Abstract: A complete spectral representation for the
electromagnetic field of planar multilayered waveguides
inhomogeneously filled with omega media is presented. The problem
of guided electromagnetic propagation is reduced to an eigenvalue
equation related to a 2 ´ 2 matrix differential operator. Using the
concept of adjoint waveguide, general bi-orthogonality relations for
the hybrid modes (either from the discrete or from the continuous
spectrum) are derived. For the special case of homogeneous layers
the linear operator formalism is reduced to a simple 2 ´ 2 coupling
matrix eigenvalue problem. Finally, as an example of application, the
surface and the radiation modes of a grounded omega slab waveguide
are analyzed.
Abstract: In this study thermodynamic performance analysis of a
combined organic Rankine cycle and ejector refrigeration cycle is
carried out for use of low-grade heat source in the form of sensible
energy. Special attention is paid to the effects of system parameters
including the turbine inlet temperature and turbine inlet pressure on the
characteristics of the system such as ratios of mass flow rate, net work
production, and refrigeration capacity as well as the coefficient of
performance and exergy efficiency of the system. Results show that
for a given source the coefficient of performance increases with
increasing of the turbine inlet pressure. However, the exergy
efficiency has an optimal condition with respect to the turbine inlet
pressure.
Abstract: Many footbridges have natural frequencies that
coincide with the dominant frequencies of the pedestrian-induced
load and therefore they have a potential to suffer excessive vibrations
under dynamic loads induced by pedestrians. Some of the design
standards introduce load models for pedestrian loads applicable for
simple structures. Load modeling for more complex structures, on the
other hand, is most often left to the designer. The main focus of this
paper is on the human induced forces transmitted to a footbridge and
on the ways these loads can be modeled to be used in the dynamic
design of footbridges. Also design criteria and load models proposed
by widely used standards were introduced and a comparison was
made. The dynamic analysis of the suspension bridge in Kolin in the
Czech Republic was performed on detailed FEM model using the
ANSYS program system. An attempt to model the load imposed by a
single person and a crowd of pedestrians resulted in displacements
and accelerations that are compared with serviceability criteria.
Abstract: This article outlines conceptualization and
implementation of an intelligent system capable of extracting
knowledge from databases. Use of hybridized features of both the
Rough and Fuzzy Set theory render the developed system flexibility
in dealing with discreet as well as continuous datasets. A raw data set
provided to the system, is initially transformed in a computer legible
format followed by pruning of the data set. The refined data set is
then processed through various Rough Set operators which enable
discovery of parameter relationships and interdependencies. The
discovered knowledge is automatically transformed into a rule base
expressed in Fuzzy terms. Two exemplary cancer repository datasets
(for Breast and Lung Cancer) have been used to test and implement
the proposed framework.
Abstract: Camera calibration is an indispensable step for augmented
reality or image guided applications where quantitative information
should be derived from the images. Usually, a camera
calibration is obtained by taking images of a special calibration object
and extracting the image coordinates of projected calibration marks
enabling the calculation of the projection from the 3d world coordinates
to the 2d image coordinates. Thus such a procedure exhibits
typical steps, including feature point localization in the acquired
images, camera model fitting, correction of distortion introduced by
the optics and finally an optimization of the model-s parameters. In
this paper we propose to extend this list by further step concerning
the identification of the optimal subset of images yielding the smallest
overall calibration error. For this, we present a Monte Carlo based
algorithm along with a deterministic extension that automatically
determines the images yielding an optimal calibration. Finally, we
present results proving that the calibration can be significantly
improved by automated image selection.
Abstract: Evolutionary Algorithms are population-based,
stochastic search techniques, widely used as efficient global
optimizers. However, many real life optimization problems often
require finding optimal solution to complex high dimensional,
multimodal problems involving computationally very expensive
fitness function evaluations. Use of evolutionary algorithms in such
problem domains is thus practically prohibitive. An attractive
alternative is to build meta models or use an approximation of the
actual fitness functions to be evaluated. These meta models are order
of magnitude cheaper to evaluate compared to the actual function
evaluation. Many regression and interpolation tools are available to
build such meta models. This paper briefly discusses the
architectures and use of such meta-modeling tools in an evolutionary
optimization context. We further present two evolutionary algorithm
frameworks which involve use of meta models for fitness function
evaluation. The first framework, namely the Dynamic Approximate
Fitness based Hybrid EA (DAFHEA) model [14] reduces
computation time by controlled use of meta-models (in this case
approximate model generated by Support Vector Machine
regression) to partially replace the actual function evaluation by
approximate function evaluation. However, the underlying
assumption in DAFHEA is that the training samples for the metamodel
are generated from a single uniform model. This does not take
into account uncertain scenarios involving noisy fitness functions.
The second model, DAFHEA-II, an enhanced version of the original
DAFHEA framework, incorporates a multiple-model based learning
approach for the support vector machine approximator to handle
noisy functions [15]. Empirical results obtained by evaluating the
frameworks using several benchmark functions demonstrate their
efficiency
Abstract: In this investigation, types of commercial and special
polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers contain sodium 2-methyl-2-
acrylamidopropane sulfonate (SAMPS) and itaconic acid (IA)
comonomers were studied by fourier transform infrared (FT-IR)
spectroscopy. The study of FT-IR spectra of PAN fibers samples
with different comonomers shows that during stabilization of PAN
fibers, the peaks related to C≡N bonds and CH2 are reduced sharply.
These reductions are related to cyclization of nitrile groups and
stabilization procedure. This reduction in PAN fibers contain IA
comonomer is very intense in comparison with PAN fibers contain
SAMPS comonomer. This fact indicates the cycling and stabilization
for sample contain IA comonomer have been conducted more
completely. Therefore the carbon fibers produced from this material
have higher tensile strength due to suitable stabilization.
Abstract: This paper presents the buckling analysis of short and
long functionally graded cylindrical shells under thermal and
mechanical loads. The shell properties are assumed to vary
continuously from the inner surface to the outer surface of the shell.
The equilibrium and stability equations are derived using the total
potential energy equations, Euler equations and first order shear
deformation theory assumptions. The resulting equations are solved
for simply supported boundary conditions. The critical temperature
and pressure loads are calculated for both short and long cylindrical
shells. Comparison studies show the effects of functionally graded
index, loading type and shell geometry on critical buckling loads of
short and long functionally graded cylindrical shells.
Abstract: We present a new method to reconstruct a temporally
coherent 3D animation from single or multi-view RGB-D video data
using unbiased feature point sampling. Given RGB-D video data, in
form of a 3D point cloud sequence, our method first extracts feature
points using both color and depth information. In the subsequent
steps, these feature points are used to match two 3D point clouds in
consecutive frames independent of their resolution. Our new motion
vectors based dynamic alignement method then fully reconstruct
a spatio-temporally coherent 3D animation. We perform extensive
quantitative validation using novel error functions to analyze the
results. We show that despite the limiting factors of temporal and
spatial noise associated to RGB-D data, it is possible to extract
temporal coherence to faithfully reconstruct a temporally coherent
3D animation from RGB-D video data.
Abstract: This research sought to discover the forms of
promotion and dissemination of traditional local wisdom that are
used to create occupations among the elderly at Noanmueng
Community, Muang Sub-District, Baan Doong District, Udornthani
Province. The criteria used to select the research sample group were:
having a role involved in the promotion and dissemination of
traditional local wisdom to create occupations among the elderly;
being an experienced person who the residents of Noanmueng
Community find trustworthy; and having lived in Noanmueng
Community for a long time so as to be able to see the development
and change that occurs. A total of 16 persons were thus selected. Data
was gathered through a qualitative study, using semi-structured indepth
interviews. The collected data was then summarized and
discussed according to the research objectives. Finally, the data was
presented in narrative format. Results found that the identifying
traditional local wisdom of the community (which grew from the
residents’ experience and beneficial usage in daily life, passed down
from generation to generation) was the weaving of cloth and
basketry. As for the manner of promotion and dissemination of
traditional local wisdom, these skills were passed down through
teaching by example to family members, relatives and others in the
community. This was largely the initiative of the elders or elderly
members of the community. In order for the promotion and
dissemination of traditional local wisdom to create occupations
among the elderly, the traditional local wisdom should be supported
in every way through participation of the community members. For
example, establish a museum of traditional local wisdom for the
collection of traditional local wisdom in various fields, both from the
past and present innovations. This would be a source of pride for the
community, simultaneously helping traditional local wisdom to
become widely known and to create income for the community’s
elderly. Additional ways include organizing exhibitions of products
made by traditional local wisdom, finding both domestic and
international markets, as well as building both domestic and
international networks aiming to find opportunities to market
products made by traditional local wisdom.
Abstract: Fuel and oxidant gas delivery plate, or fuel cell
plate, is a key component of a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM)
fuel cell. To manufacture low-cost and high performance fuel cell
plates, advanced computer modeling and finite element structure
analysis are used as virtual prototyping tools for the optimization
of the plates at the early design stage. The present study examines
thermal stress analysis of the fuel cell plates that are produced
using a patented, low-cost fuel cell plate production technique
based on screen-printing. Design optimization is applied to
minimize the maximum stress within the plate, subject to strain
constraint with both geometry and material parameters as design
variables. The study reveals the characteristics of the printed
plates, and provides guidelines for the structure and material design
of the fuel cell plate.
Abstract: This paper presents a novel two-phase hybrid optimization algorithm with hybrid genetic operators to solve the optimal control problem of a single stage hybrid manufacturing system. The proposed hybrid real coded genetic algorithm (HRCGA) is developed in such a way that a simple real coded GA acts as a base level search, which makes a quick decision to direct the search towards the optimal region, and a local search method is next employed to do fine tuning. The hybrid genetic operators involved in the proposed algorithm improve both the quality of the solution and convergence speed. The phase–1 uses conventional real coded genetic algorithm (RCGA), while optimisation by direct search and systematic reduction of the size of search region is employed in the phase – 2. A typical numerical example of an optimal control problem with the number of jobs varying from 10 to 50 is included to illustrate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm. Several statistical analyses are done to compare the validity of the proposed algorithm with the conventional RCGA and PSO techniques. Hypothesis t – test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) test are also carried out to validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The results clearly demonstrate that the proposed algorithm not only improves the quality but also is more efficient in converging to the optimal value faster. They can outperform the conventional real coded GA (RCGA) and the efficient particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm in quality of the optimal solution and also in terms of convergence to the actual optimum value.
Abstract: Heat powered solid sorption is a feasible alternative to
electrical vapor compression refrigeration systems. In this paper,
activated carbon (powder type Maxsorb and fiber type ACF-A10)-
CO2 based adsorption cooling cycles are studied using the pressuretemperature-
concentration (P-T-W) diagram. The specific cooling
effect (SCE) and the coefficient of performance (COP) of these two
cooling systems are simulated for the driving heat source
temperatures ranging from 30 ºC to 90 ºC in terms of different
cooling load temperatures with a cooling source temperature of 25
ºC. It is found from the present analysis that Maxsorb-CO2 couple
shows higher cooling capacity and COP. The maximum COPs of
Maxsorb-CO2 and ACF(A10)-CO2 based cooling systems are found
to be 0.15 and 0.083, respectively. The main innovative feature of
this cooling cycle is the ability to utilize low temperature waste heat
or solar energy using CO2 as the refrigerant, which is one of the best
alternative for applications where flammability and toxicity are not
allowed.
Abstract: This paper evaluates performances of an adaptive noise
cancelling (ANC) based target detection algorithm on a set of real test
data supported by the Defense Evaluation Research Agency (DERA
UK) for multi-target wideband active sonar echolocation system. The
hybrid algorithm proposed is a combination of an adaptive ANC
neuro-fuzzy scheme in the first instance and followed by an iterative
optimum target motion estimation (TME) scheme. The neuro-fuzzy
scheme is based on the adaptive noise cancelling concept with the
core processor of ANFIS (adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system) to
provide an effective fine tuned signal. The resultant output is then
sent as an input to the optimum TME scheme composed of twogauge
trimmed-mean (TM) levelization, discrete wavelet denoising
(WDeN), and optimal continuous wavelet transform (CWT) for
further denosing and targets identification. Its aim is to recover the
contact signals in an effective and efficient manner and then determine
the Doppler motion (radial range, velocity and acceleration) at very
low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Quantitative results have shown that
the hybrid algorithm have excellent performance in predicting targets-
Doppler motion within various target strength with the maximum
false detection of 1.5%.
Abstract: Dengue fever is an important human arboviral disease. Outbreaks are now reported quite often from many parts of the world. The number of cases involving pregnant women and infant cases are increasing every year. The illness is often severe and complications may occur. Deaths often occur because of the difficulties in early diagnosis and in the improper management of the diseases. Dengue antibodies from pregnant women are passed on to infants and this protects the infants from dengue infections. Antibodies from the mother are transferred to the fetus when it is still in the womb. In this study, we formulate a mathematical model to describe the transmission of this disease in pregnant women. The model is formulated by dividing the human population into pregnant women and non-pregnant human (men and non-pregnant women). Each class is subdivided into susceptible (S), infectious (I) and recovered (R) subclasses. We apply standard dynamical analysis to our model. Conditions for the local stability of the equilibrium points are given. The numerical simulations are shown. The bifurcation diagrams of our model are discussed. The control of this disease in pregnant women is discussed in terms of the threshold conditions.
Abstract: A new composite sorbent based on carbonized rice
husk (CRH) and immobilized on it living cells and inactivated
cultural liquid containing antimicrobials metabolites of Bacillus
subtilis CK-245 is developed. The sorption and antimicrobic activity
of CRH concerning five species of Enterobacteriaceae is studied.
Prospects of use of developed sorbent in medicine and veterinary
science is shown.
Abstract: Business transformation initiatives are required by
any organization to jump from its normal mode of operation to the
one that is suitable for the change in the environment such as
competitive pressures, regulatory requirements, changes in labor
market, etc., or internal such as changes in strategy/vision, changes in
the capability, change in the management, etc. Recent advances in
information technology in automating the business processes have
the potential to transform an organization to provide it with a
sustained competitive advantage. Process constitutes the skeleton of
a business. Thus, for a business to exist and compete well, it is
essential for the skeleton to be robust and agile. This paper details
“transformation" from a business perspective, methodologies to bring
about an effective transformation, process-based transformation, and
the role of services computing in this. Further, it details the benefits
that could be achieved through services computing.
Abstract: The coalescer process is one of the methods for oily water treatment by increasing the oil droplet size in order to enhance the separating velocity and thus effective separation. However, the presence of surfactants in an oily emulsion can limit the obtained mechanisms due to the small oil size related with stabilized emulsion. In this regard, the purpose of this research is to improve the efficiency of the coalescer process for treating the stabilized emulsion. The effects of bed types, bed height, liquid flow rate and stage coalescer (step-bed) on the treatment efficiencies in term of COD values were studied. Note that the treatment efficiency obtained experimentally was estimated by using the COD values and oil droplet size distribution. The study has shown that the plastic media has more effective to attach with oil particles than the stainless one due to their hydrophobic properties. Furthermore, the suitable bed height (3.5 cm) and step bed (3.5 cm with 2 steps) were necessary in order to well obtain the coalescer performance. The application of step bed coalescer process in reactor has provided the higher treatment efficiencies in term of COD removal than those obtained with classical process. The proposed model for predicting the area under curve and thus treatment efficiency, based on the single collector efficiency (ηT) and the attachment efficiency (α), provides relatively a good coincidence between the experimental and predicted values of treatment efficiencies in this study.
Abstract: This study investigated the number of Aedes larvae,
the key breeding sites of Aedes sp., and the relationship between
climatic factors and the incidence of DHF in Samui Islands. We
conducted our questionnaire and larval surveys from randomly
selected 105 households in Samui Islands in July-September 2006.
Pearson-s correlation coefficient was used to explore the primary
association between the DHF incidence and all climatic factors.
Multiple stepwise regression technique was then used to fit the
statistical model. The results showed that the positive indoor
containers were small jars, cement tanks, and plastic tanks. The
positive outdoor containers were small jars, cement tanks, plastic
tanks, used cans, tires, plastic bottles, discarded objects, pot saucers,
plant pots, and areca husks. All Ae. albopictus larval indices (i.e., CI,
HI, and BI) were higher than Ae. aegypti larval indices in this area.
These larval indices were higher than WHO standard. This indicated
a high risk of DHF transmission at Samui Islands. The multiple
stepwise regression model was y = –288.80 + 11.024xmean temp. The
mean temperature was positively associated with the DHF incidence
in this area.
Abstract: Using a scoring system, this paper provides a
comparative assessment of the quality of data between XBRL
formatted financial reports and non-XBRL financial reports. It shows a
major improvement in the quality of data of XBRL formatted financial
reports. Although XBRL formatted financial reports do not show
much advantage in the quality at the beginning, XBRL financial
reports lately display a large improvement in the quality of data in
almost all aspects. With the improved XBRL web data managing,
presentation and analysis applications, XBRL formatted financial
reports have a much better accessibility, are more accurate and better
in timeliness.