Abstract: Web-based systems have become increasingly
important due to the fact that the Internet and the World Wide Web
have become ubiquitous, surpassing all other technological
developments in our history. The Internet and especially companies
websites has rapidly evolved in their scope and extent of use, from
being a little more than fixed advertising material, i.e. a "web
presences", which had no particular influence for the company's
business, to being one of the most essential parts of the company's
core business.
Traditional software engineering approaches with process models
such as, for example, CMM and Waterfall models, do not work very
well since web system development differs from traditional
development. The development differs in several ways, for example,
there is a large gap between traditional software engineering designs
and concepts and the low-level implementation model, many of the
web based system development activities are business oriented (for
example web application are sales-oriented, web application and
intranets are content-oriented) and not engineering-oriented.
This paper aims to introduce Increment Iterative extreme
Programming (IIXP) methodology for developing web based
systems. In difference to the other existence methodologies, this
methodology is combination of different traditional and modern
software engineering and web engineering principles.
Abstract: Operating a device at high power and high frequency
is a major problem because wall losses greatly reduce the efficiency
of the device. In the present communication, authors analytically
analyzed the dependence of ohmic/RF efficiency, the fraction of
output power with respect to the total power generated, of gyrotron
cavity structure on the conductivity of copper for the second
harmonic TE0,6 mode. This study shows a rapid fall in the RF
efficiency as the quality (conductivity) of copper degrades. Starting
with an RF efficiency near 40% at the conductivity of ideal copper
(5.8 x 107 S/m), the RF efficiency decreases (upto 8%) as the copper
quality degrades. Assuming conductivity half that of ideal copper the
RF efficiency as a function of diffractive quality factor, Qdiff, has
been studied. Here the RF efficiency decreases rapidly with
increasing diffractive Q. Ohmic wall losses as a function of
frequency for 460 GHz gyrotron cavity excited in TE0,6 mode has
also been analyzed. For 460 GHz cavity, the extracted power is
reduced to 32% of the generated power due to ohmic losses in the
walls of the cavity.
Abstract: This paper presents an algorithm of particle swarm
optimization with reduction for global optimization problems. Particle
swarm optimization is an algorithm which refers to the collective
motion such as birds or fishes, and a multi-point search algorithm
which finds a best solution using multiple particles. Particle
swarm optimization is so flexible that it can adapt to a number
of optimization problems. When an objective function has a lot of
local minimums complicatedly, the particle may fall into a local
minimum. For avoiding the local minimum, a number of particles are
initially prepared and their positions are updated by particle swarm
optimization. Particles sequentially reduce to reach a predetermined
number of them grounded in evaluation value and particle swarm
optimization continues until the termination condition is met. In order
to show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, we examine the
minimum by using test functions compared to existing algorithms.
Furthermore the influence of best value on the initial number of
particles for our algorithm is discussed.
Abstract: We proposed a new class of asymmetric turbo encoder for 3G systems that performs well in both “water fall" and “error floor" regions in [7]. In this paper, a modified (optimal) power allocation scheme for the different bits of new class of asymmetric turbo encoder has been investigated to enhance the performance. The simulation results and performance bound for proposed asymmetric turbo code with modified Unequal Power Allocation (UPA) scheme for the frame length, N=400, code rate, r=1/3 with Log-MAP decoder over Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) channel are obtained and compared with the system with typical UPA and without UPA. The performance tests are extended over AWGN channel for different frame size to verify the possibility of implementation of the modified UPA scheme for the proposed asymmetric turbo code. From the performance results, it is observed that the proposed asymmetric turbo code with modified UPA performs better than the system without UPA and with typical UPA and it provides a coding gain of 0.4 to 0.52dB.
Abstract: The evolution of logic circuits, which falls under the heading of evolvable hardware, is carried out by evolutionary algorithms. These algorithms are able to automatically configure reconfigurable devices. One of main difficulties in developing evolvable hardware with the ability to design functional electrical circuits is to choose the most favourable EA features such as fitness function, chromosome representations, population size, genetic operators and individual selection. Until now several researchers from the evolvable hardware community have used and tuned these parameters and various rules on how to select the value of a particular parameter have been proposed. However, to date, no one has presented a study regarding the size of the chromosome representation (circuit layout) to be used as a platform for the evolution in order to increase the evolvability, reduce the number of generations and optimize the digital logic circuits through reducing the number of logic gates. In this paper this topic has been thoroughly investigated and the optimal parameters for these EA features have been proposed. The evolution of logic circuits has been carried out by an extrinsic evolvable hardware system which uses (1+λ) evolution strategy as the core of the evolution.
Abstract: The ε4 allele of the ε2, ε3 and ε4 protein isoform polymorphism in the gene encoding apolipoprotein E (Apo E) has previously been associated with increased cardiac artery disease (CAD); therefore to investigate the significance of this polymorphism in pathogenesis of CAD in Iranian patients with stenosis and control subjects. To investigate the association between
Apo E polymorphism and coronary artery disease we performed a comparative case control study of the frequency of Apo E
polymorphism in One hundred CAD patients with stenosis who underwent coronary angiography (>50% stenosis) and 100 control subjects (
Abstract: Flash floods are considered natural disasters that can
cause casualties and demolishing of infra structures. The problem is
that flash floods, particularly in arid and semi arid zones, take place
in very short time. So, it is important to forecast flash floods earlier to
its events with a lead time up to 48 hours to give early warning alert
to avoid or minimize disasters. The flash flood took place over Wadi
Watier - Sinai Peninsula, in October 24th, 2008, has been simulated,
investigated and analyzed using the state of the art regional weather
model. The Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model, which is a
reliable short term forecasting tool for precipitation events, has been
utilized over the study area. The model results have been calibrated
with the real data, for the same date and time, of the rainfall
measurements recorded at Sorah gauging station. The WRF model
forecasted total rainfall of 11.6 mm while the real measured one was
10.8 mm. The calibration shows significant consistency between
WRF model and real measurements results.
Abstract: One of the essential sectors of Myanmar economy is
agriculture which is sensitive to climate variation. The most
important climatic element which impacts on agriculture sector is
rainfall. Thus rainfall prediction becomes an important issue in
agriculture country. Multi variables polynomial regression (MPR)
provides an effective way to describe complex nonlinear input output
relationships so that an outcome variable can be predicted from the
other or others. In this paper, the modeling of monthly rainfall
prediction over Myanmar is described in detail by applying the
polynomial regression equation. The proposed model results are
compared to the results produced by multiple linear regression model
(MLR). Experiments indicate that the prediction model based on
MPR has higher accuracy than using MLR.
Abstract: Estimation of runoff water quality parameters is required to determine appropriate water quality management options. Various models are used to estimate runoff water quality parameters. However, most models provide event-based estimates of water quality parameters for specific sites. The work presented in this paper describes the development of a model that continuously simulates the accumulation and wash-off of water quality pollutants in a catchment. The model allows estimation of pollutants build-up during dry periods and pollutants wash-off during storm events. The model was developed by integrating two individual models; rainfall-runoff model, and catchment water quality model. The rainfall-runoff model is based on the time-area runoff estimation method. The model allows users to estimate the time of concentration using a range of established methods. The model also allows estimation of the continuing runoff losses using any of the available estimation methods (i.e., constant, linearly varying or exponentially varying). Pollutants build-up in a catchment was represented by one of three pre-defined functions; power, exponential, or saturation. Similarly, pollutants wash-off was represented by one of three different functions; power, rating-curve, or exponential. The developed runoff water quality model was set-up to simulate the build-up and wash-off of total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN). The application of the model was demonstrated using available runoff and TSS field data from road and roof surfaces in the Gold Coast, Australia. The model provided excellent representation of the field data demonstrating the simplicity yet effectiveness of the proposed model.
Abstract: The Czech Republic is a country whose economy has
undergone a transformation since 1989. Since joining the EU it has
been striving to reduce the differences in its economic standard and
the quality of its institutional environment in comparison with
developed countries. According to an assessment carried out by the
World Bank, the Czech Republic was long classed as a country
whose institutional development was seen as problematic. For many
years one of the things it was rated most poorly on was its bankruptcy
law. The new Insolvency Act, which is a modern law in terms of its
treatment of bankruptcy, was first adopted in the Czech Republic in
2006. This law, together with other regulatory measures, offers debtridden
Czech economic subjects legal instruments which are well
established and in common practice in developed market economies.
Since then, analyses performed by the World Bank and the London
EBRD have shown that there have been significant steps forward in
the quality of Czech bankruptcy law. The Czech Republic still lacks
an analytical apparatus which can offer a structured characterisation
of the general and specific conditions of Czech company and
household debt which is subject to current changes in the global
economy. This area has so far not been given the attention it
deserves. The lack of research is particularly clear as regards analysis
of household debt and householders- ability to settle their debts in a
reasonable manner using legal and other state means of regulation.
We assume that Czech households have recourse to a modern
insolvency law, yet the effective application of this law is hampered
by the inconsistencies in the formal and informal institutions
involved in resolving debt. This in turn is based on the assumption
that this lack of consistency is more marked in cases of personal
bankruptcy. Our aim is to identify the symptoms which indicate that
for some time the effective application of bankruptcy law in the
Czech Republic will be hindered by factors originating in
householders- relative inability to identify the risks of falling into
debt.
Abstract: Nowadays pharmaceutical care departments located in
hospitals are amongst the important pillars of the healthcare system.
The aim of this study was to evaluate quality of hospital drugstores
affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences.
In this cross-sectional study a validated questionnaire was used.
The questionnaire was filled in by the one of the researchers in all
seventeen hospital drugstores located in the teaching and nonteaching
hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical
Sciences. The results shows that in observed hospitals,24% of
pharmacy environments, 25% of pharmacy store and storage
conditions, 49% of storage procedure, 25% of ordering drugs and
supplies, 73% of receiving supplies (proper procedure are fallowed
for receiving supplies), 35% of receiving supplies (prompt action
taken if deterioration of drugs received is suspected), 23.35% of
drugs delivery to patients and finally 0% of stock cards are used for
proper inventory control have full compliance with standards.
Abstract: Wireless Sensor Network is Multi hop Self-configuring
Wireless Network consisting of sensor nodes. The deployment of
wireless sensor networks in many application areas, e.g., aggregation
services, requires self-organization of the network nodes into clusters.
Efficient way to enhance the lifetime of the system is to partition the
network into distinct clusters with a high energy node as cluster head.
The different methods of node clustering techniques have appeared in
the literature, and roughly fall into two families; those based on the
construction of a dominating set and those which are based solely on
energy considerations. Energy optimized cluster formation for a set
of randomly scattered wireless sensors is presented. Sensors within a
cluster are expected to be communicating with cluster head only. The
energy constraint and limited computing resources of the sensor nodes
present the major challenges in gathering the data. In this paper we
propose a framework to study how partially correlated data affect the
performance of clustering algorithms. The total energy consumption
and network lifetime can be analyzed by combining random geometry
techniques and rate distortion theory. We also present the relation
between compression distortion and data correlation.
Abstract: A solar powered air heating system using one ended evacuated tubes is experimentally investigated. A solar air heater containing forty evacuated tubes is used for heating purpose. The collector surface area is about 4.44 m2. The length and outer diameters of the outer glass tube and absorber tube are 1500, 47 and 37 mm, respectively. In this experimental setup, we have a header (heat exchanger) of square shape (190 mm x 190 mm). The length of header is 1500 mm. The header consists of a hollow pipe in the center whose diameter is 60 mm through which the air is made to flow. The experimental setup contains approximately 108 liters of water. Water is working as heat collecting medium which collects the solar heat falling on the tubes. This heat is delivered to the air flowing through the header pipe. This heat flow is due to natural convection and conduction. The outlet air temperature depends upon several factors along with air flow rate and solar radiation intensity. The study has been done for both up-flow and down-flow of air in header in similar weather conditions, at different flow rates. In the present investigations the study has been made to find the effect of intensity of solar radiations and flow rate of air on the out let temperature of the air with time and which flow is more efficient. The obtained results show that the system is highly effective for the heating in this region. Moreover, it has been observed that system is highly efficient for the particular flow rate of air. It was also observed that downflow configuration is more effective than up-flow condition at all flow rates due to lesser losses in down-flow. The results show that temperature differences of upper head and lower head, both of water and surface of pipes on the respective ends is lower in down-flow.
Abstract: The complex shape of the human pelvic bone was
successfully imaged and modeled using finite element FE processing.
The bone was subjected to quasi-static and dynamic loading
conditions simulating the effect of both weight gain and impact.
Loads varying between 500 – 2500 N (~50 – 250 Kg of weight) was
used to simulate 3D quasi-static weight gain. Two different 3D
dynamic analyses, body free fall at two different heights (1 and 2 m)
and forced side impact at two different velocities (20 and 40 Km/hr)
were also studied. The computed resulted stresses were compared for
the four loading cases, where Von Misses stresses increases linearly
with the weight gain increase under quasi-static loading. For the
dynamic models, the Von Misses stress history behaviors were
studied for the affected area and effected load with respect to time.
The normalization Von Misses stresses with respect to the applied
load were used for comparing the free fall and the forced impact load
results. It was found that under the forced impact loading condition
an over lapping behavior was noticed, where as for the free fall the
normalized Von Misses stresses behavior was found to nonlinearly
different. This phenomenon was explained through the energy
dissipation concept. This study will help designers in different
specialization in defining the weakest spots for designing different
supporting systems.
Abstract: Knowledge and these notions have become more and
more important and we speak about a knowledge based society
today. A lot of small and big companies have reacted upon these new
challenges. But there is a deep abyss about knowledge conception
and practice between the professional researchers and company - life.
The question of this research was: How can small and mediumsized
companies be equal to the demands of new economy?
Questionnaires were used in this research and a special segment of
the native knowledge based on economy was focused on.
Researchers would have liked to know what the sources of success
are and how they can be in connection with questions of knowledge
acquisition, knowledge transfer, knowledge utilization in small and
medium-sized companies. These companies know that they have to
change their behaviour and thinking, but they are not on the suitable
level that they can compete with bigger or multinational companies.
Abstract: Higher capacities of power plants together with
increased awareness on environmental considerations have led to
taller height of stacks. It is seen that strong wind can result in falling
of stacks. So, aerodynamic consideration of stacks is very important
in order to save the falling of stacks. One stack is not enough in
industries and power sectors and two or three stacks are required for
proper operation of the unit. It is very important to arrange the stacks
in proper way to resist their downfall. The present experimental
study concentrates on the mutual effect of three nearby stacks on
each other at three different arrangements, viz. linear, side-by-side
and triangular. The experiments find out the directions of resultant
forces acting on the stacks in different configurations so that proper
arrangement of supports can be made with respect to the wind
directionality obtained from local meteorological data. One can also
easily ascertain which stack is more vulnerable to wind in
comparison to the others for a particular configuration. Thus, this
study is important in studying the effect of wind force on three stacks
in different arrangements and is very helpful in placing the supports
in proper places in order to avoid failing of stack-like structures due
to wind.
Abstract: This study investigates the investors- behavioral
reaction to the investment rating change announcements from the
views of behavioral finance. The empirical results indicate that
self-interest does affect the intention of securities firms to release
investment ratings for individual stocks. In addition, behavioral
pitfalls are also found in the response of retail investors to investment
rating change announcements.
Abstract: This paper provides an introduction into the
evolution of information and communication technology and illustrates its usage in the work domain. The paper is sub-divided into two parts. The first part gives an overview over the different
phases of information processing in the work domain. It starts by
charting the past and present usage of computers in work
environments and shows current technological trends, which are likely to influence future business applications. The second part
starts by briefly describing, how the usage of computers changed business processes in the past, and presents first Ambient
Intelligence applications based on identification and localization
information, which are already used in the production and retail sector. Based on current systems and prototype applications, the
paper gives an outlook of how Ambient Intelligence technologies could change business processes in the future.
Abstract: Temperature, humidity and precipitation in an area,
are parameters proved influential in the climate of that area, and one
should recognize them so that he can determine the climate of that
area. Climate changes are of primary importance in climatology, and
in recent years, have been of great concern to researchers and even
politicians and organizations, for they can play an important role in
social, political and economic activities. Even though the real cause
of climate changes or their stability is not yet fully recognized, they
are a matter of concern to researchers and their importance for
countries has prompted them to investigate climate changes in
different levels, especially in regional, national and continental level.
This issue has less been investigated in our country. However, in
recent years, there have been some researches and conferences on
climate changes. This study is also in line with such researches and
tries to investigate and analyze the trends of climate changes
(temperature and precipitation) in Sefid-roud (the name of a river)
basin. Three parameters of mean annual precipitation, temperature,
and maximum and minimum temperatures in 36 synoptic and
climatology stations in a statistical period of 49 years (1956-2005) in
the stations of Sefid-roud basin were analyzed by Mann-Kendall test.
The results obtained by data analysis show that climate changes are
short term and have a trend. The analysis of mean temperature
revealed that changes have a significantly rising trend, besides the
precipitation has a significantly falling trend.
Abstract: This study investigated morphology of the Spanner Barb (Puntius lateristriga Valenciennes, 1842) and water quality at Thepchana waterfall. This study was conducted at Thepchana Waterfall, Khao Nan National Park from March to May 2007. There were 40 Spanner Barb collected with 20 males and 20 females. Males had an average of 5.57 cm in standard length, 6.62 cm in total length and 5.18 g in total body weight. Females had an average of 7.25 cm in standard length, 8.24 cm in total length and 10.96 g in total body weight. The length (L) – weight (W) relationships for combining sexes, males and females were LogW = -2.137 + 3.355logL, log W = -0.068 + 3.297logL, and log W = -2.068 + 3.297logL, respectively. The Spanner Barb were smaller size fish with a compressed form; terminal mouth; villiform teeth; ctenoid scale; concave tail; general body color yellowish olive, with slight reddish tint to fins; vertical band beginning below dorsal and horizontal stripe from base of tail almost to vertical band. They also had a vertical band midway between the eye and first vertical band. There was a black spot above anal fin. The bladder looked like J-shape. Inside of the bladder was found small insects and insect lava. The body length and the bowels length was 1:1 ratio. The water temperature ranged from 25.00 – 27.00 °C which was appropriate for their habitat characteristics. Acid - alkalinity ranged from 6.65 – 6.90 mg/l. Dissolved oxygen ranged from 4.55 – 4.70 mg/l. Water hardness ranged from 31.00 – 48.00 mg/l. The amount of ammonia was about 0.25 mg/l.