Abstract: The focus of this study was to determine the factors associated with the use of substances for sport performance of youth in Lagos state sport. Questionnaire was the instrument used for the study. Descriptive research method was used. The estimated population for the study was 2000 sport men and women. The sample size was 200 respondents for purposive sampling techniques were used. The instrument was validated in it content and constructs value. The instrument was administered with the assistance of the coaches. Same 200 copies administered were returned. The data obtained was analysed using simple percentage and chi-square (x2) for stated hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The finding reveal that sport injuries exercise induced and anaphylaxis and asthma and feeling of loss of efficacy associated with alcohol used on sport performance among the users of substances. Alcohol users are recommended to partake in sport like swimming, basketball and volleyball because they have space of time for resting while at play. Government should be fully in charge of the health of sport men and women.
Abstract: Earth structures constructed of marine clay soils have
tendency to crack. In order to improve the flexural strength and
brittleness, a technique of mixing short fibers is introduced to the soil
lime mixture. Coir fiber was used in this study as reinforcing
elements. An experimental investigation consisting primarily of
flexural tensile tests was conducted to examine the influence of coir
fibers on the flexural behaviour of the reinforced soils. The test
results that the coir fibers were effective in improving the flexural
strength and Young’s modulus of all soils examined and ductility
after peak strength for reinforced marine clay soil treated by lime. 5%
lime treated soil and 1% coir fiber reinforced soil specimens’
demonstrated good strength and durability when submerged in water
and retained 45% of their air-cured strengths.
Abstract: The number and adequacy of Performance-Indicators
(PIs) for organisational purposes are core to the success of
organisations and a major concern to the sponsor of this research.
This assignment developed a procedure to improve a firm’s
performance assessment system, by identifying two key-PIs out of 28
initial ones, and by setting criteria and their relative importance to
validate and rank the adequacy and the right number of operational
metrics. The Analytical-Hierarchy-Process was used with a synthesismethod
to treat data coming from the management inquiries.
Although organisational alignment has been achieved, business
processes should also be targeted and PIs continuously revised.
Abstract: In this corporate world, the technology of Web
services has grown rapidly and its significance for the development
of web based applications gradually rises over time. The success of
Business to Business integration rely on finding novel partners and
their services in a global business environment. However, the
selection of the most suitable Web service from the list of services
with the identical functionality is more vital. The satisfaction level of
the customer and the provider’s reputation of the Web service are
primarily depending on the range it reaches the customer’s
requirements. In most cases, the customer of the Web service feels
that he is spending for the service which is undelivered. This is
because the customer always thinks that the real functionality of the
web service is not reached. This will lead to change of the service
frequently. In this paper, a framework is proposed to evaluate the
Quality of Service (QoS) and its cost that makes the optimal
correlation between each other. In addition, this research work
proposes some management decision against the functional deviancy
of the web service that is guaranteed at time of selection.
Abstract: The paper deals with possibilities of increase train
capacity by using a new type of railway wagon. In the first part is
created a mathematical model to calculate the capacity of the train.
The model is based on the main limiting parameters of the train -
maximum number of axles per train, maximum gross weight of train,
maximum length of train and number of TEUs per one wagon. In the
second part is the model applied to four different model trains with
different composition of the train set and three different average
weights of TEU and a train consisting of a new type of wagons. The
result is to identify where the carrying capacity of the original trains
is higher, respectively less than a capacity of train consisting of a new
type of wagons.
Abstract: Holistic methods covering the development process as
a whole – e.g. systems engineering – have established themselves in
product design. However, technical product optimization,
representing improvements in efficiency and/or minimization of loss,
usually applies to single components of a system. A holistic approach
is being defined based on a hierarchical point of view of systems
engineering. This is subsequently presented using the example of an
electromechanical flywheel energy storage system for automotive
applications.
Abstract: One of the main purposes of designing bucklingrestrained
braces is the fact that the entire lateral load is wasted by
the braces, the entire gravitational load is moved to the foundation
through the beams, and the columns can be moved to the foundation.
In other words, braces are designed for bearing lateral load. In the
implementation of the structure, it should be noted that the
implementation of various parts of the structure must be conducted in
such a way that the buckling-restrained braces would not bear the
gravitational load. Moreover, this type of brace has been investigated
under impact loading, and the design goals of designing method
(direct motion) are controlled under impact loading. The results of
dynamic analysis are shown as the relocation charts of the floors and
switch between the floors. Finally, the results are compared with each
other.
Abstract: This work aims to investigate the structure–property
relationship in ternary nanocomposites consisting of polypropylene
as the matrix, polyamide 66 as the minor phase and treated nanoclay
DELLITE 67G as the reinforcement. All PP/PA66/Nanoclay systems
with polypropylene grafted maleic anhydride PP-g-MAH as a
compatibilizer were prepared via melt compounding and
characterized in terms of nanoclay content. Morphological structure
was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The rheological
behavior of the nanocomposites was determined by various methods,
viz melt flow index (MFI) and parallel plate rheological
measurements. The PP/PP-g-MAH/PA66 nanocomposites showed a homogeneous
morphology supporting the compatibility improvement between PP,
PA66, and nanoclay. SEM results revealed the formation of
nanocomposites as the nanoclay was intercalated and exfoliated. In
the ternary nanocomposites, the rheological behavior showed that, the
complex viscosity is increased with increasing the nanoclay. The results showed that the use of nanoclay affects the variations
of storage modulus (G′), loss modulus (G″) and the melt elasticity.
Abstract: We investigate the large scale of networks in the
context of network survivability under attack. We use appropriate
techniques to evaluate and the attacker-based- and the defenderbased-
network survivability. The attacker is unaware of the operated
links by the defender. Each attacked link has some pre-specified
probability to be disconnected. The defender choice is so that to
maximize the chance of successfully sending the flow to the
destination node. The attacker however will select the cut-set with
the highest chance to be disabled in order to partition the network.
Moreover, we extend the problem to the case of selecting the best p
paths to operate by the defender and the best k cut-sets to target by
the attacker, for arbitrary integers p,k>1. We investigate some
variations of the problem and suggest polynomial-time solutions.
Abstract: One of prevailing modes of finance in emerging
Islamic banking system is Murabah’a. It means a financial dealing or
transaction in which seller tells cost of the goods to be sold to buyer.
Otherwise, the transaction would become invalid. In this mainstream,
import Murabah’a transaction is divergent in such a way that the cost
is not recognized and identified due to execution of import
transaction in foreign currency i.e. US Dollar and the next transaction
of Murabaha’a with the client is executed in local currency. Since this
transaction is executed in dual currency i.e. bank pays supplier in
foreign currency and executes Murabah’a with its client in local
currency and it is not allowed in according to Islamic Injunctions as
mentioned in hadith narrated by Hazrat Ibn-e-Umar (May Allah be
pleased with them) used to sell his camels with Dirhams and take
dinars instead and vice versa. Upon revealing before the Prophet
(Peace be upon him), he was advised that it must not be contingent in
the agreement and the ready rate would be applied and possession of
one of the consideration is compulsory. The solution in this regard is
that the import Murabah’a transaction should be in single currency
However, other currency can be paid in payment at the time of
payment in a very indispensable situation provided that ready rate
would be applied. Moreover, some of other solutions have also been
given in this regard.
Abstract: In the last decades, psychological tests have been
gaining in popularity as a method used for evaluating personnel, and
they bring consulting companies solid profits rising by up to 10%
each year. The market is offering a growing range of tools for the
assessment of personality. Tests are used in organizations mainly in
the recruitment and selection of staff. This paper is an attempt to
initially diagnose the state of the use of psychological tests in Polish
companies on the basis of empirical research.
Abstract: Advances in spatial and spectral resolution of satellite
images have led to tremendous growth in large image databases. The
data we acquire through satellites, radars, and sensors consists of
important geographical information that can be used for remote
sensing applications such as region planning, disaster management.
Spatial data classification and object recognition are important tasks
for many applications. However, classifying objects and identifying
them manually from images is a difficult task. Object recognition is
often considered as a classification problem, this task can be
performed using machine-learning techniques. Despite of many
machine-learning algorithms, the classification is done using
supervised classifiers such as Support Vector Machines (SVM) as the
area of interest is known. We proposed a classification method,
which considers neighboring pixels in a region for feature extraction
and it evaluates classifications precisely according to neighboring
classes for semantic interpretation of region of interest (ROI). A
dataset has been created for training and testing purpose; we
generated the attributes by considering pixel intensity values and
mean values of reflectance. We demonstrated the benefits of using
knowledge discovery and data-mining techniques, which can be on
image data for accurate information extraction and classification from
high spatial resolution remote sensing imagery.
Abstract: Objective: Safety and efficacy of Ahmed glaucoma
valve implantation for the management of uveitis induced glaucoma
evaluated on the five dogs with uncontrollable glaucoma. Materials
and Methods: Ahmed Glaucoma Valve (AGV®; New World
Medical, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA) is a flow restrictive, nonobstructive
self-regulating valve system. Preoperative ocular
evaluation included direct ophthalmoscopy and measurement of the
intraocular pressure (IOP). The implant was examined and primed
prior to implantation. The selected site of the valve implantation was
the superior quadrant between the superior and lateral rectus muscles.
A fornix-based incision was made through the conjunectiva and
Tenon’s capsule. A pocket is formed by blunt dissection of Tenon’s
capsule from the episclera. The body of the implant was inserted into
the pocket with the leading edge of the device around 8-10 mm from
the limbus. Results: No post-operative complications were detected
in the operated eyes except a persistent corneal edema occupied the
upper half of the cornea in one case. Hyphaema was very mild and
seen only in two cases which resolved quickly two days after surgery.
Endoscopical evaluation for the operated eyes revealed a normal
ocular fundus with clearly visible optic papilla, tapetum and retinal
blood vessels. No evidence of hemorrhage, infection, adhesions or
retinal abnormalities was detected. Conclusion: Ahmed glaucoma
valve is safe and effective implant for treatment of uveitic glaucoma
in dogs.
Abstract: With the advancement of knowledge about the utility
and impact of sustainability, its feasibility has been explored into
different walks of life. Scientists, however; have established their
knowledge in four areas viz environmental, economic, social and
cultural, popularly termed as four pillars of sustainability. Aspects of
environmental and economic sustainability have been rigorously
researched and practiced and huge volume of strong evidence of
effectiveness has been founded for these two sub-areas. For the social
and cultural aspects of sustainability, dependable evidence of
effectiveness is still to be instituted as the researchers and
practitioners are developing and experimenting methods across the
globe. Therefore, the present research aimed to identify globally used
practices of social and cultural sustainability and through evidence
synthesis assess their outcomes to determine the effectiveness of
those practices. A PICO format steered the methodology which
included all populations, popular sustainability practices including
walkability/cycle tracks, social/recreational spaces, privacy, health &
human services and barrier free built environment, comparators
included ‘Before’ and ‘After’, ‘With’ and ‘Without’, ‘More’ and
‘Less’ and outcomes included Social well-being, cultural coexistence,
quality of life, ethics and morality, social capital, sense of
place, education, health, recreation and leisure, and holistic
development. Search of literature included major electronic
databases, search websites, organizational resources, directory of
open access journals and subscribed journals. Grey literature,
however, was not included. Inclusion criteria filtered studies on the
basis of research designs such as total randomization, quasirandomization,
cluster randomization, observational or single studies
and certain types of analysis. Studies with combined outcomes were
considered but studies focusing only on environmental and/or
economic outcomes were rejected. Data extraction, critical appraisal
and evidence synthesis was carried out using customized tabulation,
reference manager and CASP tool. Partial meta-analysis was carried
out and calculation of pooled effects and forest plotting were done.
As many as 13 studies finally included for final synthesis explained
the impact of targeted practices on health, behavioural and social
dimensions. Objectivity in the measurement of health outcomes
facilitated quantitative synthesis of studies which highlighted the
impact of sustainability methods on physical activity, Body Mass
Index, perinatal outcomes and child health. Studies synthesized
qualitatively (and also quantitatively) showed outcomes such as
routines, family relations, citizenship, trust in relationships, social
inclusion, neighbourhood social capital, wellbeing, habitability and
family’s social processes. The synthesized evidence indicates slight
effectiveness and efficacy of social and cultural sustainability on the
targeted outcomes. Further synthesis revealed that such results of this
study are due weak research designs and disintegrated implementations. If architects and other practitioners deliver their
interventions in collaboration with research bodies and policy
makers, a stronger evidence-base in this area could be generated.
Abstract: Despite the wide spread use of synthetic dyes, natural
dyes are still exploited and used to enhance its inherent aesthetic
qualities as a major material for beautification of the body. Centuries
before the discovery of synthetic dyes, natural dyes were the only
source of dye open to mankind. Dyes are extracted from plant -
leaves, roots and barks, insect secretions, and minerals. However,
research findings have made it clear that of all, plants- leaves, roots,
barks or flowers are the most explored and exploited in which henna
(Lawsonia innermis L.) is one of those plants. Experiment has also
shown that henna is used in body painting in conjunction with an
alkaline (Ammonium Sulphate) as a fixing agent. This of course
gives a clue that if colour derived from henna is properly
investigated, it may not only be used for body decoration but
possibly, may have affinity to fiber substrate. This paper investigates
the dyeing potentials – dye ability and fastness qualities of henna dye
extracts on cotton and linen fibers using mordants like ammonium
sulphate and other alkalis (hydrosulphate and caustic soda, potash,
common salt, potassium alum). Hot and cold water and ethanol
solvent were used in the extraction of the dye to investigate the most
effective method, dye ability, and fastness qualities of these extracts
under room temperature. The results of the experiment show that
cotton have a high rate of dye intake than other fiber. On a similar
note, the colours obtained depend most on the solvent used. In
conclusion, hot water extraction appears more effective. While the
colours obtained from ethanol and both cold hot methods of
extraction range from light to dark yellow, light green to army green
and to some extent shades of brown hues.
Abstract: The acceptance of sustainable products by the final
consumer is still one of the challenges of the industry, which
constantly seeks alternative approaches to successfully be accepted in
the global market. A large set of methods and approaches have been
discussed and analysed throughout the literature. Considering the current need for sustainable development and the
current pace of consumption, the need for a combined solution
towards the development of new products became clear, forcing
researchers in product development to propose alternatives to the
previous standard product development models. This paper presents, through a systemic analysis of the literature
on product development, eco-design and consumer involvement, a set
of alternatives regarding consumer involvement towards the
development of sustainable products and how these approaches could
help improve the sustainable industry’s establishment in the general
market. Still being developed in the course of the author’s PhD, the initial
findings of the research show that the understanding of the benefits of
sustainable behaviour lead to a more conscious acquisition and
eventually to the implementation of sustainable change in the
consumer. Thus this paper is the initial approach towards the
development of new sustainable products using the fashion industry
as an example of practical implementation and acceptance by the
consumers. By comparing the existing literature and critically analysing it, this
paper concluded that the consumer involvement is strategic to
improve the general understanding of sustainability and its features.
The use of consumers and communities has been studied since the
early 90s in order to exemplify uses and to guarantee a fast
comprehension. The analysis done also includes the importance of
this approach for the increase of innovation and ground breaking
developments, thus requiring further research and practical
implementation in order to better understand the implications and
limitations of this methodology.
Abstract: Success means different things for different people.
For us, project managers, it becomes even harder to actually find a
definition. Many factors have to be included in the evaluation.
Moreover, literature is not very helpful, lacking consensus and
neutrality. Post-implementation reviews (PIR) can be an efficient tool
in evaluating how things worked on a certain project. Despite the
visible progress, PIR is not a very detailed subject yet and there is not
common understanding in this matter. This may be the reason that
some organizations include it in the projects’ lifecycle and some do
not. Through this paper, we point out the reasons why all project
managers should pay proper attention to this important step and to the
elements which can be assessed, beside the already famous triple
constraints: cost, budget and time. It is essential to take notice that PIR is not a checklist. It brings the
edge in eliminating subjectivity and judging projects based on actual
proof. Based on our experience, our success indicator model,
presented in this paper, contributes to the success of the project! In
the same time, it increases trust among customers who will perceive
success more objectively.
Abstract: This paper investigates the characteristics of wall
pressure fluctuations in naturally developing boundary layer flows
on axisymmetric bodies experimentally. The axisymmetric body has
a modified ellipsoidal blunt nose. Flush-mounted microphones are
used to measure the wall pressure fluctuations in the boundary layer
flow over the body. The measurements are performed in a low noise
wind tunnel. It is found that the correlation between the flow regime
and the characteristics of the pressure fluctuations is distinct. The
process from small fluctuation in laminar flow to large fluctuation in
turbulent flow is investigated. Tollmien-Schlichting wave (T-S wave)
is found to generate and develop in transition. Because of the T-S
wave, the wall pressure fluctuations in the transition region are higher
than those in the turbulent boundary layer.
Abstract: Segmentation of left ventricle (LV) from cardiac
ultrasound images provides a quantitative functional analysis of the
heart to diagnose disease. Active Shape Model (ASM) is widely used
for LV segmentation, but it suffers from the drawback that
initialization of the shape model is not sufficiently close to the target,
especially when dealing with abnormal shapes in disease. In this work,
a two-step framework is improved to achieve a fast and efficient LV
segmentation. First, a robust and efficient detection based on Hough
forest localizes cardiac feature points. Such feature points are used to
predict the initial fitting of the LV shape model. Second, ASM is
applied to further fit the LV shape model to the cardiac ultrasound
image. With the robust initialization, ASM is able to achieve more
accurate segmentation. The performance of the proposed method is
evaluated on a dataset of 810 cardiac ultrasound images that are mostly
abnormal shapes. This proposed method is compared with several
combinations of ASM and existing initialization methods. Our
experiment results demonstrate that accuracy of the proposed method
for feature point detection for initialization was 40% higher than the
existing methods. Moreover, the proposed method significantly
reduces the number of necessary ASM fitting loops and thus speeds up
the whole segmentation process. Therefore, the proposed method is
able to achieve more accurate and efficient segmentation results and is
applicable to unusual shapes of heart with cardiac diseases, such as left
atrial enlargement.
Abstract: Digital images are widely used in computer
applications. To store or transmit the uncompressed images
requires considerable storage capacity and transmission bandwidth.
Image compression is a means to perform transmission or storage of
visual data in the most economical way. This paper explains about
how images can be encoded to be transmitted in a multiplexing
time-frequency domain channel. Multiplexing involves packing
signals together whose representations are compact in the working
domain. In order to optimize transmission resources each 4 × 4
pixel block of the image is transformed by a suitable polynomial
approximation, into a minimal number of coefficients. Less than
4 × 4 coefficients in one block spares a significant amount of
transmitted information, but some information is lost. Different
approximations for image transformation have been evaluated as
polynomial representation (Vandermonde matrix), least squares +
gradient descent, 1-D Chebyshev polynomials, 2-D Chebyshev
polynomials or singular value decomposition (SVD). Results have
been compared in terms of nominal compression rate (NCR),
compression ratio (CR) and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR)
in order to minimize the error function defined as the difference
between the original pixel gray levels and the approximated
polynomial output. Polynomial coefficients have been later encoded
and handled for generating chirps in a target rate of about two
chirps per 4 × 4 pixel block and then submitted to a transmission
multiplexing operation in the time-frequency domain.