Abstract: The increasing industrialization and motorization of the world has led to a steep rise for the demand of petroleum-based fuels. Petroleum-based fuels are obtained from limited reserves. These finite reserves are highly concentrated in certain regions of the world. Therefore, those countries not having these resources are facing energy/foreign exchange crisis, mainly due to the import of crude petroleum. Hence, it is necessary to look for alternative fuels which can be produced from resources available locally within the country such as alcohol, biodiesel, vegetable oils etc. Biodiesel is a renewable, domestically produced fuel that has been shown to reduce particulate, hydrocarbon, and carbon monoxide emissions from combustion. In the present study an experimental investigation on emission characteristic of a liquid burner system operating on several percentage of biodiesel and gas oil is carried out. Samples of exhaust gas are analysed with Testo 350 Xl. The results show that biodiesel can lower some pollutant such as CO, CO2 and particulate matter emissions while NOx emission would increase in comparison with gas oil. The results indicate there may be benefits to using biodiesel in industrial processes.
Abstract: The Swine flu outbreak in humans is due to a new
strain of influenza A virus subtype H1N1 that derives in part from
human influenza, avian influenza, and two separated strains of swine
influenza. It can be transmitted from human to human. A
mathematical model for the transmission of Swine flu is developed in
which the human populations are divided into two classes, the risk
and non-risk human classes. Each class is separated into susceptible,
exposed, infectious, quarantine and recovered sub-classes. In this
paper, we formulate the dynamical model of Swine flu transmission
and the repetitive contacts between the people are also considered.
We analyze the behavior for the transmission of this disease. The
Threshold condition of this disease is found and numerical results are
shown to confirm our theoretical predictions.
Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate regional soil Borkhar of
the metals Lead has been made. In this field study fires visits to the
regions. The limit of this study located in the East refineries,
petrochemical and power plant to 20 km was selected. The 41 soil
samples from depths of 0 to 10 cm in area and were randomized. Soil
samples were transported to the laboratory and by air was dry and
passed through 2-mil thickness sieve. In the laboratory of physical
and chemical characteristics and concentrations of total absorption
was measured. The results showed that the amount of lead in soil in
many parts of the range higher than the standard limit. Survey maps
show that the lead spatial distribution of the region does not special
pattern.
Abstract: The strong international competition as the factor of rising economic development efficiency should not turn into destructive force for models of social orientation. What result Europe received from the accelerated integration without a long transition period of the accepted countries. Correlative relationship between the research and development expenditure and labor productivity, inflation and the rate economy's growth of the USA and the euro zone, employment and gross value added between Old and New Europe is analyzed in this article. The article estimates the differences in economic growth of Old and New Europe. Correlation rate between cycles of the euro area and the countries of Central and the Eastern Europe very much differs, though some of these countries have high correlation as members of the Economic and Monetary Union. Besides, the majority of the countries of Central and the Eastern Europe does not correspond to criteria of an optimum currency area.
Abstract: This paper examines the depiction of Muslim militants in Thai newspapers in 2004. Stuart Hall-s “representation" and “public idioms" are used as theoretical frameworks. Critical Discourse Analysis is employed as a methodology to examine 240 news articles from two leading Thai language newspapers. The results show that the militants are usually labeled as “southern bandits." This suggests that they are just a culprit of the violence in the deep south of Thailand. They are usually described as people who cause turbulence. Consequently, the military have to get rid of them. However, other aspects of the groups such as their political agenda or the failures of the Thai state in dealing with the Malay Muslims were not mention in the news stories. In the time of violence, the researcher argues that this kind of newspaper coverage may help perpetuate the discourse of Malay Muslim, instead of providing fuller picture of the ongoing conflicts.
Abstract: A method to determine experimentally the melting
rate, rm, and the heat transfer coefficients, αv (W/(m3K)), at
convective melting in a fixed bed of particles under adiabatic regime
is established in this paper. The method lies in the determining of the
melting rate by measuring the fixed bed height in time. Experimental
values of rm, α and α v were determined using cylindrical particles of
ice (d = 6.8 mm, h = 5.5 mm) and, as a melting agent, aqueous NaCl
solution with a temperature of 283 K at different values of the liquid
flow rate (11.63·10-6, 28.83·10-6, 38.83·10-6 m3/s).
Our experimental results were compared with those existing in
literature being noticed a good agreement for Re values higher than
50.
Abstract: In order to reduce cost, increase quality, and for
timely supplying production systems has considerably taken the
advantages of supply chain management and these advantages are
also competitive. Selection of appropriate supplier has an important
role in improvement and efficiency of systems.
The models of supplier selection which have already been used by
researchers have considered selection one or more suppliers from
potential suppliers but in this paper selecting one supplier as partner
from one supplier that have minimum one period supplying to buyer
is considered.
This paper presents a conceptual model for partner selection and
application of Degree of Adoptive (DOA) model for final selection.
The attributes weight in this model is prepared through AHP
model. After making the descriptive model, determining the
attributes and measuring the parameters of the adaptive is examined
in an auto industry of Iran(Zagross Khodro co.) and results are
presented.
Abstract: This research is part of a broad program aimed at
advancing the science and technology involved in the rescue and
rehabilitation of oiled wildlife. One aspect of this research involves
the use of oil-sequestering magnetic particles for the removal of
contaminants from plumage – so-called “magnetic cleansing". This
treatment offers a number of advantages over conventional
detergent-based methods including portability - which offers the
possibility of providing a “quick clean" to the animal upon first
encounter in the field. This could be particularly advantageous
when the contaminant is toxic and/or corrosive and/or where there
is a delay in transporting the victim to a treatment centre. The
method could also be useful as part of a stabilization protocol when
large numbers of affected animals are awaiting treatment. This
presentation describes the design, development and testing of a
prototype field kit for providing a “quick clean" to contaminated
wildlife in the field.
Abstract: The European countries that during the past two
decades based their exchange rate regimes on currency board
arrangement (CBA) are usually analysed from the perspective of
corner solution choice’s stabilisation effects. There is an open
discussion on the positive and negative background of a strict
exchange rate regime choice, although it should be seen as part of the
transition process towards the monetary union membership. The
focus of the paper is on the Baltic countries that after two decades of
a rigid exchange rate arrangement and strongly influenced by global
crisis are finishing their path towards the euro zone. Besides the
stabilising capacity, the CBA is highly vulnerable regime, with
limited developing potential. The rigidity of the exchange rate (and
monetary) system, despite the ensured credibility, do not leave
enough (or any) space for the adjustment and/or active crisis
management. Still, the Baltics are in a process of recovery, with fiscal
consolidation measures combined with (painful and politically
unpopular) measures of internal devaluation. Today, two of them
(Estonia and Latvia) are members of euro zone, fulfilling their
ultimate transition targets, but de facto exchanging one fixed regime
with another.
The paper analyses the challenges for the CBA in unstable
environment since the fixed regimes rely on imported stability and
are sensitive to external shocks. With limited monetary instruments,
these countries were oriented to the fiscal policies and used a
combination of internal devaluation and tax policy measures. Despite
their rather quick recovery, our second goal is to analyse the long
term influence that the measures had on the national economy.
Abstract: Years of extensive research in the field of speech
processing for compression and recognition in the last five decades,
resulted in a severe competition among the various methods and
paradigms introduced. In this paper we include the different representations
of speech in the time-frequency and time-scale domains
for the purpose of compression and recognition. The examination of
these representations in a variety of related work is accomplished.
In particular, we emphasize methods related to Fourier analysis
paradigms and wavelet based ones along with the advantages and
disadvantages of both approaches.
Abstract: There is increasing pressure on, and decline of
mopane woodlands due to increasing use and competition for
mopane resources in Zimbabwe in Namibia. Community management strategies, based largely on local knowledge are
evidently unable to cope. Research has generated potentially useful
information for mopane woodland management, but this information
has not been utilized. The work reported in this paper sought to add value to research work conducted on mopane woodlands by
developing effective community-based mopane woodland
management regimes that were based on both local and scientific
knowledge in Zimbabwe and Namibia. The conditions under which research findings were likely to be adopted for mopane woodland management by communities were investigated. The study was conducted at two sites each in Matobo and Omusati Districts in Zimbabwe and Namibia respectively. The mopane woodland
resources in the two study areas were assessed using scientific
ecological methods. A range of participatory methods was used to collect information on use of mopane woodland resources by communities, institutional arrangements governing access to and use
of these resources and to evaluate scientific knowledge for
applicability in local management regimes. Coppicing, thinning and
pollarding were the research generated management methods evaluated. Realities such as availability of woodland resources and
social roles and responsibilities influenced preferences for woodland
management interventions
Abstract: As current business environment is demanding a
constant adaptation of companies, the planning and strategic
management should be an ongoing and natural process in all kind of
organizations. The use of management and monitoring strategic
performance tools such as the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) have been
popular; even to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. This paper
aims to investigate whether the BSC is being used in monitoring the
performance of small businesses, particularly in small fuel retailers
companies, which are competing in co-branding; and if not, it aims to
identify its strategic orientation in order to recommend a possible
strategy map for those managers that are willing to adopt this model
as an alternative to traditional ones for organizational performance
evaluation, which often focus only on evaluation of the
organizational financial performance.
Abstract: In this research saffron samples were prepared from
farms and sampling was done in four states contain : sampling from
fresh saffron of petal with forceps , sampling from fresh saffron of
petal by hands, sampling from dried sample by warm air in shadow,
sampling from dried sample which dried by dryer. Samples collected
and kept in sterile tubes and containers and carried to laboratory and
maintained until experiment. Microbial experiments were performed
to determine microbial load such as total count, Staphylococcus
aureus, coli form, E.coli, mold and yeast. Results showed that in
picking and drying stages the contamination amount increases in
saffron samples. There was a significant difference between the
microbial load of picked up saffron by forceps and by hands, and
also between dried saffron by warm air in shadow and by dryer.
Abstract: The purpose of this research is to determine the
knowledge and skills possessed by instructional design (ID)
practitioners in Malaysia. As ID is a relatively new field in the
country and there seems to be an absence of any studies on its
community of practice, the main objective of this research is to
discover the tasks and activities performed by ID practitioners in
educational and corporate organizations as suggested by the
International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and
Instruction. This includes finding out the ID models applied in the
course of their work. This research also attempts to identify the
barriers and issues as to why some ID tasks and activities are rarely
or never conducted. The methodology employed in this descriptive
study was a survey questionnaire sent to 30 instructional designers
nationwide. The results showed that majority of the tasks and
activities are carried out frequently enough but omissions do occur
due to reasons such as it being out of job scope, the decision was
already made at a higher level, and the lack of knowledge and skills.
Further investigations of a qualitative manner should be conducted
to achieve a more in-depth understanding of ID practices in
Malaysia
Abstract: This paper presents a low cost design of heart beat monitoring device using reflectance mode PhotoPlethysmography (PPG). PPG is known for its simple construction, ease of use and cost effectiveness and can provide information about the changes in cardiac activity as well as aid in earlier non-invasive diagnostics. The proposed device is divided into three phases. First is the detection of pulses through the fingertip. The signal is then passed to the signal processing unit for the purpose of amplification, filtering and digitizing. Finally the heart rate is calculated and displayed on the computer using parallel port interface. The paper is concluded with prototyping of the device followed by verification procedure of the heartbeat signal obtained in laboratory setting.
Abstract: D-erythro-cyclohexylserine (D
chiral unnatural β-hydroxy amino acid expected for the synthesis of drug for AIDS treatment. To develop a continuous bioconversion
system with whole cell biocatalyst of D-threonine aldolase (D genes for the D-erythro-CHS production, D-threonine aldolase gene
was amplified from Ensifer arboris 100383 by direct PCR amplication using two degenerated oligonucleotide primers designed based on
genomic sequence of Shinorhizobium meliloti
Sequence analysis of the cloned DNA fragment revealed one
open-reading frame of 1059 bp and 386 amino acids. This putative
D-TA gene was cloned into NdeI and EcoRI (pEnsi
His-tag sequence or BamHI (pEnsi-DTA[2])
sequence of the pET21(a) vector. The expression level of the cloned gene was extremely overexpressed by E. coli BL21(DE3) transformed with pEnsi-DTA[1] compared to E. coli BL21(DE3) transformed with
pEnsi-DTA[2]. When the cells expressing the wild
used for D-TA enzyme activity, 12 mM glycine was successfully
detected in HPLC analysis. Moreover, the whole cells harbouring the
recombinant D-TA was able to synthesize D-erythro
of 0.6 mg/ml in a batch reaction.
Abstract: Due to the recovering global economy, enterprises are
increasingly focusing on logistics. Investing in logistic measures for
a production generates a large potential for achieving a good starting
point within a competitive field. Unlike during the global economic
crisis, enterprises are now challenged with investing available capital
to maximize profits. In order to be able to create an informed and
quantifiably comprehensible basis for a decision, enterprises need an
adequate model for logistically and monetarily evaluating measures
in production. The Collaborate Research Centre 489 (SFB 489) at the
Institute for Production Systems (IFA) developed a Logistic
Information System which provides support in making decisions and
is designed specifically for the forging industry. The aim of a project
that has been applied for is to now transfer this process in order to
develop a universal approach to logistically and monetarily evaluate
measures in production.
Abstract: Segmentation techniques based on Active Contour
Models have been strongly benefited from the use of prior information
during their evolution. Shape prior information is captured from
a training set and is introduced in the optimization procedure to
restrict the evolution into allowable shapes. In this way, the evolution
converges onto regions even with weak boundaries. Although
significant effort has been devoted on different ways of capturing
and analyzing prior information, very little thought has been devoted
on the way of combining image information with prior information.
This paper focuses on a more natural way of incorporating the
prior information in the level set framework. For proof of concept
the method is applied on hippocampus segmentation in T1-MR
images. Hippocampus segmentation is a very challenging task, due
to the multivariate surrounding region and the missing boundary
with the neighboring amygdala, whose intensities are identical. The
proposed method, mimics the human segmentation way and thus
shows enhancements in the segmentation accuracy.
Abstract: Although services play a crucial role in economy,
service did not gain as much importance as productivity management
in manufacturing. This paper presents key findings from literature
and practice. Based on an initial definition of complex services, seven
productivity concepts are briefly presented and assessed by relevant,
complex service specific criteria. Following the findings a complex
service productivity model is proposed. The novel model comprises
of all specific dimensions of service provision from both, the
provider-s as well as costumer-s perspective. A clear assignment of
identified value drivers and relationships between them is presented.
In order to verify the conceptual service productivity model a case
study from a project engineering department of a chemical plant
development and construction company is presented.
Abstract: Emergence of smartphones brings to live the concept
of converged devices with the availability of web amenities. Such
trend also challenges the mobile devices manufactures and service
providers in many aspects, such as security on mobile phones,
complex and long time design flow, as well as higher development
cost. Among these aspects, security on mobile phones is getting more
and more attention. Microkernel based virtualization technology will
play a critical role in addressing these challenges and meeting mobile
market needs and preferences, since virtualization provides essential
isolation for security reasons and it allows multiple operating systems
to run on one processor accelerating development and cutting development
cost. However, virtualization benefits do not come for free.
As an additional software layer, it adds some inevitable virtualization
overhead to the system, which may decrease the system performance.
In this paper we evaluate and analyze the virtualization performance
cost of L4 microkernel based virtualization on a competitive mobile
phone by comparing the L4Linux, a para-virtualized Linux on top of
L4 microkernel, with the native Linux performance using lmbench
and a set of typical mobile phone applications.