Abstract: Mobile social games recently become extremely
popular, spawning a whole new entertainment culture. However,
mobile game players are fickle, quickly and easily picking up and
abandoning games. This pilot study seeks to identify factors that
influence users to discontinuing playing mobile social games. We
identified three sacrifices which can prompt users to abandon games:
monetary sacrifice, time sacrifice and privacy sacrifice. The results
showed that monetary sacrifice has a greater impact than the other two
factors in causing players to discontinue usage intention.
Abstract: In the UK, flooding is responsible for significant
losses to the economy due to the impact on businesses, the vast
majority of which are Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Businesses of this nature tend to lack formal plans to aid their
response to and recovery from disruptive events such as flooding.
This paper reports on work on how an agent-based model (ABM) is
being developed based on interview data gathered from SMEs at-risk
of flooding and/or have direct experience of flooding. The ABM will
enable simulations to be performed allowing investigations of
different response strategies which SMEs may employ to lessen the
impact of flooding, thus strengthening their resilience.
Abstract: The dramatic rise in the use of Social Media (SM)
platforms such as Facebook and Twitter provide access to an
unprecedented amount of user data. Users may post reviews on
products and services they bought, write about their interests, share
ideas or give their opinions and views on political issues. There is a
growing interest in the analysis of SM data from organisations for
detecting new trends, obtaining user opinions on their products and
services or finding out about their online reputations. A recent
research trend in SM analysis is making predictions based on
sentiment analysis of SM. Often indicators of historic SM data are
represented as time series and correlated with a variety of real world
phenomena like the outcome of elections, the development of
financial indicators, box office revenue and disease outbreaks. This
paper examines the current state of research in the area of SM mining
and predictive analysis and gives an overview of the analysis
methods using opinion mining and machine learning techniques.
Abstract: As enterprise computing becomes more and more
complex, the costs and technical challenges of IT system maintenance
and support are increasing rapidly. One popular approach to managing
IT system maintenance is to prepare and use a FAQ (Frequently Asked
Questions) system to manage and reuse systems knowledge. Such a
FAQ system can help reduce the resolution time for each service
incident ticket. However, there is a major problem where over time the
knowledge in such FAQs tends to become outdated. Much of the
knowledge captured in the FAQ requires periodic updates in response
to new insights or new trends in the problems addressed in order to
maintain its usefulness for problem resolution. These updates require a
systematic approach to define the exact portion of the FAQ and its
content. Therefore, we are working on a novel method to
hierarchically structure the FAQ and automate the updates of its
structure and content. We use structured information and the
unstructured text information with the timelines of the information in
the service incident tickets. We cluster the tickets by structured
category information, by keywords, and by keyword modifiers for the
unstructured text information. We also calculate an urgency score
based on trends, resolution times, and priorities. We carefully studied
the tickets of one of our projects over a 2.5-year time period. After the
first 6 months we started to create FAQs and confirmed they improved
the resolution times. We continued observing over the next 2 years to
assess the ongoing effectiveness of our method for the automatic FAQ
updates. We improved the ratio of tickets covered by the FAQ from
32.3% to 68.9% during this time. Also, the average time reduction of
ticket resolution was between 31.6% and 43.9%. Subjective analysis
showed more than 75% reported that the FAQ system was useful in
reducing ticket resolution times.
Abstract: A key issue in seismic risk analysis within the context
of Performance-Based Earthquake Engineering is the evaluation of
the expected seismic damage of structures under a specific
earthquake ground motion. The assessment of the seismic
performance strongly depends on the choice of the seismic Intensity
Measure (IM), which quantifies the characteristics of a ground
motion that are important to the nonlinear structural response. Several
conventional IMs of ground motion have been used to estimate their
damage potential to structures. Yet, none of them has been proved to
be able to predict adequately the seismic damage. Therefore,
alternative, scalar intensity measures, which take into account not
only ground motion characteristics but also structural information
have been proposed. Some of these IMs are based on integration of
spectral values over a range of periods, in an attempt to account for
the information that the shape of the acceleration, velocity or
displacement spectrum provides. The adequacy of a number of these
IMs in predicting the structural damage of 3D R/C buildings is
investigated in the present paper. The investigated IMs, some of
which are structure specific and some are non structure-specific, are
defined via integration of spectral values. To achieve this purpose
three symmetric in plan R/C buildings are studied. The buildings are
subjected to 59 bidirectional earthquake ground motions. The two
horizontal accelerograms of each ground motion are applied along
the structural axes. The response is determined by nonlinear time
history analysis. The structural damage is expressed in terms of the
maximum interstory drift as well as the overall structural damage
index. The values of the aforementioned seismic damage measures
are correlated with seven scalar ground motion IMs. The comparative
assessment of the results revealed that the structure-specific IMs
present higher correlation with the seismic damage of the three
buildings. However, the adequacy of the IMs for estimation of the
structural damage depends on the response parameter adopted.
Furthermore, it was confirmed that the widely used spectral
acceleration at the fundamental period of the structure is a good
indicator of the expected earthquake damage level.
Abstract: The present study was conducted to evaluate the
potential applicability of biological trickling filter system for the
treatment of simulated textile wastewater containing reactive azo
dyes with bacterial consortium under non-sterile conditions. The
percentage decolorization for the treatment of wastewater containing
structurally different dyes was found to be higher than 95% in all
trials. The stable bacterial count of the biofilm on stone media of the
trickling filter during the treatment confirmed the presence,
proliferation, dominance and involvement of the added microbial
consortium in the treatment of textile wastewater. Results of
physicochemical parameters revealed the reduction in chemical
oxygen demand (58.5-75.1%), sulphates (18.9-36.5%), and
phosphates (63.6-73.0%). UV-Visible and FTIR spectroscopy
confirmed decolorization of dye containing wastewater was ultimate
consequence of biodegradation. Toxicological studies revealed the
nontoxic nature of degradative metabolites.
Abstract: Tumor is an uncontrolled growth of tissues in any part
of the body. Tumors are of different types and they have different
characteristics and treatments. Brain tumor is inherently serious and
life-threatening because of its character in the limited space of the
intracranial cavity (space formed inside the skull). Locating the tumor
within MR (magnetic resonance) image of brain is integral part of the
treatment of brain tumor. This segmentation task requires
classification of each voxel as either tumor or non-tumor, based on
the description of the voxel under consideration. Many studies are
going on in the medical field using Markov Random Fields (MRF) in
segmentation of MR images. Even though the segmentation process
is better, computing the probability and estimation of parameters is
difficult. In order to overcome the aforementioned issues, Conditional
Random Field (CRF) is used in this paper for segmentation, along
with the modified artificial bee colony optimization and modified
fuzzy possibility c-means (MFPCM) algorithm. This work is mainly
focused to reduce the computational complexities, which are found in
existing methods and aimed at getting higher accuracy. The
efficiency of this work is evaluated using the parameters such as
region non-uniformity, correlation and computation time. The
experimental results are compared with the existing methods such as
MRF with improved Genetic Algorithm (GA) and MRF-Artificial
Bee Colony (MRF-ABC) algorithm.
Abstract: In oases, the surface water resources are becoming
increasingly scarce and groundwater resources, which generally have
a poor quality due to the high levels of salinity, are often
overexploited. Water saving have therefore become imperative for
better oases sustainability. If drip irrigation is currently recommended
in Morocco for saving water and valuing, its use in the sub-desert
areas does not keep water safe from high evaporation rates. An
alternative to this system would be the use of subsurface drip
irrigation. This technique is defined as an application of water under
the soil surface through drippers, which deliver water at rates
generally similar to surface drip irrigation. As subsurface drip
irrigation is a recently introduced in Morocco, a better understanding
of the infiltration process around a buried source, in local conditions,
and its impact on plant growth is necessarily required. This study
aims to contribute to improving the water use efficiency by testing
the performance of subsurface irrigation system, especially in areas
where water is a limited source. The objectives of this research are
performance evaluation in arid conditions of the subsurface drip
irrigation system for young date palms compared to the surface drip.
In this context, an experimental test is installed at a farmer’s field in
the area of Erfoud (Errachidia Province, southeastern Morocco),
using the subsurface drip irrigation system in comparison with the
classic drip system for young date palms. Flow measurement to
calculate the uniformity of the application of water was done through
two methods: a flow measurement of drippers above the surface and
another one underground. The latter method has also helped us to
estimate losses through evaporation for both irrigation techniques. In
order to compare the effect of two irrigation modes, plants were
identified for each type of irrigation to monitor certain agronomic
parameters (cumulative numbers of palms and roots development).
Experimentation referred to a distribution uniformity of about 88%;
considered acceptable for subsurface drip irrigation while it is around
80% for the surface drip irrigation. The results also show an increase
in root development and in the number of palm, as well as a
substantial water savings due to lower evaporation losses compared
to the classic drip irrigation.
The results of this study showed that subsurface drip irrigation is
an efficient technique, which allows sustainable irrigation in arid
areas.
Abstract: Oases are complex and fragile agro-ecosystems. They
have always existed in environments characterized by an arid climate,
scarcity of rainfall, high temperatures and high evaporation. These
palms have grown up despite the severity of the physical
characteristics thanks to the water's existence and irrigation practice.
The oases are generally spread along non-perennial rivers (wadis),
shallow water table or deep artesian groundwater. However, the
sustainability of oasis system is threatened by water scarcity and
declining of water table levels particularly in arid areas. Located in
the southern east area of Morocco, Tafilalet plain encompasses one of
the largest palm groves in the kingdom. In recent years, this area has
become increasingly threatened by water shortage and has seen a
sharp deterioration under the effect of several combined
anthropogenic and climatic factors. The Bayoud disease, successive
years of drought, Hassan Addakhil dam construction etc are all
factors that have affected both water and phoenicicole heritage of the
area. The objective of this study is to understand the interaction
between qualitative and quantitative degradation of groundwater
resources, and the palm grove dynamics, while reviewing the
assumption that groundwater resources contribute in a direct way to
the conservation of this oasis agroecosystem. A historical analysis
tracing both the oasis dynamics and the groundwater evolution has
been established. Data were collected from satellite images, surveys
with different actors (farmers, Regional Office for Agricultural
Development, Basin agency...). They were complemented by a
synthesis of numerous technical reports in the area. The results
showed that within 40 years, the thickness of the groundwater table
has dropped in 50 %. Along with this, there has been a downsizing of
date palm by 50 %. Areas with higher groundwater level were the
least affected by the downsizing. So we can say that the shallow
groundwater contribute significantly and directly to the water supply
of date palm through its root system, and largely ensures the oasis
ecosystem sustainability.
Abstract: E-service quality plays a significant role to achieve
success or failure in any organization, offering services online. It will
increase the competition among the organizations, to attract the
customers on the basis of the quality of service provided by the
organization. Better e-service quality will enhance the relationship
with customers and their satisfaction. So the measurement of eservice
quality is very important but it is a complex process due to
the complex nature of services. Literature predicts that there is a lack
of universal definition of e-service quality. The e-service quality
measures in banking have great importance in achieving high
customer base. This paper proposes a conceptual model for
measuring e-service quality in Indian Banking Industry. Nine
dimensions reliability, ease of use, personalization, security and trust,
website aesthetic, responsiveness, contact and fulfillment had been
identified. The results of this paper may help to develop a proper
scale to measure the e-service quality in Indian Banking Industry,
which may assist to maintain and improve the performance and
effectiveness of e-service quality to retain customers.
Abstract: Particles are the most common and cheapest
reinforcement producing discontinuous reinforced composites with
isotropic properties. Conventional fabrication methods can be used to
produce a wide range of product forms, making them relatively
inexpensive. Optimising composite development must include
consideration of all the fundamental aspect of particles including
their size, shape, volume fraction, distribution and mechanical
properties. Research has shown that the challenges of low fracture
toughness, poor crack growth resistance and low thermal stability can
be overcome by reinforcement with particles. The unique properties
exhibited by micro particles reinforced ceramic composites have
made them to be highly attractive in a vast array of applications.
Abstract: According to the demand of the power and
refrigeration industry, the theoretical and practical teachings of the
Thermal Energy and Power Engineering characteristic specialty in
china are studied. The teaching reform and practice of the Thermal
Energy and Power Engineering specialty have been carried out,
including construction and reform measures, teaching reform and
practice, features, and achievements. Proved by practices, the
theoretical and practical teaching effects are obvious. The study results
can provides certain reference experience for theoretical and practical
teachings of the related specialties in china.
Abstract: This article is deal with the experimental
investigations of the laser diode matrixes (LDM) based on the
AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructures (lasing wavelength 790-880 nm) to
find optimal LDM parameters for active vision systems. In particular,
the dependence of LDM radiation pulse power on the pulse duration
and LDA active layer heating as well as the LDM radiation
divergence are discussed.
Abstract: Currently, seismic probabilistic risk assessments
(SPRA) for nuclear facilities use In-Structure Response Spectra
(ISRS) in the calculation of fragilities for systems and components.
ISRS are calculated via dynamic analyses of the host building
subjected to two orthogonal components of horizontal ground
motion. Each component is defined as the median motion in any
horizontal direction. Structural engineers applied the components
along selected X and Y Cartesian axes. The ISRS at different
locations in the building are also calculated in the X and Y directions.
The choice of the directions of X and Y are not specified by the
ground motion model with respect to geographic coordinates, and are
rather arbitrarily selected by the structural engineer. Normally, X and
Y coincide with the “principal” axes of the building, in the
understanding that this practice is generally conservative. For SPRA
purposes, however, it is desirable to remove any conservatism in the
estimates of median ISRS. This paper examines the effects of the
direction of horizontal seismic motion on the ISRS on typical nuclear
structure. We also evaluate the variability of ISRS calculated along
different horizontal directions. Our results indicate that some central
measures of the ISRS provide robust estimates that are practically
independent of the selection of the directions of the horizontal
Cartesian axes.
Abstract: The author introduced the integral operator , by using this
operator a new subclasses of analytic functions are introduced. For
these classes, several Fekete-Szeg¨ type coefficient inequalities are
obtained.
Abstract: Precast residential houses are normally constructed in Malaysia using precast shear-key wall panel and this panel is designed using BS8110 where there is no provision for earthquake. However, the safety of this house under moderate and strong earthquake is still questionable. Consequently, the full-scale of residential house are designed, constructed, tested and analyzed under in-plane lateral quasi-static cyclic loading. Hysteresis loops are plotted based on the experimental work and compared with modeling of hysteresis loops using HYSTERES in RUAUMOKO 2D program. Modified Takeda hysteresis model is chosen to behave a similar pattern with experimental work. This program will display the earthquake excitations, spectral displacements, pseudo spectral acceleration, mode shape and deformation of the structure. It can be concluded that this building is suffering severe cracks and damage under moderate and severe earthquake.
Abstract: To evaluate the factors which predetermine the
coronary artery disease in patients having positive Exercise Tolerance
Test (ETT) that is treadmill results and coronary artery findings. This
descriptive study was conducted at Department of Cardiology,
Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital & Research Institute, Dhaka, Bangladesh
from 1st January, 2014 to 31st August, 2014. All patients who had
done ETT (treadmill) for chest pain diagnosis were studied. One
hundred and four patients underwent coronary angiogram after
positive treadmill result. Patients were divided into two groups
depending upon the angiographic findings, i.e. true positive and false
positive. Positive treadmill test patients who have coronary artery
involvement these are called true positive and who have no
involvement they are called false positive group. Both groups were
compared with each other. Out of 104 patients, 81 (77.9%) patients
had true positive ETT and 23 (22.1%) patients had false positive
ETT. The mean age of patients in positive ETT was 53.46± 8.06
years and male mean age was 53.63±8.36 years and female was
52.87±7.0 years. Sixty nine (85.19%) male patients and twelve
(14.81%) female patients had true positive ETT, whereas 15
(65.21%) males and 8 (34.79%) females had false positive ETT, this
was statistically significant (p
Abstract: Enterprise Architecture (EA) Implementation
Methodologies have become an important part of EA projects.
Several implementation methodologies have been proposed, as a
theoretical and practical approach, to facilitate and support the
development of EA within an enterprise. A significant question when
facing the starting of EA implementation is deciding which
methodology to utilize. In order to answer this question, a framework
with several criteria is applied in this paper for the comparative
analysis of existing EA implementation methodologies. Five EA
implementation methodologies including: EAP, TOGAF, DODAF,
Gartner, and FEA are selected in order to compare with proposed
framework. The results of the comparison indicate that those
methodologies have not reached a sufficient maturity as whole due to
lack of consideration on requirement management, maintenance,
continuum, and complexities in their process. The framework has
also ability for the evaluation of any kind of EA implementation
methodologies.
Abstract: Augmented Reality is a technology that involves the
overlay of virtual content, which is context or environment sensitive,
on images of the physical world in real time. This paper presents the
development of a catalog system that facilitates and allows the
creation, publishing, management and exploitation of augmented
multimedia contents and Augmented Reality applications, creating an
own space for anyone that wants to provide information to real
objects in order to edit and share it then online with others. These
spaces would be built for different domains without the initial need of
expert users. Its operation focuses on the context of Web 2.0 or
Social Web, with its various applications, developing contents to
enrich the real context in which human beings act permitting the
evolution of catalog’s contents in an emerging way.
Abstract: Vacuum Insulation Panel (VIP) can achieve very low
thermal conductivity by evacuating its inner space. Heat transfer in the
core materials of highly-evacuated VIP occurs by conduction through
the solid structure and radiation through the pore. The effect of various
scattering modes in combined conduction-radiation in VIP is
investigated through numerical analysis. The discrete ordinates
interpolation method (DOIM) incorporated with the commercial code
FLUENT® is employed. It is found that backward scattering is more
effective in reducing the total heat transfer while isotropic scattering is
almost identical with pure absorbing/emitting case of the same optical
thickness. For a purely scattering medium, the results agrees well with
additive solution with diffusion approximation, while a modified term
is added in the effect of optical thickness to backward scattering is
employed. For other scattering phase functions, it is also confirmed
that backwardly scattering phase function gives a lower effective
thermal conductivity. Thus the materials with backward scattering
properties, with radiation shields are desirable to lower the thermal
conductivity of VIPs.