Abstract: Adequate and reliable estimates of aquifer parameters
are of utmost importance for proper management of vital
groundwater resources. At present scenario, the ground water is
polluted because of industrial waste disposed over the land and the
contaminants are transported in the aquifer from one area to another
area, which is depending on the characteristics of the aquifer and
contaminants. To know the contaminant transport, the accurate
estimation of aquifer properties is highly needed. Conventionally,
these properties are estimated through pumping tests carried out on
water wells. The occurrence and movement of ground water in the
aquifer are characteristically defined by the aquifer parameters. The
pumping (aquifer) test is the standard technique for estimating
various hydraulic properties of aquifer systems, viz., transmissivity
(T), hydraulic conductivity (K), storage coefficient (S) etc., for which
the graphical method is widely used. The study area for conducting
pumping test is Pydibheemavaram Industrial area near the coastal
belt of Srikulam, AP, India. The main objective of the present work is
to estimate the aquifer properties for developing contaminant
transport model for the study area.
Abstract: Background: To compare the thinning patterns of the
ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) and peripapillary retinal
nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) as measured using Cirrus high-definition
optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT) in patients with visual field
(VF) defects that respect the vertical meridian. Methods: Twenty eyes of eleven patients with VF defects that
respect the vertical meridian were enrolled retrospectively. The
thicknesses of the macular GCIPL and pRNFL were measured using
Cirrus HD-OCT. The 5% and 1% thinning area index (TAI) was
calculated as the proportion of abnormally thin sectors at the 5% and
1% probability level within the area corresponding to the affected VF.
The 5% and 1% TAI were compared between the GCIPL and pRNFL
measurements. Results: The color-coded GCIPL deviation map showed a
characteristic vertical thinning pattern of the GCIPL, which is also
seen in the VF of patients with brain lesions. The 5% and 1% TAI
were significantly higher in the GCIPL measurements than in the
pRNFL measurements (all P < 0.01). Conclusions: Macular GCIPL analysis clearly visualized a
characteristic topographic pattern of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss
in patients with VF defects that respect the vertical meridian, unlike
pRNFL measurements. Macular GCIPL measurements provide more
valuable information than pRNFL measurements for detecting the
loss of RGCs in patients with retrograde degeneration of the optic
nerve fibers.
Abstract: Adoption of Information Systems (IS) is receiving
increasing attention such that its implications have been closely
monitored and studied by the IS management community, industry
and professional gatekeepers. Building on previous research
regarding the adoption of technology, this paper develops and
validates an integrated model of the adoption of mobile banking. The
model originates from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and
the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). This paper intends to offer a
preliminary scrutiny of the antecedents of the adoption of mobile
banking services in the context of a developing country. Data was
collected from Pakistan. The findings showed that an integrated TAM
and TPB model greatly explains the adoption intention of mobile
banking; and perceived behavioural control and its antecedents play a
significant role in predicting adoption Theoretical and managerial
implications of findings are presented and discussed.
Abstract: The traditional rhythms of the West African country
of Guinea have played a centuries-long role in defining the different
people groups that make up the country. Throughout their history,
before and since colonization by the French, the different ethnicities
have used their traditional music as a distinct part of their historical
identities. That is starting to change. Guinea is an impoverished
nation created in the early twentieth-century with little regard for the
history and cultures of the people who were included. The traditional
rhythms of the different people groups and their heritages have
remained. Fifteen individual traditional Guinean rhythms were
chosen to represent popular rhythms from the four geographical
regions of Guinea. Each rhythm was traced back to its native village
and video recorded on-site by as many different local performing
groups as could be located. The cyclical patterns rhythms were
transcribed via a circular, spatial design and then copied into a box
notation system where sounds happening at the same time could be
studied. These rhythms were analyzed for their consistency-overperformance
in a Fundamental Rhythm Pattern analysis so rhythms
could be compared for how they are changing through different
performances. The analysis showed that the traditional rhythm
performances of the Middle and Forest Guinea regions were the most
cohesive and showed the least evidence of change between
performances. The role of music in each of these regions is both
limited and focused. The Coastal and High Guinea regions have
much in common historically through their ethnic history and
modern-day trade connections, but the rhythm performances seem to
be less consistent and demonstrate more changes in how they are
performed today. In each of these regions the role and usage of music
is much freer and wide-spread. In spite of advances being made as a
country, different ethnic groups still frequently only respond and
participate (dance and sing) to the music of their native ethnicity.
There is some evidence that this self-imposed musical barrier is
beginning to change and evolve, partially through the development of
better roads, more access to electricity and technology, the nationwide
Ebola health crisis, and a growing self-identification as a
unified nation.
Abstract: In this paper, we present an application of Riemannian
geometry for processing non-Euclidean image data. We consider the
image as residing in a Riemannian manifold, for developing a new
method to brain edge detection and brain extraction. Automating this
process is a challenge due to the high diversity in appearance brain
tissue, among different patients and sequences. The main contribution, in this paper, is the use of an edge-based
anisotropic diffusion tensor for the segmentation task by integrating
both image edge geometry and Riemannian manifold (geodesic,
metric tensor) to regularize the convergence contour and extract
complex anatomical structures. We check the accuracy of the
segmentation results on simulated brain MRI scans of single
T1-weighted, T2-weighted and Proton Density sequences. We
validate our approach using two different databases: BrainWeb
database, and MRI Multiple sclerosis Database (MRI MS DB). We
have compared, qualitatively and quantitatively, our approach with
the well-known brain extraction algorithms. We show that using
a Riemannian manifolds to medical image analysis improves the
efficient results to brain extraction, in real time, outperforming the
results of the standard techniques.
Abstract: Maintaining factory default battery endurance rate
over time in supporting huge amount of running applications on
energy-restricted mobile devices has created a new challenge for
mobile applications developer. While delivering customers’
unlimited expectations, developers are barely aware of efficient use
of energy from the application itself. Thus, developers need a set of
valid energy consumption indicators in assisting them to develop
energy saving applications. In this paper, we present a few software
product metrics that can be used as an indicator to measure energy
consumption of Android-based mobile applications in the early of
design stage. In particular, Trepn Profiler (Power profiling tool for
Qualcomm processor) has used to collect the data of mobile
application power consumption, and then analyzed for the 23
software metrics in this preliminary study. The results show that
McCabe cyclomatic complexity, number of parameters, nested block
depth, number of methods, weighted methods per class, number of
classes, total lines of code and method lines have direct relationship
with power consumption of mobile application.
Abstract: The article deals with the readiness of military
professionals for challenging situations. It discusses higher
requirements on the psychical endurance of military professionals
arising from the specific nature of the military occupation, which is
typical for being very difficult to maintain regularity, which is in
accordance with the hygiene of work alternated by relaxation. The
soldier must be able to serve in the long term and constantly intense
performance that goes beyond human tolerance to stress situations. A
challenging situation is always associated with overcoming
difficulties, obstacles and complicated circumstances or using
unusual methods, ways and means to achieve the desired (expected)
objectives, performing a given task or satisfying an important need.
This paper describes the categories of challenging situations, their
classification and characteristics. Attention is also paid to the
formation of personality in challenging situations, coping with stress
in challenging situations, Phases of solutions of stressful situations,
resistance to challenging life situations and its factors. Finally, the
article is focused on increasing the readiness of military professionals
for challenging situations.
Abstract: This contribution is focused on the methodology for
identifying levels of quality and improving quality through new
logistics model in railway transport. It is oriented on the application
of dynamic quality models, which represent an innovative method of
evaluation quality services. Through this conception, time factor,
expected, and perceived quality in each moment of the transportation
process within logistics chain can be taken into account. Various
models describe the improvement of the quality which emphases the
time factor throughout the whole transportation logistics chain.
Quality of services in railway transport can be determined by the
existing level of service quality, by detecting the causes of
dissatisfaction employees but also customers, to uncover strengths
and weaknesses. This new logistics model is able to recognize critical
processes in logistic chain. It includes service quality rating that must
respect its specific properties, which are unrepeatability,
impalpability, their use right at the time they are provided and
particularly changeability, which is significant factor in the
conditions of rail transport as well. These peculiarities influence the
quality of service regarding the constantly increasing requirements
and that result in new ways of finding progressive attitudes towards
the service quality rating.
Abstract: This article describes the results of research focused
on quality of railway freight transport services. Improvement of these
services has a crucial importance in customer considering on the
future use of railway transport. Processes filling the customer
demands and output quality assessment were defined as a part of the
research. In this contribution is introduced the map of quality
planning and the algorithm of applied methodology. It characterizes a
model which takes into account characters of transportation with
linking a perception services quality in ordinary and extraordinary
operation. Despite the fact that rail freight transport has its solid
position in the transport market, lots of carriers worldwide have been
experiencing a stagnation for a couple of years. Therefore, specific
results of the research have a significant importance and belong to
numerous initiatives aimed to develop and support railway transport
not only by creating a single railway area or reducing noise but also
by promoting railway services. This contribution is focused also on
the application of dynamic quality models which represent an
innovative method of evaluation quality services. Through this
conception, time factor, expected, and perceived quality in each
moment of the transportation process can be taken into account.
Abstract: From the start, the importance of having a plan to
sustain tourism was acknowledged. The correct methods to monitor
that type of tourism have been researched. Thus, we propose in this
work to analyze the applicability of a monitoring and assistance
method on the understanding of the tourism sustainability in a small
size destiny or getaway. In this study, the subject is Lagoa da
Confusão, in the state of Tocantins and the analysis was carried out
through the efficiency of the local indicators, according to the WOT
approach. We concluded that the sustainable tourism key points that
were analyzed demonstrated to be important evaluation and
quantification tools for the proposed tasks to be developed in the
mentioned destiny. This is a study of an interdisciplinary character
and the deductive method was chosen as the guiding line.
Abstract: Exact solution of an unsteady MHD flow of elasticoviscous
fluid through a porous media in a tube of elliptic cross
section under the influence of magnetic field and constant pressure
gradient has been obtained in this paper. Initially, the flow is
generated by a constant pressure gradient. After attaining the steady
state, the pressure gradient is suddenly withdrawn and the resulting
fluid motion in a tube of elliptical cross section by taking into
account of the porosity factor and magnetic parameter of the
bounding surface is investigated. The problem is solved in two-stages
the first stage is a steady motion in tube under the influence of a
constant pressure gradient, the second stage concern with an unsteady
motion. The problem is solved employing separation of variables
technique. The results are expressed in terms of a non-dimensional
porosity parameter, magnetic parameter and elastico-viscosity
parameter, which depends on the Non-Newtonian coefficient. The
flow parameters are found to be identical with that of Newtonian case
as elastic-viscosity parameter, magnetic parameter tends to zero, and
porosity tends to infinity. The numerical results were simulated in
MATLAB software to analyze the effect of Elastico-viscous
parameter, porosity parameter, and magnetic parameter on velocity
profile. Boundary conditions were satisfied. It is seen that the effect
of elastico-viscosity parameter, porosity parameter and magnetic
parameter of the bounding surface has significant effect on the
velocity parameter.
Abstract: Abstract—[Tris (1,10-phenanthroline) lanthanum(III)]
trithiocyanate is a new compound that has shown high ability for
stopping the synthesis of DNA and also acting as a photosensitizer.
Nowadays, the radiation dose assessment resource (RADAR) method
is known as the most common method for absorbed dose calculation.
177Lu was produced by (n, gamma) reaction in a research reactor.
177Lu-PL3 was prepared in the optimized condition. The
radiochemical yield was checked by ITLC method. The
biodistribution of the complex was investigated by intravenously
injection to wild-type rats via their tail veins. In this study, the
absorbed dose of 177Lu-PL3 to human organs was estimated by
RADAR method. 177Lu was prepared with a specific activity of 2.6-3
GBq.mg-1 and radionuclide purity of 99.98 %. Final preparation of
the radiolabelled complex showed high radiochemical purity of >
99%. The results show that liver and spleen have received the highest
absorbed dose of 1.051 and 0.441 mSv/MBq, respectively. The
absorbed dose values for these two dose-limiting tissues suggest
more biological studies special in tumor-bearing animals.
Abstract: Parboiled rice was developed to produce rice, which
has a low glycemic index for diabetics. However, diabetics also have
a chromium (Cr) deficiency. Thus, it is important to fortify rice with
Cr to increase the Cr content. Moreover, parboiled rice becomes
rancid easily and has a musty odor, rendering the rice unfavorable.
Natural herbs such as pandan leaves (Pandanus amaryllifolius
Roxb.), bay leaves (Syzygium polyanthum [Wigh] Walp) and
cinnamon bark powder (Cinnamomon cassia) are commonly added to
food as aroma enhancers. Previous research has shown that these
herbs could improve insulin sensitivity. The purpose of this study
was to evaluate the effect of herbal extract coatings on the cooking
quality and the preference level of chromium fortified - parboiled rice
(CFPR). The rice grain variety used for this experiment was Ciherang
and the fortificant was CrCl3. The three herbal extracts used for
coating the CFPR were cinnamon, pandan and bay leaf, with
concentration variations of 3%, 6%, and 9% (w/w) for each of the
extracts. The samples were analyzed for their alkali spreading value,
cooking time, elongation, water uptake ratio, solid loss, colour and
lightness; and their sensory properties were determined by means of
an organoleptic test. The research showed that coating the CFPR with
pandan and cinnamon extracts at a concentration of 3% each
produced a preferred CFPR. When coated with those herbal extracts
the CFPR had the following cooking quality properties: alkali
spreading value 5 (intermediate gelatinization temperature), cooking
time, 26-27 min, color value, 14.95-15.00, lightness, 42.30 – 44.06,
elongation, 1.53 – 1.54, water uptake ratio , 4.05-4.06, and solid loss,
0.09/100 g – 0.13 g/100 g.
Abstract: This paper expands on the role of the professor by detailing the origins of the profession, adding some of the unique contributions of North American universities as well as some of the best practice recommendations to the unique tripartite role of the professor. It describes current challenges to the profession including the ever-controversial student rating of professors. It continues with the significance of empowerment to the role of the professor. It concludes with a predictive prescription for the future of the professoriate and the role of the university-level educational administrator toward that end.
Abstract: Electronic mediums such as websites, feeds, blogs and
social media sites are on a daily basis influencing our decision
making, are improving our productivity and are shaping futures of
many consumers and service/product providers. This research
identifies that both customers and business providers heavily rely on
smart phone applications. Based on this, mobile applications
available on iTunes store were studied. It was identified that fruit and
vegetable related applications used by consumers can broadly be
categorized into purchase applications, diaries, tracking health
applications, trip farm location and cooking applications. On the
other hand, applications used by farmers can broadly be classified as:
weather tracking, pests / fertilizer applications and general social
media applications such as Facebook. To blur this farmer-consumer
application divide, our research utilizes Context Specific
eTransformation Framework and based on it identifies characteristic
future consumer-farmer applications will need to have so that the
current divide can be narrowed and consequently better farmerconsumer
supply chain link established.
Abstract: The noise is one of the negative elements which
affects the human health. This article presents the measurement of
emitted noise by road vehicle and its parts during the operation.
Measurement was done in the interior of common passenger cars
with a digital sound meter. The results compare the noise value in
different cars with different body shape, which influences the driver’s
health. Transport has considerable ecological effects; many of them
are detrimental to environmental sustainability. Roads and traffic
exert a variety of direct and mostly detrimental effects on nature.
Abstract: Hydrogels are three-dimensional, hydrophilic,
polymeric networks composed of homopolymers or copolymers and
are insoluble in water due to the presence of chemical or physical
cross-links. When hydrogels come in contact with aqueous solutions,
they can effectively sorb and retain the dissolved substances,
depending on the nature of the monomeric units comprising the
hydrogel. For this reason, hydrogels have been proposed in several
studies as water purification agents. At the present work anionic
hydrogels bearing negatively charged –COO- groups were prepared
and investigated. These gels are based on sodium acrylate (ANa),
either homopolymerized (poly(sodiumacrylate), PANa) or
copolymerized (P(DMAM-co-ANa)) with N,N Dimethylacrylamide
(DMAM). The hydrogels were used to extract some model organic
dyes from water. It is found that cationic dyes are strongly sorbed and
retained by the hydrogels, while sorption of anionic dyes was
negligible. In all cases it was found that both maximum sorption
capacity and equilibrium binding constant varied from one dye to the
other depending on the chemical structure of the dye, the presence of
functional chemical groups and the hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance.
Finally, the nonionic hydrogel of the homopolymer poly(N,Ndimethylacrylamide),
PDMAM, was also used for reasons of
comparison.
Abstract: Revenue leakages are one of the major challenges
manufacturers face in production processes, as most of the input
materials that should emanate as products from the lines are lost as
waste. Rather than generating income from material input which is
meant to end-up as products, losses are further incurred as costs in
order to manage waste generated. In addition, due to the lack of a
clear view of the flow of resources on the lines from input to output
stage, acquiring information on the true cost of waste generated have
become a challenge. This has therefore given birth to the
conceptualization and implementation of waste minimization
strategies by several manufacturing industries. This paper reviews the
principles and applications of three environmental management
accounting tools namely Activity-based Costing (ABC), Life-Cycle
Assessment (LCA) and Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) in
the manufacturing industry and their effectiveness in curbing revenue
leakages. The paper unveils the strengths and limitations of each of
the tools; beaming a searchlight on the tool that could allow for
optimal resource utilization, transparency in production process as
well as improved cost efficiency. Findings from this review reveal
that MFCA may offer superior advantages with regards to the
provision of more detailed information (both in physical and
monetary terms) on the flow of material inputs throughout the
production process compared to the other environmental accounting
tools. This paper therefore makes a case for the adoption of MFCA as
a viable technique for the identification and reduction of waste in
production processes, and also for effective decision making by
production managers, financial advisors and other relevant
stakeholders.
Abstract: The energy need is growing rapidly due to the
population growth and the large new usage of power. Several works
put considerable efforts to make the electricity grid more intelligent
to reduce essentially energy consumption and provide efficiency and
reliability of power systems. The Smart Grid is a complex
architecture that covers critical devices and systems vulnerable to
significant attacks. Hence, security is a crucial factor for the success
and the wide deployment of Smart Grids. In this paper, we present
security issues of the Smart Grid architecture and we highlight open
issues that will make the Smart Grid security a challenging research
area in the future.
Abstract: In this paper, the results of Kano from one dimensional
cosine and sine series are extended to two dimensional cosine and sine
series. To extend these results, some classes of coefficient sequences
such as class of semi convexity and class R are extended from
one dimension to two dimensions. Further, the function f(x, y) is
two dimensional Fourier Cosine and Sine series or equivalently it
represents an integrable function or not, has been studied. Moreover,
some results are obtained which are generalization of Moricz’s
results.