Abstract: The purpose of this study is to determine whether paper assessment especially in the subject mathematics will ever be completely replaced by online assessment using Learning Management System and Content Management System such as blackboard. Testing students has moved from the traditional scribbling and sketching on paper towards working online on a screen and keyboard. It is found that online assessment by using selective types of questions like multiple choices, true or false and final answer questions don’t reflect the actual understanding of students in solving the problems and teachers can’t determine the weakness points of students. In addition, it is showed that OBMCQs are a very good tool for self-assessment and when teachers are testing for knowledge and facts. But when it comes to the skills, OBMCQs are poor tools for measuring the ability to apply knowledge to complex math problem.
Abstract: This paper represents the results of experimental work to investigate the suitability of a waste material (WM) for soft soil stabilisation. In addition, the effect of particle size distribution (PSD) of the waste material on its performance as a soil stabiliser was investigated. The WM used in this study is produced from the incineration processes in domestic energy power plant and it is available in two different grades of fineness (coarse waste material (CWM) and fine waste material (FWM)). An intermediate plasticity silty clayey soil with medium organic matter content has been used in this study. The suitability of the CWM and FWM to improve the physical and engineering properties of the selected soil was evaluated dependant on the results obtained from the consistency limits, compaction characteristics (optimum moisture content (OMC) and maximum dry density (MDD)); along with the unconfined compressive strength test (UCS). Different percentages of CWM were added to the soft soil (3, 6, 9, 12 and 15%) to produce various admixtures. Then the UCS test was carried out on specimens under different curing periods (zero, 7, 14, and 28 days) to find the optimum percentage of CWM. The optimum and other two percentages (either side of the optimum content) were used for FWM to evaluate the effect of the fineness of the WM on UCS of the stabilised soil. Results indicated that both types of the WM used in this study improved the physical properties of the soft soil where the index of plasticity (IP) was decreased significantly. IP was decreased from 21 to 13.64 and 13.10 with 12% of CWM and 15% of FWM respectively. The results of the unconfined compressive strength test indicated that 12% of CWM was the optimum and this percentage developed the UCS value from 202kPa to 500kPa for 28 days cured samples, which is equal, approximately 2.5 times the UCS value for untreated soil. Moreover, this percentage provided 1.4 times the value of UCS for stabilized soil-CWA by using FWM which recorded just under 700kPa after 28 days curing.
Abstract: In the present study, response surface methodology has been used to optimize turn-assisted deep cold rolling process of AISI 4140 steel. A regression model is developed to predict surface hardness and surface roughness using response surface methodology and central composite design. In the development of predictive model, deep cold rolling force, ball diameter, initial roughness of the workpiece, and number of tool passes are considered as model variables. The rolling force and the ball diameter are the significant factors on the surface hardness and ball diameter and numbers of tool passes are found to be significant for surface roughness. The predicted surface hardness and surface roughness values and the subsequent verification experiments under the optimal operating conditions confirmed the validity of the predicted model. The absolute average error between the experimental and predicted values at the optimal combination of parameter settings for surface hardness and surface roughness is calculated as 0.16% and 1.58% respectively. Using the optimal processing parameters, the surface hardness is improved from 225 to 306 HV, which resulted in an increase in the near surface hardness by about 36% and the surface roughness is improved from 4.84µm to 0.252 µm, which resulted in decrease in the surface roughness by about 95%. The depth of compression is found to be more than 300µm from the microstructure analysis and this is in correlation with the results obtained from the microhardness measurements. Taylor hobson talysurf tester, micro vickers hardness tester, optical microscopy and X-ray diffractometer are used to characterize the modified surface layer.
Abstract: Given the limited research on Small and Mediumsized
Enterprises’ (SMEs) contribution to Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) and even scarcer research on Swiss SMEs, this
paper helps to fill these gaps by enabling the identification of supranational
SME parameters. Thus, the paper investigates the current
state of SME practices in Switzerland and across 15 other countries.
Combining the degree to which SMEs demonstrate an explicit (or
business case) approach or see CSR as an implicit moral activity with
the assessment of their attributes for “variety of capitalism” defines
the framework of this comparative analysis. To outline Swiss small
business CSR patterns in particular, 40 SME owner-managers were
interviewed. A secondary data analysis of studies from different
countries laid groundwork for this comparative overview of small
business CSR. The paper identifies Swiss small business CSR as
driven by norms, values, and by the aspiration to contribute to
society, thus, as an implicit part of the day-to-day business. Similar to
most Central European, Mediterranean, Nordic, and Asian countries,
explicit CSR is still very rare in Swiss SMEs. Astonishingly, also
British and American SMEs follow this pattern in spite of their strong
and distinctly liberal market economies. Though other findings show
that nationality matters this research concludes that SME culture and
an informal CSR agenda are strongly formative and superseding even
forces of market economies, nationally cultural patterns, and
language. Hence, classifications of countries by their market system,
as found in the comparative capitalism literature, do not match the
CSR practices in SMEs as they do not mirror the peculiarities of their
business. This raises questions on the universality and
generalisability of unmediated, explicit management concepts,
especially in the context of small firms.
Abstract: In this study, three robust predicting methods, namely artificial neural network (ANN), adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and support vector machine (SVM) were used for computing the resonant frequency of A-shaped compact microstrip antennas (ACMAs) operating at UHF band. Firstly, the resonant frequencies of 144 ACMAs with various dimensions and electrical parameters were simulated with the help of IE3D™ based on method of moment (MoM). The ANN, ANFIS and SVM models for computing the resonant frequency were then built by considering the simulation data. 124 simulated ACMAs were utilized for training and the remaining 20 ACMAs were used for testing the ANN, ANFIS and SVM models. The performance of the ANN, ANFIS and SVM models are compared in the training and test process. The average percentage errors (APE) regarding the computed resonant frequencies for training of the ANN, ANFIS and SVM were obtained as 0.457%, 0.399% and 0.600%, respectively. The constructed models were then tested and APE values as 0.601% for ANN, 0.744% for ANFIS and 0.623% for SVM were achieved. The results obtained here show that ANN, ANFIS and SVM methods can be successfully applied to compute the resonant frequency of ACMAs, since they are useful and versatile methods that yield accurate results.
Abstract: This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of Teaching Games For Understanding (TGFU) in improving the hockey tactical skills and state self-confidence among 16-year-old students. Two hundred fifty-nine (259) school students were selected for the study based on the intact sampling method. One class was used as the control group (Boys=60, Girls=70), while another as the treatment group (Boys=60, Girls=69) underwent intervention with TGFU in physical education class conducted twice a week for four weeks. The Games Performance Assessment Instrument was used to observe the hockey tactical skills and The State Self-Confidence Inventory was used to determine the state of self-confidence among the students. After four weeks, ANCOVA analysis indicated the treatment groups had significant improvement in hockey tactical skills with F (1, 118) =313.37, p
Abstract: Many interventions for social skills acquisition aim to decrease the gap between social skills deficits in the individual and normative social skills; nevertheless little is known of typical social skills according to age difference in students. In this study, we developed new quintet of Hokkaido Social Skills Inventory (HSSI) to identify age-appropriate social skills for school adaptation. First, we selected 13 categories of social skills for school adaptation from previous studies, and created questionnaire items through discussion by 25 teachers in all three levels from elementary schools to senior high schools. Second, the factor structures of five versions of the social skills scale were investigated on 2nd grade (n = 1,864), 4th grade (n = 1,936), 6th grade (n = 2,085), 7th grade (n = 2,007), and 10th grade (n = 912) students, respectively. The exploratory factor analysis showed that a number of constructing factors of social skills increased as one’s grade in school advanced. The results in the present study can be useful to characterize the age-appropriate social skills for school adaptation.
Abstract: Obesity and osteoporosis are the two diseases whose
increasing prevalence and high impact on the global morbidity and
mortality, during the two recent decades, have gained a status of
major health threats worldwide. Obesity purports to affect the bone
metabolism through complex mechanisms. Debated data on the
connection between the bone mineral density and fracture prevalence
in the obese patients are widely presented in literature. There is
evidence that the correlation of weight and fracture risk is sitespecific.
This study is aimed at determining the connection between
the bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone score (TBS)
parameters in Ukrainian women suffering from obesity. We
examined 1025 40-89-year-old women, divided them into the groups
according to their body mass index: Group A included 360 women
with obesity whose BMI was ≥30 kg/m2, and Group B – 665 women
with no obesity and BMI of
Abstract: This paper reviews the model-based qualitative and
quantitative Operations Management research in the context of
Construction Supply Chain Management (CSCM). Construction
industry has been traditionally blamed for low productivity, cost and
time overruns, waste, high fragmentation and adversarial
relationships. The construction industry has been slower than other
industries to employ the Supply Chain Management (SCM) concept
and develop models that support the decision-making and planning.
However the last decade there is a distinct shift from a project-based
to a supply-based approach of construction management. CSCM
comes up as a new promising management tool of construction
operations and improves the performance of construction projects in
terms of cost, time and quality. Modeling the Construction Supply
Chain (CSC) offers the means to reap the benefits of SCM, make
informed decisions and gain competitive advantage. Different
modeling approaches and methodologies have been applied in the
multi-disciplinary and heterogeneous research field of CSCM. The
literature review reveals that a considerable percentage of the CSC
modeling research accommodates conceptual or process models
which present general management frameworks and do not relate to
acknowledged soft Operations Research methods. We particularly
focus on the model-based quantitative research and categorize the
CSCM models depending on their scope, objectives, modeling
approach, solution methods and software used. Although over the last
few years there has been clearly an increase of research papers on
quantitative CSC models, we identify that the relevant literature is
very fragmented with limited applications of simulation,
mathematical programming and simulation-based optimization. Most
applications are project-specific or study only parts of the supply
system. Thus, some complex interdependencies within construction
are neglected and the implementation of the integrated supply chain
management is hindered. We conclude this paper by giving future
research directions and emphasizing the need to develop optimization
models for integrated CSCM. We stress that CSC modeling needs a
multi-dimensional, system-wide and long-term perspective. Finally,
prior applications of SCM to other industries have to be taken into
account in order to model CSCs, but not without translating the
generic concepts to the context of construction industry.
Abstract: Aim of this research study is to investigate and
establish the characteristics of brain dominances (BD) and multiple
intelligences (MI). This experimentation has been conducted for the
sample size of 552 undergraduate computer-engineering students. In
addition, mathematical formulation has been established to exhibit
the relation between thinking and intelligence, and its correlation has
been analyzed. Correlation analysis has been statistically measured
using Pearson’s coefficient. Analysis of the results proves that there
is a strong relational existence between thinking and intelligence.
This research is carried to improve the didactic methods in
engineering learning and also to improve e-learning strategies.
Abstract: The main objective of this study was to assess the
annual concentration and seasonal variation of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP)
associated with PM10 in an urban site of Győr and in a rural site of
Sarród in the sampling period of 2008–2012. A total of 280 PM10
aerosol samples were collected in each sampling site and analyzed for
BaP by gas chromatography method. The BaP concentrations ranged
from undetected to 8 ng/m3 with the mean value of 1.01 ng/m3 in the
sampling site of Győr, and from undetected to 4.07 ng/m3 with the
mean value of 0.52 ng/m3 in the sampling site of Sarród, respectively.
Relatively higher concentrations of BaP were detected in samples
collected in both sampling sites in the heating seasons compared with
non-heating periods. The annual mean BaP concentrations were
comparable with the published data of different other Hungarian
sites.
Abstract: In present study, it was aimed to determine potential
agricultural lands (PALs) in Gokceada (Imroz) Island of Canakkale
province, Turkey. Seven-band Landsat 8 OLI images acquired on
July 12 and August 13, 2013, and their 14-band combination image
were used to identify current Land Use Land Cover (LULC) status.
Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to three Landsat
datasets in order to reduce the correlation between the bands. A total
of six Original and PCA images were classified using supervised
classification method to obtain the LULC maps including 6 main
classes (“Forest”, “Agriculture”, “Water Surface”, “Residential Area-
Bare Soil”, “Reforestation” and “Other”). Accuracy assessment was
performed by checking the accuracy of 120 randomized points for
each LULC maps. The best overall accuracy and Kappa statistic
values (90.83%, 0.8791% respectively) were found for PCA images
which were generated from 14-bands combined images called 3-
B/JA.
Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with 15 m spatial resolution
(ASTER) was used to consider topographical characteristics. Soil
properties were obtained by digitizing 1:25000 scaled soil maps of
Rural Services Directorate General. Potential Agricultural Lands
(PALs) were determined using Geographic information Systems
(GIS). Procedure was applied considering that “Other” class of
LULC map may be used for agricultural purposes in the future
properties. Overlaying analysis was conducted using Slope (S), Land
Use Capability Class (LUCC), Other Soil Properties (OSP) and Land
Use Capability Sub-Class (SUBC) properties.
A total of 901.62 ha areas within “Other” class (15798.2 ha) of
LULC map were determined as PALs. These lands were ranked as
“Very Suitable”, “Suitable”, “Moderate Suitable” and “Low
Suitable”. It was determined that the 8.03 ha were classified as “Very
Suitable” while 18.59 ha as suitable and 11.44 ha as “Moderate
Suitable” for PALs. In addition, 756.56 ha were found to be “Low
Suitable”. The results obtained from this preliminary study can serve
as basis for further studies.
Abstract: In recent years, there has been a decline in physical
activity among adults. Motivation has been shown to be a crucial
factor in maintaining physical activity. The purpose of this study was
to whether PA motives measured by the Physical Activity and
Leisure Motivation Scale PALMS predicted the actual amount of PA
at a later time to provide evidence for the construct validity of the
PALMS. A quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive research design
was employed. The Demographic Form, PALMS, and International
Physical Activity Questionnaire Short form (IPAQ-S) questionnaires
were used to assess motives and amount for physical activity in
adults on two occasions. A sample of 489 male undergraduate
students aged 18 to 25 years (mean ±SD; 22.30±8.13 years) took part
in the study. Participants were divided into three types of activities,
namely exercise, racquet sport, and team sports and female
participants only took part in one type of activity, namely team
sports. After 14 weeks, all 489 undergraduate students who had filled
in the initial questionnaire (Occasion 1) received the questionnaire
via email (Occasion 2). Of the 489 students, 378 males emailed back
the completed questionnaire. The results showed that not only were
pertinent sub-scales of PALMS positively related to amount of
physical activity, but separate regression analyses showed the
positive predictive effect of PALMS motives for amount of physical
activity for each type of physical activity among participants. This
study supported the construct validity of the PALMS by showing that
the motives measured by PALMS did predict amount of PA. This
information can be obtained to match people with specific sport or
activity which in turn could potentially promote longer adherence to
the specific activity.
Abstract: The flow duration curve (FDC) is an informative
method that represents the flow regime’s properties for a river basin.
Therefore, the FDC is widely used for water resource projects such as
hydropower, water supply, irrigation and water quality management.
The primary purpose of this study is to obtain synthetic daily flow
duration curves for Çoruh Basin, Turkey. For this aim, we firstly
developed univariate auto-regressive moving average (ARMA)
models for daily flows of 9 stations located in Çoruh basin and then
these models were used to generate 100 synthetic flow series each
having same size as historical series. Secondly, flow duration curves
of each synthetic series were drawn and the flow values exceeded 10,
50 and 95% of the time and 95% confidence limit of these flows were
calculated. As a result, flood, mean and low flows potential of Çoruh
basin will comprehensively be represented.
Abstract: Boiling process is characterized by the rapid
formation of vapour bubbles at the solid–liquid interface (nucleate
boiling) with pre-existing vapour or gas pockets. Computational fluid
dynamics (CFD) is an important tool to study bubble dynamics. In
the present study, CFD simulation has been carried out to determine
the bubble detachment diameter and its terminal velocity. Volume of
fluid method is used to model the bubble and the surrounding by
solving single set of momentum equations and tracking the volume
fraction of each of the fluids throughout the domain. In the
simulation, bubble is generated by allowing water-vapour to enter a
cylinder filled with liquid water through an inlet at the bottom. After
the bubble is fully formed, the bubble detaches from the surface and
rises up during which the bubble accelerates due to the net balance
between buoyancy force and viscous drag. Finally when these forces
exactly balance each other, it attains a constant terminal velocity. The
bubble detachment diameter and the terminal velocity of the bubble
are captured by the monitor function provided in FLUENT. The
detachment diameter and the terminal velocity obtained are compared
with the established results based on the shape of the bubble. A good
agreement is obtained between the results obtained from simulation
and the equations in comparison with the established results.
Abstract: Academicians at the Arab Open University have
always voiced their concern about the efficacy of the blended
learning process. Based on 75% independent study and 25% face-toface
tutorial, it poses the challenge of the predisposition to
adjustment. Being used to the psychology of traditional educational
systems, AOU students cannot be easily weaned from being spoonfed.
Hence they lack the motivation to plunge into self-study. For
better involvement of AOU students into the learning practices, it is
imperative to diagnose the factors that impede or increase their
motivation. This is conducted through an empirical study grounded
upon observations and tested hypothesis and aimed at monitoring and
optimizing the students’ learning outcome. Recommendations of the
research will follow the findings.
Abstract: This paper presents a computational study of steady
state three dimensional very high turbulent flow and heat transfer
characteristics in a constant temperature-surfaced circular duct fitted
with 900 hemispherical inline baffles. The computations are based on
realizable k-ɛ model with standard wall function considering the
finite volume method, and the SIMPLE algorithm has been
implemented. Computational Study are carried out for Reynolds
number, Re ranging from 80000 to 120000, Prandtl Number, Pr of
0.73, Pitch Ratios, PR of 1,2,3,4,5 based on the hydraulic diameter of
the channel, hydrodynamic entry length, thermal entry length and the
test section. Ansys Fluent 15.0 software has been used to solve the
flow field. Study reveals that circular pipe having baffles has a higher
Nusselt number and friction factor compared to the smooth circular
pipe without baffles. Maximum Nusselt number and friction factor
are obtained for the PR=5 and PR=1 respectively. Nusselt number
increases while pitch ratio increases in the range of study; however,
friction factor also decreases up to PR 3 and after which it becomes
almost constant up to PR 5. Thermal enhancement factor increases
with increasing pitch ratio but with slightly decreasing Reynolds
number in the range of study and becomes almost constant at higher
Reynolds number. The computational results reveal that optimum
thermal enhancement factor of 900 inline hemispherical baffle is
about 1.23 for pitch ratio 5 at Reynolds number 120000.It also shows
that the optimum pitch ratio for which the baffles can be installed in
such very high turbulent flows should be 5. Results show that pitch
ratio and Reynolds number play an important role on both fluid flow
and heat transfer characteristics.
Abstract: By the evolvement in technology, the way of
expressing opinions switched direction to the digital world. The
domain of politics, as one of the hottest topics of opinion mining
research, merged together with the behavior analysis for affiliation
determination in texts, which constitutes the subject of this paper.
This study aims to classify the text in news/blogs either as
Republican or Democrat with the minimum number of features. As
an initial set, 68 features which 64 were constituted by Linguistic
Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) features were tested against 14
benchmark classification algorithms. In the later experiments, the
dimensions of the feature vector reduced based on the 7 feature
selection algorithms. The results show that the “Decision Tree”,
“Rule Induction” and “M5 Rule” classifiers when used with “SVM”
and “IGR” feature selection algorithms performed the best up to
82.5% accuracy on a given dataset. Further tests on a single feature
and the linguistic based feature sets showed the similar results. The
feature “Function”, as an aggregate feature of the linguistic category,
was found as the most differentiating feature among the 68 features
with the accuracy of 81% in classifying articles either as Republican
or Democrat.
Abstract: In this work, the Ictalurus punctatus species estimated
available physical habitat is compared with the estimated physical
habitat for the same but modified river reach, with the aim of creating
a linear park, along a length of 5 500 m.
To determine the effect of ecological park construction, on
physical habitat of the Lerma river stretch of study, first, the available
habitat for the Ictalurus punctatus species was estimated through the
simulation of the physical habitat, by using surveying, hydraulics,
and habitat information gotten at the river reach in its actual situation.
Second, it was estimated the available habitat for the above species,
upon the simulation of the physical habitat through the proposed
modification for the ecological park creation. Third, it is presented a
comparison between both scenarios in terms of available habitat
estimated for Ictalurus punctatus species, concluding that in cases of
adult and spawning life stages, changes in the channel to create an
ecological park would produce a considerable loss of potentially
usable habitat (PUH), while in the case of the juvenile life stage PUH
remains virtually unchanged, and in the case of life stage fry the PUH
would increase due to the presence of velocities and depths of lesser
magnitude, due to the presence of minor flow rates and lower volume
of the wet channel.
It is expected that habitat modification for linear park construction
may produce the lack of Ictalurus punktatus species conservation at
the river reach of the study.
Abstract: A pilot field study was conducted at the Jagjeetpur
Municipal Sewage treatment plant situated in the Haridwar town in
Uttarakhand state, India. The objectives of the present study were to
study the effect of treated wastewater on the production of various
paddy varieties (Sharbati, PR-114, PB-1, Menaka, PB1121 and PB
1509) and the emission of GHG gases (CO2, CH4 and N2O) as
compared to the same varieties grown in the control plots irrigated
with fresh water. Of late, the concept of water footprint assessment
has emerged, which explains enumeration of various types of water
footprints of an agricultural entity from its production to processing
stages. Paddy, the most water demanding staple crop of Uttarakhand
state, displayed a high green water footprint value of 2474.12 m3/
Ton. Most of the wastewater irrigated varieties displayed up to 6%
increase in production, except Menaka and PB-1121, which showed a
reduction in production (6% and 3% respectively), due to pest and
insect infestation. The treated wastewater was observed to be rich in
Nitrogen (55.94 mg/ml Nitrate), Phosphorus (54.24 mg/ml) and
Potassium (9.78 mg/ml), thus rejuvenating the soil quality and not
requiring any external nutritional supplements. A Percentage increase
of GHG gases of irrigation with treated municipal wastewater as
compared to control plots was observed as 0.4% - 8.6% (CH4), 1.1%
- 9.2% (CO2), and 0.07% - 5.8% (N2O). The variety, Sharbati,
displayed maximum production (5.5 ton/ha) and emerged as the most
resistant variety against pests and insects. The emission values of
CH4, CO2 and N2O were 729.31 mg/m2/d, 322.10 mg/m2/d and
400.21 mg/m2/d in water stagnant condition.
This study highlighted a successful possibility of reuse of
wastewater for non-potable purposes offering the potential for
exploiting this resource that can replace or reduce the existing use of
fresh water sources in agriculture sector.