Cryogenic recovery of tire rubber.

A comprehensive investigation of the cryogenic recovery of tire rubber was conducted with laboratory, pilot plant and industrial equipment. Experiments were conducted with specimens of tire rubber to determine cooling curves for: (1) Scrap tire rubber dipped in liquid nitrogen. (2) Scrap tire rubber cooled by nitrogen vapour. (3) Virgin tire rubber dipped in liquid nitrogen. (4) Different size cubes of tire rubber cooled simultaneously by nitrogen vapour. (5) Tire rubber cooled and then recooled to investigate material degradation. Electron microphotographs of scrap and virgin tire treads were compared in terms of physical characteristics. The used tire rubber specimen appeared to have a granular structure. Air trapped in the interstices hindered the heat transfer process. On the other hand, the virgin tire specimen appeared to be homogeneous. This structure enabled the virgin material to cool at a higher rate. Electron photomicrographs of ambiently and cryogenically ground rubber crumbs were also compared. The ambiently ground rubber displayed more surface area than the cryogenically ground material. This increase was created by the torn edges of the ambiently ground rubber. The faceted surfaces of the cryogenically processed rubber provide smoother surfaces of lower area. Experimental and theoretical data were used to design a small fine-grind system which was proposed for the processing of ${3\over 8}$ inch pellets of tire rubber to a fine size less than 30 mesh. When frozen tire chips are passed through a hammermill, an entanglement of steel and nylon fibre results. Separation of this entanglement by various means was thoroughly investigated. Theoretical and experimental data were applied to the modifications of the industrial-size plant in Cambridge, Ontario. The improvements to the industrial system made it more efficient. A number of recommendations have been made for continuation of this basic investigation. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1993 .M271. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 33-04, page: 1278. Adviser: Alex W. Gnyp. Thesis (M.Sc.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1993

The Effect of Self-Efficacy on Entrepreneurial Intention with the Mediation Variables of Attitude Towards Behavior, Perceived Behavioral Control and Subjective Norm (a Study on the Master’s of Management Students at Universitas Ciputra Surabaya)

Entrepreneurship education is one of the national programs to boost the number of entrepreneurs in the country. The success of creating educated entrepreneurs depends on several factors such as the curriculum, mentors, the method and the readiness of the participant. The intention to become an entrepreneur cannot be separated from the individual’s self-efficacy. This research examined the effect of master’s students’ self-efficacy on their entrepreneurial intention, with the mediation of the Planned Behavior Theory variables. The sample included 134 master’s students out of the total of 203. All had been conducting business for at least six months and were recruited through purposive sampling. A 1-5 Likert scale questionnaire was given to the respondents in print and through Google Forms. Quantitative data analysis was done using smart-PLS version 3. Two of the three variables of the Planned Behavior Theory were significant as mediators of self-efficacy, namely attitude toward behavior and subjective norm. Perceived behavioral control did not have an effect on self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intent through mediation. Keywords: self-efficacy, theory of planned behavior, attitude toward behavior, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, entrepreneurial intentio

Perceptions of the Achievement Gap as Experienced Among Academically Proficient to High-achieving African American Adolescents in the Rural Southeastern United States: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe how the achievement gap is perceived as a lived experience by African American adolescents in a southeastern United States school district. The perception of the achievement gap as a lived experience among African American adolescents is generally defined as the meaning this group ascribes to their lived experience in the academic achievement gap. The theory guiding this study was Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. Vygotsky theorized that sociocultural learning precedes cognitive development; therefore, African American adolescents’ sociocultural awareness of the gap, or the meaning or lack of definition in perceptions of the academic achievement gap, would then precede their abilities to make developmental strides to close the achievement gap. Following a purposeful sample, data collection consisted of a 1-hour individual interview with each adolescent participant encompassing questions designed to probe their academic experiences. The second interview was also 1 hour, conducted collectively as a focus group interview. Both the individual interviews and the focus group interview were recorded and subsequently transcribed verbatim. Participants journaled their thoughts throughout the data collection phase. Data were then analyzed by describing as well as coding to organize and classify information. This process served to identify categories and themes from the research. Interviews were coded to highlight significant statements and identify themes. Trustworthiness was confirmed by lucid descriptions as well as clarification of subjects’ statements

The Role of Price Promotion and Product Quality in Influencing the Intention to Repurchase Cok-Kis Cookies

Repurchase intention is crucial to the continuity of businesses especially snack businesses. Customer satisfaction is one of the dominant variables influencing repurchase intention. This purpose of this study was to determine the role of price promotion and product quality in affecting customer satisfaction, which in turn influences the repurchase intention of snack products. The sample consisted of 117 people (a minimum sample of 91 was calculated using the Yamane and Isaac and Michael formulas). A questionnaire was given to the participants and data were analyzed quantitatively using SmartPLS version 3.0 (Partial Least Square). The results showed that customer satisfaction had a significant influence on the repurchase interest of Cok-Kis customers. Price promotion and product quality had a significant effect on Cok-Kis customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction could mediate the effect of price promotion and product quality on the repurchase interest of Cok-Kis customers. Keywords: price promotion, product quality, customer satisfaction, repurchase intentio

I Was Blind but Now I See: Implementing Vision-Enabled Dialogue in Social Robots

In the rapidly evolving landscape of human-computer interaction, the integration of vision capabilities into conversational agents stands as a crucial advancement. This paper presents an initial implementation of a dialogue manager that leverages the latest progress in Large Language Models (e.g., GPT-4, IDEFICS) to enhance the traditional text-based prompts with real-time visual input. LLMs are used to interpret both textual prompts and visual stimuli, creating a more contextually aware conversational agent. The system's prompt engineering, incorporating dialogue with summarisation of the images, ensures a balance between context preservation and computational efficiency. Six interactions with a Furhat robot powered by this system are reported, illustrating and discussing the results obtained. By implementing this vision-enabled dialogue system, the paper envisions a future where conversational agents seamlessly blend textual and visual modalities, enabling richer, more context-aware dialogues.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Servant Leadership Behaviour Scale in the Context of University Student Start-Ups

Entrepreneurship and leadership are included as important subject among scholars. Great entrepreneurs have to be great leaders, since they need to have a strong vision, motivate and influence others. The purpose of this paper is to verify the validity and reability of servant leadership behaviour scale in the context of student start-ups. The participants of the study consisted of 300 students who have been working for their start up in Ciputra University Surabaya, Indonesia. Confirmatory factor analysis have been performed to verify the undimensionality and validity of the scale. It is found that the scale can be used in the context of students start up, yet one dimension and 17 indicators should be eliminated from the scale. Keywords: servant leadership, student start-ups, servant leadership behaviour scale, entrepreneurshi

Conjoint Analysis for Consumer Preferences Towards Buying Plaster Sheets

In buying a product, consumers usually decide to purchase through certain stages and consumers understand their needs. Consumers also get stimuli from other people’s opinions including for problem identification, information seeking, evaluation, and decision-making activities. This study aimed to analyze the attributes that affect consumer preferences in buying plaster sheet products of CV Anugrah Jaya Sentosa. The questions studied in this research were: What are the attributes that affect consumer preferences in buying plaster sheet products? What are the most critical attributes for consumers of CV Anugrah Jaya Sentosa plaster sheet products? The most important attribute was a product thickness of 12 mm with a special quality, then a layer of purchase of goods only and a layer of paint + stain that simplifies the work for finishing and produces maximum results. Keywords: ceiling products, quality, coating, thickness, purchas