Abstract: The hard clam (meretrix lusoria) cultivated industry
has been developed vigorously for recent years in Taiwan, and
seawater quality determines the cultivated environment. The pH
concentration variation affects survival rate of meretrix lusoria
immediately. In order to monitor seawater quality, solid-state sensing
electrode of ruthenium-doped titanium dioxide (TiO2:Ru) is developed
to measure hydrogen ion concentration in different cultivated
solutions. Because the TiO2:Ru sensing electrode has high chemical
stability and superior sensing characteristics, thus it is applied as a pH
sensor. Response voltages of TiO2:Ru sensing electrode are readout by
instrument amplifier in different sample solutions. Mean sensitivity
and linearity of TiO2:Ru sensing electrode are 55.20 mV/pH and 0.999
from pH1 to pH13, respectively. We expect that the TiO2:Ru sensing
electrode can be applied to real environment measurement, therefore
we collect two sample solutions by different meretrix lusoria
cultivated ponds in the Yunlin, Taiwan. The two sample solutions are
both measured for 200 seconds after calibration of standard pH buffer
solutions (pH7, pH8 and pH 9). Mean response voltages of sample 1
and sample 2 are -178.758 mV (Standard deviation=0.427 mV) and
-180.206 mV (Standard deviation =0.399 mV), respectively. Response
voltages of the two sample solutions are between pH 8 and pH 9 which
conform to weak alkali range and suitable meretrix lusoria growth. For
long-term monitoring, drift of cultivated solutions (sample 1 and
sample 2) are 1.16 mV/hour and 1.03 mV/hour, respectively.
Abstract: Customer-supplier collaboration enables firms to
achieve greater success than acting independently. Nevertheless, not
many firms have fully utilized the potential of collaboration. This
paper presents organizational and human related success factors for
collaboration in manufacturing supply chains in casting industry. Our
research approach was a case study including multiple cases. Data
was gathered by interviews and group discussions in two different
research projects. In the first research project we studied seven firms
and in the second five. It was found that the success factors are
interrelated, in other words, organizational and human factors
together enable success but not any of them alone. Some of the found
success factors are a culture of following agreements, and a speed of
informing the partner about changes affecting to the product or the
delivery chain.
Abstract: For improving the efficiency of human 3D tracking, we
present an algorithm to track 3D Arm Motion. First, the Hierarchy
Limb Model (HLM) is proposed based on the human 3D skeleton
model. Second, via graph decomposition, the arm motion state space,
modeled by HLM, can be discomposed into two low dimension
subspaces: root nodes and leaf nodes. Finally, Rao-Blackwellised
Particle Filter is used to estimate the 3D arm motion. The result of
experiment shows that our algorithm can advance the computation
efficiency.
Abstract: The study investigated the educational implications
that can be derived from the work of a variety of celebrated figures
such as Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bruner that will be helpful in the field
of language learning. However, the writer believed these views were
previously expressed not full–fledged by Comenius who has been
described by Howatt (1984) as a genius–the one that the history of
language teaching can claim. And we owe to him more than anyone.
Abstract: A variety of new technology-based services have
emerged with the development of Information and Communication
Technologies (ICTs). Since technology-based services have technology-driven characteristics, the identification of relationships
between technology-based services and ICTs would give meaningful implications. Thus, this paper proposes an approach for identifying the
relationships between technology-based services and ICTs by
analyzing patent documents. First, business model (BM) patents are
classified into relevant service categories. Second, patent citation
analysis is conducted to investigate the technological linkage and impacts between technology-based services and ICTs at macro level.
Third, as a micro level analysis, patent co-classification analysis is
employed to identify the technological linkage and coverage. The
proposed approach could guide and help managers and designers of
technology-based services to discover the opportunity of the development of new technology-based services in emerging service sectors.
Abstract: Spam mails are unwanted mails sent to large number
of users. Spam mails not only consume the network resources, but
cause security threats as well. This paper proposes an efficient
technique to detect, and to prevent spam mail in the sender side rather
than the receiver side. This technique is based on a counter set on the
sender server. When a mail is transmitted to the server, the mail server
checks the number of the recipients based on its counter policy. The
counter policy performed by the mail server is based on some
pre-defined criteria. When the number of recipients exceeds the
counter policy, the mail server discontinues the rest of the process, and
sends a failure mail to sender of the mail; otherwise the mail is
transmitted through the network. By using this technique, the usage of
network resources such as bandwidth, and memory is preserved. The
simulation results in real network show that when the counter is set on
the sender side, the time required for spam mail detection is 100 times
faster than the time the counter is set on the receiver side, and the
network resources are preserved largely compared with other
anti-spam mail techniques in the receiver side.
Abstract: IPsec has now become a standard information security
technology throughout the Internet society. It provides a well-defined
architecture that takes into account confidentiality, authentication,
integrity, secure key exchange and protection mechanism against
replay attack also. For the connectionless security services on packet
basis, IETF IPsec Working Group has standardized two extension
headers (AH&ESP), key exchange and authentication protocols. It is
also working on lightweight key exchange protocol and MIB's for
security management. IPsec technology has been implemented on
various platforms in IPv4 and IPv6, gradually replacing old
application-specific security mechanisms. IPv4 and IPv6 are not
directly compatible, so programs and systems designed to one
standard can not communicate with those designed to the other. We
propose the design and implementation of controlled Internet security
system, which is IPsec-based Internet information security system in
IPv4/IPv6 network and also we show the data of performance
measurement. With the features like improved scalability and
routing, security, ease-of-configuration, and higher performance of
IPv6, the controlled Internet security system provides consistent
security policy and integrated security management on IPsec-based
Internet security system.
Abstract: Nowadays, financial and economic crises are growing
more and reach more countries and sectors. These events have, as a
result, a considerable impact on the activities of the firms which think
unstable and in danger.
But besides this heavy uncertainty which weighs on the different
firms, the family firm, object of our research, is not only confronted
with these external difficulties but also with an internal challenge and
of size: that of transmission. Indeed, the transmission of an
organization from one generation to another can succeed as it can
fail; leaving considerable damage.
Our research registers as part of these problems since we tried to
understand relation between the behavior of two main actors of the
process of succession, predecessor and successor; and the success of
transmission.
Abstract: Recently, permeable breakwaters have been suggested to overcome the disadvantages of fully protection breakwaters. These protection structures have minor impacts on the coastal environment and neighboring beaches where they provide a more economical protection from waves and currents. For regular waves, a numerical model is used (FLOW-3D, VOF) to investigate the hydraulic performance of a permeable breakwater. The model of permeable breakwater consists of a pair of identical vertical slotted walls with an impermeable upper and lower part, where the draft is a decimal multiple of the total depth. The middle part is permeable with a porosity of 50%. The second barrier is located at distant of 0.5 and 1.5 of the water depth from the first one. The numerical model is validated by comparisons with previous laboratory data and semi-analytical results of the same model. A good agreement between the numerical results and both laboratory data and semi-analytical results has been shown and the results indicate the applicability of the numerical model to reproduce most of the important features of the interaction. Through the numerical investigation, the friction factor of the model is carefully discussed.
Abstract: Lateral-torsional buckling (LTB) is one of the
phenomenae controlling the ultimate bending strength of steel Ibeams
carrying distributed loads on top flange. Built-up I-sections
are used as main beams and distributors. This study investigates the
ultimate bending strength of such beams with sections of different
classes including slender elements. The nominal strengths of the
selected beams are calculated for different unsupported lengths
according to the Provisions of the American Institute of Steel
Constructions (AISC-LRFD). These calculations are compared with
results of a nonlinear inelastic study using accurate FE model for this
type of loading. The goal is to investigate the performance of the
provisions for the selected sections. Continuous distributed load at
the top flange of the beams was applied at the FE model.
Imperfections of different values are implemented to the FE model to
examine their effect on the LTB of beams at failure, and hence, their
effect on the ultimate strength of beams. The study also introduces a
procedure for evaluating the performance of the provisions compared
with the accurate FEA results of the selected sections. A simplified
design procedure is given and recommendations for future code
updates are made.
Abstract: This paper summaries basic principles and concepts of
intelligent controls, implemented in humanoid robotics as well as
recent algorithms being devised for advanced control of humanoid
robots. Secondly, this paper presents a new approach neuro-fuzzy
system. We have included some simulating results from our
computational intelligence technique that will be applied to our
humanoid robot. Subsequently, we determine a relationship between
joint trajectories and located forces on robot-s foot through a
proposed neuro-fuzzy technique.
Abstract: Overloading is a technique to accommodate more
number of users than the spreading factor N. This is a bandwidth
efficient scheme to increase the number users in a fixed bandwidth.
One of the efficient schemes to overload a CDMA system is to use
two sets of orthogonal signal waveforms (O/O). The first set is
assigned to the N users and the second set is assigned to the
additional M users. An iterative interference cancellation technique is
used to cancel interference between the two sets of users. In this
paper, the performance of an overloading scheme in which the first N
users are assigned Walsh-Hadamard orthogonal codes and extra users
are assigned the same WH codes but overlaid by a fixed (quasi) bent
sequence [11] is evaluated. This particular scheme is called Quasi-
Orthogonal Sequence (QOS) O/O scheme, which is a part of
cdma2000 standard [12] to provide overloading in the downlink
using single user detector. QOS scheme are balance O/O scheme,
where the correlation between any set-1 and set-2 users are
equalized. The allowable overload of this scheme is investigated in
the uplink on an AWGN and Rayleigh fading channels, so that the
uncoded performance with iterative multistage interference
cancellation detector remains close to the single user bound. It is
shown that this scheme provides 19% and 11% overloading with
SDIC technique for N= 16 and 64 respectively, with an SNR
degradation of less than 0.35 dB as compared to single user bound at
a BER of 0.00001. But on a Rayleigh fading channel, the channel
overloading is 45% (29 extra users) at a BER of 0.0005, with an SNR
degradation of about 1 dB as compared to single user performance
for N=64. This is a significant amount of channel overloading on a
Rayleigh fading channel.
Abstract: This study examined the toxicological effects and
safety of polypeptide k isolated from the seeds of Momordica
charantia in laboratory rats. 30 male Sprague Dawley rats (12 weeks
old, bodyweight 180-200 g) were randomly divided into 3 groups
(1000 mg/kg, 500 mg and 0 mg/kg). Rats were acclimatized to
laboratory conditions for 7 days and at day 8 rats were dosed orally
with polypeptide k (in 2% DMSO/normal saline) and the controls
received the dosed vehicle only. Rats were then observed for 72
hours before sacrificed. Rats were anaesthetized by pentobarbital
(50 mg/kg ip) and 2-3.0 mL of blood was taken by cardiac puncture
and rats were scarified by anaesthetic overdose. Immediately, organs
(heart, lungs, liver, kidneys) were weigh and taken for histology.
Organ sections were then evaluated by a histopathologist. Serum
samples were assayed for liver functions (ALT and γ-GT) and kidney
functions (BUN and creatinine). All rats showed normal behavior
after the dosing and no statistical changes were observed in all blood
parameters and organ weight. Histological examinations revealed
normal organ structures. In conclusion, dosing of rats up to 1000
mg/kg did not have any effects on the rat behavior, liver or kidney
functions nor histology of the selected organs.
Abstract: The significance of psychology in studying politics
is embedded in philosophical issues as well as behavioural
pursuits. For the former is often associated with Sigmund Freud
and his followers. The latter is inspired by the writings of Harold
Lasswell. Political psychology or psychopolitics has its own
impression on political thought ever since it deciphers the concept
of human nature and political propaganda. More importantly,
psychoanalysis views political thought as a textual content which
needs to explore the latent from the manifest content. In other
words, it reads the text symptomatically and interprets the hidden
truth. This paper explains the paradigm of dream interpretation
applied by Freud. The dream work is a process which has four
successive activities: condensation, displacement, representation
and secondary revision. The texts dealing with political though can
also be interpreted on these principles. Freud's method of dream
interpretation draws its source after the hermeneutic model of
philological research. It provides theoretical perspective and
technical rules for the interpretation of symbolic structures. The
task of interpretation remains a discovery of equivalence of
symbols and actions through perpetual analogies. Psychoanalysis
can help in studying political thought in two ways: to study the text
distortion, Freud's dream interpretation is used as a paradigm
exploring the latent text from its manifest text; and to apply Freud's
psychoanalytic concepts and theories ranging from individual mind
to civilization, religion, war and politics.
Abstract: Aims for this study: first, to compare the expertise
level in data analysis, communication and information technologies
in undergraduate psychology students. Second, to verify the factor
structure of E-ETICA (Escala de Experticia en Tecnologias de la Informacion, la Comunicacion y el Análisis or Data Analysis,
Communication and Information'Expertise Scale) which had shown
an excellent internal consistency (α= 0.92) as well as a simple factor
structure. Three factors, Complex, Basic Information and
Communications Technologies and E-Searching and Download
Abilities, explains 63% of variance. In the present study, 260
students (119 juniors and 141 seniors) were asked to respond to
ETICA (16 items Likert scale of five points 1: null domain to 5: total
domain). The results show that both junior and senior students report
having very similar expertise level; however, E-ETICA presents a
different factor structure for juniors and four factors explained also
63% of variance: Information E-Searching, Download and Process;
Data analysis; Organization; and Communication technologies.
Abstract: The effect of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria
(PGPR) on seed germination, seedling growth and yield of field
grown maize were evaluated in three experiments. In these
experiments six bacterial strains include P.putida strain R-168,
P.fluorescens strain R-93, P.fluorescens DSM 50090, P.putida
DSM291, A.lipoferum DSM 1691, A.brasilense DSM 1690 were
used. Results of first study showed seed Inoculation significantly
enhanced seed germination and seedling vigour of maize. In second
experiment, leaf and shoot dry weight and also leaf surface area
significantly were increased by bacterial inoculation in both sterile
and non-sterile soil. The results showed that inoculation with
bacterial treatments had a more stimulating effect on growth and
development of plants in nonsterile than sterile soil. In the third
experiment, Inoculation of maize seeds with all bacterial strains
significantly increased plant height, 100 seed weight, number of seed
per ear and leaf area .The results also showed significant increase in
ear and shoot dry weight of maize.
Abstract: A compact tunable 10 W picosecond source based on
Yb-doped fiber amplification of gain switch laser diode has been
demonstrated. A gain switch semiconductor laser diode was used as
the seed source, and a multi-stage single mode Yb-doped fiber
preamplifier was combined with two large mode area double-clad
Yb-doped fiber main amplifiers to construct the amplification system.
The tunable pulses with high stability and excellent beam quality
(M2
Abstract: Literature review revealed the importance of the
adoption of marketing Relationship for loyalty and retaining
profitable customer (Customer Relationship Management). LPQ
satisfaction will reinforce the loyalty and customer brand
attachment. Customer will communicate the operator to others. The
focus of this study is to examine the relationship between the
LPPQ and the WOM recommendations through: customer
satisfaction, loyalty and attachment. The results show that LPQ
affect positively the satisfaction, negatively the loyalty. LPQ has an
indirectly effect on WOM recommendations but through the
satisfaction and attachment. The mediating effect of satisfaction in
the relationship between LPQ and Loyalty is rejected. This finding
can be explained by the nature of mobile sector in Tunisia.
Abstract: Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) performing their
operations for a long time have been attracting much attention in
military and civil aviation industries for the past decade. The
applicable field of UAV is changing from the military purpose only to
the civil one. Because of their low operation cost, high reliability and
the necessity of various application areas, numerous development
programs have been initiated around the world. To obtain the optimal
solutions of the design variable (i.e., sectional airfoil profile, wing
taper ratio and sweep) for high performance of UAVs, both the lift and
lift-to-drag ratio are maximized whereas the pitching moment should
be minimized, simultaneously. It is found that the lift force and
lift-to-drag ratio are linearly dependent and a unique and dominant
solution are existed. However, a trade-off phenomenon is observed
between the lift-to-drag ratio and pitching moment. As the result of
optimization, sixty-five (65) non-dominated Pareto individuals at the
cutting edge of design spaces that are decided by airfoil shapes can be
obtained.
Abstract: Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) has been integrated in education in many developing and developed countries alike, but the use of ICT in Tanzanian schools is dismal. Many Tanzanian secondary schools have no computers. The few schools with computers use them primarily for secretarial services and computer literacy training. The Tanzanian education system at other levels like secondary school level has to undergo substantial transformation, underscored by the growing application of new information and communication technology. This paper presents the e-readiness survey result from secondary schools in Tanzania. The paper also suggests how Tanzania can make use of the few present ICT resources to support and improve teaching and learning functions to improve performance and acquisition of knowledge by using e-Learning Management System (e-LMS).