Demand High Levels Research Articles

Comparative Study in Bill of Quantity Estimates on Reinforcement Works of Pile Cap, Single Pier and Double Pier of Flyover Between Conventional Methods and BIM (Building Information Modelling)

One of the construction materials with a high level of demand is steel rebar. Globally, the demand for steel rebar has quadrupled from 1960 to 2005—and this increase is predicted to double by 2050. In one project, steel rebar accounts for 16% to 60% of the total project budget. Therefore, if the volume of steel rebar is not estimated correctly it will have an impact on project budget wastage and swelling. The project budget wastage is indicated by the large volume of material remaining, while the budget swelling is indicated by the procurement of additional steel rebar because the material requirement is greater than the initial estimate. To minimize this, a comprehensive understanding of volume estimation is required. Currently, the method of estimating the reinforcement volume that is widely used is the conventional estimation method and the BIM (Building Information Modeling)-based estimation method. The conventional method is done manually based on the BBS (Bar Bending Schedule) as a reference. Meanwhile, the BIM-based method used in this study is the Allplan Engineering 2021 software and is a more modern estimation alternative because it is considered more practical, fast and efficient. Although these two methods are widely used, there are limitations and advantages that are taken into consideration when choosing the most appropriate method. Therefore, a study is needed to prove and compare the accuracy of the estimation of reinforcement volume between the conventional method and the BIM-based method. This study also highlights the advantages and limitations of the two methods for comparison. The conventional method is more transparent in terms of the estimation formula used because it is done manually. This can help the estimator track the estimation process to ensure the accuracy of the results. Whereas, the BIM-based estimation method is superior in terms of work automation and accuracy compared to the conventional method. Furthermore, the limitations of the conventional method are that it does not have a 3D visual model and requires a relatively long time to complete if there is a revision of the plan drawing. On the other hand, the BIM-based estimation method offers convenience in the form of data input using 3D drawings. The practical data input process is proven to provide accurate results. However, the main limitation of the BIM-based method, especially for the software used in this study, is that the estimation formula cannot be traced because it relies more on three-dimensional modeling. This causes the estimator to be unable to ensure the accuracy of the estimation results. However, this limitation may differ from other BIM software products outside of this study.

A study of consumer expectations and requirements for the quality of osteopathic services in parents of minor patients

Introduction. The provision of medical care in the fi eld of osteopathy is a relatively new product on the Russian medical services market. And there are practically no studies on the problems of developing and increasing the competitiveness of osteopathic clinics, the impact on customer loyalty and minimizing possible claims to the services of osteopathic doctors.The aim of the work is to assess the characteristics of consumer behavior when patients choose osteopathy as a method of treatment and a medical institution and the perception of quality in the osteopathic services market.Materials and methods. The study included in-depth interviews with parents of children under the age of 14 who applied for treatment of their child. A total of 100 in-depth interviews were conducted. The in-depth interview research methodology included developing a scenario with questions, and interviewing respondents in compliance with the conditions of anonymity and the requirements for conducting marketing research of the international ESOMAR code. Projective questions and methods of working with metaphorical maps according to Zaltman were used to identify deep values and motivation for turning to osteopathic services. The assessment of the signifi cance of the identifi ed factors in assessing consumer requirements was carried out by ranking them using a score on a 10-point scale (10 points — maximum signifi cance, 1 point — no signifi cance).Results. Most respondents perceive osteopathy as a scientifi cally proven method, systemic, complex therapy aimed at fi nding the causes of the disease and their solution, in which the result of treatment is completely dependent on the doctor. To meet the expectations of clients, the most signifi cant parameters are related to the personality of the osteopath, his competence, behavior during the procedure and his reputation, as well as the safety, convenience and comfort of staying in the clinic, especially for children. The organization of the work of an osteopathic clinic, taking into account the above, will ensure a high level of consumer demand and organize a marketing policy and promotion of medical services in osteopathy, taking into account current trends.Conclusion. Key patterns of consumer behavior of clients and motives for seeking osteopathic treatment have been identifi ed. The results of the study will allow more effective interaction with people who seek treatment, as they give an understanding of what they are guided by when applying, what is important to them in terms of values and rational benefi ts, what expectations they have from visiting an osteopath.

Rapid Implementation of Telegenetic Counseling in the COVID-19 and Swedish Healthcare Context: A Feasibility Study.

This study reports the process and preliminary findings of rapid implementation of telegenetic counseling in the context of Swedish healthcare and COVID-19 pandemic, from both a patient and a provider perspective. Fourty-nine patients and 6 healthcare professionals were included in this feasibility study of telegenetic counseling in a regional Department of Clinical Genetics in Sweden. Telegenetic counseling is here defined as providing genetic counseling to patients by video (n = 30) or telephone (n = 19) appointments. Four specific feasibility aspects were considered: acceptability, demand, implementation, and preliminary efficacy. Several measures were used including the Genetic Counseling Outcome Scale 24 (collected pre- and post-counseling); the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire; a short study specific evaluation and Visiba Care evaluations, all collected post-counseling. The measures were analyzed with descriptive statistics and the preliminary results show a high level of acceptance and demand, from both patients and providers. Results also indicate successful initial implementation in the regional Department of Clinical Genetics and preliminary efficacy, as shown by significant clinically important improvement in patients' empowerment levels.

Influencing factors of attitudes towards death and demands for death education among community-dwelling Chinese older adults: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundConsidering older adults are getting closer to the end-of-life and face death more directly. Attitudes to death not only affect the physical and mental health of older adults, but also affect their acceptance of hospice care, even the quality of death. This study aims to explore the status, influencing factors of attitudes toward death and demands of death education among the community-dwelling older adults in southwestern China.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was adopted to investigate 683 community-dwelling older adults in Chongqing, China. Non-parametric test and multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of different attitudes toward death of older adults in community.ResultsThe multiple linear regression models showed that different dimensions of death attitudes were affected by one or more factors including number of diseases, discussion about life and death, marital status, and average income per month. And community-dwelling older adults have high level demand for death education.ConclusionsUnder the taboo culture of death in China, this study is one of the few studies on the attitudes toward death and the demands for death education of the community-dwelling older adults. This study contributes to enrich the global death studies and provide reference for the death education for older adults.

Transforming everyday experience: Transformative learning, disorienting dilemmas and Honneth's theory of recognition

AbstractAxel Honneth's theory of recognition outlines the personal and social contexts of family, law and community solidarities in which recognition – and misrecognitions – are experienced. His work has implications for Mezirow's theory of transformative learning. Transformative learning is critiqued for an over dependence on the Dewey/Habermas foundations that demand high levels of rationality and for an over reliance on individual learning to the exclusion of social learning. Honneth's ideas are explored in order to further develop the understanding of how experience is central to transformative learning. Disorienting dilemmas and the perplexities that lead to transformative learning are reinterpreted as experiences that have personal and social dimensions. Experience – often seen as individual and unique ‐ cannot be disconnected from social contexts. Honneth helps us resolve these issues and allows us to re‐interpret transformative learning as the transformation of experience. Finally, two further concepts are introduced: a) the dialectic nature of experience (Negt); and b) the importance of completeness (Negt). These further enhance the experiential grounding for emancipation and the emancipatory project of transformative learning.

The Relationship between Compassion Experienced by Social Workers and Job Performance: The Double Mediating Effect of Positive Psychological Capital and Affective Commitment

Background: Compassion at work is integral for employees experiencing suffering in a wide range of contexts. Especially, it could be more critical for social workers who have relatively high levels of emotional demands. Thus, this current study aims to explore the mechanisms through how the experiences of compassion at work enhance social workers’ job performance. Methods: The participants were 356 social workers in South Korea. This study used a cross-sectional research design along with a self-report survey. Path analyses were used to test our hypotheses. Results: Compassion was positively related to positive psychological capital, and positive psychological capital was also positively related to affective commitment and job performance. In addition, we found that effective commitment was positively related to job performance. Accordingly, positive psychological capital mediated the positive relationships between compassion and affective commitment as well as compassion and job performance. Furthermore, the serial multiple mediation effect of positive psychological capital and affective commitment on the relationship between compassion and job performance was significant. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that social workers engaged in social welfare facilities build positive psychological capital through compassion and make an affective commitment to their work, eventually improving their job performance. Our findings provide practical insights for organizations, especially social welfare organizations, by shedding light on the importance of spreading an empathetic and positive organizational culture in enhancing social workers’ job performance.

Research strategy for constructing a green infrastructure network based on spatial prioritization

ABSTRACT The destruction of the ecological system caused by urban expansion has led to the environmental deterioration, cities have become increasingly vulnerable. In this study, six districts and counties along the Yellow River in Zhengzhou were selected as the study area. First, green infrastructure elements were extracted by morphological spatial pattern analysis. Then, outside the urban areas, we used connectivity analysis to evaluate the importance of core areas, adopted minimum cumulative resistance model to extract potential corridors, and identified the important corridors by using the gravity model. Finally, in the urban areas, we set up an evaluation system to assess the demands for ecosystem services. The results showed that: (1) Seven landscape types of green infrastructure be identified in study area. (2) There are 17 vital cores, 136 potential corridors, and 24 vital corridors outside the urban areas. (3) The blocks with high demand for ecosystem services are mostly concentrated in the old blocks with dense populations and poor infrastructure, and there are 5 blocks with comprehensive high-demand. Based on identified importance for green infrastructure land space, and high-demand level for ecosystem services areas in this study, a green infrastructure net plan was proposed based on spatial conservation prioritisation.

Dynamic Bus Lanes Versus Exclusive Bus Lanes: Comprehensive Comparative Analysis of Urban Corridor Performance

Exclusive bus lane (EBL) is one of the most common transit prioritization strategies implemented to improve transit speed. However, one major drawback of implementing EBLs is the associated reduction in road capacity left for other road users. In corridors with EBLs and infrequent bus service, the lanes are underutilized for extended periods of time. Dynamic bus lane (DBL), a new priority strategy enabled by vehicle connectivity, can provide buses with priority while allowing the general traffic to access the bus lane when buses are not present. Although the DBL concept is promising, a limited number of studies have explored its effectiveness under various conditions. Thus, this paper investigates the impacts of DBLs through a comparison with EBLs and mixed traffic operation under different levels of traffic demand and transit frequency. As a case study, the Eglinton East corridor in Toronto, Canada, was simulated using Aimsun Next, and different scenarios of behavioral impacts were considered in the analysis. The results reveal that DBL is a promising strategy with potential to improve the overall corridor performance over a wide range of traffic and transit service conditions, especially under intermediate traffic demand levels. On the other hand, EBL can be an efficient prioritization strategy that improves the overall corridor performance under high traffic demand and high transit frequency levels, but only if accompanied by a major mode shift from auto to transit.

Optimal pricing and fleet management for shared electric vehicle in coupled power and transport networks

This paper considers a group of shared electric vehicles (SEV) that provide transport and energy services through a ride-sourcing platform. Under the novel business model, the transport and power networks are coupled and the resulting market equilibrium depends on the pricing strategies of the distribution network operator (DNO) and the SEV platform operator. To capture the interaction between the DNO and the SEV platform operator, we develop two market competition models, including (a) a Stackelberg competition model where the DNO makes the decision first and the SEV operator reacts accordingly, and (b) a Nash competition model where the DNO and the SEV operator make decisions simultaneously. The strategic interactions of the DNO and the SEV platform operator are analyzed over a coupled transport and power network, which captures the routing and discharging behaviors of EV drivers, the matching process between passengers and drivers, and the corresponding traveler and power flows. We analytically prove that the supply and demand equilibrium between travelers and EV drivers over the transport network always exists. We also numerically validate that the equilibrium solution between the SEV operator and the DNO is stable and unique. By varying the transport demands, we show that the SEV platform operator, the DNO and EV drivers always benefit from the discharge business even though passengers may be slightly worse off. Surprisingly, we find that integrating the discharging service will have diverse impacts on the cruising traffic depending on the demand levels of the transport service: under low demand level, it will reduce the cruising traffic; under medium demand level, it will increase the cruising traffic; under high demand level, it has no impact on the cruising traffic.

Aging attitudes and changes in the costs of cognitive engagement in older adults over 5 years.

The costs associated with performing a specific activity may play an important role in determining engagement, potentially impacting the willingness of older adults to engage in activities-particularly those with high demands-that may have benefits for physical and cognitive health. The present study examined changes in both objective (effort expenditure) and subjective (perceived task demands) costs associated with engagement in a cognitively challenging memory-scan task across a 5-year period in 163 older adults aged 64-81. Consistent with assumptions of selective engagement theory (SET; Hess, 2014), the effort associated with performing the task-as assessed by systolic blood pressure responses-was observed to increase over time. Subjective assessments of costs, as assessed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration task load index (NASA TLX), were also observed to increase. In addition, the increases in both objective and subjective costs were greatest at high levels of task demands. We further found that both the effort and, to a lesser extent, perceived costs associated with performance were moderated by aging attitudes. Specifically, more positive attitudes were associated with greater effort expenditure and lower perceived costs. These findings suggest that negative attitudes about aging may have detrimental effects on perceived ability to perform challenging tasks. Given the importance of costs in determining activity participation, promoting positive aging attitudes along with more realistic perceptions of task demands may provide important means for promoting engagement in beneficial activities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Vision sensor‐based SLAM problem for small UAVs in dynamic indoor environments

AbstractIn recent years, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, machine vision and other related technologies, there has been a demand for higher levels of intelligence in UAVs. There are many excellent SLAM systems available, but most of them assume that their working environment is static. When there are dynamic objects in the environment the localization and mapping accuracy of the SLAM system is reduced, and it can even cause its tracking to fail. To solve this problem. In this paper, we propose a target detection‐based SLAM algorithm for real‐time operation in crowded dynamic environments. The algorithm removes feature points of dynamic objects from key frames and then constructs a point cloud map of based on the state‐of‐the‐art SLAM system ORB‐SLAM3. Finally, the proposed method is validated and evaluated on multiple dynamic datasets and real environments. The results show that the algorithm in this paper outperforms other visual SLAM algorithms in terms of localization and map building accuracy in more highly dynamic datasets, while guaranteeing performance.

Simulation-Assisted Learning about a Complex Economic System: Impact on Low- and High-Achieving Students

Sustainable learning requires students to develop knowledge and skills for survival in increasingly complex and dynamic environments. The development of systems thinking skills for exploring complex dynamic systems is regarded as crucial to sustainable learning. To facilitate student thinking and learning about complex systems, computer simulations have been widely promoted. However, learning using computer simulations involves complex cognitive processes, which may impose a high level of cognitive demand on learners, especially on low achievers. It remains unclear whether and how high- and low-achieving students may benefit differently from learning with computer simulations. To address the gap, we conducted this study with university students who participated in simulation-assisted learning about the economy as a complex system. The results show that the students developed subject knowledge and systems thinking skills by the end of the study; high-achievers outperformed low-achievers in a subject knowledge test, but there were no significant differences between the two groups in their systems thinking skills, cognitive load, and affective experience. The findings indicate that both low- and high-achieving students can benefit from simulation-assisted learning of a complex system. In addition to developing systems thinking skills, there is a need to help students to improve the construction of their subject knowledge when learning with computer simulations.

EFFECT OF THE SHAPED MARKET ON THE ROAD SHOULDER ON THE PERFORMANCE OF ROAD SEGMENTS SUNGGUMINASA - BONTONOMPO

<p>With the increasing demand for the fulfillment of the necessities of life, the shock market, which is located on the Sungguminasa - Bontonompo road section, is also developing slowly. The number of traders and buyers is increasing, the place to trade is wider and the transaction time is getting longer. Pasar Shock on the Sungguminasa - Bontonompo axis road is the only traditional market nearby and offers a relatively complete range of trading commodities within a 1 km radius of the settlement. With a relatively short distance and the attractiveness that the market is able to provide on the Sungguminasa - Bontonompo axis road. Apart from its very strategic location and high level of demand, the shock market on the Sungguminasa - Bontonompo axis road is also relatively easy to reach. This study aims to analyze the performance of the road on the capacity of traffic volume and the degree of saturation caused. The method used in this study is the Observation Method with data collection through direct observation in the field of the research object including data on the number of vehicles passing and one observation point is taken with different traffic flow directions. The results showed that the Sungguminasa-Bontonompo road network was still able to serve traffic transportation, the road capacity was = 2449 pcu/hour; volume of vehicle traffic = 3994 pcu/hour. The value of the degree of saturation DS = 1.63 so that it can be defined that the service level of the Sungguminasa-Bontonompo axis road belongs to category F or traffic jams, the speed is very low.</p>

An Assessment of the Early Symptoms of Energy Deficiency as a Female Athlete Triad Risk among the Polish National Kayaking Team Using LEAF-Q.

Background: Kayaking is a high intensity sport that demands high levels of aerobic and anaerobic capacity as well as a great deal of strength and endurance. The aim of this study was an assessment of the frequency of occurrence of early low energy availability symptoms using the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire for women belonging to the Polish national kayaking team. Additionally, quantitative measurements of body composition and levels of calcium were performed. Methods: The study involved 33 women who were competitors in the Polish national kayaking team. Results: An analysis of the results in terms of disorders in the monthly cycle in the tested kayakers found that only five competitors, approximately 15% of the entire group, had this type of problem. Between the participants who had disorders of the menstrual cycle and those whose cycle was normal, there was only a statistically significant difference at the level of p < 0.001 in relation to the age of the kayakers. Conclusions: The Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire proved to be a useful screening tool, which allowed for the early detection of Female Athlete Triad symptoms in several young female kayakers from the Polish national team.

Controlling the Stage: A High-Level Control System for Virtual Audiences in Virtual Reality

This article presents a novel method for controlling a virtual audience system (VAS) in Virtual Reality (VR) application, called STAGE, which has been originally designed for supervised public speaking training in university seminars dedicated to the preparation and delivery of scientific talks. We are interested in creating pedagogicalnarratives: narratives encompass affective phenomenon and rather than organizing events changing the course of a training scenario, pedagogical plans using our system focus on organizing the affects it arouses for the trainees. Efficiently controlling a virtual audience towards a specific training objective while evaluating the speaker’s performance presents a challenge for a seminar instructor: the high level of cognitive and physical demands required to be able to control the virtual audience, whilst evaluating speaker’s performance, adjusting and allowing it to quickly react to the user’s behaviors and interactions. It is indeed a critical limitation of a number of existing systems that they rely on a Wizard of Oz approach, where the tutor drives the audience in reaction to the user’s performance. We address this problem by integrating with a VAS a high-level control component for tutors, which allows using predefined audience behavior rules, defining custom ones, as well as intervening during run-time for finer control of the unfolding of the pedagogical plan. At its core, this component offers a tool to program, select, modify and monitor interactive training narratives using a high-level representation. The STAGE offers the following features: i) a high-level API to program pedagogical narratives focusing on a specific public speaking situation and training objectives, ii) an interactive visualization interface iii) computation and visualization of user metrics, iv) a semi-autonomous virtual audience composed of virtual spectators with automatic reactions to the speaker and surrounding spectators while following the pedagogical plan V) and the possibility for the instructor to embody a virtual spectator to ask questions or guide the speaker from within the Virtual Environment. We present here the design, and implementation of the tutoring system and its integration in STAGE, and discuss its reception by end-users.

A column generation approach to intraday scheduling of chemotherapy patients

Chemotherapy scheduling at cancer treatment centres is a complex problem due to high and growing demand, diversity of treatment protocols, limitations on resources and the need to coordinate treatment session times with laboratory preparation of medication. Over a given planning horizon, treatment centres assign patients first to specific days (interday scheduling) and then to specific times within each day (intraday scheduling), the latter process including the definition of medication preparation time. This paper addresses the intraday scheduling problem using an integer programming model that attempts to schedule all patients assigned to the horizon, and the preparation of the medication to be administered, simultaneously. The linear relaxation of the model formulation, which is based on treatment patterns, is solved using column generation. The proposed approach allows for medication preparation on the day of treatment or a previous day subject to time slot availability. A case study is conducted using actual data from a Chilean cancer centre to compare through simulation the schedules generated by the proposed approach and the centre's manual method. The results show that the proposed approach performs better on makespan, treatment chair occupancy, number of overtime hours and finding solutions at high demand levels.

Exploring the Functions of Self-Talk: The Effects of Self-Talk on Sports Performance in Collegiate Athletes

Athletes are often faced with tasks that demand high levels of focus, success, and performance. Professional athletes, specifically, are expected by many people to be the best and perform exceptionally well. Their lives often revolve around their sport, with long hours of training, strict nutrition, and different types of therapy. However, these athletes are human and experience stress from various factors. Athletes can experience external stress (e.g., from the audience or coaches), or internal stress (e.g., negative thoughts or anxiety). These are only a few examples of the stressors that athletes face throughout their careers. Numerous other factors may cause athletes to stress, and consequently, perform poorly. Therefore, athletes may have low levels of confidence, experience anxiety, or lose focus during high stake moments. However, there is a great body of research that shows mental skills training helps athletes overcome stressors and perform better. Self-talk is one example of an intervention for the mental skills found to help individuals perform better through relaxation, goal setting, self-regulation, self-reflection, flow, and self-efficacy. To better understand the effects of self-talk on sports performance, there is a need to identify how self-talk affects athletes in certain sport skills and situations, as there may be important differences or similarities to discover. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to explore the effectiveness of self-talk on collegiate athletes’ performance across various sports. The findings of this paper suggest that the self-talk is a positive aspect of improving flow, self-efficacy, motivation and stopping general competitive anxiety and a nervousness. In addition, the fact that pairing a challenging statement to negative self-talk would be the effective way to promote athletes’ performance in some situation was found.

Direct Sunlight Driven In2S3 Thin Film Based Water Treatment Proto-Type

A multi-faceted energy intensive technology that can be used for water disinfection and synthesis of electrolysed water (EW) is the need of the hour to achieve a sustainable post COVID 19 water management strategy. Direct sunlight driven processes are legislatively green technologies and hold the key in environmental sustenance. The development of a laboratory proto type reactor powered by a photovoltaic module for the treatment open source river water is described in this paper. This paper reports on the efficacy of the developed proto type technology for multipurpose application namely: (1) the production of Electrolysed water (EW) in a cost efficient manner using direct sunlight and (2) the removal of organic impurity from water using direct sunlight without the use of any photo catalyst or membrane. The prototype reactor utilizes chemical spray pyrolysis deposited highly photo-conducting indium sulphide thin films grown on fluorine doped tin oxide (F:SnO2) substrate (coated using chemical spray pyrolysis technique in-house) as the photo electrode. Dissolved organic matter arising in river water has distinctive fluorescence properties, and this research has utilized it to identify dissolved organic substances in both random samples and treated water. The work proves that photovoltaic module powered electrolytic reactors consisting of In2S3 electrodes can be used for treatment of river water. A diaphragm free, energy intensive route for the production of electrolysed water with the use of non-hazardous NaCl as the electrolyte has been demonstrated here. We conclude that In2S3 electrodes can be used for non-photo catalytic reduction of humic-derived impurities in river water. These results are also encouraging on the prospects of treating Nitrates present in the river water. The likes of techniques as described in this report that do not use photo catalyst or membranes may pave way for real time photovoltaic module powered floating reactors that can decontaminate water bodies on a large scale. The technique used by us demonstrates that a chlorine free route can be optimized for the synthesis of EW eliminating the production of large amounts of wastewater with high levels of biological oxygen demand (BOD).

The Application of Monte Carlo Simulation on Cement Sales of Al-burj Cement Plant in Zliten For The Purpose of Quantifying And Estimating The Market Demand

Nowadays, there is a need to improve the production of cement in Libya to meet high levels of market demand and eliminate the most possible levels of waste. In this study, the technique of Monte Carlo (MC) Simulation is applied using the cement monthly sales quantities record in all 2018 as obtained from the marketing department of Al-burj Plant. The technique is used via quantifying the amounts of cement in metric tons demanded by the market on monthly basis, to estimate the market daily and monthly need for cement to participate in reducing the waste and satisfying the consumer. The results of both monthly and yearly demand are simulated to be: 199,539.801 and 2,394,477.608 metric tons of cement respectively. This technique is applied to reduce, if not to eliminate any cost or waste as a result of shortage or overproduction within this continuous massive flow process of producing cement, from the lean manufacturing perspective. The annual designed capacity of the plant is partially neglected, because, it is most likely, the plant actual production does not reach the annual designed capacity, where, the waste percentage is very huge between the designed and actual capacity of the plant as posted in (2016 - 2018), due to many reasons. Also, the market demand of cement always fluctuates up and down along days and months of the year. Unless "the majeure force" is underway, the technique should be applied at any cement plant in Libya to avoid shortage or overproduction and satisfy the consumer.

The Jordanian translator in the era of COVID-19 pandemic: Challenges and perspectives

COVID-19 is an unprecedented global health and socio-economic crisis, with cascading effects. In a bid to combat the pandemic, Jordan has imposed extreme measures, including border shutdowns, declaring a state of emergency, and a lockdown. These measures have had an adverse impact upon businesses and professions, including translation. Translators play a significant role in disseminating health information in times of crisis. This paper reports the results of a large-scale survey of translators’ perspectives in the Jordanian context on the pandemic and its effects on their role and profession during the time of COVID-19 restrictions. A quantitative five-scale Likert questionnaire was completed by 106 in-house and freelance professional translators. The results showed that COVID-19 has had adverse effects on translators in the Jordanian context. Translators faced several challenges during the pandemic, including career change or loss, lower income, increased workload and time pressure, high-level job demands, unclear job prospects, and anxiety about their future. The results also highlighted that language service providers (LSPs) as well as translators need to play a more active role during times of crisis. The findings of this study suggest that further research is necessary to investigate the effect of COVID-19 and similar pandemics on translators’ experiences of occupational stress and job satisfaction in Jordan.