Abstract: Qatar’s primary source of fresh water is through
seawater desalination. Amongst the major processes that are
commercially available on the market, the most common large scale
techniques are Multi-Stage Flash distillation (MSF), Multi Effect
distillation (MED), and Reverse Osmosis (RO). Although commonly
used, these three processes are highly expensive down to high energy
input requirements and high operating costs allied with maintenance
and stress induced on the systems in harsh alkaline media. Beside that
cost, environmental footprint of these desalination techniques are
significant; from damaging marine eco-system, to huge land use, to
discharge of tons of GHG and huge carbon footprint.
Other less energy consuming techniques based on membrane
separation are being sought to reduce both the carbon footprint and
operating costs is membrane distillation (MD).
Emerged in 1960s, MD is an alternative technology for water
desalination attracting more attention since 1980s. MD process
involves the evaporation of a hot feed, typically below boiling point
of brine at standard conditions, by creating a water vapor pressure
difference across the porous, hydrophobic membrane. Main
advantages of MD compared to other commercially available
technologies (MSF and MED) and specially RO are reduction of
membrane and module stress due to absence of trans-membrane
pressure, less impact of contaminant fouling on distillate due to
transfer of only water vapor, utilization of low grade or waste heat
from oil and gas industries to heat up the feed up to required
temperature difference across the membrane, superior water quality,
and relatively lower capital and operating cost.
To achieve the objective of this study, state of the art flat-sheet
cross-flow DCMD bench scale unit was designed, commissioned, and
tested. The objective of this study is to analyze the characteristics and
morphology of the membrane suitable for DCMD through SEM
imaging and contact angle measurement and to study the water
quality of distillate produced by DCMD bench scale unit.
Comparison with available literature data is undertaken where
appropriate and laboratory data is used to compare a DCMD distillate
quality with that of other desalination techniques and standards.
Membrane SEM analysis showed that the PTFE membrane used
for the study has contact angle of 127º with highly porous surface
supported with less porous and bigger pore size PP membrane. Study
on the effect of feed solution (salinity) and temperature on water
quality of distillate produced from ICP and IC analysis showed that
with any salinity and different feed temperature (up to 70ºC) the
electric conductivity of distillate is less than 5 μS/cm with 99.99%
salt rejection and proved to be feasible and effective process capable
of consistently producing high quality distillate from very high feed
salinity solution (i.e. 100000 mg/L TDS) even with substantial
quality difference compared to other desalination methods such as
RO and MSF.
Abstract: Recent changes in supply chains, especially globalization and collaboration, have created new risks for enterprises of all sizes. A variety of complex frameworks, often based on enterprise risk management strategies have been presented under the heading of Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM). The literature on promotes the benefits of a robust SCRM strategy; however, implementing SCRM is difficult and resource demanding for Large Enterprises (LEs), and essentially out of reach for Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This research debunks the idea that SCRM is necessary for all enterprises and instead proposes a simple and effective Vendor Selection Template (VST). Empirical testing and a survey of supply chain practitioners provide a measure of validation to the VST. The resulting VSTis a valuable contribution because is easy to use, provides practical results, and is sufficiently flexible to be universally applied to SMEs.
Abstract: The main purpose of this work is to experimentally investigate the effect of pipe orientation on two phase flow phenomenon. Flow pattern, void fraction and two phase pressure drop is measured in a polycarbonate pipe with an inside diameter of 12.7mm for inclination angles ranging from -20o to +20o using air-water fluid combination. The experimental data covers all flow patterns and the entire range of void fraction typically observed in two phase flow. The effect of pipe orientation on void fraction and two phase pressure drop is justified with reference to the change in flow structure and two phase flow behavior. In addition to this, the top performing void fraction and two phase pressure drop correlations available in the literature are presented and their performance is assessed against the experimental data in the present study and that available in the literature.
Abstract: The article explores the impact of normative institutional factors on the development of sustainability reporting. The vast majority of research in the scientific literature focuses on mandatory institutional factors, i.e. how public institutions and market regulators affect sustainability reporting. Meanwhile, there is lack of empirical data for the impact of normative institutional factors. The effect of normative factors in this paper is based on the role of non-governmental organizations (NGO) and institutional theory. The case of Global Compact Local Network in the developing country was examined. The research results revealed that in the absence of regulated factors, companies were not active with regard to social disclosures; they presented non-systemized social information of a descriptive nature. Only 10% of sustainability reports were prepared using the GRI methodology. None of the reports were assured by third parties.
Abstract: Materials with ultrafine-grained structure and unique physical and mechanical properties can be obtained by methods of severe plastic deformation, which include processes of asymmetric rolling (AR). Asymmetric rolling is a very effective way to create ultrafine-grained structures of metals and alloys. Since the asymmetric rolling is a continuous process, it has great potential for industrial production of ultrafine-grained structure sheets. Basic principles of asymmetric rolling are described in detail in scientific literature. In this work finite element modeling of asymmetric rolling and metal forming processes in multiroll gauge was performed. Parameters of the processes which allow achieving significant values of shear strain were defined. The results of the study will be useful for the research of the evolution of ultra-fine metal structure in asymmetric rolling.
Abstract: The proliferation of health data standards today is somewhat overlapping and conflicting, resulting in market confusion and leading to increasing proprietary interests. The government role and support in standardization for health data are thought to be crucial in order to establish credible standards for the next decade, to maximize interoperability across the health sector, and to decrease the risks associated with the implementation of non-standard systems. The normative literature missed out the exploration of the different steps required to be undertaken by the government towards the development of national health data standards. Based on the lessons learned from a qualitative study investigating the different issues to the adoption of health data standards in the major tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia and the opinions and feedback from different experts in the areas of data exchange and standards and medical informatics in Saudi Arabia and UK, a list of steps required towards the development of national health data standards was constructed. Main steps are the existence of: a national formal reference for health data standards, an agreed national strategic direction for medical data exchange, a national medical information management plan and a national accreditation body, and more important is the change management at the national and organizational level. The outcome of this study can be used by academics and practitioners to develop the planning of health data standards, and in particular those in developing countries.
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to summarize the literature on micromorphology and composition of the enamel of the cat and present an original experiment by SEM on how it responds to the etching with ortophosphoric acid for the time recommended in the veterinary literature (30", 45", 60"), derived from research and experience on human enamel; 21 teeth of cat were randomly divided into three groups of 7 (A, B, C): Group A was subjected to etching for 30 seconds by means of orthophosphoric acid to 40% on a circular area with diameter of about 2mm of the enamel coronal; the Groups B and C had the same treatment but, respectively, for 45 and 60 seconds. The samples obtained were observed by SEM to constant magnification of 1000x framing, in particular, the border area between enamel exposed and not exposed to etching to highlight differences. The images were subjected to the analysis of three blinded experienced operators in electron microscopy. In the enamel of the cat the etching for the times considered is not optimally effective for the purpose adhesives and the presence of a thick prismless layer could explain this situation. To improve this condition may clinically in the likeness of what is proposed for the enamel of human deciduous teeth: a bevel or a chamfer of 1 mm on the contour of the cavity to discover the prismatic enamel and increase the bonding surface.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the significance of history of obesity for the development of childhood overweight and/or obesity. Accordingly, a systematic literature review of English-language studies published from 1980 to 2012 using the following data bases: MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Dissertation Abstracts International was conducted. The following terms were used in the search: pregnancy, overweight, obesity, family history, parents, childhood, risk factors. Eleven studies of family history and obesity conducted in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America met the inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis of these studies indicated that family history of obesity is a significant risk factor of overweight and /or obesity in offspring; risk for offspring overweight and/or obesity associated with family history varies depending of the family members included in the analysis; and when family history of obesity is present, the offspring are at greater risk for developing obesity or overweight. In addition, the results from moderator analyses suggest that part of the heterogeneity discovered between the studies can be explained by the region of world that the study occurred in and the age of the child at the time of weight assessment.
Abstract: Building code-related literature provides
recommendations on normalizing approaches to the calculation of
the dynamic properties of structures. Most building codes make a
distinction among types of structural systems, construction material,
and configuration through a numerical coefficient in the
expression for the fundamental period. The period is then used in
normalized response spectra to compute base shear. The typical
parameter used in simplified code formulas for the fundamental
period is overall building height raised to a power determined from
analytical and experimental results. However, reinforced concrete
buildings which constitute the majority of built space in less
developed countries pose additional challenges to the ones built with
homogeneous material such as steel, or with concrete under stricter
quality control. In the present paper, the particularities of reinforced
concrete buildings are explored and related to current methods of
equivalent static analysis. A comparative study is presented between
the Uniform Building Code, commonly used for buildings within
and outside the USA, and data from the Middle East used to model
151 reinforced concrete buildings of varying number of bays, number
of floors, overall building height, and individual story height. The
fundamental period was calculated using eigenvalue matrix
computation. The results were also used in a separate regression
analysis where the computed period serves as dependent variable,
while five building properties serve as independent variables. The
statistical analysis shed light on important parameters that simplified
code formulas need to account for including individual story height,
overall building height, floor plan, number of bays, and concrete
properties. Such inclusions are important for reinforced concrete
buildings of special conditions due to the level of concrete damage,
aging, or materials quality control during construction.
Overall results of the present analysis show that simplified code
formulas for fundamental period and base shear may be applied but
they require revisions to account for multiple parameters. The
conclusion above is confirmed by the analytical model where
fundamental periods were computed using numerical techniques and
eigenvalue solutions. This recommendation is particularly relevant
to code upgrades in less developed countries where it is customary to
adopt, and mildly adapt international codes.
We also note the necessity of further research using empirical data
from buildings in Lebanon that were subjected to severe damage due
to impulse loading or accelerated aging. However, we excluded this
study from the present paper and left it for future research as it has its
own peculiarities and requires a different type of analysis.
Abstract: The research objective of the project and article “The Linguistic and Legal Term "Real Estate" in the Polish Law and Literature” is characteristic of legal regulations in contemporary countries is the abundance of legal definitions, which are, in fact, formulated separately for the needs of each legal act. This situation does not create favourable conditions for comprehensibility and effectiveness of the law created. The definition mess leads to various interpretations of the same legal circumstances and does not support normal business trading. It needs to be pointed out that using numerous references within a legal act and to other legal acts results in new legal definitions being created for the needs of a given decision by the authority which issues the decision in question. Such interpretation freedom may lead to the law being misused, not to mention being instrumentalised.
Abstract: The research objective focuses on creating a prototype
media of the tactile texture of muscles for educational institutes to
help visually impaired students learn massage extra learning
materials further than the ordinary curriculum. This media is
designed as an extra learning material. The population in this study
was 30 blinded students between 4th - 6th grades who were able to
read Braille language. The research was conducted during the second
semester in 2012 at The Bangkok School for the Blind. The method
in choosing the population in the study was purposive sampling. The
methodology of the research includes collecting data related to
visually impaired people, the production of the tactile texture media,
human anatomy and Thai traditional massage from literature reviews
and field studies. This information was used for analyzing and
designing 14 tactile texture pictures presented to experts to evaluate
and test the media.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to focus on security and safety issues facing by pharmaceutical industry globally when counterfeit drugs are in question. Hence, there is an intense need to secure and authenticate pharmaceutical products in the emerging counterfeit product market. This paper will elaborate the application of radio frequency identification (RFID) in pharmaceutical industry and to identify its key benefits for patient’s care. The benefits are: help to co-ordinate the stream of supplies, accuracy in chains of supplies, maintaining trustworthy information, to manage the operations in appropriate and timely manners and finally deliver the genuine drug to patient. It is discussed that how RFID supported supply chain information sharing (SCIS) helps to combat against counterfeit drugs. And a solution how to tag pharmaceutical products; since, some products prevent RFID implementation in this industry. In this paper, a proposed model for pharma industry distribution suggested to combat against the counterfeit drugs when they are in supply chain.
Abstract: The strength of reinforced concrete depends on the member dimensions and material properties. The properties of concrete and steel materials are not constant but random variables. The variability of concrete strength is due to batching errors, variations in mixing, cement quality uncertainties, differences in the degree of compaction and disparity in curing. Similarly, the variability of steel strength is attributed to the manufacturing process, rolling conditions, characteristics of base material, uncertainties in chemical composition, and the microstructure-property relationships. To account for such uncertainties, codes of practice for reinforced concrete design impose resistance factors to ensure structural reliability over the useful life of the structure. In this investigation, the effects of reductions in concrete and reinforcing steel strengths from the nominal values, beyond those accounted for in the structural design codes, on the structural reliability are assessed. The considered limit states are flexure, shear and axial compression based on the ACI 318-11 structural concrete building code. Structural safety is measured in terms of a reliability index. Probabilistic resistance and load models are compiled from the available literature. The study showed that there is a wide variation in the reliability index for reinforced concrete members designed for flexure, shear or axial compression, especially when the live-to-dead load ratio is low. Furthermore, variations in concrete strength have minor effect on the reliability of beams in flexure, moderate effect on the reliability of beams in shear, and sever effect on the reliability of columns in axial compression. On the other hand, changes in steel yield strength have great effect on the reliability of beams in flexure, moderate effect on the reliability of beams in shear, and mild effect on the reliability of columns in axial compression. Based on the outcome, it can be concluded that the reliability of beams is sensitive to changes in the yield strength of the steel reinforcement, whereas the reliability of columns is sensitive to variations in the concrete strength. Since the embedded target reliability in structural design codes results in lower structural safety in beams than in columns, large reductions in material strengths compromise the structural safety of beams much more than they affect columns.
Abstract: The contribution of the infill walls to the overall earthquake response of a structure is limited and this contribution is generally ignored in the analyses. Strengthening of the infill walls through different techniques has been and is being studied extensively in the literature to increase this limited contribution and the ductilities and energy absorption capacities of the infill walls to create non-structural components where the earthquake-induced energy can be absorbed without damaging the bearing components of the structural frame. The present paper summarizes an extensive research project dedicated to investigate the effects of strengthening the brick infill walls of a reinforced concrete (RC) frame on its lateral earthquake response. Perforated steel plates were used in strengthening due to several reasons, including the ductility and high deformation capacity of these plates, the fire resistant, recyclable and non-cancerogenic nature of mild steel, and the ease of installation and removal of the plates to the wall with the help of anchor bolts only. Furthermore, epoxy, which increases the cost and amount of labor of the strengthening process, is not needed in this technique. The individual behavior of the strengthened walls under monotonic diagonal and lateral reversed cyclic loading was investigated within the scope of the study. Upon achieving brilliant results, RC frames with strengthened infill walls were tested and are being tested to examine the influence of this strengthening technique on the overall behavior of the RC frames. Tests on the wall and frame specimens indicated that the perforated steel plates contribute to the lateral strength, rigidity, ductility and energy absorption capacity of the wall and the infilled frame to a major extent.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the significance of maternal smoking for the development of childhood overweight and/or obesity. Accordingly, a systematic literature review of English-language studies published from 1980 to 2012 using the following data bases: MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Dissertation Abstracts International was conducted. The following terms were used in the search: pregnancy, overweight, obesity, smoking, parents, childhood, risk factors. Eighteen studies of maternal smoking during pregnancy and obesity conducted in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America met the inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis of these studies indicated that maternal smoking during pregnancy is a significant risk factor for overweight and obesity; mothers who smoke during pregnancy are at a greater risk for developing obesity or overweight; the quantity of cigarettes consumed by the mother during pregnancy influenced the odds of offspring overweight and/or obesity. In addition, the results from moderator analyses suggest that part of the heterogeneity discovered between the studies can be explained by the region of world that the study occurred in and the age of the child at the time of weight assessment.
Abstract: Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has changed our life and learn. ICT bares doors to new innovative methods to deliver education. E-learning is a part of ICT and has been endorsed as a tool for developing “21st century skills” in higher education. The aim of this review is to establish the impacts of e-learning in undergraduate nursing education. A systematic literature review was conducted to assess the impacts of e-learning in nursing education by using Akdeniz University electronic databases. According to results, we can decelerate that the nursing faculties cannot treat e-learning methods as a single tool. E-learning should be used with a good understanding of learners’ needs.
Abstract: Sudoku is a logic-based combinatorial puzzle game which is popular among people of different ages. Due to this popularity, computer softwares are being developed to generate and solve Sudoku puzzles with different levels of difficulty. Several methods and algorithms have been proposed and used in different softwares to efficiently solve Sudoku puzzles. Various search methods such as stochastic local search have been applied to this problem. Genetic Algorithm (GA) is one of the algorithms which have been applied to this problem in different forms and in several works in the literature. In these works, chromosomes with little or no information were considered and obtained results were not promising. In this paper, we propose a new way of applying GA to this problem which uses more-informed chromosomes than other works in the literature. We optimize the parameters of our GA using puzzles with different levels of difficulty. Then we use the optimized values of the parameters to solve various puzzles and compare our results to another GA-based method for solving Sudoku puzzles.
Abstract: Humic acids (HA) were produced by a Trichoderma
viride strain under submerged fermentation in a medium based on the
oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) and the main variables of the
process were optimized by using response surface methodology. A
temperature of 40°C and concentrations of 50g/L EFB, 5.7g/L potato
peptone and 0.11g/L (NH4)2SO4 were the optimum levels of the
variables that maximize the HA production, within the
physicochemical and biological limits of the process. The optimized
conditions led to an experimental HA concentration of 428.4±17.5
mg/L, which validated the prediction from the statistical model of
412.0mg/L. This optimization increased about 7–fold the HA
production previously reported in the literature. Additionally, the
time profiles of HA production and fungal growth confirmed our
previous findings that HA production preferably occurs during fungal
sporulation. The present study demonstrated that T. viride
successfully produced HA via the submerged fermentation of EFB
and the process parameters were successfully optimized using a
statistics-based response surface model. To the best of our
knowledge, the present work is the first report on the optimization of
HA production from EFB by a biotechnological process, whose
feasibility was only pointed out in previous works.
Abstract: In this era of competitiveness, there is a growing need for supply chains also to become competitive enough to handle pressures like varying customer’s expectations, low cost high quality products to be delivered at the minimum time and the most important is throat cutting competition at world wide scale. In the recent years, supply chain competitiveness has been, therefore, accepted as one of the most important philosophies in the supply chain literature and researchers have tried to identify variables of supply chain competitiveness. This paper highlights some of the concepts of supply chain competitiveness and tries to identify select variables on the basis of literature review. Further, the paper tries to highlight the importance of the identified variables in the achievement of supply chain competitiveness. The aim is to explore the concept and to motivate researchers to further investigate the unexplored areas of this important subject domain.
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to use an experiential view of wine tourism to develop a battery of items that can potentially capture the overall Douro Valley experience from the tourist’s perspective. The Douro Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage region located in Portugal, was the target of this study. The research took a mixed approach using both qualitative and quantitative designs. Firstly, we combine the literature review on service quality scales with a content analysis of five in-depth interviews with winery managers and a focus group with wine tourists to identify the main dimensions of the overall tourism experience and to develop a battery of items for each dimension. Eight dimensions of the overall wine tourism experience came out, as follows: winery service and staff, winery facilities, winery service, wine product, wine region environment, wine region accessibilities, wine region´s offerings, and the wine region and winery reputation.