Search results for: Artificial Neural network
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International

Search results for: Artificial Neural network

A Virtual Reality Simulation Tool for Reducing the Risk of Building Content during Earthquakes

Authors: Ali Asgary, Haopeng Zhou, Ghassem Tofighi

Abstract:

Use of virtual (VR), augmented reality (AR), and extended reality technologies for training and education has increased in recent years as more hardware and software tools have become available and accessible to larger groups of users. Similarly, the applications of these technologies in earthquake related training and education are on the rise. Several studies have reported promising results for the use of VR and AR for evacuation behaviour and training under earthquake situations. They simulate the impacts that earthquake has on buildings, buildings’ contents, and how building occupants and users can find safe spots or open paths to outside. Considering that considerable number of earthquake injuries and fatalities are linked to the behaviour, our goal is to use these technologies to reduce the impacts of building contents on people. Building on our artificial intelligence (AI) based indoor earthquake risk assessment application that enables users to use their mobile device to assess the risks associated with building contents during earthquakes, we develop a virtual reality application to demonstrate the behavior of different building contents during earthquakes, their associate moving, spreading, falling, and collapsing risks, and their risk mitigation methods. We integrate realistic seismic models, building contents behavior with and without risk mitigation measures in virtual reality environment. The application can be used for training of architects, interior design experts, and building users to enhance indoor safety of the buildings that can sustain earthquakes. This paper describes and demonstrates the application development background, structure, components, and usage.

Keywords: virtual reality, earthquake damage, building content, indoor risks, earthquake risk mitigation, interior design, unity game engine, oculus

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Research on Greenway System Planning of Mountainous City: A Case Study of Chengkou County, Chongqing

Authors: Youping Huang, Yang Liu

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Mountainous cities have unique landscape relationship, topography and urban spatial pattern different from plain cities, which put forward different requirements for greenway system planning strategy. Taking the greenway planning of Chengkou County in Chongqing as an example, this paper discusses the greenway system planning strategy of mountainous cities based on urban and rural green space, urban landscape resources, human resources and other factors. Through multi-angle maintenance of landscape pattern, multi-objective integration of urban resources, multi-level construction of greenway network, and multi-interactive development control, the sustainable development of mountain city landscape resources is realized, the new urban ecology is constructed, and the quality of life of urban and rural residents is improved.

Keywords: greenway planning, mountain city, landscape pattern, cultural resources, chongqing

Procedia PDF Downloads 107
Exhaustive Study of Essential Constraint Satisfaction Problem Techniques Based on N-Queens Problem

Authors: Md. Ahsan Ayub, Kazi A. Kalpoma, Humaira Tasnim Proma, Syed Mehrab Kabir, Rakib Ibna Hamid Chowdhury

Abstract:

Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP) is observed in various applications, i.e., scheduling problems, timetabling problems, assignment problems, etc. Researchers adopt a CSP technique to tackle a certain problem; however, each technique follows different approaches and ways to solve a problem network. In our exhaustive study, it has been possible to visualize the processes of essential CSP algorithms from a very concrete constraint satisfaction example, NQueens Problem, in order to possess a deep understanding about how a particular constraint satisfaction problem will be dealt with by our studied and implemented techniques. Besides, benchmark results - time vs. value of N in N-Queens - have been generated from our implemented approaches, which help understand at what factor each algorithm produces solutions; especially, in N-Queens puzzle. Thus, extended decisions can be made to instantiate a real life problem within CSP’s framework.

Keywords: arc consistency (AC), backjumping algorithm (BJ), backtracking algorithm (BT), constraint satisfaction problem (CSP), forward checking (FC), least constrained values (LCV), maintaining arc consistency (MAC), minimum remaining values (MRV), N-Queens problem

Procedia PDF Downloads 369
Air Pollution: The Journey from Single Particle Characterization to in vitro Fate

Authors: S. Potgieter-Vermaak, N. Bain, A. Brown, K. Shaw

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It is well-known from public news media that air pollution is a health hazard and is responsible for early deaths. The quantification of the relationship between air quality and health is a probing question not easily answered. It is known that airborne particulate matter (APM) <2.5µm deposits in the tracheal and alveoli zones and our research probes the possibility of quantifying pulmonary injury by linking reactive oxygen species (ROS) in these particles to DNA damage. Currently, APM mass concentration is linked to early deaths and limited studies probe the influence of other properties on human health. To predict the full extent and type of impact, particles need to be characterised for chemical composition and structure. APMs are routinely analysed for their bulk composition, but of late analysis on a micro level probing single particle character, using micro-analytical techniques, are considered. The latter, single particle analysis (SPA), permits one to obtain detailed information on chemical character from nano- to micron-sized particles. This paper aims to provide a snapshot of studies using data obtained from chemical characterisation and its link with in-vitro studies to inform on personal health risks. For this purpose, two studies will be compared, namely, the bioaccessibility of the inhalable fraction of urban road dust versus total suspended solids (TSP) collected in the same urban environment. The significant influence of metals such as Cu and Fe in TSP on DNA damage is illustrated. The speciation of Hg (determined by SPA) in different urban environments proved to dictate its bioaccessibility in artificial lung fluids rather than its concentration.

Keywords: air pollution, human health, in-vitro studies, particulate matter

Procedia PDF Downloads 229
AI Peer Review Challenge: Standard Model of Physics vs 4D GEM EOS

Authors: David A. Harness

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Natural evolution of ATP cognitive systems is to meet AI peer review standards. ATP process of axiom selection from Mizar to prove a conjecture would be further refined, as in all human and machine learning, by solving the real world problem of the proposed AI peer review challenge: Determine which conjecture forms the higher confidence level constructive proof between Standard Model of Physics SU(n) lattice gauge group operation vs. present non-standard 4D GEM EOS SU(n) lattice gauge group spatially extended operation in which the photon and electron are the first two trace angular momentum invariants of a gravitoelectromagnetic (GEM) energy momentum density tensor wavetrain integration spin-stress pressure-volume equation of state (EOS), initiated via 32 lines of Mathematica code. Resulting gravitoelectromagnetic spectrum ranges from compressive through rarefactive of the central cosmological constant vacuum energy density in units of pascals. Said self-adjoint group operation exclusively operates on the stress energy momentum tensor of the Einstein field equations, introducing quantization directly on the 4D spacetime level, essentially reformulating the Yang-Mills virtual superpositioned particle compounded lattice gauge groups quantization of the vacuum—into a single hyper-complex multi-valued GEM U(1) × SU(1,3) lattice gauge group Planck spacetime mesh quantization of the vacuum. Thus the Mizar corpus already contains all of the axioms required for relevant DeepMath premise selection and unambiguous formal natural language parsing in context deep learning.

Keywords: automated theorem proving, constructive quantum field theory, information theory, neural networks

Procedia PDF Downloads 187
Characteristics of Tremella fuciformis and Annulohypoxylon stygium for Optimal Cultivation Conditions

Authors: Eun-Ji Lee, Hye-Sung Park, Chan-Jung Lee, Won-Sik Kong

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We analyzed the DNA sequence of the ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) region of the 18S ribosomal gene and compared it with the gene sequence of T. fuciformis and Hypoxylon sp. in the BLAST database. The sequences of collected T. fuciformis and Hypoxylon sp. have over 99% homology in the T. fuciformis and Hypoxylon sp. sequence BLAST database. In order to select the optimal medium for T. fuciformis, five kinds of a medium such as Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), Mushroom Complete Medium (MCM), Malt Extract Agar (MEA), Yeast extract (YM), and Compost Extract Dextrose Agar (CDA) were used. T. fuciformis showed the best growth on PDA medium, and Hypoxylon sp. showed the best growth on MCM. So as to investigate the optimum pH and temperature, the pH range was set to pH4 to pH8 and the temperature range was set to 15℃ to 35℃ (5℃ degree intervals). Optimum culture conditions for the T. fuciformis growth were pH5 at 25℃. Hypoxylon sp. were pH6 at 25°C. In order to confirm the most suitable carbon source, we used fructose, galactose, saccharose, soluble starch, inositol, glycerol, xylose, dextrose, lactose, dextrin, Na-CMC, adonitol. Mannitol, mannose, maltose, raffinose, cellobiose, ethanol, salicine, glucose, arabinose. In the optimum carbon source, T. fuciformis is xylose and Hypoxylon sp. is arabinose. Using the column test, we confirmed sawdust a suitable for T. fuciformis, since the composition of sawdust affects the growth of fruiting bodies of T. fuciformis. The sawdust we used is oak tree, pine tree, poplar, birch, cottonseed meal, cottonseed hull. In artificial cultivation of T. fuciformis with sawdust medium, T. fuciformis and Hypoxylon sp. showed fast mycelial growth on mixture of oak tree sawdust, cottonseed hull, and wheat bran.

Keywords: cultivation, optimal condition, tremella fuciformis, nutritional source

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Development of Noninvasive Method to Analyze Dynamic Changes of Matrix Stiffness and Elasticity Characteristics

Authors: Elena Petersen, Inna Kornienko, Svetlana Guryeva, Sergey Dobdin, Anatoly Skripal, Andrey Usanov, Dmitry Usanov

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One of the most important unsolved problems in modern medicine is the increase of chronic diseases that lead to organ dysfunction or even complete loss of function. Current methods of treatment do not result in decreased mortality and disability statistics. Currently, the best treatment for many patients is still transplantation of organs and/or tissues. Therefore, finding a way of correct artificial matrix biofabrication in case of limited number of natural organs for transplantation is a critical task. One important problem that needs to be solved is development of a nondestructive and noninvasive method to analyze dynamic changes of mechanical characteristics of a matrix with minimal side effects on the growing cells. This research was focused on investigating the properties of matrix as a marker of graft condition. In this study, the collagen gel with human primary dermal fibroblasts in suspension (60, 120, 240*103 cells/mL) and collagen gel with cell spheroids were used as model objects. The stiffness and elasticity characteristics were evaluated by a semiconductor laser autodyne. The time and cell concentration dependency of the stiffness and elasticity were investigated. It was shown that these properties changed in a non-linear manner with respect to cell concentration. The maximum matrix stiffness was observed in the collagen gel with the cell concentration of 120*103 cells/mL. This study proved the opportunity to use the mechanical properties of matrix as a marker of graft condition, which can be measured by noninvasive semiconductor laser autodyne technique.

Keywords: graft, matrix, noninvasive method, regenerative medicine, semiconductor laser autodyne

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Analysis of Truck Drivers’ Distraction on Crash Risk

Authors: Samuel Nderitu Muchiri, Tracy Wangechi Maina

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Truck drivers face a myriad of challenges in their profession. Enhancements in logistics effectiveness can be pivotal in propelling economic developments. The specific objective of the study was to assess the influence of driver distraction on crash risk. The study is significant as it elucidates best practices that truck drivers can embrace in an effort to enhance road safety. These include amalgamating behaviors that enable drivers to fruitfully execute multifaceted functions such as finding and following routes, evading collisions, monitoring speed, adhering to road regulations, and evaluating vehicle systems’ conditions. The analysis involved an empirical review of ten previous studies related to the research topic. The articles revealed that driver distraction plays a substantial role in road accidents and other crucial road security incidents across the globe. Africa depends immensely on the freight transport sector to facilitate supply chain operations. Several studies indicate that drivers who operate primarily on rural roads, such as those found in Sub-Saharan Africa, have an increased propensity to engage in distracted activities such as cell phone usage while driving. The findings also identified the need for digitalization in truck driving operations, including carrier management techniques such as fatigue management, artificial intelligence, and automating functions like cell phone usage controls. The recommendations can aid policymakers and commercial truck carriers in deepening their understanding of driver distraction and enforcing mitigations to foster road safety.

Keywords: truck drivers, distraction, digitalization, crash risk, road safety

Procedia PDF Downloads 54
Fabrication of Hybrid Scaffolds Consisting of Cell-laden Electrospun Micro/Nanofibers and PCL Micro-structures for Tissue Regeneration

Authors: MyungGu Yeo, JongHan Ha, Gi-Hoon Yang, JaeYoon Lee, SeungHyun Ahn, Hyeongjin Lee, HoJun Jeon, YongBok Kim, Minseong Kim, GeunHyung Kim

Abstract:

Tissue engineering is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary research area that may provide options for treating damaged tissues and organs. As a promising technique for regenerating various tissues, this technology requires biomedical scaffolds, which serve as an artificial extracellular matrix (ECM) to support neotissue growth. Electrospun micro/nanofibers have been used widely in tissue engineering because of their high surface-area-to-volume ratio and structural similarity to extracellular matrix. However, low mechanical sustainability, low 3D shape-ability, and low cell infiltration have been major limitations to their use. In this work, we propose new hybrid scaffolds interlayered with cell-laden electrospun micro/nano fibers and poly(caprolactone) microstructures. Also, we applied various concentrations of alginate and electric field strengths to determine optimal conditions for the cell-electrospinning process. The combination of cell-laden bioink (2 ⅹ 10^5 osteoblast-like MG63 cells/mL, 2 wt% alginate, 2 wt% poly(ethylene oxide), and 0.7 wt% lecithin) and a 0.16 kV/mm electric field showed the highest cell viability and fiber formation in this process. Using these conditions and PCL microstructures, we achieved mechanically stable hybrid scaffolds. In addition, the cells embedded in the fibrous structure were viable and proliferated. We suggest that the cell-embedded hybrid scaffolds fabricated using the cell-electrospinning process may be useful for various soft- and hard-tissue regeneration applications.

Keywords: bioink, cell-laden scaffold, micro/nanofibers, poly(caprolactone)

Procedia PDF Downloads 384
Modeling the Impact of Time Pressure on Activity-Travel Rescheduling Heuristics

Authors: Jingsi Li, Neil S. Ferguson

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Time pressure could have an influence on the productivity, quality of decision making, and the efficiency of problem-solving. This has been mostly stemmed from cognitive research or psychological literature. However, a salient scarce discussion has been held for transport adjacent fields. It is conceivable that in many activity-travel contexts, time pressure is a potentially important factor since an excessive amount of decision time may incur the risk of late arrival to the next activity. The activity-travel rescheduling behavior is commonly explained by costs and benefits of factors such as activity engagements, personal intentions, social requirements, etc. This paper hypothesizes that an additional factor of perceived time pressure could affect travelers’ rescheduling behavior, thus leading to an impact on travel demand management. Time pressure may arise from different ways and is assumed here to be essentially incurred due to travelers planning their schedules without an expectation of unforeseen elements, e.g., transport disruption. In addition to a linear-additive utility-maximization model, the less computationally compensatory heuristic models are considered as an alternative to simulate travelers’ responses. The paper will contribute to travel behavior modeling research by investigating the following questions: how to measure the time pressure properly in an activity-travel day plan context? How do travelers reschedule their plans to cope with the time pressure? How would the importance of the activity affect travelers’ rescheduling behavior? What will the behavioral model be identified to describe the process of making activity-travel rescheduling decisions? How do these identified coping strategies affect the transport network? In this paper, a Mixed Heuristic Model (MHM) is employed to identify the presence of different choice heuristics through a latent class approach. The data about travelers’ activity-travel rescheduling behavior is collected via a web-based interactive survey where a fictitious scenario is created comprising multiple uncertain events on the activity or travel. The experiments are conducted in order to gain a real picture of activity-travel reschedule, considering the factor of time pressure. The identified behavioral models are then integrated into a multi-agent transport simulation model to investigate the effect of the rescheduling strategy on the transport network. The results show that an increased proportion of travelers use simpler, non-compensatory choice strategies instead of compensatory methods to cope with time pressure. Specifically, satisfying - one of the heuristic decision-making strategies - is adopted commonly since travelers tend to abandon the less important activities and keep the important ones. Furthermore, the importance of the activity is found to increase the weight of negative information when making trip-related decisions, especially route choices. When incorporating the identified non-compensatory decision-making heuristic models into the agent-based transport model, the simulation results imply that neglecting the effect of perceived time pressure may result in an inaccurate forecast of choice probability and overestimate the affectability to the policy changes.

Keywords: activity-travel rescheduling, decision making under uncertainty, mixed heuristic model, perceived time pressure, travel demand management

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Stress-Strain Relation for Human Trabecular Bone Based on Nanoindentation Measurements

Authors: Marek Pawlikowski, Krzysztof Jankowski, Konstanty Skalski, Anna Makuch

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Nanoindentation or depth-sensing indentation (DSI) technique has proven to be very useful to measure mechanical properties of various tissues at a micro-scale. Bone tissue, both trabecular and cortical one, is one of the most commonly tested tissues by means of DSI. Most often such tests on bone samples are carried out to compare the mechanical properties of lamellar and interlamellar bone, osteonal bone as well as compact and cancellous bone. In the paper, a relation between stress and strain for human trabecular bone is presented. The relation is based on the results of nanoindentation tests. The formulation of a constitutive model for human trabecular bone is based on nanoindentation tests. In the study, the approach proposed by Olivier-Pharr is adapted. The tests were carried out on samples of trabecular tissue extracted from human femoral heads. The heads were harvested during surgeries of artificial hip joint implantation. Before samples preparation, the heads were kept in 95% alcohol in temperature 4 Celsius degrees. The cubic samples cut out of the heads were stored in the same conditions. The dimensions of the specimens were 25 mm x 25 mm x 20 mm. The number of 20 samples have been tested. The age range of donors was between 56 and 83 years old. The tests were conducted with the indenter spherical tip of the diameter 0.200 mm. The maximum load was P = 500 mN and the loading rate 500 mN/min. The data obtained from the DSI tests allows one only to determine bone behoviour in terms of nanoindentation force vs. nanoindentation depth. However, it is more interesting and useful to know the characteristics of trabecular bone in the stress-strain domain. This allows one to simulate trabecular bone behaviour in a more realistic way. The stress-strain curves obtained in the study show relation between the age and the mechanical behaviour of trabecular bone. It was also observed that the bone matrix of trabecular tissue indicates an ability of energy absorption.

Keywords: constitutive model, mechanical behaviour, nanoindentation, trabecular bone

Procedia PDF Downloads 224
When Ideological Intervention Backfires: The Case of the Iranian Clerical System’s Intervention in the Pandemic-Era Elementary Education

Authors: Hasti Ebrahimi

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This study sheds light on the challenges and difficulties caused by the Iranian clerical system’s intervention in the country’s school education during the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools remained closed for almost two years. The pandemic brought Iranian elementary school education to a standstill for almost 6 months before the country developed a nationwide learning platform – a customized television network. While the initiative seemed to have been welcomed by the majority of Iranian parents, it resented some of the more traditional strata of the society, including the influential Friday Prayer Leaders who found the televised version of the elementary education ‘less spiritual’ and ‘more ‘material’ or science-based. That prompted the Iranian Channel of Education, the specialized television network that had been chosen to serve as a nationally televised school during the pandemic, to try to redefine much of its online elementary school educational content within the religious ideology of the Islamic Republic of Iran. As a result, young clergies appeared on the television screen as preachers of Islamic morality, religious themes and even sociology, history, and arts. The present research delves into the consequences of such an intervention, how it might have impacted the infrastructure of Iranian elementary education and whether or not the new ideology-infused curricula would withstand the opposition of students and mainstream teachers. The main methodology used in this study is Critical Discourse Analysis with a cognitive approach. It systematically finds and analyzes the alternative ideological structures of discourse in the Iranian Channel of Education from September 2021 to July 2022, when the clergy ‘teachers’ replaced ‘regular’ history and arts teachers on the television screen for the first time. It has aimed to assess how the various uses of the alternative ideological discourse in elementary school content have influenced the processes of learning: the acquisition of knowledge, beliefs, opinions, attitudes, abilities, and other cognitive and emotional changes, which are the goals of institutional education. This study has been an effort aimed at understanding and perhaps clarifying the relationships between the traditional textual structures and processing on the one hand and socio-cultural contexts created by the clergy teachers on the other. This analysis shows how the clerical portion of elementary education on the Channel of Education that seemed to have dominated the entire televised teaching and learning process faded away as the pandemic was contained and mainstream classes were restored. It nevertheless reflects the deep ideological rifts between the clerical approach to school education and the mainstream teaching process in Iranian schools. The semantic macrostructures of social content in the current Iranian elementary school education, this study suggests, have remained intact despite the temporary ideological intervention of the ruling clerical elite in their formulation and presentation. Finally, using thematic and schematic frameworks, the essay suggests that the ‘clerical’ social content taught on the Channel of Education during the pandemic cannot have been accepted cognitively by the channel’s target audience, including students and mainstream teachers.

Keywords: televised elementary school learning, Covid 19, critical discourse analysis, Iranian clerical ideology

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Design and Characterization of Ecological Materials Based on Demolition and Concrete Waste, Casablanca (Morocco)

Authors: Mourad Morsli, Mohamed Tahiri, Azzedine Samdi

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The Cities are the urbanized territories most favorable to the consumption of resources (materials, energy). In Morocco, the economic capital Casablanca is one of them, with its 4M inhabitants and its 60% share in the economic and industrial activity of the kingdom. In the absence of legal status in force, urban development has favored the generation of millions of tons of demolition and construction waste scattered in open spaces causing a significant nuisance to the environment and citizens. Hence the main objective of our work is to valorize concrete waste. The representative wastes are mainly concrete, concrete, and fired clay bricks, ceramic tiles, marble panels, gypsum, and scrap metal. The work carried out includes: geolocation with a combination of artificial intelligence, GIS, and Google Earth, which allowed the estimation of the quantity of these wastes per site; then the sorting, crushing, grinding, and physicochemical characterization of the collected samples allowed the definition of the exploitation ways for each extracted fraction for integrated management of the said wastes. In the present work, we proceeded to the exploitation of the fractions obtained after sieving the representative samples to incorporate them in the manufacture of new ecological materials for construction. These formulations prepared studies have been tested and characterized: physical criteria (specific surface, resistance to flexion and compression) and appearance (cracks, deformation). We will present in detail the main results of our research work and also describe the specific properties of each material developed.

Keywords: demolition and construction waste, GIS combination software, inert waste recovery, ecological materials, Casablanca, Morocco

Procedia PDF Downloads 139
Secret Sharing in Visual Cryptography Using NVSS and Data Hiding Techniques

Authors: Misha Alexander, S. B. Waykar

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Visual Cryptography is a special unbreakable encryption technique that transforms the secret image into random noisy pixels. These shares are transmitted over the network and because of its noisy texture it attracts the hackers. To address this issue a Natural Visual Secret Sharing Scheme (NVSS) was introduced that uses natural shares either in digital or printed form to generate the noisy secret share. This scheme greatly reduces the transmission risk but causes distortion in the retrieved secret image through variation in settings and properties of digital devices used to capture the natural image during encryption / decryption phase. This paper proposes a new NVSS scheme that extracts the secret key from randomly selected unaltered multiple natural images. To further improve the security of the shares data hiding techniques such as Steganography and Alpha channel watermarking are proposed.

Keywords: decryption, encryption, natural visual secret sharing, natural images, noisy share, pixel swapping

Procedia PDF Downloads 408
Effect of Rice Cultivars and Water Regimes Application as Mitigation Strategy for Greenhouse Gases in Paddy Fields

Authors: Mthiyane Pretty, Mitsui Toshiake, Aycan Murat, Nagano Hirohiko

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Methane (CH₄) is one of the most dangerous greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted into the atmosphere by terrestrial ecosystems, with a global warming potential (GWP) 25-34 times that of CO2 on a centennial scale. Paddy rice cultivations are a major source of methane emission and is the major driving force for climate change. Thus, it is necessary to find out GHG emissions mitigation strategies from rice cultivation. A study was conducted at Niigata University. And the prime objective of this research was to determine the effects of rice varieties CH4 lowland (NU1, YNU, Nipponbare, Koshihikari) and upland (Norin 1, Norin 24, Hitachihatamochi) japonica rice varieties using different growth media which was paddy field soil and artificial soil. The treatments were laid out in a split plot design. The soil moisture was kept at 40-50% and 70%, respectively. The CH₄ emission rates were determined by collecting air samples using the closed chamber technique and measuring CH₄ concentrations using a gas chromatograph. CH₄ emission rates varied with the growth, growth media type and development of the rice varieties. The soil moisture was monitored at a soil depth of 5–10 cm with an HydraGO portable soil sensor system every three days for each pot, and temperatures were be recorded by a sensitive thermometer. The lowest cumulative CH4 emission rate was observed in Norin 24, particularly under 40 to 50% soil moisture. Across the rice genotypes, 40-50% significantly reduced the cumulative CH4 , followed by irrigation of 70% soil moisture. During the tillering stage, no significant variation in tillering and plant height was observed between and 70% soil moisture. This study suggests that the cultivation of Norin 24 and Norin 1 under 70% soil irrigation could be effective at reducing the CH4 in rice fields.

Keywords: methane, paddy fields, rice varieties, soil moisture

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Ag and Au Nanoparticles Fabrication in Cross-Linked Polymer Microgels for Their Comparative Catalytic Study

Authors: Luqman Ali Shah, Murtaza Sayed, Mohammad Siddiq

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Three-dimensional cross-linked polymer microgels with temperature responsive N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) and pH-sensitive methacrylic acid (MAA) were successfully synthesized by free radical emulsion polymerization with different amount of MAA. Silver and gold nanoparticles with size of 6.5 and 3.5 nm (±0.5 nm) respectively were homogeneously reduced inside these materials by chemical reduction method at pH 2.78 and 8.36 for the preparation of hybrid materials. The samples were characterized by FTIR, DLS and TEM techniques. The catalytic activity of the hybrid materials was investigated for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4- NP) using NaBH4 as reducing agent by UV-visible spectroscopy. The hybrid polymer network synthesized at pH 8.36 shows enhanced catalytic efficiency compared to catalysts synthesized at pH 2.78. In this study, it has been explored that catalyst activity strongly depends on amount of MAA, synthesis pH and type of metal nanoparticles entrapped.

Keywords: cross-linked polymer microgels, free radical polymerization, metal nanoparticles, catalytic activity, comparative study

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A Case Study of Assessing the Impact of Electronic Payment System on the Service Delivery of Banks in Nigeria

Authors: Idris Lawal

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Electronic payment system is simply a payment or monetary transaction made over the internet or a network of computers. This study was carried out in order to assess how electronic payment system has impacted on banks service delivery, to examine the efficiency of electronic payment system in Nigeria and to determine the level of customer's satisfaction as a direct result of the deployment of electronic payment systems. It is an empirical study conducted using structured questionnaire distributed to officials and customers of Access Bank plc. Chi-square(x2) was adopted for the purpose of data analysis. The result of the study showed that the development of electronic payment system offer great benefit to bank customers including improved services, reduced turn-around time, ease of banking transaction, significant cost saving etc. The study recommends that customer protection laws should be properly put in place to safeguard the interest of end users of e-payment instruments.

Keywords: bank, electronic payment systems, service delivery, customer's satisfaction

Procedia PDF Downloads 402
Influence of Pine Wood Ash as Pozzolanic Material on Compressive Strength of a Concrete

Authors: M. I. Nicolas, J. C. Cruz, Ysmael Verde, A.Yeladaqui-Tello

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The manufacture of Portland cement has revolutionized the construction industry since the nineteenth century; however, the high cost and large amount of energy required on its manufacturing encouraged, from the seventies, the search of alternative materials to replace it partially or completely. Among the materials studied to replace the cement are the ashes. In the city of Chetumal, south of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, there are no natural sources of pozzolanic ash. In the present study, the cementitious properties of artificial ash resulting from the combustion of waste pine wood were analyzed. The ash obtained was sieved through the screen and No.200 a fraction was analyzed using the technique of X-ray diffraction; with the aim of identifying the crystalline phases and particle sizes of pozzolanic material by the Debye-Scherrer equation. From the characterization of materials, mixtures for a concrete of f'c = 250 kg / cm2 were designed with the method ACI 211.1; for the pattern mixture and for partial replacements of Portland cement by 5%, 10% and 12% pine wood ash mixture. Simple resistance to axial compression of specimens prepared with each concrete mixture, at 3, 14 and 28 days of curing was evaluated. Pozzolanic activity was observed in the ash obtained, checking the presence of crystalline silica (SiO2 of 40.24 nm) and alumina (Al2O3 of 35.08 nm). At 28 days of curing, the specimens prepared with a 5% ash, reached a compression resistance 63% higher than design; for specimens with 10% ash, was 45%; and for specimens with 12% ash, only 36%. Compared to Pattern mixture, which after 28 days showed a f'c = 423.13 kg/cm2, the specimens reached only 97%, 86% and 82% of the compression resistance, for mixtures containing 5%, 10% ash and 12% respectively. The pozzolanic activity of pine wood ash influences the compression resistance, which indicates that it can replace up to 12% of Portland cement by ash without compromising its design strength, however, there is a decrease in strength compared to the pattern concrete.

Keywords: concrete, pine wood ash, pozzolanic activity, X-ray

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Towards an Enhanced Compartmental Model for Profiling Malware Dynamics

Authors: Jessemyn Modiini, Timothy Lynar, Elena Sitnikova

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We present a novel enhanced compartmental model for malware spread analysis in cyber security. This paper applies cyber security data features to epidemiological compartmental models to model the infectious potential of malware. Compartmental models are most efficient for calculating the infectious potential of a disease. In this paper, we discuss and profile epidemiologically relevant data features from a Domain Name System (DNS) dataset. We then apply these features to epidemiological compartmental models to network traffic features. This paper demonstrates how epidemiological principles can be applied to the novel analysis of key cybersecurity behaviours and trends and provides insight into threat modelling above that of kill-chain analysis. In applying deterministic compartmental models to a cyber security use case, the authors analyse the deficiencies and provide an enhanced stochastic model for cyber epidemiology. This enhanced compartmental model (SUEICRN model) is contrasted with the traditional SEIR model to demonstrate its efficacy.

Keywords: cybersecurity, epidemiology, cyber epidemiology, malware

Procedia PDF Downloads 113
Low-Cost IoT System for Monitoring Ground Propagation Waves due to Construction and Traffic Activities to Nearby Construction

Authors: Lan Nguyen, Kien Le Tan, Bao Nguyen Pham Gia

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Due to the high cost, specialized dynamic measurement devices for industrial lands are difficult for many colleges to equip for hands-on teaching. This study connects a dynamic measurement sensor and receiver utilizing an inexpensive Raspberry Pi 4 board, some 24-bit ADC circuits, a geophone vibration sensor, and embedded Python open-source programming. Gather and analyze signals for dynamic measuring, ground vibration monitoring, and structure vibration monitoring. The system may wirelessly communicate data to the computer and is set up as a communication node network, enabling real-time monitoring of background vibrations at various locations. The device can be utilized for a variety of dynamic measurement and monitoring tasks, including monitoring earthquake vibrations, ground vibrations from construction operations, traffic, and vibrations of building structures.

Keywords: sensors, FFT, signal processing, real-time data monitoring, ground propagation wave, python, raspberry Pi 4

Procedia PDF Downloads 106
Mexico's Steam Connections Across the Pacific (1867-1910)

Authors: Ruth Mandujano Lopez

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During the second half of the 19th century, in the transition from sail to steam navigation, the transpacific space underwent major transformation. This paper examines the role that the steamship companies between Mexico, the rest of North America and Asia played in that process. Based on primary sources found in Mexico, California, London and Hong Kong, it argues that these companies actively participated in the redefining of the Pacific space as they opened new routes, transported thousands of people and had an impact on regional geopolitics. In order to prove this, the text will present the cases of a handful of companies that emerged between 1867 and 1910 and of some of their passengers. By looking at the way the Mexican ports incorporated to the transpacific steam maritime network, this work contributes to have a better understanding of the role that Latin American ports have played in the formation of a global order. From a theoretical point of view, it proposes the conceptualization of space in the form of transnational networks as a point of departure to conceive a history that is truly global.

Keywords: mexico, steamships, transpacific, maritime companies

Procedia PDF Downloads 55
Novel Bioinspired Design to Capture Smoky CO2 by Reactive Absorption with Aqueous Scrubber

Authors: J. E. O. Hernandez

Abstract:

In the next 20 years, energy production by burning fuels will increase and so will the atmospheric concentration of CO2 and its well-known threats to life on Earth. The technologies available for capturing CO2 are still dubious and this keeps fostering an interest in bio-inspired approaches. The leading one is the application of carbonic anhydrase (CA) –a superfast biocatalyst able to convert up to one million molecules of CO2 into carbonates in water. However, natural CA underperforms when applied to real smoky CO2 in chimneys and, so far, the efforts to create superior CAs in the lab rely on screening methods running under pristine conditions at the micro level, which are far from resembling those in chimneys. For the evolution of man-made enzymes, selection rather than screening would be ideal but this is challenging because of the need for a suitable artificial environment that is also sustainable for our society. Herein we present the stepwise design and construction of a bioprocess (from bench-scale to semi-pilot) for evolutionary selection experiments. In this bioprocess, reaction and adsorption took place simultaneously at atmospheric pressure in a spray tower. The scrubbing solution was fed countercurrently by reusing municipal pressure and it was mainly prepared with water, carbonic anhydrase and calcium chloride. This bioprocess allowed for the enzymatic carbonation of smoky CO2; the reuse of process water and the recovery of solid carbonates without cooling of smoke, pretreatments, solvent amines and compression of CO2. The average yield of solid carbonates was 0.54 g min-1 or 12-fold the amount produced in serum bottles at lab bench scale. This bioprocess could be used as a tailor-made environment for driving the selection of superior CAs. The bioprocess and its match CA could be sustainably used to reduce global warming by CO2 emissions from exhausts.

Keywords: biological carbon capture and sequestration, carbonic anhydrase, directed evolution, global warming

Procedia PDF Downloads 195
An Industrial Scada System Remote Control Using Mobile Phones

Authors: Ahmidah Elgali

Abstract:

SCADA is the abbreviation for "Administrative Control And Data Acquisition." SCADA frameworks are generally utilized in industry for administrative control and information securing of modern cycles. Regular SCADA frameworks use PC, journal, slim client, and PDA as a client. In this paper, a Java-empowered cell phone has been utilized as a client in an example SCADA application to show and regulate the place of an example model crane. The paper presents a genuine execution of the online controlling of the model crane through a cell phone. The remote correspondence between the cell phone and the SCADA server is performed through a base station by means of general parcel radio assistance GPRS and remote application convention WAP. This application can be used in industrial sites in areas that are likely to be exposed to a security emergency (like terrorist attacks) which causes the sudden exit of the operators; however, no time to perform the shutdown procedures for the plant. Hence this application allows shutting down units and equipment remotely by mobile and so avoids damage and losses.

Keywords: control, industrial, mobile, network, remote, SCADA

Procedia PDF Downloads 82
Optimizing Data Integration and Management Strategies for Upstream Oil and Gas Operations

Authors: Deepak Singh, Rail Kuliev

Abstract:

The abstract highlights the critical importance of optimizing data integration and management strategies in the upstream oil and gas industry. With its complex and dynamic nature generating vast volumes of data, efficient data integration and management are essential for informed decision-making, cost reduction, and maximizing operational performance. Challenges such as data silos, heterogeneity, real-time data management, and data quality issues are addressed, prompting the proposal of several strategies. These strategies include implementing a centralized data repository, adopting industry-wide data standards, employing master data management (MDM), utilizing real-time data integration technologies, and ensuring data quality assurance. Training and developing the workforce, “reskilling and upskilling” the employees and establishing robust Data Management training programs play an essential role and integral part in this strategy. The article also emphasizes the significance of data governance and best practices, as well as the role of technological advancements such as big data analytics, cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). To illustrate the practicality of these strategies, real-world case studies are presented, showcasing successful implementations that improve operational efficiency and decision-making. In present study, by embracing the proposed optimization strategies, leveraging technological advancements, and adhering to best practices, upstream oil and gas companies can harness the full potential of data-driven decision-making, ultimately achieving increased profitability and a competitive edge in the ever-evolving industry.

Keywords: master data management, IoT, AI&ML, cloud Computing, data optimization

Procedia PDF Downloads 73
A Query Optimization Strategy for Autonomous Distributed Database Systems

Authors: Dina K. Badawy, Dina M. Ibrahim, Alsayed A. Sallam

Abstract:

Distributed database is a collection of logically related databases that cooperate in a transparent manner. Query processing uses a communication network for transmitting data between sites. It refers to one of the challenges in the database world. The development of sophisticated query optimization technology is the reason for the commercial success of database systems, which complexity and cost increase with increasing number of relations in the query. Mariposa, query trading and query trading with processing task-trading strategies developed for autonomous distributed database systems, but they cause high optimization cost because of involvement of all nodes in generating an optimal plan. In this paper, we proposed a modification on the autonomous strategy K-QTPT that make the seller’s nodes with the lowest cost have gradually high priorities to reduce the optimization time. We implement our proposed strategy and present the results and analysis based on those results.

Keywords: autonomous strategies, distributed database systems, high priority, query optimization

Procedia PDF Downloads 529
Mourning Motivations for Celebrities in Instagram: A Case Study of Mohammadreza Shajarian's Death

Authors: Zahra Afshordi

Abstract:

Instagram, as an everyday life social network, hosts from the ultrasound image of an unborn fetus to the pictures of newly placed gravestones and funerals. It is a platform that allows its users to create a second identity independently from and at the same time in relation to the real space identity. The motives behind this identification are what this article is about. This article studies the motivations of Instagram users mourning for celebrities with a focus on the death of MohammadReza Shajarian. The Shajarian’s death had a wide reflection on Instagram Persian-speaking users. The purpose of this qualitative survey is to comprehend and study the user’s motivations in posting mourning and memorializing content. The methodology of the essay is a hybrid methodology consisting of content analysis and open-ended interviews. The results highlight that users' motives are more than just simple sympathy and include political protest, gaining cultural capital, reaching social status, and escaping from solitude.

Keywords: case study, celebrity, identity, Instagram, mourning, qualitative survey

Procedia PDF Downloads 162
Quantifying Stability of Online Communities and Its Impact on Disinformation

Authors: Victor Chomel, Maziyar Panahi, David Chavalarias

Abstract:

Misinformation has taken an increasingly worrying place in social media. Propagation patterns are closely linked to the structure of communities. This study proposes a method of community analysis based on a combination of centrality indicators for the network and its main communities. The objective is to establish a link between the stability of the communities over time, the social ascension of its members internally, and the propagation of information in the community. To this end, data from the debates about global warming and political communities on Twitter have been collected, and several tens of millions of tweets and retweets have helped us better understand the structure of these communities. The quantification of this stability allows for the study of the propagation of information of any kind, including disinformation. Our results indicate that the most stable communities over time are the ones that enable the establishment of nodes capturing a large part of the information and broadcasting its opinions. Conversely, communities with a high turnover and social ascendancy only stabilize themselves strongly in the face of adversity and external events but seem to offer a greater diversity of opinions most of the time.

Keywords: community analysis, disinformation, misinformation, Twitter

Procedia PDF Downloads 146
Optimal Load Control Strategy in the Presence of Stochastically Dependent Renewable Energy Sources

Authors: Mahmoud M. Othman, Almoataz Y. Abdelaziz, Yasser G. Hegazy

Abstract:

This paper presents a load control strategy based on modification of the Big Bang Big Crunch optimization method. The proposed strategy aims to determine the optimal load to be controlled and the corresponding time of control in order to minimize the energy purchased from substation. The presented strategy helps the distribution network operator to rely on the renewable energy sources in supplying the system demand. The renewable energy sources used in the presented study are modeled using the diagonal band Copula method and sequential Monte Carlo method in order to accurately consider the multivariate stochastic dependence between wind power, photovoltaic power and the system demand. The proposed algorithms are implemented in MATLAB environment and tested on the IEEE 37-node feeder. Several case studies are done and the subsequent discussions show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Keywords: big bang big crunch, distributed generation, load control, optimization, planning

Procedia PDF Downloads 350
Genomic and Evolutionary Diversity of Long Terminal Repeat (LTR) Retrotransposons in Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera)

Authors: Faisal Nouroz, Mukaramin Mukaramin

Abstract:

Of the transposable elements (TEs), the retrotransposons are the most copious elements identified from many sequenced genomes. They have played a major role in genome evolution, rearrangement, and expansions based on their copy and paste mode of proliferation. They are further divided into LTR and Non-LTR retrotransposons. The purpose of the current study was to identify the LTR REs in sequenced Phoenix dactylifera genome and to study their structural diversity. A total of 150 P. dactylifera BAC sequences with > 60kb sizes were randomly retrieved from National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database and screened for the presence of LTR retrotransposons. Seven bacterial artificial chromosomes (BAC) sequences showed full-length LTR Retrotransposons with 4 Copia and 3 Gypsy families having variable copy numbers in respective families. Reverse transcriptase (RT) domain was found as the most conserved domain among Copia and Gypsy superfamilies and was used to deduce evolutionary analysis. The amino acid residues among various RT sequences showed variability in their percentages indicating post divergence evolution. Amino acid Leucine was found in highest proportions followed by Lysine, while Methionine and Tryptophan were in lowest percentages. The phylogenetic analysis based on RT domains confirmed that although having most conserved RT regions, several evolutionary events occurred causing nucleotide polymorphisms and hence clustering of Gypsy and Copia superfamilies into their respective lineages. The study will be helpful in identification and annotation of these elements in other species and genera and their distribution patterns on chromosomes by fluorescent in situ hybridization techniques.

Keywords: transposable elements, Phoenix dactylifera, retrotransposons, phylogenetic analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 132
Accounting Management Information System for Convenient Shop in Bangkok Thailand

Authors: Anocha Rojanapanich

Abstract:

The purpose of this research is to develop and design an accounting management information system for convenient shop in Bangkok Thailand. The study applied the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) for development which began with study and analysis of current data, including the existing system. Then, the system was designed and developed to meet users’ requirements via the internet network by use of application software such as My SQL for database management, Product diversity, Apache HTTP Server for Web Server and PHP Hypertext Preprocessor for an interface between web server, database and users. The system was designed into two subsystems as the main system, or system for head office, and the branch system for branch shops. These consisted of three parts which are classified by user management as shop management, inventory management and Point of Sale (POS) management and importance of cost information for decision making also as well as.

Keywords: accounting management information system, convenient shop, cost information for decision making system, development life cycle

Procedia PDF Downloads 423