Abstract: The efficient operation of any biological treatment
process requires pre-treatment of incompatible pollutants such as
acids, bases, oil, toxic substances, etc. which hamper the treatment
of other major components which are otherwise degradable. The
pre-treatment of alkaline waste-waters, generated from various
industries like textile, paper & pulp, potato-processing industries,
etc., having a pH of 10 or higher, is essential. The pre-treatment,
i.e., neutralization of such alkaline waste-waters can be achieved by
chemical as well as biological means. However, the biological pretreatment
offers better package over the chemical means by being
safe and economical. The biological pre-treatment can be
accomplished by using a blend of microorganisms able to withstand
such harsh alkaline conditions. In the present study, for the proper
pre-treatment of alkaline waste-waters, a package of alkalophilic
bacteria is formulated to neutralise the alkaline pH of the industrial
waste-waters. The developed microbial package is cost-effective as
well as environmental friendly.
Abstract: This study defines a methodology to compute unitary costs for freight transportation modes. The main objective was to gather relevant costs data to support the formulation and evaluation of railway, road, pipelines and port projects. This article will concentrate on the following steps: Compilation and analysis of relevant modal cost studies, Methodological adjustments to make cost figures comparable between studies, Definition of typology and scope of transportation modes, Analysis and validation of cost values for relevant freight transportation modes in Chile. In order to define the comparison methodology for the costs between the different transportation modes, it was necessary to consider that the relevant cost depends on who performs the comparison. Thus, for the transportation user (e.g. exporter) the pertinent costs are the mode tariffs, whereas from the operators perspective (e.g. rail manager), the pertinent costs are the operating costs of each mode.
Abstract:
Innovation is becoming more and more important in
modern society. There are a lot of researches on different kinds of
innovation but marketing innovation is one kind of innovation that
has not been studied frequently before. Marketing innovation is
defined as a new way in which companies can market themselves to
potential or existing customers.
The study shows some key elements for marketing innovation that
are worth paying attention to when implementing marketing
innovation projects. Examples of such key elements are: paying
attention to the neglected market, suitable market segmentatio
reliable market information, public relationship, increased customer
value, combination of market factors, explore different marketing
channels and the use of technology in combination with what? Beside
the key elements for marketing innovation, we also present some
risks that may occur, such as cost, market uncertainty, information
leakage, imitation and overdependence on experience.
By proposing a set of indicators to measure marketing innovation,
the article offers solutions for marketing innovation implementation
so that any organization can achieve optimal results.
Abstract: In this paper, we present a technical and an economic
assessment of several sources of renewable energy in Saudi Arabia;
mainly solar, wind, hydro and biomass. We analyze the
environmental and climatic conditions in relation to these sources
and give an overview of some of the existing clean energy
technologies. Using standardized cost and efficiency data, we carry
out a cost benefit analysis to understand the economic factors
influencing the sustainability of energy production from renewable
sources in light of the energy cost and demand in the Saudi market.
Finally, we take a look at the Saudi petroleum industry and the
existing sources of conventional energy and assess the potential of
building a successful market for renewable energy under the
constraints imposed by the flow of subsidized cheap oil. We show
that while some renewable energy resources are well suited for
distributed or grid connected generation in the kingdom, their
viability is greatly undercut by the well developed and well
capitalized oil industry.
Abstract: This paper discusses the design characteristics management accounting systems should have to be useful for strategic planning and control and provides brief introductions to strategic variance analysis, profit-linked performance measurement models and balanced scorecard. It shows two multi-period, multiproduct models are specified, can be related to Porter's strategy framework and cost and revenue drivers, and can be used to support strategic planning, control and cost management.
Abstract: Warranty is a powerful marketing tool for the
manufacturer and a good protection for both the manufacturer and the
customer. However, warranty always involves additional costs to the
manufacturer, which depend on product reliability characteristics and
warranty parameters. This paper presents an approach to optimisation
of warranty parameters for known product failure distribution to
reduce the warranty costs to the manufacturer while retaining the
promotional function of the warranty. Combination free replacement
and pro-rata warranty policy is chosen as a model and the length of
free replacement period and pro-rata policy period are varied, as well
as the coefficients that define the pro-rata cost function. Multiparametric
warranty optimisation is done by using genetic algorithm.
Obtained results are guideline for the manufacturer to choose the
warranty policy that minimises the costs and maximises the profit.
Abstract: Quality control charts are very effective in detecting
out of control signals but when a control chart signals an out of
control condition of the process mean, searching for a special cause
in the vicinity of the signal time would not always lead to prompt
identification of the source(s) of the out of control condition as the
change point in the process parameter(s) is usually different from the
signal time. It is very important to manufacturer to determine at what
point and which parameters in the past caused the signal. Early
warning of process change would expedite the search for the special
causes and enhance quality at lower cost. In this paper the quality
variables under investigation are assumed to follow a multivariate
normal distribution with known means and variance-covariance
matrix and the process means after one step change remain at the new
level until the special cause is being identified and removed, also it is
supposed that only one variable could be changed at the same time.
This research applies artificial neural network (ANN) to identify the
time the change occurred and the parameter which caused the change
or shift. The performance of the approach was assessed through a
computer simulation experiment. The results show that neural
network performs effectively and equally well for the whole shift
magnitude which has been considered.
Abstract: Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is the
coherent oscillation of conductive electrons confined in noble
metallic nanoparticles excited by electromagnetic radiation, and
nanosphere lithography (NSL) is one of the cost-effective methods to
fabricate metal nanostructures for LSPR. NSL can be categorized
into two major groups: dispersed NSL and closely pack NSL. In
recent years, gold nanocrescents and gold nanoholes with vertical
sidewalls fabricated by dispersed NSL, and silver nanotriangles and
gold nanocaps on silica nanospheres fabricated by closely pack NSL,
have been reported for LSPR biosensing. This paper introduces
several novel gold nanostructures fabricated by NSL in LSPR
applications, including 3D nanostructures obtained by evaporating
gold obliquely on dispersed nanospheres, nanoholes with slant
sidewalls, and patchy nanoparticles on closely packed nanospheres,
all of which render satisfactory sensitivity for LSPR sensing. Since
the LSPR spectrum is very sensitive to the shape of the metal
nanostructures, formulas are derived and software is developed for
calculating the profiles of the obtainable metal nanostructures by
NSL, for different nanosphere masks with different fabrication
conditions. The simulated profiles coincide well with the profiles of
the fabricated gold nanostructures observed under scanning electron
microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM), which
proves that the software is a useful tool for the process design of
different LSPR nanostructures.
Abstract: IP multicasting is a key technology for many existing and emerging applications on the Internet. Furthermore, with increasing popularity of wireless devices and mobile equipment, it is necessary to determine the best way to provide this service in a wireless environment. IETF Mobile IP, that provides mobility for hosts in IP networks, proposes two approaches for mobile multicasting, namely, remote subscription (MIP-RS) and bi-directional tunneling (MIP-BT). In MIP-RS, a mobile host re-subscribes to the multicast groups each time it moves to a new foreign network. MIP-RS suffers from serious packet losses while mobile host handoff occurs. In MIP-BT, mobile hosts send and receive multicast packets by way of their home agents (HAs), using Mobile IP tunnels. Therefore, it suffers from inefficient routing and wastage of system resources. In this paper, we propose a protocol called Mobile Multicast support using Old Foreign Agent (MMOFA) for Mobile Hosts. MMOFA is derived from MIP-RS and with the assistance of Mobile host's Old foreign agent, routes the missing datagrams due to handoff in adjacent network via tunneling. Also, we studied the performance of the proposed protocol by simulation under ns-2.27. The results demonstrate that MMOFA has optimal routing efficiency and low delivery cost, as compared to other approaches.
Abstract: In this paper the design of maximally flat linear phase
finite impulse response (FIR) filters is considered. The problem is
handled with totally two different approaches. The first one is
completely deterministic numerical approach where the problem is
formulated as a Linear Complementarity Problem (LCP). The other
one is based on a combination of Markov Random Fields (MRF's)
approach with messy genetic algorithm (MGA). Markov Random
Fields (MRFs) are a class of probabilistic models that have been
applied for many years to the analysis of visual patterns or textures.
Our objective is to establish MRFs as an interesting approach to
modeling messy genetic algorithms. We establish a theoretical result
that every genetic algorithm problem can be characterized in terms of
a MRF model. This allows us to construct an explicit probabilistic
model of the MGA fitness function and introduce the Ising MGA.
Experimentations done with Ising MGA are less costly than those
done with standard MGA since much less computations are involved.
The least computations of all is for the LCP. Results of the LCP,
random search, random seeded search, MGA, and Ising MGA are
discussed.
Abstract: Bluetooth is a personal wireless communication
technology and is being applied in many scenarios. It is an emerging
standard for short range, low cost, low power wireless access
technology. Current existing MAC (Medium Access Control)
scheduling schemes only provide best-effort service for all masterslave
connections. It is very challenging to provide QoS (Quality of
Service) support for different connections due to the feature of
Master Driven TDD (Time Division Duplex). However, there is no
solution available to support both delay and bandwidth guarantees
required by real time applications. This paper addresses the issue of
how to enhance QoS support in a Bluetooth piconet. The Bluetooth
specification proposes a Round Robin scheduler as possible solution
for scheduling the transmissions in a Bluetooth Piconet. We propose
an algorithm which will reduce the bandwidth waste and enhance the
efficiency of network. We define token counters to estimate traffic of
real-time slaves. To increase bandwidth utilization, a back-off
mechanism is then presented for best-effort slaves to decrease the
frequency of polling idle slaves. Simulation results demonstrate that
our scheme achieves better performance over the Round Robin
scheduling.
Abstract: Cooperative communication scheme can be substituted
for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technique when it may
not be able to support multiple antennas due to size, cost or
hardware limitations. In other words, cooperative communication
scheme is an efficient method to achieve spatial diversity without
multiple antennas. For satisfaction of rising QoS, we propose a
reliable cooperative communication scheme with M-QAM based Dual
Carrier Modulation (M-DCM), which can increase diversity gain.
Although our proposed scheme is very simple method, it gives us
frequency and spatial diversity. Simulation result shows our proposed
scheme obtains diversity gain more than the conventional cooperative
communication scheme.
Abstract: The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's
largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in
medical imaging and therapy, laboratory diagnostics, medical
information technology, and hearing aids.
Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire
range of patient care from a single source – from prevention and
early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By
optimizing clinical workflows for the most common diseases,
Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better, and more cost effective.
The optimization of clinical workflows requires a
multidisciplinary focus and a collaborative approach of e.g. medical
advisors, researchers and scientists as well as healthcare economists.
This new form of collaboration brings together experts with deep
technical experience, physicians with specialized medical knowledge
as well as people with comprehensive knowledge about health
economics.
As Charles Darwin is often quoted as saying, “It is neither the
strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the
one most responsive to change," We believe that those who can
successfully manage this change will emerge as winners, with
valuable competitive advantage.
Current medical information and knowledge are some of the core
assets in the healthcare industry. The main issue is to connect
knowledge holders and knowledge recipients from various
disciplines efficiently in order to spread and distribute knowledge.
Abstract: Focusing on the environmental issues, including the reduction of scrap and consumer residuals, along with the benefiting from the economic value during the life cycle of goods/products leads the companies to have an important competitive approach. The aim of this paper is to present a new mixed nonlinear facility locationallocation model in recycling collection networks by considering multi-echelon, multi-suppliers, multi-collection centers and multifacilities in the recycling network. To make an appropriate decision in reality, demands, returns, capacities, costs and distances, are regarded uncertain in our model. For this purpose, a fuzzy mathematical programming-based possibilistic approach is introduced as a solution methodology from the recent literature to solve the proposed mixed-nonlinear programming model (MNLP). The computational experiments are provided to illustrate the applicability of the designed model in a supply chain environment and to help the decision makers to facilitate their analysis.
Abstract: Compensating physiological motion in the context
of minimally invasive cardiac surgery has become an attractive
issue since it outperforms traditional cardiac procedures offering
remarkable benefits. Owing to space restrictions, computer vision
techniques have proven to be the most practical and suitable solution.
However, the lack of robustness and efficiency of existing methods
make physiological motion compensation an open and challenging
problem. This work focusses on increasing robustness and efficiency
via exploration of the classes of 1−and 2−regularized optimization,
emphasizing the use of explicit regularization. Both approaches are
based on natural features of the heart using intensity information.
Results pointed out the 1−regularized optimization class as the best
since it offered the shortest computational cost, the smallest average
error and it proved to work even under complex deformations.
Abstract: Construction of tunnels is connected with high
uncertainty in the field of costs, construction period, safety and
impact on surroundings. Risk management became therefore a
common part of tunnel projects, especially after a set of fatal
collapses occurred in 1990's. Such collapses are caused usually by
combination of factors that can be divided into three main groups, i.e.
unfavourable geological conditions, failures in the design and
planning or failures in the execution.
This paper suggests a procedure enabling quantification of the
excavation risk related to extraordinary accidents using FTA and
ETA tools. It will elaborate on a common process of risk analysis and
enable the transfer of information and experience between particular
tunnel construction projects. Further, it gives a guide for designers,
management and other participants, how to deal with risk of such
accidents and how to make qualified decisions based on a
probabilistic approach.
Abstract: Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computerbased
tool used extensively to solve various engineering problems
related to spatial data. In spite of growing popularity of GIS, its
complete potential to construction industry has not been realized. In
this paper, the summary of up-to-date work on spatial applications of
GIS technologies in construction industry is presented. GIS
technologies have the potential to solve space related problems of
construction industry involving complex visualization, integration of
information, route planning, E-commerce, cost estimation, etc. GISbased
methodology to handle time and space issues of construction
projects scheduling is developed and discussed in this paper.
Abstract: With the advantage of wireless network technology,
there are a variety of mobile applications which make the issue of
wireless sensor networks as a popular research area in recent years.
As the wireless sensor network nodes move arbitrarily with the
topology fast change feature, mobile nodes are often confronted with
the void issue which will initiate packet losing, retransmitting,
rerouting, additional transmission cost and power consumption.
When transmitting packets, we would not predict void problem
occurring in advance. Thus, how to improve geographic routing with
void avoidance in wireless networks becomes an important issue. In
this paper, we proposed a greedy geographical void routing algorithm
to solve the void problem for wireless sensor networks. We use the
information of source node and void area to draw two tangents to
form a fan range of the existence void which can announce voidavoiding
message. Then we use source and destination nodes to draw
a line with an angle of the fan range to select the next forwarding
neighbor node for routing. In a dynamic wireless sensor network
environment, the proposed greedy void avoiding algorithm can be
more time-saving and more efficient to forward packets, and improve
current geographical void problem of wireless sensor networks.
Abstract: In the past years a lot of effort has been made in the
field of face detection. The human face contains important features
that can be used by vision-based automated systems in order to
identify and recognize individuals. Face location, the primary step of
the vision-based automated systems, finds the face area in the input
image. An accurate location of the face is still a challenging task.
Viola-Jones framework has been widely used by researchers in order
to detect the location of faces and objects in a given image. Face
detection classifiers are shared by public communities, such as
OpenCV. An evaluation of these classifiers will help researchers to
choose the best classifier for their particular need. This work focuses
of the evaluation of face detection classifiers minding facial
landmarks.
Abstract: High voltage generators are being subject to higher
voltage rating and are being designed to operate in harsh conditions.
Stator windings are the main component of generators in which
Electrical, magnetically and thermal stresses remain major failures
for insulation degradation accelerated aging. A large number of
generators failed due to stator winding problems, mainly insulation
deterioration. Insulation degradation assessment plays vital role in the
asset life management. Mostly the stator failure is catastrophic
causing significant damage to the plant. Other than generation loss,
stator failure involves heavy repair or replacement cost. Electro
thermal analysis is the main characteristic for improvement design of
stator slot-s insulation. Dielectric parameters such as insulation
thickness, spacing, material types, geometry of winding and slot are
major design consideration. A very powerful method available to
analyze electro thermal performance is Finite Element Method
(FEM) which is used in this paper. The analysis of various stator coil
and slot configurations are used to design the better dielectric system
to reduce electrical and thermal stresses in order to increase the
power of generator in the same volume of core. This paper describes
the process used to perform classical design and improvement
analysis of stator slot-s insulation.