Abstract: Internet is nowadays included to all National Curriculums of the elementary school. A comparative study of their
goals leads to the conclusion that a complete curriculum should aim to student-s acquisition of the abilities to navigate and search for
information and additionally to emphasize on the evaluation of the information provided by the World Wide Web. In a constructivistic knowledge framework the design of a course has to take under
consideration the conceptual representations of students. The following paper presents the conceptual representation of students of eleven years old, attending the Sixth Grade of Greek Elementary School about World Wide Web and their use in the design and
implementation of an innovative course.
Abstract: Back-to-back static synchronous compensator (BtBSTATCOM) consists of two back-to-back voltage-source converters (VSC) with a common DC link in a substation. This configuration extends the capabilities of conventional STATCOM that bidirectional active power transfer from one bus to another is possible. In this paper, VSCs are designed in quasi multi-pulse form in which GTOs are triggered only once per cycle in PSCAD/EMTDC. The design details of VSCs as well as gate switching circuits and controllers are fully represented. Regulation modes of BtBSTATCOM are verified and tested on a multi-machine power system through different simulation cases. The results presented in the form of typical time responses show that practical PI controllers are almost robust and stable in case of start-up, set-point change, and line faults.
Abstract: Improving performance measures in the construction
processes has been a major concern for managers and decision
makers in the industry. They seek for ways to recognize the key
factors which have the largest effect on the process. Identifying such
factors can guide them to focus on the right parts of the process in
order to gain the best possible result. In the present study design of
experiment (DOE) has been applied to a computer simulation model
of brick laying process to determine significant factors while
productivity has been chosen as the response of the experiment. To
this end, four controllable factors and their interaction have been
experimented and the best factor level has been calculated for each
one. The results indicate that three factors, namely, labor of brick,
labor of mortar and inter arrival time of mortar along with interaction
of labor of brick and labor of mortar are significant.
Abstract: Image restoration involves elimination of noise. Filtering techniques were adopted so far to restore images since last five decades. In this paper, we consider the problem of image restoration degraded by a blur function and corrupted by random noise. A method for reducing additive noise in images by explicit analysis of local image statistics is introduced and compared to other noise reduction methods. The proposed method, which makes use of an a priori noise model, has been evaluated on various types of images. Bayesian based algorithms and technique of image processing have been described and substantiated with experimentation using MATLAB.
Abstract: Einstein vacuum equations, that is a system of nonlinear
partial differential equations (PDEs) are derived from Weyl metric
by using relation between Einstein tensor and metric tensor. The
symmetries of Einstein vacuum equations for static axisymmetric
gravitational fields are obtained using the Lie classical method. We
have examined the optimal system of vector fields which is further
used to reduce nonlinear PDE to nonlinear ordinary differential
equation (ODE). Some exact solutions of Einstein vacuum equations
in general relativity are also obtained.
Abstract: This paper proposes a Web service and serviceoriented
architecture (SOA) for a computer-adaptive testing (CAT)
process on e-learning systems. The proposed architecture is
developed to solve an interoperability problem of the CAT process by
using Web service. The proposed SOA and Web service define all
services needed for the interactions between systems in order to
deliver items and essential data from Web service to the CAT Webbased
application. These services are implemented in a XML-based
architecture, platform independence and interoperability between the
Web service and CAT Web-based applications.
Abstract: We studied the selection of nest sites by Persian
ground Jay (Podoces pleskei), in a semi -desert central Iran. Habitat
variables such as plant species number, height of plant species,
vegetation percent and distance to water sources of nest sites were
compared with randomly selected non- used sites. The results showed that the most important factors influencing nesting site selection were total vegetation percent and number of shrubs
(Zgophyllum eurypterum and Atraphaxis spinosa). The mean vegetation percent of 20 area selected by Persian Ground Jay was
(4.41+ 0.17), which was significantly larger than that of the non –
selected area (2.08 + 0.06). The number of Zygophyllum eurypterum (1.13+ 0.01) and Atraphaxis spinosa (1.36+ 0.10) were also significantly higher compared with the control area (0.43+ 0.07)
and (0.58+ 0.9) respectively.
Abstract: A fully implicit finite-difference method has been proposed for the numerical solutions of one dimensional coupled nonlinear Burgers’ equations on the uniform mesh points. The method forms a system of nonlinear difference equations which is to be solved at each iteration. Newton’s iterative method has been implemented to solve this nonlinear assembled system of equations. The linear system has been solved by Gauss elimination method with partial pivoting algorithm at each iteration of Newton’s method. Three test examples have been carried out to illustrate the accuracy of the method. Computed solutions obtained by proposed scheme have been compared with analytical solutions and those already available in the literature by finding L2 and L∞ errors.
Abstract: Building life cycle will never be excused from the existence of defects and deterioration. They are common problems in building, existed in newly build or in aged building. Buildings constructed from wood are indeed affected by its agent and serious defects and damages can reduce values to a building. In repair works, it is important to identify the causes and repair techniques that best suites with the condition. This paper reviews the conservation of traditional timber mosque in Malaysia comprises the concept, principles and approaches of mosque conservation in general. As in conservation practice, wood in historic building can be conserved by using various restoration and conservation techniques which this can be grouped as Fully and Partial Replacement, Mechanical Reinforcement, Consolidation by Impregnation and Reinforcement, Removing Paint and also Preservation of Wood and Control Insect Invasion, as to prolong and extended the function of a timber in a building. It resulted that the common techniques adopted in timber mosque conservation are from the conventional ways and the understanding of the repair technique requires the use of only preserve wood to prevent the future immature defects.
Abstract: Building maintenance plays an important role among other activities in building operation. Building defect and damages are part of the building maintenance 'bread and butter' as their input indicated in the building inspection is very much justified, particularly as to determine the building performance. There will be no escape route or short cut from building maintenance work. This study attempts to identify a competitive performance that translates the Critical Success Factor achievements and satisfactorily meet the university-s expectation. The quality and efficiency of maintenance management operation of building depends, to some extent, on the building condition information, the expectation from the university sector and the works carried out for each maintenance activity. This paper reviews the critical success factor in building maintenance management practice for university sectors from four (4) perspectives which include (1) customer (2) internal processes (3) financial and (4) learning and growth perspective. The enhancement of these perspectives is capable to reach the maintenance management goal for a better living environment in university campus.
Abstract: This study was conducted to determine effect of water stress on chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence parameter in young `Dezful- olive trees. Three irrigation regimes (40% ETcrop, 65% ETcrop and 100% ETcrop) were used. After irrigation treatments were applied, some of biochemical parameters including chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll, chlorophyll fluorescence and also chlorophyll content index (C.C.I) were measured. Results of Analysis of variance showed that irrigation treatments had significant effect on chlorophylla, total chlorophyll (chl a+b), C.C.I and Fv/Fm ratio. The amount of decreased chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll in plants were received 40% ETcrop were 51.55% and 46.86%, respectively, compared with 100% ETcrop.
Abstract: The Object of this paper is to design and analyze a
Hysteresis modulation based sliding mode control (HMSMC) for
positive output elementary super lift Luo converter (POESLLC),
which is the start-of-the-art DC-DC converter. The positive output
elementary super lift Luo converter performs the voltage
conversion from positive source voltage to positive load voltage.
This paper proposes a HMSMC capable of providing the good
steady state and dynamic performance compared to conventional
controllers. Dynamic equations describing the positive output
elementary super lift luo converter are derived by using state space
average method. The simulation model of the positive output
elementary super lift Luo converter with its control circuit is
implemented in Matlab/Simulink. The HMSMC for positive
output elementary super lift Luo converter is tested for line
changes, load changes and also for components variations.
Abstract: For the past one decade, biclustering has become popular data mining technique not only in the field of biological data analysis but also in other applications like text mining, market data analysis with high-dimensional two-way datasets. Biclustering clusters both rows and columns of a dataset simultaneously, as opposed to traditional clustering which clusters either rows or columns of a dataset. It retrieves subgroups of objects that are similar in one subgroup of variables and different in the remaining variables. Firefly Algorithm (FA) is a recently-proposed metaheuristic inspired by the collective behavior of fireflies. This paper provides a preliminary assessment of discrete version of FA (DFA) while coping with the task of mining coherent and large volume bicluster from web usage dataset. The experiments were conducted on two web usage datasets from public dataset repository whereby the performance of FA was compared with that exhibited by other population-based metaheuristic called binary Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The results achieved demonstrate the usefulness of DFA while tackling the biclustering problem.
Abstract: Facial expression analysis plays a significant role for
human computer interaction. Automatic analysis of human facial
expression is still a challenging problem with many applications. In
this paper, we propose neuro-fuzzy based automatic facial expression
recognition system to recognize the human facial expressions like
happy, fear, sad, angry, disgust and surprise. Initially facial image is
segmented into three regions from which the uniform Local Binary
Pattern (LBP) texture features distributions are extracted and
represented as a histogram descriptor. The facial expressions are
recognized using Multiple Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System
(MANFIS). The proposed system designed and tested with JAFFE
face database. The proposed model reports 94.29% of classification
accuracy.
Abstract: Bologna process has influenced enhancing studentcentered
learning in Estonian higher education since 2009, but there
is no information about what helps or hinders students to achieve
learning outcomes and how quality of student-centered learning
might be improved. The purpose of this study is to analyze two
questions from outcome-based course evaluation questionnaire which
is used in Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences.
In this qualitative research, 384 students from 22 different courses
described what helped and hindered them to achieve learning
outcomes. The analysis showed that the aspects that hinder students
to achieve learning outcomes are mostly personal: time management,
family and personal matters, motivation and non-academic activities.
The results indicate that students- learning is commonly supported by
school, where teacher, teaching and characteristics of teaching
methods help mostly to achieve learning outcomes, also learning
material, practical assignments and independent study was brought
up as one of the key elements.
Abstract: This paper presents the automated methods employed
for extracting craniofacial landmarks in white light images as part of
a registration framework designed to support three neurosurgical
procedures. The intraoperative space is characterised by white light
stereo imaging while the preoperative plan is performed on CT scans.
The registration aims at aligning these two modalities to provide a
calibrated environment to enable image-guided solutions. The
neurosurgical procedures can then be carried out by mapping the
entry and target points from CT space onto the patient-s space. The
registration basis adopted consists of natural landmarks (eye corner
and ear tragus). A 5mm accuracy is deemed sufficient for these three
procedures and the validity of the selected registration basis in
achieving this accuracy has been assessed by simulation studies. The
registration protocol is briefly described, followed by a presentation
of the automated techniques developed for the extraction of the
craniofacial features and results obtained from tests on the AR and
FERET databases. Since the three targeted neurosurgical procedures
are routinely used for head injury management, the effect of
bruised/swollen faces on the automated algorithms is assessed. A
user-interactive method is proposed to deal with such unpredictable
circumstances.
Abstract: The governing differential equations of laminated
plate utilizing trigonometric shear deformation theory are derived
using energy approach. The governing differential equations
discretized by different radial basis functions are used to predict the
free vibration behavior of symmetric laminated composite plates.
Effect of orthotropy and span to thickness ratio on frequency
parameter of simply supported laminated plate is presented.
Numerical results show the accuracy and good convergence of radial
basis functions.
Abstract: Tehran, one of the heavily-populated capitals, is
severely suffering from increasing air pollution. To show a
documented trend of such pollutants during last years, plane tree
species (Platanus orientalis) were suited to be studied as indicators,
for the species have been planted throughout the city many years
ago. Two areas (Saadatabad and Narmak districts) allotting different
contents of crowed and highly-traffic routs but the same ecological
characteristics were selected. Twelve sample individuals were cored
twice perpendicularly in each area. Tree-rings of each core were
measured by a binocular microscope and separated annually for the
last 25 years. Two heavy metals including Cd and Pb accompanied
by a mineral element (Ca) were analyzed using Hatch method. Treerings
analysis of the two areas showed different groups in term of
physiologically ability as the growths were plunged during the last
10 years in Saadatabad district and showed a slight decrease in the
same period for another studying area. In direct contrast to
decreasing growth trend in Saadatabad, all three mentioned elements
increased sharply during last 25 years in the same area. When it came
to Narmak district, the trend was completely different with
Saadatabad. There were some fluctuations in absorbing trace
elements like tree-rings widths were, yet calcium showed an upward
trend all the last 25 years. The results of the study proved the
possibility of using tree species of each region to monitor its air
pollution trends of the past, hence to depict a pollution assessment of
a populated city for last years and then to make appropriate decisions
for the future as it is well-known what the trend is. On the other
hand, risen values of calcium (as the stress-indicator element)
accompanied by increased trace elements suggests non-sustainable
state of the trees.
Abstract: This paper proposes a neural network weights and
topology optimization using genetic evolution and the
backpropagation training algorithm. The proposed crossover and
mutation operators aims to adapt the networks architectures and
weights during the evolution process. Through a specific inheritance
procedure, the weights are transmitted from the parents to their
offsprings, which allows re-exploitation of the already trained
networks and hence the acceleration of the global convergence of the
algorithm. In the preprocessing phase, a new feature extraction
method is proposed based on Legendre moments with the Maximum
entropy principle MEP as a selection criterion. This allows a global
search space reduction in the design of the networks. The proposed
method has been applied and tested on the well known MNIST
database of handwritten digits.
Abstract: This work provides a practical method for the
development of rural road networks in rural areas of developing
countries. The proposed methodology enables to determine
obligatory points in the rural road network maximizing the number of
settlements that have access to basic services within a given
maximum distance. The proposed methodology is simple and
practical, hence, highly applicable to real-world scenarios, as
demonstrated in the definition of the road network for the rural areas
of Nepal.