiction and The Recognition and Enforcement Of Judgments In Civil and Commercial Matters’ (Hereafter ‘Brussels I Regulation’). The international jurisdiction of courts for consumer contracts is recognized under both acts above-mentioned; however, there exist some differences between the said legal regulations. Firstly, while there is a specific provision for electronic consumer contracts in Brussels I Regulation, there is no specific provision in the Turkish Act. Secondly, under the Turkish Act, habitual residence, domicile, and workplace of the other party who is not a consumer are all accepted as jurisdiction elements; while domicile is the only jurisdiction element in Brussels I Regulation. Thirdly, the ability to make jurisdiction agreements in disputes arising from electronic consumer contracts is a controversial issue under the Turkish Act while it is explicitly regulated under Brussels I Regulation that such jurisdiction agreements can be concluded by complying with certain conditions.

Keywords: Brussels I Regulation, electronic consumer contracts, jurisdiction, jurisdiction agreement

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