Search results for: common effect
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 19256

Search results for: common effect

7166 Optimization of Shear Frame Structures Applying Various Forms of Wavelet Transforms

Authors: Seyed Sadegh Naseralavi, Sohrab Nemati, Ehsan Khojastehfar, Sadegh Balaghi

Abstract:

In the present research, various formulations of wavelet transform are applied on acceleration time history of earthquake. The mentioned transforms decompose the strong ground motion into low and high frequency parts. Since the high frequency portion of strong ground motion has a minor effect on dynamic response of structures, the structure is excited by low frequency part. Consequently, the seismic response of structure is predicted consuming one half of computational time, comparing with conventional time history analysis. Towards reducing the computational effort needed in seismic optimization of structure, seismic optimization of a shear frame structure is conducted by applying various forms of mentioned transformation through genetic algorithm.

Keywords: time history analysis, wavelet transform, optimization, earthquake

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7165 Laboratory Investigation of Expansive Soil Stabilized with Calcium Chloride

Authors: Magdi M. E. Zumrawi, Khalid A. Eltayeb

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Chemical stabilization is a technique commonly used to improve the expansive soil properties. In this regard, an attempt has been made to evaluate the influence of Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) stabilizer on the engineering properties of expansive soil. A series of laboratory experiments including consistency limits, free swell, compaction, and shear strength tests were performed to investigate the effect of CaCl2 additive with various percentages 0%, 2%, 5%, 10% and 15% for improving expansive soil. The results obtained shows that the increase in the percentage of CaCl2 decreased the liquid limit and plasticity index leading to significant reduction in the free swell index. This, in turn, increased the maximum dry density and decreased the optimum moisture content which results in greater strength. The unconfined compressive strength of soil stabilized with 5% CaCl2 increased approximately by 50% as compared to virgin soil. It can be concluded that CaCl2 had shown promising influence on the strength and swelling properties of expansive soil, thereby giving an advantage in improving problematic expansive soil.

Keywords: calcium chloride, chemical stabilization, expansive soil, improving

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7164 Adaptive Kaman Filter for Fault Diagnosis of Linear Parameter-Varying Systems

Authors: Rajamani Doraiswami, Lahouari Cheded

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Fault diagnosis of Linear Parameter-Varying (LPV) system using an adaptive Kalman filter is proposed. The LPV model is comprised of scheduling parameters, and the emulator parameters. The scheduling parameters are chosen such that they are capable of tracking variations in the system model as a result of changes in the operating regimes. The emulator parameters, on the other hand, simulate variations in the subsystems during the identification phase and have negligible effect during the operational phase. The nominal model and the influence vectors, which are the gradient of the feature vector respect to the emulator parameters, are identified off-line from a number of emulator parameter perturbed experiments. A Kalman filter is designed using the identified nominal model. As the system varies, the Kalman filter model is adapted using the scheduling variables. The residual is employed for fault diagnosis. The proposed scheme is successfully evaluated on simulated system as well as on a physical process control system.

Keywords: identification, linear parameter-varying systems, least-squares estimation, fault diagnosis, Kalman filter, emulators

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7163 An Introduction to Corporate Financial Reporting Practices in India

Authors: Pradip Kumar Das

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India is a developing country and is also one of the most industrialized developing countries of the world. In post-independence period, industry has grown rapidly in India and with industrialization corporate sector in the country has been growing day after day. Nowadays, the investment is not limited to be shareholders alone, apart from the shareholders the common people of the society have also started investing in shares of the corporate sectors. Thus, the responsibilities of the corporate sectors have increased much. Corporate financial reporting refers to a system which provides valuable information to different types of users in the society for taking resourceful decisions with regards to investment policy, organization credit worthiness, profitability, liquidity, provision of taxation etc. The quality of information available to different users fosters the efficient allocation of resources which are very urgent for economic development of a country like India. It is the responsibility of the management of the corporate sector to convey reliable and authentic information with the help of generally accepted accounting principles. Corporate sectors which disclose information through annual reports should be sufficient enough for the purpose of bringing out the salient features relating to business performances and other activities. However, the disclosures practices of the corporate sectors though annual reports have undergone several major changes from time to time. Many a time, these vital changes are in the fashion of presenting information in the annual reports and addition of so many non-statutory disclosures of the company. Very often managements of the corporate sectors are blamed for concealing true picture which is not desirable at all. The corporate financial reporting practice which in the current period has gained a place of prime importance suffers from certain limitations and invites question from the public about its reliability. Thus, the wide gap created by management between the exhibited picture and the real picture sometimes attains to such extent that the purpose of the reporting practice loses its importance. The requirement of full and adequate disclosure of information including information relating to human resources in the annual report in free trade economy of India helps the prospective investors to select the best portfolio of their investments. This paper is a reflection of a modest attempt of the author to highlight the corporate reporting practices followed in India. A cursory glance of the conceptual study shows limitations along with reliability of the reporting practices and suggests measures to overcome the shortcomings of the financial reporting practices.

Keywords: corporate enterprise, cursory glance, portfolio, yawning gap

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7162 Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Flow of Cu-Water Nanofluid Due to a Rotating Disk with Partial Slip

Authors: Tasawar Hayat, Madiha Rashid, Maria Imtiaz, Ahmed Alsaedi

Abstract:

This problem is about the study of flow of viscous fluid due to rotating disk in nanofluid. Effects of magnetic field, slip boundary conditions and thermal radiations are encountered. An incompressible fluid soaked the porous medium. In this model, nanoparticles of Cu is considered with water as the base fluid. For Copper-water nanofluid, graphical results are presented to describe the influences of nanoparticles volume fraction (φ) on velocity and temperature fields for the slip boundary conditions. The governing differential equations are transformed to a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations by suitable transformations. Convergent solution of the nonlinear system is developed. The obtained results are analyzed through graphical illustrations for different parameters. Moreover, the features of the flow and heat transfer characteristics are analyzed. It is found that the skin friction coefficient and heat transfer rate at the surface are highest in copper-water nanofluid.

Keywords: MHD nanofluid, porous medium, rotating disk, slip effect

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7161 The Effects of Siltation in Seagrass along Claver Surigao Del Norte

Authors: Dawn Rosarie M. Fajardo

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Seagrass plays a crucial role in sustaining marine ecosystem. In this investigation two areas (Panyug and Kinalablaban) were studied to assess the effect of siltation in seagrass condition. The size of the sediment was also examined. Data analysis showed that Panyug had higher level of silt compared to Kinalablaban. The results indicate that seagrass is vulnerable to environmental disturbances. The results also indicate that plants grown in undisturbed natural sediments were more successful than plants in sediments which were disturbed. In addition to that, there are total of seven species of seagrass that are found tolerant with siltation it includes Enhalus acoroides, Cymodocea rotundata, Halophila minor, Halodule pinifolia, Halodule uninervis, Syringodium isoetifolium, and Thalassia hemprichii. The results were given emphasis especially for the five representative quadrats in each area. Among these species of seagrass Cymodocea rotundata is the most tolerant to siltation. There is also no significant relationships between silt and seagrass percent cover which had r² = 0.192, Panyug and r² = 0.145, at Kinalablaban at P> 0.05. The data showed that Panyug (area 1) was characterized with high level of silt compared to that of Kinalablaban that contains more granulated sediments.

Keywords: seagrass, siltation, cymodocea rotundata, sediments, environmental issues

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7160 A Literature Review of Emotional Labor and Non-Task Behavior

Authors: Yeong-Gyeong Choi, Kyoung-Seok Kim

Abstract:

This study, literature review research, intends to deal with the problem of conceptual ambiguity among research on emotional labor, and to look into the evolutionary trends and changing aspects of defining the concept of emotional labor. In addition, in existing studies, deep acting and surface acting are highly related to a positive outcome variable and a negative outcome variable, respectively. It was confirmed that for employees performing emotional labor, deep acting and surface acting are highly related to OCB and CWB, respectively. While positive emotion that employees come to experience during job performance process can easily trigger a positive non-task behavior such as OCB, negative emotion that employees experience through excessive workload or unfair treatment can easily induce a negative behavior like CWB. The two management behaviors of emotional labor, surface acting and deep acting, can have either a positive or negative effect on non-task behavior of employees, depending on which one they would choose. Thus, the purpose of this review paper is to clarify the relationship between emotional labor and non-task behavior more specifically.

Keywords: emotion labor, non-task behavior, OCB, CWB

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7159 TiO2 Adsorbed on Cement Balls for Effective Photomineralization of Organic Pollutants under UV Light Irradiation

Authors: Tarun Jain, Lovnish Gupta, Soumen Basu

Abstract:

Organic pollutants like phenols and organic dyes present in industrial waste water are posing a hazardous threat to aquatic ecosystem. Several measures have been adopted for the neutralization and photodecomposition of these harmful organic moieties, among these semiconductor photocatalysis has been provided a major thrust after the discovery of Honda-Fujishema effect. Present study demonstrates the adsorption of TiO2- P25 in nano size (~36 nm) on cement balls for effective photodegradation of Alizarin and penta chlorophenol (PCP) under UV light illumination. Triton-X was used as a stabilizer for effective adsorption of TiO2 on cement balls (TCB) followed by calcination at ~300oC for 4 h. The TCB’s were dispersed randomly in a self designed reactor for phototcatalytic performance as shown in scheme 1. The change in concentration of alizarin and PCP was observed under UV-Vis spectroscopy, PCP was detoxified within 40 min while alizarin photodecomposed within 15 min of UV light irradiation. Taking into consideration the go green slogan and future prospective this technique can be also utilized under visible light and on mass scale because this is an effective tool for environmental remediation and waste water treatment.

Keywords: organic pollutants, TiO2 cement balls, photodegradation, UV light irradiation

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7158 The Impact of Streptococcus pneumoniae Colonization on Viral Bronchiolitis

Authors: K. Genise, S. Murthy

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Introductory Statement: The results of this retrospective chart review suggest the effects of bacterial colonization in critically ill children with viral bronchiolitis, currently unproven, are clinically insignificant. Background: Viral bronchiolitis is one of the most prevalent causes of illness requiring hospitalization among children worldwide and one of the most common reasons for admission to pediatric intensive care. It has been hypothesized that co-infection with bacteria results in more severe clinical outcomes. Conversely, the effects of bacterial colonization in critically ill patients with bronchiolitis are poorly defined. Current clinical management of colonized patients consists primarily of supportive therapies with the role of antibiotics remaining controversial. Methods: A retrospective review of all critically ill children admitted to the BC Children’s Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) from 2014-2017 with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis was performed. Routine testing in this time frame consisted of complete pathogen testing, including PCR for Streptococcus pneumoniae. Analyses were performed to determine the impact of bacterial colonization and antibiotic use on a primary outcome of PICU length-of-stay, with secondary outcomes of hospital length-of-stay and duration of ventilation. Results: There were 92 patients with complete pathogen testing performed during the assessed timeframe. A comparison between children with detected Streptococcus pneumoniae (n=22) and those without (n=70) revealed no significant (p=0.20) differences in severity of illness on presentation as per Pediatric Risk of Mortality III scores (mean=3.0). Patients colonized with S. pneumoniae had significantly shorter PICU stays (p=0.002), hospital stays (p=0.0001) and duration of non-invasive ventilation (p=0.002). Multivariate analyses revealed that these effects on length of PICU stay and duration of ventilation do not persist after controlling for antibiotic use, presence of radiographic consolidation, age, and severity of illness (p=0.15, p=0.32). The relationship between colonization and duration of hospital stay persists after controlling for these variables (p=0.008). Conclusions: Children with viral bronchiolitis colonized with S. pneumoniae do not appear to have significantly different PICU length-of-stays or duration of ventilation compared to children who are not colonized. Colonized children appear to have shorter hospital stays. The results of this study suggest bacterial colonization is not associated with increased severity of presenting illness or negative clinical outcomes.

Keywords: bronchiolitis, colonization, critical care, pediatrics, pneumococcal, infection

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7157 Study of the Influence of Nozzle Length and Jet Angles on the Air Entrainment by Plunging Water Jets

Authors: José Luis Muñoz-Cobo González, Sergio Chiva Vicent, Khaled Harby Mohamed

Abstract:

When a vertical liquid jet plunges into a liquid surface, after passing through a surrounding gas phase, it entrains a large amount of gas bubbles into the receiving pool, and it forms a large submerged two-phase region with a considerable interfacial area. At the intersection of the plunging jet and the liquid surface, free-surface instabilities are developed, and gas entrainment may be observed. If the jet impact velocity exceeds an inception velocity that is a function of the plunging flow conditions, the gas entrainment takes place. The general goal of this work is to study the effect of nozzle parameters (length-to-diameter ratio (lN/dN), jet angle (α) with the free water surface) and the jet operating conditions (initial jet diameters dN, initial jet velocity VN, and jet length x1) on the flow characteristics such as: inception velocity of the gas entrainment Ve, bubble penetration depth Hp, gas entrainment rate, Qa, centerline jet velocity Vc, and the axial jet velocity distribution Vx below the free water surface in a plunging liquid jet system.

Keywords: inclined plunging water jets, entrainment, two phase flow, nozzle length

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7156 The Efferent of Different Levels of Recycled Soybean Oil(RSO) on Growth and Performance of Broilers

Authors: Seyed Babak Asadi

Abstract:

In this experiment the effect of recycled soybean oil (RSO) on the growth and performance carcass of broiler was investigated. The percentages of recycled soybean oil (RSO) used in this experiment were 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8. In this regard, 300 one-day-old broilers were selected randomly consisting of five treatments and three replicates(20 chickens per replicate). The chicks were kept in an accumulated manner for the first week, then divided between treatments and kept until they reached the age of 42 days. Body weight at 21 and 42, weight gain, food intake and food conversion ratio in starter (0-21 d), finisher (21-42 d) and overall were measured. At the end of the experiment (42 days-old) 2 chicks from each replicate which had the nearest weight to the average group in their group were selected, slaughtered and different parts of their carcass were weight separately. The result showed that the rate of feed intake and feed conversion coefficient have significantly increased with higher levels of recycled soybean oil. There was not a significant different between experimental groups for liver, heart, intestine and the weight of carcass. Results from this experiment showed that it is possible to use recycled soybean oil for up to 8 percent of food ration for broiler chicks without any significant effects on carcass quality.

Keywords: broiler, recycled soybean oil (RSO), growth, performance

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7155 Muhammad`s Vision of Interaction with Supernatural Beings According to the Hadith in Comparison to Parallels of Other Cultures

Authors: Vladimir A. Rozov

Abstract:

Comparative studies of religion and ritual could contribute better understanding of human culture universalities. Belief in supernatural beings seems to be a common feature of the religion. A significant part of the Islamic concepts that concern supernatural beings is based on a tradition based on the Hadiths. They reflect, among other things, his ideas about a proper way to interact with supernatural beings. These ideas to a large extent follow from the pre-Islamic religious experience of the Arabs and had been reflected in a number of ritual actions. Some of those beliefs concern a particular function of clothing. For example, it is known that Muhammad was wrapped in clothes during the revelation of the Quran. The same thing was performed by pre-Islamic soothsayers (kāhin) and by rival opponents of Muhammad during their trances. Muhammad also turned the clothes inside out during religious rituals (prayer for rain). Besides these specific ways of clothing which prove the external similarity of Muhammad with the soothsayers and other people who claimed the connection with supernatural forces, the pre-Islamic soothsayers had another characteristic feature which is physical flaws. In this regard, it is worth to note Muhammad's so-called "Seal the Prophecy" (h̠ ātam an- nubūwwa) -protrusion or outgrowth on his back. Another interesting feature of Muhammad's behavior was his attitude to eating onion and garlic. In particular, the Prophet didn`t eat them and forbade people who had tasted these vegetables to enter mosques, until the smell ceases to be felt. The reason for this ban on eating onion and garlic is caused by a belief that the smell of these products prevents communication with otherworldly forces. The materials of the Hadith also suggest that Muhammad shared faith in the apotropical properties of water. Both of these ideas have parallels in other cultures of the world. Muhammad's actions supposed to provide an interaction with the supernatural beings are not accidental. They have parallels in the culture of pre-Islamic Arabia as well as in many past and present world cultures. The latter fact can be explained by the similarity of the universal human beliefs in supernatural beings and how they should be interacted with. Later a number of similar ideas shared by the Prophet Muhammad was legitimized by the Islamic tradition and formed the basis of popular Islamic rituals. Thus, these parallels emphasize the commonality of human notions of supernatural beings and also demonstrate the significance of the pre-Islamic cultural context in analyzing the genesis of Islamic religious beliefs.

Keywords: hadith, Prophet Muhammad, ritual, supernatural beings

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7154 The Non-Linear Analysis of Brain Response to Visual Stimuli

Authors: H. Namazi, H. T. N. Kuan

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Brain activity can be measured by acquiring and analyzing EEG signals from an individual. In fact, the human brain response to external and internal stimuli is mapped in his EEG signals. During years some methods such as Fourier transform, wavelet transform, empirical mode decomposition, etc. have been used to analyze the EEG signals in order to find the effect of stimuli, especially external stimuli. But each of these methods has some weak points in analysis of EEG signals. For instance, Fourier transform and wavelet transform methods are linear signal analysis methods which are not good to be used for analysis of EEG signals as nonlinear signals. In this research we analyze the brain response to visual stimuli by extracting information in the form of various measures from EEG signals using a software developed by our research group. The used measures are Jeffrey’s measure, Fractal dimension and Hurst exponent. The results of these analyses are useful not only for fundamental understanding of brain response to visual stimuli but provide us with very good recommendations for clinical purposes.

Keywords: visual stimuli, brain response, EEG signal, fractal dimension, hurst exponent, Jeffrey’s measure

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7153 The Relationship between Motivation for Physical Activity and Level of Physical Activity over Time

Authors: Keyvan Molanorouzi, Selina Khoo, Tony Morris

Abstract:

In recent years, there has been a decline in physical activity among adults. Motivation has been shown to be a crucial factor in maintaining physical activity. The purpose of this study was to whether PA motives measured by the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale PALMS predicted actual amount of PA at a later time to provide evidence for the construct validity of the PALMS. A quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive research design was employed. The Demographic Form, PALMS, and International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short form (IPAQ-S) questionnaires were used to assess motives and amount for physical activity in adults on two occasions. A sample of 640 (489 male, 151 female) undergraduate students aged 18 to 25 years (mean ±SD; 22.30±8.13 years) took part in the study. Male participants were divided into three types of activities, namely exercise, racquet sport, and team sports and female participants only took part in one type of activity, namely team sports. After 14 weeks, all 640 undergraduate students who had filled in the initial questionnaire (Occasion 1) received the questionnaire via email (Occasion 2). Of the 640 students, 493 (77%; 378 males, 115 females) emailed back the completed questionnaire. The results showed that not only were pertinent sub-scales of PALMS positively related to amount of physical activity, but separate regression analyses showed the positive predictive effect of PALMS motives for amount of physical activity for each type of physical activity among participants. This study supported the construct validity of the PALMS by showing that the motives measured by PALMS did predict amount of PA. This information can be obtained to match people with specific sport or activity which in turn could potentially promote longer adherence to the specific activity.Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive research design was employed. The Demographic Form, PALMS, and International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short form (IPAQ-S) questionnaires were used to assess motives and amount for physical activity in adults on two occasions. A sample of 640 (489 male, 151 female) undergraduate students aged 18 to 25 years (mean ±SD; 22.30±8.13 years) took part in the study. Male participants were divided into three types of activities, namely exercise, racquet sport, and team sports and female participants only took part in one type of activity, namely team sports. After 14 weeks, all 640 undergraduate students who had filled in the initial questionnaire (Occasion 1) received the questionnaire via email (Occasion 2). Of the 640 students, 493 (77%; 378 males, 115 females) emailed back the completed questionnaire. Results: The results showed that not only were pertinent sub-scales of PALMS positively related to amount of physical activity, but separate regression analyses showed the positive predictive effect of PALMS motives for amount of physical activity for each type of physical activity among participants. This study supported the construct validity of the PALMS by showing that the motives measured by PALMS did predict amount of PA. Conclusion: This information can be obtained to match people with specific sport or activity which in turn could potentially promote longer adherence to the specific activity.

Keywords: physical activity, motivation, level of physical activity, type of physical activity

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7152 Evaluation of Health Services after Emergency Decrees in Turkey

Authors: Sengul Celik, Alper Ketenci

Abstract:

In Turkish Constitution about health care in Article 56, it is said that: everyone has the right to live in a healthy and balanced environment. It is the duty of the state and citizens to improve the environment, protect environmental health, and prevent environmental pollution. The state ensures that everyone lives their lives in physical and mental health; it organizes the planning and service of health institutions from a single source in order to realize cooperation by increasing savings and efficiency in human and substance power. The state fulfills this task by utilizing and supervising health and social institutions in the public and private sectors. General health insurance can be established by law for the widespread delivery of health services. To have health care is one of the basic rights of patients. After the coupe attempt in July 2016, the Government of Turkey has announced a state of emergency and issued lots of emergency decrees. By these emergency decrees, lots of people were dismissed from their jobs and lost their some basic social rights. The violations occur in social life. One of the most common observations is the discrimination by government in health care system. This study aims to put forward the violation of human rights in health care system in Turkey due to their discriminated position by an emergency decree. The study is a case study that is based on nine interviews with the people or relatives of people who lost their jobs by an emergency decree in Turkey. In this study, no personally identifiable information was obtained for the safety of individuals. Also no distinctive questions regarding the identity of individuals were asked. The interviews are obtained through internet call applications. The data were analyzed through the requirements of regular health care system in Turkey. The interviews expose that the people or the relatives of people lost their right to have regular health care. They have to pay extra amount both in clinical services and in medication treatment. The patient right to quality medical care without prejudice is violated. It was assessed that the people who are involved in emergency decree and their relatives are discriminated by government and deprived of regular medical care and supervision. Although international legal arrangements and legal responsibilities of the state have been put forward by Article 56, they are violated in practice. To prevent these kinds of violations, some measures should be taken against the deprivation in health care system especially towards the discriminated people by an emergency decree.

Keywords: emergency decree in Turkey, health care, discriminated people, patients rights

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7151 Impression Evaluation by Design Change of Anthropomorphic Agent

Authors: Kazuko Sakamoto

Abstract:

Anthropomorphic agents have been successful in areas where there are many human interactions, such as education and medical care. The persuasive effect is also expected in e-shopping sites on the web. This indicates that customer service is not necessarily human but can play that role. However, the 'humanity' in anthropomorphism sometimes has a risk of working negatively. In general, as the appearance of anthropomorphic agents approaches humans, it is thought that their affinity with humans increases. However, when the degree of similarity reaches a certain level, it gives the user a weird feeling. This is the 'eerie valley' phenomenon. This is a concept used in the world of robotics, but it seems to be applicable to anthropomorphic agents such as characters. Then what kind of design can you accept as an anthropomorphic agent that gives you a feeling of friendliness or good feeling without causing discomfort or fear to people? This study focused on this point and examined what design and characteristics would be effective for marketing communication. As a result of the investigation, it was found that there is no need for gaze and blinking, the size of the eyes is normal or large, and the impression evaluation is higher when the structure is as simple as possible. Conversely, agents with high eye-gaze and white-eye ratios had low evaluations, and the negative impact on eye-gaze was particularly large.

Keywords: anthropomorphicgents, design evaluation, marketing communication, customer service

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7150 The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Digital Factory

Authors: Michael Maher Sedky Attia

Abstract:

The method of factory making plans has changed loads, in particular, whilst it's miles approximately making plans the factory building itself. Factory-making plans have the venture of designing merchandise, plants, tactics, organization, regions, and the constructing of a factory. Ordinary restructuring is turning into the greater essential for you to preserve the competitiveness of a manufacturing unit. Regulations in new regions, shorter lifestyle cycles of product and manufacturing era in addition to a VUCA global (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) cause extra common restructuring measures inside a factory. A digital factory model is the planning foundation for rebuilding measures and turns into a critical device. Furthermore, digital building fashions are increasingly being utilized in factories to help facility management and manufacturing processes. The principle research question of this paper is, therefore, about the type of virtual factory model which is suitable for the exclusive regions of utility during the operation of a manufacturing unit. First, exclusive styles of digital manufacturing unit fashions are investigated, and their residences and usabilities to be used instances are analyzed. Within the scope of research point cloud fashions, building statistics fashions, photogrammetry fashions, and those enriched with sensor information are tested. It investigates which digital fashions permit a simple integration of sensor facts and what the variations are. In the end, viable application areas of virtual manufacturing unit models are determined by a survey and the respective digital manufacturing facility fashions are assigned to the application areas. Ultimately, an application case from upkeep is selected and implemented with the assistance of the best virtual factory version. It is shown how a completely digitalized preservation process can be supported by a digital manufacturing facility version through offering facts. Among different functions, the virtual manufacturing facility version is used for indoor navigation, facts provision, and display of sensor statistics. In summary, the paper suggests a structuring of virtual factory fashions that concentrates on the geometric representation of a manufacturing facility building and its technical facilities. A practical application case is proven and implemented. For that reason, the systematic selection of virtual manufacturing facility models with the corresponding utility cases is evaluated.

Keywords: augmented reality, digital factory model, factory planning, restructuringdigital factory model, photogrammetry, restructuringbuilding information modeling, maintenance

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7149 Numerical Simulation of the Rotating Vertical Bridgman Growth

Authors: Nouri Sabrina

Abstract:

Numerical parametric study is conducted to study the effects of ampoule rotation on the flows and the dopant segregation in Vertical Bridgman (VB) crystal growth. Calculations were performed in unsteady state. The extended darcy model, whıch includes the time derivative and coriolis terms, has been employed in the momentum equation. It is found that the convection, and dopant segregation can be affected significantly by ampoule rotation, and the effect is similar to that by an axial magnetıc field. Ampoule rotation decreases the intensity of convection and stretches the flow cell axıally. When the convectıon is weak, the flow can be suppressed almost completely by moderate ampoule rotation and the dopant segregation becomes diffusion-controlled. For stronger convection, the elongated flow cell by ampoule rotation may bring dopant mixing into the bulk melt reducing axial segregation at the early stage of the growth. However, if the cellular flow cannot be suppressed completely, ampoule rotation may induce larger radial segregation due to poor mixing.

Keywords: rotating vertical solidification, Finite Volume Method, heat and mass transfer, porous medium, phase change

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7148 Matching Farmer Competence and Farm Resources with the Transformation of Agri-Food Marketing Systems

Authors: Bhawat Chiamjinnawat

Abstract:

The agri-food market transformation has implied market growth for the fruit industry in Thailand. This article focuses on analysis of farmer competence and farm resources which affect market strategies used by fruit farmers in Chanthaburi province of Thailand. The survey data were collected through the use of face-to-face interviews with structured questionnaires. This study identified 14 drivers related to farmer competence and farm resources of which some had significant effect on the decision to use either high-value markets or traditional markets. The results suggest that farmers who used high-value markets were better educated and they had longer experience and larger sized business. Identifying the important factors that match with the market transformation provides policy with opportunities to support the fruit farmers to increase their market power. Policies that promote business expansion of agricultural cooperatives and knowledge sharing among farmers are recommended to reduce limitations due to limited knowledge, low experience, and small business sizes.

Keywords: farmer competence, farm resources, fruit industry, high-value markets, Thailand

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7147 Rare Case of Three Metachronous Cancers Occurring over the Period of Three Years: Clinical Importance of Investigating Neoplastic Growth Discovered during Follow-Up

Authors: Marin Kanarev, Delyan Stoyanov, Ivanna Popova, Nadezhda Petrova

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Thanks to increased survival rates in patients bearing oncological malignancies due to recent developments in anti-cancer therapies and diagnostic techniques, observation of clinical cases of metachronous cancers is more common and can provide more in-depth knowledge of their development and, as a result, help clinicians apply suitable therapy. This unusual case of three metachronous tumors presented the opportunity to follow their occurrence, progression, and treatment thoroughly. A 77-year-old male presented with carcinoma ventriculi of the pylorus region, which was surgically removed via upper subtotal stomach resection, a lateral antecolical gastro-enteroanastomosis, and a subsequent Braun anastomosis. An EOX chemotherapy regimen followed. A CT scan four months later showed no indication of recurrence or dissemination. The same scan, performed as a part of the follow-up plan two years later, showed an indication of neoplastic growth in the urinary bladder. After the patient had been directed to a urologist, the suspicion was confirmed, and the growth was histologically diagnosed as a carcinoma of the urinary bladder. An immunohistochemistry test showed an expression of PDL1 of less than 5%, which resulted in treatment with GemCis chemotherapy regimen that led to full remission. Two years and seven months after the first surgery, a CT scan showed again that the two carcinomas were gone. However, four months later, elevated tumor markers prompted a PET/CT scan, which showed data indicative of recurring neoplastic growth in the region of the stomach cardia. It was diagnosed as an adenocarcinoma infiltrating the esophagus. Preoperative chemotherapy with the ECF regimen was completed in four courses, and a CT scan showed no progression of the disease. In less than a month after therapy, the patient underwent laparotomy, debridement, gastrectomy, and a subsequent mechanical terminal-lateral esophago-jejunoanasthomosis. It was verified that the tumor originated from metastasis from the carcinoma ventriculi, which was located in the pylorus. In conclusion, this case report highlights the importance of patient follow-up and studying recurring neoplastic growth. Despite the absence of symptoms, clinicians should maintain a high level of suspicion when evaluating the patient data and choosing the most suitable therapy.

Keywords: carcinoma, follow-up, metachronous, neoplastic growth, recurrence

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7146 Carbon Sequestration under Hazelnut (Corylus avellana) Agroforestry and Adjacent Land Uses in the Vicinity of Black Sea, Trabzon, Turkey

Authors: Mohammed Abaoli Abafogi, Sinem Satiroglu, M. Misir

Abstract:

The current study has addressed the effect of Hazelnut (Corylus avellana) agroforestry on carbon sequestration. Eight sample plots were collected from Hazelnut (Corylus avellana) agroforestry using random sampling method. The diameter of all trees in each plot with ≥ 2cm at 1.3m DBH was measured by using a calliper. Average diameter, aboveground biomass, and carbon stock were calculated for each plot. Comparative data for natural forestland was used for C was taken from KTU, and the soil C was converted from the biomass conversion equation. Biomass carbon was significantly higher in the Natural forest (68.02Mgha⁻¹) than in the Hazelnut agroforestry (16.89Mgha⁻¹). SOC in Hazelnut agroforestry, Natural forest, and arable agricultural land were 7.70, 385.85, and 0.00 Mgha⁻¹ respectively. Biomass C, on average accounts for only 0.00% of the total C in arable agriculture, and 11.02% for the Hazelnut agroforestry while 88.05% for Natural forest. The result shows that the conversion of arable crop field to Hazelnut agroforestry can sequester a large amount of C in the soil as well as in the biomass than Arable agricultural lands.

Keywords: arable agriculture, biomass carbon, carbon sequestration, hazelnut (Corylus avellana) agroforestry, soil organic carbon

Procedia PDF Downloads 295
7145 Effect of Organic Zinc in Supplement Diet on Some Reproryductive Hormones and Fertility in Laboratory Mice

Authors: Azade Sedigh, Mehrdad Modaresi, Akbar Pirestani

Abstract:

Appropriate nutrition is necessary today for desire reproduction and profitable livestock industry. Minerals including zinc element are from nutritional factors. Studies show that zinc plays an important role in reproduction process and secretion of reproductive hormones. This study was carried out to determine the effects of organic zinc on some reproductive hormones, fertility of male mice. The study was done as completely randomized design with one control and six treatment groups. Seventy male mature mice were kept for 35 days to adapt to environment and then divided in seven groups with ten replications. Samples received zinc (organic) daily in 50,100, and 150 ppm doses of each type for 35 days. At the end, blood samples were taken to measure LH, FSH, and testosterone hormones. Meanwhile, fertility rates were measured. Results were analyzed using one way ANOVA and means were compared using Duncan multiple ranges test at 5% probability level. According to results, LH concentration of all groups except 50 ppm was increased significantly (p<0.05). FSH amount was increased significantly (p<0.05) in 100 ppm mineral group and reduced in 50 ppm mineral but was not changed in other groups.

Keywords: organic supplements, zinc, reproductive hormones, fertility

Procedia PDF Downloads 455
7144 Electricity Production Enhancement in a Constructed Microbial Fuel Cell MFC Using Iron Nanoparticles

Authors: Khaoula Bensaida, Osama Eljamal

Abstract:

The electrical energy generation through Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) using microorganisms is a renewable and sustainable approach. It creates truly an efficient technology for power production and wastewater treatment. MFC is an electrochemical device which turns wastewater into electricity. The most important part of MFC is microbes. Nano zero-valent Iron NZVI technique was successfully applied in degrading the chemical pollutants and cleaning wastewater. However, the use of NZVI for enhancing the current production is still not confirmed yet. This study aims to confirm the effect of these particles on the current generation by using MFC. A constructed microbial fuel cell, which utilizes domestic wastewater, has been considered for wastewater treatment and bio-electricity generation. The two electrodes were connected to an external resistor (200 ohms). Experiments were conducted in two steps. First, the MFC was constructed without adding NZVI particles (Control) while at a second step, nanoparticles were added with a concentration of 50mg/L. After 20 hours, the measured voltage increased to 5 and 8mV, respectively. To conclude, the use of zero-valent iron in an MFC system can increase electricity generation.

Keywords: bacterial growth, electricity generation, microbial fuel cell MFC, nano zero-valent iron NZVI.

Procedia PDF Downloads 133
7143 Multi-Wavelength Q-Switched Erbium-Doped Fiber Laser with Photonic Crystal Fiber and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Authors: Zian Cheak Tiu, Harith Ahmad, Sulaiman Wadi Harun

Abstract:

A simple multi-wavelength passively Q-switched Erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) is demonstrated using low cost multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) based saturable absorber (SA), which is prepared using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a host polymer. The multi-wavelength operation is achieved based on nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) effect by incorporating 50 m long photonic crystal fiber (PCF) in the ring cavity. The EDFL produces a stable multi-wavelength comb spectrum for more than 14 lines with a fixed spacing of 0.48 nm. The laser also demonstrates a stable pulse train with the repetition rate increases from 14.9 kHz to 25.4 kHz as the pump power increases from the threshold power of 69.0 mW to the maximum pump power of 133.8 mW. The minimum pulse width of 4.4 µs was obtained at the maximum pump power of 133.8 mW while the highest energy of 0.74 nJ was obtained at pump power of 69.0 mW.

Keywords: multi-wavelength Q-switched, multi-walled carbon nanotube, photonic crystal fiber

Procedia PDF Downloads 526
7142 Assessment of Impact of Manpower Training and Development in the Construction Industry

Authors: Olalekan Bamidele Aruleba

Abstract:

This research assessed the impact of manpower training and development in the construction industry. The aim is to determine the effect of training and development on employees for effective organizational growth in the construction industry to identify the training method for each category of employee in the construction industry, challenges to training and development of workers in the construction industry and impact of manpower training and development on employees and employers. Data for the study were obtained through a well-structured questionnaire administered to building professionals in Nigeria construction firm. Eighty (80) questionnaires were distributed among building professionals in three selected local governments within Ondo State and sixty-four (64) were returned. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and ranking. Findings of the study revealed that in house training and in-service training methods were preferred by most construction industry. It concluded that the attitude of top management and lack of fund was seen as the significant challenges militating against training of employees. The study recommended that manpower training and development must be sustained by all stakeholders in the industry in order to improve workers' productivity; the organization should adopt the right method in training each category of employees and carry out the need assessment for training to avoid training wrong employees.

Keywords: construction, development, manpower, training

Procedia PDF Downloads 207
7141 Online Monitoring Rheological Property of Polymer Melt during Injection Molding

Authors: Chung-Chih Lin, Chien-Liang Wu

Abstract:

The detection of the polymer melt state during manufacture process is regarded as an efficient way to control the molded part quality in advance. Online monitoring rheological property of polymer melt during processing procedure provides an approach to understand the melt state immediately. Rheological property reflects the polymer melt state at different processing parameters and is very important in injection molding process especially. An approach that demonstrates how to calculate rheological property of polymer melt through in-process measurement, using injection molding as an example, is proposed in this study. The system consists of two sensors and a data acquisition module can process the measured data, which are used for the calculation of rheological properties of polymer melt. The rheological properties of polymer melt discussed in this study include shear rate and viscosity which are investigated with respect to injection speed and melt temperature. The results show that the effect of injection speed on the rheological properties is apparent, especially for high melt temperature and should be considered for precision molding process.

Keywords: injection molding, melt viscosity, shear rate, monitoring

Procedia PDF Downloads 370
7140 The Healing 'Touch' of Music: A Neuro-Acoustics Approach to Understand Its Therapeutic Effect

Authors: Jagmeet S. Kanwal, Julia F. Langley

Abstract:

Music can heal the body, but a mechanistic understanding of this phenomenon is lacking. This study explores the effects of music presentation on neurologic and physiologic responses leading to metabolic changes in the human body. The mind and body co-exist in a corporeal entity and within this framework, sickness ensues when the mind-body balance goes awry. It is further hypothesized that music has the capacity to directly reset this balance. Two lines of inquiry taken together can provide a mechanistic understanding of this phenomenon 1) Empirical evidence for a sound-sensitive pressure sensor system in the body, and 2) The notion of a “healing center” within the brain that is activated by specific patterns of sounds. From an acoustics perspective, music is spatially distributed as pressure waves ranging from a few cm to several meters in wavelength. These waves interact and propagate in three-dimensions in unique ways, depending on the wavelength. Furthermore, music creates dynamically changing wave-fronts. Frequencies between 200 Hz and 1 kHz generate wavelengths that range from 5'6" to 1 foot. These dimensions are in the range of the body size of most people making it plausible that these pressure waves can geometrically interact with the body surface and create distinct patterns of pressure stimulation across the skin surface. For humans, short wavelength, high frequency (> 200 Hz) sounds are best received via cochlear receptors. For low frequency (< 200 Hz), long wavelength sound vibrations, however, the whole body may act as an ideal receiver. A vast array of highly sensitive pressure receptors (Pacinian corpuscles) is present just beneath the skin surface, as well as in the tendons, bones, several organs in the abdomen, and the sexual organs. Per the available empirical evidence, these receptors contribute to music perception by allowing the whole body to function as a sound receiver, and knowledge of how they function is essential to fully understanding the therapeutic effect of music. Neuroscientific studies have established that music stimulates the limbic system that can trigger states of anxiety, arousal, fear, and other emotions. These emotional states of brain activity play a crucial role in filtering top-down feedback from thoughts and bottom-up sensory inputs to the autonomic system, which automatically regulates bodily functions. Music likely exerts its pleasurable and healing effects by enhancing functional and effective connectivity and feedback mechanisms between brain regions that mediate reward, autonomic, and cognitive processing. Stimulation of pressure receptors under the skin by low-frequency music-induced sensations can activate multiple centers in the brain, including the amygdala, the cingulate cortex, and nucleus accumbens. Melodies in music in the low (< 600 Hz) frequency range may augment auditory inputs after convergence of the pressure-sensitive inputs from the vagus nerve onto emotive processing regions within the limbic system. The integration of music-generated auditory and somato-visceral inputs may lead to a synergistic input to the brain that promotes healing. Thus, music can literally heal humans through “touch” as it energizes the brain’s autonomic system for restoring homeostasis.

Keywords: acoustics, brain, music healing, pressure receptors

Procedia PDF Downloads 151
7139 Calibrations and Effect of Different Operating Conditions on the Performance of a Fluid Power Control System with Servo Solenoid Valve

Authors: Tahany W. Sadak, Fouly, A. Anwer, M. Rizk

Abstract:

The current investigation presents a study on the hydraulic performance of an electro-hydraulic servo solenoid valve controlled linear piston used in hydraulic systems. Advanced methods have been used to measure and record laboratory experiments, to ensure accurate analysis and evaluation. Experiments have been conducted under different values of temperature (28, 40 and 50 °C), supply pressure (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 bar), system stiffness (32 N/mm), and load (0.0 & 5560 N). It is concluded that increasing temperature of hydraulic oil increases the quantity of flow rate, so it achieves an increase of the quantity of flow by 5.75 % up to 48.8 % depending on operating conditions. The values of pressure decay at low temperature are less than the values at high temperature. The frequency increases with the increase of the temperature. When we connect the springs to the system, it decreases system frequency. These results are very useful in the process of packing and manufacturing of fluid products, where the properties are not affected by 50 °C, so energy and time are saved.

Keywords: electro-hydraulic servo valve, fluid power control system, system stiffness, static and dynamic performance

Procedia PDF Downloads 143
7138 Psychological Reactance to Anti-Piracy Messages Explained by Gender and Attitudes

Authors: Kate Whitman, Zahra Murad, Joe Cox

Abstract:

Digital piracy is costly to creative economies across the world. Anti-piracy messages can cause people to pirate more rather than less, suggesting the presence of psychological reactance. Gender differences in message reactance and the moderating impact of attitudes have not been explored. In this paper, we examine whether messages based on real-world anti-piracy campaigns cause reactance and whether this effect is explained by gender and attitudes. An experiment compares two threatening and one prosocial message against a control group, with changes in piracy intention from past behavior for digital TV/film analysed. The results suggest that the prosocial message is ineffective for both genders. However, the threatening messages have significantly opposing effects on men and women. One threatening message influences women to reduce their piracy intentions by over 50% and men to increase it by 18%. Gender effects are moderated by pre-existing attitudes, with men and women who report the most favorable attitudes towards piracy having the most polarised changes in piracy intentions. The results suggest that men and women process threatening messages differently and that the creative industries should take care when targeting their messages.

Keywords: piracy, reactance, persuasive-messages, TV/film, gender

Procedia PDF Downloads 78
7137 A Study on 5-11 Year-Old Children's Level of Knowledge about Personal Safety and Protection from Social Dangers

Authors: Özden Kuşcu, Yağmur Kuşcu, Zeynep Çetintaş, S. Sunay Yildirim Doğru

Abstract:

The purpose of this work is to evaluate the effect of the subjects “personal safety” and “protection from dangers” included in primary school curriculum on the students’ levels of knowledge about safety and protection from social dangers. The study group included 469 students between 5–11 years old with 231 preschoolers and 238 primary school students and their parents and teachers. Instruments used to collect data were “Personal Safety Interview Form” for children, “Parent Interview Form” and “Teacher Interview Form”. Forms included 15 open-ended questions about personal safety. The researchers collected the research data through one-on-one interviews with children. Results of the study revealed that preschoolers and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders did not know their home addresses and telephone numbers and their families were not aware of that. The study also showed that those who had this information were unsure as to who to share this information with. Accordingly, more should be done to increase the levels of knowledge of preschoolers and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders about personal safety and protection from dangers.

Keywords: security, social danger, elementary school, preschool

Procedia PDF Downloads 446