Abstract: Microbes have been used to solve environmental
problems for many years. The role of microorganism to sequester,
precipitate or alter the oxidation state of various heavy metals has
been extensively studied. Treatment using microorganism interacts
with toxic metal are very diverse. The purpose of this research is to
remove the mercury using Pseudomonas putida (P. putida), pure
culture ATTC 49128 at optimum growth parameters such as
techniques of culture, acclimatization time and speed of incubator
shaker. Thus, in this study, the optimum growth parameters of P.
putida were obtained to achieve the maximum of mercury removal.
Based on the optimum parameters of P. putida for specific growth
rate, the removal of two different mercury concentration, 1 ppm and
4 ppm were studied. From mercury nitrate solution, a mercuryresistant
bacterial strain which is able to reduce from ionic mercury
to metallic mercury was used to reduce ionic mercury. The overall
levels of mercury removal in this study were between 80% and 89%.
The information obtained in this study is of fundamental for
understanding of the survival of P. putida ATTC 49128 in mercury
solution. Thus, microbial mercury removal is a potential
bioremediation for wastewater especially in petrochemical industries
in Malaysia.
Abstract: In contrast with literal meaning of nano, researchers
have been achieved mega adventures in this area and every day more
nanomaterials are being introduced to the market. After long time
application of fossil-based plastics, nowadays accumulation of their
waste seems to be a big problem to the environment. On the other
hand, mankind has more attention to safety and living environment.
Replacing common plastic packaging materials with degradable ones
that degrade faster and convert to non-dangerous components like
water and carbon dioxide have more attractions; these new materials
are based on renewable and inexpensive sources of starch and
cellulose. However, the functional properties of them do not suitable
for packaging. At this point, nanotechnology has an important role.
Utilizing of nanomaterials in polymer structure will improve
mechanical and physical properties of them; nanocrystalline cellulose
(NCC) has this ability. This work has employed a chemical method to
produce NCC and starch bio nanocomposite containing NCC. X-Ray
Diffraction technique has characterized the obtained materials.
Results showed that applied method is a suitable one as well as
applicable one to NCC production.
Abstract: Toddy sediment (TS) was cultured in a PDA medium
to determine initial yeast load, and also it was undergone sun, shade,
solar, dehumidified cold air (DCA) and hot air oven (at 400, 500 and
60oC) drying with a view to preserve viability of yeast. Thereafter,
this study was conducted according to two factor factorial design in
order to determine best preservation method. Therein the dried TS
from the best drying method was taken and divided into two portions.
One portion was mixed with 3: 7 ratio of TS: rice flour and the
mixture was divided in to two again. While one portion was kept
under in house condition the other was in a refrigerator. Same
procedure was followed to the rest portion of TS too but it was at the
same ratio of corn flour. All treatments were vacuum packed in triple
laminate pouches and the best preservation method was determined
in terms of leavening index (LI). The TS obtained from the best
preservation method was used to make foods (bread and hopper) and
organoleptic properties of it were evaluated against same of ordinary
foods using sensory panel with a five point hedonic scale.
Results revealed that yeast load or fresh TS was 58×106 CFU/g.
The best drying method in preserving viability of yeast was DCA
because LI of this treatment (96%) is higher than that of other three
treatments. Organoleptic properties of foods prepared from best
preservation method are as same as ordinary foods according to Duo
trio test.
Abstract: This paper presents the results of an experimental
study undertaken to evaluate the local bond stress-slip response of
short embedment of reinforcing bars in normal concrete (NC) and
high performance fiber reinforced cement composites (HPFRCC)
blocks. Long embedment was investigated as well to gain insights on
the distribution of strain, slip, bar stress and bond stress along the bar
especially in post-yield range. A total of 12 specimens were tested,
by means of pull-out of the reinforcing bars from concrete blocks. It
was found that the enhancement of local bond strength can be
reached up to 50% and ductility of the bond behavior was improved
significantly if HPFRCC is used. Also, under a constant strain at
loaded end, HPFRCC has delayed yielding of bars at other location
from the loaded end. Hence, the reduction of bond stress was slower
for HPFRCC in comparison with NC. Due to the same reason, the
total slips at loaded end for HPFRCC was smaller than NC as
expected. Test results indicated that HPFRCC has better bond slip
behavior which makes it a suitable material to be employed in
anchorage zone such as beam-column joints.
Abstract: In this paper, a new concept of closed-loop design for a
product is presented. The closed-loop design model is developed by
integrating forward design and reverse design. Based on this new
concept, a closed-loop design model for sustainable manufacturing by
integrated evaluation of forward design, reverse design, and green
manufacturing using a fuzzy analytic network process is developed. In
the design stage of a product, with a given product requirement and
objective, there can be different ways to design the detailed
components and specifications. Therefore, there can be different
design cases to achieve the same product requirement and objective.
Subsequently, in the design evaluation stage, it is required to analyze
and evaluate the different design cases. The purpose of this research is
to develop a model for evaluating the design cases by integrated
evaluating the criteria in forward design, reverse design, and green
manufacturing. A fuzzy analytic network process method is presented
for integrated evaluation of the criteria in the three models. The
comparison matrices for evaluating the criteria in the three groups are
established. The total relational values among the three groups
represent the total relational effects. In applications, a super matrix
model is created and the total relational values can be used to evaluate
the design cases for decision-making to select the final design case. An
example product is demonstrated in this presentation. It shows that the
model is useful for integrated evaluation of forward design, reverse
design, and green manufacturing to achieve a closed-loop design for
sustainable manufacturing objective.
Abstract: Some plants of genus Schinus have been used in the
folk medicine as topical antiseptic, digestive, purgative, diuretic,
analgesic or antidepressant, and also for respiratory and urinary
infections. Chemical composition of essential oils of S. molle and S.
terebinthifolius had been evaluated and presented high variability
according with the part of the plant studied and with the geographic
and climatic regions. The pharmacological properties, namely
antimicrobial, anti-tumoural and anti-inflammatory activities are
conditioned by chemical composition of essential oils. Taking into
account the difficulty to infer the pharmacological properties of
Schinus essential oils without hard experimental approach, this work
will focus on the development of a decision support system, in terms
of its knowledge representation and reasoning procedures, under a
formal framework based on Logic Programming, complemented with
an approach to computing centered on Artificial Neural Networks
and the respective Degree-of-Confidence that one has on such an
occurrence.
Abstract: Any variation in environmental characteristics of
geomorphosites would lead to destabilisation of their geotouristic
values all around the planet. The Urmia lake, with an area of
approximately 5,500 km2 and a catchment area of 51,876 km2, and to
which various reasons over time, especially in the last fifty years
have seen a sharp decline and have decreased by about 93 % in two
recent decades. These variations are not only driving significant
changes in the morphology and ecology of the present lake
landscape, but at the same time are shaping newly formed
morphologies, which vanished some valuable geomorphosites or
develop into smaller geomorphosites with significant value from a
scientific and cultural point of view. This paper analyses and
discusses features and evolution in several representative coastal and
island geomorphosites. For this purpose, a total of 23 geomorphosites
were studied in two data series (1963 and 2015) and the respective
data were compared and analysed. The results showed, the total loss
in geomorphosites area in a half century amounted to a loss of more
than 90% of the valuable geomorphosites. Moreover, the comparison
between the mean yearly value of coastal area lost over the entire
period and the yearly average calculated for the shorter period (1998-
2014) clearly indicates a pattern of acceleration. This acceleration in
the rate of reduction in lake area was seen in most of the southern
half of the lake. In the region as well, the general water-level falling
is not only causing the loss of a significant water resource, which is
followed by major impact on regional ecosystems, but is also driving
the most marked recent (last century) changes in the geotouristic
landscapes. In fact, the disappearance of geomorphosites means the
loss of tourism phenomenon. In this context attention must be paid to
the question of conservation. The action needed to safeguard
geomorphosites includes: 1) Preventive action, 2) Corrective action,
and 3) Sharing knowledge.
Abstract: The rationale behind this study is considering
combating and preventing the phenomenon of trafficking in human
beings from a multidisciplinary perspective that involves many layers
of the society.
Trafficking in human beings is an abhorrent phenomenon highly
affecting negatively the victims and their families in both human and
material aspect, sometimes causing irreversible damages. The longer
term effects of this phenomenon, in countries with a weak economic
development and extremely young and dynamic population, such as
Kosovo, without proper measures to prevented and control can cause
tremendous damages in the society. Given the fact that a complete
eradication of this phenomenon is almost impossible, efforts should
be concentrated at least on the prevention and controlling aspects.
Treating trafficking in human beings based on traditional police
tactics, methods and proceedings cannot bring satisfactory results.
There is no doubt that a multi-disciplinary approach is an
irreplaceable requirement, in other words, a combination of authentic
and functional proactive and reactive methods, techniques and tactics.
Obviously, police must exercise its role in preventing and combating
trafficking in human beings, a role sanctioned by the law, however,
police role and contribution cannot by any means considered
complete if all segments of the society are not included in these
efforts. Naturally, civil society should have an important share in
these collaborative and interactive efforts especially in preventive
activities such as: awareness on trafficking risks and damages,
proactive engagement in drafting appropriate legislation and
strategies, law enforcement monitoring and direct or indirect
involvement in protective and supporting activities which benefit the
victims of trafficking etc.
Abstract: Authenticity in advertising is the cornerstone of
modern marketing. Despite research advances related to the role of
authenticity in marketing, it remains unclear why customers respond to
authentic brand stories. The results show that different personality
traits will moderate the influence of different authenticity on the levels
of emotion. Whether indexically authentic or iconically authentic
advertisements were shown to extroverts, open people and agreeable
people, they will evoke more positive emotions. When neurotic people
and conscientious people see the iconically authentic advertising
rather than the indexically authentic advertising, they will produce
more negative emotions. In addition, the emotion evoked by
advertising had significant positive impact on brand attitude evoked by
advertising had significant negative impact on brand attitude. These
findings provide some managerial implications and directions for
further research.
Abstract: This article is to introduce the meaning and form of
social quality moving process as indicated by members of two suburb
communities with different social and cultural contexts. The form of
social quality moving process is very significant for the community
and social development, because it will make the people living
together with sustainable happiness.
This is a qualitative study involving 30 key-informants from two
suburb communities. Data were collected though key-informant
interviews, and analyzed using logical content description and
descriptive statistics.
This research found that on the social quality component, the
people in both communities stressed the procedure for social qualitymaking.
This includes the generousness, sharing and assisting among
people in the communities. These practices helped making people to
live together with sustainable happiness. Living as a family or appear
to be a family is the major social characteristic of these two
communities.
This research also found that form of social quality’s moving
process of both communities stress relation of human and nature;
“nature overpower humans” paradigm and influence of religious
doctrine that emphasizes relations among humans. Both criteria make
the form of social’s moving process simple, adaptive to nature and
caring for opinion sharing and understanding among each other
before action. This form of social quality’s moving process is
composed of 4 steps; (1) awareness building, (2) motivation to
change, (3) participation from every party which is concerned (4)
self-reliance.
Abstract: In this paper, a summary of analytical and
experimental studies into the behavior of a new hysteretic damper,
designed for seismic protection of structures is presented. The Multidirectional
Torsional Hysteretic Damper (MRSD) is a patented
invention in which a symmetrical arrangement of identical cylindrical
steel cores is so configured as to yield in torsion while the structure
experiences planar movements due to earthquake shakings. The new
device has certain desirable properties. Notably, it is characterized by
a variable and controllable-via-design post-elastic stiffness. The
mentioned property is a result of MRSD’s kinematic configuration
which produces this geometric hardening, rather than being a
secondary large-displacement effect. Additionally, the new system is
capable of reaching high force and displacement capacities, shows
high levels of damping, and very stable cyclic response. The device
has gone through many stages of design refinement, multiple
prototype verification tests and development of design guide-lines
and computer codes to facilitate its implementation in practice.
Practicality of the new device, as offspring of an academic sphere, is
assured through extensive collaboration with industry in its final
design stages, prototyping and verification test programs.
Abstract: Auditory hallucinations among the most invalidating
and distressing experiences reported by patients diagnosed with
schizophrenia, leading to feelings of powerlessness and helplessness
towards their illness. In more severe cases, these auditory
hallucinations can take the form of commanding voices, which are
often related to high suicidality rates in these patients. Several
authors propose that the meanings attributed to the hallucinatory
experience, rather than characteristics like form and content, can be
determinant in patients’ reactions to hallucinatory activity,
particularly in the case of voice-hearing experiences. In this study, 48
patients diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia presenting auditory
hallucinations were studied. Multiple regression analyses were
computed to study the influence of several developmental aspects,
such as family and social dynamics, bullying, depression, and sociocognitive
variables on the auditory hallucinations, on patients’
attributions and relationships with their voices, and on the resulting
invalidation of hallucinatory experience. Overall, results showed how
relationships with voices can mirror several aspects of interpersonal
relationship with others, and how self-schemas, depression and actual
social relationships help shaping the voice-hearing experience. Early
experiences of victimization and submission help predict the
attributions of omnipotence of the voices, and increased hostility
from parents seems to increase the malevolence of the voices,
suggesting that socio-cognitive factors can significantly contribute to
the etiology and maintenance of auditory hallucinations. The
understanding of the characteristics of auditory hallucinations and the
relationships patients established with their voices can allow the
development of more promising therapeutic interventions that can be
more effective in decreasing invalidation caused by this devastating
mental illness.
Abstract: Cerebellar ataxia is a steadily progressive
neurodegenerative disease associated with loss of motor control,
leaving patients unable to walk, talk, or perform activities of daily
living. Direct motor instruction in cerebella ataxia patients has limited
effectiveness, presumably because an inappropriate closed-loop
cerebellar response to the inevitable observed error confounds motor
learning mechanisms. Could the use of EEG based BCI provide
advanced biofeedback to improve motor imagery and provide a
“backdoor” to improving motor performance in ataxia patients? In
order to determine the feasibility of using EEG-based BCI control in
this population, we compare the ability to modulate mu-band power
(8-12 Hz) by performing a cued motor imagery task in an ataxia
patient and healthy control.
Abstract: In this research, TRACE model of Chinshan BWR/4
nuclear power plant (NPP) has been developed for the simulation and
analysis of ultimate response guideline (URG).The main actions of
URG are the depressurization and low pressure water injection of
reactor and containment venting. This research focuses to verify the
URG efficiency under Fukushima-like conditions. TRACE analysis
results show that the URG can keep the PCT below the criteria
1088.7 K under Fukushima-like conditions. It indicated that Chinshan
NPP was safe.
Abstract: In statistics parameter theory, usually the
parameter estimations have two kinds, one is the least-square
estimation (LSE), and the other is the best linear unbiased
estimation (BLUE). Due to the determining theorem of
minimum variance unbiased estimator (MVUE), the parameter
estimation of BLUE in linear model is most ideal. But since
the calculations are complicated or the covariance is not
given, people are hardly to get the solution. Therefore, people
prefer to use LSE rather than BLUE. And this substitution
will take some losses. To quantize the losses, many scholars
have presented many kinds of different relative efficiencies in
different views. For the linear weighted regression model, this
paper discusses the relative efficiencies of LSE of β to BLUE
of β. It also defines two new relative efficiencies and gives
their lower bounds.
Abstract: Intermetallic materials are among advanced
technology materials that have outstanding mechanical and physical
properties for high temperature applications. Especially creep
resistance, low density and high hardness properties stand out in such
intermetallics. The microstructure, mechanical properties of %88Ni-
%10Cr and %2Mn powders were investigated using specimens
produced by tube furnace sintering at 900-1300°C temperature. A
composite consisting of ternary additions, a metallic phase, Fe, Cr
and Mn have been prepared under Ar shroud and then tube furnace
sintered. XRD, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), were
investigated to characterize the properties of the specimens.
Experimental results carried out for composition %88Ni-%10Cr and
%2Mn at 1300°C suggest that the best properties as 138,80HV and
6,269/cm3 density were obtained at 1300°C.
Abstract: An important problem for the CaSO4/CaSO4･1/2H2O
Chemical heat pump (CHP) is that the material is deactivated through
repetitive reaction between hydration and dehydration in which the
crystal phase of the material is transformed from III-CaSO4 to
II-CaSO4. We investigated suppression on the phase change by adding
a sulfated compound. The most effective material was MgSO4. MgSO4
doping increased the durability of CaSO4 in the actual CHP repetitive
cycle of hydration/dehydration to 3.6 times that of undoped CaSO4.
The MgSO4-doped CaSO4 showed a higher phase transition
temperature and activation energy for crystal transformation from
III-CaSO4 to II-CaSO4. MgSO4 doping decreased the crystal lattice
size of CaSO4･1/2H2O and II-CaSO4 to smaller than that of undoped
CaSO4. Modification of the crystal structure is considered to be related
to the durability change in CaSO4 resulting from MgSO4 doping.
Abstract: Super steel materials play a vital role in the
construction and fabrication of structural, piping and pipeline
components. In assuring the integrity of onshore and offshore
operating systems, they enable life cycle costs to be minimized. In
this context, Duplex stainless steel (DSS) material related welding on
constructions and fabrications plays a significant role in maintaining
and assuring integrity at an optimal expenditure over the life cycle of
production and process systems as well as associated structures. In
DSS welding, factors such as gap geometry, shielding gas supply
rate, welding current, and type of the welding process are vital to the
final joint performance. Hence, an experimental investigation has
been performed using an engineering robust design approach
(ERDA) to investigate the optimal settings that generate optimal
super DSS (i.e. UNS S32750) joint performance. This manuscript
illustrates the mathematical approach and experimental design,
optimal parameter settings and results of the verification experiment.
Abstract: Microstructural and electrical properties of
Cu-chromium alloy (Cu-Cr) dispersed with vapor-grown carbon fiber
(VGCF) prepared by powder metallurgy (P/M) process have been
investigated. Cu-0.7 mass% Cr pre-alloyed powder (Cu-Cr) made by
water atomization process was used as raw materials, which contained
solid solute Cr elements in Cu matrix. The alloy powder coated with
un-bundled VGCF by using oil coating process was consolidated at
1223 K in vacuum by spark plasma sintering, and then extruded at
1073 K. The extruded Cu-Cr alloy (monolithic alloy) had 209.3 MPa
YS and 80.4 IACS% conductivity. The extruded Cu-Cr with 0.1
mass% VGCF composites revealed a small decrease of YS compared
to the monolithic Cu-Cr alloy. On the other hand, the composite had a
higher electrical conductivity than that of the monolithic alloy. For
example, Cu-Cr with 0.1 mass% VGCF composite sintered for 5 h
showed 182.7 MPa YS and 89.7 IACS% conductivity. In the case of
Cu-Cr with VGCFs composites, the Cr concentration was observed
around VGCF by SEM-EDS analysis, where Cr23C6 compounds were
detected by TEM observation. The amount of Cr solid solution in the
matrix of the Cu-Cr composites alloy was about 50% compared to the
monolithic Cu-Cr sintered alloy, and resulted in the remarkable
increment of the electrical conductivity.
Abstract: The aim of this study is to investigate formability of
Al based closed cell metallic foams at high temperature. The foam
specimens with rectangular section were produced from
AlMg1Si0.6TiH20.8 alloy preform material. Bending and free
bending tests based on gravity effect were applied to foam specimens
at high temperatures. During the tests, the time-angular deformation
relationships with various temperatures were determined.
Deformation types formed in cell walls were investigated by means
of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy.
Bending deformation about 90° was achieved without any defect at
high temperatures. The importance of a critical temperature and
deformation rate was emphasized in maintaining the deformation.
Significant slip lines on surface of cell walls at tensile zones of
bending specimen were observed. At high strain rates, the microcrack
formation in boundaries of elongated grains was determined.