Abstract: Biodiesel is one of the alternative fuels that promising
for substituting petro diesel as energy source which is advantage on
sustainability and ecofriendly. Due to the raw material that tend to
decompose during storage, biodiesel also have the same characteristic
that tend to decompose and formed higher acid value which is the
result of oxidation to double bond on a chain of ester. Decomposition of biodiesel due to oxidation reaction could
prevent by introduce a small amount of antioxidant. The origin of raw
materials and the process for producing biodiesel will determine the
effectiveness of antioxidant. The quality degradation on biodiesel
could evaluate by measuring iodine value and acid number of
biodiesel. Biodiesel made from high fatty acid Jatropha curcas oil by using
esterification and transesterification process will stand on the quality
by introduce 90 ppm pyrogallol powder on the biodiesel, which could
increase Induction period time from 2 hours to more than 6 hours in
rancimat test evaluation.
Abstract: Currently, green rating systems are mainly utilized for
correctly sizing mechanical and electrical systems, which have short
lifetime expectancies. In these systems, passive solar and bio-climatic
architecture, which have long lifetime expectancies, are neglected.
Urban rating systems consider buildings and services in addition to
neighborhoods and public transportation as integral parts of the built
environment. The main goal of this study was to develop a more
consistent point allocation system for urban building standards by
using six different lifetime shearing layers: Site, Structure, Skin,
Services, Space, and Stuff, each reflecting distinct environmental
damages. This shearing-layer concept was applied to internationally
well-known rating systems: Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) for Neighborhood Development, BRE
Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) for Communities
and Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental
Efficiency (CASBEE) for Urban Development. The results showed
that LEED for Neighborhood Development and BREEAM for
Communities focused on long-lifetime-expectancy building designs,
whereas CASBEE for Urban Development gave equal importance to
the Building and Service Layers. Moreover, although this rating
system was applied using a building-scale assessment, “Urban Area +
Buildings” focuses on a short-lifetime-expectancy system design,
neglecting to improve the architectural design by considering bioclimatic
and passive solar aspects.
Abstract: Mobile Adhoc Networks (MANETs) are
infrastructure-less, dynamic network of collections of wireless mobile
nodes communicating with each other without any centralized
authority. A MANET is a mobile device of interconnections through
wireless links, forming a dynamic topology. Routing protocols have a
big role in data transmission across a network. Routing protocols,
two major classifications are unipath and multipath. This study
evaluates performance of an on-demand multipath routing protocol
named Adhoc On-demand Multipath Distance Vector routing
(AOMDV). This study proposes Energy Aware AOMDV (EAAOMDV)
an extension of AOMDV which decreases energy
consumed on a route.
Abstract: The synthesis of CuFe2O4 spinel powders by an
optimized combustion-like process followed by calcination is
described herein. The samples were characterized using X-ray
diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA), scanning
electron microscopy (SEM), dilatometry and 4-probe DC methods.
Different glycine to nitrate (G/N) ratios of 1 (fuel-deficient), 1.48
(stoichiometric) and 2 (fuel-rich) were employed. Calcining the asprepared
powders at 800 and 1000°C for 5 hours showed that the G/N
ratio of 2 results in the formation of the desired copper spinel single
phase at both calcination temperatures. For G/N=1, formation of
CuFe2O4 takes place in three steps. First, iron and copper nitrates
decompose to iron oxide and pure copper. Then, copper transforms to
copper oxide and finally, copper and iron oxides react with each other
to form a copper ferrite spinel phase. The electrical conductivity and
the coefficient of thermal expansion of the sintered pelletized
samples were 2 S.cm-1 (800°C) and 11×10-6 °C-1 (25-800°C),
respectively.
Abstract: Most of the existing video streaming protocols
provide video services without considering security aspects in
decentralized mobile ad-hoc networks. The security policies adapted
to the currently existing non-streaming protocols, do not comply with
the live video streaming protocols resulting in considerable
vulnerability, high bandwidth consumption and unreliability which
cause severe security threats, low bandwidth and error prone
transmission respectively in video streaming applications. Therefore
a synergized methodology is required to reduce vulnerability and
bandwidth consumption, and enhance reliability in the video
streaming applications in MANET. To ensure the security measures
with reduced bandwidth consumption and improve reliability of the
video streaming applications, a Secure Low-bandwidth Video
Streaming through Reliable Multipath Propagation (SLVRMP)
protocol architecture has been proposed by incorporating the two
algorithms namely Secure Low-bandwidth Video Streaming
Algorithm and Reliable Secure Multipath Propagation Algorithm
using Layered Video Coding in non-overlapping zone routing
network topology. The performances of the proposed system are
compared to those of the other existing secure multipath protocols
Sec-MR, SPREAD using NS 2.34 and the simulation results show
that the performances of the proposed system get considerably
improved.
Abstract: The enormous amount of information stored on the
web increases from one day to the next, exposing the web currently
faced with the inevitable difficulties of research pertinent information
that users really want. The problem today is not limited to expanding
the size of the information highways, but to design a system for
intelligent search. The vast majority of this information is stored in
relational databases, which in turn represent a backend for managing
RDF data of the semantic web. This problem has motivated us to
write this paper in order to establish an effective approach to support
semantic transformation algorithm for SPARQL queries to SQL
queries, more precisely SPARQL SELECT queries; by adopting this
method, the relational database can be questioned easily with
SPARQL queries maintaining the same performance.
Abstract: The output error of the globoidal cam mechanism can
be considered as a relevant indicator of mechanism performance,
because it determines kinematic and dynamical behavior of
mechanical transmission. Based on the differential geometry and the
rigid body transformations, the mathematical model of surface
geometry of the globoidal cam is established. Then we present the
analytical expression of the output error (including the transmission
error and the displacement error along the output axis) by considering
different manufacture and assembly errors. The effects of the center
distance error, the perpendicular error between input and output axes
and the rotational angle error of the globoidal cam on the output error
are systematically analyzed. A globoidal cam mechanism which is
widely used in automatic tool changer of CNC machines is applied for
illustration. Our results show that the perpendicular error and the
rotational angle error have little effects on the transmission error but
have great effects on the displacement error along the output axis. This
study plays an important role in the design, manufacture and assembly
of the globoidal cam mechanism.
Abstract: Live video streaming is one of the most widely used
service among end users, yet it is a big challenge for the network
operators in terms of quality. The only way to provide excellent
Quality of Experience (QoE) to the end users is continuous
monitoring of live video streaming. For this purpose, there are several
objective algorithms available that monitor the quality of the video in
a live stream. Subjective tests play a very important role in fine
tuning the results of objective algorithms. As human perception is
considered to be the most reliable source for assessing the quality of a
video stream subjective tests are conducted in order to develop more
reliable objective algorithms. Temporal impairments in a live video
stream can have a negative impact on the end users. In this paper we
have conducted subjective evaluation tests on a set of video
sequences containing temporal impairment known as frame freezing.
Frame Freezing is considered as a transmission error as well as a
hardware error which can result in loss of video frames on the
reception side of a transmission system. In our subjective tests, we
have performed tests on videos that contain a single freezing event
and also for videos that contain multiple freezing events. We have
recorded our subjective test results for all the videos in order to give a
comparison on the available No Reference (NR) objective
algorithms. Finally, we have shown the performance of no reference
algorithms used for objective evaluation of videos and suggested the
algorithm that works better. The outcome of this study shows the
importance of QoE and its effect on human perception. The results
for the subjective evaluation can serve the purpose for validating
objective algorithms.
Abstract: In this paper, we consider a cognitive relay network
(CRN) in which the primary receiver (PR) is protected by peak
transmit power ¯PST and/or peak interference power Q constraints.
In addition, the interference effect from the primary transmitter (PT)
is considered to show its impact on the performance of the CRN. We
investigate the outage probability (OP) and outage capacity (OC) of
the CRN by deriving closed-form expressions over Rayleigh fading
channel. Results show that both the OP and OC improve by increasing
the cooperative relay nodes as well as when the PT is far away from
the SR.
Abstract: This paper shows the general perceptions of Spanish
university stakeholders in relation to the university’s annual reports
and the adequacy and potential of intellectual capital reporting. To
this end, a questionnaire was designed and sent to every member of
the Social Councils of Spanish public universities. It was thought that
these participants would provide a good example of the attitude of
university stakeholders since they represent the different social
groups connected with universities. From the results of this study we
are in the position of confirming the need for universities to offer
information on intellectual capital in their accounting information
model.
Abstract: Transparent nickel doped cobalt sulfide was fabricated
on a SnO2:F electrode and tested as an efficient electrocatalyst and as
an alternative to the expensive platinum counter electrode. In order to
investigate how this electrode could affect the electrical
characteristics of a dye-sensitized solar cell, we manufactured cells
with the same TiO2 photoanode sensitized with dye (N719) and
employing the same quasi-solid electrolyte, altering only the counter
electrode used. The cells were electrically and electrochemically
characterized and it was observed that the ones with the Ni doped
CoS2 outperformed the efficiency of the cells with the Pt counter
electrode (3.76% and 3.44% respectively). Particularly, the higher
efficiency of the cells with the Ni doped CoS2 counter electrode (CE)
is mainly because of the enhanced photocurrent density which is
attributed to the enhanced electrocatalytic ability of the CE and the
low charge transfer resistance at the CE/electrolyte interface.
Abstract: The quantitative study of cell mechanics is of
paramount interest, since it regulates the behaviour of the living cells
in response to the myriad of extracellular and intracellular
mechanical stimuli. The novel experimental techniques together with
robust computational approaches have given rise to new theories and
models, which describe cell mechanics as combination of
biomechanical and biochemical processes. This review paper
encapsulates the existing continuum-based computational approaches
that have been developed for interpreting the mechanical responses of
living cells under different loading and boundary conditions. The
salient features and drawbacks of each model are discussed from both
structural and biological points of view. This discussion can
contribute to the development of even more precise and realistic
computational models of cell mechanics based on continuum
approaches or on their combination with microstructural approaches,
which in turn may provide a better understanding of
mechanotransduction in living cells.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the English
version and a Malay translation of the 21-item Learner Awareness
Questionnaire for its application to assess student learning in higher
education. The Learner Awareness Questionnaire, originally written
in English, is a quantitative measure of how and why students learn.
The questionnaire gives an indication of the process and motives to
learn using four scales: survival, establishing stability, approval and
loving to learn. Data in the present study came from 680 university
students enrolled in various programmes in Malaysia. The Malay
version of the questionnaire supported a similar four factor structure
and internal consistency to the English version. The four factors of
the Malay version also showed moderate to strong correlations with
those of the English versions. The results suggest that the Malay
version of the questionnaire is similar to the English version.
However, further refinement to the questions is needed to strengthen
the correlations between the two questionnaires.
Abstract: DNA Barcode provides good sources of needed
information to classify living species. The classification problem has
to be supported with reliable methods and algorithms. To analyze
species regions or entire genomes, it becomes necessary to use the
similarity sequence methods. A large set of sequences can be
simultaneously compared using Multiple Sequence Alignment which
is known to be NP-complete. However, all the used methods are still
computationally very expensive and require significant computational
infrastructure. Our goal is to build predictive models that are highly
accurate and interpretable. In fact, our method permits to avoid the
complex problem of form and structure in different classes of
organisms. The empirical data and their classification performances
are compared with other methods. Evenly, in this study, we present
our system which is consisted of three phases. The first one, is called
transformation, is composed of three sub steps; Electron-Ion
Interaction Pseudopotential (EIIP) for the codification of DNA
Barcodes, Fourier Transform and Power Spectrum Signal Processing.
Moreover, the second phase step is an approximation; it is
empowered by the use of Multi Library Wavelet Neural Networks
(MLWNN). Finally, the third one, is called the classification of DNA
Barcodes, is realized by applying the algorithm of hierarchical
classification.
Abstract: In this paper, the specific sound Transmission Loss
(TL) of the Laminated Composite Plate (LCP) with different material
properties in each layer is investigated. The numerical method to
obtain the TL of the LCP is proposed by using elastic plate theory. The
transfer matrix approach is novelty presented for computational
efficiency in solving the numerous layers of dynamic stiffness matrix
(D-matrix) of the LCP. Besides the numerical simulations for
calculating the TL of the LCP, the material properties inverse method
is presented for the design of a laminated composite plate analogous to
a metallic plate with a specified TL. As a result, it demonstrates that
the proposed computational algorithm exhibits high efficiency with a
small number of iterations for achieving the goal. This method can be
effectively employed to design and develop tailor-made materials for
various applications.
Abstract: The effects of flame-holder position, the ratio of flame
holder diameter to combustion chamber diameter and injection angle
on fuel propulsive droplets sizing and effective mass fraction have
been studied by a cold flow. We named the mass of fuel vapor inside
the flammability limit as the effective mass fraction. An empty
cylinder as well as a flame-holder which are a simulator for duct
combustion has been considered. The airflow comes into the cylinder
from one side and injection operation will be done by four nozzles
which are located on the entrance of cylinder. To fulfill the
calculations a modified version of KIVA-3V code which is a
transient, three-dimensional, multiphase, multi component code for
the analysis of chemically reacting flows with sprays, is used.
Abstract: Distillery spentwash contains high chemical oxygen
demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), color, total
dissolved solids (TDS) and other contaminants even after biological
treatment. The effluent can’t be discharged as such in the surface
water bodies or land without further treatment. Reverse osmosis (RO)
treatment plants have been installed in many of the distilleries at
tertiary level in many of the distilleries in India, but are not properly
working due to fouling problem which is caused by the presence of
high concentration of organic matter and other contaminants in
biologically treated spentwash. In order to make the membrane
treatment a proven and reliable technology, proper pre-treatment is
mandatory. In the present study, ultra-filtration (UF) for pretreatment
of RO at tertiary stage has been performed. Operating
parameters namely initial pH (pHo: 2–10), trans-membrane pressure
(TMP: 4-20 bars) and temperature (T: 15-43°C) were used for
conducting experiments with UF system. Experiments were
optimized at different operating parameters in terms of COD, color,
TDS and TOC removal by using response surface methodology
(RSM) with central composite design. The results showed that
removal of COD, color and TDS was 62%, 93.5% and 75.5%
respectively, with UF, at optimized conditions with increased
permeate flux from 17.5 l/m2/h (RO) to 38 l/m2/h (UF-RO). The
performance of the RO system was greatly improved both in term of
pollutant removal as well as water recovery.
Abstract: Superabsorbent polymers received much attention and
are used in many fields because of their superior characters to
traditional absorbents, e.g., sponge and cotton. So, it is very
important but challenging to prepare highly and fast-swelling
superabsorbents. A reliable, efficient and low-cost technique for
removing heavy metal ions from wastewater is the adsorption using
bio-adsorbents obtained from biological materials, such as
polysaccharides-based hydrogels superabsorbents. In this study, novel multi-functional superabsorbent composites
type semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (Semi-IPNs) were
prepared via graft polymerization of acrylamide onto chitosan
backbone in presence of gelatin, CTS-g-PAAm/Ge, using potassium
persulfate and N,N’-methylene bisacrylamide as initiator and
crosslinker, respectively. These hydrogels were also partially
hydrolyzed to achieve superabsorbents with ampholytic properties
and uppermost swelling capacity. The formation of the grafted
network was evidenced by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
(ATR-FTIR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The porous
structures were observed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).
From TGA analysis, it was concluded that the incorporation of the Ge
in the CTS-g-PAAm network has marginally affected its thermal
stability. The effect of gelatin content on the swelling capacities of
these superabsorbent composites was examined in various media
(distilled water, saline and pH-solutions). The water absorbency was
enhanced by adding Ge in the network, where the optimum value was
reached at 2 wt. % of Ge. Their hydrolysis has not only greatly
optimized their absorption capacity but also improved the swelling
kinetic.These materials have also showed reswelling ability. We
believe that these super-absorbing materials would be very effective
for the adsorption of harmful metal ions from wastewater.
Abstract: In the cooperative transmission scheme, both the
cellular system and broadcasting system are composed. Two cellular
base stations (CBSs) communicating with a user in the cell edge use
cooperative transmission scheme in the conventional scheme. In the
case that the distance between two CBSs and the user is distant, the
conventional scheme does not guarantee the quality of the
communication because the channel condition is bad. Therefore, if the
distance between CBSs and a user is distant, the performance of the
conventional scheme is decreased. Also, the bad channel condition has
bad effects on the performance. The proposed scheme uses two relays
to communicate well with CBSs when the channel condition between
CBSs and the user is poor. Using the relay in the high attenuation
environment can obtain both advantages of the high bit error rate
(BER) and throughput performance.
Abstract: This paper investigates the parametric stability of an
axially moving web subjected to non-uniform in-plane edge
excitations on two opposite, simply-supported edges. The web is
modeled as a viscoelastic plate whose constitutive relation obeys the
Kelvin-Voigt model, and the in-plane edge excitations are expressed
as the sum of a static tension and a periodical perturbation. Due to the
in-plane edge excitations, the moving plate may bring about
parametric instability under certain situations. First, the in-plane
stresses of the plate due to the non-uniform edge excitations are
determined by solving the in-plane forced vibration problem. Then,
the dependence on the spatial coordinates in the equation of transverse
motion is eliminated by the generalized Galerkin method, which
results in a set of discretized system equations in time. Finally, the
method of multiple scales is utilized to solve the set of system
equations analytically if the periodical perturbation of the in-plane
edge excitations is much smaller as compared with the static tension of
the plate, from which the stability boundaries of the moving plate are
obtained. Numerical results reveal that only combination resonances
of the summed-type appear under the in-plane edge excitations
considered in this work.