Abstract: In the present study, development of salbutamol
sulphate nanoparticles that adhere to gastric mucus was investigated.
Salbutamol sulphate has low bioavailability due to short transit time in
gastric. It also has a positive surface charge that provides hurdles to be
encapsulated by the positively strong mucoadhesive polymer of
chitosan. To overcome the difficulties, the surface charge of active
ingredient was modified using several nonionic and anionic
stomach-specific polymers. The nanoparticles were prepared using
ionotropic gelation technique. The evaluation involved determination
of particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, in vitro drug
release and in vitro mucoadhesion test. Results exhibited that the use
of anionic alginate polymer was more satisfactory than that of
nonionic polymer. Characteristics of the particles was nano-size, high
encapsulation efficiency, fulfilled the drug release requirements and
adhesive towards stomach for around 11 hours. This result shows that
the salbutamol sulphate nanoparticles can be utilized for improvement
its delivery.
Abstract: The next stage of the home networking environment is
supposed to be ubiquitous, where each piece of material is equipped
with an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag. To fully support
the ubiquitous environment, home networking middleware should be
able to recommend home services based on a user-s interests and
efficiently manage information on service usage profiles for the users.
Therefore, USN (Ubiquitous Sensor Network) technology, which
recognizes and manages a appliance-s state-information (location,
capabilities, and so on) by connecting RFID tags is considered. The
Intelligent Multi-Agent Middleware (IMAM) architecture was
proposed to intelligently manage the mobile RFID-based home
networking and to automatically supply information about home
services that match a user-s interests. Evaluation results for
personalization services for IMAM using Bayesian-Net and Decision
Trees are presented.
Abstract: An evaluation of the PCBs residues in the surface soils from Bacninh, Vietnam was carried out. Sixty representative soil samples were collected from the centre of Bacninh and three surrounding districts. The analyzed results indicated the wide extent of contamination of total PCBs in Bacninh. In industrial and urban zones, total PCBs concentrations ranged from ranged from
Abstract: In developing countries located in monsoon areas like
Thailand where rainwater is currently of no value for urban dwellers
due to easily access to piped water supply at each household, studies
in rainwater harvesting for domestic use are of low interest. However
it is needed to undertake research to find out appropriate rainwater
harvesting systems particularly for small urban communities that are
recently developed from a full rural structure to urban context. As a
matter of fact, in such transitional period, relying on only common
water resources is risky. With some specific economic settings, land
use patterns, and historical and cultural context that dominate
perceptions of water users in the study area, the level of service in
this study may certainly be different from megacities or cities located
in industrial zone. The overviews of some available technologies and
background of rainwater harvesting including alternate resource are
included in this paper. Among other sources of water supply, ground
water use as the water resource of Thailand and also in the study area.
Abstract: When the Malaysian government announced the implementation of the Build-Then-Sell (BTS) system in 2007, the proponents of the BTS have argued that the implementation of this new system may provide houses with low defects. However, there has been no empirical data to support their argument. Therefore, this study is conducted to measure the level of housing defects in the BTS housing delivery system. A survey was conducted to the occupiers in six BTS residential areas. The BTS residential areas have been identified through the media and because of the small number of population, all households in the BTS residential areas were required to participate in the study to enable the researcher to collect the data concerning defects. Questionnaire had been employed as the data collection instrument and was distributed to the respondents of this study. The result has shown that the level of defects in the BTS houses is low, as the rate of defects for all elements are slight. Such low level of defects has apparently only affected the aesthetic value of the houses.
Abstract: Automated operations based on voice commands will become more and more important in many applications, including robotics, maintenance operations, etc. However, voice command recognition rates drop quite a lot under non-stationary and chaotic noise environments. In this paper, we tried to significantly improve the speech recognition rates under non-stationary noise environments. First, 298 Navy acronyms have been selected for automatic speech recognition. Data sets were collected under 4 types of noisy environments: factory, buccaneer jet, babble noise in a canteen, and destroyer. Within each noisy environment, 4 levels (5 dB, 15 dB, 25 dB, and clean) of Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) were introduced to corrupt the speech. Second, a new algorithm to estimate speech or no speech regions has been developed, implemented, and evaluated. Third, extensive simulations were carried out. It was found that the combination of the new algorithm, the proper selection of language model and a customized training of the speech recognizer based on clean speech yielded very high recognition rates, which are between 80% and 90% for the four different noisy conditions. Fourth, extensive comparative studies have also been carried out.
Abstract: Information and communication service providers
(ICSP) that are significant in size and provide Internet-based services
take administrative, technical, and physical protection measures via
the information security check service (ISCS). These protection
measures are the minimum action necessary to secure the stability and
continuity of the information and communication services (ICS) that
they provide. Thus, information assets are essential to providing ICS,
and deciding the relative importance of target assets for protection is a
critical procedure. The risk analysis model designed to decide the
relative importance of information assets, which is described in this
study, evaluates information assets from many angles, in order to
choose which ones should be given priority when it comes to
protection. Many-sided risk analysis (MSRS) grades the importance of
information assets, based on evaluation of major security check items,
evaluation of the dependency on the information and communication
facility (ICF) and influence on potential incidents, and evaluation of
major items according to their service classification, in order to
identify the ISCS target. MSRS could be an efficient risk analysis
model to help ICSPs to identify their core information assets and take
information protection measures first, so that stability of the ICS can
be ensured.
Abstract: This paper focuses on a critical component of the situational awareness (SA), the neural control of depth flight of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Constant depth flight is a challenging but important task for AUVs to achieve high level of autonomy under adverse conditions. With the SA strategy, we proposed a multirate neural control of an AUV trajectory for a nontrivial mid-small size AUV “r2D4" stochastic model. This control system has been demonstrated and evaluated by simulation of diving maneuvers using software package Simulink. From the simulation results it can be seen that the chosen AUV model is stable in the presence of noises, and also can be concluded that the proposed research technique will be useful for fast SA of similar AUV systems in real-time search-and-rescue operations.
Abstract: Peer review is an activity where students review their
classmates- writing and then evaluate the content, development, unity
and organization. Studies have shown that peer review activities
benefit both the reviewer and the writer in developing their reading
and writing skills. Furthermore, peer review activities may also
enhance students- soft skills. This study was conducted to find out the
benefits of peer review activity in a technical writing class based on
engineering students- perceptions. The study also highlights how
these benefits could improve the students- soft skills. A set of
questionnaire was given to 200 undergraduate students of a technical
writing course. The results of the study indicate that the activity could
help improve their critical thinking skills, written and oral
communication skills, as well as team work. This paper further
discusses how the implications of these benefits could help enhance
students- soft skills.
Abstract: In order to derive important parameters concerning
mobile subscriber MS with ongoing calls in Low Earth Orbit Mobile
Satellite Systems LEO MSSs, a positioning system had to be
integrated into MSS in order to localize mobile subscribers MSs and
track them during the connection. Such integration is regarded as a
complex implementation.
We propose in this paper a novel method based on advantages of
mobility model of Low Earth Orbit Mobile Satellite System LEO
MSS called Evaluation Parameters Method EPM which allows for
such systems the evaluation of different information concerning a
MS with a call in progress even if its location is unknown.
Abstract: The process parameters, temperature, pH and
substrate concentration, were optimized for the production of
gentamicin using Micromonouspora echinospora. Experiments were
carried out according to central composite design in response surface
method. The optimum conditions for the maximum production of
gentamicin were found to be: temperature – 31.7oC, pH – 6.8 and
substrate concentration – 3%. At these optimized conditions the
production of gentamicin was found to be – 1040 mg/L. The R2 value
of 0.9465 indicates a good fitness of the model.
Abstract: Knowledge of an organization does not merely reside
in structured form of information and data; it is also embedded in
unstructured form. The discovery of such knowledge is particularly
difficult as the characteristic is dynamic, scattered, massive and
multiplying at high speed. Conventional methods of managing
unstructured information are considered too resource demanding and
time consuming to cope with the rapid information growth.
In this paper, a Multi-faceted and Automatic Knowledge
Elicitation System (MAKES) is introduced for the purpose of
discovery and capture of organizational knowledge. A trial
implementation has been conducted in a public organization to
achieve the objective of decision capture and navigation from a
number of meeting minutes which are autonomously organized,
classified and presented in a multi-faceted taxonomy map in both
document and content level. Key concepts such as critical decision
made, key knowledge workers, knowledge flow and the relationship
among them are elicited and displayed in predefined knowledge
model and maps. Hence, the structured knowledge can be retained,
shared and reused.
Conducting Knowledge Management with MAKES reduces work
in searching and retrieving the target decision, saves a great deal of
time and manpower, and also enables an organization to keep pace
with the knowledge life cycle. This is particularly important when
the amount of unstructured information and data grows extremely
quickly. This system approach of knowledge management can
accelerate value extraction and creation cycles of organizations.
Abstract: Measurement and the following evaluation of
performance represent important part of management. The paper
focuses on indicators as the basic elements of performance
measurement system. It emphasizes a necessity of searching
requirements for quality indicators so that they can become part of
the useful system. It introduces standpoints for a systematic dividing
of indicators so that they have as high as possible informative value
of background sources for searching, analysis, designing and using of
indicators. It draws attention to requirements for indicators' quality
and at the same it deals with some dangers decreasing indicator's
informative value. It submits a draft of questions that should be
answered at the construction of indicator. It is obvious that particular
indicators need to be defined exactly to stimulate the desired
behavior in order to attain expected results. In the enclosure a
concrete example of the defined indicator in the concrete conditions
of a small firm is given. The authors of the paper pay attention to the
fact that a quality indicator makes it possible to get to the basic
causes of the problem and include the established facts into the
company information system. At the same time they emphasize that
developing of a quality indicator is a prerequisite for the utilization
of the system of measurement in management.
Abstract: Solar shading designs are important for reduction of building energy consumption and improvement of indoor thermal environment. This paper carried out a number of building simulations for evaluation of the energy performance of different shading devices based on incremental costs. The results show that movable shading devices lower incremental costs by up to 50% compared with fixed ones for the same building energy efficiency for residential buildings, and wing panel shadings are much more suitable in commercial buildings than baring screen ones and overhangs for commercial buildings.
Abstract: This paper is a numerical investigation of a laminar
isothermal plane two dimensional wall jet. Special attention has been
paid to the effect of the inlet conditions at the nozzle exit on the
hydrodynamic and thermal characteristics of the flow. The
behaviour of various fluids evolving in both forced and mixed
convection regimes near a vertical plate plane is carried out. The
system of governing equations is solved with an implicit finite
difference scheme. For numerical stability we use a staggered non
uniform grid. The obtained results show that the effect of the Prandtl
number is significant in the plume region in which the jet flow is
governed by buoyant forces. Further for ascending X values, the
buoyancy forces become dominating, and a certain agreement
between the temperature profiles are observed, which shows that the
velocity profile has no longer influence on the wall temperature
evolution in this region. Fluids with low Prandtl number warm up
more importantly, because for such fluids the effect of heat diffusion
is higher.
Abstract: Missing data is a persistent problem in almost all
areas of empirical research. The missing data must be treated very
carefully, as data plays a fundamental role in every analysis.
Improper treatment can distort the analysis or generate biased results.
In this paper, we compare and contrast various imputation techniques
on missing data sets and make an empirical evaluation of these
methods so as to construct quality software models. Our empirical
study is based on NASA-s two public dataset. KC4 and KC1. The
actual data sets of 125 cases and 2107 cases respectively, without
any missing values were considered. The data set is used to create
Missing at Random (MAR) data Listwise Deletion(LD), Mean
Substitution(MS), Interpolation, Regression with an error term and
Expectation-Maximization (EM) approaches were used to compare
the effects of the various techniques.
Abstract: Nanocrystalline thin film of Na0.1V2O5.nH2O xerogel
obtained by sol gel synthesis was used as gas sensor. Gas sensing
properties of different gases such as hydrogen, petroleum and
humidity were investigated. Applying XRD and TEM the size of the
nanocrystals is found to be 7.5 nm. SEM shows a highly porous
structure with submicron meter-sized voids present throughout the
sample. FTIR measurement shows different chemical groups
identifying the obtained series of gels. The sample was n-type
semiconductor according to the thermoelectric power and electrical
conductivity. It can be seen that the sensor response curves from
130oC to 150oC show a rapid increase in sensitivity for all types of
gas injection, low response values for heating period and the rapid
high response values for cooling period. This result may suggest that
this material is able to act as gas sensor during the heating and
cooling process.
Abstract: A method is presented for using thermo-mechanical fatigue analysis as a tool in the design of automotive heat exchangers. Use of infra-red thermography to measure the real thermal history in the heat exchanger reduces the time necessary for calculating design parameters and improves prediction accuracy. Thermal shocks are the primary cause of heat exchanger damage. Thermo-mechanical simulation is based on the mean behavior of the aluminum tubes used in the heat exchanger. An energetic fatigue criterion is used to detect critical zones.
Abstract: Because support interference corrections are not properly
understood, engineers mostly rely on expensive dummy measurements
or CFD calculations. This paper presents a method based on uncorrected wind tunnel measurements and fast calculation techniques
(it is a hybrid method) to calculate wall interference, support interference and residual interference (when e.g. a support member
closely approaches the wind tunnel walls) for any type of wind tunnel and support configuration. The method provides with a simple formula
for the calculation of the interference gradient. This gradient is
based on the uncorrected measurements and a successive calculation
of the slopes of the interference-free aerodynamic coefficients. For the latter purpose a new vortex-lattice routine is developed that corrects
the slopes for viscous effects. A test case of a measurement on a wing proves the value of this hybrid method as trends and orders of
magnitudes of the interference are correctly determined.
Abstract: Water quality is a subject of ongoing concern.
Deterioration of water quality has initiated serious management
efforts in many countries. This study endeavors to automatically
classify water quality. The water quality classes are evaluated using 6
factor indices. These factors are pH value (pH), Dissolved Oxygen
(DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Nitrate Nitrogen
(NO3N), Ammonia Nitrogen (NH3N) and Total Coliform (TColiform).
The methodology involves applying data mining
techniques using multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network
models. The data consisted of 11 sites of canals in Dusit district in
Bangkok, Thailand. The data is obtained from the Department of
Drainage and Sewerage Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
during 2007-2011. The results of multilayer perceptron neural
network exhibit a high accuracy multilayer perception rate at 96.52%
in classifying the water quality of Dusit district canal in Bangkok
Subsequently, this encouraging result could be applied with plan and
management source of water quality.