Abstract: Climate change is one of the greatest environmental,
economic, and social challenges of our time. Urban transportation has
had a major negative impact on our environment—most of our air
pollution comes from transport.
This paper explores ways to move toward a more sustainable
transport system by focusing on creating a more efficient and livable
city and improving the environmental efficiency of transport activity.
The analytical study covers some international examples of applying
sustainable transportation and uses them to suggest a frame work to
develop the transportation system in Egypt to be sustainable and more
intelligent.
Abstract: Alkali treated oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibres
(TEFBF) and untreated EFBF fibers (UEFBF) were incorporated in
polypropylene (PP) with and without malic anhydride grafted PP
(MAPP) and magnesium hydroxide as flame retardant (FR) to
produce TEFBF-PP and UEFBF-PP composites by the melt casting
method. The composites were characterized by mechanical and
burning tests along with a scanning electron microscope and Fourier
transform infrared spectroscopy. The significant improvement in
flexural modulus (133%) and flame retardant property (60%) of
TEFBF-PP composite with MAPP and FR is observed. The improved
mechanical property is discussed by the development of encapsulated
textures.
Abstract: The objective of this work is to present a expertise on
flooding hazard analysis and how to reduce the risk. The analysis
concerns the disaster induced by the flood on November 10/11, 2001
in the Bab El Oued district of the city of Algiers.The study begins by
an expertise of damages in related with the urban environment and
the history of the urban growth of the site. After this phase, the work
is focalized on the identification of the existing correlations between
the development of the town and its vulnerability. The final step
consists to elaborate the interpretations on the interactions between
the urban growth, the sewerage network and the vulnerability of the
urban system.In conclusion, several recommendations are formulated
permitting the mitigation of the risk in the future. The principal
recommendations concern the new urban operations and the existing
urbanized sites.
Abstract: This paper evaluates the association between
economic environment in the districts of Madrid (Spain) and physical
inactivity, using income per capita as indicator of economic
environment. The analysis included 6,601 individuals aged 16 to 74
years. The measure of association estimated was the prevalence odds
ratio for physical inactivity by income per capita. After adjusting for
sex, age, and individual socioeconomic characteristics, people living
in the districts with the lowest per capita income had an odds ratio for
physical inactivity 1.58 times higher (95% confidence interval 1.35 to
1.85) than those living in districts with the highest per capita income.
Additional adjustment for the availability of sports facilities in each
district did not decrease the magnitude of the association. These
findings show that the widely believed assumption that the
availability of sports and recreational facilities, as a possible
explanation for the relation between economic environment and
physical inactivity, cannot be considered a universal observation.
Abstract: The area of knowledge management has been in the
highlight for enterprises over the past three decades. Many
enterprises would like to have knowledge management and work hard
to achieve it, however they are often confused about which direction
to take to be successful and this point is especially true for Small and
Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries. Many large
companies have realized that knowledge is one of the richest
resources which an organization possesses and knowledge
management is a part of the foundation for a sustainable competitive
advantage. Much work has been done in the area of knowledge
management, but most of it has served large enterprises. This
research provides a Model of knowledge management strategy for
SMEs. It is based on analysis, insights and recommendations and it is
presented so that SMEs in developing countries can easily understand
and implement this model.
Abstract: Air bubbles have been detected in human circulation
of end-stage renal disease patients who are treated by hemodialysis.
The consequence of air embolism, air bubbles, is under recognized
and usually overlooked in daily practice. This paper shows results of
a capacitor based detection method that capable of detecting the
presence of air bubbles in the blood stream in different frequencies.
The method is based on a parallel plates capacitor made of platinum
with an area of 1.5 cm2 and a distance between the two plates is 1cm.
The dielectric material used in this capacitor is Dextran70 solution
which mimics blood rheology. Simulations were carried out using
RC circuit at two frequencies 30Hz and 3 kHz and results compared
with experiments and theory. It is observed that by injecting air
bubbles of different diameters into the device, there were significant
changes in the capacitance of the capacitor. Furthermore, it is
observed that the output voltage from the circuit increased with
increasing air bubble diameter. These results demonstrate the
feasibility of this approach in improving air bubble detection in
Hemodialysis.
Abstract: A research project dealing with the phytoremediation
of a soil polluted by some heavy metals is currently running. The
case study is represented by a mining area in Hamedan province in
the central west part of Iran. The potential of phytoextraction and
phytostabilization of plants was evaluated considering the
concentration of heavy metals in the plant tissues and also the
bioconcentration factor (BCF) and the translocation factor (TF). Also
the several established criteria were applied to define
hyperaccumulator plants in the studied area. Results showed that
none of the collected plant species were suitable for phytoextraction
of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn, but among the plants, Euphorbia macroclada
was the most efficient in phytostabilization of Cu and Fe, while,
Ziziphora clinopodioides, Cousinia sp. and Chenopodium botrys
were the most suitable for phytostabilization of Zn and Chondrila
juncea and Stipa barbata had the potential for phytostabilization of
Mn. Using the most common criterion, Euphorbia macroclada and
Verbascum speciosum were Fe hyperaccumulator plants. Present
study showed that native plant species growing on contaminated sites
may have the potential for phytoremediation.
Abstract: The importance of hints in an intelligent tutoring system is well understood. The problems however related to their delivering are quite a few. In this paper we propose delivering of hints to be based on considering their usefulness. By this we mean that a hint is regarded as useful to a student if the student has succeeded to solve a problem after the hint was suggested to her/him. Methods from the theory of partial orderings are further applied facilitating an automated process of offering individualized advises on how to proceed in order to solve a particular problem.
Abstract: A method of dynamic mesh based airfoil optimization is proposed according to the drawbacks of surrogate model based airfoil optimization. Programs are designed to achieve the dynamic mesh. Boundary condition is add by integrating commercial software Pointwise, meanwhile the CFD calculation is carried out by commercial software Fluent. The data exchange and communication between the software and programs referred above have been accomplished, and the whole optimization process is performed in iSIGHT platform. A simplified airfoil optimization study case is brought out to show that aerodynamic performances of airfoil have been significantly improved, even save massive repeat operations and increase the robustness and credibility of the optimization result. The case above proclaims that dynamic mesh based airfoil optimization is an effective and high efficient method.
Abstract: The rapid growth of e-Commerce services is
significantly observed in the past decade. However, the method to
verify the authenticated users still widely depends on numeric
approaches. A new search on other verification methods suitable for
online e-Commerce is an interesting issue. In this paper, a new online
signature-verification method using angular transformation is
presented. Delay shifts existing in online signatures are estimated by
the estimation method relying on angle representation. In the
proposed signature-verification algorithm, all components of input
signature are extracted by considering the discontinuous break points
on the stream of angular values. Then the estimated delay shift is
captured by comparing with the selected reference signature and the
error matching can be computed as a main feature used for verifying
process. The threshold offsets are calculated by two types of error
characteristics of the signature verification problem, False Rejection
Rate (FRR) and False Acceptance Rate (FAR). The level of these two
error rates depends on the decision threshold chosen whose value is
such as to realize the Equal Error Rate (EER; FAR = FRR). The
experimental results show that through the simple programming,
employed on Internet for demonstrating e-Commerce services, the
proposed method can provide 95.39% correct verifications and 7%
better than DP matching based signature-verification method. In
addition, the signature verification with extracting components
provides more reliable results than using a whole decision making.
Abstract: Organic Flash Cycle (OFC) has potential of improving
efficiency for recovery of low temperature heat sources mainly due to
reducing temperature mismatch in the heat exchanger. In this work
exergetical performance analysis of ORC is conducted for recovery of
low grade heat source. Effects of system parameters such as flash
evaporation temperature or heating temperature are theoretically
investigated on the exergy destructions (anergies) at various
components of the system as well as exergy efficiency. Results show
that exergy efficiency has a peak with respect to the flash temperature,
and the optimum flash temperature increases with the heating
temperature. The component where the largest exergy destruction
occurs varies with the flash temperature or heating temperature.
Abstract: It is difficult to judge ripeness by outward
characteristics such as size or external color. In this paper a nondestructive
method was studied to determine watermelon (Crimson
Sweet) quality. Responses of samples to excitation vibrations were
detected using laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) technology. Phase
shift between input and output vibrations were extracted overall
frequency range. First and second were derived using frequency
response spectrums. After nondestructive tests, watermelons were
sensory evaluated. So the samples were graded in a range of ripeness
based on overall acceptability (total desired traits consumers).
Regression models were developed to predict quality using obtained
results and sample mass. The determination coefficients of the
calibration and cross validation models were 0.89 and 0.71
respectively. This study demonstrated feasibility of information
which is derived vibration response curves for predicting fruit
quality. The vibration response of watermelon using the LDV method
is measured without direct contact; it is accurate and timely, which
could result in significant advantage for classifying watermelons
based on consumer opinions.
Abstract: In the present paper, a set of parametric FE stress
analyses is carried out for two-planar welded tubular DKT-joints
under two different axial load cases. Analysis results are used to
present general remarks on the effect of geometrical parameters on
the stress concentration factors (SCFs) at the inner saddle, outer
saddle, toe, and heel positions on the main (outer) brace. Then a new
set of SCF parametric equations is developed through nonlinear
regression analysis for the fatigue design of two-planar DKT-joints.
An assessment study of these equations is conducted against the
experimental data; and the satisfaction of the criteria regarding the
acceptance of parametric equations is checked. Significant effort has
been devoted by researchers to the study of SCFs in various uniplanar
tubular connections. Nevertheless, for multi-planar joints
covering the majority of practical applications, very few
investigations have been reported due to the complexity and high
cost involved.
Abstract: The effect of a chiral bianisotropic substrate on the
complex resonant frequency of a rectangular microstrip resonator has
been studied on the basis of the integral equation formulation. The
analysis is based on numerical resolution of the integral equation
using Galerkin procedure for moment method in the spectral domain.
This work aim first to study the effect of the chirality of a
bianisotopic substrate upon the resonant frequency and the half
power bandwidth, second the effect of a magnetic anisotropy via an
asymptotic approach for very weak substrate upon the resonant
frequency and the half power bandwidth has been investigated. The
obtained results are compared with previously published work [11-9],
they were in good agreement.
Abstract: This paper describes the historical development of
interethnic concord in the Republic of Kazakhstan, and emphasizes
the role of tolerance mentality of the Kazakh people in ethno-political
policy of the country. Moreover, pointing out interethnic concord as a
powerful stabilizing factor, it analyses the specifics of interethnic
policy in multinational Kazakh society. It summarizes that the culture
of interethnic concord can be a model of ethno- political policy of
Kazakhstan.
Abstract: This paper considers the influence of promotion
instruments for renewable energy sources (RES) on a multi-energy
modeling framework. In Europe, so called Feed-in Tariffs are
successfully used as incentive structures to increase the amount of
energy produced by RES. Because of the stochastic nature of large
scale integration of distributed generation, many problems have
occurred regarding the quality and stability of supply. Hence, a
macroscopic model was developed in order to optimize the power
supply of the local energy infrastructure, which includes electricity,
natural gas, fuel oil and district heating as energy carriers. Unique
features of the model are the integration of RES and the adoption of
Feed-in Tariffs into one optimization stage. Sensitivity studies are
carried out to examine the system behavior under changing profits
for the feed-in of RES. With a setup of three energy exchanging
regions and a multi-period optimization, the impact of costs and
profits are determined.
Abstract: The linear methods of heart rate variability analysis
such as non-parametric (e.g. fast Fourier transform analysis) and
parametric methods (e.g. autoregressive modeling) has become an
established non-invasive tool for marking the cardiac health, but their
sensitivity and specificity were found to be lower than expected with
positive predictive value
Abstract: The Carrier Frequency Offset (CFO) due to timevarying
fading channel is the main cause of the loss of orthogonality
among OFDM subcarriers which is linked to inter-carrier interference
(ICI). Hence, it is necessary to precisely estimate and compensate the
CFO. Especially for mobile broadband communications, CFO and
channel gain also have to be estimated and tracked to maintain the
system performance. Thus, synchronization pilots are embedded in
every OFDM symbol to track the variations. In this paper, we present
the pilot scheme for both channel and CFO estimation where channel
estimation process can be carried out with only one OFDM symbol.
Additional, the proposed pilot scheme also provides better
performance in CFO estimation comparing with the conventional
orthogonal pilot scheme due to the increasing of signal-tointerference
ratio.
Abstract: The effect of the number of quantum dot (QD) layers
on the saturated gain of doped QD semiconductor optical amplifiers
(SOAs) has been studied using multi-population coupled rate
equations. The developed model takes into account the effect of
carrier coupling between adjacent layers. It has been found that
increasing the number of QD layers (K) increases the unsaturated
optical gain for K
Abstract: This study examines the relevance of disclosure
practices in improving the accountability and transparency of
religious nonprofit organizations (RNPOs). The assessment of
disclosure is based on the annual returns of RNPOs for the financial
year 2010. In order to quantify the information disclosed in the
annual returns, partial disclosure indexes of basic information (BI)
disclosure index, financial information (FI) disclosure index and
governance information (GI) disclosure index have been built which
takes into account the content of information items in the annual
returns. The empirical evidence obtained revealed low disclosure
practices among RNPOs in the sample. The multiple regression
results showed that the organizational attribute of the board size
appeared to be the most significant predictor for both partial index on
the extent of BI disclosure index, and FI disclosure index. On the
other hand, the extent of financial information disclosure is related to
the amount of donation received by RNPOs. On GI disclosure index,
the existence of an external audit appeared to be significant variable.
This study has contributed to the academic literature in providing
empirical evidence of the disclosure practices among RNPOs.