Search results for: blocked-off solution procedure

Authors: Gajaanuja Megalathan, Banuka Athuraliya

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Crime is one of our society's most intimidating and threatening challenges. With the majority of the population residing in cities, many experts and data provided by local authorities suggest a rapid increase in the number of crimes committed in these cities in recent years. There has been an increasing graph in the crime rates. People living in Sri Lanka have the right to know the exact crime rates and the crime rates in the future of the place they are living in. Due to the current economic crisis, crime rates have spiked. There have been so many thefts and murders recorded within the last 6-10 months. Although there are many sources to find out, there is no solid way of searching and finding out the safety of the place. Due to all these reasons, there is a need for the public to feel safe when they are introduced to new places. Through this research, the author aims to develop a mobile application that will be a solution to this problem. It is mainly targeted at tourists, and people who recently relocated will gain advantage of this application. Moreover, the Arima Model combined with ANN is to be used to predict crime rates. From the past researchers' works, it is evidently clear that they haven’t used the Arima model combined with Artificial Neural Networks to forecast crimes.

Keywords: arima model, ANN, crime prediction, data analysis

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Authors: Francis O. Nwawuru, Jeremiah N. Ezeora

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In this paper, a new algorithm for solving the system of split equilibrium and fixed point problems in real Hilbert spaces is considered. The equilibrium bifunction involves a nite family of pseudo-monotone mappings, which is an improvement over monotone operators. More so, it turns out that the solution of the finite family of nonexpansive mappings. The regularized parameters do not depend on Lipschitz constants. Also, the computations of the stepsize, which plays a crucial role in the convergence analysis of the proposed method, do require prior knowledge of the norm of the involved bounded linear map. Furthermore, to speed up the rate of convergence, an inertial term technique is introduced in the proposed method. Under standard assumptions on the operators and the control sequences, using a modified Halpern iteration method, we establish strong convergence, a desired result in applications. Finally, the proposed scheme is applied to solve some optimization problems. The result obtained improves numerous results announced earlier in this direction.

Keywords: equilibrium, Hilbert spaces, fixed point, nonexpansive mapping, extragradient method, regularized equilibrium

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Authors: Kalimi Trinadh, Corinne Nouveau, A. S. Khanna, Karanveer S. Aneja, K. Ram Mohan Rao

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This study concerns improving the corrosion resistance of low alloy steel after plasma nitriding performed at variable time and temperature. Nitriding carried out in the temperature range of 450-550ᵒC for a various time period of 1-8 hrs. at 500Pa in a glow discharge plasma of H₂ and N₂ (80:20). The substrate was kept biased negatively at 250V. Following nitriding the X-ray diffraction studies shown that the phases formed were mainly γ′ (Fe₄N) and ε (Fe₂₋₃N). The ε (Fe₂₋₃N) phase found to be the dominating phase. Cross sections of the samples under scanning electron microscope point analyses revealed the presence of nitrogen in the surface region. For the assessment of corrosion resistance property, potentiodynamic polarization tests were performed in 3.5% NaCl solution. It has been shown that the plasma nitriding significantly improved the corrosion resistance when compared to the as-received steel. Furthermore, it has also been found that nitriding for 6h has more corrosion resistance than nitriding for the 8h duration. The hardness of the nitrided samples was measured by Vicker’s microhardness tester. The hardness of the nitrided steel was found to be improved much above the hardness of the steel in the as-received condition. It was found to be around two-fold of the initial hardness.

Keywords: corrosion, steel, plasma nitriding, X-ray diffraction

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Authors: Nur Aimi Syairah Mohd Abdul Alim, Azilah Ajit, A. Z. Sulaiman

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The present study aimed to investigate the effects of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) on the extraction of Vitexin and Iso-Vitexin from Ficus deltoidea plants. In recent years, ultrasound technology has been found to be a potential herbal extraction technique. The passage of ultrasound energy in a liquid medium generates mechanical agitation and other physical effects due to acoustic cavitation. The main goal is to optimised ultrasonic-assisted extraction condition providing the highest extraction yield with the most desirable antioxidant activity and stability. Thus, a series of experiments has been developed to investigate the effect of ultrasound energy on the vegetal material and the implemented parameters by using HPLC-photodiode array detection. The influences of several experimental parameters on the ultrasonic extraction of Ficus deltoidea leaves were investigated: extraction time (1-8 h), solvent-to-water ratio (1:10 to 1:50), temperature (50–100 °C), duty cycle (10–continuous sonication) and intensity. The extracts at the optimized condition were compared with those obtained by conventional boiling extraction, in terms of bioactive constituents yield and chemical composition. The compounds of interest identified in the extracts were Vitexin and Isovitexin, which possess anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties. Results showed that the main variables affecting the extraction process were temperature and time. Though in less extent, solvent-to-water ratio, duty cycle and intensity are also demonstrated to be important parameters. The experimental values under optimal conditions were in good consistent with the predicted values, which suggested that ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) is more efficient process as compared to conventional boiling extraction. It recommended that ultrasound extraction of Ficus deltoidea plants are feasible to replace the traditional time-consuming and low efficiency preparation procedure in the future modernized and commercialized manufacture of this highly valuable herbal medicine.

Keywords: Ficus, ultrasounds, vitexin, isovitexin

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Authors: Junjira Mahaboon, Anongnard Boonpak, Nattakarn Worrasan, Busma Kama, Mujalin Saikliang, Siripor Dankachatarn

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Rubber wood processing is one of the most important industries in southern Thailand. The process has several safety hazards for example unsafe wood cutting machine guarding, wood dust, noise, and heavy lifting. However, workers’ occupational health and safety measures to promote their behaviors are still limited. This quasi-experimental research was to determine factors affecting workers’ safety behaviors using theory of planned behavior after implementing job safety intervention program. The purposes were to (1) determine factors affecting workers’ behaviors and (2) to evaluate effectiveness of the intervention program. The sample of study was 66 workers from a rubber wood processing factory. Factors in the Theory of Planned Behavior model (TPB) were measured before and after the intervention. The factors of TPB included attitude towards behavior, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, intention, and behavior. Firstly, Job Safety Analysis (JSA) was conducted and Safety Standard Operation Procedures (SSOP) were established. The questionnaire was also used to collect workers’ characteristics and TPB factors. Then, job safety intervention program to promote workers’ behavior according to SSOP were implemented for a four month period. The program included SSOP training, personal protective equipment use, and safety promotional campaign. After that, the TPB factors were again collected. Paired sample t-test and independent t-test were used to analyze the data. The result revealed that attitude towards behavior and intention increased significantly after the intervention at p<0.05. These factors also significantly determined the workers’ safety behavior according to SSOP at p<0.05. However, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were not significantly changed nor related to safety behaviors. In conclusion, attitude towards behavior and workers’ intention should be promoted to encourage workers’ safety behaviors. SSOP intervention program e.g. short meeting, safety training, and promotional campaign should be continuously implemented in a routine basis to improve workers’ behavior.

Keywords: job safety analysis, rubber wood processing workers, safety standard operation procedure, theory of planned behavior

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Authors: Anuruddha Jagoda, Samiddhi Samarakoon, Anil Jasinghe

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In its simplest form, data quality can be defined as 'fitness for use' and it is a concept with multi-dimensions. Emergency Departments(ED) require information to treat patients and on the other hand it is the primary source of information regarding accidents, injuries, emergencies etc. Also, it is the starting point of various patient registries, databases and surveillance systems. This interventional study was carried out to improve data quality at the ED of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) by introducing an e health solution to improve data quality. The NHSL is the premier trauma care centre in Sri Lanka. The study consisted of three components. A research study was conducted to assess the quality of data in relation to selected five dimensions of data quality namely accuracy, completeness, timeliness, legibility and reliability. The intervention was to develop and deploy an electronic emergency department information system (eEDIS). Post assessment of the intervention confirmed that all five dimensions of data quality had improved. The most significant improvements are noticed in accuracy and timeliness dimensions.

Keywords: electronic health records, electronic emergency department information system, emergency department, data quality

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Authors: Elahe Moradi, Hossein Ali Khonakdar

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In the context of the growing interest in renewable polymers, this study presents an innovative approach to environmental conservation through the development of an eco-friendly structure. The research focused on enhancing the compatibility between two immiscible polymers, poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) nanoparticles with an epoxy functional group (Epoxy-POSS). This was achieved through a solution casting method. The study found that the modulus in the glassy region for blends containing Epoxy-POSS was significantly higher than that of the PLA/PBAT blend without Epoxy-POSS. However, in the transition and rubbery regions, the modulus of the Epoxy-POSS-containing blends was only marginally greater. From a mechanical properties’ perspective, the study demonstrated that the incorporation of POSS-EPOXY at varying concentrations enhanced the tensile strength of the PLA/PBAT blend by 30%, thereby acting as a reinforcement. This finding underscores the potential of this approach in the development of renewable polymers.

Keywords: Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, mechanical behavior, PLA, PBAT, nanocomposite

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Authors: Oluwatosin Olofintoye, Josiah Adeyemo, Gbemileke Shomade

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The relationship between rainfall and runoff is an important issue in surface water hydrology therefore the understanding and development of accurate rainfall-runoff models and their applications in water resources planning, management and operation are of paramount importance in hydrological studies. This paper reviews some of the previous works on the rainfall-runoff process modeling. The hydrologic applications of conceptual models and artificial neural networks (ANNs) for the precipitation-runoff process modeling were studied. Gradient training methods such as error back-propagation (BP) and evolutionary algorithms (EAs) are discussed in relation to the training of artificial neural networks and it is shown that application of EAs to artificial neural networks training could be an alternative to other training methods. Therefore, further research interest to exploit the abundant expert knowledge in the area of artificial intelligence for the solution of hydrologic and water resources planning and management problems is needed.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, artificial neural networks, evolutionary algorithms, gradient training method, rainfall-runoff model

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Authors: Nilesh Pancholi, Mangal Bhatt

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This paper highlights comparative results of traditional FMECA and multi-factor decision-making approach based on “Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS)” for aluminum wire rolling mill plant. The suggested study is carried out to overcome the limitations of FMECA by assigning the scores against each failure modes in crisp values to evaluate the criticalities of the failure modes without uncertainty. The primary findings of the paper are that sudden impact on the rolls seems to be most critical failure cause and high contact stresses due to rolling & sliding action of mesh to be least critical failure cause. It is suggested to modify the current control practices with proper maintenance strategy based on achieved maintainability criticality index (MCI). The outcome of the study will be helpful in deriving optimized maintenance plan to maximize the performance of continuous process industry.

Keywords: reliability, maintenance, FMECA, TOPSIS, process industry

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Authors: Ksenia Siadkowska, Tytus Tulwin, Rafał Sochaczewski

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Selecting appropriate materials is presently a complex task as material databases cover tens of thousands of different types of materials. Product designing proceeds in numerous stages and in most of them there are open questions with not only one correct solution but better and worse ones. This paper overviews the Diesel engine body construction materials mentioned in the literature and discusses a certain practical method to select materials for a cylinder head and a Diesel engine block as a prototype. The engine body, depending on its purpose, is most frequently iron or aluminum. If it is important to optimize parts to achieve low weight, aluminum alloys are usually applied, especially in the automotive and aviation industries. In the latter case, weight is even more important so new types of magnesium alloys which are even lighter than aluminum ones are developed and used. However, magnesium alloys are, for example, more flammable and not enough strong so, for safety reasons, this type of material is not used solely in engine bodies. Acknowledgement: This work has been realized in the cooperation with The Construction Office of WSK "PZL-KALISZ" S.A." and is part of Grant Agreement No. POIR.01.02.00-00-0002/15 financed by the Polish National Centre for Research and Development.

Keywords: aluminum alloy, cylinder head, Diesel engine, materials selection

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Authors: Samiul Islam Hazarika, Domngam Boje, Ananta Kumar Atta

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It is well familiar that solvents play a significant role in modern chemistry. Solvents can change the reactivity and physicochemical properties of molecules in a solution. Keeping this in mind, we have designed and synthesized a mono-triazolyl-linked pyrenyl-appended xylofuranose derivative for the detection of metal ions with changing solvent systems. The incorporation of a sugar backbone in the sensor increases the water solubility and biocompatibility. The experimental study revealed that the xylofuranose-based fluorescence probe did not exhibit any specific selectivity towards metal ions in acetonitrile (CH₃CN) solvent. Whereas, we revealed that triazole-linked pyrenyl-appended xylofuranose-based fluorescent sensor would exhibit high selectivity and sensitivity towards Au³⁺ ions in CH₃CN-H₂O (1/1, v/v) system. This observation might be explained by the viscosity and polarity differences of CH₃CN and CH₃CN-H₂O solvent systems. The formation of the sensor-Au³⁺ complex was also established by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) data of the complex.

Keywords: triazole, furanose, fluorometric, solvent dependent

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Authors: Junaid Bin Aamir, Ma Fanhua

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Methanol is one of the most suitable alternative fuels for replacing gasoline in present and future spark-ignited engines. However, for pure methanol engines, cold start problems and misfires are observed under certain operating conditions. Hydrogen provides a solution for such problems. This paper experimentally investigated the effect of hydrogen on the performance of a pure methanol SI-engine at city driving conditions (1500 rpm speed and 1.18 excess air ratio). Hydrogen was used as a part of methanol reformed syngas (67% hydrogen by volume). 4% by mass of the total methanol converted to hydrogen and other constituent gases, was used in each cycle. Port fuel injection was used to inject methanol and hydrogen-rich syngas into the 4-cylinder engine. The results indicated an increase in brake thermal efficiency up to 5% with the addition of hydrogen, a decrease in brake specific fuel consumption up to 200 g/kWh, and a decrease in exhaust gas temperature by 100°C for all mean effective pressures. Hydrogen addition also decreased harmful exhaust emissions significantly. There was a reduction in THC emissions up to 95% and CO emissions up to 50%. NOx emissions were slightly increased (up to 15%), but they can be reduced to zero by lean burn strategy.

Keywords: alternative fuels, hydrogen, methanol, performance, spark ignition engines

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Authors: Effort M. Magoso

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This study analyses urban institutional arrangements and their implications on allocation of wetlands for development purposes in Zimbabwe using a case study of Harare. It was driven by the need to get to the root of the current urban assault on wetlands. The study sought to analyse institutions that influence wetlands governance in Harare, to ascertain level of wetlands loss and to determine the adequacy of the legal and regulatory framework for governing wetlands. Theories of common property resources and of institutions are the paradigms that undergird this study. A qualitative research methodology was employed, while in-depth interviews, observations and document review were used to gather data. The study found out that unchecked infrastructure developments are taking place in the city’s wetlands. Urban institutional arrangements in Harare were exposed as having negative implications on the protection of wetlands. It is the key argument of this study that good institutional arrangements are priceless in the protection of commons such as wetlands. This study also recommends a new framework that has environmentalists and technocrats as the final decision maker in land allocation as the solution to protect wetlands from undue anthropogenic activities.

Keywords: institutional arrangements, common property resources, wetlands, institutions

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Authors: Ibrahim M. I. Hamoda, Ahmed R. Z. Baghdadi, Mohammed K. Mohamed, Nawal A. Abu-Shady

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Background: Most of patients with vestibular dysfunction suffering from balance disorders, Abnormality in balance increase effort and exertion which affect the independency, so this study might be a guide in managing balance problem and consequently improve walking with less exertion and maximum function. Purpose: to analyze and discuss the effect of transcranial magnetic therapy on balance in patients with vestibular dysfunction. Methods: forty subjects from both sexes were classified to divided randomly into two equal groups; Group I study group: this group received transcranial magnetic therapy, with a selected physical therapy program for improving balance and vestibular disorders (Balance training, Cawthorne-Cooksey Exercises) and group II (control group): this group received a selected physical therapy program as group I without transcranial magnetic therapy. This treatment procedure will be applied three times weekly for three months. The mean age was 54.53±3.44 and 55.33±2.32 years and BMI 35.7±3.03 and 35.73±1.03 kg/m2 for group I and II respectively. The Biodex Balance System, Berge balances scale (BBS) and brain MRI were used for assessment. Assessments were conducted before and after treatment. The treatment program for group I included balance training, Cawthorne-Cooksey Exercises and pulsed magnetic therapy (Parameters used in the program of 20 minutes, Intensity 2 gausses, Frequency 1 Hz). This selected program was done in approximately one hour every other day for three month. The treatment program group II Patients received the same program as group A without transcranial magnetic therapy. Results: The One-way ANOVA revealed that there were no significant differences in BBS scores, overall balance index, Anterior / posterior balance index, Medial / lateral balance index and dynamic limits of stability between both groups. Moreover, the BBS scores increased and overall balance index, Anterior / posterior balance index, Medial / lateral balance index and dynamic limits of stability decreased significantly after treatment in group I and II compared with before treatment. Interpretation/Conclusion: Adding pulsed magnetic therapy to balance training, Cawthorne-Cooksey Exercises has no effect on static and dynamic balance in patients with balance problems due to benign positional paroxysmal vertigo.

Keywords: balance, transcranial magnetic therapy, vestibular dysfunction, biomechanic

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Authors: Oladipo Jimoh Ayanda, Fashagba Mathew Olasehinde

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Pension is a post retirement benefit paid to employees after retirement to cushion the effects of severance from monthly emoluments. It serves the dual purpose of providing financial succour to retired employees as well as motivating employees currently in service to greater performance on duty. However, the scheme, as operated in Nigeria, is prone to some pitfalls such as delayed and irregular payments, inadequate budgetary provisions, employee sufferings and deaths arising from the rigors of verification exercises, among others. This necessitated the replacement of the old scheme with the contributory pension scheme through an enabling law in 2004. The implementation of the new scheme has its own challenges especially in connection with administration. These challenges pose a fundamental problem of establishing a nexus between pension benefits and work performance which represent the focus of the study. The study objectives were to: determine the effect of contributory pension scheme on employees’ performance. The study population consisted of National Universities Commission recognized public and private universities in the South West Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling method involving stratified sampling and systematic sampling was used in selecting 359 respondents while data were collected through questionnaire administration. The procedure for analyzing the data included descriptive statistic, normal distribution test and cross-tabulation (gamma coefficient). The findings of the study showed that the existence of the scheme positively enhances employees’ performance as indicated by normal distribution test with Z-score (10.169) which is greater than the table value (1.96) at 0.05 level. The study concluded that the scope for enhancing employee current job performance can be quite elastic if future retirement benefits are guaranteed through proper and efficient administration and management of the contributory pension scheme. The study recommended that certain factors such as employers’ commitment which account for different levels of confidence between public and private universities should be looked into in order to improve confidence across board while the provisions of the scheme as they affect the PFAs should be properly monitored to ensure compliance.

Keywords: pension, retirement, performance, employees, benefit

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Authors: A. H. Elkholy, D. M. Almutairi

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The successful and efficient execution of a forging process is dependent upon the correct analysis of loading and metal flow of blanks. This paper investigates the Upper Bound Technique (UBT) and its application in the analysis of open forging process when a possibility of blank bulging exists. The UBT is one of the energy rate minimization methods for the solution of metal forming process based on the upper bound theorem. In this regards, the kinematically admissible velocity field is obtained by minimizing the total forging energy rate. A computer program is developed in this research to implement the UBT. The significant advantages of this method is the speed of execution while maintaining a fairly high degree of accuracy and the wide prediction capability. The information from this analysis is useful for the design of forging processes and dies. Results for the prediction of forging loads and stresses, metal flow and surface profiles with the assured benefits in terms of press selection and blank preform design are outlined in some detail. The obtained predictions are ready for comparison with both laboratory and industrial results.

Keywords: forging, upper bound technique, metal forming, forging energy, forging die/platen

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Authors: Lam Pham, Peter Hubber, Russell Tytler

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Students’ conceptual understandings of chemistry concepts/phenomena involve capability to coordinate across the three levels of Johnston’s triangle model. This triplet model is based on reasoning about chemical phenomena across macro, sub-micro and symbolic levels. In chemistry education, there is a need for further examining inquiry-based approaches that enhance students’ conceptual learning and problem solving skills. This research adopted a directed inquiry pedagogy based on students constructing and coordinating representations, to investigate senior school students’ capabilities to flexibly move across Johnston’ levels when learning dilution and molar concentration concepts. The participants comprise 50 grade 11 and 20 grade 10 students and 4 chemistry teachers who were selected from 4 secondary schools located in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria. This research into classroom practices used ethnographic methodology, involved teachers working collaboratively with the research team to develop representational activities and lesson sequences in the instruction of a unit on solution chemistry. The representational activities included challenges (Representational Challenges-RCs) that used ‘representational tools’ to assist students to move across Johnson’s three levels for dilution phenomena. In this report, the ‘representational tool’ called ‘cross and portion’ model was developed and used in teaching and learning the molar concentration concept. Students’ conceptual understanding and problem solving skills when learning with this model are analysed through group case studies of year 10 and 11 chemistry students. In learning dilution concepts, students in both group case studies actively conducted a practical experiment, used their own language and visualisation skills to represent dilution phenomena at macroscopic level (RC1). At the sub-microscopic level, students generated and negotiated representations of the chemical interactions between solute and solvent underpinning the dilution process. At the symbolic level, students demonstrated their understandings about dilution concepts by drawing chemical structures and performing mathematical calculations. When learning molar concentration with a ‘cross and portion’ model (RC2), students coordinated across visual and symbolic representational forms and Johnson’s levels to construct representations. The analysis showed that in RC1, Year 10 students needed more ‘scaffolding’ in inducing to representations to explicit the form and function of sub-microscopic representations. In RC2, Year 11 students showed clarity in using visual representations (drawings) to link to mathematics to solve representational challenges about molar concentration. In contrast, year 10 students struggled to get match up the two systems, symbolic system of mole per litre (‘cross and portion’) and visual representation (drawing). These conceptual problems do not lie in the students’ mathematical calculation capability but rather in students’ capability to align visual representations with the symbolic mathematical formulations. This research also found that students in both group case studies were able to coordinate representations when probed about the use of ‘cross and portion’ model (in RC2) to demonstrate molar concentration of diluted solutions (in RC1). Students mostly succeeded in constructing ‘cross and portion’ models to represent the reduction of molar concentration of the concentration gradients. In conclusion, this research demonstrated how the strategic introduction and coordination of chemical representations across modes and across the macro, sub-micro and symbolic levels, supported student reasoning and problem solving in chemistry.

Keywords: cross and portion, dilution, Johnston's triangle, molar concentration, representations

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Authors: Manuela Nayantara Jeyaraj, Senuri Sucharitharathna, Chathurika Senarath, Yasanthy Kanagaraj, Indraka Udayakumara

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PostgreSQL is an Object Relational Database Management System (ORDBMS) that has been in existence for a while. Despite the superior features that it wraps and packages to manage database and data, the database community has not fully realized the importance and advantages of PostgreSQL. Hence, this research tends to focus on provisioning a better environment of development for PostgreSQL in order to induce the utilization and elucidate the importance of PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL is also known to be the world’s most elementary SQL-compliant open source ORDBMS. But, users have not yet resolved to PostgreSQL due to the facts that it is still under the layers and the complexity of its persistent textual environment for an introductory user. Simply stating this, there is a dire need to explicate an easy way of making the users comprehend the procedure and standards with which databases are created, tables and the relationships among them, manipulating queries and their flow based on conditions in PostgreSQL to help the community resolve to PostgreSQL at an augmented rate. Hence, this research under development within the context tends to initially identify the dominant features provided by PostgreSQL over its competitors. Following the identified merits, an analysis on why the database community holds a hesitance in migrating to PostgreSQL’s environment will be carried out. These will be modulated and tailored based on the scope and the constraints discovered. The resultant of the research proposes a system that will serve as a designing platform as well as a learning tool that will provide an interactive method of learning via a visual editor mode and incorporate a textual editor for well-versed users. The study is based on conjuring viable solutions that analyze a user’s cognitive perception in comprehending human computer interfaces and the behavioural processing of design elements. By providing a visually draggable and manipulative environment to work with Postgresql databases and table queries, it is expected to highlight the elementary features displayed by Postgresql over any other existent systems in order to grasp and disseminate the importance and simplicity offered by this to a hesitant user.

Keywords: cognition, database, PostgreSQL, text-editor, visual-editor

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Authors: L. Rakesh, T. Y. Heblekar

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This study entails the development and optimization of a mathematical model for a floating drum biogas reactor from first principles using thermal and empirical considerations. The model was derived on the basis of mass conservation, lumped mass heat transfer formulations and empirical biogas formation laws. The treatment leads to a system of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations whose solution mapped four-time independent controllable parameters to five output variables which adequately serve to describe the reactor performance. These equations were solved numerically using fourth order Runge-Kutta method for a range of input parameter values. Using the data so obtained an Artificial Neural Network with a single hidden layer was trained using Levenberg-Marquardt Damped Least Squares (DLS) algorithm. This network was then fine-tuned for optimal mapping by varying hidden layer size. This fast forward model was then employed as a health score generator in the Bacterial Foraging Optimization code. The optimal operating state of the simplified Biogas reactor was thus obtained.

Keywords: biogas, floating drum reactor, neural network model, optimization

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Authors: M. Velasco, D. While, P. Raju, J. Krasniewicz, A. Amini, L. Hernandez-Munoz

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Web service adaptation involves the creation of adapters that solve Web services incompatibilities known as mismatches. Since the importance of Web services adaptation is increasing because of the frequent implementation and use of online Web services, this paper presents a literature review of web services to investigate the main methods of adaptation, their theoretical underpinnings and the metrics used to measure adapters performance. Eighteen publications were reviewed independently by two researchers. We found that adaptation techniques are needed to solve different types of problems that may arise due to incompatibilities in Web service interfaces, including protocols, messages, data and semantics that affect the interoperability of the services. Although adapters are non-invasive methods that can improve Web services interoperability and there are current approaches for service adaptation; there is, however, not yet one solution that fits all types of mismatches. Our results also show that only a few research projects incorporate theoretical frameworks and that metrics to measure adapters’ performance are very limited. We conclude that further research on software adaptation should improve current adaptation methods in different layers of the service interoperability and that an adaptation theoretical framework that incorporates a theoretical underpinning and measures of qualitative and quantitative performance needs to be created.

Keywords: Web Services Adapters, software adaptation, web services mismatches, web services interoperability

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Authors: Abderafi Charki, David Bigaud

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The aim of this oral speach is to present the PVMODREL© (PhotoVoltaic MODule RELiability) new software developed in the University of Angers. This new tool permits us to evaluate the lifetime and reliability of a PV module whatever its geographical location and environmental conditions. The electrical power output of a PV module decreases with time mainly as a result of the effects of corrosion, encapsulation discoloration, and solder bond failure. The failure of a PV module is defined as the point where the electrical power degradation reaches a given threshold value. Accelerated life tests (ALTs) are commonly used to assess the reliability of a PV module. However, ALTs provide limited data on the failure of a module and these tests are expensive to carry out. One possible solution is to conduct accelerated degradation tests. The Wiener process in conjunction with the accelerated failure time model makes it possible to carry out numerous simulations and thus to determine the failure time distribution based on the aforementioned threshold value. By this means, the failure time distribution and the lifetime (mean and uncertainty) can be evaluated. An example using the damp heat test is shown to demonstrate the usefulness PVMODREL.

Keywords: lifetime, reliability, PV Module, accelerated life testing, accelerated degradation testing

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Authors: Valeria Corinaldesi, Nicola Generosi, Daniele Berdini

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In this study, wood waste from processing by-products was used by replacing natural sand for producing bio-based lightweight mortars. Manufacturers of wood products and furniture usually generate sawdust and pieces of side-cuts. These are produced by cutting, drilling, and milling operations as well. Three different percentages of substitution of quartz sand were tried: 2.5%, 5%, and 10% by volume. Wood by-products were pre-soaked in calcium hydroxide aqueous solution in order to obtain wood mineralization to avoid undesirable effects on the bio-based building materials. Bio-based mortars were characterized by means of compression and bending tests, free drying shrinkage tests, resistance to water vapour permeability, water capillary absorption, and, finally, thermal conductivity measurements. Results obtained showed that a maximum dosage of 5% wood by-products should be used in order to avoid an excessive loss of bio-based mortar mechanical strength. On the other hand, by adding the proper dosage of water-reducing admixture, adequate mechanical performance can be achieved even with 10% wood waste addition.

Keywords: bio-based mortar, energy efficiency, lightweight mortar, thermal insulation, wood waste

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Authors: Jiaqi Huang, Lu Jin

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Pervious concrete features with high water permeability rate. However, due to the lack of fine aggregates, the compressive strength is usually lower than other conventional concrete products. Optimization of pervious concrete mix design has long been recognized as an effective mechanism to achieve high compressive strength while maintaining desired permeability rate. In this paper, a Gibbs Sampling based algorithm is proposed to approximate the optimal mix design to achieve a high compressive strength of pervious concrete. We prove that the proposed algorithm efficiently converges to the set of global optimal solutions. The convergence rate and accuracy depend on a control parameter employed in the proposed algorithm. The simulation results show that, by using the proposed approach, the system converges to the optimal solution quickly and the derived optimal mix design achieves the maximum compressive strength while maintaining the desired permeability rate.

Keywords: convergence, Gibbs Sampling, high compressive strength, optimal mix design, pervious concrete

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Authors: Anna Romanova, Mojtaba Mahmoodian, Upul Chandrasekara, Morteza A. Alani

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Corrosion of concrete sewer pipes induced by sulphuric acid attack is a recognised problem worldwide, which is not only an attribute of countries with hot climate conditions as thought before. The significance of this problem is by far only realised when the pipe collapses causing surface flooding and other severe consequences. To change the existing post-reactive attitude of managing companies, easy to use and robust models are required to be developed which currently lack reliable data to be correctly calibrated. This paper focuses on laboratory experiments of establishing concrete pipe corrosion rate by submerging samples in to 0.5 pH sulphuric acid solution for 56 days under 10ºC, 20ºC and 30ºC temperature regimes. The result showed that at very early stage of the corrosion process the samples gained overall mass, at 30ºC the corrosion progressed quicker than for other temperature regimes, however with time the corrosion level for 10ºC and 20ºC regimes tended towards those at 30ºC. Overall, at these conditions the corrosion rates of 10 mm/year, 13,5 mm/year, and 17 mm/year were observed.

Keywords: sewer pipes, concrete corrosion, sulphuric acid, concrete coupons, corrosion rate

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Authors: Jamshaid ul Rahman, Akhter Ali, Adnan Manzoor

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Learning-based systems have received increasing interest in recent years; recognition structures, including end-to-end speak recognition, are one of the hot topics in this area. A famous work on end-to-end speaker verification by using Angular Softmax Loss gained significant importance and is considered useful to directly trains a discriminative model instead of the traditional adopted i-vector approach. The margin-based strategy in angular softmax is beneficial to learn discriminative speaker embeddings where the random selection of margin values is a big issue in additive angular margin and multiplicative angular margin. As a better solution in this matter, we present an alternative approach by introducing a bit similar form of an additive parameter that was originally introduced for face recognition, and it has a capacity to adjust automatically with the corresponding margin values and is applicable to learn more discriminative features than the Softmax. Experiments are conducted on the part of Fisher dataset, where it observed that the additive parameter with angular softmax to train the front-end and probabilistic linear discriminant analysis (PLDA) in the back-end boosts the performance of the structure.

Keywords: additive parameter, angular softmax, speaker verification, PLDA

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Authors: D. Kari Basavaraja, M. G. Skanda, C. Soumya, V. Ramesh

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This paper discusses the effects of sodium hypophosphite concentration, pH, and temperature on deposition rate. This paper also discusses the evaluation of coating strength, surface, and subsurface by varying the bath parameters, percentage of phosphate, plating temperature, and pH of the plating solution. Taguchi technique has been used for the analysis. In the experiment, nickel chloride which is a source of nickel when mixed with sodium hypophosphite has been used as the reducing agent and the source of phosphate and sodium hydroxide has been used to vary the pH of the coating bath. The coated samples are tested for impact energy by conducting impact test. Finally, the effects of coating bath parameters on the impact energy absorbed have been plotted, and analysis has been carried out. Further, percentage contribution of coating bath parameters using Design of Experiments approach (DOE) has been analysed. Finally, it can be concluded that the bath parameters of the Ni-P coating will certainly influence on the strength of the specimen.

Keywords: bath parameters, coatings, design of experiment, fracture toughness, impact strength

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Authors: Ava Zarif Sanayei, Sedigheh Sina

Abstract:

Interventional radiology (IR) uses imaging guidance, including X-rays and CT scans, to deliver therapy precisely. Most IR procedures are performed under local anesthesia and start with a small needle being inserted through the skin, which may be called pinhole surgery or image-guided surgery. There is increasing concern about radiation exposure during interventional radiology procedures due to procedure complexity. The basic aim of optimizing radiation protection as outlined in ICRP 139, is to strike a balance between image quality and radiation dose while maximizing benefits, ensuring that diagnostic interpretation is satisfactory. This study aims to estimate the equivalent doses to the main trunk of the body for the Interventional radiologist and Superintendent using LiF: Mg, Ti (TLD-100) chips at the IR department of a hospital in Shiraz, Iran. In the initial stage, the dosimeters were calibrated with the use of various phantoms. Afterward, a group of dosimeters was prepared, following which they were used for three months. To measure the personal equivalent dose to the body, three TLD chips were put in a tissue-equivalent batch and used under a protective lead apron. After the completion of the duration, TLDs were read out by a TLD reader. The results revealed that these individuals received equivalent doses of 387.39 and 145.11 µSv, respectively. The findings of this investigation revealed that the total radiation exposure to the staff was less than the annual limit of occupational exposure. However, it's imperative to implement appropriate radiation protection measures. Although the dose received by the interventional radiologist is a bit noticeable, it may be due to the reason for using conventional equipment with over-couch x-ray tubes for interventional procedures. It is therefore important to use dedicated equipment and protective means such as glasses and screens whenever compatible with the intervention when they are available or have them fitted to equipment if they are not present. Based on the results, the placement of staff in an appropriate location led to increasing the dose to the radiologist. Manufacturing and installation of moveable lead curtains with a thickness of 0.25 millimeters can effectively minimize the radiation dose to the body. Providing adequate training on radiation safety principles, particularly for technologists, can be an optimal approach to further decreasing exposure.

Keywords: interventional radiology, personal monitoring, radiation protection, thermoluminescence dosimetry

Procedia PDF Downloads 63

Authors: Justina Jor, Mahmud Pinga

Abstract:

Climate change has become a significant worldwide environmental challenge with extensive implications, compelling both governments and non-governmental organizations to remain vigilant, as it seemingly impacts various sectors of the global economy, including education. The study investigates the implementation of smart climate change measures for effective primary school management in Benue State, Nigeria. Theorized by the diffusion of innovations, the study was guided by two research questions, and two null hypotheses were formulated and tested. The study used a descriptive survey design. The population comprised 12,364 teachers from 2,721 primary schools, with a sample of 618 teachers from 136 schools selected through a multistage sampling procedure. Smart climate change measures questionnaire (SCCMQ) and key informant interview (KII) were used for data collection. The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while the Chi-square (χ2) test of goodness-of-fit was used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance, with qualitative data analyzed using simple percentages, tables, and bar charts. The findings highlight the significant positive impact of green building practices on the efficient administration of primary schools in Benue State, Nigeria. The crucial integration of environmentally sustainable construction methods is emphasized for enhancing overall management in these educational institutions. In addition, the research demonstrates a favorable impact on the adoption of renewable energy solutions and effective school management. The utilization of renewable energy not only aligns with eco-friendly practices but also contributes to the overall operational efficiency and sustainability of primary schools in the region. The study recommends that educational authorities and policymakers prioritize integrating green building practices and renewable energy solutions, pointing towards the prospect of improved governance and functionality for primary education facilities not only in Benue but throughout Nigeria.

Keywords: smart, climate change, effective management, green building, renewable energy

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Authors: Bazilah Ismail, Muhammad Mat Naain, Ibrahim Alhamrouni, Lilik Jamilatul Awalin, Fadi Albatsh, Mohd Fairuz Abdul Hamid

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Rapid depletion and prices of the conventional energy sources have stimulated the development of the renewable energy source (RES). Due to the unpredicted and intermittent nature of RES, the hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) is the best solution to complement the nature of the respective sources, and the combination of the wind and solar energy is rapidly gaining popularity. The significant challenges on the operation and planning of the grid system with a high HRES penetration has become an important subject since the location of HRES plant give impact towards the existing system. This paper aims to propose the location of the grid connected Wind-PV hybrid plant (WPHP) based on load flow and voltage stability indices study. Several case studies are carried out using IEEE 14 bus system, and the system is modeled and tested in DigSILENT PowerFactory.

Keywords: hybrid renewable energy system, wind farm, photovoltaic system, voltage stability and load flow

Procedia PDF Downloads 317

Authors: Pedro Gómez-del-Hoyo, Jose-Luis Bárcena-Humanes, Nerea del-Rey-Maestre, María-Pilar Jarabo-Amores, David Mata-Moya

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A study of achievable coverages using passive radar systems in terrestrial traffic monitoring applications is presented. The study includes the estimation of the bistatic radar cross section of different commercial vehicle models that provide challenging low values which make detection really difficult. A semi-urban scenario is selected to evaluate the impact of excess propagation losses generated by an irregular relief. A bistatic passive radar exploiting UHF frequencies radiated by digital video broadcasting transmitters is assumed. A general method of coverage estimation using electromagnetic simulators in combination with estimated car average bistatic radar cross section is applied. In order to reduce the computational cost, hybrid solution is implemented, assuming free space for the target-receiver path but estimating the excess propagation losses for the transmitter-target one.

Keywords: bistatic radar cross section, passive radar, propagation losses, radar coverage

Procedia PDF Downloads 339