Abstract: The environmental impact caused by industries is an issue that, in the last 20 years, has become very important in terms of society, economics and politics in Colombia. Particularly, the tannery process is extremely polluting because of uneffective treatments and regulations given to the dumping process and atmospheric emissions. Considering that, this investigation is intended to propose a management model based on the integration of Lean Supply Chain, Green Supply Chain, Cleaner Production and ISO 14001-2004, that prioritizes the strategic components of the organizations. As a result, a management model will be obtained and it will provide a strategic perspective through a systemic approach to the tanning process. This will be achieved through the use of Multicriteria Decision tools, along with Quality Function Deployment and Fuzzy Logic. The strategic approach that embraces the management model using the alignment of Lean Supply Chain, Green Supply Chain, Cleaner Production and ISO 14001-2004, is an integrated perspective that allows a gradual frame of the tactical and operative elements through the correct setting of the information flow, improving the decision making process. In that way, Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) could improve their productivity, competitiveness and as an added value, the minimization of the environmental impact. This improvement is expected to be controlled through a Dashboard that helps the Organization measure its performance along the implementation of the model in its productive process.
Abstract: This paper presents a novel method for prediction of
the mechanical behavior of proximal femur using the general
framework of the quantitative computed tomography (QCT)-based
finite element Analysis (FEA). A systematic imaging and modeling
procedure was developed for reliable correspondence between the
QCT-based FEA and the in-vitro mechanical testing. A speciallydesigned
holding frame was used to define and maintain a unique
geometrical reference system during the analysis and testing. The
QCT images were directly converted into voxel-based 3D finite
element models for linear and nonlinear analyses. The equivalent
plastic strain and the strain energy density measures were used to
identify the critical elements and predict the failure patterns. The
samples were destructively tested using a specially-designed gripping
fixture (with five degrees of freedom) mounted within a universal
mechanical testing machine. Very good agreements were found
between the experimental and the predicted failure patterns and the
associated load levels.
Abstract: Ontologies play an important role in semantic web applications and are often developed by different groups and continues to evolve over time. The knowledge in ontologies changes very rapidly that make the applications outdated if they continue to use old versions or unstable if they jump to new versions. Temporal frames using frame versioning and slot versioning are used to take care of dynamic nature of the ontologies. The paper proposes new tags and restructured OWL format enabling the applications to work with the old or new version of ontologies. Gene Ontology, a very dynamic ontology, has been used as a case study to explain the OWL Ontology with Temporal Tags.
Abstract: This paper proposes a dual tree complex wavelet transform (DT-CWT) based directional interpolation scheme for noisy images. The problems of denoising and interpolation are modelled as to estimate the noiseless and missing samples under the same framework of optimal estimation. Initially, DT-CWT is used to decompose an input low-resolution noisy image into low and high frequency subbands. The high-frequency subband images are interpolated by linear minimum mean square estimation (LMMSE) based interpolation, which preserves the edges of the interpolated images. For each noisy LR image sample, we compute multiple estimates of it along different directions and then fuse those directional estimates for a more accurate denoised LR image. The estimation parameters calculated in the denoising processing can be readily used to interpolate the missing samples. The inverse DT-CWT is applied on the denoised input and interpolated high frequency subband images to obtain the high resolution image. Compared with the conventional schemes that perform denoising and interpolation in tandem, the proposed DT-CWT based noisy image interpolation method can reduce many noise-caused interpolation artifacts and preserve well the image edge structures. The visual and quantitative results show that the proposed technique outperforms many of the existing denoising and interpolation methods.
Abstract: The two agro-ecological zones became the focus of
the study because of violent nature of the incessant conflict in the
zones. The available register of farmers association was the sampling
frame work where ten percent (61) farmers per state were randomly
sampled. Data were collected and analysed using z-test. The research
findings revealed tree crops and grains production enterprises ranked
higher in Osun (rain fed zones) and Taraba states (savannah zones)
respectively. Osun state entrepreneur felt the effect of the conflict on
their enterprises more than Tarba state. The reasons adduced for
severity of the conflict on enterprises are majority (77.0%) migrated
and (75.5%) of them were not allowed to enter their farms during and
when conflict deescalated unlike situation in Taraba state. The
different in enterprises production level between the two agroecological
zone was statistically significant at p
Abstract: With the tremendous growth of World Wide Web
(WWW) data, there is an emerging need for effective information
retrieval at the document level. Several query languages such as
XML-QL, XPath, XQL, Quilt and XQuery are proposed in recent
years to provide faster way of querying XML data, but they still lack of
generality and efficiency. Our approach towards evolving a framework
for querying semistructured documents is based on formal query
algebra. Two elements are introduced in the proposed framework:
first, a generic and flexible data model for logical representation of
semistructured data and second, a set of operators for the manipulation
of objects defined in the data model. In additional to accommodating
several peculiarities of semistructured data, our model offers novel
features such as bidirectional paths for navigational querying and
partitions for data transformation that are not available in other
proposals.
Abstract: Citizens are increasingly are provided with choice and
customization in public services and this has now also become a key
feature of higher education in terms of policy roll-outs on personal
development planning (PDP) and more generally as part of the
employability agenda. The goal here is to transform people, in this
case graduates, into active, responsible citizen-workers. A key part of
this rhetoric and logic is the inculcation of graduate attributes within
students. However, there has also been a concern with the issue of
student lack of engagement and perseverance with their studies. This
paper sets out to explore some of these conceptions that link graduate
attributes with citizenship as well as the notion of how identity is
forged through the higher education process. Examples are drawn
from a quality enhancement project that is being operated within the
context of the Scottish higher education system. This is further
framed within the wider context of competing and conflicting
demands on higher education, exacerbated by the current worldwide
economic climate. There are now pressures on students to develop
their employability skills as well as their capacity to engage with
global issues such as behavioural change in the light of
environmental concerns. It is argued that these pressures, in effect,
lead to a form of personalization that is concerned with how
graduates develop their sense of identity as something that is
engineered and re-engineered to meet these demands.
Abstract: The knee bracing steel frame (KBF) is a new kind of energy dissipating frame, which combines excellent ductility and lateral stiffness. In this framing system, a special form of diagonal brace connected to a knee element instead of beam-column joint, is investigated. Recently, a similar system was proposed and named as chevron knee bracing system (CKB) which in comparison with the former system has a better energy absorption characteristic and at the same time retains the elastic nature of the structures. Knee bracing can provide a stiffer bracing system but reduces the ductility of the steel frame. Chevron knee bracing can be employed to provide the desired ductility level for a design. In this article, relation between seismic performance and structural parameters of the two above mentioned systems are investigated and compared. Frames with similar dimensions but various heights in both systems are designed according to Iranian code of practice for seismic resistant design of building, and then based on a non-linear push over static analysis; the seismic parameters such as behavior factor and performance levels are compared.
Abstract: A multimedia presentation system refers to the integration of a multimedia database with a presentation manager which has the functionality of content selection, organization and playout of multimedia presentations. It requires high performance of involved system components. Starting from multimedia information capture until the presentation delivery, high performance tools are required for accessing, manipulating, storing and retrieving these segments, for transferring and delivering them in a presentation terminal according to a playout order. The organization of presentations is a complex task in that the display order of presentation contents (in time and space) must be specified. A multimedia presentation contains audio, video, images and text media types. The critical decisions for presentation construction include what the contents are, how the contents are organized, and once the decision is made on the organization of the contents of the presentation, it must be conveyed to the end user in the correct organizational order and in a timely fashion. This paper introduces a framework for specification of multimedia presentations and describes the design of sample presentations using this framework from a multimedia database.
Abstract: An application framework provides a reusable design
and implementation for a family of software systems. Application
developers extend the framework to build their particular
applications using hooks. Hooks are the places identified to show
how to use and customize the framework. Hooks define the
Framework Interface Classes (FICs) and the specifications of their
methods. As part of the development life cycle, it is required to test
the implementations of the FICs. Building a testing model to express
the behavior of a class is an essential step for the generation of the
class-based test cases. The testing model has to be consistent with the
specifications provided for the hooks. State-based models consisting
of states and transitions are testing models well suited to objectoriented
software. Typically, hand-construction of a state-based
model of a class behavior is expensive, error-prone, and may result in
constructing an inconsistent model with the specifications of the class
methods, which misleads verification results. In this paper, a
technique is introduced to automatically synthesize a state-based
testing model for FICs using the specifications provided for the
hooks. A tool that supports the proposed technique is introduced.
Abstract: As a by-product of its "cyberspace" status, electronic
commerce is global, encompassing a whole range of B2C
relationships which need to be approached with solutions provided at
a local level while remaining viable when applied to global issues.
Today, the European Union seems to be endowed with a reliable
legal framework for consumer protection. A question which remains,
however, is enforcement of this protection. This is probably a matter
of time and awareness from both parties in the B2C relationship.
Business should realize that enhancing trust in the minds of
consumers is more than a question of technology; it is a question of
best practice. Best practice starts with the online service of high
street banks as well as with the existence of a secure, user-friendly
and cost-effective payment system. It also includes the respect of
privacy and the use of smart cards as well as enhancing privacy
technologies and fair information practice. In sum, only by offering
this guarantee of privacy and security will the consumer be assured
that, in cyberspace, his/her interests will be protected in the same
manner as in a traditional commercial environment.
Abstract: In this work, we treat the problems related to chemical and petrochemical plants of a certain complex process taking the centrifugal compressor as an example, a system being very complex by its physical structure as well as its behaviour (surge phenomenon). We propose to study the application possibilities of the recent control approaches to the compressor behaviour, and consequently evaluate their contribution in the practical and theoretical fields. Facing the studied industrial process complexity, we choose to make recourse to fuzzy logic for analysis and treatment of its control problem owing to the fact that these techniques constitute the only framework in which the types of imperfect knowledge can jointly be treated (uncertainties, inaccuracies, etc..) offering suitable tools to characterise them. In the particular case of the centrifugal compressor, these imperfections are interpreted by modelling errors, the neglected dynamics, no modelisable dynamics and the parametric variations. The purpose of this paper is to produce a total robust nonlinear controller design method to stabilize the compression process at its optimum steady state by manipulating the gas rate flow. In order to cope with both the parameter uncertainty and the structured non linearity of the plant, the proposed method consists of a linear steady state regulation that ensures robust optimal control and of a nonlinear compensation that achieves the exact input/output linearization.
Abstract: Because of architectural condition and structure application, sometimes mass source and stiffness source are not coincidence, and the structure is irregular. The structure is also might be asymmetric as an asymmetric bracing in plan which leads to unbalance distribution of stiffness or because of unbalance distribution of the mass. Both condition lead to eccentricity and torsion in the structure. The deficiency of ordinary code to evaluate the performance of steel structures against earthquake has been caused designing based on performance level or capacity spectrum be used. By using the mentioned methods it is possible to design a structure that its behavior against different earthquakes be predictive. In this article 5- story buildings with different percentage of asymmetric which is because of stiffness changes and kind of bracing (x and chevron bracing) have been designed. The static and dynamic nonlinear analysis under three acceleration recording has been done. Finally performance level of the structure has been evaluated.
Abstract: A procedural-animation-based approach which rapidly
synthesize the adaptive locomotion for quadruped characters that they
can walk or run in any directions on an uneven terrain within a
dynamic environment was proposed. We devise practical motion
models of the quadruped animals for adapting to a varied terrain in a
real-time manner. While synthesizing locomotion, we choose the
corresponding motion models by means of the footstep prediction of
the current state in the dynamic environment, adjust the key-frames of
the motion models relying on the terrain-s attributes, calculate the
collision-free legs- trajectories, and interpolate the key-frames
according to the legs- trajectories. Finally, we apply dynamic time
warping to each part of motion for seamlessly concatenating all desired
transition motions to complete the whole locomotion. We reduce the
time cost of producing the locomotion and takes virtual characters to
fit in with dynamic environments no matter when the environments are
changed by users.
Abstract: Modeling the behavior of the dialogue management in
the design of a spoken dialogue system using statistical methodologies
is currently a growing research area. This paper presents a work
on developing an adaptive learning approach to optimize dialogue
strategy. At the core of our system is a method formalizing dialogue
management as a sequential decision making under uncertainty whose
underlying probabilistic structure has a Markov Chain. Researchers
have mostly focused on model-free algorithms for automating the
design of dialogue management using machine learning techniques
such as reinforcement learning. But in model-free algorithms there
exist a dilemma in engaging the type of exploration versus exploitation.
Hence we present a model-based online policy learning
algorithm using interconnected learning automata for optimizing
dialogue strategy. The proposed algorithm is capable of deriving
an optimal policy that prescribes what action should be taken in
various states of conversation so as to maximize the expected total
reward to attain the goal and incorporates good exploration and
exploitation in its updates to improve the naturalness of humancomputer
interaction. We test the proposed approach using the most
sophisticated evaluation framework PARADISE for accessing to the
railway information system.
Abstract: This paper addresses a current problem that occurs among Thai internet service providers with regard to bandwidth network quality management. The IPSTAR department of Telecom Organization of Thailand public company (TOT); the largest internet service provider in Thailand, is the case study to analyze the problem that exists. The Internet bandwidth network quality management (iBWQM) framework is mainly applied to the problem that has been found. Bandwidth management policy (BMP) and quality of service (QoS) are two antecedents of iBWQM. This paper investigates internet user behavior, marketing demand and network operation views in order to determine bandwidth management policy (e.g. quota management, scheduling and malicious management). The congestion of bandwidth is also analyzed to enhance quality of service (QoS). Moreover, the iBWQM framework is able to improve the quality of service and increase bandwidth utilization, minimize complaint rate concerns to slow speed, and provide network planning guidelines through Thai Internet services providers.
Abstract: This paper presents unified theory for local (Savitzky-
Golay) and global polynomial smoothing. The algebraic framework
can represent any polynomial approximation and is seamless from
low degree local, to high degree global approximations. The representation
of the smoothing operator as a projection onto orthonormal
basis functions enables the computation of: the covariance matrix
for noise propagation through the filter; the noise gain and; the
frequency response of the polynomial filters. A virtually perfect Gram
polynomial basis is synthesized, whereby polynomials of degree
d = 1000 can be synthesized without significant errors. The perfect
basis ensures that the filters are strictly polynomial preserving. Given
n points and a support length ls = 2m + 1 then the smoothing
operator is strictly linear phase for the points xi, i = m+1. . . n-m.
The method is demonstrated on geometric surfaces data lying on an
invariant 2D lattice.
Abstract: Nowadays, efficiency, effectiveness and economy are regarded as the main objectives of managers and the secret of the continuity of an organization in competing economy. In such competing settings, it is essential that the management of an organization has not been neglected and been obliged to identify quickly the opportunities for improving the operation of organization and remove the shortcomings of their managed system in order to use the opportunities for development. Operational auditing is a useful tool for system adjustment and leading an organization toward its objectives. Operational auditing is indeed a viewpoint which identifies the causes of insufficiencies, weaknesses and deficiencies of system and plans to eliminate them. Operational auditing is useful in the effectiveness and optimization of executive managers- decisions and increasing the efficiency and economy of their performance in the future and prevents the waste and incorrect use of resources. Evidence shows that operational auditing is used at a limited level in Iran. This matter raises some questions like the following ones in the minds. Why do a limited number of corporations use operational auditing? Which factors can guarantee its full implementation? What obstacles are there in its implementation? The purpose of this article is to determine executive objectives, the operation domain of operational auditing, the components of operational auditing and the executive obstacles to operational auditing in Iran.
Abstract: Calcium [Ca2+] dynamics is studied as a potential form
of neuron excitability that can control many irregular processes like
metabolism, secretion etc. Ca2+ ion enters presynaptic terminal and
increases the synaptic strength and thus triggers the neurotransmitter
release. The modeling and analysis of calcium dynamics in neuron
cell becomes necessary for deeper understanding of the processes
involved. A mathematical model has been developed for cylindrical
shaped neuron cell by incorporating physiological parameters like
buffer, diffusion coefficient, and association rate. Appropriate initial
and boundary conditions have been framed. The closed form solution
has been developed in terms of modified Bessel function. A computer
program has been developed in MATLAB 7.11 for the whole
approach.
Abstract: In the past 20 years the economy of the Czech
Republic has experienced substantial changes. In the 1990s the
development was affected by the transformation which sought to
establish the right conditions for privatization and creation of
elementary market relations. In the last decade the characteristic
elements such as private ownership and corresponding institutional
framework have been strengthened. This development was marked by
the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU. The Czech Republic
is striving to reduce the difference between its level of economic
development and the quality of institutional framework in
comparison with other developed countries. The process of finding
the adequate solutions has been hampered by the negative impact of
the world financial crisis on the Czech Republic and the standard of
living of its inhabitants. This contribution seeks to address the
question of whether and to which extent the economic development
of the transitive Czech economy is affected by the change in
behaviour of households and their tendency to consumption, i.e. in
the sense of reduction or increase in demand for goods and services.
It aims to verify whether the increasing trend of household
indebtedness and decreasing trend of saving pose a significant risk in
the Czech Republic. At a general level the analysis aims to contribute
to finding an answer to the question of whether the debt increase of
Czech households is connected to the risk of "eating through" the
borrowed money and whether Czech households risk falling into a
debt trap. In addition to household indebtedness risks in the Czech
Republic the analysis will focus on identification of specifics of the
transformation phase of the Czech economy in comparison with the
EU countries, or selected OECD countries.