Abstract: Urban areas, as they have been developed and operate
today, are areas of accumulation of a significant amount of people
and a large number of activities that generate desires and reasons for
traveling. The territorial expansion of the cities as well as the need to
preserve the importance of the central city areas lead to the
continuous increase of transportation needs which in the limited
urban space results in creating serious traffic and operational
problems. The modern perception of urban planning is directed towards more
holistic approaches and integrated policies that make it economically
competitive, socially just and more environmentally friendly. Over
the last 25 years, the goal of sustainable transport development has
been central to the agenda of any plan or policy for the city. The
modern planning of urban space takes into account the economic and
social aspects of the city and the importance of the environment to
sustainable urban development. In this context, the European Union
promotes direct or indirect related interventions according to the
cohesion and environmental policies; many countries even had the
chance to actually test them. This paper explores the methods and processes that have been
developed towards this direction and presents a review and
systematic presentation of this work. The ultimate purpose of this
research is to effectively use this review to create a decision making
methodological framework which can be the basis of a useful
operational tool for sustainable urban planning.
Abstract: Istanbul-Karakoy Port, field of this study, has lost its
former significance in time due to the transformation of urban
functions. Today, activities for regeneration of this region continue in
two forms and scales. First of these activities is the "planned
transformation projects," which also includes “Galataport project”,
and the second one is "spontaneous transformation," which consists
of individual interventions. Galataport project that based on the idea
of arranging the area specifically for tourists was prepared in 2005
and became a topic of tremendous public debate. On the other hand,
the "spontaneous transformation" that is observed in Karakoy District
starts in 2004 with the foundation of “Istanbul Modern Museum”
which allowed the cultural integration of old naval warehouses of the
port to the daily life. Following this adaptive reuse intervention, the
district started to accommodate numerous art galleries, studios, caféworkshops
and design stores. In this context, this paper first examines
regeneration studies in obsolete port regions, analyzes the planned
and ongoing socio-spatial transformations in the specific case of
Karakoy and performs a critical review of the sustainability of the
proposals on how to reinstate the district in the active life of Istanbul.
Abstract: Water resource systems modeling has constantly been
a challenge through history for human beings. As the innovative
methodological development is evolving alongside computer sciences
on one hand, researches are likely to confront more complex and
larger water resources systems due to new challenges regarding
increased water demands, climate change and human interventions,
socio-economic concerns, and environment protection and
sustainability. In this research, an automatic calibration scheme has
been applied on the Gilan’s large-scale water resource model using
mathematical programming. The water resource model’s calibration
is developed in order to attune unknown water return flows from
demand sites in the complex Sefidroud irrigation network and other
related areas. The calibration procedure is validated by comparing
several gauged river outflows from the system in the past with model
results. The calibration results are pleasantly reasonable presenting a
rational insight of the system. Subsequently, the unknown optimized
parameters were used in a basin-scale linear optimization model with
the ability to evaluate the system’s performance against a reduced
inflow scenario in future. Results showed an acceptable match
between predicted and observed outflows from the system at selected
hydrometric stations. Moreover, an efficient operating policy was
determined for Sefidroud dam leading to a minimum water shortage
in the reduced inflow scenario.
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: Community integration is a construct that an
increasing body of research has shown to have a significant impact
on the wellbeing and recovery of people with psychiatric problems.
However, there are few studies that explore which factors can be
associated and predict community integration. Moreover, community
integration has been mostly studied in minority groups, and current
literature on the definition and manifestation of community
integration in the general population is scarcer. Thus, the current
study aims to characterize community integration and explore
possible predictor variables in a sample of participants with
psychiatric problems (PP, N=183) and a sample of participants from
the general population (GP, N=211).
Results show that people with psychiatric problems present above
average values of community integration, but are significantly lower
than their healthy counterparts. It was also possible to observe that
community integration does not vary in terms of the sociodemographic
characteristics of both groups in this study. Correlation
and multiple regression showed that, among several variables that
literature present as relevant in the community integration process,
only three variables emerged as having the most explanatory value in
community integration of both groups: sense of community, basic
needs satisfaction and submission. These results also shown that
those variables have increased explanatory power in the PP sample,
which leads us to emphasize the need to address this issue in future
studies and increase the understanding of the factors that can be
involved in the promotion of community integration, in order to
devise more effective interventions in this field.
Abstract: Auditory hallucinations among the most invalidating
and distressing experiences reported by patients diagnosed with
schizophrenia, leading to feelings of powerlessness and helplessness
towards their illness. In more severe cases, these auditory
hallucinations can take the form of commanding voices, which are
often related to high suicidality rates in these patients. Several
authors propose that the meanings attributed to the hallucinatory
experience, rather than characteristics like form and content, can be
determinant in patients’ reactions to hallucinatory activity,
particularly in the case of voice-hearing experiences. In this study, 48
patients diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia presenting auditory
hallucinations were studied. Multiple regression analyses were
computed to study the influence of several developmental aspects,
such as family and social dynamics, bullying, depression, and sociocognitive
variables on the auditory hallucinations, on patients’
attributions and relationships with their voices, and on the resulting
invalidation of hallucinatory experience. Overall, results showed how
relationships with voices can mirror several aspects of interpersonal
relationship with others, and how self-schemas, depression and actual
social relationships help shaping the voice-hearing experience. Early
experiences of victimization and submission help predict the
attributions of omnipotence of the voices, and increased hostility
from parents seems to increase the malevolence of the voices,
suggesting that socio-cognitive factors can significantly contribute to
the etiology and maintenance of auditory hallucinations. The
understanding of the characteristics of auditory hallucinations and the
relationships patients established with their voices can allow the
development of more promising therapeutic interventions that can be
more effective in decreasing invalidation caused by this devastating
mental illness.
Abstract: Long Distance Truck Drivers (LDTDs) have been
found to be a high risk group in the spread of HIV/AIDS globally;
perhaps, due to their high Sexual Risk Behaviours (SRBs).
Interventions for reducing SRBs in trucking population have not been
fully exploited. A quasi-experimental control group pretest-posttest
design was used to assess the efficacy of psycho-education and
behavioural skills training in reducing SRBs among LDTDs. Sixteen
drivers rivers were randomly assigned into either experimental or
control groups using balloting technique. Questionnaire was used as
an instrument for data collection. Repeated measures t-test and
independent t-test were used to test hypotheses. Intervention had
significant effect on the SRBs among LDTDs at post-test (t{7}=
6.01, p
Abstract: In the past few decades, the field of chemistry
education has grown tremendously and researches indicated that after
traditional chemistry instruction students often lacked deep
conceptual understanding and failed to integrate their ideas into
coherent conceptual framework. For several concepts in chemistry,
students at all levels have demonstrated difficulty in changing their
initial perceptions. Their perceptions are most often wrong and don't
agree with correct scientific concepts. This study explored the
effectiveness of intervention discussion sections for a college general
chemistry course designed to apply research on students
preconceptions, knowledge integration and student explanation.
Three interventions discussions lasting three hours on bond energy
and spontaneity were done tested and intervention (treatment)
students’ performances were compared with that of control group
which did not use the experimental pedagogy. Results indicated that
this instruction which was capable of identifying students'
misconceptions, initial conceptions and integrating those ideas into
class discussion led to enhanced conceptual understanding and better
achievement for the experimental group.
Abstract: The building sector is responsible, in many
industrialized countries, for about 40% of the total energy
requirements, so it seems necessary to devote some efforts in this
area in order to achieve a significant reduction of energy
consumption and of greenhouse gases emissions.
The paper presents a study aiming at providing a design
methodology able to identify the best configuration of the system
building/plant, from a technical, economic and environmentally point
of view.
Normally, the classical approach involves a building's energy
loads analysis under steady state conditions, and subsequent selection
of measures aimed at improving the energy performance, based on
previous experience made by architects and engineers in the design
team. Instead, the proposed approach uses a sequence of two wellknown
scientifically validated calculation methods (TRNSYS and
RETScreen), that allow quite a detailed feasibility analysis.
To assess the validity of the calculation model, an existing,
historical building in Central Italy, that will be the object of
restoration and preservative redevelopment, was selected as a casestudy.
The building is made of a basement and three floors, with a
total floor area of about 3,000 square meters.
The first step has been the determination of the heating and
cooling energy loads of the building in a dynamic regime by means,
which allows simulating the real energy needs of the building in
function of its use. Traditional methodologies, based as they are on
steady-state conditions, cannot faithfully reproduce the effects of
varying climatic conditions and of inertial properties of the structure.
With this model is possible to obtain quite accurate and reliable
results that allow identifying effective combinations building-HVAC
system.
The second step has consisted of using output data obtained as
input to the calculation model, which enables to compare different
system configurations from the energy, environmental and financial
point of view, with an analysis of investment, and operation and
maintenance costs, so allowing determining the economic benefit of
possible interventions.
The classical methodology often leads to the choice of
conventional plant systems, while our calculation model provides a
financial-economic assessment for innovative energy systems and
low environmental impact.
Computational analysis can help in the design phase, particularly
in the case of complex structures with centralized plant systems, by
comparing the data returned by the calculation model for different
design options.
Abstract: There has been a significant decline in active travel
and a massive increase in the use of car dependent travel in many
countries during the past two decades. Evidential risks for people’s
physical and mental health problems are correlated with this
increased use of motorized travel. These health related problems
range from overweight and obesity to increased air pollution. In
response to these rising concerns health professionals, traffic planers,
local authorities and others have introduced a variety of initiatives to
counterbalance the dominance of cars for daily journeys.
However, the nature of travel behavior change interventions,
which aim to reduce car use, are very complex and challenging
regarding their interactions with human behavior. To change travel
behavior at least two aspects have to be taken into consideration.
First, how to alter attitudes and perceptions toward the sustainable
and healthy modes of travel, in competition with experiences of
private car use. And second, how to make these behavior change
processes irreversible and sustainable. There are no comprehensive
models available to guide policy interventions to increase the level of
success of travel behavior change interventions across both these
dimensions.
A comprehensive theoretical framework is required in the effort to
optimize how to facilitate and guide the processes of data collection
and analysis to achieve the best possible guidelines for policy
makers. Regarding the gaps in the travel behavior change research
literature, this paper attempted to identify and suggest a
multidimensional framework in order to facilitate planning the
implemented travel behavior change interventions. A structured
mixed-method model is suggested to improve the analytic power of
the results according to the complexity of human behavior.
In order to recognize people’s attitudes towards a specific travel
mode, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was operationalized.
But in order to capture decision making processes the Transtheoretical
model of Behavior Change (TTM) was also used.
Consequently, the combination of these two theories (TTM and TPB)
has resulted in a synthesis with appropriate concepts to identify and
design an implemented travel behavior change interventions.
Abstract: This study aims to analyze ceramic employees’
occupational health and safety training expectations. To that general
objective, the study tries to examine whether occupational health and
safety training expectations of ceramic employees meaningfully
differentiate depending on demographic features and professional,
social and economic conditions. For this purpose, a questionnaire was
developed by the researcher. The research data were collected
through this questionnaire called “Questionnaire of Occupational
Health and Safety Training Expectation” (QSOHSTE). QSOHSTE
was applied to 125 ceramic employees working in Kütahya, Turkey.
Data obtained from questionnaire were analyzed via SPSS 21.
The findings, obtained from the study, revealed that employees’
agreement level to occupational health and safety training expectation
statements is generally high-level. The findings reveal that employees
expect professional interest such as increased development and
investment, preventive measures for accidents, interventions to
evaluate the working conditions, establishment of safe working
environments and sustainment of adequate equipment for
occupational health and safety training process.
Besides these findings, employees’ agreement level to
occupational health and safety training expectation statements also
varies in terms of educational level, professional seniority, income
level and perception of economic condition.
Abstract: The concept of urban transformation came about
through interventions aimed at bringing socially and economically
problematic areas of cities into use. The issue of urban transformation
arose frequently during the post-2000 period in particular, and legal
regulations on this matter were also developed in Turkey. Urban
transformation project would be a focal point for the formation of the
city in the near future. Izmir, which is third largest city of Turkey, is
an important trade and port city. But, assessment of the current
situation shows that, the majority of existing residential areas was
formed with squatters and unplanned settlements in Izmir city center.
Therefore an important part of these areas have significant problems
in terms of the quality of life, safety and environmental quality. In
this study, the central policies in Turkey and local policies in Đzmir
about urban transformation will be considered. In addition, urban
renewal projects that are being implemented in Izmir were discussed
and suggestions will be developed in accordance with this policy.
Abstract: In Brazil, neonatal mortality rate is considered
incompatible with the country development conditions, and has been
a Public Health concern. Reduction in infant mortality rates has also
been part of the Millennium Development Goals, a commitment
made by countries, members of the Organization of United Nations
(OUN), including Brazil. Fetal mortality rate is considered a highly
sensitive indicator of health care quality. Suitable actions, such as
good quality and access to health services may contribute positively
towards reduction in these fetal and neonatal rates. With appropriate
antenatal follow-up and health care during gestation and delivery,
some death causes could be reduced or even prevented by means of
early diagnosis and intervention, as well as changes in risk factors
and interventions. Objectives: To study the quality of maternal and
infant health care based on fetal and neonatal mortality, as well as the
possible actions to prevent those deaths in Botucatu (Brazil).
Methods: Classification of prevention according to the International
Classification of Diseases and the modified Wigglesworth´s
classification. In order to evaluate adequacy, indicators of quality of
antenatal and delivery care were established by the authors. Results:
Considering fetal deaths, 56.7% of them occurred before delivery,
which reveals possible shortcomings in antenatal care, and 38.2% of
them were a result of intra- labor changes, which could be prevented
or reduced by adequate obstetric management. These findings were
different from those in the group of early neonatal deaths which were
also studied. Adequacy of health services showed that antenatal and
childbirth care was appropriate for 24% and 33.3% of pregnant
women, respectively, which corroborates the results of prevention.
These results revealed that shortcomings in obstetric and antenatal
care could be the causes of deaths in the study. Early and late
neonatal deaths have similar characteristics: 76% could be prevented
or reduced mainly by adequate newborn care (52.9%) and adequate
health care for gestational women (11.7%). When adequacy of care
was evaluated, childbirth and newborn care was adequate in 25.8%
and antenatal care was adequate in 16.1%. In conclusion, direct
relationship was found between adequacy and quality of care
rendered to pregnant women and newborns, and fetal and infant
mortality. Moreover, our findings highlight that deaths could be
prevented by an adequate obstetric and neonatal management.
Abstract: Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are one of the major
treatment modalities that play important role in the management of a
number of different cancers. This study for the first time evaluates the
toxicity of these treatment modalities and its impact on quality of life
of cancer patients in Pakistan. The study also for the first time
determines what cancer patients of different ages and cancer stages
believe would be an effective intervention to manage their
psychosocial needs and treatment induced toxicity. The article also
provides evidence based approach for the use of variety of
interventions to mange cancer treatment induced morbidity and
toxicity. In light of the present study and reviewed research data,
evidence based recommendations are also made for selection of
appropriate interventions to manage Pain, Nausea and Vomiting,
Anxiety and Depression, Fatigue and Overall QOL of cancer
survivors.
Abstract: Maturity models, used descriptively to explain
changes in reality or normatively to guide managers to make
interventions to make organizations more effective and efficient, are
based on the principles of statistical quality control and PDCA
continuous improvement (Plan, Do, Check, Act). Some frameworks
developed over the concept of maturity models include COBIT,
CMM, and ITIL.
This paper presents some limitations of traditional maturity
models, most of them related to the mechanistic and reductionist
principles over which those models are built. As systems theory helps
the understanding of the dynamics of organizations and
organizational change, the development of a systemic maturity model
can help to overcome some of those limitations.
This document proposes a systemic maturity model, based on a
systemic conceptualization of organizations, focused on the study of
the functioning of the parties, the relationships among them, and their
behavior as a whole. The concept of maturity from the system theory
perspective is conceptually defined as an emergent property of the
organization, which arises as a result of the degree of alignment and
integration of their processes. This concept is operationalized through
a systemic function that measures the maturity of organizations, and
finally validated by the measuring of maturity in some organizations.
For its operationalization and validation, the model was applied to
measure the maturity of organizational Governance, Risk and
Compliance (GRC) processes.
Abstract: The optimization of biological systems, which is a branch of metabolic engineering, has generated a lot of industrial and academic interest for a long time. In the last decade, metabolic engineering approaches based on mathematical optimizations have been used extensively for the analysis and manipulation of metabolic networks. In practical optimization of metabolic reaction networks, designers have to manage the nature of uncertainty resulting from qualitative characters of metabolic reactions, e.g., the possibility of enzyme effects. A deterministic approach does not give an adequate representation for metabolic reaction networks with uncertain characters. Fuzzy optimization formulations can be applied to cope with this problem. A fuzzy multi-objective optimization problem can be introduced for finding the optimal engineering interventions on metabolic network systems considering the resilience phenomenon and cell viability constraints. The accuracy of optimization results depends heavily on the development of essential kinetic models of metabolic networks. Kinetic models can quantitatively capture the experimentally observed regulation data of metabolic systems and are often used to find the optimal manipulation of external inputs. To address the issues of optimizing the regulatory structure of metabolic networks, it is necessary to consider qualitative effects, e.g., the resilience phenomena and cell viability constraints. Combining the qualitative and quantitative descriptions for metabolic networks makes it possible to design a viable strain and accurately predict the maximum possible flux rates of desired products. Considering the resilience phenomena in metabolic networks can improve the predictions of gene intervention and maximum synthesis rates in metabolic engineering. Two case studies will present in the conference to illustrate the phenomena.
Abstract: This paper seeks to illustrate the impact of rapid urbanization (in terms of both increase in people and vehicles) in the Gauteng region (which includes Johannesburg, Pretoria and Ekurhuleni). The impact that existing transport systems and options place on the capacity of residents from low income areas to travel and conduct various socio-economic activities is discussed. The findings are drawn from a 2013 analysis of a random transport household survey of 1550 households carried out in Gauteng province. 91.4% of the study respondents had access to public transport, while 8.6% had no access to public transport. Of the 91.4% who used public transport, the main reason used to explain this state of affairs was that it was affordable (54.3%), convenient (15.9%), Accessible (11.9%), lack of alternatives (6.4%) and reliable at 4.1%. Recommendations advanced revolve around the need to reverse land use and transportation effects of apartheid planning, growing and developing a sustainable critical mass of public transport interventions supported by appropriate transport systems that are environmentally sustainable through proper governance. 38.5% of the respondents indicated that developing compact, smart and integrated urban land spaces was key to reducing travel challenges in the study area. 23.4% indicated that the introduction and upgrading of BRT buses to cover all areas in the study area was a step in the right direction because it has great potential in shifting travel patterns to favor public modes of transport. 15.1% indicated that all open spaces should be developed so that fragmentation of land uses can be addressed. This would help to fight disconnected and fragmented space and trip making challenges in Gauteng. 13.4% indicated that improving the metro rail services was critical since this is a mass mover of commuters. 9.6% of the respondents highlighted that the bus subsidy policy has to be retained in the short to medium term since the spatial mismatches and challenges created by apartheid are yet to be fully reversed.
Abstract: Environmental education is the key to enhancing or changing students’ ways of thinking and acting in order to create an environmentally robust future for all. The present study investigates the beliefs of 812 primary school students, which merit consideration when developing educational interventions. Results of multiple regression analyses reveal that educational interventions should focus on promoting students’ feelings of control over pro-environmental behaviors (PEB). For example, schools could provide recycling bins on the premises. Furthermore, it is critical to develop positive attitudes in students by stressing the various benefits of PEB for keeping our planet clean and protecting wildlife. Unfortunately, our results indicate that students believe that PEB is boring and annoying. Suggestions are offered for making PEB more interesting and relevant. Further research is needed to test the effectiveness of interventions based on the present results.
Abstract: The more homogenized population taken over by the Republic immediately after the Ottoman was being canalized towards the goal of national identity and the historical and cultural structure of the nation was being readdressed and redefined. Modernization and Westernization history of the new Turkey, which started with Ottoman reforms and took its final form with the Kemalist nation-state, politically resulted in transformation from a multinational empire to a “nation-state” and adopted reaching to the level of Western civilizations as a sociology ideal. This objective of change will be achieved, on the one hand, by finding the Turkish culture which was preserved only by the society and by instilling Western civilization to national culture, on the other hand. In line with this, it is seen that in musical considerations while Turkish folk music was accepted and adopted as an indispensible part of Turkish identity, Turkish classical music was refused on the ground that it was not a part of Turkish identity. Again in this period, it is seen that with the notion of cultural reform, which is a part of “nation building”, the desire to create a national music to be performed with Western techniques brought along deliberate interventions to folk music.
Abstract: Self-management is becoming a new emphasis for healthcare systems around the world. But there are many different problems with adoption of new health-related intervention systems. The situation is even more complicated for chronically ill patients with disabilities, illiteracy, and impairment in judgment in addition to their conditions, or having multiple co-morbidities. Providing online decision support to manage patient health and to provide better support for chronically ill patients is a new way of dealing with chronic disease management. In this study, the importance of mobile technology through an m-Health system that supports self-management interventions including the care provider, family and social support, education and training, decision support, recreation, and ongoing patient motivation to promote adherence and sustainability of the intervention are discussed. A proposed theoretical model for adoption and sustainability of system use is developed, based on UTAUT2 and IS Continuance of Use models, both of which have been pre-validated through longitudinal studies. The objective of this paper is to show the importance of using mobile technology in adoption and sustainability of use of an m-Health system which will result in commercially sustainable self-management support for chronically ill patients.