Abstract: Recently, increasing the quality of experience (QoE) is
an important issue. Since performance degradation at cell edge
extremely reduces the QoE, several techniques are defined at
LTE/LTE-A standard to remove inter-cell interference (ICI). However,
the conventional techniques have disadvantage because there is a
trade-off between resource allocation and reliable communication.
The proposed scheme reduces the ICI more efficiently by using
channel state information (CSI) smartly. It is shown that the proposed
scheme can reduce the ICI with fewer resources.
Abstract: Karst term is the determiner of a variety of areas or
landforms and unique perspectives that have been formed in result of
the of the ingredients dissolution of rocks constituter by natural
waters. Shiraz area with an area of 5322km2 is located in the simple
folded belt in the southern part of Zagros Mountain of Fars, and is
surrounded with Limestone Mountains (Asmari formation). Shiraz
area is located in Calcareous areas. The infrastructure of this city is
lime and absorbing wells that the city can influence the Limestone
dissolution and those accelerate its rate and increase the cavitation
below the surface. Dasht-e Arjan is a graben, which has been created
as the result of activity of two normal faults in its east and west sides.
It is a complete sample of Karst plains (Polje) which has been created
with the help of tectonic forces (fault) and dissolution process of
water in Asmari limestone formation. It is located 60km. off south
west of Shiraz (on Kazeroon-Shiraz road). In 1971, UNESCO has
recognized this plain as a reserve of biosphere. It is considered as one
of the world’s most beautiful geological phenomena, so that most of
the world’s geologists are interested in visiting this place. The
purpose of this paper is to identify and introduce landscapes of Karst
features shiraz city and Dasht-e Arjan including Karst dissolution
features (Lapiez, Karst springs, dolines, caves, underground caves,
ponors, and Karst valleys), anticlines and synclines, and Arjan Lake.
Abstract: This paper presents the scaling laws that provide the
criteria of geometry and dynamic similitude between the full-size
rotor-shaft system and its scale model, and can be used to predict the
torsional vibration characteristics of the full-size rotor-shaft system by
manipulating the corresponding data of its scale model. The scaling
factors, which play fundamental roles in predicting the geometry and
dynamic relationships between the full-size rotor-shaft system and its
scale model, for torsional free vibration problems between scale and
full-size rotor-shaft systems are firstly obtained from the equation of
motion of torsional free vibration. Then, the scaling factor of external
force (i.e., torque) required for the torsional forced vibration problems
is determined based on the Newton’s second law. Numerical results
show that the torsional free and forced vibration characteristics of a
full-size rotor-shaft system can be accurately predicted from those of
its scale models by using the foregoing scaling factors. For this reason,
it is believed that the presented approach will be significant for
investigating the relevant phenomenon in the scale model tests.
Abstract: Locating Radio Controlled (RC) devices using their
unintended emissions has a great interest considering security
concerns. Weak nature of these emissions requires near field
localization approach since it is hard to detect these signals in far
field region of array. Instead of only angle estimation, near field
localization also requires range estimation of the source which makes
this method more complicated than far field models. Challenges of
locating such devices in a near field region and real time environment
are analyzed in this paper. An ESPRIT like near field localization
scheme is utilized for both angle and range estimation. 1-D search
with symmetric subarrays is provided. Two 7 element uniform linear
antenna arrays (ULA) are employed for locating RC source.
Experiment results of location estimation for one unintended emitting
walkie-talkie for different positions are given.
Abstract: In the scope of application of technical textiles, Non-
Crimp Fabrics are increasingly used. In general, NCF exhibit
excellent load bearing properties, but caused by the manufacturing
process, there are some remaining disadvantages which have to be
reduced. Regarding to this, a novel technique of processing NCF was
developed substituting the binding-thread by an adhesive. This stitchfree
method requires new manufacturing concept as well as new basic
methods to prove adhesion of glue at fibres and textiles. To improve
adhesion properties and the wettability of carbon-fibres by the
adhesive, oxy-fluorination was used. The modification of carbonfibres
by oxy-fluorination was investigated via scanning electron
microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and single fibre
tensiometry. Special tensile tests were developed to determine the
maximum force required for detachment.
Abstract: Proof of controlling crack width is a basic condition
for securing suitable performance in serviceability limit state. The
cracking in concrete can occur at any time from the casting of time to
the years after the concrete has been set in place. Most codes struggle
with offering procedure for crack width calculation. There is lack in
availability of design charts for designers to compute crack width
with ease. The focus of the study is to utilize design charts and
parametric equations in calculating crack width with minimum error.
The paper contains a simplified procedure to calculate crack width
for reinforced concrete (RC) sections subjected to bending with axial
tensile force following the guidelines of Euro code [DS EN-1992-1-1
& DS EN-1992-1-2]. Numerical examples demonstrate the
application of the suggested procedure. Comparison with parallel
analytical tools supports the validity of result and show the
percentage deviation of crack width in both the procedures. The
technique is simple, user friendly and ready to evolve for a greater
spectrum of section sizes and materials.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the possible
link between employee and customer satisfaction. The service
provided by employees, help to build a good relationship with
customers and can help at increasing their loyalty. Published data for
job satisfaction and indicators of customer services of banks were
gathered from relevant published works which included data from
five different countries. The scores of customers and employees
satisfaction of the different published works were transformed and
normalized to the scale of 1 to 100. The data were analyzed and a
regression analysis of the two parameters was used to describe the
link between employee’s satisfaction and customer’s satisfaction.
Assuming that employee satisfaction has a significant influence on
customer’s service and the resulting customer satisfaction, the
reviewed data indicate that employee’s satisfaction contributes
significantly on the level of customer satisfaction in the Banking
sector. There was a significant correlation between the two
parameters (Pearson correlation R2=0.52 P
Abstract: Web-based Cognitive Writing Instruction (WeCWI)’s
contribution towards language development can be divided into
linguistic and non-linguistic perspectives. In linguistic perspective,
WeCWI focuses on the literacy and language discoveries, while the
cognitive and psychological discoveries are the hubs in non-linguistic
perspective. In linguistic perspective, WeCWI draws attention to free
reading and enterprises, which are supported by the language
acquisition theories. Besides, the adoption of process genre approach
as a hybrid guided writing approach fosters literacy development.
Literacy and language developments are interconnected in the
communication process; hence, WeCWI encourages meaningful
discussion based on the interactionist theory that involves input,
negotiation, output, and interactional feedback. Rooted in the elearning
interaction-based model, WeCWI promotes online
discussion via synchronous and asynchronous communications,
which allows interactions happened among the learners, instructor,
and digital content. In non-linguistic perspective, WeCWI highlights
on the contribution of reading, discussion, and writing towards
cognitive development. Based on the inquiry models, learners’
critical thinking is fostered during information exploration process
through interaction and questioning. Lastly, to lower writing anxiety,
WeCWI develops the instructional tool with supportive features to
facilitate the writing process. To bring a positive user experience to
the learner, WeCWI aims to create the instructional tool with
different interface designs based on two different types of perceptual
learning style.
Abstract: Cost of governance in Nigeria has become a challenge
to development and concern to practitioners and scholars alike in the
field of business and social science research. In the 2010 national
budget of NGN4.6 trillion or USD28.75billion for instance, only a
pantry sum of NGN1.8trillion or USD11.15billion was earmarked for
capital expenditure. Similarly, in 2013, out of a total national budget
of NGN4.92trillion or USD30.75billion, only the sum of
NGN1.50trllion or USD9.38billion was voted for capital expenditure.
Therefore, based on the data sourced from the Nigerian Office of
Statistics, Central bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin as well as from
the United Nations Development Programme, this study examined
the causes of high cost of governance in Nigeria. It found out that the
high cost of governance in the country is in the interest of the ruling
class, arising from their unethical behaviour – corrupt practices and
the poor management of public resources. As a result, the study
recommends the need to intensify the war against corruption and
mismanagement of public resources by government officials as
possible solution to overcome the high cost of governance in Nigeria.
This could be achieved by strengthening the constitutional powers of
the various anti-corruption agencies in the area of arrest, investigation
and prosecution of offenders without the interference of the executive
arm of government either at the local, state or federal level.
Abstract: Validity, integrity, and impacts of the IT systems of
the US federal courts have been studied as part of the Human Rights
Alert-NGO (HRA) submission for the 2015 Universal Periodic
Review (UPR) of human rights in the United States by the Human
Rights Council (HRC) of the United Nations (UN). The current
report includes overview of IT system analysis, data-mining and case
studies. System analysis and data-mining show: Development and
implementation with no lawful authority, servers of unverified
identity, invalidity in implementation of electronic signatures,
authentication instruments and procedures, authorities and
permissions; discrimination in access against the public and
unrepresented (pro se) parties and in favor of attorneys; widespread
publication of invalid judicial records and dockets, leading to their
false representation and false enforcement. A series of case studies
documents the impacts on individuals' human rights, on banking
regulation, and on international matters. Significance is discussed in
the context of various media and expert reports, which opine
unprecedented corruption of the US justice system today, and which
question, whether the US Constitution was in fact suspended. Similar
findings were previously reported in IT systems of the State of
California and the State of Israel, which were incorporated, subject to
professional HRC staff review, into the UN UPR reports (2010 and
2013). Solutions are proposed, based on the principles of publicity of
the law and the separation of power: Reliance on US IT and legal
experts under accountability to the legislative branch, enhancing
transparency, ongoing vigilance by human rights and internet
activists. IT experts should assume more prominent civic duties in the
safeguard of civil society in our era.
Abstract: Presently, engine cooling pump is driven by toothed
belt. Therefore, the pump speed is dependent on engine speed which
varies their output. At normal engine operating conditions (Higher
RPM and low load, Higher RPM and high load), mechanical water
pumps in existing engines are inevitably oversized and so the use of
an electric water pump together with state-of-the-art thermal
management of the combustion engine has measurable advantages.
Demand-driven cooling, particularly in the cold-start phase, saves
fuel (approx 3 percent) and leads to a corresponding reduction in
emissions. The lack of dependence on a mechanical drive also results
in considerable flexibility in component packaging within the engine
compartment. This paper describes the testing and comparison of
existing mechanical water pump with that of the electric water pump.
When the existing mechanical water pump is replaced with the new
electric water pump the percentage gain in system efficiency is also
discussed.
Abstract: Passing the entrance exam to a university is a major
step in one's life. University entrance exam commonly known as
Kankor is the nationwide entrance exam in Afghanistan. This
examination is prerequisite for all public and private higher education
institutions at undergraduate level. It is usually taken by students who
are graduated from high schools. In this paper, we reflect the major
educational school graduates issues and propose ICT-based test
preparation environment, known as ‘Online Kankor Exam Prep
System’ to give students the tools to help them pass the university
entrance exam on the first try. The system is based on Intelligent
Tutoring System (ITS), which introduced an essential package of
educational technology for learners that features: (I) exam-focused
questions and content; (ii) self-assessment environment; and (iii) test
preparation strategies in order to help students to acquire the necessary
skills in their carrier and keep them up-to-date with instruction.
Abstract: Nowadays, the successful implementation of ICTs is
vital for almost any kind of organization. Good governance and ICT
management are essential for delivering value, managing
technological risks, managing resources and performance
measurement. In addition, outsourcing is a strategic IT service
solution which complements IT services provided internally in
organizations. This paper proposes the measurement tools of a new
holistic maturity model based on standards ISO/IEC 20000 and
ISO/IEC 38500, and the frameworks and best practices of ITIL and
COBIT, with a specific focus on IT outsourcing. These measurement
tools allow independent validation and practical application in the
field of higher education, using a questionnaire, metrics tables, and
continuous improvement plan tables as part of the measurement
process. Guidelines and standards are proposed in the model for
facilitating adaptation to universities and achieving excellence in the
outsourcing of IT services.
Abstract: Since large part of electricity is generated by using
fossil based resources, energy is an important agenda for countries. In
this context, renewable energy sources are alternative to conventional
sources due to the depletion of fossil resources, increasing awareness
of climate change and global warming concerns. Solar, wind and
hydropower energy are the main renewable energy sources. Among
of them, since installed capacity of wind power has increased
approximately eight times between 2008 - November of 2014, wind
energy is a promising source for Turkey. Furthermore, signing of
Kyoto Protocol can be accepted as a milestone for Turkey's energy
policy. Turkish Government has announced Vision 2023 (energy
targets by 2023) in 2010-2014 Strategic Plan prepared by Ministry of
Energy and Natural Resources (MENR). Energy targets in this plan
can be summarized as follows: Share of renewable energy sources in
electricity generation is 30% of total electricity generation by 2023.
Installed capacity of wind energy will be 20 GW by 2023. Other
renewable energy sources such as solar, hydropower and geothermal
are encouraged with new incentive mechanisms. Dependence on
foreign energy is reduced for sustainability and energy security. On
the other hand, since Turkey is surrounded by three coastal areas,
wind energy potential is convenient for wind power application. As
of November of 2014, total installed capacity of wind power plants is
3.51 GW and a lot of wind power plants are under construction with
capacity 1.16 GW. Turkish government also encourages the locally
manufactured equipments. In this context, one of the projects funded
by private sector, universities and TUBİTAK names as MILRES is
an important project aimed to promote the use wind energy in
electricity generation. Within this project, wind turbine with 500 kW
power has been produced and will be installed at the beginning of the
2015. After that, by using the experience obtained from the first
phase of the project, a wind turbine with 2.5 MW power will be
manufactured in an industrial scale.
Abstract: Given the importance of ports as links in the global
supply chains and because they are key elements to induce
competitiveness in their hinterlands, the number of studies devoted to
port governance, management and operations has increased in the last
decades. Some of these studies address the port governance model as
an element to improve coordination among the actors of the portlogistics
chain and to generate a better port performance. In this
context, the present study analyzes the governance of Port of Santos
through individual interviews with port managers, based on a
conceptual model that considers the key dimensions associated with
port governance. The results reinforce the usefulness of the applied
model and highlight some existing improvement opportunities in the
port studied.
Abstract: Operations research science (OR) deals with good
success in developing and applying scientific methods for problem
solving and decision-making. However, by using OR techniques, we
can enhance the use of computer decision support systems to achieve
optimal management for institutions. OR applies comprehensive
analysis including all factors that effect on it and builds mathematical
modeling to solve business or organizational problems. In addition, it
improves decision-making and uses available resources efficiently.
The adoption of OR by universities would definitely contributes to
the development and enhancement of the performance of OR
techniques. This paper provides an understanding of the structures,
approaches and models of OR in problem solving and decisionmaking.
Abstract: Factors affecting construction unit cost vary
depending on a country’s political, economic, social and
technological inclinations. Factors affecting construction costs have
been studied from various perspectives. Analysis of cost factors
requires an appreciation of a country’s practices. Identified cost
factors provide an indication of a country’s construction economic
strata. The purpose of this paper is to identify the essential factors
that affect unit cost estimation and their breakdown using artificial
neural networks. Twenty five (25) identified cost factors in road
construction were subjected to a questionnaire survey and employing
SPSS factor analysis the factors were reduced to eight. The 8 factors
were analysed using neural network (NN) to determine the
proportionate breakdown of the cost factors in a given construction
unit rate. NN predicted that political environment accounted 44% of
the unit rate followed by contractor capacity at 22% and financial
delays, project feasibility and overhead & profit each at 11%. Project
location, material availability and corruption perception index had
minimal impact on the unit cost from the training data provided.
Quantified cost factors can be incorporated in unit cost estimation
models (UCEM) to produce more accurate estimates. This can create
improvements in the cost estimation of infrastructure projects and
establish a benchmark standard to assist the process of alignment of
work practises and training of new staff, permitting the on-going
development of best practises in cost estimation to become more
effective.
Abstract: Carbon fiber reinforced polymersarewidely used to strengthen steel structural elements. These structural elements are normally subjected to static, dynamic and fatigue loadings during their life-time. CFRP laminate is commonly used to strengthen these structures under the subjected loads. A number of studies have focused on the characteristics of CFRP sheets bonded to steel members under static, dynamic and fatigue loadings. However, there is a gap in understanding the bonding behavior between CFRP laminates and steel members under impact loading. This paper shows the effect of high load rates on this bond. CFRP laminate CFK 150/2000 was used to strengthen steel joints using Araldite 420 epoxy. The results show that applying a high load rate significantly affects the bond strength but has little influence on the effective bond length.
Abstract: The thermal conductivity of a fluid can be
significantly enhanced by dispersing nano-sized particles in it, and
the resultant fluid is termed as "nanofluid". A theoretical model for
estimating the thermal conductivity of a nanofluid has been proposed
here. It is based on the mechanism that evenly dispersed
nanoparticles within a nanofluid undergo Brownian motion in course
of which the nanoparticles repeatedly collide with the heat source.
During each collision a rapid heat transfer occurs owing to the solidsolid
contact. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of the collision
of nanoparticles with the heat source has shown that there is a pulselike
pick up of heat by the nanoparticles within 20-100 ps, the extent
of which depends not only on thermal conductivity of the
nanoparticles, but also on the elastic and other physical properties of
the nanoparticle. After the collision the nanoparticles undergo
Brownian motion in the base fluid and release the excess heat to the
surrounding base fluid within 2-10 ms. The Brownian motion and
associated temperature variation of the nanoparticles have been
modeled by stochastic analysis. Repeated occurrence of these events
by the suspended nanoparticles significantly contributes to the
characteristic thermal conductivity of the nanofluids, which has been
estimated by the present model for a ethylene glycol based nanofluid
containing Cu-nanoparticles of size ranging from 8 to 20 nm, with
Gaussian size distribution. The prediction of the present model has
shown a reasonable agreement with the experimental data available
in literature.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to reduce patient
waiting times, improve system throughput and improve resources
utilization in radiology department. A discrete event simulation
model was developed using Arena simulation software to investigate
different alternatives to improve the overall system delivery based on
adding resource scenarios due to the linkage between patient waiting
times and resource availability. The study revealed that there is no
addition investment need to procure additional scanner but hospital
management deploy managerial tactics to enhance machine
utilization and reduce the long waiting time in the department.