Abstract: An important task in solving second order linear ordinary differential equations by the finite difference is to choose a suitable stepsize h. In this paper, by using the stochastic arithmetic, the CESTAC method and the CADNA library we present a procedure to estimate the optimal stepsize hopt, the stepsize which minimizes the global error consisting of truncation and round-off error.
Abstract: The acoustic and articulatory properties of fricative speech sounds are being studied using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and acoustic recordings from a single subject. Area functions were derived from a complete set of axial and coronal MR slices using two different methods: the Mermelstein technique and the Blum transform. Area functions derived from the two techniques were shown to differ significantly in some cases. Such differences will lead to different acoustic predictions and it is important to know which is the more accurate. The vocal tract acoustic transfer function (VTTF) was derived from these area functions for each fricative and compared with measured speech signals for the same fricative and same subject. The VTTFs for /f/ in two vowel contexts and the corresponding acoustic spectra are derived here; the Blum transform appears to show a better match between prediction and measurement than the Mermelstein technique.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to examine current levels of physical activity determined via heart rate monitoring. A total of 176 children (85 boys, 91 girls) aged 5-13 years wore sealed Polar heart rate monitors for at least 10 hours per day on at least 3 days. Mean daily minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity was 65 ± 43 (mean ± SD) for boys and 54 ± 37 for girls. Daily minutes of vigorous-intensity activity was 31 ± 24 and 24 ± 21 for boys and girls respectively. Significant differences in physical activity levels were observed between school day and weekends, boys and girls, and among age and geographical groups. Only 36% of boys and 22% of girls met the New Zealand physical activity guideline. This research indicates that a large proportion of New Zealand children are not meeting physical activity recommendations.
Abstract: Trauma in early life is widely regarded as a cause for
adult mental health problems. This study explores the role of
secondary trauma on later functioning in a sample of 359 university
students enrolled in undergraduate psychology classes in the United
States. Participants were initially divided into four groups based on
1) having directly experienced trauma (assaultive violence), 2)
having directly experienced trauma and secondary traumatization
through the unanticipated death of a close friend or family member
or witnessing of an injury or shocking even), 3) having no
experience of direct trauma but having experienced indirect trauma
(secondary trauma), or 4) reporting no exposure. Participants
completed a battery of measures on concepts associated with
psychological functioning which included measures of
psychological well-being, problem solving, coping and resiliency.
Findings discuss differences in psychological functioning and
resilience based on participants who experienced secondary
traumatization and assaultive violence versus secondary
traumatization alone.
Abstract: The disaster from functional gastrointestinal disorders has detrimental impact on the quality of life of the effected population and imposes a tremendous social and economic burden. There are, however, rare diagnostic methods for the functional gastrointestinal disorders. Our research group identified recently that the gastrointestinal tract well in the patients with the functional gastrointestinal disorders becomes more rigid than healthy people when palpating the abdominal regions overlaying the gastrointestinal tract. Objective of current study is, therefore, identify feasibility of a diagnostic system for the functional gastrointestinal disorders based on ultrasound technique, which can quantify the characteristics above. Two-dimensional finite difference (FD) models (one normal and two rigid model) were developed to analyze the reflective characteristic (displacement) on each soft-tissue layer responded after application of ultrasound signals. The FD analysis was then based on elastic ultrasound theory. Validation of the model was performed via comparison of the characteristic of the ultrasonic responses predicted by FD analysis with that determined from the actual specimens for the normal and rigid conditions. Based on the results from FD analysis, ultrasound system for diagnosis of the functional gastrointestinal disorders was developed and clinically tested via application of it to 40 human subjects with/without functional gastrointestinal disorders who were assigned to Normal and Patient Groups. The FD models were favorably validated. The results from FD analysis showed that the maximum displacement amplitude in the rigid models (0.12 and 0.16) at the interface between the fat and muscle layers was explicitly less than that in the normal model (0.29). The results from actual specimens showed that the maximum amplitude of the ultrasonic reflective signal in the rigid models (0.2±0.1Vp-p) at the interface between the fat and muscle layers was explicitly higher than that in the normal model (0.1±0.2 Vp-p). Clinical tests using our customized ultrasound system showed that the maximum amplitudes of the ultrasonic reflective signals near to the gastrointestinal tract well for the patient group (2.6±0.3 Vp-p) were generally higher than those in normal group (0.1±0.2 Vp-p). Here, maximum reflective signals was appeared at 20mm depth approximately from abdominal skin for all human subjects, corresponding to the location of the boundary layer close to gastrointestinal tract well. These findings suggest that our customized ultrasound system using the ultrasonic reflective signal may be helpful to the diagnosis of the functional gastrointestinal disorders.
Abstract: An inverse geometry problem is solved to predict an
unknown irregular boundary profile. The aim is to minimize the
objective function, which is the difference between real and
computed temperatures, using three different versions of Conjugate
Gradient Method. The gradient of the objective function, considered
necessary in this method, obtained as a result of solving the adjoint
equation. The abilities of three versions of Conjugate Gradient
Method in predicting the boundary profile are compared using a
numerical algorithm based on the method. The predicted shapes show
that due to its convergence rate and accuracy of predicted values, the
Powell-Beale version of the method is more effective than the
Fletcher-Reeves and Polak –Ribiere versions.
Abstract: Hydrocyclones flow field study is conducted by performing a parametric study. Effect of cone angle on deoiling hydrocyclones flow behaviour is studied in this research. Flow field of hydrocyclone is obtained by three-dimensional simulations with OpenFOAM code. Because of anisotropic behaviour of flow inside hydrocyclones LES is a suitable method to predict the flow field since it resolves large scales and model isotropic small scales. Large eddy simulation is used to predict the flow behavior of three different cone angles. Differences in tangential velocity and pressure distribution are reported in some figures.
Abstract: Different techniques for estimating seasonal water
use from soil profile water depletion frequently do not account for
flux below the root zone. Shallow water table contribution to supply
crop water use may be important in arid and semi-arid regions.
Development of predictive root uptake models, under influence of
shallow water table makes it possible for planners to incorporate
interaction between water table and root zone into design of irrigation
projects. A model for obtaining soil moisture depletion from root
zone and water movement below it is discussed with the objective to
determine impact of shallow water table on seasonal moisture
depletion patterns under water table depth variation, up to the bottom
of root zone. The role of different boundary conditions has also been
considered. Three crops: Wheat (Triticum aestivum), Corn (Zea
mays) and Potato (Solanum tuberosum), common in arid & semi-arid
regions, are chosen for the study. Using experimentally obtained soil
moisture depletion values for potential soil moisture conditions,
moisture depletion patterns using a non linear root uptake model have
been obtained for different water table depths. Comparative analysis
of the moisture depletion patterns under these conditions show a wide
difference in percent depletion from different layers of root zone
particularly top and bottom layers with middle layers showing
insignificant variation in moisture depletion values. Moisture
depletion in top layer, when the water table rises to root zone
increases by 19.7%, 22.9% & 28.2%, whereas decrease in bottom
layer is 68.8%, 61.6% & 64.9% in case of wheat, corn & potato
respectively. The paper also discusses the causes and consequences
of increase in moisture depletion from top layers and exceptionally
high reduction in bottom layer, and the possible remedies for the
same. The numerical model developed for the study can be used to
help formulating irrigation strategies for areas where shallow
groundwater of questionable quality is an option for crop production.
Abstract: Solution of some practical problems is reduced to the
solution of the integro-differential equations. But for the numerical
solution of such equations basically quadrature methods or its
combination with multistep or one-step methods are used. The
quadrature methods basically is applied to calculation of the integral
participating in right hand side of integro-differential equations. As
this integral is of Volterra type, it is obvious that at replacement with
its integrated sum the upper limit of the sum depends on a current
point in which values of the integral are defined. Thus we receive the
integrated sum with variable boundary, to work with is hardly.
Therefore multistep method with the constant coefficients, which is
free from noted lack and gives the way for finding it-s coefficients is
present.
Abstract: This study examined the effects of 8-week Pilates training program on limits of stability (LOS) and abdominal muscle strength in young dancers. Twenty-four female volunteered and randomly assigned as experimental group (EG) or control group (CG). All subjects received the same dance lessons but the EG underwent an extra Pilates mat exercises for 40 minutes, three times a week, for 8 weeks. LOS was evaluated by the Biodex Balance System and the abdominal strength was measured by 30/60 seconds sit-ups test. One factor ANCOVA was used to examine the differences between groups after training. The results showed that the overall LOS scores at levels 2/8 and the 30/60 seconds sit-ups for the EG group pre- and post-training were changed from 22/38 % to 31/51 % and 20/33 times to 24/42 times, respectively. The study demonstrated that 8-week Pilates training can improve the LOS performance and abdominal strength in young dancers.
Abstract: For scores of years now, several microfinance
organizations, non governmental organizations and other welfare
organizations have, with a view to aiding the progress of
communities rooted in poverty have been focusing on creating
microentrepreneurs, besides taking several other measures. In recent
times, business corporations have joined forces to combat poverty by
taking up microenterprise development. Hindustan Unilever Limited
(HUL), the Indian subsidiary of Unilever Limited exemplifies this
through its Project Shakti. The company through the Project creates
rural women entrepreneurs by making them direct to home sales
distributors of its products in villages that have thus far been ignored
by multinational corporations. The members participating in Project
Shakti are largely self help group members. The paper focuses on
assessing the impact made by the company on the members engaged
in Project Shakti. The analysis involves use of quantitative methods
to study the effect of Project Shakti on those self help group
members engaged in Project Shakti and those not engaged with
Project Shakti. Path analysis has been used to study the impact made
on those members engaged in Project Shakti. Significant differences
were observed on fronts of entrepreneurial development, economic
empowerment and social empowerment between members associated
with Project Shakti and those not associated with Project Shakti.
Path analysis demonstrated that involvement in Project Shakti led to
entrepreneurial development resulting in economic empowerment
that in turn led to social empowerment and that these three elements
independently induced a feeling of privilege in the women for being
associated with the Project.
Abstract: WiMAX and Wi-Fi are considered as the promising
broadband access solutions for wireless MAN’s and LANs,
respectively. In the recent works WiMAX is considered suitable as a
backhaul service to connect multiple dispersed Wi-Fi ‘hotspots’.
Hence a new integrated WiMAX/Wi-Fi architecture has been
proposed in literatures. In this paper the performance of an integrated
WiMAX/Wi-Fi network has been investigated by streaming a video
conference application. The difference in performance between the
two protocols is compared with respect to video conferencing. The
Heterogeneous network was simulated in the OPNET simulator.
Abstract: To judge whether the memristor can be interpreted as
the fourth fundamental circuit element, we propose a variable-relation
criterion of fundamental circuit elements. According to the criterion,
we investigate the nature of three fundamental circuit elements and the
memristor. From the perspective of variables relation, the memristor
builds a direct relation between the voltage across it and the current
through it, instead of a direct relation between the magnetic flux and
the charge. Thus, it is better to characterize the memristor and the
resistor as two special cases of the same fundamental circuit element,
which is the memristive system in Chua-s new framework. Finally, the
definition of memristor is refined according to the difference between
the magnetic flux and the flux linkage.
Abstract: Twenty four male Thai native × Anglo-Nubian
crossbred goats were randomly allocated to receive four treatments.
The experiment was conducted for four months and slaughtered that
the Longissimus dorsi muscle was collected for fatty acid analysis.
The results conclude that either castrated method or ages had no
significantly different on monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)
(P>0.05) except erucic acid (C22:1n9). Interaction between castrated
method and ages had significantly different in MUFA (P
Abstract: The objective of this paper is to develop a neural
network-based residual generator to detect the fault in the actuators
for a specific communication satellite in its attitude control system
(ACS). First, a dynamic multilayer perceptron network with dynamic
neurons is used, those neurons correspond a second order linear
Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) filter and a nonlinear activation
function with adjustable parameters. Second, the parameters from the
network are adjusted to minimize a performance index specified by
the output estimated error, with the given input-output data collected
from the specific ACS. Then, the proposed dynamic neural network
is trained and applied for detecting the faults injected to the wheel,
which is the main actuator in the normal mode for the communication
satellite. Then the performance and capabilities of the proposed
network were tested and compared with a conventional model-based
observer residual, showing the differences between these two
methods, and indicating the benefit of the proposed algorithm to
know the real status of the momentum wheel. Finally, the application
of the methods in a satellite ground station is discussed.
Abstract: Magnesium alloy has been widely investigated as
biodegradable cardiovascular stent and bone implant. Its application
for biodegradable esophageal stenting remains unexplored. This
paper reports the biodegradation behaviors of AZ31 magnesium alloy
in artificial saliva and various types of beverage in vitro. Results
show that the magnesium ion release rate of AZ31 in artificial saliva
for a stent (2cm diameter, 10cm length at 50% stent surface
coverage) is 43 times lower than the daily allowance of human body
magnesium intakes. The degradation rates of AZ31 in different
beverages could also be significantly different. These results suggest
that the esophagus in nature is a less aggressive chemical
environment for degradation of magnesium alloys. The significant
difference in degradation rates of AZ31 in different beverages opens
new opportunities for development of degradation controllable
esophageal stent through customizing ingested beverages.
Abstract: In this paper, an alternating implicit block method for
solving two dimensional scalar wave equation is presented. The
new method consist of two stages for each time step implemented
in alternating directions which are very simple in computation. To
increase the speed of computation, a group of adjacent points is
computed simultaneously. It is shown that the presented method
increase the maximum time step size and more accurate than the
conventional finite difference time domain (FDTD) method and other
existing method of natural ordering.
Abstract: There-s a lack in understanding the indoor climate of Malaysian residential. The assumption of traditional house could
provide the best indoor environment is too good to be true. This research is to understand indoor environment in three types of
Malaysian residential and thermo recorder TR72Ui were placed in
indoor spaces for measurement. There are huge differences of indoor
environment between housing types, and building material helps to control indoor climate. Traditional house indoor climate was similar to
the outdoor. Temperature in the bedroom of terrace and town houses were slightly higher than the living room. Indoor temperature was 2oC
lower in the rainy season than the hot season. It was hard to control
indoor humidity level in traditional house compared with terrace and
town house. As for conclusion, town house provides the best thermal
environment to the building occupants and can be improved with good
roof insulation.
Abstract: This paper investigates the indices of a creative city in
Isfahan. Its main aim is to evaluate quantitative status of the creative
city indices in Isfahan city, analyze the dispersion and distribution of
these indices in Isfahan city. Concerning these, this study tries to
analyze the creative city indices in fifteen area of Isfahan through
secondary data, questionnaire, TOPSIS model, Shannon entropy and
SPSS. Based on this, the fifteen areas of Isfahan city have been
ranked with 12 factors of creative city indices. The results of studies
show that fifteen areas of Isfahan city are not equally benefiting from
creative indices and there is much difference between the areas of
Isfahan city.
Abstract: The aspiration of this research article is to target and
focus the gains of university-Industry (U-I) collaborations and
exploring those hurdles which are the obstacles for attaining these
gains. University-Industry collaborations have attained great
importance since 1980 in USA due to its application in all fields of
life. U-I collaboration is a bilateral process where academia is a
proactive member to make such alliances. Universities want to
ameliorate their academic-base with the technicalities of technobabbles.
U-I collaboration is becoming an essential lane for achieving
innovative goals in this century. Many developed nations have set
successful examples to prove this phenomenon as a catalyst to reduce
costs, efforts and personnel for R&D projects. This study is exploits
amplitudes of UI collaboration incentives in the light of success
stories of developed countries. Many universities in USA, UK,
Canada and various European Countries have been engaged with
enterprises for numerous collaborative agreements. A long list of
strategic and short term R&D projects has been executed in
developed countries to accomplish their intended purposes. Due to
the lack of intentions, genuine research and research-oriented
environment, the mentioned field could not grow very well in
developing countries. During last decade, a new wave of research
has induced the institutes of developing countries to promote R&D
culture especially in Pakistan. Higher Education Commission (HEC)
has initiated many projects and funding supports for universities
which have collaborative intentions with industry.
Findings show that rapid innovation, overwhelm the technological
complexities and articulated intellectual-base are major incentives
which steer both partners to establish faculty-industry alliances. Everchanging
technologies, concerned about intellectual property,
different research environment and culture, research relevancy (Basic
or applied), exposure differences and diversity of knowledge
(bookish or practical) are main barriers to establish and retain joint
ventures. Findings also concluded that, it is dire need to support and
enhance cooperation among academia and industry to promote highly
coordinated research behaviors. Author has proposed a roadmap for
developing countries to promote R&D clusters among faculty and
industry to deal the technological challenges and innovation
complexities. Based on our research findings, Model for R&D
Collaboration for developing countries also have been proposed to
promote articulated R&D environment. If developing countries
follow this phenomenon, rapid innovations can be achieved with
limited R&D budget heads.