Abstract: The advancement of smartphones, wireless
networking and Near Field Communication (NFC) technology have
opened up a new approach to indoor navigation. Although NFC
technology has been used to support electronic commerce, access
control, and ticketing, there is a lack of research work on building
NFC-based indoor navigation system for smartphone users. This
paper presents an indoor interactive navigation system (named
I2Navi) based on NFC technology for users to navigate within a
building with ease using their smartphones. The I2Navi system has
been implemented at the Faculty of Engineering (FOE), Multimedia
University (MMU) to enable students, parents, visitors who own
NFC-enabled Android smartphones to navigate themselves within the
faculty. An evaluation is carried out and the results show positive
response to the proposed indoor navigation system using NFC and
smartphone technologies.
Abstract: In order to implement flexibility as well as survivable
capacities over passive optical network (PON), a new automatic
random fault-recovery mechanism with array-waveguide-grating
based (AWG-based) optical switch (OSW) is presented. Firstly,
wavelength-division-multiplexing and optical code-division
multiple-access (WDM/OCDMA) scheme are configured to meet the
various geographical locations requirement between optical network
unit (ONU) and optical line terminal (OLT). The AWG-base optical
switch is designed and viewed as central star-mesh topology to
prohibit/decrease the duplicated redundant elements such as fiber and
transceiver as well. Hence, by simple monitoring and routing switch
algorithm, random fault-recovery capacity is achieved over
bi-directional (up/downstream) WDM/OCDMA scheme. When error
of distribution fiber (DF) takes place or bit-error-rate (BER) is higher
than 10-9 requirement, the primary/slave AWG-based OSW are
adjusted and controlled dynamically to restore the affected ONU
groups via the other working DFs immediately.
Abstract: This paper presents methodologies for developing an
intelligent CAD system assisting in analysis and design of
reconfigurable special machines. It describes a procedure for
determining feasibility of utilizing these machines for a given part
and presents a model for developing an intelligent CAD system. The
system analyzes geometrical and topological information of the given
part to determine possibility of the part being produced by
reconfigurable special machines from a technical point of view. Also
feasibility of the process from a economical point of view is
analyzed. Then the system determines proper positioning of the part
considering details of machining features and operations needed.
This involves determination of operation types, cutting tools and the
number of working stations needed. Upon completion of this stage
the overall layout of the machine and machining equipment required
are determined.
Abstract: There are very complex communication systems, as
the multifunction radar, MFAR (Multi-Function Array Radar), where
functions are integrated all together, and simultaneously are
performed the classic functions of tracking and surveillance, as all
the functions related to the communication, countermeasures, and
calibration. All these functions are divided into the tasks to execute.
The task scheduler is a key element of the radar, since it does the
planning and distribution of energy and time resources to be shared
and used by all tasks. This paper presents schedulers based on the use
of multiple queue. Several schedulers have been designed and
studied, and it has been made a comparative analysis of different
performed schedulers. The tests and experiments have been done by
means of system software simulation. Finally a suitable set of radar
characteristics has been selected to evaluate the behavior of the task
scheduler working.
Abstract: The paper is concerned with developing stochastic delay mechanisms for efficient multicast protocols and for smooth mobile handover processes which are capable of preserving a given Quality of Service (QoS). In both applications the participating entities (receiver nodes or subscribers) sample a stochastic timer and generate load after a random delay. In this way, the load on the networking resources is evenly distributed which helps to maintain QoS communication. The optimal timer distributions have been sought in different p.d.f. families (e.g. exponential, power law and radial basis function) and the optimal parameter have been found in a recursive manner. Detailed simulations have demonstrated the improvement in performance both in the case of multicast and mobile handover applications.
Abstract: As networking has become popular, Web-learning
tends to be a trend while designing a tool. Moreover, five-axis
machining has been widely used in industry recently; however, it has
potential axial table colliding problems. Thus this paper aims at
proposing an efficient web-learning collision detection tool on
five-axis machining. However, collision detection consumes heavy
resource that few devices can support, thus this research uses a
systematic approach based on web knowledge to detect collision. The
methodologies include the kinematics analyses for five-axis motions,
separating axis method for collision detection, and computer
simulation for verification. The machine structure is modeled as STL
format in CAD software. The input to the detection system is the
g-code part program, which describes the tool motions to produce the
part surface. This research produced a simulation program with C
programming language and demonstrated a five-axis machining
example with collision detection on web site. The system simulates the
five-axis CNC motion for tool trajectory and detects for any collisions
according to the input g-codes and also supports high-performance
web service benefiting from C. The result shows that our method
improves 4.5 time of computational efficiency, comparing to the
conventional detection method.
Abstract: The study of human hand morphology reveals that developing an artificial hand with the capabilities of human hand is an extremely challenging task. This paper presents the development of a robotic prosthetic hand focusing on the improvement of a tendon driven mechanism towards a biomimetic prosthetic hand. The design of this prosthesis hand is geared towards achieving high level of dexterity and anthropomorphism by means of a new hybrid mechanism that integrates a miniature motor driven actuation mechanism, a Shape Memory Alloy actuated mechanism and a passive mechanical linkage. The synergy of these actuators enables the flexion-extension movement at each of the finger joints within a limited size, shape and weight constraints. Tactile sensors are integrated on the finger tips and the finger phalanges area. This prosthesis hand is developed with an exact size ratio that mimics a biological hand. Its behavior resembles the human counterpart in terms of working envelope, speed and torque, and thus resembles both the key physical features and the grasping functionality of an adult hand.
Abstract: Telecommuting has become an increasingly popular
work arrangement. However, little research has examined the impact
of telecommuting on the relationship between employees and the
organization. This study aims to shed light on this aspect by
comparing the loyalty of telecommuters and non telecommuters as it
can be viewed from three angles: organizational loyalty, peer loyalty,
and professional loyalty. Furthermore, this paper will explore the
dynamics among employee loyalty, productivity, and job
satisfaction. Whereas previous studies had looked on employees that
are not fully telecommuting, the current study concentrates on
employees that are exclusively working from home.
Abstract: In first stage of each microwave receiver there is Low
Noise Amplifier (LNA) circuit, and this stage has important rule in
quality factor of the receiver. The design of a LNA in Radio
Frequency (RF) circuit requires the trade-off many importance
characteristics such as gain, Noise Figure (NF), stability, power
consumption and complexity. This situation Forces desingners to
make choices in the desing of RF circuits. In this paper the aim is to
design and simulate a single stage LNA circuit with high gain and
low noise using MESFET for frequency range of 5 GHz to 6 GHz.
The desing simulation process is down using Advance Design
System (ADS). A single stage LNA has successfully designed with
15.83 dB forward gain and 1.26 dB noise figure in frequency of 5.3
GHz. Also the designed LNA should be working stably In a
frequency range of 5 GHz to 6 GHz.
Abstract: Social media has led to paradigm shifts in ways
people work and do business, interact and socialize, learn and obtain
knowledge. So much so that social media has established itself as an
important spatial extension of this nation-s historicity and challenges.
Regardless of the enabling reputation and recommendation features
through social networks embedded in the social media system, the
overflow of broadcasted and publicized media contents turns the
table around from engendering trust to doubting the trust system.
When the trust is at doubt, the effects include deactivation of
accounts and creation of multiple profiles, which lead to the overflow
of 'ghost' contents (i.e. “the abundance of abandoned ships"). In
most literature, the study of trust can be related to culture; hence the
difference between Western-s “openness" and Eastern-s “blue-chip"
concepts in networking and relationships. From a survey on issues
and challenges among Malaysian social media users, 'authenticity'
emerges as one of the main factors that causes and is caused by other
factors. The other issue that has surfaced is credibility either in terms
of message/content and source. Another is the quality of the
knowledge that is shared. This paper explores the terrains of this
critical space which in recent years has been dominated increasingly
by, arguably, social networks embedded in the social media system,
the overflow of broadcasted and publicized media content.
Abstract: Leonotisleonurus a shrub indigenous to Southern
Africa is widely used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of
conditions ranging from skin diseases and cough to epileptic fits and
‘heart problems’. Studies on the aqueous extract of the leaves have
indicated cycloxegenase enzyme inhibitory activity and an
antihypertensive effect.
Five methanol leaf extract fractions (MLEa - MLEe) of L.
leonurus were tested on anaesthetized normotensive male Wistar rats
(AWR) and isolated perfused working rat hearts (IWH). Fraction
MLEc (0.01mg/kg – 0.05mg/kg) induced significant increases in BP
and HR in AWR and positive chronotropic and inotropic effects in
IWH (1.0mg/ml – 5.0mg/ml). Pre-administration of atenolol
(2.0mg/kg) and prazosin (60μg/kg) significantly inhibited MLEc
effect on HR and MAP respectively in vivo, while atenolol
(7.0mg/ml) pre-perfusion significantly inhibited MLEc effect in vitro.
The hypertensive effect of MLEc is probably via β1agonism.
Results also indicate the presence of multiple cardioactive
compounds in L. leonurus.
Abstract: Recent developments in storage technology and
networking architectures have made it possible for broad areas of applications to rely on data streams for quick response and accurate
decision making. Data streams are generated from events of real world so existence of associations, which are among the occurrence of these events in real world, among concepts of data streams is
logical. Extraction of these hidden associations can be useful for prediction of subsequent concepts in concept shifting data streams. In this paper we present a new method for learning association among
concepts of data stream and prediction of what the next concept will be. Knowing the next concept, an informed update of data model will be possible. The results of conducted experiments show that the proposed method is proper for classification of concept shifting data
streams.
Abstract: Numerous concrete structures projects are currently running in Libya as part of a US$50 billion government funding. The
quality of concrete used in 20 different construction projects were assessed based mainly on the concrete compressive strength achieved. The projects are scattered all over the country and are at
various levels of completeness. For most of these projects, the
concrete compressive strength was obtained from test results of a
150mm standard cube mold. Statistical analysis of collected concrete
compressive strengths reveals that the data in general followed a
normal distribution pattern. The study covers comparison and assessment of concrete quality aspects such as: quality control, strength range, data standard deviation, data scatter, and ratio of minimum strength to design strength. Site quality control for these projects ranged from very good to poor according to ACI214 criteria [1]. The ranges (Rg) of the strength (max. strength – min. strength) divided by average strength are from (34% to 160%). Data scatter is
measured as the range (Rg) divided by standard deviation () and is
found to be (1.82 to 11.04), indicating that the range is ±3σ.
International construction companies working in Libya follow
different assessment criteria for concrete compressive strength in lieu
of national unified procedure. The study reveals that assessments of
concrete quality conducted by these construction companies usually
meet their adopted (internal) standards, but sometimes fail to meet
internationally known standard requirements. The assessment of
concrete presented in this paper is based on ACI, British standards
and proposed Libyan concrete strength assessment criteria.
Abstract: The scientific perspective, the practice area of physical education and sports activities improve power capacity in all its forms of expression, being a generator of the research topics. Today theories that strength training athletes and slow down development progress will affect the strength and flexibility are discredited. On the other hand there are sectors and / or samples whose results are sports of the way higher manifestation of power as a result of the composition of the force and velocity, being based in this respect on the systematic and continuous development of both bio-motric capacities said. Training of force for children was and is controversial. Teama de accidentări sau a stopării premature a procesului de creştere a făcut ca în trecut copiii să fie ţinuţi departe de lucrul cu diferite greutăţi.Fear of injury or premature stop the growth process in the past made the children to be kept away from working with different weights. Recent studies have shown that the risk of accidents is relatively small and the strength training can help prevent them. For example, most accidents occur at the level of athletics ligaments and tendons. From this point of view, it can be said that a progressive intervention of force training, optimal design, will help enhancing their process, such as athlete much better prepared to meet training requests and competitions. Preparation of force provides a solid basis for further phases in the highest performance.
Abstract: Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)
has developed into a popular scheme for wideband digital
communications used in consumer applications such as digital broadcasting, wireless networking and broadband internet access. In
the OFDM system, carrier frequency offset (CFO) causes intercarrier
interference (ICI) which significantly degrades the system error performance. In this paper we provide an exact evaluation method for error performance analysis of arbitrary 2-D modulation OFDM systems with CFO, and analyze the effect of CFO on error performance.
Abstract: This paper proposes a novel architecture for At-
Home medical care which enables senior citizens, patients
with chronic ailments and patients requiring post- operative
care to be remotely monitored in the comfort of their homes.
This architecture is implemented using sensors and wireless
networking for transmitting patient data to the hospitals,
health- care centers for monitoring by medical professionals.
Patients are equipped with sensors to measure their
physiological parameters, like blood pressure, pulse rate etc.
and a Wearable Data Acquisition Unit is used to transmit the
patient sensor data. Medical professionals can be alerted to
any abnormal variations in these values for diagnosis and
suitable treatment. Security threats and challenges inherent to
wireless communication and sensor network have been
discussed and a security mechanism to ensure data
confidentiality and source authentication has been proposed.
Symmetric key algorithm AES has been used for encrypting
the data and a patent-free, two-pass block cipher mode CCFB
has been used for implementing semantic security.
Abstract: This research evaluated and compared the thermodynamic performance of heat pump systems which can be run under two different modes as air to air and air to water by using only one compressor. To achieve this comparison an experimental performance study was made on a traditional vapor compressed heat pump system that can be run air to air mode and air to water mode by help of a valve. The experiments made under different thermal conditions. Thermodynamic performance of the systems are presented and compared with each other for different working conditions.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to survey the effect of
organizational communication system on the conflict in physical
education offices of Isfahan province. The research methodology of
this research was a descriptive study. All employees working in
physical education offices of Isfahan province were included in the
sample for this study (N= 236). Researcher made questionnaire and
demographic questionnaire were used as investigation instruments.
Based on the result of chi square test, there is significant difference
between organizational communication system and interpersonal
conflict. The most of participants evaluate communication in an
informal way and pointed out that the communication channels were
not open. Based on the result of binomial test, interpersonal conflict
exists in physical education offices of Isfahan.
Abstract: In the present paper, we-ll explore how social media tools provide an opportunity for new developments of the e-Learning in the context of managing personal knowledge. There will be a discussion how social media tools provide a possibility for helping knowledge workersand students to gather, organize and manage their personal information as a part of the e-learning process. At the centre of this social software driven approach to e-learning environments are the challenges of personalization and collaboration. We-ll share concepts of how organizations are using social media for e-Learning and believe that integration of these tools into traditional e-Learning is probably not a choice, but inevitability. Students- Survey of use of web technologies and social networking tools is presented. Newly developed framework for semantic blogging capable of organizing results relevant to user requirements is implemented at Varna Free University (VFU) to provide more effective navigation and search.
Abstract: Existing underground pipe jacking methods use a
reinforcing rod in a steel tube to obtain structural stiffness. However,
some problems such as inconvenience of works and expensive
materials resulted from limited working space and reinforcing works
are existed. To resolve these problems, a new pipe jacking method,
namely PST (Prestressed Segment Tunnel) method, was developed
which used joint to connect the steel segment and form erection
structure. For evaluating the flexural capacity of the PST method
structure, a experimental test was conducted. The parameters
considered in the test were span-to-depth ratio of segment, diameter of
steel tube at the corner, prestressing force, and welding of joint. The
flexural behaviours with the effect of load capacity in serviceability
state according to different parameters were examined.. The frame
with long segments could increase flexural stiffness and the specimen
with large diameter of concave corner showed excellent resistance
ability to the negative moment. In addition, welding of joints increased
the flexural capacity.