Abstract: The design of an active leg orthosis for tumble
protection is proposed in this paper. The orthosis would be applied to
assist elders or invalids in rebalancing while they fall unexpectedly.
We observe the regain balance motion of healthy and youthful people,
and find the difference to elders or invalids. First, the physical model
of leg would be established, and we consider the leg motions are
achieve through four joints (phalanx stem, ankle, knee, and hip joint)
and five links (phalanges, talus, tibia, femur, and hip bone). To
formulate the dynamic equations, the coordinates which can clearly
describe the position in 3D space are first defined accordance with the
human movement of leg, and the kinematics and dynamics of the leg
movement can be formulated based on the robotics. For the purpose,
assisting elders and invalids in avoiding tumble, the posture variation
of unbalance and regaining balance motion are recorded by the
motion-capture image system, and the trajectory is taken as the desire
one. Then we calculate the force and moment of each joint based on
the leg motion model through programming MATLAB code. The
results would be primary information of the active leg orthosis design
for tumble protection.
Abstract: In this article the authors are researching cultural
differences between rural and urban characters in case of
contemporary Kazakh cinema.Two motion pictures are analyzed:
“Strizh" (2007) by AbaiKulbai and “Seker" (2009) by
SabitKurmanbekov.According to the authors- opinion ateenage girl
characters in these two films reflect two cultures (urban and rural) of
Kazakh society, which displays complicated socio-cultural processes
of modern Kazakhstan.
Abstract: The indistinctness of the manufacturing processes makes that a parts cannot be realized in an absolutely exact way towards the specifications on the dimensions. It is thus necessary to assume that the effectively realized product has to belong in a very strict way to compatible intervals with a correct functioning of the parts. In this paper we present an approach based on mixing tow different characteristics theories, the fuzzy system and Petri net system. This tool has been proposed to model and control the quality in an assembly system. A robust command of a mechanical assembly process is presented as an application. This command will then have to maintain the specifications interval of parts in front of the variations. It also illustrates how the technique reacts when the product quality is high, medium, or low.
Abstract: The interline power flow controller (IPFC) is one of
the latest generation flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS)
controller used to control power flows of multiple transmission lines.
This paper presents a mathematical model of IPFC, termed as power
injection model (PIM). This model is incorporated in Newton-
Raphson (NR) power flow algorithm to study the power flow control
in transmission lines in which IPFC is placed. A program in
MATLAB has been written in order to extend conventional NR
algorithm based on this model. Numerical results are carried out on a
standard 2 machine 5 bus system. The results without and with IPFC
are compared in terms of voltages, active and reactive power flows to
demonstrate the performance of the IPFC model.
Abstract: Studies on residential satisfaction have been actively
discussed under family house setting. However, limited studies have
been conducted on student residential satisfaction. This study is an
attempt to fill the research gap. It focuses on the influence of socioeconomic
on students- satisfaction with the universities- student
housing facilities. The students who stayed at the on-campus student
housing were the respondents. This study employed two-stage cluster
sampling method in classifying the respondents. Self-administered
questionnaires were distributed face-to-face to the students. In
general, it is confirmed that students- socio-economic backgrounds
have influence on the students- satisfaction with their housing
facilities. The main influential factors were the students- economic
status, sense of sharing, and ethnicity of their roommates.
Furthermore, this study could also provide a useful feedback for the
universities in order to improve their student housing facilities.
Abstract: Lignocellulosic materials are new targeted source to
produce second generation biofuels like biobutanol. However, this
process is significantly resisted by the native structure of biomass.
Therefore, pretreatment process is always essential to remove
hemicelluloses and lignin prior to the enzymatic hydrolysis.
The goals of pretreatment are removing hemicelluloses and
lignin, increasing biomass porosity, and increasing the enzyme
accessibility. The main goal of this research is to study the important
variables such as pretreatment temperature and time, which can give
the highest total sugar yield in pretreatment step by using dilute
phosphoric acid. After pretreatment, the highest total sugar yield of
13.61 g/L was obtained under an optimal condition at 140°C for 10
min of pretreatment time by using 1.75% (w/w) H3PO4 and at 15:1
liquid to solid ratio. The total sugar yield of two-stage process
(pretreatment+enzymatic hydrolysis) of 27.38 g/L was obtained.
Abstract: This paper deals with the thermo-mechanical deformation behavior of shear deformable functionally graded ceramicmetal (FGM) plates. Theoretical formulations are based on higher order shear deformation theory with a considerable amendment in the transverse displacement using finite element method (FEM). The mechanical properties of the plate are assumed to be temperaturedependent and graded in the thickness direction according to a powerlaw distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. The temperature field is supposed to be a uniform distribution over the plate surface (XY plane) and varied in the thickness direction only. The fundamental equations for the FGM plates are obtained using variational approach by considering traction free boundary conditions on the top and bottom faces of the plate. A C0 continuous isoparametric Lagrangian finite element with thirteen degrees of freedom per node have been employed to accomplish the results. Convergence and comparison studies have been performed to demonstrate the efficiency of the present model. The numerical results are obtained for different thickness ratios, aspect ratios, volume fraction index and temperature rise with different loading and boundary conditions. Numerical results for the FGM plates are provided in dimensionless tabular and graphical forms. The results proclaim that the temperature field and the gradient in the material properties have significant role on the thermo-mechanical deformation behavior of the FGM plates.
Abstract: Kuwait-s electric power system is vertically integrated
organization owned and operated by the government. For more than
five decades, the government of Kuwait has provided relatively
reliable electric services to consumers with subsidized electric
service fees. Given the country-s rapid socio-economical
development and consequently the increase of electricity demand, a
question that inflicts itself: Is it necessary to reform the power system
to face the fast growing demand? This paper recommends that the
government should consider the private sector as a partner in
operating the power system. Therefore, power system restructuring is
needed to allow such partnership. There are challenges that prevent
such restructuring. Abstract recommendations toward resolving these
challenges are proposed.
Abstract: Biological reactions of individuals of a testing animal
to toxic substance are unique and can be used as an indication of the
existing of toxic substance. However, to distinguish such phenomenon
need a very complicate system and even more complicate to analyze
data in 3 dimensional. In this paper, a system to evaluate in vitro
biological activities to acute toxicity of stochastic self-affine
non-stationary signal of 3D goldfish swimming by using fractal
analysis is introduced. Regular digital camcorders are utilized by
proposed algorithm 3DCCPC to effectively capture and construct 3D
movements of the fish. A Critical Exponent Method (CEM) has been
adopted as a fractal estimator. The hypothesis was that the swimming
of goldfish to acute toxic would show the fractal property which
related to the toxic concentration. The experimental results supported
the hypothesis by showing that the swimming of goldfish under the
different toxic concentration has fractal properties. It also shows that
the fractal dimension of the swimming related to the pH value of FD Ôëê
0.26pH + 0.05. With the proposed system, the fish is allowed to swim
freely in all direction to react to the toxic. In addition, the trajectories
are precisely evaluated by fractal analysis with critical exponent
method and hence the results exhibit with much higher degree of
confidence.
Abstract: The need to increase the efficiency of health care
systems is becoming an obligation, and one of area of improvement
is the discharge process. The objective of this work is to minimize
the patients discharge time (for insured patients) to be less than 50
minutes by using six sigma approach, this improvement will also:
lead to an increase in customer satisfaction, increase the number of
admissions and turnover on the rooms, increase hospital
profitability.Three different departments were considered in this
study: Female, Male, and Paediatrics. Six Sigma approach coupled
with simulation has been applied to reduce the patients discharge
time for pediatrics, female, and male departments at hospital. Upon
applying these recommendations at hospital: 60%, 80%, and 22% of
insured female, male, and pediatrics patients respectively will have
discharge time less than the upper specification time i.e. 50 min.
Abstract: In this paper we study the transformation of Euler equations 1 , u u u Pf t (ρ ∂) + ⋅∇ = − ∇ + ∂ G G G G ∇⋅ = u 0, G where (ux, t) G G is the velocity of a fluid, P(x, t) G is the pressure of a fluid andρ (x, t) G is density. First of all, we rewrite the Euler equations in terms of new unknown functions. Then, we introduce new independent variables and transform it to a new curvilinear coordinate system. We obtain the Euler equations in the new dependent and independent variables. The governing equations into two subsystems, one is hyperbolic and another is elliptic.
Abstract: As every system conceptions the concept of crisis is
based on the system of interdependent elements. These dialectic
elements occur in a majority of definitions even though called
differently. For further theoretical searching but also for practical
utilization it is necessary to understand these elements. The paper
stresses that the concept of crisis is ambiguous. There are identified
and explained the elements that are generally found in most crises
(disruption, precondition, triggers etc).
Abstract: The use of magnetic and magnetic/gold core/shell
nanoparticles in biotechnology or medicine has shown good promise
due to their hybrid nature which possesses superior magnetic and
optical properties. Some of these potential applications include
hyperthermia treatment, bio-separations, diagnostics, drug delivery
and toxin removal. Synthesis refinement to control geometric and
magnetic/optical properties, and finding functional surfactants for
biomolecular attachment, are requirements to meet application
specifics.
Various high-temperature preparative methods were used for the
synthesis of iron oxide and gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticles.
Different surface functionalities, such as 11-aminoundecanoic and
11-mercaptoundecanoic acid, were introduced on the surface of the
particles to facilitate further attachment of biomolecular functionality
and drug-like molecules. Nanoparticle thermal stability, composition,
state of aggregation, size and morphology were investigated and the
results from techniques such as Fourier Transform-Infra Red
spectroscopy (FT-IR), Ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-vis),
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and thermal analysis are
discussed.
Abstract: This paper presents the DC voltage control design of D-STATCOM when the D-STATCOM is used for load voltage regulation. Although, the DC voltage can be controlled by active current of the D-STATCOM, reactive current still affects the DC voltage. To eliminate this effect, the control strategy with elimination effect of the reactive current is proposed and the results of the control with and without the elimination the effect of the reactive current are compared. For obtaining the proportional and integral gains of the PI controllers, the symmetrical optimum and genetic algorithms methods are applied. The stability margin of these methods are obtained and discussed in detail. In addition, the performance of the DC voltage control based on symmetrical optimum and genetic algorithms methods are compared. Effectiveness of the controllers designed was verified through computer simulation performed by using Power System Tool Block (PSB) in SIMULINK/MATLAB. The simulation results demonstrated that the DC voltage control proposed is effective in regulating DC voltage when the DSTATCOM is used for load voltage regulation.
Abstract: High Pressure Raman scattering measurements of KDP:Mn were performed at room temperatures. The X-ray powder diffraction patterns taken at room temperature by Rietveld refinement showed that doped samples of KDP-Mn have the same tetragonal structure of a pure KDP crystal, but with a contraction of the crystalline cell. The behavior of the Raman spectra, in particular the emergence of a new modes at 330 cm-1, indicates that KDP:Mn undergoes a structural phase transition with onset at around 4 GP. First principle density-functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that tetrahedral rotation with pressure is predominantly around the c crystalline direction. Theoretical results indicates that pressure induced tetrahedral rotations leads to change tetrahedral neighborhood, activating librations/bending modes observed for high pressure phase of KDP:Mn with stronger Raman activity.
Abstract: Intelligent schools are those which use IT devices and
technologies as media software, hardware and networks to improve
learning process. On the other hand management improvement is
best described as the process from which managers learn and improve
their skills not only to benefit themselves but also their employing
organizations Here, we present a model Management improvement
System that has been applied on some schools and have made strict
improvement.
Abstract: Quantitative precipitation forecast (QPF) from
atmospheric model as input to hydrological model in an integrated
hydro-meteorological flood forecasting system has been operational
in many countries worldwide. High-resolution numerical weather
prediction (NWP) models with grid cell sizes between 2 and 14 km
have great potential in contributing towards reasonably accurate QPF.
In this study the potential of two NWP models to forecast
precipitation for a flood-prone area in a tropical region is examined.
The precipitation forecasts produced from the Fifth Generation Penn
State/NCAR Mesoscale (MM5) and Weather Research and
Forecasting (WRF) models are statistically verified with the observed
rain in Kelantan River Basin, Malaysia. The statistical verification
indicates that the models have performed quite satisfactorily for low
and moderate rainfall but not very satisfactory for heavy rainfall.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to highlight the
importance of the concept of competitiveness in the supply chain and
to present a conceptual framework for Supply Chain Competitiveness
(SCC). The framework is based on supply chain activities, which are
inputs, necessary for SCC and the benefits which are the outputs of
SCC. A literature review is conducted on key supply chain
competitiveness issues, its determinants, its various dimensions
followed by exploration for SCC. Based on the insights gained, a
conceptual framework for SCC is presented based on activities for
SCC, SCC environment and outcomes of SCC. The information flow
in the conceptual framework is bi-directional at all levels and the
activities are interrelated in a global competitive environment. The
activities include the activities of suppliers, manufacturers and
distributors, giving more emphasis on manufacturers- activities.
Further, implications of various factors such as economic, politicolegal,
technical, socio-cultural, competition, demographic etc. are
also highlighted. The SCC framework is an attempt to cover the
relatively less explored area of supply chain competitiveness. It is
expected that this work will further motivate researchers,
academicians and practitioners to work in this area and offers
conceptual help in providing a directions for supply chain
competitiveness which leads to improvement in the supply chain and
supply chain performance.
Abstract: Three dimensional analysis of thermal model in laser
full penetration welding, Nd:YAG, by transparent mode DP600 alloy
steel 1.25mm of thickness and gap of 0.1mm. Three models studied
the influence of thermal dependent temperature properties, thermal
independent temperature and the effect of peak value of specific heat
at phase transformation temperature, AC1, on the transient
temperature. Another seven models studied the influence of
discretization, meshes on the temperature distribution in weld plate.
It is shown that for the effects of thermal properties, the errors less
4% of maximum temperature in FZ and HAZ have identified. The
minimum value of discretization are at least one third increment per
radius for temporal discretization and the spatial discretization
requires two elements per radius and four elements through thickness
of the assembled plate, which therefore represent the minimum
requirements of modeling for the laser welding in order to get
minimum errors less than 5% compared to the fine mesh.
Abstract: Higher productivity and less cost in the ship
manufacturing process are required to maintain the international
competitiveness of morden manufacturing industries. In shipbuilding,
however, the Engineering To Order (ETO) production method and
production process is very difficult. Thus, designs change frequently.
In accordance with production, planning should be set up according
to scene changes. Therefore, fixed production planning is very
difficult. Thus, a scheduler must first make sketchy plans, then
change the plans based on the work progress and modifications.
Thus, data sharing in a shipbuilding block assembly shop is very
important. In this paper, we proposed to scheduling method
applicable to the shipbuilding industry and decision making support
system through web based visualization system.