Abstract: Square pipes (pipes with square cross sections) are
being used for various industrial objectives, such as machine
structure components and housing/building elements. The utilization
of them is extending rapidly and widely. Hence, the out-put of those
pipes is increasing and new application fields are continually
developing.
Due to various demands in recent time, the products have to
satisfy difficult specifications with high accuracy in dimensions. The
reshaping process design of pipes with square cross sections;
however, is performed by trial and error and based on expert-s
experience.
In this paper, a computer-aided simulation is developed based on
the 2-D elastic-plastic method with consideration of the shear
deformation to analyze the reshaping process. Effect of various
parameters such as diameter of the circular pipe and mechanical
properties of metal on product dimension and quality can be
evaluated by using this simulation. Moreover, design of reshaping
process include determination of shrinkage of cross section,
necessary number of stands, radius of rolls and height of pipe at each
stand, are investigated. Further, it is shown that there are good
agreements between the results of the design method and the
experimental results.
Abstract: Infrastructure investments are important in developing
countries, it will not only help to foster the economic growth of a
nation, but it will also act as a platform in which new forms of
partnership and collaboration can be developed mainly in East Asian
countries. Since the last two decades, many infrastructure projects
had been completed through build-operate-transfer (BOT) type of
procurement. The developments of BOT have attracted participation
of local and foreign private sector investor to secure funding and to
deliver projects on time, within the budget and to the required
specifications. Private sectors are preferred by the government in
East Asia to participate in BOT projects due to lack of public
funding. The finding has resulted that the private sector or promoter
of the BOT projects is exposed to multiple risks which have been
discussed in this paper. Effective risk management methods and
good managerial skills are required in ensuring the success of the
project. The review indicated that mitigation measures should be
employed by the promoter throughout the concession period and
support from the host government is also required in ensuring the
success of the BOT project.
Abstract: Protein and Esterase electrophoresis were used to
genetically identify two Saudi tick species. Engorged females of the
camel tick Hyalomma dromedarii (Koch) (Acari: Ixodidae) and the
cattle tick Boophilus annulatus (Say) (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks
collected from infested camels and cattle in the animals resting
house at Hail region in KSA were used. The results showed that
there are a variation in both of protein and esterase activity levels and
a high polymorphism within and between the genera and species of
Hyalomma and Boophilus . In conclusion, the protein and esterase
electrophoretic analysis used in the present study could successfully
distinguish among tick species, commonly found in Saudi Arabia.
Abstract: Oxyleotris marmorata is considered as
undomesticated fish, and its culture occasionally faces a problem of
food deprivation. The present study aims to evaluate alteration of
hematological indices, blood chemical associated with liver function
during 4 weeks of fasting. A non-linear relationships between fasting
days and hematological parameters (red blood cell number; y = -
0.002x2 + 0.041x + 1.249; R2=0.915, P0.05), mean corpuscular
volume; y = -0.180x2 + 2.183x + 149.61; R2=0.732, P>0.05, mean
corpuscular hemoglobin; y = -0.041x2 + 0.862x + 29.864; R2=0.818,
P>0.05 and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration; y = -
0.044x2 + 0.711x + 21.580; R2=0.730, P>0.05) were demonstrated.
Significant change in hematocrit (Ht) during fasting period was
observed. Ht elevated sharply increase at the first weeks of fasting
period. Higher Ht also was detected during week 2-4 of fasting time.
The significant reduction of hepatosomatic index was observed (y = -
0.007x2 - 0.096x + 1.414; R2=0.968, P0.05, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase;
y = 0.005x2 – 0.201x2 + 1.297x + 33.256; R2=1, P0.05). Taken together, prolonged fasting has
deleterious effects on hematological indices, liver mass and enzyme
associated in liver function. The marked adverse effects occurred
after the first week of fasting state.
Abstract: One of the most ancient humankind concerns is knowledge formalization i.e. what a concept is. Concept Analysis, a branch of analytical philosophy, relies on the purpose of decompose the elements, relations and meanings of a concept. This paper aims at presenting a method to make a concept analysis obtaining a knowledge representation suitable to be processed by a computer system using either object-oriented or ontology technologies. Security notion is, usually, known as a set of different concepts related to “some kind of protection". Our method concludes that a more general framework for the concept, despite it is dynamic, is possible and any particular definition (instantiation) depends on the elements used by its construction instead of the concept itself.
Abstract: According to the governmental data, the cases of oral
cancers doubled in the past 10 years. This had brought heavy burden to
the patients- family, the society, and the country. The literature
generally evidenced the betel nut contained particular chemicals that
can cause oral cancers. Research in Taiwan had also proofed that 90
percent of oral cancer patients had experience of betel nut chewing. It
is thus important to educate the betel-nut hobbyists to cease such a
hazardous behavior. A program was then organized to establish
several training classes across different areas specific to help ceasing
this particular habit. Purpose of this research was to explore the
attitude and intention toward ceasing betel-nut chewing before and
after attending the training classes. 50 samples were taken from a
ceasing class with average age at 45 years old with high school
education (54%). 74% of the respondents were male in service or
agricultural industries. Experiences in betel-nut chewing were 5-20
years with a dose of 1-20 pieces per day. The data had shown that 60%
of the respondents had cigarette smoking habit, and 30% of the
respondents were concurrently alcoholic dependent. Research results
indicated that the attitude, intentions, and the knowledge on oral
cancers were found significant different between before and after
attendance. This provided evidence for the effectiveness of the training
class. However, we do not perform follow-up after the class.
Noteworthy is the test result also shown that participants who were
drivers as occupation, or habitual smokers or alcoholic dependents
would be less willing to quit the betel-nut chewing. The test results
indicated as well that the educational levels and the type of occupation
may have significant impacts on an individual-s decisions in taking
betel-nut or substance abuse.
Abstract: This paper presents the study of hardness profile of spur gear heated by induction heating process in function of the machine parameters, such as the power (kW), the heating time (s) and the generator frequency (kHz). The global work is realized by 3D finite-element simulation applied to the process by coupling and resolving the electromagnetic field and the heat transfer problems, and it was performed in three distinguished steps. First, a Comsol 3D model was built using an adequate formulation and taking into account the material properties and the machine parameters. Second, the convergence study was conducted to optimize the mesh. Then, the surface temperatures and the case depths were deeply analyzed in function of the initial current density and the heating time in medium frequency (MF) and high frequency (HF) heating modes and the edge effect were studied. Finally, the simulations results are validated using experimental tests.
Abstract: The cDNA encoding the 326 amino acids of a Class I
basic chitinase gene from Leucaena leucocephala de Wit (KB3,
Genbank accession: AAM49597) was cloned under the control of
CaMV35S promoter in pCAMBIA 1300 and transferred to
Koshihikari. Calli of Koshihikari rice was transformed with
agrobacterium with this construct expressing the chitinase and β-
glucouronidase (GUS). The frequencies of calli 90 % has been
obtained from rice seedlings cultured on NB medium. The high
regeneration frequencies, 74% was obtained from calli cultured on
regeneration medium containing 4 mg/l BAP, and 7 g/l phytagel at
25°C. Various factors were studied in order to establish a procedure
for the transformation of Koshihikari Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
Supplementation of 50 mM acetosyringone to the medium during
coculivation was important to enhance the frequency to transient
transformation. The 4 week-old scutellum-derived calli were
excellent starting materials. Selection medium based on NB medium
supplement with 40 mg/l hygromycin and 400 mg/l cefotaxime were
an optimized medium for selection of transformed rice calli. The
percentage of transformation 70 was obtained. Recombinant calli and
regenerated rice plants were checked the expression of chitinase and
gus by PCR, northern blot gel, southern blot gel, and gus assay.
Chitinase and gus were expressed in all parts of recombinant rice.
The rice line expressing the KB3 chiitnase was more resistant to the
blast fungus Fusarium monoliforme than control line.
Abstract: Recently, genetic algorithms (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique have attracted considerable attention among various modern heuristic optimization techniques. The GA has been popular in academia and the industry mainly because of its intuitiveness, ease of implementation, and the ability to effectively solve highly non-linear, mixed integer optimization problems that are typical of complex engineering systems. PSO technique is a relatively recent heuristic search method whose mechanics are inspired by the swarming or collaborative behavior of biological populations. In this paper both PSO and GA optimization are employed for finding stable reduced order models of single-input- single-output large-scale linear systems. Both the techniques guarantee stability of reduced order model if the original high order model is stable. PSO method is based on the minimization of the Integral Squared Error (ISE) between the transient responses of original higher order model and the reduced order model pertaining to a unit step input. Both the methods are illustrated through numerical example from literature and the results are compared with recently published conventional model reduction technique.
Abstract: Aiming at most of the aviation products are facing the problem of fatigue fracture in vibration environment, we makes use of the testing result of a bracket, analysis for the structure with ANSYS-Workbench, predict the life of the bracket by different ways, and compared with the testing result. With the research on analysis methods, make an organic combination of simulation analysis and testing, Not only ensure the accuracy of simulation analysis and life predict, but also make a dynamic supervision of product life process, promote the application of finite element simulation analysis in engineering practice.
Abstract: The objective of this research is to develop the
performance indicators (PIs) in operational level for the Pre-hospital Emergency Medical Service (EMS) system employing in Thailand. This research started with ascertaining the current pre-hospital care
system. The team analyzed the strategies of Narerthorn, a government unit under the ministry of public health, and the existing PIs of the pre-hospital care. Afterwards, the current National Strategic Plan of EMS development (2008-2012) of the Emergency
Medical Institute of Thailand (EMIT) was considered using strategic
analysis to developed Strategy Map (SM) and identified the Success
Factors (SFs). The analysis results from strategy map and SFs were used to develop the Performance Indicators (PIs). To verify the set of
PIs, the team has interviewed with the relevant practitioners for the possibilities to implement the PIs. To this paper, it was to ascertain
that all the developed PIs support the objectives of the strategic plan. Nevertheless, the results showed that the operational level PIs suited
only with the first dimension of National Strategic Plan
(infrastructure and information technology development). Besides,
the SF was the infrastructure development (to contribute the EMS system to people throughout with standard and efficiency both in normally and disaster conditions). Finally, twenty-nine indicators
were developed from the analysis results of SM and SFs.
Abstract: This is an application research presenting the
improvement of production quality using the six sigma solutions and
the analyses of benefit-cost ratio. The case of interest is the
production of tile-concrete. Such production has faced with the
problem of high nonconforming products from an inappropriate
surface coating and had low process capability based on the strength
property of tile. Surface coating and tile strength are the most critical
to quality of this product. The improvements followed five stages of
six sigma solutions. After the improvement, the production yield was
improved to 80% as target required and the defective products from
coating process was remarkably reduced from 29.40% to 4.09%. The
process capability based on the strength quality was increased from
0.87 to 1.08 as customer oriented. The improvement was able to save
the materials loss for 3.24 millions baht or 0.11 million dollars. The
benefits from the improvement were analyzed from (1) the reduction
of the numbers of non conforming tile using its factory price for
surface coating improvement and (2) the materials saved from the
increment of process capability. The benefit-cost ratio of overall
improvement was high as 7.03. It was non valuable investment in
define, measure, analyses and the initial of improve stages after that
it kept increasing. This was due to there were no benefits in define,
measure, and analyze stages of six sigma since these three stages
mainly determine the cause of problem and its effects rather than
improve the process. The benefit-cost ratio starts existing in the
improve stage and go on. Within each stage, the individual benefitcost
ratio was much higher than the accumulative one as there was an
accumulation of cost since the first stage of six sigma. The
consideration of the benefit-cost ratio during the improvement
project helps make decisions for cost saving of similar activities
during the improvement and for new project. In conclusion, the
determination of benefit-cost ratio behavior through out six sigma
implementation period provides the useful data for managing quality
improvement for the optimal effectiveness. This is the additional
outcome from the regular proceeding of six sigma.
Abstract: In this paper, transversal vibration of buried pipelines
during loading induced by underground explosions is analyzed. The
pipeline is modeled as an infinite beam on an elastic foundation, so
that soil-structure interaction is considered by means of transverse
linear springs along the pipeline. The pipeline behavior is assumed to
be ideal elasto-plastic which an ultimate strain value limits the plastic
behavior. The blast loading is considered as a point load, considering
the affected length at some point of the pipeline, in which the
magnitude decreases exponentially with time. A closed-form solution
for the quasi-static problem is carried out for both elastic and elasticperfect
plastic behaviors of pipe materials. At the end, a comparative
study on steel and polyethylene pipes with different sizes buried in
various soil conditions, affected by a predefined underground
explosion is conducted, in which effect of each parameter is
discussed.
Abstract: The aluminum bronze matrix alumina composites using hot press and resin infiltration were investigated to study their porosities, hardness, bending strengths, and microstructures. The experiment results show that the hardness of the sintered composites with the decrease of porosity increases. The composites without and with resin infiltration have about HRF 42-61 of about 34-40% of porosity and about HRF 62-83 of about 30-36% of porosity, respectively. Besides, the alumina composites contain a more amount of iron and nickel powders would cause a lower bending strength due to forming some weaker bonding among the iron, nickel, copper, aluminum under this hot pressing of shorter time.
Abstract: This paper presents a compact thermoelectric power generator system based on temperature difference across the element. The system can transfer the burning heat energy to electric energy directly. The proposed system has a thermoelectric generator and a power control box. In the generator, there are 4 thermoelectric modules (TEMs), each of which uses 2 thermoelectric chips (TEs) and 2 cold sinks, 1 thermal absorber, and 1 thermal conduction flat board. In the power control box, there are 1 storing energy device, 1 converter, and 1 inverter. The total net generating power is about 11W. This system uses commercial portable gas stoves or burns timber or the coal as the heat source, which is easily obtained. It adopts solid-state thermoelectric chips as heat inverter parts. The system has the advantages of being light-weight, quite, and mobile, requiring no maintenance, and havng easily-supplied heat source. The system can be used a as long as burning is allowed. This system works well for highly-mobilized outdoors situations by providing a power for illumination, entertainment equipment or the wireless equipment at refuge. Under heavy storms such as typhoon, when the solar panels become ineffective and the wind-powered machines malfunction, the thermoelectric power generator can continue providing the vital power.
Abstract: This study performs a comparative analysis of the 21 Greek Universities in terms of their public funding, awarded for covering their operating expenditure. First it introduces a DEA/MCDM model that allocates the fund into four expenditure factors in the most favorable way for each university. Then, it presents a common, consensual assessment model to reallocate the amounts, remaining in the same level of total public budget. From the analysis it derives that a number of universities cannot justify the public funding in terms of their size and operational workload. For them, the sufficient reduction of their public funding amount is estimated as a future target. Due to the lack of precise data for a number of expenditure criteria, the analysis is based on a mixed crisp-ordinal data set.
Abstract: Text categorization is the problem of classifying text
documents into a set of predefined classes. In this paper, we
investigated three approaches to build a meta-classifier in order to
increase the classification accuracy. The basic idea is to learn a metaclassifier
to optimally select the best component classifier for each
data point. The experimental results show that combining classifiers
can significantly improve the accuracy of classification and that our
meta-classification strategy gives better results than each individual
classifier. For 7083 Reuters text documents we obtained a
classification accuracies up to 92.04%.
Abstract: The issue of unintentional islanding in PV grid
interconnection still remains as a challenge in grid-connected
photovoltaic (PV) systems. This paper discusses the overview of
popularly used anti-islanding detection methods, practically applied
in PV grid-connected systems. Anti-islanding methods generally can
be classified into four major groups, which include passive methods,
active methods, hybrid methods and communication base methods.
Active methods have been the preferred detection technique over the
years due to very small non-detected zone (NDZ) in small scale
distribution generation. Passive method is comparatively simpler
than active method in terms of circuitry and operations. However, it
suffers from large NDZ that significantly reduces its performance.
Communication base methods inherit the advantages of active and
passive methods with reduced drawbacks. Hybrid method which
evolved from the combination of both active and passive methods
has been proven to achieve accurate anti-islanding detection by many
researchers. For each of the studied anti-islanding methods, the
operation analysis is described while the advantages and
disadvantages are compared and discussed. It is difficult to pinpoint a
generic method for a specific application, because most of the
methods discussed are governed by the nature of application and
system dependent elements. This study concludes that the setup and
operation cost is the vital factor for anti-islanding method selection in
order to achieve minimal compromising between cost and system
quality.
Abstract: This paper proposes a method, combining color and
layout features, for identifying documents captured from lowresolution
handheld devices. On one hand, the document image color
density surface is estimated and represented with an equivalent
ellipse and on the other hand, the document shallow layout structure
is computed and hierarchically represented. The combined color and
layout features are arranged in a symbolic file, which is unique for
each document and is called the document-s visual signature. Our
identification method first uses the color information in the
signatures in order to focus the search space on documents having a
similar color distribution, and finally selects the document having the
most similar layout structure in the remaining search space. Finally,
our experiment considers slide documents, which are often captured
using handheld devices.
Abstract: This study reveals that anti-immigrant policies in
Europe result from a process of securitization, and that, within this
process, radical right parties have been formulating discourses and
approaches through a construction process by using some common
security themes. These security themes can be classified as national
security, economic security, cultural security and internal security.
The frequency with which radical right parties use these themes may
vary according to the specific historical, social and cultural
characteristics of a particular country.