Abstract: The growth of organic farming practices in the last
few decades is continuing to stimulate the international debate about
this alternative food market. As a part of a PhD project research
about embeddedness in Alternative Food Networks (AFNs), this
paper focuses on the promotional aspects of organic farms websites
from the Madrid region. As a theoretical tool, some knowledge
categories drawn on the geographic studies literature are used to
classify the many ideas expressed in the web pages. By analysing
texts and pictures of 30 websites, the study aims to question how and
to what extent actors from organic world communicate to the
potential customers their personal beliefs about farming practices,
products qualities, and ecological and social benefits. Moreover, the
paper raises the question of whether organic farming laws and
regulations lack of completeness about the social and cultural aspects
of food.
Abstract: SARA is a common and serious metabolic disorder in
early lactation in dairy cattle and in finishing beef cattle, caused by
diets with high inclusion of cereal grain. This experiment was
performed to determine the efficacy of Megasphaera elsdenii, a
major lactate-utilizing bacterium in prevention/treatment of SARA in
vivo. In vivo experimentation, it was used eight ruminally cannulated
rams and it was applied the rapid adaptation with the mixture of grain
based on wheat (80% wheat, 20% barley) and barley (80% barley,
20% wheat). During the systematic adaptation, it was followed the
probability of SARA formation by being measured the rumen pH
with two hours intervals after and before feeding. After being
evaluated the data, it was determined the ruminal pH ranged from
5.2-5.6 on the condition of feeding with 60 percentage of grain
mixture based on barley and wheat, that assured the definite form of
subacute acidosis. In four days SARA period, M. elsdenii (1010 cfu
ml-1) was inoculated during the first two days. During the SARA
period, it was observed the decrease of feed intake with M. elsdenii
inoculation. Inoculation of M. elsdenii was caused to differentiation
of rumen pH (P
Abstract: Since 1920, the industry has almost completely
changed the rivets production techniques for the manufacture of
permanent welding join production of structures and manufacture of
other products. The welding arc is the process more widely used in
industries. This is accomplished by the heat of an electric arc which
melts the base metal while the molten metal droplets are transferred
through the arc to the welding pool, protected from the atmosphere
by a gas curtain. The GMAW (Gas metal arc welding) process is
influenced by variables such as: current, polarity, welding speed,
electrode: extension, position, moving direction; type of joint,
welder's ability, among others. It is remarkable that the knowledge
and control of these variables are essential for obtaining satisfactory
quality welds, knowing that are interconnected so that changes in one
of them requiring changes in one or more of the other to produce the
desired results. The optimum values are affected by the type of base
metal, the electrode composition, the welding position and the quality
requirements. Thus, this paper proposes a new methodology, adding
the variable vibration through a mechanism developed for GMAW
welding, in order to improve the mechanical and metallurgical
properties which does not affect the ability of the welder and enables
repeatability of the welds made. For confirmation metallographic
analysis and mechanical tests were made.
Abstract: While choosing insulating oil, characteristic features
such as thermal cooling, endurance, efficiency and being
environment-friendly should be considered. Mineral oils are referred
as petroleum-based oil. In this study, vegetable oils investigated as an
alternative insulating liquid to mineral oil. Dissipation factor,
breakdown voltage, relative dielectric constant and resistivity
changes with the frequency and voltage of mineral, rapeseed and nut
oils were measured. Experimental studies were performed according
to ASTM D924 and IEC 60156 standards.
Abstract: Residential buildings consume significant amounts of
energy and produce large amount of emissions and waste. However,
there is a substantial potential for energy savings in this sector which
needs to be evaluated over the life cycle of residential buildings. Life
Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology has been employed to study
the primary energy uses and associated environmental impacts of
different phases (i.e., product, construction, use, end of life, and
beyond building life) for residential buildings. Four different
alternatives of residential buildings in Vancouver (BC, Canada) with
a 50-year lifespan have been evaluated, including High Rise
Apartment (HRA), Low Rise Apartment (LRA), Single family
Attached House (SAH), and Single family Detached House (SDH).
Life cycle performance of the buildings is evaluated for embodied
energy, embodied environmental impacts, operational energy,
operational environmental impacts, total life-cycle energy, and total
life cycle environmental impacts. Estimation of operational energy
and LCA are performed using DesignBuilder software and Athena
Impact estimator software respectively.
The study results revealed that over the life span of the buildings,
the relationship between the energy use and the environmental
impacts are identical. LRA is found to be the best alternative in terms
of embodied energy use and embodied environmental impacts; while,
HRA showed the best life-cycle performance in terms of minimum
energy use and environmental impacts. Sensitivity analysis has also
been carried out to study the influence of building service lifespan
over 50, 75, and 100 years on the relative significance of embodied
energy and total life cycle energy. The life-cycle energy requirements
for SDH are found to be a significant component among the four
types of residential buildings. The overall disclose that the primary
operations of these buildings accounts for 90% of the total life cycle
energy which far outweighs minor differences in embodied effects
between the buildings.
Abstract: A new fast growing trend in tourism is ecotourism, in
which tourists visit natural ecosystems under low impact, nonconsumptive
and locally oriented activities. Through these activities
species and habitats are maintained and typically, underdeveloped
regions are emphasized. Ecotourism provides a great alternative,
especially for rural and undeveloped area. At the same time, despite
its many benefits, it also poses many risks for the naturally protected
areas. If ecotourism is practiced improperly degradation and
irreversible damages could be the unwanted result. In addition, the
lack of MSc programs in the field of Ecotourism in Europe makes it a
necessity to be developed. Such an MSc program is being
implemented with the lead partner the Technical University of
Madrid. The entire partnership has six Universities, seven SMEs and
one National Park from seven different countries all over Europe.
The MSc will have 10 educational modules that will be available
online and will prepare professionals that will be able to implement
ecotourism in a sustainable way. Only through awareness and
education a sustainable ecotourism will be achieved in the protected
areas of Europe.
Abstract: Psyllium gum alone and in combination with
sunflower oil was investigated as a possible alternative edible coating
for improvement of quality and shelf life of fresh-cut papaya.
Different concentrations including 0.5, 1 and 1.5 percent of psyllium
gum were used for coating of fresh-cut papaya. In some samples,
refined sunflower oil was used as a lipid component to increase the
effectiveness of coating in terms of water barrier properties. Soya
lecithin was used as an emulsifier in coatings containing oil.
Pretreatment with 1% calcium chloride was given to maintain the
firmness of fresh-cut papaya cubes. 1% psyllium gum coating was
found to yield better results. Further, addition of oil helped to
maintain the quality and acted as a barrier to water vapour, therefore,
minimizing the weight loss.
Abstract: Several parameters are established in order to measure
biodiesel quality. One of them is the iodine value, which is an
important parameter that measures the total unsaturation within a
mixture of fatty acids. Limitation of unsaturated fatty acids is
necessary since warming of higher quantity of these ones ends in
either formation of deposits inside the motor or damage of lubricant.
Determination of iodine value by official procedure tends to be very
laborious, with high costs and toxicity of the reagents, this study uses
artificial neural network (ANN) in order to predict the iodine value
property as an alternative to these problems. The methodology of
development of networks used 13 esters of fatty acids in the input
with convergence algorithms of back propagation of back
propagation type were optimized in order to get an architecture of
prediction of iodine value. This study allowed us to demonstrate the
neural networks’ ability to learn the correlation between biodiesel
quality properties, in this caseiodine value, and the molecular
structures that make it up. The model developed in the study reached
a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.99 for both network validation and
network simulation, with Levenberg-Maquardt algorithm.
Abstract: Construction projects are information intensive in
nature and involve many activities that are related to each other.
Wireless technologies can be used to improve the accuracy and
timeliness of data collected from construction sites and shares it with
appropriate parties. Nonetheless, the construction industry tends to be
conservative and shows hesitation to adopt new technologies. A main
concern for owners, contractors or any person in charge on a job site
is the cost of the technology in question. Wireless technologies are
not cheap. There are a lot of expenses to be taken into consideration,
and a study should be completed to make sure that the importance
and savings resulting from the usage of this technology is worth the
expenses. This research attempts to assess the effectiveness of using
the appropriate wireless technologies based on criteria such as
performance, reliability, and risk. The assessment is based on a utility
function model that breaks down the selection issue into alternatives
attribute. Then the attributes are assigned weights and single
attributes are measured. Finally, single attribute are combined to
develop one single aggregate utility index for each alternative.
Abstract: Background: Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
is the most common symptom when ordinary individuals and athletes
are exposed to unaccustomed physical activity, especially eccentric
contraction which impairs athletic performance, ordinary people
work ability and physical functioning. Multitudes of methods have
been investigated to reduce DOMS. One of the valuable methods to
control DOMS is repeated bout effect (RBE) as a prophylactic
method. Purpose: To compare the repeated bout effect of
submaximal eccentric with maximal isometric contraction on induced
DOMS. Methods: Sixty normal male volunteers were assigned
randomly into three equal groups: Group A (first study group): 20
subjects received submaximal eccentric contraction on non-dominant
elbow flexors as a prophylactic exercise. Group B (second study
group): 20 subjects received maximal isometric contraction on nondominant
elbow flexors as a prophylactic exercise. Group C (control
group): 20 subjects did not receive any prophylactic exercises.
Maximal isometric peak torque of elbow flexors and patient related
elbow evaluation (PREE) scale were measured for each subject 3
times before, immediately after, and 48 hours after induction of
DOMS. Results: Post-hoc test for maximal isometric peak torque and
PREE scale immediately and 48 hours after induction of DOMS
revealed that group (A) and group (B) resulted in significant decrease
in maximal isometric strength loss and elbow pain and disability
rather than control group (C), but submaximal eccentric group (A)
was more effective than maximal isometric group (B) as it showed
more rapid recovery of functional strength and less degrees of elbow
pain and disability. Conclusion: Both submaximal eccentric
contraction and maximal isometric contraction were effective in
prevention of DOMS but submaximal eccentric contraction produced
a greater protective effect against muscle damage induced by
maximal eccentric exercise performed 2 days later.
Abstract: This paper presents the ‘Eye Ball Motion Controlled
Wheelchair using IR Sensors’ for the elderly and differently abled
people. In this eye tracking based technology, three Proximity
Infrared (IR) sensor modules are mounted on an eye frame to trace
the movement of the iris. Since, IR sensors detect only white objects;
a unique sequence of digital bits is generated corresponding to each
eye movement. These signals are then processed via a micro
controller IC (PIC18F452) to control the motors of the wheelchair.
The potential and efficiency of previously developed rehabilitation
systems that use head motion, chin control, sip-n-puff control, voice
recognition, and EEG signals variedly have also been explored in
detail. They were found to be inconvenient as they served either
limited usability or non-affordability. After multiple regression
analyses, the proposed design was developed as a cost-effective,
flexible and stream-lined alternative for people who have trouble
adopting conventional assistive technologies.
Abstract: Market is an important factor for start-ups to look into
during decision-making in product development and related areas.
Emerging country markets are more uncertain in terms of information
availability and institutional supports. The literature review of market
uncertainty reveals the need for identifying factors representing the
market uncertainty. This paper identifies factors for market
uncertainty using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and confirmed
the number of factor retention using an alternative factor retention
criterion ‘Parallel Analysis’. 500 entrepreneurs, engaged in start-ups
from all over India participated in the study. This paper concludes
with the factor structure of ‘market uncertainty’ having dimensions of
uncertainty in industry orientation, uncertainty in customer
orientation and uncertainty in marketing orientation.
Abstract: Land Use Land Cover (LULC) changes due to human
activities and natural causes have become a major environmental
concern. Assessment of temporal remote sensing data provides
information about LULC impacts on environment. Land Surface
Temperature (LST) is one of the important components for modeling
environmental changes in climatological, hydrological, and
agricultural studies. In this study, LULC changes (September 7, 1984
and July 8, 2014) especially in agricultural lands together with
population changes (1985-2014) and LST status were investigated
using remotely sensed and census data in South Marmara Watershed,
Turkey. LULC changes were determined using Landsat TM and
Landsat OLI data acquired in 1984 and 2014 summers. Six-band TM
and OLI images were classified using supervised classification
method to prepare LULC map including five classes including Forest
(F), Grazing Land (G), Agricultural Land (A), Water Surface (W),
Residential Area-Bare Soil (R-B) classes. The LST image was also
derived from thermal bands of the same dates.
LULC classification results showed that forest areas, agricultural
lands, water surfaces and residential area-bare soils were increased as
65751 ha, 20163 ha, 1924 ha and 20462 ha respectively. In
comparison, a dramatic decrement occurred in grazing land (107985
ha) within three decades. The population increased 29% between
years 1984-2014 in whole study area. Along with the natural causes,
migration also caused this increase since the study area has an
important employment potential. LULC was transformed among the
classes due to the expansion in residential, commercial and industrial
areas as well as political decisions. In the study, results showed that
agricultural lands around the settlement areas transformed to
residential areas in 30 years.
The LST images showed that mean temperatures were ranged
between 26-32°C in 1984 and 27-33°C in 2014. Minimum
temperature of agricultural lands was increased 3°C and reached to
23°C. In contrast, maximum temperature of A class decreased to
41°C from 44°C. Considering temperatures of the 2014 R-B class and
1984 status of same areas, it was seen that mean, min and max
temperatures increased by 2°C.
As a result, the dynamism of population, LULC and LST resulted
in increasing mean and maximum surface temperatures, living
spaces/industrial areas and agricultural lands.
Abstract: In this paper, we propose moving object detection
method which is helpful for driver to safely take his/her car out of
parking lot. When moving objects such as motorbikes, pedestrians,
the other cars and some obstacles are detected at the rear-side of host
vehicle, the proposed algorithm can provide to driver warning. We
assume that the host vehicle is just before departure. Gaussian
Mixture Model (GMM) based background subtraction is basically
applied. Pre-processing such as smoothing and post-processing as
morphological filtering are added. We examine “which color space
has better performance for detection of moving objects?” Three color
spaces including RGB, YCbCr, and Y are applied and compared, in
terms of detection rate. Through simulation, we prove that RGB
space is more suitable for moving object detection based on
background subtraction.
Abstract: The use of hydroelectric pump-storage system at large
scale, MW-size systems, is already widespread around the world.
Designed for large scale applications, pump-storage station can be
scaled-down for small, remote residential applications. Given the cost
and complexity associated with installing a substation further than
100 miles from the main transmission lines, a remote, independent
and self-sufficient system is by far the most feasible solution. This
article is aiming at the design of wind and solar power generating
system, by means of pumped-storage to replace the wind and /or solar
power systems with a battery bank energy storage. Wind and solar
pumped-storage power generating system can reduce the cost of
power generation system, according to the user's electricity load and
resource condition and also can ensure system reliability of power
supply. Wind and solar pumped-storage power generation system is
well suited for remote residential applications with intermittent wind
and/or solar energy. This type of power systems, installed in these
locations, could be a very good alternative, with economic benefits
and positive social effects. The advantage of pumped storage power
system, where wind power regulation is calculated, shows that a
significant smoothing of the produced power is obtained, resulting in
a power-on-demand system’s capability, concomitant to extra
economic benefits.
Abstract: Fibre cement plates, often used in construction,
generally are made using quartz as an inert material, cement as a
binder and cellulose as a fibre. This paper, first of all, investigates the
mechanical properties and durability of fibre cement plates when
quartz is both partly and fully replaced with diatomite. Diatomite
does not only have lower density compared to quartz but also has
high pozzolanic activity. The main objective of this paper is the
investigation of the effects of supplementary cementing materials
(SCMs) on the short and long term mechanical properties and
durability characteristics of fibre cement plates prepared using
diatomite. Supplementary cementing materials such as ground
granulated blast furnace slug (GGBS) and fly ash (FA) are used in
this study. Volume proportions of 10, 20, 30 and 40% of GGBS and
FA are used as partial replacement materials to cement. Short and
long term mechanical properties such as compressive and flexural
strengths as well as sorptivity characteristics and mass were
investigated. Consistency and setting time at each replacement levels
of SCMs were also recorded. The effects of using supplementary
cementing materials on the carbonation and sulphate resistance of
fibre cement plates were then experimented. The results, first of all,
show that the use of diatomite as a full or partial replacement to
quartz resulted in a systematic decrease in total mass of the fibre
cement plates. The reduction of mass was largely due to the lower
density and finer particle size of diatomite compared to quartz. The
use of diatomite did not only reduce the mass of these plates but also
increased the compressive strength significantly as a result of its high
pozzolanic activity. The replacement levels of both GGBS and FA
resulted in a systematic decrease in short term compressive strength
with increasing replacement levels. This was essentially expected as
the total rate of hydration is much lower in GGBS and FA than that
of cement. Long term results however, indicated that the compressive
strength of fibre cement plates prepared using both GGBS and FA
increases with time and hence the compressive strength of plates
prepared using SCMs is either equivalent or more than the
compressive strength of plates prepared using cement alone.
Durability characteristics of fibre cement plates prepared using SCMs
were enhanced significantly. Measurements of sopritivty
characteristics were also indicated that the plates prepared using
SCMs has much lower water absorption capacities compared to
plates prepared cement alone. Much higher resistance to carbonation
and sulphate attach were observed with plates prepared using SCMs.
The results presented in this paper show that the use of SCMs does
not only support the production of more sustainable construction
materials but also enhances the mechanical properties and durability
characteristics of fibre cement plates.
Abstract: Continuous upflow filters can combine the nutrient
(nitrogen and phosphate) and suspended solid removal in one unit
process. The contaminant removal could be achieved chemically or
biologically; in both processes the filter removal efficiency depends
on the interaction between the packed filter media and the influent. In
this paper a residence time distribution (RTD) study was carried out
to understand and compare the transfer behaviour of contaminants
through a selected filter media packed in a laboratory-scale
continuous up flow filter; the selected filter media are limestone and
white dolomite. The experimental work was conducted by injecting a
tracer (red drain dye tracer –RDD) into the filtration system and then
measuring the tracer concentration at the outflow as a function of
time; the tracer injection was applied at hydraulic loading rates
(HLRs) (3.8 to 15.2 m h-1). The results were analysed according to
the cumulative distribution function F(t) to estimate the residence
time of the tracer molecules inside the filter media. The mean
residence time (MRT) and variance σ2 are two moments of RTD that
were calculated to compare the RTD characteristics of limestone with
white dolomite. The results showed that the exit-age distribution of
the tracer looks better at HLRs (3.8 to 7.6 m h-1) and (3.8 m h-1) for
limestone and white dolomite respectively. At these HLRs the
cumulative distribution function F(t) revealed that the residence time
of the tracer inside the limestone was longer than in the white
dolomite; whereas all the tracer took 8 minutes to leave the white
dolomite at 3.8 m h-1. On the other hand, the same amount of the
tracer took 10 minutes to leave the limestone at the same HLR. In
conclusion, the determination of the optimal level of hydraulic
loading rate, which achieved the better influent distribution over the
filtration system, helps to identify the applicability of the material as
filter media. Further work will be applied to examine the efficiency
of the limestone and white dolomite for phosphate removal by
pumping a phosphate solution into the filter at HLRs (3.8 to 7.6 m h-1).
Abstract: In recent years a new method of combination
treatment for cancer has been developed and studied that has led to
significant advancements in the field of cancer therapy. Hyperthermia
is a traditional therapy that, along with a creation of a medically
approved level of heat with the help of an alternating magnetic AC
current, results in the destruction of cancer cells by heat. This paper
gives details regarding the production of the spherical nanocomposite
PVA/γ-Fe2O3 in order to be used for medical purposes such as tumor
treatment by hyperthermia. To reach a suitable and evenly distributed
temperature, the nanocomposite with core-shell morphology and
spherical form within a 100 to 200 nanometer size was created using
phase separation emulsion, in which the magnetic nano-particles γ-
Fe2O3 with an average particle size of 20 nano-meters and with
different percentages of 0.2, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 were covered by
polyvinyl alcohol. The main concern in hyperthermia and heat
treatment is achieving desirable specific absorption rate (SAR) and
one of the most critical factors in SAR is particle size. In this project
all attempts has been done to reach minimal size and consequently
maximum SAR. The morphological analysis of the spherical
structure of the nanocomposite PVA/γ-Fe2O3 was achieved by SEM
analyses and the study of the chemical bonds created was made
possible by FTIR analysis. To investigate the manner of magnetic
nanocomposite particle size distribution a DLS experiment was
conducted. Moreover, to determine the magnetic behavior of the γ-
Fe2O3 particle and the nanocomposite PVA/γ-Fe2O3 in different
concentrations a VSM test was conducted. To sum up, creating
magnetic nanocomposites with a spherical morphology that would be
employed for drug loading opens doors to new approaches in
developing nanocomposites that provide efficient heat and a
controlled release of drug simultaneously inside the magnetic field,
which are among their positive characteristics that could significantly
improve the recovery process in patients.
Abstract: Biodiesel, as an alternative renewable fuel, has been
receiving increasing attention due to the limited supply of fossil fuels
and the increasing need for energy. Microalgae are promising source
for lipids, which can be converted to biodiesel. The biodiesel
production from microalgae lipids using lipase catalyzed reaction in
supercritical CO2 medium has several advantages over conventional
production processes. However, identifying the optimum microalgae
lipid extraction and transesterification conditions is still a challenge.
In this study, the quality of biodiesel produced from lipids extracted
from Scenedesmus sp. and their enzymatic transesterification using
supercritical carbon dioxide have been investigated. At the optimum
conditions, the highest biodiesel production yield was found to be
82%. The fuel properties of the produced biodiesel, without any
separation step, at optimum reaction condition, were determined and
compared to ASTM standards. The properties were found to comply
with the limits, and showed a low glycerol content, without any
separation step.
Abstract: This paper proposed the comparison made between
Multi-Carrier Pulse Width Modulation, Sinusoidal Pulse Width
Modulation and Selective Harmonic Elimination Pulse Width
Modulation technique for minimization of Total Harmonic Distortion
in Cascaded H-Bridge Multi-Level Inverter. In Multicarrier Pulse
Width Modulation method by using Alternate Position of Disposition
scheme for switching pulse generation to Multi-Level Inverter.
Another carrier based approach; Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation
method is also implemented to define the switching pulse generation
system in the multi-level inverter. In Selective Harmonic Elimination
method using Genetic Algorithm and Particle Swarm Optimization
algorithm for define the required switching angles to eliminate low
order harmonics from the inverter output voltage waveform and
reduce the total harmonic distortion value. So, the results validate that
the Selective Harmonic Elimination Pulse Width Modulation method
does capably eliminate a great number of precise harmonics and
minimize the Total Harmonic Distortion value in output voltage
waveform in compared with Multi-Carrier Pulse Width Modulation
method, Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation method. In this paper,
comparison of simulation results shows that the Selective Harmonic
Elimination method can attain optimal harmonic minimization
solution better than Multi-Carrier Pulse Width Modulation method,
Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation method.