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<div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">46</span> The Importance of School Culture in Supporting Student Mental Health Following the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights from a Qualitative Study</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Rhiannon%20Barker">Rhiannon Barker</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Gregory%20Hartwell"> Gregory Hartwell</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Matt%20Egan"> Matt Egan</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Karen%20Lock"> Karen Lock</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Background: Evidence suggests that mental health (MH) issues in children and young people (CYP) in the UK are on the rise. Of particular concern is data that indicates that the pandemic, together with the impact of school closures, have accentuated already pronounced inequalities; children from families on low incomes or from black and minority ethnic groups are reportedly more likely to have been adversely impacted. This study aimed to help identify specific support which may facilitate the building of a positive school climate and protect student mental health, particularly in the wake of school closures following the pandemic. It has important implications for integrated working between schools and statutory health services. Methods: The research comprised of three parts; scoping, case studies, and a stakeholder workshop to explore and consolidate results. The scoping phase included a literature review alongside interviews with a range of stakeholders from government, academia, and the third sector. Case studies were then conducted in two London state schools. Results: Our research identified how student MH was being impacted by a range of factors located at different system levels, both internal to the school and in the wider community. School climate, relating both to a shared system of beliefs and values, as well as broader factors including style of leadership, teaching, discipline, safety, and relationships -all played a role in the experience of school life and, consequently, the MH of both students and staff. Participants highlighted the importance of a whole school approach and ensuring that support for student MH was not separated from academic achievement, as well as the importance of identifying and applying universal measuring systems to establish levels of MH need. Our findings suggest that a school’s climate is influenced by the style and strength of its leadership, while this school climate - together with mechanisms put in place to respond to MH needs (both statutory and non-statutory) - plays a key role in supporting student MH. Implications: Schools in England have a responsibility to decide on the nature of MH support provided for their students, and there is no requirement for them to report centrally on the form this provision takes. The reality on the ground, as our study suggests, is that MH provision varies significantly between schools, particularly in relation to ‘lower’ levels of need which are not covered by statutory requirements. A valid concern may be that in the huge raft of possible options schools have to support CYP wellbeing, too much is left to chance. Work to support schools in rebuilding their cultures post-lockdowns must include the means to identify and promote appropriate tools and techniques to facilitate regular measurement of student MH. This will help establish both the scale of the problem and monitor the effectiveness of the response. A strong vision from a school’s leadership team that emphasises the importance of student wellbeing, running alongside (but not overshadowed by) academic attainment, should help shape a school climate to promote beneficial MH outcomes. The sector should also be provided with support to improve the consistency and efficacy of MH provision in schools across the country. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=mental%20health" title="mental health">mental health</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=schools" title=" schools"> schools</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=young%20people" title=" young people"> young people</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=whole-school%20culture" title=" whole-school culture"> whole-school culture</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/146036/the-importance-of-school-culture-in-supporting-student-mental-health-following-the-covid-19-pandemic-insights-from-a-qualitative-study" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/146036.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">63</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">45</span> The Analysis of Noise Harmfulness in Public Utility Facilities</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Monika%20Sobolewska">Monika Sobolewska</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Aleksandra%20Majchrzak"> Aleksandra Majchrzak</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Bartlomiej%20Chojnacki"> Bartlomiej Chojnacki</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Katarzyna%20Baruch"> Katarzyna Baruch</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Adam%20Pilch"> Adam Pilch</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The main purpose of the study is to perform the measurement and analysis of noise harmfulness in public utility facilities. The World Health Organization reports that the number of people suffering from hearing impairment is constantly increasing. The most alarming is the number of young people occurring in the statistics. The majority of scientific research in the field of hearing protection and noise prevention concern industrial and road traffic noise as the source of health problems. As the result, corresponding standards and regulations defining noise level limits are enforced. However, there is another field uncovered by profound research – leisure time. Public utility facilities such as clubs, shopping malls, sport facilities or concert halls – they all generate high-level noise, being out of proper juridical control. Among European Union Member States, the highest legislative act concerning noise prevention is the Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC. However, it omits the problem discussed above and even for traffic, railway and aircraft noise it does not set limits or target values, leaving these issues to the discretion of the Member State authorities. Without explicit and uniform regulations, noise level control at places designed for relaxation and entertainment is often in the responsibility of people having little knowledge of hearing protection, unaware of the risk the noise pollution poses. Exposure to high sound levels in clubs, cinemas, at concerts and sports events may result in a progressive hearing loss, especially among young people, being the main target group of such facilities and events. The first step to change this situation and to raise the general awareness is to perform reliable measurements the results of which will emphasize the significance of the problem. This project presents the results of more than hundred measurements, performed in most types of public utility facilities in Poland. As the most suitable measuring instrument for such a research, personal noise dosimeters were used to collect the data. Each measurement is presented in the form of numerical results including equivalent and peak sound pressure levels and a detailed description considering the type of the sound source, size and furnishing of the room and the subjective sound level evaluation. In the absence of a straight reference point for the interpretation of the data, the limits specified in EU Directive 2003/10/EC were used for comparison. They set the maximum sound level values for workers in relation to their working time length. The analysis of the examined problem leads to the conclusion that during leisure time, people are exposed to noise levels significantly exceeding safe values. As the hearing problems are gradually progressing, most people underplay the problem, ignoring the first symptoms. Therefore, an effort has to be made to specify the noise regulations for public utility facilities. Without any action, in the foreseeable future the majority of Europeans will be dealing with serious hearing damage, which will have a negative impact on the whole societies. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=hearing%20protection" title="hearing protection">hearing protection</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=noise%20level%20limits" title=" noise level limits"> noise level limits</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=noise%20prevention" title=" noise prevention"> noise prevention</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=noise%20regulations" title=" noise regulations"> noise regulations</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=public%20utility%20facilities" title=" public utility facilities"> public utility facilities</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/78647/the-analysis-of-noise-harmfulness-in-public-utility-facilities" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/78647.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">223</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">44</span> A Randomized, Controlled Trial to Test Behavior Change Techniques to Improve Low Intensity Physical Activity in Older Adults</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ciaran%20Friel">Ciaran Friel</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jerry%20Suls"> Jerry Suls</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mark%20Butler"> Mark Butler</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Patrick%20Robles"> Patrick Robles</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Samantha%20Gordon"> Samantha Gordon</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Frank%20Vicari"> Frank Vicari</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Karina%20W.%20Davidson"> Karina W. Davidson</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Physical activity guidelines focus on increasing moderate-intensity activity for older adults, but adherence to recommendations remains low. This is despite the fact that scientific evidence supports that any increase in physical activity is positively correlated with health benefits. Behavior change techniques (BCTs) have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing sedentary behavior and promoting physical activity. This pilot study uses a Personalized Trials (N-of-1) design to evaluate the efficacy of using four BCTs to promote an increase in low-intensity physical activity (2,000 steps of walking per day) in adults aged 45-75 years old. The 4 BCTs tested were goal setting, action planning, feedback, and self-monitoring. BCTs were tested in random order and delivered by text message prompts requiring participant engagement. The study recruited health system employees in the target age range, without mobility restrictions and demonstrating interest in increasing their daily activity by a minimum of 2,000 steps per day for a minimum of five days per week. Participants were sent a Fitbit® fitness tracker with an established study account and password. Participants were recommended to wear the Fitbit device 24/7 but were required to wear it for a minimum of ten hours per day. Baseline physical activity was measured by Fitbit for two weeks. In the 8-week intervention phase of the study, participants received each of the four BCTs, in random order, for a two-week period. Text message prompts were delivered daily each morning at a consistent time. All prompts required participant engagement to acknowledge receipt of the BCT message. Engagement is dependent upon the BCT message and may have included recording that a detailed plan for walking has been made or confirmed a daily step goal (action planning, goal setting). Additionally, participants may have been directed to a study dashboard to view their step counts or compare themselves to their baseline average step count (self-monitoring, feedback). At the end of each two-week testing interval, participants were asked to complete the Self-Efficacy for Walking Scale (SEW_Dur), a validated measure that assesses the participant’s confidence in walking incremental distances, and a survey measuring their satisfaction with the individual BCT that they tested. At the end of their trial, participants received a personalized summary of their step data in response to each individual BCT. The analysis will examine the novel individual-level heterogeneity of treatment effect made possible by N-of-1 design and pool results across participants to efficiently estimate the overall efficacy of the selected behavioral change techniques in increasing low-intensity walking by 2,000 steps, five days per week. Self-efficacy will be explored as the likely mechanism of action prompting behavior change. This study will inform the providers and demonstrate the feasibility of an N-of-1 study design to effectively promote physical activity as a component of healthy aging. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=aging" title="aging">aging</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=exercise" title=" exercise"> exercise</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=habit" title=" habit"> habit</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=walking" title=" walking"> walking</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/147951/a-randomized-controlled-trial-to-test-behavior-change-techniques-to-improve-low-intensity-physical-activity-in-older-adults" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/147951.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">92</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">43</span> Strengths Profiling: An Alternative Approach to Assessing Character Strengths Based on Personal Construct Psychology</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sam%20J.%20Cooley">Sam J. Cooley</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mary%20L.%20Quinton"> Mary L. Quinton</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Benjamin%20J.%20Parry"> Benjamin J. Parry</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mark%20J.%20G.%20Holland"> Mark J. G. Holland</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Richard%20J.%20Whiting"> Richard J. Whiting</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jennifer%20Cumming"> Jennifer Cumming</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Practitioners draw attention to people’s character strengths to promote empowerment and well-being. This paper explores the possibility that existing approaches for assessing character strengths (e.g., the Values in Action survey; VIA-IS) could be even more autonomy supportive and empowering when combined with strengths profiling, an ideographic tool informed by personal construct theory (PCT). A PCT approach ensures that: (1) knowledge is co-created (i.e., the practitioner is not seen as the ‘expert’ who leads the process); (2) individuals are not required to ‘fit’ within a prescribed list of characteristics; and (3) individuals are free to use their own terminology and interpretations. A combined Strengths Profiling and VIA approach was used in a sample of homeless youth (aged 16-25) who are commonly perceived as ‘hard-to-engage’ through traditional forms of assessment. Strengths Profiling was completed face-to-face in small groups. Participants (N = 116) began by listing a variety of personally meaningful characteristics. Participants gave each characteristic a score out of ten for how important it was to them (1 = not so important; 10 = very important), their ideal competency, and their current competency (1 = poor; 10 = excellent). A discrepancy score was calculated for each characteristic (discrepancy score = ideal score - current score x importance), whereby a lower discrepancy score indicated greater satisfaction. Strengths Profiling was used at the beginning and end of a 10-week positive youth development programme. Experiences were captured through video diary room entries made by participants and through reflective notes taken by the facilitators. Participants were also asked to complete a pre-and post-programme questionnaire, measuring perceptions of well-being, self-worth, and resilience. All of the young people who attended the strengths profiling session agreed to complete a profile, and the majority became highly engaged in the process. Strengths profiling was found to be an autonomy supportive and empowering experience, with each participant identifying an average of 10 character strengths (M = 10.27, SD = 3.23). In total, 215 different character strengths were identified, each with varying terms and definitions used, which differed greatly between participants and demonstrated the value in soliciting personal constructs. Using the participants’ definitions, 98% of characteristics were categorized deductively into the VIA framework. Bravery, perseverance, and hope were the character strengths that featured most, whilst temperance and courage received the highest discrepancy scores. Discrepancy scores were negatively correlated with well-being, self-worth, and resilience, and meaningful improvements were recorded following the intervention. These findings support the use of strengths profiling as a theoretically-driven and novel way to engage disadvantaged youth in identifying and monitoring character strengths. When young people are given the freedom to express their own characteristics, the resulting terminologies extend beyond the language used in existing frameworks. This added freedom and control over the process of strengths identification encouraged youth to take ownership over their profiles and apply their strengths. In addition, the ability to transform characteristics post hoc into the VIA framework means that strengths profiling can be used to explore aggregated/nomothetic hypotheses, whilst still benefiting from its ideographic roots. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=ideographic" title="ideographic">ideographic</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=nomothetic" title=" nomothetic"> nomothetic</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=positive%20youth%20development" title=" positive youth development"> positive youth development</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=VIA-IS" title=" VIA-IS"> VIA-IS</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=assessment" title=" assessment"> assessment</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=homeless%20youth" title=" homeless youth"> homeless youth</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/91297/strengths-profiling-an-alternative-approach-to-assessing-character-strengths-based-on-personal-construct-psychology" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/91297.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">201</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">42</span> Bacterial Exposure and Microbial Activity in Dental Clinics during Cleaning Procedures</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Atin%20Adhikari">Atin Adhikari</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sushma%20Kurella"> Sushma Kurella</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Pratik%20Banerjee"> Pratik Banerjee</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Nabanita%20Mukherjee"> Nabanita Mukherjee</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Yamini%20M.%20Chandana%20Gollapudi"> Yamini M. Chandana Gollapudi</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Bushra%20Shah"> Bushra Shah</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Different sharp instruments, drilling machines, and high speed rotary instruments are routinely used in dental clinics during dental cleaning. Therefore, these cleaning procedures release a lot of oral microorganisms including bacteria in clinic air and may cause significant occupational bioaerosol exposure risks for dentists, dental hygienists, patients, and dental clinic employees. Two major goals of this study were to quantify volumetric airborne concentrations of bacteria and to assess overall microbial activity in this type of occupational environment. The study was conducted in several dental clinics of southern Georgia and 15 dental cleaning procedures were targeted for sampling of airborne bacteria and testing of overall microbial activity in settled dusts over clinic floors. For air sampling, a Biostage viable cascade impactor was utilized, which comprises an inlet cone, precision-drilled 400-hole impactor stage, and a base that holds an agar plate (Tryptic soy agar). A high-flow Quick-Take-30 pump connected to this impactor pulls microorganisms in air at 28.3 L/min flow rate through the holes (jets) where they are collected on the agar surface for approx. five minutes. After sampling, agar plates containing the samples were placed in an ice chest with blue ice and plates were incubated at 30±2°C for 24 to 72 h. Colonies were counted and converted to airborne concentrations (CFU/m3) followed by positive hole corrections. Most abundant bacterial colonies (selected by visual screening) were identified by PCR amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. For understanding overall microbial activity in clinic floors and estimating a general cleanliness of the clinic surfaces during or after dental cleaning procedures, ATP levels were determined in swabbed dust samples collected from 10 cm2 floor surfaces. Concentration of ATP may indicate both the cell viability and the metabolic status of settled microorganisms in this situation. An ATP measuring kit was used, which utilized standard luciferin-luciferase fluorescence reaction and a luminometer, which quantified ATP levels as relative light units (RLU). Three air and dust samples were collected during each cleaning procedure (at the beginning, during cleaning, and immediately after the procedure was completed (n = 45). Concentrations at the beginning, during, and after dental cleaning procedures were 671±525, 917±1203, and 899±823 CFU/m3, respectively for airborne bacteria and 91±101, 243±129, and 139±77 RLU/sample, respectively for ATP levels. The concentrations of bacteria were significantly higher than typical indoor residential environments. Although an increasing trend for airborne bacteria was observed during cleaning, the data collected at three different time points were not significantly different (ANOVA: p = 0.38) probably due to high standard deviations of data. The ATP levels, however, demonstrated a significant difference (ANOVA: p <0.05) in this scenario indicating significant change in microbial activity on floor surfaces during dental cleaning. The most common bacterial genera identified were: Neisseria sp., Streptococcus sp., Chryseobacterium sp., Paenisporosarcina sp., and Vibrio sp. in terms of frequencies of occurrences, respectively. The study concluded that bacterial exposure in dental clinics could be a notable occupational biohazard, and appropriate respiratory protections for the employees are urgently needed. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=bioaerosols" title="bioaerosols">bioaerosols</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=hospital%20hygiene" title=" hospital hygiene"> hospital hygiene</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=indoor%20air%20quality" title=" indoor air quality"> indoor air quality</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=occupational%20biohazards" title=" occupational biohazards"> occupational biohazards</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/46956/bacterial-exposure-and-microbial-activity-in-dental-clinics-during-cleaning-procedures" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/46956.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">311</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">41</span> Organisational Mindfulness Case Study: A 6-Week Corporate Mindfulness Programme Significantly Enhances Organisational Well-Being </h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Dana%20Zelicha">Dana Zelicha</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> A 6-week mindfulness programme was launched to improve the well being and performance of 20 managers (including the supervisor) of an international corporation in London. A unique assessment methodology was customised to the organisation’s needs, measuring four parameters: prioritising skills, listening skills, mindfulness levels and happiness levels. All parameters showed significant improvements (p < 0.01) post intervention, with a remarkable increase in listening skills and mindfulness levels. Although corporate mindfulness programmes have proven to be effective, the challenge remains the low engagement levels at home and the implementation of these tools beyond the scope of the intervention. This study has offered an innovative approach to enforce home engagement levels, which yielded promising results. The programme launched with a 2-day introduction intervention, which was followed by a 6-week training course (1 day a week; 2 hours each). Participants learned all basic principles of mindfulness such as mindfulness meditations, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) techniques and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) practices to incorporate into their professional and personal lives. The programme contained experiential mindfulness meditations and innovative mindfulness tools (OWBA-MT) created by OWBA - The Well Being Agency. Exercises included Mindful Meetings, Unitasking and Mindful Feedback. All sessions concluded with guided discussions and group reflections. One fundamental element of this programme was engagement level outside of the workshop. In the office, participants connected with a mindfulness buddy - a team member in the group with whom they could find support throughout the programme. At home, participants completed online daily mindfulness forms that varied according to weekly themes. These customised forms gave participants the opportunity to reflect on whether they made time for daily mindfulness practice, and to facilitate a sense of continuity and responsibility. At the end of the programme, the most engaged team member was crowned the ‘mindful maven’ and received a special gift. The four parameters were measured using online self-reported questionnaires, including the Listening Skills Inventory (LSI), Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Time Management Behaviour Scale (TMBS) and a modified version of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ). Pre-intervention questionnaires were collected at the start of the programme, and post-intervention data was collected 4-weeks following completion. Quantitative analysis using paired T-tests of means showed significant improvements, with a 23% increase in listening skills, a 22% improvement in mindfulness levels, a 12% increase in prioritising skills, and an 11% improvement in happiness levels. Participant testimonials exhibited high levels of satisfaction and the overall results indicate that the mindfulness programme substantially impacted the team. These results suggest that 6-week mindfulness programmes can improve employees’ capacities to listen and work well with others, to effectively manage time and to experience enhanced satisfaction both at work and in life. Limitations noteworthy to consider include the afterglow effect and lack of generalisability, as this study was conducted on a small and fairly homogenous sample. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=corporate%20mindfulness" title="corporate mindfulness">corporate mindfulness</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=listening%20skills" title=" listening skills"> listening skills</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=organisational%20well%20being" title=" organisational well being"> organisational well being</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=prioritising%20skills" title=" prioritising skills"> prioritising skills</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=mindful%20leadership" title=" mindful leadership"> mindful leadership</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/69158/organisational-mindfulness-case-study-a-6-week-corporate-mindfulness-programme-significantly-enhances-organisational-well-being" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/69158.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">270</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">40</span> Defining a Framework for Holistic Life Cycle Assessment of Building Components by Considering Parameters Such as Circularity, Material Health, Biodiversity, Pollution Control, Cost, Social Impacts, and Uncertainty</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Naomi%20Grigoryan">Naomi Grigoryan</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Alexandros%20Loutsioli%20Daskalakis"> Alexandros Loutsioli Daskalakis</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Anna%20Elisse%20Uy"> Anna Elisse Uy</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Yihe%20Huang"> Yihe Huang</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Aude%20Laurent%20%28Webanck%29"> Aude Laurent (Webanck)</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> In response to the building and construction sectors accounting for a third of all energy demand and emissions, the European Union has placed new laws and regulations in the construction sector that emphasize material circularity, energy efficiency, biodiversity, and social impact. Existing design tools assess sustainability in early-stage design for products or buildings; however, there is no standardized methodology for measuring the circularity performance of building components. Existing assessment methods for building components focus primarily on carbon footprint but lack the comprehensive analysis required to design for circularity. The research conducted in this paper covers the parameters needed to assess sustainability in the design process of architectural products such as doors, windows, and facades. It maps a framework for a tool that assists designers with real-time sustainability metrics. Considering the life cycle of building components such as façades, windows, and doors involves the life cycle stages applied to product design and many of the methods used in the life cycle analysis of buildings. The current industry standards of sustainability assessment for metal building components follow cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA), track Global Warming Potential (GWP), and document the parameters used for an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). Developed by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) is a methodology utilizing the data from LCA and EPDs to rate circularity, with a "value between 0 and 1 where higher values indicate a higher circularity+". Expanding on the MCI with additional indicators such as the Water Circularity Index (WCI), the Energy Circularity Index (ECI), the Social Circularity Index (SCI), Life Cycle Economic Value (EV), and calculating biodiversity risk and uncertainty, the assessment methodology of an architectural product's impact can be targeted more specifically based on product requirements, performance, and lifespan. Broadening the scope of LCA calculation for products to incorporate aspects of building design allows product designers to account for the disassembly of architectural components. For example, the Material Circularity Indicator for architectural products such as windows and facades is typically low due to the impact of glass, as 70% of glass ends up in landfills due to damage in the disassembly process. The low MCI can be combatted by expanding beyond cradle-to-grave assessment and focusing the design process on disassembly, recycling, and repurposing with the help of real-time assessment tools. Design for Disassembly and Urban Mining has been integrated within the construction field on small scales as project-based exercises, not addressing the entire supply chain of architectural products. By adopting more comprehensive sustainability metrics and incorporating uncertainty calculations, the sustainability assessment of building components can be more accurately assessed with decarbonization and disassembly in mind, addressing the large-scale commercial markets within construction, some of the most significant contributors to climate change. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=architectural%20products" title="architectural products">architectural products</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=early-stage%20design" title=" early-stage design"> early-stage design</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=life%20cycle%20assessment" title=" life cycle assessment"> life cycle assessment</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=material%20circularity%20indicator" title=" material circularity indicator"> material circularity indicator</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/177754/defining-a-framework-for-holistic-life-cycle-assessment-of-building-components-by-considering-parameters-such-as-circularity-material-health-biodiversity-pollution-control-cost-social-impacts-and-uncertainty" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/177754.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">88</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">39</span> Oil and Proteins of Sardine (Sardina Pilchardus) Compared with Casein or Mixture of Vegetable Oils Improves Dyslipidemia and Reduces Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Hypercholesterolemic and Obese Rats</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Khelladi%20Hadj%20Mostefa">Khelladi Hadj Mostefa</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Krouf%20Djamil"> Krouf Djamil</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Taleb-Dida%20Nawel"> Taleb-Dida Nawel</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Background: Obesity results from a prolonged imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure, as depending on basal metabolic rate. Oils and proteins from sea have important therapeutic (such as obesity and hypercholesterolemia) and antioxidant effects. Sardine are a widely consumed fish in the Mediterranean region. Its consumption provides humans with various nutrients such as oils (rich in omega 3 plyunsaturated fatty acids)) and proteins. Methods: Sardine oil (SO) and sardine proteins (SP) were extracted and purified. Mixture of vegetable oils (olive-walnut-sunflower) were prepared from oils produced in Algeria. Eighteen wistar rats are fed a high fat diet enriched with 1% cholesterol for 30 days to induce obesity and hypercholesterolemia. The rats are divided into 3 groups. The first group consumes 20% sardine protein combined with 5% sardine oil (38% SFA (saturated fatty acids), 31% MIFA (monounsaturated fatty acids) and 31% PIFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids)) (SPso). The second group consumes 20% sardine protein combined with 5% of a mixture of vegetable oils (VO) containing 13% SFA, 58% MIFA and 29% PIFA (PSvo), and the third group consuming 20% casein combined with 5% of the mixture of vegetable oils and serves as a semi-synthetic reference (CASvo). Body weights and glycaemia are measured weekly After 28 days of experimentation, the rats are sacrificed, the blood and the liver removed. Serum assays of total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) were performed by enzymatic colorimetric methods. Evaluation of lipid peroxidation was performed by assaying thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) and hydroperoxides values. The protein oxidation was performed by assaying carbonyl derivatives values. Finally, evaluation of antioxidant defense is made by measuring the activity of antioxidant enzymes, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the catalase (CAT).Results: After 28 days, the body weight (BW) of the rats increased significantly in SPso and SPvo groups compared to CAS group, by +11% and 7%, respectively. Cholesterolemia (TC) increased significantly in the SPso and SPvo groups compared to the CAS group (P<0.01), while triglyceridemia (TG) decreased significantly in the SPso group compared to SPvo and CAS groups (P<0.01). Albumin (marker of inflammation) increased in the PSs group compared to SPvo and CAS groups by +35% and +13%, respectively. The serum TBARS levels are -40% lower in SPso group compared to SPvo group, and they are -80% and -76% lower in SPso compared to SPvo and CAS groups, respectively. The level of carbonyls derivatives in the serum and liver are significantly reduced in the SPso group compared to the SPvo and CAS groups. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity decreased in liver of SPso group compared to SPvo group (P<0.01). While that of CAT is increased in liver tissue of SPso group compared to SPvo group (P<0.01). Conclusion: Sardine oil combined with sardine protein has a hypotriglyceridemic effect, reduces body weight, attenuates inflammation and seems to protect against lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation and increases antioxidant defense in hypercholesterolemic and obese rats. This could be in favor of a protective effect against obesity and cardiovascular diseases. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=rat" title="rat">rat</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=obesity" title=" obesity"> obesity</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=hypercholesterolemia" title=" hypercholesterolemia"> hypercholesterolemia</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=sardine%20protein" title=" sardine protein"> sardine protein</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=sardine%20oil" title=" sardine oil"> sardine oil</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=vegetable%20oils%20mixture" title=" vegetable oils mixture"> vegetable oils mixture</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=lipid%20peroxidation" title=" lipid peroxidation"> lipid peroxidation</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=protein%20oxidation" title=" protein oxidation"> protein oxidation</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=antioxidant%20defense" title=" antioxidant defense"> antioxidant defense</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/169564/oil-and-proteins-of-sardine-sardina-pilchardus-compared-with-casein-or-mixture-of-vegetable-oils-improves-dyslipidemia-and-reduces-inflammation-and-oxidative-stress-in-hypercholesterolemic-and-obese-rats" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/169564.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">66</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">38</span> Decision Making on Smart Energy Grid Development for Availability and Security of Supply Achievement Using Reliability Merits</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=F.%20Iberraken">F. Iberraken</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=R.%20Medjoudj"> R. Medjoudj</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=D.%20Aissani"> D. Aissani</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The development of the smart grids concept is built around two separate definitions, namely: The European one oriented towards sustainable development and the American one oriented towards reliability and security of supply. In this paper, we have investigated reliability merits enabling decision-makers to provide a high quality of service. It is based on system behavior using interruptions and failures modeling and forecasting from one hand and on the contribution of information and communication technologies (ICT) to mitigate catastrophic ones such as blackouts from the other hand. It was found that this concept has been adopted by developing and emerging countries in short and medium terms followed by sustainability concept at long term planning. This work has highlighted the reliability merits such as: Benefits, opportunities, costs and risks considered as consistent units of measuring power customer satisfaction. From the decision making point of view, we have used the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to achieve customer satisfaction, based on the reliability merits and the contribution of such energy resources. Certainly nowadays, fossil and nuclear ones are dominating energy production but great advances are already made to jump into cleaner ones. It was demonstrated that theses resources are not only environmentally but also economically and socially sustainable. The paper is organized as follows: Section one is devoted to the introduction, where an implicit review of smart grids development is given for the two main concepts (for USA and Europeans countries). The AHP method and the BOCR developments of reliability merits against power customer satisfaction are developed in section two. The benefits where expressed by the high level of availability, maintenance actions applicability and power quality. Opportunities were highlighted by the implementation of ICT in data transfer and processing, the mastering of peak demand control, the decentralization of the production and the power system management in default conditions. Costs were evaluated using cost-benefit analysis, including the investment expenditures in network security, becoming a target to hackers and terrorists, and the profits of operating as decentralized systems, with a reduced energy not supplied, thanks to the availability of storage units issued from renewable resources and to the current power lines (CPL) enabling the power dispatcher to manage optimally the load shedding. For risks, we have razed the adhesion of citizens to contribute financially to the system and to the utility restructuring. What is the degree of their agreement compared to the guarantees proposed by the managers about the information integrity? From technical point of view, have they sufficient information and knowledge to meet a smart home and a smart system? In section three, an application of AHP method is made to achieve power customer satisfaction based on the main energy resources as alternatives, using knowledge issued from a country that has a great advance in energy mutation. Results and discussions are given in section four. It was given us to conclude that the option to a given resource depends on the attitude of the decision maker (prudent, optimistic or pessimistic), and that status quo is neither sustainable nor satisfactory. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=reliability" title="reliability">reliability</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=AHP" title=" AHP"> AHP</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=renewable%20energy%20resources" title=" renewable energy resources"> renewable energy resources</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=smart%20grids" title=" smart grids"> smart grids</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/31142/decision-making-on-smart-energy-grid-development-for-availability-and-security-of-supply-achievement-using-reliability-merits" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/31142.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">442</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">37</span> Exploring the Neural Mechanisms of Communication and Cooperation in Children and Adults</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sara%20Mosteller">Sara Mosteller</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Larissa%20K.%20Samuelson"> Larissa K. Samuelson</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sobanawartiny%20Wijeakumar"> Sobanawartiny Wijeakumar</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=John%20P.%20Spencer"> John P. Spencer</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> This study was designed to examine how humans are able to teach and learn semantic information as well as cooperate in order to jointly achieve sophisticated goals. Specifically, we are measuring individual differences in how these abilities develop from foundational building blocks in early childhood. The current study adopts a paradigm for novel noun learning developed by Samuelson, Smith, Perry, and Spencer (2011) to a hyperscanning paradigm [Cui, Bryant and Reiss, 2012]. This project measures coordinated brain activity between a parent and child using simultaneous functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in pairs of 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5-year-old children and their parents. We are also separately testing pairs of adult friends. Children and parents, or adult friends, are seated across from one another at a table. The parent (in the developmental study) then teaches their child the names of novel toys. An experimenter then tests the child by presenting the objects in pairs and asking the child to retrieve one object by name. Children are asked to choose from both pairs of familiar objects and pairs of novel objects. In order to explore individual differences in cooperation with the same participants, each dyad plays a cooperative game of Jenga, in which their joint score is based on how many blocks they can remove from the tower as a team. A preliminary analysis of the noun-learning task showed that, when presented with 6 word-object mappings, children learned an average of 3 new words (50%) and that the number of objects learned by each child ranged from 2-4. Adults initially learned all of the new words but were variable in their later retention of the mappings, which ranged from 50-100%. We are currently examining differences in cooperative behavior during the Jenga playing game, including time spent discussing each move before it is made. Ongoing analyses are examining the social dynamics that might underlie the differences between words that were successfully learned and unlearned words for each dyad, as well as the developmental differences observed in the study. Additionally, the Jenga game is being used to better understand individual and developmental differences in social coordination during a cooperative task. At a behavioral level, the analysis maps periods of joint visual attention between participants during the word learning and the Jenga game, using head-mounted eye trackers to assess each participant’s first-person viewpoint during the session. We are also analyzing the coherence in brain activity between participants during novel word-learning and Jenga playing. The first hypothesis is that visual joint attention during the session will be positively correlated with both the number of words learned and with the number of blocks moved during Jenga before the tower falls. The next hypothesis is that successful communication of new words and success in the game will each be positively correlated with synchronized brain activity between the parent and child/the adult friends in cortical regions underlying social cognition, semantic processing, and visual processing. This study probes both the neural and behavioral mechanisms of learning and cooperation in a naturalistic, interactive and developmental context. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=communication" title="communication">communication</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=cooperation" title=" cooperation"> cooperation</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=development" title=" development"> development</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=interaction" title=" interaction"> interaction</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=neuroscience" title=" neuroscience"> neuroscience</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/88207/exploring-the-neural-mechanisms-of-communication-and-cooperation-in-children-and-adults" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/88207.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">252</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">36</span> Hyperspectral Imagery for Tree Speciation and Carbon Mass Estimates</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jennifer%20Buz">Jennifer Buz</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Alvin%20Spivey"> Alvin Spivey</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The most common greenhouse gas emitted through human activities, carbon dioxide (CO2), is naturally consumed by plants during photosynthesis. This process is actively being monetized by companies wishing to offset their carbon dioxide emissions. For example, companies are now able to purchase protections for vegetated land due-to-be clear cut or purchase barren land for reforestation. Therefore, by actively preventing the destruction/decay of plant matter or by introducing more plant matter (reforestation), a company can theoretically offset some of their emissions. One of the biggest issues in the carbon credit market is validating and verifying carbon offsets. There is a need for a system that can accurately and frequently ensure that the areas sold for carbon credits have the vegetation mass (and therefore for carbon offset capability) they claim. Traditional techniques for measuring vegetation mass and determining health are costly and require many person-hours. Orbital Sidekick offers an alternative approach that accurately quantifies carbon mass and assesses vegetation health through satellite hyperspectral imagery, a technique which enables us to remotely identify material composition (including plant species) and condition (e.g., health and growth stage). How much carbon a plant is capable of storing ultimately is tied to many factors, including material density (primarily species-dependent), plant size, and health (trees that are actively decaying are not effectively storing carbon). All of these factors are capable of being observed through satellite hyperspectral imagery. This abstract focuses on speciation. To build a species classification model, we matched pixels in our remote sensing imagery to plants on the ground for which we know the species. To accomplish this, we collaborated with the researchers at the Teakettle Experimental Forest. Our remote sensing data comes from our airborne “Kato” sensor, which flew over the study area and acquired hyperspectral imagery (400-2500 nm, 472 bands) at ~0.5 m/pixel resolution. Coverage of the entire teakettle experimental forest required capturing dozens of individual hyperspectral images. In order to combine these images into a mosaic, we accounted for potential variations of atmospheric conditions throughout the data collection. To do this, we ran an open source atmospheric correction routine called ISOFIT1 (Imaging Spectrometer Optiman FITting), which converted all of our remote sensing data from radiance to reflectance. A database of reflectance spectra for each of the tree species within the study area was acquired using the Teakettle stem map and the geo-referenced hyperspectral images. We found that a wide variety of machine learning classifiers were able to identify the species within our images with high (>95%) accuracy. For the most robust quantification of carbon mass and the best assessment of the health of a vegetated area, speciation is critical. Through the use of high resolution hyperspectral data, ground-truth databases, and complex analytical techniques, we are able to determine the species present within a pixel to a high degree of accuracy. These species identifications will feed directly into our carbon mass model. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=hyperspectral" title="hyperspectral">hyperspectral</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=satellite" title=" satellite"> satellite</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=carbon" title=" carbon"> carbon</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=imagery" title=" imagery"> imagery</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=python" title=" python"> python</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=machine%20learning" title=" machine learning"> machine learning</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=speciation" title=" speciation"> speciation</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/163538/hyperspectral-imagery-for-tree-speciation-and-carbon-mass-estimates" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/163538.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">129</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">35</span> Wear Resistance in Dry and Lubricated Conditions of Hard-anodized EN AW-4006 Aluminum Alloy</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=C.%20Soffritti">C. Soffritti</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=A.%20Fortini"> A. Fortini</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=E.%20Baroni"> E. Baroni</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=M.%20Merlin"> M. Merlin</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=G.%20L.%20Garagnani"> G. L. Garagnani</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Aluminum alloys are widely used in many engineering applications due to their advantages such ashigh electrical and thermal conductivities, low density, high strength to weight ratio, and good corrosion resistance. However, their low hardness and poor tribological properties still limit their use in industrial fields requiring sliding contacts. Hard anodizing is one of the most common solution for overcoming issues concerning the insufficient friction resistance of aluminum alloys. In this work, the tribological behavior ofhard-anodized AW-4006 aluminum alloys in dry and lubricated conditions was evaluated. Three different hard-anodizing treatments were selected: a conventional one (HA) and two innovative golden hard-anodizing treatments (named G and GP, respectively), which involve the sealing of the porosity of anodic aluminum oxides (AAO) with silver ions at different temperatures. Before wear tests, all AAO layers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (VPSEM/EDS), X-ray diffractometry, roughness (Ra and Rz), microhardness (HV0.01), nanoindentation, and scratch tests. Wear tests were carried out according to the ASTM G99-17 standard using a ball-on-disc tribometer. The tests were performed in triplicate under a 2 Hz constant frequency oscillatory motion, a maximum linear speed of 0.1 m/s, normal loads of 5, 10, and 15 N, and a sliding distance of 200 m. A 100Cr6 steel ball10 mm in diameter was used as counterpart material. All tests were conducted at room temperature, in dry and lubricated conditions. Considering the more recent regulations about the environmental hazard, four bio-lubricants were considered after assessing their chemical composition (in terms of Unsaturation Number, UN) and viscosity: olive, peanut, sunflower, and soybean oils. The friction coefficient was provided by the equipment. The wear rate of anodized surfaces was evaluated by measuring the cross-section area of the wear track with a non-contact 3D profilometer. Each area value, obtained as an average of four measurements of cross-section areas along the track, was used to determine the wear volume. The worn surfaces were analyzed by VPSEM/EDS. Finally, in agreement with DoE methodology, a statistical analysis was carried out to identify the most influencing factors on the friction coefficients and wear rates. In all conditions, results show that the friction coefficient increased with raising the normal load. Considering the wear tests in dry sliding conditions, irrespective of the type of anodizing treatments, metal transfer between the mating materials was observed over the anodic aluminum oxides. During sliding at higher loads, the detachment of the metallic film also caused the delamination of some regions of the wear track. For the wear tests in lubricated conditions, the natural oils with high percentages of oleic acid (i.e., olive and peanut oils) maintained high friction coefficients and low wear rates. Irrespective of the type of oil, smallmicrocraks were visible over the AAO layers. Based on the statistical analysis, the type of anodizing treatment and magnitude of applied load were the main factors of influence on the friction coefficient and wear rate values. Nevertheless, an interaction between bio-lubricants and load magnitude could occur during the tests. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=hard%20anodizing%20treatment" title="hard anodizing treatment">hard anodizing treatment</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=silver%20ions" title=" silver ions"> silver ions</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=bio-lubricants" title=" bio-lubricants"> bio-lubricants</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=sliding%20wear" title=" sliding wear"> sliding wear</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=statistical%20analysis" title=" statistical analysis"> statistical analysis</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/143493/wear-resistance-in-dry-and-lubricated-conditions-of-hard-anodized-en-aw-4006-aluminum-alloy" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/143493.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">151</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">34</span> Sustainability in the Purchase of Airline Tickets: Analysis of Digital Communication from the Perspective of Neuroscience</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Rodr%C3%ADguez%20S%C3%A1nchez%20Carla">Rodríguez Sánchez Carla</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sancho-Esper%20Franco"> Sancho-Esper Franco</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Guillen-Davo%20Marina"> Guillen-Davo Marina</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Tourism is one of the most important sectors worldwide since it is an important economic engine for today's society. It is also one of the sectors that most negatively affect the environment in terms of CO₂ emissions due to this expansion. In light of this, airlines are developing Voluntary Carbon Offset (VCO). There is important evidence focused on analyzing the features of these VCO programs and their efficacy in reducing CO₂ emissions, and findings are mixed without a clear consensus. Different research approaches have centered on analyzing factors and consequences of VCO programs, such as economic modelling based on panel data, survey research based on traveler responses or experimental research analyzing customer decisions in a simulated context. This study belongs to the latter group because it tries to understand how different characteristics of an online ticket purchase website affect the willingness of a traveler to choose a sustainable one. The proposed behavioral model is based on several theories, such as the nudge theory, the dual processing ELM and the cognitive dissonance theory. This randomized experiment aims at overcoming previous studies based on self-reported measures that mainly study sustainable behavioral intention rather than actual decision-making. It also complements traditional self-reported independent variables by gathering objective information from an eye-tracking device. This experiment analyzes the influence of two characteristics of the online purchase website: i) the type of information regarding flight CO₂ emissions (quantitative vs. qualitative) and the comparison framework related to the sustainable purchase decision (negative: alternative with more emissions than the average flight of the route vs. positive: alternative with less emissions than the average flight of the route), therefore it is a 2x2 experiment with four alternative scenarios. A pretest was run before the actual experiment to refine the experiment features and to check the manipulations. Afterward, a different sample of students answered the pre-test questionnaire aimed at recruiting the cases and measuring several pre-stimulus measures. One week later, students came to the neurolab at the University setting to be part of the experiment, made their decision regarding online purchases and answered the post-test survey. A final sample of 21 students was gathered. The committee of ethics of the institution approved the experiment. The results show that qualitative information generates more sustainable decisions (less contaminant alternative) than quantitative information. Moreover, evidence shows that subjects are more willing to choose the sustainable decision to be more ecological (comparison of the average with the less contaminant alternative) rather than to be less contaminant (comparison of the average with the more contaminant alternative). There are also interesting differences in the information processing variables from the eye tracker. Both the total time to make the choice and the specific times by area of interest (AOI) differ depending on the assigned scenario. These results allow for a better understanding of the factors that condition the decision of a traveler to be part of a VCO program and provide useful information for airline managers to promote these programs to reduce environmental impact. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=voluntary%20carbon%20offset" title="voluntary carbon offset">voluntary carbon offset</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=airline" title=" airline"> airline</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=online%20purchase" title=" online purchase"> online purchase</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=carbon%20emission" title=" carbon emission"> carbon emission</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=sustainability" title=" sustainability"> sustainability</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=randomized%20experiment" title=" randomized experiment"> randomized experiment</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/172213/sustainability-in-the-purchase-of-airline-tickets-analysis-of-digital-communication-from-the-perspective-of-neuroscience" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/172213.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">73</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">33</span> Developing and Testing a Questionnaire of Music Memorization and Practice</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Diana%20Santiago">Diana Santiago</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Tania%20Lisboa"> Tania Lisboa</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sophie%20Lee"> Sophie Lee</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Alexander%20P.%20Demos"> Alexander P. Demos</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Monica%20C.%20S.%20Vasconcelos"> Monica C. S. Vasconcelos</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Memorization has long been recognized as an arduous and anxiety-evoking task for musicians, and yet, it is an essential aspect of performance. Research shows that musicians are often not taught how to memorize. While memorization and practice strategies of professionals have been studied, little research has been done to examine how student musicians learn to practice and memorize music in different cultural settings. We present the process of developing and testing a questionnaire of music memorization and musical practice for student musicians in the UK and Brazil. A survey was developed for a cross-cultural research project aiming at examining how young orchestral musicians (aged 7–18 years) in different learning environments and cultures engage in instrumental practice and memorization. The questionnaire development included members of a UK/US/Brazil research team of music educators and performance science researchers. A pool of items was developed for each aspect of practice and memorization identified, based on literature, personal experiences, and adapted from existing questionnaires. Item development took the varying levels of cognitive and social development of the target populations into consideration. It also considered the diverse target learning environments. Items were initially grouped in accordance with a single underlying construct/behavior. The questionnaire comprised three sections: a demographics section, a section on practice (containing 29 items), and a section on memorization (containing 40 items). Next, the response process was considered and a 5-point Likert scale ranging from ‘always’ to ‘never’ with a verbal label and an image assigned to each response option was selected, following effective questionnaire design for children and youths. Finally, a pilot study was conducted with young orchestral musicians from diverse learning environments in Brazil and the United Kingdom. Data collection took place in either one-to-one or group settings to facilitate the participants. Cognitive interviews were utilized to establish response process validity by confirming the readability and accurate comprehension of the questionnaire items or highlighting the need for item revision. Internal reliability was investigated by measuring the consistency of the item groups using the statistical test Cronbach’s alpha. The pilot study successfully relied on the questionnaire to generate data about the engagement of young musicians of different levels and instruments, across different learning and cultural environments, in instrumental practice and memorization. Interaction analysis of the cognitive interviews undertaken with these participants, however, exposed the fact that certain items, and the response scale, could be interpreted in multiple ways. The questionnaire text was, therefore, revised accordingly. The low Cronbach’s Alpha scores of many item groups indicated another issue with the original questionnaire: its low level of internal reliability. Several reasons for each poor reliability can be suggested, including the issues with item interpretation revealed through interaction analysis of the cognitive interviews, the small number of participants (34), and the elusive nature of the construct in question. The revised questionnaire measures 78 specific behaviors or opinions. It can be seen to provide an efficient means of gathering information about the engagement of young musicians in practice and memorization on a large scale. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=cross-cultural" title="cross-cultural">cross-cultural</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=memorization" title=" memorization"> memorization</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=practice" title=" practice"> practice</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=questionnaire" title=" questionnaire"> questionnaire</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=young%20musicians" title=" young musicians"> young musicians</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/109533/developing-and-testing-a-questionnaire-of-music-memorization-and-practice" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/109533.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">123</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">32</span> Enhancing Strategic Counter-Terrorism: Understanding How Familial Leadership Influences the Resilience of Terrorist and Insurgent Organizations in Asia </h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Andrew%20D.%20Henshaw">Andrew D. Henshaw</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The research examines the influence of familial and kinship based leadership on the resilience of politically violent organizations. Organizations of this type frequently fight in the same conflicts though are called 'terrorist' or 'insurgent' depending on political foci of the time, and thus different approaches are used to combat them. The research considers them correlated phenomena with significant overlap and identifies strengths and vulnerabilities in resilience processes. The research employs paired case studies to examine resilience in organizations under significant external pressure, and achieves this by measuring three variables. 1: Organizational robustness in terms of leadership and governance. 2. Bounce-back response efficiency to external pressures and adaptation to endogenous and exogenous shock. 3. Perpetuity of operational and attack capability, and political legitimacy. The research makes three hypotheses. First, familial/kinship leadership groups have a significant effect on organizational resilience in terms of informal operations. Second, non-familial/kinship organizations suffer in terms of heightened security transaction costs and social economics surrounding recruitment, retention, and replacement. Third, resilience in non-familial organizations likely stems from critical external supports like state sponsorship or powerful patrons, rather than organic resilience dynamics. The case studies pair familial organizations with non-familial organizations. Set 1: The Haqqani Network (HQN) - Pair: Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). Set 2: Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) - Pair: The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). Case studies were selected based on three requirements, being: contrasting governance types, exposure to significant external pressures and, geographical similarity. The case study sets were examined over 24 months following periods of significantly heightened operational activities. This enabled empirical measurement of the variables as substantial external pressures came into force. The rationale for the research is obvious. Nearly all organizations have some nexus of familial interconnectedness. Examining familial leadership networks does not provide further understanding of how terrorism and insurgency originate, however, the central focus of the research does address how they persist. The sparse attention to this in existing literature presents an unexplored yet important area of security studies. Furthermore, social capital in familial systems is largely automatic and organic, given at birth or through kinship. It reduces security vetting cost for recruits, fighters and supporters which lowers liabilities and entry costs, while raising organizational efficiency and exit costs. Better understanding of these process is needed to exploit strengths into weaknesses. Outcomes and implications of the research have critical relevance to future operational policy development. Increased clarity of internal trust dynamics, social capital and power flows are essential to fracturing and manipulating kinship nexus. This is highly valuable to external pressure mechanisms such as counter-terrorism, counterinsurgency, and strategic intelligence methods to penetrate, manipulate, degrade or destroy the resilience of politically violent organizations. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Counterinsurgency%20%28COIN%29" title="Counterinsurgency (COIN)">Counterinsurgency (COIN)</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=counter-terrorism" title=" counter-terrorism"> counter-terrorism</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=familial%20influence" title=" familial influence"> familial influence</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=insurgency" title=" insurgency"> insurgency</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=intelligence" title=" intelligence"> intelligence</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=kinship" title=" kinship"> kinship</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=resilience" title=" resilience"> resilience</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=terrorism" title=" terrorism"> terrorism</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/62002/enhancing-strategic-counter-terrorism-understanding-how-familial-leadership-influences-the-resilience-of-terrorist-and-insurgent-organizations-in-asia" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/62002.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">313</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">31</span> A Review on Cyberchondria Based on Bibliometric Analysis</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Xiaoqing%20Peng">Xiaoqing Peng</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Aijing%20Luo"> Aijing Luo</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Yang%20Chen"> Yang Chen</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Background: Cyberchondria, as an "emerging risk" accompanied by the information era, is a new abnormal pattern characterized by excessive or repeated online searches for health-related information and escalating health anxiety, which endangers people's physical and mental health and poses a huge threat to public health. Objective: To explore and discuss the research status, hotspots and trends of Cyberchondria. Methods: Based on a total of 77 articles regarding "Cyberchondria" extracted from Web of Science from the beginning till October 2019, the literature trends, countries, institutions, hotspots are analyzed by bibliometric analysis, the concept definition of Cyberchondria, instruments, relevant factors, treatment and intervention are discussed as well. Results: Since "Cyberchondria" was put forward for the first time in 2001, the last two decades witnessed a noticeable increase in the amount of literature, especially during 2014-2019, it quadrupled dramatically at 62 compared with that before 2014 only at 15, which shows that Cyberchondria has become a new theme and hot topic in recent years. The United States was the most active contributor with the largest publication (23), followed by England (11) and Australia (11), while the leading institutions were Baylor University(7) and University of Sydney(7), followed by Florida State University(4) and University of Manchester(4). The WoS categories "Psychiatry/Psychology " and "Computer/ Information Science "were the areas of greatest influence. The concept definition of Cyberchondria is not completely unified in the world, but it is generally considered as an abnormal behavioral pattern and emotional state and has been invoked to refer to the anxiety-amplifying effects of online health-related searches. The first and the most frequently cited scale for measuring the severity of Cyberchondria called “The Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS) ”was developed in 2014, which conceptualized Cyberchondria as a multidimensional construct consisting of compulsion, distress, excessiveness, reassurance, and mistrust of medical professionals which was proved to be not necessary for this construct later. Since then, the Brazilian, German, Turkish, Polish and Chinese versions were subsequently developed, improved and culturally adjusted, while CSS was optimized to a simplified version (CSS-12) in 2019, all of which should be worthy of further verification. The hotspots of Cyberchondria mainly focuses on relevant factors as follows: intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety sensitivity, obsessive-compulsive disorder, internet addition, abnormal illness behavior, Whiteley index, problematic internet use, trying to make clear the role played by “associated factors” and “anxiety-amplifying factors” in the development of Cyberchondria, to better understand the aetiological links and pathways in the relationships between hypochondriasis, health anxiety and online health-related searches. Although the treatment and intervention of Cyberchondria are still in the initial stage of exploration, there are kinds of meaningful attempts to seek effective strategies from different aspects such as online psychological treatment, network technology management, health information literacy improvement and public health service. Conclusion: Research on Cyberchondria is in its infancy but should be deserved more attention. A conceptual consensus on Cyberchondria, a refined assessment tool, prospective studies conducted in various populations, targeted treatments for it would be the main research direction in the near future. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=cyberchondria" title="cyberchondria">cyberchondria</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=hypochondriasis" title=" hypochondriasis"> hypochondriasis</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=health%20anxiety" title=" health anxiety"> health anxiety</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=online%20health-related%20searches" title=" online health-related searches"> online health-related searches</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/117561/a-review-on-cyberchondria-based-on-bibliometric-analysis" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/117561.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">122</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">30</span> Chatbots vs. Websites: A Comparative Analysis Measuring User Experience and Emotions in Mobile Commerce</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Stephan%20Boehm">Stephan Boehm</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Julia%20Engel"> Julia Engel</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Judith%20Eisser"> Judith Eisser</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> During the last decade communication in the Internet transformed from a broadcast to a conversational model by supporting more interactive features, enabling user generated content and introducing social media networks. Another important trend with a significant impact on electronic commerce is a massive usage shift from desktop to mobile devices. However, a presentation of product- or service-related information accumulated on websites, micro pages or portals often remains the pivot and focal point of a customer journey. A more recent change of user behavior –especially in younger user groups and in Asia– is going along with the increasing adoption of messaging applications supporting almost real-time but asynchronous communication on mobile devices. Mobile apps of this type cannot only provide an alternative for traditional one-to-one communication on mobile devices like voice calls or short messaging service. Moreover, they can be used in mobile commerce as a new marketing and sales channel, e.g., for product promotions and direct marketing activities. This requires a new way of customer interaction compared to traditional mobile commerce activities and functionalities provided based on mobile web-sites. One option better aligned to the customer interaction in mes-saging apps are so-called chatbots. Chatbots are conversational programs or dialog systems simulating a text or voice based human interaction. They can be introduced in mobile messaging and social media apps by using rule- or artificial intelligence-based imple-mentations. In this context, a comparative analysis is conducted to examine the impact of using traditional websites or chatbots for promoting a product in an impulse purchase situation. The aim of this study is to measure the impact on the customers’ user experi-ence and emotions. The study is based on a random sample of about 60 smartphone users in the group of 20 to 30-year-olds. Participants are randomly assigned into two groups and participate in a traditional website or innovative chatbot based mobile com-merce scenario. The chatbot-based scenario is implemented by using a Wizard-of-Oz experimental approach for reasons of sim-plicity and to allow for more flexibility when simulating simple rule-based and more advanced artificial intelligence-based chatbot setups. A specific set of metrics is defined to measure and com-pare the user experience in both scenarios. It can be assumed, that users get more emotionally involved when interacting with a system simulating human communication behavior instead of browsing a mobile commerce website. For this reason, innovative face-tracking and analysis technology is used to derive feedback on the emotional status of the study participants while interacting with the website or the chatbot. This study is a work in progress. The results will provide first insights on the effects of chatbot usage on user experiences and emotions in mobile commerce environments. Based on the study findings basic requirements for a user-centered design and implementation of chatbot solutions for mobile com-merce can be derived. Moreover, first indications on situations where chatbots might be favorable in comparison to the usage of traditional website based mobile commerce can be identified. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=chatbots" title="chatbots">chatbots</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=emotions" title=" emotions"> emotions</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=mobile%20commerce" title=" mobile commerce"> mobile commerce</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=user%20experience" title=" user experience"> user experience</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Wizard-of-Oz%20prototyping" title=" Wizard-of-Oz prototyping"> Wizard-of-Oz prototyping</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/67801/chatbots-vs-websites-a-comparative-analysis-measuring-user-experience-and-emotions-in-mobile-commerce" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/67801.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">458</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">29</span> A Randomized, Controlled Trial To Test Behavior Change Techniques (BCTS) To Improve Low Intensity Physical Activity In Older Adults</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ciaran%20Friel">Ciaran Friel</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jerry%20Suls"> Jerry Suls</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Patrick%20Robles"> Patrick Robles</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Frank%20Vicari"> Frank Vicari</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Joan%20Duer-Hefele"> Joan Duer-Hefele</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Karina%20W.%20Davidson"> Karina W. Davidson</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Physical activity guidelines focus on increasing moderate intensity activity for older adults, but adherence to recommendations remains low. This is despite the fact that scientific evidence supports that any increase in physical activity is positively correlated with health benefits. Behavior change techniques (BCTs) have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing sedentary behavior and promoting physical activity. This pilot study uses a Personalized Trials (N-of-1) design to evaluate the efficacy of using four BCTs to promote an increase in low-intensity physical activity (2,000 steps of walking per day) in adults aged 45-75 years old. The 4 BCTs tested were goal setting, action planning, feedback, and self-monitoring. BCTs were tested in random order and delivered by text message prompts requiring participant response. The study recruited health system employees in the target age range, without mobility restrictions and demonstrating interest in increasing their daily activity by a minimum of 2,000 steps per day for a minimum of five days per week. Participants were sent a Fitbit Charge 4 fitness tracker with an established study account and password. Participants were recommended to wear the Fitbit device 24/7, but were required to wear it for a minimum of ten hours per day. Baseline physical activity was measured by the Fitbit for two weeks. Participants then engaged with a clinical research coordinator to review comprehension of the text message content and required actions for each of the BCTs to be tested. Participants then selected a consistent daily time in which they would receive their text message prompt. In the 8 week intervention phase of the study, participants received each of the four BCTs, in random order, for a two week period. Text message prompts were delivered daily at a time selected by the participant. All prompts required an interactive response from participants and may have included recording their detailed plan for walking or daily step goal (action planning, goal setting). Additionally, participants may have been directed to a study dashboard to view their step counts or compare themselves with peers (self-monitoring, feedback). At the end of each two week testing interval, participants were asked to complete the Self-Efficacy for Walking Scale (SEW_Dur), a validated measure that assesses the participant’s confidence in walking incremental distances and a survey measuring their satisfaction with the individual BCT that they tested. At the end of their trial, participants received a personalized summary of their step data in response to each individual BCT. Analysis will examine the novel individual-level heterogeneity of treatment effect made possible by N-of-1 design, and pool results across participants to efficiently estimate the overall efficacy of the selected behavioral change techniques in increasing low-intensity walking by 2,000 steps, 5 days per week. Self-efficacy will be explored as the likely mechanism of action prompting behavior change. This study will inform the providers and demonstrate the feasibility of N-of-1 study design to effectively promote physical activity as a component of healthy aging. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=aging" title="aging">aging</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=exercise" title=" exercise"> exercise</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=habit" title=" habit"> habit</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=walking" title=" walking"> walking</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/136240/a-randomized-controlled-trial-to-test-behavior-change-techniques-bcts-to-improve-low-intensity-physical-activity-in-older-adults" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/136240.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">129</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">28</span> Measuring Entrepreneurship Intentions among Nigerian University Graduates: A Structural Equation Modeling Technique</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Eunice%20Oluwakemi%20Chukwuma-Nwuba">Eunice Oluwakemi Chukwuma-Nwuba</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Nigeria is a developing country with an increasing rate of graduate unemployment. This has triggered successive government administrations to promote the variety of programmes to address the situation. However, none of these efforts yielded the desired outcome. Accordingly, in 2006 the government included entrepreneurship module in the curriculum of universities as a compulsory general programme for all undergraduate courses. This is in the hope that the programme will help to promote entrepreneurial mind-set and new venture creation among graduates and as a result reduce the rate of graduate unemployment. The study explores the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education in promoting entrepreneurship. This study is significant in view of the endemic graduate unemployment in Nigeria and the social consequences such as youth restiveness and militancy. It is guided by the theory of planned behaviour. It employed the two-stage structural equation modelling (AMOS) to model entrepreneurial intentions as a function of innovative teaching methods, traditional teaching methods and culture Personal attitude and subjective norm are proposed to mediate the relationships between the exogenous and the endogenous variables. The first stage was tested using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) framework to confirm that the two groups assign the same meaning to the scale items and to obtain goodness-of-fit indices. The multi-group confirmatory factor analysis included the tests of configural, metric and scalar invariance. With the attainment of full configural invariance and partial metric and scalar invariance, the second stage – the structural model was applied hypothesising that, the entrepreneurial intentions of graduates (respondents who have participated in the compulsory entrepreneurship programme) will be higher than those of undergraduates (respondents who are yet to participate in the programme). The study uses the quasi-experimental design. The samples comprised 409 graduates (experimental group) and 402 undergraduates (control group) from six federal universities in Nigeria. Our findings suggest that personal attitude is positively related with entrepreneurial intentions, largely confirming prior literature. However, unlike previous studies, our results indicate that subjective norm has significant direct and indirect impact on entrepreneurial intentions indicating that reference people of the participants have important roles to play in their decision to be entrepreneurial. Furthermore, unlike the assertions in prior studies, the result suggests that traditional teaching methods have indirect effect on entrepreneurial intentions supporting that since personal characteristics can change in an educational situation, an education purposively directed at entrepreneurship might achieve similar results if not better. This study has implication for practice and theory. The research extends to the theoretical understanding of the formation of entrepreneurial intentions and explains the role of the reference others in relation to how graduates perceive entrepreneurship. Further, the study adds to the body of knowledge on entrepreneurship education in Nigeria universities and provides a developing country perspective. It proposes further research in the exploration of entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions of graduates from across the country’s universities as necessary and imperative. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=entrepreneurship%20education" title="entrepreneurship education">entrepreneurship education</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=entrepreneurial%20intention" title=" entrepreneurial intention"> entrepreneurial intention</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=structural%20equation%20modeling" title=" structural equation modeling"> structural equation modeling</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=theory%20of%20planned%20behaviour" title=" theory of planned behaviour"> theory of planned behaviour</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/87437/measuring-entrepreneurship-intentions-among-nigerian-university-graduates-a-structural-equation-modeling-technique" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/87437.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">259</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">27</span> Evaluation of the Biological Activity of New Antimicrobial and Biodegradable Textile Materials for Protective Equipment</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Safa%20Ladhari">Safa Ladhari</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Alireza%20Saidi"> Alireza Saidi</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Phuong%20Nguyen-Tri"> Phuong Nguyen-Tri</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> During health crises, such as COVID-19, using disposable protective equipment (PEs) (masks, gowns, etc.) causes long-term problems, increasing the volume of hazardous waste that must be handled safely and expensively. Therefore, producing textiles for antimicrobial and reusable materials is highly desirable to decrease the use of disposable PEs that should be treated as hazardous waste. In addition, if these items are used regularly in the workplace or for daily activities by the public, they will most likely end up in household waste. Furthermore, they may pose a high risk of contagion to waste collection workers if contaminated. Therefore, to protect the whole population in times of sanitary crisis, it is necessary to equip these materials with tools that make them resilient to the challenges of carrying out daily activities without compromising public health and the environment and without depending on them external technologies and producers. In addition, the materials frequently used for EPs are plastics of petrochemical origin. The subject of the present work is replacing petroplastics with bioplastic since it offers better biodegradability. The chosen polymer is polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a family of polyhydroxyalkanoates synthesized by different bacteria. It has similar properties to conventional plastics. However, it is renewable, biocompatible, and has attractive barrier properties compared to other polyesters. These characteristics make it ideal for EP protection applications. The current research topic focuses on the preparation and rapid evaluation of the biological activity of nanotechnology-based antimicrobial agents to treat textile surfaces used for PE. This work will be carried out to provide antibacterial solutions that can be transferred to a workplace application in the fight against short-term biological risks. Three main objectives are proposed during this research topic: 1) the development of suitable methods for the deposition of antibacterial agents on the surface of textiles; 2) the development of a method for measuring the antibacterial activity of the prepared textiles and 3) the study of the biodegradability of the prepared textiles. The studied textile is a non-woven fabric based on a biodegradable polymer manufactured by the electrospinning method. Indeed, nanofibers are increasingly studied due to their unique characteristics, such as high surface-to-volume ratio, improved thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties, and confinement effects. The electrospun film will be surface modified by plasma treatment and then loaded with hybrid antibacterial silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles by the dip-coating method. This work uses simple methods with emerging technologies to fabricate nanofibers with suitable size and morphology to be used as components for protective equipment. The antibacterial agents generally used are based on silver, zinc, copper, etc. However, to our knowledge, few researchers have used hybrid nanoparticles to ensure antibacterial activity with biodegradable polymers. Also, we will exploit visible light to improve the antibacterial effectiveness of the fabric, which differs from the traditional contact mode of killing bacteria and presents an innovation of active protective equipment. Finally, this work will allow for the innovation of new antibacterial textile materials through a simple and ecological method. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=protective%20equipment" title="protective equipment">protective equipment</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=antibacterial%20textile%20materials" title=" antibacterial textile materials"> antibacterial textile materials</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=biodegradable%20polymer" title=" biodegradable polymer"> biodegradable polymer</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=electrospinning" title=" electrospinning"> electrospinning</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=hybrid%20antibacterial%20nanoparticles" title=" hybrid antibacterial nanoparticles"> hybrid antibacterial nanoparticles</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/162884/evaluation-of-the-biological-activity-of-new-antimicrobial-and-biodegradable-textile-materials-for-protective-equipment" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/162884.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">80</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">26</span> National Core Indicators - Aging and Disabilities: A Person-Centered Approach to Understanding Quality of Long-Term Services and Supports</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Stephanie%20Giordano">Stephanie Giordano</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Rosa%20Plasencia"> Rosa Plasencia</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> In the USA, in 2013, public service systems such as Medicaid, aging, and disability systems undertook an effort to measure the quality of service delivery by examining the experiences and outcomes of those receiving public services. The goal of this effort was to develop a survey to measure the experiences and outcomes of those receiving public services, with the goal of measuring system performance for quality improvement. The performance indicators were developed through with input from directors of state aging and disability service systems, along with experts and stakeholders in the field across the United States. This effort, National Core Indicators –Aging and Disabilities (NCI-AD), grew out of National Core Indicators –Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, an effort to measure developmental disability (DD) systems across the States. The survey tool and administration protocol underwent multiple rounds of testing and revision between 2013 and 2015. The measures in the final tool – called the Adult Consumer Survey (ACS) – emphasize not just important indicators of healthcare access and personal safety but also includes indicators of system quality based on person-centered outcomes. These measures indicate whether service systems support older adults and people with disabilities to live where they want, maintain relationships and engage in their communities and have choice and control in their everyday lives. Launched in 2015, the NCI-AD Adult Consumer Survey is now used in 23 states in the US. Surveys are conducted by NCI-AD trained surveyors via direct conversation with a person receiving public long-term services and supports (LTSS). Until 2020, surveys were only conducted in person. However, after a pilot to test the reliability of videoconference and telephone survey modes, these modes were adopted as an acceptable practice. The nature of the survey is that of a “guided conversation” survey administration allows for surveyor to use wording and terminology that is best understand by the person surveyed. The survey includes a subset of questions that may be answered by a proxy respondent who knows the person well if the person is receiving services in unable to provide valid responses on their own. Surveyors undergo a standardized training on survey administration to ensure the fidelity of survey administration. In addition to the main survey section, a Background Information section collects data on personal and service-related characteristics of the person receiving services; these data are typically collected through state administrative record. This information is helps provide greater context around the characteristics of people receiving services. It has also been used in conjunction with outcomes measures to look at disparity (including by race and ethnicity, gender, disability, and living arrangements). These measures of quality are critical for public service delivery systems to understand the unique needs of the population of older adults and improving the lives of older adults as well as people with disabilities. Participating states may use these data to identify areas for quality improvement within their service delivery systems, to advocate for specific policy change, and to better understand the experiences of specific populations of people served. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=quality%20of%20life" title="quality of life">quality of life</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=long%20term%20services%20and%20supports" title=" long term services and supports"> long term services and supports</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=person-centered%20practices" title=" person-centered practices"> person-centered practices</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=aging%20and%20disability%20research" title=" aging and disability research"> aging and disability research</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=survey%20methodology" title=" survey methodology"> survey methodology</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/149983/national-core-indicators-aging-and-disabilities-a-person-centered-approach-to-understanding-quality-of-long-term-services-and-supports" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/149983.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">120</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">25</span> The Design of a Phase I/II Trial of Neoadjuvant RT with Interdigitated Multiple Fractions of Lattice RT for Large High-grade Soft-Tissue Sarcoma</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Georges%20F.%20Hatoum">Georges F. Hatoum</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Thomas%20H.%20Temple"> Thomas H. Temple</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Silvio%20Garcia"> Silvio Garcia</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Xiaodong%20Wu"> Xiaodong Wu</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Soft Tissue Sarcomas (STS) represent a diverse group of malignancies with heterogeneous clinical and pathological features. The treatment of extremity STS aims to achieve optimal local tumor control, improved survival, and preservation of limb function. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, based on the cumulated clinical data, recommend radiation therapy (RT) in conjunction with limb-sparing surgery for large, high-grade STS measuring greater than 5 cm in size. Such treatment strategy can offer a cure for patients. However, when recurrence occurs (in nearly half of patients), the prognosis is poor, with a median survival of 12 to 15 months and with only palliative treatment options available. The spatially-fractionated-radiotherapy (SFRT), with a long history of treating bulky tumors as a non-mainstream technique, has gained new attention in recent years due to its unconventional therapeutic effects, such as bystander/abscopal effects. Combining single fraction of GRID, the original form of SFRT, with conventional RT was shown to have marginally increased the rate of pathological necrosis, which has been recognized to have a positive correlation to overall survival. In an effort to consistently increase the pathological necrosis rate over 90%, multiple fractions of Lattice RT (LRT), a newer form of 3D SFRT, interdigitated with the standard RT as neoadjuvant therapy was conducted in a preliminary clinical setting. With favorable results of over 95% of necrosis rate in a small cohort of patients, a Phase I/II clinical study was proposed to exam the safety and feasibility of this new strategy. Herein the design of the clinical study is presented. In this single-arm, two-stage phase I/II clinical trial, the primary objectives are >80% of the patients achieving >90% tumor necrosis and to evaluation the toxicity; the secondary objectives are to evaluate the local control, disease free survival and overall survival (OS), as well as the correlation between clinical response and the relevant biomarkers. The study plans to accrue patients over a span of two years. All patient will be treated with the new neoadjuvant RT regimen, in which one of every five fractions of conventional RT is replaced by a LRT fraction with vertices receiving dose ≥10Gy while keeping the tumor periphery at or close to 2 Gy per fraction. Surgical removal of the tumor is planned to occur 6 to 8 weeks following the completion of radiation therapy. The study will employ a Pocock-style early stopping boundary to ensure patient safety. The patients will be followed and monitored for a period of five years. Despite much effort, the rarity of the disease has resulted in limited novel therapeutic breakthroughs. Although a higher rate of treatment-induced tumor necrosis has been associated with improved OS, with the current techniques, only 20% of patients with large, high-grade tumors achieve a tumor necrosis rate exceeding 50%. If this new neoadjuvant strategy is proven effective, an appreciable improvement in clinical outcome without added toxicity can be anticipated. Due to the rarity of the disease, it is hoped that such study could be orchestrated in a multi-institutional setting. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=lattice%20RT" title="lattice RT">lattice RT</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=necrosis" title=" necrosis"> necrosis</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=SFRT" title=" SFRT"> SFRT</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=soft%20tissue%20sarcoma" title=" soft tissue sarcoma"> soft tissue sarcoma</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/169684/the-design-of-a-phase-iii-trial-of-neoadjuvant-rt-with-interdigitated-multiple-fractions-of-lattice-rt-for-large-high-grade-soft-tissue-sarcoma" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/169684.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">60</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">24</span> Chain Networks on Internationalization of SMEs: Co-Opetition Strategies in Agrifood Sector</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Emilio%20Galdeano-G%C3%B3mez">Emilio Galdeano-Gómez</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Juan%20C.%20P%C3%A9rez-Mesa"> Juan C. Pérez-Mesa</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Laura%20Piedra-Mu%C3%B1oz"> Laura Piedra-Muñoz</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mar%C3%ADa%20C.%20Garc%C3%ADa-Barranco"> María C. García-Barranco</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jes%C3%BAs%20Hern%C3%A1ndez-Rubio"> Jesús Hernández-Rubio</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The situation in which firms engage in simultaneous cooperation and competition with each other is a phenomenon known as co-opetition. This scenario has received increasing attention in business economics and management analyses. In the domain of supply chain networks and for small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, these strategies are of greater relevance given the complex environment of globalization and competition in open markets. These firms face greater challenges regarding technology and access to specific resources due to their limited capabilities and limited market presence. Consequently, alliances and collaborations with both buyers and suppliers prove to be key elements in overcoming these constraints. However, rivalry and competition are also regarded as major factors in successful internationalization processes, as they are drivers for firms to attain a greater degree of specialization and to improve efficiency, for example enabling them to allocate scarce resources optimally and providing incentives for innovation and entrepreneurship. The present work aims to contribute to the literature on SMEs’ internationalization strategies. The sample is constituted by a panel data of marketing firms from the Andalusian food sector and a multivariate regression analysis is developed, measuring variables of co-opetition and international activity. The hierarchical regression equations method has been followed, thus resulting in three estimated models: the first one excluding the variables indicative of channel type, while the latter two include the international retailer chain and wholesaler variable. The findings show that the combination of several factors leads to a complex scenario of inter-organizational relationships of cooperation and competition. In supply chain management analyses, these relationships tend to be classified as either buyer-supplier (vertical level) or supplier-supplier relationships (horizontal level). Several buyers and suppliers tend to participate in supply chain networks, and in which the form of governance (hierarchical and non-hierarchical) influences cooperation and competition strategies. For instance, due to their market power and/or their closeness to the end consumer, some buyers (e.g. large retailers in food markets) can exert an influence on the selection and interaction of several of their intermediate suppliers, thus endowing certain networks in the supply chain with greater stability. This hierarchical influence may in turn allow these suppliers to develop their capabilities (e.g. specialization) to a greater extent. On the other hand, for those suppliers that are outside these networks, this environment of hierarchy, characterized by a “hub firm” or “channel master”, may provide an incentive for developing their co-opetition relationships. These results prove that the analyzed firms have experienced considerable growth in sales to new foreign markets, mainly in Europe, dealing with large retail chains and wholesalers as main buyers. This supply industry is predominantly made up of numerous SMEs, which has implied a certain disadvantage when dealing with the buyers, as negotiations have traditionally been held on an individual basis and in the face of high competition among suppliers. Over recent years, however, cooperation among these marketing firms has become more common, for example regarding R&D, promotion, scheduling of production and sales. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=co-petition%20networks" title="co-petition networks">co-petition networks</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=international%20supply%20chain" title=" international supply chain"> international supply chain</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=maketing%20agrifood%20firms" title=" maketing agrifood firms"> maketing agrifood firms</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=SMEs%20strategies" title=" SMEs strategies"> SMEs strategies</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/148877/chain-networks-on-internationalization-of-smes-co-opetition-strategies-in-agrifood-sector" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/148877.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">79</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">23</span> Design Aspects for Developing a Microfluidics Diagnostics Device Used for Low-Cost Water Quality Monitoring</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Wenyu%20Guo">Wenyu Guo</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Malachy%20O%E2%80%99Rourke"> Malachy O’Rourke</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mark%20Bowkett"> Mark Bowkett</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Michael%20Gilchrist"> Michael Gilchrist</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Many devices for real-time monitoring of surface water have been developed in the past few years to provide early warning of pollutions and so to decrease the risk of environmental pollution efficiently. One of the most common methodologies used in the detection system is a colorimetric process, in which a container with fixed volume is filled with target ions and reagents to combine a colorimetric dye. The colorimetric ions can sensitively absorb a specific-wavelength radiation beam, and its absorbance rate is proportional to the concentration of the fully developed product, indicating the concentration of target nutrients in the pre-mixed water samples. In order to achieve precise and rapid detection effect, channels with dimensions in the order of micrometers, i.e., microfluidic systems have been developed and introduced into these diagnostics studies. Microfluidics technology largely reduces the surface to volume ratios and decrease the samples/reagents consumption significantly. However, species transport in such miniaturized channels is limited by the low Reynolds numbers in the regimes. Thus, the flow is extremely laminar state, and diffusion is the dominant mass transport process all over the regimes of the microfluidic channels. The objective of this present work has been to analyse the mixing effect and chemistry kinetics in a stop-flow microfluidic device measuring Nitride concentrations in fresh water samples. In order to improve the temporal resolution of the Nitride microfluidic sensor, we have used computational fluid dynamics to investigate the influence that the effectiveness of the mixing process between the sample and reagent within a microfluidic device exerts on the time to completion of the resulting chemical reaction. This computational approach has been complemented by physical experiments. The kinetics of the Griess reaction involving the conversion of sulphanilic acid to a diazonium salt by reaction with nitrite in acidic solution is set in the Laminar Finite-rate chemical reaction in the model. Initially, a methodology was developed to assess the degree of mixing of the sample and reagent within the device. This enabled different designs of the mixing channel to be compared, such as straight, square wave and serpentine geometries. Thereafter, the time to completion of the Griess reaction within a straight mixing channel device was modeled and the reaction time validated with experimental data. Further simulations have been done to compare the reaction time to effective mixing within straight, square wave and serpentine geometries. Results show that square wave channels can significantly improve the mixing effect and provides a low standard deviations of the concentrations of nitride and reagent, while for straight channel microfluidic patterns the corresponding values are 2-3 orders of magnitude greater, and consequently are less efficiently mixed. This has allowed us to design novel channel patterns of micro-mixers with more effective mixing that can be used to detect and monitor levels of nutrients present in water samples, in particular, Nitride. Future generations of water quality monitoring and diagnostic devices will easily exploit this technology. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=nitride%20detection" title="nitride detection">nitride detection</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=computational%20fluid%20dynamics" title=" computational fluid dynamics"> computational fluid dynamics</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=chemical%20kinetics" title=" chemical kinetics"> chemical kinetics</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=mixing%20effect" title=" mixing effect"> mixing effect</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/56472/design-aspects-for-developing-a-microfluidics-diagnostics-device-used-for-low-cost-water-quality-monitoring" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/56472.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">202</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">22</span> Evaluation of Polymerisation Shrinkage of Randomly Oriented Micro-Sized Fibre Reinforced Dental Composites Using Fibre-Bragg Grating Sensors and Their Correlation with Degree of Conversion</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sonam%20Behl">Sonam Behl</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Raju"> Raju</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ginu%20Rajan"> Ginu Rajan</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Paul%20Farrar"> Paul Farrar</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=B.%20Gangadhara%20Prusty"> B. Gangadhara Prusty</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Reinforcing dental composites with micro-sized fibres can significantly improve the physio-mechanical properties of dental composites. The short fibres can be oriented randomly within dental composites, thus providing quasi-isotropic reinforcing efficiency unlike unidirectional/bidirectional fibre reinforced composites enhancing anisotropic properties. Thus, short fibres reinforced dental composites are getting popular among practitioners. However, despite their popularity, resin-based dental composites are prone to failure on account of shrinkage during photo polymerisation. The shrinkage in the structure may lead to marginal gap formation, causing secondary caries, thus ultimately inducing failure of the restoration. The traditional methods to evaluate polymerisation shrinkage using strain gauges, density-based measurements, dilatometer, or bonded-disk focuses on average value of volumetric shrinkage. Moreover, the results obtained from traditional methods are sensitive to the specimen geometry. The present research aims to evaluate the real-time shrinkage strain at selected locations in the material with the help of optical fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. Due to the miniature size (diameter 250 µm) of FBG sensors, they can be easily embedded into small samples of dental composites. Furthermore, an FBG array into the system can map the real-time shrinkage strain at different regions of the composite. The evaluation of real-time monitoring of shrinkage values may help to optimise the physio-mechanical properties of composites. Previously, FBG sensors have been able to rightfully measure polymerisation strains of anisotropic (unidirectional or bidirectional) reinforced dental composites. However, very limited study exists to establish the validity of FBG based sensors to evaluate volumetric shrinkage for randomly oriented fibres reinforced composites. The present study aims to fill this research gap and is focussed on establishing the usage of FBG based sensors for evaluating the shrinkage of dental composites reinforced with randomly oriented fibres. Three groups of specimens were prepared by mixing the resin (80% UDMA/20% TEGDMA) with 55% of silane treated BaAlSiO₂ particulate fillers or by adding 5% of micro-sized fibres of diameter 5 µm, and length 250/350 µm along with 50% of silane treated BaAlSiO₂ particulate fillers into the resin. For measurement of polymerisation shrinkage strain, an array of three fibre Bragg grating sensors was embedded at a depth of 1 mm into a circular Teflon mould of diameter 15 mm and depth 2 mm. The results obtained are compared with the traditional method for evaluation of the volumetric shrinkage using density-based measurements. Degree of conversion was measured using FTIR spectroscopy (Spotlight 400 FT-IR from PerkinElmer). It is expected that the average polymerisation shrinkage strain values for dental composites reinforced with micro-sized fibres can directly correlate with the measured degree of conversion values, implying that more C=C double bond conversion to C-C single bond values also leads to higher shrinkage strain within the composite. Moreover, it could be established the photonics approach could help assess the shrinkage at any point of interest in the material, suggesting that fibre-Bragg grating sensors are a suitable means for measuring real-time polymerisation shrinkage strain for randomly fibre reinforced dental composites as well. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=dental%20composite" title="dental composite">dental composite</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=glass%20fibre" title=" glass fibre"> glass fibre</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=polymerisation%20shrinkage%20strain" title=" polymerisation shrinkage strain"> polymerisation shrinkage strain</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=fibre-Bragg%20grating%20sensors" title=" fibre-Bragg grating sensors"> fibre-Bragg grating sensors</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/109428/evaluation-of-polymerisation-shrinkage-of-randomly-oriented-micro-sized-fibre-reinforced-dental-composites-using-fibre-bragg-grating-sensors-and-their-correlation-with-degree-of-conversion" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/109428.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">154</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">21</span> A Multiple Freezing/Thawing Cycles Influence Internal Structure and Mechanical Properties of Achilles Tendon </h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Martyna%20Ekiert">Martyna Ekiert</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Natalia%20Grzechnik"> Natalia Grzechnik</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Joanna%20Karbowniczek"> Joanna Karbowniczek</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Urszula%20Stachewicz"> Urszula Stachewicz</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Andrzej%20Mlyniec"> Andrzej Mlyniec</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Tendon grafting is a common procedure performed to treat tendon rupture. Before the surgical procedure, tissues intended for grafts (i.e., Achilles tendon) are stored in ultra-low temperatures for a long time and also may be subjected to unfavorable conditions, such as repetitive freezing (F) and thawing (T). Such storage protocols may highly influence the graft mechanical properties, decrease its functionality and thus increase the risk of complications during the transplant procedure. The literature reports on the influence of multiple F/T cycles on internal structure and mechanical properties of tendons stay inconclusive, confirming and denying the negative influence of multiple F/T at the same time. An inconsistent research methodology and lack of clear limit of F/T cycles, which disqualifies tissue for surgical graft purposes, encouraged us to investigate the issue of multiple F/T cycles by the mean of biomechanical tensile tests supported with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) imaging. The study was conducted on male bovine Achilles tendon-derived from the local abattoir. Fresh tendons were cleaned of excessive membranes and then sectioned to obtained fascicle bundles. Collected samples were randomly assigned to 6 groups subjected to 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 cycles of freezing-thawing (F/T), respectively. Each F/T cycle included deep freezing at -80°C temperature, followed by thawing at room temperature. After final thawing, thin slices of the side part of samples subjected to 1, 4, 8 and 12 F/T cycles were collected for SEM imaging. Then, the width and thickness of all samples were measured to calculate the cross-sectional area. Biomechanical tests were performed using the universal testing machine (model Instron 8872, INSTRON®, Norwood, Massachusetts, USA) using a load cell with a maximum capacity of 250 kN and standard atmospheric conditions. Both ends of each fascicle bundle were manually clamped in grasping clamps using abrasive paper and wet cellulose wadding swabs to prevent tissue slipping while clamping and testing. Samples were subjected to the testing procedure including pre-loading, pre-cycling, loading, holding and unloading steps to obtain stress-strain curves for representing tendon stretching and relaxation. The stiffness of AT fascicles bundle samples was evaluated in terms of modulus of elasticity (Young’s modulus), calculated from the slope of the linear region of stress-strain curves. SEM imaging was preceded by chemical sample preparation including 24hr fixation in 3% glutaraldehyde buffered with 0.1 M phosphate buffer, washing with 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution and dehydration in a graded ethanol solution. SEM images (Merlin Gemini II microscope, ZEISS®) were taken using 30 000x mag, which allowed measuring a diameter of collagen fibrils. The results confirm a decrease in fascicle bundles Young’s modulus as well as a decrease in the diameter of collagen fibrils. These results confirm the negative influence of multiple F/T cycles on the mechanical properties of tendon tissue. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=biomechanics" title="biomechanics">biomechanics</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=collagen" title=" collagen"> collagen</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=fascicle%20bundles" title=" fascicle bundles"> fascicle bundles</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=soft%20tissue" title=" soft tissue"> soft tissue</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/107911/a-multiple-freezingthawing-cycles-influence-internal-structure-and-mechanical-properties-of-achilles-tendon" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/107911.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">125</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">20</span> Influence of Atmospheric Pollutants on Child Respiratory Disease in Cartagena De Indias, Colombia</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jose%20A.%20Alvarez%20Aldegunde">Jose A. Alvarez Aldegunde</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Adrian%20Fernandez%20Sanchez"> Adrian Fernandez Sanchez</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Matthew%20D.%20Menden"> Matthew D. Menden</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Bernardo%20Vila%20Rodriguez"> Bernardo Vila Rodriguez</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Up to five statistical pre-processings have been carried out considering the pollutant records of the stations present in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, also taking into account the childhood asthma incidence surveys conducted in hospitals in the city by the Health Ministry of Colombia for this study. These pre-processings have consisted of different techniques such as the determination of the quality of data collection, determination of the quality of the registration network, identification and debugging of errors in data collection, completion of missing data and purified data, as well as the improvement of the time scale of records. The characterization of the quality of the data has been conducted by means of density analysis of the pollutant registration stations using ArcGis Software and through mass balance techniques, making it possible to determine inconsistencies in the records relating the registration data between stations following the linear regression. The results obtained in this process have highlighted the positive quality in the pollutant registration process. Consequently, debugging of errors has allowed us to identify certain data as statistically non-significant in the incidence and series of contamination. This data, together with certain missing records in the series recorded by the measuring stations, have been completed by statistical imputation equations. Following the application of these prior processes, the basic series of incidence data for respiratory disease and pollutant records have allowed the characterization of the influence of pollutants on respiratory diseases such as, for example, childhood asthma. This characterization has been carried out using statistical correlation methods, including visual correlation, simple linear regression correlation and spectral analysis with PAST Software which identifies maximum periodicity cycles and minimums under the formula of the Lomb periodgram. In relation to part of the results obtained, up to eleven maximums and minimums considered contemporary between the incidence records and the particles have been identified taking into account the visual comparison. The spectral analyses that have been performed on the incidence and the PM2.5 have returned a series of similar maximum periods in both registers, which are at a maximum during a period of one year and another every 25 days (0.9 and 0.07 years). The bivariate analysis has managed to characterize the variable "Daily Vehicular Flow" in the ninth position of importance of a total of 55 variables. However, the statistical correlation has not obtained a favorable result, having obtained a low value of the R2 coefficient. The series of analyses conducted has demonstrated the importance of the influence of pollutants such as PM2.5 in the development of childhood asthma in Cartagena. The quantification of the influence of the variables has been able to determine that there is a 56% probability of dependence between PM2.5 and childhood respiratory asthma in Cartagena. Considering this justification, the study could be completed through the application of the BenMap Software, throwing a series of spatial results of interpolated values of the pollutant contamination records that exceeded the established legal limits (represented by homogeneous units up to the neighborhood level) and results of the impact on the exacerbation of pediatric asthma. As a final result, an economic estimate (in Colombian Pesos) of the monthly and individual savings derived from the percentage reduction of the influence of pollutants in relation to visits to the Hospital Emergency Room due to asthma exacerbation in pediatric patients has been granted. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Asthma%20Incidence" title="Asthma Incidence">Asthma Incidence</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=BenMap" title=" BenMap"> BenMap</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=PM2.5" title=" PM2.5"> PM2.5</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Statistical%20Analysis" title=" Statistical Analysis"> Statistical Analysis</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/123902/influence-of-atmospheric-pollutants-on-child-respiratory-disease-in-cartagena-de-indias-colombia" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/123902.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">116</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">19</span> Enabling Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing in Aircraft Landing Gear Production and Its Benefits</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jun%20Wang">Jun Wang</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Chenglei%20Diao"> Chenglei Diao</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Emanuele%20Pagone"> Emanuele Pagone</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jialuo%20Ding"> Jialuo Ding</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Stewart%20Williams"> Stewart Williams</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> As a crucial component in aircraft, landing gear systems are responsible for supporting the plane during parking, taxiing, takeoff, and landing. Given the need for high load-bearing capacity over extended periods, 300M ultra-high strength steel (UHSS) is often the material of choice for crafting these systems due to its exceptional strength, toughness, and fatigue resistance. In the quest for cost-effective and sustainable manufacturing solutions, Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) emerges as a promising alternative for fabricating 300M UHSS landing gears. This is due to its advantages in near-net-shape forming of large components, cost-efficiency, and reduced lead times. Cranfield University has conducted an extensive preliminary study on WAAM 300M UHSS, covering feature deposition, interface analysis, and post-heat treatment. Both Gas Metal Arc (GMA) and Plasma Transferred Arc (PTA)-based WAAM methods were explored, revealing their feasibility for defect-free manufacturing. However, as-deposited 300M features showed lower strength but higher ductility compared to their forged counterparts. Subsequent post-heat treatments were effective in normalising the microstructure and mechanical properties, meeting qualification standards. A 300M UHSS landing gear demonstrator was successfully created using PTA-based WAAM, showcasing the method's precision and cost-effectiveness. The demonstrator, measuring Ф200mm x 700mm, was completed in 16 hours, using 7 kg of material at a deposition rate of 1.3kg/hr. This resulted in a significant reduction in the Buy-to-Fly (BTF) ratio compared to traditional manufacturing methods, further validating WAAM's potential for this application. A "cradle-to-gate" environmental impact assessment, which considers the cumulative effects from raw material extraction to customer shipment, has revealed promising outcomes. Utilising Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) for landing gear components significantly reduces the need for raw material extraction and refinement compared to traditional subtractive methods. This, in turn, lessens the burden on subsequent manufacturing processes, including heat treatment, machining, and transportation. Our estimates indicate that the carbon footprint of the component could be halved when switching from traditional machining to WAAM. Similar reductions are observed in embodied energy consumption and other environmental impact indicators, such as emissions to air, water, and land. Additionally, WAAM offers the unique advantage of part repair by redepositing only the necessary material, a capability not available through conventional methods. Our research shows that WAAM-based repairs can drastically reduce environmental impact, even when accounting for additional transportation for repairs. Consequently, WAAM emerges as a pivotal technology for reducing environmental impact in manufacturing, aiding the industry in its crucial and ambitious journey towards Net Zero. This study paves the way for transformative benefits across the aerospace industry, as we integrate manufacturing into a hybrid solution that offers substantial savings and access to more sustainable technologies for critical component production. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=WAAM" title="WAAM">WAAM</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=aircraft%20landing%20gear" title=" aircraft landing gear"> aircraft landing gear</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=microstructure" title=" microstructure"> microstructure</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=mechanical%20performance" title=" mechanical performance"> mechanical performance</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=life%20cycle%20assessment" title=" life cycle assessment"> life cycle assessment</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/174709/enabling-wire-arc-additive-manufacturing-in-aircraft-landing-gear-production-and-its-benefits" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/174709.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">159</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">18</span> A Digital Clone of an Irrigation Network Based on Hardware/Software Simulation</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Pierre-Andre%20Mudry">Pierre-Andre Mudry</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jean%20Decaix"> Jean Decaix</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jeremy%20Schmid"> Jeremy Schmid</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Cesar%20Papilloud"> Cesar Papilloud</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Cecile%20Munch-Alligne"> Cecile Munch-Alligne</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> In most of the Swiss Alpine regions, the availability of water resources is usually adequate even in times of drought, as evidenced by the 2003 and 2018 summers. Indeed, important natural stocks are for the moment available in the form of snow and ice, but the situation is likely to change in the future due to global and regional climate change. In addition, alpine mountain regions are areas where climate change will be felt very rapidly and with high intensity. For instance, the ice regime of these regions has already been affected in recent years with a modification of the monthly availability and extreme events of precipitations. The current research, focusing on the municipality of Val de Bagnes, located in the canton of Valais, Switzerland, is part of a project led by the Altis company and achieved in collaboration with WSL, BlueArk Entremont, and HES-SO Valais-Wallis. In this region, water occupies a key position notably for winter and summer tourism. Thus, multiple actors want to apprehend the future needs and availabilities of water, on both the 2050 and 2100 horizons, in order to plan the modifications to the water supply and distribution networks. For those changes to be salient and efficient, a good knowledge of the current water distribution networks is of most importance. In the current case, the water drinking network is well documented, but this is not the case for the irrigation one. Since the water consumption for irrigation is ten times higher than for drinking water, data acquisition on the irrigation network is a major point to determine future scenarios. This paper first presents the instrumentation and simulation of the irrigation network using custom-designed IoT devices, which are coupled with a digital clone simulated to reduce the number of measuring locations. The developed IoT ad-hoc devices are energy-autonomous and can measure flows and pressures using industrial sensors such as calorimetric water flow meters. Measurements are periodically transmitted using the LoRaWAN protocol over a dedicated infrastructure deployed in the municipality. The gathered values can then be visualized in real-time on a dashboard, which also provides historical data for analysis. In a second phase, a digital clone of the irrigation network was modeled using EPANET, a software for water distribution systems that performs extended-period simulations of flows and pressures in pressurized networks composed of reservoirs, pipes, junctions, and sinks. As a preliminary work, only a part of the irrigation network was modelled and validated by comparisons with the measurements. The simulations are carried out by imposing the consumption of water at several locations. The validation is performed by comparing the simulated pressures are different nodes with the measured ones. An accuracy of +/- 15% is observed on most of the nodes, which is acceptable for the operator of the network and demonstrates the validity of the approach. Future steps will focus on the deployment of the measurement devices on the whole network and the complete modelling of the network. Then, scenarios of future consumption will be investigated. Acknowledgment— The authors would like to thank the Swiss Federal Office for Environment (FOEN), the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (OFAG) for their financial supports, and ALTIS for the technical support, this project being part of the Swiss Pilot program 'Adaptation aux changements climatiques'. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=hydraulic%20digital%20clone" title="hydraulic digital clone">hydraulic digital clone</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=IoT%20water%20monitoring" title=" IoT water monitoring"> IoT water monitoring</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=LoRaWAN%20water%20measurements" title=" LoRaWAN water measurements"> LoRaWAN water measurements</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=EPANET" title=" EPANET"> EPANET</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=irrigation%20network" title=" irrigation network"> irrigation network</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/117505/a-digital-clone-of-an-irrigation-network-based-on-hardwaresoftware-simulation" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/117505.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">145</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">17</span> Screening and Improved Production of an Extracellular β-Fructofuranosidase from Bacillus Sp</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lynette%20Lincoln">Lynette Lincoln</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sunil%20S.%20More"> Sunil S. More</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> With the rising demand of sugar used today, it is proposed that world sugar is expected to escalate up to 203 million tonnes by 2021. Hydrolysis of sucrose (table sugar) into glucose and fructose equimolar mixture is catalyzed by β-D-fructofuranoside fructohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.26), commonly called as invertase. For fluid filled center in chocolates, preparation of artificial honey, as a sweetener and especially to ensure that food stuffs remain fresh, moist and soft for longer spans invertase is applied widely and is extensively being used. From an industrial perspective, properties such as increased solubility, osmotic pressure and prevention of crystallization of sugar in food products are highly desired. Screening for invertase does not involve plate assay/qualitative test to determine the enzyme production. In this study, we use a three-step screening strategy for identification of a novel bacterial isolate from soil which is positive for invertase production. The primary step was serial dilution of soil collected from sugarcane fields (black soil, Maddur region of Mandya district, Karnataka, India) was grown on a Czapek-Dox medium (pH 5.0) containing sucrose as the sole C-source. Only colonies with the capability to utilize/breakdown sucrose exhibited growth. Bacterial isolates released invertase in order to take up sucrose, splitting the disaccharide into simple sugars. Secondly, invertase activity was determined from cell free extract by measuring the glucose released in the medium at 540 nm. Morphological observation of the most potent bacteria was examined by several identification tests using Bergey’s manual, which enabled us to know the genus of the isolate to be Bacillus. Furthermore, this potent bacterial colony was subjected to 16S rDNA PCR amplification and a single discrete PCR amplicon band of 1500 bp was observed. The 16S rDNA sequence was used to carry out BLAST alignment search tool of NCBI Genbank database to obtain maximum identity score of sequence. Molecular sequencing and identification was performed by Xcelris Labs Ltd. (Ahmedabad, India). The colony was identified as Bacillus sp. BAB-3434, indicating to be the first novel strain for extracellular invertase production. Molasses, a by-product of the sugarcane industry is a dark viscous liquid obtained upon crystallization of sugar. An enhanced invertase production and optimization studies were carried out by one-factor-at-a-time approach. Crucial parameters such as time course (24 h), pH (6.0), temperature (45 °C), inoculum size (2% v/v), N-source (yeast extract, 0.2% w/v) and C-source (molasses, 4% v/v) were found to be optimum demonstrating an increased yield. The findings of this study reveal a simple screening method of an extracellular invertase from a rapidly growing Bacillus sp., and selection of best factors that elevate enzyme activity especially utilization of molasses which served as an ideal substrate and also as C-source, results in a cost-effective production under submerged conditions. The invert mixture could be a replacement for table sugar which is an economic advantage and reduce the tedious work of sugar growers. On-going studies involve purification of extracellular invertase and determination of transfructosylating activity as at high concentration of sucrose, invertase produces fructooligosaccharides (FOS) which possesses probiotic properties. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Bacillus%20sp." title="Bacillus sp.">Bacillus sp.</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=invertase" title=" invertase"> invertase</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=molasses" title=" molasses"> molasses</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=screening" title=" screening"> screening</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=submerged%20fermentation" title=" submerged fermentation"> submerged fermentation</a> </p> <a 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