Search results for " support"

Application of optimized artificial intelligence algorithm to evaluate the heating energy demand of non-residential buildings at European level

2019

Abstract A reliable preliminary forecast of heating energy demand of a building by using a detailed dynamic simulation software typically requires an in-depth knowledge of the thermal balance, several input data and a very skilled user. The authors will describe how to use Artificial Neural Networks to predict the demand for thermal energy linked to the winter climatization of non-residential buildings. To train the neural network it was necessary to develop an accurate energy database that represents the basis of the training of a specific Artificial Neural Networks. Data came from detailed dynamic simulations performed in the TRNSYS environment. The models were built according to the stan…

The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Disaster Management - A Systematic Literature Review

2019

Whenever a disaster occurs, users in social media, sensors, cameras, satellites, and the like generate vast amounts of data. Emergency responders and victims use this data for situational awareness, decision-making, and safe evacuations. However, making sense of the generated information under time-bound situations is a challenging task as the amount of data can be significant, and there is a need for intelligent systems to analyze, process, and visualize it. With recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), numerous researchers have begun exploring AI, machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL) techniques for big data analytics in managing disasters efficiently. This paper adopt…

An Indication of Anisotropy in Arrival Directions of Ultra-high-energy Cosmic Rays through Comparison to the Flux Pattern of Extragalactic Gamma-Ray …

2018

A new analysis of the dataset from the Pierre Auger Observatory provides evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays on an intermediate angular scale, which is indicative of excess arrivals from strong, nearby sources. The data consist of 5514 events above 20 EeV with zenith angles up to 80 deg recorded before 2017 April 30. Sky models have been created for two distinct populations of extragalactic gamma-ray emitters: active galactic nuclei from the second catalog of hard Fermi-LAT sources (2FHL) and starburst galaxies from a sample that was examined with Fermi-LAT. Flux-limited samples, which include all types of galaxies from the Swift-BAT and 2MASS …

What can gender tell us about the pre-retirement experiences of elite distance runners in Finland?: A thematic narrative analysis

2016

Abstract Objectives This study explores gendered experiences of the mastery stage in endurance runners' athletic careers in terms of (a) key themes in this period of life, (b) retirement decision-making and (c) changes in athletic and runner identities. Design and method Ten male and nine female athletes aged between 25 and 62 participated in individual interviews. The data were analyzed via thematic narrative analysis. Results and conclusion Gendered meanings permeate career decision-making and retirement patterns of Finnish runners. Female athletes reported many difficulties, including health problems, loneliness, societal pressure and lack of social support during the final years of thei…

Personality, social support and affective states during simulated microgravity in healthy women

2009

This study investigated the time-course of stress and recovery states and their relations to social support and personality traits in healthy women during a long-term head-down tilt bed rest. Personality, social support and affective states were assessed in 16 women exposed to simulated microgravity for a 60-day duration involving three stages: a 20-day baseline control period (BDC), a 60-day head-down tilt bed rest (HDT) and a 20-day post-HDT ambulatory recovery period (R+). Participants were divided into two groups: an exercise (Exe, n = 8) and a control group (Ctl, n = 8). All the participants experienced significantly more stress during the HDT period. But exercise did not improve the i…

CORPORATE SOCIAL IRRESPONSIBILITY AND AUDIENCE SUPPORT: LESSONS FROM THE PARMALAT SCANDAL

Autonomy Support, Psychological Needs Satisfaction, School Engagement and Academic Success: A Mediation Model

2018

School engagement is a construct of relevance in education and educational psychology, as it has been related to multiple educational constructs and outcomes: school drop-out, satisfaction with school, disruptive behavior, motivational climate, teacher-student relationships, or academic progress and achievement. The current research surveyed 2034 Angolan students and 2302 Dominican Republic students in order to predict academic achievement. The model tested was supported by the data in both samples, and the chain of explicative effects hold again in both samples. School engagement was a powerful mediator among needs satisfaction and academic success. Results are discussed in light of existi…

"Treatment is of primary importance, and social assistance is secondary": A qualitative study on the organisation of tuberculosis (TB) care and patie…

2018

Background Vulnerable individuals with tuberculosis (TB) struggle to access and stay on treatment. While patient-related and social barriers to TB treatment adherence are well documented, less is known about how the organisation and delivery of TB care influences adherence behaviour. Aim To examine the influence of TB service organisation and culture on patients’ experience of starting and staying on treatment in Riga, Latvia. Methods An intervention package to support adherence to TB treatment amongst vulnerable patients in Riga, Latvia was piloted between August 2016 and March 2017. Qualitative observations (5), interviews with staff (20) and with TB patients (10) were conducted mid-way a…

Solid-State Synthesis of “Bamboo-Like” and Straight Carbon Nanotubes by Thermolysis of Hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene–Cobalt Complexes

2006

CoOx catalysts supported on alumina and alumina-baria: influence of the support on the cobalt species and their activity in NO reduction by C3H6 in l…

2003

Abstract CoO x catalysts (Co 1 and 3 wt.%) were prepared by incipient-wetness impregnation of the supports, Al 2 O 3 and Al 2 O 3 (80 wt.%)-BaO (20 wt.%), and calcined at 500 and 800 °C. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and BET techniques. H 2 -temperature programmed reduction (TPR) and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) spectra were recorded with the aim to identify the different Co species formed. The presence of Co 2+ species tetrahedrally and octahedrally coordinated appears strongly influenced by the nature of the support and the cobalt content. Co 3 O 4 particles were detected after calcination at 500 °C, a successive treatment at 800 °C promotes th…