Abstract: Environmental decision making, particularly about
hazardous waste management, is inherently exposed to a high
potential conflict, principally because of the trade-off between sociopolitical,
environmental, health and economic factors. The need to
plan complex contexts has led to an increasing request for decision
analytic techniques as support for the decision process. In this work,
alternative systems of asbestos-containing waste management
(ACW) in Puglia (Southern Italy) were explored by a multi-criteria
decision analysis. In particular, through Analytic Hierarchy Process
five alternatives management have been compared and ranked
according to their performance and efficiency, taking into account
environmental, health and socio-economic aspects. A separated
valuation has been performed for different temporal scale. For short
period results showed a narrow deviation between the disposal
alternatives “mono-material landfill in public quarry" and “dedicate
cells in existing landfill", with the best performance of the first one.
While for long period “treatment plant to eliminate hazard from
asbestos-containing waste" was prevalent, although high energy
demand required to achieve the change of crystalline structure. A
comparison with results from a participative approach in valuation
process might be considered as future development of method
application to ACW management.
Abstract: The previous researches focused on the influence of
anthropogenic greenhouse gases exerting global warming, but not
consider whether desert sand may warm the planet, this could be
improved by accounting for sand's physical and geometric properties.
Here we show, sand particles (because of their geometry) at the desert
surface form an extended surface of up to 1 + π/4 times the planar area
of the desert that can contact sunlight, and at shallow depths of the
desert form another extended surface of at least 1 + π times the planar
area that can contact air. Based on this feature, an enhanced heat
exchange system between sunlight, desert sand, and air in the spaces
between sand particles could be built up automatically, which can
increase capture of solar energy, leading to rapid heating of the sand
particles, and then the heating of sand particles will dramatically heat
the air between sand particles. The thermodynamics of deserts may
thus have contributed to global warming, especially significant to
future global warming if the current desertification continues to
expand.
Abstract: Mobile ad hoc network is a collection of mobile
nodes communicating through wireless channels without any
existing network infrastructure or centralized administration.
Because of the limited transmission range of wireless network
interfaces, multiple "hops" may be needed to exchange data
across the network. Consequently, many routing algorithms
have come into existence to satisfy the needs of
communications in such networks. Researchers have
conducted many simulations comparing the performance of
these routing protocols under various conditions and
constraints. One question that arises is whether speed of nodes
affects the relative performance of routing protocols being
studied. This paper addresses the question by simulating two
routing protocols AODV and DSDV. Protocols were
simulated using the ns-2 and were compared in terms of
packet delivery fraction, normalized routing load and average
delay, while varying number of nodes, and speed.
Abstract: With the fast progression of data exchange in electronic way, information security is becoming more important in data storage and transmission. Because of widely using images in industrial process, it is important to protect the confidential image data from unauthorized access. In this paper, we analyzed current image encryption algorithms and compression is added for two of them (Mirror-like image encryption and Visual Cryptography). Implementations of these two algorithms have been realized for experimental purposes. The results of analysis are given in this paper.
Abstract: Iris pattern is an important biological feature of human body; it becomes very hot topic in both research and practical applications. In this paper, an algorithm is proposed for iris recognition and a simple, efficient and fast method is introduced to extract a set of discriminatory features using first order gradient operator applied on grayscale images. The gradient based features are robust, up to certain extents, against the variations may occur in contrast or brightness of iris image samples; the variations are mostly occur due lightening differences and camera changes. At first, the iris region is located, after that it is remapped to a rectangular area of size 360x60 pixels. Also, a new method is proposed for detecting eyelash and eyelid points; it depends on making image statistical analysis, to mark the eyelash and eyelid as a noise points. In order to cover the features localization (variation), the rectangular iris image is partitioned into N overlapped sub-images (blocks); then from each block a set of different average directional gradient densities values is calculated to be used as texture features vector. The applied gradient operators are taken along the horizontal, vertical and diagonal directions. The low order norms of gradient components were used to establish the feature vector. Euclidean distance based classifier was used as a matching metric for determining the degree of similarity between the features vector extracted from the tested iris image and template features vectors stored in the database. Experimental tests were performed using 2639 iris images from CASIA V4-Interival database, the attained recognition accuracy has reached up to 99.92%.
Abstract: In this paper, a block code to minimize the peak-toaverage
power ratio (PAPR) of orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing (OFDM) signals is proposed. It is shown that cyclic
shift and codeword inversion cause not change to peak envelope
power. The encoding rule for the proposed code comprises of
searching for a seed codeword, shifting the register elements, and
determining codeword inversion, eliminating the look-up table for
one-to-one correspondence between the source and the coded data.
Simulation results show that OFDM systems with the proposed code
always have the minimum PAPR.
Abstract: In this study the integration of an absorption heat
pump (AHP) with the concentration section of an industrial pulp and
paper process is investigated using pinch technology. The optimum
design of the proposed water-lithium bromide AHP is then achieved
by minimizing the total annual cost. A comprehensive optimization is
carried out by relaxation of all stream pressure drops as well as heat
exchanger areas involving in AHP structure. It is shown that by
applying genetic algorithm optimizer, the total annual cost of the
proposed AHP is decreased by 18% compared to one resulted from
simulation.
Abstract: During the process of compaction in Hot-Mix Asphalt
(HMA) mixtures, the distance between aggregate particles decreases
as they come together and eliminate air-voids. By measuring the
inter-particle distances in a cut-section of a HMA sample the degree
of compaction can be estimated. For this, a calibration curve is
generated by computer simulation technique when the gradation and
asphalt content of the HMA mixture are known. A two-dimensional
cross section of HMA specimen was simulated using the mixture
design information (gradation, asphalt content and air-void content).
Nearest neighbor distance methods such as Delaunay triangulation
were used to study the changes in inter-particle distance and area
distribution during the process of compaction in HMA. Such
computer simulations would enable making several hundreds of
repetitions in a short period of time without the necessity to compact
and analyze laboratory specimens in order to obtain good statistics on
the parameters defined. The distributions for the statistical
parameters based on computer simulations showed similar trends as
those of laboratory specimens.
Abstract: There is inadequate information on the practice of
female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK, and there are often
myths and perceptions within communities that influence the
effectiveness of prevention programmes. This means it is difficult to
address the trends and changes in the practice in the UK.
To this end, FORWARD undertook novel and innovative research
using the Participatory Ethnographic and Evaluative Research
(PEER) method to explore the views of women from Eritrea, Sudan,
Somalia and Ethiopia that live in London and Bristol (two UK cities).
Women-s views, taken from PEER interviews, reflected reasons for
continued practice of FGM: marriageability, the harnessing and
control of female sexuality, and upholding traditions from their
countries of origin. It was also clear that the main supporters of the
practice were believed to be older women within families and
communities.
Women described the impact FGM was having on their lives as
isolating. And although it was clearly considered a private and
personal matter, they developed a real sense of connection with their
peers within the research process.
The women were overwhelmingly positive about combating the
practice, although they believed it would probably take a while
before it ends completely. They also made concrete
recommendations on how to improve support services for women
affected by FGM: Training for professionals (particularly in
healthcare), increased engagement with, and outreach to,
communities, culturally appropriate materials and information made
available and accessible to communities, and more consequent
implementation of legislation.
Finally, the women asked for more empathy and understanding,
particularly from health professionals. Rather than presenting FGM
as a completely alien and inconceivable practice, it may help for
those looking into these women-s lives and working with them to
understand the social and economic context in which the practice
takes place.
Abstract: Stable bacterial polymorphism on a single limiting resource may appear if between the evolved strains metabolic interactions take place that allow the exchange of essential nutrients [8]. Towards an attempt to predict the possible outcome of longrunning evolution experiments, a network based on the metabolic capabilities of homogeneous populations of every single gene knockout strain (nodes) of the bacterium E. coli is reconstructed. Potential metabolic interactions (edges) are allowed only between strains of different metabolic capabilities. Bacterial communities are determined by finding cliques in this network. Growth of the emerged hypothetical bacterial communities is simulated by extending the metabolic flux balance analysis model of Varma et al [2] to embody heterogeneous cell population growth in a mutual environment. Results from aerobic growth on 10 different carbon sources are presented. The upper bounds of the diversity that can emerge from single-cloned populations of E. coli such as the number of strains that appears to metabolically differ from most strains (highly connected nodes), the maximum clique size as well as the number of all the possible communities are determined. Certain single gene deletions are identified to consistently participate in our hypothetical bacterial communities under most environmental conditions implying a pattern of growth-condition- invariant strains with similar metabolic effects. Moreover, evaluation of all the hypothetical bacterial communities under growth on pyruvate reveals heterogeneous populations that can exhibit superior growth performance when compared to the performance of the homogeneous wild-type population.
Abstract: In Croatia, the majority of cultured marine fish species are reared in net cages. The intensive production of the fish in net cages may generate the considerable amount of bio waste and change water quality especially in enclosed and semi-enclosed coastal areas. The aim of this paper is to assess the potential impact of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) cage farm on water quality. The weak relationship between food supply and water quality parameters (nutrient content and phytoplankton biomass) was found, but significant changes in oxygen saturation was observed in the cages during the warmer period of a year especially in the morning (occasionally it dropped below 70 %). Despite of, satisfactory results of water quality parameters, it is necessary to establish comprehensive monitoring process, especially to include quality assessment of fouling communities.
Abstract: Route bus system is the fundamental public transportation
system and has an important role in every province. To improve
the usability of it greatly, we develop an AR application for "Bus-
Net". The Bus-Net system is the shortest path planning system.
Bus-Net supports bus users to make a plan to change buses by
providing them with information about the direction. However, with
Bus-Net, these information are provided in text-base. It is difficult
to understand them for the person who does not know the place. We
developed the AR application for Bus-Net. It supports the action of
a bus user in an innovative way by putting information on a camera
picture and leading the way to a bus stop. The application also inform
the user the correct bus to get, the direction the bus takes and the
fare, which ease many anxieties and worries people tend to feel when
they take buses.
Abstract: Since its independence in 1962, Algeria has struggled
to establish an educational system tailored to the needs of the
population it may address. Considering the historical connection with
France, Algeria has always looked at the French language as a
cultural imperative until late in the seventies. After the Arabization
policy of 1971 and the socioeconomic changes taking place
worldwide, the use of English as a communicating vehicle started to
gain more space within globalized Algeria. Consequently, disparities
in the use of French started to fade away at the cross-roads leaving
more space to the teaching of English as a second foreign language.
Moreover, the introduction of the Bologna Process and the
European Credit Transfer System in Higher Education has
necessitated some innovations in the design and development of new
curricula adapted to the socioeconomic market. In this paper, I will
try to highlight the important historical dimensions Algeria has taken
towards the implementation of an English language methodology and
to the status it acquired from second foreign language, to first foreign
language to “the language of knowledge and sciences". I will also
propose new pedagogical perspectives for a better treatment of the
English language in order to encourage independent and autonomous
learning.
Abstract: The optimal operation of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) requires good water management which is presented under two forms vapor and liquid. Moreover, fuel cells have to reach higher output require integration of some accessories which need electrical power. In order to analyze fuel cells operation and different species transport phenomena a biphasic mathematical model is presented by governing equations set. The numerical solution of these conservation equations is calculated by Matlab program. A multi-criteria optimization with weighting between two opposite objectives is used to determine the compromise solutions between maximum output and minimal stack size. The obtained results are in good agreement with available literature data.
Abstract: The Malaysia Highway Authority (MHA) was
established by the Government in 1980 for the purpose of designing,
constructing and maintaining toll highways in Malaysia that include
the North-South Expressway and the Penang Bridge, which were
procured using the publicly-funded traditional procurement. However
following a recession in the mid 80-s, the operations of these tolledhighways
had been privatized to ensure that their operational services
continue through private financing as a result of long-term
concession agreement concurred between the Malaysian Government
and private operators. The change in the contract strategy for
highway projects in Malaysia would have a great tendency to dictate
a significant risk exposure towards the key parties involved,
particularly the Malaysian Government as project principal, unless
operational risks are clearly identified and managed via appropriate
mitigation measures prior to a contract signing.
This research identifies potential operational risks that have a
possibility to occur in highway projects in Malaysia from the
perspective of public sector clients. Since this research focuses on the
operational risks for highway projects in Malaysia, the initial results
acquired from literature review on the operational risks of highway
projects in some Asian countries are then justified by a number of
key individuals from the MHA through interviews. As a result,
among key operational risks that have possibility to occur in the
highway projects in Malaysia include initial toll-tariff decided by the
Government, traffic congestion, change of road network and overloaded
freight transportation, which could cause damage to the road
surface and hence affecting the operation of a particular highway.
Abstract: In this paper, we proposed the robust mobile object
detection method for light effect in the night street image block based
updating reference background model using block state analysis.
Experiment image is acquired sequence color video from steady
camera. When suddenly appeared artificial illumination, reference
background model update this information such as street light, sign
light. Generally natural illumination is change by temporal, but
artificial illumination is suddenly appearance. So in this paper for
exactly detect artificial illumination have 2 state process. First process
is compare difference between current image and reference
background by block based, it can know changed blocks. Second
process is difference between current image-s edge map and reference
background image-s edge map, it possible to estimate illumination at
any block. This information is possible to exactly detect object,
artificial illumination and it was generating reference background
more clearly. Block is classified by block-state analysis. Block-state
has a 4 state (i.e. transient, stationary, background, artificial
illumination). Fig. 1 is show characteristic of block-state respectively
[1]. Experimental results show that the presented approach works well
in the presence of illumination variance.
Abstract: After Apple's first introduction its smart phone, iPhone
in the end of 2009 in Korea, the number of Korean smarphone users
had been rapidly increasing so that the half of Korean population
became smart phone users as of February, 2012. Currently, smart
phones are positioned as a major digital media with powerful
influences in Korea. And, now, Koreans are leaning new information,
enjoying games and communicating other people every time and
everywhere. As smart phone devices' performances increased, the
number of usable services became more while adequate GUI
developments are required to implement various functions with smart
phones. The strategy to provide similar experiences on smart phones
through familiar features based on employment of existing media's
functions mostly contributed to smart phones' popularization in
connection with smart phone devices' iconic GUIs.
The spread of Smart phone increased mobile web accesses.
Therefore, the attempts to implement PC's web in the smart phone's
web are continuously made. The mobile web GUI provides familiar
experiences to users through designs adequately utilizing the smart
phone's GUIs. As the number of users familiarized to smart phones
and mobile web GUIs, opposite to reversed remediation from many
parts of PCs, PCs are starting to adapt smart phone GUIs.
This study defines this phenomenon as the reversed remediation,
and reviews the reversed remediation cases of Smart phone GUI'
characteristics of PCs. For this purpose, the established study issues
are as under:
· what is the reversed remediation?
· what are the smart phone GUI's characteristics?
· what kind of interrelationship exist s between the smart phone and
PC's web site?
It is meaningful in the forecast of the future GUI's change by
understanding of characteristics in the paradigm changes of PC and
smart phone's GUI designs. This also will be helpful to establish
strategies for digital devices' development and design.
Abstract: Research in e-Business has been growing
tremendously covering all related aspects such as adoption issues, e-
Business models, strategies, etc. This research aims to explore the
potential of adopting e-Business for a micro size business operating
from home called home-based businesses (HBBs). In Malaysia, the
HBB industry started many years ago and were mostly monopolized
by women or housewives managed as a part-time job to support their
family economy. Today, things have changed. The availability of the
Internet technology and the emergence of e-Business concept
promote the evolution of HBBs, which have been adopted as another
alternative as a professional career for women without neglecting
their family needs especially the children. Although this study is
confined to a limited sample size and within geographical biasness,
the findings show that it concurs with previous large scale studies. In
this study, both qualitative and quantitative methods were used and
data were gathered using triangulation methods via interview, direct
observation, document analysis and survey questionnaires. This paper
discusses the literature review, research methods and findings
pertaining to e-Business adoption factors that influence the HBBs in
Malaysia.
Abstract: Nowadays due to globalization of economy and
competition environment, innovation and technology plays key role
at creation of wealth and economic growth of countries. In fact
prompt growth of practical and technologic knowledge may results in
social benefits for countries when changes into effective innovation.
Considering the importance of innovation for the development of
countries, this study addresses the radical technological innovation
introduced by nanopapers at different stages of producing paper
including stock preparation, using authorized additives, fillers and
pigments, using retention, calender, stages of producing conductive
paper, porous nanopaper and Layer by layer self-assembly. Research
results show that in coming years the jungle related products will lose
considerable portion of their market share, unless embracing radical
innovation. Although incremental innovations can make this industry
still competitive in mid-term, but to have economic growth and
competitive advantage in long term, radical innovations are
necessary. Radical innovations can lead to new products and
materials which their applications in packaging industry can produce
value added. However application of nanotechnology in this industry
can be costly, it can be done in cooperation with other industries to
make the maximum use of nanotechnology possible. Therefore this
technology can be used in all the production process resulting in the
mass production of simple and flexible papers with low cost and
special properties such as facility at shape, form, easy transportation,
light weight, recovery and recycle marketing abilities, and sealing.
Improving the resistance of the packaging materials without reducing
the performance of packaging materials enhances the quality and the
value added of packaging. Improving the cellulose at nano scale can
have considerable electron optical and magnetic effects leading to
improvement in packaging and value added. Comparing to the
specifications of thermoplastic products and ordinary papers,
nanopapers show much better performance in terms of effective
mechanical indexes such as the modulus of elasticity, tensile strength,
and strain-stress. In densities lower than 640 kgm -3, due to the
network structure of nanofibers and the balanced and randomized
distribution of NFC in flat space, these specifications will even
improve more. For nanopapers, strains are 1,4Gpa, 84Mpa and 17%,
13,3 Gpa, 214Mpa and 10% respectively. In layer by layer self
assembly method (LbL) the tensile strength of nanopaper with Tio3
particles and Sio2 and halloysite clay nanotube are 30,4 ±7.6Nm/g
and 13,6 ±0.8Nm/g and 14±0.3,3Nm/g respectively that fall within
acceptable range of similar samples with virgin fiber. The usage of
improved brightness and porosity index in nanopapers can create
more competitive advantages at packaging industry.
Abstract: Ceramics comprise the largest proportion of Korea-s cultural heritage currently preserved (Cited from “The Beauty of Old Ceramics of Korea" written by Yoon Yong-iee). Thus, this researcher conducted this investigation in an attempt to gain insight into Korea-s past culture and the lost period of the colonial period and the Korean War by looking into the ceramics. Korea, China and Japan are part of the similar cultural bloc within the East Asian region. Their porcelains manifest distinctive characteristics by each nation along with similarities. Thus, this research seeks to find the distinctive characteristics of the Korean porcelain by conducting comparative analysis of the similarities and distinctive characteristics. These distinctive characteristics are manifested effectively in the colors of the porcelains following the materials that can be obtained in Korea, China and Japan and production method. Likewise, this research seeks to identify the characteristics of the Korean porcelains- colors based on the comparative analysis of the porcelain colors. The reasons that porcelains were selected were because they are the most well preserved cultural remains in Korea and since they have both similarities and distinctive characteristics due to the cultural interchanges among Korea, China and Japan, which facilitates comparative study. The research targets include Korea, China and Japan-s porcelains. By comparing the colors of the porcelains from Korea, China and Japan that have their distinctive characteristics, this research seeks to identify Korea-specific porcelain colors. These colors derive from the materials that can be obtained only in Korea, and they are affected by the ideologies that governed at the time. This research is meaningful in the sense that this identifies the colors that embraces the Korean culture and provides important data by leveraging the study of the characteristics of the Korea-specific porcelains.