Abstract: ANDASA is a knowledge management platform for
the capitalization of knowledge and cultural assets for the artistic and
cultural sectors. It was built based on the priorities expressed by the
participating artists. Through mapping artistic activities and
specificities, it enables to highlight various aspects of the artistic
research and production. Such instrument will contribute to create
networks and partnerships, as it enables to evidentiate who does
what, in what field, using which methodology. The platform is
accessible to network participants and to the general public.
Abstract: An experimental investigation is carried out to
establish the performance characteristics of a compression ignition
engine while using cerium oxide nanoparticles as additive in neat
diesel and diesel-biodiesel blends. In the first phase of the
experiments, stability of neat diesel and diesel-biodiesel fuel blends
with the addition of cerium oxide nanoparticles is analyzed. After
series of experiments, it is found that the blends subjected to high
speed blending followed by ultrasonic bath stabilization improves the
stability. In the second phase, performance characteristics are studied
using the stable fuel blends in a single cylinder four stroke engine
coupled with an electrical dynamometer and a data acquisition
system. The cerium oxide acts as an oxygen donating catalyst and
provides oxygen for combustion. The activation energy of cerium
oxide acts to burn off carbon deposits within the engine cylinder at
the wall temperature and prevents the deposition of non-polar
compounds on the cylinder wall results reduction in HC emissions.
The tests revealed that cerium oxide nanoparticles can be used as
additive in diesel and diesel-biodiesel blends to improve complete
combustion of the fuel significantly.
Abstract: Crops diversity and maintaining and enhancing the
fertility of agricultural lands are basic principles of organic farming.
With a wider range of crops in agroecosystem can improve the ability
to control weeds, pests and diseases, and the performance of crops
rotation and food safety. In this sense, the main objective of the
research was to study the productivity and chemical composition of
some alternative crops and their adaptability to soil and climatic
conditions of the agricultural area in Southern Romania and to
cultivation in the organic farming system. The alternative crops were:
lentil (7 genotypes); five species of grain legumes (5 genotypes); four
species of oil crops (5 genotypes). The seed production was, on
average: 1343 kg/ha of lentil; 2500 kg/ha of field beans; 2400 kg/ha
of chick peas and blackeyed peas; more than 2000 kg/ha of atzuki
beans, over 1250 kg/ha of fenugreek; 2200 kg/ha of safflower; 570
kg/ha of oil pumpkin; 2150 kg/ha of oil flax; 1518 kg/ha of camelina.
Regarding chemical composition, lentil seeds contained: 22.18%
proteins, 3.03% lipids, 33.29% glucides, 4.00% minerals, and 259.97
kcal energy values. For field beans: 21.50% proteins, 4.40% lipids,
63.90% glucides, 5.85% minerals, 395.36 kcal energetic value. For
chick peas: 21.23% proteins, 4.55% lipids, 53.00% glucides, 3.67%
minerals, 348.22 kcal energetic value. For blackeyed peas: 23.30%
proteins, 2.10% lipids, 68.10% glucides, 3.93% minerals, 350.14 kcal
energetic value. For adzuki beans: 21.90% proteins, 2.60% lipids,
69.30% glucides, 4.10% minerals, 402.48 kcal energetic value. For
fenugreek: 21.30% proteins, 4.65% lipids, 63.83% glucides, 5.69%
minerals, 396.54 kcal energetic value. For safflower: 12.60%
proteins, 28.37% lipids, 46.41% glucides, 3.60% minerals, 505.78
kcal energetic value. For camelina: 20.29% proteins, 31.68% lipids,
36.28% glucides, 4.29% minerals, 526.63 kcal energetic value. For
oil pumpkin: 29.50% proteins, 36.92% lipids, 18.50% glucides,
5.41% minerals, 540.15 kcal energetic value. For oil flax: 22.56%
proteins, 34.10% lipids, 27.73% glucides, 5.25% minerals, 558.45
kcal energetic value.
Abstract: The Composite Shear Walls (CSW) with steel encased
profiles can be used as lateral-load resisting systems for buildings
that require considerable large lateral-load capacity. The aim of this
work is to propose the experimental work conducted on CSW having
L section folded plate (L shape steel made-up sections) as
longitudinal reinforcement in boundary regions. The study in this
paper present the experimental test conducted on CSW having L
section folded plate as longitudinal reinforcement in boundary
regions. The tested 1/3 geometric scaled CSW has aspect ratio of 3.2.
L-shape structural steel materials with 2L-19x57x7mm dimensions
were placed in shear wall boundary zones. The seismic behavior of
CSW test specimen was investigated by evaluating and interpreting
the hysteresis curves, envelope curves, rigidity and consumed energy
graphs of this tested element. In addition to this, the experimental
results, deformation and cracking patterns were evaluated, interpreted
and suggestions of the design recommendations were proposed.
Abstract: The synthesis of CuFe2O4 spinel powders by an
optimized combustion-like process followed by calcination is
described herein. The samples were characterized using X-ray
diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA), scanning
electron microscopy (SEM), dilatometry and 4-probe DC methods.
Different glycine to nitrate (G/N) ratios of 1 (fuel-deficient), 1.48
(stoichiometric) and 2 (fuel-rich) were employed. Calcining the asprepared
powders at 800 and 1000°C for 5 hours showed that the G/N
ratio of 2 results in the formation of the desired copper spinel single
phase at both calcination temperatures. For G/N=1, formation of
CuFe2O4 takes place in three steps. First, iron and copper nitrates
decompose to iron oxide and pure copper. Then, copper transforms to
copper oxide and finally, copper and iron oxides react with each other
to form a copper ferrite spinel phase. The electrical conductivity and
the coefficient of thermal expansion of the sintered pelletized
samples were 2 S.cm-1 (800°C) and 11×10-6 °C-1 (25-800°C),
respectively.
Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between
corporate governance rating and stock prices of 26 Turkish firms
listed in Turkish stock exchange (Borsa Istanbul) by using panel data
analysis over five-year period. The paper also investigates the stock
performance of firms with governance rating with regards to the
market portfolio (i.e. BIST 100 Index) both prior and after
governance scoring began. The empirical results show that there is no
relation between corporate governance rating and stock prices when
using panel data for annual variation in both rating score and stock
prices. Further analysis indicates surprising results that while the
selected firms outperform the market significantly prior to rating, the
same performance does not continue afterwards.
Abstract: The current paper presents an extensive bottom-up
framework for assessing building sector-specific vulnerability to
climate change: energy supply and demand. The research focuses on
the application of downscaled seasonal models for estimating energy
performance of buildings in Greece. The ARW-WRF model has
been set-up and suitably parameterized to produce downscaled
climatological fields for Greece, forced by the output of the CFSv2
model. The outer domain, D01/Europe, included 345 x 345 cells of
horizontal resolution 20 x 20 km2 and the inner domain, D02/Greece,
comprised 180 x 180 cells of 5 x 5 km2 horizontal resolution. The
model run has been setup for a period with a forecast horizon of 6
months, storing outputs on a six hourly basis.
Abstract: Most of the existing video streaming protocols
provide video services without considering security aspects in
decentralized mobile ad-hoc networks. The security policies adapted
to the currently existing non-streaming protocols, do not comply with
the live video streaming protocols resulting in considerable
vulnerability, high bandwidth consumption and unreliability which
cause severe security threats, low bandwidth and error prone
transmission respectively in video streaming applications. Therefore
a synergized methodology is required to reduce vulnerability and
bandwidth consumption, and enhance reliability in the video
streaming applications in MANET. To ensure the security measures
with reduced bandwidth consumption and improve reliability of the
video streaming applications, a Secure Low-bandwidth Video
Streaming through Reliable Multipath Propagation (SLVRMP)
protocol architecture has been proposed by incorporating the two
algorithms namely Secure Low-bandwidth Video Streaming
Algorithm and Reliable Secure Multipath Propagation Algorithm
using Layered Video Coding in non-overlapping zone routing
network topology. The performances of the proposed system are
compared to those of the other existing secure multipath protocols
Sec-MR, SPREAD using NS 2.34 and the simulation results show
that the performances of the proposed system get considerably
improved.
Abstract: The enormous amount of information stored on the
web increases from one day to the next, exposing the web currently
faced with the inevitable difficulties of research pertinent information
that users really want. The problem today is not limited to expanding
the size of the information highways, but to design a system for
intelligent search. The vast majority of this information is stored in
relational databases, which in turn represent a backend for managing
RDF data of the semantic web. This problem has motivated us to
write this paper in order to establish an effective approach to support
semantic transformation algorithm for SPARQL queries to SQL
queries, more precisely SPARQL SELECT queries; by adopting this
method, the relational database can be questioned easily with
SPARQL queries maintaining the same performance.
Abstract: Plants can contain a wide variety of substances with
antioxidative properties which are associated with important health
benefits. These positive health effects are of great importance at a
time when the environment is laden with many toxic substances. Five
selected herbal plants namely, Mimosa pudica, Phyllanthus niruri,
Ceiba pentandra, Eleusine polydactyla and Trema amboinensi, were
chosen for the experiment to investigate their total phenolics content
and antioxidant activities using ABTS radical cation decolorization
power, and ferric reducing antioxidant power. The total phenolic
content of each herbal plants ranges from 0.84 to 42.59 mg gallic acid
equivalent/g. The antioxidant activity in the ABTS radical cation
decolorization power varies from 0.005 to 0.362 mg trolox
equivalent/g and the FRAP ranges from 0.30 to 28.42 mg gallic acid
equivalent/g. Among the five medicinal plants, Mimosa pudica has
been an excellent performer in terms of the 3 parameters measured; it
is followed by Phyllanthus niruri. The 5 herbal plants do not have
equivalent antioxidant power. The relative high values for M. pudica
and P. niruri supports the medicinal value of both plants. The total
phenolics, ABTS and FRAP correlate strongly with one another.
Abstract: Polyaniline is an indispensible component in lightemitting
devices (LEDs), televisions, cellular telephones, automotive,
corrosion-resistant coatings, actuators etc. The electrical conductivity
properties was found be increased by introduction of metal nano
particles. In the present study, an attempt has been made to utilize
platinum nano particles to achieve the improved electrical properties.
Polyaniline and Pt-polyaniline composite are synthesized by
electrochemical routes. X-ray diffractometer confirms the amorphous
nature of polyaniline. The Bragg’s diffraction peaks correspond to
platinum nanoparticles in Pt-polyaniline composite and
thermogravimetric analyzer indicates its decomposition at certain
temperature. The Scanning Electron Micrographs of colloidal
platinum nanoparticles were spherical, uniform shape in the
composite. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the PANI and
composites were also studied which indicate a significant decreasing
resistivity than PANI-Platinum after introduction of pt nanoparticles
in the matrix of polyaniline (PANI).
Abstract: The goal of this paper is to present the diagnostic
contribution that the screening instrument, Mini-Mental State
Examination-2: Expanded Version (MMSE-2:EV), brings in
detecting the cognitive impairment or in monitoring the progress of
degenerative disorders. The diagnostic signification is underlined by
the interpretation of the MMSE-2:EV scores, resulted from the test
application to patients with mild and major neurocognitive disorders.
The cases were selected from current practice, in order to cover vast
and significant neurocognitive pathology: mild cognitive impairment,
Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, mixed dementia, Parkinson’s
disease, conversion of the mild cognitive impairment into
Alzheimer’s disease. The MMSE-2:EV version was used: it was
applied one month after the initial assessment, three months after the
first reevaluation and then every six months, alternating the blue and
red forms. Correlated with age and educational level, the raw scores
were converted in T scores and then, with the mean and the standard
deviation, the z scores were calculated. The differences of raw scores
between the evaluations were analyzed from the point of view of
statistic signification, in order to establish the progression in time of
the disease. The results indicated that the psycho-diagnostic approach
for the evaluation of the cognitive impairment with MMSE-2:EV is
safe and the application interval is optimal. In clinical settings with a
large flux of patients, the application of the MMSE-2:EV is a safe
and fast psychodiagnostic solution. The clinicians can draw objective
decisions and for the patients: it does not take too much time and
energy, it does not bother them and it doesn’t force them to travel
frequently.
Abstract: The output error of the globoidal cam mechanism can
be considered as a relevant indicator of mechanism performance,
because it determines kinematic and dynamical behavior of
mechanical transmission. Based on the differential geometry and the
rigid body transformations, the mathematical model of surface
geometry of the globoidal cam is established. Then we present the
analytical expression of the output error (including the transmission
error and the displacement error along the output axis) by considering
different manufacture and assembly errors. The effects of the center
distance error, the perpendicular error between input and output axes
and the rotational angle error of the globoidal cam on the output error
are systematically analyzed. A globoidal cam mechanism which is
widely used in automatic tool changer of CNC machines is applied for
illustration. Our results show that the perpendicular error and the
rotational angle error have little effects on the transmission error but
have great effects on the displacement error along the output axis. This
study plays an important role in the design, manufacture and assembly
of the globoidal cam mechanism.
Abstract: Typical load-bearing biological materials like bone,
mineralized tendon and shell, are biocomposites made from both
organic (collagen) and inorganic (biomineral) materials. This
amazing class of materials with intrinsic internally designed
hierarchical structures show superior mechanical properties with
regard to their weak components from which they are formed.
Extensive investigations concentrating on static loading conditions
have been done to study the biological materials failure. However,
most of the damage and failure mechanisms in load-bearing
biological materials will occur whenever their structures are exposed
to dynamic loading conditions. The main question needed to be
answered here is: What is the relation between the layout and
architecture of the load-bearing biological materials and their
dynamic behavior? In this work, a staggered model has been
developed based on the structure of natural materials at nanoscale and
Finite Element Analysis (FEA) has been used to study the dynamic
behavior of the structure of load-bearing biological materials to
answer why the staggered arrangement has been selected by nature to
make the nanocomposite structure of most of the biological materials.
The results showed that the staggered structures will efficiently
attenuate the stress wave rather than the layered structure.
Furthermore, such staggered architecture is effectively in charge of
utilizing the capacity of the biostructure to resist both normal and
shear loads. In this work, the geometrical parameters of the model
like the thickness and aspect ratio of the mineral inclusions selected
from the typical range of the experimentally observed feature sizes
and layout dimensions of the biological materials such as bone and
mineralized tendon. Furthermore, the numerical results validated with
existing theoretical solutions. Findings of the present work emphasize
on the significant effects of dynamic behavior on the natural
evolution of load-bearing biological materials and can help scientists
to design bioinspired materials in the laboratories.
Abstract: Ceramic Waste Aggregates (CWAs) were made from
electric porcelain insulator wastes supplied from an electric power
company, which were crushed and ground to fine aggregate sizes. In
this study, to develop the CWA mortar as an eco–efficient, ground
granulated blast–furnace slag (GGBS) as a Supplementary
Cementitious Material (SCM) was incorporated. The water–to–binder
ratio (W/B) of the CWA mortars was varied at 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6. The
cement of the CWA mortar was replaced by GGBS at 20 and 40% by
volume (at about 18 and 37% by weight). Mechanical properties of
compressive and splitting tensile strengths, and elastic modulus were
evaluated at the age of 7, 28, and 91 days. Moreover, the chloride
ingress test was carried out on the CWA mortars in a 5.0% NaCl
solution for 48 weeks. The chloride diffusion was assessed by using an
electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). To consider the relation of the
apparent chloride diffusion coefficient and the pore size, the pore size
distribution test was also performed using a mercury intrusion
porosimetry at the same time with the EPMA. The compressive
strength of the CWA mortars with the GGBS was higher than that
without the GGBS at the age of 28 and 91 days. The resistance to the
chloride ingress of the CWA mortar was effective in proportion to the
GGBS replacement level.
Abstract: The MEMS pressure sensor has been introduced and
presented in this paper. The types of pressure sensor and its theory of
operation are also included. The latest MEMS technology, the
fabrication processes of pressure sensor are explored and discussed.
Besides, various device applications of pressure sensor such as tire
pressure-monitoring system, diesel particulate filter and others are
explained. Due to further miniaturization of the device nowadays, the
pressure sensor with nanotechnology (NEMS) is also reviewed. The
NEMS pressure sensor is expected to have better performance as well
as lower in its cost. It has gained an excellent popularity in many
applications.
Abstract: Live video streaming is one of the most widely used
service among end users, yet it is a big challenge for the network
operators in terms of quality. The only way to provide excellent
Quality of Experience (QoE) to the end users is continuous
monitoring of live video streaming. For this purpose, there are several
objective algorithms available that monitor the quality of the video in
a live stream. Subjective tests play a very important role in fine
tuning the results of objective algorithms. As human perception is
considered to be the most reliable source for assessing the quality of a
video stream subjective tests are conducted in order to develop more
reliable objective algorithms. Temporal impairments in a live video
stream can have a negative impact on the end users. In this paper we
have conducted subjective evaluation tests on a set of video
sequences containing temporal impairment known as frame freezing.
Frame Freezing is considered as a transmission error as well as a
hardware error which can result in loss of video frames on the
reception side of a transmission system. In our subjective tests, we
have performed tests on videos that contain a single freezing event
and also for videos that contain multiple freezing events. We have
recorded our subjective test results for all the videos in order to give a
comparison on the available No Reference (NR) objective
algorithms. Finally, we have shown the performance of no reference
algorithms used for objective evaluation of videos and suggested the
algorithm that works better. The outcome of this study shows the
importance of QoE and its effect on human perception. The results
for the subjective evaluation can serve the purpose for validating
objective algorithms.
Abstract: In this paper, we consider a cognitive relay network
(CRN) in which the primary receiver (PR) is protected by peak
transmit power ¯PST and/or peak interference power Q constraints.
In addition, the interference effect from the primary transmitter (PT)
is considered to show its impact on the performance of the CRN. We
investigate the outage probability (OP) and outage capacity (OC) of
the CRN by deriving closed-form expressions over Rayleigh fading
channel. Results show that both the OP and OC improve by increasing
the cooperative relay nodes as well as when the PT is far away from
the SR.
Abstract: This paper shows the general perceptions of Spanish
university stakeholders in relation to the university’s annual reports
and the adequacy and potential of intellectual capital reporting. To
this end, a questionnaire was designed and sent to every member of
the Social Councils of Spanish public universities. It was thought that
these participants would provide a good example of the attitude of
university stakeholders since they represent the different social
groups connected with universities. From the results of this study we
are in the position of confirming the need for universities to offer
information on intellectual capital in their accounting information
model.
Abstract: Multiple User Interference (MUI) considers the
primary problem in Optical Code-Division Multiple Access
(OCDMA), which resulting from the overlapping among the users. In
this article we aim to mitigate this problem by studying an
interference cancellation scheme called successive interference
cancellation (SIC) scheme. This scheme will be tested on two
different detection schemes, spectral amplitude coding (SAC) and
direct detection systems (DS), using partial modified prime (PMP) as
the signature codes. It was found that SIC scheme based on both SAC
and DS methods had a potential to suppress the intensity noise, that is
to say it can mitigate MUI noise. Furthermore, SIC/DS scheme
showed much lower bit error rate (BER) performance relative to
SIC/SAC scheme for different magnitude of effective power. Hence,
many more users can be supported by SIC/DS receiver system.