Abstract: This paper studies the optimum design for reducing
optical loss of an 8x8 mechanical type optical switch due to the
temperature change. The 8x8 optical switch is composed of a base, 8
input fibers, 8 output fibers, 3 fixed mirrors and 17 movable mirrors.
First, an innovative switch configuration is proposed with
thermal-compensated design. Most mechanical type optical switches
have a disadvantage that their precision and accuracy are influenced
by the ambient temperature. Therefore, the thermal-compensated
design is to deal with this situation by using materials with different
thermal expansion coefficients (α). Second, a parametric modeling
program is developed to generate solid models for finite element
analysis, and the thermal and structural behaviors of the switch are
analyzed. Finally, an integrated optimum design program, combining
Autodesk Inventor Professional software, finite element analysis
software, and genetic algorithms, is developed for improving the
thermal behaviors that the optical loss of the switch is reduced. By
changing design parameters of the switch in the integrated design
program, the final optimum design that satisfies the design constraints
and specifications can be found.
Abstract: Place is a where dimension formed by people-s
relationship with physical settings, individual and group activities,
and meanings. 'Place Attachment', 'Place Identity'and 'Sense of
Place' are some concepts that could describe the quality of people-s
relationships with a place. The concept of Sense of place is used in
studying human-place bonding, attachment and place meaning. Sense
of Place usually is defined as an overarching impression
encompassing the general ways in which people feel about places,
senses it, and assign concepts and values to it. Sense of place is
highlighted in this article as one of the prevailing concepts among
place-based researches. Considering dimensions of sense of place has
always been beneficial for investigating public place attachment and
pro-environmental attitudes towards these places. The creation or
preservation of Sense of place is important in maintaining the quality
of the environment as well as the integrity of human life within it.
While many scholars argued that sense of place is a vague concept,
this paper will summarize and analyze the existing seminal literature.
Therefore, in this paper first the concept of Sense of place and its
characteristics will be examined afterward the scales of Sense of
place will be reviewed and the factors that contribute to form Sense
of place will be evaluated and finally Place Attachment as an
objective dimension for measuring the sense of place will be
described.
Abstract: The seemingly ambiguous title of this paper – use of the terms maturity and innovation in concord – signifies the imperative of every organisation within the competitive domain. Where organisational maturity and innovativeness were traditionally considered antonymous, the assimilation of these two seemingly contradictory notions is fundamental to the assurance of long-term organisational prosperity. Organisations are required, now more than ever, to grow and mature their innovation capability – rending consistent innovative outputs. This paper describes research conducted to consolidate the principles of innovation and identify the fundamental components that constitute organisational innovation capability. The process of developing an Innovation Capability Maturity Model is presented. A brief description is provided of the basic components of the model, followed by a description of the case studies that were conducted to evaluate the model. The paper concludes with a summary of the findings and potential future research.
Abstract: Globalization, supported by information and
communication technologies, changes the rules of competitiveness
and increases the significance of information, knowledge and
network cooperation. In line with this trend, the need for efficient
trust-building tools has emerged. The absence of trust building
mechanisms and strategies was identified within several studies.
Through trust development, participation on e-business network and
usage of network services will increase and provide to SMEs new
economic benefits. This work is focused on effective trust building
strategies development for electronic business network platforms.
Based on trust building mechanism identification, the questionnairebased
analysis of its significance and minimum level of requirements
was conducted. In the paper, we are confirming the trust dependency
on e-Skills which play crucial role in higher level of trust into the
more sophisticated and complex trust building ICT solutions.
Abstract: In this research the Preparation of Land use map of
scanner LISS III satellite data, belonging to the IRS in the Aghche
region in Isfahan province, is studied carefully. For this purpose, the
IRS satellite images of August 2008 and various land preparation
uses in region including rangelands, irrigation farming, dry farming,
gardens and urban areas were separated and identified. Therefore, the
GPS and Erdas Imaging software were used and three methods of
Maximum Likelihood, Mahalanobis Distance and Minimum Distance
were analyzed. In each of these methods, matrix error and Kappa
index were calculated and accuracy of each method, based on
percentages: 53.13, 56.64 and 48.44, were obtained respectively.
Considering the low accuracy of these methods in separation of land
preparation use, the visual interpretation of the map was used.
Finally, regional visits of 150 points were noted at random and no
error was observed. It shows that the map prepared by visual
interpretation is in high accuracy. Although the probable errors due
to visual interpretation and geometric correction might happen but
the desired accuracy of the map which is more than 85 percent is
reliable.
Abstract: Heat Index describes the combined effect of
temperature and humidity on human body. This combined effect is
causing a serious threat to the health of people because of the
changing climate. With climate change, climate variability and thus
the occurrence of heat waves is likely to increase. Evidence is
emerging from the analysis of long-term climate records of an
increase in the frequency and duration of extreme temperature events
in all over Bangladesh particularly during summer. Summer season
has prolonged while winters have become short in Bangladesh.
Summers have become hotter and thus affecting the lives of the
people engaged in outdoor activities during scorching sun hours. In
2003 around 62 people died due to heat wave across the country. In
this paper Bangladesh is divided in four regions and heat index has
been calculated from 1960 to 2010 in these regions of the country.
The aim of this paper is to identify the spots most vulnerable to heat
strokes and heat waves due to high heat index. The results show
upward trend of heat index in almost all the regions of Bangladesh.
The highest increase in heat index value has been observed in areas
of South-west region and North-west Region. The highest change in
average heat index has been found in Jessore by almost 5.50C.
Abstract: In the present work, study of the vibration of thin cylindrical shells made of a functionally gradient material (FGM) composed of stainless steel and nickel is presented. Material properties are graded in the thickness direction of the shell according to volume fraction power law distribution. The objective is to study the natural frequencies, the influence of constituent volume fractions and the effects of boundary conditions on the natural frequencies of the FG cylindrical shell. The study is carried out using third order shear deformation shell theory. The analysis is carried out using Hamilton's principle. The governing equations of motion of FG cylindrical shells are derived based on shear deformation theory. Results are presented on the frequency characteristics, influence of constituent volume fractions and the effects of free-free and clamped-clamped boundary conditions.
Abstract: The psychological well-being of a family is a subjective matter for evaluation, all the more when it involves the element of religions, whether Islam, Christianity, Buddhism or Hinduism. Each of these religions emphasises similar values and morals on family psychological well-being. This comparative study is specifically to determine the role of religion on family psychological well-being in Pekan district, Pahang, Malaysia. The study adopts a quantitative and qualitative mixed method design and considers a total of 412 samples of parents and children for the quantitative study, and 21 samples for the qualitative study. The quantitative study uses simple random sampling, whereas the qualitative sampling is purposive. The instrument for quantitative study is Ryff’s Psychological Well-being Scale and the qualitative study involves the construction of a guidelines protocol for in-depth interviews of respondents. The quantitative study uses the SPSS version .19 with One Way Anova, and the qualitative analysis is manual based on transcripts with specific codes and themes. The results show nonsignificance, that is, no significant difference among religions in all family psychological well-being constructs in the comparison of Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism, thereby accepting a null hypothesis and rejecting an alternative hypothesis. The qualitative study supports the quantitative study, that is, all 21 respondents explain that no difference exists in psychological wellbeing in the comparison of teachings in all the religious mentioned. These implications may be used as guidelines for government and non-government bodies in considering religion as an important element in family psychological well-being in the long run.
Abstract: In order to compare vertical stratification, floristic composition, and woody species diversity of subtropical evergreen broadleaf forests between the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan, and South China, tree censuses in a 400 m2 plot in Ishigaki Island and a 1225 m2 plot in Dinghushan Nature Reserve were performed. Both of the subtropical forests consisted of five vertical strata. The floristic composition of the Ishigaki forest was quite different from that of the Dinghushan forest in terms of similarity on a species level (Kuno-s similarity index r0 = 0.05). The values of Shannon-s index H' and Pielou-s index J ' tended to increase from the bottom stratum upward in both forests, except H' for the top stratum in the Ishigaki forest and the upper two strata in the Dinghushan forest. The woody species diversity in the Dinghushan forest (H'= 3.01 bit) was much lower than that in the Ishigaki forest (H'= 4.36 bit).
Abstract: This paper has examined the energy consumption characteristics in six different buildings including apartments, offices, commercial buildings, hospitals, hotels and educational facilities. Then 5-hectare (50000m2) development site for respective building-s type has been assumed as case study to evaluate the introduction effect of Combined Heat and Power (CHP). All kinds of CHP systems with different distributed generation technologies including Gas Turbine (GT), Gas Engine (GE), Diesel Engine (DE), Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) and Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEFC), have been simulated by using HEATMAP, CHP system analysis software. And their primary energy utilization efficiency, energy saving ratio and CO2 reduction ratio have evaluated and compared respectively. The results can be summarized as follows: Various buildings have their special heat to power ratio characteristics. Matching the heat to power ratio demanded from an individual building with that supplied from a CHP system is very important. It is necessary to select a reasonable distributed generation technologies according to the load characteristics of various buildings. Distributed generation technologies with high energy generating efficiency and low heat to power ratio, like SOFC and PEFC is more reasonable selection for Building Combined Heat and Power (BCHP). CHP system is an attractive option for hotels, hospitals and apartments in Japan. The users can achieve high energy saving and environmental benefit by introducing a CHP systems. In others buildings, especially like commercial buildings and offices, the introduction of CHP system is unreasonable.
Abstract: When the characteristic length of an elastic solid is
down to the nanometer level, its deformation behavior becomes size
dependent. Surface energy /surface stress have recently been applied
to explain such dependency. In this paper, the effect of
strain-independent surface stress on the deformation of an isotropic
elastic solid containing a nanosized elliptical hole is studied by the
finite element method. Two loading cases are considered, in the first
case, hoop stress along the rim of the elliptical hole induced by pure
surface stress is studied, in the second case, hoop stress around the
elliptical opening under combined remote tension and surface stress is
investigated. It has been shown that positive surface stress induces
compressive hoop stress along the hole, and negative surface stress has
opposite effect, maximum hoop stress occurs near the major semi-axes
of the ellipse. Under combined loading of remote tension and surface
stress, stress concentration around the hole can be either intensified or
weakened depending on the sign of the surface stress.
Abstract: The impeller and the casing are the key components of
a centrifugal pump. Although there have been many studies on the
impeller and the volute casing of centrifugal pump, further study of the
volute casing to improve the performance of centrifugal pumps is
needed. In this paper, the effect of cross-sectional area on the
performance of volute casing was investigated using a commercial
CFD code. The performance characteristics, not only at the off-design
point but also for a full type model are required these days. So we
conducted numerical analysis for all operating points by using
complete geometry through transient analysis. Transient analysis on
the complete geometry of a real product has the advantage of
simulating realistic flow. The results of this study show the variation of
a performance curve by modifying the above-mentioned design
parameter.
Abstract: A kind of crash energy absorption structure adopted by vehicle simulator crash testing equipment based on mechanical energy
storage was studied. Dynamic explicit finite element simulation was achieved for thin-walled tube structure under different conditions of
section shape, thickness and inducement groove style. Crash energy absorption property of the structure was obtained. After optimization,
a reasonable structure was given which can meet current vehicle crash regulation. And the optimized structure can be adopted in vehicle
simulator, which can increase the practicability of the testing
equipment.
Abstract: During the last decade Panicum virgatum, known as
Switchgrass, has been broadly studied because of its remarkable
attributes as a substitute pasture and as a functional biofuel source.
The objective of this investigation was to establish soil suitability for
Switchgrass in the State of Mississippi. A linear weighted additive
model was developed to forecast soil suitability. Multicriteria
analysis and Sensitivity analysis were utilized to adjust and optimize
the model. The model was fit using seven years of field data
associated with soils characteristics collected from Natural Resources
Conservation System - United States Department of Agriculture
(NRCS-USDA). The best model was selected by correlating
calculated biomass yield with each model's soils-based output for
Switchgrass suitability. Coefficient of determination (r2) was the
decisive factor used to establish the 'best' soil suitability model.
Coefficients associated with the 'best' model were implemented
within a Geographic Information System (GIS) to create a map of
relative soil suitability for Switchgrass in Mississippi. A Geodatabase
associated with soil parameters was built and is available for future
Geographic Information System use.
Abstract: In this paper, the ice melting in rectangular,
cylindrical and conical forms, which are erected vertically against air
flow, are experimentally studied in the free convection regime.The
results obtained are: Nusslet Number, heat transfer coefficient
andGrashof Number, and the variations of the said numbers in
relation to the time. The variations of ice slab area and volume are
measured, too.
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: With the proliferation of Weblogs (blogs) use in
educational contexts, gaining a better understanding of why
students are willing to utilize blog systems has become an
important topic for practitioners and academics. While perceived
enjoyment has been found to have a significant influence on
behavioral intentions to use blogs or hedonic systems, few studies
have investigated the antecedents of perceived enjoyment in the
acceptance of blogging. The main purpose of the present study is to
explore the individual difference antecedents of perceived
enjoyment and examine how they influence behavioral intention to
blog through the mediation of perceived enjoyment. Based on the
previous literature, the Big Five personality traits (i.e.,
extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and
openness to experience), as well as computer self-efficacy and
personal innovation in information technology (PIIT), are
hypothesized as potential antecedents of perceived enjoyment in
the acceptance of blogging. Data collected from 358 respondents in
Taiwan are tested against the research model using the structural
equation modeling approach. The results indicate that extraversion,
agreeableness, conscientiousness, and PIIT have a significant
influence on perceived enjoyment, which in turn significantly
influences the behavioral intention to blog. These findings lead to
several important implications for future research.
Abstract: The study is based on the assumption that media products are appropriate subjects for the exploration of social and cultural identities as a keystone of value orientations of their authors, producers and target audiences. The research object of the study is the title page of the book cover of a professional publication that serves as a medium of marketing, scientific and intercultural communication, which is the result of semiotic and intercultural transfer. The study aims to answer the question whether the book cover is an expression of conceptualization and tool for social identity construction. It attempts to determine what value orientations and what concepts of social and cultural identities are hidden in the narrative structures of the book cover of the Czech translation of the book by G. Ritzer The McDonaldization of Society (1993), issued after the fall of the iron curtain in 1996 in the Czech Republic.
Abstract: The relationship between different types of Molybdenum disulfide greases under extreme pressure loading and different speed situations have been studied using Design of Experiment (DOE) under 1200rpm steady state rotational speed and cyclic frequencies between 2400 and 1200rpm using a Plint machine software to set up the different rotational speed situations.
Research described here is aimed at providing good friction and wear performance while optimizing cyclic frequencies and MoS2 concentration due to the recent concern about grease behavior in extreme pressure applications. Extreme load of 785 Newton was used in conjunction with different cyclic frequencies (2400rpm -3.75min, 1200rpm -7.5min, 2400rpm -3.75min, 1200rpm -7.5min), to examine lithium based grease with and without MoS2 for equal number of revolutions, and a total run of 36000 revolutions; then compared to 1200rpm steady speed for the same total number of revolutions. 4 Ball wear tester was utilized to run large number of experiments randomly selected by the DOE software. The grease was combined with fine grade MoS2 or technical grade then heated to 750C and the wear scar width was collected at the end of each test. DOE model validation results verify that the data were very significant and can be applied to a wide range of extreme pressure applications. Based on simulation results and Scanning Electron images (SEM), it has been found that wear was largely dependent on the cyclic frequency condition. It is believed that technical grade MoS2 greases under faster cyclic speeds perform better and provides antiwear film that can resist extreme pressure loadings. Figures showed reduced wear scars width and improved frictional values.
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.