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MOLYBDENUM VERSUS TUNGSTEN BASED POLYOXOMETALATES FOR HIGHLY EFFECTIVE METHYLENE BLUE REMOVAL
Get PDF[SiW12O40]4-(SiW12) and [Mo8O26]4- (Mo8) were synthesized and characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The prepared polyoxometalates were studied as potential adsorbents for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from an aqueous solution. Various operational parameters—contact time, adsorbent dose, initial dye concentration, pH, and temperature— were meticulously assessed by UV/Vis spectrophotometry to study its impact on the adsorption efficacy. An inverse relationship was observed between the percentage dye removal and the initial dye concentration, highlighting the complexes\u27 superior adsorption capabilities under lower dye loads. The studied complexes displayed significantly better efficiency under acidic conditions. Both SiW12 and Mo8 exhibited high percentages of removal for methylene blue within only 10 min for MO8 and 5 min for SiW12. These results not only underline the proficiency of SiW12 and Mo8 as adsorbents, but also position them as promising candidates for fast and effective water purification strategies in the face of escalating environmental pollution challenges
PREVENTIVE MEASURES OF BURNOUT AMONG MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS IN LEBANON
Get PDFThis research aims to measure burnout among mental health workers in Lebanon and to identify the preventive measures they utilize not to exceed the danger threshold. The study follows the descriptive correlational comparative approach. Maslash Burnout Scale (MBI-HSS) and Preventive Measures Inventory (PMI) scale are applied to a random sample of mental health workers (psychotherapists and psychologists n = 110) in all Lebanese governorates. The effect of the following demographic factors is studied: profession, age groups, years of experience, and work conditions: war, explosion, economic crisis, corona pandemic, normal circumstances. Pearson correlations, T-test, ANOVA, and MANOVA are manipulated. Results show that mental health workers do not suffer from burnout in the dimensions of emotional exhaustion (EE) and depersonalization (DP), but only in the dimension of personal achievement (PA), where 69.1% of them showed a low sense of achievement. Results also indicate high scores on PMI, with mean = 81.4, which is a high degree of protection. In addition, no differences in burnout are depicted in terms of occupation, age groups, and years of experience. However, negative correlation between personal achievement and work conditions during war is shown, yet war is not a predictor of PA. The only predictive factor of burnout is PMI, with the following variations in results: preventive measures lead to positive impact on personal achievement, inverse impact on depersonalization, and no statistically significant impact on emotional exhaustion
TOWARDS A NEW PARADIGM IN THE LEBANESE URBAN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR ENHANCED MASTER PLANS’ GENERATION
Get PDFWith the fact that 88% of the population living in urban areas, Lebanon is a highly urbanized country. However, this high urbanization undergoes the severe lack of the proper urban planning methodologies and approaches resulting in the sprawl along infrastructure paths. The weakness or even the complete absence of the plans escorting the urban growth made every city or town a single urban area confronted by plenty of challenges. Decentralization has been a recurrent theme in Lebanese politics for many years, yet it’s now limited by an administrative scale, and at the municipal level only. This administrative decentralization affects the planning process directly and makes it impossible to create righteous plans. The paper will focus on Master Plans by introducing their current procedure, implementation, actors, and challenges. It will highlight the Lebanese national system’s complications and limitations by following the descriptive methodology, and to present similar worldwide cases where all the difficulties were resolved by a comparative one. Finally introducing a new conceptual paradigm involving the national, regional, and local levels reshaping the Lebanese planning framework to enhance the Master Plan’s creation
BIOMIMICRY AS AN URBAN CHALLENGE IN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF CULTURAL COMMUNITIES
Get PDFThe cultural identity of urban communities is the main expression of historical privacy and shapes societies’ past, present, and future. It is an entity of cultural and knowledge accumulation stemming from the community\u27s traditions and customs, which help to consolidate the social fabric and play an important role in the lives of individuals and the planning and development processes. Urban areas with cultural and heritage values are the most important competitive advantages of urban cities that are considered as a primary nucleus for achieving sustainability on a broader scale for the neighboring regions. One of the most important of those regions is Azbakeya Park and Sur region; this area has heritage value and Egyptian identity together. Despite that, it suffers from neglect over the past years, resulting in the region\u27s urban, environmental, economic, and social deterioration. So the research aims to solve these problems by adopting a green framework that revitalizes this historical area in a biomimicry manner that integrates nature and landscape with the built environment portfolio that meets human needs, reduces carbon emissions, and increases biodiversity. The research deals with two entrances, the first is the theoretical one, which includes a documentary study of the region and the identification of the most problems it faces. The second entrance is the applied one, which includes a field visit to the area to identify the most important needs for users to provide these needs in line with the proposed solutions to achieve sustainability. Based on the theoretical and applied study, the research comes up with three proposals for a biomimicry urban framework as a green map that preserves the cultural and heritage identity of this vital region as it is considered the nucleus for the beginning of a sustainable biophilic path at the most comprehensive level
THE BIG-FIVE PERSONALITY FACTORS AS PREDICTORS OF OBSESSION-COMPULSION AMONG A SAMPLE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FROM SUDAN
Get PDFThe aim of the present study was to explore the associations between the Big-Five (B-F) personality factors and obsession-compulsion. A sample of Khartoum University students was recruited (N = 547). They responded to the Arabic Big-Five Personality Inventory and the Arabic Scale of Obsession-Compulsion-Revised. Results indicated that women obtained a significantly higher mean scores than did men on agreeableness, neuroticism, and extraversion, but the size effects were small. Obsession-compulsion was significantly and positively associated with neuroticism, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness (in men), neuroticism, and agreeableness (in women). Principal components analysis extracted two high-loaded components in both sexes and labeled: “Stable personality”, and “Psychological disorder”. Regression analysis indicated that the predictors of obsession-compulsion were neuroticism, openness (in men, R2 = .18), neuroticism, conscientiousness, and openness (in women, R2 = .23). These results refer to the associations between the B-F and obsession compulsion, particularly neuroticism. In psychotherapy, the amelioration of neuroticism may reduce symptoms of obsession-compulsion
GENERATING MASS HOUSING PLANS THROUGH GANS - A CASE IN TOKI, TURKEY
Get PDFNowadays, Machine Learning (ML) is frequently used in almost all disciplines having an intersection with technology. Recently, architects are using existing plan data sets in architecture through Deep Learning (DL) algorithms of big data to achieve generative and non-existent plan models by using ML. Especially, Generative Adversarial Neural Networks (GANs), one of the deep learning algorithms, have been in use in the creation of generative models for architectural studies. Within the scope of this paper, architectural drawings were generated by using GANs. This generation method allows for the training of spatial layout planning to networks and for the generation of plans that do not exist in the dataset. Architectural drawings of TOKI (Housing Development Administration of the Republic of Türkiye) mass housing projects were used as datasets. In line with studies already carried out, this study attempts to create a method for further processing of the research. In this study, the differences between the plan typologies generated with raster images and the reality relations in visual productions between graph-based plan layout productions were evaluated. In this context, 157 plan datasets were obtained by multiplying plans which were spatially correlated with the RGB settings of 21 plan typologies. As a result of this research, it has been determined that the spatial layout planning of the HouseGAN algorithm provides TOKİ\u27s current plan typologies of generation together with bubble diagrams. HouseGAN was trained using its dataset and the outputs obtained were realistic background images
COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN FOR ARCHITECTURAL SPACE PLANNING OF COMMERCIAL EXHIBITIONS - A FRAMEWORK FOR VISITORS INTERACTION USING PARAMETRIC DESIGN AND AGENT-BASED MODELING
Get PDFUsing computational tools for evaluating spatial layouts of commercial exhibitions provides an opportunity for assessment of performance before execution. However, most evaluation techniques take into consideration only the physical qualities of the built environment, excluding important factors such as crowds. Crowds are essentially dynamic obstacles that hinder visibility and can induce flight response, but they are also a sign of good exposure when in reasonable amounts. This is mostly due to the challenge of quantifying spatial qualities such as users’ interaction and movement for computational representations. This paper proposes a framework using agent-based modeling for simulating user interaction in commercial exhibition spaces combined with a parametric representation of the built environment. The framework is then evaluated by applying it to a case-study of three layout scenarios in a generic exhibition hall. The simulation results show that layouts with vertical aisles, and less horizontal aisles have better footfall distribution
EXPLORING VIRTUAL REALITY AS AN APPROACH TO RESURRECT DESTROYED HISTORICAL BUILDINGS - AN APPROACH TO REVIVE THE DESTROYED “EGG BUILDING” THROUGH VR
Get PDFAn important part of a city, that gives it a sense of community and character, is its history. One way of acknowledging this heritage is by preserving historic building and structures. Old buildings are witnesses to the aesthetic and cultural history of a city, helping to give people a sense of place and connection to the past. Unfortunately, despite their importance within the city, historical buildings are most of the time subject to demolition and to be replaced- leaving behind stories told and untold of what use to be. The paper, therefore, aims to explore the capability of the metaverse, using virtual reality touring, to revive the memory of historical buildings that are subject to fade. Where preserving historical buildings can not only act as a symbol of grandeur but is also vital for reviving the community’s collective memory. The case study focused upon in the research paper shows a first step in the development of an immersive virtual tour for the significant building of “The Egg” or “Beirut City Center” in Downtown- which is a building that witnessed a series of unfortunate events that lead to destruction, erasure, and demolition of the building. Therefore, examining the recovery and revival of this unique historic site in an unconventional way which is in the metaverse, specifically the Virtual Reality (VR). The paper assumes that virtual reality, as the main metaverse approach, would help people ‘remember’ and ‘mentally revive’ the destroyed historical buildings that once acted as the building blocks in the impacted city. To prove this hypothesis, two different methodologies will be used, by theorical analysis and literature review, such as analyzing the main keyword, and analyzing datum from previous works. The second method will rely on the physical methodology, where virtual 3D Models will be built in a computer software, Autodesk Revit, then imported within a VR experience for an enhanced experience within the historical site to preserve the historic buildings and revive the collective memory within the community, enabling people to view how these historic sites once were and how they have now become
A FRAMEWORK FOR CREATING A HYBRID EXPERIENCE FOR NFT ARTWORKS THROUGH 3D PRINTING
Get PDFTechnology has become a fundamental part of our environment, yet the borders between the physical and virtual realms become even more blurred. The introduction of the Metaverse is one of the most recent and notable innovations. It, just as any other technological advances, adapts to evolution in user needs serving as a link between the real and digital realms. While people can buy goods and services with a certain currency in the physical realm, cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are used for transactions in the Metaverse. NFT provides customers a certificate of ownership, which means that their virtual commodities or assets such as lands or objects cannot be replicated. They may also be used to represent social standing, just like tangible goods and services. It has become increasingly common to come across museums displaying artworks or artists who sell their artworks as Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on digital platforms such as Rarible, Mintable or OpenSea. This research discusses the 3D printability of NFTs and proposes a framework in order to create a hybrid experience for 3D printed NFT artworks. The results have shown that 3D printing of NFTs provided users/customers a hybrid experience in both realms, maintaining the artworks’ uniqueness and rarity, proof of ownership, as well as physical copies in hand. Moreover, the artists who were afraid of publicly displaying their artworks for the concern of being copied have created 3D printable designs that enabled them to easily and safely promote their designs to the public
AN EVALUATION OF AUGMENTED REALITY-BASED USER INTERFACES IN THE DESIGN PROCESS
Get PDFThe aim of this study is to evaluate the user interfaces that reflect different interaction layers in the context of Augmented Reality technology. Depending on the physical characteristics of human interaction with the computer, these layers were examined under four sections: Graphical User Interface (GUI), Tangible User Interface (TUI), Natural User Interface (NUI) and Spatial User Interface (SUI). In this context, a proposed Augmented Reality application interface has been developed to bridge the physical and digital environment. The use of AR-based applications in the design process provided a basis for evaluating the user interface in these interaction layers. In future studies, the interface and experience offered by this application have the potential to be supported by more comprehensive functions and a collaborative working environment