16,744 research outputs found
New Normal Tourism Behavior of Free Independent Travelers in the Covid-19 Pandemic
Purpose: This research intended to investigate the motivation and behavior of free independent travelers (FITs) who traveled to Southern Thailand in the Covid-19 pandemic.
Theoretical framework: Studies on tourist motivation and behavior would provide more insightful implications and Covid-19 safeguards for tourism businesses especially in Southern Thailand – a dominant destination for domestic tourism demand.
Design/methodology/approach: Data was collected from 400 domestic FITs using a questionnaire survey, processed in SPSS software, and analyzed with descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and One-way ANOVA.
Findings: The highest level of overall pull and push motivations of domestic FITs while traveling to Southern Thailand. The highest level of pull motivation identified in this study was a promotional scheme, called “WE TRAVEL TOGETHER” the government-subsidized 40% of accommodation expenses to increase tourism demand.
Research, Practical & Social implications: Comparative responses to SHA Plus standard between domestic and international tourists using both qualitative and quantitative data from all stakeholders involved would provide a variety of insightful and beneficial perspectives on NNT in the Covid-19 pandemic.
Originality/value: CCSA should pay more attention on this particular behavior of tourists which might easily spread the disease to others. Everyone should be more aware of this risk and show their greater responsible practice in society
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Ensuring Access to Safe and Nutritious Food for All Through the Transformation of Food Systems
An iterative warping and clustering algorithm to estimate multiple wave-shape functions from a nonstationary oscillatory signal
Nonsinusoidal oscillatory signals are everywhere. In practice, the
nonsinusoidal oscillatory pattern, modeled as a 1-periodic wave-shape function
(WSF), might vary from cycle to cycle. When there are finite different WSFs,
, so that the WSF jumps from one to another suddenly, the
different WSFs and jumps encode useful information. We present an iterative
warping and clustering algorithm to estimate from a
nonstationary oscillatory signal with time-varying amplitude and frequency, and
hence the change points of the WSFs. The algorithm is a novel combination of
time-frequency analysis, singular value decomposition entropy and vector
spectral clustering. We demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm
with simulated and real signals, including the voice signal, arterial blood
pressure, electrocardiogram and accelerometer signal. Moreover, we provide a
mathematical justification of the algorithm under the assumption that the
amplitude and frequency of the signal are slowly time-varying and there are
finite change points that model sudden changes from one wave-shape function to
another one.Comment: 39 pages, 11 figure
Leveraging Big Data in port state control: An analysis of port state control data and its potential for governance and transparency in the shipping industry
The International Maritime Organization along with couple European countries (Paris MoU) has introduced in 1982 the port state control (PSC) inspections of vessels in national ports to evaluate their compliance with safety and security regulations. This study discusses how the PSC data share common characteristics with Big Data fundamental theories, and by interpreting them as Big Data, we could enjoy their governance and transparency as a Big Data challenge to gain value from their use. Thus, from the scope of Big Data, PSC should exhibit volume, velocity, variety, value, and complexity to support in the best possible way both officers ashore and on board to maintain the vessel in the best possible conditions for sailing. For the above purpose, this paper employs Big Data theories broadly used within the academic and business environment on datasets characteristics and how to access the value from Big Data and Analytics. The research concludes that PSC data provide valid information to the shipping industry. However, the lack of PSC data ability to present the complete picture of PSC regimes and ports challenges the maritime community’s attempts for a safer and more sustainable industry
Economia colaborativa
A importância de se proceder à análise dos principais desafios jurídicos que a economia colaborativa coloca – pelas implicações que as mudanças de paradigma dos modelos de negócios e dos sujeitos envolvidos suscitam − é indiscutível, correspondendo à necessidade de se fomentar a segurança jurídica destas práticas, potenciadoras de crescimento económico e bem-estar social.
O Centro de Investigação em Justiça e Governação (JusGov) constituiu uma equipa multidisciplinar que, além de juristas, integra investigadores de outras áreas, como a economia e a gestão, dos vários grupos do JusGov – embora com especial participação dos investigadores que integram o grupo E-TEC (Estado, Empresa e Tecnologia) – e de outras prestigiadas instituições nacionais e internacionais, para desenvolver um projeto neste domínio, com o objetivo de identificar os problemas jurídicos que a economia colaborativa suscita e avaliar se já existem soluções para aqueles, refletindo igualmente sobre a conveniência de serem introduzidas alterações ou se será mesmo necessário criar nova regulamentação.
O resultado desta investigação é apresentado nesta obra, com o que se pretende fomentar a continuação do debate sobre este tema.Esta obra é financiada por fundos nacionais através da FCT — Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., no âmbito do Financiamento UID/05749/202
In-situ crack and keyhole pore detection in laser directed energy deposition through acoustic signal and deep learning
Cracks and keyhole pores are detrimental defects in alloys produced by laser
directed energy deposition (LDED). Laser-material interaction sound may hold
information about underlying complex physical events such as crack propagation
and pores formation. However, due to the noisy environment and intricate signal
content, acoustic-based monitoring in LDED has received little attention. This
paper proposes a novel acoustic-based in-situ defect detection strategy in
LDED. The key contribution of this study is to develop an in-situ acoustic
signal denoising, feature extraction, and sound classification pipeline that
incorporates convolutional neural networks (CNN) for online defect prediction.
Microscope images are used to identify locations of the cracks and keyhole
pores within a part. The defect locations are spatiotemporally registered with
acoustic signal. Various acoustic features corresponding to defect-free
regions, cracks, and keyhole pores are extracted and analysed in time-domain,
frequency-domain, and time-frequency representations. The CNN model is trained
to predict defect occurrences using the Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients
(MFCCs) of the lasermaterial interaction sound. The CNN model is compared to
various classic machine learning models trained on the denoised acoustic
dataset and raw acoustic dataset. The validation results shows that the CNN
model trained on the denoised dataset outperforms others with the highest
overall accuracy (89%), keyhole pore prediction accuracy (93%), and AUC-ROC
score (98%). Furthermore, the trained CNN model can be deployed into an
in-house developed software platform for online quality monitoring. The
proposed strategy is the first study to use acoustic signals with deep learning
for insitu defect detection in LDED process.Comment: 36 Pages, 16 Figures, accepted at journal Additive Manufacturin
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Investigation of impact of slow-release fertilizer and struvite on biodegradation rate of diesel-contaminated soils
Fossil fuel remains the most used form of energy in the world and while it is only available in some countries, there is always the need to transport it to disadvantaged countries, which often results in oil spillages. Distribution of petroleum and petroleum products upstream and downstream also results in oil spillages. In cases where there is ineffective or no containment during and after oil spillages, the problem of oil pollution could be worsened by migration and seepage into receiving systems. In such a case, there is a need to identify and apply appropriate remediation techniques to reduce the impact and extent of the spillage. Some microbes have been identified as having the ability to degrade hydrocarbons and could potentially be harnessed for oil spillage clean-up but, would require sustainable nutrients supply to enhance biodegradation rate and efficiency. This study investigated the impact of slow-release fertilizer and struvite on the biodegradation rate and efficiency of diesel-contaminated soils with a view to determining whether struvite could be applied in the biodegradation of oil-contaminated soils as an alternative, low-cost, and sustainable approach. The test models were dosed with a cumulative oil loading of 178 mg m−2 week−1 based on the derived oil loading of 9.27 g m−2 year−1 with a view to comparing the efficiency of the nutrient sources. The nutrient sources, Osmocote Plus controlled-release fertilizer granules and struvite were applied at a one-off rate of 17 g m−2 to provide nutrient requirements and enhance biostimulation. The effect of the nutrients was studied by monitoring microbial growth in different growth media, the evolution of Carbon dioxide, elemental content by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry, Electrical conductivity of effluent, Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons by infra-red spectroscopy, and pH of effluent. The results showed that Osmocote® plus controlled-release fertilizer is more effective in enhancing microbial growth than Struvite slow-release fertilizer hence, a relatively faster bioremediation rate. It should be noted that struvite accumulation in public water pipe works is an issue of environmental concern hence, any meaningful utilization and application of this “waste” in the bioremediation of contaminated soils would offer a sustainable and low-cost means of disposal of what is hitherto an environmental problem. However, it may require augmenting of the deficient nutrients to enhance effectiveness. This could be accomplished by incorporating naturally occurring nutrient sources such as rock phosphate, kelp, and bedrock nitrogen for sustainability
Towards a more just refuge regime: quotas, markets and a fair share
The international refugee regime is beset by two problems: Responsibility for refuge falls
disproportionately on a few states and many owed refuge do not get it. In this work, I explore
remedies to these problems. One is a quota distribution wherein states are distributed
responsibilities via allotment. Another is a marketized quota system wherein states are free to buy
and sell their allotments with others. I explore these in three parts. In Part 1, I develop the prime
principles upon which a just regime is built and with which alternatives can be adjudicated. The
first and most important principle – ‘Justice for Refugees’ – stipulates that a just regime provides
refuge for all who have a basic interest in it. The second principle – ‘Justice for States’ – stipulates
that a just distribution of refuge responsibilities among states is one that is capacity considerate. In
Part 2, I take up several vexing questions regarding the distribution of refuge responsibilities
among states in a collective effort. First, what is a state’s ‘fair share’? The answer requires the
determination of some logic – some metric – with which a distribution is determined. I argue that
one popular method in the political theory literature – a GDP-based distribution – is normatively
unsatisfactory. In its place, I posit several alternative metrics that are more attuned with the
principles of justice but absent in the political theory literature: GDP adjusted for Purchasing
Power Parity and the Human Development Index. I offer an exploration of both these. Second,
are states required to ‘take up the slack’ left by defaulting peers? Here, I argue that duties of help
remain intact in cases of partial compliance among states in the refuge regime, but that political
concerns may require that such duties be applied with caution. I submit that a market instrument
offers one practical solution to this problem, as well as other advantages. In Part 3, I take aim at
marketization and grapple with its many pitfalls: That marketization is commodifying, that it is
corrupting, and that it offers little advantage in providing quality protection for refugees. In
addition to these, I apply a framework of moral markets developed by Debra Satz. I argue that a
refuge market may satisfy Justice Among States, but that it is violative of the refugees’ welfare
interest in remaining free of degrading and discriminatory treatment
What is the importance of sperm subpopulations?
.The study of sperm subpopulations spans three decades. The origin, meaning, and practical significance, however, are less clear. Current technology for assessing sperm morphology (CASA-Morph) and motility (CASA-Mot) has enabled the accurate evaluation of these features, and there are many options for data classification. Subpopulations could occur as a result of the stage of development of each spermatozoon in the subpopulation. Spermatogenesis might contribute to the production of these subpopulations. Insights from evolutionary biology and recent molecular research are indicative of the diversity among male gametes that could occur from unequal sharing of transcripts and other elements through cytoplasmic bridges between spermatids. Sperm cohorts exiting the gonads would contain different RNA and protein contents, affecting the spermatozoon physiology and associations with the surrounding environmental milieu. Subsequently, these differences could affect how spermatozoa interact with the environmental milieu (maturation, mixing with seminal plasma, and interacting with the environmental milieu, or female genital tract and female gamete). The emergence of sperm subpopulations as an outcome of evolution, related to the reproductive strategies of the species, genital tract structures, and copulatory and fertilization processes. This kind of approach in determining the importance of sperm subpopulations in fertilization capacity should have a practical impact for conducting reproductive technologies, inspiring and enabling new ways for the more efficient use of spermatozoa in the medical, animal breeding, and conservation fields. This manuscript is a contribution to the Special Issue in memory of Dr. Duane GarnerS
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