Abstract: The seismic risk mitigation from the perspective of
the old buildings stock is truly essential in Algerian urban areas,
particularly those located in seismic prone regions, such as Annaba
city, and which the old buildings present high levels of degradation
associated with no seismic strengthening and/or rehabilitation
concerns. In this sense, the present paper approaches the issue of the
seismic vulnerability assessment of old masonry building stocks
through the adaptation of a simplified methodology developed for a
European context area similar to that of Annaba city, Algeria.
Therefore, this method is used for the first level of seismic
vulnerability assessment of the masonry buildings stock of the old
city center of Annaba. This methodology is based on a vulnerability
index that is suitable for the evaluation of damage and for the
creation of large-scale loss scenarios. Over 380 buildings were
evaluated in accordance with the referred methodology and the
results obtained were then integrated into a Geographical Information
System (GIS) tool. Such results can be used by the Annaba city
council for supporting management decisions, based on a global view
of the site under analysis, which led to more accurate and faster
decisions for the risk mitigation strategies and rehabilitation plans.
Abstract: Pt/γ-Al2O3 membrane catalysts were prepared via an
evaporative-crystallization deposition method. The obtained Pt/γ-
Al2O3 catalyst activity was tested after characterization (SEM-EDAX
observation, BET measurement, permeability assessment) in the
catalytic oxidation of selected volatile organic compound (VOC) i.e.
propane, fed in mixture of oxygen. The VOC conversion (nearly
90%) obtained by varying the operating temperature showed that
flow-through membrane reactor might do better in the abatement of
VOCs.
Abstract: This study investigates the use of a time-series of
MODIS NDVI data to identify agricultural land cover change on an
annual time step (2007 - 2012) and characterize the trend. Following
an ISODATA classification of the MODIS imagery to selectively
mask areas not agriculture or semi-natural, NDVI signatures were
created to identify areas cereals and vineyards with the aid of
ancillary, pictometry and field sample data for 2010. The NDVI
signature curve and training samples were used to create a decision
tree model in WEKA 3.6.9 using decision tree classifier (J48)
algorithm; Model 1 including ISODATA classification and Model 2
not. These two models were then used to classify all data for the
study area for 2010, producing land cover maps with classification
accuracies of 77% and 80% for Model 1 and 2 respectively. Model 2
was subsequently used to create land cover classification and change
detection maps for all other years. Subtle changes and areas of
consistency (unchanged) were observed in the agricultural classes
and crop practices. Over the years as predicted by the land cover
classification. Forty one percent of the catchment comprised of
cereals with 35% possibly following a crop rotation system.
Vineyards largely remained constant with only one percent
conversion to vineyard from other land cover classes.
Abstract: The present paper presents the discussion of scholars
concerning speech impact, peculiarities of its realization, speech
strategies and techniques in particular. Departing from the viewpoints
of many prominent linguists, the paper suggests that manipulative
argumentation be viewed as a most pervasive speech strategy with a
certain set of techniques which are to be found in modern American
political discourse. The precedence of their occurrence allows us to
regard them as pragmatic patterns of speech impact realization in
effective public speaking.
Abstract: Agro-industry is one of major industries that have
strong impacts on national economic incomes, growth, stability, and
sustainable development. Moreover, this industry also has strong
influences on social, cultural and political issues. Furthermore, this
industry, as producing primary and secondary products, is facing
challenges from such diverse factors such as demand inconsistency,
intense international competition, technological advancements and
new competitors. In order to maintain and to improve industry’s
competitiveness in both domestics and international markets, science
and technology are key factors. Besides hard sciences and
technologies, modern industrial engineering concepts such as Just in
Time (JIT) Total Quality Management (TQM), Quick Response
(QR), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Lean can be very
effective to support to increase efficiency and effectiveness of these
agricultural products on world stage. Onion is one of Thailand’s
major export products which bring back national incomes. But, it is
also facing challenges in many ways. This paper focused its interests
in onion packing process and its related activities such as storage and
shipment from one of major packing plant and storage in Mae Wang
District, Chiang Mai, Thailand, by applying Toyota Production
System (TPS) or Lean concepts, to improve process capability
throughout the entire packing and distribution process which will be
profitable for the whole onion supply chain. And it will be beneficial
to other related agricultural products in Thailand and other ASEAN
countries.
Abstract: The structures obtained with the use of sandwich
technologies combine low weight with high energy absorbing
capacity and load carrying capacity. Hence, there is a growing and
markedly interest in the use of sandwiches with aluminum foam core
because of very good properties such as flexural rigidity and energy
absorption capability. In the current investigation, the static threepoint
bending tests were carried out on the sandwiches with
aluminum foam core and glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP)
skins at different values of support span distances aiming the analyses
of their flexural performance. The influence of the core thickness and
the GFRP skin type was reported in terms of peak load and energy
absorption capacity. For this purpose, the skins with two different
types of fabrics which have same thickness value and the aluminum
foam core with two different thicknesses were bonded with a
commercial polyurethane based flexible adhesive in order to combine
the composite sandwich panels. The main results of the bending tests
are: force-displacement curves, peak force values, absorbed energy,
collapse mechanisms and the effect of the support span length and
core thickness. The results of the experimental study showed that the
sandwich with the skins made of S-Glass Woven fabrics and with the
thicker foam core presented higher mechanical values such as load
carrying and energy absorption capacities. The increment of the
support span distance generated the decrease of the mechanical
values for each type of panels, as expected, because of the inverse
proportion between the force and span length. The most common
failure types of the sandwiches are debonding of the lower skin and
the core shear. The obtained results have particular importance for
applications that require lightweight structures with a high capacity
of energy dissipation, such as the transport industry (automotive,
aerospace, shipbuilding and marine industry), where the problems of
collision and crash have increased in the last years.
Abstract: The potential neuroprotective effect of Phyllantus
nuriri against Fe2+ and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) induced oxidative
stress in mitochondria of rats brain was evaluated. Cellular viability
was assessed by MTT reduction, reactive oxygen species (ROS)
generation was measured using the probe 2,7-dichlorofluoresce
indiacetate (DCFH-DA). Glutathione content was measured using
dithionitrobenzoic acid (DTNB). Fe2+ (10μM) and SNP (5μM)
significantly decreased mitochondrial activity, assessed by MTT
reduction assay, in a dose-dependent manner, this occurred in parallel
with increased glutathione oxidation, ROS production and lipid
peroxidation end-products (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances,
TBARS). The co-incubation with methanolic extract of Phyllantus
nuriri (10-200 μg/ml) reduced the disruption of mitochondrial
activity, gluthathione oxidation, ROS production as well as the
increase in TBARS levels caused by both Fe2+ and SNP in a dose
dependent manner. HPLC analysis of the extract revealed the
presence of gallic acid (20.540.01), caffeic acid (7.930.02), rutin
(25.310.05), quercetin (31.280.03) and kaemferol (14.360.01).
This result suggests that these phytochemicals account for the
protective actions of P. niruri against Fe2+ and SNP -induced
oxidative stress. Our results show that P. nuriri consist important
bioactive molecules in the search for an improved therapy against the
deleterious effects of Fe2+, an intrinsic producer of reactive oxygen
species (ROS), that leads to neuronal oxidative stress and
neurodegeneration.
Abstract: One of the main challenges in using the Discrete
Element Method (DEM) is to specify the correct input parameter
values. In general, the models are sensitive to the input parameter
values and accurate results can only be achieved if the correct values
are specified. For the linear contact model, micro-parameters such as
the particle density, stiffness, coefficient of friction, as well as the
particle size and shape distributions are required. There is a need for
a procedure to accurately calibrate these parameters before any
attempt can be made to accurately model a complete bulk materials
handling system. Since DEM is often used to model applications in
the mining and quarrying industries, a calibration procedure was
developed for materials that consist of relatively large (up to 40 mm
in size) particles. A coarse crushed aggregate was used as the test
material. Using a specially designed large shear box with a diameter
of 590 mm, the confined Young’s modulus (bulk stiffness) and
internal friction angle of the material were measured by means of the
confined compression test and the direct shear test respectively. DEM
models of the experimental setup were developed and the input
parameter values were varied iteratively until a close correlation
between the experimental and numerical results was achieved. The
calibration process was validated by modelling the pull-out of an
anchor from a bed of material. The model results compared well with
experimental measurement.
Abstract: Icons, or pictorial and graphical objects, are
commonly used in human-computer interaction (HCI) fields as the
mediator in order to communicate information to users. Yet there has
been little studies focusing on a majority of the world’s population –
semi-literate communities – in terms of the fundamental knowhow
for designing icons for such population. In this study, two sets of
icons belonging in different icon taxonomy – abstract and concrete –
are designed for a mobile application for semi-literate agricultural
communities. In this paper, we propose a triadic relationship of an
icon, namely meaning, task and mental image, which inherits the
triadic relationship of a sign. User testing with the application and a
post-pilot questionnaire are conducted as the experimental approach
in two rural villages in India. Icons belonging to concrete taxonomy
perform better than abstract icons on the premise that the design of
the icon fulfills the underlying rules of the proposed triadic
relationship.
Abstract: An experimental and analytical research on shear
buckling of a comparably large polymer composite I-section is
presented. It is known that shear buckling load of a large span
composite beam is difficult to determine experimentally. In order to
sensitively detect shear buckling of the tested I-section, twenty strain
rosettes and eight displacement sensors were applied and attached on
the web and flange surfaces. The tested specimen was a pultruded
composite beam made of vinylester resin, E-glass, carbon fibers and
micro-fillers. Various coupon tests were performed before the shear
buckling test to obtain fundamental material properties of the Isection.
An asymmetric four-point bending loading scheme was
utilized for the shear test. The loading scheme resulted in a high shear
and almost zero moment condition at the center of the web panel. The
shear buckling load was successfully determined after analyzing the
obtained test data from strain rosettes and displacement sensors. An
analytical approach was also performed to verify the experimental
results and to support the discussed experimental program.
Abstract: In this paper, an analytical simplified method for
calculating elasto-plastic stresses strains of notched bodies subject to
non-proportional loading paths is discussed. The method was based
on the Neuber notch correction, which relates the incremental elastic
and elastic-plastic strain energy densities at the notch root and the
material constitutive relationship. The validity of the method was
presented by comparing computed results of the proposed model
against finite element numerical data of notched shaft. The
comparison showed that the model estimated notch-root elasto-plastic
stresses strains with good accuracy using linear-elastic stresses. The
prosed model provides more efficient and simple analysis method
preferable to expensive experimental component tests and more
complex and time consuming incremental non-linear FE analysis.
The model is particularly suitable to perform fatigue life and fatigue
damage estimates of notched components subjected to nonproportional
loading paths.
Abstract: In today’s rapidly changing and increasingly complex
environment, organizations have relied on their members’ positive
attitude toward their employers. In particular, employees’
organizational commitment (primarily, the affective component) has
been recognized as an essential component of organizational
functioning and success. Hence, identifying the determinants of
affective commitment is one of the most important research issues.
This study tested the influence of leader-member exchange (LMX)
and exchange ideology on employee’s affective commitment. In
addition, the interactive effect of LMX and exchange ideology was
examined. Data from 198 members of the Korean military supports
each of the hypotheses. Lastly, implications for research and directions
for future research are discussed.
Abstract: During the post-Civil War era, the city of Nashville,
Tennessee, had the highest mortality rate in the United States. The
elevated death and disease rates among former slaves were
attributable to lack of quality healthcare. To address the paucity of
healthcare services, Meharry Medical College, an institution with the
mission of educating minority professionals and serving the
underserved population, was established in 1876.
Purpose: The social ecological framework and partial least squares
(PLS) path modeling were used to quantify the impact of
socioeconomic status and adverse health outcome on primary care
professionals serving the disadvantaged community. Thus, the study
results could demonstrate the accomplishment of the College’s
mission of training primary care professionals to serve in underserved
areas.
Methods: Various statistical methods were used to analyze alumni
data from 1975 – 2013. K-means cluster analysis was utilized to
identify individual medical and dental graduates in the cluster groups
of the practice communities (Disadvantaged or Non-disadvantaged
Communities). Discriminant analysis was implemented to verify the
classification accuracy of cluster analysis. The independent t-test was
performed to detect the significant mean differences of respective
clustering and criterion variables. Chi-square test was used to test if
the proportions of primary care and non-primary care specialists are
consistent with those of medical and dental graduates practicing in
the designated community clusters. Finally, the PLS path model was
constructed to explore the construct validity of analytic model by
providing the magnitude effects of socioeconomic status and adverse
health outcome on primary care professionals serving the
disadvantaged community.
Results: Approximately 83% (3,192/3,864) of Meharry Medical
College’s medical and dental graduates from 1975 to 2013 were
practicing in disadvantaged communities. Independent t-test confirmed the content validity of the cluster analysis model. Also, the
PLS path modeling demonstrated that alumni served as primary care
professionals in communities with significantly lower socioeconomic
status and higher adverse health outcome (p < .001). The PLS path
modeling exhibited the meaningful interrelation between primary
care professionals practicing communities and surrounding
environments (socioeconomic statues and adverse health outcome),
which yielded model reliability, validity, and applicability.
Conclusion: This study applied social ecological theory and
analytic modeling approaches to assess the attainment of Meharry
Medical College’s mission of training primary care professionals to
serve in underserved areas, particularly in communities with low
socioeconomic status and high rates of adverse health outcomes. In
summary, the majority of medical and dental graduates from Meharry
Medical College provided primary care services to disadvantaged
communities with low socioeconomic status and high adverse health
outcome, which demonstrated that Meharry Medical College has
fulfilled its mission. The high reliability, validity, and applicability of
this model imply that it could be replicated for comparable
universities and colleges elsewhere.
Abstract: Introduction: There are multiple social, individual and
cultural factors that influence an individual’s decision to adopt family
planning methods especially among non-users in patriarchal societies
like Pakistan. Non-users, if targeted efficiently, can contribute
significantly to country’s CPR. A research study showed that nonusers
if convinced to adopt lactational amenorrhea method can shift
to long term methods in future. Research shows that if non users are
targeted efficiently a 59% reduction in unintended pregnancies in
Saharan Africa and South-Central and South-East Asia is anticipated.
Methods: We did secondary data analysis on Pakistan
Demographic Heath Survey (2012-13) dataset. Use of contraception
(never-use/ever-use) was the outcome variable. At univariate level
Chi-square/Fisher Exact test was used to assess relationship of
baseline covariates with contraception use. Then variables to be
incorporated in the model were checked for multicollinearity,
confounding and interaction. Then binary logistic regression (with an
urban-rural stratification) was done to find relationship between
contraception use and baseline demographic and social variables.
Results: The multivariate analyses of the study showed that
younger women (≤ 29 years)were more prone to be never users as
compared to those who were >30 years and this trend was seen in
urban areas (AOR 1.92, CI 1.453-2.536) as well as rural areas (AOR
1.809, CI 1.421-2.303). While looking at regional variation, women
from urban Sindh (AOR 1.548, CI 1.142-2.099) and urban
Balochistan (AOR 2.403, CI 1.504-3.839) had more never users as
compared to other urban regions. Women in the rich wealth quintile
were more never users and this was seen both in urban and rural
localities (urban (AOR 1.106 CI .753-1.624); rural areas (AOR 1.162,
CI .887-1.524)) even though these were not statistically significant.
Women idealizing more children (>4) are more never users as
compared to those idealizing less children in both urban (AOR 1.854,
CI 1.275-2.697) and rural areas (AOR 2.101, CI 1.514-2.916).
Women who never lost a pregnancy were more inclined to be nonusers
in rural areas (AOR 1.394, CI 1.127-1.723) .Women familiar
with only traditional or no method had more never users in rural areas
(AOR 1.717, CI 1.127-1.723) but in urban areas it wasn’t significant.
Women unaware of Lady Health Worker’s presence in their area
were more never users especially in rural areas (AOR 1.276, CI
1.014-1.607). Women who did not visit any care provider were more
never users (urban (AOR 11.738, CI 9.112-15.121) rural areas (AOR
7.832, CI 6.243-9.826)).
Discussion/Conclusion: This study concluded that government,
policy makers and private sector family planning programs should
focus on the untapped pool of never users (younger women from underserved provinces, in higher wealth quintiles, who desire more
children.). We need to make sure to cover catchment areas where
there are less LHWs and less providers as ignorance to modern
methods and never been visited by an LHW are important
determinants of never use. This all is in sync with previous literate
from similar developing countries.
Abstract: This work sets out to debate the tensions involved in
the processes of contamination and self-purification in the urban
space, particularly in the streams that run through the Buenos Aires
metropolitan area. For much of their course, those streams are piped;
their waters do not come into contact with the outdoors until they
have reached deeply impoverished urban areas with high levels of
environmental contamination. These are peripheral zones that, until
thirty years ago, were marshlands and fields. They are now densely
populated areas largely lacking in urban infrastructure.
The Cárcova neighborhood, where this project is underway, is in
the José León Suárez section of General San Martín county, Buenos
Aires province. A stretch of José León Suarez canal crosses the
neighborhood. Starting upstream, this canal carries pollutants due to
the sewage and industrial waste released into it. Further downstream,
in the neighborhood, domestic drainage is poured into the stream. In
this paper, we formulate a hypothesis diametrical to the one that
holds that these neighborhoods are the primary source of
contamination, suggesting instead that in the stretch of the canal that
runs through the neighborhood the stream’s waters are actually
cleaned and the sediments accumulate pollutants. Indeed, the
stretches of water that runs through these neighborhoods act as water
processing plants for the metropolis.
This project has studied the different organic-load polluting
contributions to the water in a certain stretch of the canal, the
reduction of that load over the course of the canal, and the
incorporation of pollutants into the sediments. We have found that
the surface water has considerable ability to self-purify, mostly due to
processes of sedimentation and adsorption. The polluting load is
accumulated in the sediments where that load stabilizes slowly by
means of anaerobic processes. In this study, we also investigated the
risks of sediment management and the use of the processes studied
here in controlled conditions as tools of environmental restoration.
Abstract: Public-private partnerships (PPP) arrangements have
been extensively used in Canada, where the participation of private
companies in financing and managing infrastructure projects has
increased significantly in the last decade, particularly in the
transportation sector. This paper analyses the evolution of the PPP
market for transportation projects in Canada and examines the
participation of Spanish developers in this market, which have been
particularly successful in winning PPP contracts during the last
decade.
Abstract: This paper shows in detail the mathematical model of
direct and inverse kinematics for a robot manipulator (welding type)
with four degrees of freedom. Using the D-H parameters, screw
theory, numerical, geometric and interpolation methods, the
theoretical and practical values of the position of robot were
determined using an optimized algorithm for inverse kinematics
obtaining the values of the particular joints in order to determine the
virtual paths in a relatively short time.
Abstract: The largest share of policy and money within the
European Union goes to agriculture. The Union’s Common
Agricultural Policy has undergone several transformations in the last
five decades, with the main change taking place in the 1990s. This
change influenced agriculture in the Czech Republic, inasmuch as the
fledgling republic was preparing to join the European Union and
adopt its policies. In the 1990s, Czech agriculture passed from
a centrally planned economy to a market economy and subsequently
adopted the terms of the Common Agricultural Policy. The Czech
Republic is also characterized by a significant diversification of
landscape sphere. Agricultural entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic
are still not accustomed to the possibility of grants from the European
Union. They focus rather on national or regional subsidies. Only half
of all agricultural entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic use European
subsidies. This article focuses on the introduction of the Common
Agricultural Policy to the Czech Republic and its subsequent
influence on Czech agriculture. It is demonstrated through the
implementation rate of the CAP in the EU Member States and
a closer focus on Czech integration.
Abstract: Image compression based on fractal coding is a lossy
compression method and normally used for gray level images range
and domain blocks in rectangular shape. Fractal based digital image
compression technique provide a large compression ratio and in this
paper, it is proposed using YUV colour space and the fractal theory
which is based on iterated transformation. Fractal geometry is mainly
applied in the current study towards colour image compression
coding. These colour images possesses correlations among the colour
components and hence high compression ratio can be achieved by
exploiting all these redundancies. The proposed method utilises the
self-similarity in the colour image as well as the cross-correlations
between them. Experimental results show that the greater
compression ratio can be achieved with large domain blocks but more
trade off in image quality is good to acceptable at less than 1 bit per
pixel.
Abstract: Behavioral aspects of experience such as will power
are rarely subjected to quantitative study owing to the numerous
complexities involved. Will is a phenomenon that has puzzled
humanity for a long time. It is a belief that will power of an individual
affects the success achieved by them in life. It is also thought that a
person endowed with great will power can overcome even the most
crippling setbacks in life while a person with a weak will cannot make
the most of life even the greatest assets. This study is an attempt
to subject the phenomena of will to the test of an artificial neural
network through a computational model. The claim being tested is
that will power of an individual largely determines success achieved
in life. It is proposed that data pertaining to success of individuals
be obtained from an experiment and the phenomenon of will be
incorporated into the model, through data generated recursively using
a relation between will and success characteristic to the model.
An artificial neural network trained using part of the data, could
subsequently be used to make predictions regarding data points in
the rest of the model. The procedure would be tried for different
models and the model where the networks predictions are found to
be in greatest agreement with the data would be selected; and used
for studying the relation between success and will.