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GAMIFICATION IN URBAN PLANNING - EXPERIENCING THE FUTURE CITY
Get PDFVirtual Reality (VR) systems have been commonly used in the game and entertainment industries and are also increasingly explored in architecture and urban planning. They assist designers to communicate design ideas to a wider public and can engage them in the design processes. In this paper, we explore gaming environments to allow users to learn about smart city applications, such as innovative mobility approaches, urban farming, drone delivery, etc. The project is part of a real-world project for a future city for 50,000 inhabitants in the European side of Istanbul, Turkey. VR technologies can offer a testing ground for testing ideas, simulating performance, crowdsourcing ideas, before building the actual city physically. Gaming incentivizes citizens to participate in the design process, and the data collected provides a significant feedback loop to shape the city of the future. Citizens can immerse themselves in the VR environment, and experience the design via four circulation modes, e.g., walking, biking, driving, and flying. They allow users to explore novel circulatory approaches within new and innovative city arteries. Indeed, the design of the city accommodates a portfolio of mobility options, and the gamification allows testing pioneering designs, e.g., parallel streets for pedestrians, vehicles, etc. Furthermore, the game allows users to collect points when engaging in smart city topics, such as urban farming, solar energy usage, carbon neutrality, etc. Feedback loop that helps to iterate on the design. The project consists of three phases, a. an immersive VR version of the city experienced on head-mounted-displays, b. edutainment and the gamification of the city, and c. the integration of the digital version of the city into Meta’s multi-user space. In the paper, we present early findings of the project, the methods/tools explored, and discuss the utility of VR technologies in the design processes of architecture and urban planning
THE EFFECT OF MODERATE VERSUS DEEP SEDATION ON THE SATISFACTION AND LENGTH OF STAY OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING COLONOSCOPY IN A LEBANESE SPECIALIZED ENDOSCOPY CENTER
Get PDFColonoscopy is one of the most common screening procedure to detect colorectal cancer. Sedation during colonoscopy decreases anxiety, discomfort, minimizes risks, and promotes the overall satisfaction of the patient. It’s a challenge for nurses to adopt a sedation regimen taking into consideration traditional and modern techniques and methods. Purpose: To compare moderate and deep sedation effects on satisfaction, length of stay, and overall experience of patients undergoing colonoscopy. Methods: A quasi-experimental research was conducted among 149 patients who responded to the Iowa Satisfaction with Anesthesia Scale after been consented pre-procedure. Results: Statistically significant differences were demonstrated for almost most items of Iowa satisfaction with the anesthesia scale, in addition to the clear difference between the post-procedure stay duration and time to have had their vitals baselined again. Conclusion: Deep sedation using Propofol was much more effective in enhancing patient satisfaction and reducing the length of stay and procedure duration substantially, thus contributing to a higher quality of care and improved performance of the endoscopy units
THE EFFECT OF FINE RECYCLED CONCRETE AGGREGATES ON THE MECHANICAL AND DURABILITY PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE
Get PDFThe fast increase of construction and demolition (C&D) operations has resulted in the creation of massive amounts of garbage, which must be cleared. Reusing C&D waste is of significant importance for environmental conservation and resource utilization. One such alternative for structural concrete is recycled concrete aggregate obtained from building and demolition debris. In this context, the present study aims to comprehensively review the current state of the art in fine recycled concrete materials (fRCA), including their physical properties, technological advantages, mechanical properties, and durability characteristics. The study establishes a paradigm for evaluating the quality of fRCA, whether created in a lab, acquired via controlled breaking and screening of recovered materials, or collected from field buildings
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, ANTIOXIDANT AND HEMOLYTIC ACTIVITIES OF SAGE (SALVIA FRUTICOSA MILLER) CULTIVATED IN LEBANON
Get PDFAs part of the efforts contributing towards encouraging the cultivation of commercially valuable medicinal and aromatic plants and the conservation of vulnerable wild species suffering from depletion due to destructive unsustainable harvesting from the wild, we set out to assess the in vitro antioxidant activity, decipher the phytochemical profile, and evaluate the hemolytic activity of Salvia fruticosa Miller cultivated at Beirut Arab University herbal garden in Bekaa, Eastern Lebanon. The chemical compositions of the methanolic, aqueous and essential oil extracts were assessed by GC-MS analysis. In addition, the total phenolic, total flavonoid, total carbohydrate and total protein contents were determined for the methanolic and aqueous extracts. The antioxidant activity of all samples was evaluated using the DPPH radical scavenging, β-carotene bleaching, superoxide radical scavenging, reducing power and metal chelating activity assays. The overall analysis of data revealed that the methanolic and aqueous extracts exhibited potent antioxidant activity while the essential oil showed weak activity. Furthermore, strong correlation was found between the antioxidant activities and phytochemicals content. Finally, the cytotoxicity of the essential oil and extracts against human erythrocytes was assessed using the hemolysis assay. The aqueous extract did not show any hemolytic effect within the used concentration range. On the other hand, the methanolic extract showed a weak hemolytic activity, while the essential oil showed high hemolytic activity at the highest concentration used. The collective analysis of the data offered an encouraging evidence for the cultivation of commercially valuable medicinal aromatic plants (MAPs) such as S. fruticosa Miller as a supportive measure for the Lebanese economy
PENAL LIABILITY FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Get PDFThis research deals with the main issues and challenges of implementing ethics in artificial intelligence, based on a comparative legal framework, rooted in a cross-cultural approach and supported by relevant case studies. The study will also discuss ways to implement ethics in artificial intelligence in a genuine manner, and shed light on some misleading and deceptive practices in the field. This is according to a research plan centered around two main questions: What intelligence... What ethics?! What ethics... what commitment?! The research shows that the current ethical practices in AI need to be reassessed to ensure that they meet the highest standards of ethics and transparency. The paper recommends the need for companies to move from the theoretical side to the practical side in the institutionalization of ethics, based on an approach which embraces ethics as an intrinsic value and which deals with artificial intelligence from a human viewpoint and not from a commercial viewpoint It is hoped that this research paper will contribute to the field of artificial intelligence by making it more ethical trustworthy, reliable, and responsible, while at the same time driven towards innovation and development
DETERMINANTS AND OUTCOMES OF URBAN LAND USE SUCCESSION - CASE STUDY OF UPPER HILL, NAIROBI
Get PDFThis paper is based on a PHD research carried out to explore Urban Land Use Succession (ULUS) that is driven by private actors financed by local or global capital, referred to as property-led urban redevelopment. ULUS is manifested in indicators like land values, height of buildings, and migration. Its motive is profit taking contrasting it from ULUS that is driven by public and public-private partnerships (PPPs). ULUS has helped reimage cities, but in some cases, it has resulted in negative consequences such as pressure on existing infrastructure and patchwork land use patterns. A case study of Upper Hill is used to identify the determinants of the phenomenon with a view to mirroring findings to the rest of Nairobi. Simple random sampling has been used to identify a sample of plots whose landowners have been interviewed using semi-structured interview schedules. Data collected was processed and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). The findings show that ULUS is being determined by spatial policy (planning controls on property, land tenure, and public investment in infrastructure) which is largely controlled by the state. The county government’s laissez faire approach demonstrated in failure to prepare comprehensive policy and to adhere to policy standards has put pressure on existing infrastructure and resulted in unsustainable outcomes. In addition, the presence of both public and private land has implied ease of redevelopment on privately owned land as opposed to state land resulting in a dichotomy of contradictory states
THE DETERMINANTS OF E-COMMERCE AUDIT PROCESS EFFECTIVENESS: DOES AUDIT TECHNOLOGY MATTER?
Get PDFThis paper examines the impact of audit planning, audit strategy, and audit documentation on the effectiveness of the audit process of e-commerce companies, along with the moderating role of audit technology on these associations. Data was collected through a questionnaire filled by 106 auditors who are members of the Lebanese Association of Certified Public Accountants. Results showed that audit planning and audit documentation have a positive significant impact on the effectiveness of the audit process, while audit strategy has no impact. The outcome also confirmed the association between audit technology tools and the effectiveness of the audit process. Moreover, the results showed that there is a moderating effect of audit technology tools on the association between audit strategy and the effectiveness of the audit process, but in contrast, there is no significant moderating effect of audit technology tools on the relationships between audit planning, audit documentation, and the effectiveness of the audit process
RISK TOLERANCE, TIME HORIZON, AND ESTATE INTENTIONS: JUST HOW IMPORTANT ARE “CIRCUMSTANCES AND ASSOCIATED EMOTIONS”?
Get PDFThis study tests the importance of socio-demographic and psychological variables for investor intentions, including risk tolerance, time horizon, and estate intentions. Overall, hope is the psychological variable most consistently related to the dependent variables of risk tolerance, time horizon, and estate intentions. Age, household income, investment experience, and work experience pale in comparison with the psychological variables of hope and openness to new experience, both of which are positively associated with the dependent variables. Pro-social attitudes are also important as a moderating variable. The most interesting findings are that women with higher levels of education have higher levels of risk tolerance, whereas men with higher levels of education have lower levels of risk tolerance, findings contrary to previous research showing education to be positively associated with risk tolerance, and males to be more risk tolerant than females. Old stereotypes regarding gender preferences need to be re-examined. Much of the existing literature is based on findings from decades past, when sex roles were more differentiated, same sex marriage was illegal, and women’s career opportunities were more constrained. As Pan and Statman (2012; 2013) suggest, circumstances such as changing family patterns can affect investor preferences and behaviors. This study also demonstrates that positive psychology emotions such as hope or confidence in the future may serve to inoculate investors from panic selling or lessen the likelihood of excessive trading. Consequently, in a crisis investors with attitudes associated with positive psychology may be less prone to wealth-destroying behavior such as “going to cash.” Conversely, investors low in such attitudes are more likely to engage in such behaviors
IN MEMORY OF EDWARD SAID
Get PDFTim Brennan’s recent biography of Edward Said entitled Places of Mind: A life of Edward Said (2022) is a tribute to a critic, musician, activist and humanist of world caliber whose life and work continue to inspire millions of readers. This review takes a look at Brennan’s scholarly methodology in mapping Said’s life and work, but also highlights the various domains in which Said the intellectual excelled. The review further calls attention to the intersection between literature and politics, between criticism and classical music, between philosophy and innovative literary theories in Said’s legacy; a legacy so rich it continues to present material for new in-depth biographical expositions; a legacy that continues to resonate
RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN INDIA: PROVISIONS, PROMISES AND REALITY
Get PDFThe paper Rights of Persons with Disabilities in India: Provisions, Promises and Reality traces the historical evolution of the disability related legal provisions in India briefly, in the context of the United Nations mandated Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons (1975) and the Convention on the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities (CRPD,2007). In such a scenario, the paper attempts to arrive at an understanding of the extent to which the provisions have been implemented. To this extent, the researcher conducted a series of telephonic interviews with several parent-advocates who have been vocal about disability rights in India. An extensive interview was also conducted with a parent-activist, Mr. A.Joshi, who has been at the forefront of the disability rights movement in India with his personal as well as professional engagements at a national level and who was able to provide a critical understanding of the systemic roadblocks in the implementation of the legal provisions. The paper particularly tried to look at the implementation of the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPwD Act), 2016 and the proposed dilution of the National Trust Act (NTA), 1999 that was hailed by many as a landmark Act for its provision of legal guardianship of individuals with special needs (after 18 years of age). A critical reading of the press coverage on these issues as well as the extensive interview with Mr. Joshi threw significant light on them. In conclusion, although several remarkable disability laws have been passed in India, till date, due to systemic inadequacies and loopholes, the fissures between what could have been achieved and what has been achieved, are quite wide. A more concerted effort needs to be taken towards strengthening the dialogue between various stakeholders in the disability sector as well as place pressure on the powers that be, to acknowledge the gaps inherent in the system