Abstract: In the past few years, high consumption of soft drinks
has attracted negative attention world-wide due to its possible
adverse effects, leading the health conscious people to find
alternative nutraceutical or herbal health drinks. In the present study,
a nutraceutical soft drink was developed utilizing some easily
available and well known traditional herbs having nutritional
potential. The key ingredients were selected as bael, amla, lemon
juice, ashwagandha and poppy seeds based on their household routine
use in the summer with proven refreshing, cooling and energetic
feeling since ages. After several trials made, the final composition of
nutraceutical summer soft drink was selected as most suitable
combination based on the taste, physicochemical, microbial and
organoleptic point of view. The physicochemical analysis of the
prepared drink found to contain optimum level of titratable acidity,
total soluble solids and pH which were in accordance of the
commercial recommendations. There were no bacterial colonies
found in the product therefore found within limits. During the nine
point’s hedonic scale sensory evaluation, the drink was strongly liked
for colour, taste, flavour and texture. The formulation was found to
contain flavonoids (80mg/100ml), phenolics (103mg/100ml), vitamin
C (250mg/100ml) and has antioxidant potential (75.52%) apart from
providing several other essential vitamins, minerals and healthy
components. The developed nutraceutical drink provides an
economical and feasible option for the consumers with very good
taste combined with potential health benefits. The present drink is
potentially capable to replace the synthetic soft drinks available in the
market.
Abstract: In this paper, we present a quantum statistical
mechanical formulation from our recently analytical expressions for
partial-wave transition matrix of a three-particle system. We report
the quantum reactive cross sections for three-body scattering
processes 1+(2,3)→1+(2,3) as well as recombination
1+(2,3)→1+(3,1) between one atom and a weakly-bound dimer. The
analytical expressions of three-particle transition matrices and their
corresponding cross-sections were obtained from the threedimensional
Faddeev equations subjected to the rank-two non-local
separable potentials of the generalized Yamaguchi form. The
equilibrium quantum statistical mechanical properties such partition
function and equation of state as well as non-equilibrium quantum
statistical properties such as transport cross-sections and their
corresponding transport collision integrals were formulated
analytically. This leads to obtain the transport properties, such as
viscosity and diffusion coefficient of a moderate dense gas.
Abstract: This paper presents the results of a Finite Element
based vibration analysis of a solar powered Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle (UAV). The purpose of this paper was to quantify the free
vibration, forced vibration response due to differing point inputs in
order to predict the relative response magnitudes and frequencies at
various wing locations of vibration induced power generators
(magnet in coil) excited by gust and/or control surface pulse-decays
used to help power the flight of the electric UAV. A Fluid Structure
Interaction (FSI) study was performed in order to ascertain pertinent
design stresses and deflections as well as aerodynamic parameters of
the UAV airfoil. The 10 ft span airfoil is modeled using Mylar as the
primary material. Results show that the free mode in bending is 4.8
Hz while the first forced bending mode is on range of 16.2 to 16.7 Hz
depending on the location of excitation. The free torsional bending
mode is 28.3 Hz, and the first forced torsional mode is range of 26.4
to 27.8 Hz, depending on the location of excitation. The FSI results
predict the coefficients of aerodynamic drag and lift of 0.0052 and
0.077, respectively, which matches hand-calculations used to validate
the Finite Element based results. FSI based maximum von Mises
stresses and deflections were found to be 0.282 MPa and 3.4 mm,
respectively. Dynamic pressures on the airfoil range from 1.04 to
1.23 kPa corresponding to velocity magnitudes in range of 22 to 66
m/s.
Abstract: The first laboratory synthesis of hard materials such as
diamond proceeded to attack of developing materials with high
hardness to compete diamond. Boron rich solids are good candidates
owing to their short interatomic bond lengths and strong covalent
character. Boron containing hard material was synthesized by modifiedmicrowave
method under nitrogen atmosphere by using a fuel
(glycine or urea), amorphous boron and/or boric acid in appropriate
molar ratio. Characterizations were done by x-ray diffraction (XRD),
Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron
microscopy/energy dispersive analyze (SEM/EDS), thermo
gravimetric/differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA).
Abstract: The conventional ceramic route was utilized to
prepare a hard magnetic powder (M-type strontium ferrite,
SrFe12O19). The stoichiometric mixture of iron oxide and strontium
carbonate were calcined at 1000oC and then fired at various
temperatures. The influence of various reaction parameters such as
mixing ratio, calcination temperature, firing temperature and firing
time on the magnetic behaviors of the synthesized magnetic powder
were investigated. The magnetic properties including Coercivity
(Hc), Magnetic saturation (Ms), and Magnetic remnance (Mr) were
measured by vibrating sample magnetometer. Morphologically the
produced magnetic powder has a dense hexagonal grain shape
structure.
Abstract: A teeming set of doctors that graduated from various
universities within and outside Nigeria with the hope of practicing in
the country, has their hope shattered because of poor financing, lack
of medical equipments and a very weak healthcare systems. Such
hydra headed challenges, allows room for quackery which
increasingly contributes to the cause of mortality in Nigeria. With a
view of reversing the challenges of healthcare delivery and financing
in Nigeria, African Health Market for Equity (AHME), a project
funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation [With contribution
from Department For International Development (DFID)] and
currently implemented in three African Countries (Nigeria, Kenya
and Ghana) over a Five (5) year period supports the healthcare sector
via Medical credit fund (MCF). The study examines the impact of
credit policy and medical credit funding on Nigerian health market.
Ordinary least square analysis, correlation and granger causality tests
were employed to measure the extent to which the Nigerian
healthcare market has been influenced. Medical credit fund
significantly and positively influenced average monthly turnover of
private healthcare providers and Commercial bank’s lending rate had
a weak relationship with access to credit/approved loans (13.46%).
The programme has so far made 13.91% progress, which is very
poor, considering the minimum targeted private health care providers
(437.6) and expected number of loan approvals (180.4) for the two
years. Medical credit policy in Nigeria should be revised to include
private healthcare providers in rural area for more positive impact
and increased returns. Good brand advert and sensitization of the
programme to stakeholders and health pressure group, and an
extension of the programme beyond five years is necessary to better
address the issues raised in the study.
Abstract: During welding or flame cutting of metals, the
prediction of heat affected zone (HAZ) is critical. There is need to
develop a simple mathematical model to calculate the temperature
variation in HAZ and derivative analysis can be used for this purpose.
This study presents analytical solution for heat transfer through
conduction in mild steel plate. The homogeneous and nonhomogeneous
boundary conditions are single variables. The full field
analytical solutions of temperature measurement, subjected to local
heating source, are derived first by method of separation of variables
followed with the experimental visualization using infrared imaging.
Based on the present work, it is suggested that appropriate heat input
characteristics controls the temperature distribution in and around
HAZ.
Abstract: A repairable mechanical system (as agricultural
tractor) is subject to deterioration or repeated failure and needs a
repair shops and also operator’s capability for the repair and
maintenance operations. Data are based on field visits and interviews
with 48MF 285 tractor operators from 14 villages collected in north
of Khouzestan province. The results showed that most operators were
lack the technical skill to service and repair tractors due to
insufficient training, specific education and work experience.
Inadequate repair and maintenance facilities, such as workshops,
mechanics and spare parts depots cause delays in repair work in the
survey areas. Farmers do not keep accurate service records and most
of them disregard proper maintenance and service of their tractors,
such as changing engine oil without following the manufacturer’s
recommendations. Since, Repair and maintenance facilities should be
established in village areas to guarantee timely repair in case of
breakdowns and to make spare parts available at low price. The
operators should keep service records accurately and adhere to
maintenance and service schedules according to the manufacturer’s
instructions. They should also be encouraged to do the service and
maintain their tractors properly.
Abstract: The end of the line controls of the finished products in
the automotive industry is important. The control that has been
conducted with the manual methods for the sliding doors tracks is not
sufficient and faulty products cannot be identified. As a result, the
customer has the faulty products. In the scope of this study, the
design criteria of the PLC integrated modular end of line control unit
has been examined, designed and manufactured to make the control
of the 10 different track profile to 2 different vehicles with an
objective to minimize the salvage costs by obtaining more sensitive,
certain and accurate measurement results. In the study that started
with literature and patent review, the design inputs have been
specified, the technical concept has been developed, computer
supported mechanic design, control system and automation design,
design review and design improvement have been made. Laser
analog sensors at high sensitivity, probes and modular blocks have
been used in the unit. The measurement has been conducted in the
system and it is observed that measurement results are more sensitive
than the previous methods that we use.
Abstract: Second generation military Filipino Amerasians
comprise a formidable contemporary segment of the estimated
250,000-plus biracial Amerasians in the Philippines today. Overall,
they are a stigmatized and socioeconomically marginalized diaspora;
historically, they were abandoned or estranged by U.S. military
personnel fathers assigned during the century-long Colonial, Post-
World War II and Cold War Era of permanent military basing (1898-
1992). Indeed, U.S. military personnel are assigned in smaller
numbers in the Philippines today. This inquiry is an outgrowth of two
recent small sample studies. The first surfaced the impact of the U.S.
military prostitution system on formation of the ‘Derivative
Amerasian Family Construct’ on first generation Amerasians; a
second, qualitative case study suggested the continued effect of the
prostitution systems' destructive impetuous on second generation
Amerasians. The intent of this current qualitative, multiple-case study
was to actively seek out second generation sex industry toilers. The
purpose was to focus further on this human phenomenon in the postbasing
and post-military prostitution system eras. As background, the
former military prostitution apparatus has transformed into a modern
dynamic of rampant sex tourism and prostitution nationwide. This is
characterized by hotel and resorts offering unrestricted carnal access,
urban and provincial brothels (casas), discos, bars and pickup clubs,
massage parlors, local barrio karaoke bars and street prostitution. A
small case study sample (N = 4) of female and male second
generation Amerasians were selected. Sample formation employed a
non-probability ‘snowball’ technique drawing respondents from the
notorious Angeles, Metro Manila, Olongapo City ‘AMO Amerasian
Triangle’ where most former U.S. military installations were sited
and modern sex tourism thrives. A six-month study and analysis of
in-depth interviews of female and male sex laborers, their families
and peers revealed a litany of disturbing, and troublesome
experiences. Results showed profiles of debilitating human poverty,
history of family disorganization, stigmatization, social
marginalization and the ghost of the military prostitution system and
its harmful legacy on Amerasian family units. Emerging were testimonials of wayward young people ensnared in a maelstrom of
deep economic deprivation, familial dysfunction, psychological
desperation and societal indifference. The paper recommends that
more study is needed and implications of unstudied psychosocial and
socioeconomic experiences of distressed younger generations of
military Amerasians require specific research. Heretofore apathetic or
disengaged U.S. institutions need to confront the issue and formulate
activist and solution-oriented social welfare, human services and
immigration easement policies and alternatives. These institutions
specifically include academic and social science research agencies,
corporate foundations, the U.S. Congress, and Departments of State,
Defense and Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security
(i.e. Citizen and Immigration Services) It is them who continue to
endorse a laissez-faire policy of non-involvement over the entire
Filipino Amerasian question. Such apathy, the paper concludes,
relegates this consequential but neglected blood progeny to the status
of humiliating destitution and exploitation. Amerasians; thus, remain
entrapped in their former colonial, and neo-colonial habitat.
Ironically, they are unwitting victims of a U.S. American homeland
that fancies itself geo-politically as a strong and strategic military
treaty ally of the Philippines in the Western Pacific.
Abstract: A novel Active Flap System (AFS) has been developed
at DTU Wind Energy, as a result of a 3-year R&D project following
almost 10 years of innovative research in this field. The full scale AFS
comprises an active deformable trailing edge has been tested at the
unique rotating test facility at the Risø Campus of DTU Wind Energy
in Denmark. The design and instrumentation of the wing section and
the AFS are described. The general description and objectives of the
rotating test rig at the Risø campus of DTU are presented, along
with an overview of sensors on the setup and the test cases. The
post-processing of data is discussed and results of steady, flap step
and azimuth control flap cases are presented.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the
photocatalytic activity of polycrystalline phases of bismuth tungstate
of formula Bi2WO6. Polycrystalline samples were elaborated using a
coprecipitation technique followed by a calcination process at
different temperatures (300, 400, 600 and 900°C). The obtained
polycrystalline phases have been characterized by X-ray diffraction
(XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission
electron microscopy (TEM). Crystal cell parameters and cell volume
depend on elaboration temperature. High-resolution electron
microscopy images and image simulations, associated with X-ray
diffraction data, allowed confirming the lattices and space groups
Pca21. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared samples was
studied by irradiating aqueous solutions of Rhodamine B, associated
with Bi2WO6 additives having variable crystallite sizes. The
photocatalytic activity of such bismuth tungstates increased as the
crystallite sizes decreased. The high specific area of the
photocatalytic particles obtained at 300°C seems to condition the
degradation kinetics of RhB.
Abstract: In this paper, temperature extremes are forecast by
employing the block maxima method of the Generalized extreme
value(GEV) distribution to analyse temperature data from the
Cameroon Development Corporation (C.D.C). By considering two sets
of data (Raw data and simulated data) and two (stationary and
non-stationary) models of the GEV distribution, return levels analysis
is carried out and it was found that in the stationary model, the
return values are constant over time with the raw data while in the
simulated data, the return values show an increasing trend but with
an upper bound. In the non-stationary model, the return levels of
both the raw data and simulated data show an increasing trend but
with an upper bound. This clearly shows that temperatures in the
tropics even-though show a sign of increasing in the future, there
is a maximum temperature at which there is no exceedence. The
results of this paper are very vital in Agricultural and Environmental
research.
Abstract: Review of studies carried out on the use of bagasse
ash for the improvement of deficient soils in Nigeria, with emphasis
on lateritic and black cotton soils is presented. Although, the bagasse
ash is mostly used as additive to the conventional soil stabilizers
(cement and lime), the studies generally showed improvement in the
geotechnical properties of the soils, either modified or stabilized with
the ash. This showed the potentials of using this agricultural waste
(bagasse ash) in the improvement of geotechnical properties of
deficient soils, thus suggesting that using this material at large scale
level in geotechnical engineering practice could help in the provision
of stable and durable structures, reduce cost of soil improvement and
also reduces environmental nuisance caused by the unused waste in
Nigeria.
Abstract: Due to the interference effects, the intrinsic
aerodynamic parameters obtained from the individual component
testing are always fundamentally different than those obtained for
complete model testing. Consideration and limitation for such testing
need to be taken into account in any design work related to the
component buildup method. In this paper, the scaled model of a
straight rectangular canard of a hybrid buoyant aircraft is tested at 50
m/s in IIUM-LSWT (Low Speed Wind Tunnel). Model and its
attachment with the balance are kept rigid to have results free from
the aeroelastic distortion. Based on the velocity profile of the test
section’s floor; the height of the model is kept equal to the
corresponding boundary layer displacement. Balance measurements
provide valuable but limited information of overall aerodynamic
behavior of the model. Zero lift coefficient is obtained at -2.2o and
the corresponding drag coefficient was found to be less than that at
zero angle of attack. As a part of the validation of low fidelity tool,
plot of lift coefficient plot was verified by the experimental data and
except the value of zero lift coefficients, the overall trend has under
predicted the lift coefficient. Based on this comparative study, a
correction factor of 1.36 is proposed for lift curve slope obtained
from the panel method.
Abstract: Multiphase Induction Machine (IM) is normally
controlled using rotor field oriented vector control. Under phase(s)
loss, the machine currents can be optimally controlled to satisfy
certain optimization criteria. In this paper we discuss the performance
of double manifold sliding mode observer (DM-SMO) in Sensorless
control of multiphase induction machine under unsymmetrical
condition (one phase loss). This observer is developed using the IM
model in the stationary reference frame. DM-SMO is constructed by
adding extra feedback term to conventional single mode sliding mode
observer (SM-SMO) which proposed in many literature. This leads to
a fully convergent observer that also yields an accurate estimate of
the speed and stator currents. It will be shown by the simulation
results that the estimated speed and currents by the method are very
well and error between real and estimated quantities is negligible.
Also parameter sensitivity analysis shows that this method is rather
robust against parameter variation.
Abstract: In this paper we present the design of an optical
device based on a Herriott multi-pass cell fabricated on a small sized
acrylic slab for heat flux measurements using the deflection of a laser
beam propagating inside the cell. The beam deflection is produced by
the heat flux conducted to the acrylic slab due to a gradient in the
refractive index. The use of a long path cell as the sensitive element
in this measurement device, gives the possibility of high sensitivity
within a small size device. We present the optical design as well as
some experimental results in order to validate the device’s operation
principle.
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: The Adaptive Line Enhancer (ALE) is widely used for
enhancing narrowband signals corrupted by broadband noise. In this
paper, we propose novel ALE methods to improve the enhancing
capability. The proposed methods are motivated by the fact that the
output of the ALE is a fine estimate of the desired narrowband signal
with the broadband noise component suppressed. The proposed
methods preprocess the input signal using ALE filter to regenerate a
finer input signal. Thus the proposed ALE is driven by the input signal
with higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The analysis and simulation
results are presented to demonstrate that the proposed ALE has better
performance than conventional ALE’s.
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.