Abstract: The garment manufacturing industry involves
sequential processes that are subjected to uncontrollable variations.
The industry depends on the skill of labour in handling the varieties
of fabrics and accessories, machines, as well as complicated sewing
operation. Due to these reasons, garment manufacturers have created
systems to monitor and to control the quality of the products on a
regular basis by conducting quality approaches to minimize variation.
With that, the aim of this research has been to ascertain the quality
approaches deployed by Malaysian garment manufacturers in three
key areas - quality systems and tools; quality control and types of
inspection; as well as sampling procedures chosen for garment
inspection. Besides, the focus of this research was to distinguish the
quality approaches adopted by companies that supplied finished
garments to both domestic and international markets. Feedback from
each company representative has been obtained via online survey,
which comprised of five sections and 44 questions on the
organizational profile and the quality approaches employed in the
garment industry. As a result, the response rate was 31%. The results
revealed that almost all companies have established their own
mechanism of process control by conducting a series of quality
inspections for daily production, either it was formally set up or
otherwise. In addition, quality inspection has been the predominant
quality control activity in the garment manufacturing, while the level
of complexity of these activities was substantially dictated by the
customers. Moreover, AQL-based sampling was utilized by
companies dealing with exports, whilst almost all the companies that
only concentrated on the domestic market were comfortable using
their own sampling procedures for garment inspection. Hence, this
research has provided insights into the implementation of a number
of quality approaches that were perceived as important and useful in
the garment manufacturing sector, which is truly labour-intensive.
Abstract: Detecting changes in multiple images of the same
scene has recently seen increased interest due to the many
contemporary applications including smart security systems, smart
homes, remote sensing, surveillance, medical diagnosis, weather
forecasting, speed and distance measurement, post-disaster forensics
and much more. These applications differ in the scale, nature, and
speed of change. This paper presents an application of image
processing techniques to implement a real-time change detection
system. Change is identified by comparing the RGB representation of
two consecutive frames captured in real-time. The detection threshold
can be controlled to account for various luminance levels. The
comparison result is passed through a filter before decision making to
reduce false positives, especially at lower luminance conditions. The
system is implemented with a MATLAB Graphical User interface
with several controls to manage its operation and performance.
Abstract: One of the challenges that higher education faces is to
find how to approach the sustainability in an inclusive way to the
student within all the different academic areas, how to move the
sustainable development from the abstract field to the operational
field. This research comes from the ecoliteracy and the pedagogical
praxis as tools for rebuilding the teaching processes inside of
universities. The purpose is to determine and describe which are the
factors involved in the process of learning particularly in the
Greenhouse-School Siembra UV. In the Greenhouse-School Siembra UV, of the University of
Veracruz, are cultivated vegetables, medicinal plants and small
cornfields under the usage of eco-technologies such as hydroponics,
Wickingbed and Hugelkultur, which main purpose is the saving of
space, labor and natural resources, as well as function as agricultural
production alternatives in the urban and periurban zones. The sample was formed with students from different academic
areas and who are actively involved in the greenhouse, as well as
institutes from the University of Veracruz and governmental and nongovernmental
departments. This project comes from a pedagogic praxis approach, from filling
the needs that the different professional profiles of the university
students have. All this with the purpose of generate a pragmatic
dialogue with the sustainability. It also comes from the necessity to
understand the factors that intervene in the students’ praxis. In this
manner is how the students are the fundamental unit in the sphere of
sustainability. As a result, it is observed that those University of Veracruz
students who are involved in the Greenhouse-school, Siembra UV,
have enriched in different levels the sense of urban and periurban
agriculture because of the diverse academic approaches they have
and the interaction between them. It is concluded that the ecotechnologies
act as fundamental tools for ecoliteracy in society,
where it is strengthen the nutritional and food security from a
sustainable development approach.
Abstract: This article describes the results of research focused
on quality of railway freight transport services. Improvement of these
services has a crucial importance in customer considering on the
future use of railway transport. Processes filling the customer
demands and output quality assessment were defined as a part of the
research. In this contribution is introduced the map of quality
planning and the algorithm of applied methodology. It characterizes a
model which takes into account characters of transportation with
linking a perception services quality in ordinary and extraordinary
operation. Despite the fact that rail freight transport has its solid
position in the transport market, lots of carriers worldwide have been
experiencing a stagnation for a couple of years. Therefore, specific
results of the research have a significant importance and belong to
numerous initiatives aimed to develop and support railway transport
not only by creating a single railway area or reducing noise but also
by promoting railway services. This contribution is focused also on
the application of dynamic quality models which represent an
innovative method of evaluation quality services. Through this
conception, time factor, expected, and perceived quality in each
moment of the transportation process can be taken into account.
Abstract: Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) have been used
widely through evolution theory to discover acceptable solutions that
corresponds to challenges such as natural resources management.
EAs are also used to solve varied problems in the real world. EAs
have been rapidly identified for its ease in handling multiple
objective problems. Reservoir operations is a vital and researchable
area which has been studied in the last few decades due to the limited
nature of water resources that is found mostly in the semi-arid
regions of the world. The state of some developing economy that
depends on electricity for overall development through hydropower
production, a renewable form of energy, is appalling due to water
scarcity. This paper presents a review of the applications of
evolutionary algorithms to reservoir operation for hydropower
production. This review includes the discussion on areas such as
genetic algorithm, differential evolution, and reservoir operation. It
also identified the research gaps discovered in these areas. The results
of this study will be an eye opener for researchers and decision
makers to think deeply of the adverse effect of water scarcity and
drought towards economic development of a nation. Hence, it
becomes imperative to identify evolutionary algorithms that can
address this issue which can hamper effective hydropower
generation.
Abstract: The critical concern of satellite operations is to ensure
the health and safety of satellites. The worst case in this perspective
is probably the loss of a mission, but the more common interruption
of satellite functionality can result in compromised mission
objectives. All the data acquiring from the spacecraft are known as
Telemetry (TM), which contains the wealth information related to the
health of all its subsystems. Each single item of information is
contained in a telemetry parameter, which represents a time-variant
property (i.e. a status or a measurement) to be checked. As a
consequence, there is a continuous improvement of TM monitoring
systems to reduce the time required to respond to changes in a
satellite's state of health. A fast conception of the current state of the
satellite is thus very important to respond to occurring failures.
Statistical multivariate latent techniques are one of the vital learning
tools that are used to tackle the problem above coherently.
Information extraction from such rich data sources using advanced
statistical methodologies is a challenging task due to the massive
volume of data. To solve this problem, in this paper, we present a
proposed unsupervised learning algorithm based on Principle
Component Analysis (PCA) technique. The algorithm is particularly
applied on an actual remote sensing spacecraft. Data from the
Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) was acquired
under two operation conditions: normal and faulty states. The models
were built and tested under these conditions, and the results show that
the algorithm could successfully differentiate between these
operations conditions. Furthermore, the algorithm provides
competent information in prediction as well as adding more insight
and physical interpretation to the ADCS operation.
Abstract: The noise is one of the negative elements which
affects the human health. This article presents the measurement of
emitted noise by road vehicle and its parts during the operation.
Measurement was done in the interior of common passenger cars
with a digital sound meter. The results compare the noise value in
different cars with different body shape, which influences the driver’s
health. Transport has considerable ecological effects; many of them
are detrimental to environmental sustainability. Roads and traffic
exert a variety of direct and mostly detrimental effects on nature.
Abstract: This paper presents a model predictive control (MPC)
of a utility interactive three phase inverter (TPI) for a photovoltaic
(PV) system at commercial level. The proposed model uses phase
locked loop (PLL) to synchronize the TPI with the power electric
grid (PEG) and performs MPC control in a dq reference frame. TPI
model consists of a boost converter (BC), maximum power point
tracking (MPPT) control, and a three-leg voltage source inverter
(VSI). The operational model of VSI is used to synthesize the
sinusoidal current and track the reference. The model is validated
using a 35.7 kW PV system in Matlab/Simulink. Implementation
results show simplicity and accuracy, as well as reliability of the
model.
Abstract: The Greater Athens Area (GAA) faces photochemical
and particulate pollution episodes as a result of the combined effects
of local pollutant emissions, regional pollution transport, synoptic
circulation and topographic characteristics. The area has undergone
significant changes since the Athens 2004 Olympic Games because
of large scale infrastructure works that lead to the shift of population
to areas previously characterized as rural, the increase of the traffic
fleet and the operation of highways. However, few recent modelling
studies have been performed due to the lack of an accurate, updated
emission inventory. The photochemical modelling system
MM5/CAMx was applied in order to study the photochemical and
particulate pollution characteristics above the GAA for two distinct
ten-day periods in the summer of 2006 and 2010, where air pollution
episodes occurred. A new updated emission inventory was used
based on official data. Comparison of modeled results with
measurements revealed the importance and accuracy of the new
Athens emission inventory as compared to previous modeling
studies. The model managed to reproduce the local meteorological
conditions, the daily ozone and particulates fluctuations at different
locations across the GAA. Higher ozone levels were found at
suburban and rural areas as well as over the sea at the south of the
basin. Concerning PM10, high concentrations were computed at the
city centre and the southeastern suburbs in agreement with measured
data. Source apportionment analysis showed that different sources
contribute to the ozone levels, the local sources (traffic, port
activities) affecting its formation.
Abstract: In the last decade the emergence of new social needs
as an effect of the economic crisis has stimulated the flourishing of
business endeavours characterised by explicit social goals. Social
start-ups, social enterprises or Corporate Social Responsibility
operations carried out by traditional companies are quintessential
examples in this regard. This paper analyses these kinds of initiatives
in order to discover the main characteristics of social business models
and to provide insights to social entrepreneurs for developing or
improving their strategies. The research is conducted through the
integration of literature review and case study analysis and, thanks to
the recognition of the importance of both profits and social impacts
as the key success factors for a social business model, proposes a
framework for identifying indicators suitable for measuring the social
impacts generated.
Abstract: Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRPs) are widely
used for advanced applications, in particular in aerospace, automotive
and wind energy industries. Once cured to near net shape, CFRP
parts need several finishing operations such as trimming, milling or
drilling in order to accommodate fastening hardware and meeting the
final dimensions. The present research aims to study the effect of the
cutting temperature in trimming on the mechanical strength of high
performance CFRP laminates used for aeronautics applications. The
cutting temperature is of great importance when dealing with
trimming of CFRP. Temperatures higher than the glass-transition
temperature (Tg) of the resin matrix are highly undesirable: they
cause degradation of the matrix in the trimmed edges area, which can
severely affect the mechanical performance of the entire component.
In this study, a 9.50mm diameter CVD diamond coated carbide tool
with six flutes was used to trim 24-plies CFRP laminates. A
300m/min cutting speed and 1140mm/min feed rate were used in the
experiments. The tool was heated prior to trimming using a
blowtorch, for temperatures ranging from 20°C to 300°C. The
temperature at the cutting edge was measured using embedded KType
thermocouples. Samples trimmed for different cutting
temperatures, below and above Tg, were mechanically tested using
three-points bending short-beam loading configurations. New cutting
tools as well as worn cutting tools were utilized for the experiments.
The experiments with the new tools could not prove any correlation
between the length of cut, the cutting temperature and the mechanical
performance. Thus mechanical strength was constant, regardless of
the cutting temperature. However, for worn tools, producing a cutting
temperature rising up to 450°C, thermal damage of the resin was
observed. The mechanical tests showed a reduced mean resistance in
short beam configuration, while the resistance in three point bending
decreases with increase of the cutting temperature.
Abstract: The aim of optimization of store management is not
only designing the situation of store management itself including its
equipment, technology and operation. In optimization of store
management we need to consider also synchronizing of
technological, transport, store and service operations throughout the
whole process of logistic chain in such a way that a natural flow of
material from provider to consumer will be achieved the shortest
possible way, in the shortest possible time in requested quality and
quantity and with minimum costs. The paper deals with the
application of the queuing theory for optimization of warehouse
processes. The first part refers to common information about the
problematic of warehousing and using mathematical methods for
logistics chains optimization. The second part refers to preparing a
model of a warehouse within queuing theory. The conclusion of the
paper includes two examples of using queuing theory in praxis.
Abstract: The market competition is moving from the single
firm to the whole supply chain because of increasing competition and
growing need for operational efficiencies and customer orientation.
Supply chain management allows companies to look beyond their
organizational boundaries to develop and leverage resources and
capabilities of their supply chain partners. This creates competitive
advantages in the marketplace and because of this SCM has acquired
strategic importance. Lean Approach is a management strategy that focuses on reducing
every type of waste present in an organization. This approach is
becoming more and more popular among supply chain managers. The supply chain application of lean approach is not frequent. In
particular, it is not well studied which are the impacts of lean
approach principles in a supply chain context. In literature there are
only few studies aimed at understanding the qualitative impact of the
lean approach in supply chains. Therefore, the goal of this research
work is to study the impacts of lean principles implementation along
a supply chain. To achieve this, a simulation model of a threeechelon
multi-product supply chain has been built. Kanban system (and several priority policies) and setup time
reduction degrees are implemented in the lean-configured supply
chain to apply pull and lot-sizing decrease principles respectively. To
evaluate the benefits of lean approach, lean supply chain is compared
with an EOQ-configured supply chain. The simulation results show
that Kanban system and setup-time reduction improve inventory
stock level. They also show that logistics efforts are affected to lean
implementation degree. The paper concludes describing
performances of lean supply chain in different contexts.
Abstract: The research explores the relationship between
management responsibility and corporate governance of listed
companies in Kazakhstan. This research employs firm level data of
selected listed non-financial firms and firm level data “operational”
financial sector, consisted from banking sector, insurance companies
and accumulated pension funds using multivariate regression analysis
under fixed effect model approach. Ownership structure includes
institutional ownership, managerial ownership and private investor’s
ownership. Management responsibility of the firm is expressed by the
decision of the firm on amount of leverage. Results of the cross
sectional panel study for non-financial firms showed that only
institutional shareholding is significantly negatively correlated with
debt to equity ratio. Findings from “operational” financial sector
show that leverage is significantly affected only by the CEO/Chair
duality and the size of financial institutions, and insignificantly
affected by ownership structure. Also, the findings show, that there is
a significant negative relationship between profitability and the debt
to equity ratio for non-financial firms, which is consistent with
pecking order theory. Generally, the found results suggest that
corporate governance and a management responsibility play
important role in corporate performance of listed firms in
Kazakhstan.
Abstract: In this paper, various methods of providing restricted
earth fault protection are discussed. The proper operation of high and
low impedance Restricted Earth Fault (REF) protection for various
applications has been discussed. The maloperation of a relay due to
improper placement of CTs has been identified and a simple/unique
solution has been proposed in this work with a case study. Moreover,
it is found that the proper placement of CT in high impedance method
will provide the same result with reduced CT. This methodology has
been successfully implemented in Al Takreer refinery for a 2000
KVA transformer. The outcome of the paper may be included in
IEEEC37.91 standard to give the proper guidance for protection
engineers to sort out the issues related to mal functioning of REF
relays.
Abstract: This paper highlights an innovative and nontraditional
violence prevention program that is making a noticeable impact in
what was once one of the country’s most violent communities. With
unique and tailored strategies, the Operation Peacemaker Fellowship,
established in Richmond, California, combines components of
evidence-based practices with a community-oriented focus on
relationships and mentoring to fill a gap in services and increase
community safety. In an effort to highlight these unique strategies
and provide a blueprint for other communities with violent crime
problems, the authors of this paper hope to clearly delineate how one
community is moving forward with vanguard approaches to invest in
the lives of young men who once were labeled their community’s
most violent, even most deadly, youth. The impact of this program is
evidenced through the fellows’ own voices as they illuminate the
experience of being in the Fellowship. In interviews, fellows describe
how participating in this program has transformed their lives and the
lives of those they love. The authors of this article spent more than
two years researching this Fellowship program in order to conduct an
evaluation of it and, ultimately, to demonstrate how this program is a
testament to the power of relationships and love combined with
evidence-based practices, consequently enriching the lives of youth
and the community that embraces them.
Abstract: Construction industry plays a vital role in the
economy of the world. However, due to high uncertainty and
variability in the industry, its performance is not as efficient in terms
of quality, lead times, productivity and costs as of other industries.
Moreover, there are continuous conflicts among the different actors
in the construction supply chains in terms of profit sharing. Previous
studies suggested partnership as an important approach to promote
cooperation among the different actors in the construction supply
chains and thereby it improves the overall performance. Construction
practitioners tried to focus on partnership which can enhance the
performance of construction supply chains but they are not fully
aware of different approaches and techniques for improving
partnership. In this research, a systematic review on partnership in
relation to construction supply chains is carried out to understand
different elements influencing the partnership. The research
development of this domain is analyzed by reviewing selected
articles published from 1996 to 2015. Based on the papers, three
major elements influencing partnership in construction supply chains
are identified: ‘Lean approach’, ‘Relationship building’ and ‘E-commerce
applications’. This study analyses the contributions in the
areas within each element and provides suggestions for future
developments of partnership in construction supply chains.
Abstract: Mineral oil is commonly used for high voltage
transformer insulation. The insulation quality of mineral oil is
affecting the operation process of high voltage transformer. There are
many contaminations which could decrease the insulation quality of
mineral oil. One of them is water. This research talks about the effect
of water content on dielectric properties, physic properties, and
partial discharge pattern on mineral oil. Samples were varied with 10
varieties of water content value. And then all samples would be tested
to measure the dielectric properties, physic properties, and partial
discharge pattern. The result of this research showed that an
increment of water content value would decrease the insulation
quality of mineral oil.
Abstract: The knitted fabric suffers a deformation in its
dimensions due to stretching and tension factors, transverse and
longitudinal respectively, during the process in rectilinear knitting
machines so it performs a dry relaxation shrinkage procedure and
thermal action of prefixed to obtain stable conditions in the knitting.
This paper presents a dry relaxation shrinkage prediction of Bordeaux
fiber using a feed forward neural network and linear regression
models. Six operational alternatives of shrinkage were predicted. A
comparison of the results was performed finding neural network
models with higher levels of explanation of the variability and
prediction. The presence of different reposes is included. The models
were obtained through a neural toolbox of Matlab and Minitab
software with real data in a knitting company of Southern
Guanajuato. The results allow predicting dry relaxation shrinkage of
each alternative operation.
Abstract: This paper presents comparative analysis of
photovoltaic systems (PVS) and propose practical techniques to
improve operational efficiency of the PVS. The best engineering and
construction practices for PVS are identified and field oriented
recommendation are made. Comparative analysis of central and
string inverter based, as well as 600 and 1000VDC PVS are
performed. In addition, direct current (DC) and alternating current
(AC) photovoltaic (PV) module based systems are compared.
Comparison shows that 1000V DC String Inverters based PVS is the
best choice.