Abstract: Cardiovascular diseases, principally atherosclerosis, are responsible for 30% of world deaths. Atherosclerosis is due to the formation of plaque. The fatty plaque may be at risk of rupture, leading typically to stroke and heart attack. The plaque is usually associated with a high degree of lumen reduction, called a stenosis.It is increasingly recognized that the initiation and progression of disease and the occurrence of clinical events is a complex interplay between the local biomechanical environment and the local vascular biology. The aim of this study is to investigate the flow behavior through a stenosed artery. A physical experiment was performed using an artery model and blood analogue fluid. An axisymmetric model constructed consists of contraction and expansion region that follow a mathematical form of cosine function. A 30% diameter reduction was used in this study. The flow field was measured using particle image velocimetry (PIV). Spherical particles with 20μm diameter were seeded in a water-glycerol-NaCl mixture. Steady flow Reynolds numbers are 250. The area of interest is the region after the stenosis where the flow separation occurs. The velocity field was measured and the velocity gradient was investigated. There was high particle concentration in the recirculation zone. High velocity gradient formed immediately after the stenosis throat created a lift force that enhanced particle migration to the flow separation area.
Abstract: Increasing demand on the performance of Subsea
Production Systems (SPS) suggests a need for more detailed
investigation of fluid behavior taking place in subsea equipment.
Complete CFD cool down analyses of subsea equipment are very
time demanding. The objective of this paper is to investigate a
Locked CFD approach, which enables significant reduction of the
computational time and at the same time maintains sufficient
accuracy during thermal cool down simulations. The result
comparison of a dead leg simulation using the Full CFD and the three
LCFD-methods confirms the validity of the locked flow field
assumption for the selected case. For the tested case the LCFD
simulation speed up by factor of 200 results in the absolute thermal
error of 0.5 °C (3% relative error), speed up by factor of 10 keeps the
LCFD results within 0.1 °C (0.5 % relative error) comparing to the
Full CFD.
Abstract: The mechanical properties of blends consisting of
plasticized poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB) and plasticized poly(vinyl
chloride) (PVC) are studied, in order to evaluate the possibility of
using recycled PVB waste derived from windshields. PVC was
plasticized with 38% of diisononyl phthalate (DINP), while PVB was
plasticized with 28% of triethylene glycol, bis(2-ethylhexanoate)
(3GO). The optimal process conditions for the PVB/PVC blend in 1:1
ratio were determined. Entropy was used in order to theoretically
predict the blends miscibility. The PVB content of each blend
composition used was ranging from zero to 100%. Tensile strength
and strain were tested. In addition, a comparison between recycled
and original PVB, used as constituents of the blend, was performed.
Abstract: Tool wear and surface roughness prediction plays a
significant role in machining industry for proper planning and control
of machining parameters and optimization of cutting conditions. This
paper deals with developing an artificial neural network (ANN)
model as a function of cutting parameters in turning steel under
minimum quantity lubrication (MQL). A feed-forward
backpropagation network with twenty five hidden neurons has been
selected as the optimum network. The co-efficient of determination
(R2) between model predictions and experimental values are 0.9915,
0.9906, 0.9761 and 0.9627 in terms of VB, VM, VS and Ra
respectively. The results imply that the model can be used easily to
forecast tool wear and surface roughness in response to cutting
parameters.
Abstract: With the development of technology, the growing
trend of fast and safe passenger transport, air pollution, traffic
congestion, increase in problems such as the increasing population
and the high cost of private vehicle usage made many cities around
the world with a population of more or less, start to build rail systems
as a means of urban transport in order to ensure the economic and
environmental sustainability and more efficient use of land in the
city. The implementation phase of rail systems costs much more than
other public transport systems. However, social and economic returns
in the long term made these systems the most popular investment tool
for planned and developing cities.
In our country, the purpose, goals and policies of transportation
plans are away from integrity, and the problems are not clearly
detected. Also, not defined and incomplete assessment of
transportation systems and insufficient financial analysis are the most
important cause of failure. Rail systems and other transportation
systems to be addressed as a whole is seen as the main factor in
increasing efficiency in applications that are not integrated yet in our
country to come to this point has led to the problem.
Abstract: The purpose of our study was to compare spontaneous
re-epithelisation characteristics versus assisted re-epithelisation. In
order to assess re-epithelisation of the injured skin, we have imagined
and designed a burn wound model on Wistar rat skin. Our aim was to
create standardised, easy reproducible and quantifiable skin lesions
involving entire epidermis and superficial dermis. We then have
applied the above mentioned therapeutic strategies to compare
regeneration of epidermis and dermis, local and systemic parameter
changes in different conditions. We have enhanced the reepithelisation
process under a moist atmosphere of a polyurethane
wound dress modified with helium non-thermal plasma, and with the
aid of direct cold-plasma treatment respectively. We have followed
systemic parameters change: hematologic and biochemical
parameters, and local features: oxidative stress markers and histology
of skin in the above mentioned conditions. Re-epithelisation is just a
part of the skin regeneration process, which recruits cellular
components, with the aid of epidermal and dermal interaction via
signal molecules.
Abstract: This paper presents a novel template-based method to
detect objects of interest from real images by shape matching. To
locate a target object that has a similar shape to a given template
boundary, the proposed method integrates three components: contour
grouping, partial shape matching, and boundary verification. In the
first component, low-level image features, including edges and
corners, are grouped into a set of perceptually salient closed contours
using an extended ratio-contour algorithm. In the second component,
we develop a partial shape matching algorithm to identify the
fractions of detected contours that partly match given template
boundaries. Specifically, we represent template boundaries and
detected contours using landmarks, and apply a greedy algorithm to
search the matched landmark subsequences. For each matched
fraction between a template and a detected contour, we estimate an
affine transform that transforms the whole template into a hypothetic
boundary. In the third component, we provide an efficient algorithm
based on oriented edge lists to determine the target boundary from
the hypothetic boundaries by checking each of them against image
edges. We evaluate the proposed method on recognizing and
localizing 12 template leaves in a data set of real images with clutter
back-grounds, illumination variations, occlusions, and image noises.
The experiments demonstrate the high performance of our proposed
method1.
Abstract: A lot of Scientific and Engineering problems require the solution of large systems of linear equations of the form bAx in an effective manner. LU-Decomposition offers good choices for solving this problem. Our approach is to find the lower bound of processing elements needed for this purpose. Here is used the so called Omega calculus, as a computational method for solving problems via their corresponding Diophantine relation. From the corresponding algorithm is formed a system of linear diophantine equalities using the domain of computation which is given by the set of lattice points inside the polyhedron. Then is run the Mathematica program DiophantineGF.m. This program calculates the generating function from which is possible to find the number of solutions to the system of Diophantine equalities, which in fact gives the lower bound for the number of processors needed for the corresponding algorithm. There is given a mathematical explanation of the problem as well. Keywordsgenerating function, lattice points in polyhedron, lower bound of processor elements, system of Diophantine equationsand : calculus.
Abstract: This work proposes an optical fiber system (OF) for
sensing various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in human breath
for the diagnosis of some metabolic disorders as a non-invasive
methodology. The analyzed VOCs are alkanes (i.e., ethane, pentane,
heptane, octane, and decane), and aromatic compounds (i.e., benzene,
toluene, and styrene). The OF displays high analytical performance
since it provides near real-time responses, rapid analysis, and low
instrumentation costs, as well as it exhibits useful linear range and
detection limits; the developed OF sensor is also comparable to a
reference methodology (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) for
the eight tested VOCs.
Abstract: The purpose of determining impact significance is to
place value on impacts. Environmental impact assessment review is a
process that judges whether impact significance is acceptable or not in
accordance with the scientific facts regarding environmental,
ecological and socio-economical impacts described in environmental
impact statements (EIS) or environmental impact assessment reports
(EIAR). The first aim of this paper is to summarize the criteria of
significance evaluation from the past review results and accordingly
utilize fuzzy logic to incorporate these criteria into scientific facts. The
second aim is to employ data mining technique to construct an EIS or
EIAR prediction model for reviewing results which can assist
developers to prepare and revise better environmental management
plans in advance. The validity of the previous prediction model
proposed by authors in 2009 is 92.7%. The enhanced validity in this
study can attain 100.0%.
Abstract: The full length mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal
(mt-rns) gene has been characterized for Ophiostoma novo-ulmi
subspecies americana. The gene was also characterized for
Ophiostoma ulmi and a group II intron was noted in the mt-rns gene
of O. ulmi. The insertion in the mt-rns gene is at position S952 and it
is a group IIB1 intron that encodes a double motif LAGLIDADG
homing endonuclease from an open reading frame located within a
loop of domain III. Secondary structure models for the mt-rns RNA
of O. novo-ulmi subsp. americana and O. ulmi were generated to
place the intron within the context of the ribosomal RNA. The in vivo
splicing of the O.ul-mS952 group II intron was confirmed with
reverse transcription-PCR. A survey of 182 strains of Dutch Elm
Diseases causing agents showed that the mS952 intron was absent in
what is considered to be the more aggressive species O. novo-ulmi
but present in strains of the less aggressive O. ulmi. This observation
suggests that the O.ul-mS952 intron can be used as a PCR-based
molecular marker to discriminate between O. ulmi and O. novo-ulmi
subsp. americana.
Abstract: Risk Assessment Tool (RAT) is an expert system that
assesses, monitors, and gives preliminary treatments automatically
based on the project plan. In this paper, a review was taken out for
the current project time management risk assessment tools for SME
software development projects, analyze risk assessment parameters,
conditions, scenarios, and finally propose risk assessment tool (RAT)
model to assess, treat, and monitor risks. An implementation prototype
system is developed to validate the model.
Abstract: An increasingly dynamic and complex environment poses huge challenges to production enterprises, especially with regards to logistics. The Logistic Operating Curve Theory, developed at the Institute of Production Systems and Logistics (IFA) of the Leibniz University of Hanover, is a recognized approach to describing logistic interactions, nevertheless, it reaches its limits when it comes to the dynamic aspects. In order to facilitate a timely and optimal Logistic Positioning a method is developed for quickly and reliably identifying dynamic processing states.
Abstract: We present in this paper an acquisition and treatment system designed for semi-analog Gamma-camera. It consists of a nuclear medical Image Acquisition, Treatment and Display chain(IATD) ensuring the acquisition, the treatment of the signals(resulting from the Gamma-camera detection head) and the scintigraphic image construction in real time. This chain is composed by an analog treatment board and a digital treatment board. We describe the designed systems and the digital treatment algorithms in which we have improved the performance and the flexibility. The digital treatment algorithms are implemented in a specific reprogrammable circuit FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).interface for semi-analog cameras of Sopha Medical Vision(SMVi) by taking as example SOPHY DS7. The developed system consists of an Image Acquisition, Treatment and Display (IATD) ensuring the acquisition and the treatment of the signals resulting from the DH. The developed chain is formed by a treatment analog board and a digital treatment board designed around a DSP [2]. In this paper we have presented the architecture of a new version of our chain IATD in which the integration of the treatment algorithms is executed on an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array)
Abstract: In the way of growing and developing firms especially
high-tech firms, on many occasions manager of firm is mainly involved in solving problems of his business and decision making about executive activities of the firm, while besides executive
measures, attention to planning of firm's success and growth way and
application of long experience and sagacity in designing business model are vital and necessary success in a business is achieved as a
result of different factors, one of the most important of them is designing and performing an optimal business model at the beginning
of the firm's work. This model is determining the limit of profitability
achieved by innovation and gained value added. Therefore, business
model is the process of connecting innovation environment and
technology with economic environment and business and is important
for succeeding modern businesses considering their traits.
Abstract: In order to enhance the knowledge of certain
phytochemical Algerian plants that are widely used in traditional
medicine and to exploit their therapeutic potential in modern
medicine, we have done a specific extraction of terpenes and
alkaloids from the leaves of Euphorbia granulata to evaluate the
antioxidant and antibacterial activity of this extracts. After the
extraction it was found that the terpene extract gave the highest yield
59.72% compared with alkaloids extracts.
The disc diffusion method was used to determine the antibacterial
activity against different bacterial strains: Escherichia coli
(ATCC25922), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC27853) and
Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC25923). All extracts have shown
inhibition of growth bacteria. The different zones of inhibition have
varied from (7 -10 mm) according to the concentrations of extract
used.
Testing the antiradical activity on DPPH-TLC plates indicated the
presence of substances that have potent anti-free radical. As against,
the BC-TLC revealed that only terpenes extract which was reacted
positively. These results can validate the importance of Euphorbia
granulata in traditional medicine.
Abstract: Analyses carried out on examples of detected defects
echoes showed clearly that one can describe these detected forms according to a whole of characteristic parameters in order to be able to make discrimination between a planar defect and a volumic defect.
This work answers to a problem of ultrasonics NDT like Identification of the defects. The problems as well as the objective of
this realized work, are divided in three parts: Extractions of the parameters of wavelets from the ultrasonic echo of the detected defect - the second part is devoted to principal components analysis
(PCA) for optimization of the attributes vector. And finally to establish the algorithm of classification (SVM, Support Vector Machine) which allows discrimination between a plane defect and a
volumic defect. We have completed this work by a conclusion where we draw up a summary of the completed works, as well as the robustness of the
various algorithms proposed in this study.
Abstract: This paper presents probabilistic horizontal seismic
hazard assessment of Naghan, Iran. It displays the probabilistic
estimate of Peak Ground Horizontal Acceleration (PGHA) for the
return period of 475, 950 and 2475 years. The output of the
probabilistic seismic hazard analysis is based on peak ground
acceleration (PGA), which is the most common criterion in designing
of buildings. A catalogue of seismic events that includes both
historical and instrumental events was developed and covers the
period from 840 to 2009. The seismic sources that affect the hazard
in Naghan were identified within the radius of 200 km and the
recurrence relationships of these sources were generated by Kijko
and Sellevoll. Finally Peak Ground Horizontal Acceleration (PGHA)
has been prepared to indicate the earthquake hazard of Naghan for
different hazard levels by using SEISRISK III software.
Abstract: This study applied the Theory of Planned Behavior
model in predicting dietary behavior among Type 2 diabetics in a
Kenyan environment. The study was conducted for three months
within the diabetic clinic at Kisii Hospital in Nyanza Province in
Kenya and adopted sequential mixed methods design combing both
qualitative and quantitative phases. Qualitative data was analyzed
using grounded theory analysis method. Structural equation modeling
using maximum likelihood was used to analyze quantitative data.
The results based on the common fit indices revealed that the theory
of planned behavior fitted the data acceptably well among the Type 2
diabetes and within dietary behavior {χ2 = 223.3, df = 77, p = .02,
χ2/df = 2.9, n=237; TLI = .93; CFI =.91; RMSEA (90CI) = .090(.039,
.146)}. This implies that the Theory of Planned Behavior holds and
forms a framework for promoting dietary practice among Type 2
diabetics.
Abstract: Based on the Lagrangian for the Gross –Pitaevskii
equation as derived by H. Sakaguchi and B.A Malomed [5] we have
derived a double well model for the nonlinear optical lattice. This
model explains the various features of nonlinear optical lattices.
Further, from this model we obtain and simulate the probability for
tunneling from one well to another which agrees with experimental
results [4].