Abstract: Current air conditioning system is using refrigerant as
the cooling medium. The main purpose of this study is to develop an
air conditioning system using chill water as the cooling medium. In
this system, chill water used to replace refrigerant as the cooling
medium. This study is focus on the split type unit air conditioning
system only. It will be involving some renovation on the indoor unit
and freezer. The cooling capability of this system was validate by few
series of testing, which conducted at standard 36m3 office room.
Result of the testing found that 0.1 m3 of chill water is able to
maintain the room temperature within standard up to 4 ~ 8 hours. It
expected able to maintain room temperature up to 10 hour with some
improvement.
Abstract: The mitigation of crop loss due to damaging freezes
requires accurate air temperature prediction models. Previous work
established that the Ward-style artificial neural network (ANN) is a
suitable tool for developing such models. The current research
focused on developing ANN models with reduced average prediction
error by increasing the number of distinct observations used in
training, adding additional input terms that describe the date of an
observation, increasing the duration of prior weather data included in
each observation, and reexamining the number of hidden nodes used
in the network. Models were created to predict air temperature at
hourly intervals from one to 12 hours ahead. Each ANN model,
consisting of a network architecture and set of associated parameters,
was evaluated by instantiating and training 30 networks and
calculating the mean absolute error (MAE) of the resulting networks
for some set of input patterns. The inclusion of seasonal input terms,
up to 24 hours of prior weather information, and a larger number of
processing nodes were some of the improvements that reduced
average prediction error compared to previous research across all
horizons. For example, the four-hour MAE of 1.40°C was 0.20°C, or
12.5%, less than the previous model. Prediction MAEs eight and 12
hours ahead improved by 0.17°C and 0.16°C, respectively,
improvements of 7.4% and 5.9% over the existing model at these
horizons. Networks instantiating the same model but with different
initial random weights often led to different prediction errors. These
results strongly suggest that ANN model developers should consider
instantiating and training multiple networks with different initial
weights to establish preferred model parameters.
Abstract: Elastic light single-scattering spectroscopy system
with a single optical fiber probe was employed to differentiate cancerous prostate tissue from non-cancerous prostate tissue ex-vivo just after radical prostatectomy. First, ELSSS spectra were acquired
from cancerous prostate tissue to define its spectral features. Then,
spectra were acquired from normal prostate tissue to define difference in spectral features between the cancerous and normal
prostate tissues. Of the total 66 tissue samples were evaluated from
nine patients by ELSSS system. Comparing of histopathology results
and ELSSS measurements revealed that sign of the spectral slopes of
cancerous prostate tissue is negative and non-cancerous tissue is positive in the wavelength range from 450 to 750 nm. Based on the
correlation between histopathology results and sign of the spectral
slopes, ELSSS system differentiates cancerous prostate tissue from
non- cancerous with a sensitivity of 0.95 and a specificity of 0.94.
Abstract: In this paper, we establish several oscillation criteria for the nonlinear second-order damped delay dynamic equation r(t)|xΔ(t)|β-1xΔ(t)Δ + p(t)|xΔσ(t)|β-1xΔσ(t) + q(t)f(x(τ (t))) = 0 on an arbitrary time scale T, where β > 0 is a constant. Our results generalize and improve some known results in which β > 0 is a quotient of odd positive integers. Some examples are given to illustrate our main results.
Abstract: The Brazilian Agricultural Products Wholesale Market fits well as example of residues generating system, reaching 750 metric tons per month of total residues, from which 600 metric tons are organic material and 150 metric tons are recyclable materials. Organic material is basically composed of fruit, vegetables and flowers leftovers from the products commercialization. The recyclable compounds are generate from packing material employed in the commercialization process. This research work devoted efforts in carrying quantitative analysis of the residues generated in the agricultural enterprise at its final destination. Data survey followed the directions implemented by the Residues Management Program issued by the agricultural enterprise. It was noticed from that analysis the necessity of changing the logistics applied to the recyclable material collecting process. However, composting process was elected as the organic compounds destination which is considered adequate for a material composed of significant percentage of organic matter far higher than wood, cardboard and plastics contents.
Abstract: Ionanofluids are a new and innovative class of heat transfer fluids which exhibit fascinating thermophysical properties compared to their base ionic liquids. This paper deals with the findings of thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity of ionanofluids as a function of a temperature and concentration of nanotubes. Simulation results using ionanofluids as coolants in heat exchanger are also used to access their feasibility and performance in heat transfer devices. Results on thermal conductivity and heat capacity of ionanofluids as well as the estimation of heat transfer areas for ionanofluids and ionic liquids in a model shell and tube heat exchanger reveal that ionanofluids possess superior thermal conductivity and heat capacity and require considerably less heat transfer areas as compared to those of their base ionic liquids. This novel class of fluids shows great potential for advanced heat transfer applications.
Abstract: There is a growing interest in the food industry and in preventive health care for the development and evaluation of natural antioxidants from medicinal plant materials. In the present work, extracts of three medicinal plants (Tilia argentea, Crataegi folium leaves and Polygonum bistorta roots) used in Turkish phytotheraphy were screened for their phenolic profiles and antioxidant properties. Crude extracts were obtained from different parts of plants, by solidliquid extraction with pure water, 70% acetone and 70% methanol aqueous solvents. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was determined by ABTS.+ radical cation scavenging activity. The Folin Ciocalteu procedure was used to assess the total phenolic concentrations of the extracts as gallic acid equivalents. A modified liquid chromatography-electro spray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) was used to obtain chromatographic profiles of the phenolic compounds in the medicinal plants. The predominant phenolic compounds detected in different extracts of the plants were catechin, protocatechuic and chlorogenic acids. The highest phenolic contents were obtained by using 70% acetone as aqueous solvent, whereas the lowest phenolic contents were obtained by water extraction due to Folin Ciocalteu results. The results indicate that acetone extracts of Tilia argentea had the highest antioxidant capacity as free ABTS radical scavengers. The lowest phenolic contents and antioxidant capacities were obtained from Polygonum bistorta root extracts.
Abstract: Truncated multiplier is a good candidate for digital
signal processing (DSP) applications including finite impulse
response (FIR) and discrete cosine transform (DCT). Through
truncated multiplier a significant reduction in Field Programmable
Gate Array (FPGA) resources can be achieved. This paper presents
for the first time a comparison of resource utilization of Spartan-3AN
and Virtex-5 implementation of standard and truncated multipliers
using Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description
Language (VHDL). The Virtex-5 FPGA shows significant
improvement as compared to Spartan-3AN FPGA device. The
Virtex-5 FPGA device shows better performance with a percentage
ratio of number of occupied slices for standard to truncated
multipliers is increased from 40% to 73.86% as compared to Spartan-
3AN is decreased from 68.75% to 58.78%. Results show that the
anomaly in Spartan-3AN FPGA device average connection and
maximum pin delay have been efficiently reduced in Virtex-5 FPGA
device.
Abstract: More and more natural disasters are happening every
year: floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc. In order to reduce
the risk of possible damages, governments all around the world are
investing into development of Early Warning Systems (EWS) for
environmental applications. The most important task of the EWS is
identification of the onset of critical situations affecting environment
and population, early enough to inform the authorities and general
public. This paper describes an approach for monitoring of flood
protections systems based on machine learning methods. An
Artificial Intelligence (AI) component has been developed for
detection of abnormal dike behaviour. The AI module has been
integrated into an EWS platform of the UrbanFlood project (EU
Seventh Framework Programme) and validated on real-time
measurements from the sensors installed in a dike.
Abstract: The tracing methods determine the contribution the
power system sources have in their supplying. These methods can be
used to assess the transmission prices, but also to recover the
transmission fixed cost. In this paper is presented the influence of the
modification of commons structure has on the specific price of transfer
and on active power losses. The authors propose a power losses
allocation method, based on Kirschen-s method. The system operator
must make use of a few basic principles about allocation. The only
necessary information is the power flows on system branches and the
modifications applied to power system buses. In order to illustrate this
method, the 25-bus test system is used, elaborated within the Electrical
Power Engineering Department, from Timisoara, Romania.
Abstract: In the various working field, vibration may cause injurious to human body. Especially, in case of the vibration which is constantly and repeatedly transferred to the human. That gives serious physical problem, so called, Reynaud phenomenon. In this paper, we propose a vibration transmissibility reduction module with flexure mechanism for personal tools. At first, we select a target personal tool, grass cutter, and measure the level of vibration transmissibility on the hand. And then, we develop the concept design of the module that has stiffness for reduction the vibration transmissibility more than 20%, where the vibration transmissibility is measured with an accelerometer. In addition, the vibration reduction can be enhanced when the interior gap between inner and outer body is filled with silicone gel. This will be verified by the further experiment.
Abstract: This manuscript presents a method for the numerical solution of the Cauchy type singular integral equations of the first kind, over a finite segment which is bounded at the end points of the finite segment. The Chebyshev polynomials of the second kind with the corresponding weight function have been used to approximate the density function. The force function is approximated by using the Chebyshev polynomials of the first kind. It is shown that the numerical solution of characteristic singular integral equation is identical with the exact solution, when the force function is a cubic function. Moreover, it also shown that this numerical method gives exact solution for other singular integral equations with degenerate kernels.
Abstract: There are many views on how human decision makers behave. In this work, the Justices of the United States Supreme Court will be viewed in terms of constrained maximization and cognitivecybernetic theory. This paper will integrate research in such fields as law, political science, psychology, economics and decision making theory. It will be argued that due to its heavy workload, the Supreme Court is forced to make decisions in a boundedly rational manner. The ideas and theory put forward here will be tested in the area of the Court’s decisions involving religion. Therefore, the cases involving the U.S. Constitution’s Free Exercise Clause and Establishment Clause will be analyzed. Also, variables such as the U.S. government’s involvement in these cases will be considered. The years to be studied will be 1987-2011.
Abstract: This study aims to identify processes, current
situations, and issues of recycling systems for four home appliances,
namely, air conditioners, television receivers, refrigerators, and
washing machines, among e-wastes in China and Japan for
understanding and comparison of their characteristics. In accordance
with results of a literature search, review of information disclosed
online, and questionnaire survey conducted, conclusions of the study
boil down to:
(1)The results show that in Japan most of the home appliances
mentioned above have been collected through home appliance
recycling tickets, resulting in an issue of “requiring some effort" in
treatment and recycling stages, and most plants have contracted out
their e-waste recycling.
(2)It is found out that advantages of the recycling system in Japan
include easiness to monitor concrete data and thorough
environmental friendliness ensured while its disadvantages include
illegal dumping and export. It becomes apparent that advantages of
the recycling system in China include a high reuse rate, low
treatment cost, and fewer illegal dumping while its disadvantages
include less safe reused products, environmental pollution caused by
e-waste treatment, illegal import, and difficulty in obtaining data.
Abstract: Architecture education was based on apprenticeship
models and its nature has not changed much during long period but
the Source of changes was its evaluation process and system. It is
undeniable that art and architecture education is completely based on
transmitting knowledge from instructor to students. In contrast to
other majors this transmitting is by iteration and practice and studio
masters try to control the design process and improving skills in the
form of supervision and criticizing. Also the evaluation will end by
giving marks to students- achievements. Therefore the importance of
the evaluation and assessment role is obvious and it is not irrelevant
to say that if we want to know about the architecture education
system, we must first study its assessment procedures. The evolution
of these changes in western countries has literate and documented
well. However it seems that this procedure has unregarded in
Malaysia and there is a severe lack of research and documentation in
this area. Malaysia as an under developing and multicultural country
which is involved different races and cultures is a proper origin for
scrutinizing and understanding the evaluation systems and
acceptability amount of current implemented models to keep the
evaluation and assessment procedure abreast with needs of different
generations, cultures and even genders. This paper attempts to
answer the questions of how evaluation and assessments are
performed and how students perceive this evaluation system in the
context Malaysia. The main advantage of this work is that it
contributes in international debate on evaluation model.
Abstract: An algorithm for learning an overcomplete dictionary
using a Cauchy mixture model for sparse decomposition of an underdetermined
mixing system is introduced. The mixture density
function is derived from a ratio sample of the observed mixture
signals where 1) there are at least two but not necessarily more
mixture signals observed, 2) the source signals are statistically
independent and 3) the sources are sparse. The basis vectors of the
dictionary are learned via the optimization of the location parameters
of the Cauchy mixture components, which is shown to be more
accurate and robust than the conventional data mining methods
usually employed for this task. Using a well known sparse
decomposition algorithm, we extract three speech signals from two
mixtures based on the estimated dictionary. Further tests with
additive Gaussian noise are used to demonstrate the proposed
algorithm-s robustness to outliers.
Abstract: A renewable energy system discussed in this paper is
a stand-alone wind-hydrogen system for a remote island in Australia.
The analysis of an existing wind-diesel power system was performed.
Simulation technique was used to model the power system currently
employed on the island, and simulated different configurations of
additional hydrogen energy system. This study aims to determine the
suitable hydrogen integrated configuration to setting up the prototype
system for the island, which helps to reduce the diesel consumption
on the island. A set of configurations for the hydrogen system and
associated parameters that consists of wind turbines, electrolysers,
hydrogen internal combustion engines, and storage tanks has been
purposed. The simulation analyses various configurations that
perfectly balances the system to meet the demand on the island.
Abstract: During last decades, worldwide researchers dedicated
efforts to develop machine-based seismic Early Warning systems,
aiming at reducing the huge human losses and economic damages.
The elaboration time of seismic waveforms is to be reduced in order
to increase the time interval available for the activation of safety
measures. This paper suggests a Data Mining model able to correctly
and quickly estimate dangerousness of the running seismic event.
Several thousand seismic recordings of Japanese and Italian
earthquakes were analyzed and a model was obtained by means of a
Bayesian Network (BN), which was tested just over the first
recordings of seismic events in order to reduce the decision time and
the test results were very satisfactory.
The model was integrated within an Early Warning System
prototype able to collect and elaborate data from a seismic sensor
network, estimate the dangerousness of the running earthquake and
take the decision of activating the warning promptly.
Abstract: Super resolution (SR) technologies are now being
applied to video to improve resolution. Some TV sets are now
equipped with SR functions. However, it is not known if super
resolution image reconstruction (SRR) for TV really works or not.
Super resolution with non-linear signal processing (SRNL) has
recently been proposed. SRR and SRNL are the only methods for
processing video signals in real time. The results from subjective
assessments of SSR and SRNL are described in this paper. SRR video
was produced in simulations with quarter precision motion vectors and
100 iterations. These are ideal conditions for SRR. We found that the
image quality of SRNL is better than that of SRR even though SRR
was processed under ideal conditions.
Abstract: As the latest advancement and trend in IT field, Green
& Smart IT has attracted more and more attentions from researchers.
This study focuses on the development of assessing tools which can be
used for evaluating Green & Smart IT level within an organization. In
order to achieve meaningful results, a comprehensive review of
relevant literature was performed in advance, then, Delphi survey and
other processes were also employed to develop the assessment tools
for Green & Smart IT level. Two rounds of Delphi questionnaire
survey were conducted with 20 IT experts in public sector. The results
reveal that the top five weighted KPIs to evaluate maturity of Green &
Smart IT were: (1) electronic execution of business process; (2)
shutdown of unused IT devices; (3) virtualization of severs; (4)
automation of constant temperature and humidity; and (5) introduction
of smart-work system. Finally, these tools were applied to case study
of a public research institute in Korea. The findings presented in this
study provide organizations with useful implications for the
introduction and promotion of Green & Smart IT in the future