Abstract: The Egyptian Bacillus thuringiensis isolate (M5) produce crystal proteins that is toxic against insects was irradiated with UV light to induce mutants. Upon testing 10 of the resulting mutants for their toxicity against cotton leafworm larvae, the three mutants 62, 64 and 85 proved to be the most toxic ones. Upon testing these mutants along with their parental isolate by SDS-PAGE analysis of spores-crystals proteins as well as vegetative cells proteins, new induced bands appeared in the three mutants by UV radiation and also they showed disappearance of some other bands as compared with the wild type isolate. Multiplex PCR technique, with five sets of specific primers, was used to detect the three types of cryI genes cryIAa, cryIAb and cryIAc. Results showed that these three genes exist, as distinctive bands, in the wild type isolate (M5) as well as in mutants 62 and 85, while the mutant 64 had two distinctive bands of cryIAb and cryIAc genes, and a faint band of cryI Aa gene. Finally, these results revealed that mutant 62 is considered as the promising mutant since it is UV resistant, highly toxic against Spodoptera littoralis and active against a wide range of Lepidopteran insects.
Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy to estimation fetal weight by Johnson-s method and compares it with actual birth weight. The sample group was 126 infants delivered in Dan KhunThot hospital from January March 2012. Fetal weight was estimated by measuring fundal height according to Johnson-s method. The information was collected by studying historical delivery records and then analyzed by using the statistics of frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Finally, the difference was analyzed by a paired t-test.The results showed had an average birth weight was 3093.57 ± 391.03 g (mean ± SD) and 3,455 ± 454.55 g average estimated fetal weight by Johnson-s method higher than average actual birth weight was 384.09 grams. When classifying the infants according to birth weight found that low birth weight ( 4000 g) actual birth weight was more than estimated fetal weight. The difference was found between actual birth weight and estimation fetal weight of the minimum weight in high birth weight ( > 4000 g) , the appropriate birth weight (2500-3999g) and low birth weight (
Abstract: The study of soil for agriculture purposes has
remained the main focus of research since the beginning of civilization as humans- food related requirements remained closely linked with the soil. The study of soil has generated an interest
among the researchers for very similar other reasons including transmission, reflection and refraction of signals for deploying
wireless underground sensor networks or for the monitoring of objects on (or in ) soil in the form of better understanding of soil
electromagnetic characteristics properties. The moisture content has
been very instrumental in such studies as it decides on the resistance of the soil, and hence the attenuation on signals traveling through soil
or the attenuation the signals may suffer upon their impact on soil. This work is related testing and characterizing a measurement circuit
meant for the detection of moisture level content in soil.
Abstract: In recent years, real estate prediction or valuation has
been a topic of discussion in many developed countries. Improper
hype created by investors leads to fluctuating prices of real estate,
affecting many consumers to purchase their own homes. Therefore,
scholars from various countries have conducted research in real estate
valuation and prediction. With the back-propagation neural network
that has been popular in recent years and the orthogonal array in the
Taguchi method, this study aimed to find the optimal parameter
combination at different levels of orthogonal array after the system
presented different parameter combinations, so that the artificial
neural network obtained the most accurate results. The experimental
results also demonstrated that the method presented in the study had a
better result than traditional machine learning. Finally, it also showed
that the model proposed in this study had the optimal predictive effect,
and could significantly reduce the cost of time in simulation operation.
The best predictive results could be found with a fewer number of
experiments more efficiently. Thus users could predict a real estate
transaction price that is not far from the current actual prices.
Abstract: This paper explores the importance of privacy in a
contemporary online world. Crucial to the discussion is the idea of
the Lacanian postmodern fragmented self and the problem of how to
ensure that we have room to fully explore various aspects of our
personalities in an environment which is–or at least feels--safe and
free from observation by others. The paper begins with an
exploration of the idea of the self with particular regard to the ways
in which contemporary life and technology seems to have multiplied
the various faces or masks which we present in different contexts. A
brief history of privacy and surveillance follows. Finally, the paper
ends with an affirmation of the importance of private space as an
essential component of our spiritual and emotional well-being in
today-s wired world.
Abstract: This paper presents a mean for reducing the torque
variation during the revolution of a vertical-axis wind turbine
(VAWT) by increasing the blade number. For this purpose, twodimensional
CDF analysis have been performed on a straight-bladed
Darreius-type rotor. After describing the computational model, a
complete campaign of simulations based on full RANS unsteady
calculations is proposed for a three, four and five-bladed rotor
architecture characterized by a NACA 0025 airfoil. For each
proposed rotor configuration, flow field characteristics are
investigated at several values of tip speed ratio, allowing a
quantification of the influence of blade number on flow geometric
features and dynamic quantities, such as rotor torque and power.
Finally, torque and power curves are compared for the analyzed
architectures, achieving a quantification of the effect of blade number
on overall rotor performance.
Abstract: In many applications there is a broad variety of
information relevant to a focal “object" of interest, and the fusion of such heterogeneous data types is desirable for classification and
categorization. While these various data types can sometimes be treated as orthogonal (such as the hull number, superstructure color,
and speed of an oil tanker), there are instances where the inference and the correlation between quantities can provide improved fusion
capabilities (such as the height, weight, and gender of a person). A
service-oriented architecture has been designed and prototyped to
support the fusion of information for such “object-centric" situations.
It is modular, scalable, and flexible, and designed to support new data sources, fusion algorithms, and computational resources without affecting existing services. The architecture is designed to simplify
the incorporation of legacy systems, support exact and probabilistic entity disambiguation, recognize and utilize multiple types of
uncertainties, and minimize network bandwidth requirements.
Abstract: The objective of this paper is to establish a possible relationship between sustainable business practice and firm performance. Using a field survey methodology, a sample of sixty manufacturing companies in Nigeria was studied. The firms were categorised into two groups, environmentally 'responsible' and 'irresponsible' firms. An investigation was undertaken into the possible relationship between firm performance and three selected indicators of sustainable business practice: employee health and safety (EHS), waste management (WM), and community development (CD), common within the 30 'responsible' firms. Findings from empirical results reveal that the sustainable practices of the 'responsible' firms are significantly related with firm performance. In addition, sustainable practices are inversely related with fines and penalties. The paper concludes that, within the Nigerian setting at least, sustainability affects corporate performance and sustainability may be a possible tool for corporate conflict resolution as evidenced in the reduction of fines, penalties and compensations. The paper therefore recommends research into the relationship between sustainability and conflict management.
Abstract: Functionalities and control behavior are both primary
requirements in design of a complex system. Automata theory plays
an important role in modeling behavior of a system. Z is an ideal
notation which is used for describing state space of a system and then
defining operations over it. Consequently, an integration of automata
and Z will be an effective tool for increasing modeling power for a
complex system. Further, nondeterministic finite automata (NFA)
may have different implementations and therefore it is needed to
verify the transformation from diagrams to a code. If we describe
formal specification of an NFA before implementing it, then
confidence over transformation can be increased. In this paper, we
have given a procedure for integrating NFA and Z. Complement of a
special type of NFA is defined. Then union of two NFAs is
formalized after defining their complements. Finally, formal
construction of intersection of NFAs is described. The specification
of this relationship is analyzed and validated using Z/EVES tool.
Abstract: The study aims to investigate the impact on board and
audit committee characteristics and firm performance before and
after the revision of MCCG (2007) on GLCs over the period 2005-2010. We used Return on Assets (ROA) as a proxy for firm performance. The data consists of two groups; data collected before
and after the amendments of MCCG (2007). Findings show that
boards of directors with accounting / finance qualifications (BEXP)
are statistically significant with performance for period before the amendments. As for audit committee members with accounting or
finance qualifications (ACEXP), correlation results indicate a
negative association and non-significant results for the years before
amendments. However, the years after the amendments show
positive relationship with highly significant correlations (1%) to ROA. This indicates that the amendments of MCCG 2007 on the
audit committee members- literacy in accounting have impacted the governance structures and performance of GLCs.
Abstract: In aircraft applications, according to the nature of
electrical equipment its location may be in unpressurized area or very
close to the engine; thus, the environmental conditions may change
from atmospheric pressure to less than 100 mbar, and the temperature
may be higher than the ambient one as in most real working
conditions of electrical equipment. Then, the classical Paschen curve
has to be replotted since these parameters may affect the discharge
ignition voltage. In this paper, we firstly investigate the domain of
validity of two corrective expressions on the Paschen-s law found in
the literature, in case of changing the air environment and known as
Peek and Dunbar corrections. Results show that these corrections are
no longer valid for combined variation of temperature and pressure.
After that, a new empirical expression for breakdown voltage is
proposed and is validated in the case of combined variations of
temperature and pressure.
Abstract: In order to characterize the soy protein hydrolysate obtained in this study, gel chromatography on Sephadex G-25 was used to perform the separation of the peptide mixture and electrophoresis in SDS-polyacrylamide gel has been employed. Protein hydrolysate gave high antioxidant activities, but didn't give any antimicrobial activities. The antioxidant activities of protein hydrolysate was in the same trend of peptide content which gave high antioxidant activities and high peptide content between fractions 15 to 50. With increasing peptide concentrations, the scavenging effect on DPPH radical increased until about 70%, thereafter reaching a plateau. In compare to different concentrations of BHA, which exhibited higher activity (90%), soybean protein hydrolysate exhibited high antioxidant activities (70%) at a concentration of 1.45 mg/ml at fraction 25. Electrophoresis analysis indicated that, low- MW hydrolysate fractions (F1) appeared, on average, to have higher DPPH scavenging activities than high-MW fractions. These results revealed that soybean peptides probably contain substances that were proton donors and could react with free radicals to convert them to stable diamagnetic molecules.
Abstract: The potential of entomopathogenic nematodes in suppressing T. squalida population on cauliflower from transplanting to harvest was evaluated. Significant reductions in plant infestation percentage and population density (/m2) were recorded throughout the plantation seasons, 2011 and 2012 before and after spraying the plants. The percent reduction in numbers/m2 was the highest in March for the treatments with Heterorhabditis indica Behera and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Giza during the plantation season 2011, while at the plantation season 2012, the reduction in population density was the highest in January for Heterorhabditis Indica Behera and in February for H . bacteriophora Giza treatments. In a comparison test with conventional insecticides Hostathion and Lannate, there were no significant differences in control measures resulting from treatments with H. indica Behera, H. bacteriophora Giza and Lannate. At the plantation season is 2012. Also, the treatments reduced the economic threshold of T. squalida on cauliflower in this experiment as compared with before and after spraying with both the two entomopathogenic nematodes at both seasons 2011 and 2012. This means an increase in the marketability of heads harvested as a consequence of monthly treatments.
Abstract: This paper discusses the issue of tribal development,
displacement, rehabilitation and resettlement policies, and
implementation in the agency (scheduled / tribal) areas of the West
Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh State, India. This study is based
on action anthropological approach, conducted among the displaced
tribal communities i.e. Konda Reddis and Nayakapods of this region,
under the 'Kovvada Reservoir' Project. These groups are
traditionally shifting cultivators and popularly known as the
Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) in the government records. This
paper also focuses on the issues of tribal displacement and land
alienation due to construction of the Kovvada reservoir, without
proper rehabilitation and resettlement, although there are well
defined guidelines, procedures and norms for the rehabilitation of
Project Affected Persons (PAPs). It is necessary to begin with, to
provide an overview of the issues in tribal development and policies
related to displacement and rehabilitation in the Indian context as a
background to the Kovvada Reservoir Project, the subject of this
study.
Abstract: Avionics software is safe-critical embedded software
and its architecture is evolving from traditional federated architectures
to Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) to improve resource usability.
ARINC 653 (Avionics Application Standard Software Interface) is a
software specification for space and time partitioning in Safety-critical
avionics Real-time operating systems. Arinc653 uses two-level
scheduling strategies, but current modeling tools only apply to simple
problems of Arinc653 two-level scheduling, which only contain time
property. In avionics industry, we are always manually allocating
tasks and calculating the timing table of a real-time system to ensure
it-s running as we design. In this paper we represent an automatically
generating strategy which applies to the two scheduling problems with
dependent constraints in Arinc653 partition run-time environment. It
provides the functionality of automatic generation from the task and partition models to scheduling policy through allocating the tasks to the partitions while following the constraints, and then we design a simulating mechanism to check whether our policy is schedulable or
not
Abstract: The theatre-auditorium under investigation following
the highly reflective characteristics of materials used in it (marble,
painted wood, smooth plaster, etc), architectural and structural
features of the Protocol and its intended use (very multifunctional:
Auditorium, theatre, cinema, musicals, conference room) from the
analysis of the statement of fact made by the acoustic simulation
software Ramsete and supported by data obtained through a
campaign of acoustic measurements of the state of fact made on the
spot by a Fonomet Svantek model SVAN 957, appears to be
acoustically inadequate. After the completion of the 3D model
according to the specifications necessary software used forecast in
order to be recognized by him, have made three simulations, acoustic
simulation of the state of and acoustic simulation of two design
solutions.
Improved noise characteristics found in the first design solution,
compared to the state in fact consists therefore in lowering
Reverberation Time that you turn most desirable value, while the
Indicators of Clarity, the Baricentric Time, the Lateral Efficiency,
Ratio of Low Tmedia BR and defined the Speech Intelligibility
improved significantly. Improved noise characteristics found instead
in the second design solution, as compared to first design solution, is
finally mostly in a more uniform distribution of Leq and in lowering
Reverberation Time that you turn the optimum values. Indicators of
Clarity, and the Lateral Efficiency improve further but at the expense
of a value slightly worse than the BR. Slightly vary the remaining
indices.
Abstract: Performance of vehicle depends on driving patterns
and vehicle drive train configuration. Driving patterns depends on
traffic condition, road condition and driver behavior. HEV design is
carried out under certain constrain like vehicle operating range,
acceleration, decelerations, maximum speed and road grades which
are directly related to the driving patterns. Therefore the detailed
study on HEV performance over a different drive cycle is required
for selection and sizing of HEV components. A simple hardware is
design to measured velocity v/s time profile of the vehicle by
operating vehicle on Indian roads under real traffic conditions. To
size the HEV components, a detailed dynamic model of the vehicle is
developed considering the effect of inertia of rotating components
like wheels, drive chain, engine and electric motor. Using vehicle
model and different Indian drive cycles data, total tractive power
demanded by vehicle and power supplied by individual components
has been calculated.Using above information selection and estimation
of component sizing for HEV is carried out so that HEV performs
efficiently under hostile driving condition. Complete analysis is
carried out in LABVIEW.
Abstract: Rhizopus oligosporus was used in the present study
for the production of protease enzyme under SSF. Sunflower meal
was used as by-product of oil industry incorporated with organic salts
was employed for the production of protease enzyme. The main
purpose of the present was to study different parameters of protease
productivity, its yields and to optimize basal fermentation conditions.
The optimal conditions found for protease production using
sunflower meal as a substrate in the present study were inoculum size
(1%), substrate (Sunflower meal), substrate concentration (20 g), pH
(3), cultivation period (72 h), incubation temperature (35oC),
substrate to diluent-s ratio (1:2) and tween 81 (1 mL). The maximum
production of protease in the presence of cheaper substrate at low
concentration and stability at acidic pH, these characteristics make
the strain and its enzymes useful in different industry.
Abstract: In this work, effects of catalysts (TiO2, and Nb2O5) were investigated on the hydrogen desorption of Mg(BH4)2. LiBH4 and MgCl2 with 2:1 molar ratio were mixed by using ball milling to prepare Mg(BH4)2. The desorption behaviors were measured by thermo-volumetric apparatus. The hydrogen desorption capacity of the mixed sample milled for 2 h was 4.78 wt% with a 2-step released. The first step occurred at 214 °C and the second step appeared at 374 °C. The addition of 16 wt% Nb2O5 decreased the desorption temperature in the second step about 66 °C and increased the hydrogen desorption capacity to 4.86 wt% hydrogen. The addition of TiO2 also improved the desorption temperature in the second step and the hydrogen desorption capacity. It decreased the desorption temperature about 71°C and showed a high amount of hydrogen, 5.27 wt%, released from the mixed sample. The hydrogen absorption after desorption of Mg(BH4)2 was also studied under 9.5 MPa and 350 °C for 12 h.
Abstract: Airbag deployment has been known to be responsible
for huge death, incidental injuries and broken bones due to low crash
severity and wrong deployment decisions. Therefore, the authorities
and industries have been looking for more innovative and intelligent
products to be realized for future enhancements in the vehicle safety
systems (VSSs). Although the VSSs technologies have advanced
considerably, they still face challenges such as how to avoid
unnecessary and untimely airbag deployments that can be hazardous
and fatal. Currently, most of the existing airbag systems deploy
without regard to occupant size and position. As such, this paper will
focus on the occupant and crash sensing performances due to frontal
collisions for the new breed of so called smart airbag systems. It
intends to provide a thorough discussion relating to the occupancy
detection, occupant size classification, occupant off-position
detection to determine safe distance zone for airbag deployment,
crash-severity analysis and airbag decision algorithms via a computer
modeling. The proposed system model consists of three main
modules namely, occupant sensing, crash severity analysis and
decision fusion. The occupant sensing system module utilizes the
weight sensor to determine occupancy, classify the occupant size,
and determine occupant off-position condition to compute safe
distance for airbag deployment. The crash severity analysis module is
used to generate relevant information pertinent to airbag deployment
decision. Outputs from these two modules are fused to the decision
module for correct and efficient airbag deployment action. Computer
modeling work is carried out using Simulink, Stateflow,
SimMechanics and Virtual Reality toolboxes.