Search results for: dynamic material modeling

Authors: Flávio A. F. da Ponte, Jackson Q. Malveira, José A. S. Ramos Filho, Monica C. G. Albuquerque

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The vegetable oils have many applications in industrial processes and due to this potential have constantly increased the demand for the use of low-quality oils, mainly in the production of biofuel. This work aims to the physicochemical evaluation of babassu oil (Orbinya speciosa) and coconut (Cocos nucifera) of low quality, as well the obtaining the free fatty acids 6 to 16 carbon atoms, with intention to be used as raw material for the biofuels production. The babassu oil and coconut low quality, as well the fatty acids obtained from these oils were characterized as their physicochemical properties and fatty acid composition (using gas chromatography coupled to mass). The NMR technique was used to assess the efficiency of fractional distillation under reduced pressure to obtain the intermediate carbonic chain fatty acids. The results showed that the bad quality in terms of physicochemical evaluation of babassu oils and coconut oils interfere directly in industrial application. However the fatty acids of intermediate carbonic chain (C6 to C16) may be used in cosmetic, pharmaceutical and particularly as the biokerosene fuel. The chromatographic analysis showed that the babassu oil and coconut oil have as major fatty acids are lauric acid (57.5 and 38.6%, respectively), whereas the top phase from distillation of coconut oil showed caprylic acid (39.1%) and major fatty acid.

Keywords: babassu oil (Orbinya speciosa), coconut oil (Cocos nucifera), fatty acids, biomass

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Authors: Robiul Islam, Monjurul Hasan, Rezaul Karim, M. F. M. Zain

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Coal fly ash, an industrial by product of coal combustion thermal power plants is considered as a hazardous material and its improper disposal has become an environmental issue. On the other hand, manufacturing conventional clay bricks involves on consumption of large amount of clay and leads substantial depletion of topsoil. This paper unveils the possibility of using fly ash as a partial replacement of clay for brick manufacturing considering the local technology practiced in Bangladesh. The effect of fly ash with different replacing ratio (0%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% by volume) of clay on properties of bricks were studied. Bricks were made in the field parallel to ordinary bricks marked with specific number for different percentage to identify them at time of testing. No physical distortion is observed in fly ash brick after burning in the kiln. Results from laboratory test show that compressive strength of brick is decreased with the increase of fly ash and maximum compressive strength is found to be 19.6 MPa at 20% of fly ash. In addition, water absorption of fly ash brick is increased with the increase of fly ash. The abrasion value and Specific gravity of coarse aggregate prepared from brick with fly ash also studied and the results of this study suggests that 20% fly ash can be considered as the optimum fly ash content for producing good quality bricks utilizing present practiced technology.

Keywords: Bangladesh brick, fly ash, clay brick, physical properties, compressive strength

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Authors: Osa D Egonwa

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In the 21^st century, the disciplinary boundaries of past centuries that we often create through mainstream art historical classification, techniques and sources may have been eroded by visual culture, which seems to provide a more inclusive umbrella for the new ways artists go about the creative process and its resultant commodities. Over the past four decades, artists in Africa have resorted to new materials, techniques and themes which have affected our ways of research on these artists and their art. Frontline artists such as El Anatsui, Yinka Shonibare, Erasmus Onyishi are demonstrating that any material is just suitable for artistic expression. Most of times, these materials come with their own techniques/effects and visual syntax: a combination of materials compounds techniques, formal aesthetic indexes, halo effects, and iconography. This tends to challenge the categories and we lean on to view, think and talk about them. This renders our main stream art historical research methods inadequate, thus suggesting new discursive concepts, terms and theories. This paper proposed the Africanist eclectic methods derived from the dual framework of Masquerade Theory and What Comes Behind Six is More Than Seven. This paper shares thoughts/research on art historical methods, terminological re-alignments on classification/source data, presentational format and interpretation arising from the emergent trends in our subject. The outcome provides useful tools to mediate new thoughts and experiences in recent African art and visual culture.

Keywords: art historical methods, classifications, concepts, re-alignment

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Authors: M. A. Marlow, R. Sørly, H. K. Kaatrakoski

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Social work practice produces and circulates dominant narratives of young women in residential care. These stories are characterised by negative descriptions and hopelessness while dismissing the capabilities of narrative practice. This paper gives an account of how young women with histories in residential care can resist the dominant narratives. The analysis is based on a study of five young women aged 17 to 26 years old with different backgrounds and experiences with Norwegian residential care. The meaning of the context is analysed based on two interviews that were completed and one that was cancelled in the field. The contextual narrative analysis was oriented around the understanding of stories as performances and provided insight into a possible future storytelling practice in social work. The first author’s field notes are included as part of the data material in the analysis and provide a picture of important knowledge development related to stories and the value of being able to tell one’s own experiences. Faced with the dominant narratives that define young women with negative experiences with residential care, we provide a more contextualised understanding of storytelling as a possibility for positive change. To allow young women to create new stories from their lives, we, as both social workers and researchers, must be aware of what kinds of stories we relate to our own practices.

Keywords: context analysis, narrative research, rejection, residential care, social work practice

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Authors: Hassidou Saidou, Soulé Aminou

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As in many towns of African countries, the waste management, in particularly solid constitutes a major problem for the municipal authorities of Maradi. The aim of this study is to make a diagnosis of the present system of waste management in the town of Maradi. The approach was consisted to some interviews with the municipal authorities, cleaning up and health technicians and some housewives investigations. According to the health technicians of the town, the causes due to the problem of waste management in Maradi town are: collecting capacity insufficient, lack of effective sensitization of people, undeveloped and uncontrolled rubbish dumps, lack of gutter and its maintenance, and insufficient and unqualified human resources. As to the authorities, they denounce always the attitude and the behavior of citizens on the waste issue. The waste evacuation is doing by municipal collecting or by depositing in wild rubbish dump. Some people eliminate their waste by burning or duping in the streets or in their houses. According to our investigations, 52% of population evacuates their waste daily. The satisfaction rate of municipal collecting is for 32%. The analysis showed that the present system of waste management in Maradi town is failing. As solutions, we proposed to equip the technical offices with appropriated material and financial means, reinforce the involved actor’s capacities and making in application the operatives regulations for the waste management.

Keywords: maradi, municipal authorities, Niger Republic, solid waste management

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Authors: Hsiao-Tien Pao, Yi-Ying Li, Hsin-Chia Fu

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This paper addressed the impacts of energy consumption, economic growth, financial development, and population size on environmental degradation using grey relational analysis (GRA) for China, where foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows is the proxy variable for financial development. The more recent historical data during the period 2004–2011 are used, because the use of very old data for data analysis may not be suitable for rapidly developing countries. The results of the GRA indicate that the linkage effects of energy consumption–emissions and GDP–emissions are ranked first and second, respectively. These reveal that energy consumption and economic growth are strongly correlated with emissions. Higher economic growth requires more energy consumption and increasing environmental pollution. Likewise, more efficient energy use needs a higher level of economic development. Therefore, policies to improve energy efficiency and create a low-carbon economy can reduce emissions without hurting economic growth. The finding of FDI–emissions linkage is ranked third. This indicates that China do not apply weak environmental regulations to attract inward FDI. Furthermore, China’s government in attracting inward FDI should strengthen environmental policy. The finding of population–emissions linkage effect is ranked fourth, implying that population size does not directly affect CO₂ emissions, even though China has the world’s largest population, and Chinese people are very economical use of energy-related products. Overall, the energy conservation, improving efficiency, managing demand, and financial development, which aim at curtailing waste of energy, reducing both energy consumption and emissions, and without loss of the country’s competitiveness, can be adopted for developing economies. The GRA is one of the best way to use a lower data to build a dynamic analysis model.

Keywords: China, CO₂ emissions, foreign direct investment, grey relational analysis

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Authors: Yunus Dere

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Minarets are tower like structures where the call to prayer of Muslims is performed. They have a symbolic meaning and sacred place among Muslims. Being tall and slender, they are prone to damage under earthquakes and strong winds. Kursuncular stone minaret was built around thirty years ago in Konya/TURKEY. Its core and helical stairs are made of reinforced concrete. Its stone spire was damaged during a light earthquake. Its spire is later replaced with a light material covered with lead sheets. In this study, the natural frequencies and mode shapes of Kursuncular minaret is obtained experimentally and analytically. First an ambient vibration test is carried out using a data acquisition system with accelerometers located at four locations along the height of the minaret. The collected vibration data is evaluated by operational modal analysis techniques. For the analytical part of the study, the dimensions of the minaret are accurately measured and a detailed 3D solid finite element model of the minaret is generated. The moduli of elasticity of the stone and concrete are approximated using the compressive strengths obtained by Windsor Pin tests. Finite element modal analysis of the minaret is carried out to get the modal parameters. Experimental and analytical results are then compared and found in good agreement.

Keywords: experimental modal analysis, stone minaret, finite element modal analysis, minarets

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Authors: Jingwen Shi, Qi Wu

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We study the role played interest rate risk in carry trade return in order to understand the forward premium puzzle. In this study, our goal is to investigate to what extent carry trade return is indeed due to compensation for risk taking and, more important, to reveal the nature of these risks. Using option data not only on exchange rates but also on interest rate swaps (swaptions), our first finding is that, besides the consensus currency risks, interest rate risks also contribute a non-negligible portion to the carry trade return. What strikes us is our second finding. We find that large downside risks of future exchange rate movements are, in fact, priced significantly in option market on interest rates. The role played by interest rate risk differs structurally from the currency risk. There is a unique premium associated with interest rate risk, though seemingly small in size, which compensates the tail risks, the left tail to be precise. On the technical front, our study relies on accurately retrieving implied distributions from currency options and interest rate swaptions simultaneously, especially the tail components of the two. For this purpose, our major modeling work is to build a new international asset pricing model where we use an orthogonal setup for pricing kernels and specify non-Gaussian dynamics in order to capture three sets of option skew accurately and consistently across currency options and interest rate swaptions, domestic and foreign, within one model. Our results open a door for studying forward premium anomaly through implied information from interest rate derivative market.

Keywords: carry trade, forward premium anomaly, FX option, interest rate swaption, implied volatility skew, uncovered interest rate parity

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Authors: Xiaochen Mu

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Due to the diversity of stakeholders and the ambiguity of ownership boundaries, the current protection models for Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) have many disadvantages. In response to this situation, there are three different protection models worldwide. The United States Copyright Office stipulates that works autonomously generated by artificial intelligence ‘lack’ the element of human creation, and non-human AI cannot create works. To protect and promote investment in the field of artificial intelligence, UK legislation, through Section 9(3) of the CDPA, designates the author of AI-generated works as ‘the person by whom the arrangements necessary for the creation of the work are undertaken.’ China neither simply excludes the work attributes of AI-generated content based on the lack of a natural person subject as the sole reason, nor does it generalize that AIGC should or should not be protected. Instead, it combines specific case circumstances and comprehensively evaluates the degree of originality of AIGC and the contributions of natural persons to AIGC. In China's first AI drawing case, the court determined that the image in question was the result of the plaintiff's design and selection through inputting prompt words and setting parameters, reflecting the plaintiff's intellectual investment and personalized expression, and should be recognized as a work in the sense of copyright law. Despite opposition, the ruling also established the feasibility of the AIGC copyright protection path. The recognition of the work attributes of AIGC will not lead to overprotection that hinders the overall development of the AI industry. Just as with the legislation and regulation of AI by various countries, there is a need for a balance between protection and development. For example, the provisional agreement reached on the EU AI Act, based on a risk classification approach, seeks a dynamic balance between copyright protection and the development of the AI industry.

Keywords: generative artificial intelligence, originality, works, copyright

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Authors: Rohtash

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Academically, the concept of Justice in the literature is vast, and theories are voluminous and definitions are numerous but it is very difficult to define. Through the ages, justice has been evolving and developing reasoning that how individuals and communities do the right thing that is just and fair to all in that society. Justice is a relative and dynamic concept, not absolute one. It is different in different societies based on their morality and ethics. The idea of justice cannot arise from a single morality but interaction of competing moralities and contending perspectives. Justice is the conditional and circumstantial term. Therefore, justice takes different meanings in different contexts. Justice is the application of the Laws. It is a values-based concept in order to protect the rights and liberties of the people. It is a socially created concept that has no physical reality. It exists in society on the basis of the spirit of sharing by the communities and members of society. The conception of justice in society or among communities and individuals is based on their social coordination. It can be effective only when people’s judgments are based on collective reasoning. Their behavior is shaped by social values, norms and laws. People must accept, share and respect the set of principles for delivering justice. Thus justice can be a reasonable solution to conflicts and to coordinate behavior in society. The subject matter of distributive justice is the Public Good and societal resources that should be evenly distributed among the different sections of society on the principles developed and established by the State through legislation, public policy and Executive orders. The Socioeconomic transformation of the society is adopted by the constitution within the limit of its morality and gives a new dimension to transformative justice. Therefore, both Procedural and Transformative justice is part of Distributive justice. Distributive justice is purely an economic phenomenon. It concerns the allocation of resources among the communities and individuals. The subject matter of distributive justice is the distribution of rights, responsibilities, burdens and benefits in society on the basis of the capacity and capability of individuals.

Keywords: distributive justice, constitutionalism, institutionalism, constitutional morality

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Authors: Pratyush Agnihotri

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The space missions are very costly because the transportation to the space is highly expensive and therefore there is the need to achieve complete re-usability in our launch vehicles to make the missions highly economic by cost cutting of the material recovered. Launcher reusability is the most efficient approach to decreasing admittance to space access economy, however stays an incredible specialized hurdle for the aerospace industry. Major concern of the difficulties lies in guidance and control procedure and calculations, specifically for those of the controlled landing stage, which should empower an exact landing with low fuel edges. Although cutting edge ways for navigation and control are present viz hybrid navigation and robust control. But for powered descent and landing of first stage of launch vehicle the guidance control is need to enable on board optimization. At first the CAD model of the launch vehicle I.e. space x falcon 9 rocket is presented for better understanding of the architecture that needs to be identified for the guidance and control solution for the recovery of the launcher. The focus is on providing the landing phase guidance scheme for recovery and re usability of first stage using retro propulsion. After reviewing various GNC solutions, to achieve accuracy in pre requisite landing online convex and successive optimization are explored as the guidance schemes.

Keywords: guidance, navigation, control, retro propulsion, reusable rockets

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Authors: A. S. Strait, J. A. Bryk-Lucy, L. M. Ritchie

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Thrush is a common disease of ungulates primarily affecting the frog and sulci, caused by the anaerobic bacteria Fusobacterium necrophorum. Thrush accounts for approximately 45.0% of hoof disorders in horses. Prevention and treatment of thrush are essential to prevent horses from developing severe infections and becoming lame. Proper knowledge of hoof care and thrush treatments is crucial to avoid financial costs, unsoundness and lost training time. Research on the effectiveness of numerous commercial and homemade thrush treatments is limited in the equine industry. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of three common thrush treatments for horses: weekly application of Thrush Buster, daily dilute bleach solution spray, or Metronidazole pastes every other day. Cases of thrush diagnosed by a veterinarian or veterinarian-trained researcher were given a score, from 0 to 4, based on the severity of the thrush in each hoof (n=59) and randomly assigned a treatment. Cases were rescored each week of the three-week treatment, and the final and initial scores were compared to determine effectiveness. The thrush treatments were compared with Thrush Buster as the reference at a significance level of α=.05. Binomial Logistic Regression Modeling was performed, finding that the odds of a hoof treated with Metronidazole to be thrush-free was 6.1 times greater than a hoof treated with Thrush Buster (p=0.001), while the odds of a hoof that was treated with bleach to be thrush-free was only 0.97 times greater than a hoof treated with Thrush Buster (p=0.970), after adjustment for treatment week. Of the three treatments utilized in this study, Metronidazole paste applied to the affected areas every other day was the most effective treatment for thrush in horses. There are many other thrush remedies available, and further research is warranted to determine the efficacy of additional treatment options.

Keywords: fusobacterium necrophorum, thrush, equine, horse, lameness

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Authors: Dzatur Rizqi Fathienah Syarifuddin, Isharyah Sunarno, Eddy Hartono, Siti Maisuri T. Chalid

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Introduction: The potential impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the health of expectant mothers and fetuses has strained attention. Pregnant women are considered a vulnerable category to respiratory infections. Moreover, several inflammatory cytokines are 2-100 times more abundant in COVID-19 with cytokine storms than in normal individuals; interleukin 6 (IL-6) exhibits much higher elevations. Investigating potential relationships between IL-6 serum levels and the severity of COVID-19 symptoms in pregnant women is the aim of this study. Material and Methods: Sixty-two eligible pregnant women were divided into a positive COVID-19 group (n=31) and a negative COVID-19 group (n=31) in this cross-sectional study. The research subjects were selected using consecutive sampling. The IL-6 was measured from a vein blood specimen using ELISA methods. Results: The COVID-19 positive group had a higher median IL-6 serum level (45.35 (35.15- 153.99) vs. 38.86 ± 11.43 (15.02-59.52), p=0.03) than the negative group. On the other hand, the IL-6 serum level had comparable value according to the COVID-19 symptoms severity (88.35 ± 36.14 ng/mL vs. 51.09 ± 25.48 ng/mL vs. 56.02 ± 33.20 ng/mL in moderate symptoms, mild symptoms, and asymptomatic, respectively; p=0.152). Conclusion: Although the IL-6 serum levels are not related to COVID-19 symptoms severity, an elevated of this biomarker was found in pregnant women with affected diagnoses.

Keywords: interleukin-6, pregnancy, COVID-19, several inflammatory

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Authors: V. Churkin, M. Lopatin

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The purpose of the paper is to estimate the US small wind turbines market potential and forecast the small wind turbines sales in the US. The forecasting method is based on the application of the Bass model and the generalized Bass model of innovations diffusion under replacement purchases. In the work an exponential distribution is used for modeling of replacement purchases. Only one parameter of such distribution is determined by average lifetime of small wind turbines. The identification of the model parameters is based on nonlinear regression analysis on the basis of the annual sales statistics which has been published by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) since 2001 up to 2012. The estimation of the US average market potential of small wind turbines (for adoption purchases) without account of price changes is 57080 (confidence interval from 49294 to 64866 at P = 0.95) under average lifetime of wind turbines 15 years, and 62402 (confidence interval from 54154 to 70648 at P = 0.95) under average lifetime of wind turbines 20 years. In the first case the explained variance is 90,7%, while in the second - 91,8%. The effect of the wind turbines price changes on their sales was estimated using generalized Bass model. This required a price forecast. To do this, the polynomial regression function, which is based on the Berkeley Lab statistics, was used. The estimation of the US average market potential of small wind turbines (for adoption purchases) in that case is 42542 (confidence interval from 32863 to 52221 at P = 0.95) under average lifetime of wind turbines 15 years, and 47426 (confidence interval from 36092 to 58760 at P = 0.95) under average lifetime of wind turbines 20 years. In the first case the explained variance is 95,3%, while in the second –95,3%.

Keywords: bass model, generalized bass model, replacement purchases, sales forecasting of innovations, statistics of sales of small wind turbines in the United States

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Authors: Eszter Hamza

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The competitiveness of economic operators is based on interoperability, which is relatively low in Hungary. The development of co-operation is high priority in Common Agricultural Policy 2014-2020. The aim of the paper to assess co-operations in Hungarian agriculture, estimate the economic outputs and benefits of co-operations, based on statistical data processing and literature. Further objective is to explore the potential of agricultural co-operation with the help of interviews and questionnaire survey. The research seeks to answer questions as to what fundamental factors play role in the development of co-operation, and what are the motivations of the actors and the key success factors and pitfalls. The results were analysed using econometric methods. In Hungarian agriculture we can find several forms of co-operation: cooperatives, producer groups (PG) and producer organizations (PO), machinery cooperatives, integrator companies, product boards and interbranch organisations. Despite the several appearance of the agricultural co-operation, their economic weight is significantly lower in Hungary than in western European countries. Considering the agricultural importance, the integrator companies represent the most weight among the co-operations forms. Hungarian farmers linked to co-operations or organizations mostly in relation to procurement and sales. Less than 30 percent of surveyed farmers are members of a producer organization or cooperative. The trust level is low among farmers. The main obstacle to the development of formalized co-operation, is producers' risk aversion and the black economy in agriculture. Producers often prefer informal co-operation instead of long-term contractual relationships. The Hungarian agricultural co-operations are characterized by non-dynamic development, but slow qualitative change. For the future, one breakout point could be the association of producer groups and organizations, which in addition to the benefits of market concentration, in the dissemination of knowledge, advisory network operation and innovation can act more effectively.

Keywords: agriculture, co-operation, producer organisation, trust level

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Authors: M. A. Hannan, N. Matthias Neisius

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Organophosphorus compound diethyloxymethyl-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPAC) was applied on cotton cellulose to impart eco-friendly flame retardant property to it. Here acetal linkage was introduced rather than conventionally used ester linkage to rescue from the undurability problem of flame retardant compound. Some acidic catalysts, sodium dihydrogen phosphate (NaH2PO4), ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (NH4H2PO4) and phosphoric acid (H3PO4) were successfully used to form acetal linkage between the base material and flame retardant compound. Inspiring limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of 22.4 was found after exclusive washing treatment. A good outcome of total heat of combustion (THC) 6.05 KJ/g was found possible during pyrolysis combustion flow calorimetry (PCFC) test of the treated sample. Low temperature dehydration with sufficient amount of char residue (14.89%) was experienced in case of treated sample. In addition, the temperature of peak heat release rate (TPHRR) 343.061°C supported the expected low temperature pyrolysis in condensed phase mechanism. With the consequence of pyrolysis effects, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) also reported inspiring weight retention% of the treated samples.

Keywords: acetal linkage, char residue, cotton cellulose, flame retardant, loi, low temperature pyrolysis, organophosphorus, THC, THRR

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Authors: Tareq Issa

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Lean manufacturing is concerned with the implementation of several tools and methodologies that aim for the continuous elimination of wastes throughout manufacturing process flow in the production system. This research addresses the implementation of lean principles and tools in a small-medium industry focusing on 'fused' plastic bags production company in Amman, Jordan. In this production operation, the major type of waste to eliminate include material, waiting-transportation, and setup wastes. The primary goal is to identify and implement selected lean strategies to eliminate waste in the manufacturing process flow. A systematic approach was used for the implementation of lean principles and techniques, through the application of Value Stream Mapping analysis. The current state value stream map was constructed to improve the plastic bags manufacturing process through identifying opportunities to eliminate waste and its sources. Also, the future-state value stream map was developed describing improvements in the overall manufacturing process resulting from eliminating wastes. The implementation of VSM, 5S, Kanban, Kaizen, and Reduced lot size methods have provided significant benefits and results. Productivity has increased to 95.4%, delivery schedule attained at 99-100%, reduction in total inventory to 1.4 days and the setup time for the melting process was reduced to about 30 minutes.

Keywords: lean implementation, plastic bags industry, value stream map, process flow

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Authors: Shohnaza Uzokova Beknazarovna

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This research study provides a comprehensive exploration of the Theory of Media Activity and its relevance as a conceptual framework for journalism education. The author offers a thorough review of existing literature on media activity theory, emphasizing its potential to enhance the understanding of the evolving media landscape and its implications for journalism practice. Through a combination of theoretical analysis and practical examples, the paper elucidates the ways in which the Theory of Media Activity can inform and enrich journalism education, particularly in relation to the interactive and participatory nature of contemporary media. The author presents a compelling argument for the integration of media activity theory into journalism curricula, emphasizing its capacity to equip students with a nuanced understanding of the reciprocal relationship between media producers and consumers. Furthermore, the paper discusses the implications of technological advancements on media production and consumption, highlighting the need for journalism educators to prepare students to navigate and contribute to the future of journalism in a rapidly changing media environment. Overall, this research paper offers valuable insights into the potential benefits of embracing the Theory of Media Activity as a foundational framework for journalism education. Its thorough analysis and practical implications make it a valuable resource for educators, researchers, and practitioners seeking to enhance journalism pedagogy in response to the dynamic nature of contemporary media.

Keywords: theory of media activity, journalism education, media landscape, media production, media consumption, interactive media, participatory media, technological advancements, media producers, media consumers, journalism practice, contemporary media environment, journalism pedagogy, media theory, media studies

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Authors: Rachel Y. Zhang, Christopher K. Anderson

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A critical aspect of revenue management is a firm’s ability to predict demand as a function of price. Historically hotels have used simple time series models (regression and/or pick-up based models) owing to the complexities of trying to build casual models of demands. Machine learning approaches are slowly attracting attention owing to their flexibility in modeling relationships. This study provides an overview of approaches to forecasting hospitality demand – focusing on the opportunities created by machine learning approaches, including K-Nearest-Neighbors, Support vector machine, Regression Tree, and Artificial Neural Network algorithms. The out-of-sample performances of above approaches to forecasting hotel demand are illustrated by using a proprietary sample of the market level (24 properties) transactional data for Las Vegas NV. Causal predictive models can be built and evaluated owing to the availability of market level (versus firm level) data. This research also compares and contrast model accuracy of firm-level models (i.e. predictive models for hotel A only using hotel A’s data) to models using market level data (prices, review scores, location, chain scale, etc… for all hotels within the market). The prospected models will be valuable for hotel revenue prediction given the basic characters of a hotel property or can be applied in performance evaluation for an existed hotel. The findings will unveil the features that play key roles in a hotel’s revenue performance, which would have considerable potential usefulness in both revenue prediction and evaluation.

Keywords: hotel revenue, k-nearest-neighbors, machine learning, neural network, prediction model, regression tree, support vector machine

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Authors: Waris Piyaphon, Sathaphorn O-Suwankul, Kittima Bootdee, Manit Nithitanakul

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Starch from rice was used as a filler in low density polyethylene in preparation of low density polyethylene/rice starch composite. This study aims to prepare LDPE/rice starch composites. Glycerol (GC) was used as a plasticizer in order to increase dispersion and reduce agglomeration of rice starch in low density polyethylene (LDPE) matrix. Low density polyethylene grafted maleic anhydride (LDPE-g-MA) was used as a compatibilizer to increase the compatibility between LDPE and rice starch. The content of rice starch was varied between 10, 20, and 30 %wt. Results indicated that increase of rice starch content reduced tensile strength at break, elongation, and impact strength of composites. LDPE-g-MA showed positive effect on mechanical properties which increased in tensile strength and impact properties as well as compatibility between rice starch and LDPE matrix. Moreover, the addition of LDPE-g-MA significantly improved the impact strength by 50% compared to neat composite. The incorporation of GC enhanced the processability of composite. Introduction of GC affected the viscosity after blending by reducing the viscosity at all shear rate. The presence of plasticizer increased the impact strength but decreased the stiffness of composite. Water absorption of the composite was increased when plasticizer was added.

Keywords: composite material, plastic starch composite, polyethylene composite, PE grafted maleic anhydride

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Authors: Darius Diogo Barreto, Ajeet Kumar, Sushma Santapuri

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We present an axisymmetric variational formulation for coupled extension-torsion-inflation deformation in magnetoelastomeric thin tubes when both azimuthal and axial magnetic fields are applied. The tube's material is assumed to have a preferred magnetization direction which imparts helical magnetic anisotropy to the tube. We have also derived the expressions of the first derivative of free energy per unit tube's undeformed length with respect to various imposed strain parameters. On applying the thin tube limit, the two nonlinear ordinary differential equations to obtain the in-plane radial displacement and radial component of the Lagrangian magnetic field get converted into a set of three simple algebraic equations. This allows us to obtain simple analytical expressions in terms of the applied magnetic field, magnetization direction, and magnetoelastic constants, which tell us how these parameters can be tuned to generate positive/negative Poisson's effect in such tubes. We consider both torsionally constrained and torsionally relaxed stretching of the tube. The study can be useful in designing magnetoelastic tubular actuators.

Keywords: nonlinear magnetoelasticity, extension-torsion coupling, negative Poisson's effect, helical anisotropy, thin tube

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Authors: Ali Al-Ghalib, Fouad Mohammad

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The identification of damage in reinforced concrete structures subjected to incremental cracking performance exploiting vibration data is recognized as a challenging topic in the published and heavily cited literature. Therefore, this paper attempts to shine light on the extent of dynamic methods when applied to reinforced concrete beams simulated with various scenarios of defects. For this purpose, three different reinforced concrete beams are tested through the course of the study. The three beams are loaded statically to failure in incremental successive load cycles and later rehabilitated. After each static load stage, the beams are tested under free-free support condition using experimental modal analysis. The beams were all of the same length and cross-sectional area (2.0x0.14x0.09)m, but they were different in concrete compressive strength and the type of damage presented. The experimental modal parameters as damage identification parameters were showed computationally expensive, time consuming and require substantial inputs and considerable expertise. Nonetheless, they were proved plausible for the condition monitoring of the current case study as well as structural changes in the course of progressive loads. It was accentuated that a satisfactory localization and quantification for structural changes (Level 2 and Level 3 of damage identification problem) can only be achieved reasonably through considering frequencies and mode shapes of a system in a proper analytical model. A convenient post analysis process for various datasets of vibration measurements for the three beams is conducted in order to extract, check and correlate the basic modal parameters; namely, natural frequency, modal damping and mode shapes. The results of the extracted modal parameters and their combination are utilized and discussed in this research as quantification parameters.

Keywords: experimental modal analysis, damage identification, structural health monitoring, reinforced concrete beam

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Authors: R. Vidyasagar, G. L. S. Vilela, B. M. Guiraldelli, A. B. Henriques, J. Moodera

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Nano-scaled magnetic systems that can have both magnetic and optical transitions controlled and manipulated by external means have received enormous research attention for their potential applications in magneto-optics and spintronic devices. Among several ferrimagnetic insulators, the Tm₃Fe₅O₁₂ (TmIG) has become a prototype material displaying huge perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Nevertheless, the optical properties of nano-scale TnIG films have not yet been investigated. We report the observation of giant splitting in the optical transitions of high-quality thin films of Tm₃Fe₅O₁₂ (TmIG) grown by rf sputtering on gadolinium gallium garnet substrates (GGG-111) substrate. The optical absorbance profiles measured with optical absorption spectroscopy show a dual optical transition in visible frequency regimes attributed to the transitions of electrons from the O-2p valence band to the Fe-3d conduction band and from the O-2p valence band to the Fe-2p⁵3d⁶ excitonic states at the Γ-symmetric point of the TmIG Brillouin zone. When the thickness of the film is reduced from 120 nm to 7.5 nm, the 1st optical transition energy shifted from 2.98 to 3.11 eV ( ~130 meV), and the 2nd transition energy shifted from 2.62 to 2.56 eV (~ 60 meV). The giant band splitting of both transitions can be attributed to the population of excited states associated with the atomic modification pertaining to the compressive or tensile strains.

Keywords: optical transitions, thin films, ferrimagnetic insulator, strains

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Authors: Naser Alenezi, Ibrahim Alsakkaf, Osama Eid

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The main objective of this study is to develop an independent reliability based code for reinforced concrete (R/C) structural components and elements solely for the State of Kuwait and its neighboring countries. The proposed code will take into account the harsh Kuwait’s harsh environment, loading conditions and material strengths. The method for developing such a code is based on structural reliability theory that takes into accounts the specific geographical and the various prescribed societal environment of the Kuwait region. These methods were developed according to the following four components: (1) loads, (2) structural strength, (3) reliability analysis, and (4) achieving target reliability levels (reliability index ’s ). The final product from this study will be a design code for R/C structural elements that include beams and columns, and some other structural members. This reliability-based LRFD design code will provide appropriate, easy, fast, and economical approach for designing R/C structural elements such as, beams and columns, for both houses and bridges, and other concrete structures. In addition, this reliability-based codified design of R/C beams, columns, and, possibly, concrete slabs will improve the design and serviceability of R/C bridge and building systems in Kuwait and neighboring GCC countries. Also, it has the potential to reduce the cost of new concrete structures, as fewer materials are used with more design efficiency.

Keywords: live laod, design, evaluation, structural building

Procedia PDF Downloads 345

Authors: Shengping Zhong, Qimin Shi, Yaling Deng, Shoufeng Yang

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Additive manufacturing has exerted a tremendous fascination on the development of the manufacturing and materials industry in the past three decades. Zirconia-based advanced ceramic has been poured substantial attention in the interest of structural and functional ceramics. As a novel material jetting process for selectively depositing nanoparticles, NanoParticle Jetting™ is capable of fabricating dense zirconia components with a high-detail surface, precisely controllable shrinkage, and remarkable mechanical properties. The presence of NPJ™ gave rise to a higher elevation regarding the printing process and printing accuracy. Emphasis is placed on the performance evaluation of NPJ™ printed ceramic components by which the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties are evaluated. The experimental results suggest the Y₂O₃-stabilized ZrO₂ boxes exhibit a high relative density of 99.5%, glossy surface of minimum 0.33 µm, general linear shrinkage factor of 17.47%, outstanding hardness and fracture toughness of 12.43±0.09 GPa and 7.52±0.34 MPa·m¹/², comparable flexural strength of 699±104 MPa, and dense and homogeneous grain distribution of microstructure. This innovative NanoParticle Jetting system manifests an overwhelming potential in dental, medical, and electronic applications.

Keywords: nanoparticle jetting, ZrO₂ ceramic, materials jetting, performance evaluation

Procedia PDF Downloads 176

Authors: Chahinez Aissaoui, Cecile Diliberto, Jean-Michel Mechling

Abstract:

The manufacture of metal foundry products requires the use of sand moulds, which are destroyed, and new ones made each time metal is poured. However, recycled sand requires a regeneration process that produces a polluted fine mineral phase. Particularly rich in heavy metals and organic residues, this foundry co-product is disposed of in hazardous waste landfills and requires an expensive stabilisation process. This paper presents the results of research that valorises this fine fraction of foundry sand by inerting it in a cement phase. The fines are taken from the bag filter suction systems of a foundry. The sample is in the form of filler, with a fraction of less than 140µm, the D50 is 43µm. The Blaine fineness is 3120 cm²/g, and the fines are composed mainly of SiO₂, Al₂O₃ and Fe₂O₃. The loss on ignition at 1000°C of this material is 20%. The chosen inerting technique is to manufacture cement pastes which, once hardened, will be crushed for use as artificial aggregates in new concrete formulations. Different percentages of volume substitutions of Portland cement were tested: 30, 50 and 65%. The substitution rates were chosen to obtain the highest possible recycling rate while satisfying the European discharge limits (these values are assessed by leaching). They were also optimised by adding water-reducing admixtures to increase the compressive strengths of the mixes.

Keywords: leaching, upcycling, waste, residuals

Procedia PDF Downloads 67

Authors: N. D. Iswarya, M. A. Maluk Mohamed, N. Vijaya

Abstract:

Grid is infrastructure that allows the deployment of distributed data in large size from multiple locations to reach a common goal. Scheduling data intensive applications becomes challenging as the size of data sets are very huge in size. Only two solutions exist in order to tackle this challenging issue. First, computation which requires huge data sets to be processed can be transferred to the data site. Second, the required data sets can be transferred to the computation site. In the former scenario, the computation cannot be transferred since the servers are storage/data servers with little or no computational capability. Hence, the second scenario can be considered for further exploration. During scheduling, transferring huge data sets from one site to another site requires more network bandwidth. In order to mitigate this issue, this work focuses on incorporating cognitive science in scheduling. Cognitive Science is the study of human brain and its related activities. Current researches are mainly focused on to incorporate cognitive science in various computational modeling techniques. In this work, the problem solving approach of human brain is studied and incorporated during the data intensive scheduling in grid environments. Here, a cognitive engine is designed and deployed in various grid sites. The intelligent agents present in CE will help in analyzing the request and creating the knowledge base. Depending upon the link capacity, decision will be taken whether to transfer data sets or to partition the data sets. Prediction of next request is made by the agents to serve the requesting site with data sets in advance. This will reduce the data availability time and data transfer time. Replica catalog and Meta data catalog created by the agents assist in decision making process.

Keywords: data grid, grid workflow scheduling, cognitive artificial intelligence

Procedia PDF Downloads 392

Authors: Gülay Dalgıç, Gildis Tachir

Abstract:

Architectural design studios are ambiencein where architecture design is realized as a palpable product in architectural education. In the design studios that the architect candidate will use in the design processthe information, the methods of approaching the design problem, the solution proposals, etc., are set uptogetherwith the studio coordinators. The architectural design process, on the other hand, is complex and uncertain.Candidate architects work in a process that starts with abstre and ill-defined problems. This process starts with the generation of alternative solutions with the help of representation tools, continues with the selection of the appropriate/satisfactory solution from these alternatives, and then ends with the creation of an acceptable design/result product. In the studio ambience, many designs and thought relationships are evaluated, the most important step is the early design phase. In the early design phase, the first steps of converting the information are taken, and converted information is used in the constitution of the first design decisions. This phase, which positively affects the progress of the design process and constitution of the final product, is complex and fuzzy than the other phases of the design process. In this context, the aim of the study is to investigate the effects of face-to-face learning model and e-learning model on the early design phase. In the study, the early design phase was defined by literature research. The data of the defined early design phase criteria were obtained with the feedback graphics created for the architect candidates who performed e-learning in the first year of architectural education and continued their education with the face-to-face learning model. The findings of the data were analyzed with the common graphics program. It is thought that this research will contribute to the establishment of a contemporary architectural design education model by reflecting the evaluation of the data and results on architectural education.

Keywords: education modeling, architecture education, design education, design process

Procedia PDF Downloads 135

Authors: Briante Barretto, Haley Carreon, Anesha-Maelene Ignacio

Abstract:

This research paper explores the dynamic process of cultural resilience within the context of the modern tourism of two traditional island communities (Bali, Indonesia and Guam, Micronesia). It asks the question: How do indigenous people hold on to their foundational values that define their culture while moving forward in the modern world? Both Bali and Guam serve as famous destinations for tourists from all over the world, with millions of visitors on an annual basis. Both are continually being shaped in profound ways by the forces of modernity through globalization. And both are demonstrating cultural resilience while striving to find creative ways to sustain, preserve and strengthen their values and traditions within the context of a thriving modern tourist economy. This research paper, drawing on ethnographic methodologies, and in particular participant observation and in-depth interviews, explores the many challenges both communities face and the strategies and approaches they are learning to employ that help promote sustainable tourism while contributing to cultural preservation. Drawing on the insights gained from field work in both island communities, as well as the growing literature in this field study, the paper posits important lessons that can guide and inform indigenous communities that are being drawn into the global tourism market. One powerful idea emerges in the research and one that seems to guide and shape tourism policy both indigenous communities - that this current generation should be thought of as the ancestors of future generations, and thus they have a weighty responsibility to continue to learn and strive to sustain and preserve their cultures and traditions, their natural environments, and spiritual foundations for the future.

Keywords: bali, culture, environment, guam, tourism, values

Procedia PDF Downloads 69

Authors: N. Moradi, C. M. Lopez-Vazquez, H. Garcia Hernandez, F. Rubio Rincon, D. Brdanovic, Mark van Loosdrecht

Abstract:

Advanced oxidation processes have been widely used for disinfection, removal of residual organic material, and for the removal of emerging contaminants from drinking water and wastewater. Yet, the application of these technologies to sludge treatment processes has not gained enough attention, mostly, considering the complexity of the sludge matrix. In this research, ozone and UV/H₂O₂ treatment were applied for the removal of emerging contaminants from a digestate supernatant. The removal of the following compounds was assessed:(i) salicylic acid (SA) (a surrogate of non-stradiol anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)), and (ii) sulfamethoxazole (SMX), sulfamethazine (SMN), and tetracycline (TCN) (the most frequent human and animal antibiotics). The ozone treatment was carried out in a plexiglass bubble column reactor with a capacity of 2.7 L; the system was equipped with a stirrer and a gas diffuser. The UV and UV/H₂O₂ treatments were done using a LED set-up (PearlLab beam device) dosing H₂O₂. In the ozone treatment evaluations, 95 % of the three antibiotics were removed during the first 20 min of exposure time, while an SA removal of 91 % occurred after 8 hours of exposure time. In the UV treatment evaluations, when adding the optimum dose of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂:COD molar ratio of 0.634), 36% of SA, 82% of TCN, and more than 90 % of both SMX and SMN were removed after 8 hours of exposure time. This study concluded that O₃ was more effective than UV/H₂O₂ in removing emerging contaminants from the digestate supernatant.

Keywords: digestate sludge, emerging contaminants, ozone, UV-AOP

Procedia PDF Downloads 100