Abstract: There have been significant improvements in automatic
voice recognition technology. However, existing systems still face difficulties,
particularly when used by non-native speakers with accents.
In this paper we address a problem of identifying the English accented
speech of speakers from different backgrounds. Once an accent is
identified the speech recognition software can utilise training set from
appropriate accent and therefore improve the efficiency and accuracy
of the speech recognition system. We introduced the Q factor, which
is defined by the sum of relationships between frequencies of the
formants. Four different accents were considered and experimented
for this research. A scoring method was introduced in order to
effectively analyse accents. The proposed concept indicates that the
accent could be identified by analysing their formants.
Abstract: Residual dye contents in textile dyeing wastewater have complex aromatic structures that are resistant to degrade in biological wastewater treatment. The objectives of this study were to determine the effectiveness of nanoscale zerovalent iron (NZVI) to decolorize Reactive Black 5 (RB5) and Reactive Red 198 (RR198) in synthesized wastewater and to investigate the effects of the iron particle size, iron dosage and solution pHs on the destruction of RB5 and RR198. Synthesized NZVI was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The removal kinetic rates (kobs) of RB5 (0.0109 min-1) and RR198 (0.0111 min-1) by 0.5% NZVI were many times higher than those of microscale zerovalent iron (ZVI) (0.0007 min-1 and 0.0008 min-1, respectively). The iron dosage increment exponentially increased the removal efficiencies of both RB5 and RR198. Additionally, lowering pH from 9 to 5 increased the decolorization kinetic rates of both RB5 and RR198 by NZVI. The destruction of azo bond (N=N) in the chromophore of both reactive dyes led to decolorization of dye solutions.
Abstract: The paper deals with the kinematics and automated
calculation of intermittent mechanisms with radial cams. Currently,
electronic cams are increasingly applied in the drives of working link
mechanisms. Despite a huge advantage of electronic cams in their reprogrammability
or instantaneous change of displacement diagrams,
conventional cam mechanisms have an irreplaceable role in
production and handling machines. With high frequency of working
cycle periods, the dynamic load of the proper servomotor rotor
increases and efficiency of electronic cams strongly decreases.
Though conventional intermittent mechanisms with radial cams are
representatives of fixed automation, they have distinct advantages in
their high speed (high dynamics), positional accuracy and relatively
easy manufacture. We try to remove the disadvantage of firm
displacement diagram by reducing costs for simple design and
automated calculation that leads reliably to high-quality and
inexpensive manufacture.
Abstract: Very Large and/or computationally complex optimization problems sometimes require parallel or highperformance computing for achieving a reasonable time for computation. One of the most popular and most complicate problems of this family is “Traveling Salesman Problem". In this paper we have introduced a Branch & Bound based algorithm for the solution of such complicated problems. The main focus of the algorithm is to solve the “symmetric traveling salesman problem". We reviewed some of already available algorithms and felt that there is need of new algorithm which should give optimal solution or near to the optimal solution. On the basis of the use of logarithmic sampling, it was found that the proposed algorithm produced a relatively optimal solution for the problem and results excellent performance as compared with the traditional algorithms of this series.
Abstract: Control of complex systems is one of important files in complex systems, that not only relies on the essence of complex systems which is denoted by the core concept – emergence, but also embodies the elementary concept in control theory. Aiming at giving a clear and self-contained description of emergence, the paper introduces a formal way to completely describe the formation and dynamics of emergence in complex systems. Consequently, this paper indicates the Emergence-Oriented Control methodology that contains three kinds of basic control schemes: the direct control, the system re-structuring and the system calibration. As a universal ontology, the Emergence-Oriented Control provides a powerful tool for identifying and resolving control problems in specific systems.
Abstract: In this paper, a post processing scheme is suggested
for improvement of Bit Error-Rate (BER) in optical fiber
transmission receivers. The developed scheme has been tested on
optical fiber systems operating with a non-return-to-zero (NRZ)
format at transmission rates of up to 10Gbps. The transmission
system considered is based on well known transmitters and receivers
blocks operating at wavelengths in the region of 1550 nm using a
standard single mode fiber. Performance of improved detected
signals has been evaluated via the analysis of quality factor and
computed bit error rates. Numerical simulations have shown a
noticeable improvement of the system BER after implementation of
the suggested post processing operation on the detected electrical
signals.
Abstract: Solar energy is the most “available", ecological and clean energy. This energy can be used in active or passive mode. The active mode implies the transformation of solar energy into a useful energy. The solar energy can be transformed into thermal energy, using solar collectors. In these collectors, the active and the most important element is the absorber, material which performs the absorption of solar radiation and, in at the same time, limits its reflection. The paper presents some aspects regarding the IR absorbing material – a type of cermets, used as absorber in the solar collectors, by X Ray Diffraction Technique (XRD) characterization.
Abstract: Character segmentation is an important preprocessing
step for text recognition. In degraded documents, existence of
touching characters decreases recognition rate drastically, for any
optical character recognition (OCR) system. In this paper we have
proposed a complete solution for segmenting touching characters in
all the three zones of printed Gurmukhi script. A study of touching
Gurmukhi characters is carried out and these characters have been
divided into various categories after a careful analysis. Structural
properties of the Gurmukhi characters are used for defining the
categories. New algorithms have been proposed to segment the
touching characters in middle zone, upper zone and lower zone.
These algorithms have shown a reasonable improvement in
segmenting the touching characters in degraded printed Gurmukhi
script. The algorithms proposed in this paper are applicable only to
machine printed text. We have also discussed a new and useful
technique to segment the horizontally overlapping lines.
Abstract: A comprehensive program of laboratory testing on a
compacted kaolin in a modified triaxial cell was perform to
investigate the influence of hydraulic hysteresis on effective stress in
unsaturated soils. The test data are presented on a range of constant
suction shear tests along wetting and drying paths. The values of
effective stress parameter χ at different matric suction were
determined using the test results. The effect of hydraulic hysteresis
phenomenon on the effective stress was observed. The values of
effective stress parameter χ obtained from the experiments were
compared with those obtained from the expressions proposed in
literature.
Abstract: This paper describes a finite-difference time-domainFDTD) method to analyze lightning surge propagation in electric transmission lines. Numerical computation of solving the Telegraphist-s equations is determined and investigated its effectiveness. A source of lightning surge wave on power transmission lines is modeled by using Heidler-s surge model. The
proposed method was tested against medium-voltage power
transmission lines in comparison with the solution obtained by using
lattice diagram. As a result, the calculation showed that the method is one of accurate methods to analyze transient
lightning wave in power transmission lines.
Abstract: The paper provides biomasses characteristics by
proximate analysis (volatile matter, fixed carbon and ash) and
ultimate analysis (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen) for the
prediction of the heating value equations. The heating value
estimation of various biomasses can be used as an energy evaluation.
Thirteen types of biomass were studied. Proximate analysis was
investigated by mass loss method and infrared moisture analyzer.
Ultimate analysis was analyzed by CHNO analyzer. The heating
values varied from 15 to 22.4MJ kg-1. Correlations of the calculated
heating value with proximate and ultimate analyses were undertaken
using multiple regression analysis and summarized into three and two
equations, respectively. Correlations based on proximate analysis
illustrated that deviation of calculated heating values from
experimental heating values was higher than the correlations based
on ultimate analysis.
Abstract: The paper presents the virtual model of the active
suspension system used for improving the dynamic behavior of a
motor vehicle. The study is focused on the design of the control
system, the purpose being to minimize the effect of the road
disturbances (which are considered as perturbations for the control
system). The analysis is performed for a quarter-car model, which
corresponds to the suspension system of the front wheel, by using the
DFC (Design for Control) software solution EASY5 (Engineering
Analysis Systems) of MSC Software. The controller, which is a PIDbased
device, is designed through a parametric optimization with the
Matrix Algebra Tool (MAT), considering the gain factors as design
variables, while the design objective is to minimize the overshoot of
the indicial response.
Abstract: In this paper smooth trajectories are computed in the Lie group SO(2, 1) as a motion planning problem by assigning a Frenet frame to the rigid body system to optimize the cost function of the elastic energy which is spent to track a timelike curve in Minkowski space. A method is proposed to solve a motion planning problem that minimize the integral of the square norm of Darboux vector of a timelike curve. This method uses the coordinate free Maximum Principle of Optimal control and results in the theory of integrable Hamiltonian systems. The presence of several conversed quantities inherent in these Hamiltonian systems aids in the explicit computation of the rigid body motions.
Abstract: The main objective of our study is to collect data
about the profile of the asthmatic patients in Assam and thereby have
a comprehensive knowledge of the factors influencing the asthmatic
patients of the state and their medication pattern. We developed a
search strategy to find any publication about the community based
survey asthma related and used. These to search the MEDLINE
(1996 to current literature) CINAHL DOAJ pubmed databases using
the key phrases, Asthma, Respiratory disorders, Drug therapy of
Asthma, database decision support system and asthma. The
appropriate literature was printed out from the online source and
library (Journal) source. The study was conducted through a set of
structured and non-structured questionnaires targeted on the
asthmatic patients belonging to the rural and urban areas of Assam,
during the month of Dec 2006 to July 2007, 138 cases were studied
in Gauwathi Medical College & Hospital located in Bhangagarh,
Assam in India. The demographic characteristics a factor in 138
patients with asthma with allergic rhinitis (cases) gives the detail
profile of asthmatic patient-s distribution of Assam as classified on
the basis of age and sex. It is evident from the study that male
populations (66%) are more prone to asthma as compared to the
females (34%).Another striking features that emerged from this
survey is the maximum prevalence of asthma in the age group of 20-
30 years followed by infants belonging to the age group of 7 (0.05%)
0-10years among both male and female populations of Assam. The
high incidence of asthma in the age group of 20-30 years may
probably be due to the allergy arising out of sudden exposure to dust
and pollen which the children face while playing and going to the
school. The rural females in the age group of 30-40 years are more
prone to asthma than urban females in the same age group may be
due to sex differentiation among the tribal population of the state.
Pharmacists should educate the asthmatics how to use inhalers
considering growing menace of asthma in the state. Safer drugs
should be produced in the form of aerosol so that easy administration
by the asthmatic patients and physicians of the state is possible for
curing asthma. The health centers should be more equipped with the
medicines to cure asthma in the state like Assam.
Abstract: The emergence of person-centred discourse based
around notions of 'personal development planning- and 'work'life
balance' has taken hold in education and the workplace in recent
years. This paper examines this discourse with regard to recent
developments in higher education as well as the inter-related issue of
work-life balance in occupational careers. In both cases there have
been national and trans-national policy initiatives directed towards
improving both personal opportunities and competitive advantage in
a global knowledge-based economy. However, despite an increasing
concern with looking outward at this globalised educational and
employment marketplace, there is something of a paradox in
encouraging people to look inward at themselves in order to become
more self-determined. This apparent paradox is considered from a
discourse analytic perspective in terms of the ideological effects of an
increasing concern with the personal world. Specifically, it is argued
that there are tensions that emerge from a concern with an innerdirected
process of self-reflection that dissolve any engagement with
wider political issues that impact upon educational and career
development.
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of
mean size of industry on survival of new firms in East-Azarbaijan
province through 1981-2006 using hazard function. So the effect of
two variables including mean employment of industry and mean
capital of industry are investigated on firm's survival. The Industry &
Mine Ministry database has used for data gathering and the data are
analyzed using the semi-parametric cox regression model. The results
of this study shows that there is a meaningful negative relationship
between mean capital of industry and firm's survival, but the mean
employment of industry has no meaningful effect on survival of new
firms.
Abstract: Due to important issues, such as deadlock, starvation,
communication, non-deterministic behavior and synchronization,
concurrent systems are very complex, sensitive, and error-prone.
Thus ensuring reliability and accuracy of these systems is very
essential. Therefore, there has been a big interest in the formal
specification of concurrent programs in recent years. Nevertheless,
some features of concurrent systems, such as dynamic process
creation, scheduling and starvation have not been specified formally
yet. Also, some other features have been specified partially and/or
have been described using a combination of several different
formalisms and methods whose integration needs too much effort. In
other words, a comprehensive and integrated specification that could
cover all aspects of concurrent systems has not been provided yet.
Thus, this paper makes two major contributions: firstly, it provides a
comprehensive formal framework to specify all well-known features
of concurrent systems. Secondly, it provides an integrated
specification of these features by using just a single formal notation,
i.e., the Z language.
Abstract: The present paper deals with the experimental and
computational study of axial collapse of the aluminum metallic shells
having combined tube-frusta geometry between two parallel plates.
Shells were having bottom two third lengths as frusta and remaining
top one third lengths as tube. Shells were compressed to recognize
their modes of collapse and associated energy absorption capability.
An axisymmetric Finite Element computational model of collapse
process is presented and analysed, using a non-linear FE code
FORGE2. Six noded isoparametric triangular elements were used to
discretize the deforming shell. The material of the shells was
idealized as rigid visco-plastic. To validate the computational model
experimental and computed results of the deformed shapes and their
corresponding load-compression and energy-compression curves
were compared. With the help of the obtained results progress of the
axisymmetric mode of collapse has been presented, analysed and
discussed.
Abstract: The problem of agricultural-soil pollution is closely
linked to the production of ecologically pure foodstuffs and to human health. An important task, therefore, is to rehabilitate agricultural
soils with the help of state-of-the-art biotechnologies, based on the use of metal-accumulating plants. In this work, on the basis of
literature data and the results of prior research from this laboratory, plants were selected for which the growing technology is well
developed and which are widespread locally: sugar sorghum (Sorghum saccharatum), sudangrass (Sorghum sudanense (Piper.)
Stapf.), and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). I report on laboratory
experiments designed to study the influence of synthetic indole-3-
acetic acid and the extracellular indole-3-acetic acid released by the
plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium Azospirillum brasilense Sp245 on growth of and arsenic accumulation by these plants.
Abstract: Text categorization is the problem of classifying text
documents into a set of predefined classes. After a preprocessing
step, the documents are typically represented as large sparse vectors.
When training classifiers on large collections of documents, both the
time and memory restrictions can be quite prohibitive. This justifies
the application of feature selection methods to reduce the
dimensionality of the document-representation vector. In this paper,
three feature selection methods are evaluated: Random Selection,
Information Gain (IG) and Support Vector Machine feature selection
(called SVM_FS). We show that the best results were obtained with
SVM_FS method for a relatively small dimension of the feature
vector. Also we present a novel method to better correlate SVM
kernel-s parameters (Polynomial or Gaussian kernel).