Abstract: The Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) can be
generalized into a nonlinear form - kernel LDA (KLDA) expediently
by using the kernel functions. But KLDA is often referred to a general
eigenvalue problem in singular case. To avoid this complication, this
paper proposes an iterative algorithm for the two-class KLDA. The
proposed KLDA is used as a nonlinear discriminant classifier, and the
experiments show that it has a comparable performance with SVM.
Abstract: Significant changes in oil and gas drilling have
emphasized the need to verify the integrity and reliability of drill
stem components. Defects are inevitable in cast components,
regardless of application; but if these defects go undetected, any
severe defect could cause down-hole failure.
One such defect is shrinkage porosity. Castings with lower level
shrinkage porosity (CB levels 1 and 2) have scattered pores and do
not occupy large volumes; so pressure testing and helium leak testing
(HLT) are sufficient for qualifying the castings. However, castings
with shrinkage porosity of CB level 3 and higher, behave erratically
under pressure testing and HLT making these techniques insufficient
for evaluating the castings- integrity.
This paper presents a case study to highlight how the radiography
technique is much more effective than pressure testing and HLT.
Abstract: Nowadays over-consumption of fossil energy in
buildings especially in residential buildings and also considering the
increase in populations, the crisis of energy shortage in a near future
is predictable. The recent performance of developed countries in
construction with the aim of decreasing fossil energies shows that
these countries have understood the incoming crisis and has taken
reasonable and basic actions in this regard. However, Iranian
architecture, with several thousands years of history, has acquired
and executed invaluable experiences in designing, adapting and
coordinating with the nature.
Architectural studies during the recent decades show that imitating
modern western architecture results in high energy wastage beside
the fact that it not reasonably adaptable and corresponded with the
habits and customs of people unlike the architecture in the past which
was compatible and adaptable with the climatic conditions and this
necessitates optimal using of renewable energies more than ever. This
paper studies problems of design, execution and living in today's
houses and reviews the characteristics of climatic elements paying
special attention to the performance of trombe wall and solar
greenhouse in traditional houses and offers some suggestions for
combining these two elements and a climatic strategy.
Abstract: The current study describes a multi-objective optimization technique for positioning of houses in a residential neighborhood. The main task is the placement of residential houses in a favorable configuration satisfying a number of objectives. Solving the house layout problem is a challenging task. It requires an iterative approach to satisfy design requirements (e.g. energy efficiency, skyview, daylight, roads network, visual privacy, and clear access to favorite views). These design requirements vary from one project to another based on location and client preferences. In the Gulf region, the most important socio-cultural factor is the visual privacy in indoor space. Hence, most of the residential houses in this region are surrounded by high fences to provide privacy, which has a direct impact on other requirements (e.g. daylight and direction to favorite views). This investigation introduces a novel technique to optimally locate and orient residential buildings to satisfy a set of design requirements. The developed technique explores the search space for possible solutions. This study considers two dimensional house planning problems. However, it can be extended to solve three dimensional cases.
Abstract: Transportation is of great importance in the current
life of human beings. The transportation system plays many roles,
from economical development to after-catastrophe aids such as
rescue operation in the first hours and days after an earthquake. In
after earthquakes response phase, transportation system acts as a
basis for ground operations including rescue and relief operation,
food providing for victims and etc. It is obvious that partial or
complete obstruction of this system results in the stop of these
operations. Bridges are one of the most important elements of
transportation network. Failure of a bridge, in the most optimistic
case, cuts the relation between two regions and in more developed
countries, cuts the relation of numerous regions. In this paper, to
evaluate the vulnerability and estimate the damage level of Tehran
bridges, HAZUS method, developed by Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) with the aid of National Institute of
Building Science (NIBS), is used for the first time in Iran. In this
method, to evaluate the collapse probability, fragility curves are
used. Iran is located on seismic belt and thus, it is vulnerable to
earthquakes. Thus, the study of the probability of bridge collapses, as
an important part of transportation system, during earthquakes is of
great importance. The purpose of this study is to provide fragility
curves for Gisha Bridge, one of the longest steel bridges in Tehran,
as an important lifeline element. Besides, the damage probability for
this bridge during a specific earthquake, introduced as scenario
earthquakes, is calculated. The fragility curves show that for the
considered scenario, the probability of occurrence of complete
collapse for the bridge is 8.6%.
Abstract: Many algorithms are available for sorting the unordered elements. Most important of them are Bubble sort, Heap sort, Insertion sort and Shell sort. These algorithms have their own pros and cons. Shell Sort which is an enhanced version of insertion sort, reduces the number of swaps of the elements being sorted to minimize the complexity and time as compared to insertion sort. Shell sort improves the efficiency of insertion sort by quickly shifting values to their destination. Average sort time is O(n1.25), while worst-case time is O(n1.5). It performs certain iterations. In each iteration it swaps some elements of the array in such a way that in last iteration when the value of h is one, the number of swaps will be reduced. Donald L. Shell invented a formula to calculate the value of ?h?. this work focuses to identify some improvement in the conventional Shell sort algorithm. ''Enhanced Shell Sort algorithm'' is an improvement in the algorithm to calculate the value of 'h'. It has been observed that by applying this algorithm, number of swaps can be reduced up to 60 percent as compared to the existing algorithm. In some other cases this enhancement was found faster than the existing algorithms available.
Abstract: Sustainability in rural production system can only be achieved if it can suitably satisfy the local requirement as well as the outside demand with the changing time. With the increased pressure from the food sector in a globalised world, the agrarian economy
needs to re-organise its cultivable land system to be compatible with new management practices as well as the multiple needs of various stakeholders and the changing resource scenario. An attempt has been made to transform this problem into a multi-objective decisionmaking problem considering various objectives, resource constraints and conditional constraints. An interactive fuzzy multi-objective
programming approach has been used for such a purpose taking a
case study in Indian context to demonstrate the validity of the method.
Abstract: Optical emission based on excitonic scattering processes becomes important in dense exciton systems in which the average distance between excitons is of the order of a few Bohr radii but still below the exciton screening threshold. The phenomena due to interactions among excited states play significant role in the emission near band edge of the material. The theory of two-exciton collisions for GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well systems is a mild attempt to understand the physics associated with the optical spectra due to excitonic scattering processes in these novel systems. The four typical processes considered give different spectral shape, peak position and temperature dependence of the emission spectra. We have used the theory of scattering together with the second order perturbation theory to derive the radiative power spontaneously emitted at an energy ħω by these processes. The results arrived at are purely qualitative in nature. The intensity of emitted light in quantum well systems varies inversely to the square of temperature, whereas in case of bulk materials it simply decreases with the temperature.
Abstract: All the available algorithms for blind estimation namely constant modulus algorithm (CMA), Decision-Directed Algorithm (DDA/DFE) suffer from the problem of convergence to local minima. Also, if the channel drifts considerably, any DDA looses track of the channel. So, their usage is limited in varying channel conditions. The primary limitation in such cases is the requirement of certain overhead bits in the transmit framework which leads to wasteful use of the bandwidth. Also such arrangements fail to use channel state information (CSI) which is an important aid in improving the quality of reception. In this work, the main objective is to reduce the overhead imposed by the pilot symbols, which in effect reduces the system throughput. Also we formulate an arrangement based on certain dynamic Artificial Neural Network (ANN) topologies which not only contributes towards the lowering of the overhead but also facilitates the use of the CSI. A 2×2 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system is simulated and the performance variation with different channel estimation schemes are evaluated. A new semi blind approach based on dynamic ANN is proposed for channel tracking in varying channel conditions and the performance is compared with perfectly known CSI and least square (LS) based estimation.
Abstract: In this paper we present high performance
dynamically allocated multi-queue (DAMQ) buffer schemes for fault
tolerance systems on chip applications that require an interconnection
network. Two virtual channels shared the same buffer space. Fault
tolerant mechanisms for interconnection networks are becoming a
critical design issue for large massively parallel computers. It is also
important to high performance SoCs as the system complexity keeps
increasing rapidly. On the message switching layer, we make
improvement to boost system performance when there are faults
involved in the components communication. The proposed scheme is
when a node or a physical channel is deemed as faulty, the previous
hop node will terminate the buffer occupancy of messages destined
to the failed link. The buffer usage decisions are made at switching
layer without interactions with higher abstract layer, thus buffer
space will be released to messages destined to other healthy nodes
quickly. Therefore, the buffer space will be efficiently used in case
fault occurs at some nodes.
Abstract: Collective action can be an effective means for local development as well as important strategy to enhance livelihoods especially among rural people. This article explores the level of collective action among members of Fishermen-s Wives Group (KUNITA) in Malaysia. KUNITA was established by the Malaysian Fishery Development Authority (LKIM) with an objective to increase the socio-economic status of fishermen-s families. The members who are mostly the wives and daughters of fishermen are strongly encouraged by LKIM to venture into entrepreneurship activities. The objective of this research was to see the level of collective action among members in KUNITA groups in the state of Selangor. The finding shows that high level of collective action among KUNITA members is strongly based on volunteerism. However, the level of cooperation among members in the group is relatively low. The findings present significant challenges for the group in maintaining the sustainability of KUNITA organization.
Abstract: This paper constructs a four factors theoretical model of Chinese small and medium enterprises based on the “cartoon characters- reputation - enterprise marketing and management capabilities – protection of the cartoon image - institutional environment" by literature research, case studies and investigation. The empirical study show that the greatest impact on current merchandising rights income is the institutional environment friendliness, followed by marketing and management capabilities, input of character image protection and Cartoon characters- reputation through the real-time grey relational analysis, and the greatest impact on post-merchandising rights profit is Cartoon characters reputation, followed by the institutional environment friendliness, then marketing and management ability and input of character image protection through the time-delay grey relational analysis.
Abstract: The geometric errors in the manufacturing process can
be reduced by optimal positioning of the fixture elements in the
fixture to make the workpiece stiff. We propose a new fixture layout
optimization method N-3-2-1 for large metal sheets in this paper that
combines the genetic algorithm and finite element analysis. The
objective function in this method is to minimize the sum of the nodal
deflection normal to the surface of the workpiece. Two different
kinds of case studies are presented, and optimal position of the
fixturing element is obtained for different cases.
Abstract: This paper aims at a new challenge of customer
satisfaction on mobile customer relationship management. In this
paper presents a conceptualization of mCRM on its unique
characteristics of customer satisfaction. Also, this paper develops an
empirical framework in conception of customer satisfaction in
mCRM. A single-case study is applied as the methodology. In order to
gain an overall view of the empirical case, this paper accesses to
invisible and important information of company in this investigation.
Interview is the key data source form the main informants of the
company through which the issues are identified and the proposed
framework is built. It supports the development of customer
satisfaction in mCRM; links this theoretical framework into practice;
and provides the direction for future research. Therefore, this paper is
very useful for the industries as it helps them to understand how
customer satisfaction changes the mCRM structure and increase the
business competitive advantage. Finally, this paper provides a
contribution in practice by linking a theoretical framework in
conception of customer satisfaction in mCRM for companies to a
practical real case.
Abstract: Vernacular building is considered as sustainable in
energy consumption and environment and its thermal performance is
more and more concerned by researchers. This paper investigates the
thermal property of the vernacular building in Lhasa by theoretical
analysis on the aspects of building form, envelope and materials etc.
The values of thermal resistance and thermal capacity of the envelope
are calculated and compared with the current China building code and
modern building case. And it is concluded that Lhasa vernacular
building meets the current China building code of thermal standards
and have better performance in some aspects, which is achieved by
various passive means with close response to local climate conditions.
Abstract: This paper shows the results of empirical research. It
presents experiences of Polish companies from the Podkarpackie
voivodeship connected with implementing EMS according to the
requirements of the ISO 14001 international standard. The incentives
to introduce and certify organizational eco-innovation, which formal
EMSs are treated as, are presented in this paper.
Abstract: A novel concept to balance and tradeoff between
make-to-stock and make-to-order has been hybrid MTS/MTO production context. One of the most important decisions involved in
the hybrid MTS/MTO environment is determining whether a product
is manufactured to stock, to order, or hybrid MTS/MTO strategy. In this paper, a model based on analytic network process is developed to tackle the addressed decision. Since the regarded decision deals with
the uncertainty and ambiguity of data as well as experts- and
managers- linguistic judgments, the proposed model is equipped with
fuzzy sets theory. An important attribute of the model is its generality due to diverse decision factors which are elicited from the
literature and developed by the authors. Finally, the model is validated by applying to a real case study to reveal how the proposed
model can actually be implemented.
Abstract: Among all geo-hydrological relationships, rainfallrunoff
relationship is of utmost importance in any hydrological
investigation and water resource planning. Spatial variation, lag time
involved in obtaining areal estimates for the basin as a whole can
affect the parameterization in design stage as well as in planning
stage. In conventional hydrological processing of data, spatial aspect
is either ignored or interpolated at sub-basin level. Temporal
variation when analysed for different stages can provide clues for its
spatial effectiveness. The interplay of space-time variation at pixel
level can provide better understanding of basin parameters.
Sustenance of design structures for different return periods and their
spatial auto-correlations should be studied at different geographical
scales for better management and planning of water resources.
In order to understand the relative effect of spatio-temporal
variation in hydrological data network, a detailed geo-hydrological
analysis of Betwa river catchment falling in Lower Yamuna Basin is
presented in this paper. Moreover, the exact estimates about the
availability of water in the Betwa river catchment, especially in the
wake of recent Betwa-Ken linkage project, need thorough scientific
investigation for better planning. Therefore, an attempt in this
direction is made here to analyse the existing hydrological and
meteorological data with the help of SPSS, GIS and MS-EXCEL
software. A comparison of spatial and temporal correlations at subcatchment
level in case of upper Betwa reaches has been made to
demonstrate the representativeness of rain gauges. First, flows at
different locations are used to derive correlation and regression
coefficients. Then, long-term normal water yield estimates based on
pixel-wise regression coefficients of rainfall-runoff relationship have
been mapped. The areal values obtained from these maps can
definitely improve upon estimates based on point-based
extrapolations or areal interpolations.
Abstract: The article examines an opportunity of corruption
restriction exercised by international business community in Russia.
Integration of Russian economy into the international business does
not reduce corruption inside the country. Foreign actors investing in
Russia under the condition of obtaining their required rates of returns
will be reluctant to harm their investments by involving into anticorruption
activities. Furthermore, many Russian firms- competitive
advantage could be directly related to their corruption connections. In
this case, foreign investments would only accentuate corrupt
companies- success by supporting them financially
Abstract: Ants are fascinating creatures that demonstrate the
ability to find food and bring it back to their nest. Their ability as a
colony, to find paths to food sources has inspired the development of
algorithms known as Ant Colony Systems (ACS). The principle of
cooperation forms the backbone of such algorithms, commonly used
to find solutions to problems such as the Traveling Salesman
Problem (TSP). Ants communicate to each other through chemical
substances called pheromones. Modeling individual ants- ability to
manipulate this substance can help an ACS find the best solution.
This paper introduces a Dynamic Ant Colony System with threelevel
updates (DACS3) that enhance an existing ACS. Experiments
were conducted to observe single ant behavior in a colony of
Malaysian House Red Ants. Such behavior was incorporated into the
DACS3 algorithm. We benchmark the performance of DACS3 versus
DACS on TSP instances ranging from 14 to 100 cities. The result
shows that the DACS3 algorithm can achieve shorter distance in
most cases and also performs considerably faster than DACS.