Abstract: Faced with social and health system capacity
constraints and rising and changing demand for welfare services,
governments and welfare providers are increasingly relying on
innovation to help support and enhance services. However, the
evidence reported by several studies indicates that the realization of
that potential is not an easy task. Innovations can be deemed
inherently complex to implement and operate, because many of them
involve a combination of technological and organizational renewal
within an environment featuring a diversity of stakeholders. Many
public welfare service innovations are markedly systemic in their
nature, which means that they emerge from, and must address, the
complex interplay between political, administrative, technological,
institutional and legal issues. This paper suggests that stakeholders
dealing with systemic innovation in welfare services must deal with
ambiguous and incomplete information in circumstances of
uncertainty. Employing a literature review methodology and case
study, this paper identifies, categorizes and discusses different
aspects of the uncertainty of systemic innovation in public welfare
services, and argues that uncertainty can be classified into eight
categories: technological uncertainty, market uncertainty,
regulatory/institutional uncertainty, social/political uncertainty,
acceptance/legitimacy uncertainty, managerial uncertainty, timing
uncertainty and consequence uncertainty.
Abstract: Hydrogen is an important chemical in many industries
and it is expected to become one of the major fuels for energy
generation in the future. Unfortunately, hydrogen does not exist in its
elemental form in nature and therefore has to be produced from
hydrocarbons, hydrogen-containing compounds or water.
Above its critical point (374.8oC and 22.1MPa), water has lower
density and viscosity, and a higher heat capacity than those of
ambient water. Mass transfer in supercritical water (SCW) is
enhanced due to its increased diffusivity and transport ability. The
reduced dielectric constant makes supercritical water a better solvent
for organic compounds and gases. Hence, due to the aforementioned
desirable properties, there is a growing interest toward studies
regarding the gasification of organic matter containing biomass or
model biomass solutions in supercritical water.
In this study, hydrogen and biofuel production by the catalytic
gasification of 2-Propanol in supercritical conditions of water was
investigated. Pt/Al2O3and Ni/Al2O3were the catalysts used in the
gasification reactions. All of the experiments were performed under a
constant pressure of 25MPa. The effects of five reaction temperatures
(400, 450, 500, 550 and 600°C) and five reaction times (10, 15, 20,
25 and 30 s) on the gasification yield and flammable component
content were investigated.
Abstract: Liquidity risk management ranks to key concepts
applied in finance. Liquidity is defined as a capacity to obtain
funding when needed, while liquidity risk means as a threat to this
capacity to generate cash at fair costs. In the paper we present
challenges of liquidity risk management resulting from the 2007-
2009 global financial upheaval. We see five main regulatory
liquidity risk management issues requiring revision in coming
years: liquidity measurement, intra-day and intra-group liquidity
management, contingency planning and liquidity buffers, liquidity
systems, controls and governance, and finally models testing the
viability of business liquidity models.
Abstract: Advent enhancements in the field of computing have
increased massive use of web based electronic documents. Current
Copyright protection laws are inadequate to prove the ownership for
electronic documents and do not provide strong features against
copying and manipulating information from the web. This has
opened many channels for securing information and significant
evolutions have been made in the area of information security.
Digital Watermarking has developed into a very dynamic area of
research and has addressed challenging issues for digital content.
Watermarking can be visible (logos or signatures) and invisible
(encoding and decoding). Many visible watermarking techniques
have been studied for text documents but there are very few for web
based text. XML files are used to trade information on the internet
and contain important information. In this paper, two invisible
watermarking techniques using Synonyms and Acronyms are
proposed for XML files to prove the intellectual ownership and to
achieve the security. Analysis is made for different attacks and
amount of capacity to be embedded in the XML file is also noticed.
A comparative analysis for capacity is also made for both methods.
The system has been implemented using C# language and all tests are
made practically to get the results.
Abstract: Prestressing in structure increases ratio of load-bearing capacity to weight. Suspendomes are single-layer braced domes reinforced with cable and strut. Prestressing of cables alter value and distribution of stress in structure. In this study two configuration, diamatic and lamella domes is selected. Investigated domes have span of 100m with rise-to-span ratios of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3. Single layer domes loaded under service load combinations according to ISO code. After geometric nonlinear analysis, models are designed with tubular and I-shaped sections then reinforced with cable and strut and converted to suspendomes. Displacements and stresses of some groups of nodes and elements in all of single-layer domes and suspendomes for three load combinations, symmetric snow, asymmetric snow and wind are compared. Variation due to suspending system is investigated. Suspendomes are redesigned and minimum possible weight after addition of cable and strut is obtained.
Abstract: From an economic standpoint the current and future
road traffic situation in urban areas is a cost factor. Traffic jams and
congestion prolong journey times and tie up resources in trucks and
personnel. Many discussions about imposing charges or tolls for
cities in Europe in order to reduce traffic congestion are currently in
progress. Both of these effects lead – directly or indirectly - to
additional costs for the urban distribution systems in retail
companies. One approach towards improving the efficiency of retail
distribution systems, and thus towards avoiding negative
environmental factors in urban areas, is horizontal collaboration for
deliveries to retail outlets – Urban Retail Logistics. This paper
presents a classification system to help reveal where cooperation
between retail companies is possible and makes sense for deliveries
to retail outlets in urban areas.
Abstract: Aspect of visual perception occupies a central position
in shaping the physical structure of a city. This paper discusses the
visual characteristics of utopian cities and their impact on the shaping
of real urban structures. Utopian examples of cities will not be
discussed in terms of social and sociological conditions, but rather
the emphasis is on urban utopias and ideal cities that have achieved
or have had potential impact on the shape of the physical structure of
Nikšić. It is a Renaissance-Baroque period with a touch of classicism.
The paper’s emphasis is on the physical dimension, not excluding the
importance of social equilibrium, studies of which are dating back to
Aristotle, Plato, Thomas More, Robert Owen, Tommaso Campanella
and others. The emphasis is on urban utopias and their impact on the
development of sustainable physical structure of a real city in the
context of visual perception. In the case of Nikšić, this paper
identifies the common features of a real city and a utopian city, as
well as criteria for sustainable urban development in the context of
visual achievement.
Abstract: The use of externally bonded Carbon Fiber
Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) reinforcement has proven to be an
effective technique to strengthen steel structures. An experimental
study on CFRP bonded steel plate with double strap joint has been
conducted and specimens are tested under tensile loadings. An
empirical model has been developed using stress-based approach to
predict ultimate capacity of the CFRP bonded steel structure. The
results from the model are comparable with the experimental result
with a reasonable accuracy.
Abstract: Out of all visual arts including: painting, sculpture,
graphics, photography, architecture, and others, architecture is by far
the most complex one, because the art category is only one of its
determinants. Architecture, to some extent includes other arts which
can significantly influence the shaping of an urban space (artistic
interventions). These arts largely shape the visual culture in
combination with other categories: film, TV, Internet, information
technologies that are "changing the world" etc. In the area of
architecture and urbanism, visual culture is achieved through the
aspects of visual spatial effects. In this context, a complex visual
deliberation about designing urban areas in order to contribute to the
urban visual culture, and with it restore the cultural identity of the
city, is becoming almost the primary concept of contemporary urban
and architectural practice. Research in this paper relate to the city of
Niksic and its place in the visual urban culture. We are looking at the
city’s existing visual effects and determining the directions of
transformability of its physical structure in order to achieve the visual
realization of an urban area and the renewal of cultural identity of a
modern city.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of
setting up a learning community within an elementary school in
Ontario, Canada. The description is provided through reflection and
examination of field notes taken during the yearlong training and
implementation process. Specifically the impact of teachers- capacity
on the creation of a learning community was of interest. This paper is
intended to inform and add to the debate around the tensions that
exist in implementing a bottom-up professional development model
like the learning community in a top-down organizational structure.
My reflections of the process illustrate that implementation of the
learning community professional development model may be
difficult and yet transformative in the professional lives of the
teachers, students, and administration involved in the change process.
I conclude by suggesting the need for a new model of professional
development that requires a transformative shift in power dynamics
and a shift in the view of what constitutes effective professional
learning.
Abstract: In open settings, the participants in virtual
organization are autonomous and there is no central authority to
ensure the felicity of their interactions. When agents interact in such
settings, each relies upon being able to model the trustworthiness of
the agents with whom it interacts. Fundamentally, such models must
consider the past behavior of the other parties in order to predict their
future behavior. Further, it is sensible for the agents to share
information via referrals to trustworthy agents. In this article, trust is
a bet on the future contingent actions of others" and enumerates six
major factors supporting it: (1) reputation, (2) performance, (3)
appearance, (4) accountability, (5) precommitment, and (6)
contextual facilitation.
Abstract: The paper deals with the pulsating flow of an incompressible couple stress fluid between permeable beds. The couple stress fluid is injected into the channel from the lower permeable bed with a certain velocity and is sucked into the upper permeable bed with the same velocity. The flow between the permeable beds is assumed to be governed by couple stress fluid flow equations of V. K. Stokes and that in the permeable regions by Darcy-s law. The equations are solved analytically and the expressions for velocity and volume flux are obtained. The effects of the material parameters are studied numerically and the results are presented through graphs.
Abstract: In this study, a 3D combustion chamber was simulated
using FLUENT 6.32. Aim to obtain detailed information on
combustion characteristics and _ nitrogen oxides in the furnace and
the effect of oxygen enrichment in a combustion process. Oxygenenriched
combustion is an effective way to reduce emissions. This
paper analyzes NO emission, including thermal NO and prompt NO.
Flow rate ratio of air to fuel is varied as 1.3, 3.2 and 5.1 and the
oxygen enriched flow rates are 28, 54 and 68 lit/min. The 3D
Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) equations with standard
k-ε turbulence model are solved together by Fluent 6.32 software.
First order upwind scheme is used to model governing equations and
the SIMPLE algorithm is used as pressure velocity coupling. Results
show that for AF=1.3, increase the oxygen flow rate of oxygen
reduction in NO emissions is Lance. Moreover, in a fixed oxygen
enrichment condition, increasing the air to fuel ratio will increase the
temperature peak, but not the NO emission rate. As a result, oxygen
enrichment can reduce the NO emission at this kind of furnace in low
air to fuel rates.
Abstract: The present work deals with the calculation of
transport properties of Hg0.8Cd0.2Te (MCT) semiconductor in
degenerate case. Due to their energy-band structure, this material
becomes degenerate at moderate doping densities, which are around
1015 cm-3, so that the usual Maxwell-Boltzmann approximation is
inaccurate in the determination of transport parameters. This problem
is faced by using Fermi-Dirac (F-D) statistics, and the non-parabolic
behavior of the bands may be approximated by the Kane model. The
Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is used here to determinate transport
parameters: drift velocity, mean energy and drift mobility versus
electric field and the doped densities. The obtained results are in
good agreement with those extracted from literature.
Abstract: Tolerance is a tool for achieving a social cohesion, particularly, among individuals and groups with different values. The aim is to study the characteristics of the ethnic tolerance, the inhabitants of Latvia. The ethnic tolerance is taught as a set of conscious and unconscious orientations of the individual in social interaction and inter-ethnic communication. It uses the tools of empirical studies of the ethnic tolerance which allows to identify the explicitly and implicitly levels of the emotional component of Latvia's residents. Explicit measurements were made using the techniques of self-report which revealed the index of the ethnic tolerance and the ethnic identity of the participants. The implicit component was studied using methods based on the effect of the emotional priming. During the processing of the results, there were calculated indicators of the positive and negative implicit attitudes towards members of their own and other ethnicity as well as the explicit parameters of the ethnic tolerance and the ethnic identity of Latvia-s residents. The implicit measurements of the ratio of neighboring ethnic groups against each other showed a mutual negative attitude whereas the explicit measurements indicate a neutral attitude. The data obtained contribute to a further study of the ethnic tolerance of Latvia's residents.
Abstract: In this experiment, we investigated the performance of
two types of heat sink, swaged- and extruded-type, used in the inverter
of industrial electricity generator. The swaged-type heat sink has 62
fins, and the extruded-type has 38 fins having the same dimension as
that of the swaged-type. But the extruded-type heat sink maintains the
same heat transfer area by the laterally waved surface which has 1 mm
in radius. As a result, the swaged- and extruded-type heat sinks
released 71% and 64% of the heat incoming to the heat sink,
respectively. The other incoming heat were naturally convected and
radiated to the ambient. In spite of 40% decrease in number of fins, the
heat release performance of the extruded-type heat sink was lowered
only 7% than that of the swaged-type. We believe that, this shows the
increment of effective heat transfer area by the laterally waved surface
of fins and the better heat transfer property of the extruded-type heat
sink.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to review representative
cases of green space development in order to compare the Garden City
concept and Green Belt concept as applied and to examine its direction
in major Asian and Oceanic cities. The results of previous studies and
this study show that there are two major directions in such
green-oriented city planning. One direction is toward Multi-Regional
Development, and the other focuses on an Environmentally Symbiotic
City based on the Garden City concept. In large cities and the suburbs
where extremely strong pressure to urbanize makes it impossible to
keep Green Belts, it is essential to strictly control land use and adopt
the Garden City concept to conserve the urban environment.
Abstract: In this research, the laminar heat transfer of natural convection on vertical surfaces has been investigated. Most of the studies on natural convection have been considered constantly whereas velocity and temperature domain, do not change with time, transient one are used a lot. Governing equations are solved using a finite volume approach. The convective terms are discretized using the power-law scheme, whereas for diffusive terms the central difference is employed. Coupling between the velocity and pressure is made with SIMPLE algorithm. The resultant system of discretized linear algebraic equations is solved with an alternating direction implicit scheme. Then a configuration of rectangular fins is put in different ways on the surface and heat transfer of natural convection on these surfaces without sliding is studied and finally optimization is done.
Abstract: Training with Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES)
has both physiological and psychological benefits for spinal cord
injured subjects. Commonly used methods for quantification of
spasticity have shown controversial reliability. In this study we
propose a method for quick determination of spasticity in spinal cord
injured subjects on a cycling and measurement system. 23 patients
did training sessions on an instrumented mobile FES cycle three
times a week over two months as part of their clinical rehabilitation
program. Spasticity (MAS) and the legs resistance to the pedaling
motion were assessed before and after the FES training and
measurements were done on the subjects ability to pedal with our
without motor assistance. Measurements with test persons with
incomplete spastic paraplegia have shown that spasticity is decreased
after a 30 min cycling training with functional electrical stimulation
(FES).
Abstract: Hand gesture is an active area of research in the vision
community, mainly for the purpose of sign language recognition and
Human Computer Interaction. In this paper, we propose a system to
recognize alphabet characters (A-Z) and numbers (0-9) in real-time
from stereo color image sequences using Hidden Markov Models
(HMMs). Our system is based on three main stages; automatic segmentation
and preprocessing of the hand regions, feature extraction
and classification. In automatic segmentation and preprocessing stage,
color and 3D depth map are used to detect hands where the hand
trajectory will take place in further step using Mean-shift algorithm
and Kalman filter. In the feature extraction stage, 3D combined features
of location, orientation and velocity with respected to Cartesian
systems are used. And then, k-means clustering is employed for
HMMs codeword. The final stage so-called classification, Baum-
Welch algorithm is used to do a full train for HMMs parameters.
The gesture of alphabets and numbers is recognized using Left-Right
Banded model in conjunction with Viterbi algorithm. Experimental
results demonstrate that, our system can successfully recognize hand
gestures with 98.33% recognition rate.