Search results for: modified binary differential evolution

Authors: Ebrahim Alrashed, Yousef Rafique

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Mobile devices have drastically changed the way we do things on the move. They are being extremely relied on to perform tasks that are analogous to desktop computer capability. There has been a rapid increase of computational power on these devices; however, battery technology is still the bottleneck of evolution. The primary modern approach day approach to tackle this issue is offloading computation to the cloud, proving to be latency expensive and requiring high network bandwidth. In this paper, we explore efforts to perform barter-based mobile-to-mobile offloading. We present define a protocol and present an architecture to facilitate the development of such a system. We further highlight the deployment and security challenges.

Keywords: computational offloading, power conservation, cloud, sandboxing

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Authors: Shubham Jaiswal

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In the present article, a drive is taken to compute the solution of spatial fractional order advection-dispersion equation having source/sink term with given initial and boundary conditions. The equation is converted to a system of ordinary differential equations using second-kind shifted Chebyshev polynomials, which have finally been solved using finite difference method. The striking feature of the article is the fast transportation of solute concentration as and when the system approaches fractional order from standard order for specified values of the parameters of the system.

Keywords: spatial fractional order advection-dispersion equation, second-kind shifted Chebyshev polynomial, collocation method, conservative system, non-conservative system

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Authors: Marinela Istrate, Ionel Muntele, Alexandru Bănică

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The authors propose the identification, analysis and prognosis of the quantitative and qualitative evolution of the elderly population in the functional urban areas. The present paper takes into account the analysis of some representative indicators (the weight of the elderly population, ageing index, dynamic index of economic ageing of productive population etc.) and the elaboration of an integrated indicator that would help differentiate the population ageing forms in the 48 functional urban areas that were defined based on demographic and social-economic criteria for all large and medium cities in Romania.

Keywords: ageing, demographic transition, functional urban areas, spatial resilience

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Authors: Fu Lin

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We consider the worst-case load-shedding problem in electric power networks where a number of transmission lines are to be taken out of service. The objective is to identify a prespecified number of line outages that lead to the maximum interruption of power generation and load at the transmission level, subject to the active power-flow model, the load and generation capacity of the buses, and the phase-angle limit across the transmission lines. For this nonlinear model with binary constraints, we show that all decision variables are separable except for the nonlinear power-flow equations. We develop an iterative decomposition algorithm, which converts the worst-case load shedding problem into a sequence of small subproblems. We show that the subproblems are either convex problems that can be solved efficiently or nonconvex problems that have closed-form solutions. Consequently, our approach is scalable for large networks. Furthermore, we prove the convergence of our algorithm to a critical point, and the objective value is guaranteed to decrease throughout the iterations. Numerical experiments with IEEE test cases demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed approach.

Keywords: load shedding, power system, proximal alternating linearization method, vulnerability analysis

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Authors: Iwona Cieślik, Władysław Migdał, Kinga Topolska, Ewa Cieślik

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The consumption of fish is recommended as a means of preventing serious diseases, especially cardiovascular problems. Fish is known to be a valuable source of protein (rich in essential amino acids), unsaturated fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, macro- and microelements. However, it can also contain several contaminants (e.g. pesticides, heavy metals) that may pose considerable risks for humans. Among others, pesticide are of special concern. Their widespread use has resulted in the contamination of environmental compartments, including water. The occurrence of pesticides in the environment is a serious problem, due to their potential toxicity. Therefore, a systematic monitoring is needed. The aim of the study was to determine the organochlorine and organophosphate pesticide residues in fish muscle tissues of the pike (Esox lucius, L.) and the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykkis, Walbaum) by a modified QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) method, using Gas Chromatography Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry (GC/Q-MS), working in selected-ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The analysis of α-HCH, β-HCH, lindane, diazinon, disulfoton, δ-HCH, methyl parathion, heptachlor, malathion, aldrin, parathion, heptachlor epoxide, γ-chlordane, endosulfan, α-chlordane, o,p'-DDE, dieldrin, endrin, 4,4'-DDD, ethion, endrin aldehyde, endosulfan sulfate, 4,4'-DDT, and metoxychlor was performed in the samples collected in the Carp Valley (Malopolska region, Poland). The age of the pike (n=6) was 3 years and its weight was 2-3 kg, while the age of the rainbow trout (n=6) was 0.5 year and its weight was 0.5-1.0 kg. Detectable pesticide (HCH isomers, endosulfan isomers, DDT and its metabolites as well as metoxychlor) residues were present in fish samples. However, all these compounds were below the limit of quantification (LOQ). The other examined pesticide residues were below the limit of detection (LOD). Therefore, the levels of contamination were - in all cases - below the default Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs), established by Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The monitoring of pesticide residues content in fish is required to minimize potential adverse effects on the environment and human exposure to these contaminants.

Keywords: contaminants, fish, pesticides residues, QuEChERS method

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Authors: Kaouther Selmi, Alaeddine Sridi, Mohamed Bouallegue, Kais Bouallegue

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Neurons are the fundamental units of the brain and the nervous system. The variable structure model of neurons consists of a system of differential equations with various parameters. By optimizing these parameters, we can create a unique model that describes the dynamic behavior of a single neuron. We introduce a neural network based on neurons with multiple dendrites employing an activation function with a variable structure. In this paper, we present a model for heart behavior. Finally, we showcase our successful simulation of the heart's ECG diagram using our Variable Structure Neuron Model (VSMN). This result could provide valuable insights into cardiology.

Keywords: neural networks, neuron, dendrites, heart behavior, ECG

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Authors: Annarita Zarrillo

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This research is part of adaptive architecture, reflecting the evolution that the world of architectural design is going through. Today's architecture is no longer seen as a static system but, conversely, as a dynamic system that changes in response to the environment and the needs of users. One of the major forms of adaptivity is represented by kinetic structures. This study aims to underline the importance of experimentation on physical scale models for the study of dynamic structures and to present the case study of a modular kinetic structure designed through the use of parametric design software and created as a prototype in the laboratories of the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen.

Keywords: adaptive architecture, architectural application, kinetic structures, modular prototype

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Authors: A. de Folly d’Auris, R. Bagatin, P. Filtri

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This paper discusses the importance of having a good initial characterization of soil samples when thermal desorption has to be applied to polluted soils for the removal of contaminants. Particular attention has to be devoted on the desorption kinetics of the samples to identify the gases evolved during the heating, and contaminant degradation pathways. In this study, two samples coming from different points of the same contaminated site were considered. The samples are much different from each other. Moreover, the presence of high initial quantity of heavy hydrocarbons strongly affected the performance of thermal desorption, resulting in formation of dangerous intermediates. Analytical techniques such TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis), DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) and GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass) provided a good support to give correct indication for field application.

Keywords: desorption kinetics, hydrocarbons, thermal desorption, thermogravimetric measurements

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Authors: Adnan Gohar

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This research work aims the importance of internal employees in the making of a brand (cell phone) through customer satisfaction which basically explains the connection of internal employees with external customers. This research is designed to measure the satisfaction level of internal employees which further connects to the product evolution as a brand leaving a brand image in the eye of the external customer. The main focus is that internal employees are as important as external customers for the uplift of the product resulting in the brand. Internal employees are individual organization employees, vendors, departments, and distributors.

Keywords: brand building, customer satisfaction, internal employees, mobile franchise

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Authors: Javaria Farooqui

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This study, “Transmogrification of the Danse Macabre Image: Capturing the Journey towards Creativity,” traces the evolution of the concept of Danse Macabre. In Every man death takes away the sinful when they least expect it, in Solyman and Perseda everyone falls prey to death irrespective of their deeds and in Tauba-tun-Nasuh, the sinner is plagued. The climatic point in this brief research comes with the Modern texts, The Moon and Sixpence, Roohe-e-Insani and Amédéé, ou Comment s’en débarrasser, when Danse Macabre extends its boundaries, uniting the idea of creativity with death. Similarly in the visual context, Danse Macabre image, initially a horrifying idea, becomes a part of the present day comics and serves an entertaining rather than a cathartic purpose.

Keywords: Danse macabre, transmogrification, Medieval, death, character

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Authors: Jacob Wood, David Wilson, Stephen Hughes

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The Ausmelt Top Submerged Lance (TSL) Process has been widely applied for the processing of both primary and secondary copper, nickel, lead, tin, and zinc-bearing feed materials. Continual development and evolution of the technology over more than 30 years has resulted in a more intense smelting process with higher energy efficiency, improved metal recoveries, lower operating costs, and reduced fossil fuel consumption. This paper covers a number of recent advances to the technology, highlighting their positive impacts on smelter operating costs, environmental performance, and contribution towards increased circularity in metals production.

Keywords: ausmelt TSL, smelting, circular economy, energy efficiency

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Authors: Beste Ozcan, Valerio Sperati, Laura Romano, Tania Moretta, Simone Scaffaro, Noemi Faedda, Federica Giovannone, Carla Sogos, Vincenzo Guidetti, Gianluca Baldassarre

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+me is an experimental interactive toy with the appearance of a soft, pillow-like, panda. Shape and consistency are designed to arise emotional attachment in young children: a child can wear it around his/her neck and treat it as a companion (i.e. a transitional object). When caressed on paws or head, the panda emits appealing, interesting outputs like colored lights or amusing sounds, thanks to embedded electronics. Such sensory patterns can be modified through a wirelessly connected tablet: by this, an adult caregiver can adapt +me responses to a child's reactions or requests, for example, changing the light hue or the type of sound. The toy control is therefore shared, as it depends on both the child (who handles the panda) and the adult (who manages the tablet and mediates the sensory input-output contingencies). These features make +me a potential tool for therapy with children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ND), characterized by impairments in the social area, like Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Language Disorders (LD): as a proposal, the toy could be used together with a therapist, in rehabilitative play activities aimed at encouraging simple social interactions and reinforcing basic relational and communication skills. +me was tested in two pilot experiments, the first one involving 15 Typically Developed (TD) children aged in 8-34 months, the second one involving 7 children with ASD, and 7 with LD, aged in 30-48 months. In both studies a researcher/caregiver, during a one-to-one, ten-minute activity plays with the panda and encourages the child to do the same. The purpose of both studies was to ascertain the general acceptability of the device as an interesting toy that is an object able to capture the child's attention and to maintain a high motivation to interact with it and with the adult. Behavioral indexes for estimating the interplay between the child, +me and caregiver were rated from the video recording of the experimental sessions. Preliminary results show how -on average- participants from 3 groups exhibit a good engagement: they touch, caress, explore the panda and show enjoyment when they manage to trigger luminous and sound responses. During the experiments, children tend to imitate the caregiver's actions on +me, often looking (and smiling) at him/her. Interesting behavioral differences between TD, ASD, and LD groups are scored: for example, ASD participants produce a fewer number of smiles both to panda and to a caregiver with respect to TD group, while LD scores stand between ASD and TD subjects. These preliminary observations suggest that the interactive toy +me is able to raise and maintain the interest of toddlers and therefore it can be reasonably used as a supporting tool during therapy, to stimulate pivotal social skills as imitation, turn-taking, eye contact, and social smiles. Interestingly, the young age of participants, along with the behavioral differences between groups, seem to suggest a further potential use of the device: a tool for early differential diagnosis (the average age of a child

Keywords: autism spectrum disorders, interactive toy, social interaction, therapy, transitional wearable companion

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Authors: Jadisha Cornejo, Helio Pedrini

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Recognition of emotions based on facial expressions has received increasing attention from the scientific community over the last years. Several fields of applications can benefit from facial emotion recognition, such as behavior prediction, interpersonal relations, human-computer interactions, recommendation systems. In this work, we develop and analyze an emotion recognition framework based on facial expressions robust to occlusions through the Weber Local Descriptor (WLD). Initially, the occluded facial expressions are reconstructed following an extension approach of Robust Principal Component Analysis (RPCA). Then, WLD features are extracted from the facial expression representation, as well as Local Binary Patterns (LBP) and Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG). The feature vector space is reduced using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). Finally, K-Nearest Neighbor (K-NN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers are used to recognize the expressions. Experimental results on three public datasets demonstrated that the WLD representation achieved competitive accuracy rates for occluded and non-occluded facial expressions compared to other approaches available in the literature.

Keywords: emotion recognition, facial expression, occlusion, fiducial landmarks

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Authors: Marianne Miguet, Gaël Plantard, Yves Jaeger, Vincent Goetz

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The contamination of groundwater is a major concern. A common pollutant, the perchloroethylene, is the target contaminant. Water treatment process as Granular Activated Carbons are very efficient but requires pilot-scale testing to determine the full-scale GAC performance. First, the batch mode was used to get a reliable experimental method to estimate the adsorption capacity of a common volatile compound is settled. The Langmuir model is acceptable to fit the isotherms. Dynamic tests were performed with three columns and different operating conditions. A database of concentration profiles and breakthroughs were obtained. The resolution of the set of differential equations is acceptable to fit the dynamics tests and could be used for a full-scale adsorber.

Keywords: activated carbon, groundwater, perchloroethylene, full-scale

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Authors: Abdelaziz Rabhi, Mohamed Amrani, Abderrazek Ziane, Nabil Belkadi, Abdelraouf Hocini

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In this paper, a bedimensional simulation program of the electric characteristics of reverse biased lateral polysilicon PIN diode is presented. In this case we have numerically solved the system of partial differential equations formed by Poisson's equation and both continuity equations that take into account the effect of impact ionization. Therefore we will obtain the current-voltage characteristics (I-V) of the reverse-biased structure which may include the effect of breakdown.The geometrical model assumes that the polysilicon layer is composed by a succession of defined mean grain size crystallites, separated by lateral grain boundaries which are parallel to the metallurgic junction.

Keywords: breakdown, polycrystalline silicon, PIN, grain, impact ionization

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Authors: Nabil Sultan

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A great deal has been written on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) since 2012 (considered by some as the year of the MOOCs). The emergence of MOOCs caused a great deal of interest amongst academics and technology experts as well as ordinary people. Some of the authors who wrote on MOOCs perceived it as the next big thing that will disrupt education. Other authors saw it as another fad that will go away once it ran its course (as most fads often do). But MOOCs did not turn out to be a fad and it is still around. Most importantly, they evolved into something that is beginning to look like a viable business model. This paper explores this phenomenon within the theoretical frameworks of disruptive innovations and jobs to be done as developed by Clayton Christensen and his colleagues and its implications for the future of higher education (HE).

Keywords: MOOCs, disruptive innovations, higher education, jobs theory

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Authors: Midhun Paul, T. Radha Ramanan

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The objective of this work is to present a state-of-the-art literature review highlighting the challenges in the research of the scheduling of assembly job shop problem and providing an insight on how the future directions of the research would be. The number of work has been substantial that it requires a review to enable one to understand the origin of the research and how it is getting evolved. This review paper presents a comprehensive review of the literature dealing with various studies carried on assembly job shop scheduling. The review details the evolution of the AJS from the perspective of other scheduling problems and also presents a classification scheme. The work also identifies the potential directions for future research, which we believe to be worthwhile considering.

Keywords: assembly job shop, future directions, manufacturing, scheduling

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Authors: Gruffydd E. Jones

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The world’s largest collection of historical, cultural, and heritage material is unarchived and undocumented in the hands of the public. Not only does this material represent the missing collections in heritage sector archives today, but it is also the key to providing a diverse range of communities with the means to express their history in their own words and to celebrate their unique, personal heritage. The People’s Collection Wales (PCW) acts as a platform on which the heritage of Wales and her people can be collated and shared, at the heart of which is a thriving community engagement programme across a network of museums, archives, and libraries. By providing communities with the archival skillset commonly employed throughout the heritage sector, PCW enables local projects, societies, and individuals to express their understanding of local heritage with their own voices, empowering communities to embrace their diverse and complex identities around Wales. Drawing on key examples from the project’s history, this paper will demonstrate the successful way in which museums have been developed as hubs for community engagement where the public was at the heart of collection and documentation activities, informing collection and curatorial policies to benefit both the institute and its local community. This paper will also highlight how collections from marginalised, under-represented, and minority communities have been published and celebrated extensively around Wales, including adoption by the education system in classrooms today. Any activity within the heritage sector, whether of collection, preservation, digitisation, or accessibility, should be considerate of community engagement opportunities not only to remain relevant but in order to develop as community hubs, pivots around which local heritage is supported and preserved. Attention will be drawn to our digitisation workflow, which, through training and support from museums and libraries, has allowed the public not only to become involved but to actively lead the contemporary evolution of documentation strategies in Wales. This paper will demonstrate how the PCW online access archive is promoting museum collections, encouraging user interaction, and providing an invaluable platform on which a broader community can inform, preserve and celebrate their cultural heritage through their own archival material too. The continuing evolution of heritage engagement depends wholly on placing communities at the heart of the sector, recognising their wealth of cultural knowledge, and developing the archival skillset necessary for them to become archival practitioners of their own.

Keywords: social history, cultural heritage, community heritage, museums, archives, libraries, community engagement, oral history, community archives

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Authors: Endrick Barnacin, Jean-Luc Henry, Jack Molinié, Jimmy Nagau, Hélène Delatte, Gérard Lebreton

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Palynology is a field of interest for many disciplines. It has multiple applications such as chronological dating, climatology, allergy treatment, and even honey characterization. Unfortunately, the analysis of a pollen slide is a complicated and time-consuming task that requires the intervention of experts in the field, which is becoming increasingly rare due to economic and social conditions. So, the automation of this task is a necessity. Pollen slides analysis is mainly a visual process as it is carried out with the naked eye. That is the reason why a primary method to automate palynology is the use of digital image processing. This method presents the lowest cost and has relatively good accuracy in pollen retrieval. In this work, we propose a system combining recognition and grouping of pollen. It consists of using a Logistic Model Tree to classify pollen already known by the proposed system while detecting any unknown species. Then, the unknown pollen species are divided using a cluster-based approach. Success rates for the recognition of known species have been achieved, and automated clustering seems to be a promising approach.

Keywords: pollen recognition, logistic model tree, expectation-maximization, local binary pattern

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Authors: Katarzyna Wyka, Dana Sylvan, JoAnn Difede

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Background and significance: The following disaster, population-based screening programs are routinely established to assess physical and psychological consequences of exposure. These data sets are highly skewed as only a small percentage of trauma-exposed individuals develop health issues. Commonly used statistical methodology in post-disaster mental health generally involves population-averaged models. Such models aim to capture the overall response to the disaster and its aftermath; however, they may not be sensitive enough to accommodate population heterogeneity in symptomatology, such as post-traumatic stress or depressive symptoms. Methods: We use an archival longitudinal data set from Weill-Cornell 9/11 Mental Health Screening Program established following the World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks in New York in 2001. Participants are rescue and recovery workers who participated in the site cleanup and restoration (n=2960). The main outcome is the post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSD) severity score assessed via clinician interviews (CAPS). For a detailed understanding of response to the disaster and its aftermath, we are adapting quantile regression methodology with particular focus on predictors of extreme distress and resilience to trauma. Results: The response variable was defined as the quantile of the CAPS score for each individual under two different scenarios specifying the unconditional quantiles based on: 1) clinically meaningful CAPS cutoff values and 2) CAPS distribution in the population. We present graphical summaries of the differential effects. For instance, we found that the effect of the WTC exposures, namely seeing bodies and feeling that life was in danger during rescue/recovery work was associated with very high PTSD symptoms. A similar effect was apparent in individuals with prior psychiatric history. Differential effects were also present for age and education level of the individuals. Conclusion: We evaluate the utility of quantile regression in disaster research in contrast to the commonly used population-averaged models. We focused on assessing the distribution of risk factors for post-traumatic stress symptoms across quantiles. This innovative approach provides a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between dependent and independent variables and could be used for developing tailored training programs and response plans for different vulnerability groups.

Keywords: disaster workers, post traumatic stress, PTSD, quantile regression

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Authors: Teemu Saressalo

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This article examines the evolution of the Israel Defence Forces’ information operation activities during an eight-year timespan from the 2006 war with Hezbollah to more recent operations such as Pillar of Defence and Protective Edge. To this end, the case study will show a change in the Israel Defence Forces’ activities in the information domain. In the 2006 war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel inflicted enormous damage on the Lebanese infrastructure, leaving more than 1,200 people dead and 4,400 injured. Casualties among Hezbollah, Israel’s main adversary, were estimated to range from 250 to 700 fighters. Damage to the Lebanese infrastructure was estimated at over USD 2.5bn, with almost 2,000 houses and buildings damaged and destroyed. Even this amount of destruction did not force Hezbollah to yield and while both sides were claiming victory in the war, Israel paid a heavier price in political backlashes and loss of reputation, mainly due to failures in the media and the way in which the war was portrayed and perceived in Israel and abroad. Much of this can be credited to Hezbollah’s efficient use of the media, and Israel’s failure to do so. Israel managed the next conflict it was engaged in completely differently – it had learnt its lessons and built up new ways to counter its adversary’s propaganda and media operations. In Operation Cast Lead at the turn of 2009, Hamas, Israel’s adversary and Gaza’s dominating faction, was not able to utilize the media in the same way that Hezbollah had. By creating a virtual and physical barrier around the Gaza Strip, Israel almost totally denied its adversary access to the worldwide media, and by restricting the movement of journalists in the area, Israel could let its voice be heard above all. The operation Cast Lead began with a deception operation, which caught Hamas totally off guard. The 21-day campaign left the Gaza Strip devastated, but did not cause as much protest in Israel during the operation as the 2006 war did, mainly due to almost total Israeli dominance in the information dimension. The most important outcome from the Israeli perspective was the fact that Operation Cast Lead was assessed to be a success and the operation enjoyed domestic support along with support from many western nations, which had condemned Israeli actions in the 2006 war. Later conflicts have shown the same tendency towards virtually total dominance in the information domain, which has had an impact on target audiences across the world. Thus, it is clear that well-planned and conducted information operations are able to shape public opinion and influence decision-makers, although Israel might have been outpaced by its rivals.

Keywords: Hamas, Hezbollah, information operations, Israel Defence Forces

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Authors: Liya Shan, Qing Liao, Qinyue Hu, Shantao Jiang, Tao Wang

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In this paper, a Quality of Experience (QoE)-driven cross-layer resource allocation scheme for high traffic service over Open Wireless Network (OWN) downlink is proposed, and the related problem about the users in the whole cell including the users in overlap region of different cells has been solved.A method, in which assess models of the BestEffort service and the no-reference assess algorithm for video service are adopted, to calculate the Mean Opinion Score (MOS) value for high traffic service has been introduced. The cross-layer architecture considers the parameters in application layer, media access control layer and physical layer jointly. Based on this architecture and the MOS value, the Binary Constrained Particle Swarm Optimization (B_CPSO) algorithm is used to solve the cross-layer resource allocation problem. In addition,simulationresults show that the proposed scheme significantly outperforms other schemes in terms of maximizing average users’ MOS value for the whole system as well as maintaining fairness among users.

Keywords: high traffic service, cross-layer resource allocation, QoE, B_CPSO, OWN

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Authors: Sun Woo Lee, Tae Bum Lee, Yoon Hwa Park, Yoo Jeong Kim

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Cervical dentinal hypersensitivity (CDH) affects 8-30% of adults and nearly 85% of perio-treated patients. Various treatment schemes have been applied for treating CDH, among them being fluoride application, laser irradiation, and, recently, bioglass. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of bioglass, copper-bromide (Cu-Br) laser irradiation and their combination on dentinal tubule occlusion as a potential dentinal hypersensitivity treatment for CDH. 45 human dentin surfaces were organized into three equal groups: group A received Cu-Br laser only; group B received bioglass only; group C received bioglass followed by Cu-Br laser irradiation. Specimens were evaluated with regard to dentinal tubule occlusion under environmental scanning electron microscope. Treatment modality significantly affected dentinal tubule occlusion (p<0.001). Groups B and C scored higher dentinal tubule occlusion than group A. Binary logistic regression showed that bioglass application significantly (p<0.001) contributed to dentinal tubule occlusion, compared with other variables. Under the conditions used herein and within the limitations of this study, bioglass application, alone or combined with Cu-Br laser irradiation, is a superior method for producing dentinal tubule occlusion, and may lead to an effective treatment modality for CDH.

Keywords: bioglass, Cu-Br laser, cervical dentinal hypersensitivity, dentinal tubule occlusion

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Authors: Pedro P. Drumond, Priscilla M. Moura, Marcia M. L. P. Coelho

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The purpose of On-site Stormwater Detention (OSD) system is to promote the detention of addition stormwater runoff caused by impervious areas, in order to maintain the peak flow the same as the pre-urbanization condition. In recent decades, these systems have been built in many cities around the world. However, its real efficiency continues to be unknown due to the lack of research, especially with regard to monitoring its real performance. Thus, this study aims to compare the water level monitoring data of an OSD built in Belo Horizonte/Brazil with the results of theoretical methods simulations, usually adopted in OSD design. There were made two theoretical simulations, one using the Rational Method and Modified Puls method and another using the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) method and Modified Puls method. The monitoring data were obtained with a water level sensor, installed inside the reservoir and connected to a data logger. The comparison of OSD performance was made for 48 rainfall events recorded from April/2015 to March/2017. The comparison of maximum water levels in the OSD showed that the results of the simulations with Rational/Puls and SCS/Puls methods were, on average 33% and 73%, respectively, lower than those monitored. The Rational/Puls results were significantly higher than the SCS/Puls results, only in the events with greater frequency. In the events with average recurrence interval of 5, 10 and 200 years, the maximum water heights were similar in both simulations. Also, the results showed that the duration of rainfall events was close to the duration of monitored hydrograph. The rising time and recession time of the hydrographs calculated with the Rational Method represented better the monitored hydrograph than SCS Method. The comparison indicates that the real discharge coefficient value could be higher than 0.61, adopted in Puls simulations. New researches evaluating OSD real performance should be developed. In order to verify the peak flow damping efficiency and the value of the discharge coefficient is necessary to monitor the inflow and outflow of an OSD, in addition to monitor the water level inside it.

Keywords: best management practices, on-site stormwater detention, source control, urban drainage

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Authors: M. Sneha Reddy, M. Arun Kumar, V. Kameswara Rao

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Chromites are binary transition metal oxides with a general formula of ACr₂O₄, where A = Mn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Cu²⁺. Chromites have a normal-type spinel structure with interesting applications in the areas of applied physics, material sciences, and geophysics. They have attracted great consideration because of their unique physicochemical properties and tremendous technological applications in nanodevices, sensor elements, and high-temperature ceramics with useful optical properties. Copper chromite is one of the most efficient spinel oxides, having pronounced commercial application as a catalyst in various chemical reactions like oxidation, hydrogenation, alkylation, dehydrogenation, decomposition of organic compounds, and hydrogen production. Apart from its usage in chemical industries, CuCr₂O₄ finds its major application as a burn rate modifier in solid propellant processing for space launch vehicles globally. Herein we synthesized the nanoparticles of copper chromite using the co-precipitation method. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, TEM, SEM, BET, and TG-DTA. The synthesized nanoparticles of copper chromites were used as a catalyst for the thermal decomposition of various high-energy materials.

Keywords: copper chromite, coprecipitation method, high energy materials, catalytic thermal decomposition

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Authors: Retius Chifurira

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Logistic regression model is the most used regression model to predict meteorological drought probabilities. When the dependent variable is extreme, the logistic model fails to adequately capture drought probabilities. In order to adequately predict drought probabilities, we use the generalized linear model (GLM) with the quantile function of the generalized extreme value distribution (GEVD) as the link function. The method maximum likelihood estimation is used to estimate the parameters of the generalized extreme value (GEV) regression model. We compare the performance of the logistic and the GEV regression models in predicting drought probabilities for Zimbabwe. The performance of the regression models are assessed using the goodness-of-fit tests, namely; relative root mean square error (RRMSE) and relative mean absolute error (RMAE). Results show that the GEV regression model performs better than the logistic model, thereby providing a good alternative candidate for predicting drought probabilities. This paper provides the first application of GLM derived from extreme value theory to predict drought probabilities for a drought-prone country such as Zimbabwe.

Keywords: generalized extreme value distribution, general linear model, mean annual rainfall, meteorological drought probabilities

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Authors: CM van der Bank, Marjoné van der Bank

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International and domestic environmental law has evolved quite rapidly in the last few decades. At the international level the Stockholm and Rio Declarations paved the way for a broad based consensus of the international community on environmental issues and principles. At the Domestic level also many states have incorporated environmental protection in their constitutions and even more states are doing the same at least in their domestic legislations. In this process of evolution environmental law has unleashed a number of novel principles such as; the participatory principle, the polluter pays principle, the precautionary principle, the inter-generational and intra-generational principles, the prevention principle, the sustainable development principle and so on.

Keywords: environment, human rights, international law, protection

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Authors: A. Brahma

Abstract:

Analysis of deferred deformations of concrete under sustained load shows that the creep has a leading role on deferred deformations of concrete structures. Knowledge of the creep characteristics of concrete is a Necessary starting point in the design of structures for crack control. Such knowledge will enable the designer to estimate the probable deformation in pre-stressed concrete or reinforced and the appropriate steps can be taken in design to accommodate this movement. In this study, we propose a prediction model that involves the acting principal parameters on the deferred behaviour of concrete structures. For the estimation of the model parameters Levenberg-Marquardt method has proven very satisfactory. A confrontation between the experimental results and the predictions of models designed shows that it is well suited to describe the evolution of the creep of concrete structures.

Keywords: concrete structure, creep, modelling, prediction

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Authors: Ofosuhene O. Apenteng, Noor Azina Ismail

Abstract:

Recently tourism is a major foreign exchange earner in the World. In this paper, we propose the mathematical model to study the impact of tourists on the spread of HIV incidences using compartmental differential equation models. Simulation studies of reproduction number are used to demonstrate new insights on the spread of HIV disease. The periodogram analysis of a time series was used to determine the speed at which the disease is spread. The results indicate that with the persistent flow of tourism into a country, the disease status has increased the epidemic rate. The result suggests that the government must put more control on illegal prostitution, unprotected sexual activity as well as to emphasis on prevention policies that include the safe sexual activity through the campaign by the tourism board.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, mathematical transmission modeling, tourists, stability, simulation

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Authors: Amar Partap Singh Pharwaha, Shweta Rani

Abstract:

To develop a reliable and cost effective communication platform for the telemedicine applications, novel antenna design has been presented using bacterial foraging optimization (BFO) technique. The proposed antenna geometry is achieved by etching a modified Koch curve fractal shape at the edges and a square shape slot at the center of the radiating element of a patch antenna. It has been found that the new antenna has achieved 43.79% size reduction and better resonating characteristic than the original patch. Representative results for both simulations and numerical validations are reported in order to assess the effectiveness of the developed methodology.

Keywords: BFO, electrical permittivity, fractals, Koch curve

Procedia PDF Downloads 503