Search results for: groundwater data interpretation

Authors: Nikat Parveen, M. Ananthi

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Big data is one of the emerging technology, which collects the data from various sensors and those data will be used in many fields. Data retrieval is one of the major issue where there is a need to extract the exact data as per the need. In this paper, large amount of data set is processed by using the feature selection. Feature selection helps to choose the data which are actually needed to process and execute the task. The key value is the one which helps to point out exact data available in the storage space. Here the available data is streamed and R-Center is proposed to achieve this task.

Keywords: big data, key value, feature selection, retrieval, performance

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Authors: Rajinder Kumar Gupta, Rajni Kant Agrawal, Jaganniwas

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One of the most frightening phenomena of nature is the occurrence of earthquake as it has terrible and disastrous effects. Many earthquakes occur every day worldwide. There is need to have knowledge regarding the trends in earthquake occurrence worldwide. The recoding and interpretation of data obtained from the establishment of the worldwide system of seismological stations made this possible. From the analysis of recorded earthquake data, the earthquake parameters and source parameters can be computed and the earthquake catalogues can be prepared. These catalogues provide information on origin, time, epicenter locations (in term of latitude and longitudes) focal depths, magnitude and other related details of the recorded earthquakes. Theses catalogues are used for seismic hazard estimation. Manual interpretation and analysis of these data is tedious and time consuming. A geographical information system is a computer based system designed to store, analyzes and display geographic information. The implementation of integrated GIS technology provides an approach which permits rapid evaluation of complex inventor database under a variety of earthquake scenario and allows the user to interactively view results almost immediately. GIS technology provides a powerful tool for displaying outputs and permit to users to see graphical distribution of impacts of different earthquake scenarios and assumptions. An endeavor has been made in present study to compile the earthquake data for the whole world in visual Basic on ARC GIS Plate form so that it can be used easily for further analysis to be carried out by earthquake engineers. The basic data on time of occurrence, location and size of earthquake has been compiled for further querying based on various parameters. A preliminary analysis tool is also provided in the user interface to interpret the earthquake recurrence in region. The user interface also includes the seismic hazard information already worked out under GHSAP program. The seismic hazard in terms of probability of exceedance in definite return periods is provided for the world. The seismic zones of the Indian region are included in the user interface from IS 1893-2002 code on earthquake resistant design of buildings. The City wise satellite images has been inserted in Map and based on actual data the following information could be extracted in real time: • Analysis of soil parameters and its effect • Microzonation information • Seismic hazard and strong ground motion • Soil liquefaction and its effect in surrounding area • Impacts of liquefaction on buildings and infrastructure • Occurrence of earthquake in future and effect on existing soil • Propagation of earth vibration due of occurrence of Earthquake GIS based earthquake information system has been prepared for whole world in Visual Basic on ARC GIS Plate form and further extended micro level based on actual soil parameters. Individual tools has been developed for liquefaction, earthquake frequency etc. All information could be used for development of infrastructure i.e. multi story structure, Irrigation Dam & Its components, Hydro-power etc in real time for present and future.

Keywords: GIS based earthquake information system, microzonation, analysis and real time information about liquefaction, infrastructure development

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Authors: Wan Aminah Hasbullah

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The knowledge of medicine in Malay society stemmed out from the need to remedy disease process. Such knowledge came from observations by looking at the signs on the plants which signify it uses, the doctrine of signature, and also observing what kind of animal and its parts that can be used to treat the disease. Prayers (jampi and doa’) play a very important role in the therapeutic processes addressing the ethereal part of the body. In Malay medicine, prayers were said in the heart of the Malay bomoh (medicine man) when they are first approaching the diseased person, seeking the help of Allah in accurately directing his mind into making the right diagnosis and subsequently the right choice of treatment. In the making of medicine, similar rituals were religiously followed, starting from gathering the materia medica to the final concoction of the medicine. Thus, all the materia medica and the prayers in Malay medicine were gathered and documented in the medical manuscript known as MSS 2999 Kitab Tibb. For this study, a collection of vegetative materia medica which is specialized for the women illness from this manuscript will be gathered and analysed. A medical and cultural interpretation will be highlighted to see the relationship between efficacy in traditional Malay medicine as practiced in the past and the recent practice of the modern medicine.

Keywords: vegetative, materia medica, woman illness, Malay medical manuscript

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Authors: Chusit Apirumanekul, Chayanis Krittasudthacheewa, Ratchapat Ratanavaraha, Yanyong Inmuong

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Rapid economic development in the Lower Mekong region is leading to changes in water quantity and quality. Changes in land- and forest-use, infrastructure development, increasing urbanization, migration patterns and climate risks are increasing demands for water, within various sectors, placing pressure on scarce water resources. Appropriate policies, strategies, and planning are urgently needed for improved water resource management. Over the last decade, Thailand has experienced more frequent and intense drought situations, affecting the level of water storage in reservoirs along with insufficient water allocation for agriculture during the dry season. The Huay Saibat River Basin, one of the well-known water-scarce areas in the northeastern region of Thailand, is experiencing ongoing water scarcity that affects both farming livelihoods and household consumption. Drought management in Thailand mainly focuses on emergency responses, rather than advance preparation and mitigation for long-term solutions. Despite many efforts from local authorities to mitigate the drought situation, there is yet no long-term comprehensive water management strategy, that integrates climate risks alongside other uncertainties. This paper assesses the application in the Huay Saibat River Basin, of the Robust Decision Support framework, to explore the feasibility of multiple drought management policies; including a shift in cropping season, in crop changes, in infrastructural operations and in the use of groundwater, under a wide range of uncertainties, including climate and land-use change. A series of consultative meetings were organized with relevant agencies and experts at the local level, to understand and explore plausible water resources strategies and identify thresholds to evaluate the performance of those strategies. Three different climate conditions were identified (dry, normal and wet). Other non-climatic factors influencing water allocation were further identified, including changes from sugarcane to rubber, delaying rice planting, increasing natural retention storage and using groundwater to supply demands for household consumption and small-scale gardening. Water allocation and water use in various sectors, such as in agriculture, domestic, industry and the environment, were estimated by utilising the Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) system, under various scenarios developed from the combination of climatic and non-climatic factors mentioned earlier. Water coverage (i.e. percentage of water demand being successfully supplied) was defined as a threshold for water resource strategy assessment. Thresholds for different sectors (agriculture, domestic, industry, and environment) were specified during multi-stakeholder engagements. Plausible water strategies (e.g. increasing natural retention storage, change of crop type and use of groundwater as an alternative source) were evaluated based on specified thresholds in 4 sectors (agriculture, domestic, industry, and environment) under 3 climate conditions. 'Business as usual' was evaluated for comparison. The strategies considered robust, emerge when performance is assessed as successful, under a wide range of uncertainties across the river basin. Without adopting any strategy, the water scarcity situation is likely to escalate in the future. Among the strategies identified, the use of groundwater as an alternative source was considered a potential option in combating water scarcity for the basin. Further studies are needed to explore the feasibility for groundwater use as a potential sustainable source.

Keywords: climate change, robust decision support, scenarios, water resources management

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Authors: J. T. Manhire

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A tax authority wants to take actions it knows will foster the greatest degree of voluntary taxpayer compliance to reduce the “tax gap.” This paper suggests that even if a tax authority could attain a state of complete knowledge, there are constraints on whether and to what extent such actions would result in reducing the macro-level tax gap. These limits are not merely a consequence of finite agency resources. They are inherent in the system itself. To show that this is one possible interpretation of the tax gap data, the paper formulates known results in a different way by analyzing tax compliance as a population with a single covariate. This leads to a standard use of the logistic map to analyze the dynamics of non-compliance growth or decay over a sequence of periods. This formulation gives the same results as the tax gap studies performed over the past fifty years in the U.S. given the published margins of error. Limitations and recommendations for future work are discussed, along with some implications for tax policy.

Keywords: income tax, logistic map, tax compliance, tax law

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Authors: Akshay A. Pandya, B. R. Parekh

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This paper presents how earth fault damage in the transformer can be detected by Sweep Frequency Response Analysis (SFRA). The test methods used by the authors for presenting the results are described. The power transformer of rating 10 KVA, 11000 V/440 V, 3-phase, 50 Hz, Dyn11 has been specially developed in-house for carrying out SFRA testing by practically simulated various transformer damages on it. Earth fault has been practically simulated on HV “U” phase winding and LV “W” phase winding separately. The result of these simulated faults are presented and discussed. The motivation of this presented work is to extend the guideline approach; there are ideas to organize database containing collected measurement results. Since the SFRA interpretation is based on experience, such databases are thought to be of great importance when interpreting SFRA response. The evaluation of the SFRA responses against guidelines and experience have to be performed and conclusions regarding usefulness of each simulation has been drawn and at last overall conclusion has also been drawn.

Keywords: earth fault damage, power transformer, practical simulation, SFRA traces, transformer damages

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Authors: Queen Modestus

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China’s diplomatic discourse is a complicated system underpinned by divergent translations. As such, the concept of “Zhengque Yi Li Guan” (or zhèngquè Yì Lì Guān in Pinyin), like numerous other Chinese concepts, is not well appreciated due, mainly, to the dearth of a uniform official translation and poor interpretation. So, the paper seeks to draw awareness to this vital issue that has been neglected in the China-Africa diplomatic discourse. As a way of filling this gap in the literature, the author argues that literal translation is not enough in diplomatic discourse. To identify the English equivalent of “Zhenque,” “Yi,” “Li,” and “Guan,” searches of Chinese classical works were carried out. Based on the scope of this paper, emphasis will be placed on “Yi” because it plays a critical role in the “zhèngquèyìlìguān” concept and has been the term with the most controversial interpretation. From a diplomatic-linguistic standpoint coupled with the help of the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) developed by Norman Fairclough and Teun A. van Dijk as this paper’s theoretical framework, this paper seeks to address the above issue by exploring the philosophical translations and interpretations of ZqYLG in China-Africa diplomatic discourse, with emphasis place on the discourse reconstruction of “Yi.” As a way of reconstructing “Yi” to fit the present reality of China-Africa diplomatic discourse, the author argues that “justice” (meaning impartiality) is a better translation for “Yi.”

Keywords: Africa, diplomatic discourse, reconstruction, translation, 正确义利观, interests

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Authors: Shohreh Ghasemi

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Introduction: Melanoma is a complex disease with various clinical and histopathological features that impact prognosis and treatment decisions. Traditional methods of melanoma prognosis involve manual examination and interpretation of clinical and histopathological data by dermatologists and pathologists. However, the subjective nature of these assessments can lead to inter-observer variability and suboptimal prognostic accuracy. AI, with its ability to analyze vast amounts of data and identify patterns, has emerged as a promising tool for improving melanoma prognosis. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify studies that employed AI techniques for melanoma prognosis. The search included databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar, using keywords such as "artificial intelligence," "melanoma," and "prognosis." Studies published between 2010 and 2022 were considered. The selected articles were critically reviewed, and relevant information was extracted. Results: The review identified various AI methodologies utilized in melanoma prognosis, including machine learning algorithms, deep learning techniques, and computer vision. These techniques have been applied to diverse data sources, such as clinical images, dermoscopy images, histopathological slides, and genetic data. Studies have demonstrated the potential of AI in accurately predicting melanoma prognosis, including survival outcomes, recurrence risk, and response to therapy. AI-based prognostic models have shown comparable or even superior performance compared to traditional methods.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, melanoma, accuracy, prognosis prediction, image analysis, personalized medicine

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Authors: Samar Swaid

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Today, corporates are moving toward the adoption of Design-Thinking techniques to develop products and services, putting their consumer as the heart of the development process. One of the leading companies in Design-Thinking, IDEO (Innovation, Design, Engineering Organization), defines Design-Thinking as an approach to problem-solving that relies on a set of multi-layered skills, processes, and mindsets that help people generate novel solutions to problems. Design thinking may result in new ideas, narratives, objects or systems. It is about redesigning systems, organizations, infrastructures, processes, and solutions in an innovative fashion based on the users' feedback. Tim Brown, president and CEO of IDEO, sees design thinking as a human-centered approach that draws from the designer's toolkit to integrate people's needs, innovative technologies, and business requirements. The application of design thinking has been witnessed to be the road to developing innovative applications, interactive systems, scientific software, healthcare application, and even to utilizing Design-Thinking to re-think business operations, as in the case of Airbnb. Recently, there has been a movement to apply design thinking to machine learning and artificial intelligence to ensure creating the "wow" effect on consumers. The Association of Computing Machinery task force on Data Science program states that" Data scientists should be able to implement and understand algorithms for data collection and analysis. They should understand the time and space considerations of algorithms. They should follow good design principles developing software, understanding the importance of those principles for testability and maintainability" However, this definition hides the user behind the machine who works on data preparation, algorithm selection and model interpretation. Thus, the Data Science program includes design thinking to ensure meeting the user demands, generating more usable machine learning tools, and developing ways of framing computational thinking. Here, describe the fundamentals of Design-Thinking and teaching modules for data science programs.

Keywords: data science, design thinking, AI, currculum, transformation

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Authors: Youness Laaroussi, Zine Elabidine Guennoun, Amine Amar

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Modeling and forecasting dynamics of rainfall occurrences constitute one of the major topics, which have been largely treated by statisticians, hydrologists, climatologists and many other groups of scientists. In the same issue, we propose in the present paper a new hybrid method, which combines Extreme Values and fractal theories. We illustrate the use of our methodology for transformed Emberger Index series, constructed basing on data recorded in Oujda (Morocco). The index is treated at first by Peaks Over Threshold (POT) approach, to identify excess observations over an optimal threshold u. In the second step, we consider the resulting excess as a fractal object included in one dimensional space of time. We identify fractal dimension by the box counting. We discuss the prospect descriptions of rainfall data sets under Generalized Pareto Distribution, assured by Extreme Values Theory (EVT). We show that, despite of the appropriateness of return periods given by POT approach, the introduction of fractal dimension provides accurate interpretation results, which can ameliorate apprehension of rainfall occurrences.

Keywords: extreme values theory, fractals dimensions, peaks Over threshold, rainfall occurrences

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Authors: N. N. Mosola, S. J. Molete, L. S. Masoebe, M. Letsae

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Hand gesture recognition is a technique used to locate, detect, and recognize a hand gesture. Detection and recognition are concepts of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI concepts are applicable in Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Expert systems (ES), etc. Hand gesture recognition can be used in sign language interpretation. Sign language is a visual communication tool. This tool is used mostly by deaf societies and those with speech disorder. Communication barriers exist when societies with speech disorder interact with others. This research aims to build a hand recognition system for Lesotho’s Sesotho and English language interpretation. The system will help to bridge the communication problems encountered by the mentioned societies. The system has various processing modules. The modules consist of a hand detection engine, image processing engine, feature extraction, and sign recognition. Detection is a process of identifying an object. The proposed system uses Canny pruning Haar and Haarcascade detection algorithms. Canny pruning implements the Canny edge detection. This is an optimal image processing algorithm. It is used to detect edges of an object. The system employs a skin detection algorithm. The skin detection performs background subtraction, computes the convex hull, and the centroid to assist in the detection process. Recognition is a process of gesture classification. Template matching classifies each hand gesture in real-time. The system was tested using various experiments. The results obtained show that time, distance, and light are factors that affect the rate of detection and ultimately recognition. Detection rate is directly proportional to the distance of the hand from the camera. Different lighting conditions were considered. The more the light intensity, the faster the detection rate. Based on the results obtained from this research, the applied methodologies are efficient and provide a plausible solution towards a light-weight, inexpensive system which can be used for sign language interpretation.

Keywords: canny pruning, hand recognition, machine learning, skin tracking

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Authors: Firas Al-Jubouri

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Literature has been a subject of studying English at secondary, university, and postgraduate levels in many countries and for several decades. One of the prominent literary genres, which is being increasingly used in the literature classrooms, is dystopian literature. However, since teachers usually address the educational requirements of teaching canonical English literature to meet the expected objectives of the particular 1organisation, and the learner’s needs in the non- Anglophone context, they must also negotiate the issues of cultural differences, aesthetic values, literary significance, and the rationale of storytelling. This paper examines how teaching certain dystopian themes in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (1932), an extremely influential dystopian canon, has to take into consideration the ideas, traditions, cultures, and means of literary interpretation inherent in the Arab Muslim world, with specific emphasis on the GCC region. It suggests the use of DionýzĎurišin’s (1929-1997) system of interliterariness in teaching world and comparative literature to help improve the interpretation of canonical literary texts in the international and inter-ethnic classrooms and contexts. Thus, this study helps to define a means of integrating global content and cross-cultural experiences into an effective teaching methodology that helps mitigate the major divides between the Anglophone text and the non-Anglophone readers.

Keywords: anglophone, dystopia, brave new world, huxley, interliterariness

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Authors: E. Tarantino, G. Disciglio, G. Gatta, L. Frabboni, A. Libutti, A. Tarantino

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Worldwide, about two-thirds of industrial and domestic wastewater effluent is discharged without treatment, which can cause contamination and eutrophication of the water. In particular, for Mediterranean countries, irrigation with treated wastewater would mitigate the water stress and support the agricultural sector. Changing global weather patterns will make the situation worse, due to increased susceptibility to drought, which can cause major environmental, social, and economic problems. The study was carried out in open field in an intensive agricultural area of the Apulian region in Southern Italy where freshwater resources are often scarce. As well as providing a water resource, irrigation with treated wastewater represents a significant source of nutrients for soil–plant systems. However, the use of wastewater might have further effects on soil. This study thus investigated the long-term impact of irrigation with reclaimed agro-industrial wastewater on the chemical characteristics of the soil. Two crops (processing tomato and broccoli) were cultivated in succession in Stornarella (Foggia) over four years from 2012 to 2016 using two types of irrigation water: groundwater and tertiary treated agro-industrial wastewater that had undergone an activated sludge process, sedimentation filtration, and UV radiation. Chemical analyses were performed on the irrigation waters and soil samples. The treated wastewater was characterised by high levels of several chemical parameters including TSS, EC, COD, BOD₅, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, NH₄-N, PO₄-P, K⁺, SAR and CaCO₃, as compared with the groundwater. However, despite these higher levels, the mean content of several chemical parameters in the soil did not show relevant differences between the irrigation treatments, in terms of the chemical features of the soil.

Keywords: agro-industrial wastewater, broccoli, long-term re-use, tomato

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Authors: Ratih Fitria Putri, Josaphat Tetuko Sri Sumantyo, Hiroaki Kuze

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Jakarta Metropolitan City is located on the northwest coast of West Java province with geographical location between 106º33’ 00”-107º00’00”E longitude and 5º48’30”-6º24’00”S latitude. Jakarta urban area has been suffered from land subsidence in several land use type as trading, industry and settlement area. Land subsidence hazard is one of the consequences of urban development in Jakarta. This hazard is caused by intensive human activities in groundwater extraction and land use mismanagement. Geologically, the Jakarta urban area is mostly dominated by alluvium fan sediment. The objectives of this research are to make an analysis of Jakarta urban land use type on land subsidence zone areas. The process of producing safer land use and settlements of the land subsidence areas are very important. Spatial distributions of land subsidence detection are necessary tool for land use management planning. For this purpose, Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) method is used. The DInSAR is complementary to ground-based methods such as leveling and global positioning system (GPS) measurements, yielding information in a wide coverage area even when the area is inaccessible. The data were fine tuned by using X-Band image satellite data from 2010 to 2013 and land use mapping data. Our analysis of land use type that land subsidence movement occurred on the northern part Jakarta Metropolitan City varying from 7.5 to 17.5 cm/year as industry and settlement land use type areas.

Keywords: land use analysis, land subsidence mapping, urban area, X-band satellite image

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Authors: M. T. Tsepav, Y. Adamu, M. A. Umar

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A geoelectric survey was carried out in some parts of Angwan Gwari, an outskirt of Lapai Local Government Area on Niger State which belongs to the Nigerian Basement Complex, with the aim of evaluating the soil corrosivity, aquifer transmissivity and protective capacity of the area from which aquifer characterisation was made. The G41 Resistivity Meter was employed to obtain fifteen Schlumberger Vertical Electrical Sounding data along profiles in a square grid network. The data were processed using interpex 1-D sounding inversion software, which gives vertical electrical sounding curves with layered model comprising of the apparent resistivities, overburden thicknesses and depth. This information was used to evaluate longitudinal conductance and transmissivities of the layers. The results show generally low resistivities across the survey area and an average longitudinal conductance variation from 0.0237Siemens in VES 6 to 0.1261 Siemens in VES 15 with almost the entire area giving values less than 1.0 Siemens. The average transmissivity values range from 96.45 Ω.m2 in VES 4 to 299070 Ω.m2 in VES 1. All but VES 4 and VES14 had an average overburden greater than 400 Ω.m2, these results suggest that the aquifers are highly permeable to fluid movement within, leading to the possibility of enhanced migration and circulation of contaminants in the groundwater system and that the area is generally corrosive.

Keywords: geoelectric survey, corrosivity, protective capacity, transmissivity

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Authors: Rafik Baouche, Rabah Chaouchi

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This work reports the first comprehensive stress field interpretation from the eleven recently drilled wells in the Berkaoui Basin, Algerian Sahara. A cumulative length of 7000+m acoustic image logs from 06 vertical wells were investigated, and a mean NW-SE (128°-145° N) maximum horizontal stress (SHMax) orientation is inferred from the B-D quality wellbore breakouts. The study integrates log-based approach with the downhole measurements to infer pore pressure, in-situ stress magnitudes. Vertical stress (Sv), interpreted from the bulk-density profiles, has an average gradient of 22.36 MPa/km. The Ordovician and Cambrian reservoirs have a pore pressure gradient of 13.47-13.77 MPa/km, which is more than the hydrostatic pressure regime. A 17.2-18.3 MPa/km gradient of minimum horizontal stress (Shmin) is inferred from the fracture closure pressure in the reservoirs. Breakout widths constrained the SHMax magnitude in the 23.8-26.5 MPa/km range. Subsurface stress distribution in the central Saharan Algeria indicates that the present-day stress field in the Berkaoui Basin is principally strike-slip faulting (SHMax > Sv > Shmin). Inferences are drawn on the regional stress pattern and drilling and reservoir development.

Keywords: stress, imagery, breakouts, sahara

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Authors: O. P. Rahi, Manoj Kumar

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Power transformers are essential and expensive equipments in electrical power system. Dissolved gas analysis (DGA) is one of the most useful techniques to detect incipient faults in power transformers. However, the identification of the faulted location by conventional method is not always an easy task due to variability of gas data and operational variables. In this paper, an extension theory based power transformer fault diagnosis method is presented. Extension theory tries to solve contradictions and incompatibility problems. This paper first briefly introduces the basic concept of matter element theory, establishes the matter element models for three-ratio method, and then briefly discusses extension set theory. Detailed analysis is carried out on the extended relation function (ERF) adopted in this paper for transformer fault diagnosis. The detailed diagnosing steps are offered. Simulation proves that the proposed method can overcome the drawbacks of the conventional three-ratio method, such as no matching and failure to diagnose multi-fault. It enhances diagnosing accuracy.

Keywords: DGA, extension theory, ERF, fault diagnosis power transformers, fault diagnosis, fuzzy logic

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Authors: Janet Wing-Chong Wai, Alex Chiu-Wing Lee, Hailey Hoi-Ching Tsang, Jeffrey Chiu, Kwok-Wing Tang

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Background: Mammography has limited sensitivity and specificity though it is the primary imaging technique for detection of early breast cancer. Ultrasound imaging and contrast-enhanced MRI are useful adjunct tools to mammography. The advantage of breast MRI is high sensitivity for invasive breast cancer. Therefore, indications for and use of breast magnetic resonance imaging have increased over the past decade. Objectives: 1. Cases demonstration on different indications for breast MR imaging. 2. To review of the common artifacts and pitfalls in breast MR imaging. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study including all patients underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MRI examination in our centre, performed from Jan 2011 to Dec 2017. The clinical data and radiological images were retrieved from the EPR (electronic patient record), RIS (Radiology Information System) and PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System). Results and Discussion: Cases including (1) Screening of the contralateral breast in patient with a new breast malignancy (2) Breast augmentation with free injection of unknown foreign materials (3) Finding of axillary adenopathy with an unknown site of primary malignancy (4) Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy: before, during, and after chemotherapy to evaluate treatment response and extent of residual disease prior to operation. Relevant images will be included and illustrated in the presentation. As with other types of MR imaging, there are different artifacts and pitfalls that can potentially limit interpretation of the images. Because of the coils and software specific to breast MR imaging, there are some other technical considerations that are unique to MR imaging of breast regions. Case demonstration images will be available in presentation. Conclusion: Breast MR imaging is a highly sensitive and reasonably specific method for the detection of breast cancer. Adherent to appropriate clinical indications and technical optimization are crucial for achieving satisfactory images for interpretation.

Keywords: MRI, breast, clinical, cancer

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Authors: Deepak Kumar, Jahangeer, Brijesh Kumar Yadav, Shashi Mathur

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In-situ remediation is a technique which can remediate either surface or groundwater at the site of contamination. In the present study, simulation optimization approach has been used to develop management strategy for remediating LNAPL (Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid) contaminated aquifers. Benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene are the main component of LNAPL contaminant. Collectively, these contaminants are known as BTEX. In in-situ bioremediation process, a set of injection and extraction wells are installed. Injection wells supply oxygen and other nutrient which convert BTEX into carbon dioxide and water with the help of indigenous soil bacteria. On the other hand, extraction wells check the movement of plume along downstream. In this study, optimal design of the system has been done using PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization) algorithm. A comprehensive management strategy for pumping of injection and extraction wells has been done to attain a maximum allowable concentration of 5 ppm and 4.5 ppm. The management strategy comprises determination of pumping rates, the total pumping volume and the total running cost incurred for each potential injection and extraction well. The results indicate a high pumping rate for injection wells during the initial management period since it facilitates the availability of oxygen and other nutrients necessary for biodegradation, however it is low during the third year on account of sufficient oxygen availability. This is because the contaminant is assumed to have biodegraded by the end of the third year when the concentration drops to a permissible level.

Keywords: groundwater, in-situ bioremediation, light non-aqueous phase liquid, BTEX, particle swarm optimization

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Authors: Marieta Safta

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The separation and balance of state powers constitute the basis of the rule of law. Observance of this principle requires framing of public authorities within the limits of competence established by the Constitution and the law, as well as loyal cooperation between them. From this perspective, the attribution of the constitutional courts for settling legal conflicts of a constitutional nature is an important tool for correcting the tendencies of violation of these limits, as well as for identifying solutions for situations that do not find an explicit regulation in the constitutional texts. The present study analyzes the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court of Romania in the field of legal conflicts of a constitutional nature, revealing, together with the presentation of conflict situations, the vulnerabilities of the constitutional reference texts. It is also highlighted the role of the constitutional courts in the evolution of constitutional law institutions, even in terms of defining and redefining the regime of the forms of government. The conclusion of the study, beyond the subject of legal conflicts of a constitutional nature, bears on the necessity, even more so in this matter, of the certainty of jurisdictional interpretation. This certainty cannot be achieved as long as the interpretation is not authoritative; consequently, the assurance of the effectiveness of constitutional justice constitute a key issue of the rule of law.

Keywords: legal conflicts of constitutional nature, the Constitutional Court of Romania, the separation and balance of powers in the state, the effectiveness of constitutional justice

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Authors: Christopher Viens, Steve Krase

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Terms such as “riding a hard streak”, “formation push”, and “fighting formation” are commonly used in the directional drilling world to explain BHA behavior that causes unwanted trajectory change. Theories about downhole directional tendencies are commonly speculated from various personal experiences with little merit due to the lack of hard data to reveal the actual mechanisms behind the phenomenon, leaving interpretation of the root cause up to personal perception. Understanding and identifying in real time the lithological factors that influence the BHA to change or hold direction adds tremendous value in terms reducing sliding time and targeting zones for optimal ROP. Utilizing surface drilling parameters and employing downhole measurements of azimuthal gamma, continuous inclination, and bending moment, a direct measure of the rock related directional phenomenon have been captured and quantified. Furthermore, identifying continuous zones of like lithology with consistent bit to rock interaction has value from a reservoir characterization and completions standpoint. The paper will show specific examples of lithology related directional tendencies from the Spraberry and Wolfcamp in the Delaware Basin.

Keywords: Azimuthal gamma imaging, bending moment, continuous inclination, downhole dynamics measurements, high frequency data

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Authors: Cecile Laval, Harriet Lowe

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Processing Instruction is a psycholinguistic pedagogical approach drawing insights from the Input Processing Model which establishes the initial innate strategies used by second language learners to connect form and meaning of linguistic features. With the ever-growing use of technology in Second Language Acquisition research, the present study uses eye-tracking to measure the effectiveness of Processing Instruction in the acquisition of French and its effects on learner’s cognitive strategies. The experiment was designed using a TOBII Pro-TX300 eye-tracker to measure participants’ default strategies when processing French linguistic input and any cognitive changes after receiving Processing Instruction treatment. Participants were drawn from lower intermediate adult learners of French at the University of Greenwich and randomly assigned to two groups. The study used a pre-test/post-test methodology. The pre-tests (one per linguistic item) were administered via the eye-tracker to both groups one week prior to instructional treatment. One group received full Processing Instruction treatment (explicit information on the grammatical item and on the processing strategies, and structured input activities) on the primary target linguistic feature (French past tense imperfective aspect). The second group received Processing Instruction treatment except the explicit information on the processing strategies. Three immediate post-tests on the three grammatical structures under investigation (French past tense imperfective aspect, French Subjunctive used for the expression of doubt, and the French causative construction with Faire) were administered with the eye-tracker. The eye-tracking data showed the positive change in learners’ processing of the French target features after instruction with improvement in the interpretation of the three linguistic features under investigation. 100% of participants in both groups made a statistically significant improvement (p=0.001) in the interpretation of the primary target feature (French past tense imperfective aspect) after treatment. 62.5% of participants made an improvement in the secondary target item (French Subjunctive used for the expression of doubt) and 37.5% of participants made an improvement in the cumulative target feature (French causative construction with Faire). Statistically there was no significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores in the cumulative target feature; however, the variance approximately tripled between the pre-test and the post-test (3.9 pre-test and 9.6 post-test). This suggests that the treatment does not affect participants homogenously and implies a role for individual differences in the transfer-of-training effect of Processing Instruction. The use of eye-tracking provides an opportunity for the study of unconscious processing decisions made during moment-by-moment comprehension. The visual data from the eye-tracking demonstrates changes in participants’ processing strategies. Gaze plots from pre- and post-tests display participants fixation points changing from focusing on content words to focusing on the verb ending. This change in processing strategies can be clearly seen in the interpretation of sentences in both primary and secondary target features. This paper will present the research methodology, design and results of the experimental study using eye-tracking to investigate the primary effects and transfer-of-training effects of Processing Instruction. It will then provide evidence of the cognitive benefits of Processing Instruction in Second Language Acquisition and offer suggestion in second language teaching of grammar.

Keywords: eye-tracking, language teaching, processing instruction, second language acquisition

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Authors: A. Laksanayothin, W. Ariyawong

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Mae Moh Lignite Mine is the largest open-pit mine in Thailand. The mine serves coal to the power plant about 16 million tons per year. This amount of coal can produce electricity accounting for about 10% of Nation’s electric power generation. The mining area of Mae Moh Mine is about 28 km2. At present, the deepest area of the pit is about 280 m from ground level (+40 m. MSL) and in the future the depth of the pit can reach 520 m from ground level (-200 m.MSL). As the size of the pit is quite large, the stability of the pit is seriously important. Furthermore, the preliminary drilling and extended drilling in year 1989-1996 had found high pressure aquifer under the pit. As a result, the pressure of the underground water has to be released in order to control mine pit stability. The study by the consulting experts later found that 3-5 million m3 per year of the underground water is needed to be de-watered for the safety of mining. However, the quality of this discharged water should meet the standard. Therefore, the ground water treatment facility has been implemented, aiming to reduce the amount of naturally contaminated Arsenic (As) in discharged water lower than the standard limit of 10 ppb. The treatment system consists of coagulation and filtration process. The main components include rapid mixing tanks, slow mixing tanks, sedimentation tank, thickener tank and sludge drying bed. The treatment process uses 40% FeCl3 as a coagulant. The FeCl3 will adsorb with As(V), forming floc particles and separating from the water as precipitate. After that, the sludge is dried in the sand bed and then be disposed in the secured land fill. Since 2011, the treatment plant of 12,000 m3/day has been efficiently operated. The average removal efficiency of the process is about 95%.

Keywords: arsenic, coagulant, ferric chloride, groundwater, lignite, coal mine

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Authors: Ashok E. Kalange

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Diagnosis according to Ayurveda is to find the root cause of a disease. Out of the eight different kinds of examinations, Nadi-Pariksha (pulse examination) is important. Nadi-Pariksha is done at the root of the thumb by examining the radial artery using three fingers. Ancient Ayurveda identifies the health status by observing the wrist pulses in terms of 'Vata', 'Pitta' and 'Kapha', collectively called as tridosha, as the basic elements of human body and in their combinations. Diagnosis by traditional pulse analysis – NadiPariksha - requires a long experience in pulse examination and a high level of skill. The interpretation tends to be subjective, depending on the expertise of the practitioner. Present work is part of the efforts carried out in making Nadi-Parikshan objective. Nadi Parikshan Yantra (three point pulse examination system) is developed in our laboratory by using three pressure sensors (one each for the Vata, Pitta and Kapha points on radial artery). The radial pulse data was collected of a large number of subjects. The radial pulse data collected is analyzed on the basis of relative amplitudes of the three point pulses as well as in frequency and time domains. The same subjects were examined by Ayurvedic physician (Nadi Vaidya) and the dominant Dosha - Vata, Pitta or Kapha - was identified. The results are discussed in details in the paper.

Keywords: Nadi Parikshan Yantra, Tridosha, Nadi Pariksha, human pulse data analysis

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Authors: Nour Daoud

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Patriarchy continues to thrive in Jordan where male-controlled values are still entrenched in a society that is suffering from upsetting percentages of Gender-based Violence (GBV). This paper is a systematic review of the literature with an attempt to evaluate and interpret all available research evidence relevant to determining the extent to which patriarchy contributes to the occurrence, re-occurrence, and continuation of GBV in Jordan. Twenty-one (21) full-text articles were selected for the in-depth review due to meeting the established criteria for inclusion. 81 percent of articles included primary data while 19 percent included secondary data. Analysis of data was based on a specific extraction form that was developed using the ‘Excel’ to respond to the main goal of the paper. Interpretation of data was in light of the theorization of different feminism schools on the relationship between patriarchy and gender-based violence. Findings show that 33 percent of the selected articles affirm that the patriarchal standpoint best explains the role of patriarchy in the incidence of gender-based violence in Jordan under its three main themes (Honor-based Violence, Intimate Partner Violence and Street Harassment). Apart from the limited number of articles that were found debating this argument and the low percentage of articles that acknowledged the role of patriarchy in the incidence of gender-based violence in Jordan, this paper breaks the ice to implement future empirical studies on this subject. Also, it is an invitation for all Jordanian women to unite their efforts in order to eradicate all forms of victimization against them.

Keywords: honor-based violence, intimate partner violence, middle-east, street harassment

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Authors: F. Jiménez, R. Jódar, M. Martín, G. Sánchez, G. Sciavicco

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Abstract—Attribute or feature selection is one of the basic strategies to improve the performances of data classification tasks, and, at the same time, to reduce the complexity of classifiers, and it is a particularly fundamental one when the number of attributes is relatively high. Its application to unsupervised classification is restricted to a limited number of experiments in the literature. Evolutionary computation has already proven itself to be a very effective choice to consistently reduce the number of attributes towards a better classification rate and a simpler semantic interpretation of the inferred classifiers. We present a feature selection wrapper model composed by a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, the clustering method Expectation-Maximization (EM), and the classifier C4.5 for the unsupervised classification of data extracted from a psychological test named BASC-II (Behavior Assessment System for Children - II ed.) with two objectives: Maximizing the likelihood of the clustering model and maximizing the accuracy of the obtained classifier. We present a methodology to integrate feature selection for unsupervised classification, model evaluation, decision making (to choose the most satisfactory model according to a a posteriori process in a multi-objective context), and testing. We compare the performance of the classifier obtained by the multi-objective evolutionary algorithms ENORA and NSGA-II, and the best solution is then validated by the psychologists that collected the data.

Keywords: evolutionary computation, feature selection, classification, clustering

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Authors: Faisal Kalota

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Big Data and analytics have gained a huge momentum in recent years. Big Data feeds into the field of Learning Analytics (LA) that may allow academic institutions to better understand the learners’ needs and proactively address them. Hence, it is important to have an understanding of Big Data and its applications. The purpose of this descriptive paper is to provide an overview of Big Data, the technologies used in Big Data, and some of the applications of Big Data in education. Additionally, it discusses some of the concerns related to Big Data and current research trends. While Big Data can provide big benefits, it is important that institutions understand their own needs, infrastructure, resources, and limitation before jumping on the Big Data bandwagon.

Keywords: big data, learning analytics, analytics, big data in education, Hadoop

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Authors: Ibrahim A. Adeniran, Rui F. Zhu, Man S. Wong

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Owing to the insufficiency in the spatial representativeness and continuity of in situ temperature measurements from weather stations (WS), the use of temperature measurement from WS for large-range diurnal analysis in heterogenous landscapes has been limited. This has made the accurate estimation of land surface temperature (LST) from remotely sensed data more crucial. Moreover, the study of dynamic interaction between the atmosphere and the physical surface of the Earth could be enhanced at both annual and diurnal scales by using optimal LST data derived from satellite sensors. The tradeoff between the spatial and temporal resolution of LSTs from satellite’s thermal infrared sensors (TIRS) has, however, been a major challenge, especially when high spatiotemporal LST data are recommended. It is well-known from existing literature that polar satellites have the advantage of high spatial resolution, while geostationary satellites have a high temporal resolution. Hence, this study is aimed at designing a framework for the cross-comparison of LST data from polar and geostationary satellites in a heterogeneous landscape. This could help to understand the relationship between the LST estimates from the two satellites and, consequently, their integration in diurnal LST analysis. Landsat-8 satellite data will be used as the representative of the polar satellite due to the availability of its long-term series, while the Himawari-8 satellite will be used as the data source for the geostationary satellite because of its improved TIRS. For the study area, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HK SAR) will be selected; this is due to the heterogeneity in the landscape of the region. LST data will be retrieved from both satellites using the Split window algorithm (SWA), and the resulting data will be validated by comparing satellite-derived LST data with temperature data from automatic WS in HK SAR. The LST data from the satellite data will then be separated based on the land use classification in HK SAR using the Global Land Cover by National Mapping Organization version3 (GLCNMO 2013) data. The relationship between LST data from Landsat-8 and Himawari-8 will then be investigated based on the land-use class and over different seasons of the year in order to account for seasonal variation in their relationship. The resulting relationship will be spatially and statistically analyzed and graphically visualized for detailed interpretation. Findings from this study will reveal the relationship between the two satellite data based on the land use classification within the study area and the seasons of the year. While the information provided by this study will help in the optimal combination of LST data from Polar (Landsat-8) and geostationary (Himawari-8) satellites, it will also serve as a roadmap in the annual and diurnal urban heat (UHI) analysis in Hong Kong SAR.

Keywords: automatic weather station, Himawari-8, Landsat-8, land surface temperature, land use classification, split window algorithm, urban heat island

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Authors: Christian A. Romero, Tanja Grkovic, John. R. J. French, D. İpek Kurtböke, Ronald J. Quinn

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A high-throughput and automated 1H NMR metabolic fingerprinting dereplication approach was used to accelerate the discovery of unknown bioactive secondary metabolites. The applied dereplication strategy accelerated the discovery of natural products, provided rapid and competent identification and quantification of the known secondary metabolites and avoided time-consuming isolation procedures. The effectiveness of the technique was demonstrated by the isolation and elucidation of arglecins B (1), C (2) and actinofuranosin A (3) from a termite-gut associated Streptomyces sp. (USC 597) grown under solid state fermentation. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by extensive interpretation of 1H, 13C and 2D NMR spectroscopic data. These represent the first report of arglecin analogs isolated from a termite gut-associated Streptomyces species.

Keywords: actinomycetes, actinofuranosin, antibiotics, arglecins, NMR spectroscopy

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Authors: Sahil Patel

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Increasing urbanization leads to a concrete forest. The effects of new development practices occur in the natural hydrologic cycle. Here the concerns have been raised about the groundwater recharge in sufficient quantity. With further development, porous surfaces reduce rapidly. A city like Ahmedabad, with a non-perennial river, is 100% dependent on groundwater. The Ahmedabad city receives its domestic use water from the Narmada river, located about 200 km away. The expenses to bring water is much higher. Ahmedabad city receives annually 800 mm rainfall, and mostly this water increases the local level waterlogging problems; after that, water goes to the Sabarmati river and merges into the sea. The existing developed area of Ahmedabad city is very dense, and does not offer many chances to change the built form and increase porous surfaces to absorb storm-water. Therefore, there is a need to plan upcoming areas with more effective solutions to manage storm-water. This paper is focusing on the management of stormwater for new development by retaining natural hydrology. The Low Impact Development (LID) concept is used to manage storm-water efficiently. Ahmedabad city has a tool called the “Town Planning Scheme,” which helps the local body drive new development by land pooling mechanism. This paper gives a detailed analysis of the selected area (proposed Town Planning Scheme area by the local authority) in Ahmedabad. Here the development control regulations for individual developers and some physical elements for public places are presented to manage storm-water. There is a different solution for the Town Planning scheme than that of the conventional way. A local authority can use it for any area, but it can be site-specific. In the end, there are benefits to locals with some financial analysis and comparisons.

Keywords: water management, green field development, low impact development, town planning scheme

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