Abstract: Most often the contaminants are not taken seriously into consideration, and this behavior comes out directly from the lack of monitoring and professional reporting about pollution in the printing facilities in Serbia. The goal of planned and systematic ozone measurements in ambient air of the screen printing facilities in Novi Sad is to examine of its impact on the employees health, and to track trends in concentration. In this study, ozone concentrations were determined by using discontinuous and continuous method during the automatic and manual screen printing process. Obtained results indicates that the average concentrations of ozone measured during the automatic process were almost 3 to 28 times higher for discontinuous and 10 times higher for continuous method (1.028 ppm) compared to the values prescribed by OSHA. In the manual process, average concentrations of ozone were within prescribed values for discontinuous and almost 3 times higher for continuous method (0.299 ppm).
Abstract: Economic dispatch (ED) is considered to be one of the
key functions in electric power system operation. This paper presents
a new hybrid approach based genetic algorithm (GA) to economic
dispatch problems. GA is most commonly used optimizing algorithm
predicated on principal of natural evolution. Utilization of chaotic
queue with GA generates several neighborhoods of near optimal
solutions to keep solution variation. It could avoid the search process
from becoming pre-mature. For the objective of chaotic queue
generation, utilization of tent equation as opposed to logistic equation
results in improvement of iterative speed. The results of the proposed
approach were compared in terms of fuel cost, with existing
differential evolution and other methods in literature.
Abstract: This paper makes an attempt to solve the problem of
searching and retrieving of similar MRI photos via Internet services
using morphological features which are sourced via the original
image. This study is aiming to be considered as an additional tool of
searching and retrieve methods. Until now the main way of the
searching mechanism is based on the syntactic way using keywords.
The technique it proposes aims to serve the new requirements of
libraries. One of these is the development of computational tools for
the control and preservation of the intellectual property of digital
objects, and especially of digital images. For this purpose, this paper
proposes the use of a serial number extracted by using a previously
tested semantic properties method. This method, with its center being
the multi-layers of a set of arithmetic points, assures the following
two properties: the uniqueness of the final extracted number and the
semantic dependence of this number on the image used as the
method-s input. The major advantage of this method is that it can
control the authentication of a published image or its partial
modification to a reliable degree. Also, it acquires the better of the
known Hash functions that the digital signature schemes use and
produces alphanumeric strings for cases of authentication checking,
and the degree of similarity between an unknown image and an
original image.
Abstract: Experiments have been performed to investigate the radiation effects on mixed convection heat transfer for thermally developing airflow in vertical ducts with two differentially heated isothermal walls and two adiabatic walls. The investigation covers the Reynolds number Re = 800 to Re = 2900, heat flux varied from 256 W/m2 to 863 W/m2, hot wall temperature ranges from 27°C to 100 °C, aspect ratios 1 & 0.5 and the emissivity of internal walls are 0.05 and 0.85. In the present study, combined flow visualization was conducted to observe the flow patterns. The effect of surface temperature along the walls was studied to investigate the local Nusselt number variation within the duct. The result shows that flow condition and radiation significantly affect the total Nusselt number and tends to reduce the buoyancy condition.
Abstract: In this paper, a new method of image edge-detection
and characterization is presented. “Parametric Filtering method" uses
a judicious defined filter, which preserves the signal correlation
structure as input in the autocorrelation of the output. This leads,
showing the evolution of the image correlation structure as well as
various distortion measures which quantify the deviation between
two zones of the signal (the two Hamming signals) for the protection
of an image edge.
Abstract: This research study the application of the immobilized
TiO2 layer and Cu-TiO2 layer on graphite substrate as a negative
electrode or anode for Li-ion battery. The titania layer was produced
through chemical bath deposition method, meanwhile Cu particles
were deposited electrochemically. A material can be used as an
electrode as it has capability to intercalates Li ions into its crystal
structure. The Li intercalation into TiO2/Graphite and Cu-
TiO2/Graphite were analyzed from the changes of its XRD pattern
after it was used as electrode during discharging process. The XRD
patterns were refined by Le Bail method in order to determine the
crystal structure of the prepared materials. A specific capacity and the
cycle ability measurement were carried out to study the performance
of the prepared materials as negative electrode of the Li-ion battery.
The specific capacity was measured during discharging process from
fully charged until the cut off voltage. A 300 was used as a load.
The result shows that the specific capacity of Li-ion battery with
TiO2/Graphite as negative electrode is 230.87 ± 1.70mAh.g-1 which is
higher than the specific capacity of Li-ion battery with pure graphite
as negative electrode, i.e 140.75 ±0.46mAh.g-1. Meanwhile
deposition of Cu onto TiO2 layer does not increase the specific
capacity, and the value even lower than the battery with
TiO2/Graphite as electrode. The cycle ability of the prepared battery
is only two cycles, due to the Li ribbon which was used as cathode
became fragile and easily broken.
Abstract: Multimedia distributed systems deal with heterogeneous
data, such as texts, images, graphics, video and audio. The specification
of temporal relations among different data types and distributed
sources is an open research area. This paper proposes a fully
distributed synchronization model to be used in multimedia systems.
One original aspect of the model is that it avoids the use of a common
reference (e.g. wall clock and shared memory). To achieve this, all
possible multimedia temporal relations are specified according to
their causal dependencies.
Abstract: The complexity of lignocellulosic biomass requires
a pretreatment step to improve the yield of fermentable sugars. The
efficient pretreatment of corn cobs using microwave and potassium
hydroxide and enzymatic hydrolysis was investigated. The
objective of this work was to characterize the optimal condition of
pretreatment of corn cobs using microwave and potassium
hydroxide enhance enzymatic hydrolysis. Corn cobs were
submerged in different potassium hydroxide concentration at varies
temperature and resident time. The pretreated corn cobs were
hydrolyzed to produce the reducing sugar for analysis. The
morphology and microstructure of samples were investigated by
Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA, scanning electron microscope
(SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that lignin
and hemicellulose were removed by microwave/potassium
hydroxide pretreatment. The crystallinity of the pretreated corn
cobs was higher than the untreated. This method was compared
with autoclave and conventional heating method. The results
indicated that microwave-alkali treatment was an efficient way to
improve the enzymatic hydrolysis rate by increasing its
accessibility hydrolysis enzymes.
Abstract: In theoretical computer science, the Turing machine has played a number of important roles in understanding and exploiting basic concepts and mechanisms in computing and information processing [20]. It is a simple mathematical model of computers [9]. After that, M.Blum and C.Hewitt first proposed two-dimensional automata as a computational model of two-dimensional pattern processing, and investigated their pattern recognition abilities in 1967 [7]. Since then, a lot of researchers in this field have been investigating many properties about automata on a two- or three-dimensional tape. On the other hand, the question of whether processing fourdimensional digital patterns is much more difficult than two- or threedimensional ones is of great interest from the theoretical and practical standpoints. Thus, the study of four-dimensional automata as a computasional model of four-dimensional pattern processing has been meaningful [8]-[19],[21]. This paper introduces a cooperating system of four-dimensional finite automata as one model of four-dimensional automata. A cooperating system of four-dimensional finite automata consists of a finite number of four-dimensional finite automata and a four-dimensional input tape where these finite automata work independently (in parallel). Those finite automata whose input heads scan the same cell of the input tape can communicate with each other, that is, every finite automaton is allowed to know the internal states of other finite automata on the same cell it is scanning at the moment. In this paper, we mainly investigate some accepting powers of a cooperating system of eight- or seven-way four-dimensional finite automata. The seven-way four-dimensional finite automaton is an eight-way four-dimensional finite automaton whose input head can move east, west, south, north, up, down, or in the fu-ture, but not in the past on a four-dimensional input tape.
Abstract: Most of the existing text mining approaches are
proposed, keeping in mind, transaction databases model. Thus, the
mined dataset is structured using just one concept: the “transaction",
whereas the whole dataset is modeled using the “set" abstract type. In
such cases, the structure of the whole dataset and the relationships
among the transactions themselves are not modeled and
consequently, not considered in the mining process.
We believe that taking into account structure properties of
hierarchically structured information (e.g. textual document, etc ...)
in the mining process, can leads to best results. For this purpose, an
hierarchical associations rule mining approach for textual documents
is proposed in this paper and the classical set-oriented mining
approach is reconsidered profits to a Direct Acyclic Graph (DAG)
oriented approach. Natural languages processing techniques are used
in order to obtain the DAG structure. Based on this graph model, an
hierarchical bottom up algorithm is proposed. The main idea is that
each node is mined with its parent node.
Abstract: Mercury is a natural occurring element and present in
various concentrations in the environment. Due to its toxic effects, it
is desirable to research mercury sensitive materials to adsorb
mercury. This paper describes the preparation of Au nanoparticles for
mercury adsorption by using a microwave (MW)-polyol method in
the presence of three different Sodium Chloride (NaCl)
concentrations (10, 20 and 30 mM). Mixtures of spherical, triangular,
octahedral, decahedral particles and 1-D product were obtained using
this rapid method. Sizes and shapes was found strongly depend on the
concentrations of NaCl. Without NaCl concentration, spherical,
triangular plates, octahedral, decahedral nanoparticles and 1D
product were produced. At the lower NaCl concentration (10 mM),
spherical, octahedral and decahedral nanoparticles were present,
while spherical and decahedral nanoparticles were preferentially form
by using 20 mM of NaCl concentration. Spherical, triangular plates,
octahedral and decahedral nanoparticles were obtained at the highest
NaCl concentration (30 mM). The amount of mercury adsorbed using
20 ppm mercury solution is the highest (67.5 %) for NaCl
concentration of 30 mM. The high yield of polygonal particles will
increase the mercury adsorption. In addition, the adsorption of
mercury is also due to the sizes of the particles. The sizes of particles
become smaller with increasing NaCl concentrations (size ranges, 5-
16 nm) than those synthesized without addition of NaCl (size ranges
11-32 nm). It is concluded that NaCl concentrations affects the
formation of sizes and shapes of Au nanoparticles thus affects the
mercury adsorption.
Abstract: In recent years a number of applications with multirobot
systems (MRS) is growing in various areas. But their design
is in practice often difficult and algorithms are proposed for the
theoretical background and do not consider errors and noise in real
conditions, so they are not usable in real environment. These errors
are visible also in task of target localization enough, when robots
try to find and estimate the position of the target by the sensors.
Localization of target is possible also with one robot but as it was
examined target finding and localization with group of mobile robots
can estimate the target position more accurately and faster. The
accuracy of target position estimation is made by cooperation of
MRS and particle filtering. Advantage of usage the MRS with particle
filtering was tested on task of fixed target localization by group of
mobile robots.
Abstract: In this paper, an inventory model with finite and
constant replenishment rate, price dependant demand rate, time
value of money and inflation, finite time horizon, lead time and
exponential deterioration rate and with the objective of maximizing
the present worth of the total system profit is developed. Using a
dynamic programming based solution algorithm, the optimal
sequence of the cycles can be found and also different optimal
selling prices, optimal order quantities and optimal maximum
inventories can be obtained for the cycles with unequal lengths,
which have never been done before for this model. Also, a
numerical example is used to show accuracy of the solution
procedure.
Abstract: Many companies have switched their processes to project-oriented in the last years. This brings new possibilities and effectiveness not only in the field of external processes connected with the product delivery but also the internal processes as well. However centralized project organization which is based on the role of project manager in the team has proved insufficient in some cases. Agile methods of project organization are trying to solve this problem by bringing new view on the project organization, roles, processes and competences. Scrum is one of these methods which builds on the principles of knowledge management to drive the project to effectiveness from all view angles. Using this method to organize internal and delivery projects helps the organization to create and share knowledge throughout the company. It also supports forming unique competences of individuals and project teams and drives innovations in the company.
Abstract: Frequent patterns are patterns such as sets of features or items that appear in data frequently. Finding such frequent patterns has become an important data mining task because it reveals associations, correlations, and many other interesting relationships hidden in a dataset. Most of the proposed frequent pattern mining algorithms have been implemented with imperative programming languages such as C, Cµ, Java. The imperative paradigm is significantly inefficient when itemset is large and the frequent pattern is long. We suggest a high-level declarative style of programming using a functional language. Our supposition is that the problem of frequent pattern discovery can be efficiently and concisely implemented via a functional paradigm since pattern matching is a fundamental feature supported by most functional languages. Our frequent pattern mining implementation using the Haskell language confirms our hypothesis about conciseness of the program. The performance studies on speed and memory usage support our intuition on efficiency of functional language.
Abstract: School homework has been synonymous with students- life in Chinese national type primary schools in Malaysia. Although many reports in the press claimed that students were burdened with too much of it, homework continues to be a common practice in national type schools that is believed to contribute to academic achievement. This study is conducted to identify the relationship between the burden of school homework and academic achievement among pupils in Chinese National Type Primary School in the state of Perak, Malaysia. A total of 284 students (142 from urban and 142 from rural) respectively were chosen as participants in this study. Variables of gender and location (urban/rural areas) has shown significant difference in student academic achievement. Female Chinese student from rural areas showed a higher mean score than males from urban area. Therefore, the Chinese language teachers should give appropriate and relevant homework to primary school students to achieve good academic performance.
Abstract: The Norwegian Military Academy (Army) has
initiated a project with the main ambition to explore possible avenues
to enhancing operational effectiveness through an increased use of
simulation-based training and exercises. Within a cost/benefit
framework, we discuss opportunities and limitations of vertical and
horizontal integration of the existing tactical training system. Vertical
integration implies expanding the existing training system to span the
full range of training from tactical level (platoon, company) to
command and staff level (battalion, brigade). Horizontal integration
means including other domains than army tactics and staff
procedures in the training, such as military ethics, foreign languages,
leadership and decision making. We discuss each of the integration
options with respect to purpose and content of training, "best
practice" for organising and conducting simulation-based training,
and suggest how to evaluate training procedures and measure
learning outcomes. We conclude by giving guidelines towards further
explorative work and possible implementation.
Abstract: Earthquakes produce some of the most violent loading
situations that a structure can be subjected to and if a structure fails
under these loads then inevitably human life is put at risk. One of the
most common methods by which a structure fails under seismic
loading is at the connection of structural elements. The research
presented in this paper investigates the interlock systems as a novel
method for building structures. The main objective of this
experimental study wasto determine the dynamic characteristics and
the seismic behaviour of the proposed structures compared to
conventional structural systemsduring seismic motions. Results of
this study indicate that the interlock mechanism of the panels
influences the behaviour of lateral load-resisting systems of the
structures during earthquakes, contributing to better structural
flexibility and easier maintenance.
Abstract: Before performing polymerase chain reactions (PCR), a feasible primer set is required. Many primer design methods have been proposed for design a feasible primer set. However, the majority of these methods require a relatively long time to obtain an optimal solution since large quantities of template DNA need to be analyzed. Furthermore, the designed primer sets usually do not provide a specific PCR product. In recent years, evolutionary computation has been applied to PCR primer design and yielded promising results. In this paper, a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is proposed to solve primer design problems associated with providing a specific product for PCR experiments. A test set of the gene CYP1A1, associated with a heightened lung cancer risk was analyzed and the comparison of accuracy and running time with the genetic algorithm (GA) and memetic algorithm (MA) was performed. A comparison of results indicated that the proposed PSO method for primer design finds optimal or near-optimal primer sets and effective PCR products in a relatively short time.
Abstract: The deficit of power for electricity demand reaches
almost 30% for consumers in the last few years. This reflects with
continually increasing the price of electricity, and today the price for
small industry is almost 110Euro/MWh. The high price is additional
problem for the owners in the economy crisis which is reflected with
higher price of the goods.
The paper gives analyses of the energy needs for real agro
complex in Macedonia, private vinery with capacity of over 2 million
liters in a year and with self grapes and fruits fields. The existing
power supply is from grid with 10/04 kV transformer. The
geographical and meteorological condition of the vinery location
gives opportunity for including renewable as a power supply option
for the vinery complex.
After observation of the monthly energy needs for the vinery, the
base scenario is the existing power supply from the distribution grid.
The electricity bill in small industry has three factors: electricity in
high and low tariffs in kWh and the power engaged for the
technological process of production in kW. These three factors make
the total electricity bill and it is over 110 Euro/MWh which is the
price near competitive for renewable option. On the other side
investments in renewable (especially photovoltaic (PV)) has tendency
of decreasing with price of near 1,5 Euro/W. This means that
renewable with PV can be real option for power supply for small
industry capacities (under 500kW installed power).
Therefore, the other scenarios give the option with PV and the last
one includes wind option. The paper presents some scenarios for
power supply of the vinery as the followings:
• Base scenario of existing conventional power supply from the
grid
• Scenario with implementation of renewable of Photovoltaic
• Scenario with implementation of renewable of Photovoltaic and
Wind power
The total power installed in a vinery is near 570 kW, but the
maximum needs are around 250kW. At the end of the full paper some
of the results from scenarios will be presented. The paper also
includes the environmental impacts of the renewable scenarios, as
well as financial needs for investments and revenues from renewable.