Search results for: adaptive envelope protection control
13006 An Active Rectifier with Time-Domain Delay Compensation to Enhance the Power Conversion Efficiency
Authors: Shao-Ku Kao
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This paper presents an active rectifier with time-domain delay compensation to enhance the efficiency. A delay calibration circuit is designed to convert delay time to voltage and adaptive control on/off delay in variable input voltage. This circuit is designed in 0.18 mm CMOS process. The input voltage range is from 2 V to 3.6 V with the output voltage from 1.8 V to 3.4 V. The efficiency can maintain more than 85% when the load from 50 Ω ~ 1500 Ω for 3.6 V input voltage. The maximum efficiency is 92.4 % at output power to be 38.6 mW for 3.6 V input voltage.Keywords: wireless power transfer, active diode, delay compensation, time to voltage converter, PCE
Procedia PDF Downloads 28313005 The Vision Baed Parallel Robot Control
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In this paper, we describe the control strategy of high speed parallel robot system with EtherCAT network. This work deals the parallel robot system with centralized control on the real-time operating system such as window TwinCAT3. Most control scheme and algorithm is implemented master platform on the PC, the input and output interface is ported on the slave side. The data is transferred by maximum 20usecond with 1000byte. EtherCAT is very high speed and stable industrial network. The control strategy with EtherCAT is very useful and robust on Ethernet network environment. The developed parallel robot is controlled pre-design nonlinear controller for 6G/0.43 cycle time of pick and place motion tracking. The experiment shows the good design and validation of the controller.Keywords: parallel robot control, etherCAT, nonlinear control, parallel robot inverse kinematic
Procedia PDF Downloads 57113004 Applying Intelligent Material in Food Packaging
Authors: Kasra Ghaemi, Syeda Tasnim, Shohel Mahmud
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One of the main issues affecting the quality and shelf life of food products is temperature fluctuation during transportation and storage. Packaging plays an important role in protecting food from environmental conditions, especially thermal variations. In this study, the performance of using microencapsulated Phase Change Material (PCM) as a promising thermal buffer layer in smart food packaging is investigated. The considered insulation layer is evaluated for different thicknesses and the absorbed heat from the environment. The results are presented in terms of the melting time of PCM or provided thermal protection period.Keywords: food packaging, phase change material, thermal buffer, protection time
Procedia PDF Downloads 9513003 Outdoor Thermal Comfort Strategies: The Case of Cool Facades
Authors: Noelia L. Alchapar, Cláudia C. Pezzuto, Erica N. Correa
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Mitigating urban overheating is key to achieving the environmental and energy sustainability of cities. The management of the optical properties of the materials that make up the urban envelope -roofing, pavement, and facades- constitutes a profitable and effective tool to improve the urban microclimate and rehabilitate urban areas. Each material that makes up the urban envelope has a different capacity to reflect received solar radiation, which alters the fraction of solar radiation absorbed by the city. However, the paradigm of increasing solar reflectance in all areas of the city without distinguishing their relative position within the urban canyon can cause serious problems of overheating and discomfort among its inhabitants. The hypothesis that supports the research postulates that not all reflective technologies that contribute to urban radiative cooling favor the thermal comfort conditions of pedestrians to equal measure. The objective of this work is to determine to what degree the management of the optical properties of the facades modifies outdoor thermal comfort, given that the mitigation potential of materials with high reflectance in facades is strongly conditioned by geographical variables and by the geometric characteristics of the urban profile aspect ratio (H/W). This research was carried out under two climatic contexts, that of the city of Mendoza-Argentina and that of the city of Campinas-Brazil, according to the Köppen climate classification: BWk and Cwa, respectively. Two areas in two different climatic contexts (Mendoza - Argentina and Campinas - Brazil) were selected. Both areas have comparable urban morphology patterns. These areas are located in a region with low horizontal building density and residential zoning. The microclimatic conditions were monitored during the summer period with temperature and humidity fixed sensors inside vial channels. The microclimate model was simulated in ENVI-Met V5. A grid resolution of 3.5 x 3.5 x 3.5m was used for both cities, totaling an area of 145x145x30 grids. Based on the validated theoretical model, ten scenarios were simulated, modifying the height of buildings and the solar reflectivity of facades. The solar reflectivity façades ranges were: low (0.3) and high (0.75). The density scenarios range from 1th to the 5th level. The study scenarios' performance was assessed by comparing the air temperature, physiological equivalent temperature (PET), and thermal climate index (UTCI). As a result, it is observed that the behavior of the materials of the urban outdoor space depends on complex interactions. Many urban environmental factors influence including constructive characteristics, urban morphology, geographic locations, local climate, and so forth. The role of the vertical urban envelope is decisive for the reduction of urban overheating. One of the causes of thermal gain is the multiple reflections within the urban canyon, which affects not only the air temperature but also the pedestrian thermal comfort. One of the main findings of this work leads to the remarkable importance of considering both the urban warming and the thermal comfort aspects of pedestrians in urban mitigation strategies.Keywords: materials facades, solar reflectivity, thermal comfort, urban cooling
Procedia PDF Downloads 9213002 Reconceptualising the Voice of Children in Child Protection
Authors: Sharon Jackson, Lynn Kelly
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This paper proposes a conceptual review of the interdisciplinary literature which has theorised the concept of ‘children’s voices’. The primary aim is to identify and consider the theoretical relevance of conceptual thought on ‘children’s voices’ for research and practice in child protection contexts. Attending to the ‘voice of the child’ has become a core principle of social work practice in contemporary child protection contexts. Discourses of voice permeate the legislative, policy and practice frameworks of child protection practices within the UK and internationally. Voice is positioned within a ‘child-centred’ moral imperative to ‘hear the voices’ of children and take their preferences and perspectives into account. This practice is now considered to be central to working in a child-centered way. The genesis of this call to voice is revealed through sociological analysis of twentieth-century child welfare reform as rooted inter alia in intersecting political, social and cultural discourses which have situated children and childhood as cites of state intervention as enshrined in the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child ratified by the UK government in 1991 and more specifically Article 12 of the convention. From a policy and practice perspective, the professional ‘capturing’ of children’s voices has come to saturate child protection practice. This has incited a stream of directives, resources, advisory publications and ‘how-to’ guides which attempt to articulate practice methods to ‘listen’, ‘hear’ and above all – ‘capture’ the ‘voice of the child’. The idiom ‘capturing the voice of the child’ is frequently invoked within the literature to express the requirements of the child-centered practice task to be accomplished. Despite the centrality of voice, and an obsession with ‘capturing’ voices, evidence from research, inspection processes, serious case reviews, child abuse and death inquires has consistently highlighted professional neglect of ‘the voice of the child’. Notable research studies have highlighted the relative absence of the child’s voice in social work assessment practices, a troubling lack of meaningful engagement with children and the need to more thoroughly examine communicative practices in child protection contexts. As a consequence, the project of capturing ‘the voice of the child’ has intensified, and there has been an increasing focus on developing methods and professional skills to attend to voice. This has been guided by a recognition that professionals often lack the skills and training to engage with children in age-appropriate ways. We argue however that the problem with ‘capturing’ and [re]representing ‘voice’ in child protection contexts is, more fundamentally, a failure to adequately theorise the concept of ‘voice’ in the ‘voice of the child’. For the most part, ‘The voice of the child’ incorporates psychological conceptions of child development. While these concepts are useful in the context of direct work with children, they fail to consider other strands of sociological thought, which position ‘the voice of the child’ within an agentic paradigm to emphasise the active agency of the child.Keywords: child-centered, child protection, views of the child, voice of the child
Procedia PDF Downloads 13913001 Knowledge Representation Based on Interval Type-2 CFCM Clustering
Authors: Lee Myung-Won, Kwak Keun-Chang
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This paper is concerned with knowledge representation and extraction of fuzzy if-then rules using Interval Type-2 Context-based Fuzzy C-Means clustering (IT2-CFCM) with the aid of fuzzy granulation. This proposed clustering algorithm is based on information granulation in the form of IT2 based Fuzzy C-Means (IT2-FCM) clustering and estimates the cluster centers by preserving the homogeneity between the clustered patterns from the IT2 contexts produced in the output space. Furthermore, we can obtain the automatic knowledge representation in the design of Radial Basis Function Networks (RBFN), Linguistic Model (LM), and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Networks (ANFN) from the numerical input-output data pairs. We shall focus on a design of ANFN in this paper. The experimental results on an estimation problem of energy performance reveal that the proposed method showed a good knowledge representation and performance in comparison with the previous works.Keywords: IT2-FCM, IT2-CFCM, context-based fuzzy clustering, adaptive neuro-fuzzy network, knowledge representation
Procedia PDF Downloads 32313000 Nephrotoxicity and Hepatotoxicity Induced by Chronic Aluminium Exposure in Rats: Impact of Nutrients Combination versus Social Isolation and Protein Malnutrition
Authors: Azza A. Ali, Doaa M. Abd El-Latif, Amany M. Gad, Yasser M. A. Elnahas, Karema Abu-Elfotuh
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Background: Exposure to Aluminium (Al) has been increased recently. It is found in food products, food additives, drinking water, cosmetics and medicines. Chronic consumption of Al causes oxidative stress and has been implicated in several chronic disorders. Liver is considered as the major site for detoxification while kidney is involved in the elimination of toxic substances and is a target organ of metal toxicity. Social isolation (SI) or protein malnutrition (PM) also causes oxidative stress and has negative impact on Al-induced nephrotoxicity as well as hepatotoxicity. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a powerful intracellular antioxidant with mitochondrial membrane stabilizing ability while wheat grass is a natural product with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and different protective activities, cocoa is also potent antioxidants and can protect against many diseases. They provide different degrees of protection from the impact of oxidative stress. Objective: To study the impact of social isolation together with Protein malnutrition on nephro- and hepato-toxicity induced by chronic Al exposure in rats as well as to investigate the postulated protection using a combination of Co Q10, wheat grass and cocoa. Methods: Eight groups of rats were used; four served as protected groups and four as un-protected. Each of them received daily for five weeks AlCl3 (70 mg/kg, IP) for Al-toxicity model groups except one group served as control. Al-toxicity model groups were divided to Al-toxicity alone, SI- associated PM (10% casein diet) and Al- associated SI&PM groups. Protection was induced by oral co-administration of CoQ10 (200mg/kg), wheat grass (100mg/kg) and cocoa powder (24mg/kg) combination together with Al. Biochemical changes in total bilirubin, lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, proteins, creatinine and urea as well as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate deshydrogenase (LDH) were measured in serum of all groups. Specimens of kidney and liver were used for assessment of oxidative parameters (MDA, SOD, TAC, NO), inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-6β, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), Caspase-3) and DNA fragmentation in addition to evaluation of histopathological changes. Results: SI together with PM severely enhanced nephro- and hepato-toxicity induced by chronic Al exposure. Co Q10, wheat grass and cocoa combination showed clear protection against hazards of Al exposure either alone or when associated with SI&PM. Their protection were indicated by the significant decrease in Al-induced elevations in total bilirubin, lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, creatinine and urea levels as well as ALT, AST, ALP, LDH. Liver and kidney of the treated groups also showed significant decrease in MDA, NO, TNF-α, IL-6β, NF-κB, caspase-3 and DNA fragmentation, together with significant increase in total proteins, SOD and TAC. Biochemical results were confirmed by the histopathological examinations. Conclusion: SI together with PM represents a risk factor in enhancing nephro- and hepato-toxicity induced by Al in rats. CoQ10, wheat grass and cocoa combination provide clear protection against nephro- and hepatotoxicity as well as the consequent degenerations induced by chronic Al-exposure even when associated with the risk of SI together with PM.Keywords: aluminum, nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, isolation and protein malnutrition, coenzyme Q10, wheatgrass, cocoa, nutrients combinations
Procedia PDF Downloads 25012999 Sensor and Actuator Fault Detection in Connected Vehicles under a Packet Dropping Network
Authors: Z. Abdollahi Biron, P. Pisu
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Connected vehicles are one of the promising technologies for future Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). A connected vehicle system is essentially a set of vehicles communicating through a network to exchange their information with each other and the infrastructure. Although this interconnection of the vehicles can be potentially beneficial in creating an efficient, sustainable, and green transportation system, a set of safety and reliability challenges come out with this technology. The first challenge arises from the information loss due to unreliable communication network which affects the control/management system of the individual vehicles and the overall system. Such scenario may lead to degraded or even unsafe operation which could be potentially catastrophic. Secondly, faulty sensors and actuators can affect the individual vehicle’s safe operation and in turn will create a potentially unsafe node in the vehicular network. Further, sending that faulty sensor information to other vehicles and failure in actuators may significantly affect the safe operation of the overall vehicular network. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to take these issues into consideration while designing the control/management algorithms of the individual vehicles as a part of connected vehicle system. In this paper, we consider a connected vehicle system under Co-operative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) and propose a fault diagnosis scheme that deals with these aforementioned challenges. Specifically, the conventional CACC algorithm is modified by adding a Kalman filter-based estimation algorithm to suppress the effect of lost information under unreliable network. Further, a sliding mode observer-based algorithm is used to improve the sensor reliability under faults. The effectiveness of the overall diagnostic scheme is verified via simulation studies.Keywords: fault diagnostics, communication network, connected vehicles, packet drop out, platoon
Procedia PDF Downloads 23912998 Effect of Project Control Practices on the Performance of Building Construction Companies in Uganda: A Case Study of Kampala City
Authors: Tukundane Hillary
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This research paper analytically evaluates the project control practice levels used by the building construction companies within Kampala, Uganda. The research also assesses the outcome of project control practices on the productivity of the companies. The research was performed to ascertain the current control practices among 160 respondents from various construction companies registered with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau. This research used amalgamation from multiple literature to obtain the variables. The research adopts 34 standard control practices from four vital project control duties: planning, monitoring, analyzing, and reporting. These project control tasks were organized using mean response ratings grounded on their relevance to the construction companies. Results showed that evaluating performance with the use of curves (4.32), timely access to information and encouragement (4.55), report representation using quantitative tools 4.75, and cost value comparison application during analysis (4.76) were rated least among the control practices. On the other hand, the top project control practices included formulation of the project schedule (8.88), Project feasibility validation (8.86), Budgeting for each activity (8.84), Key project route definition (8.81), Team awareness of the budget (8.77), Setting realistic targets for projects (8.50) and Consultation from subcontractors (8.74). From the results obtained by the sample respondents specified, it can be concluded that planning is the most vital project control task practiced in the building construction industry in Uganda. In addition, this research ascertained a substantial relationship between project control practices and the performance of building construction companies. Accordingly, this research recommends that project control practices be effectively observed by both contracting and consulting companies to enhance their overall performance and governance.Keywords: cost value, project control, cost control, time control, project performance, control practices
Procedia PDF Downloads 7912997 A Strategy of Direct Power Control for PWM Rectifier Reducing Ripple in Instantaneous Power
Authors: T. Mohammed Chikouche, K. Hartani
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In order to solve the instantaneous power ripple and achieve better performance of direct power control (DPC) for a three-phase PWM rectifier, a control method is proposed in this paper. This control method is applied to overcome the instantaneous power ripple, to eliminate line current harmonics and therefore reduce the total harmonic distortion and to improve the power factor. A switching table is based on the analysis on the change of instantaneous active and reactive power, to select the optimum switching state of the three-phase PWM rectifier. The simulation result shows feasibility of this control method.Keywords: power quality, direct power control, power ripple, switching table, unity power factor
Procedia PDF Downloads 32412996 Geosynthetic Containment Systems for Coastal Protection: An Indian Perspective
Authors: Tom Elias, Kiran G. Shirlal
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Coastal erosion is one of the major issue faced by maritime countries, globally. More than 1200 km stretch of Indian coastline is marked eroding. There have been numerous attempts to impede the erosion rate and to attain equilibrium beach profiles. High cost and unavailability of natural rocks forced coastal engineers to find alternatives for conventional hard options like seawalls and groynes. Geosynthetic containment systems, emerged in the mid 20th century proved promising in catering coastal protection in countries like Australia, Germany and United States. The present study aims at reviewing Indian timeline of protection works that uses geosynthetic containment systems. Indian exploration regarding geosynthetic containment system dates back to early 2000s. Generally, protection structures use geosynthetics in the form of Geotubes, Geocontainers, and Geobags with Geotubes being most widely used in the form of submerged reefs, seawalls, groynes and breakwaters. Sand and dredged waste are used to fill these containment systems with calculated sand fill ratio. Reviewing the prominent protection works constructed in the east and west coast of India provides an insight into benefits and the difficulties faced by the practical installation. Initially, geosynthetic structures were considered as a temporary protection method prior to the construction of some other hard structure. Later Dahanu, Hamala and Pentha experiences helped in establishing geotubes as an alternative to conventional structures. Nearshore geotubes reefs aimed to attain equilibrium beach served its purpose in Hamala and Dahanu, Maharashtra, while reef constructed at Candolim, Goa underwent serious damage due to Toe Scour. In situ filling by pumping of sand slurry as in case of Shankarpur Seawall, West Bengal remains as a major concern. Geosynthetic systems supplemented by gabions and rock armours improves the wave dissipation, stability and reflection characteristics as implied in Pentha Coast, Odisha, Hazira, Gujarat and Uppada, Andhra Pradesh. Keeping improper design and deliberate destruction by vandals apart, geosynthetic containment systems offer a cost-effective alternative to conventional coastal protection methods in India. Additionally, geosynthetics supports marine growth in its surface which enhances its demand as an eco-friendly material and encourages usage.Keywords: coastal protection, geotubes, geobags, geocontainers
Procedia PDF Downloads 15112995 Sustainable Biostimulant and Bioprotective Compound for the Control of Fungal Diseases in Agricultural Crops
Authors: Geisa Lima Mesquita Zambrosi, Maisa Ciampi Guillardi, Flávia Rodrigues Patrício, Oliveiro Guerreiro Filho
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Certified agricultural products are important components of the food industry. However, certifiers have been expanding the list of restricted or prohibited pesticides, limiting the options of products for phytosanitary control of plant diseases, but without offering alternatives to the farmers. Soybean and coffee leaf rust, brown eye spots, and Phoma leaf spots are the main fungal diseases that pose a serious threat to soybean and coffee cultivation worldwide. In conventional farming systems, these diseases are controlled by using synthetic fungicides, which, in addition to intensifying the occurrence of fungal resistance, are highly toxic to the environment, farmers, and consumers. In organic, agroecological, or regenerative farming systems, product options for plant protection are limited, being available only copper-based compounds, and biodefensivesornon-standard homemade products. Therefore, there is a growing demand for effective bioprotectors with low environmental impact for adoption in more sustainable agricultural systems. Then, to contribute to covering such a gap, we have developed a compound based on plant extracts and metallic elements for foliar application. This product has both biostimulant and bioprotective action, which promotes sustainable disease control, increases productivity as well as reduces damage to the environment. The product's components have complementary mechanisms that promote protection against the disease by directly acting on the pathogens and activating the plant's natural defense system. The protective ability of the product against three coffee diseases (coffee leaf rust, brown eye spot, and Phoma leaf spot) and against soybean rust disease was evaluated, in addition to its ability to promote plant growth. Our goal is to offer an effective alternative to control the main coffee fungal diseases and soybean fungal diseases, with a biostimulant effect and low toxicity. The proposed product can also be part of the integrated management of coffee and soybean diseases in conventional farming associated with chemical and biological pesticides, offering the market a sustainable coffee and soybean with high added value and low residue content. Experiments were carried out under controlled conditions to evaluate the effectiveness of the product in controlling rust, phoma, and cercosporiosis in comparison to control-inoculated plants that did not receive the product. The in vitro and in vivo effects of the product on the pathogen were evaluated using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The fungistatic action of the product was demonstrated by a reduction of 85% and 95% in spore germination and disease symptoms severity on the leaves of coffee plants, respectively. The formulation had both a protective effect, acting to prevent infection by coffee leaf rust, and a curative effect, reducing the rust symptoms after its establishment.Keywords: plant disease, natural fungicide, plant health, sustainability, alternative disease management
Procedia PDF Downloads 4312994 Video Foreground Detection Based on Adaptive Mixture Gaussian Model for Video Surveillance Systems
Authors: M. A. Alavianmehr, A. Tashk, A. Sodagaran
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Modeling background and moving objects are significant techniques for video surveillance and other video processing applications. This paper presents a foreground detection algorithm that is robust against illumination changes and noise based on adaptive mixture Gaussian model (GMM), and provides a novel and practical choice for intelligent video surveillance systems using static cameras. In the previous methods, the image of still objects (background image) is not significant. On the contrary, this method is based on forming a meticulous background image and exploiting it for separating moving objects from their background. The background image is specified either manually, by taking an image without vehicles, or is detected in real-time by forming a mathematical or exponential average of successive images. The proposed scheme can offer low image degradation. The simulation results demonstrate high degree of performance for the proposed method.Keywords: image processing, background models, video surveillance, foreground detection, Gaussian mixture model
Procedia PDF Downloads 51612993 Consumer Protection Law For Users Mobile Commerce as a Global Effort to Improve Business in Indonesia
Authors: Rina Arum Prastyanti
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Information technology has changed the ways of transacting and enabling new opportunities in business transactions. Problems to be faced by consumers M Commerce, among others, the consumer will have difficulty accessing the full information about the products on offer and the forms of transactions given the small screen and limited storage capacity, the need to protect children from various forms of excess supply and usage as well as errors in access and disseminate personal data, not to mention the more complex problems as well as problems agreements, dispute resolution that can protect consumers and assurance of security of personal data. It is no less important is the risk of payment and personal information of payment dal am also an important issue that should be on the swatch solution. The purpose of this study is 1) to describe the phenomenon of the use of Mobile Commerce in Indonesia. 2) To determine the form of legal protection for the consumer use of Mobile Commerce. 3) To get the right type of law so as to provide legal protection for consumers Mobile Commerce users. This research is a descriptive qualitative research. Primary and secondary data sources. This research is a normative law. Engineering conducted engineering research library collection or library research. The analysis technique used is deductive analysis techniques. Growing mobile technology and more affordable prices as well as low rates of provider competition also affects the increasing number of mobile users, Indonesia is placed into 4 HP users in the world, the number of mobile phones in Indonesia is estimated at around 250.1 million telephones with a population of 237 556. 363. Indonesian form of legal protection in the use of mobile commerce still a part of the Law No. 11 of 2008 on Information and Electronic Transactions and until now there is no rule of law that specifically regulates mobile commerce. Legal protection model that can be applied to protect consumers of mobile commerce users ensuring that consumers get information about potential security and privacy challenges they may face in m commerce and measures that can be used to limit the risk. Encourage the development of security measures and built security features. To encourage mobile operators to implement data security policies and measures to prevent unauthorized transactions. Provide appropriate methods both time and effectiveness of redress when consumers suffer financial loss.Keywords: mobile commerce, legal protection, consumer, effectiveness
Procedia PDF Downloads 36512992 Synthesis of a Model Predictive Controller for Artificial Pancreas
Authors: Mohamed El Hachimi, Abdelhakim Ballouk, Ilyas Khelafa, Abdelaziz Mouhou
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Introduction: Type 1 diabetes occurs when beta cells are destroyed by the body's own immune system. Treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus could be greatly improved by applying a closed-loop control strategy to insulin delivery, also known as an Artificial Pancreas (AP). Method: In this paper, we present a new formulation of the cost function for a Model Predictive Control (MPC) utilizing a technic which accelerates the speed of control of the AP and tackles the nonlinearity of the control problem via asymmetric objective functions. Finding: The finding of this work consists in a new Model Predictive Control algorithm that leads to good performances like decreasing the time of hyperglycaemia and avoiding hypoglycaemia. Conclusion: These performances are validated under in silico trials.Keywords: artificial pancreas, control algorithm, biomedical control, MPC, objective function, nonlinearity
Procedia PDF Downloads 30712991 Concerns, Attitudes and Perceptions of Mothers about Child Vulnerability for Sexual Abuse
Authors: Rukhsana Kausar, Khadija Rasheed
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This research explored general concerns, attitudes and perceptions of Pakistani mothers about their children’s vulnerability for sexual abuse and it also examined the effect of education and work status of mothers on their concerns and attitudes about the safety of their children. The sample consisted of 166 mothers comprising of 4 groups i.e. educated-working mothers, uneducated working mothers, educated non-working mothers and uneducated non-working mothers. This research comprised of two studies. Study 1 was carried out to construct two separate scales namely Maternal Concerns and Attitudes Scale for safety of Daughters (MCA-SD) and Maternal Concerns and Attitudes Scale for safety of Sons (MCA-SS) for assessing maternal concerns and attitudes about safety and protection of daughters and sons. These scales were used in study 2 with the objective to explore mothers’ general concerns, attitudes and perceptions of about child vulnerability for sexual abuse. Data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance and independent-samples t-test. Educated mothers had more sense of responsibility, ensured more safety and provide more information about self-protection to their children as compared to uneducated mothers. Similarly non-working mothers showed more sense of responsibility and provided more information on self-protection to their children as compared to working mothers. Moreover, mothers living in nuclear family system trusted more on their relatives and other people for the protection of their children and ensured more safety of children than those living in joint family system. Findings have very important implications for protecting children from likely sexual abuse.Keywords: mothers’ concerns, attitudes, perceptions, child vulnerability, child sexual abuse
Procedia PDF Downloads 44112990 Aircraft Pitch Attitude Control Using Backstepping
Authors: Labane Chrif
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A nonlinear approach to the automatic pitch attitude control problem for aircraft transportation is presented. A nonlinear model describing the longitudinal equations of motion in strict feedback form is derived. Backstepping is utilized for the construction of a globally stabilizing controller with a number of free design parameters. The controller is evaluated using the aircraft transportation. The adaptation scheme proposed allowed us to design an explicit controller with a minimal knowledge of the aircraft aerodynamics. Finally, the simulation results will show that backstepping controller have better dynamic performance, simpler design, higher precision, easier implement, etc. At the same time, the control effect will be significantly improved. In addition, backstepping control is superior in short transition, good stability, anti-disturbance and good control.Keywords: nonlinear control, backstepping, aircraft control, Lyapunov function, longitudinal model
Procedia PDF Downloads 58112989 'Evaluating Radiation Protections Aspects For Pediatric Chest Radiography: imaging Standards and Radiation Dose Measurements in Various Hospitals In Kuwait
Authors: Kholood Baron
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Chest radiography (CXR) is one of the most important diagnostic examinations in pediatric radiography for diagnosing various diseases. Since, chest X-ray use ionizing radiation to obtain image radiographers should follow strict radiation protection strategies and ALARA principle to ensure that pediatrics receive the lowest dose possible [1] [2]. The aim is to evaluate different criteria related to pediatric CXR examinations performed in the radiology department in five hospitals in Kuwait. Methods: Data collected from a questionnaire and Entrance Skin Dose (ESD) measurements during CXR. 100 responses were collected and analyzed to highlight issues related to immobilization devices, radiation protection issues and repeat rate. While ThermoLumenince Dosimeters (TLDs) measured ESD during 25 CXR for pediatric patients. In addition, other aspects on the radiographer skills and information written in patient requests were collected and recorded. Results: Questionnaires responses showed that most radiographers do follow most radiation protection guidelines, but need to focus on improving their skills in collimation to ROI, dealing with immobilization tools and exposure factors. Since the first issue was least applied to young pediatrics, and the latter two were the common reasons for repeating an image. The ESD measurements revealed that the averaged dose involved in pediatric CXR is 143.9 µGy, which is relatively high but still within the limits of the recommended values [2-3] . The data suggests that this relatively high ESD values can be the result of using higher mAs and thus it I recommended to lower it according to ALARA principle. In conclusion, radiographers have the knowledge and the tools to reduce the radiation dose to pediatric patients but few lack the skills to optimize the collimation, immobilization application and exposure factors. The ESD were within recommended values. This research recommends that more efforts in the future should focus on improving the radiographer commitment to radiation protection and their skills in dealing with pediatric patient. This involves lowering the mAs used during DR.Keywords: pediatric radiography, dosimetry, ESD measurements, radiation protection
Procedia PDF Downloads 3412988 Non-Linear Control in Positioning of PMLSM by Estimates of the Load Force by MRAS Method
Authors: Maamar Yahiaoui, Abdelrrahmene Kechich, Ismail Elkhallile Bousserhene
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This article presents a study in simulation by means of MATLAB/Simulink software of the nonlinear control in positioning of a linear synchronous machine with the esteemed force of load, to have effective control in the estimator in all tests the wished trajectory follows and the disturbance of load start. The results of simulation prove clearly that the control proposed can detect the reference of positioning the value estimates of load force equal to the actual value.Keywords: mathematical model, Matlab, PMLSM, control, linearization, estimator, force, load, current
Procedia PDF Downloads 61012987 A Comparative Study between Behaviour Activation, Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy and Waiting List Control for Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Shweta Jha, Digambar Darekar, Krishna Kadam
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Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most common of psychiatric disorders. It has a wide range of symptoms, aetiologies and risk factors, and these reasons make MDD affect not only the primary patient, but also their family, caregivers and associates; by negatively impacting their self dignity, economic condition and self-confidence. Thus, it is important to help individuals suffering from MDD learn adaptive mechanism and deal effectively with their environment, with that aim this study focused on a comparative therapeutic intervention using Behaviour Activation (BA), Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) and Waiting list control (WLC) for management of MDD. This study apart from enhancing personal skills will also help us understand which therapeutic method would be more beneficial in treating and prolonging relapse in patients with MDD in Indian population. Fifteen individuals following application of inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected as study samples. They were randomly assigned to three treatment groups. Ten sessions of therapy, forty-five minutes each according to the proposed sessions plan were conducted for each group. The individuals selected as samples were re–assessed after 2 months and 6 months post intervention. The overall result showed that individuals treated with BA and REBT showed more improvement in comparison to those in WLC.Keywords: behaviour activation, major depressive disorder, rational emotive behaviour therapy, therapeutic intervention
Procedia PDF Downloads 25512986 Performance Evaluation of Discrete Fourier Transform Algorithm Based PMU for Wide Area Measurement System
Authors: Alpesh Adeshara, Rajendrasinh Jadeja, Praghnesh Bhatt
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Implementation of advanced technologies requires sophisticated instruments that deal with the operation, control, restoration and protection of rapidly growing power system network under normal and abnormal conditions. Presently, the applications of Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) are widely found in real time operation, monitoring, controlling and analysis of power system network as it eliminates the various limitations of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA) conventionally used in power system. The use of PMU data is very rapidly increasing its importance for online and offline analysis. Wide Area Measurement System (WAMS) is developed as new technology by use of multiple PMUs in power system. The present paper proposes a model of MATLAB based PMU using Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) algorithm and evaluation of its operation under different contingencies. In this paper, PMU based two bus system having WAMS network is presented as a case study.Keywords: GPS global positioning system, PMU phasor measurement system, WAMS wide area monitoring system, DFT, PDC
Procedia PDF Downloads 49612985 Afghan Women’s Perceptions on Domestic Violence and Child Protection in Finland
Authors: Laleh Golamrej Eliasi
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Finland is the second most violent country for women in the European Union (EU). 47% of women in Finland claimed to have experienced domestic violence against women (DVAW), compared to an average of 33% in the EU. Although the statistics in Finland are transparent, to the author’s best knowledge, there are no statisticsonDV by nationality in Finland. On the other hand, being a Muslim woman in a non-Muslim-majority country represents a position of double vulnerability to violence. There are 10404 Afghan refugees in Finland who are Muslim. Barriers such as unfamiliarity with support services, fear of the police, racism, language, economic and practical dependence, social isolation, and family commitments all lead to a lack of reporting of DVAW among migrants. Although witnessing and experiencing DV have devastating effects on women’s and children’s health and well-being, there is a lack of studies about DVAW among Afghan families in Finland. To fill this knowledge gap, Afghan women living in Finland are selected as the target group to assess their views on DVAW and child protection. This study is implemented in the socio-ecological approach framework to assess the impacts of individual characteristics, interpersonal relationships, community, and society components on DVAW in Afghan families. Interviews with Afghan women and content analysis are used to find out participants' views on DVAW, its risk factors, and approaches and methods to improve protection for women and children. Main purpose is to obtain information about participants' views on the subject. The findings can be used to improve culturally safe social work knowledge and practices with a bottom-up approach to reduce DV and increase child protection. Therefore, this research can have important effects on the sustainable development of services and supports the welfare and inclusion of immigrant families. The expected results will contribute to sustainable gender equality, which is in line with the fifth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals.Keywords: domestic violence, immigrant women, immigrant child protection, social work
Procedia PDF Downloads 8512984 Accurate and Repeatable Pressure Control for Critical Testing of Advanced Ceramics Using Proportional and Derivative Controller
Authors: Benchalak Muangmeesri
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The purpose of this paper is to discuss how to test the best control performance of a ceramics. Hydraulic press machine (HPM) is the most common shaping of advanced ceramic with products, dimensions, and ceramic products mainly from synthetic powders. A microcontroller can be achieved to control process and has set high standards in the shaping of raw materials in powder form. HPM was proposed to develop a position control system that linked to the embedded controller PIC16F877 via Proportional and Derivative (PD) controller. The model is performed using MATLAB/SIMULINK and the best control performance of an HPM. Finally, PD controller results, showing the best performance as it had the smallest overshoot and highest quality using a microcontroller control.Keywords: ceramics, hydraulic press, microcontroller, PD controller
Procedia PDF Downloads 35812983 Sampling Effects on Secondary Voltage Control of Microgrids Based on Network of Multiagent
Authors: M. J. Park, S. H. Lee, C. H. Lee, O. M. Kwon
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This paper studies a secondary voltage control framework of the microgrids based on the consensus for a communication network of multiagent. The proposed control is designed by the communication network with one-way links. The communication network is modeled by a directed graph. At this time, the concept of sampling is considered as the communication constraint among each distributed generator in the microgrids. To analyze the sampling effects on the secondary voltage control of the microgrids, by using Lyapunov theory and some mathematical techniques, the sufficient condition for such problem will be established regarding linear matrix inequality (LMI). Finally, some simulation results are given to illustrate the necessity of the consideration of the sampling effects on the secondary voltage control of the microgrids.Keywords: microgrids, secondary control, multiagent, sampling, LMI
Procedia PDF Downloads 33312982 Investigating the Properties of Asphalt Concrete Containing Recycled Fillers
Authors: Hasan Taherkhani
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Increasingly accumulation of the solid waste materials has become a major environmental problem of communities. In addition to the protection of environment, the recycling and reusing of the waste materials are financially beneficial. Waste materials can be used in highway construction. This study aimed to investigate the applicability of recycled concrete, asphalt and steel slag powder, as a replacement of the primary mineral filler in asphalt concrete has been investigated. The primary natural siliceous aggregate filler, as control, has been replaced with the secondary recycled concrete, asphalt and steel slag powders, and some engineering properties of the mixtures have been evaluated. Marshal Stability, flow, indirect tensile strength, moisture damage, static creep and volumetric properties of the mixtures have been evaluated. The results show that, the Marshal Stability of the mixtures containing recycled powders is higher than that of the control mixture. The flow of the mixtures containing recycled steel slag is lower, and that of the mixtures containing recycled asphalt and cement concrete powder is found to be higher than that of the control mixture. It is also found that the resistance against moisture damage and permanent deformation of the mixture can be improved by replacing the natural filler with the recycled powders. The volumetric properties of the mixtures are not significantly influenced by replacing the natural filler with the recycled powders.Keywords: filler, steel slag, recycled concrete, recycled asphalt concrete, tensile strength, moisture damage, creep
Procedia PDF Downloads 27812981 Government Intervention in Land Market
Authors: Waqar Ahmad Bajwa
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In the land market, there are two kinds of government intervention. First one is the control of development and second is the supply of land. In the both intervention Government has a lot of benefits. In development control the government designation of conservation areas and the effects of growth controls which may increase the price of land. On other hand Government also apply charge fee on land. The second type of intervention is to increase the supply of land, either by direct action or indirect action, as in the Pakistan, by obligatory purchase or important domain.Keywords: supply of control, control of development, charge fee, land control
Procedia PDF Downloads 26512980 Exploring Leadership Adaptability in the Private Healthcare Organizations in the UK in Times of Crises
Authors: Sade Ogundipe
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The private healthcare sector in the United Kingdom has experienced unprecedented challenges during times of crisis, necessitating effective leadership adaptability. This qualitative study delves into the dynamic landscape of leadership within the sector, particularly during crises, employing the lenses of complexity theory and institutional theory to unravel the intricate mechanisms at play. Through in-depth interviews with 25 various levels of leaders in the UK private healthcare sector, this research explores how leaders in UK private healthcare organizations navigate complex and often chaotic environments, shedding light on their adaptive strategies and decision-making processes during crises. Complexity theory is used to analyze the complicated, volatile nature of healthcare crises, emphasizing the need for adaptive leadership in such contexts. Institutional theory, on the other hand, provides insights into how external and internal institutional pressures influence leadership behavior. Findings from this study highlight the multifaceted nature of leadership adaptability, emphasizing the significance of leaders' abilities to embrace uncertainty, engage in sensemaking, and leverage the institutional environment to enact meaningful changes. Furthermore, this research sheds light on the challenges and opportunities that leaders face when adapting to crises within the UK private healthcare sector. The study's insights contribute to the growing body of literature on leadership in healthcare, offering practical implications for leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders within the UK private healthcare sector. By employing the dual perspectives of complexity theory and institutional theory, this research provides a holistic understanding of leadership adaptability in the face of crises, offering valuable guidance for enhancing the resilience and effectiveness of healthcare leadership within this vital sector.Keywords: leadership, adaptability, decision-making, complexity, complexity theory, institutional theory, organizational complexity, complex adaptive system (CAS), crises, healthcare
Procedia PDF Downloads 5112979 Investigating the Effect of Executive Functions on Young Children’s Drawing of Familiar and Unfamiliar
Authors: Reshaa Alruwaili
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This study was inspired by previous studies with young children that found (a) that they need both inhibitory control and working memory when drawing an unfamiliar subject (e.g., animals) by adapting their schema of the human figure and (b) that when drawing something familiar (e.g., a person) they use inhibitory control mediated through fine motor control to execute their drawing. This study, therefore, systematically investigated whether direct effects for both working memory and inhibitory control and/or effects mediated through fine motor control existed when drawing both familiar and unfamiliar subjects. Participants were 95 children (41-66 months old) required to draw both a man and a dog, scored respectively for how representational they were and for differences from a human figure. Regression and mediation analyses showed that inhibitory control alone predicted drawing a recognizable man while working memory alone predicted drawing a dog that was not human-like when fine motor control, age, and gender were controlled. Contrasting with some previous studies, these results suggest that the roles of working memory and inhibitory control are sensitive to the familiarity of the drawing task and are not necessarily mediated through fine motor control. Implications for research on drawing development are discussed.Keywords: child drawing, inhibitory control, working memory, fine motor control, mediation, familiar and unfamiliar subjects
Procedia PDF Downloads 7812978 DEA-Based Variable Structure Position Control of DC Servo Motor
Authors: Ladan Maijama’a, Jibril D. Jiya, Ejike C. Anene
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This paper presents Differential Evolution Algorithm (DEA) based Variable Structure Position Control (VSPC) of Laboratory DC servomotor (LDCSM). DEA is employed for the optimal tuning of Variable Structure Control (VSC) parameters for position control of a DC servomotor. The VSC combines the techniques of Sliding Mode Control (SMC) that gives the advantages of small overshoot, improved step response characteristics, faster dynamic response and adaptability to plant parameter variations, suppressed influences of disturbances and uncertainties in system behavior. The results of the simulation responses of the VSC parameters adjustment by DEA were performed in Matlab Version 2010a platform and yield better dynamic performance compared with the untuned VSC designed.Keywords: differential evolution algorithm, laboratory DC servomotor, sliding mode control, variable structure control
Procedia PDF Downloads 41612977 Modelling for Roof Failure Analysis in an Underground Cave
Authors: M. Belén Prendes-Gero, Celestino González-Nicieza, M. Inmaculada Alvarez-Fernández
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Roof collapse is one of the problems with a higher frequency in most of the mines of all countries, even now. There are many reasons that may cause the roof to collapse, namely the mine stress activities in the mining process, the lack of vigilance and carelessness or the complexity of the geological structure and irregular operations. This work is the result of the analysis of one accident produced in the “Mary” coal exploitation located in northern Spain. In this accident, the roof of a crossroad of excavated galleries to exploit the “Morena” Layer, 700 m deep, collapsed. In the paper, the work done by the forensic team to determine the causes of the incident, its conclusions and recommendations are collected. Initially, the available documentation (geology, geotechnics, mining, etc.) and accident area were reviewed. After that, laboratory and on-site tests were carried out to characterize the behaviour of the rock materials and the support used (metal frames and shotcrete). With this information, different hypotheses of failure were simulated to find the one that best fits reality. For this work, the software of finite differences in three dimensions, FLAC 3D, was employed. The results of the study confirmed that the detachment was originated as a consequence of one sliding in the layer wall, due to the large roof span present in the place of the accident, and probably triggered as a consequence of the existence of a protection pillar insufficient. The results allowed to establish some corrective measures avoiding future risks. For example, the dimensions of the protection zones that must be remained unexploited and their interaction with the crossing areas between galleries, or the use of more adequate supports for these conditions, in which the significant deformations may discourage the use of rigid supports such as shotcrete. At last, a grid of seismic control was proposed as a predictive system. Its efficiency was tested along the investigation period employing three control equipment that detected new incidents (although smaller) in other similar areas of the mine. These new incidents show that the use of explosives produces vibrations which are a new risk factor to analyse in a next future.Keywords: forensic analysis, hypothesis modelling, roof failure, seismic monitoring
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