Abstract: This study deals with the experimental investigation
and theoretical modeling of Semi crystalline polymeric materials with
a rubbery amorphous phase (HDPE) subjected to a uniaxial cyclic
tests with various maximum strain levels, even at large deformation.
Each cycle is loaded in tension up to certain maximum strain and
then unloaded down to zero stress with N number of cycles. This
work is focuses on the measure of the volume strain due to the
phenomena of damage during this kind of tests. On the basis of
thermodynamics of relaxation processes, a constitutive model for
large strain deformation has been developed, taking into account the
damage effect, to predict the complex elasto-viscoelastic-viscoplastic
behavior of material. A direct comparison between the model
predictions and the experimental data show that the model accurately
captures the material response. The model is also capable of
predicting the influence damage causing volume variation.
Abstract: Recent studies demonstrated that high-fat diet increases oxidative stress in plasma and in a variety of tissues. Many researchers have been looking for natural products, which can reverse the effect of high fat diet. Recently, buckwheat is becoming common ingredient in functional food because of it properties. In study on buckwheat, it is known that, this plant plays roles as anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-hypertensive. Nevertheless still little is known about buckwheat groats. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of addition of buckwheat groats to the fat diet (30% lard), on some antioxidant and oxidant stress parameters in plasma and selected tissues in Wistar rats. The experiment was carried out with three months old male Wistar rats ca. 250g of body weight fed for 5 weeks with either a high-fat (30% of lard) diet or control diet, with or without addition of buckwheat groats. In plasma biochemistry and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes were measured selected tissues: glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT) and the levels of total and reduced glutathione (GSH), free thiol groups (pSH), antioxidant potential of plasma (FRAP) and oxidant stress indices - proteins carbonyl groups (CO) and malonyldialdehyde concentration (MDA). Activity of catalase (CAT) in plasma of rats was significantly increased in buckwheat groats groups and activity of GPx3 in plasma of rats was decreased in buckwheat groups as compared to control group. The reduced glutathione (GSH) in plasma of rats was significantly increased and protein CO was significantly decreased in buckwheat groups as compared to controls. The lowered concentration of GSH was found in serum of rats fed buckwheat groats addition but it accompanied in 7-fold increase in reduced-to-oxidized glutatione ratio, significant increase in HDL and decrease in nonHDL concentration. Conclusions: Buckwheat groats indicate a beneficial effect in inhibiting protein and lipid peroxidation in rats and improved lipid profile. These results suggest that buckwheat groats exert a significant antioxidant potential and may be used as normal food constituent to ameliorate the oxidant-induced damage in organism.
Abstract: Neonatal lupus erythematous (NLE) is a rare disease marked by clinical characteristic and specific maternal autoantibody. Many cutaneous, cardiac, liver, and hematological manifestations could happen with affect of one organ or multiple. In this case, both babies were premature, low birth weight (LBW), small for gestational age (SGA) and born through caesarean section from a systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) mother. In the first case, we found a baby girl with dyspnea and grunting. Chest X ray showed respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) great I and echocardiography showed small atrial septal defect (ASD) and ventricular septal defect (VSD). She also developed anemia, thrombocytopenia, elevated C-reactive protein, hypoalbuminemia, increasing coagulation factors, hyperbilirubinemia, and positive blood culture of Klebsiella pneumonia. Anti-Ro/SSA and Anti-nRNP/sm were positive. Intravenous fluid, antibiotic, transfusion of blood, thrombocyte concentrate, and fresh frozen plasma were given. The second baby, male presented with necrotic tissue on the left ear and skin rashes, erythematous macula, athropic scarring, hyperpigmentation on all of his body with various size and facial haemorrhage. He also suffered from thrombocytopenia, mild elevated transaminase enzyme, hyperbilirubinemia, anti-Ro/SSA was positive. Intravenous fluid, methyprednisolone, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), blood, and thrombocyte concentrate transfution were given. Two cases of neonatal lupus erythematous had been presented. Diagnosis based on clinical presentation and maternal auto antibody on neonate. Organ involvement in NLE can occur as single or multiple manifestations.
Abstract: Knowing about the customer behavior in a grocery has
been a long-standing issue in the retailing industry. The advent of
RFID has made it easier to collect moving data for an individual
shopper's behavior. Most of the previous studies used the traditional
statistical clustering technique to find the major characteristics of
customer behavior, especially shopping path. However, in using the
clustering technique, due to various spatial constraints in the store,
standard clustering methods are not feasible because moving data such
as the shopping path should be adjusted in advance of the analysis,
which is time-consuming and causes data distortion. To alleviate this
problem, we propose a new approach to spatial pattern clustering
based on the longest common subsequence. Experimental results using
real data obtained from a grocery confirm the good performance of the
proposed method in finding the hot spot, dead spot and major path
patterns of customer movements.
Abstract: Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) processes is an
important joining process widely used in metal fabrication
industries. This paper addresses modeling and optimization of this
technique using a set of experimental data and regression analysis.
The set of experimental data has been used to assess the influence
of GMAW process parameters in weld bead geometry. The
process variables considered here include voltage (V); wire feed
rate (F); torch Angle (A); welding speed (S) and nozzle-to-plate
distance (D). The process output characteristics include weld bead
height, width and penetration. The Taguchi method and regression
modeling are used in order to establish the relationships between
input and output parameters. The adequacy of the model is
evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique. In the
next stage, the proposed model is embedded into a Simulated
Annealing (SA) algorithm to optimize the GMAW process
parameters. The objective is to determine a suitable set of process
parameters that can produce desired bead geometry, considering
the ranges of the process parameters. Computational results prove
the effectiveness of the proposed model and optimization
procedure.
Abstract: Durian husk (DH), a fruit waste, was studied for its ability to remove Basic blue 3 (BB3) from aqueous solutions. Batch kinetic studies were carried out to study the sorption characteristics under various experimental conditions. The optimum pH for the dye removal occurred in the pH range of 3-10. Sorption was found to be concentration and agitation dependent. The kinetics of dye sorption fitted a pseudo-second order rate expression. Both Langmuir and Freundlich models appeared to provide reasonable fittings for the sorption data of BB3 on durian husk. Maximum sorption capacity calculated from the Langmuir model is 49.50 mg g-1.
Abstract: Variable channel conditions in underwater networks,
and variable distances between sensors due to water current, leads to
variable bit error rate (BER). This variability in BER has great
effects on energy efficiency of error correction techniques used. In
this paper an efficient energy adaptive hybrid error correction
technique (AHECT) is proposed. AHECT adaptively changes error
technique from pure retransmission (ARQ) in a low BER case to a
hybrid technique with variable encoding rates (ARQ & FEC) in a
high BER cases. An adaptation algorithm depends on a precalculated
packet acceptance rate (PAR) look-up table, current BER,
packet size and error correction technique used is proposed. Based
on this adaptation algorithm a periodically 3-bit feedback is added to
the acknowledgment packet to state which error correction technique
is suitable for the current channel conditions and distance.
Comparative studies were done between this technique and other
techniques, and the results show that AHECT is more energy
efficient and has high probability of success than all those
techniques.
Abstract: There are three possible effects of Special Theory of
Relativity (STR) on a thermodynamic system. Planck and Einstein
looked upon this process as isobaric; on the other hand Ott saw it as
an adiabatic process. However plenty of logical reasons show that the
process is isotherm. Our phenomenological consideration
demonstrates that the temperature is invariant with Lorenz
transformation. In that case process is isotherm, so volume and
pressure are Lorentz covariant. If the process is isotherm the Boyles
law is Lorentz invariant. Also equilibrium constant and Gibbs energy,
activation energy, enthalpy entropy and extent of the reaction became
Lorentz invariant.
Abstract: in this work, we present a new strategy of direct adaptive control denoted: Extended minimal controller synthesis (EMCS). This algorithm is designed for an induction motor, which includes both electrical and mechanical dynamics under the assumptions of linear magnetic circuits. The main motivation of the EMCS control is to enhance the robustness of the MRAC algorithms, i.e. the rejection of bounded effects of rapidly varying external disturbances.
Abstract: Developed tool is one of system tools for easier access to various scientific areas and real time interactive learning between
lecturer and for hearing impaired students. There is no demand for the lecturer to know Sign Language (SL). Instead, the new software
tools will perform the translation of the regular speech into SL, after
which it will be transferred to the student. On the other side, the
questions of the student (in SL) will be translated and transferred to
the lecturer in text or speech. One of those tools is presented tool. It-s
too for developing the correct Speech Visemes as a root of total communication method for hearing impared students.
Abstract: The interactions between input/output variables are a very common phenomenon encountered in the design of multi-loop controllers for interacting multivariable processes, which can be a serious obstacle for achieving a good overall performance of multiloop control system. To overcome this impediment, the decomposed dynamic interaction analysis is proposed by decomposing the multiloop control system into a set of n independent SISO systems with the corresponding effective open-loop transfer function (EOTF) within the dynamic interactions embedded explicitly. For each EOTF, the reduced model is independently formulated by using the proposed reduction design strategy, and then the paired multi-loop proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller is derived quite simply and straightforwardly by using internal model control (IMC) theory. This design method can easily be implemented for various industrial processes because of its effectiveness. Several case studies are considered to demonstrate the superior of the proposed method.
Abstract: Large metal and concrete structures suffer by various kinds of deterioration, and accurate prediction of the remaining life is important. This paper informs about two methods for its assessment. One method, suitable for steel bridges and other constructions exposed to fatigue, monitors the loads and damage accumulation using information systems for the operation and the finite element model of the construction. In addition to the operation load, the dead weight of the construction and thermal stresses can be included into the model. The second method is suitable for concrete bridges and other structures, which suffer by carbonatation and other degradation processes, driven by diffusion. The diffusion constant, important for the prediction of future development, can be determined from the depth-profile of pH, obtained by pH measurement at various depths. Comparison with measurements on real objects illustrates the suitability of both methods.
Abstract: Air conditioning systems of houses consume large
quantity of electricity. To reducing energy consumption for air
conditioning purposes it is becoming attractive the use of evaporative
cooling air conditioning which is less energy consuming compared to
air chillers. But, it is obvious that higher energy efficiency of
evaporative cooling is not enough to judge whether evaporative
cooling economically is competitive with other types of cooling
systems. To proving the higher energy efficiency and cost
effectiveness of the evaporative cooling competitive analysis of
various types of cooling system should be accomplished. For noted
purpose optimization mathematical model for each system should be
composed based on system approach analysis. In this paper different
types of evaporative cooling-heating systems are discussed and
methods for increasing their energy efficiency and as well as
determining of their design parameters are developed. The
optimization mathematical models for each of them are composed
with help of which least specific costs for each of them are reviled.
The comparison of specific costs proved that the most efficient and
cost effective is considered the “direct evaporating" system if it is
applicable for given climatic conditions. Next more universal and
applicable for many climatic conditions system providing least cost
of heating and cooling is considered the “direct evaporating" system.
Abstract: Globalization and therefore increasing tight competition among companies, have resulted to increase the importance of making well-timed decision. Devising and employing effective strategies, that are flexible and adaptive to changing market, stand a greater chance of being effective in the long-term. In other side, a clear focus on managing the entire product lifecycle has emerged as critical areas for investment. Therefore, applying wellorganized tools to employ past experience in new case, helps to make proper and managerial decisions. Case based reasoning (CBR) is based on a means of solving a new problem by using or adapting solutions to old problems. In this paper, an adapted CBR model with k-nearest neighbor (K-NN) is employed to provide suggestions for better decision making which are adopted for a given product in the middle of life phase. The set of solutions are weighted by CBR in the principle of group decision making. Wrapper approach of genetic algorithm is employed to generate optimal feature subsets. The dataset of the department store, including various products which are collected among two years, have been used. K-fold approach is used to evaluate the classification accuracy rate. Empirical results are compared with classical case based reasoning algorithm which has no special process for feature selection, CBR-PCA algorithm based on filter approach feature selection, and Artificial Neural Network. The results indicate that the predictive performance of the model, compare with two CBR algorithms, in specific case is more effective.
Abstract: In this research a mathematical model for direct
oxidization of hydrogen sulfide into elemental sulfur in a fluidized
bed reactor with external circulation was developed. As the catalyst
is deactivated in the fluidized bed, it might be placed in a reduction
tank in order to remove sulfur through heating above its dew point.
The reactor model demonstrated via MATLAB software. It was
shown that variations of H2S conversion as well as; products formed
were reasonable in comparison with corresponding results of a fixed
bed reactor. Through analyzing results of this model, it became
possible to propose the main optimized operating conditions for the
process considered. These conditions included; the temperature range
of 100-130ºC and utilizing the catalyst as much as possible providing
the highest bed density respect to dimensions of bed, economical
aspects that the bed ever remained in fluidized mode. A high active
and stable catalyst under the optimum conditions exhibited 100%
conversion in a fluidized bed reactor.
Abstract: The gases generated in oil filled transformers can be
used for qualitative determination of incipient faults. The Dissolved
Gas Analysis has been widely used by utilities throughout the world
as the primarily diagnostic tool for transformer maintenance. In this
paper, various Artificial Intelligence Techniques that have been used
by the researchers in the past have been reviewed, some conclusions
have been drawn and a sequential hybrid system has been proposed.
The synergy of ANN and FIS can be a good solution for reliable
results for predicting faults because one should not rely on a single
technology when dealing with real–life applications.
Abstract: Requirement engineering has been the subject of large
volume of researches due to the significant role it plays in the
software development life cycle. However, dynamicity of software
industry is much faster than advances in requirements engineering
approaches. Therefore, this paper aims to systematically review and
evaluate the current research in requirement engineering and identify
new research trends and direction in this field. In addition, various
research methods associated with the Evaluation-based techniques
and empirical study are highlighted for the requirements engineering
field. Finally, challenges and recommendations on future directions
research are presented based on the research team observations
during this study.
Abstract: The aim of this research is to determine how preservice Turkish teachers perceive themselves in terms of problem solving skills. Students attending Department of Turkish Language Teaching of Gazi University Education Faculty in 2005-2006 academic year constitute the study group (n= 270) of this research in which survey model was utilized. Data were obtained by Problem Solving Inventory developed by Heppner & Peterson and Personal Information Form. Within the settings of this research, Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of the scale was found as .87. Besides, reliability coefficient obtained by split-half technique which splits odd and even numbered items of the scale was found as r=.81 (Split- Half Reliability). The findings of the research revealed that preservice Turkish teachers were sufficiently qualified on the subject of problem solving skills and statistical significance was found in favor of male candidates in terms of “gender" variable. According to the “grade" variable, statistical significance was found in favor of 4th graders.
Abstract: In recent years, the number of natural disasters in Laos has a trend to increase, especially the disaster of flood. To make a flood plan risk management in the future, it is necessary to understand and analyze the characteristics of the rainfall and Mekong River level data. To reduce the damage, this paper presents the flood risk analysis in Luangprabang and Vientiane, the prefecture of Laos. In detail, the relationship between the rainfall and the Mekong River level has evaluated and appropriate countermeasure for flood was discussed.
Abstract: This paper proposed high level feature for online Lao handwritten recognition. This feature must be high level enough so that the feature is not change when characters are written by different persons at different speed and different proportion (shorter or longer stroke, head, tail, loop, curve). In this high level feature, a character is divided in to sequence of curve segments where a segment start where curve reverse rotation (counter clockwise and clockwise). In each segment, following features are gathered cumulative change in direction of curve (- for clockwise), cumulative curve length, cumulative length of left to right, right to left, top to bottom and bottom to top ( cumulative change in X and Y axis of segment). This feature is simple yet robust for high accuracy recognition. The feature can be gather from parsing the original time sampling sequence X, Y point of the pen location without re-sampling. We also experiment on other segmentation point such as the maximum curvature point which was widely used by other researcher. Experiments results show that the recognition rates are at 94.62% in comparing to using maximum curvature point 75.07%. This is due to a lot of variations of turning points in handwritten.