Abstract: A filter is used to remove undesirable frequency information from a dynamic signal. This paper shows that the Znotch filter filtering technique can be applied to remove the noise nuisance from a machining signal. In machining, the noise components were identified from the sound produced by the operation of machine components itself such as hydraulic system, motor, machine environment and etc. By correlating the noise components with the measured machining signal, the interested components of the measured machining signal which was less interfered by the noise, can be extracted. Thus, the filtered signal is more reliable to be analysed in terms of noise content compared to the unfiltered signal. Significantly, the I-kaz method i.e. comprises of three dimensional graphical representation and I-kaz coefficient, Z∞ could differentiate between the filtered and the unfiltered signal. The bigger space of scattering and the higher value of Z∞ demonstrated that the signal was highly interrupted by noise. This method can be utilised as a proactive tool in evaluating the noise content in a signal. The evaluation of noise content is very important as well as the elimination especially for machining operation fault diagnosis purpose. The Z-notch filtering technique was reliable in extracting noise component from the measured machining signal with high efficiency. Even though the measured signal was exposed to high noise disruption, the signal generated from the interaction between cutting tool and work piece still can be acquired. Therefore, the interruption of noise that could change the original signal feature and consequently can deteriorate the useful sensory information can be eliminated.
Abstract: A human verification system is presented in this
paper. The system consists of several steps: background subtraction,
thresholding, line connection, region growing, morphlogy, star
skelatonization, feature extraction, feature matching, and decision
making. The proposed system combines an advantage of star
skeletonization and simple statistic features. A correlation matching
and probability voting have been used for verification, followed by a
logical operation in a decision making stage. The proposed system
uses small number of features and the system reliability is
convincing.
Abstract: This paper deals with the localization of the wideband sources. We develop a new approach for estimating the wide band sources parameters. This method is based on the high order statistics of the recorded data in order to eliminate the Gaussian components from the signals received on the various hydrophones.In fact the noise of sea bottom is regarded as being Gaussian. Thanks to the coherent signal subspace algorithm based on the cumulant matrix of the received data instead of the cross-spectral matrix the wideband correlated sources are perfectly located in the very noisy environment. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm on the real data recorded during an underwater acoustics experiments.
Abstract: This paper presents a useful sub-pixel image
registration method using line segments and a sub-pixel edge detector.
In this approach, straight line segments are first extracted from gray
images at the pixel level before applying the sub-pixel edge detector.
Next, all sub-pixel line edges are mapped onto the orientation-distance
parameter space to solve for line correspondence between images.
Finally, the registration parameters with sub-pixel accuracy are
analytically solved via two linear least-square problems. The present
approach can be applied to various fields where fast registration with
sub-pixel accuracy is required. To illustrate, the present approach is
applied to the inspection of printed circuits on a flat panel. Numerical
example shows that the present approach is effective and accurate
when target images contain a sufficient number of line segments,
which is true in many industrial problems.
Abstract: A fully on-chip low drop-out (LDO) voltage regulator with 100pF output load capacitor is presented. A novel frequency compensation scheme using current buffer is adopted to realize single dominant pole within the unit gain frequency of the regulation loop, the phase margin (PM) is at least 50 degree under the full range of the load current, and the power supply rejection (PSR) character is improved compared with conventional Miller compensation. Besides, the differentiator provides a high speed path during the load current transient. Implemented in 0.18μm CMOS technology, the LDO voltage regulator provides 100mA load current with a stable 1.8V output voltage consuming 80μA quiescent current.
Abstract: Moisture is an important consideration in many
aspects ranging from irrigation, soil chemistry, golf course, corrosion
and erosion, road conditions, weather predictions, livestock feed
moisture levels, water seepage etc. Vegetation and crops always
depend more on the moisture available at the root level than on
precipitation occurrence. In this paper, design of an instrument is
discussed which tells about the variation in the moisture contents of
soil. This is done by measuring the amount of water content in soil by
finding the variation in capacitance of soil with the help of a
capacitive sensor. The greatest advantage of soil moisture sensor is
reduced water consumption. The sensor is also be used to set lower
and upper threshold to maintain optimum soil moisture saturation and
minimize water wilting, contributes to deeper plant root growth
,reduced soil run off /leaching and less favorable condition for insects
and fungal diseases. Capacitance method is preferred because, it
provides absolute amount of water content and also measures water
content at any depth.
Abstract: In this paper, the requirement for Coke quality
prediction, its role in Blast furnaces, and the model output is
explained. By applying method of Artificial Neural Networking
(ANN) using back propagation (BP) algorithm, prediction model has
been developed to predict CSR. Important blast furnace functions
such as permeability, heat exchanging, melting, and reducing
capacity are mostly connected to coke quality. Coke quality is further
dependent upon coal characterization and coke making process
parameters. The ANN model developed is a useful tool for process
experts to adjust the control parameters in case of coke quality
deviations. The model also makes it possible to predict CSR for new
coal blends which are yet to be used in Coke Plant. Input data to the
model was structured into 3 modules, for tenure of past 2 years and
the incremental models thus developed assists in identifying the
group causing the deviation of CSR.
Abstract: Compacted clay liners (CCLs) are the main materials
used in waste disposal landfills due to their low permeability. In this
study, the effect on the shear resistant of clays with inorganic salt
solutions as permeate fluid was experimentally investigated. For this
purpose, NaCl inorganic salt solution at concentrations of 2, 5, 10%
and deionized water were used. Laboratory direct shear and Vane
shear tests were conducted on three compacted clays with low,
medium and high plasticity. Results indicated that the solutions type
and its concentration affect the shear properties of the mixture. In the
light of this study, the influence magnitude of these inorganic salts in
varies concentrations in different clays were determined and more
suitable compacted clay with the compare of plasticity were found.
Abstract: In policy discourse of 1990s, more inclusive spaces
have been constructed for realizing full and meaningful participation
of common people in education. These participatory spaces provide
an alternative possibility for universalizing elementary education
against the backdrop of a history of entrenched forms of social and
economical exclusion; inequitable education provisions; and
shrinking role of the state in today-s neo-liberal times. Drawing on
case-studies of bottom-up approaches to school governance, the study
examines an array of innovative ways through which poor people
gained a sense of identity and agency by evolving indigenous
solutions to issues regarding schooling of their children. In the
process, state-s institutions and practices became more accountable
and responsive to educational concerns of the marginalized people.
The deliberative participation emerged as an active way of
experiencing deeper forms of empowerment and democracy than its
passive realization as mere bearers of citizen rights.
Abstract: In this research, we propose to use the discrete cosine
transform to approximate the cumulative distributions of data cube
cells- values. The cosine transform is known to have a good energy
compaction property and thus can approximate data distribution
functions easily with small number of coefficients. The derived
estimator is accurate and easy to update. We perform experiments to
compare its performance with a well-known technique - the (Haar)
wavelet. The experimental results show that the cosine transform
performs much better than the wavelet in estimation accuracy, speed,
space efficiency, and update easiness.
Abstract: Internet today has a huge impact on all aspects of life,
and also in the area of the broader context of democracy, politics and
politicians. If democracy is freedom of choice, there are a number of
conditions that can ensure in practice the freedom to be achieved and
realized. These preconditions must be achieved regardless of the
manner of voting. The key contribution of ICT to achieve freedom of
choice is that technology enables the correlation of the citizens and
elected representatives on the better way than it was possible without
the Internet. In this sense, we can say that the Internet and ICT are
changing significantly, and potentially improving the environment in
which democratic processes are taking place. This paper aims to
describe trends in use of ICT in democratic processes, and analyzes
the challenges for implementation of e-Democracy in Montenegro
Abstract: The objective of this paper is to analyze the
performance of a double-sided axial flux permanent magnet
brushless DC (AFPM BLDC) motor with two-phase winding.
To study the motor operation, a mathematical dynamic model
has been proposed for motor, which became the basis for
simulations that were performed using MATLAB/SIMULINK
software package. The results of simulations were presented
in form of the waveforms of selected quantities and the
electromechanical characteristics performed by the motor. The
calculation results show that the two-phase motor version
develops smooth torque and reaches high efficiency. The twophase
motor can be applied where more smooth torque is
required. Finally a study on the influence of switching angle
on motor performance shows that when advance switching
technique is used, the motor operates with the highest
efficiency.
Abstract: Coal will continue to be the predominant source of
global energy for coming several decades. The huge generation of fly
ash (FA) from combustion of coal in thermal power plants (TPPs) is
apprehended to pose the concerns of its disposal and utilization. FA
application based on its typical characteristics as soil ameliorant for
agriculture and forestry is the potential area, and hence the global
attempt. The inferences drawn suffer from the variations of ash
characteristics, soil types, and agro-climatic conditions; thereby
correlating the effects of ash between various plant species and soil
types is difficult. Indian FAs have low bulk density, high water
holding capacity and porosity, rich silt-sized particles, alkaline
nature, negligible solubility, and reasonable plant nutrients. Findings
of the demonstrations trials for more than two decades from lab/pot
to field scale long-term experiments are developed as FA soil
amendment technology (FASAT) by Central Institute of Mining and
Fuel Research (CIMFR), Dhanbad. Performance of different crops
and plant species in cultivable and problematic soils, are
encouraging, eco-friendly, and being adopted by the farmers. FA
application includes ash alone and in combination with
inorganic/organic amendments; combination treatments including
bio-solids perform better than FA alone. Optimum dose being up to
100 t/ha for cultivable land and up to/ or above 200 t/ha of FA for
waste/degraded land/mine refuse, depending on the characteristics of
ash and soil. The elemental toxicity in Indian FA is usually not of
much concern owing to alkaline ashes, oxide forms of elements, and
elemental concentration within the threshold limits for soil
application. Combating toxicity, if any, is possible through
combination treatments with organic materials and phytoremediation.
Government initiatives through extension programme
involving farmers and ash generating organizations need to be
accelerated
Abstract: The structural stability of the model of a nonelectroneutral current sheath is investigated. The stationary model of a current sheath represents the system of four connected nonlinear differential first-order equations and thus they should manifest structural instability property, i.e. sensitivity to the infinitesimal changes of parameters and starting conditions. Domains of existence of the solutions of current sheath type are found. Those solutions of the current sheath type are realized only in some regions of sevendimensional space of parameters of the problem. The phase volume of those regions is small in comparison with the whole phase volume of the definition range of those parameters. It is shown that the offered model of a nonelectroneutral current sheath is applicable for theoretical interpretation of the bifurcational current sheaths observed in the magnetosphere.
Abstract: Focusing on the environmental issues, including the reduction of scrap and consumer residuals, along with the benefiting from the economic value during the life cycle of goods/products leads the companies to have an important competitive approach. The aim of this paper is to present a new mixed nonlinear facility locationallocation model in recycling collection networks by considering multi-echelon, multi-suppliers, multi-collection centers and multifacilities in the recycling network. To make an appropriate decision in reality, demands, returns, capacities, costs and distances, are regarded uncertain in our model. For this purpose, a fuzzy mathematical programming-based possibilistic approach is introduced as a solution methodology from the recent literature to solve the proposed mixed-nonlinear programming model (MNLP). The computational experiments are provided to illustrate the applicability of the designed model in a supply chain environment and to help the decision makers to facilitate their analysis.
Abstract: Falls are the primary cause of accidents in people over
the age of 65, and frequently lead to serious injuries. Since the early
detection of falls is an important step to alert and protect the aging
population, a variety of research on detecting falls was carried out
including the use of accelerators, gyroscopes and tilt sensors. In
exiting studies, falls were detected using an accelerometer with
errors. In this study, the proposed method for detecting falls was to
use two accelerometers to reject wrong falls detection. As falls are
accompanied by the acceleration of gravity and rotational motion, the
falls in this study were detected by using the z-axial acceleration
differences between two sites. The falls were detected by calculating
the difference between the analyses of accelerometers placed on two
different positions on the chest of the subject. The parameters of the
maximum difference of accelerations (diff_Z) and the integration of
accelerations in a defined region (Sum_diff_Z) were used to form the
fall detection algorithm. The falls and the activities of daily living
(ADL) could be distinguished by using the proposed parameters
without errors in spite of the impact and the change in the positions
of the accelerometers. By comparing each of the axial accelerations,
the directions of falls and the condition of the subject afterwards
could be determined.In this study, by using two accelerometers
without errors attached to two sites to detect falls, the usefulness of
the proposed fall detection algorithm parameters, diff_Z and
Sum_diff_Z, were confirmed.
Abstract: The impact of the information revolution is double
edged. While it is applauded for its versatility and performance
robustness and acclaimed for making life smooth and easy, on the
other hand people are concerned about its dark side especially to
younger generations. The education system should extend its
educating role beyond the school to home. Parents should be included
in forming the policies of Internet use as well as in the curriculum
delivery. This paper discusses how curriculum can be instrumental in
addressing social and ethical issues resulted from the Internet.
Abstract: In a recent major industry-supported research and development study, a novel framework was developed and applied for assessment of reliability and quality performance levels in reallife power systems with practical large-scale sizes. The new assessment methodology is based on three metaphors (dimensions) representing the relationship between available generation capacities and required demand levels. The paper shares the results of the successfully completed stud and describes the implementation of the new methodology on practical zones in the Saudi electricity system.
Abstract: Wireless ad hoc nodes are freely and dynamically
self-organize in communicating with others. Each node can act as
host or router. However it actually depends on the capability of
nodes in terms of its current power level, signal strength, number
of hops, routing protocol, interference and others. In this research,
a study was conducted to observe the effect of hops count over
different network topologies that contribute to TCP Congestion
Control performance degradation. To achieve this objective, a
simulation using NS-2 with different topologies have been
evaluated. The comparative analysis has been discussed based on
standard observation metrics: throughput, delay and packet loss
ratio. As a result, there is a relationship between types of topology
and hops counts towards the performance of ad hoc network. In
future, the extension study will be carried out to investigate the
effect of different error rate and background traffic over same
topologies.
Abstract: Delayed wound healing in diabetes is primarily
associated with hyperglycemia, over-expression of inflammatory
marker, oxidative stress and delayed collagen synthesis. This
unmanaged wound is producing high economic burden on the
society. Thus research is required to develop new and effective
treatment strategies to deal with this emerging issue. Our present
study incorporates the evaluation of wound healing effects of 50%
ethanol extract of Ocimum sanctum (OSE) in streptozotocin
(45mg/kg)-induced diabetic rats with concurrent wound ulcer. The
animals showing diabetes (Blood glucose level >140 and