Abstract: Green Forestation Plan (GFP) was expected to promote the reforestation of plains totaling 60,000 has within the first 8 years. Annual subsidies were budgeted at $120,000 per ha, and $2.4 million for 20 years. In this research we have surveyed landlords- opinions toward the GFP in an attempt to understand landlords- incentives for participating in the GFP and their levels of concern and agreement toward the policy design. Based our analysis of landlords- opinions on the policy design, we expect to derive appropriate complementary measures, establish effective promotional schemes, and raise the policy effectiveness of the GFP. According to the results of this research, there was still a relatively high proportion of population who were not aware of GFP; more than 50% of landlords were neutral or willing to participate given high reforestation subsidies; approximately 30% of landlords were unwilling to participate. In terms of the designs of GFP, more than 50% of respondents were concerned and agreed with the policy design. In terms of the period of this policy, 52.7% of respondents indicated that it should be shortened to 15 years or lower. In terms of the amount of the subsidy, 41.7% of respondents showed that it should be raised to approximately $250,000/ha. In terms of land area restrictions, 88.0% of respondents believed that the minimum should be lowered to 0.4 ha. More than 70% of respondents owned less than 0.4 has of land, and since they do not own enough land to be eligible for the program, more than 80% of landlords wished to lower the minimum requirements of land area. In addition, 59.3% of respondents were reluctant to participate in reforestation because their lands were too small to be eligible; 15.0% of respondents were reluctant because the duration was too long. Responses to the question about “how the policy can be adjusted to provide incentives for landlords- participation" revealed that almost 40% of respondents desired higher subsidies. Some policy suggestions are provided as follows: (1) many landlords are still unaware of the GFP so the government should enhance the promotion of the policy; (2) many landlords are unwilling to participate in GFP mainly because they do not own enough lands to be eligible, hence the government should consider adjusting its requirements for minimum agricultural land area; (3) for subsequent promotions on GFP, the government may consider targeting on the landlords with high income and high level of education; (4) because the subsidy of this policy alone provides limited help to landlords, the government should help the landlords to explore other revenue possibilities from afforestation in addition to the existing subsidies and raise the participation incentives.
Abstract: In this paper, an improved ant colony optimization
(ACO) algorithm is proposed to enhance the performance of global
optimum search. The strategy of the proposed algorithm has the
capability of fuzzy pheromone updating, adaptive parameter tuning,
and mechanism resetting. The proposed method is utilized to tune the
parameters of the fuzzy controller for a real beam and ball system.
Simulation and experimental results indicate that better performance
can be achieved compared to the conventional ACO algorithms in the
aspect of convergence speed and accuracy.
Abstract: Nothing that an effective cure for infertility happens
when we can find a unique solution, a great deal of study has been
done in this field and this is a hot research subject for to days study.
So we could analyze the men-s seaman and find out about fertility
and infertility and from this find a true cure for this, since this will be
a non invasive and low risk procedure, it will be greatly welcomed.
In this research, the procedure has been based on few Algorithms
enhancement and segmentation of images which has been done on
the images taken from microscope in different fertility institution and
have obtained a suitable result from the computer images which in
turn help us to distinguish these sperms from fluids and its
surroundings.
Abstract: A solar refrigeration system based on the adsorptiondesorption
phenomena is designed and analyzed. An annular tubular
generator filled with silica gel adsorbent and with a perforated inner
cylinder is integrated within a flat solar collector. The working fluid
in the refrigeration cycle is water. The thermodynamic analysis and
because of the temperature level that could be attained with a flat
solar collector it is required that the system operates under vacuum
conditions. In order to enhance the performance of the system and to
get uniform temperature in the silica gel and higher desorbed mass,
an apparatus for rotation of the generator is incorporated in the
system. Testing is carried out and measurements are taken on the
designed installation. The effect of rotation is checked on the
temperature distribution and on the performance of this machine and
compared to the flat solar collector with fixed generator.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the
effectiveness of anaerobic digestion for the treatment of wool
scouring wastes. The experiments design comprised three ratios of
waste (W) to seed(S) (W:S) of 25:75, 50:50 and 75:25, corresponding
to 1.9. 1.7 and 1.5g tCOD/g TS, respectively, with or without
chemicals addition. NH4Cl was added to the reactors as a source for
nitrogen to achieve C:N:P of 420:14:3. A cationic flocculent was
added at 0.5 and 0.75% to enhance flocculation of sludge. The results
showed that the reactors that received W:S at a ratio of 25:75
produced the largest volume of biogas. The final soluble COD
(sCOD) was below the limits for discharge to the sewer system.
Abstract: Distant-talking voice-based HCI system suffers from
performance degradation due to mismatch between the acoustic
speech (runtime) and the acoustic model (training). Mismatch is
caused by the change in the power of the speech signal as observed at
the microphones. This change is greatly influenced by the change in
distance, affecting speech dynamics inside the room before reaching
the microphones. Moreover, as the speech signal is reflected, its
acoustical characteristic is also altered by the room properties. In
general, power mismatch due to distance is a complex problem. This
paper presents a novel approach in dealing with distance-induced
mismatch by intelligently sensing instantaneous voice power variation
and compensating model parameters. First, the distant-talking speech
signal is processed through microphone array processing, and the
corresponding distance information is extracted. Distance-sensitive
Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs), pre-trained to capture both
speech power and room property are used to predict the optimal
distance of the speech source. Consequently, pre-computed statistic
priors corresponding to the optimal distance is selected to correct
the statistics of the generic model which was frozen during training.
Thus, model combinatorics are post-conditioned to match the power
of instantaneous speech acoustics at runtime. This results to an
improved likelihood in predicting the correct speech command at
farther distances. We experiment using real data recorded inside two
rooms. Experimental evaluation shows voice recognition performance
using our method is more robust to the change in distance compared
to the conventional approach. In our experiment, under the most
acoustically challenging environment (i.e., Room 2: 2.5 meters), our
method achieved 24.2% improvement in recognition performance
against the best-performing conventional method.
Abstract: In this work, we present for the first time in our perception an efficient digital watermarking scheme for mpeg audio layer 3 files that operates directly in the compressed data domain, while manipulating the time and subband/channel domain. In addition, it does not need the original signal to detect the watermark. Our scheme was implemented taking special care for the efficient usage of the two limited resources of computer systems: time and space. It offers to the industrial user the capability of watermark embedding and detection in time immediately comparable to the real music time of the original audio file that depends on the mpeg compression, while the end user/audience does not face any artifacts or delays hearing the watermarked audio file. Furthermore, it overcomes the disadvantage of algorithms operating in the PCMData domain to be vulnerable to compression/recompression attacks, as it places the watermark in the scale factors domain and not in the digitized sound audio data. The strength of our scheme, that allows it to be used with success in both authentication and copyright protection, relies on the fact that it gives to the users the enhanced capability their ownership of the audio file not to be accomplished simply by detecting the bit pattern that comprises the watermark itself, but by showing that the legal owner knows a hard to compute property of the watermark.
Abstract: Numerical study of a plane jet occurring in a vertical
heated channel is carried out. The aim is to explore the influence of
the forced flow, issued from a flat nozzle located in the entry section
of a channel, on the up-going fluid along the channel walls. The
Reynolds number based on the nozzle width and the jet velocity
ranges between 3 103 and 2.104; whereas, the Grashof number based
on the channel length and the wall temperature difference is 2.57
1010. Computations are established for a symmetrically heated
channel and various nozzle positions. The system of governing
equations is solved with a finite volumes method. The obtained
results show that the jet-wall interactions activate the heat transfer,
the position variation modifies the heat transfer especially for low
Reynolds numbers: the heat transfer is enhanced for the adjacent
wall; however it is decreased for the opposite one. The numerical
velocity and temperature fields are post-processed to compute the
quantities of engineering interest such as the induced mass flow rate,
and the Nusselt number along the plates.
Abstract: Optimization is often a critical issue for most system
design problems. Evolutionary Algorithms are population-based,
stochastic search techniques, widely used as efficient global
optimizers. However, finding optimal solution to complex high
dimensional, multimodal problems often require highly
computationally expensive function evaluations and hence are
practically prohibitive. The Dynamic Approximate Fitness based
Hybrid EA (DAFHEA) model presented in our earlier work [14]
reduced computation time by controlled use of meta-models to
partially replace the actual function evaluation by approximate
function evaluation. However, the underlying assumption in
DAFHEA is that the training samples for the meta-model are
generated from a single uniform model. Situations like model
formation involving variable input dimensions and noisy data
certainly can not be covered by this assumption. In this paper we
present an enhanced version of DAFHEA that incorporates a
multiple-model based learning approach for the SVM approximator.
DAFHEA-II (the enhanced version of the DAFHEA framework) also
overcomes the high computational expense involved with additional
clustering requirements of the original DAFHEA framework. The
proposed framework has been tested on several benchmark functions
and the empirical results illustrate the advantages of the proposed
technique.
Abstract: Shadow detection is still considered as one of the
potential challenges for intelligent automated video surveillance
systems. A pre requisite for reliable and accurate detection and
tracking is the correct shadow detection and classification. In such a
landscape of conditions, privacy issues add more and more
complexity and require reliable shadow detection.
In this work the intertwining between security, accuracy,
reliability and privacy is analyzed and, accordingly, a novel
architecture for Privacy Enhancing Video Surveillance (PEVS) is
introduced. Shadow detection and masking are dealt with through the
combination of two different approaches simultaneously. This results
in a unique privacy enhancement, without affecting security.
Subsequently, the methodology was employed successfully in a
large-scale wireless video surveillance system; privacy relevant
information was stored and encrypted on the unit, without
transferring it over an un-trusted network.
Abstract: This paper reports on the results of experimental
investigations of flash evaporation from superheated jet issues
vertically upward from a round straight nozzle of 81.3 mm diameter.
For the investigated range of jet superheat degree and velocity, it was
shown that flash evaporation enhances with initial temperature
increase. Due to the increase of jet inertia and subsequently the delay
of jet shattering, increase of jet velocity was found to result in
increase of evaporation "delay period". An empirical equation
predicts the jet evaporation completion height was developed, this
equation is thought to be useful in designing the flash evaporation
chamber. In attempts for enhancement of flash evaporation, use of
steel wire mesh located at short distance downstream was found
effective with no consequent pressure drop.
Abstract: In order to realize long-lived electric propulsion
systems, we have been investigating an electrodeless plasma thruster.
In our concept, a helicon plasma is accelerated by the magnetic nozzle
for the thrusts production. In addition, the electromagnetic thrust can
be enhanced by the additional radio-frequency rotating electric field
(REF) power in the magnetic nozzle. In this study, a direct
measurement of the electromagnetic thrust and a probe measurement
have been conducted using a laboratory model of the thruster under the
condition without the REF power input. Fromthrust measurement, it is
shown that the thruster produces a sub-milli-newton order
electromagnetic thrust force without the additional REF power. The
thrust force and the density jump are observed due to the discharge
mode transition from the inductive coupled plasma to the helicon wave
excited plasma. The thermal thrust is theoretically estimated, and the
total thrust force, which is a sum of the electromagnetic and the
thermal thrust force and specific impulse are calculated to be up to 650
μN (plasma production power of 400 W, Ar gas mass flow rate of 1.0
mg/s) and 210 s (plasma production power of 400 W, Ar gas mass flow
rate of 0.2 mg/s), respectively.
Abstract: One of the main research methods in humanistic studies is the collection and process of data through questionnaires. This paper reports our experiences of localizing and adapting the phpESP package of electronic surveys, which led to a friendly on-line questionnaire environment offered through our department web site. After presenting the characteristics of this environment, we identify the expected benefits and present a questionnaire carried out through both the traditional and electronic way. We present the respondents' feedback and then we report the researchers' opinions.Finally, we propose ideas we intend to implement in order to further assist and enhance the research based on this web accessed,electronic questionnaire environment.
Abstract: A laboratory set-up was designed to survey the
effectiveness of UV/O3 advanced oxidation process (AOP) for the
removal of Carbaryl from polluted water in batch reactor. The study
was carried out by UV/O3 process for water samples containing 1 to
20 mg/L of Carbaryl in distilled water. Also the range of drinking
water resources adjusted in synthetic water and effects of contact
time, pH and Carbaryl concentration were studied. The residual
pesticide concentration was determined by applying high
performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results indicated
that increasing of retention time and pH, enhances pesticide removal
efficiency. The removal efficiency has been affected by pesticide
initial concentration. Samples with low pesticide concentration
showed a remarkable removal efficiency compared to the samples
with high pesticide concentration. AOP method showed the removal
efficiencies of 80% to 100%. Although process showed high
performance for removal of pesticide from water samples, this
process has different disadvantages including complication,
intolerability, difficulty of maintenance and equipmental and
structural requirements.
Abstract: In the present study, Convective heat transfer
coefficient and pressure drop of Al2O3/water nanofluid in laminar
flow regime under constant heat flux conditions inside a circular tube
were experimentally investigated. Al2O3/water nanofluid with 0.5%
and 1% volume concentrations with 15 nm diameter nanoparticles
were used as working fluid. The effect of different volume
concentrations on convective heat transfer coefficient and friction
factor was studied. The results emphasize that increasing of particle
volume concentration leads to enhance convective heat transfer
coefficient. Measurements show the average heat transfer coefficient
enhanced about 11-20% with 0.5% volume concentration and
increased about 16-27% with 1% volume concentration compared to
distilled water. In addition, the convective heat transfer coefficient of
nanofluid enhances with increase in heat flux. From the results, the
average ratio of (fnf/fbf) was about 1.10 for 0.5% volume
concentration. Therefore, there is no significant increase in friction
factor for nanofluids.
Abstract: Building conservation work generally involves complex and non-standard work different from new building construction processes. In preparing tenders for building conservation projects, therefore, the quantity surveyor must carefully consider the specificity of non-standard items and demarcate the scope of unique conservation work. While the quantity surveyor must appreciate the full range of works to prepare a good tender document, he typically manages many unfamiliar elements, including practical construction methods, restoration techniques and work sequences. Only by fulfilling the demanding requirements of building conservation work can the quantity surveyor enhance his professionalism an area of growing cultural value and economic importance. By discussing several issues crucial to tender preparations for building conservation projects in Malaysia, this paper seeks a deeper understanding of how quantity surveying can better standardize tender preparation work and more successfully manage building conservation processes.
Abstract: Distributed Computing Systems are usually considered the most suitable model for practical solutions of many parallel algorithms. In this paper an enhanced distributed system is presented to improve the time complexity of Binary Indexed Trees (BIT). The proposed system uses multi-uniform processors with identical architectures and a specially designed distributed memory system. The analysis of this system has shown that it has reduced the time complexity of the read query to O(Log(Log(N))), and the update query to constant complexity, while the naive solution has a time complexity of O(Log(N)) for both queries. The system was implemented and simulated using VHDL and Verilog Hardware Description Languages, with xilinx ISE 10.1, as the development environment and ModelSim 6.1c, similarly as the simulation tool. The simulation has shown that the overhead resulting by the wiring and communication between the system fragments could be fairly neglected, which makes it applicable to practically reach the maximum speed up offered by the proposed model.
Abstract: Power system stability enhancement by simultaneous tuning of a Power System Stabilizer (PSS) and a Static Var Compensator (SVC)-based controller is thoroughly investigated in this paper. The coordination among the proposed damping stabilizers and the SVC internal voltage regulators has also been taken into consideration. The design problem is formulated as an optimization problem with a time-domain simulation-based objective function and Real-Coded Genetic Algorithm (RCGA) is employed to search for optimal controller parameters. The proposed stabilizers are tested on a weakly connected power system with different disturbances and loading conditions. The nonlinear simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed control schemes over a wide range of loading conditions and disturbances. Further, the proposed design approach is found to be robust and improves stability effectively even under small disturbance and unbalanced fault conditions.
Abstract: Mechanical buckling analysis of rectangular plates
with central circular cutout is performed in this paper. The finiteelement
method is used to study the effects of plate-support
conditions, aspect ratio, and hole size on the mechanical buckling
strength of the perforated plates subjected to linearly varying loading.
Results show that increasing the hole size does not necessarily reduce
the mechanical buckling strength of the perforated plates. It is also
concluded that the clamped boundary condition increases the
mechanical buckling strength of the perforated plates more than the
simply-supported boundary condition and the free boundary
conditions enhance the mechanical buckling strength of the
perforated plates more effectively than the fixed boundary conditions.
Furthermore, for the bending cases, the critical buckling load of
perforated plates with free edges is less than perforated plates with
fixed edges.
Abstract: Cardiovascular diseases, principally atherosclerosis, are responsible for 30% of world deaths. Atherosclerosis is due to the formation of plaque. The fatty plaque may be at risk of rupture, leading typically to stroke and heart attack. The plaque is usually associated with a high degree of lumen reduction, called a stenosis.It is increasingly recognized that the initiation and progression of disease and the occurrence of clinical events is a complex interplay between the local biomechanical environment and the local vascular biology. The aim of this study is to investigate the flow behavior through a stenosed artery. A physical experiment was performed using an artery model and blood analogue fluid. An axisymmetric model constructed consists of contraction and expansion region that follow a mathematical form of cosine function. A 30% diameter reduction was used in this study. The flow field was measured using particle image velocimetry (PIV). Spherical particles with 20μm diameter were seeded in a water-glycerol-NaCl mixture. Steady flow Reynolds numbers are 250. The area of interest is the region after the stenosis where the flow separation occurs. The velocity field was measured and the velocity gradient was investigated. There was high particle concentration in the recirculation zone. High velocity gradient formed immediately after the stenosis throat created a lift force that enhanced particle migration to the flow separation area.