Abstract: Chitosan polyacrylic acid composite membranes were
prepared by a bulk polymerization method in presence of N, N'-
methylene bisacrylamide (crosslinker) and ammonium persulphate as
initiator. Membranes prepared from this copolymer in presence and
absence of Ag nanoparticles were characterized by measuring
mechanical and physical properties, water up-take and antibacterial
properties. The results obtained indicated that the prepared
membranes have antibacterial properties which increase with adding
Ag nanoparticles.
Abstract: The main idea of this work is to investigate the effect
of knitted fabrics characteristics on moisture management properties.
Wetting and transport properties of single jersey, Rib 1&1 and
English Rib fabrics made out of cotton and blended Cotton/Polyester
yarns were studied. The dynamic water sorption of fabrics was
investigated under same isothermal and terrestrial conditions at
20±2°C-65±4% by using the Moisture Management Tester (MMT)
which can be used to quantitatively measure liquid moisture transfer
in one step in a fabric in multidirections: Absorption rate, moisture
absorbing time of the fabric's inner and outer surfaces, one-way
transportation capability, the spreading/drying rate, the speed of
liquid moisture spreading on fabric's inner and outer surfaces are
measured, recorded and discussed. The results show that fabric’s
composition and knit’s structure have a significant influence on those
phenomena.
Abstract: The study focused on the analysis of the Adjusted
Rorschach Comprehensive System’s responses. The objective of this
study is to analyse the participants’ response rate of the Adjusted
Rorschach Comprehensive System with regards to critical
psychology approach. The use of critical psychology theory in this
study was crucial because it responds to the current inadequate
western theory or practice in the field of psychology. The study
adopted a qualitative approach and a case study design. The study
was grounded on interpretivist paradigm. The sample size comprised
six learners (three boys and three girls, aged of 14 years) from
historically disadvantaged school in the Western Cape, South Africa.
The Adjusted Rorschach Comprehensive System (ARCS)
administration procedure, biographical information, semi-structured
interviews, and observation were used to collect data. Data was
analysed using thematic framework. The study found out that, factors
that increased the response rates during the administration of ARCS
were, language, seating arrangement, drawing, viewing, and
describing. The study recommended that, psychological test
designers take into consideration the philosophy or worldviews of the
local people for whom the test is designed to minimize low response
rates.
Abstract: For a rigid body sliding on a rough surface, a range of
uncertainty or non-uniqueness of solution could be found, which is
termed: Painlevé paradox. Painlevé paradox is the reason of a wide
range of bouncing motion, observed during sliding of robotic
manipulators on rough surfaces. In this research work, the existence
of the paradox zone during the sliding motion of a two-link (P-R)
robotic manipulator with a unilateral constraint is investigated.
Parametric study is performed to investigate the effect of friction,
link-length ratio, total height and link-mass ratio on the paradox zone.
Abstract: Networked environments which provide platforms for
business organizations are configured in different forms depending
on many factors including life time, member characteristics,
communication structure, and business objectives, among others.
With continuing advances in digital technologies the distance has
become a less barrier for business minded collaboration among
organizations. With the need and ease to make business collaborate
nowadays organizations are sometimes forced to co-work with others
that are either unknown or less known to them in terms of history and
performance. A promising approach for sustaining established
collaboration has been establishment of trust relationship among
organizations based on assessed trustworthiness for each participating
organization. It has been stated in research that trust in organization is
dynamic and thus assessment of trust level must address such
dynamic nature. This paper assesses relevant aspects of trust and
applies the assessed concepts to propose a semi-automated system for
the management of Sustainability and Evolution of trust in
organizations participating in specific objective in a networked
organizations environment.
Abstract: To decrease the grating scale thermal expansion error,
a novel method which based on multiple temperature detection is
proposed. Several temperature sensors are installed on the grating
scale and the temperatures of these sensors are recorded. The
temperatures of every point on the grating scale are calculated by
interpolating between adjacent sensors. According to the thermal
expansion principle, the grating scale thermal expansion error model
can be established by doing the integral for the variations of position
and temperature. A novel compensation method is proposed in this
paper. By applying the established error model, the grating scale
thermal expansion error is decreased by 90% compared with no
compensation. The residual positioning error of the grating scale is
less than 15μm/10m and the accuracy of the machine tool is
significant improved.
Abstract: A biosphere reserve is developed to create harmony
amongst economic development, community development, and
environmental protection, through partnership between human and
nature. Giam Siak Kecil Bukit Batu Biosphere Reserve (GSKBB BR)
in Riau Province, Indonesia, is unique in that it has peat soil
dominating the area, many springs essential for human livelihood,
high biodiversity. Furthermore, it is the only biosphere reserve
covering privately managed production forest areas. In this research, we aimed at analyzing the threat of deforestation
and forest fire, and the potential of CO2 emission at GSKBB BR. We
used Landsat image, arcView software, and ERDAS IMAGINE 8.5
Software to conduct spatial analysis of land cover and land use
changes, calculated CO2 emission based on emission potential from
each land cover and land use type, and exercised simple linear
regression to demonstrate the relation between CO2 emission
potential and deforestation. The result showed that, beside in the buffer zone and transition
area, deforestation also occurred in the core area. Spatial analysis of
land cover and land use changes from years 2010, 2012, and 2014
revealed that there were changes of land cover and land use from
natural forest and industrial plantation forest to other land use types,
such as garden, mixed garden, settlement, paddy fields, burnt areas,
and dry agricultural land. Deforestation in core area, particularly at
the Giam Siak Kecil Wildlife Reserve and Bukit Batu Wildlife
Reserve, occurred in the form of changes from natural forest in to
garden, mixed garden, shrubs, swamp shrubs, dry agricultural land,
open area, and burnt area. In the buffer zone and transition area,
changes also happened, what once swamp forest changed into garden,
mixed garden, open area, shrubs, swamp shrubs, and dry agricultural
land. Spatial analysis on land cover and land use changes indicated
that deforestation rate in the biosphere reserve from 2010 to 2014 had
reached 16 119 ha/year. Beside deforestation, threat toward the
biosphere reserve area also came from forest fire. The occurrence of forest fire in 2014 had burned 101 723 ha of the
area, in which 9 355 ha of core area, and 92 368 ha of buffer zone
and transition area. Deforestation and forest fire had increased CO2
emission as much as 24 903 855 ton/year.
Abstract: As a basic physiology need, threat to sufficient food
production is threat to human survival. Food security has been an
issue that has gained global concern. This paper looks at the food
security in Nigeria by assessing the availability of food and
accessibility of the available food. The paper employed multiple
linear regression technique and graphic trends of growth rates of
relevant variables to show the situation of food security in Nigeria.
Results of the tests revealed that population growth rate was higher
than the growth rate of food availability in Nigeria for the earlier
period of the study. Commercial bank credit to agricultural sector,
foreign exchange utilization for food and the Agricultural Credit
Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF) contributed significantly to food
availability in Nigeria. Food prices grew at a faster rate than the
average income level, making it difficult to access sufficient food. It
implies that prior to the year 2012; there was insufficient food to feed
the Nigerian populace. However, continued credit to the food and
agricultural sector will ensure sustained and sufficient production of
food in Nigeria. Microfinance banks should make sufficient credit
available to smallholder farmer. Government should further control
and subsidize the rising price of food to make it more accessible by
the people.
Abstract: The Japanese version of the SF-36 has been employed
to assess individuals’ health-related QOL (HRQOL). This study aimed
to clarify the HRQOL of motorists with a spinal cord injury, in order to
compare these individuals' SF-36 scores and national standard values.
A total of 100 motorists with a spinal cord injury participated in this
study. Participants’ HRQOL was evaluated using the Japanese version
of the SF-36 (second edition). The score for each subscale was
standardized based on data on the Japanese population. The average
scores for NPF, NRP, NBP, NGH, NVT, NSF, NRE, and NMH were
10.9, 41.8, 45.9, 47.1, 46.1, 46.7, 46.0, and 47.4 points, respectively.
Subjects showed significantly lower scores for NPF and NRP
compared with national standard values, which were both ≤ 45.0
points, but relatively normal scores for the other items: NBP, NGH,
NVT, NSF, NRE and NMH (> 45.0 points). The average scores for
PCS, MCS and RCS were 21.9, 56.0, and 50.0 points, respectively.
Subjects showed a significantly lower PCS score (≤ 20.0 points);
however, the MCS score was higher (> 55.0 points) along with a
relatively normal RCS score in these individuals (= 50.0 points).
Abstract: Milk is considered as an essential and complete food.
The present study was conducted at Milk Plant Mohali especially in
reference to the procurement section where the cash inflow was
maximum, with the objective to achieve higher productivity and
reduce wastage of milk. In milk plant it was observed that during the
month of Jan-2014 to March-2014 the average procurement of milk
was Rs. 4, 19, 361 liter per month and cost of procurement of milk is
Rs 35/- per liter. The total cost of procurement thereby equal to Rs.
1crore 46 lakh per month, but there was mismatch in procurementproduction
of milk, which leads to an average loss of Rs. 12, 94, 405
per month. To solve the procurement-production problem Quality
Control Tools like brainstorming, Flow Chart, Cause effect diagram
and Pareto analysis are applied wherever applicable. With the
successful implementation of Quality Control tools an average saving
of Rs. 4, 59, 445 per month is done.
Abstract: This paper presents the interface ConductHome which
controls home automation systems with a Leap Motion using
“invariant gesture protocols”. This interface is meant to simplify the
interaction of the user with its environment. A hardware part allows
the Leap Motion to be carried around the house. A software part
interacts with the home automation box and displays the useful
information for the user. An objective of this work is the
development of a natural/invariant/simple gesture control interface to
help elder people/people with disabilities.
Abstract: MHD chemically reacting viscous fluid flow towards
a vertical surface with slip and convective boundary conditions has
been conducted. The temperature and the chemical species
concentration of the surface and the velocity of the external flow are
assumed to vary linearly with the distance from the vertical surface.
The governing differential equations are modeled and transformed
into systems of ordinary differential equations, which are then solved
numerically by a shooting method. The effects of various parameters
on the heat and mass transfer characteristics are discussed. Graphical
results are presented for the velocity, temperature, and concentration
profiles whilst the skin-friction coefficient and the rate of heat and
mass transfers near the surface are presented in tables and discussed.
The results revealed that increasing the strength of the magnetic field
increases the skin-friction coefficient and the rate of heat and mass
transfers toward the surface. The velocity profiles are increased
towards the surface due to the presence of the Lorenz force, which
attracts the fluid particles near the surface. The rate of chemical
reaction is seen to decrease the concentration boundary layer near the
surface due to the destructive chemical reaction occurring near the
surface.
Abstract: Carefully scheduling the operations of pumps can be
resulted to significant energy savings. Schedules can be defined
either implicit, in terms of other elements of the network such as tank
levels, or explicit by specifying the time during which each pump is
on/off. In this study, two new explicit representations based on timecontrolled
triggers were analyzed, where the maximum number of
pump switches was established beforehand, and the schedule may
contain fewer switches than the maximum. The optimal operation of
pumping stations was determined using a Jumping Particle Swarm
Optimization (JPSO) algorithm to achieve the minimum energy cost.
The model integrates JPSO optimizer and EPANET hydraulic
network solver. The optimal pump operation schedule of VanZyl
water distribution system was determined using the proposed model
and compared with those from Genetic and Ant Colony algorithms.
The results indicate that the proposed model utilizing the JPSO
algorithm is a versatile management model for the operation of realworld
water distribution system.
Abstract: This paper deals with the problem of management of
information resources in libraries of the public institution Sultan
Moulay Slimane University (SMSU) in order to analyze the
satisfaction of the readers, and allow university leaders to make better
strategic and instant decisions. For this, the integration of an
integrated management decision library system is a priority program
of higher education, as part of the Digital Morocco, which has a
proactive policy to develop the use of new technologies information
and communication in higher institutions. This operational
information system can provide better services to the students and for
the leaders. Our approach is to integrate the tools of business
intelligence (BI) in the library management by using power BI.
Abstract: At the present time, awareness, education, computer
simulation and information systems protection are very serious and
relevant topics. The article deals with perspectives and possibilities of
implementation of emergence or natural hazard threats into the
system which is developed for communication among members of
crisis management staffs. The Czech Hydro-Meteorological Institute
with its System of Integrated Warning Service resents the largest
usable base of information. National information systems are connected to foreign systems,
especially to flooding emergency systems of neighboring countries,
systems of European Union and international organizations where the
Czech Republic is a member. Use of outputs of particular information
systems and computer simulations on a single communication
interface of information system for communication among members
of crisis management staff and setting the site interoperability in the
net will lead to time savings in decision-making processes in solving
extraordinary events and crisis situations. Faster managing of an
extraordinary event or a crisis situation will bring positive effects and
minimize the impact of negative effects on the environment.
Abstract: The system of ordinary nonlinear differential
equations describing sliding velocity during impact with friction for a
three-dimensional rigid-multibody system is developed. No analytical
solutions have been obtained before for this highly nonlinear system.
Hence, a power series solution is proposed. Since the validity of this
solution is limited to its convergence zone, a suitable time step is
chosen and at the end of it a new series solution is constructed. For a
case study, the trajectory of the sliding velocity using the proposed
method is built using 6 time steps, which coincides with a Runge-
Kutta solution using 38 time steps.
Abstract: This paper seeks to assess the implications of bank
consolidation on lending, which largely determine the survival and
performance of small and medium scale enterprises and in turn the
development of the Nigerian economy. Ordinary least square
technique, correlation matrix test and Granger –causality test were
employed to measure the extent to which lending to small and
medium scale enterprises were influenced. The result showed that
bank deposit (BD) impacted on lending to small and medium scale
enterprises. Commercial and merchant bank lending rate had
statistically insignificant effect on the dependent variable. There is a
shift of focus by commercial banks from small and medium scale
enterprises (small customers) to major investors (big customers).
While micro finance banks work hard at providing funds to small and
medium scale entrepreneurs, their capacity to meet the needs of these
entrepreneurs is constrained. The capital and deposits of micro
finance bank should be boosted in order to effectively support small
and medium scale enterprises through loans.
Abstract: Tamil handwritten document is taken as a key source
of data to identify the writer. Tamil is a classical language which has
247 characters include compound characters, consonants, vowels and
special character. Most characters of Tamil are multifaceted in
nature. Handwriting is a unique feature of an individual. Writer may
change their handwritings according to their frame of mind and this
place a risky challenge in identifying the writer. A new
discriminative model with pooled features of handwriting is proposed
and implemented using support vector machine. It has been reported
on 100% of prediction accuracy by RBF and polynomial kernel based
classification model.
Abstract: Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) performance of
iron and nitrogen co-doped porous carbon nanoparticles (Fe-NPC)
with various physical and (electro) chemical properties have been
investigated. Fe-NPC nanoparticles are synthesized via a facile
soft-templating procedure by using Iron (III) chloride hexa-hydrate as
iron precursor and aminophenol-formaldehyde resin as both carbon
and nitrogen precursor. Fe-NPC nanoparticles shows high surface area
(443.83 m2g-1), high pore volume (0.52 m3g-1), narrow mesopore size
distribution (ca. 3.8 nm), high conductivity (IG/ID=1.04), high kinetic
limiting current (11.71 mAcm-2) and more positive onset potential
(-0.106 V) compared to metal-free NPC nanoparticles (-0.295V)
which make it high efficient ORR metal-free catalysts in alkaline
solution. This study may pave the way of feasibly designing iron and
nitrogen containing carbon materials (Fe-N-C) for highly efficient
oxygen reduction electro-catalysis.
Abstract: This paper describes how to dimension the electric
components of a 48V hybrid system considering real customer use.
Furthermore, it provides information about savings in energy and
CO2 emissions by a customer-tailored 48V hybrid. Based on measured customer profiles, the electric units such as the
electric motor and the energy storage are dimensioned. Furthermore,
the CO2 reduction potential in real customer use is determined
compared to conventional vehicles. Finally, investigations are carried
out to specify the topology design and preliminary considerations in
order to hybridize a conventional vehicle with a 48V hybrid system.
The emission model results from an empiric approach also taking into
account the effects of engine dynamics on emissions. We analyzed
transient engine emissions during representative customer driving
profiles and created emission meta models. The investigation showed
a significant difference in emissions when simulating realistic
customer driving profiles using the created verified meta models
compared to static approaches which are commonly used for vehicle
simulation.