Abstract: In this paper a novel scheme for watermarking digital
audio during its compression to MPEG-1 Layer III format is
proposed. For this purpose we slightly modify some of the selected
MDCT coefficients, which are used during MPEG audio
compression procedure. Due to the possibility of modifying different
MDCT coefficients, there will be different choices for embedding the
watermark into audio data, considering robustness and transparency
factors. Our proposed method uses a genetic algorithm to select the
best coefficients to embed the watermark. This genetic selection is
done according to the parameters that are extracted from the
perceptual content of the audio to optimize the robustness and
transparency of the watermark. On the other hand the watermark
security is increased due to the random nature of the genetic
selection. The information of the selected MDCT coefficients that
carry the watermark bits, are saves in a database for future extraction
of the watermark. The proposed method is suitable for online MP3
stores to pursue illegal copies of musical artworks. Experimental
results show that the detection ratio of the watermarks at the bitrate
of 128kbps remains above 90% while the inaudibility of the
watermark is preserved.
Abstract: Speckle phenomena results from when coherent
radiation is reflected from a rough surface. Characterizing the speckle
strongly depends on the measurement condition and experimental
setup. In this paper we report the experimental results produced with
different parameters in the setup. We investigated the factors which
affects the speckle contrast, such as, F-number, gamma value and
exposure time of the camera, rather than geometric factors like the
distance between the projector lens to the screen, the viewing distance,
etc. The measurement results show that the speckle contrast decreases
by decreasing F-number, by increasing gamma value, and slightly
affects by exposure time of the camera and the gain value of the
camera.
Abstract: This study aims to explore the differences and
similarities in perceptions of affective climate antecedents at the
workplace (intimacy, flexibility, employment stability, and team)
among Japanese and Thai Generations X and Y. The samples in this
study were Thai and Japanese workers who completed a work
environment questionnaire and provided demographic information.
Generational differences in perceptions (beliefs) of what factors
contribute to affective climate were investigated using t-test analysis.
Mean scores for each antecedent were ranked to determine how each
generation in each group prioritized the importance of all affective
climate antecedents. Japanese Generation Y perceived the importance
of employment stability for affective climate of their workplaces to be
significantly higher than did Japanese Generation X. Thai Generation
Y considered flexibility with a higher priority than did Thai
Generation X. Intimacy was perceived as highly important across
generations and countries in regard to affective climate. Results
suggest that managers should design workplaces for a mixture of
diverse generations, resulting in a better affective climate. Differences
in the importance of antecedents for affective climate among
Generations X and Y in two countries were clarified. In addition,
different preferences regarding work environment across Japanese
Generations X and Y and Thai Generations X and Y were discussed.
Abstract: The main purpose of this study is to analyze the
relationship of leisure agriculture park visitors on tourist destination
image, environmental perception, travel experiences and revisiting
willingness. This study used questionnaires to Xinshe leisure
agriculture park visitors- targeted convenience sampling manner total
of 636 valid questionnaires. Valid questionnaires by descriptive
statistics, correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis, the
study found that: 1. The agricultural park visitors- correlations exist
between the destination image, perception of the environment, tourism
experience and revisiting willingness. 2."Excellent facilities and
services", "space atmosphere comfortable" and "the spacious paternity
outdoor space" imagery, of visitors- "revisiting willingness predict. 3.
Visitors- in leisure agriculture park "environmental perception" and
"travel experience, future revisiting willingness predict. According to
the analysis of the results, the study not only operate on the
recommendations of the leisure farm owners also provide follow-up
study direction for future researchers.
Abstract: This paper discusses the performance modeling and availability analysis of Yarn Dyeing System of a Textile Industry. The Textile Industry is a complex and repairable engineering system. Yarn Dyeing System of Textile Industry consists of five subsystems arranged in series configuration. For performance modeling and analysis of availability, a performance evaluating model has been developed with the help of mathematical formulation based on Markov-Birth-Death Process. The differential equations have been developed on the basis of Probabilistic Approach using a Transition Diagram. These equations have further been solved using normalizing condition in order to develop the steady state availability, a performance measure of the system concerned. The system performance has been further analyzed with the help of decision matrices. These matrices provide various availability levels for different combinations of failure and repair rates for various subsystems. The findings of this paper are therefore, considered to be useful for the analysis of availability and determination of the best possible maintenance strategies which can be implemented in future to enhance the system performance.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to understand how
consumers react to a company's promotional offers with mobile
applications (APP) as premiums. This paper presents the results of an
experimental study where five features of APP were involved: the
cost (free/discounted) for earning APP, the relationship between APP
and the promoted product, the perceived usefulness, the perceived
ease of use, and the perceived playfulness of APP in the context of
light foods purchase. The results support that the above features,
except perceived ease of use, have substantial influences on
consumers' intention to adopt the APP. Among the five features, the
cost for earning APP has the most impact on the adopting intention
of APP. The study also found a positive influence of adopting
intention of APP on the consumer's purchase intention of the
promoted product. Thus, APP-based premiums may enhance the
consumer's purchase intention of a company's promoted products.
Abstract: ERP systems are often supposed to be implemented
and deployed in multi-national companies. On the other hand, an
ERP developer may plan to market and sale its product in various
countries. Therefore, an EPR system should have the ability to
communicate with its users, who usually have different languages
and cultures, in a suitable way. EPR support of Multilanguage
capability is a solution to achieve this objective. In this paper, an
agent oriented architecture including several independent but
cooperative agents has been suggested that helps to implement
Multilanguage EPR systems.
Abstract: The presented paper is related to the design methods and neutronic characterization of the reactivity control system in the large power unit of Generation IV Gas cooled Fast Reactor – GFR2400. The reactor core is based on carbide pin fuel type with the application of refractory metallic liners used to enhance the fission product retention of the SiCcladding. The heterogeneous design optimization of control rod is presented and the results of rods worth and their interferences in a core are evaluated. In addition, the idea of reflector removal as an additive reactivity management option is investigated and briefly described.
Abstract: The catalytic dehydroxylation of glycerol to propylene
glycol was investigated over Cu-ZnO/Al2O3 prepared by incipient
wetness impregnation (IWI) method with different purity feedstocks -
refined glycerol and technical grade glycerol. The main purpose is to
investigate the effects of feed impurities that cause the catalyst
deactivation. The prepared catalyst were tested for its catalytic
activity and selectivity in a continuous flow fixed bed reactor at 523
K, 500 psig, H2/feed molar ratio of 4 and WHSV of 3 h-1. The results
showed that conversion of refined glycerol and technical grade
glycerol at time on stream 6 hour are 99% and 71% and selectivity to
propylene glycol are 87% and 56% respectively. The ICP-EOS and
TPO results indicated that the cause of catalyst deactivation was the
amount of impurities in the feedstock. The higher amount of
impurities (especially Na and K) the lower catalytic activity.
Abstract: In this work, we solve multipoint boundary value
problems where the boundary value conditions are equations using
the Newton-Broyden Shooting method (NBSM).The proposed
method is tested upon several problems from the literature and the
results are compared with the available exact solution. The
experiments are given to illustrate the efficiency and implementation
of the method.
Abstract: This paper analyzes the patterns of the Monte Carlo
data for a large number of variables and minterms, in order to
characterize the circuit path length behavior. We propose models
that are determined by training process of shortest path length
derived from a wide range of binary decision diagram (BDD)
simulations. The creation of the model was done use of feed forward
neural network (NN) modeling methodology. Experimental results
for ISCAS benchmark circuits show an RMS error of 0.102 for the
shortest path length complexity estimation predicted by the NN
model (NNM). Use of such a model can help reduce the time
complexity of very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuitries and
related computer-aided design (CAD) tools that use BDDs.
Abstract: A novel method using bearing-only SLAM to estimate node positions of a localization network is proposed. A group of simple robots are used to estimate the position of each node. Each node has a unique ID, which it can communicate to a robot close by. Initially the node IDs and positions are unknown. A case example using RFID technology in the localization network is introduced.
Abstract: Lack of resources for road infrastructure financing is a
problem that currently affects not only eastern European economies
but also many other countries especially in relation to the impact of
global financial crisis. In this context, we are talking about the socalled
short-investment problem as a result of long-term lack of
investment resources. Based on an analysis of road infrastructure
financing in the Czech Republic this article points out at weaknesses
of current system and proposes a long-term planning methodology
supported by system approach. Within this methodology and using
created system dynamic model the article predicts the development of
short-investment problem in the Country and in reaction on the
downward trend of certain sources the article presents various
scenarios resulting from the change of the structure of financial
sources. In the discussion the article focuses more closely on the
possibility of introduction of tax on vehicles instead of taxes with
declining revenue streams and estimates its approximate price in
relation to reaching various solutions of short-investment in time.
Abstract: As the Textile Industry is the second largest industry
in Egypt and as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up
a great portion of this industry therein it is essential to apply the
concept of Cleaner Production for the purpose of reducing pollution.
In order to achieve this goal, a case study concerned with ecofriendly
stone-washing of jeans-garments was investigated. A raw
material-substitution option was adopted whereby the toxic
potassium permanganate and sodium sulfide were replaced by the
environmentally compatible hydrogen peroxide and glucose
respectively where the concentrations of both replaced chemicals
together with the operating time were optimized. In addition, a
process-rationalization option involving four additional processes
was investigated. By means of criteria such as product quality,
effluent analysis, mass and heat balance; and cost analysis with the
aid of a statistical model, a process optimization treatment revealed
that the superior process optima were 50%, 0.15% and 50min for
H2O2 concentration, glucose concentration and time, respectively.
With these values the superior process ought to reduce the annual
cost by about EGP 105 relative to the currently used conventional
method.
Abstract: This paper presents a novel approach for representing
the spatio-temporal topology of the camera network with overlapping
and non-overlapping fields of view (FOVs). The topology is
determined by tracking moving objects and establishing object
correspondence across multiple cameras. To track people successfully
in multiple camera views, we used the Merge-Split (MS) approach for
object occlusion in a single camera and the grid-based approach for
extracting the accurate object feature. In addition, we considered the
appearance of people and the transition time between entry and exit
zones for tracking objects across blind regions of multiple cameras
with non-overlapping FOVs. The main contribution of this paper is to
estimate transition times between various entry and exit zones, and to
graphically represent the camera topology as an undirected weighted
graph using the transition probabilities.
Abstract: Applying corona wind as a novel technique can lead
to a great level of heat and mass transfer augmentation by using very
small amount of energy. Enhancement of forced flow evaporation
rate by applying electric field (corona wind) has been experimentally
evaluated in this study. Corona wind produced by a fine wire
electrode which is charged with positive high DC voltage impinges
to water surface and leads to evaporation enhancement by disturbing
the saturated air layer over water surface. The study was focused on
the effect of corona wind velocity, electrode spacing and air flow
velocity on the level of evaporation enhancement. Two sets of
experiments, i.e. with and without electric field, have been
conducted. Data obtained from the first experiment were used as
reference for evaluation of evaporation enhancement at the presence
of electric field. Applied voltages ranged from corona threshold
voltage to spark over voltage at 1 kV increments. The results showed
that corona wind has great enhancement effect on water evaporation
rate, but its effectiveness gradually diminishes by increasing air flow
velocity. Maximum enhancements were 7.3 and 3.6 for air velocities
of 0.125 and 1.75 m/s, respectively.
Abstract: This paper applies fuzzy clustering algorithm in classifying real estate companies in China according to some general financial indexes, such as income per share, share accumulation fund, net profit margins, weighted net assets yield and shareholders' equity. By constructing and normalizing initial partition matrix, getting fuzzy similar matrix with Minkowski metric and gaining the transitive closure, the dynamic fuzzy clustering analysis for real estate companies is shown clearly that different clustered result change gradually with the threshold reducing, and then, it-s shown there is the similar relationship with the prices of those companies in stock market. In this way, it-s great valuable in contrasting the real estate companies- financial condition in order to grasp some good chances of investment, and so on.
Abstract: Changes in stem diameter of orchid plants were
investigated in a control growing climate. Previous studies have
focused on stem diameter in relation to plant water on terrestrial
plants in order to schedule the irrigation. The objective of this work
was to evaluate the ability of the strain gauges to capture changes in
the epiphytes plant stem. Experiments were carried out by using the
sympodial orchid, Dendrobium Sonia in a stressed condition. From
the findings, the sensor can detect changes in the plant stem and the
result can easily be used as a reference for further studies for the
development of a proper watering system.
Abstract: Retinal vascularity assessment plays an important role in diagnosis of ophthalmic pathologies. The employment of digital images for this purpose makes possible a computerized approach and has motivated development of many methods for automated vascular tree segmentation. Metrics based on contingency tables for binary classification have been widely used for evaluating performance of these algorithms and, concretely, the accuracy has been mostly used as measure of global performance in this topic. However, this metric shows very poor matching with human perception as well as other notable deficiencies. Here, a new similarity function for measuring quality of retinal vessel segmentations is proposed. This similarity function is based on characterizing the vascular tree as a connected structure with a measurable area and length. Tests made indicate that this new approach shows better behaviour than the current one does. Generalizing, this concept of measuring descriptive properties may be used for designing functions for measuring more successfully segmentation quality of other complex structures.
Abstract: Fly ash is one of the residues generated in
combustion, and comprises the fine particles that rise with the flue
gases. Ash which does not rise is termed bottom ash [1]. In our
country, it is expected that will be occurred 50 million tons of waste
ash per year until 2020. Released waste from the thermal power
plants is caused very significant problems as known. The fly ashes
can be evaluated by using as adsorbent material.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of use of
Tuncbilek fly ash like low-cost adsorbents for heavy metal
adsorption. First of all, Tuncbilek fly ash was characterized. For this
purpose; analysis such as sieve analysis, XRD, XRF, SEM and FT-IR
were performed.