Search results for "construct"

The Participation of NGOs in the Dynamics of International Law-Making

2013

Technical Note: Prediction Models of Airborne Sound Insulation of Multilayer Materials with Viscoelastic Thin Sheets

2008

The growing introduction of new insulation materials in building acoustics has caused an increase of the importance of the prediction tools. Appropriate simulations allow strictly necessary laboratory measurements to be identified. In this way, costs are reduced. The demands of new legislation has resulted in the appearance of various software designed to facilitate prediction. The prediction models are based on different hypotheses: adaptation of impedances, spatial behaviour of spectral components, statistical energy distribution, the Finite Element Method (FEM), etc. Each of these models and methods offer advantages and contain limitations. In this paper, different models for prediction…

Tinkering with the two-to-one interview: Reflections on the use of two interviewers in qualitative constructionist inquiry

2021

Abstract Typically, qualitative interviews implicate a single interviewer. In this article, we consider an alternative comprising the simultaneous, active involvement of two interviewers. We base our considerations on experiences using the two-to-one interview in a nationwide research project on disability and physical activity. In addition to untapping and developing a qualitative interview method, the article provides an example in action of tinkering in qualitative inquiry. Tinkering entails a constant questioning of what to do, what is best, and what is appropriate within each moment of the research. Echoing social constructionist scholars, we argue that this flexible approach is useful…

Novel solutions for closed-loop Reverse Electrodialysis: thermodynamic characterisation and perspective analysis

2019

Abstract Closed-loop Reverse Electrodialysis is a novel technology to directly convert low-grade heat into electricity. It consists of a reverse electrodialysis (RED) unit where electricity is produced exploiting the salinity gradient between two salt-water solutions, coupled with a regeneration unit where waste-heat is used to treat the solutions exiting from the RED unit and restore their initial composition. One of the most important advantages of closed-loop systems compared to the open systems is the possibility to select ad-hoc salt solutions to achieve high efficiencies. Therefore, the properties of the salt solutions are essential to assess the performance of the energy generation a…

Adaptive memory programing for the robust capacitated international sourcing problem

2008

The International Sourcing Problem consists of selecting a subset from an available set of potential suppliers internationally located. The selected suppliers must meet the demand for items from a set of plants, which are also located worldwide. Since the costs are affected by macroeconomic conditions in the countries where the supplier and the plant are located, the formulation considers the uncertainty associated with changes in these conditions. We formulate the robust capacitated international sourcing problem by means of a scenario-optimization approach. When dealing with uncertainty, one of the most common approaches in the literature is to formulate the problem via a set of possible …

Data-based modeling of vehicle crash using adaptive neural-fuzzy inference system

2014

Vehicle crashes are considered to be events that are extremely complex to be analyzed from the mathematical point of view. In order to establish a mathematical model of a vehicle crash, one needs to consider various areas of research. For this reason, to simplify the analysis and improve the modeling process, in this paper, a novel adaptive neurofuzzy inference system (ANFIS-based) approach to reconstruct kinematics of colliding vehicles is presented. A typical five-layered ANFIS structure is trained to reproduce kinematics (acceleration, velocity, and displacement) of a vehicle involved in an oblique barrier collision. Subsequently, the same ANFIS structure is applied to simulate different…

Nanotechnology and earth construction: the mechanical properties of adobe brick stabilized by Laponite nanoparticles

2014

The contribution describes the experimental analysis for the improvement of the mechanical properties of samples of earth with the addition of Laponite nanoparticles. Were made two types of samples: the first consisting of soil, sand and water; the second consisting of soil, water, sand and Laponite nanoparticles. The operations performed were: chemical analysis of soil and sand; preparation of samples; Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) observation of samples for the distribution of the elements, especially the Laponite nanoparticles; testing of compression strength and flexural strength of two types of samples; comparisons of the resulted of the mechanical tests. The improvement of the me…

Evolution of lactase persistence: an example of human niche construction

2011

Niche construction is the process by which organisms construct important components of their local environment in ways that introduce novel selection pressures. Lactase persistence is one of the clearest examples of niche construction in humans. Lactase is the enzyme responsible for the digestion of the milk sugar lactose and its production decreases after the weaning phase in most mammals, including most humans. Some humans, however, continue to produce lactase throughout adulthood, a trait known as lactase persistence. In European populations, a single mutation (−13910*T) explains the distribution of the phenotype, whereas several mutations are associated with it in Africa and the Middle …

Development of a Brief Form of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (B–IRI)

2016

ABSTRACTThe Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) is a standardized self-report measure of disposition to empathic responsiveness for the general adult population (the domain for which it was developed), and for the general adolescent population. The IRI has a number of problems, however, including some uncertainty about its factor structure, low reliabilities, and poor readability of some items for people with limited literacy skills. To address these issues, we constructed an abbreviated form of the index, the Brief IRI (B–IRI). Three studies demonstrated that this 16-item B–IRI has a clear and coherent factor structure, adequate internal consistency, measurement invariance across gender a…

Psychometric properties of the dissociative symptoms scale (DSS) in Italian outpatients and community adults

2020

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Dissociative Symptoms Scale (DSS) among Italian adults from outpatient and community samples. The DSS is a self-report measure of clinically relevant dissociation in adults. An Italian translation of the DSS was administered with measures of lifetime traumatic experiences, psychoform dissociation, and somatoform dissociation to 175 psychiatric outpatients and 423 individuals from the community. The DSS scores for outpatient and community adults were significantly different and showed good internal reliability, good convergent and construct validity, and a four-factor structure (depersonalization and derealization, gaps in awareness …