Abstract: Internet today has a huge impact on all aspects of life,
and also in the area of the broader context of democracy, politics and
politicians. If democracy is freedom of choice, there are a number of
conditions that can ensure in practice the freedom to be achieved and
realized. These preconditions must be achieved regardless of the
manner of voting. The key contribution of ICT to achieve freedom of
choice is that technology enables the correlation of the citizens and
elected representatives on the better way than it was possible without
the Internet. In this sense, we can say that the Internet and ICT are
changing significantly, and potentially improving the environment in
which democratic processes are taking place. This paper aims to
describe trends in use of ICT in democratic processes, and analyzes
the challenges for implementation of e-Democracy in Montenegro
Abstract: Natural resources management including water resources requires reliable estimations of time variant environmental parameters. Small improvements in the estimation of environmental parameters would result in grate effects on managing decisions. Noise reduction using wavelet techniques is an effective approach for preprocessing of practical data sets. Predictability enhancement of the river flow time series are assessed using fractal approaches before and after applying wavelet based preprocessing. Time series correlation and persistency, the minimum sufficient length for training the predicting model and the maximum valid length of predictions were also investigated through a fractal assessment.
Abstract: The paper focuses on the enhanced stiffness modeling
of robotic manipulators by taking into account influence of the external force/torque acting upon the end point. It implements the
virtual joint technique that describes the compliance of manipulator elements by a set of localized six-dimensional springs separated by
rigid links and perfect joints. In contrast to the conventional
formulation, which is valid for the unloaded mode and small
displacements, the proposed approach implicitly assumes that the loading leads to the non-negligible changes of the manipulator posture and corresponding amendment of the Jacobian. The
developed numerical technique allows computing the static
equilibrium and relevant force/torque reaction of the manipulator for
any given displacement of the end-effector. This enables designer
detecting essentially nonlinear effects in elastic behavior of
manipulator, similar to the buckling of beam elements. It is also proposed the linearization procedure that is based on the inversion of
the dedicated matrix composed of the stiffness parameters of the
virtual springs and the Jacobians/Hessians of the active and passive
joints. The developed technique is illustrated by an application example that deals with the stiffness analysis of a parallel
manipulator of the Orthoglide family
Abstract: Detection of incipient abnormal events is important to
improve safety and reliability of machine operations and reduce losses
caused by failures. Improper set-ups or aligning of parts often leads to
severe problems in many machines. The construction of prediction
models for predicting faulty conditions is quite essential in making
decisions on when to perform machine maintenance. This paper
presents a multivariate calibration monitoring approach based on the
statistical analysis of machine measurement data. The calibration
model is used to predict two faulty conditions from historical reference
data. This approach utilizes genetic algorithms (GA) based variable
selection, and we evaluate the predictive performance of several
prediction methods using real data. The results shows that the
calibration model based on supervised probabilistic principal
component analysis (SPPCA) yielded best performance in this work.
By adopting a proper variable selection scheme in calibration models,
the prediction performance can be improved by excluding
non-informative variables from their model building steps.
Abstract: Cooperative communication scheme can be substituted
for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technique when it may
not be able to support multiple antennas due to size, cost or
hardware limitations. In other words, cooperative communication
scheme is an efficient method to achieve spatial diversity without
multiple antennas. For satisfaction of rising QoS, we propose a
reliable cooperative communication scheme with M-QAM based Dual
Carrier Modulation (M-DCM), which can increase diversity gain.
Although our proposed scheme is very simple method, it gives us
frequency and spatial diversity. Simulation result shows our proposed
scheme obtains diversity gain more than the conventional cooperative
communication scheme.
Abstract: The objective of this paper is to analyze the
performance of a double-sided axial flux permanent magnet
brushless DC (AFPM BLDC) motor with two-phase winding.
To study the motor operation, a mathematical dynamic model
has been proposed for motor, which became the basis for
simulations that were performed using MATLAB/SIMULINK
software package. The results of simulations were presented
in form of the waveforms of selected quantities and the
electromechanical characteristics performed by the motor. The
calculation results show that the two-phase motor version
develops smooth torque and reaches high efficiency. The twophase
motor can be applied where more smooth torque is
required. Finally a study on the influence of switching angle
on motor performance shows that when advance switching
technique is used, the motor operates with the highest
efficiency.
Abstract: In this paper, novel techniques in increasing the accuracy
and speed of convergence of a Feed forward Back propagation
Artificial Neural Network (FFBPNN) with polynomial activation
function reported in literature is presented. These technique was
subsequently used to determine the coefficients of Autoregressive
Moving Average (ARMA) and Autoregressive (AR) system. The
results obtained by introducing sequential and batch method of weight
initialization, batch method of weight and coefficient update, adaptive
momentum and learning rate technique gives more accurate result
and significant reduction in convergence time when compared t the
traditional method of back propagation algorithm, thereby making
FFBPNN an appropriate technique for online ARMA coefficient
determination.
Abstract: The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's
largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in
medical imaging and therapy, laboratory diagnostics, medical
information technology, and hearing aids.
Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire
range of patient care from a single source – from prevention and
early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By
optimizing clinical workflows for the most common diseases,
Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better, and more cost effective.
The optimization of clinical workflows requires a
multidisciplinary focus and a collaborative approach of e.g. medical
advisors, researchers and scientists as well as healthcare economists.
This new form of collaboration brings together experts with deep
technical experience, physicians with specialized medical knowledge
as well as people with comprehensive knowledge about health
economics.
As Charles Darwin is often quoted as saying, “It is neither the
strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the
one most responsive to change," We believe that those who can
successfully manage this change will emerge as winners, with
valuable competitive advantage.
Current medical information and knowledge are some of the core
assets in the healthcare industry. The main issue is to connect
knowledge holders and knowledge recipients from various
disciplines efficiently in order to spread and distribute knowledge.
Abstract: This research’s objective is to select the model with
most accurate value by using Neural Network Technique as a way to
filter potential students who enroll in IT course by Electronic learning
at Suan Suanadha Rajabhat University. It is designed to help students
selecting the appropriate courses by themselves. The result showed
that the most accurate model was 100 Folds Cross-validation which
had 73.58% points of accuracy.
Abstract: Coal will continue to be the predominant source of
global energy for coming several decades. The huge generation of fly
ash (FA) from combustion of coal in thermal power plants (TPPs) is
apprehended to pose the concerns of its disposal and utilization. FA
application based on its typical characteristics as soil ameliorant for
agriculture and forestry is the potential area, and hence the global
attempt. The inferences drawn suffer from the variations of ash
characteristics, soil types, and agro-climatic conditions; thereby
correlating the effects of ash between various plant species and soil
types is difficult. Indian FAs have low bulk density, high water
holding capacity and porosity, rich silt-sized particles, alkaline
nature, negligible solubility, and reasonable plant nutrients. Findings
of the demonstrations trials for more than two decades from lab/pot
to field scale long-term experiments are developed as FA soil
amendment technology (FASAT) by Central Institute of Mining and
Fuel Research (CIMFR), Dhanbad. Performance of different crops
and plant species in cultivable and problematic soils, are
encouraging, eco-friendly, and being adopted by the farmers. FA
application includes ash alone and in combination with
inorganic/organic amendments; combination treatments including
bio-solids perform better than FA alone. Optimum dose being up to
100 t/ha for cultivable land and up to/ or above 200 t/ha of FA for
waste/degraded land/mine refuse, depending on the characteristics of
ash and soil. The elemental toxicity in Indian FA is usually not of
much concern owing to alkaline ashes, oxide forms of elements, and
elemental concentration within the threshold limits for soil
application. Combating toxicity, if any, is possible through
combination treatments with organic materials and phytoremediation.
Government initiatives through extension programme
involving farmers and ash generating organizations need to be
accelerated
Abstract: This paper presents performance comparison of three estimation techniques used for peak load forecasting in power systems. The three optimum estimation techniques are, genetic algorithms (GA), least error squares (LS) and, least absolute value filtering (LAVF). The problem is formulated as an estimation problem. Different forecasting models are considered. Actual recorded data is used to perform the study. The performance of the above three optimal estimation techniques is examined. Advantages of each algorithms are reported and discussed.
Abstract: Workload and resource management are two essential functions provided at the service level of the grid software infrastructure. To improve the global throughput of these software environments, workloads have to be evenly scheduled among the available resources. To realize this goal several load balancing strategies and algorithms have been proposed. Most strategies were developed in mind, assuming homogeneous set of sites linked with homogeneous and fast networks. However for computational grids we must address main new issues, namely: heterogeneity, scalability and adaptability. In this paper, we propose a layered algorithm which achieve dynamic load balancing in grid computing. Based on a tree model, our algorithm presents the following main features: (i) it is layered; (ii) it supports heterogeneity and scalability; and, (iii) it is totally independent from any physical architecture of a grid.
Abstract: This paper examines many mathematical methods for
molding the hourly price forward curve (HPFC); the model will be
constructed by numerous regression methods, like polynomial
regression, radial basic function neural networks & a furrier series.
Examination the models goodness of fit will be done by means of
statistical & graphical tools. The criteria for choosing the model will
depend on minimize the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), using the
correlation analysis approach for the regression analysis the optimal
model will be distinct, which are robust against model
misspecification. Learning & supervision technique employed to
determine the form of the optimal parameters corresponding to each
measure of overall loss. By using all the numerical methods that
mentioned previously; the explicit expressions for the optimal model
derived and the optimal designs will be implemented.
Abstract: Falls are the primary cause of accidents in people over
the age of 65, and frequently lead to serious injuries. Since the early
detection of falls is an important step to alert and protect the aging
population, a variety of research on detecting falls was carried out
including the use of accelerators, gyroscopes and tilt sensors. In
exiting studies, falls were detected using an accelerometer with
errors. In this study, the proposed method for detecting falls was to
use two accelerometers to reject wrong falls detection. As falls are
accompanied by the acceleration of gravity and rotational motion, the
falls in this study were detected by using the z-axial acceleration
differences between two sites. The falls were detected by calculating
the difference between the analyses of accelerometers placed on two
different positions on the chest of the subject. The parameters of the
maximum difference of accelerations (diff_Z) and the integration of
accelerations in a defined region (Sum_diff_Z) were used to form the
fall detection algorithm. The falls and the activities of daily living
(ADL) could be distinguished by using the proposed parameters
without errors in spite of the impact and the change in the positions
of the accelerometers. By comparing each of the axial accelerations,
the directions of falls and the condition of the subject afterwards
could be determined.In this study, by using two accelerometers
without errors attached to two sites to detect falls, the usefulness of
the proposed fall detection algorithm parameters, diff_Z and
Sum_diff_Z, were confirmed.
Abstract: Solidification cracking and hydrogen cracking are some defects generated in the fusion welding of ultrahigh carbon steels. However, friction stir welding (FSW) of such steels, being a solid-state technique, has been demonstrated to alleviate such problems encountered in traditional welding. FSW include different process parameters that must be carefully defined prior processing. These parameters included but not restricted to: tool feed, tool RPM, tool geometry, tool tilt angle. These parameters form a key factor behind avoiding warm holes and voids behind the tool and in achieving a defect-free weld. More importantly, these parameters directly affect the microstructure of the weld and hence the final mechanical properties of weld. For that, 3D finite element (FE) thermo-mechanical model was developed using DEFORM 3D to simulate FSW of carbon steel. At points of interest in the joint, tracking is done for history of critical state variables such as temperature, stresses, and strain rates. Typical results found include the ability to simulate different weld zones. Simulations predictions were successfully compared to experimental FSW tests. It is believed that such a numerical model can be used to optimize FSW processing parameters to favor desirable defect free weld with better mechanical properties.
Abstract: Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology
(UTAUT) model has demonstrated the influencing factors for generic
information systems use such as tablet personal computer (TPC) and
mobile communication. However, in the context of digital library
system, there has been very little effort to determine factors affecting
the intention to use digital library based on the UTAUT model. This
paper investigates factors that are expected to influence the intention
of postgraduate students to use digital library based on modified
UTAUT model. The modified model comprises of constructs
represented by several latent variables, namely performance
expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), information quality (IQ)
and service quality (SQ) and moderated by age, gender and
experience in using digital library. Results show that performance
expectancy, effort expectancy and information quality are positively
related to the intention to use digital library, while service quality is
negatively related to the intention to use digital library. Age and
gender have shown no evidence of any significant interactions, while
experience in using digital library significantly interacts with effort
expectancy and intention to use digital library. This has provided the
evidence of a moderating effect of experience in the intention to use
digital library. It is expected that this research will shed new lights
into research of acceptance and intention to use the library in a digital
environment.
Abstract: In this work, we present a comparison between two
techniques of image compression. In the first case, the image is
divided in blocks which are collected according to zig-zag scan. In
the second one, we apply the Fast Cosine Transform to the image,
and then the transformed image is divided in blocks which are
collected according to zig-zag scan too. Later, in both cases, the
Karhunen-Loève transform is applied to mentioned blocks. On the
other hand, we present three new metrics based on eigenvalues for a
better comparative evaluation of the techniques. Simulations show
that the combined version is the best, with minor Mean Absolute
Error (MAE) and Mean Squared Error (MSE), higher Peak Signal to
Noise Ratio (PSNR) and better image quality. Finally, new technique
was far superior to JPEG and JPEG2000.
Abstract: In this paper, a few chattering-free Sliding Mode Controllers (SMC) are proposed to stabilize an Active Magnetic Bearing (AMB) system with gyroscopic effect that is proportional to the rotor speed. The improved switching terms of the controller inherited from the saturation-type function and boundary layer control technique is shown to be able to achieve bounded and asymptotic stability, respectively, while the chattering effect in the input is attenuated. This is proven to be advantageous for AMB system since minimization of chattering results in optimized control effort. The performance of each controller is demonstrated via result of simulation in which the measurement of the total consumed energy and maximum control magnitude of each controller illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed controllers.
Abstract: This paper deals with a novel technique for the
fabrication of Spiral grooves in a dynamic thrust bearing. The main
scheme proposed in this paper is to fabricate the microgrooves using
desktop forming system. This process has advantages compared to the
conventional electro-chemical machining in the viewpoint of a higher
productivity. For this reason, a new testing apparatus is designed and
built for press forming microgrooves on a surface of the thrust bearing.
The material used in this study is sintered Cu-Fe alloy. The effects of
the forming load on the performance of micro press forming are
experimentally investigated. From the experimental results, formed
depths are closed to the target ones with increasing the forming load.
Abstract: Highly ordered TiO2 nanotube (TNT) arrays were
fabricated onto a pre-treated titanium foil by anodic oxidation with a
voltage of 20V in phosphoric acid/sodium fluoride electrolyte. A pretreatment
of titanium foil involved washing with acetone,
isopropanol, ethanol and deionized water. Carbon doped TiO2
nanotubes (C-TNT) was fabricated 'in-situ' with the same method in
the presence of polyvinyl alcohol and urea as carbon sources. The
affects of polyvinyl alcohol concentration and oxidation time on the
composition, morphology and structure of the C-TN were studied by
FE-SEM, EDX and XRD techniques. FESEM images of the
nanotubes showed uniform arrays of C-TNTs. The density and
microstructures of the nanotubes were greatly affected by the content
of PVA. The introduction of the polyvinyl alcohol into the electrolyte
increases the amount of C content inside TiO2 nanotube arrays
uniformly. The influence of carbon content on the photo-current of
C-TNT was investigated and the I-V profiles of the nanotubes were
established. The preliminary results indicated that the 'in-situ'
doping technique produced a superior quality nanotubes compared to
post doping techniques.