Abstract: Face recognition is a technique to automatically
identify or verify individuals. It receives great attention in
identification, authentication, security and many more applications.
Diverse methods had been proposed for this purpose and also a lot of
comparative studies were performed. However, researchers could not
reach unified conclusion. In this paper, we are reporting an extensive
quantitative accuracy analysis of four most widely used face
recognition algorithms: Principal Component Analysis (PCA),
Independent Component Analysis (ICA), Linear Discriminant
Analysis (LDA) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) using AT&T,
Sheffield and Bangladeshi people face databases under diverse
situations such as illumination, alignment and pose variations.
Abstract: Metallic micro parts are playing an important role in micro-fabrication industry. Recently, we have demonstrated a new deformation mechanism for micro-formability of polycrystalline materials. Different depressed micro-features smaller than the grain size have been successfully fabricated on 6061 aluminum alloy (AA6061) substrates with good fidelity. To further verify this proposed deformation mechanism that grain size is not a limiting factor, we demonstrate here that in addition of depressed features, protruded micro-features on a polycrystalline substrate can similarly be fabricated.
Abstract: Nowadays, under developed countries for progress in
science and technology and decreasing the technologic gap with
developed countries, increasing the capacities and technology
transfer from developed countries. To remain competitive, industry is
continually searching for new methods to evolve their products.
Business model is one of the latest buzzwords in the Internet and
electronic business world. To be successful, organizations must look
into the needs and wants of their customers. This research attempts to
identify a specific feature of the company with a strong competitive
advantage by analyzing the cause of Customer satisfaction. Due to
the rapid development of knowledge and information technology,
business environments have become much more complicated.
Information technology can help a firm aiming to gain a competitive
advantage. This study explores the role and effect of Information
Communication Technology in Business Models and Customer
satisfaction on firms and also relationships between ICTs and
Outsourcing strategic.
Abstract: The unanticipated brittle fracture of connection of the
steel moment resisting frame (SMRF) occurred in 1994 the Northridge
earthquake. Since then, the researches for the vulnerability of
connection of the existing SMRF and for rehabilitation of those
buildings were conducted. This paper suggests performance-based
optimal seismic retrofit technique using connection upgrade. For
optimal design, a multi-objective genetic algorithm(NSGA-II) is used.
One of the two objective functions is to minimize initial cost and
another objective function is to minimize lifetime seismic damages
cost. The optimal algorithm proposed in this paper is performed
satisfying specified performance objective based on FEMA 356. The
nonlinear static analysis is performed for structural seismic
performance evaluation. A numerical example of SAC benchmark
SMRF is provided using the performance-based optimal seismic
retrofit technique proposed in this paper
Abstract: The purpose of this research is: a) to investigate how
the HR practices influence psychological contracts, b) to examine the
influence of psychological contracts to individual behavior and to
contribute individually, c) to study the psychological contact through
leadership. This research using mixed methods, qualitative and
quantitative research methods were utilized to gather the data
collected using a qualitative method by the HR Manager who is in
charge of the trainings from the staffs and quantitative method
(survey) by using questionnaire was utilized to draw upon and to
elaborate on the recurring themes present during the interviews. The
survey was done to 400 staffs of the company. The study found that
leadership styles supporting the firm’s HR strategy is the key in
making psychological contracts that benefit both the firm and its
members.
Abstract: The paper is intended to declare and apply ethics, i. e.
moral principles, rules in marketing environment. Ethical behavior of
selected pharmaceutical companies in the Slovak Republic is the
object of our research. The aim of our research is to determine
perception of ethical behavior of the pharmaceutical industry in
Slovakia by the medicine representatives in comparison with the
assessment of doctors and patients. The experimental sample
included 90 participants who were divided into three groups:
medicine representatives of the pharmaceutical companies (N=30),
doctors (N=30) and patients (N=30). The research method was a
Questionnaire of ethical behavior, created by us, that describes
individual areas included in the Code of ethics of the pharmaceutical
industry in Slovakia. The results showed influence of professional
status on ethical behavior perception, not gender. Higher perception
was indicated at patients rather than doctors and medicine
representatives.
Abstract: PARIS (Personal Archiving and Retrieving Image
System) is an experiment personal photograph library, which includes
more than 80,000 of consumer photographs accumulated within a
duration of approximately five years, metadata based on our proposed
MPEG-7 annotation architecture, Dozen Dimensional Digital Content
(DDDC), and a relational database structure. The DDDC architecture
is specially designed for facilitating the managing, browsing and
retrieving of personal digital photograph collections. In annotating
process, we also utilize a proposed Spatial and Temporal Ontology
(STO) designed based on the general characteristic of personal
photograph collections. This paper explains PRAIS system.
Abstract: The aim of the study was to follow changes of powervelocity
relationship in female volleyball players during an annual
training cycle. The study was conducted on eleven female volleyball
players: age 21.6±1.7 years, body height 177.9±4.7 cm, body mass
71.3±6.6 kg and training experience 8.6±3.3 years. Power–velocity
relationship was determined from five maximal 10-second
cycloergometer efforts with external loads equal: 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0
and 12.5% of body weight (BW) before (I) and after (II) the
preparatory period, after the first (III) and second (IV) competitive
season. The maximal power output increased from 9.30±0.85 W•kg–1
(I) to 9.50±0.96 W•kg–1 (II), 9.77±0.96 W•kg–1 (III) and 9.95±1.13
W•kg–1 (IV, p
Abstract: In this paper, the effects of thermodynamic,
hydrodynamic and geometric of an air cooled condenser on COP of
vapor compression cycle are investigated for a fixed condenser facing
surface area. The system is utilized with a scroll compressor,
modeled based on thermodynamic and heat transfer equations
employing Matlab software. The working refrigerant is R134a whose
thermodynamic properties are called from Engineering Equation
Software. This simulation shows that vapor compression cycle can
be designed by different configurations and COPs, economical and
optimum working condition can be obtained via considering these
parameters.
Abstract: One way for optimum loading of overdimensioning
conveyers is speed (capacity) decrement, with attention for
production capabilities and demands. At conveyers which drives with
three phase slip-ring induction motor, technically reasonable solution
for conveyer (driving motors) speed regulation is using constant
torque subsynchronous cascade with static semiconductor converter
and transformer for energy reversion to the power network. In the
paper is described mathematical model for parameter calculation of
two-motors 6 kV subsynchronous cascade. It is also demonstrated
that applying of this cascade gave several good properties, foremost
in electrical energy saving, also in improving of other energy
indexes, and finally that results in cost reduction of complete
electrical motor drive.
Abstract: IMCS is Integrated Monitoring and Control System for
thermal power plant. This system consists of mainly two parts; controllers and OIS (Operator Interface System). These two parts are
connected by Ethernet-based communication. The controller side of communication is managed by CNet module and OIS side is managed
by data server of OIS. CNet module sends the data of controller to data
server and receives commend data from data server. To minimizes or
balance the load of data server, this module buffers data created by controller at every cycle and send buffered data to data server on request of data server. For multiple data server, this module manages
the connection line with each data server and response for each request
from multiple data server. CNet module is included in each controller
of redundant system. When controller fail-over happens on redundant system, this module can provide data of controller to data sever
without loss. This paper presents three main features – separation of get task, usage of ring buffer and monitoring communication status –of CNet module to carry out these functions.
Abstract: Experiments were conducted to characterize fire
properties of wood exposed to the certain external heat flux and
under variety of wood moisture content. Six kinds of Indonesian
wood: keruing, sono, cemara, kamper, pinus, and mahoni were
exposed to radiant heat from a conical heater, result in appearance of
a stable flame on the wood surface caused by spontaneous ignition. A
thermocouple K-type was used to measure the wood surface
temperature. Temperature histories were recorded throughout each
experiment at 1 s intervals using a TC-08. Data of first ignition time
and temperature, end ignition time and temperature, and charring rate
have been successfully collected. It was found that the ignition
temperature and charring rate depend on moisture content of wood.
Abstract: Snoring is prevalent and is the most significant feature
of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Ignore the therapies of SDB will
lead to serious problems in health. Based on the research of
mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatments of snoring, oral appliances are
ensured in therapeutic effect and compliance, especially the
mandibular advancement devices (MADs). Market survey includes
commercial product reviews and patent analyses. Due to pay more
attention to the sleep medicine, the oral appliances are considered as a
standard treatment of snoring that promoted by American Academy of
Sleep Medicine (AASM). There are more and more adjustable MADs
developed since 1995. According to the patent analyses, there are
many drawbacks existed in the present design, such as uncomfortable,
high cost, bulky volume, and complex adjustment. In this study,
several new designs of the MAD are proposed.
Abstract: This paper presents the design and implements the prototype of an intelligent data processing framework in ubiquitous sensor networks. Much focus is put on how to handle the sensor data stream as well as the interoperability between the low-level sensor data and application clients. Our framework first addresses systematic middleware which mitigates the interaction between the application layer and low-level sensors, for the sake of analyzing a great volume of sensor data by filtering and integrating to create value-added context information. Then, an agent-based architecture is proposed for real-time data distribution to efficiently forward a specific event to the appropriate application registered in the directory service via the open interface. The prototype implementation demonstrates that our framework can host a sophisticated application on the ubiquitous sensor network and it can autonomously evolve to new middleware, taking advantages of promising technologies such as software agents, XML, cloud computing, and the like.
Abstract: The present study based on removal of natural dyes of
Roselle petals, then used Roselle petals powder (RPP) as an
adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue dye (as a typical cationic
or basic dye) from aqueous solutions. The present study shows that
used Roselle petals powder exhibit adsorption trend for the dye. The
adsorption processes were carried out at various conditions of
temperatures ranging from 278 to 338 K ± 2 K , concentrations,
processing time and a wide range of pH between 2.5-11. Adsorption
isotherm equations such as Freundlich, and Langmuir were applied to
calculate the values of respective constants. Adsorption study was
found that the currently introduced adsorbent can be used to remove
cationic dyes such as methylene blue from aqueous solutions.
Abstract: In this paper, a reliable cooperative multipath routing
algorithm is proposed for data forwarding in wireless sensor networks
(WSNs). In this algorithm, data packets are forwarded towards the
base station (BS) through a number of paths, using a set of relay
nodes. In addition, the Rayleigh fading model is used to calculate
the evaluation metric of links. Here, the quality of reliability is
guaranteed by selecting optimal relay set with which the probability
of correct packet reception at the BS will exceed a predefined
threshold. Therefore, the proposed scheme ensures reliable packet
transmission to the BS. Furthermore, in the proposed algorithm,
energy efficiency is achieved by energy balancing (i.e. minimizing
the energy consumption of the bottleneck node of the routing path)
at the same time. This work also demonstrates that the proposed
algorithm outperforms existing algorithms in extending longevity of
the network, with respect to the quality of reliability. Given this, the
obtained results make possible reliable path selection with minimum
energy consumption in real time.
Abstract: Biomimicry has many potential benefits as many
technologies found in nature are superior to their man-made
counterparts. As technological device components approach the micro
and nanoscale, surface properties such as surface adhesion and friction
may need to be taken into account. Lowering surface adhesion by
manipulating chemistry alone might no longer be sufficient for such
components and thus physical manipulation may be required.
Adhesion reduction is only one of the many surface functions
displayed by micro/nano-structured cuticles of insects. Here, we
present a mini review of our understanding of insect cuticle structures
and the relationship between the structure dimensions and the
corresponding functional mechanisms. It may be possible to introduce
additional properties to material surfaces (indeed multi-functional
properties) based on the design of natural surfaces.
Abstract: Cognitive models allow predicting some aspects of utility
and usability of human machine interfaces (HMI), and simulating
the interaction with these interfaces. The action of predicting is based
on a task analysis, which investigates what a user is required to do
in terms of actions and cognitive processes to achieve a task. Task
analysis facilitates the understanding of the system-s functionalities.
Cognitive models are part of the analytical approaches, that do not
associate the users during the development process of the interface.
This article presents a study about the evaluation of a human
machine interaction with a contextual assistant-s interface using ACTR
and GOMS cognitive models. The present work shows how these
techniques may be applied in the evaluation of HMI, design and
research by emphasizing firstly the task analysis and secondly the
time execution of the task. In order to validate and support our
results, an experimental study of user performance is conducted at
the DOMUS laboratory, during the interaction with the contextual
assistant-s interface. The results of our models show that the GOMS
and ACT-R models give good and excellent predictions respectively
of users performance at the task level, as well as the object level.
Therefore, the simulated results are very close to the results obtained
in the experimental study.
Abstract: This paper presents the findings of an
experimental investigation to study the effect of alkali content
in geopolymer mortar specimens exposed to sulphuric acid.
Geopolymer mortar specimens were manufactured from Class F fly
ash by activation with a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium
silicate solution containing 5% to 8% Na2O. Durability of specimens
were assessed by immersing them in 10% sulphuric acid solution and
periodically monitoring surface deterioration and depth of
dealkalization, changes in weight and residual compressive strength
over a period of 24 weeks. Microstructural changes in the specimens
were studied with Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and EDAX.
Alkali content in the activator solution significantly affects the
durability of fly ash based geopolymer mortars in sulphuric acid.
Specimens manufactured with higher alkali content performed better
than those manufactured with lower alkali content. After 24 weeks in
sulphuric acid, specimen with 8% alkali still recorded a residual
strength as high as 55%.
Abstract: Vector quantization is a powerful tool for speech
coding applications. This paper deals with LPC Coding of speech
signals which uses a new technique called Multi Switched Split
Vector Quantization (MSSVQ), which is a hybrid of Multi, switched,
split vector quantization techniques. The spectral distortion
performance, computational complexity, and memory requirements
of MSSVQ are compared to split vector quantization (SVQ), multi
stage vector quantization(MSVQ) and switched split vector
quantization (SSVQ) techniques. It has been proved from results that
MSSVQ has better spectral distortion performance, lower
computational complexity and lower memory requirements when
compared to all the above mentioned product code vector
quantization techniques. Computational complexity is measured in
floating point operations (flops), and memory requirements is
measured in (floats).