Abstract: The necessity of solving multi dimensional
complicated scientific problems beside the necessity of several
objective functions optimization are the most motive reason of born
of artificial intelligence and heuristic methods.
In this paper, we introduce a new method for multiobjective
optimization based on learning automata. In the proposed method,
search space divides into separate hyper-cubes and each cube is
considered as an action. After gathering of all objective functions
with separate weights, the cumulative function is considered as the
fitness function. By the application of all the cubes to the cumulative
function, we calculate the amount of amplification of each action and
the algorithm continues its way to find the best solutions. In this
Method, a lateral memory is used to gather the significant points of
each iteration of the algorithm. Finally, by considering the
domination factor, pareto front is estimated. Results of several
experiments show the effectiveness of this method in comparison
with genetic algorithm based method.
Abstract: Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) is one of the
best solutions for removal of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
from industrial processes. In the RTO, VOC in a raw gas are usually
decomposed at 950-1300 K and the combustion heat of VOC is
recovered by regenerative heat exchangers charged with ceramic
honeycombs. The optimization of the treatment of VOC leads to the
reduction of fuel addition to VOC decomposition, the minimization of
CO2 emission and operating cost as well.
In the present work, the thermal efficiency of the RTO was
investigated experimentally in a pilot-scale RTO unit using toluene as
a typical representative of VOC. As a result, it was recognized that the
radiative heat transfer was dominant in the preheating process of a raw
gas when the gas flow rate was relatively low. Further, it was found
that a minimum heat exchanger volume to achieve self combustion of
toluene without additional heating of the RTO by fuel combustion was
dependent on both the flow rate of a raw gas and the concentration of
toluene. The thermal efficiency calculated from fuel consumption and
the decomposed toluene ratio, was found to have a maximum value of
0.95 at a raw gas mass flow rate of 1810 kg·h-1 and honeycombs height
of 1.5m.
Abstract: In this paper we propose a new criterion for solving
the problem of channel shortening in multi-carrier systems. In a
discrete multitone receiver, a time-domain equalizer (TEQ) reduces
intersymbol interference (ISI) by shortening the effective duration of
the channel impulse response. Minimum mean square error (MMSE)
method for TEQ does not give satisfactory results. In [1] a new
criterion for partially equalizing severe ISI channels to reduce the
cyclic prefix overhead of the discrete multitone transceiver (DMT),
assuming a fixed transmission bandwidth, is introduced. Due to
specific constrained (unit morm constraint on the target impulse
response (TIR)) in their method, the freedom to choose optimum
vector (TIR) is reduced. Better results can be obtained by avoiding
the unit norm constraint on the target impulse response (TIR). In
this paper we change the cost function proposed in [1] to the cost
function of determining the maximum of a determinant subject to
linear matrix inequality (LMI) and quadratic constraint and solve the
resulting optimization problem. Usefulness of the proposed method
is shown with the help of simulations.
Abstract: Carboneous catalytical methane decomposition is an
attractive process because it produces two valuable products:
hydrogen and carbon. Furthermore, this reaction does not emit any
green house or hazardous gases. In the present study, experiments
were conducted in a thermo gravimetric analyzer using Fluka 05120
as carboneous catalyst to analyze its effectiveness in methane
decomposition. Various temperatures and methane partial pressures
were chosen and carbon mass gain was observed as a function of
time. Results are presented in terms of carbon formation rate,
hydrogen production and catalytical activity. It is observed that there
is linearity in carbon deposition amount by time at lower reaction
temperature (780 °C). On the other hand, it is observed that carbon
and hydrogen formation rates are increased with increasing
temperature. Finally, we observed that the carbon formation rate is
highest at 950 °C within the range of temperatures studied.
Abstract: Vehicle which are turning or maneuvering at high speeds
are susceptible to sliding and subsequently deviate from desired path. In
this paper the dynamics governing the Yaw/Roll behavior of a vehicle
has been simulated. Two different simulations have been used one for
the real vehicle, for which a fuzzy controller is designed to increase its
directional stability property. The other simulation is for a hypothetical
vehicle with much higher tire cornering stiffness which is capable of
developing the required lateral forces at the tire-ground patch contact to
attain the desired lateral acceleration for the vehicle to follow the
desired path without slippage. This simulation model is our reference
model.
The logic for keeping the vehicle on the desired track in the cornering
or maneuvering state is to have some braking forces on the inner or
outer tires based on the direction of vehicle deviation from the desired
path. The inputs to our vehicle simulation model is steer angle δ and
vehicle velocity V , and the outputs can be any kinematical parameters
like yaw rate, yaw acceleration, side slip angle, rate of side slip angle
and so on. The proposed fuzzy controller is a feed forward controller.
This controller has two inputs which are steer angle δ and vehicle
velocity V, and the output of the controller is the correcting moment M,
which guides the vehicle back to the desired track. To develop the
membership functions for the controller inputs and output and the fuzzy
rules, the vehicle simulation has been run for 1000 times and the
correcting moment have been determined by trial and error. Results of
the vehicle simulation with fuzzy controller are very promising
and show the vehicle performance is enhanced greatly over the
vehicle without the controller. In fact the vehicle performance
with the controller is very near the performance of the reference
ideal model.
Abstract: In areas of low to moderate seismicity many building contents and equipment are not positively fixed to the floor or tied to adjacent walls. Under seismic induced horizontal vibration, such contents and equipment can suffer from damage by either overturning or impact associated with rocking. This paper focuses on the estimation of shock on typical contents and equipment due to rocking. A simplified analytical model is outlined that can be used to estimate the maximum acceleration on a rocking object given its basic geometric and mechanical properties. The developed model was validated against experimental results. The experimental results revealed that the maximum shock acceleration can be underestimated if the static stiffness of the materials at the interface between the rocking object and floor is used rather than the dynamic stiffness. Excellent agreement between the model and experimental results was found when the dynamic stiffness for the interface material was used, which was found to be generally much higher than corresponding static stiffness under different investigated boundary conditions of the cushion. The proposed model can be a beneficial tool in performing a rapid assessment of shock sensitive components considered for possible seismic rectification.
Abstract: In order to upgrade the seismic resistibility of structures and enhance the functionality of an isolator, a new base isolator called the multiple trench friction pendulum system (MTFPS) is proposed in this study. The proposed MTFPS isolator is composed of a trench concave surface and several intermediate sliding plates in two orthogonal directions. Mathematical formulations have been derived to examine the characteristics of the proposed MTFPS isolator possessing multiple intermediate sliding plates. By means of mathematical formulations, it can be inferred that the natural period and damping effect of the MTFPS isolator with several intermediate sliding plates can be altered continually and controllably during earthquakes. Furthermore, results obtained from shaking table tests demonstrate that the proposed isolator provides good protection to structures for prevention of damage from strong earthquakes.
Abstract: This paper provides the design steps of a robust Linear
Matrix Inequality (LMI) based iterative multivariable PID controller
whose duty is to drive a sample power system that comprises a
synchronous generator connected to a large network via a step-up
transformer and a transmission line. The generator is equipped with
two control-loops, namely, the speed/power (governor) and voltage
(exciter). Both loops are lumped in one where the error in the
terminal voltage and output active power represent the controller
inputs and the generator-exciter voltage and governor-valve position
represent its outputs. Multivariable PID is considered here because of
its wide use in the industry, simple structure and easy
implementation. It is also preferred in plants of higher order that
cannot be reduced to lower ones. To improve its robustness to
variation in the controlled variables, H∞-norm of the system transfer
function is used. To show the effectiveness of the controller, divers
tests, namely, step/tracking in the controlled variables, and variation
in plant parameters, are applied. A comparative study between the
proposed controller and a robust H∞ LMI-based output feedback is
given by its robustness to disturbance rejection. From the simulation
results, the iterative multivariable PID shows superiority.
Abstract: Dengue virus is transmitted from person to person
through the biting of infected Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes. DEN-1,
DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4 are four serotypes of this virus. Infection
with one of these four serotypes apparently produces permanent
immunity to it, but only temporary cross immunity to the others. The
length of time during incubation of dengue virus in human and
mosquito are considered in this study. The dengue patients are
classified into infected and infectious classes. The infectious human
can transmit dengue virus to susceptible mosquitoes but infected
human can not. The transmission model of this disease is formulated.
The human population is divided into susceptible, infected, infectious
and recovered classes. The mosquito population is separated into
susceptible, infected and infectious classes. Only infectious
mosquitoes can transmit dengue virus to the susceptible human. We
analyze this model by using dynamical analysis method. The
threshold condition is discussed to reduce the outbreak of this
disease.
Abstract: In this paper, a novel method for recognition of musical
instruments in a polyphonic music is presented by using an
embedded hidden Markov model (EHMM). EHMM is a doubly
embedded HMM structure where each state of the external HMM
is an independent HMM. The classification is accomplished for
two different internal HMM structures where GMMs are used as
likelihood estimators for the internal HMMs. The results are compared
to those achieved by an artificial neural network with two
hidden layers. Appropriate classification accuracies were achieved
both for solo instrument performance and instrument combinations
which demonstrates that the new approach outperforms the similar
classification methods by means of the dynamic of the signal.
Abstract: Certain tRNA synthetases have developed highly accurate molecular machinery to discriminate their cognate amino acids. Those aaRSs achieve their goal via editing reaction in the Connective Polypeptide 1 (CP1). Recently mutagenesis studies have revealed the critical importance of residues in the CP1 domain for editing activity and X-ray structures have shown binding mode of noncognate amino acids in the editing domain. To pursue molecular mechanism for amino acid discrimination, molecular modeling studies were performed. Our results suggest that aaRS bind the noncognate amino acid more tightly than the cognate one. Finally, by comparing binding conformations of the amino acids in three systems, the amino acid binding mode was elucidated and a discrimination mechanism proposed. The results strongly reveal that the conserved threonines are responsible for amino acid discrimination. This is achieved through side chain interactions between T252 and T247/T248 as well as between those threonines and the incoming amino acids.
Abstract: Losses reduction initiatives in distribution systems
have been activated due to the increasing cost of supplying
electricity, the shortage in fuel with ever-increasing cost to produce
more power, and the global warming concerns. These initiatives have
been introduced to the utilities in shape of incentives and penalties.
Recently, the electricity distribution companies in Oman have been
incentivized to reduce the distribution technical and non-technical
losses with an equal annual reduction rate for 6 years. In this paper,
different techniques for losses reduction in Mazoon Electricity
Company (MZEC) are addressed. In this company, high numbers of
substation and feeders were found to be non-compliant with the
Distribution System Security Standard (DSSS). Therefore, 33
projects have been suggested to bring non-complying 29 substations
and 28 feeders to meet the planed criteria and to comply with the
DSSS. The largest part of MZEC-s network (South Batinah region)
was modeled by ETAP software package. The model has been
extended to implement the proposed projects and to examine their
effects on losses reduction. Simulation results have shown that the
implementation of these projects leads to a significant improvement
in voltage profile, and reduction in the active and the reactive power
losses. Finally, the economical analysis has revealed that the
implementation of the proposed projects in MZEC leads to an annual
saving of about US$ 5 million.
Abstract: Many researchers are working on information hiding
techniques using different ideas and areas to hide their secrete data.
This paper introduces a robust technique of hiding secret data in
image based on LSB insertion and RSA encryption technique. The
key of the proposed technique is to encrypt the secret data. Then the
encrypted data will be converted into a bit stream and divided it into
number of segments. However, the cover image will also be divided
into the same number of segments. Each segment of data will be
compared with each segment of image to find the best match
segment, in order to create a new random sequence of segments to be
inserted then in a cover image. Experimental results show that the
proposed technique has a high security level and produced better
stego-image quality.
Abstract: This paper presents the feasibility study of CO2 sequestration from the sources to the sinks in the prospective of Italian Industries. CO2 produced at these sources captured, compressed to supercritical pressures, transported via pipelines and stored in underground geologic formations such as depleted oil and natural gas reservoirs, un-minable coal seams and deep saline aquifers. In this work, we present the optimized pipeline infrastructure for the CO2 with appropriate constraints to find lower cost system by the use of nonlinear optimization software LINGO 11.0. This study was conducted on CO2 transportation complex network of Italian Industries, to find minimum cost network for transporting the CO2 from sources to the sinks.
Abstract: The link between coordinate transformations in the plane and their effects on the graph of a function can be difficult for students studying college level mathematics to comprehend. To solidify this conceptual link in the mind of a student Microsoft Excel can serve as a convenient graphing tool and pedagogical aid. The authors of this paper describe how various transformations and their related functional symmetry properties can be graphically displayed with an Excel spreadsheet.
Abstract: Internal controls of accounting are an essential
business function for a growth-oriented organization, and include the
elements of risk assessment, information communications and even
employees' roles and responsibilities. Internal controls of accounting
systems are designed to protect a company from fraud, abuse and
inaccurate data recording and help organizations keep track of
essential financial activities. Internal controls of accounting provide a
streamlined solution for organizing all accounting procedures and
ensuring that the accounting cycle is completed consistently and
successfully. Implementing a formal Accounting Procedures Manual
for the organization allows the financial department to facilitate
several processes and maintain rigorous standards. Internal controls
also allow organizations to keep detailed records, manage and
organize important financial transactions and set a high standard for
the organization's financial management structure and protocols. A
well-implemented system also reduces the risk of accounting errors
and abuse. A well-implemented controls system allows a company's
financial managers to regulate and streamline all functions of the
accounting department. Internal controls of accounting can be set up
for every area to track deposits, monitor check handling, keep track
of creditor accounts, and even assess budgets and financial statements
on an ongoing basis. Setting up an effective accounting system to
monitor accounting reports, analyze records and protect sensitive
financial information also can help a company set clear goals and
make accurate projections. Creating efficient accounting processes
allows an organization to set specific policies and protocols on
accounting procedures, and reach its financial objectives on a regular
basis. Internal accounting controls can help keep track of such areas
as cash-receipt recording, payroll management, appropriate recording
of grants and gifts, cash disbursements by authorized personnel, and
the recording of assets. These systems also can take into account any
government regulations and requirements for financial reporting.
Abstract: The effect of wood vinegar, entomopathogenic
nematodes ((Steinernema thailandensis n. sp.) and fermented organic
substances from four plants such as: Derris elliptica Roxb, Stemona
tuberosa Lour, Tinospora crispa Mier and Azadirachta indica J. were
tested on the five varieties of sweetpotato with potential for
bioethanol production ie. Taiwan, China, PROC No.65-16, Phichit
166-5, and Phichit 129-6. The experimental plots were located at
Faculty of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment,
Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand. The aim of this study
was to compare the efficiency of the five treatments for growth, yield
and insect infestation on the five varieties of sweetpotato. Treatment
with entomopathogenic nematodes gave the highest average weight
of sweetpotato tubers (1.3 kg/tuber), followed by wood vinegar,
fermented organic substances and mixed treatment with yields of
0.88, 0.46 and 0.43 kg/tuber, respectively. Also the
entomopathogenic nematode treatment gave significantly higher
average width and length of sweet potato (9.82 cm and 9.45 cm,
respectively). Additionally, the entomopathogenic nematode
provided the best control of insect infestation on sweetpotato leaves
and tubers. Comparison among the varieties of sweetpotato, PROC
NO.65-16 showed the highest weight and length. However, Phichit
129-6 gave significantly higher weight of 0.94 kg/tuber. Lastly, the
lowest sweet potato weevil infestation on leaves and tubers occurred
on Taiwan and Phichit 129-6.
Abstract: Organizational culture fosters innovation, and
innovation is the main engine to be sustained within the uncertainty
market. Like other countries, the construction industry significantly
contributes to the economy, society and technology of Malaysia, yet,
innovation is still considered slow compared to other industries such
as manufacturing. Given the important role of an architect as the key
player and the contributor of new ideas in the construction industry,
there is a call to identify the issue and improve the current situation
by focusing on the architectural firms. In addition, the existing
studies tend to focus only on a few dimensions of organizational
culture and very few studies consider whether innovation is being
generated or adopted. Hence, the present research tends to fill in the
gap by identifying the organizational cultures that foster or hinder
innovation generation and/or innovation adoption, and propose a
model of organizational culture and innovation generation and/or
adoption.
Abstract: In this paper, low end Digital Signal Processors (DSPs)
are applied to accelerate integer neural networks. The use of DSPs
to accelerate neural networks has been a topic of study for some
time, and has demonstrated significant performance improvements.
Recently, work has been done on integer only neural networks, which
greatly reduces hardware requirements, and thus allows for cheaper
hardware implementation. DSPs with Arithmetic Logic Units (ALUs)
that support floating or fixed point arithmetic are generally more
expensive than their integer only counterparts due to increased circuit
complexity. However if the need for floating or fixed point math
operation can be removed, then simpler, lower cost DSPs can be
used. To achieve this, an integer only neural network is created in
this paper, which is then accelerated by using DSP instructions to
improve performance.
Abstract: There are increasingly plagiarism offences for
students in higher education in the digital educational world. On the
other hand, various and competitive online assessment and
plagiarism detection tools are available in the market. Taking the
University of Glamorgan as a case study, this paper describes and
introduces an institutional journey on electronic plagiarism detection
to inform the initial experience of an innovative tool and method
which could be further explored in the future research. The
comparative study and system workflow for e-plagiarism detection
tool are discussed. Benefits for both academics and students are also
presented. Electronic plagiarism detection tools brought great
benefits to both academics and students in Glamorgan. On the other
hand, the debates raised in such initial experience are discussed.