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MOBILE APP FOR DIABETES TYPE 1 MONITORING DEVELOPED FOR IMPROVED UX
No full textOur project aimed at improving functionalities of mobile apps dedicated to people with diabetes to help users with their diabetes management and decrease attrition rate. Ultimately, we developed a cross-platform mobile app with three completely novel features: drag & drop data logging, incorporated an ML model for visualization of diabetes data and a rule-based chatbot for monitoring the diabetes progress. Finally, we evaluated the app by collecting responses from a person with T1D (one of the team members’ younger brother, who is 19 years old) on a questionnaire
EVALUATION OF FLUID/FLUID INTERACTIONS DURING LOW SALINITY WATER FLOODING.
No full textLow-salinity water flooding/smart water flooding (LSWF/SWF) involves injecting water with an altered composition to modify the equilibrium between rock and fluids within porous media, particularly for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) due to improved extraction efficiency. This technology offers significant advantages, being environmentally friendly and often more economically efficient. LSWF/SWF has been shown to increase recovery factor (RF) between 6% and 20% in oil-wet rocks, making it an appealing option, especially for sandstones with low clay content, which tend to be water-wet.
While most studies focus on rock/fluid interactions as the primary mechanism, this study explores the effects of LSW mechanisms on the brine/oil interface alongside rock surface interactions and the synergistic effects of a hybrid EOR approach. Initially, ions were classified into three groups: monovalent cations (Na+, K+), divalent cations (Mg2+, Ca2+), and anions (SO42-). Ten different brines with varying ionic compositions and strengths were then prepared and screened based on interfacial tension (IFT), microdispersions generation, and rheological properties measurements to identify the optimal scenario for LSWF/SWF and observe the effects of different concentrations (7500 and 5000 ppm) on fluid/fluid interactions. The best option identified was further investigated in core flooding experiments conducted at 11500 ppm, 8500 ppm, and 1000 ppm to evaluate LSW/SWF flooding under different conditions and design techniques.
Key findings include the observation that a single ion configuration brine approach may be not as as representative of interactions in brine/oil interface. IFT is highly dependent on asphaltene content, with lower asphaltene content yielding better results in IFT with more complex brines. Salinity was found to increase IFT by approximately 1 mN/m per 1000 ppm. As the anions in the salts increased, the interface became more viscoelastic and resilient to snap-off (capillary forces drive the wetting phase to infiltrate, displacing the initial nonwetting phase as presented by Li & Yao 2023 ) occurrence, while changes in salinity had minimal impact on the storage modulus. The microemulsion volume fraction increased depending on the asphaltene content, with an increasing colloidal instability index (CII) directly impacting the volume of emulsions. Overall, fluid/fluid interactions were found to be more related to LSWF/SWF in different oil samples with different content of asphaltenes and different compositions.
For core-flooding, comparingcores with same rock type, but different fluid injection, an additional 4.1% Original Oil in Place (OOIP) was achieved due to improved fluid/fluid interactions, with tertiaty flooding recovering an additional 1.8% OOIP, representing an efficiency improvement of roughly 15% compared to NaCl alone, solely attributed to an enhanced interface. Low salinity water below the critical salinity concentration (CSC) resulted in an additional 0.7% OOIP recovery, representing 3.55% of residual OOIP. This methodology proved to be innovative and feasible for fluid/fluid interactions and can be extrapolated for rock/fluid interactions
CONSUMER HEALTH QUESTION ANSWERING WITH LLM-BASED SIMPLIFICATION AND SUMMARIZATION
No full textConsidering the complicated nature of available healthcare data, there’s a huge necessity for rendering this information more comprehensible to all the consumers. Large Language Models (LLMs) can be used to answer consumers’ questions in more simple and concise manner. This thesis explores the influence of such LLMs such as ChatGPT and Gemini in refining consumer health question answering through means of summarization and simplification of scientific abstracts from authoritative resources such as PubMed, and evaluation of these pipelines through metrics as BERTScore, ROUGE and SARI scores respectively. The main objective of this study is evaluation of results of retrieval, summarization on BioASQ data’ subset and simplification on PLABA dataset, and comparison of used LLMs on metrics mentioned above. Through iterative experiments, it was identified that choice of prompt and LLM greatly impacts the final result of simplification and summarization of the healthcare information
PREDICTING EXPECTED TIME OF ARRIVAL OF FREIGHT WAGONS
No full textThe industry of freight transportation in Kazakhstan is one of great importance for both the economy and political status of the country. To improve the current situation in the industry and planning aspects of wagon management, digitalization changes can be introduced with the help of data mining and machine learning algorithms. A collaboration with the local Multicode company was established to help them improve wagon management. Multicode is a startup company that provides a platform for wagon owners to help them manage the service of wagons. The problem is that freight wagons frequently come to the stations with delays because the Expected Time of Arrival (ETA) is estimated inaccurately. The aim of the project is to build a precise model that predicts ETA based on the historical data and describe managerial implications for this model in the Multicode company. We managed to create a machine learning model based on the XGBoost regressor. The tuned version of XGBoost regressor decreased Mean Absolute Error of ETA from 147 hours to 5.7 hours. End-to-end product was created with the result of a functioning interface that returns ETA prediction to a request with specified wagon parameters. From a managerial perspective precise prediction of ETA helps to enhance decision-making for wagon owners, improves customer satisfaction for the customers that transport their goods, and provides efficient logistic management
DEVELOPMENT OF AN UNPLANNED OVERBREAK INDEX FOR OPEN STOPE MINING: ACCOUNTING FOR DESIGN UNCERTAINTY
No full textUnplanned dilution can pose a huge burden on the profitability of operations in mines exploiting open stoping mining methods if these are not adequately designed. The empirical stability graph methods are commonly used for these purposes due to their practicability. Despite their merits, experience shows that these graphical design methods can also lead to excessive unplanned dilution which is not surprising since the stability graph method is an approximate design method by nature. This is due to many reasons, for example the unavoidable uncertainties (both epistemic and aleatory) that come with design parameters. Therefore, there is an increasing need for more accurate design tools in the mining industry.
Motivated by these aspects, the purpose of this research is to revisit the conventional stability graphs method for open stope design and to propose alternative design tools that could address some of the limitations of the conventional methods. To this end, firstly, a database of unplanned dilution cases collected from sublevel open stoping operations was compiled and the performance of the conventional stability graph method was examined. Next, based on the compiled data, a new overbreak index (DI) was proposed using the Rock Engineering Systems methodological framework. In addition, the effect of aleatory uncertainties on the stability graph method was explored through a reliability analysis. This was accomplished by using the First Order Reliability Method (FORM) to determine the probability of occurrence of unplanned overbreak.
The overall results indicated that: the stability graph method yielded accuracies ranging from 9-78%, depending on the ELOS levels; the proposed Overbreak Index highly correlated with the actual ELOS values. In addition, the reliability analysis revealed that the probability associated with the unplanned ELOS varied between 15-100% depending on the rock domains and the wall types.
It was concluded that the Overbreak Index and the reliability analysis results could be considered additional tools useful for a more reliable open stope design if uncertainties associated with input parameters of the design must be considered
GAMING AND LEARNING: YOUNG ADULTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF VIDEO GAMES AS AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING TOOL
No full textVideo games have already become essential to everyday life, and millions worldwide play various video games. Globally, there are approximately 3.09 billion active video game players (Howarth, 2024). Many people encounter language exposure by playing various video games in a foreign language with others and alone. The purpose of this study is to examine young adults’ experiences of learning the English language through video games. To grasp the experiences and perceptions of the participants, this study employed Gee’s (2007) principles of Good Games for Good Learning, adapting them to capture linguistic aspects of video game processes and learning outcomes. This qualitative case study had 6 participants gathered from different parts of the world, united under one gaming community for gamers named Discord. The data obtained through semi-structured interviews revealed a positive perception of video games as a source for learning English. This study paid attention to the language choice of the participants and, through the participants’ narratives, identified the potential benefits of games in learning aspects of reading, listening, speaking, and vocabulary. In addition, the findings suggest that communication processes that occur during gameplay have positive and negative effects on the learning process. Thus, this study identifies the possible limitations and advantages of video games as an English language learning tool. The study findings carry implications for the field of video games and language learning, pointing out this study’s limitations and future research directions
THREE-DIMENSIONAL SLOPE STABILITY ANALYSIS OF THE BOZSHAKOL MINE AT STAGE 6 USING FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
No full textThis project focuses on conducting a three-dimensional slope stability analysis of the Bozshakol Mine, located in North Kazakhstan. The mine is known for its copper porphyry deposit, with geological formations consisting of tholeiitic basalt and volcanogenic sedimentary rock from the Middle Cambrian Bozshakol Magmatic Arc. Specifically, the analysis targets phase 6, which represents the final operational phase of the mine. Apart from the three-dimensional analysis, two-dimensional assessments were performed on two critical sections of the mine. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine how reducing the Geological Strength Index (GSI) values of the key geological units might affect the displacement of the rock mass. The slope stability analysis was conducted using RS2 and RS3 software, both utilizing the finite element method.
The eastern wall of the Central Pit stood out as the most vulnerable section, displaying a total displacement of 18 cm initially, which increased to 31 cm when the Geological Strength Index (GSI) was reduced by 15 percent. This instability was attributed to the convex shape of the eastern wall. Notably, the two-dimensional analysis identified nearly the same critical zones as the three-dimensional slope stability analysis. However, the 2D analysis appears to take a more conservative approach, indicating a relatively safer assessment
NO COUNTRY FOR (YOUNG) MEN: DECOLONIAL STUDY OF AUL DEPICTIONS IN THE KAZAKH NEW WAVE
No full textEngaging in conversation with existing academic works in Central Asian and Kazakh cinema studies, the thesis paper offers a new angle at the phenomenon of the Kazakh New Wave, shifting the focus from global and national to decolonial. I analyze the issues of alcoholism, violence, and physical and mental degradation in auls in Seryk Aprymov’s The Last Stop (1989) and Bolat Kalymbekov’s Aynalayin (1990). The inability to live in auls, deprived of any prospect or future, make the characters of these movies the subjects of alienation from their home and roots, resulting in the escape from auls, willing or not. This ultimate escape, I argue, is the decolonial critique of overlapping, accumulated consequences of the Soviet colonial policies, and socio-economic and ideological decisions, ingeniously conveyed through the cinema medium. Finally, through the frameworks of decoloniality and cinematic analysis, I propose to understand the Kazakh New Wave as one of the first attempts at decolonial critique of the Soviet past, present and collective traumatic experiences; as an intermediary between the Soviet and the Modern cinema. In this regard, then, my work adds a new voice to the studies of Kazakh cinema and current decolonial studies of art and cinema
PUBLIC TRUST AND COVID-19 VACCINATION IN KAZAKHSTAN
No full textPublic trust is a crucial factor that contributes to the decision to receive COVID-19 vaccination. To investigate the impact of trust on vaccination decisions in Kazakhstan, this research uses an exploratory approach, analysing trust dynamics through qualitative methods: discourse and content analysis of social media, observations, and descriptive statistics from the survey. The trust in government, state officials, health professionals, close networks, and public groups on social media is analysed through the prism of the Theory of General Trust, Social Capital Theory, and the Integrative Model of Organization Trust.
The findings reveal that trust in government and state officials plays an important role in COVID-19 vaccination rates. This research highlights the importance of transparent communication and trust-building strategies. Distrust in government is however prevalent, driven by perceptions of strategic deficiencies, ineffective work, and a lack of transparency. Trust in healthcare professionals and personal networks, like family and friends, also influence COVID-19 vaccination decisions. People often seek validation from personal experiences shared within these networks. Social media platforms, particularly Facebook and Instagram, shape public opinion on COVID-19 vaccination. However, anti-vaccine groups on social media often disseminate information perceived as credible, impacting public perceptions and behaviours. Despite questionable integrity, these groups contribute to distrust in government policies, emphasising the complexity of trust dynamics. To enhance vaccination uptake, targeting vaccination campaigns to address diverse trust dynamics, utilise local community engagement, and effectively counter misinformation on social media, is imperative.
The research acknowledges data biases and limitations, such as focusing on specific social media platforms. Continuous research is necessary to understand evolving trust dynamics and inform effective public health responses. By actively engaging communities and adapting policies based on new insights, policymakers can foster trust, enhance vaccination uptake, and improve public health outcomes in Kazakhstan. Such multifaceted approaches are essential for building trust across different networks and promoting vaccination acceptance in the population
THE QUALITY OF FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES IN KAZAKHSTAN: MIXED-METHODS STUDY
No full textFamily planning encompasses practices that help individuals and couples achieve their desired number of children, along with the preferred spacing and timing of births, integrating all aspects of reproductive and sexual health. This study employs a concurrent mixed-methods design, applying the Donabedian (1988) and Bruce (1990) framework, to evaluate the quality of family planning services in Kazakhstan from the perspectives of female patients and physicians. Quantitative data were gathered through online patient surveys and qualitative data through semi-structured interviews with physicians, recruiting 212 patients and five physicians via convenience and snowball sampling from social media platforms. Analysis of 21 quality indicator questions revealed the highest mean score in interpersonal relations, with overall high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha 0.94). Six semi-structured questions were asked, followed with probing questions from the physicians who provide family planning services. The study found that 43.4% of women use family planning services, aligning with physician observations that women generally consult gynecologists only when facing issues. Patients and physicians both highlight insufficient information and limited contraceptive options as major issues, alongside the cost barrier. However, while 42.4% of women felt that physicians lacked care and compassion during consultations, physicians believed they were empathetic, suggesting a disconnect in perceptions. The findings indicate gaps in the provision of accurate information, compassion in care, and appropriate referrals for unavailable treatments. This study highlights the need for enhanced policies and practices improving family planning services in Kazakhstan, aiming to better serve individuals and their families, and underscores the importance of integrating patient and physician insights to identify and implement improvements