Search results for: structure location

Authors: Jiashu Shen

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Objectives: Spirometry is a basic reference for health evaluation which is widely used in clinical. Previous reference of spirometry is not applicable because of drastic changes of social and natural circumstance in China. A new reference values for the spirometry of the Chinese population is extremely needed. Method: Spirometric reference value was established using the statistical modeling method Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale and Shape for forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC, and maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF). Results: Data from 236,606 healthy non-smokers aged 4–90 years was collected from the MJ Health Check database. Spirometry equations for FEV1, FVC, MMEF, and FEV1/FVC were established, including the predicted values and lower limits of normal (LLNs) by sex. The predictive equations that were developed for the spirometric results elaborated the relationship between spirometry and age, and they eliminated the effects of height as a variable. Most previous predictive equations for Chinese spirometry were significantly overestimated (to be exact, with mean differences of 22.21% in FEV1 and 31.39% in FVC for males, along with differences of 26.93% in FEV1 and 35.76% in FVC for females) or underestimated (with mean differences of -5.81% in MMEF and -14.56% in FEV1/FVC for males, along with a difference of -14.54% in FEV1/FVC for females) the results of lung function measurements as found in this study. Through cross-validation, our equations were established as having good fit, and the means of the measured value and the estimated value were compared, with good results. Conclusions: Our study updates the spirometric reference equations for Chinese people of all ages and provides comprehensive values for both physical examination and clinical diagnosis.

Keywords: Chinese, GAMLSS model, reference values, spirometry

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Authors: Lexi Li, Vanessa H. K. Pang

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This study aims to demonstrate how native and learner corpora can be used to enhance modal verb treatment in EFL textbooks in mainland China. It contributes to a corpus-informed and learner-centered design of grammar presentation in EFL textbooks that enhances the authenticity and appropriateness of textbook language for target learners. The linguistic focus is will, would, can, could, may, might, shall, should, must. The native corpus is the spoken component of BNC2014 (hereafter BNCS2014). The spoken part is chosen because pedagogical purpose of the textbooks is communication-oriented. Using the standard query option of CQPweb, 5% of each of the nine modals was sampled from BNCS2014. The learner corpus is the POS-tagged Ten-thousand English Compositions of Chinese Learners (TECCL). All the essays under the 'secondary school' section were selected. A series of five secondary coursebooks comprise the textbook corpus. All the data in both the learner and the textbook corpora are retrieved through the concordance functions of WordSmith Tools (version, 5.0). Data analysis was divided into two parts. The first part compared the patterns of modal verbs in the textbook corpus and BNC2014 with respect to distributional features, semantic functions, and co-occurring constructions to examine whether the textbooks reflect the authentic use of English. Secondly, the learner corpus was analyzed in terms of the use (distributional features, semantic functions, and co-occurring constructions) and the misuse (syntactic errors, e.g., she can sings*.) of the nine modal verbs to uncover potential difficulties that confront learners. The analysis of distribution indicates several discrepancies between the textbook corpus and BNCS2014. The first four most frequent modal verbs in BNCS2014 are can, would, will, could, while can, will, should, could are the top four in the textbooks. Most strikingly, there is an unusually high proportion of can (41.1%) in the textbooks. The results on different meanings shows that will, would and must are the most problematic. For example, for will, the textbooks contain 20% more occurrences of 'volition' and 20% less of 'prediction' than those in BNCS2014. Regarding co-occurring structures, the textbooks over-represented the structure 'modal +do' across the nine modal verbs. Another major finding is that the structure of 'modal +have done' that frequently co-occur with could, would, should, and must is underused in textbooks. Besides, these four modal verbs are the most difficult for learners, as the error analysis shows. This study demonstrates how the synergy of native and learner corpora can be harnessed to improve EFL textbook presentation of modal verbs in a way that textbooks can provide not only authentic language used in natural discourse but also appropriate design tailed for the needs of target learners.

Keywords: English as Foreign Language, EFL textbooks, learner corpus, modal verbs, native corpus

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Authors: Xiang Shijie, Zhou Dong, Tian Dan

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This paper focuses on the application of real-time semantic segmentation technology in complex road condition recognition, aiming to address the critical issue of how to improve segmentation accuracy while ensuring real-time performance. Semantic segmentation technology has broad application prospects in fields such as autonomous vehicle navigation and remote sensing image recognition. However, current real-time semantic segmentation networks face significant technical challenges and optimization gaps in balancing speed and accuracy. To tackle this problem, this paper conducts an in-depth study and proposes an innovative Guided Image Reconstruction Module. By resampling high-resolution images into a set of low-resolution images, this module effectively reduces computational complexity, allowing the network to more efficiently extract features within limited resources, thereby improving the performance of real-time segmentation tasks. In addition, a dual-branch network structure is designed in this paper to fully leverage the advantages of different feature layers. A novel Hybrid Attention Mechanism is also introduced, which can dynamically capture multi-scale contextual information and effectively enhance the focus on important features, thus improving the segmentation accuracy of the network in complex road condition. Compared with traditional methods, the proposed model achieves a better balance between accuracy and real-time performance and demonstrates competitive results in road condition segmentation tasks, showcasing its superiority. Experimental results show that this method not only significantly improves segmentation accuracy while maintaining real-time performance, but also remains stable across diverse and complex road conditions, making it highly applicable in practical scenarios. By incorporating the Guided Image Reconstruction Module, dual-branch structure, and Hybrid Attention Mechanism, this paper presents a novel approach to real-time semantic segmentation tasks, which is expected to further advance the development of this field.

Keywords: hybrid attention mechanism, image reconstruction, real-time, road status recognition

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Authors: N. Dahbi, D. E. Arafah

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Cd1−xZnxS thins films have been fabricated from ZnS/CdS/ZnS multilayer thin film systems, by using the vacuum deposition method; the Rutherford back-scattering (RBS) technique have been applied in order to determine the: structure, composition, depth profile, and stoichiometric of these films. The influence of the chemical and heat treatments on the produced films also have been investigated; the RBS spectra of the films showed that homogenous Cd1−xZnxS can be synthesized with x=0.45.

Keywords: Cd1−xZnxS, chemical treatment, depth profile, heat treatment, RBS, RUMP simulation, thin film, vacuum deposition, ZnS/CdS/ZnS

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Authors: Razwan Ahmed Tanvir, Greg Speegle

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Collaborative blockchain ecosystems allow diverse groups to cooperate on tasks while providing properties such as decentralization and transaction security. We provide a model that uses a repository blockchain to manage hard forks within a collaborative system such that a single process (assuming that it has knowledge of the requirements of each fork) can access all of the blocks within the system. The repository blockchain replaces the need for Inter Blockchain Communication (IBC) within the ecosystem by navigating the networks. The resulting construction resembles a tree instead of a chain. A proof-of-concept implementation performs a depth-first search on the new structure.

Keywords: hard fork, shared governance, inter blockchain communication, blockchain ecosystem, regular research paper

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Authors: H. S. Sathish, H. S. Jagadeesh, Skanda Kumar

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Journey time and delay study is used to evaluate the quality of service, the travel time and study can also be used to evaluate the quality of traffic movement along the route and to determine the location types and extent of traffic delays. Components of delay are boarding and alighting, issue of tickets, other causes and distance between each stops. This study investigates the total journey time required to travel along the stretch and the influence the delays. The route starts from Kempegowda Bus Station to Yelahanka Satellite Station of Bangalore City. The length of the stretch is 16.5 km. Modal split analysis has been done for this stretch. This stretch has elevated highway connecting to Bangalore International Airport and the extension of metro transit stretch. From the regression analysis of total journey time it is affected by delay due to boarding and alighting moderately, Delay due to issue of tickets affects the journey time to a higher extent. Some of the delay factors affecting significantly the journey time are evident from F-test at 10 percent level of confidence. Along this stretch work trips are more prevalent as indicated by O-D study. Modal shift analysis indicates about 70 percent of commuters are ready to shift from current system to Metro Rail System. Metro Rail System carries maximum number of trips compared to private mode. Hence Metro is a highly viable choice of mode for Bangalore Metropolitan City.

Keywords: delay, journey time, modal choice, regression analysis

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Authors: Emily Saurman, David Lyle

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In Australia, a well serviced rural town might have a psychiatrist visit once-a-month with more frequent visits from a psychiatric nurse, but many have no resident access to mental health specialists. Access to specialist care, would not only reduce patient distress and benefit outcomes, but facilitate the effective use of limited resources. The Mental Health Emergency Care-Rural Access Program (MHEC-RAP) was developed to improve access to specialist emergency mental health care in rural and remote communities using telehealth technologies. However, there has been no current benchmark to gauge program efficiency or capacity; to determine whether the program activity is justifiably sufficient. The evaluation of MHEC-RAP used multiple methods and applied a modified theory of access to assess the program and its aim of improved access to emergency mental health care. This was the first evaluation of a telepsychiatry service to include a time and motion study design examining program time expenditure, efficiency, and capacity. The time and motion study analysis was combined with an observational study of the program structure and function to assess the balance between program responsiveness and efficiency. Previous program studies have demonstrated that MHEC-RAP has improved access and is used and effective. The findings from the time and motion study suggest that MHEC-RAP has the capacity to manage increased activity within the current model structure without loss to responsiveness or efficiency in the provision of care. Enhancing program responsiveness and efficiency will also support a claim of the program’s value for money. MHEC-RAP is a practical telehealth solution for improving access to specialist emergency mental health care. The findings from this evaluation have already attracted the attention of other regions in Australia interested in implementing emergency telepsychiatry programs and are now informing the progressive establishment of mental health resource centres in rural New South Wales. Like MHEC-RAP, these centres will provide rapid, safe, and contextually relevant assessments and advice to support local health professionals to manage mental health emergencies in the smaller rural emergency departments. Sharing the application of this methodology and research activity may help to improve access to and future evaluations of telehealth and telepsychiatry services for others around the globe.

Keywords: access, emergency, mental health, rural, time and motion

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Authors: Wei-Shan Wang, Klaus Vogel, Felix Gabler, Maik Wiemer, Thomas Gessner

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Metallic glasses, which are free of grain boundaries, have superior properties including large elastic limits, high strength, and excellent wear and corrosion resistance. Therefore, bulk metallic glasses (BMG) and thin film metallic glasses (TFMG) have been widely developed and investigated. Among various kinds of metallic glasses, Pd-Cu-Si TFMG, which has lower elastic modulus and better resistance of oxidation and corrosions compared to Zr- and Fe-based TFMGs, can be a promising candidate for MEMS applications. However, the study of Pd-TFMG membrane is still limited. This paper presents free-standing Pd-based metallic glass membranes with large area fabricated on wafer level for the first time. Properties of Pd-Cu-Si thin film metallic glass (TFMG) with various deposition parameters are investigated first. When deposited at 25°C, compressive stress occurs in the Pd76Cu6Si18 thin film regardless of Ar pressure. When substrate temperature is increased to 275°C, the stress state changes from compressive to tensile. Thin film stresses are slightly decreased when Ar pressure is higher. To show the influence of temperature on Pd-TFMGs, thin films without and with post annealing below (275°C) and within (370°C) supercooled liquid region are investigated. Results of XRD and TEM analysis indicate that Pd-TFMGs remain amorphous structure with well-controlled parameters. After verification of amorphous structure of the Pd-TFMGs, free-standing Pd-Cu-Si membranes were fabricated by depositing Pd-Cu-Si thin films directly on 200nm-thick silicon nitride membranes, followed by post annealing and dry etching of silicon nitride layer. Post annealing before SiNx removal is used to further release internal stress of Pd-TFMGs. The edge length of the square membrane ranges from 5 to 8mm. The effect of post annealing on Pd-Cu-Si membranes are discussed as well. With annealing at 370°C for 5 min, Pd-MG membranes are fully distortion-free after removal of SiNx layer. Results show that, by introducing annealing process, the stress-relief, distortion-free Pd-TFMG membranes with large area can be a promising candidate for sensing applications such as pressure and gas sensors.

Keywords: amorphous alloy, annealing, metallic glasses, TFMG membrane

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Authors: A. Fakhri Makram, Marwa S. Alwazni, Al-Douri Yarub, Evan T. Salim, Hashim Uda, Chin C. Woei

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Lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) nanostructures are prepared on quartz substrate by the sol-gel method. They have been deposited with different molarity concentration and annealed at 500°C. These samples are characterized and analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The measured results showed an importance increasing in molarity concentrations that indicate the structure starts to become crystal, regular, homogeneous, well crystal distributed, which made it more suitable for optical waveguide application.

Keywords: lithium niobate, morphological properties, thin film, pechini method, XRD

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Authors: Banu Karasah, Derya Sarı

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Nature changes as a result of human necessities constantly. This change mostly feels in natural water sources which are reconstructed with an effect of dams and motorways. On the other hand, dams and motorways demolish and re-shape nature while the visual quality of landscape gets a new character. Changing and specialization new landscapes will be very important to protection-usage balance to explore sustainable usage facilities. The main cause of the selection of Artvin city is, it has very important geographical location and one of the most attraction points in the World with its biodiversity, conservation areas and natural landscape characteristics. Coruh River is one of the most significant landscape identity element of Artvin. This river begins with Erzurum and falls into the Black Sea in Batumi in Georgia, many dams, and hydroelectric station are located during this basin. Borcka, Muratli and Deriner dams have already been built. Moreover, Deriner is 6th highest dams all over the world. As a result of dams, motorways route were re-shaped and the ways which have already changed because of elevation is directly affected several of natural destruction. In contrast, many different reservoirs in Coruh Basin provide new vista point that has high visual quality. In this study, we would like to evaluate with sustainable landscape design in 76 km river corridor, which is mainly based on Deriner, Borcka and Muratli Dams and determination of their basin-lakes recreational potential and opportunities. Lastly, we are going to give some suggestion about the potential of the corridor.

Keywords: Artvin, dam reservoirs, landscape assessment, river corridor, visual quality

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Authors: Le Kang

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According to the nature of the university, as a free and responsible academic community, USR is based on a different foundation —academic responsibility, so the Pyramid and the IC Model of CSR could not fully explain the most distinguished feature of USR. This paper sought to put forward a new model— Ferris Wheel Model, to illustrate the nature of USR and the process of achievement. The Ferris Wheel Model of USR shows the university creates a balanced, fairness and neutrality systemic structure to afford social responsibilities; that makes the organization could obtain a synergistic effect to achieve more extensive interests of stakeholders and wider social responsibilities.

Keywords: USR, achievement model, ferris wheel model, social responsibilities

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Authors: Brouri Adil, Giri Fouad

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The problem of identifying Wiener-Hammerstein systems is addressed in the presence of two linear subsystems of structure totally unknown. Presently, the nonlinear element is allowed to be noninvertible. The system identification problem is dealt by developing a two-stage frequency identification method such a set of points of the nonlinearity are estimated first. Then, the frequency gains of the two linear subsystems are determined at a number of frequencies. The method involves Fourier series decomposition and only requires periodic excitation signals. All involved estimators are shown to be consistent.

Keywords: Wiener-Hammerstein systems, Fourier series expansions, frequency identification, automation science

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Authors: Olufunmilola A. Abiodun, Adegbola O. Dauda, Ayobami Ojo, Samson A. Oyeyinka

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Blighia sapida (Ackee) seed is a neglected and under-utilised crop. The fruit is cultivated for the aril which is used as meat substitute in soup while the seed is discarded. The seed is toxic due to the presence of hypoglycin which causes vomiting and death. The seed is shining black and bigger than the legume seeds. The seed contains high starch content which could serve as a cheap source of starch hereby reducing wastage of the crop during its season. Native starch had limitation in their use; therefore, modification of starch had been reported to improve the functional properties of starches. Therefore, this work determined the effect of modification on the properties of Blighia sapida seed starch. Blighia sapida seed was dehulled manually, milled and the starch extracted using standard method. The starch was subjected to modification using four methods (acid, alkaline, oxidized and acetylated methods). The morphological structure, form factor, granule size, amylose, swelling power, hypoglycin and pasting properties of the starches were determined. The structure of Blighia sapida using light microscope showed that the seed starch demonstrated an oval, round, elliptical, dome-shaped and also irregular shape. The form factors of the starch ranged from 0.32-0.64. Blighia sapida seed starches were smaller in granule sizes ranging from 2-6 µm. Acid modified starch had the highest amylose content (24.83%) and was significantly different ( < 0.05) from other starches. Blighia sapida seed starches showed a progressive increase in swelling power as temperature increased in native, acidified, alkalized, oxidized and acetylated starches but reduced with increasing temperature in pregelatinized starch. Hypoglycin A ranged from 3.89 to 5.74 mg/100 g with pregelatinized starch having the lowest value and alkalized starch having the highest value. Hypoglycin B ranged from 7.17 to 8.47 mg/100 g. Alkali-treated starch had higher peak viscosity (3973 cP) which was not significantly different (p > 0.05) from the native starch. Alkali-treated starch also was significantly different (p > 0.05) from other starches in holding strength value while acetylated starch had higher breakdown viscosity (1161.50 cP). Native starch was significantly different (p > 0.05) from other starches in final and setback viscosities. Properties of Blighia sapida modified starches showed that it could be used as a source of starch in food and other non-food industries and the toxic compound found in the starch was very low when compared to lethal dosage.

Keywords: Blighia sapida seed, modification, starch, hypoglycin

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Authors: Eğinç Simay Ertürk, Ferhan Gezi̇ci̇

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The decline of large cities and the rise of second-tier cities have been observed as a global trend with significant implications for economic development and urban planning. In this context, the concepts of agglomeration shadow and borrowed size have gained importance as network externalities that affect the growth and development of surrounding areas. Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara are Turkey's most significant metropolitan cities and play a significant role in the country's economy. The surrounding cities rely on these metropolitan cities for economic growth and development. However, the concentration of resources and investment in a single location can lead to agglomeration shadows in the surrounding areas. On the other hand, network connectivity between metropolitan and second-tier cities can result in borrowed function and performance, enabling smaller cities to access resources, investment, and knowledge they would not otherwise have access. The study hypothesizes that the network connectivity between second-tier and metropolitan cities in Turkey enables second-tier cities to increase their urban performance by borrowing size through these networks. Regression analysis will be used to identify specific network connectivity parameters most strongly associated with urban performance. Network connectivity will be measured with parameters such as transportation nodes and telecommunications infrastructure, and urban performance will be measured with an index, including parameters such as employment, education, and industry entrepreneurship, with data at the province levels. The contribution of the study lies in its research on how networking can benefit second-tier cities in Turkey.

Keywords: network connectivity, borrowed size, agglomeration shadow, secondary cities

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Authors: Rickard Grassman

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In this paper, Lacanian theory will be used to illustrate the way discourses interact with the material by way of reifying antagonisms to shape our sense of identities in and around organizations. The ability to ‘sustain the loss’ is, in this view, the common structure here discerned in the very texture of a discourse, which reifies ‘lack’ as an ontological condition into something contingently absent (loss) that the subject hopes to overcome (desire). These fundamental human tendencies of identification are illustrated in the paper by examples drawn from history, cinema, and literature. Turning to a select sample of empirical accounts from a management consultancy firm, it is argued that this ‘sustaining the loss’ operates in discourse to enact identification in an organizational context.

Keywords: Lacan, identification, discourse, desire, loss

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Authors: Ufuk Tosun, Reza Aghazadeh, Mehmet Bülent Özer

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This study puts forward a method to analyze the sloshing characteristics of liquid in a tuned sloshing absorber system by using image processing tools. Tuned sloshing vibration absorbers have recently attracted researchers’ attention as a seismic load damper in constructions due to its practical and logistical convenience. The absorber is liquid which sloshes and applies a force in opposite phase to the motion of structure. Experimentally characterization of the sloshing behavior can be utilized as means of verifying the results of numerical analysis. It can also be used to identify the accuracy of assumptions related to the motion of the liquid. There are extensive theoretical and experimental studies in the literature related to the dynamical and structural behavior of tuned sloshing dampers. In most of these works there are efforts to estimate the sloshing behavior of the liquid such as free surface motion and total force applied by liquid to the wall of container. For these purposes the use of sensors such as load cells and ultrasonic sensors are prevalent in experimental works. Load cells are only capable of measuring the force and requires conducting tests both with and without liquid to obtain pure sloshing force. Ultrasonic level sensors give point-wise measurements and hence they are not applicable to measure the whole free surface motion. Furthermore, in the case of liquid splashing it may give incorrect data. In this work a method for evaluating the sloshing wave height by using camera records and image processing techniques is presented. In this method the motion of the liquid and its container, made of a transparent material, is recorded by a high speed camera which is aligned to the free surface of the liquid. The video captured by the camera is processed frame by frame by using MATLAB Image Processing toolbox. The process starts with cropping the desired region. By recognizing the regions containing liquid and eliminating noise and liquid splashing, the final picture depicting the free surface of liquid is achieved. This picture then is used to obtain the height of the liquid through the length of container. This process is verified by ultrasonic sensors that measured fluid height on the surface of liquid.

Keywords: fluid structure interaction, image processing, sloshing, tuned liquid damper

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Authors: Aisha Ganash

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Poly(o-phenylendiamine) and poly(ophenylendiamine)/ZnO(PoPd/ZnO) nanocomposites coating were prepared on type-304 austenitic stainless steel (SS) using H2SO4 acid as electrolyte by potentiostatic methods. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques were used to characterize the composition and structure of PoPd/ZnO nanocomposites. The corrosion protection of polymer coatings ability was studied by Eocp-time measurement, anodic and cathodic potentiodynamic polarization and Impedance techniques in 3.5% NaCl as a corrosive solution. It was found that ZnO nanoparticles improve the barrier and electrochemical anticorrosive properties of poly(o-phenylendiamine).

Keywords: anticorrosion, conducting polymers, electrochemistry, nanocomposites

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Authors: Samir Lecheb, Ahmed Chellil, Hamza Mechakra, Brahim Safi, Houcine Kebir

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In this paper we studied fracture and dynamic behavior of vertical axis wind turbine blade, the VAWT is a historical machine, it has many properties, structure, advantage, component to be able to produce the electricity. We modeled the blade design then imported to Abaqus software for analysis the modes shapes, frequencies, stress, strain, displacement and stress intensity factor SIF, after comparison we chose the idol material. Finally, the CTS test of glass epoxy reinforced polymer plates to obtain the material fracture toughness Kc.

Keywords: blade, crack, frequency, material, SIF

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Authors: Annisa D. Febryandini

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Annexation is a typical construction that commonly used in Arabic language. The use of the construction appears in Arabic speech such as the speech of Thariq bin Ziyad. The speech as one of the most famous speeches in the history of Islam uses many annexations. This qualitative research paper uses the secondary data by library method. Based on the data, this paper concludes that the speech has two basic structures with some variations and has some grammatical relationship. Different from the other researches that identify the speech in sociology field, the speech in this paper will be analyzed in linguistic field to take a look at the structure of its annexation as well as the grammatical relationship.

Keywords: annexation, Thariq bin Ziyad, grammatical relationship, Arabic syntax

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Authors: Majid Haghshenas, James Wilson, Ranganathan Kumar

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In this study, an Algebraic Coupled Level Set-Volume of Fluid (A-CLSVOF) method with capillary pressure treatment is proposed for the modeling of two-phase capillary flows. The Volume of Fluid (VOF) method is utilized to incorporate one-way coupling with the Level Set (LS) function in order to further improve the accuracy of the interface curvature calculation and resulting surface tension force. The capillary pressure is determined and treated independently of the hydrodynamic pressure in the momentum balance in order to maintain consistency between cell centered and interpolated values, resulting in a reduction in parasitic currents. In this method, both VOF and LS functions are transported where the new volume fraction determines the interface seed position used to reinitialize the LS field. The Hamilton-Godunov function is used with a second order (in space and time) discretization scheme to produce a signed distance function. The performance of the current methodology has been tested against some common test cases in order to assess the reduction in non-physical velocities and improvements in the interfacial pressure jump. The cases of a static drop, non-linear Rayleigh-Taylor instability and finally a droplets impact on a liquid pool were simulated to compare the performance of the present method to other well-known methods in the area of parasitic current reduction, interface location evolution and overall agreement with experimental results.

Keywords: two-phase flow, capillary flow, surface tension force, coupled LS with VOF

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Authors: Mario P. Walker, Masaaki Okuma

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Ships are subjected to motions which can disrupt on-board operations and damage equipment. Roll motion, in particular, is of great interest due to low damping conditions which may lead to capsizing. Therefore finding ways to reduce this motion is important in ship designs. Several techniques have been investigated to reduce rolling. These include the commonly used anti-roll tanks, fin stabilizers and bilge keels. However, these systems are not without their challenges. For example, water-flow in anti-roll tanks creates complications, and for fin stabilizers and bilge keels, an extremely large size is required to produce any significant damping creating operational challenges. Additionally, among these measures presented above only anti-roll tanks are effective in zero forward motion of the vessels. This paper proposes and investigates a method to reduce rolling by inducing Coriolis effect using water-flow in the radial direction. Motion in the radial direction of a rolling structure will induce Coriolis force and, depending on the direction of flow will either amplify or attenuate the structure. The system is modelled with two degrees of freedom, having rotational motion for parametric rolling and radial motion of the water-flow. Equations of motion are derived and investigated. Numerical examples are analyzed in detail. To demonstrate applicability parameters from a Ro-Ro vessel are used as extensive research have been conducted on these over the years. The vessel is investigated under free and forced roll conditions. Several models are created using various masses, heights, and velocities of water-flow at a given time. The proposed system was found to produce substantial roll reduction which increases with increase in any of the parameters varied as stated above, with velocity having the most significant effect. The proposed system provides a simple approach to reduce ship rolling. Water-flow control is very simple as the water flows in only one direction with constant velocity. Only needing to control the time at which the system should be turned on or off. Furthermore, the proposed system is effective in both forward and zero forward motion of the ship, and provides no hydrodynamic drag. This is a starting point for designing an effective and practical system. For this to be a viable approach further investigations are needed to address challenges that present themselves.

Keywords: Coriolis effect, damping, rolling, water-flow

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Authors: Apityan Tume, Sefater Gbashi, Stephanie Dillon

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The present study was aimed at investigating the weaning knowledge, attitudes and practices among mothers with infants in Benue and Zamfara States, Nigeria. A questionnaire consisting of both open and close-ended questions was adopted for this study. Socio-demographic information was captured with this questionnaire. This is in addition to capturing data linked to respondents' knowledge and attitude to weaning and the weaning practice itself. 400 questionnaires were distributed, and 329 was filled and returned. Results obtained from the study revealed that the mother's location; mother's level of education, her occupation, her age; and her level of education would have an effect on her practice of and attitude to weaning. Essentially, mothers based in Zamfara who were full-time housewives, tailor or trader were more likely to start weaning at a later age than mothers who have the same occupation but based in Benue. Furthermore, the results revealed mothers who were uneducated and based in Zamfara were more likely to wean their babies later than the uneducated mothers, mothers educated to primary, secondary or tertiary level based in Benue. It was also evident that mothers who were low-income earners and based in Zamfara were more likely to start weaning later than the low, average or high-income earning mothers in Benue. Moreover, younger mothers in Zamfara age 20-25 years were more likely to start weaning later than mothers of other age groups. In overall, mothers had a good understanding of best practices with regards to weaning. Notwithstanding, mothers could be further encouraged and educated about the advantages of exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices as well as the benefits therein to enhance the healthy growth of the children.

Keywords: breastfeeding, complementary feeding, socio-demographic, weaning

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Authors: Mohamed Abdelmounim Bakkali, Mustapha El Mataouy, Abellatif Aaliti, Mouhamed Khaddor

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In the paper, we study the effects of introducing hafnium oxide on Raman spectra of silica glass planar waveguide activated by 0.3 mol% Er3+ ions. This work compares Raman spectra measured for three thin films deposited on silicon substrate. The films were prepared with different molar ratio of Si/Hf using sol-gel method and deposited by dip coating technique. The effect of hafnium oxide incorporation on the waveguides shows the evolution of the structure of this material. This structural information is useful to understand the luminescence intensity by means of ion–ion interaction mechanisms.

Keywords: optical amplifiers, non-bridging oxygen, erbium, sol-gel, waveguide, silica-hafnia

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Authors: Patrick Ho

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Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (BPA) forensic evidence can be complex, requiring effective courtroom presentation to ensure clear and comprehensive understanding of the analyst’s findings. BPA witness statements can often involve reference to spatial information (such as location of rooms, objects, walls) which, when coupled with classified blood patterns, may illustrate the reconstructed movements of suspects and injured parties. However, it may be difficult to communicate this information through photography alone, despite this remaining the UK’s established method for presenting BPA evidence. Through an academic-police partnership between the University of Warwick and West Midlands Police (WMP), an integrated 3D scanning and HDR photography workflow for BPA was developed. Homicide scenes were laser scanned and, after processing, the 3D models were utilised in the BPA peer-review process. The same 3D models were made available for court but were not always utilised. This workflow has improved the ease of presentation for analysts and provided 3D scene models that assist with the investigation. However, the effects of incorporating 3D scene models in judicial processes may need to be studied before they are adopted more widely. 3D models from a simulated crime scene and West Midlands Police cases approved for conference disclosure are presented. We describe how the workflow was developed and integrated into established practices at WMP, including peer-review processes and witness statement delivery in court, and explain the impact the work has had on the Criminal Justice System in the West Midlands.

Keywords: bloodstain pattern analysis, forensic science, criminal justice, 3D scanning

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Authors: Adel Menchawy, Noha Labib

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Many cities have quarters that confer on them sense of identity and place through its cultural history. They are often vital part of the cities charm and appeal, their functional and visual qualities are important to the city’s image and identity. Brownfield sites present an important part of our built landscape. They provide tangible and intangible links to our past and have great potential to play significant roles in the future of our cities, towns and rural environments. Brownfield sites are places that were previously industrial factories or areas that might have had waste kept at that location or been exposed to many types of hazards. Thus its redevelopment revitalizes and strengthens towns and communities as it helps in economic growth, builds community pride and protects public health and the environment Three case studies are discussed in this paper; the first one is the city of Sterling which was developed and revitalized entirely and became a city with identity after it was derelict, the Second is the city of Castlefield with was a place no one was eager to visit now it became a touristic area. And finally the city of Cleveland which adopted a strategy that transferred it from being a polluted, derelict place into a mixed use development city Brownfield revitalization offers a great opportunity to transfer the city from being derelict, useless and contaminated into a place where tourists would love to come. Also it will increase the economy of the place, increase the social level, it can improve energy efficiency, reduce natural consumption, clean air, water and land and take advantage of existing buildings and sites and transfers them into an adaptive reuse after being remediated

Keywords: Brownfield Revitalization, Sustainable Brownfield, Historical conservation, Adaptive reuse

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Authors: Carine Muster, Prina Howald Erika

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Today's ice rinks are important energy consumers for the production and maintenance of ice. At the same time, users demand that the other rooms should be tempered or heated. The building complex must equally provide cooled and heated zones, which does not translate as carbon-zero ice rinks. The study provides an analysis of how the civil engineering sector can significantly impact minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and optimizing synergies across an entire ice rink complex. The analysis focused on three distinct aspects: the layout, including the volumetric layout of the premises present in an ice rink; the materials chosen that can potentially use the most ecological structural approach; and the construction methods based on innovative solutions to reduce carbon footprint. The first aspect shows that the organization of the interior volumes and defining the shape of the rink play a significant role. Its layout makes the use and operation of the premises as efficient as possible, thanks to the differentiation between heated and cooled volumes while optimising heat loss between the different rooms. The sprayed concrete method, which is still little known, proves that it is possible to achieve the strength of traditional concrete for the structural aspect of the load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls of the ice rink by using materials excavated from the construction site and providing a more ecological and sustainable solution. The installation of an empty sanitary space underneath the ice floor, making it independent of the rest of the structure, provides a natural insulating layer, preventing the transfer of cold to the rest of the structure and reducing energy losses. The addition of active pipes as part of the foundation of the ice floor, coupled with a suitable system, gives warmth in the winter and storage in the summer; this is all possible thanks to the natural heat in the ground. In conclusion, this study provides construction recommendations for future ice rinks with a significantly reduced energy demand, using some simple preliminary design concepts. By optimizing the layout, materials, and construction methods of ice rinks, the civil engineering sector can play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainability.

Keywords: climate change, energy optimization, green building, sustainability

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Authors: Robert Gold

Abstract:

Control flow graphs are a well-known representation of the sequential control flow structure of programs with a multitude of applications. Not only single functions but also sets of functions or complete programs can be modelled by control flow graphs. In this case the size of the graphs can grow considerably and thus makes it difficult for software engineers to analyse the control flow. Graph reductions are helpful in this situation. In this paper we define reductions to subsets of nodes. Since executions of programs are represented by paths through the control flow graphs, paths should be preserved. Furthermore, the composition of reductions makes a stepwise analysis approach possible.

Keywords: control flow graph, graph reduction, software engineering, software applications

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Authors: Kusmayadi Ita Nursita, Sundoro Ali

Abstract:

Cleft lip and palate are one of the most common congenital abnormalities in the face. It could happen to anyone, but mostly affect Asian population including Indonesia. Factors that influence the occurrence of cleft lip and palate vary from genetic to environmental factors. Children with cleft lip and palate will often have various problems such as airway disorders, eating disorders, speech and language developmental disorders, hearing disorders and psycho-social disorders, one of which is caused by appearance disorders. During his life, the child will experience multidisciplinary surgery and non-surgical treatment and can be accompanied by a psychological and financial burden on himself and his family. In Indonesia, there are no detailed scientific data on the prevalence and characteristic of cleft lip and palate patients. It was mainly caused by the absence of a national level organization, differences in geographical location, and the absence of national guidelines. This study aimed to describe the characteristic and prevalence of cleft lip and palate patients in Bandung Cleft Lip and Palate Center from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2017. A total of 560 patients were included in the study. The highest percentage of cases are left unilateral cleft lip and palate with higher number of female patient and labioplasty as the most often surgical procedure to be conducted in Bandung Cleft Lip and Palate Center. In order to improve quality of life in patients with cleft lip and palate, early recognition and early treatment based on actual comprehensive data should be conducted. The data from Bandung Cleft Lip and Palate Center as one of the largest center of cleft lip and palate in West Java Indonesia hopefully could provide a big step of further comprehensive data collection in Indonesia and for the better overall management of cleft lip and palate in the future.

Keywords: cleft lip, cleft palate, characteristic, prevalence

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Authors: Piotr Jablonski, Krzysztof Mars, Wiktor Niemiec, Agnieszka Kyziol, Marek Hebda, Halina Krawiec, Karol Kyziol

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NiTi alloys, possessing unique mechanical properties such as pseudoelasticity and shape memory effect (SME), are suitable for many applications, including implanthology and biomedical devices. Additionally, these alloys have similar values of elastic modulus to those of human bones, what is very important in orthopedics. Unfortunately, the environment of physiological fluids in vivo causes unfavorable release of Ni ions, which in turn may lead to metalosis as well as allergic reactions and toxic effects in the body. For these reasons, the surface properties of NiTi alloys should be improved to increase corrosion resistance, taking into account biological properties, i.e. excellent biocompatibility. The prospective in this respect are layers based on DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) structures, which are an attractive solution for many applications in implanthology. These coatings (DLC), usually obtained by PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) and PA CVD (Plasma Activated Chemical Vapour Deposition) methods, can be also modified by doping with other elements like silicon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, titanium and silver. These methods, in combination with a suitably designed structure of the layers, allow the possibility co-decide about physicochemical and biological properties of modified surfaces. Mentioned techniques provide specific physicochemical properties of substrates surface in a single technological process. In this work, the following types of layers based on DLC structures (incl. Si-DLC or Si/N-DLC) were proposed as prospective and attractive approach in surface functionalization of shape memory alloy. Nitinol substrates were modified in plasma conditions, using RF CVD (Radio Frequency Chemical Vapour Deposition). The influence of plasma treatment on the useful properties of modified substrates after deposition DLC layers doped with silica and/or nitrogen atoms, as well as only pre-treated in O2 NH3 plasma atmosphere in a RF reactor was determined. The microstructure and topography of the modified surfaces were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Furthermore, the atomic structure of coatings was characterized by IR and Raman spectroscopy. The research also included the evaluation of surface wettability, surface energy as well as the characteristics of selected mechanical and biological properties of the layers. In addition, the corrosion properties of alloys after and before modification in the physiological saline were also investigated. In order to determine the corrosion resistance of NiTi in the Ringer solution, the potentiodynamic polarization curves (LSV – Linear Sweep Voltamperometry) were plotted. Furthermore, the evolution of corrosion potential versus immersion time of TiNi alloy in Ringer solution was performed. Based on all carried out research, the usefullness of proposed modifications of nitinol for medical applications was assessed. It was shown, inter alia, that the obtained Si-DLC layers on the surface of NiTi alloy exhibit a characteristic complex microstructure, increased surface development, which is an important aspect in improving the osteointegration of an implant. Furthermore, the modified alloy exhibits biocompatibility, the transfer of the metal (Ni, Ti) to Ringer’s solution is clearly limited.

Keywords: bioactive coatings, corrosion resistance, doped DLC structure, NiTi alloy, RF CVD

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Authors: Hsiu-Ling Hsu, En-Minh (John) Lan

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Pronunciation has received more and more language researchers’ and teachers’ attention because it is important for effective or even successful communication. How to consistently and correctly orally produce verbal morphology, such as English regular past tense inflection, has been a big challenge and troublesome for FL learners. The research aims to explore EFL (English as a foreign language) learners’ developmental trajectory of the inflectional morphology, that is, what mediating processes and strategies EFL learners use, to attain native-like prosodic structure of inflectional morphemes (e.g., –ed and –s suffixes) by comparing the differences among EFL learners at different English levels. This research adopted a self-repair analysis and Prosodic Transfer Hypothesis with three developmental stages as a theoretical framework. To answer the research questions, we conducted two experiments, grammatical tense test written production (Experiment 1) and read-aloud oral production (Experiment 2), and recruited 30 participants who were divided into three groups, low-, middle-, and advanced EFL learners. Experiment 1 was conducted to ensure that participants had learned the knowledge of forming the English regular past tense rules and Experiment 2 was carried out to compare the data across FL English learner groups at different English levels. The EFL learners’ self-repair data showed at least four interesting findings. First, low achievers were more sensitive to the plural suffix -s than the past tense suffix -ed. Middle achievers exhibited a greater responsiveness to the past tense suffix, while high achievers demonstrated equal sensitivity to both suffixes. Additionally, two strategies used by EFL English learners to produce verbs and nouns with inflectional morphemes were to delete internal syllable and to divide a four-syllable verb (e.g., ‘graduated’) into two prosodic structures (e.g., ‘gradu’ and ‘ated’ or ‘gradua’ and ‘ted’). Third, true vowel epenthesis was found only in the low EFL achievers. Moreover fortition (native-like sound) was observed in the low and middle EFL achievers. These findings and self-repair data disclosed mediating processes between the developmental stages and provided insight on how Taiwan EFL learners attained the adjunction prosodic structures of inflectional Morphemes in English.

Keywords: inflectional morphology, prosodic structure, developmental trajectory, strategies and mediating processes, English as a foreign language

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