Search results for: cosmopolitan city comparison
5428 Design and Fabrication of a Scaffold with Appropriate Features for Cartilage Tissue Engineering
Authors: S. S. Salehi, A. Shamloo
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Poor ability of cartilage tissue when experiencing a damage leads scientists to use tissue engineering as a reliable and effective method for regenerating or replacing damaged tissues. An artificial tissue should have some features such as biocompatibility, biodegradation and, enough mechanical properties like the original tissue. In this work, a composite hydrogel is prepared by using natural and synthetic materials that has high porosity. Mechanical properties of different combinations of polymers such as modulus of elasticity were tested, and a hydrogel with good mechanical properties was selected. Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells were also seeded into the pores of the sponge, and the results showed the adhesion and proliferation of cells within the hydrogel after one month. In comparison with previous works, this study offers a new and efficient procedure for the fabrication of cartilage like tissue and further cartilage repair.Keywords: cartilage tissue engineering, hydrogel, mechanical strength, mesenchymal stem cell
Procedia PDF Downloads 3005427 The Gasification of Fructose in Supercritical Water
Authors: Shyh-Ming Chern, H. Y. Cheng
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Biomass is renewable and sustainable. As an energy source, it will not release extra carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Hence, tremendous efforts have been made to develop technologies capable of transforming biomass into suitable forms of bio-fuel. One of the viable technologies is gasifying biomass in supercritical water (SCW), a green medium for reactions. While previous studies overwhelmingly selected glucose as a model compound for biomass, the present study adopted fructose for the sake of comparison. The gasification of fructose in SCW was investigated experimentally to evaluate the applicability of supercritical water processes to biomass gasification. Experiments were conducted with an autoclave reactor. Gaseous product mainly consists of H2, CO, CO2, CH4 and C2H6. The effect of two major operating parameters, the reaction temperature (673-873 K) and the dosage of oxidizing agent (0-0.5 stoichiometric oxygen), on the product gas composition, yield and heating value was also examined, with the reaction pressure fixed at 25 MPa.Keywords: biomass, fructose, gasification, supercritical water
Procedia PDF Downloads 3535426 Enhanced Performance of an All-Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Employing Graphene Modified Carbon Paper Electrodes
Authors: Barun Chakrabarti, Dan Nir, Vladimir Yufit, P. V. Aravind, Nigel Brandon
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Fuel cell grade gas-diffusion layer carbon paper (CP) electrodes are subjected to electrophoresis in N,N’-dimethylformamide (DMF) consisting of reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The rGO modified electrodes are compared with CP in a single asymmetric all-vanadium redox battery system (employing a double serpentine flow channel for each half-cell). Peak power densities improved by 4% when the rGO deposits were facing the ion-exchange membrane (cell performance was poorer when the rGO was facing the flow field). Cycling of the cells showed least degradation of the CP electrodes that were coated with rGO in comparison to pristine samples.Keywords: all-vanadium redox flow batteries, carbon paper electrodes, electrophoretic deposition, reduced graphene oxide
Procedia PDF Downloads 2285425 Overview of Fiber Optic Gyroscopes as Ring Laser Gyros and Fiber Optic Gyros and the Comparison Between Them
Authors: M. Abdo, Mohamed Shalaby
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A key development in the field of inertial sensors, fiber-optic gyroscopes (FOGs) are currently thought to be a competitive alternative to mechanical gyroscopes for inertial navigation and control applications. For the past few years, research and development efforts have been conducted all around the world using the FOG as a crucial sensor for high-accuracy inertial navigation systems. The main fundamentals of optical gyros were covered in this essay, followed by discussions of the main types of optical gyros and fiber optic gyroscopes and ring laser gyroscopes and comparisons between them. We also discussed different types of fiber optic gyros, including interferometric, resonator, and Brillion fiber optic gyroscopes.Keywords: mechanical gyros, ring laser gyros, interferometric finer optic gyros, Resonator fiber optic gyros
Procedia PDF Downloads 805424 Effect of Chilling Accumulation on Fruit Yield of Olive Trees in Egypt
Authors: Mohamed H. El-Sheikh, Hoda F. Zahran
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Olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is considered as a Mediterranean tree which belongs to genus Olea that may comprise about 35 species. In fact, the crop requires mild to cool winters with a chilling accumulation from November to February with average temperatures varying between two groups of accumulated chilling hours (h1) of less than 7.2 °C (C1) and other group (h2) of less than 10 °C (C2) for flower bud differentiation. This work aims at studying the impact of chilling accumulation hours on the fruit yield of olive trees in Borg El Arab City, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt as a case study. Trees were aged around 7 years in 2010 and were exposed to chilling accumulation hours of h1, which was average of 280 hours under C1, and average h2 was around 150 hours under C2 the resulted fruit yield was around 0.5 kg/tree. On the hand, trees were aged around 7 years at 2016 showed that when average of h1 was around 390 hours under C1 and average h2 was around 220 hours under C2 then fruit yield was around 10 kg/tree. Increasing of fruit yield proved chilling accumulation effect on olive trees.Keywords: chilling accumulation, fruit yield, Olea europaea, olive
Procedia PDF Downloads 2925423 Sintering Properties of Mechanically Alloyed Ti-5Al-2.5Fe
Authors: Ridvan Yamanoglu, Erdinc Efendi, Ismail Daoud
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In this study, Ti-5Al-2.5Fe alloy was prepared by powder metallurgy. The elemental titanium, aluminum, and iron powders were mechanically alloyed for 10 h in a vacuum atmosphere. A stainless steel jar and stainless steel balls were used for mechanical alloying. The alloyed powders were then sintered by vacuum hot pressing at 950 °C for a soaking time of 30 minutes. Pure titanium was also sintered at the same conditions for comparison of mechanical properties and microstructural behavior. The samples were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, XRD analysis, and optical microscopy. Results showed that, after mechanical alloying, a homogeneous distribution of the elements was obtained, and desired a-b structure was determined. Ti-5Al-2.5Fe alloy was successfully produced, and the alloy showed enhanced mechanical properties compared to the commercial pure titanium.Keywords: Ti5Al-2.5Fe, mechanical alloying, hot pressing, sintering
Procedia PDF Downloads 2805422 Political Alienation: Paving the Road to Corruption
Authors: Mabrouka Al-Werfalli
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This paper aims to highlight reasons beyond the prevalence of “culture of corruption” amongst Libyans. One of the most prominent reason for the Libyan revolution in February 2011 was the pervasiveness of corruption. Corruption in Libya remained a significant problem despite harsh legislation and a robust anti-corruption discourse undertaken by the previous regime. The long-standing political corruption in Libya has offered ample opportunity for the evolution of a structure of negative values and morals. This has formed what is termed as a “culture of corruption”, which has induced people to accept and justify corrupt behaviour. The paper is a part of a study concerns the phenomenon of political alienation in Libya which was based on a survey conducted in 2001 in the city of Benghazi. The finding shows that abuse of power looms large within all activities. Embezzlement and misuse of public funds for personal enrichment is thought to be rife within public bodies, institutions, companies, factories, banks and enterprises owned entirely or partially by the state.Keywords: corruption, culture of corruption, participation in corruption, abuse of power, embezzlement, political alienation, anti-corruption
Procedia PDF Downloads 3605421 Liquid-Liquid Equilibrium Study in Solvent Extraction of o-Cresol from Coal Tar
Authors: Dewi Selvia Fardhyanti, Astrilia Damayanti
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Coal tar is a liquid by-product of the process of coal gasification and carbonation, also in some industries such as steel, power plant, cement, and others. This liquid oil mixture contains various kinds of useful compounds such as aromatic compounds and phenolic compounds. These compounds are widely used as raw material for insecticides, dyes, medicines, perfumes, coloring matters, and many others. This research investigates thermodynamic modelling of liquid-liquid equilibria (LLE) in solvent extraction of o-Cresol from the coal tar. The equilibria are modeled by ternary components of Wohl, Van Laar, and Three-Suffix Margules models. The values of the parameters involved are obtained by curve-fitting to the experimental data. Based on the comparison between calculated and experimental data, it turns out that among the three models studied, the Three-Suffix Margules seems to be the best to predict the LLE of o-Cresol for those system.Keywords: coal tar, o-Cresol, Wohl, Van Laar, three-suffix margules
Procedia PDF Downloads 2775420 Phase Stability and Grain Growth Kinetics of Oxide Dispersed CoCrFeMnNi
Authors: Prangya P. Sahoo, B. S. Murty
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The present study deals with phase evolution of oxide dispersed CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloy as a function of amount of added Y2O3 during mechanical alloying and analysis of grain growth kinetics of CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloy without and with oxide dispersion. Mechanical alloying of CoCrFeMnNi resulted in a single FCC phase. However, evolution of chromium carbide was observed after heat treatment between 1073 and 1473 K. Comparison of grain growth time exponents and activation energy barrier is also reported. Micro structural investigations, using electron microscopy and EBSD techniques, were carried out to confirm the enhanced grain growth resistance which is attributed to the presence oxide dispersoids.Keywords: grain growth kinetics, mechanical alloying, oxide dispersion, phase evolution
Procedia PDF Downloads 4305419 A Dam Break Analysis Using MIKE11
Authors: Oussama Derdous, Lakhdar Djemili, Hamza Bouchahed
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The consequences of a dam breach can be devastating; both in terms of lives lost and damaged infrastructure and property. Hydraulic modeling provides a clear picture of the possible consequences of partial or complete failure of a dam, which is the key to carry out emergency planning and conduct reliable risk assessments. In this paper, the MIKE11 model developed by the Danish Hydrologic Institute (DHI) was used to simulate the flood wave propagation associated with a potential failure analysis failure of Zardezas dam located in the city of Skikda in the North East of Algeria. MIKE11 results including inundation maps and the representative channel/valley cross-sections depicting flow depth and maximal flow velocities showed that Zardezas reservoir presents a significant risk to downstream areas in the event of a dam failure. These results can be used as the basis of the development of an Emergency Action Plan (EAP).The main objective of this plan is to predict the appropriate steps to avoid or at least decrease the consequences of unexpected failure of Zardezas dam.Keywords: MIKE11, dam break, inundation maps, emergency action plan
Procedia PDF Downloads 4635418 Analysis of the Acoustic Performance of Vertical Internal Seals with Pet Wool as NBR 15.575-4NO Green Towers Building-DF
Authors: Lucas Aerre, Wallesson Faria, Roberto Pimentel, Juliana Santos
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An extremely disturbing and irritating element in the lives of people and organizations is the noise, the consequences that can bring us has a lot of connection with human health as well as financial and economic aspects. In order to improve the efficiency of buildings in Brazil in general, a performance standard was created, NBR 15.575 in which all buildings are seen in a more systemic and peculiar way, while following the requirements of the standard. The acoustic performance present in these buildings is one such requirement. Based on this, the present work was elaborated with the objective of evaluating through acoustic measurements the acoustic performance of vertical internal fences that are under the incidence of aerial noise of a building in the city of Brasilia-DF. A short theoretical basis is made and soon after the procedures of measurement are described through the control method established by the standard, and its results are evaluated according to the parameters of the same. The measurement performed between rooms of the same unit, presented a standardized sound pressure level difference (D nT, w) equal to 40 dB, thus being classified within the minimum performance required by the standard in question.Keywords: airborne noise, performance standard, soundproofing, vertical seal
Procedia PDF Downloads 2975417 Online Educational Tools and Language Teaching
Authors: Petr Sulc, Hana Maresova
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This contribution focuses on online educational tools and language teaching, specifically on literary education in a multi-user virtual environment. The goal of this contribution is to give a basic overview of online language education and teaching in a virtual environment. The main goal of the research survey is to compare language (literary) education in a virtual environment with the traditional way of teaching in a typical classroom. The research concept will be mixed: a didactic test, the grounded theory method, and semi-structured questioning will be used. Kitely’s multi-user virtual environment and printed worksheets will be used for the comparison.Keywords: online educational tools, virtual environment, virtual teaching objects, literary education, didactic test
Procedia PDF Downloads 1635416 Comparison of Machine Learning Models for the Prediction of System Marginal Price of Greek Energy Market
Authors: Ioannis P. Panapakidis, Marios N. Moschakis
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The Greek Energy Market is structured as a mandatory pool where the producers make their bid offers in day-ahead basis. The System Operator solves an optimization routine aiming at the minimization of the cost of produced electricity. The solution of the optimization problem leads to the calculation of the System Marginal Price (SMP). Accurate forecasts of the SMP can lead to increased profits and more efficient portfolio management from the producer`s perspective. Aim of this study is to provide a comparative analysis of various machine learning models such as artificial neural networks and neuro-fuzzy models for the prediction of the SMP of the Greek market. Machine learning algorithms are favored in predictions problems since they can capture and simulate the volatilities of complex time series.Keywords: deregulated energy market, forecasting, machine learning, system marginal price
Procedia PDF Downloads 2155415 Estimation of Pressure Loss Coefficients in Combining Flows Using Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Shahzad Yousaf, Imran Shafi
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This paper presents a new method for calculation of pressure loss coefficients by use of the artificial neural network (ANN) in tee junctions. Geometry and flow parameters are feed into ANN as the inputs for purpose of training the network. Efficacy of the network is demonstrated by comparison of the experimental and ANN based calculated data of pressure loss coefficients for combining flows in a tee junction. Reynolds numbers ranging from 200 to 14000 and discharge ratios varying from minimum to maximum flow for calculation of pressure loss coefficients have been used. Pressure loss coefficients calculated using ANN are compared to the models from literature used in junction flows. The results achieved after the application of ANN agrees reasonably to the experimental values.Keywords: artificial neural networks, combining flow, pressure loss coefficients, solar collector tee junctions
Procedia PDF Downloads 3905414 Centralizing the Teaching Process in Intelligent Tutoring System Architectures
Authors: Nikolaj Troels Graf Von Malotky, Robin Nicolay, Alke Martens
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There exist a plethora of architectures for ITSs (Intelligent Tutoring Systems). A thorough analysis and comparison of the architectures revealed, that in most cases the architecture extensions are evolutionary grown, reflecting state of the art trends of each decade. However, from the perspective of software engineering, the main aspect of an ITS has not been reflected in any of these architectures, yet. From the perspective of cognitive research, the construction of the teaching process is what makes an ITS 'intelligent' regarding the spectrum of interaction with the students. Thus, in our approach, we focus on a behavior based architecture, which is based on the main teaching processes. To create a new general architecture for ITS, we have to define the prerequisites. This paper analyzes the current state of the existing architectures and derives rules for the behavior of ITS. It is presenting a teaching process for ITSs to be used together with the architecture.Keywords: intelligent tutoring, ITS, tutoring process, system architecture, interaction process
Procedia PDF Downloads 3865413 The Influence of Ibuprofen, Diclofenac and Naproxen on Composition and Ultrastructural Characteristics of Atriplex patula and Spinacia oleracea
Authors: Ocsana Opris, Ildiko Lung, Maria L. Soran, Alexandra Ciorita, Lucian Copolovici
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The effects assessment of environmental stress factors on both crop and wild plants of nutritional value are a very important research topic. Continuously worldwide consumption of drugs leads to significant environmental pollution, thus generating environmental stress. Understanding the effects of the important drugs on plant composition and ultrastructural modification is still limited, especially at environmentally relevant concentrations. The aim of the present work was to investigate the influence of three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on chlorophylls content, carotenoids content, total polyphenols content, antioxidant capacity, and ultrastructure of orache (Atriplex patula L.) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.). All green leafy vegetables selected for this study were grown in controlled conditions and treated with solutions of different concentrations (0.1‒1 mg L⁻¹) of diclofenac, ibuprofen, and naproxen. After eight weeks of exposure of the plants to NSAIDs, the chlorophylls and carotenoids content were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array and mass spectrometer detectors, total polyphenols and antioxidant capacity by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. Also, the ultrastructural analyses of the vegetables were performed using transmission electron microscopy in order to assess the influence of the selected NSAIDs on cellular organisms, mainly photosynthetic organisms (chloroplasts), energy supply organisms (mitochondria) and nucleus as a cellular metabolism coordinator. In comparison with the control plants, decreases in the content of chlorophylls were observed in the case of the Atriplex patula L. plants treated with ibuprofen (11-34%) and naproxen (25-52%). Also, the chlorophylls content from Spinacia oleracea L. was affected, the lowest decrease (34%) being obtained in the case of the treatment with naproxen (1 mg L⁻¹). Diclofenac (1 mg L⁻¹) affected the total polyphenols content (a decrease of 45%) of Atriplex patula L. and ibuprofen (1 mg L⁻¹) affected the total polyphenols content (a decrease of 20%) of Spinacia oleracea L. The results obtained also indicate a moderate reduction of carotenoids and antioxidant capacity in the treated plants, in comparison with the controls. The investigations by transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that the green leafy vegetables were affected by the selected NSAIDs. Thus, this research contributes to a better understanding of the adverse effects of these drugs on studied plants. Important to mention is that the dietary intake of these drugs contaminated plants, plants with important nutritional value, may also presume a risk to human health, but currently little is known about the fate of the drugs in plants and their effect on or risk to the ecosystem.Keywords: abiotic stress, green leafy vegetables, pigments content, ultra structure
Procedia PDF Downloads 1255412 Traffic Light Detection Using Image Segmentation
Authors: Vaishnavi Shivde, Shrishti Sinha, Trapti Mishra
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Traffic light detection from a moving vehicle is an important technology both for driver safety assistance functions as well as for autonomous driving in the city. This paper proposed a deep-learning-based traffic light recognition method that consists of a pixel-wise image segmentation technique and a fully convolutional network i.e., UNET architecture. This paper has used a method for detecting the position and recognizing the state of the traffic lights in video sequences is presented and evaluated using Traffic Light Dataset which contains masked traffic light image data. The first stage is the detection, which is accomplished through image processing (image segmentation) techniques such as image cropping, color transformation, segmentation of possible traffic lights. The second stage is the recognition, which means identifying the color of the traffic light or knowing the state of traffic light which is achieved by using a Convolutional Neural Network (UNET architecture).Keywords: traffic light detection, image segmentation, machine learning, classification, convolutional neural networks
Procedia PDF Downloads 1735411 Comparison of Different Data Acquisition Techniques for Shape Optimization Problems
Authors: Attila Vámosi, Tamás Mankovits, Dávid Huri, Imre Kocsis, Tamás Szabó
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Non-linear FEM calculations are indispensable when important technical information like operating performance of a rubber component is desired. Rubber bumpers built into air-spring structures may undergo large deformations under load, which in itself shows non-linear behavior. The changing contact range between the parts and the incompressibility of the rubber increases this non-linear behavior further. The material characterization of an elastomeric component is also a demanding engineering task. The shape optimization problem of rubber parts led to the study of FEM based calculation processes. This type of problems was posed and investigated by several authors. In this paper the time demand of certain calculation methods are studied and the possibilities of time reduction is presented.Keywords: rubber bumper, data acquisition, finite element analysis, support vector regression
Procedia PDF Downloads 4715410 Differences in Word Choice between Male and Female Translators: Analyzing Persian Translations of “A Man Called Ove”
Authors: Roya Alipour
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The present study concentrates on answering the question of whether there are unintentional differences between genders in the translation of emotive and non-emotive texts, resulting in female translators preferring more expressive words when translating emotive texts in comparison to their male counterparts. The works of four translators, two males and two females, who had translated Fredrik Backman’s novel: A Man Called Ove, from English into Persian were used as samples of the study. To answer the research question, qualitative method was used, and the data were collected by analyzing some words, phrases and sentences as the bases for analysis. It was concluded that although there were obvious differences in word choice in translations, no specific pattern was found that showed gender might affect translation of emotive and non-emotive texts.Keywords: translation, gender, word choice, translator, A Man Called Ove
Procedia PDF Downloads 805409 ANSYS Investigation on Stability and Performance of a Solar Driven Inline Alpha Stirling Engine
Authors: Joseph Soliman, Youssef Attia, Khairy Megalla
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The stable operation of an inline Stirling engine will be achieved when both engine configurations and operating conditions are optimum. This paper presents stability and performance investigation of an inline Stirling engine using ANSYS. Dynamic motion of engine pistons such as the displacer and the power piston are both obtained. For engine design, the optimum parameters are given such as engine specifications, engine characteristics and working conditions to yield the maximum efficiency and reliability. The prototype was built and tested and it is used as a validation case. The comparison of both experimental and simulation results are provided and discussed. Results were found to be encouraging to initiate a Stirling engine project for 3 kW power output. The working fluids are air, hydrogen, nitrogen and helum.Keywords: stirling engine, solar energy, new energy, dynamic motion
Procedia PDF Downloads 4235408 Comparison of Prognostic Models in Different Scenarios of Shoreline Position on Ponta Negra Beach in Northeastern Brazil
Authors: Débora V. Busman, Venerando E. Amaro, Mattheus da C. Prudêncio
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Prognostic studies of the shoreline are of utmost importance for Ponta Negra Beach, located in Natal, Northeastern Brazil, where the infrastructure recently built along the shoreline is severely affected by flooding and erosion. This study compares shoreline predictions using three linear regression methods (LMS, LRR and WLR) and tries to discern the best method for different shoreline position scenarios. The methods have shown erosion on the beach in each of the scenarios tested, even in less intense dynamic conditions. The WLA_A with confidence interval of 95% was the well-adjusted model and calculated a retreat of -1.25 m/yr to -2.0 m/yr in hot spot areas. The change of the shoreline on Ponta Negra Beach can be measured as a negative exponential curve. Analysis of these methods has shown a correlation with the morphodynamic stage of the beach.Keywords: coastal erosion, prognostic model, DSAS, environmental safety
Procedia PDF Downloads 3355407 The International Tourists' Perception towards Satisfactions Factor and Thai Economy
Authors: Supaporn Prajongjai, Pannarungsri Inpayoung
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This research attempts to explore the perception and satisfaction of international tourists toward Thai economy, politics and Bangkok attributes. Due to tourism industry provides a high rate of revenue for Thailand, and the outcome from this business drives every section of Thailand such as business, residents’ living level. Unfortunately, some incidents in the country, such as some turmoil, have ruined the city’s image which obviously impacts to the tourism industry, the major source of revenue. The size of this research was 400 international tourists who visit Bangkok, Thailand during the 1st – 20th March 2009 and age between 20 – 65 years. The results reveal that tourists satisfy with all of Bangkok’s attributes including general attractions, heritage attraction, maintenance factors and cultural attraction. Also, tourists’ perception toward Thai politics is significantly related to their satisfaction of Bangkok’s attributes, but their perception toward Thai economy is not significantly correlated to their satisfaction of Bangkok’s attributes.Keywords: international tourists' perception, tourists' satisfactions, Thai economy, tourism destination
Procedia PDF Downloads 2545406 Microgreenspace Regeneration in an Inclusive Perspective
Authors: Li Shiyue
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In an urban built environment, urban green space is scarce, especially around old residential areas. Due to the innate design deficiency and the non-core location of these areas, they lack green space, and the recreational opportunities of the surrounding residents are not guaranteed. Micro greenspace becomes a "patch" to compensate for the urban function. To realize the renewal and transformation of micro greenspace, and make it meet the use needs of most groups, this paper introduces the concept of inclusive design. Based on relevant research at home and abroad, this paper discusses the connotation and current situation of micro greenspace. Combining with the realistic conditions of China, this paper thinks about the planning path of inclusive renewal from the aspects of selecting micro greenspace transformation potential points and exploring the key points of site renewal. Among them, the key points of site renewal are explored from five angles: land guarantee, systematic coordination, refined design, and shared space creation, to provide useful references for related research and practice.Keywords: inclusive design, micro greenspace, old city area, space renewal
Procedia PDF Downloads 665405 Shade Effect on Photovoltaic Systems: A Comparison between String and Module-Based Solution
Authors: Iyad M. Muslih, Yehya Abdellatif
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In general, shading will reduce the electrical power produced from PV modules and arrays in locations where shading is unavoidable or caused by dynamic moving parts. This reduction is based on the shade effect on the I-V curve of the PV module or array and how the DC/AC inverter can search and control the optimum value of power from this module or array configuration. This is a very complicated task due to different patterns of shaded PV modules and arrays. One solution presented by the inverter industry is to perform the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) at the module level rather than the series string level. This solution is supposed to reduce the shade effect on the total harvested energy. However, this isn’t necessarily the best solution to reduce the shade effect as will be shown in this study.Keywords: photovoltaic, shade effect, I-V curve, MPPT
Procedia PDF Downloads 4115404 Strengthening of Reinforced Concrete Beam-Column Joint by Reversible Mixed Technologies of FRP
Authors: Nasser-Eddine Attari
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After the earthquake many structures were classified as slightly damaged and, being uneconomic to replace them, at least in the short term, suitable means of repairs of the beam column joint area are being studied. Furthermore there exist a large number of buildings that need retrofitting of the joints before the next earthquake. The paper reports the results of the experimental programme, constituted of three beam-column reinforced concrete joints at a scale of one to three (1/3) tested under the effect of a pre-stressed axial load acting over the column. The beams were subjected at their ends to an alternate cyclic loading under displacement control to simulate a seismic action. Strain and cracking fields were monitored with the help a digital recording camera. Following the analysis of the results, a comparison can be made between the performances in terms of ductility, strength and mode of failure of the different strengthening solution considered.Keywords: fibrereinforced polymers, joints, reinforced concrete, beam columns
Procedia PDF Downloads 5015403 Variations in % Body Fat, the Amount of Skeletal Muscle and the Index of Physical Fitness in Relation to Sports Activity/Inactivity in Different Age Groups of the Adult Population in the Czech Republic
Authors: Hřebíčková Sylva, Grasgruber Pavel, Ondráček Jan, Cacek Jan, Kalina Tomáš
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The aim of this study was to describe typical changes in several parameters of body composition – the amount of skeletal muscle mass (SMM), % body fat (BF) and body mass index (BMI) - in selected age categories (30+ years) of men and women in the Czech Republic, depending on the degree of sports activity. Study (n = 823, M = 343, F = 480) monitored differences in BF, SM and BMI in five age groups (from 30-39 years to 70+ years). Physically inactive individuals have (p < 0.05) higher % BF in comparison with physically active individuals (29.5 ± 0.59 vs. 27 ± 0.38%), higher BMI (27.3 ± 0.32 vs. 26.1 ± 0.20 kg/m2), but lower SM (39.0 ± 0.33 vs. 40.4 ± 0.21%). The results indicate that with an increasing age, there is a trend towards increasing values of BMI and % BF, and decreasing values of SMM.Keywords: body composition, body fat, physical activity, skeletal muscle
Procedia PDF Downloads 3165402 A Comparison between Empirical and Theoretical OC Curves Related to Acceptance Sampling for Attributes
Authors: Encarnacion Alvarez, Noemı Hidalgo-Rebollo, Juan F. Munoz, Francisco J. Blanco-Encomienda
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Many companies use the technique named as acceptance sampling which consists on the inspection and decision making regarding products. According to the results derived from this method, the company takes the decision of acceptance or rejection of a product. The acceptance sampling can be applied to the technology management, since the acceptance sampling can be seen as a tool to improve the design planning, operation and control of technological products. The theoretical operating characteristic (OC) curves are widely used when dealing with acceptance sampling. In this paper, we carry out Monte Carlo simulation studies to compare numerically the empirical OC curves derived from the empirical results to the customary theoretical OC curves. We analyze various possible scenarios in such a way that the differences between the empirical and theoretical curves can be observed under different situations.Keywords: single-sampling plan, lot, Monte Carlo simulation, quality control
Procedia PDF Downloads 4665401 Strengthening Bridge Piers by Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP): A Case Study for Thuan Phuoc Suspension Bridge in Vietnam
Authors: Lan Nguyen, Lam Cao Van
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Thuan Phuoc is a suspension bridge built in Danang city, Vietnam. Because this bridge locates near the estuary, its structure has degraded rapidly. Many cracks have currently occurred on most of the concrete piers of the curved approach spans. This paper aims to present the results of diagnostic analysis of causes for cracks as well as some calculations for strengthening piers by carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). Besides, it describes how to use concrete nonlinear analysis software ATENA to diagnostically analyze cracks, strengthening designs. Basing on the results of studying the map of distributing crack on Thuan Phuoc bridge’s concrete piers is analyzed by the software ATENA is suitable for the real conditions and CFRP would be the best solution to strengthen piers in a sound and fast way.Keywords: ATENA, bridge pier strengthening, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), crack prediction analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 2425400 Numerical Simulation and Analysis on Liquid Nitrogen Spray Heat Exchanger
Authors: Wenjing Ding, Weiwei Shan, Zijuan, Wang, Chao He
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Liquid spray heat exchanger is the critical equipment of temperature regulating system by gaseous nitrogen which realizes the environment temperature in the range of -180 ℃~+180 ℃. Liquid nitrogen is atomized into smaller liquid drops through liquid nitrogen sprayer and then contacts with gaseous nitrogen to be cooled. By adjusting the pressure of liquid nitrogen and gaseous nitrogen, the flowrate of liquid nitrogen is changed to realize the required outlet temperature of heat exchanger. The temperature accuracy of shrouds is ±1 ℃. Liquid nitrogen spray heat exchanger is simulated by CATIA, and the numerical simulation is performed by FLUENT. The comparison between the tests and numerical simulation is conducted. Moreover, the results help to improve the design of liquid nitrogen spray heat exchanger.Keywords: liquid nitrogen spray, temperature regulating system, heat exchanger, numerical simulation
Procedia PDF Downloads 3265399 An Application of Geographic Information System to Select Areas for Sanitary Landfill in Bang Nok- Khwaek Municipality
Authors: Musthaya Patchanee
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The study of Sanitary landfill in Bang Nok-khwaek municipality consists of two procedures. First, to survey and create the spatial database by using physical factor, environmental factor, economical factor and social factor to follow the method of Geographic information system: GIS, second, to analyze the proper spatial for allocating the sanitary landfill in Bang Nok-khwaek municipality by using Overlay techniques to calculate the weighting linear total in Arc GIS program. The study found that there are 2.49 sq.km. proper spatial for the sanitary landfill in Bang Nok-khwaek municipals city which is 66.76% of the whole area. The highest proper spatial is 0.02 sq.km. which is 0.54%, The high proper spatial is 0.3 sq.km. which is 8.04%, the moderate spatial is 1.62 sq.km. which is 43.43% and the low proper spatial is 0.55 sq.km. which is 14.75%. These results will be used as the guideline to select the sanitary landfill area in accordance with sanitation standard for Subdistrict Administrative Organization and Subbdistrict Municipality in Samut Songkhram provice.Keywords: Geographic Information System (GIS), sanitary landfill, Bang Nok-Khwaek municipality, Subdistrict Administrative Organization
Procedia PDF Downloads 393