Term Project Research Articles

Enhancing concrete sustainability by incorporating crushed ceramic tiles as a partial replacement for fine aggregate in concrete mixture

In this study, the possibility of partially replacing ceramic tiles with fine particles in concrete mixtures is investigated in order to increase the sustainability of concrete. Recycling and utilizing ceramic waste are essential because its disposal causes environmental problems. In this study, we examine how the amount of crushed ceramic tile affects many aspects of concrete, such as compressive strength, durability, and environmental impact. According to our research, adding crushed ceramic tiles to concrete reduces waste while also demonstrating promising outcomes in terms of strength and durability, making it a more environmentally friendly choice than using traditional fine aggregates. Utilizing ceramic waste in concrete production offers the opportunity to be cost-effective and environmentally sustainable, advocating for resource efficiency and eco-friendly construction practices. let's break down how we're going to carry out this project in simple terms. First, we'll gather all the materials we need, like regular concrete stuff and crushed ceramic tiles. Then, we'll mix them up in different ways to see what works best. After that, we'll make small samples and test how strong and durable they are. We'll repeat these tests a few times to make sure our results are reliable. Along the way, we'll keep track of everything we do, so we can explain it to others and make sure our project is solid.

Implementing an entrepreneurial mindset through activities in recycling course

There is an urgent need to connect theoretical knowledge acquired in engineering courses with practical, real-world applications to promote knowledge sustainability. To address this need, an entrepreneurially minded learning (EML) approach was implemented in an elective course titled Recycling of Advanced Engineering Materials. This approach enables students to explore the phases and interactions involved in product development by formulating and communicating requirements and solutions that consider both societal benefits and economic constraints, reflecting the entrepreneurial mindset behaviors outlined by the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN). The EML activities included hands-on recycling experiences and visits to local recycling companies, emphasizing motivation and overcoming conceptual learning barriers while enhancing students' entrepreneurial knowledge and reasoning skills. This study analyzed students' performance in exams, class discussions, and term projects alongside their perceptions of the engagement activities. Survey questions were designed to assess the impact of these activities on the development of students' entrepreneurial knowledge and abilities, utilizing a Likert scale for responses. Results from survey questions indicated that the EML approach significantly enhanced students' entrepreneurial knowledge and reasoning abilities, motivating them to engage in critical thinking and self-directed learning to address real-world challenges.

FROM EFL TO EMI: A CASE OF THAI INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ L2 LEARNING MOTIVATION AND ENGAGEMENT IN CHINA

This study aims to explore Thai international students’ attitudes towards teaching approaches maximizing their second language (L2) learning motivation and engagement and the motivating and demotivating factors influencing their L2 learning experiences during the transition from EFL to EMI contexts. The participants, selected by the purposive sampling method, were five senior Business English major undergraduates in southern Thailand who were enrolled as international students in a Chinese multilingual university for two semesters. Semi-structured interviews were employed, and qualitative data was inductively analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicated that all participants felt motivated and engaged to take the English for International Business and Trade course within the field of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in the EMI Business Program. They tended to sustain their intended effort to complete communicative-based tasks and term projects related to their future professional goals, acquire specialized business knowledge, and develop digital literacy skills. Despite experiencing fluctuating motivation and transitional challenges, they reported their native-speaker teacher helped them reduce their constraints regarding English language use by editing their writing tasks and presentation scripts. Furthermore, they developed their English language proficiency, L2 self-confidence, and intercultural competence. These findings illuminate several factors influencing the student sojourners’ L2 learning motivation and engagement in EMI settings. The study sheds light on the pedagogical implications of implementing practical courses and developing the instructional quality of the curriculum in internationalized higher education institutions.

Tutorial action models in universities of Latin America: A systematic review

Introduction: University tutorial action is a process of student intervention framed within educational orientation, and inherent to teaching action, increasingly considered in Latin America, as an effective strategy that reduces student dropout, and increases. the completion of university studies.Objective: Identify the main characteristics of the tutorial action models implemented in universities in Latin America.Methods: A systematic exploratory review of the existing updated literature, published in the last five years in the Web of Science and Google Scholar databases, referring to the Latin American context, was carried out.Results: A total of 21 studies considered relevant to the research were analyzed.Conclusions: It is evident that in the region there are different positions regarding the conception, organization and implementation of the tutorial action. The terms models, project and tutorial action plan are used interchangeably to represent the tutorial action as an object. just as the declared foundations appear imprecisely.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH IN HEALTHCARE SERVICES

Objective: This study investigates the terms project, project management, and project management cycle, focusing on the project management approach in healthcare services. It aims to emphasize the importance and necessity of project management in healthcare, contributing to the development of a project management culture within the healthcare sector. Theoretical Framework: Projects are generally a set of activities or efforts planned and implemented to achieve a specific goal or objective. Businesses often need to operate within a specific project or plan to reach their goals. The same applies to healthcare services. Today, it is crucial for healthcare institutions to achieve their strategic objectives by utilizing their limited resources most effectively. Therefore, healthcare institutions must continuously strive to manage their resources in alignment with their strategic goals. By adopting an effective resource management strategy, healthcare institutions can enhance the quality of patient care, patient satisfaction, operational efficiency, and cost optimization. Project management consists of specific phases: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, and closure. Each phase is essential for the project's successful progress. Project management is a vital management system in healthcare institutions that reduces uncertainties and ensures the successful completion of projects. Planning and monitoring all phases of projects from start to finish allow for early detection and correction of errors and problems. Method: This study on project management in healthcare services uses document analysis as a qualitative data analysis method. It compiles and evaluates existing knowledge and data on project management in healthcare services. Research Implications: The results and recommendations of this study can increase awareness of project management in healthcare services and help manage practices in this field more effectively.

Automating Rule‐Checking to Identify SysML Modeling Errors: A Preliminary Study in a Classroom Environment

AbstractAmong other benefits, the adoption of Model‐Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) or Digital Engineering (DE) is expected to decrease the number of escaped errors in a project by enabling early error detection within the modeling environment. This contributes to reducing the costs associated with corrective activities, which are generally greater in later phases of development. This paper provides an empirical insight into error detection through a study of models developed by students in a graduate MBSE course, where they leveraged the use of automated rule checking within the modeling tool. The dataset covers 10 editions of the course, spanning 2016‐2023, and contains 601 models. The study shows that the term project models resulted in nearly zero latent errors when non‐stylistic rules are concerned, with most of the latent errors categorized as stylistic rather than fundamental violations.

Evaluation of Aydın Koçarlı Plain Land Consolidation Project in Terms of Some Engineering Services

This study, which presents a general evaluation of the land consolidation project carried out in 14 settlements in the Koçarlı district of Aydın province, the 'Aydın Koçarlı Plain 1st Part Land Consolidation Project', completed by the Aydın Provincial Directorate of Agriculture in 2016, was examined. For this purpose, the consolidation rate, parcel reduction index, deduction rate, and changes in parcel size and parcel number values of the consolidation project carried out in Orhaniye, Madrandere, Çakırbeyli, Boydere, Cincin, Çakmar, Halilbeyli, Koçarlı, Büyükdere, Şahinciler, Sobuca, Dedeköy, Tekeli, and Güdüşlü neighborhoods were investigated. In the project area, the average deduction rate was 7%, the consolidation rate was 31%, and the parcel reduction index was 1.46. As an overall evaluation of agricultural enterprises, the average parcel size increased from 1.76 ha to 2.57 ha, while the number of parcels decreased from 0.93 to 0.64. Land consolidation projects have a high potential to increase agricultural productivity and promote sustainable farming practices. Therefore, the results obtained from the study can contribute to the planning and implementation of similar projects.

Seizing Capabilities and Performance of Supermarkets in Kenya

In Kenya the supermarkets provide market access for the manufacturers’ and small and medium enterprises’ products. In the recent past renowned supermarket brands such as Nakumatt, Tuskys, Choppies and Uchumi have collapsed due to underperformance. This paper examines the influence of seizing capabilities on the performance of supermarkets in Kenyan cities. The study was anchored on the dynamic capability theory (DCT). The study was grounded on positivism research philosophy and adopted crossectional descriptive research design. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from 629 licensed supermarkets. A sample size of 304 respondents from a population of 1258 senior managers was used. Stratified random sampling method was used to select the sample size in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics which included correlation and regression are the statistical tools that were used to analyse the data. Statistical package for social scientists (SPSS) software version 28 was utilized to explore the data. The findings demonstrated that seizing capabilities have a statistically significance (β = 0.511, t = 12.501, p < 0.05) influence on the performance of supermarkets in the Kenyan cities. The study demonstrated that it is vital for supermarkets’ management to consciously design business models and allocate resources that can facilitate the optimal exploitation of new business opportunities to add value to the supermarkets. The management should develop a resource mobilization strategy to fund long term projects that are aimed at seizing opportunities that will improve supermarket’s survival and performance.

Towards realistic structural char models: Generation of stacked graphene-like layers using constrained reactive molecular dynamics simulations

For a molecular understanding of coal combustion, realistic coal and char models are pivotal. We propose a novel top-down method for the construction of char models, consisting of stacked graphene-like layers with defects. We start on the mesoscale with corrugated stacked surfaces as a template. Then the carbon atoms are pre-positioned on these surfaces and surrounded by hydrogen atoms. In a constrained reactive MD simulation the carbon atoms are then rearranged into a chemically reasonable state with dangling bonds saturated by hydrogen atoms. Importantly, the initial shape of the template is maintained to a great extent, leading to a substantial amount of defects in the graphitic planes, especially for high curvatures. In a final step, small molecular fragments and unfavorable arrangements are removed and remaining dangling bonds are saturated with hydrogen atoms. The central advantage over other approaches is the ability to choose the shape and size of the templating planes, with the possibility to use experimental input.The method is validated on single sheets with a protrusion and application examples are shown for stacked graphitic layers with up to 100 Å size and more than 20000 atoms. It represents the first step of a longer term project. In the future, heteroatoms and functional groups will be implemented, and by combining several such stacks, the approach will allow the construction of more realistic char models using the data from HRTEM images as an experimental boundary condition. On this basis important questions like the adsorption and diffusion of volatiles under high temperatures can be studied on a molecular level.

Role of collaborative governance in unlocking private investment in sustainable projects

This scholarly investigation scrutinizes the involvement of the private sector in environmentally sustainable projects, employing the cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lag methodology on yearly data spanning from 2000 to 2020 across 11 low and lower-middle-income Asian nations. It specifically assesses the influence of the good governance index. Findings indicate a notable correlation, where a 1% enhancement in the index corresponds to a 0.34% increase in private engagement in green projects in the short term and a 0.64% increase in the long term. The study underscores the significance of economic stability; a 1% escalation in uncertainty leads to a 0.56% short term and 0.73% long-term reduction in private participation. It underscores the driving role of gross domestic product growth and the proliferation of small and medium-sized enterprises, emphasizing the necessity for tailored financial instruments to stimulate private investment in green projects. Moreover, it explores practical policy avenues such as e-government services, information and communication technology-driven digital transformation, sustainable corporate governance, and issuance of state-backed green bonds to foster private-sector participation in eco-friendly initiatives. Future research avenues encompass examining the repercussions of the pandemic on private green investments and evaluating the efficacy of the public-private partnership model in green projects across these economies.

Conceptual awareness levels of digital logistics among Turkish university students

The logistics industry has witnessed the emergence of digital technology as a central topic of discourse, and terminology associated with digital logistics has gained extensive usage among professionals in the transportation, logistics, and international trade sectors. Digital logistics is highly dependent on the accumulation of data from the logistical activities conducted by organizations. The implementation of a digitalized process presents organizations with novel prospects, such as decreased operational expenses, increased efficiency, and reduced uncertainties associated with order fulfillment. Additionally, digital logistics facilitates the enhancement of distribution methods for businesses. The post-graduation knowledge levels of students become significant factors for potential employers. University education plays a crucial role in imparting academic and technical expertize in the domain of logistics; therefore, it is critical that logistics programs integrate a greater number of digital courses. Academic institutions play a pivotal role in enabling students to gain consciousness and comprehension of emerging patterns and concepts. In light of this, the purpose of this research was to determine “the extent of digital logistics and digitalization conceptual awareness” among university students. The results of the study will be used as a guide for educational institutions like colleges to follow when it comes to incorporating digital courses into their curriculum. It was decided to use questionnaires for the purpose of data collecting. A statistical analysis was conducted on the information gathered from the university students. While most students had a good grasp of the concepts of AI, VR, digital supply chain, and transportation management systems, female students showed less familiarity with these phrases than their male counterparts. It is possible for universities to provide students with the opportunity to acquire knowledge of digital logistics concepts through the implementation of training courses, workshops, programs, and term projects. It is advisable to promote students’ acquisition of knowledge regarding digital technologies through the implementation of additional courses. The educational experience and students’ overall level of awareness can be greatly enhanced through partnerships between IT firms and institutions.

Using musical acoustics to motivate math learning

A course on musical acoustics, at the high school or introductory college level, can be an effective vehicle for improving student math skills. More importantly, it provides an opportunity to develop an appreciation for the utility of mathematics among skeptical students, including those from groups, such as women and minorities, who have historically been steered away from quantitative studies. Having an answer for the rhetorical “What is math good for?” can boost a student's motivation for learning math and open the door to consideration of STEM careers. This presentation gives an overview of how math skills are explicitly addressed throughout a 10-week (one quarter) general education course, “Physics of Musical Sound,” taught at Central Washington University. Examples of specific in-class exercises will be described, as well as how math is incorporated into collaborative term projects. A discussion will be provided of what has worked, and not worked, throughout 25 years of teaching this course.

A Review of Perspectives on Developing Floating Wind Farms

Floating wind is becoming an essential part of renewable energy, and so highlighting perspectives of developing floating wind platforms is very important. In this paper, we focus on floating wind concepts and projects around the world, which will show the reader what is going on with the projects globally, and will also provide insight into the concepts and their corresponding related aspects. The main aim of this work is to classify floating wind concepts in terms of their number and manufacturing material, and to classify the floating wind projects in terms of their power capacity, their number, character (if they are installed or planned) and the corresponding continents and countries where they are based. We will classify the corresponding additional available data that corresponds to some of these projects, with reference to their costs, wind speeds, water depths, and distances to shore. In addition, the floating wind global situation and its corresponding aspects of relevance will be also covered in detail throughout the paper.

Horizon Europe: a green window of opportunity for european peripheral regions?

AbstractAn emerging field of research suggests that the policy and societal pressures for a green transition represent a “green window of opportunity” for peripheral regions. These regions often lag behind in overall innovation performance and may suffer from being places that don’t matter. At the same time, these are exactly the regions that the European Union is trying to support through several programmes, including Horizon Europe. This paper investigates the participation of organisations from peripheral regions in environmental projects funded by the Horizon Europe programme. To account for the multidimensional nature of regional peripherality, we define peripheral regions from a geographical, innovation and socio-economic perspective. We then analyse the relationship between these dimensions of regional peripherality and the extent to which regions benefit from Horizon environmental innovation projects in terms of participation, amount of funding and position in the overall network of project consortia.Our findings show a greater participation in Horizon environmental innovation projects for regions in Southern and Northern Europe, while within-country peripherality is negatively related to participation. At the same time, regions that are lagging in terms of innovation and socio-economic performance also receive less of this specific funding. Overall, geographical peripherality only tells a part of the story as several “places that don’t matter” for innovation and economic dynamism are also unable to benefit from these specific green windows of opportunity.

Introduction to the modeling of complex chemical reaction equilibrium using gPROMS® and GAMS®

AbstractIn the present paper several aspects of the simulation of complex chemical equilibrium are discussed, using two research and educational software: gPROMS® and GAMS®. All computations are performed to boost the understanding of chemical engineering students, undergraduate, and graduate, of the complex concepts behind both thermo‐chemical processes and optimization techniques. Four case studies with varying levels of difficulty illustrate the proposed methodology and robustness of the modeling systems: Catalytic steam reforming of bio‐ethanol at high temperatures. Partial oxidation of naphthalene using either air or pure oxygen. Supercritical water gasification of Microalga Spirulina. Dry and mixed reforming of glucose.Our results indicate that the use of optimization tools offered bygPROMS® and GAMS®software are useful and efficient tools to calculate the chemical and phase equilibrium by minimizing the Gibbs energy, provided that adequate initial guesses are used. Furthermore, the computational time spent in the calculations was generally quite short. The obtained equilibrium compositions are benchmarked using the ubiquitous process simulators: ASPEN‐Plus® and/or ASPEN‐Hysys® as well as data available from the open literature. We obtained excellent agreement between our results and their counterpart obtained using ASPEN‐Plus®. In the last part of this manuscript, authors share their experience in supervising senior term projects on the subject. A questionnaire was used to collect qualitative and quantitative feedback from the nine students involved in the projects. Their responses to a questionnaire focused on the chemical engineering thermodynamics theory as well as software usage during their investigations. This questionnaire demonstrates that students can overcome mathematical complexity by either using mathematical software or equivalent modeling systems (e.g., Matlab®, Mathematica©, gPROMS®, and GAMS®).

State Asset Utilization to Support Public Private Partnership Project in Indonesia: A State Asset Management Review

Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is one of the government strategies to provide infrastructure to serve the community. In the implementation process, PPP has challenges in land acquisition. In response to this challenge, the utilization of State Assets (Barang Milik Negara/BMN) in the form of land and buildings offers a prospective solution. To utilize the State Asset efficiently in the PPP scheme, the information on the asset should be updated based on the State Asset Management and Information System. This paper aims to describe the role of State Assets in supporting Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects in terms of achieving project financial feasibility using a particular study case and how to update the State Asset Management System. The methodology used in this paper uses qualitative methods with literature studies, focus group discussions (FGD), and interviews, to determine the intended role of State Assets. This paper shows that the existing asset management system has accommodated efforts to utilize state assets to support the PPP project. While from the information system point of view, the basic framework of the information system has been formed, the current project needs to be further developed referring to the basic framework of the information system so that it can effectively and efficiently support efforts to utilize state assets in PPP projects.

Study on the Integration Path of “Photovoltaic + Rural Revitalization” under the Perspective of “Dual Carbon”

Abstract This study combines photovoltaic (PV) technology with rural revitalization, constructs a new long-term mechanism by using a BOT model, and applies fuzzy number processing to the model of the real option method to dig out the potential value of the project. Based on the field research of X county, the article comprehensively analyzes the PV power generation project in terms of economic and social benefits and its impact on poverty alleviation. The results show that the total benefit of X county can reach 3720.34 million yuan in 30 years, and the average annual benefit is about 124.011 million yuan. The full power generation capacity of the project is 4,987 MWh, and the total income from electricity sales reaches 471,985,000 yuan. The PV power project has contributed significantly to environmental protection, with reductions in carbon dust, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides of 12.12 billion tons, 44.61 billion tons, 13.77 billion tons, and 750 million tons, respectively. The study also found that villages with larger administrative territory and suitable topographic conditions are more ideal for establishing large-scale PV ground power plants to help alleviate poverty. Meanwhile, villages with good grid quality are more efficient in reducing poverty when implementing PV poverty alleviation programs. This study provides an innovative perspective for village revitalization strategies and demonstrates the great potential of PV technology in promoting village economic development and environmental protection.

Nurses' and Physicians' Experiences After Implementation of a Quality Improvement Project to Improve Sepsis Awareness in Hospitals.

Previous research has explored nurses´ experience with the implementation of early detection alert systems, and nurses and physicians' perceptions of sepsis management and use of sepsis triage. As one of the first, this study aims to investigate the perceived usefulness of an interdisciplinary quality improvement project including standardized sepsis patient pathway to improve the early identification and treatment of sepsis patients. This study was a qualitative study that employed semi-structured interviews with thirteen ward nurses and five ward physicians recruited by convenience and respondent-driven sampling, respectively. The interviews explored the perceived usefulness of mutual training in sepsis care in medical hospital wards. We applied Systematic Text Condensation to analyze the experiences and knowledge of professional identification and cooperation in early identification of sepsis patients. The results revealed three main themes: Awareness of sepsis, collaboration between nurses and physicians, and clinical assessment and judgement. The findings highlighted the positive impact of the project in terms of raising awareness, improving communication, and enhancing the ability to detect and treat sepsis. The study also identified the importance of repetition and reminders to maintain awareness, the need for ongoing training for new healthcare professionals, and the challenges of collaboration and decision-making processes. The sepsis intervention seemed successful in improving awareness of sepsis and enhancing interprofessional collaboration between nurses and physicians. Health professionals continued to rely on their clinical judgment but increased the use of objective measurements and communication of vital signs. Continuous repetition and education for new colleagues were identified as important factors for the sustainability of the intervention. Overall, the study highlights the importance of standardized protocols and training for early detection and management of sepsis in healthcare settings.

Bibliometric Mapping of Trends of Project-Based Learning with Augmented Reality on Communication Ability of Children with Special Needs (Autism)

Autistic children have the right to education. Education helps them develop their communication skills. Using a project-based learning model can improve communication skills. Currently, there is a lot of research discussing the use of project-based learning for children with special needs. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the use of project-based learning with augmented reality on the communication skills of autistic children. The method used is a systematic literature review and theoretical bibliometric analysis of research on communication skills of children with autism sourced from Scopus from 2013 to 2022. The research stages are determining i) research questions; ii) inclusion criteria; iii) quality assessment; iv) data collection; and v) bibliometric analysis. The results of this research note that research on the communication skills of autistic children is still a research trend that is of great interest to researchers with an increase in research occurring from 2015 to 2022. Countries in the Americas and Asia contributed the most to research on this research theme. There is a relationship between project requirements (P), communication skills (CS), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This relationship is indicated by the strength of the P→CS link of 2 and the strength of the CS→ASD link of 4. This review shows that the characteristics of project-based learning can help train the level of communication skills of autistic children and will be better if assisted by the use of AR

Barriers to and facilitators of successful implementation of a palliative approach to care in primary care practices: a mixed methods study

ObjectiveIntegrating a palliative approach to care into primary care is an emerging evidence-based practice. Despite the evidence, this type of care has not been widely adopted into primary care settings....