Abstract: Virtual Assembly (VA) is one of the key technologies
in advanced manufacturing field. It is a promising application of
virtual reality in design and manufacturing field. It has drawn much
interest from industries and research institutes in the last two decades.
This paper describes a process for integrating an interactive Virtual
Reality-based assembly simulation of a digital mockup with the
CAD/CAM infrastructure. The necessary hardware and software
preconditions for the process are explained so that it can easily be
adopted by non VR experts. The article outlines how assembly
simulation can improve the CAD/CAM procedures and structures;
how CAD model preparations have to be carried out and which
virtual environment requirements have to be fulfilled. The issue of
data transfer is also explained in the paper. The other challenges and
requirements like anti-aliasing and collision detection have also been
explained. Finally, a VA simulation has been carried out for a ball
valve assembly and a car door assembly with the help of Vizard
virtual reality toolkit in a semi-immersive environment and their
performance analysis has been done on different workstations to
evaluate the importance of graphical processing unit (GPU) in the
field of VA.
Abstract: Inadequate curriculum for software engineering is considered to be one of the most common software risks. A number of solutions, on improving Software Engineering Education (SEE) have been reported in literature but there is a need to collectively present these solutions at one place. We have performed a mapping study to present a broad view of literature; published on improving the current state of SEE. Our aim is to give academicians, practitioners and researchers an international view of the current state of SEE. Our study has identified 70 primary studies that met our selection criteria, which we further classified and categorized in a well-defined Software Engineering educational framework. We found that the most researched category within the SE educational framework is Innovative Teaching Methods whereas the least amount of research was found in Student Learning and Assessment category. Our future work is to conduct a Systematic Literature Review on SEE.
Abstract: As known, the guard wires of overhead high voltage
are usually grounded through the grounding systems of support and
of the terminal stations. They do affect the zero sequence impedance
value of the line, Z0, which is generally, calculated assuming that the
wires guard are at ground potential. In this way it is not considered
the effect of the resistances of earth of supports and stations. In this
work is formed a formula for the calculation of Z0 which takes
account of said resistances. Is also proposed a method of calculating
the impedance zero sequence overhead lines in which, in various
sections or spans, the guard wires are connected to the supports, or
isolated from them, or are absent. Parametric analysis is given for
lines 220 kV and 400 kV, which shows the extent of the errors made
with traditional methods of calculation.
Abstract: In this paper we present discretization and decomposition methods for a multi-component transport model of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. CVD processes are used to manufacture deposition layers or bulk materials. In our transport model we simulate the deposition of thin layers. The microscopic model is based on the heavy particles, which are derived by approximately solving a linearized multicomponent Boltzmann equation. For the drift-process of the particles we propose diffusionreaction equations as well as for the effects of heat conduction. We concentrate on solving the diffusion-reaction equation with analytical and numerical methods. For the chemical processes, modelled with reaction equations, we propose decomposition methods and decouple the multi-component models to simpler systems of differential equations. In the numerical experiments we present the computational results of our proposed models.
Abstract: Malaysian corporations going global increased
many folds. The shift from domestic to international operations
requires increased expatriation to achieve global business goals.
Therefore, this study aims to identify the determinants for success
in expatriation of Malaysian international corporations. There are
certain attributes necessary for a global employee to succeed in
international assignment. Self-administered questionnaires were
sent to 327 respondents with a response rate of 35.2 percent. The
results indicated that most Malaysian manufacturers are involved
in expatriation. For a global employee to succeed in an
international assignment, the ability to work in international teams
was identified and ranked as the most important factor in
determining the effectiveness of expatriation followed by language
proficiency, adaptability to the international assignment and
expatriate sensitivity to cultural elements. The results support
previous research with regard to the importance of an effective
expatriation selection process in order for a company-s
international expansion strategy to succeed.
Abstract: Bode stability analysis based on transmission line
modeling (TLM) for single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT)
interconnects used in 3D-VLSI circuits is investigated for the first
time. In this analysis, the dependence of the degree of relative
stability for SWCNT interconnects on the geometry of each tube has
been acquired. It is shown that, increasing the length and diameter of
each tube, SWCNT interconnects become more stable.
Abstract: Iranians- imagination of heaven, which is the reward
of a person-s good deeds during their life, has shown itself in
pleasant and green gardens where earthly gardens were made as
representations of paradise. Iranians are also quite interested in
making their earthly gardens and plantations around their buildings.
With Iran-s hot and dry climate with a lack of sufficient water for
plantation coverage, it becomes noticeable how important it is to
Iranians- art in making gardens. This study, with regard to examples,
documents and library studies, investigates the characteristics of
Persian gardens. The result shows that elements such as soil, water,
plants and layout have been used in forming a unique style of Persian
gardens. Bagh-e Shah Zadeh Mahan (Mahan prince garden) is a
typical example and has been carefully studied. In this paper I try to
investigate and evaluate the characteristics of a Persian garden by
means of a descriptive approach.
Abstract: Grey mold on grape is caused by the fungus Botrytis
cinerea Pers. Trichodex WP, a new biofungicide, that contains fungal
spores of Trichoderma harzianum Rifai, was used for biological
control of Grey mold on grape. The efficacy of Trichodex WP has
been reported from many experiments. Experiments were carried out
in the locality – Banatski Karlovac, on grapevine species – talijanski
rizling. The trials were set according to instructions of methods
PP1/152(2) and PP1/17(3) , according to a fully randomized block
design. Phytotoxicity was estimated by PP methods 1/135(2), the
intensity of infection according to Towsend Heuberger , the
efficiency by Abbott, the analysis of variance with Duncan test and
PP/181(2). Application of Trichodex WP is limited to the first two
treatments. Other treatments are performed with the fungicides based
on a.i. procymidone, vinclozoline and iprodione.
Abstract: Mobile marketing through mobile messaging service
has highly impressive growth as it enables e-business firms to
communicate with their customers effectively. Educational
institutions hence start using this service to enhance communication
with their students. Previous studies, however, have limited
understanding of applying mobile messaging service in education.
This study proposes a theoretical model to understand the drivers of
students- intentions to use the university-s mobile messaging service.
The model indicates that social influence, perceived control and
attitudes affect students- intention to use the university-s mobile
messaging service. It also provides five antecedents of students-
attitudes–perceived utility (information utility, entertainment utility,
and social utility), innovativeness, information seeking, transaction
specificity (content specificity, sender specificity, and time
specificity) and privacy concern. The proposed model enables
universities to understand what students concern about the use of a
mobile messaging service in universities and handle the service more
effectively. The paper discusses the model development and
concludes with limitations and implications of the proposed model.
Abstract: The paper contains a review of the literature in terms of the critical analysis of methodologies of university ranking systems. Furthermore, the initiatives supported by the European Commission (U-Map, U-Multirank) and CHE Ranking are described. Special attention is paid to the tendencies in the development of ranking systems. According to the author, the ranking organizations should abandon the classic form of ranking, namely a hierarchical ordering of universities from “the best" to “the worse". In the empirical part of this paper, using one of the method of cluster analysis called k-means clustering, the author presents university classifications of the top universities from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University-s (SJTU) Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).
Abstract: In this paper a class of numerical methods to solve linear and nonlinear PDEs and also systems of PDEs is developed. The Differential Transform method associated with the Method of Lines (MoL) is used. The theory for linear problems is extended to the nonlinear case, and a recurrence relation is established. This method can achieve an arbitrary high-order accuracy in time. A variable stepsize algorithm and some numerical results are also presented.
Abstract: We develop new nonlinear methods of
immunofluorescence analysis for a sensitive technology of
respiratory burst reaction of DNA fluorescence due to oxidative
activity in the peripheral blood neutrophils. Histograms in flow
cytometry experiments represent a fluorescence flashes frequency as
functions of fluorescence intensity. We used the Shannon-Weaver
index for definition of neutrophils- biodiversity and Hurst index for
definition of fractal-s correlations in immunofluorescence for
different donors, as the basic quantitative criteria for medical
diagnostics of health status. We analyze frequencies of flashes,
information, Shannon entropies and their fractals in
immunofluorescence networks due to reduction of histogram range.
We found the number of simplest universal correlations for
biodiversity, information and Hurst index in diagnostics and
classification of pathologies for wide spectra of diseases. In addition
is determined the clear criterion of a common immunity and human
health status in a form of yes/no answers type. These answers based
on peculiarities of information in immunofluorescence networks and
biodiversity of neutrophils. Experimental data analysis has shown the
existence of homeostasis for information entropy in oxidative activity
of DNA in neutrophil nuclei for all donors.
Abstract: Olomouc is a unique and complex landmark with
widespread forestation and land use. This research work was
conducted to assess important and complex land use change
trajectories in Olomouc region. Multi-temporal satellite data from
1991, 2001 and 2013 were used to extract land use/cover types by
object oriented classification method. To achieve the objectives, three
different aspects were used: (1) Calculate the quantity of each
transition; (2) Allocate location based landscape pattern (3) Compare
land use/cover evaluation procedure. Land cover change trajectories
shows that 16.69% agriculture, 54.33% forest and 21.98% other areas
(settlement, pasture and water-body) were stable in all three decade.
Approximately 30% of the study area maintained as a same land cove
type from 1991 to 2013. Here broad scale of political and socioeconomic
factors was also affect the rate and direction of landscape
changes. Distance from the settlements was the most important
predictor of land cover change trajectories. This showed that most of
landscape trajectories were caused by socio-economic activities and
mainly led to virtuous change on the ecological environment.
Abstract: Since the 1990s the American furniture industry faces a transition period. Manufacturers, one of its most important actors made its entrance into the retail industry. This shift has had deep consequences not only for the American furniture industry as a whole, but also for other international furniture industries, especially the Chinese. The present work aims to analyze this actor based on the distinction provided by the Global Commodity Chain Theory. It stresses its characteristics, structure, operational way and importance for both the U.S. and the Chinese furniture industries.
Abstract: Elastic boundary eigensolution problems are converted
into boundary integral equations by potential theory. The kernels of
the boundary integral equations have both the logarithmic and Hilbert
singularity simultaneously. We present the mechanical quadrature
methods for solving eigensolutions of the boundary integral equations
by dealing with two kinds of singularities at the same time. The methods
possess high accuracy O(h3) and low computing complexity. The
convergence and stability are proved based on Anselone-s collective
compact theory. Bases on the asymptotic error expansion with odd
powers, we can greatly improve the accuracy of the approximation,
and also derive a posteriori error estimate which can be used for
constructing self-adaptive algorithms. The efficiency of the algorithms
are illustrated by numerical examples.
Abstract: This paper presents a numerical analysis of the
performance of a three-bladed Darrieus vertical-axis wind turbine
based on the DU91-W2-250 airfoil. A complete campaign of 2-D
simulations, performed for several values of tip speed ratio and based
on RANS unsteady calculations, has been performed to obtain the
rotor torque and power curves. Rotor performances have been
compared with the results of a previous work based on the use of the
NACA 0021 airfoil. Both the power coefficient and the torque
coefficient have been determined as a function of the tip speed ratio.
The flow field around rotor blades has also been analyzed. As a final
result, the performance of the DU airfoil based rotor appears to be
lower than the one based on the NACA 0021 blade section. This
behavior could be due to the higher stall characteristics of the NACA
profile, being the separation zone at the trailing edge more extended
for the DU airfoil.
Abstract: This paper explains how mobile learning assures sustainable e-education for multicultural group of students. This paper reports the impact of mobile learning on distance education in multicultural environment. The emergence of learning technologies through CD, internet, and mobile is increasingly adopted by distance institutes for quick delivery and cost-effective purposes. Their sustainability is conditioned by the structure of learners as well as the teaching community. The experimental study was conducted among the distant learners of Vinayaka Missions University located at Salem in India. Students were drawn from multicultural environment based on different languages, religions, class and communities. During the mobile learning sessions, the students, who are divided on language, religion, class and community, were dominated by play impulse rather than study anxiety or cultural inhibitions. This study confirmed that mobile learning improved the performance of the students despite their division based on region, language or culture. In other words, technology was able to transcend the relative deprivation in the multicultural groups. It also confirms sustainable e-education through mobile learning and cost-effective system of instruction. Mobile learning appropriates the self-motivation and play impulse of the young learners in providing sustainable e-education to multicultural social groups of students.
Abstract: Encoded information based on synchronization of coupled chaotic Nd:YAG lasers in master-slave configuration is numerically studied. Encoding, transmission, and decoding of information in optical chaotic communication with a single channel is presented. We analyze the robustness of the encrypted audio transmission in a channel noise. In order to illustrate this synchronization robustness, we present two cases of study: synchronization and transmission with a single channel without and with noise in the channel.
Abstract: In the queueing theory, it is assumed that customer
arrivals correspond to a Poisson process and service time has the
exponential distribution. Using these assumptions, the behaviour of
the queueing system can be described by means of Markov chains
and it is possible to derive the characteristics of the system. In the
paper, these theoretical approaches are presented on several types of
systems and it is also shown how to compute the characteristics in a
situation when these assumptions are not satisfied
Abstract: There exists a strong correlation between efficient project management and competitive advantage for organizations. Therefore, organizations are striving to standardize and assess the rigor of their project management processes and capabilities i.e. project management maturity. Researchers and standardization organizations have developed several project management maturity models (PMMMs) to assess project management maturity of the organizations. This study presents a critical evaluation of some of the leading PMMMs against OPM3® in a multitude of ways to look at which PMMM is the most comprehensive model - which could assess most aspects of organizations and also help the organizations in gaining competitive advantage over competitors. After a detailed morphological analysis of the models, it is concluded that OPM3® is the most promising maturity model that can really provide a competitive advantage to the organizations due to its unique approach of assessment and improvement strategies.