Abstract: This paper examines the system protection for cyber-physical
systems (CPS). CPS are particularly characterized by their
networking system components. This means they are able to adapt to
the needs of their users and its environment. With this ability, CPS
have new, specific requirements on the protection against anti-counterfeiting,
know-how loss and manipulation. They increase the
requirements on system protection because piracy attacks can be
more diverse, for example because of an increasing number of
interfaces or through the networking abilities. The new requirements
were identified and in a next step matched with existing protective
measures. Due to the found gap the development of new protection
measures has to be forced to close this gap. Moreover a comparison
of the effectiveness between selected measures was realized and the
first results are presented in this paper.
Abstract: The effect of partially substitution of magnetic
impurity Fe for Cu to the magnetic and transport properties in
electron-doped superconducting cuprates of
Eu1.85+yCe0.15-yCu1-yFeyO4+α-δ (ECCFO) with y = 0, 0.010, 0.020, and
0.050 has been studied, in order to investigate the mechanism of
magnetic and transport properties of ECCFO in normal-state.
Magnetic properties are investigated by DC magnetic-susceptibility
measurements that carried out at low temperatures down to 2 K using a
standard SQUID magnetometer in a magnetic field of 5 Oe on field
cooling. Transport properties addressed to electron mobility, are
extracted from radius of electron localization calculated from
temperature dependence of resistivity. For y = 0, temperature
dependence of dc magnetic-susceptibility (χ) indicated the change of
magnetic behavior from paramagnetic to diamagnetic below 15 K.
Above 15 K, all samples show paramagnetic behavior with the values
of magnetic moment in every volume unit increased with increasing y.
Electron mobility decreased with increasing y.
Abstract: The need to use high volumes of data and the high
competition are only two reasons which make necessary the use of
information technologies. The objective of our research is to establish
the impact of information technologies on the accounting department
of the Romanian companies. In order to achieve it, starting from the
literature review we made an empirical research based on a
questionnaire. We investigated the types of technologies used, the
reasons which led to the implementation of certain technologies, the
benefits brought by the use of the information technologies, the
difficulties brought by the implementation and the future effects of
the applications. The conclusions show that there is an evolution in
the degree of implementation of the information technologies in the
Romanian companies, compared with the results of other studies
conducted a few years before.
Abstract: Corrosion of concrete sewer pipes induced by
sulphuric acid attack is a recognised problem worldwide, which is not
only an attribute of countries with hot climate conditions as thought
before. The significance of this problem is by far only realised when
the pipe collapses causing surface flooding and other severe
consequences. To change the existing post-reactive attitude of
managing companies, easy to use and robust models are required to
be developed which currently lack reliable data to be correctly
calibrated. This paper focuses on laboratory experiments of
establishing concrete pipe corrosion rate by submerging samples in to
0.5pH sulphuric acid solution for 56 days under 10ºC, 20ºC and 30ºC
temperature regimes. The result showed that at very early stage of the
corrosion process the samples gained overall mass, at 30ºC the
corrosion progressed quicker than for other temperature regimes,
however with time the corrosion level for 10ºC and 20ºC regimes
tended towards those at 30ºC. Overall, at these conditions the
corrosion rates of 10 mm/year, 13,5 mm/year and 17 mm/year were
observed.
Abstract: The authors propose the identification, analysis and
prognosis of the quantitative and qualitative evolution of the elderly
population in the functional urban areas. The present paper takes into
account the analysis of some representative indicators (the weight of
the elderly population, ageing index, dynamic index of economic
ageing of productive population etc.) and the elaboration of an
integrated indicator that would help differentiate the population
ageing forms in the 48 functional urban areas that were defined based
on demographic and social-economic criteria for all large and
medium cities in Romania.
Abstract: The first part of the paper analyzes the dynamics of
the total fertility rate both at the national and regional level, pointing
out the regional disparities in the distribution of this indicator. At the
same time, we also focus on the collapse of the number of live births,
on the changes in the fertility rate by birth rank, as well as on the
failure of acquiring the desired number of children. The second part
of the study centres upon a survey applied to urban families with 3
and more than 3 offspring. The preliminary analysis highlights the
fact that an increased fertility (more than 3rd rank) is triggered by the
parents’ above the average material condition and superior education.
The current situation of Romania, which is still passing through a
period of relatively rapid demographic changes, marked by numerous
convulsions, requires a new approach, in compliance with the recent
interpretations appropriate to a new post-transitional demographic
regime.
Abstract: This paper is focused on the CFD simulation of the radiaxial pump (i.e. mixed flow pump) with the aim to detect the reasons of Y-Q characteristic instability. The main reasons of pressure pulsations were detected by means of the analysis of velocity and pressure fields within the pump combined with the theoretical approach. Consequently, the modifications of spiral case and pump suction area were made based on the knowledge of flow conditions and the shape of dissipation function. The primary design of pump geometry was created as the base model serving for the comparison of individual modification influences. The basic experimental data are available for this geometry. This approach replaced the more complicated and with respect to convergence of all computational tasks more difficult calculation for the compressible liquid flow. The modification of primary pump consisted in inserting the three fins types. Subsequently, the evaluation of pressure pulsations, specific energy curves and visualization of velocity fields were chosen as the criterion for successful design.
Abstract: The main objective of this paper is to provide a new
methodology for road safety assessment in Oman through the
development of suitable accident prediction models. GLM technique
with Poisson or NBR using SAS package was carried out to develop
these models. The paper utilized the accidents data of 31 un-signalized
T-intersections during three years. Five goodness-of-fit
measures were used to assess the overall quality of the developed
models. Two types of models were developed separately; the flow-based
models including only traffic exposure functions, and the full
models containing both exposure functions and other significant
geometry and traffic variables.
The results show that, traffic exposure functions produced much
better fit to the accident data. The most effective geometric variables
were major-road mean speed, minor-road 85th percentile speed,
major-road lane width, distance to the nearest junction, and right-turn
curb radius.
The developed models can be used for intersection treatment or
upgrading and specify the appropriate design parameters of T-intersections.
Finally, the models presented in this thesis reflect the intersection
conditions in Oman and could represent the typical conditions in
several countries in the middle east area, especially gulf countries.
Abstract: Freshly laid eggs from green turtles, Chelonia mydas,
were randomly collected from Ras Al-Hadd Reserve, Oman.
Eggshells taken from eggs and sand collected from the body chamber
were analyzed for eight heavy metals (Al, Br, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, S, and
Zn) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP).
Heavy metal concentrations varied significantly (P
Abstract: Corrosion of concrete sewer pipes induced by sulfuric
acid is an acknowledged problem and a ticking time-bomb to sewer
operators. Whilst the chemical reaction of the corrosion process is
well-understood, the indirect roles of other parameters in the
corrosion process which are found in sewer environment are not
highly reflected on. This paper reports on a field studies undertaken
in Austria and United Kingdom, where the parameters of
temperature, pH, H2S and CO2 were monitored over a period of time.
The study establishes that (i) effluent temperature and pH have
similar daily pattern and peak times, when examined in minutes
scale; (ii) H2S and CO2 have an identical hourly pattern; (iii) H2S
instant or shifted relation to effluent temperature is governed by the
root mean square value of CO2.
Abstract: Degradation of agricultural soils has increased rapidly
during the last 20 years due to the indiscriminate use of pesticides
and other anthropogenic activities. Currently, there is an urgent need
of soil restoration to increase agricultural production. Utilization of
sewage sludge or municipal solid waste is an important way to
recycle nutrient elements and improve soil quality. With these
amendments, nutrient availability in the aqueous phase might be
increased and production of healthier crops can be accomplished.
This research project aimed to achieve sustainable management of
tropical agricultural soils, specifically in Puerto Rico, through the
amendment of water treatment plant sludge’s. This practice avoids
landfill disposal of sewage sludge and at the same time results costeffective
practice for recycling solid waste residues. Coriander
sativum was cultivated in a compost-soil-sludge mixture at different
proportions. Results showed that Coriander grown in a mixture of
25% compost+50% Voladora soi+25% sludge had the best growth
and development. High chlorophyll content (33.01 ± 0.8) was
observed in Coriander plants cultivated in 25% compost+62.5%
Coloso soil+ 12.5% sludge compared to plants grown with no sludge
(32.59 ± 0.7). ICP-OES analysis showed variations in mineral
element contents (macro and micronutrients) in coriander plant
grown I soil amended with sludge and compost.
Abstract: Natural hydrocarbon seepage has helped petroleum
exploration as a direct indicator of gas and/or oil subsurface
accumulations. Surface macro-seeps are generally an indication of a
fault in an active Petroleum Seepage System belonging to a Total
Petroleum System. This paper describes a case study in which
multiple analytical techniques were used to identify and characterize
trace petroleum-related hydrocarbons and other volatile organic
compounds in groundwater samples collected from Sousse aquifer
(Central Tunisia). The analytical techniques used for analyses of
water samples included gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS),
capillary GC with flame-ionization detection, Compound
Specific Isotope Analysis, Rock Eval Pyrolysis. The objective of the
study was to confirm the presence of gasoline and other petroleum
products or other volatile organic pollutants in those samples in order
to assess the respective implication of each of the potentially
responsible parties to the contamination of the aquifer. In addition,
the degree of contamination at different depths in the aquifer was also
of interest. The oil and gas seeps have been investigated using
biomarker and stable carbon isotope analyses to perform oil-oil and
oil-source rock correlations. The seepage gases are characterized by
high CH4 content, very low δ13CCH4 values (-71,9 ‰) and high
C1/C1–5 ratios (0.95–1.0), light deuterium–hydrogen isotope ratios (-
198 ‰) and light δ13CC2 and δ13CCO2 values (-23,8‰ and-23,8‰
respectively) indicating a thermogenic origin with the contribution of
the biogenic gas. An organic geochemistry study was carried out on
the more ten oil seep samples. This study includes light hydrocarbon
and biomarkers analyses (hopanes, steranes, n-alkanes, acyclic
isoprenoids, and aromatic steroids) using GC and GC-MS. The
studied samples show at least two distinct families, suggesting two
different types of crude oil origins: the first oil seeps appears to be
highly mature, showing evidence of chemical and/or biological
degradation and was derived from a clay-rich source rock deposited
in suboxic conditions. It has been sourced mainly by the lower
Fahdene (Albian) source rocks. The second oil seeps was derived
from a carbonate-rich source rock deposited in anoxic conditions,
well correlated with the Bahloul (Cenomanian-Turonian) source rock.
Abstract: Remote sensing plays a vital role in mapping of
resources and monitoring of environments of the earth. In the present
research study, mapping and monitoring of clay siltations occurred in
the Alkhod Dam of Muscat, Sultanate of Oman are carried out using
low-cost multispectral Landsat and ASTER data. The dam is
constructed across the Wadi Samail catchment for ground water
recharge. The occurrence and spatial distribution of siltations in the
dam are studied with five years of interval from the year 1987 of
construction to 2014. The deposits are mainly due to the clay, sand
and silt occurrences derived from the weathering rocks of ophiolite
sequences occurred in the Wadi Samail catchment. The occurrences
of clays are confirmed by minerals identification using ASTER
VNIR-SWIR spectral bands and Spectral Angle Mapper supervised
image processing method. The presence of clays and their spatial
distribution are verified in the field. The study recommends the
technique and the low-cost satellite data to similar region of the
world.
Abstract: This study evaluated the use of raw or processed
Prosopis juliflora (Meskit) pods as a major ingredient in a formulated
ration to provide an alternative non-conventional concentrate for
livestock feeding in Oman. Dry Meskit pods were reduced to lengths
of 0.5- 1.0 cm to ensure thorough mixing into three diets. Meskit
pods were subjected to two types of treatments; roasting and soaking.
They were roasted at 150оC for 30 minutes using a locally-made
roasting device (40 kg barrel container rotated by electric motor and
heated by flame gas cooker). Chopped pods were soaked in tap water
for 24 hours and dried for 2 days under the sun with frequent turning.
The Meskit-pod-based diets (MPBD) were formulated and pelleted
from 500 g/kg ground Meskit pods, 240 g/kg wheat bran, 200 g/kg
barley grain, 50 g/kg local dried sardines and 10 g/kg of salt. Twenty
four 10 months-old intact Omani male lambs with average body
weight of 27.3 kg (± 0.5 kg) were used in a feeding trial for 84 days.
They were divided (on body weight basis) and allocated to four diet
combination groups. These were: Rhodes grass hay (RGH) plus a
general ruminant concentrate (GRC); RGH plus raw Meskit pods
(RMP) based concentrate; RGH plus roasted Meskit pods (ROMP)
based concentrate; RGH plus soaked Meskit pods (SMP) based
concentrate Daily feed intakes and bi-weekly body weights were
recorded. MPBD had higher contents of crude protein (CP), acid
detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) than the
GRC. Animals fed various types of MPBD did not show signs of ill
health. There was a significant effect of feeding ROMP on the
performance of Omani sheep compared to RMP and SMP. The
ROMP fed animals had similar performance to those fed the GRC in
terms of feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio
(FCR).This study indicated that roasted Meskit pods based diet may
be used instead of the commercial concentrate for feeding Omani
sheep without adverse effects on performance. It offers a cheap
alternative source of protein and energy for feeding Omani sheep.
Also, it might help in solving the spread impact of Meskit trees,
maintain the ecosystem and helping in preserving the local tree
species.
Abstract: In this paper, two options of anodic alumina barrier
layer thinning have been demonstrated. The approaches varied with
the duration of the voltage step. It was found that too long step of the
barrier layer thinning process leads to chemical etching of the
nanopores on their top. At the bottoms pores are not fully opened
what is disadvantageous for further applications in nanofabrication.
On the other hand, while the duration of the voltage step is controlled
by the current density (value of the current density cannot exceed
75% of the value recorded during previous voltage step) the pores are
fully opened. However, pores at the bottom obtained with this
procedure have smaller diameter, nevertheless this procedure
provides electric contact between the bare aluminum (substrate) and
electrolyte, what is suitable for template assisted electrodeposition,
one of the most cost-efficient synthesis method in nanotechnology.
Abstract: This paper presents an evolutionary algorithm for
solving multi-objective optimization problems-based artificial neural
network (ANN). The multi-objective evolutionary algorithm used in
this study is genetic algorithm while ANN used is radial basis
function network (RBFN). The proposed algorithm named memetic
elitist Pareto non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-based RBFN
(MEPGAN). The proposed algorithm is implemented on medical
diseases problems. The experimental results indicate that the
proposed algorithm is viable, and provides an effective means to
design multi-objective RBFNs with good generalization capability
and compact network structure. This study shows that MEPGAN
generates RBFNs coming with an appropriate balance between
accuracy and simplicity, comparing to the other algorithms found in
literature.
Abstract: Mahasweta Devi and Toni Morrison are the two
stalwarts of the Indian English and the Afro-American literature
respectively. The writings of these two novelists are authentic and
powerful records of the lives of the people because much of their
personal experiences have gone into the making of their works. Devi,
a representative force of the Indian English literature, is also a social
activist working with the tribals of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West
Bengal. Most of her works echo the lives and struggles of the
subalterns as is evident in her “best beloved book” Chotti Munda and
His Arrow. The novelist focuses on the struggle of the tribals against
the colonial and the feudal powers to create their own identity,
thereby, embarking on the ideological project of ‘setting the record
straight’. The Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, on the other hand,
brings to the fore the crucial issues of gender, race and class in many
of her significant works. In one of her representative works Sula, the
protagonist emerges as a non- conformist and directly confronts the
notion of a ‘good woman’ nurtured by the community of the Blacks.
In addition to this, the struggle of the Blacks against the White
domination, also become an important theme of the text. The thrust
of the paper lies in making a critical analysis of the portrayal of the
heroic attempts of the subaltern protagonist and the artistic endeavor
of the novelists in challenging the stereotypes.
Abstract: Nowadays, Photovoltaic-PV Farms/ Parks and large
PV-Smart Grid Interface Schemes are emerging and commonly
utilized in Renewable Energy distributed generation. However, PVhybrid-
Dc-Ac Schemes using interface power electronic converters
usually has negative impact on power quality and stabilization of
modern electrical network under load excursions and network fault
conditions in smart grid. Consequently, robust FACTS based
interface schemes are required to ensure efficient energy utilization
and stabilization of bus voltages as well as limiting switching/fault
onrush current condition. FACTS devices are also used in smart grid-
Battery Interface and Storage Schemes with PV-Battery Storage
hybrid systems as an elegant alternative to renewable energy
utilization with backup battery storage for electric utility energy and
demand side management to provide needed energy and power
capacity under heavy load conditions. The paper presents a robust
interface PV-Li-Ion Battery Storage Interface Scheme for
Distribution/Utilization Low Voltage Interface using FACTS
stabilization enhancement and dynamic maximum PV power tracking
controllers.
Digital simulation and validation of the proposed scheme is done
using MATLAB/Simulink software environment for Low Voltage-
Distribution/Utilization system feeding a hybrid Linear-Motorized
inrush and nonlinear type loads from a DC-AC Interface VSC-6-
pulse Inverter Fed from the PV Park/Farm with a back-up Li-Ion
Storage Battery.
Abstract: Preparation of nanoparticles of cerium oxide and
adsorption of bovine serum albumin on them were studied. Particle
size distribution and influence of pH on zeta potential of prepared
CeO2 were determined. Average size of prepared cerium oxide
nanoparticles was 9 nm. The simultaneous measurements of the
bovine serum albumin adsorption and zeta potential determination of
the (adsorption) suspensions were carried out. The adsorption
isotherms were found to be of typical Langmuir type; values of the
bovine serum albumin adsorption capacities were calculated.
Increasing of pH led to decrease of zeta potential and decrease of
adsorption capacity of cerium oxide nanoparticles. The maximum
adsorption capacity was found for strongly acid suspension (am =
118 mg/g). The samples of nanoceria with positive zeta potential
adsorbed more bovine serum albumin on the other hand, the samples
with negative zeta potential showed little or no protein adsorption.
Surface charge or better say zeta potential of CeO2 nanoparticles
plays the key role in adsorption of proteins on such type of materials.
Abstract: In this paper, snow samples containing dust particles
from several sampling points around the city of Ostrava were
analyzed. The pH values of sampled snow were measured and solid
particles analyzed. Particle size, zeta potential and content of selected
heavy metals were determined in solid particles. The pH values of
most samples lay in the slightly acid region. Mean values of particle
size ranged from 290.5 to 620.5 nm. Zeta potential values varied
between -5 and -26.5 mV. The following heavy metal concentration
ranges were found: copper 0.08-0.75 mg/g, lead 0.05-0.9 mg/g,
manganese 0.45-5.9 mg/g and iron 25.7-280.46 mg/g. The highest
values of copper and lead were found in the vicinity of busy
crossroads, and on the contrary, the highest levels of manganese and
iron were detected close to a large steelworks. The proportion
between pH values, zeta potentials, particle sizes and heavy metal
contents was established. Zeta potential decreased with rising pH
values and, simultaneously, heavy metal content in solid particles
increased. At the same time, higher metal content corresponded to
lower particle size.