Abstract: This study created new graphical icons and operating
functions in a CAD/CAM software system by analyzing icons in some
of the popular systems, such as AutoCAD, AlphaCAM, Mastercam
and the 1st edition of LiteCAM. These software systems all focused on
geometric design and editing, thus how to transmit messages
intuitively from icon itself to users is an important function of
graphical icons. The primary purpose of this study is to design
innovative icons and commands for new software.
This study employed the TRIZ method, an innovative design
method, to generate new concepts systematically. Through literature
review, it then investigated and analyzed the relationship between
TRIZ and idea development. Contradiction Matrix and 40 Principles
were used to develop an assisting tool suitable for icon design in
software development. We first gathered icon samples from the
selected CAD/CAM systems. Then grouped these icons by
meaningful functions, and compared useful and harmful properties.
Finally, we developed new icons for new software systems in order to
avoid intellectual property problem.
Abstract: Drying characteristics of rough rice (variety of lenjan) with an initial moisture content of 25% dry basis (db) was studied in a hot air dryer assisted by infrared heating. Three arrival air temperatures (30, 40 and 500C) and four infrared radiation intensities (0, 0.2 , 0.4 and 0.6 W/cm2) and three arrival air speeds (0.1, 0.15 and 0.2 m.s-1) were studied. Bending strength of brown rice kernel, percentage of cracked kernels and time of drying were measured and evaluated. The results showed that increasing the drying arrival air temperature and radiation intensity of infrared resulted decrease in drying time. High bending strength and low percentage of cracked kernel was obtained when paddy was dried by hot air assisted infrared dryer. Between this factors and their interactive effect were a significant difference (p
Abstract: Directional over current relays (DOCR) are commonly used in power system protection as a primary protection in distribution and sub-transmission electrical systems and as a secondary protection in transmission systems. Coordination of protective relays is necessary to obtain selective tripping. In this paper, an approach for efficiency reduction of DOCRs nonlinear optimum coordination (OC) is proposed. This was achieved by modifying the objective function and relaxing several constraints depending on the four constraints classification, non-valid, redundant, pre-obtained and valid constraints. According to this classification, the far end fault effect on the objective function and constraints, and in consequently on relay operating time, was studied. The study was carried out, firstly by taking into account the near-end and far-end faults in DOCRs coordination problem formulation; and then faults very close to the primary relays (nearend faults). The optimal coordination (OC) was achieved by simultaneously optimizing all variables (TDS and Ip) in nonlinear environment by using of Genetic algorithm nonlinear programming techniques. The results application of the above two approaches on 6-bus and 26-bus system verify that the far-end faults consideration on OC problem formulation don-t lose the optimality.
Abstract: Apart from geometry, functionality is one of the most
significant hallmarks of a product. The functionality of a product can
be considered as the fundamental justification for a product
existence. Therefore a functional analysis including a complete and
reliable descriptor has a high potential to improve product
development process in various fields especially in knowledge-based
design. One of the important applications of the functional analysis
and indexing is in retrieval and design reuse concept. More than 75%
of design activity for a new product development contains reusing
earlier and existing design know-how. Thus, analysis and
categorization of product functions concluded by functional
indexing, influences directly in design optimization. This paper
elucidates and evaluates major classes for functional analysis by
discussing their major methods. Moreover it is finalized by
presenting a noble hybrid approach for functional analysis.
Abstract: During more than a decade, many proposals and standards have been designed to deal with the mobility issues; however, there are still some serious limitations in basing solutions on them. In this paper we discuss the possibility of handling mobility at the application layer. We do this while revisiting the conventional implementation of the Two Phase Commit (2PC) protocol which is a fundamental asset of transactional technology for ensuring the consistent commitment of distributed transactions. The solution is based on an execution framework providing an efficient extension that is aware of the mobility and preserves the 2PC principle.
Abstract: In this paper, we first introduce the model of games on augmenting systems with a coalition structure, which can be seen as an extension of games on augmenting systems. The core of games on augmenting systems with a coalition structure is defined, and an equivalent form is discussed. Meantime, the Shapley function for this type of games is given, and two axiomatic systems of the given Shapley function are researched. When the given games are quasi convex, the relationship between the core and the Shapley function is discussed, which does coincide as in classical case. Finally, a numerical example is given.
Abstract: Most high-performance ac drives utilize a current
controller. The controller switches a voltage source inverter (VSI)
such that the motor current follows a set of reference current
waveforms. Fixed-band hysteresis (FBH) current control has been
widely used for the PWM inverter. We want to apply the same
controller for the PWM AC chopper. The aims of the controller is to
optimize the harmonic content at both input and output sides, while
maintaining acceptable losses in the ac chopper and to control in
wide range the fundamental output voltage. Fixed band controller has
been simulated and analyzed for a single-phase AC chopper and are
easily extended to three-phase systems. Simulation confirmed the
advantages and the excellent performance of the modulation method
applied for the AC chopper.
Abstract: The remediation of water resources pollution in
developing countries requires the application of alternative
sustainable cheaper and efficient end-of-pipe wastewater treatment
technologies. The feasibility of use of South African cheap and
abundant pine tree (Pinus patula) sawdust for development of lowcost
AC of comparable quality to expensive commercial ACs in the
abatement of water pollution was investigated. AC was developed at
optimized two-stage N2-superheated steam activation conditions in a
fixed bed reactor, and characterized for proximate and ultimate
properties, N2-BET surface area, pore size distribution, SEM, pHPZC
and FTIR. The sawdust pyrolysis activation energy was evaluated by
TGA. Results indicated that the chars prepared at 800oC and 2hrs
were suitable for development of better quality AC at 800oC and 47%
burn-off having BET surface area (1086m2/g), micropore volume
(0.26cm3/g), and mesopore volume (0.43cm3/g) comparable to
expensive commercial ACs, and suitable for water contaminants
removal. The developed AC showed basic surface functionality at
pHPZC at 10.3, and a phenol adsorption capacity that was higher than
that of commercial Norit (RO 0.8) AC. Thus, it is feasible to develop
better quality low-cost AC from (Pinus patula) sawdust using twostage
N2-steam activation in fixed-bed reactor.
Abstract: Equilibrium and stability equations of a thin rectangular plate with length a, width b, and thickness h(x)=C1x+C2, made of functionally graded materials under thermal loads are derived based on the first order shear deformation theory. It is assumed that the material properties vary as a power form of thickness coordinate variable z. The derived equilibrium and buckling equations are then solved analytically for a plate with simply supported boundary conditions. One type of thermal loading, uniform temperature rise and gradient through the thickness are considered, and the buckling temperatures are derived. The influences of the plate aspect ratio, the relative thickness, the gradient index and the transverse shear on buckling temperature difference are all discussed.
Abstract: A new method for color image segmentation using fuzzy logic is proposed in this paper. Our aim here is to automatically produce a fuzzy system for color classification and image segmentation with least number of rules and minimum error rate. Particle swarm optimization is a sub class of evolutionary algorithms that has been inspired from social behavior of fishes, bees, birds, etc, that live together in colonies. We use comprehensive learning particle swarm optimization (CLPSO) technique to find optimal fuzzy rules and membership functions because it discourages premature convergence. Here each particle of the swarm codes a set of fuzzy rules. During evolution, a population member tries to maximize a fitness criterion which is here high classification rate and small number of rules. Finally, particle with the highest fitness value is selected as the best set of fuzzy rules for image segmentation. Our results, using this method for soccer field image segmentation in Robocop contests shows 89% performance. Less computational load is needed when using this method compared with other methods like ANFIS, because it generates a smaller number of fuzzy rules. Large train dataset and its variety, makes the proposed method invariant to illumination noise
Abstract: The belief decision tree (BDT) approach is a decision
tree in an uncertain environment where the uncertainty is represented
through the Transferable Belief Model (TBM), one interpretation
of the belief function theory. The uncertainty can appear either in
the actual class of training objects or attribute values of objects to
classify. In this paper, we develop a post-pruning method of belief
decision trees in order to reduce size and improve classification
accuracy on unseen cases. The pruning of decision tree has a
considerable intention in the areas of machine learning.
Abstract: A neurofuzzy approach for a given set of input-output training data is proposed in two phases. Firstly, the data set is partitioned automatically into a set of clusters. Then a fuzzy if-then rule is extracted from each cluster to form a fuzzy rule base. Secondly, a fuzzy neural network is constructed accordingly and parameters are tuned to increase the precision of the fuzzy rule base. This network is able to learn and optimize the rule base of a Sugeno like Fuzzy inference system using Hybrid learning algorithm, which combines gradient descent, and least mean square algorithm. This proposed neurofuzzy system has the advantage of determining the number of rules automatically and also reduce the number of rules, decrease computational time, learns faster and consumes less memory. The authors also investigate that how neurofuzzy techniques can be applied in the area of control theory to design a fuzzy controller for linear and nonlinear dynamic systems modelling from a set of input/output data. The simulation analysis on a wide range of processes, to identify nonlinear components on-linely in a control system and a benchmark problem involving the prediction of a chaotic time series is carried out. Furthermore, the well-known examples of linear and nonlinear systems are also simulated under the Matlab/Simulink environment. The above combination is also illustrated in modeling the relationship between automobile trips and demographic factors.
Abstract: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex
metabolic disorder that characterized by the presence of high glucose
in blood that cause from insulin resistance and insufficiency due to
deterioration β-cell Langerhans functions. T2DM is commonly
caused by the combination of inherited genetic variations as well as
our own lifestyle. Metallothionein (MT) is a known cysteine-rich
protein responsible in helping zinc homeostasis which is important in
insulin signaling and secretion as well as protection our body from
reactive oxygen species (ROS). MT scavenged ROS and free
radicals in our body happen to be one of the reasons of T2DM and its
complications. The objective of this study was to investigate the
association of MT1A and MT2A polymorphisms between T2DM and
control subjects among Malay populations. This study involved 150
T2DM and 120 Healthy individuals of Malay ethnic with mixed
genders. The genomic DNA was extracted from buccal cells and
amplified for MT1A and MT2A loci; the 347bp and 238bp banding
patterns were respectively produced by mean of the Polymerase
Chain Reaction (PCR). The PCR products were digested with Mlucl
and Tsp451 restriction enzymes respectively and producing
fragments lengths of (158/189/347bp) and (103/135/238bp)
respectively. The ANOVA test was conducted and it shown that there
was a significant difference between diabetic and control subjects for
age, BMI, WHR, SBP, FPG, HBA1C, LDL, TG, TC and family
history with (P0.05). The genotype
frequency for AA, AG and GG of MT1A polymorphisms was 72.7%,
22.7% and 4.7% in cases and 15%, 55% and 30% in control
respectively. As for MT2A, genotype frequency of GG, GC and CC
was 42.7%, 27.3% and 30% in case and 5%, 40% and 55% for
control respectively. Both polymorphisms show significant difference
between two investigated groups with (P=0.000). The Post hoc test
was conducted and shows a significant difference between the
genotypes within each polymorphism (P=0. 000). The MT1A and
MT2A polymorphisms were believed to be the reliable molecular
markers to distinguish the T2DM subjects from healthy individuals in
Malay populations.
Abstract: It has been established that microRNAs (miRNAs) play
an important role in gene expression by post-transcriptional regulation
of messengerRNAs (mRNAs). However, the precise relationships
between microRNAs and their target genes in sense of numbers,
types and biological relevance remain largely unclear. Dissecting the
miRNA-target relationships will render more insights for miRNA
targets identification and validation therefore promote the understanding
of miRNA function. In miRBase, miRanda is the key
algorithm used for target prediction for Zebrafish. This algorithm
is high-throughput but brings lots of false positives (noise). Since
validation of a large scale of targets through laboratory experiments
is very time consuming, several computational methods for miRNA
targets validation should be developed. In this paper, we present an
integrative method to investigate several aspects of the relationships
between miRNAs and their targets with the final purpose of extracting
high confident targets from miRanda predicted targets pool. This is
achieved by using the techniques ranging from statistical tests to
clustering and association rules. Our research focuses on Zebrafish.
It was found that validated targets do not necessarily associate with
the highest sequence matching. Besides, for some miRNA families,
the frequency of their predicted targets is significantly higher in the
genomic region nearby their own physical location. Finally, in a case
study of dre-miR-10 and dre-miR-196, it was found that the predicted
target genes hoxd13a, hoxd11a, hoxd10a and hoxc4a of dre-miR-
10 while hoxa9a, hoxc8a and hoxa13a of dre-miR-196 have similar
characteristics as validated target genes and therefore represent high
confidence target candidates.
Abstract: A new code synchronization algorithm is proposed in
this paper for the secondary cell-search stage in wideband CDMA
systems. Rather than using the Cyclically Permutable (CP) code in the
Secondary Synchronization Channel (S-SCH) to simultaneously
determine the frame boundary and scrambling code group, the new
synchronization algorithm implements the same function with less
system complexity and less Mean Acquisition Time (MAT). The
Secondary Synchronization Code (SSC) is redesigned by splitting into
two sub-sequences. We treat the information of scrambling code group
as data bits and use simple time diversity BCH coding for further
reliability. It avoids involved and time-costly Reed-Solomon (RS)
code computations and comparisons. Analysis and simulation results
show that the Synchronization Error Rate (SER) yielded by the new
algorithm in Rayleigh fading channels is close to that of the
conventional algorithm in the standard. This new synchronization
algorithm reduces system complexities, shortens the average
cell-search time and can be implemented in the slot-based cell-search
pipeline. By taking antenna diversity and pipelining correlation
processes, the new algorithm also shows its flexible application in
multiple antenna systems.
Abstract: In the multi objective optimization, in the case when generated set of Pareto optimal solutions is large, occurs the problem to select of the best solution from this set. In this paper, is suggested a method to order of Pareto set. Ordering the Pareto optimal set carried out in conformity with the introduced distance function between each solution and selected reference point, where the reference point may be adjusted to represent the preferences of a decision making agent. Preference information about objective weights from a decision maker may be expressed imprecisely. The developed elicitation procedure provides an opportunity to obtain surrogate numerical weights for the objectives, and thus, to manage impreciseness of preference. The proposed method is a scalable to many objectives and can be used independently or as complementary to the various visualization techniques in the multidimensional case.
Abstract: The Internet has become an indispensable part of our lives. Witnessing recent web-based mass collaboration, e.g. Wikipedia, people are questioning whether the Internet has made fundamental changes to the society or whether it is merely a hyperbolic fad. It has long been assumed that collective action for a certain goal yields the problem of free-riding, due to its non-exclusive and non-rival characteristics. Then, thanks to recent technological advances, the on-line space experienced the following changes that enabled it to produce public goods: 1) decrease in the cost of production or coordination 2) externality from networked structure 3) production function which integrates both self-interest and altruism. However, this research doubts the homogeneity of on-line mass collaboration and argues that a more sophisticated and systematical approach is required. The alternative that we suggest is to connect the characteristics of the goal to the motivation. Despite various approaches, previous literature fails to recognize that motivation can be structurally restricted by the characteristic of the goal. First we draw a typology of on-line mass collaboration with 'the extent of expected beneficiary' and 'the existence of externality', and then we examine each combination of motivation using Benkler-s framework. Finally, we explore and connect such typology with its possible dominant participating motivation.
Abstract: In this paper, we present a system for content-based
retrieval of large database of classified satellite images, based on
user's relevance feedback (RF).Through our proposed system, we
divide each satellite image scene into small subimages, which stored
in the database. The modified radial basis functions neural network
has important role in clustering the subimages of database according
to the Euclidean distance between the query feature vector and the
other subimages feature vectors. The advantage of using RF
technique in such queries is demonstrated by analyzing the database
retrieval results.
Abstract: Numerous concrete structures projects are currently running in Libya as part of a US$50 billion government funding. The
quality of concrete used in 20 different construction projects were assessed based mainly on the concrete compressive strength achieved. The projects are scattered all over the country and are at
various levels of completeness. For most of these projects, the
concrete compressive strength was obtained from test results of a
150mm standard cube mold. Statistical analysis of collected concrete
compressive strengths reveals that the data in general followed a
normal distribution pattern. The study covers comparison and assessment of concrete quality aspects such as: quality control, strength range, data standard deviation, data scatter, and ratio of minimum strength to design strength. Site quality control for these projects ranged from very good to poor according to ACI214 criteria [1]. The ranges (Rg) of the strength (max. strength – min. strength) divided by average strength are from (34% to 160%). Data scatter is
measured as the range (Rg) divided by standard deviation () and is
found to be (1.82 to 11.04), indicating that the range is ±3σ.
International construction companies working in Libya follow
different assessment criteria for concrete compressive strength in lieu
of national unified procedure. The study reveals that assessments of
concrete quality conducted by these construction companies usually
meet their adopted (internal) standards, but sometimes fail to meet
internationally known standard requirements. The assessment of
concrete presented in this paper is based on ACI, British standards
and proposed Libyan concrete strength assessment criteria.
Abstract: This paper presents a new sufficient condition for the
existence, uniqueness and global asymptotic stability of the equilibrium point for Cohen-Grossberg neural networks with multiple time delays. The results establish a relationship between the network parameters
of the neural system independently of the delay parameters. The results are also compared with the previously reported results in
the literature.