Search results for: innovative fashion design process

Authors: M. S. Al-Assiri, M. M. El-Desoky, A. A. Bahgat

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Nanocrystalline thin film of Na0.1V2O5.nH2O xerogel obtained by sol-gel synthesis was used as a gas sensor. Gas sensing properties of different gases such as hydrogen, petroleum and humidity were investigated. Applying XRD and TEM the size of the nanocrystals is found to be 7.5 nm. SEM shows a highly porous structure with submicron meter-sized voids present throughout the sample. FTIR measurement shows different chemical groups identifying the obtained series of gels. The sample was n-type semiconductor according to the thermoelectric power and electrical conductivity. It can be seen that the sensor response curves from 130°C to 150°C show a rapid increase in sensitivity for all types of gas injection, low response values for heating period and the rapid high response values for cooling period. This result may suggest that this material is able to act as gas sensor during the heating and cooling process.

Keywords: sol-gel, thermoelectric power, XRD, TEM, gas sensing

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Authors: Tugba Altin

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In a time characterized by escalating climate change impacts, communities globally face extreme events with deep-reaching tangible and intangible consequences. At the intersection of these phenomena lies the profound impact on the cultural and emotional connections that individuals forge with their environments. This study casts a spotlight on the Lytton Creek Fire of 2021, showcasing it as an exemplar of both the visible destruction brought by such events and the more covert yet deeply impactful disturbances to place attachment (PA). Defined as the emotional and cognitive bond individuals form with their surroundings, PA is critical in comprehending how such catastrophic events reshape cultural identity and the bond with the land. Against the stark backdrop of the Lytton Creek Fire's devastation, the research seeks to unpack the multilayered dynamics of PA amidst the tangible wreckage and the intangible repercussions such as emotional distress and disrupted cultural landscapes. Delving deeper, it examines how affected populations renegotiate their affiliations with these drastically altered environments, grappling with both the tangible loss of their homes and the intangible challenges to solace, identity, and community cohesion. This exploration is instrumental in the broader climate change narrative, as it offers crucial insights into how these personal-place relationships can influence and shape climate adaptation and recovery strategies. Departing from traditional data collection methodologies, this study adopts an interpretive phenomenological approach enriched by hermeneutic insights and places the experiences of the Lytton community and its co-researchers at its core. Instead of conventional interviews, innovative methods like walking audio sessions and photo elicitation are employed. These techniques allow participants to immerse themselves back into the environment, reviving and voicing their memories and emotions in real-time. Walking audio captures reflections on spatial narratives after the trauma, whereas photo voices encapsulate the intangible emotions, presenting a visual representation of place-based experiences. Key findings emphasize the indispensability of addressing both the tangible and intangible traumas in community recovery efforts post-disaster. The profound changes to the cultural landscape and the subsequent shifts in PA underscore the need for holistic, culturally attuned, and emotionally insightful adaptation strategies. These strategies, rooted in the lived experiences and testimonies of the affected individuals, promise more resonant and effective recovery efforts. The research further contributes to climate change discourse, highlighting the intertwined pathways of tangible reconstruction and the essentiality of emotional and cultural rejuvenation. Furthermore, the use of participatory methodologies in this inquiry challenges traditional research paradigms, pointing to potential evolutionary shifts in qualitative research norms. Ultimately, this study underscores the need for a more integrative approach in addressing the aftermath of environmental disasters, ensuring that both physical and emotional rebuilding are given equal emphasis.

Keywords: place attachment, community recovery, disaster reponse, sensory responses, intangible traumas, visual methodologies

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Authors: Min Han, Di Wu, Lin Yuan, Fei Liu

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Mechanical sensors have undergone a continuous evolution and have become an important part of many industries, ranging from manufacturing to process, chemicals, machinery, health-care, environmental monitoring, automotive, avionics, and household appliances. Concurrently, the microelectronics and microfabrication technology have provided us with the means of producing mechanical microsensors characterized by high sensitivity, small size, integrated electronics, on board calibration, and low cost. Here we report a new kind of mechanical sensors based on the quantum transport process of electrons in the closely spaced nanoparticle films covering a flexible polymer sheet. The nanoparticle films were fabricated by gas phase depositing of preformed metal nanoparticles with a controlled coverage on the electrodes. To amplify the conductance of the nanoparticle array, we fabricated silver interdigital electrodes on polyethylene terephthalate(PET) by mask evaporation deposition. The gaps of the electrodes ranged from 3 to 30μm. Metal nanoparticles were generated from a magnetron plasma gas aggregation cluster source and deposited on the interdigital electrodes. Closely spaced nanoparticle arrays with different coverage could be gained through real-time monitoring the conductance. In the film coulomb blockade and quantum, tunneling/hopping dominate the electronic conduction mechanism. The basic principle of the mechanical sensors relies on the mechanical deformation of the fabricated devices which are translated into electrical signals. Several kinds of sensing devices have been explored. As a strain sensor, the device showed a high sensitivity as well as a very wide dynamic range. A gauge factor as large as 100 or more was demonstrated, which can be at least one order of magnitude higher than that of the conventional metal foil gauges or even better than that of the semiconductor-based gauges with a workable maximum applied strain beyond 3%. And the strain sensors have a workable maximum applied strain larger than 3%. They provide the potential to be a new generation of strain sensors with performance superior to that of the currently existing strain sensors including metallic strain gauges and semiconductor strain gauges. When integrated into a pressure gauge, the devices demonstrated the ability to measure tiny pressure change as small as 20Pa near the atmospheric pressure. Quantitative vibration measurements were realized on a free-standing cantilever structure fabricated with closely-spaced nanoparticle array sensing element. What is more, the mechanical sensor elements can be easily scaled down, which is feasible for MEMS and NEMS applications.

Keywords: gas phase deposition, mechanical sensors, metallic nanoparticle arrays, quantum conductance

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Authors: Jaroslav Masek, Juraj Camaj, Eva Nedeliakova

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The aim of optimization of store management is not only designing the situation of store management itself including its equipment, technology and operation. In optimization of store management we need to consider also synchronizing of technological, transport, store and service operations throughout the whole process of logistic chain in such a way that a natural flow of material from provider to consumer will be achieved the shortest possible way, in the shortest possible time in requested quality and quantity and with minimum costs. The paper deals with the application of the queuing theory for optimization of warehouse processes. The first part refers to common information about the problematic of warehousing and using mathematical methods for logistics chains optimization. The second part refers to preparing a model of a warehouse within queuing theory. The conclusion of the paper includes two examples of using queuing theory in praxis.

Keywords: queuing theory, logistics system, mathematical methods, warehouse optimization

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Authors: Jiao F. Huang, Shi Chen, Shu C. Duan, Gang H. Wang

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Due to its complex spatial structure as well as dynamic temporal evolution, an analytic solution of an X-pinch process is out of question, and numerical simulation becomes an important tool in X-pinch studies. Intrinsically, simulations of X-pinch are three-dimensional (3D) because of the specific structure of its load. Furthermore, in order to resolve both its μm-scales and ns-durations, fine spatial mesh grid and short time steps are usually adopted. The resulting large computational scales make the parallelization of codes a vital problem to be solved if any practical simulations are to be carried out. In this work, we report OpenMP parallelization of our 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code FOI-PERFECT. Results of test runs confirm that computational efficiency has been improved after parallelization, and both the sequential and parallel versions give the same physical results under the same initial conditions.

Keywords: MHD simulation, OpenMP, parallelization, X-pinch

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Authors: Emma Castiglioni, Nigel Scrutton, Derren Heyes, Alistair Fielding

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By using light as trigger, it is possible to study many biological processes, such as the activity of genes, proteins, and other molecules, with precise spatiotemporal control. Caged compounds, where biologically active molecules are generated from an inert precursor upon laser photolysis, offer the potential to initiate such biological reactions with high temporal resolution. As light acts as the trigger for cleaving the protecting group, the ‘caging’ technique provides a number of advantages as it can be intracellular, rapid and controlled in a quantitative manner. We are developing caging strategies to study the catalytic cycle of a number of enzyme systems, such as nitric oxide synthase and ethanolamine ammonia lyase. These include the use of caged substrates, caged electrons and the possibility of caging the enzyme itself. In addition, we are developing a novel freeze-quench instrument to study these reactions, which combines rapid mixing and flashing capabilities. Reaction intermediates will be trapped at low temperatures and will be analysed by using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to identify the involvement of any radical species during catalysis. EPR techniques typically require relatively long measurement times and very often, low temperatures to fully characterise these short-lived species. Therefore, common rapid mixing techniques, such as stopped-flow or quench-flow are not directly suitable. However, the combination of rapid freeze-quench (RFQ) followed by EPR analysis provides the ideal approach to kinetically trap and spectroscopically characterise these transient radical species. In a typical RFQ experiment, two reagent solutions are delivered to the mixer via two syringes driven by a pneumatic actuator or stepper motor. The new mixed solution is then sprayed into a cryogenic liquid or surface, and the frozen sample is then collected and packed into an EPR tube for analysis. The earliest RFQ instrument consisted of a hydraulic ram unit as a drive unit with direct spraying of the sample into a cryogenic liquid (nitrogen, isopentane or petroleum). Improvements to the RFQ technique have arisen from the design of new mixers in order to reduce both the volume and the mixing time. In addition, the cryogenic isopentane bath has been coupled to a filtering system or replaced by spraying the solution onto a surface that is frozen via thermal conductivity with a cryogenic liquid. In our work, we are developing a novel RFQ instrument which combines the freeze-quench technology with flashing capabilities to enable the studies of both thermally-activated and light-activated biological reactions. This instrument also uses a new rotating plate design based on magnetic couplings and removes the need for mechanical motorised rotation, which can otherwise be problematic at cryogenic temperatures.

Keywords: caged compounds, freeze-quench apparatus, photolysis, radicals

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Authors: Leen Sulaimani, Maryam Hafiz, Naba Ali, Roba Alsharif

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One of Amazon’s most crucial online systems is artificial intelligence. Amazon would not have a worldwide successful online store, an easy and secure way of payment, and other services if it weren’t for artificial intelligence and machine learning. Amazon uses AI to expand its operations and enhance them by upgrading the website daily; having a strong base of artificial intelligence in a worldwide successful business can improve marketing, decision-making, feedback, and more qualities. Aiming to have a rational AI system in one’s business should be the start of any process; that is why Amazon is fortunate that they keep taking care of the base of their business by using modern artificial intelligence, making sure that it is stable, reaching their organizational goals, and will continue to thrive more each and every day. Artificial intelligence is used daily in our current world and is still being amplified more each day to reach consumer satisfaction and company short and long-term goals.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, Amazon, business, customer, decision making

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Authors: Afentoula Mavrodi, Andreas Georgiou, Georgios Tsiotras, Vassilis Aletras

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Placing a monetary value on a quality-adjusted-life-year (QALY) is of utmost importance in economic evaluation. Identifying the population’s preferences is critical in order to understand some of the reasons driving variations in the assigned monetary value. Yet, evidence of the motives behind value assignment to a QALY by the general public is limited. Developing an instrument that would capture the population’s motives could be proven valuable to policy-makers, to guide them in allocating different values to a QALY based on users’ motivations. The aim of this study was to identify the most relevant motives and develop an appropriate instrument to assess them. To design the instrument, we employed: a) the EQ-5D-3L tool to assess participants’ current health status, and b) the Willingness-to-Pay (WTP) approach, within the Contingent Valuation (CV) Method framework, to elicit the monetary value. Advancing the open-ended approach adopted to assess solely protest bidders’ motives; a variety of follow-up item-specific statements were designed (deductive approach), aiming to evaluate motives of both protest bidders and participants willing to pay for the hypothetical treatment under consideration. The initial design of the survey instrument was the outcome of an extensive literature review. This instrument was revised based on 15 semi-structured interviews that took place in September 2018 and a pilot study held during two months (October-November) in 2018. Individuals with different educational, occupational and economical backgrounds and adequate verbal skills were recruited to complete the semi-structured interviews. The follow-up motivation statements of both protest bidders and those willing to pay were revised and rephrased after the semi-structured interviews. In total 4 statements for protest bidders and 3 statements for those willing to pay for the treatment were chosen to be included in the survey tool. Using the CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interview) method, a randomly selected sample of 97 persons living in Thessaloniki, Greece, completed the questionnaire on two occasions over a period of 4 weeks. Based on pilot study results, a test-retest reliability assessment was performed using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). All statements formulated for protest bidders showed acceptable reliability (ICC values of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.67, 0.92) and above). Similarly, all statements for those willing to pay for the treatment showed high reliability (ICC values of 0.86 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.91) and above). Overall, the instrument designed in this study was reliable with regards to the item-specific statements assessing participants’ motivation. Validation of the instrument will take place in a future study. For a holistic WTP per QALY instrument, participants’ motivation must be addressed broadly. The instrument developed in this study captured a variety of motives and provided insight with regards to the method through which the latter are evaluated. Last but not least, it extended motive assessment to all study participants and not only protest bidders.

Keywords: contingent valuation method, instrument, motives, quality-adjusted life-year, willingness-to-pay

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Authors: Sihyun Park, Hyunwoo Kim, Wooyoung Jung, Dongwoo You

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Regular maintenance works are very important on the axial forces of the cable-band bolts in suspension bridges. The band bolts show stress reduction for several reasons, including cable wire creep, the bolt relaxation, load fluctuation and cable rearrangements, etc., with time. In this study, with respect to the stress reduction that occurs over time, we carried out the theoretical review of the main cause based on the field measurements. As a result, the main cause of reduction in the cable-band bolt axial force was confirmed by the plastic deformation of the zinc plating layer used in the main cable wire, and thus, the theoretical process was established for the practical use in the field.

Keywords: cable-band Bolts, field test, maintenance, stress reduction

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Authors: Ingrid Snustad, Asmund Ervik, Anders Austegard, Amy Brunsvold, Jianying He, Zhiliang Zhang

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CO₂ capture, transport and storage (CCS) is essential to mitigate global anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. To make CCS a widely implemented technology in, e.g. the power sector, the reduction of costs is crucial. For a large cost reduction, every part of the CCS chain must contribute. By increasing the heat transfer efficiency during liquefaction of CO₂, which is a necessary step, e.g. ship transportation, the costs associated with the process are reduced. Heat transfer rates during dropwise condensation are up to one order of magnitude higher than during filmwise condensation. Dropwise condensation usually occurs on a non-wetting surface (Superlyophobic surface). The vapour condenses in discrete droplets, and the non-wetting nature of the surface reduces the adhesion forces and results in shedding of condensed droplets. This, again, results in fresh nucleation sites for further droplet condensation, effectively increasing the liquefaction efficiency. In addition, the droplets in themselves have a smaller heat transfer resistance than a liquid film, resulting in increased heat transfer rates from vapour to solid. Surface tension is a crucial parameter for dropwise condensation, due to its impact on the solid-liquid contact angle. A low surface tension usually results in a low contact angle, and again to spreading of the condensed liquid on the surface. CO₂ has very low surface tension compared to water. However, at relevant temperatures and pressures for CO₂ condensation, the surface tension is comparable to organic compounds such as pentane, a dropwise condensation of CO₂ is a completely new field of research. Therefore, knowledge of several important parameters such as contact angle and drop size distribution must be gained in order to understand the nature of the condensation. A new setup has been built to measure these relevant parameters. The main parts of the experimental setup is a pressure chamber in which the condensation occurs, and a high- speed camera. The process of CO₂ condensation is visually monitored, and one can determine the contact angle, contact angle hysteresis and hence, the surface adhesion of the liquid. CO₂ condensation on different surfaces can be analysed, e.g. copper, aluminium and stainless steel. The experimental setup is built for accurate measurements of the temperature difference between the surface and the condensing vapour and accurate pressure measurements in the vapour. The temperature will be measured directly underneath the condensing surface. The next step of the project will be to fabricate nanostructured surfaces for inducing superlyophobicity. Roughness is a key feature to achieve contact angles above 150° (limit for superlyophobicity) and controlled, and periodical roughness on the nanoscale is beneficial. Surfaces that are non- wetting towards organic non-polar liquids are candidates surface structures for dropwise condensation of CO₂.

Keywords: CCS, dropwise condensation, low surface tension liquid, superlyophobic surfaces

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Authors: Rita SahaRay, Ganesh Dutta

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In this article, experimental situations are considered where a main effects plan is to be used to study m two-level factors using n runs which are partitioned into b blocks, not necessarily of same size. Assuming the block sizes to be even for all blocks, for the case n ≡ 2 (mod 4), optimal designs are obtained with respect to type 1 and type 2 optimality criteria in the class of designs providing estimation of all main effects orthogonal to the block effects. In practice, such orthogonal estimation of main effects is often a desirable condition. In the wider class of all available m two level even sized blocked main effects plans, where the factors do not occur at high and low levels equally often in each block, E-optimal designs are also characterized. Simple construction methods based on Hadamard matrices and Kronecker product for these optimal designs are presented.

Keywords: design matrix, Hadamard matrix, Kronecker product, type 1 criteria, type 2 criteria

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Authors: Wael A. Aboutaleb, Ahmed M. A. El Naggar, Heba M. Gobara

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This research work reports the photocatalytic production of hydrogen from water-methanol mixture using three different 15% ceria/iron oxide catalysts. The catalysts were prepared by physical mixing, precipitation, and ultrasonication methods and labeled as catalysts A-C. The structural and texture properties of the obtained catalysts were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET-surface area analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The photocatalytic activity of the three catalysts towards hydrogen generation was then tested. Promising hydrogen productivity was obtained by the three catalysts however different gases compositions were obtained by each type of catalyst. Specifically, catalyst A had produced hydrogen mixed with CO₂ while the composite structure (catalyst B) had generated only pure H₂. In the case of catalyst C, syngas made of H₂ and CO was revealed, as a novel product, for the first time, in such process.

Keywords: hydrogen production, water splitting, photocatalysts, clean energy

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Authors: Soufiane Benoumhani, Nadia Saifi, Boubekeur Dokkar, Mohamed Cherif Benzid

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This work presents the design and simulation of electric equipment for a hybrid solar vehicle. The new drive train of this vehicle is a parallel hybrid system which means a vehicle driven by a great percentage of an internal combustion engine with 49.35 kW as maximal power and electric motor only as assistance when is needed. This assistance is carried out on the rear axle by a single electric motor of 7.22 kW as nominal power. The motor is driven by 12 batteries connecting in series, which are charged by three PV panels (300 W) installed on the roof and hood of the vehicle. The individual components are modeled and simulated by using the Matlab Simulink environment. The whole system is examined under different load conditions. The reduction of CO₂ emission is obtained by reducing fuel consumption. With the use of this hybrid system, fuel consumption can be reduced from 6.74 kg/h to 5.56 kg/h when the electric motor works at 100 % of its power. The net benefit of the system reaches 1.18 kg/h as fuel reduction at high values of power and torque.

Keywords: light car, hybrid system, PV panel, electric motor

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Authors: S. A. Naeini, A. Khalili

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Nowadays, tunnels with different applications are developed, and most of them are related to subway tunnels. The excavation of shallow tunnels that pass under municipal utilities is very important, and the surface settlement control is an important factor in the design. The study sought to analyze the settlement and also to find an appropriate model in order to predict the behavior of the tunnel in Tehran subway line-3. The displacement in these sections is also determined by using numerical analyses and numerical modeling. In addition, the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) method is utilized by Hybrid training algorithm. The database pertinent to the optimum network was obtained from 46 subway tunnels in Iran and Turkey which have been constructed by the new Austrian tunneling method (NATM) with similar parameters based on type of their soil. The surface settlement was measured, and the acquired results were compared to the predicted values. The results disclosed that computing intelligence is a good substitute for numerical modeling.

Keywords: settlement, Subway Line, FLAC3D, ANFIS Method

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Authors: Sarah Jorjani, Afshin Ghelichi, Mazyar Kamali

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The aim of this study was to estimate the effect of addition of ginger and red pepper and their mixture in diet on growth performance, survival rate and body composition of Astronotus ocellatus (Oscar fish). This study had been carried out for 8 weeks. For this reason 132 oscar fishes with intial weight of 2.44±0.26 (gr) were divided into 4 treatments with three replicate as compeletly randomize design test and fed by 100% Biomar diet (T1), Biomar + red pepper (55 mg/kg) (T2), Biomar + ginger (1%) (T3) and Biomar + mixture of red pepper and ginger (T4).The fish were fed in 5% of their body weight. The results showed T2 have significant differences in most of growth parameters in compare with other treatments, such as PBWI, SGR, PER and SR (P < 0.05), but there were no significant differences between treatments in FCR and FE (P > 0.05).

Keywords: red pepper, ginger, oscar fish, growth performance, body composition

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Authors: Kgomotso Matobole, Natania De Wet, Tefo Mbambo, Hilary Rutto, Tumisang Seodigeng

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Nitrogen and phosphorus are nutrients which are required in the ecosystem, however, at high levels, these nutrients contribute to the process of eutrophication in the receiving water bodies, which threatens aquatic organisms. Hence it is vital that they are removed before the water is discharged. This phenomenon increases the cost related to wastewater treatment. This raises the need for the development of processes that are cheaper. Activated biocarbon was used in batch and filtration system to remove nitrates and phosphates. The batch system has higher nutrients removal capabilities than the filtration system. For phosphate removal, 93 % removal is achieved at the adsorbent of 300 g while for nitrates, 84 % removal is achieved when 200 g of activated carbon is loaded.

Keywords: waste water treatment, phosphates, nitrates, activated carbon, agricultural waste

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Authors: W. Scott Jackson

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This paper explains the declension of Puritan clerical power following the Great Migration up until when Massachusetts lost its charter in 1684. Historian Perry Miller argued that an overall declension in Puritan culture occurred during this period. However, that notion has been dispelled. There is a resurging field exploring declension in areas outside of Miller’s scope of Puritan culture. I determine that colonial New England existed as a functional theocracy by using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of symbolic capital to explain clerical power through symbolic and religious misdirection and conversion. I explore civil and economic power struggles in colonial New England during the decades following the Great Migration to establish that Puritan culture did not largely decline. Instead, it was the Puritan clergy’s power that waned during this period.

Keywords: Bourdieu, Historical Sociology, Symbolic Capital, Puritan

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Authors: Masami Usui

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Kazuo Ishiguro’s challenging novel, The Buried Giant, embodies how contemporary writers and readers have to discover the voices buried in our history. By avoiding setting or connecting the modern and contemporary historical incidents such as World War II this time, Ishiguro ventures into retelling myth, transfiguring historical facts, and revealing what has been forgotten in a process of establishing history and creating mythology. As generally known, modernist writers in the twentieth century employed materials from authorized classical mythologies, especially Greek mythology. As an heir of this tradition, Ishiguro imposes his mission of criticizing the repeatedly occurring yet easily-forgotten history of dictatorship and a slaughter on mythology based on King Arthur and its related heroes and myths in Britain. On an open ground, Ishiguro can start his own mythical story and space.

Keywords: English literature, fantasy, globalism, history

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Authors: Mohamed M. Abo Elazm, Ali I. Shehata, Mohamed M. Khairat Dawood

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A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) program FLUENT has been used to predict the fluid flow and heat transfer distribution within concentric heat exchangers. The effect of inlet inclination angle has been investigated with Reynolds number range (3000 – 4000) and Pr=0.71. The heat exchanger is fabricated from copper concentric inner tube with a length of 750 mm. The effects of hot to cold inlet flow rate ratio (MH/MC), Reynolds's number and of inlet inclination angle of 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° are considered. The results showed that the numerical prediction shows a good agreement with experimental measurement. The results present an efficient design of concentric tube heat exchanger to enhance the heat transfer by increasing the swirling effect.

Keywords: heat transfer, swirling effect, CFD, inclination angle, concentric tube heat exchange

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Authors: Ehsan Sadie

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Despite the experience of heavy losses and damages of recent earthquakes such as 8 km E of Pāhala, Hawaii, 11 km W of Salvaleón de Higüey, Dominican Republic and 49 km SSE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic earthquakes, the possibility of large earthquakes in most populated areas of any country and the serious need for quality control in the design and implementation of buildings, not enough attention has been paid to the proper construction. Steel structures constitute a significant part of construction in any metropolitan area. This article gives a brief overview of the implementation status of these buildings in urban areas and considers the weaknesses of performance that typically occur due to negligence or insufficient mastery of the building supervisor in the principles of operation of earthquake-resistant buildings, and provide appropriate and possible solutions to improve the construction.

Keywords: bracing member, concentrated load, diaphragm system, earthquake engineering, load-bearing system, shear force, seismic retrofitting, steel building, strip foundation, supervising engineer, vulnerability of building

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Authors: Yair Bleiberg, Michael Werman

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Coordinate-based Multi-Layer Perceptrons (MLPs) are known to have difficulty reconstructing high frequencies of the training data. A common solution to this problem is Positional Encoding (PE), which has become quite popular. However, PE has drawbacks. It has high-frequency artifacts and adds another hyper hyperparameter, just like batch normalization and dropout do. We believe that under certain circumstances, PE is not necessary, and a smarter construction of the network architecture together with a smart training method is sufficient to achieve similar results. In this paper, we show that very simple MLPs can quite easily output a frequency when given input of the half-frequency and quarter-frequency. Using this, we design a network architecture in blocks, where the input to each block is the output of the two previous blocks along with the original input. We call this a Fibonacci Network. By training each block on the corresponding frequencies of the signal, we show that Fibonacci Networks can reconstruct arbitrarily high frequencies.

Keywords: neural networks, positional encoding, high frequency intepolation, fully connected

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Authors: Hanan Hayat, Russell Lock

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The importance of usability in ensuring software quality has been well established in literature and widely accepted by software development practitioners. Consequently, numerous usability evaluation methods have been developed. However, the availability of large variety of evaluation methods alongside insufficient studies that critically analyse them resulted in an ambiguous process of selection amongst non-usability-expert practitioners. This study investigates the factors affecting the selection of usability evaluation methods within a project by interviewing a software development team. The results of the data gathered are then analysed and integrated in developing a framework. The framework developed poses a solution to the selection processes of usability evaluation methods by adjusting to individual projects resources and goals. It has the potential to be further evaluated to verify its applicability and usability within the domain of this study.

Keywords: usability evaluation, evaluating usability in non-user entered designs, usability evaluation methods (UEM), usability evaluation in projects

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Authors: Khalid Mohammed Idrees

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Endodontic treatment aims to reverse the disease process and thereby eliminate the associated signs of symptoms. When the treatment itself appears to initiate the onset of pain and /or swelling (endodontic flare-up), the result can be distressing to both the patient and the operator. Patient might even consider postoperative symptoms as a bench mark against which the clinician’s skills are measured. Obviously the treatment with the lowest prevalence of postoperative pain is usually the treatment of choice as long as effectiveness and cost are not compromised. Knowledge of the cause and mechanism behind intra appointment flare-up is of utmost importance for the clinician to properly prevent or manage this undesirable condition. This review lecture will discuss the causative factors of flare-up with special attention to the microorganism role, various modalities of preventive measures would be discussed. Those measures are based on scientific evidence combined with the long clinical experience of the lecturer.

Keywords: endodontic flare-up, causative factors, inflammatory mediators, preventive measures

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Authors: Alessandra Turini Bolsoni Silva, Nilson Rogério Da Silva

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The hospitalization process for long periods and the experience of invasive and painful clinical procedures can trigger a set of stressors in children, family members and professionals, leading to stress. Mothers are, in general, the main caregivers and, therefore, have a high degree of sadness and stress with an impact on mental health. However, the father, in the face of the mother's absence, needs to assume other responsibilities such as domestic activities and healthy children in addition to work activities. In addition, he has to deal with changes in family and work relationships during the child's hospitalization, with disagreements and changes in the relationship with the partner, changes in the relationship with the children, and finding it difficult to reconcile the new tasks as a caregiver and work. A consequence of the hospitalization process is the interruption of the routine activities of both the child and the family members responsible for the care, who can go through stressful moments due to the consequences of family breakdown, attention focused only on the child and sleepless nights. In this sense, both the mother and the father can have their health affected by their child's hospitalization. The present study aims to compare the prevalence of stress and overload in mothers and fathers of hospitalized children, as well as possible associations with activities related to care. The participants were 10 fathers and 10 mothers of children hospitalized in a hospital located in a medium-sized city in the interior of São Paulo. Three instruments were used for data collection: 1) Script to characterize the participants; 2) The Lipp Stress Symptom Inventory (ISSL, 2000) 3) Zarit Burden Interview Protocol – ZBT. Contact was made with the management of the hospital in order to present the objectives of the project, then authorization was requested for the participation of the parents; after an agreement, the time and place were convenient for the participant to carry out the interview. Thus, they signed the Free and Informed Consent Term. Data were analyzed according to the instrument application manuals and organized in Figures and Tables. The results revealed that fathers and mothers have their family and professional routine affected by the hospitalization of their children, with the consequent presence of stress and overload indicators. However, the study points to a greater presence of stress and overload in mothers due to their role as the main caregiver, often interrupting their professional life to exercise care. In the case of the father, the routine is changed due to taking on household chores and taking care of the other children, with the professional life being less affected. It is hoped that the data can guide future interventions that promote and develop strategies that favor care and, at the same time, preserve the health of caregivers and that include mothers and fathers, considering that both are affected, albeit in a different way.

Keywords: stress, overload, caregivers, parents

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Authors: Dolly Nyaguthii Wanjau

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This study contributes to our understanding of how lecturers assess soft skills in accounting programmes, with the intention of producing graduates that are better prepared for the world of work. Insights were obtained through semi-structured interviews with twelve South African universities that offer chartered accountant training and accredited by SAICA. It was found that the lecturers assessed soft skills using traditional methods of assessments such as tests, assignments, and examinations. However, there were missed opportunities to embrace ICT tools in the assessment process, and this could be attributed to a lack of resources within the participating universities. Given the increasing use of digital tools for business activities, it is important that ICT tools be embraced as an inseparable part of soft skills because employers are increasingly looking for accounting graduates with digital skills.

Keywords: accounting, assessment, ICT skills, SAICA, soft skills

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Authors: M. Volpini, D. Alves, A. Horta, M. Borges, P. Reis

Abstract:

The gait pattern in people that present motor limitations foment the demand for auxiliary locomotion devices. These artifacts for movement assistance vary according to its shape, size and functional features, following the clinical applications desired. Among the ortheses of lower limbs, the ankle-foot orthesis aims to improve the ability to walk in people with different neuromuscular limitations, although they do not always answer patients' expectations for their aesthetic and functional characteristics. The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of using new design in additive manufacturer to reproduce the shape and functional features of a ankle-foot orthesis in an efficient and modern way. Therefore, this work presents a study about the performance of the mechanical forces through the analysis of finite elements in an ankle-foot orthesis. It will be demonstrated a study of distribution of the stress on the orthopedic device in orthostatism and during the movement in the course of patient's walk.

Keywords: additive manufacture, new designs, orthoses, finite elements

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Authors: Irfan Mohiuddin, Ahmad Al Mogren

Abstract:

In recent years, cloud computing has earned substantial attention in the Oil and Gas Industry and provides services in all the phases of the industry lifecycle. Oil and gas supply infrastructure, in particular, is more vulnerable to accidental, natural and intentional threats because of its widespread distribution. Numerous surveys have been conducted on cloud security and privacy. However, to the best of our knowledge, hardly any survey is carried out that reviews cyber security in all phases with a cloud computing perspective. Moreover, a distinctive classification is performed for all the cloud-based cyber security measures based on the cloud component in use. The classification approach will enable researchers to identify the required technique used to enhance the security in specific cloud components. Also, the limitation of each component will allow the researchers to design optimal algorithms. Lastly, future directions are given to point out the imminent challenges that can pave the way for researchers to further enhance the resilience to cyber security threats in the oil and gas industry.

Keywords: cyber security, cloud computing, safety and security, oil and gas industry, security threats, oil and gas pipelines

Procedia PDF Downloads 145

Authors: Thales Maluf, Nazem Nascimento

Abstract:

The development of society relies heavily on the total amount of energy obtained and its consumption. Over the years, there has been an advancement on energy attainment, which is directly related to some natural resources and developing systems. Some of these resources should be highlighted for its remarkable presence in world´s energy grid, such as water, petroleum, and gas, while others deserve attention for representing an alternative to diversify the energy grid, like geothermal sources. Therefore, because all these resources can be extracted from the underground, drilling wells is a mandatory activity in terms of exploration, and it involves a previous geological study and an adequate preparation. It also involves a cleaning process and an extraction process that can be executed by different procedures. For that reason, this research aims the enhancement of exploration processes through a comparative analysis of drilling costs and techniques used to produce them. The analysis itself is based on a bibliographical review based on books, scientific papers, schoolwork and mainly explore drilling methods and technologies, equipment used, well measurements, extraction methods, and production costs. Besides techniques and costs regarding the drilling processes, some properties and general characteristics of these sources are also compared. Preliminary studies show that there are some major differences regarding the exploration processes, mostly because these resources are naturally distinct. Water wells, for instance, have hundreds of meters of length because water is stored close to the surface, while oil, gas, and geothermal production wells can reach thousands of meters, which make them more expensive to be drilled. The drilling methods present some general similarities especially regarding the main mechanism of perforation, but since water is a resource stored closer to the surface than the other ones, there is a wider variety of methods. Water wells can be drilled by rotary mechanisms, percussion mechanisms, rotary-percussion mechanisms, and some other simpler methods. Oil and gas production wells, on the other hand, require rotary or rotary-percussion drilling with a proper structure called drill rig and resistant materials for the drill bits and the other components, mostly because they´re stored in sedimentary basins that can be located thousands of meters under the ground. Geothermal production wells also require rotary or rotary-percussion drilling and require the existence of an injection well and an extraction well. The exploration efficiency also depends on the permeability of the soil, and that is why it has been developed the Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). Throughout this review study, it can be verified that the analysis of the extraction processes of energy resources is essential since these resources are responsible for society development. Furthermore, the comparative analysis of costs and well drilling techniques for water, geothermal energy, oil, and gas production, which is the main goal of this research, can enable the growth of energy generation field through the emergence of ideas that improve the efficiency of energy generation processes.

Keywords: drilling, water, oil, Gas, geothermal energy

Procedia PDF Downloads 147

Authors: Elham Bagherzadeh, Mohammad Fadaee, Rouhollah Keykhosravi

Abstract:

In order to survey the nitrogen use efficiency in corn, the experimental plot in a randomized complete block design 2014 agricultural farm was Islamic Azad University of Karaj. The main factor was four levels of nitrogen fertilizer (respectively control, 150, 200 and 250 kg nitrogen fertilizer) and subplots consisted two levels of superabsorbent polymer Stockosorb (use, do not use). Analysis of variance is showed that different nitrogen levels and different superabsorbent of levels statistically significant. Comparisons average also showed there is a significant difference between use and non-use of superabsorbent. The results showed the interactions nitrogen and SAP by one percent level has a significant and effect on Fresh weight per plant, plant dry weight, biological yield, harvest index, cob diameter, cob dry weight, leaf width, leaf area were at the level of five percent statistical significant effect on Ear weight and grain yield.

Keywords: corn, nitrogen, comparison, biological yield

Procedia PDF Downloads 362

Authors: Shahab Shafayyan, Tara Naderi

Abstract:

Biogas is the product of decomposition of organic materials. A variety of sources, including animal wastes, municipal solid wastes, sewage and agricultural wastes may be used to produce biogas in an anaerobic process. The main forming material of biogas is methane gas, which can be used directly in a variety of ways, such as heating and as fuel, which is very common in a number of countries, such as China and India. In this article, the cost of biogas production from animal fertilizers, and its refined form, bio methane gas has been studied and it is shown that it can be an alternative for natural gas in terms of costs, in the near future. The cost of biogas purification to biomethane is more than three times the cost of biogas production for an average unit. Biomethane production costs, calculated for a small unit, is about $9/MMBTU and for an average unit is about $5.9/MMBTU.

Keywords: biogas, biomethane, anaerobic digestion, economic evaluation

Procedia PDF Downloads 492