Abstract: The present study was done to evaluate the presence
of tetracycline resistance genes in Lactococcus garvieae isolated
from cultured rainbow trout, West Iran. The isolates were examined
for antimicrobial resistance using disc diffusion method. Of the 49
strains tested, 19 were resistant to tetracycline (38.7%), 32 to
enrofloxacin (65.3%), 21 to erythromycin (42.8%), 20 to
chloramphenicol and trimetoprim-sulfamethoxazole (40.8%). The
strains were then characterized for their genotypic resistance profiles.
The results revealed that all 49 isolates contained at least one of the
tetracycline resistance genes. Tet (A) was found in 89.4% of
tetracycline resistant isolates and the frequency of other gene were as
follows: tet (E) 42.1%, tet (B) 47.3%, tet (D) 15.7%, tet (L) 26.3%,
tet (K) 52.6%, tet (G) 36.8%, tet (34) 21%, tet (S) 63.1%, tet (C)
57.8%, tet (M) 73.6%, tet (O) 42.1%. The results revealed high levels
of antibiotic resistance in L. garvieae strains which is a potential
danger for trout culture as well as for public health.
Abstract: This study presents synthesis of novel block
copolymers of thienyl end capped ethoxylated nonyl phenol and
pyrrole via chemical oxidative polymerization. Ethoxylated nonyl
phenol (ENP) was reacted with 2-thiophenecarbonyl chloride in order
to synthesize a macromonomer containing thienyl end-group (ENPThC).
Then copolymers of ENP-ThC and pyrrole were synthesized
by chemical oxidative polymerization using iron (III) chloride as an
oxidant. ENP-ThC served both as a macromonomer and an emulsifier
for pyrrole with poor solubility in water.
The synthesized block copolymers (ENP-ThC-b-PPy) were
characterized by spectroscopic analysis and the electrical
conductivities were investigated with 4-point probe technique.
Abstract: The rate of natural gas dissociation from the Coal
Matrix depends on depressurization of reservoir through removing of
the cleat water from the coal seam. These waters are similar to brine
and aged of very long years. For improving the connectivity through
fracking /fracturing, high pressure liquids are pumped off inside the
coal body. A significant quantity of accumulated water, a combined
mixture of cleat water and fracking fluids (back flow water) is
pumped out through gas well. In Queensland, Australia Coal Seam
Gas (CSG) industry is in booming state and estimated of 30,000 wells
would be active for CSG production forecasting life span of 30 years.
Integrated water management along with water softening programs is
practiced for subsequent treatment and later on discharge to nearby
surface water catchment. Water treatment is an important part of the
CSG industry. A case study on a CSG site and review on the test
results are discussed for assessing the Standards & Practices for
management of CSG by-product water and their subsequent disposal
activities. This study was directed toward (i) water management and
softening process in Spring Gully CSG field, (ii) Comparative
analysis on experimental study and standards and (iii) Disposal of the
treated water. This study also aimed for alternative usages and their
impact on vegetation, living species as well as long term effects.
Abstract: Adsorption of a boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) was
examined toward ethylacetylene (C4H6) molecule by using density
functional theory (DFT) calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G (d) level,
and it was found that the adsorption energy (Ead) of ethylacetylene
the pristine nanotubes is about -1.60kcal/mol. But when nanotube has
been doped with Si and Al atoms, the adsorption energy of
ethylacetylene molecule was increased. Calculation showed that
when the nanotube is doping by Al, the adsorption energy is about -
24.19kcal/mol and also the amount of HOMO/LUMO energy gap
(Eg) will reduce significantly. Boron nitride nanotube is a suitable
adsorbent for ethylacetylene and can be used in separation processes
ethylacetylene. It is seem that nanotube (BNNT) is a suitable
semiconductor after doping, and the doped BNNT in the presence of
ethylacetylene an electrical signal is generating directly and therefore
can potentially be used for ethylacetylene sensors.
Abstract: In order to better understand the long term
implications of the grout wear failure mode in large-diameter plainsided
grouted connections, a numerical model has been developed
and calibrated that can take advantage of existing operational plant
data to predict the wear accumulation for the actual load conditions
experienced over a given period, thus limiting the requirement for
expensive monitoring systems. This model has been derived and
calibrated based on site structural condition monitoring (SCM) data
and supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA) data
for two operational wind turbine generator substructures afflicted
with this challenge, along with experimentally derived wear rates.
Abstract: A mixed method by combining modified pole
clustering technique and modified cauer continued fraction is
proposed for reducing the order of the large-scale dynamic systems.
The denominator polynomial of the reduced order model is obtained
by using modified pole clustering technique while the coefficients of
the numerator are obtained by modified cauer continued fraction.
This method generated 'k' number of reduced order models for kth
order reduction. The superiority of the proposed method has been
elaborated through numerical example taken from the literature and
compared with few existing order reduction methods.
Abstract: Rotary draw bending is a method which is being used
in tube forming. In the tube bending process, the neutral axis moves
towards the inner arc and the wall thickness distribution changes for
tube’s cross section. Thinning takes place in the outer arc of the tube
(extrados) due to the stretching of the material, whereas thickening
occurs in the inner arc of the tube (intrados) due to the comparison of
the material. The calculations of the wall thickness distribution,
neutral axis shifting, and strain distribution have not been accurate
enough, so far. The previous model (the geometrical model)
describes the neutral axis shifting and wall thickness distribution. The
geometrical of the tube, bending radius and bending angle are
considered in the geometrical model, while the influence of the
material properties of the tube forming are ignored. The advanced
model is a modification of the previous model using material
properties that depends on the correction factor. The correction factor
is a purely empirically determined factor. The advanced model was
compared with the Finite element simulation (FE simulation) using a
different bending factor (Bf =bending radius/ diameter of the tube),
wall thickness (Wf = diameter of the tube/ wall thickness), and
material properties (strain hardening exponent). Finite element model
of rotary draw bending has been performed in PAM-TUBE program
(version: 2012). Results from the advanced model resemble the FE
simulation and the experimental test.
Abstract: Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) uses the
contents of images to characterize and contact the images. This paper
focus on retrieving the image by separating images into its three color
mechanism R, G and B and for that Discrete Wavelet Transformation
is applied. Then Wavelet based Generalized Gaussian Density (GGD)
is practical which is used for modeling the coefficients from the
wavelet transforms. After that it is agreed to Histogram of Oriented
Gradient (HOG) for extracting its characteristic vectors with Relevant
Feedback technique is used. The performance of this approach is
calculated by exactness and it confirms that this method is wellorganized
for image retrieval.
Abstract: Composite materials, due to their unique properties
such as high strength to weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and impact
resistance have huge potential as structural materials in automotive,
construction and transportation applications. However, these
properties often come at higher cost owing to complex design
methods, difficult manufacturing processes and raw material cost.
Traditionally, tapered laminated composite structures are
manufactured using autoclave manufacturing process by ply drop off
technique. Autoclave manufacturing though very powerful suffers
from high capital investment and higher energy consumption. As per
the current trends in composite manufacturing, Out of Autoclave
(OoA) processes are looked as emerging technologies for
manufacturing the structural composite components for aerospace
and defense applications. However, there is a need for improvement
among these processes to make them reliable and consistent. In this
paper, feasibility of using out of autoclave process to manufacture the
variable thickness cantilever beam is discussed. The minimum weight
design for the composite beam is obtained using constant stress beam
concept by tailoring the thickness of the beam. Ply drop off
techniques was used to fabricate the variable thickness beam from
glass/epoxy prepregs. Experiments were conducted to measure
bending stresses along the span of the cantilever beam at different
intervals by applying the concentrated load at the free end.
Experimental results showed that the stresses in the bean at different
intervals were constant. This proves the ability of OoA process to
manufacture the constant stress beam. Finite element model for the
constant stress beam was developed using commercial finite element
simulation software. It was observed that the simulation results
agreed very well with the experimental results and thus validated
design and manufacturing approach used.
Abstract: For cycling, the analysis of the pedal force is one of the
important factors in the study of exercise ability assessment and
overuse injuries. In past studies, a two-axis measurement sensor was
used at the sagittal plane to measure the force only in the anterior,
posterior, and vertical directions and to analyze the loss of force and
the injury on the frontal plane due to the forces in the right and left
directions. In this study, which is a basic study on diverse analyses of
the pedal force that consider the forces on the sagittal plane and the
frontal plane, a three-axis pedal force measurement sensor was
developed to measure the anterior-posterior (Fx), medio-lateral (Fz),
and vertical (Fy) forces. The sensor was fabricated with a size and
shape similar to those of the general flat pedal, and had a 550g weight
that allowed smooth pedaling. Its measurement range was ±1000 N for
Fx and Fz and ±2000 N for Fy, and its non-linearity, hysteresis, and
repeatability were approximately 0.5%. The data were sampled at
1000 Hz using a signal collector. To use the developed sensor, the
pedaling efficiency (index of efficiency, IE) and the range of left and
right (medio-lateral, ML) forces were measured with two seat heights
(low and high). The results of the measurement showed that the IE was
higher and the force range in the ML direction was lower with the high
position than with the low position. The developed measurement
sensor and its application results will be useful in understanding and
explaining the complicated pedaling technique, and will enable
diverse kinematic analyses of the pedal force on the sagittal plane and
the frontal plane.
Abstract: The effect of the inclusion of thyme and rosemary
essential oils into chitosan films, as well as the microbiological and
physical properties when storing chitosan film with and without the
mentioned inclusion was studied. The film forming solution was
prepared by dissolving chitosan (2%, w/v), polysorbate 80 (4% w/w
CH) and glycerol (16% w/w CH) in aqueous lactic acid solutions
(control). The thyme (TEO) and rosemary (REO) essential oils (EOs)
were included 1:1 w/w (EOs:CH) on their combination 50/50
(TEO:REO). The films were stored at temperatures of 5, 20, 33°C
and a relative humidity of 75% during four weeks. The films with
essential oil inclusion did not show an antimicrobial activity against
strains. This behavior could be explained because the chitosan only
inhibits the growth of microorganisms in direct contact with the
active sites. However, the inhibition capacity of TEO was higher than
the REO and a synergic effect between TEO:REO was found for S.
enteritidis strains in the chitosan solution.
Some physical properties were modified by the inclusion of
essential oils. The addition of essential oils does not affect the
mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation at break, puncture
deformation), the water solubility, the swelling index nor the DSC
behavior. However, the essential oil inclusion can significantly
decrease the thickness, the moisture content, and the L* value of
films whereas the b* value increased due to molecular interactions
between the polymeric matrix, the loosing of the structure, and the
chemical modifications. On the other hand, the temperature and time
of storage changed some physical properties on the chitosan films.
This could have occurred because of chemical changes, such as
swelling in the presence of high humidity air and the reacetylation of
amino groups. In the majority of cases, properties such as moisture
content, tensile strength, elongation at break, puncture deformation,
a*, b*, chrome, 7E increased whereas water resistance, swelling
index, L*, and hue angle decreased.
Abstract: The article deals with one of the most significant
issues concerning the functioning of the public sector in the European
Union. The objectives of good governance were formulated by the
EU itself and also the Scholars in reaction to the discussion that
started a decade ago and concerned the role of the government in 21st
century, the future of integration processes and globalization
challenges in Europe. Currently, the concept of good governance is
mainly associated with the improvement of management of public
policies in the European Union, concerning both domestic and EU
policies. However, it goes beyond the issues of state capacity and
effectiveness of management. Good governance relates also to
societal participation in the public administration and verification of
decisions made in public authorities’ (including public
administration). Indirectly, the concept and practice of good
governance are connected to societal legitimisation of public bodies
in the European Union.
Abstract: It is widely believed that mobile device is a promising technology for lending the opportunity for the third wave of electronic commerce. Mobile devices have changed the way companies do business. Many applications are under development or being incorporated into business processes. In this day, mobile applications are a vital component of any industry strategy.One of the greatest benefits of selling merchandise and providing services on a mobile application is that it widens a company’s customer base significantly.Mobile applications are accessible to interested customers across regional and international borders in different electronic business (e-business) area. But there is a dark side to this success story. The security risks associated with mobile devices and applications are very significant. This paper introduces a broad risk analysis for the various threats, vulnerabilities, and risks in mobile e-business applications and presents some important risk mitigation approaches. It reviews and compares two different frameworks for security assurance in mobile e-business applications. Based on the comparison, the paper suggests some recommendations for applications developers and business owners in mobile e-business application development process.
Abstract: In the last few decades, many southeast-Asia women
migrate to Taiwan by marriage, and it usually takes several years for
them to acquire Taiwanese citizenship. This study investigates the
relationship between their citizenship acquisition and whether they
develop Taiwanese identities, and how does it affect their ethnical
identity towards their original ethnics. Furthermore, the present study
also explores that whether citizenship acquisition help the immigrant
women to explore the host society further and make commitment to it,
or the identification towards mainstream Taiwanese society is only
symbolic and superficial? One hundred and ninety-two immigrant
women were measured using Multigroup Ethnic Identity
Measure-Revised and a global 10-point ethnic identity question.
Correlation tests, t-test, and hierarchical regression were performed to
answer the above questions. The results revealed that citizenship
acquisition does help immigrant women to identify with Taiwanese
society, but it does not affect how they identify with their own ethnics.
Furthermore, the results also indicated that acquiring citizenship
would not help these immigrant women become involved in deeper
cultural exploration of Taiwan nor would it encourage them to make
commitments to the host society.
Abstract: The design, manufacture, and operation of thin-walled
pressure vessels must be based on maximum safe operating pressure
and an adequate factor of safety (FoS). This research paper first
reports experimental evaluation of longitudinal and hoops stresses
based on working pressure as well as maximum pressure; and then
includes a critical study of factor of safety (FoS) in the design of a
glass fiber pressure vessel. Experimental work involved the use of
measuring instruments and the readings from pressure gauges.
Design calculations involved the computations of design stress and
FoS; the latter was based on breaking strength of 55 MPa for the
glass fiber (pressure-vessel material). The experimentally determined
FoS value has been critically compared with the general FoS allowed
in the design of glass fiber pressure vessels.
Abstract: Although it is not intended to identify distance
education students as a homogeneous group, recent research has
demonstrated that there are some demographic and personality
common traits among most of them that provide the basis for the
description of a typical distance learning student. The purpose of this
paper is to describe these common traits and to facilitate their
learning journey within a distance education program. The described
research is an initiative of the Distance Education Unit at the
European University Cyprus (Laureate International Universities) in
the context of its action for the improvement of the students’
performance.
Abstract: The present study was carried out to evaluate the
effect of different levels of dietary seed and extract of Harmal
(Peganum harmala L.) on immunity of broiler chicks. A total of 350
one-day old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated to
five dietary treatments with four replicates pen of 14 birds each.
Dietary treatments consisted of control, 1 and 2 g/kg Harmal seed in
diet, 100 and 200 mg/L Harmal seed extract in water. Broilers
received dietary treatments from 1 to 42 d. Two birds from each pen
were randomly weighed and sacrificed at 42 d of age, the relative
weight of lymphoid organs (bursa of Fabercius and spleen) to live
weight were calculated. Antibody titers against Newcastle and
influenza viruses and sheep red blood cell were measured at 30 d of
age. Results showed that the relative weights of lymphoid organs
were not affected by dietary treatments. Furthermore, antibody titer
against Newcastle and influenza viruses as well as sheep red blood
cell antigen were significantly (P
Abstract: Chemical Reaction Optimization (CRO) is an
optimization metaheuristic inspired by the nature of chemical
reactions as a natural process of transforming the substances from
unstable to stable states. Starting with some unstable molecules with
excessive energy, a sequence of interactions takes the set to a state of
minimum energy. Researchers reported successful application of the
algorithm in solving some engineering problems, like the quadratic
assignment problem, with superior performance when compared with
other optimization algorithms. We adapted this optimization
algorithm to the Printed Circuit Board Drilling Problem (PCBDP)
towards reducing the drilling time and hence improving the PCB
manufacturing throughput. Although the PCBDP can be viewed as
instance of the popular Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP), it has
some characteristics that would require special attention to the
transactions that explore the solution landscape. Experimental test
results using the standard CROToolBox are not promising for
practically sized problems, while it could find optimal solutions for
artificial problems and small benchmarks as a proof of concept.
Abstract: A Silver (Ag) thin film is introduced as a template and
doping source for vertically aligned p–type ZnO nanorods. ZnO
nanorods were grown using an ammonium hydroxide based
hydrothermal process. During the hydrothermal process, the Ag thin
film was dissolved to generate Ag ions in the solution. The Ag ions can
contribute to doping in the wurzite structure of ZnO and the (111)
grain of Ag thin film can be the epitaxial temporal template for the
(0001) plane of ZnO. Hence, Ag–doped p–type ZnO nanorods were
successfully grown on the substrate, which can be an electrode or
semiconductor for the device application. To demonstrate the
potentials of this idea, p–n diode was fabricated and its electrical
characteristics were demonstrated.
Abstract: Batteries of electric vehicles (BEV) are becoming
more attractive with the advancement of new battery technologies
and promotion of electric vehicles. BEV batteries are recharged on
board vehicles using either the grid (G2V for Grid to Vehicle) or
renewable energies in a stand-alone application (H2V for Home to
Vehicle). This paper deals with the modeling, sizing and control of a
photovoltaic stand-alone application that can charge the BEV at
home. The modeling approach and developed mathematical models
describing the system components are detailed. Simulation and
experimental results are presented and commented.