Search results for: building energy system optimization
13859 Leveraging Quality Metrics in Voting Model Based Thread Retrieval
Authors: Atefeh Heydari, Mohammadali Tavakoli, Zuriati Ismail, Naomie Salim
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Seeking and sharing knowledge on online forums have made them popular in recent years. Although online forums are valuable sources of information, due to variety of sources of messages, retrieving reliable threads with high quality content is an issue. Majority of the existing information retrieval systems ignore the quality of retrieved documents, particularly, in the field of thread retrieval. In this research, we present an approach that employs various quality features in order to investigate the quality of retrieved threads. Different aspects of content quality, including completeness, comprehensiveness, and politeness, are assessed using these features, which lead to finding not only textual, but also conceptual relevant threads for a user query within a forum. To analyse the influence of the features, we used an adopted version of voting model thread search as a retrieval system. We equipped it with each feature solely and also various combinations of features in turn during multiple runs. The results show that incorporating the quality features enhances the effectiveness of the utilised retrieval system significantly.Keywords: content quality, forum search, thread retrieval, voting techniques
Procedia PDF Downloads 21313858 The Effect of Microwave Radiation on Biogas Production Efficiency Using Different Plant Substrates
Authors: Marcin Zieliński, Marcin Dębowski, Mirosław Krzemieniewski
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The purpose of the present work was to assess the impact of using electromagnetic microwave radiation as a means of stimulating the thermal conditions in anaerobic reactors on biomethanation efficiency of different plant substrates, as measured by the quantity and quality of the resultant biogas. Using electromagnetic microwave radiation to maintain optimal thermal conditions during biomethanation allows for achievement of much higher technological effects in comparison with a conventional heating system. After subjecting different plant substrates to fermentation in the model fermentation chambers, the largest improvements in regard to biogas production efficiency and biogas quality were recorded in the series with corn silage and grass silage. In the first case, the quantity of methane produced in the microwave-stimulated technological system exceeded by 15.26% the quantities produced in reactors heated conventionally. When grass silage was utilized as the organic substrate in the process of biomethanation, anaerobic reactors treated with microwave radiation produced 12.62% more methane.Keywords: microwave radiation, biogas, methane fermentation, biomass
Procedia PDF Downloads 53213857 Monitoring Cellular Networks Performance Using Crowd Sourced IoT System: My Operator Coverage (MOC)
Authors: Bassem Boshra Thabet, Mohammed Ibrahim Elsabagh, Mohammad Adly Talaat
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The number of cellular mobile phone users has increased enormously worldwide over the last two decades. Consequently, the monitoring of the performance of the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in terms of network coverage and broadband signal strength has become vital for both of the MNOs and regulators. This monitoring helps telecommunications operators and regulators keeping the market playing fair and most beneficial for users. However, the adopted methodologies to facilitate this continuous monitoring process are still problematic regarding cost, effort, and reliability. This paper introduces My Operator Coverage (MOC) system that is using Internet of Things (IoT) concepts and tools to monitor the MNOs performance using a crowd-sourced real-time methodology. MOC produces robust and reliable geographical maps for the user-perceived quality of the MNOs performance. MOC is also meant to enrich the telecommunications regulators with concrete, and up-to-date information that allows for adequate mobile market management strategies as well as appropriate decision making.Keywords: mobile performance monitoring, crowd-sourced applications, mobile broadband performance, cellular networks monitoring
Procedia PDF Downloads 39613856 Application of IED to Condition Based Maintenance of Medium Voltage GCB/VCB
Authors: Ming-Ta Yang, Jyh-Cherng Gu, Chun-Wei Huang, Jin-Lung Guan
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Time base maintenance (TBM) is conventionally applied by the power utilities to maintain circuit breakers (CBs), transformers, bus bars and cables, which may result in under maintenance or over maintenance. As information and communication technology (ICT) industry develops, the maintenance policies of many power utilities have gradually changed from TBM to condition base maintenance (CBM) to improve system operating efficiency, operation cost and power supply reliability. This paper discusses the feasibility of using intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) to construct a CB CBM management platform. CBs in power substations can be monitored using IEDs with additional logic configuration and wire connections. The CB monitoring data can be sent through intranet to a control center and be analyzed and integrated by the Elipse Power Studio software. Finally, a human-machine interface (HMI) of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system can be designed to construct a CBM management platform to provide maintenance decision information for the maintenance personnel, management personnel and CB manufacturers.Keywords: circuit breaker, condition base maintenance, intelligent electronic device, time base maintenance, SCADA
Procedia PDF Downloads 32913855 Double Wishbone Pushrod Suspension Systems Co-Simulation for Racing Applications
Authors: Suleyman Ogul Ertugrul, Mustafa Turgut, Serkan Inandı, Mustafa Gorkem Coban, Mustafa Kıgılı, Ali Mert, Oguzhan Kesmez, Murat Ozancı, Caglar Uyulan
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In high-performance automotive engineering, the realistic simulation of suspension systems is crucial for enhancing vehicle dynamics and handling. This study focuses on the double wishbone suspension system, prevalent in racing vehicles due to its superior control and stability characteristics. Utilizing MATLAB and Adams Car simulation software, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of displacement behaviors and damper sizing under various dynamic conditions. The initial phase involves using MATLAB to simulate the entire suspension system, allowing for the preliminary determination of damper size based on the system's response under simulated conditions. Following this, manual calculations of wheel loads are performed to assess the forces acting on the front and rear suspensions during scenarios such as braking, cornering, maximum vertical loads, and acceleration. Further dynamic force analysis is carried out using MATLAB Simulink, focusing on the interactions between suspension components during key movements such as bumps and rebounds. This simulation helps in formulating precise force equations and in calculating the stiffness of the suspension springs. To enhance the accuracy of our findings, we focus on a detailed kinematic and dynamic analysis. This includes the creation of kinematic loops, derivation of relevant equations, and computation of Jacobian matrices to accurately determine damper travel and compression metrics. The calculated spring stiffness is crucial in selecting appropriate springs to ensure optimal suspension performance. To validate and refine our results, we replicate the analyses using the Adams Car software, renowned for its detailed handling of vehicular dynamics. The goal is to achieve a robust, reliable suspension setup that maximizes performance under the extreme conditions encountered in racing scenarios. This study exemplifies the integration of theoretical mechanics with advanced simulation tools to achieve a high-performance suspension setup that can significantly improve race car performance, providing a methodology that can be adapted for different types of racing vehicles.Keywords: FSAE, suspension system, Adams Car, kinematic
Procedia PDF Downloads 5113854 Solar Cell Degradation by Electron Irradiation Effect of Irradiation Fluence
Authors: H. Mazouz, A. Belghachi, F. Hadjaj
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Solar cells used in orbit are exposed to radiation environment mainly protons and high energy electrons. These particles degrade the output parameters of the solar cell. The aim of this work is to characterize the effects of electron irradiation fluence on the J (V) characteristic and output parameters of gaAs solar cell by numerical simulation. The results obtained demonstrate that the electron irradiation-induced degradation of performances of the cells concerns mainly the short circuit current.Keywords: gaAs solar cell, MeV electron irradiation, irradiation fluence, short circuit
Procedia PDF Downloads 47413853 A Leader-Follower Kinematic-Based Control System for a Cable-Driven Hyper-Redundant Manipulator
Authors: Abolfazl Zaraki, Yoshikatsu Hayashi, Harry Thorpe, Vincent Strong, Gisle-Andre Larsen, William Holderbaum
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Thanks to the high maneuverability of the cable-driven hyper-redundant manipulators (HRMs), this class of robots has shown a superior capability in highly confined and unstructured space applications. Although the large number of degrees of freedom (DOF) of HRMs enhances the motion flexibility and the robot’s reachability range, it highly increases the complexity of the kinematic configuration which makes the kinematic control problem very challenging or even impossible to solve. This paper presents our current progress achieved on the development of a kinematic-based leader-follower control system which is designed to control not only the robot’s body posture but also to control the trajectory of the robot’s movement in a semi-autonomous manner (the human operator is retained in the robot’s control loop). To obtain the forward kinematic model, the coordinate frames are established by the classical Denavit–Hartenburg (D-H) convention for a hyper-redundant serial manipulator which has a controlled cables-driven mechanism. To solve the inverse kinematics of the robot, unlike the conventional methods, a leader-follower mechanism, based on the sequential inverse kinematic, is followed. Using this mechanism, the inverse kinematic problem is solved for all sequential joints starting from the head joint to the base joint of the robot. To verify the kinematic design and simulate the robot motion, the MATLAB robotic toolbox is used. The simulation result demonstrated the promising capability of the proposed leader-follower control system in controlling the robot motion and trajectory in our confined space application.Keywords: hyper-redundant robots, kinematic analysis, semi-autonomous control, serial manipulators
Procedia PDF Downloads 15713852 Comparing and Contrasting Western and Eastern Ways of War: Building a Universal Strategic Theory
Authors: Adam Kok Wey Leong
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The comparison between the Western ways of war and Eastern ways of war has raised contemporary debates on the validity of these arguments. The Western way of war is popularly propounded by Victor Davis Hanson as originating from the Greek hoplite tactics, direct military maneuvers, democratic principles and social freedom and cohesion that has continued to yield military success for the Western powers for centuries. On the other hand, the Eastern way of war has been deemed as relying on indirect tactics, deception, and ruses. This often accepted notion of the divide between Western and Eastern style does not sustain in view of the available classical strategic texts from both sides from the same period that has proposed similar principles of warfare. This paper analyses the similarities between classical strategic texts on war from the Eastern perspective namely Sun Tzu’s Art of War with a similar temporal strategic text from the West which is Sextus Iuluis Frontinus’s Stratagematon, and deduces answers to this core research question - Does the hypothesis of the existence of distinctive Western and Eastern ways of warfare stands? The main thesis advanced by this research is that ways of warfare share universal principles, and it transcends cultural and spatial boundaries. Warfare is a human endeavour, and the same moral actions guide humans from different geo-cultural spheres in warfare’s objectives, which are winning over an enemy in the most economical way and serve as a mean to an end.Keywords: ways of warfare, strategic culture, strategy, Sun Tzu, frontinus
Procedia PDF Downloads 47113851 High Temperature Volume Combustion Synthesis of Ti3Al with Low Porosities
Authors: Nese Ozturk Korpe, Muhammed H. Karas
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Reaction synthesis, or combustion synthesis, is a processing technique in which the thermal activation energy of formation of a compound is sustained by its exothermic heat of reaction. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of high initial pressing pressures (420 MPa, 630 MPa, and 850 MPa) on porosity of Ti3Al which produced by volume combustion synthesis. Microstructure examinations were performed by optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Phase analyses were performed with X-ray diffraction device (XRD). A significant decrease in porosity was obtained due to an increase in the initial pressing pressure.Keywords: Titanium Aluminide, Volume Combustion Synthesis, Intermetallic, Porosity
Procedia PDF Downloads 17113850 Analysis of the Diffusion Behavior of an Information and Communication Technology Platform for City Logistics
Authors: Giulio Mangano, Alberto De Marco, Giovanni Zenezini
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The concept of City Logistics (CL) has emerged to improve the impacts of last mile freight distribution in urban areas. In this paper, a System Dynamics (SD) model exploring the dynamics of the diffusion of a ICT platform for CL management across different populations is proposed. For the development of the model two sources have been used. On the one hand, the major diffusion variables and feedback loops are derived from a literature review of existing diffusion models. On the other hand, the parameters are represented by the value propositions delivered by the platform as a response to some of the users’ needs. To extract the most important value propositions the Business Model Canvas approach has been used. Such approach in fact focuses on understanding how a company can create value for her target customers. These variables and parameters are thus translated into a SD diffusion model with three different populations namely municipalities, logistics service providers, and own account carriers. Results show that, the three populations under analysis fully adopt the platform within the simulation time frame, highlighting a strong demand by different stakeholders for CL projects aiming at carrying out more efficient urban logistics operations.Keywords: city logistics, simulation, system dynamics, business model
Procedia PDF Downloads 26713849 Phenolic Compounds, Antiradical Activity, and Antioxidant Efficacy of Satureja hortensisl - Extracts in Vegetable Oil Protection
Authors: Abolfazl Kamkar
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Vegetable oils and fats are recognized as important components of our diet. They provide essential fatty acids, which are precursors of important hormones and control many physiological factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol level, and the reproductive system.Vegetable oils with higher contents of unsaturated fatty acids, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are more susceptible to oxidation.Protective effects of Sature jahortensis(SE) extracts in stabilizing soybean oil at different concentrations (200 and 400 ppm) were tested. Results showed that plant extracts could significantly (P< 0.05) lower the peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid value of oil during storage at 60 oC. The IC50 values for methanol and ethanol extracts were 31.5 ± 0.7 and 37.00 ± 0 µg/ml, respectively. In the β- carotene/linoleic acid system, methanol and ethanol extracts exhibited 87.5 ± 1.41% and 74.0 ±2.25 % inhibition against linoleic acid oxidation. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of methanol and ethanol extracts were (101.58 ± 0. 26m g/ g) and (96.00 ± 0.027 mg/ g), (44.91 ± 0.14 m g/ g) and (14.30 ± 0.12 mg/ g) expressed in Gallic acid and Quercetin equivalents, respectively.These findings suggest that Satureja extracts may have potential application as natural antioxidants in the edible oil and food industry.Keywords: satureja hortensis, antioxidant activity, oxidative stability, vegetable oil, extract
Procedia PDF Downloads 37313848 Unmanned Aerial System Development for the Remote Reflectance Sensing Using Above-Water Radiometers
Authors: Sunghun Jung, Wonkook Kim
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Due to the difficulty of the utilization of satellite and an aircraft, conventional ocean color remote sensing has a disadvantage in that it is difficult to obtain images of desired places at desired times. These disadvantages make it difficult to capture the anomalies such as the occurrence of the red tide which requires immediate observation. It is also difficult to understand the phenomena such as the resuspension-precipitation process of suspended solids and the spread of low-salinity water originating in the coastal areas. For the remote sensing reflectance of seawater, above-water radiometers (AWR) have been used either by carrying portable AWRs on a ship or installing those at fixed observation points on the Ieodo ocean research station, Socheongcho base, and etc. In particular, however, it requires the high cost to measure the remote reflectance in various seawater environments at various times and it is even not possible to measure it at the desired frequency in the desired sea area at the desired time. Also, in case of the stationary observation, it is advantageous that observation data is continuously obtained, but there is the disadvantage that data of various sea areas cannot be obtained. It is possible to instantly capture various marine phenomena occurring on the coast using the unmanned aerial system (UAS) including vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) type unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) since it could move and hover at the one location and acquire data of the desired form at a high resolution. To remotely estimate seawater constituents, it is necessary to install an ultra-spectral sensor. Also, to calculate reflected light from the surface of the sea in consideration of the sun’s incident light, a total of three sensors need to be installed on the UAV. The remote sensing reflectance of seawater is the most basic optical property for remotely estimating color components in seawater and we could remotely estimate the chlorophyll concentration, the suspended solids concentration, and the dissolved organic amount. Estimating seawater physics from the remote sensing reflectance requires the algorithm development using the accumulation data of seawater reflectivity under various seawater and atmospheric conditions. The UAS with three AWRs is developed for the remote reflection sensing on the surface of the sea. Throughout the paper, we explain the details of each UAS component, system operation scenarios, and simulation and experiment results. The UAS consists of a UAV, a solar tracker, a transmitter, a ground control station (GCS), three AWRs, and two gimbals.Keywords: above-water radiometers (AWR), ground control station (GCS), unmanned aerial system (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
Procedia PDF Downloads 16313847 A Neuron Model of Facial Recognition and Detection of an Authorized Entity Using Machine Learning System
Authors: J. K. Adedeji, M. O. Oyekanmi
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This paper has critically examined the use of Machine Learning procedures in curbing unauthorized access into valuable areas of an organization. The use of passwords, pin codes, user’s identification in recent times has been partially successful in curbing crimes involving identities, hence the need for the design of a system which incorporates biometric characteristics such as DNA and pattern recognition of variations in facial expressions. The facial model used is the OpenCV library which is based on the use of certain physiological features, the Raspberry Pi 3 module is used to compile the OpenCV library, which extracts and stores the detected faces into the datasets directory through the use of camera. The model is trained with 50 epoch run in the database and recognized by the Local Binary Pattern Histogram (LBPH) recognizer contained in the OpenCV. The training algorithm used by the neural network is back propagation coded using python algorithmic language with 200 epoch runs to identify specific resemblance in the exclusive OR (XOR) output neurons. The research however confirmed that physiological parameters are better effective measures to curb crimes relating to identities.Keywords: biometric characters, facial recognition, neural network, OpenCV
Procedia PDF Downloads 25613846 The Application of Animal Welfare Certification System for Farm Animal in South Korea
Authors: Ahlyum Mun, Ji-Young Moon, Moon-Seok Yoon, Dong-Jin Baek, Doo-Seok Seo, Oun-Kyong Moon
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There is a growing public concern over the standards of farm animal welfare, with higher standards of food safety. In addition, the recent low incidence of Avian Influenza in laying hens among certificated farms is receiving attention. In this study, we introduce animal welfare systems covering the rearing, transport and slaughter of farm animals in South Korea. The concepts of animal welfare farm certification are based on ensuring the five freedoms of animal. The animal welfare is also achieved by observing the condition of environment including shelter and resting area, feeding and water and the care for the animal health. The certification of farm animal welfare is handled by the Animal Protection & Welfare Division of Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA). Following the full amendment of Animal Protection Law in 2011, animal welfare farm certification program has been implemented since 2012. The certification system has expanded to cover laying hen, swine, broiler, beef cattle and dairy cow, goat and duck farms. Livestock farmers who want to be certified must apply for certification at the APQA. Upon receipt of the application, the APQA notifies the applicant of the detailed schedule of the on-site examination after reviewing the document and conducts the on-site inspection according to the evaluation criteria of the welfare standard. If the on-site audit results meet the certification criteria, APQA issues a certificate. The production process of certified farms is inspected at least once a year for follow-up management. As of 2017, a total of 145 farms have been certified (95 laying hen farms, 12 swine farms, 30 broiler farms and 8 dairy cow farms). In addition, animal welfare transportation vehicles and slaughterhouses have been designated since 2013 and currently 6 slaughterhouses have been certified. Animal Protection Law has been amended so that animal welfare certification marks can be affixed only to livestock products produced by animal welfare farms, transported through animal welfare vehicles and slaughtered at animal welfare slaughterhouses. The whole process including rearing–transportation- slaughtering completes the farm animal welfare system. APQA established its second 5-year animal welfare plan (2014-2019) that includes setting a minimum standard of animal welfare applicable to all livestock farms, transportation vehicles and slaughterhouses. In accordance with this plan, we will promote the farm animal welfare policy in order to truly advance the Korean livestock industry.Keywords: animal welfare, farm animal, certification system, South Korea
Procedia PDF Downloads 39913845 Performance Evaluation of Microcontroller-Based Fuzzy Controller for Fruit Drying System
Authors: Salisu Umar
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Fruits are a seasonal crop and get spoiled quickly. They are dried to be preserved for a long period. The natural drying process requires more time. The investment on space requirement and infrastructure is large, and cannot be afforded by a middle class farmer. Therefore there is a need for a comparatively small unit with reduced drying times, which can be afforded by a middle class farmer. A controlled environment suitable for fruit drying is developed within a closed chamber and is a three step process. Firstly, the infrared light is used internally to preheated the fruit to speedily remove the water content inside the fruit for fast drying. Secondly, hot air of a specified temperature is blown inside the chamber to maintain the humidity below a specified level and exhaust the humid air of the chamber. Thirdly the microcontroller idles disconnecting the power to the chamber after the weight of the fruits is reduced to a known value of its original weight. This activates a buzzer for duration of ten seconds to indicate the end of the drying process. The results obtained indicate that the system is significantly reducing the drying time without affecting the quality of the fruits compared with the existing dryers.Keywords: fruit, fuzzy controller, microcontroller, temperature, weight and humidity
Procedia PDF Downloads 44513844 Removal of Heavy Metals by KOH Activated Diplotaxis harra Biomass: Experimental Design Optimization
Authors: H. Tounsadi, A. Khalidi, M. Abdennouri, N. Barka
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The objective of this study was to produce high quality activated carbons from Diplotaxis harra biomass by potassium hydroxide activation and their application for heavy metals removal. To reduce the number of experiments, full factorial experimental design at two levels were carried out to occur optimal preparation conditions and better conditions for the removal of cadmium and cobalt ions from aqueous solutions. The influence of different variables during the activation process, such as carbonization temperature, activation temperature, activation time and impregnation ratio (g KOH/g carbon) have been investigated, and the best production conditions were determined. The experimental results showed that removal of cadmium and cobalt ions onto activated carbons was more sensitive to methylene blue index instead of iodine number. Although, the removal of cadmium and cobalt ions is more influenced by activation temperature with a negative effect followed by the impregnation ratio with a positive impact. Based on the statistical data, the best conditions for the removal of cadmium and cobalt by prepared activated carbons have been established. The maximum iodine number and methylene blue index obtained under these conditions and the greater sorption capacities for cadmium and cobalt were investigated. These sorption capacities were greater than those of a commercial activated carbon used in water treatment.Keywords: activated carbon, cadmium, cobalt, Diplotaxis harra, experimental design, potassium hydroxide
Procedia PDF Downloads 20113843 The Design of Fire in Tube Boiler
Authors: Yoftahe Nigussie
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This report presents a final year project pertaining to the design of Fire tube boiler for the purpose of producing saturated steam. The objective of the project is to produce saturated steam for different purpose with a capacity of 2000kg/h at 12bar design pressure by performing a design of a higher performance fire tube boiler that considered the requirements of cost minimization and parameters improvement. This is mostly done in selection of appropriate material for component parts, construction materials and production methods in different steps of analysis. In the analysis process, most of the design parameters are obtained by iterating with related formulas like selection of diameter of tubes with overall heat transfer coefficient optimization, and the other selections are also as like considered. The number of passes is two because of the size and area of the tubes and shell. As the analysis express by using heavy oil fuel no6 with a higher heating value of 44000kJ/kg and lower heating value of 41300kJ/kg and the amount of fuel consumed 140.37kg/hr. and produce 1610kw of heat with efficiency of 85.25%. The flow of the fluid is a cross flow because of its own advantage and the arrangement of the tube in-side the shell is welded with the tube sheet, and the tube sheet is attached with the shell and the end by using a gasket and weld. The design of the shell, using European Standard code section, is as like pressure vessel by considering the weight, including content and the supplementary accessories such as lifting lugs, openings, ends, man hole and supports with detail and assembly drawing.Keywords: steam generation, external treatment, internal treatment, steam velocity
Procedia PDF Downloads 9713842 Protection of Stakeholders under the Transitional Commercial Code of Eritrea: Comparative Analysis with the 2018 Company Law of Peoples Republic of China
Authors: Hayle Makda Gebru
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Companies are inevitable for society. They are the building blocks of every development in a country aimed at producing continuous goods and services for the people and, in turn, obliged to pay taxes, which enhances the economy of the nation. For the proper functioning of companies, their relationship with their stakeholders must be secure. The major stakeholders are suppliers, consumers, employees, creditors, etc. The law plays an important role in enhancing the relationship between these different stakeholders. If the law fails to keep track of the relationship, both the company and stakeholders remain unprotected. As a result, the potential benefits are prejudiced. This paper makes a comparative analysis of the types and formation of companies under the Transitional Commercial Code of Eritrea and the Company Law of the Peoples Republic of China. In particular, the paper addresses the legal lacuna under the TCrCE on handling the failure of shareholders to pay the promised capital. So, the methodology of the study is entirely analyzing the two countries' laws using practical cases. After analyzing the practical problems on the ground using real cases, this paper calls on Eritrea to update its outdated Commercial Code to give proper protection to the stakeholders.Keywords: companies, company law of the People's Republic of China, transitional commercial code of Eritrea, protection of stakeholders, failure to pay the promised capital
Procedia PDF Downloads 6913841 The Viability of Islamic Finance and Its Impact on Global Financial Stability: Evidence from Practical Implications
Authors: Malik Shahzad Shabbir, Muhammad Saarim Ghazi, Amir Khalil ur Rehman
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This study examines the factors which influence and contribute towards the financial viability of Islamic finance and its impact on global financial stability. However, the purpose of this paper is to differentiate the practical implications of both Islamic and conventional finance on global financial stability. The Islamic finance is asset backed financing which creates wealth through trade, commerce and believes in risk and return sharing. Islamic banking is asset driven as against to conventional banking which is liability driven. In order to introduce new financial products for market, financial innovation in Islamic finance must be within the Shari’ah parameters that are tested against the ‘Maqasid al-Shari’ah’. Interest-based system leads to income and wealth inequalities and mis-allocation of resources. Moreover, this system has absence of just and equitable aspect of distribution that may exploit either the debt holder or the financier. Such implications are reached to a tipping point that leaves only one choice: change or face continued decline and misery.Keywords: viability, global financial stability, practical implications, asset driven, tipping point
Procedia PDF Downloads 30313840 Designing and Making Sustainable Architectural Clothing Inspired by Reconstruction of Bam’s Bazaar
Authors: Marzieh Khaleghi Baygi, Maryam Khaleghy Baygy
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The main aim of this project was designing and making sustainable architectural wearable dress inspired by reconstruction project of Bam’s Bazar in Iran. To achieve the goals of this project, Bam Bazar became the architectural reference. A mixed research method (including applied, qualitative and case studies methods) was used. After research, data gathering and considering related intellectual, mental and cultural background, the garment was modeled by using 3ds Max's modeling tools and Marvelous. After making the pattern, the wearable architecture was built and an architectural and historical building converted to a clothing. The implementation of sustainable architectural clothing, took seventeen months. The result of this project was a cloth in a new form that had been worn on its architect body. The comparison between present project and previous research were focusing on the same subjects (architectural clothing) shows some dramatic differentiations, including, the architect, designer and executive of this project was the same person who was the main researcher. Also, in this research, special attention was paid to the sustainability, volume and forms. Most projects in this subject (especially pervious related Iranian research) relied on painting and not on the volumes and forms. The sustainable immovable architecture had worn on its architect, became a cloth on a human's body that was moving.Keywords: wearable architecture, clothing, bam bazar, space, sustainability
Procedia PDF Downloads 6113839 Optimization of Friction Stir Welding Parameters for Joining Aluminium Alloys using Response Surface Methodology and Artificial Neural Network
Authors: A. M. Khourshid, A. M. El-Kassas, I. Sabry
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The objective of this work was to investigate the mechanical properties in order to demonstrate the feasibility of friction stir welding for joining Al 6061 aluminium alloys. Welding was performed on pipe with different thickness (2, 3 and 4 mm), five rotational speeds (485, 710, 910, 1120 and 1400 rpm) and a traverse speed of 4mm/min. This work focuses on two methods which are artificial neural networks using software and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to predict the tensile strength, the percentage of elongation and hardness of friction stir welded 6061 aluminium alloy. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was developed for the analysis of the friction stir welding parameters of 6061 pipe. Tensile strength, the percentage of elongation and hardness of weld joints were predicted by taking the parameters tool rotation speed, material thickness and axial force as a function. A comparison was made between measured and predicted data. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was also developed and the values obtained for the response tensile strength, the percentage of elongation and hardness are compared with measured values. The effect of FSW process parameters on mechanical properties of 6061 aluminium alloy has been analysed in detail.Keywords: friction stir welding, aluminium alloy, response surface methodology, artificial neural network
Procedia PDF Downloads 29313838 Effects of Blast Load on Historic Stone Masonry Buildings in Canada: A Review and Analytical Study
Authors: Abass Braimah, Maha Hussein Abdallah
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The global ascendancy of terrorist attacks on building infrastructure with economic and heritage significance has increased awareness of the possibility of terrorism in Canada. Many structures in Canada that are at risk of terrorist attacks include government buildings, built many years ago of historic stone masonry construction. Although many researchers are investigating ways to retrofit masonry stone buildings to mitigate the effect of blast loadings, lack of knowledge on the dynamic behavior of historic stone masonry structures under blast loads makes it difficult to ascertain the effectiveness of the retrofitting techniques. This paper presents a review of open-source literature for the experimental and numerical stone masonry structures under blast loads. This review yielded very little information of the response of the historic stone masonry structures under blast loads. Thus, a comprehensive study is needed to understand the blast load effects on historic stone masonry buildings. The out-of-plane response of historic masonry structures to blast loads is investigated by using single-degree-of-freedom analysis. This approach presents equations that can be used effectively in the analysis of historic masonry walls to out-of-plane blast loading.Keywords: blast loads, historical buildings, masonry structure, single-degree-of-freedom analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 18413837 Hydrophobically Modified Glycol Chitosan Nanoparticles as a Carrier for Etoposide
Authors: Akhtar Aman, Abida Raza, Shumaila Bashir, Javaid Irfan, Andreas G. Schätzlein, Ijeoma F Uchegbeu
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Development of efficient delivery system for hydrophobic drugs remains a major concern in chemotherapy. The objective of the current study was to develop polymeric drug-delivery system for etoposide from amphiphilic derivatives of glycol chitosan, capable to improve the pharmacokinetics and to reduce the adverse effects of etoposide due to various organic solvents used in commercial formulations for solubilisation of etoposide. As a promising carrier, amphiphilic derivatives of glycol chitosan were synthesized by chemical grafting of palmitic acid N-hydroxy succinimide and quaternisation to glycol chitosan backbone. To this end a 7.9 kDa glycol chitosan was modified by palmitoylation and quaternisation into 13 kDa. Nano sized micelles prepared from this amphiphilic polymer had the capability to encapsulate up to 3 mg/ml etoposide. The pharmacokinetic results indicated that GCPQ based etoposide formulation transformed the biodistribution pattern. AUC 0.5-24 hr showed statistically significant difference in ETP-GCPQ vs. commercial preparation in liver (25 vs 70, p<0.001), spleen (27 vs. 36, P<0.05), lungs (42 vs. 136, p<0.001), kidneys (25 vs. 30, p<0.05) and brain (19 vs. 9,p<0.001). Using the hydrophobic fluorescent dye Nile red, we showed that micelles efficiently delivered their payload to MCF7 and A2780 cancer cells in-vitro and to A431 xenograft tumor in-vivo, suggesting these systems could deliver hydrophobic anti- cancer drugs such as etoposide to tumors. The pharmacokinetic results indicated that the GCPQ micelles transformed the biodistribution pattern and increased etoposide concentration in the brain significantly compared to free drug after intravenous administration. GCPQ based formulations not only reduced side effects associated with current available formulations but also increased their transport through the biological barriers, thus making it a good delivery system.Keywords: glycol chitosan, Nile red, micelles, etoposide, A431 xenografts
Procedia PDF Downloads 31113836 Morphological and Chemical Characterization of the Surface of Orthopedic Implant Materials
Authors: Bertalan Jillek, Péter Szabó, Judit Kopniczky, István Szabó, Balázs Patczai, Kinga Turzó
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Hip and knee prostheses are one of the most frequently used medical implants, that can significantly improve patients’ quality of life. Long term success and biointegration of these prostheses depend on several factors, like bulk and surface characteristics, construction and biocompatibility of the material. The applied surgical technique, the general health condition and life-quality of the patient are also determinant factors. Medical devices used in orthopedic surgeries have different surfaces depending on their function inside the human body. Surface roughness of these implants determines the interaction with the surrounding tissues. Numerous modifications have been applied in the recent decades to improve a specific property of an implant. Our goal was to compare the surface characteristics of typical implant materials used in orthopedic surgery and traumatology. Morphological and chemical structure of Vortex plate anodized titanium, cemented THR (total hip replacement) stem high nitrogen REX steel (SS), uncemented THR stem and cup titanium (Ti) alloy with titanium plasma spray coating (TPS), cemented cup and uncemented acetabular liner HXL and UHMWPE and TKR (total knee replacement) femoral component CoCrMo alloy (Sanatmetal Ltd, Hungary) discs were examined. Visualization and elemental analysis were made by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Surface roughness was determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and profilometry. SEM and AFM revealed the morphological and roughness features of the examined materials. TPS Ti presented the highest Ra value (25 ± 2 μm, followed by CoCrMo alloy (535 ± 19 nm), Ti (227 ± 15 nm) and stainless steel (170 ± 11 nm). The roughness of the HXL and UHMWPE surfaces was in the same range, 147 ± 13 nm and 144 ± 15 nm, respectively. EDS confirmed typical elements on the investigated prosthesis materials: Vortex plate Ti (Ti, O, P); TPS Ti (Ti, O, Al); SS (Fe, Cr, Ni, C) CoCrMo (Co, Cr, Mo), HXL (C, Al, Ni) and UHMWPE (C, Al). The results indicate that the surface of prosthesis materials have significantly different features and the applied investigation methods are suitable for their characterization. Contact angle measurements and in vitro cell culture testing are further planned to test their surface energy characteristics and biocompatibility.Keywords: morphology, PE, roughness, titanium
Procedia PDF Downloads 12613835 Systematic Study of Mutually Inclusive Influence of Temperature and Substitution on the Coordination Geometry of Co(II) in a Series of Coordination Polymer and Their Properties
Authors: Manasi Roy, Raju Mondal
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During last two decades the synthesis and design of MOFs or novel coordination polymers (CPs) has flourished as an emerging area of research due to their role as functional materials. Accordingly, ten new cobalt-based MOFs have been synthesized using a simple bispyrazole ligand, 4,4′-methylene-bispyrazole (H2MBP), and isophthalic acid (H2IPA) and its four 5-substituted derivatives R-H2IPA (R = COOH, OH, tBu, NH2). The major aim of this study was to validate the mutual influence of temperature and substitutions on the final structural self-assembly. Five different isophthalic acid derivatives were used to study the influence of substituents while each reaction was carried out at two different temperatures to assess the temperature effect. A clear correlation was observed between the reaction temperature and the coordination number of the cobalt atoms which consequently changes the self assembly pattern. Another fact that the periodical change in coordination number did bring about some systematic changes in the structural network via secondary building unit selectivity. With the presence of a tunable cavity inside the network, and unsaturated metal centers, MOFs show highly encouraging photocatalytic degradation of toxic dye with a potential application in waste water purification. Another fascinating aspect of this work is the construction of magnetic coordination polymers with the occurrence of a not-so-common MCE behavior of cobalt-based MOF.Keywords: MOFs, temperature effect, MCE, dye degradation
Procedia PDF Downloads 13613834 Open Source, Open Hardware Ground Truth for Visual Odometry and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping Applications
Authors: Janusz Bedkowski, Grzegorz Kisala, Michal Wlasiuk, Piotr Pokorski
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Ground-truth data is essential for VO (Visual Odometry) and SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) quantitative evaluation using e.g. ATE (Absolute Trajectory Error) and RPE (Relative Pose Error). Many open-access data sets provide raw and ground-truth data for benchmark purposes. The issue appears when one would like to validate Visual Odometry and/or SLAM approaches on data captured using the device for which the algorithm is targeted for example mobile phone and disseminate data for other researchers. For this reason, we propose an open source, open hardware groundtruth system that provides an accurate and precise trajectory with a 3D point cloud. It is based on LiDAR Livox Mid-360 with a non-repetitive scanning pattern, on-board Raspberry Pi 4B computer, battery and software for off-line calculations (camera to LiDAR calibration, LiDAR odometry, SLAM, georeferencing). We show how this system can be used for the evaluation of various the state of the art algorithms (Stella SLAM, ORB SLAM3, DSO) in typical indoor monocular VO/SLAM.Keywords: SLAM, ground truth, navigation, LiDAR, visual odometry, mapping
Procedia PDF Downloads 6913833 A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Impact of the Linguistic Behavior of the Soccer Moroccan Coach in Light of Motivation Theory and Discursive Psychology
Authors: Abdelaadim Bidaoui
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As one of the most important linguistic inquiries, the topic of the intertwined relationship between language, the mind, and the world has attracted many scholars. In the fifties, Sapir and Whorf advocated the hypothesis that language shapes our cultural realities as an early attempt to provide answers to this linguistic inquiry. Later, discursive psychology views the linguistic behavior as “a dynamic form of social practice which constructs the social world, individual selves and identity.” (Jorgensen & Phillips 2002, 118). Discursive psychology also considers discourse as a trigger of social action and change. Building on discursive psychology and motivation theory, this paper examines the impact of linguistic behavior of the Moroccan coach Walid Reggragui on the Moroccan team’s exceptional performance in Qatar 2022 Soccer World Cup. The data used in the research is based on interviews conducted by the Moroccan coach prior and during the World Cup. Using a discourse analysis of the linguistic behavior of Reggragui, this paper shows how the linguistic behavior of Reggragui provided support for the three psychological needs: sense of belonging, competence, and autonomy. As any CDA research, this paper uses a triangulated theoretical framework that includes language, cognition and society.Keywords: critical discourse analysis, motivation theory, discursive psychology, linguistic behavior
Procedia PDF Downloads 9013832 The Utilization of Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Fields of Ophthalmology and Visual Neuroscience
Authors: Parisa Mansour
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Understanding how vision works in both health and disease involves understanding the anatomy and physiology of the eye as well as the neural pathways involved in visual perception. The development of imaging techniques for the visual system is essential for understanding the neural foundation of visual function or impairment. MRI provides a way to examine neural circuit structure and function without invasive procedures, allowing for the detection of brain tissue abnormalities in real time. One of the advanced MRI methods is manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI), which utilizes active manganese contrast agents to enhance brain tissue signals in T1-weighted imaging, showcasing connectivity and activity levels. The way manganese ions build up in the eye, and visual pathways can be due to their spread throughout the body or by moving locally along axons in a forward direction and entering neurons through calcium channels that are voltage-gated. The paramagnetic manganese contrast is utilized in MRI for various applications in the visual system, such as imaging neurodevelopment and evaluating neurodegeneration, neuroplasticity, neuroprotection, and neuroregeneration. In this assessment, we outline four key areas of scientific research where MEMRI can play a crucial role - understanding brain structure, mapping nerve pathways, monitoring nerve cell function, and distinguishing between different types of glial cell activity. We discuss various studies that have utilized MEMRI to investigate the visual system, including delivery methods, spatiotemporal features, and biophysical analysis. Based on this literature, we have pinpointed key issues in the field related to toxicity, as well as sensitivity and specificity of manganese enhancement. We will also examine the drawbacks and other options to MEMRI that could offer new possibilities for future exploration.Keywords: glial activity, manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, neuroarchitecture, neuronal activity, neuronal tract tracing, visual pathway, eye
Procedia PDF Downloads 4113831 Arabic Light Word Analyser: Roles with Deep Learning Approach
Authors: Mohammed Abu Shquier
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This paper introduces a word segmentation method using the novel BP-LSTM-CRF architecture for processing semantic output training. The objective of web morphological analysis tools is to link a formal morpho-syntactic description to a lemma, along with morpho-syntactic information, a vocalized form, a vocalized analysis with morpho-syntactic information, and a list of paradigms. A key objective is to continuously enhance the proposed system through an inductive learning approach that considers semantic influences. The system is currently under construction and development based on data-driven learning. To evaluate the tool, an experiment on homograph analysis was conducted. The tool also encompasses the assumption of deep binary segmentation hypotheses, the arbitrary choice of trigram or n-gram continuation probabilities, language limitations, and morphology for both Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Dialectal Arabic (DA), which provide justification for updating this system. Most Arabic word analysis systems are based on the phonotactic morpho-syntactic analysis of a word transmitted using lexical rules, which are mainly used in MENA language technology tools, without taking into account contextual or semantic morphological implications. Therefore, it is necessary to have an automatic analysis tool taking into account the word sense and not only the morpho-syntactic category. Moreover, they are also based on statistical/stochastic models. These stochastic models, such as HMMs, have shown their effectiveness in different NLP applications: part-of-speech tagging, machine translation, speech recognition, etc. As an extension, we focus on language modeling using Recurrent Neural Network (RNN); given that morphological analysis coverage was very low in dialectal Arabic, it is significantly important to investigate deeply how the dialect data influence the accuracy of these approaches by developing dialectal morphological processing tools to show that dialectal variability can support to improve analysis.Keywords: NLP, DL, ML, analyser, MSA, RNN, CNN
Procedia PDF Downloads 4313830 Pyrolysis of the Reed (Phragmites australis) and Evaluation of Pyrolysis Products
Authors: Ahmet Helvaci, Selcuk Dogan
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Reed in especially almost all the lakes in Western Anatolia grows naturally. Due to the abundance of reed, pyrolysis of reed is very economical and practical application. In this study, it is aimed to determine the optimum conditions for the pyrolysis of the reed which is a cheap and abundant raw material and to evaluate pyrolysis products. For this purpose, reed was used obtained from Eber Lake located in the borders of Bolvadin county of Afyonkarahisar. Optimum pyrolysis conditions have been determined by examining the effects of changes in pyrolysis temperature and pyrolysis time. The evaluation of the obtained liquid and solid pyrolysis products has been investigated. Especially evaluability of solid carbon black production of tires has been investigated. Tire samples were prepared with carbon black samples obtained as a result of the pyrolysis process at different temperatures. Then, performance tests were made and compared with reference carbon blacks, used in the market and standards. At the same time, surface area measurement analysis of carbon black samples was made and compared again with reference carbon blacks. In addition, the fuel values of liquid products were also determined by calorimeter. It has been determined that the best surface area (about 370 m²/g) for carbon black samples, for tire production is 40 minutes at 500ᵒC. It was also found that the best result for evaluation studies in tire production was carbon black samples obtained at 450ᵒC pyrolysis temperature. In addition, it was seen that the calorimetry results of the liquid product obtained during 60 minutes of pyrolysis were quite good (around 5500 kcal/kg).Keywords: evaluation of products, optimization, pyrolysis, reed
Procedia PDF Downloads 193