Abstract: The paper presents an additive manufacturing process for the production of metal and composite parts. It is termed as composite metal foil manufacturing and is a combination of laminated object manufacturing and brazing techniques. The process has been described in detail and is being used to produce dissimilar aluminum to copper foil single lap joints. A three dimensional finite element model has been developed to study the thermo-mechanical characteristics of the dissimilar Al/Cu single lap joint. The effects of thermal stress and strain have been analyzed by carrying out transient thermal analysis on the heated plates used to join the two 0.1mm thin metal foils. Tensile test has been carried out on the foils before joining and after the single Al/Cu lap joints are made, they are subjected to tensile lap-shear test to analyze the effect of heat on the foils. The analyses are designed to assess the mechanical integrity of the foils after the brazing process and understand whether or not the heat treatment has an effect on the fracture modes of the produced specimens.
Abstract: This paper explored the challenges faced by the
management of a Ghanaian state enterprise in managing conflicts and
disturbances associated with its attempt to implement new work
practices to enhance its capability to operate as a commercial entity.
The purpose was to understand the extent to which organizational
involvement, consistency and adaptability influence employees’
consumption of new work practices in transforming the
organization’s organizational activity system. Using selfadministered
questionnaires, data were collected from one hundred
and eighty (180) employees and analyzed using both descriptive and
inferential statistics. The results showed that constraints in
organizational involvement and adaptability prevented the positive
consumption of new work practices by employees in the
organization. It is also found that the organization’s employees failed
to consume the new practices being implemented, because they
perceived the process as non-involving, and as such, did not
encourage the development of employee capability, empowerment,
and teamwork. The study concluded that the failure of the
organization’s management to create opportunities for organizational
learning constrained its ability to get employees consume the new
work practices, which situation could have facilitated the
organization’s capabilities of operating as a commercial entity.
Abstract: In order to retrieve images efficiently from a large
database, a unique method integrating color and texture features
using genetic programming has been proposed. Opponent color
histogram which gives shadow, shade, and light intensity invariant
property is employed in the proposed framework for extracting color
features. For texture feature extraction, fast discrete curvelet
transform which captures more orientation information at different
scales is incorporated to represent curved like edges. The recent
scenario in the issues of image retrieval is to reduce the semantic gap
between user’s preference and low level features. To address this
concern, genetic algorithm combined with relevance feedback is
embedded to reduce semantic gap and retrieve user’s preference
images. Extensive and comparative experiments have been conducted
to evaluate proposed framework for content based image retrieval on
two databases, i.e., COIL-100 and Corel-1000. Experimental results
clearly show that the proposed system surpassed other existing
systems in terms of precision and recall. The proposed work achieves
highest performance with average precision of 88.2% on COIL-100
and 76.3% on Corel, the average recall of 69.9% on COIL and 76.3%
on Corel. Thus, the experimental results confirm that the proposed
content based image retrieval system architecture attains better
solution for image retrieval.
Abstract: The introduction of a multitude of new and interactive
e-commerce information technology (IT) artifacts has impacted
adoption research. Rather than solely functioning as productivity
tools, new IT artifacts assume the roles of interaction mediators and
social actors. This paper describes the varying roles assumed by IT
artifacts, and proposes and distinguishes between four distinct foci of
how the artifacts are evaluated. It further proposes a theoretical
model that maps the different views of IT artifacts to four distinct
types of evaluations.
Abstract: Scripts are one of the basic text resources to understand
broadcasting contents. Topic modeling is the method to get the
summary of the broadcasting contents from its scripts. Generally,
scripts represent contents descriptively with directions and speeches,
and provide scene segments that can be seen as semantic units.
Therefore, a script can be topic modeled by treating a scene segment
as a document. Because scene segments consist of speeches mainly,
however, relatively small co-occurrences among words in the scene
segments are observed. This causes inevitably the bad quality of
topics by statistical learning method. To tackle this problem, we
propose a method to improve topic quality with additional word
co-occurrence information obtained using scene similarities. The
main idea of improving topic quality is that the information that
two or more texts are topically related can be useful to learn high
quality of topics. In addition, more accurate topical representations
lead to get information more accurate whether two texts are related
or not. In this paper, we regard two scene segments are related
if their topical similarity is high enough. We also consider that
words are co-occurred if they are in topically related scene segments
together. By iteratively inferring topics and determining semantically
neighborhood scene segments, we draw a topic space represents
broadcasting contents well. In the experiments, we showed the
proposed method generates a higher quality of topics from Korean
drama scripts than the baselines.
Abstract: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease which affects the
central nervous system and causes balance problem. In clinical, this
disorder is usually evaluated using static posturography. Some linear
or nonlinear measures, extracted from the posturographic data (i.e.
center of pressure, COP) recorded during a balance test, has been
used to analyze postural control of MS patients. In this study, the
trend (TREND) and the sample entropy (SampEn), two nonlinear
parameters were chosen to investigate their relationships with the
expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score. 40 volunteers with
different EDSS scores participated in our experiments with eyes open
(EO) and closed (EC). TREND and 2 types of SampEn (SampEn1
and SampEn2) were calculated for each combined COP’s position
signal. The results have shown that TREND had a weak negative
correlation to EDSS while SampEn2 had a strong positive correlation
to EDSS. Compared to TREND and SampEn1, SampEn2 showed a
better significant correlation to EDSS and an ability to discriminate
the MS patients in the EC case. In addition, the outcome of the study
suggests that the multi-dimensional nonlinear analysis could provide
some information about the impact of disability progression in MS on
dynamics of the COP data.
Abstract: The paper focuses on the distance laboratory
organisation for training the electrical engineering staff and students
in the fields of electrical drive and power electronics. To support
online knowledge acquisition and professional enhancement, new
challenges in remote education based on an active learning approach
with self-assessment have been emerged by the authors. Following
the literature review and explanation of the improved assessment
methodology, the concept and technological basis of the labs
arrangement are presented. To decrease the gap between the distance
study of the up-to-date equipment and other educational activities in
electrical engineering, the improvements in the following-up the
learners’ progress and feedback composition are introduced. An
authoring methodology that helps to personalise knowledge
acquisition and enlarge Web-based possibilities is described.
Educational management based on self-assessment is discussed.
Abstract: The research aims to investigate the occurrence of
multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter, in carrot and estimate the role of
carrot in its transmission in a rapidly growing urban population.
Thus, 50 carrot samples were collected from Jakara wastewater
irrigation farms and are analyzed on MacConkey agar and screened
by Microbact 24E (Oxoid) and susceptibility of isolates is tested
against 10 commonly used antibiotics. Acinetobacter baumannii and
A. lwoffii were isolated in 22.00% and 16% of samples respectively.
Resistance to ceporex and penicillin of 36.36% and 27.27% in A.
baumannii, and sensitivity to ofloxacin, pefloxacin, gentimycin and
co-trimoxazole were observed. However, for A. lwoffii apart from
37.50% resistance to ceporex, it was also resistant to all other drugs
tested. There were similarities in the resistances shown by A.
baumannii and A. lwoffii to fluoroquinolones and β- lactame drug
families in addition to between sulfonamide and animoglycoside
demonstrated by A. lwoffii. Significant correlation in similarities were
observed at P < 0.05 to CPX to NA (46.2%), and SXT to AU (52.6%)
A. baumannii and A. lwoffii respectively and high multi drug
resistance (MDR) of 27.27% and 62.50% by A. baumannii and A.
lwoffii respectively. The occurrence of multidrug-resistance pathogen
in carrot is a serious challenge to public health care, especially in a
rapidly growing urban population where subsistence agriculture
contributes greatly to urban livelihood and source of vegetables.
Abstract: The focus of this study was to determine the factors associated with the use of substances for sport performance of youth in Lagos state sport. Questionnaire was the instrument used for the study. Descriptive research method was used. The estimated population for the study was 2000 sport men and women. The sample size was 200 respondents for purposive sampling techniques were used. The instrument was validated in it content and constructs value. The instrument was administered with the assistance of the coaches. Same 200 copies administered were returned. The data obtained was analysed using simple percentage and chi-square (x2) for stated hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The finding reveal that sport injuries exercise induced and anaphylaxis and asthma and feeling of loss of efficacy associated with alcohol used on sport performance among the users of substances. Alcohol users are recommended to partake in sport like swimming, basketball and volleyball because they have space of time for resting while at play. Government should be fully in charge of the health of sport men and women.
Abstract: Objective: Acute coronary syndrome is a clinical
condition encompassing ST segments elevation myocardial
infraction, Non ST segment is elevation myocardial infraction and un
stable angina is characterized by ruptured coronary plaque, stress and
myocardial injury. Angina pectoris is a pressure like pain in the chest
that is induced by exertion or stress and relived with in the minute
after cessation of effort or using sublingual nitroglycerin. The present
research was undertaken to study the drug utilization pattern of
antiplatelet drugs for the ischemic heart disease in a tertiary care
hospital. Method: The present study is retrospective drug utilization
study and study period is 6months. The data is collected from the
discharge case sheet of general medicine department from medical
department Rajiv Gandhi institute of medical sciences, Kadapa. The
tentative sample size fixed was 250 patients. Out of 250 cases 19
cases was excluded because of unrelated data. Results: A total of 250
prescriptions were collected for the study according to the inclusion
criteria 233 prescriptions were diagnosed with ischemic heart disease
17 prescriptions were excluded due to unrelated information. out of
233 prescriptions 128 are male (54.9%) and 105 patients are were
female (45%). According to the gender distribution, the prevalence of
ischemic heart disease in males are 90 (70.31%) and females are 39
(37.1%). In the same way the prevalence of ischemic heart disease
along with cerebrovascular disease in males are 39 (29.6%) and
females are 66 (62.6%). Conclusion: We found that 94.8% of drug
utilization of antiplatelet drugs was achieved in the Rajiv Gandhi
institute of medical sciences, Kadapa from 2011-2012.
Abstract: In this work, by replacing the traditional solid spokes with colloidal spokes, a vehicle wheel with a built-in suspension structure is proposed. Following the background and description of the wheel system, firstly, a vibration model of the wheel equipped with colloidal spokes is proposed, and based on such model the equivalent damping coefficients and spring constants are identified. Then, a modified model of a quarter-vehicle moving on a rough pavement is proposed in order to estimate the transmissibility of vibration from the road roughness to vehicle body. In the end, the optimal design of the colloidal spokes and the optimum number of colloidal spokes are decided in order to minimize the transmissibility of vibration, i.e., to maximize the ride comfort of the vehicle.
Abstract: With the advancement of knowledge about the utility
and impact of sustainability, its feasibility has been explored into
different walks of life. Scientists, however; have established their
knowledge in four areas viz environmental, economic, social and
cultural, popularly termed as four pillars of sustainability. Aspects of
environmental and economic sustainability have been rigorously
researched and practiced and huge volume of strong evidence of
effectiveness has been founded for these two sub-areas. For the social
and cultural aspects of sustainability, dependable evidence of
effectiveness is still to be instituted as the researchers and
practitioners are developing and experimenting methods across the
globe. Therefore, the present research aimed to identify globally used
practices of social and cultural sustainability and through evidence
synthesis assess their outcomes to determine the effectiveness of
those practices. A PICO format steered the methodology which
included all populations, popular sustainability practices including
walkability/cycle tracks, social/recreational spaces, privacy, health &
human services and barrier free built environment, comparators
included ‘Before’ and ‘After’, ‘With’ and ‘Without’, ‘More’ and
‘Less’ and outcomes included Social well-being, cultural coexistence,
quality of life, ethics and morality, social capital, sense of
place, education, health, recreation and leisure, and holistic
development. Search of literature included major electronic
databases, search websites, organizational resources, directory of
open access journals and subscribed journals. Grey literature,
however, was not included. Inclusion criteria filtered studies on the
basis of research designs such as total randomization, quasirandomization,
cluster randomization, observational or single studies
and certain types of analysis. Studies with combined outcomes were
considered but studies focusing only on environmental and/or
economic outcomes were rejected. Data extraction, critical appraisal
and evidence synthesis was carried out using customized tabulation,
reference manager and CASP tool. Partial meta-analysis was carried
out and calculation of pooled effects and forest plotting were done.
As many as 13 studies finally included for final synthesis explained
the impact of targeted practices on health, behavioural and social
dimensions. Objectivity in the measurement of health outcomes
facilitated quantitative synthesis of studies which highlighted the
impact of sustainability methods on physical activity, Body Mass
Index, perinatal outcomes and child health. Studies synthesized
qualitatively (and also quantitatively) showed outcomes such as
routines, family relations, citizenship, trust in relationships, social
inclusion, neighbourhood social capital, wellbeing, habitability and
family’s social processes. The synthesized evidence indicates slight
effectiveness and efficacy of social and cultural sustainability on the
targeted outcomes. Further synthesis revealed that such results of this
study are due weak research designs and disintegrated implementations. If architects and other practitioners deliver their
interventions in collaboration with research bodies and policy
makers, a stronger evidence-base in this area could be generated.
Abstract: Test automation allows performing difficult and time
consuming manual software testing tasks efficiently, quickly and
repeatedly. However, development and maintenance of automated
tests is expensive, so it needs a proper prioritization what to automate
first. This paper describes a simple yet efficient approach for such
prioritization of test cases based on the effort needed for both manual
execution and software test automation. The suggested approach is
very flexible because it allows working with a variety of assessment
methods, and adding or removing new candidates at any time. The
theoretical ideas presented in this article have been successfully
applied in real world situations in several software companies by the
authors and their colleagues including testing of real estate websites,
cryptographic and authentication solutions, OSGi-based middleware
framework that has been applied in various systems for smart homes,
connected cars, production plants, sensors, home appliances, car head
units and engine control units (ECU), vending machines, medical
devices, industry equipment and other devices that either contain or
are connected to an embedded service gateway.
Abstract: Bottom ash from Municipal Solid Waste Incineration
(MSWI) can be viewed as a typical granular material because these
industrial by-products result from the incineration of various
domestic wastes. MSWI bottom ash is mainly used in road
engineering in substitution of the traditional natural aggregates. As
the characterization of their mechanical behavior is essential in order
to use them, specific studies have been led over the past few years. In
the first part of this paper, the mechanical behavior of MSWI bottom
ash is studied with triaxial tests. After, analysis of the experiment
results, the simulation of triaxial tests is carried out by using the
software package CESAR-LCPC. As the first approach in modeling
of this new class material, the Mohr-Coulomb model was chosen to
describe the evolution of material under the influence of external
mechanical actions.
Abstract: The main objective of this research is to describe the
relationship between organizational climate and organizational
citizenship behavior. In order to examine this relationship, a research
is intended to be carried out in relevant institutions and organizations
operating in the health sector in Turkey. It will be researched that
whether there is a statistically significant relationship between
organizational climate and organizational citizenship behavior
through elated scientific research methods and statistical analysis. In
addition, relationships between the dimensions of organizational
climate and organizational citizenship behavior subscales will be
questioned statistically.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is analyzing the relationship
between trust and social capital of people with using Social Network
Analysis. In this study, two aspects of social capital will be focused:
Bonding, homophilous social capital (BoSC), and Bridging,
heterophilous social capital (BrSC). These two aspects diverge each
other regarding to the social theories. The other concept of the study
is Trust (Tr), namely interpersonal trust, willing to ascribe good
intentions to and have confidence in the words and actions of other
people. In this study, the sample group, 61 people, was selected from
a private firm from the defense industry. The relation between
BoSC/BrSC and Tr is shown by using Social Network Analysis
(SNA) and statistical analysis with Likert type-questionnaire. The
results of the analysis show the Cronbach’s alpha value is 0.756 and
social capital values (BoSC/BrSC) is not correlated with Tr values of
the people.
Abstract: The occurrences of precipitation, also commonly
referred as rain, in the form of "convective" and "stratiform" have
been identified to exist worldwide. In this study, the radar return
echoes or known as reflectivity values acquired from radar scans
have been exploited in the process of classifying the type of rain
endured. The investigation use radar data from Malaysian
Meteorology Department (MMD). It is possible to discriminate the
types of rain experienced in tropical region by observing the vertical
characteristics of the rain structure. .Heavy rain in tropical region
profoundly affects radiowave signals, causing transmission
interference and signal fading. Required wireless system fade margin
depends on the type of rain. Information relating to the two
mentioned types of rain is critical for the system engineers and
researchers in their endeavour to improve the reliability of
communication links. This paper highlights the quantification of
percentage occurrences over one year period in 2009.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to analyze the temporal
and spatial variability of thermal conditions in the Republic of
Armenia. The paper describes annual fluctuations in air temperature.
Research has been focused on case study region of Armenia and
surrounding areas, where long–term measurements and observations
of weather conditions have been performed within the National
Meteorological Service of Armenia and its surrounding areas. The
study contains yearly air temperature data recorded between 1961-
2012. Mann-Kendal test and the autocorrelation function were
applied to detect the change trend of annual mean temperature, as
well as other parametric and non-parametric tests searching to find
the presence of some breaks in the long term evolution of
temperature. The analysis of all records reveals a tendency mostly
towards warmer years, with increased temperatures especially in
valleys and inner basins. The maximum temperature increase is up to
1,5°C. Negative results have not been observed in Armenia. The
patterns of temperature change have been observed since the 1990’s
over much of the Armenian territory. The climate in Armenia was
influenced by global change in the last 2 decades, as results from the
methods employed within the study.
Abstract: Online measurement of the product quality is a
challenging task in cement production, especially in the production of
Celitement, a novel environmentally friendly hydraulic binder. The
mineralogy and chemical composition of clinker in ordinary Portland
cement production is measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and
X-ray fluorescence (XRF), where only crystalline constituents can be
detected. But only a small part of the Celitement components can be
measured via XRD, because most constituents have an amorphous
structure. This paper describes the development of algorithms
suitable for an on-line monitoring of the final processing step of
Celitement based on NIR-data. For calibration intermediate products
were dried at different temperatures and ground for variable
durations. The products were analyzed using XRD and
thermogravimetric analyses together with NIR-spectroscopy to
investigate the dependency between the drying and the milling
processes on one and the NIR-signal on the other side. As a result,
different characteristic parameters have been defined. A short
overview of the Celitement process and the challenging tasks of the
online measurement and evaluation of the product quality will be
presented. Subsequently, methods for systematic development of
near-infrared calibration models and the determination of the final
calibration model will be introduced. The application of the model on
experimental data illustrates that NIR-spectroscopy allows for a quick
and sufficiently exact determination of crucial process parameters.
Abstract: This paper describes the development of new class of
epoxy based rice husk filled jute reinforced composites. Rice husk
flour is added in 0%, 1%, 3%, 5% by weight. Epoxy resin and
triethylenetetramine (T.E.T.A) is used as matrix and hardener
respectively. It investigates the mechanical properties of the
composites and a comparison is done for monolithic jute composite
and the filled ones. The specimens are prepared according to the
ASTM standards and experimentation is carried out using INSTRON
8801. The result shows that with the increase of filler percentage the
tensile properties increases but compressive and flexural properties
decreases.