Abstract: Metal matrix composites (MMCs) attract considerable
attention as a result from its ability in providing a high strength, high
modulus, high toughness, high impact properties, improving wear
resistance and providing good corrosion resistance compared to
unreinforced alloy. Aluminium Silicon (Al/Si) alloy MMC has been
widely used in various industrial sectors such as in transportation,
domestic equipment, aerospace, military, construction, etc.
Aluminium silicon alloy is an MMC that had been reinforced with
aluminium nitrate (AlN) particle and become a new generation
material use in automotive and aerospace sector. The AlN is one of
the advance material that have a bright prospect in future since it has
features such as lightweight, high strength, high hardness and
stiffness quality. However, the high degree of ceramic particle
reinforcement and the irregular nature of the particles along the
matrix material that contribute to its low density is the main problem
which leads to difficulties in machining process. This paper examined
the tool wear when milling AlSi/AlN Metal Matrix Composite using
a TiB2 (Titanium diboride) coated carbide cutting tool. The volume
of the AlN reinforced particle was 10% and milling process was
carried out under dry cutting condition. The TiB2 coated carbide
insert parameters used were at the cutting speed of (230, 300 and
370m/min, feed rate of 0.8, Depth of Cut (DoC) at 0.4m). The
Sometech SV-35 video microscope system used to quantify of the
tool wear. The result shown that tool life span increasing with the
cutting speeds at (370m/min, feed rate of 0.8mm/tooth and DoC at
0.4mm) which constituted an optimum condition for longer tool life
lasted until 123.2 mins. Meanwhile, at medium cutting speed which
at 300m/m, feed rate of 0.8mm/tooth and depth of cut at 0.4mm we
found that tool life span lasted until 119.86 mins while at low cutting
speed it lasted in 119.66 mins. High cutting speed will give the best
parameter in cutting AlSi/AlN MMCs material. The result will help
manufacturers in machining process of AlSi/AlN MMCs materials.
Abstract: Images are important source of information used as
evidence during any investigation process. Their clarity and accuracy
is essential and of the utmost importance for any investigation.
Images are vulnerable to losing blocks and having noise added to
them either after alteration or when the image was taken initially,
therefore, having a high performance image processing system and it
is implementation is very important in a forensic point of view. This
paper focuses on improving the quality of the forensic images.
For different reasons packets that store data can be affected,
harmed or even lost because of noise. For example, sending the
image through a wireless channel can cause loss of bits. These types
of errors might give difficulties generally for the visual display
quality of the forensic images.
Two of the images problems: noise and losing blocks are covered.
However, information which gets transmitted through any way of
communication may suffer alteration from its original state or even
lose important data due to the channel noise. Therefore, a developed
system is introduced to improve the quality and clarity of the forensic
images.
Abstract: In oases, the surface water resources are becoming
increasingly scarce and groundwater resources, which generally have
a poor quality due to the high levels of salinity, are often
overexploited. Water saving have therefore become imperative for
better oases sustainability. If drip irrigation is currently recommended
in Morocco for saving water and valuing, its use in the sub-desert
areas does not keep water safe from high evaporation rates. An
alternative to this system would be the use of subsurface drip
irrigation. This technique is defined as an application of water under
the soil surface through drippers, which deliver water at rates
generally similar to surface drip irrigation. As subsurface drip
irrigation is a recently introduced in Morocco, a better understanding
of the infiltration process around a buried source, in local conditions,
and its impact on plant growth is necessarily required. This study
aims to contribute to improving the water use efficiency by testing
the performance of subsurface irrigation system, especially in areas
where water is a limited source. The objectives of this research are
performance evaluation in arid conditions of the subsurface drip
irrigation system for young date palms compared to the surface drip.
In this context, an experimental test is installed at a farmer’s field in
the area of Erfoud (Errachidia Province, southeastern Morocco),
using the subsurface drip irrigation system in comparison with the
classic drip system for young date palms. Flow measurement to
calculate the uniformity of the application of water was done through
two methods: a flow measurement of drippers above the surface and
another one underground. The latter method has also helped us to
estimate losses through evaporation for both irrigation techniques. In
order to compare the effect of two irrigation modes, plants were
identified for each type of irrigation to monitor certain agronomic
parameters (cumulative numbers of palms and roots development).
Experimentation referred to a distribution uniformity of about 88%;
considered acceptable for subsurface drip irrigation while it is around
80% for the surface drip irrigation. The results also show an increase
in root development and in the number of palm, as well as a
substantial water savings due to lower evaporation losses compared
to the classic drip irrigation.
The results of this study showed that subsurface drip irrigation is
an efficient technique, which allows sustainable irrigation in arid
areas.
Abstract: In today’s highly competitive, dynamic and
technology driven business circumstances, marketers are under
steady pressure to deliver the best. Organizations are continuously
improving and upgrading themselves to meet customer expectations
and demands. Technology has not only changed the way in which
business is done in modern times but has also transformed the way to
reach out to target audience. Marketers have identified most recent
media options to communicate and convince potential customers.
Numerous scholars have studied the research domain of advertising
and have tried to recognize different measures of advertisement
effectiveness in context of various media. The objective of this paper
is to critically review accessible literature on advertisement
effectiveness in context of varied advertising media, recognize major
gaps in the literature and identify future research prospects on the
basis of critical analysis of literature.
Abstract: Comprehensive numerical studies have been carried
out to examine the best aerodynamic performance of subsonic aircraft
at different winglet cant angles using a validated 3D k-ω SST model.
In the parametric analytical studies NACA series of airfoils are
selected. Basic design of the winglet is selected from the literature
and flow features of the entire wing including the winglet tip effects
have been examined with different cant angles varying from 150 to
600 at different angles of attack up to 140. We have observed, among
the cases considered in this study that a case, with 150 cant angle the
aerodynamics performance of the subsonic aircraft during takeoff
was found better up to an angle of attack of 2.80 and further its
performance got diminished at higher angles of attack. Analyses
further revealed that increasing the winglet cant angle from 150 to 600
at higher angles of attack could negate the performance deterioration
and additionally it could enhance the peak CL/CD on the order of
3.5%. The investigated concept of variable-cant-angle winglets
appears to be a promising alternative for improving the aerodynamic
efficiency of aircraft.
Abstract: Musculoskeletal injuries in school children could be
reduced improving trunk strength and hamstring flexibility. Low
levels of trunk muscle strength and hamstring flexibility may result in
acute and musculoskeletal chronic diseases. The Pilates Method can
be appropriate to improve these physical condition attributes and has
been rarely employed by this social group. On the other hand, it has
been shown that trunk strength and flexibility are different between
genders, but there is no evidence about the effect of exercise
programs designed to improve both items in school children.
Therefore the objective of this study was to measure the effect of a
six-week Pilates-based exercise program in 14 year old school
children trunk strength and hamstring flexibility, establishing
differences in gender. The sample was composed of 57 students
divided into experimental group (EG; n=30) and control group (CG;
n=27). Bench Trunk Curl test (BTC), Sörensen test and Toe-touch
test (TT) were used to measure dynamic muscular resistance in trunk
flexion, isometric strength in trunk extension and hamstring
flexibility, respectively. EG utilized the Pilates exercise program
during six-weeks (2 days/week, 55minutes/session). After this period
of training, EG improved trunk strength and hamstring flexibility
significantly but there were no significant differences within CG.
Although boys were better in BTC test and girls were better in TT
test, there were no significant differences between them.
Abstract: Composites depending on the nature of their
constituents and mode of production are regarded as one of the
advanced materials that drive today’s technology. This paper
attempts a short review of the subject matter with a general aim of
pushing to the next level the frontier of knowledge as it impacts the
technology of nano-particles manufacturing. The objectives entail an
effort to; aggregate recent research efforts in this field, analyse
research findings and observations, streamline research efforts and
support industry in taking decision on areas of fund deployment. It is
envisaged that this work will serve as a quick hand-on compendium
material for researchers in this field and a guide to relevant
government departments wishing to fund a research whose outcomes
have the potential of improving the nation’s GDP.
Abstract: Electricity is recognized as fundamental to
industrialization and improving the quality of life of the people.
Harnessing the immense untapped hydropower potential in Tripura
region opens avenues for growth and provides an opportunity to
improve the well-being of the people of the region, while making
substantial contribution to the national economy. Gumti hydro power
plant generates power to mitigate the crisis of power in Tripura,
India. The first unit of hydro power plant (5MW) was commissioned
in June 1976 & another two units of 5 MW was commissioned
simultaneously. But out of 15MW capacity at present only 8MW-
9MW power is produced from Gumti hydro power plant during rainy
season. But during lean season the production reduces to 0.5MW due
to shortage of water. Now, it is essential to implement some
mitigation measures so that the further atrocities can be prevented
and originality will be possible to restore. The decision making
ability of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Concordance
Analysis Techniques (CAT) are utilized to identify the better decision
or solution to the present problem. Some related attributes are
identified by the method of surveying within the experts and the
available reports and literatures. Similar criteria are removed and
ultimately seven relevant ones are identified. All the attributes are
compared with each other and rated accordingly to their importance
over the other with the help of Pair wise Comparison Matrix. In the
present investigation different mitigation measures are identified and
compared to find the best suitable alternative which can solve the
present uncertainties involving the existence of the Gumti Hydro
Power Plant.
Abstract: In this paper, we have proposed a parallel IDS and
honeypot based approach to detect and analyze the unknown and
known attack taxonomy for improving the IDS performance and
protecting the network from intruders. The main theme of our
approach is to record and analyze the intruder activities by using both
the low and high interaction honeypots. Our architecture aims to
achieve the required goals by combing signature based IDS,
honeypots and generate the new signatures. The paper describes the
basic component, design and implementation of this approach and
also demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach to reduce the
probability of network attacks.
Abstract: Most quality models have defined usability as a
significant factor that leads to improving product acceptability,
increasing user satisfaction, improving product reliability, and also
financially benefitting companies. Usability is also the best factor that
balances both the technical and human aspects of a software product,
which is an important aspect in defining quality during software
development process. A usability risk consist risk factors that could
impact the usability of a software product thereby contributing to
negative user experiences and causing a possible software product
failure. Hence, it is important to mitigate and reduce usability risks in
the software development process itself. By managing possible
usability risks in software development process, failure of software
product could be reduced. Therefore, this research uses the Delphi
method to identify mitigation plans for reducing potential usability
risks. The Delphi method is conducted with seven experts from the
field of risk management and software development.
Abstract: This article describes the information system for
measuring and evaluating the dose rate in the environment of nuclear
power plants Mochovce and Bohunice in Slovakia.
The article presents the results achieved in the implementation of
the EU project – Research of monitoring and evaluation of nonstandard
conditions in the area of nuclear power plants. The
objectives included improving the system of acquisition, measuring
and evaluating data with mobile and autonomous units applying new
knowledge from research.
The article provides basic and specific features of the system and
compared to the previous version of the system, also new functions.
Abstract: Folic acid (FA) is known to be an important
supplement to prevent neural tube defect (NTD) in pregnant women.
Similar to some commercial formulations, sodium bicarbonate
solution is used as a solvent for FA. This work uses the antisolvent
vapour precipitation (AVP), incorporating ethanol vapour as the
convective drying medium in place of air to produce branch-like
micro-structure FA particles. Interestingly, the dissolution rate of the
resultant particle is 2-3 times better than the particle produce from
conventional air drying due to the higher surface area of particles
produced. The higher dissolution rate could possibly improve the
delivery and absorption of FA in human body. This application could
potentially be extended to other commercial products, particularly in
less soluble drugs to improve its solubility.
Abstract: OEE has been used in many industries as measure of
performance. However due to limitations of original OEE, it has been
modified by various researchers. OEE for mining application is
special version of classic equation, carries these limitation over. In
this paper it has been aimed to modify the OEE for mining
application by introducing the weights to the elements of it and
termed as Mine Production index (MPi). As a special application of
new index MPishovel has been developed by authors. This can be used
for evaluating the shovel effectiveness. Based on analysis, utilization
followed by performance and availability were ranked in this order.
To check the applicability of this index, a case study was done on
four electrical and one hydraulic shovel in a Swedish mine. The
results shows that MPishovel can evaluate production effectiveness of
shovels and can determine effectiveness values in optimistic view
compared to OEE. MPi with calculation not only give the
effectiveness but also can predict which elements should be focused
for improving the productivity.
Abstract: In addition to the production, which is already
frequently optimized, improving the distribution logistics also opens
up tremendous potential for increasing an enterprise’s
competitiveness. Here too though, numerous interactions need to be
taken into account, enterprises thus need to be able to identify and
weigh between different potentials for economically efficient
optimizations. In order to be able to assess potentials, enterprises
require a suitable method. This paper first briefly presents the need
for this research before introducing the procedure that will be used to
develop an appropriate method that not only considers interactions
but is also quickly and easily implemented.
Abstract: Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an ancient fruit of great medical interest and rich source of antioxidants. Pesticides as dimethoate play a crucial role in the occurrence many diseases in plants, animal and human. Therefore the ability of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) to alleviate hepatotoxicity induced by organophosphate pesticide dimethoate was investigated. Albino male rats were divided randomly into 4 groups and kept at 7 animals per group in an environmentally controlled condition for 6 weeks. The first group was served as a control group (basal diet), the second group fed on basal diet supplemented with 5% freeze dried pomegranate seeds, the third group fed on 20 ppm dimethoate contaminated diet and the last group fed on dimethoate contaminated diet supplemented with 5% freeze dried pomegranate seeds. The results revealed that administration of dimethoate caused high significant increased in liver functions: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities as well as lipid peroxide (malonaldhyde, MDA); on the other hand high significant decreased on glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), albumin and total protein were observed. However addition of 5% freeze dried pomegranate seeds significantly improved all previously mentioned parameters. These results indicate the dimethoate induced hepatotoxicity and highlight the protective effect of pomegranate seeds as a potential protective agent against dimethoate induced hepatotoxicity. This may be attributed to the powerful antioxidants (polyphenols, total phenols, and total flavonoids) which present in high levels in pomegranate as well as improving the immunity by activation of antioxidant enzymes GSH and GPx.
Abstract: The paper discusses economic policy of Georgia
aiming to increase national competitiveness as well as the tools and
means which will help to improve the competitiveness of the country.
The sectors of the economy, in which the country can achieve the
competitive advantage, are studied. It is noted that the country’s
economic policy plays an important role in obtaining and maintaining
the competitive advantage - authority should take measures to ensure
high level of education; scientific and research activities should be
funded by the state; foreign direct investments should be attracted
mainly in science-intensive industries; adaptation with the latest
scientific achievements of the modern world and deepening of
scientific and technical cooperation. Stable business environment and
export oriented strategy is the basis for the country’s economic
growth.
As the outcome of the research, the paper suggests the strategy for
improving competitiveness in Georgia; recommendations are
provided based on relevant conclusions.
Abstract: A blood pressure monitor or sphygmomanometer can
be either manual or automatic, employing respectively either the
auscultatory method or the oscillometric method.
The manual version of the sphygmomanometer involves an
inflatable cuff with a stethoscope adopted to detect the sounds
generated by the arterial walls to measure blood pressure in an artery.
An automatic sphygmomanometer can be effectively used to
monitor blood pressure through a pressure sensor, which detects
vibrations provoked by oscillations of the arterial walls.
The pressure sensor implemented in this device improves the
accuracy of the measurements taken.
Abstract: Azadirachta excelsa or locally known as sentang are
frequently used as a traditional medicine by diabetes patients in
Malaysia. However, less attention has been given to their toxicity
effect. Thus, the study is an attempt to examine the protective effect
of A. excelsa on the pancreas and to determine possible toxicity
mediated by the extract. Diabetes was induced experimentally in rats
by high-fat-diet for 16 weeks followed by intraperitoneal injection of
streptozotocin at dosage of 35 mg/kg of body weight. Declination of
the fasting blood glucose level was observed after continuous
administration of A. excelsa for 14 days twice daily. This is due to the
refining structure of the pancreas. However, surprisingly, the plant
extract reduced the leukocytes, erythrocytes, hemoglobin, MCHC and
lymphocytes. In addition, the rat treated with the plant extract
exhibited increment in AST and eosinocytes level. Overall, the
finding shows that A. excelsa possesses antidiabetic activity by
improving the structure of pancreatic islet of Langerhans but
involved in ameliorating of hematology and biochemical parameters.
Abstract: The fight against climate change and the replacement
of fossil energies nearing exhaustion gradually emerge as major
societal and economic challenges. It is possible to develop common
dates of low commercial value, and put on the local and international
market a new generation of products with high added values such as
bio ethanol. Besides its use in chemical synthesis, bio ethanol can be
blended with gasoline to produce a clean fuel while improving the
octane.
Abstract: Emotional Intelligence (EI) has been identified as an
important factor for corporate success. However, there are few
empirical findings on the impact of Strategic EI per se. The ooverall
objective of the study was to empirically examine the relationship
between the Strategic EI and Transformational Leadership style of
managers. Sixty four managers were selected from the banking
industry in Czech Republic. Genos EI Inventory, and the Multifactor
Leadership Questionnaire – Form 5X-Short were employed as the
major research instruments of the study. Descriptive and inferential
analyses of survey data were conducted using SPSS software.
Variations were observed among the components of Strategic EI
between males, and females. Study concludes positive a relationship
between Strategic EI of Czech managers and their transformational
leadership style. Improving awareness and usage of EI, will
contribute to facilitate career success through enhanced levels of
transformational leadership of managers.