Search results for: main cable

Authors: Zarine Avetisyan

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Both in language and literature there exists the theory of recurrence of text and talk chunks which brings us to the notion of precedence. It must be stated that precedence as a pragma-linguistic phenomenon is yet underknown and it is the main objective of the present research to revisit and reveal it thoroughly. In line with the main research objective, analysis of political text and talk provides abundant relevant data for the illustration of the phenomenon of precedence. The analysis focuses on certain pragmatic universals (e.g. intention) and categories (e.g. speech techniques) which lead to the disclosure of the present object of study.

Keywords: intention, precedence, political discourse, pragmatic universals

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Authors: Lori W. Gordon, Karen A. Jones

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Today’s high-speed data connectivity depends on a vast global network of infrastructure across space, air, land, and sea, with undersea cable infrastructure (UCI) serving as the primary means for intercontinental and ‘long-haul’ communications. The UCI landscape is changing and includes an increasing variety of state actors, such as the growing economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Non-state commercial actors, such as hyper-scale content providers including Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon, are also seeking to control their data and networks through significant investments in submarine cables. Active investments by both state and non-state actors will invariably influence the growth, geopolitics, and security of this sector. Beyond these hyper-scale content providers, there are new commercial satellite communication providers. These new players include traditional geosynchronous (GEO) satellites that offer broad coverage, high throughput GEO satellites offering high capacity with spot beam technology, low earth orbit (LEO) ‘mega constellations’ – global broadband services. And potential new entrants such as High Altitude Platforms (HAPS) offer low latency connectivity, LEO constellations offer high-speed optical mesh networks, i.e., ‘fiber in the sky.’ This paper focuses on understanding the role of submarine cables within the larger context of the global data commons, spanning space, terrestrial, air, and sea networks, including an analysis of national security policy and geopolitical implications. As network operators and commercial and government stakeholders plan for emerging technologies and architectures, hedging risks for future connectivity will ensure that our data backbone will be secure for years to come.

Keywords: communications, global, infrastructure, technology

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Authors: Raeesa Moolla, Ryan S. Johnson

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Air travel, and the use of airports, has experienced proliferative growth in the past few decades, resulting in the concomitant release of air pollutants. Air pollution needs to be monitored because of the known relationship between exposure to air pollutants and increased adverse effects on human health. This study monitored a group of volatile organic compounds (VOCs); specifically BTEX (viz. benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene and xylenes), as many are detrimental to human health. Through the use of passive sampling methods, the spatial variability of BTEX within an international airport was investigated, in order to determine ‘hotspots’ where occupational exposure to BTEX may be intensified. The passive sampling campaign revealed BTEX_total concentrations ranged between 12.95–124.04 µg m^-3. Furthermore, BTEX concentrations were dispersed heterogeneously within the airport. Due to the slow wind speeds recorded (1.13 m.s^-1); the hotspots were located close to their main BTEX sources. The main hotspot was located over the main apron of the airport. Employees working in this area may be chronically exposed to these emissions, which could be potentially detrimental to their health.

Keywords: air pollution, air quality, hotspot monitoring, volatile organic compounds

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Authors: Feddaoui Amina

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Through this study we will try to shed light on the theoretical framework proposed for understanding creative accounting as a financial numbers game and one of the most important techniques of accounts manipulation, its main actors and its practices. We will discover the role of the modified Jones model (1995) in detecting creative accounting practices using discretionary accruals. Finally we will try to confirm the importance and the need to address this type of practices using corporate governance as a main control system and an important defense line to reduce these dangerous accounts manipulation.

Keywords: financial numbers game, creative accounting, modified Jones model, accounts manipulation

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Authors: Zhiqiang Yan, Chen Fan, Beicheng Xia

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Urban lakes play an invaluable role in urban water systems such as flood control, landscape, entertainment, and energy utilization, and have suffered from severe eutrophication over the past few years. To investigate the ecological response of main aquatic species and system stability to chlorine interference in shallow urban lakes, a mini system dynamic model, based on the competition and predation of main aquatic species and TP circulation, was developed. The main species of submerged macrophyte, phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthos and TP in water and sediment were simulated as variables in the model with the interference of chlorine which effect function was attenuation equation. The model was validated by the data which was investigated in the Lotus Lake in Guangzhou from October 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016. Furthermore, the eco-exergy was used to analyze the change in complexity of the shallow urban lake. The results showed the correlation coefficient between observed and simulated values of all components presented significant. Chlorine showed a significant inhibitory effect on Microcystis aeruginosa，Rachionus plicatilis, Diaphanosoma brachyurum Liévin and Mesocyclops leuckarti (Claus).The outbreak of Spiroggra spp. inhibited the growth of Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara, caused a gradual decrease of eco-exergy, reflecting the breakdown of ecosystem internal equilibria. It was concluded that the study gives important insight into using chlorine to achieve eutrophication control and understand mechanism process.

Keywords: system dynamic model, urban lake, chlorine, eco-exergy

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Authors: Samih Abubaker, Amjad Abuserhan, Ghandi Anfoka

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Potato yield reduction and soil salt accumulation are the main obstacles of using brackish water in irrigation. This study was carried out at Al- Balqa` Applied University research station, to investigate the impact of compost use on potato production and salt accumulation in the soil under brackish water, during 2014 growing season. Whole tubers of three imported potato cultivars (Spunta, Faluka and Ammbetion) were planted in pots with different soil and compost percentages (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%) and were irrigated with three water salinity levels (1.25, 5 and 10 ds/cm). A split-split plot design was used, where potato cultivars were arranged in the main plots, the brackish water treatments were in the sub-main and the soil amended treatments were in the sub-sub plots. Potato yield was generally decreased only when pots were irrigated by water of 10 ds/cm salinity compared with 1.25 and 5 ds/cm. Drainage water salinity, however, was increased as compost percentage increased. Nevertheless, salt accumulation in the growing media was decreased as the compost percentage level increased. Therefore, it can be concluded that brackish water, up to 5 ds/cm can be used to irrigate potato especially, when organic amendments were added to the soil to promote plant growth, yield and reduce salt accumulation.

Keywords: brackish water, compost, potato, salt accumulation

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Authors: Jennifer Loar, Jason Montefalcon, Kissy Mae Alimpangog, Miriam Bongo

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The demanding, professional roles that air traffic controllers (ATC) play in air transport operation provided the main motivation of this paper. As the controllers’ workload stress becomes more complex due to various stressors, the challenge to overcome these in the pursuit of improving the efficiency of controllers and safety level of aircrafts has been relevant. Therefore, in order to determine the main stressors and surface the best alternative, two widely-known multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods, DANP and PROMETHEE II, are applied. The proposed method is demonstrated in a case study at Mactan Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). The results showed that the main stressors are high air traffic volume, extraneous traffic, unforeseen events, limitations and reliability of equipment, noise/distracter, micro climate, bad posture, relations with supervisors and colleagues, private life conditions/relationships, and emotional conditions. In the outranking of alternatives, compartmentalization is believed to be the most preferred alternative to overcome controllers’ workload stress. This implies that compartmentalization can best be applied to reduce controller workload stress.

Keywords: air traffic controller, DANP, MCDM, PROMETHEE II, workload stress

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Authors: M. Feliciano, F. Rodrigues, A. Gonçalves, J. M. R. C. A. Santos, V. Leite

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With the objective of characterizing the profile and performance of energy use by slaughterhouses, surveys and audits were performed in two different facilities located in the northeastern region of Portugal. Energy consumption from multiple energy sources was assessed monthly, along with production and costs, for the same reference year. Gathered data was analyzed to identify and quantify the main consuming processes and to estimate energy efficiency indicators for benchmarking purposes. Main results show differences between the two slaughterhouses concerning energy sources, consumption by source and sector, and global energy efficiency. Electricity is the most used source in both slaughterhouses with a contribution of around 50%, being essentially used for meat processing and refrigeration. Natural gas, in slaughterhouse A, and pellets, in slaughterhouse B, used for heating water take the second place, with a mean contribution of about 45%. On average, a 62 kgoe/t specific energy consumption (SEC) was found, although with differences between slaughterhouses. A prominent negative correlation between SEC and carcass production was found specially in slaughterhouse A. Estimated Specific Energy Cost and Greenhouse Gases Intensity (GHGI) show mean values of about 50 €/t and 1.8 tCO2e/toe, respectively. Main results show that there is a significant margin for improving energy efficiency and therefore lowering costs in this type of non-energy intensive industries.

Keywords: meat industry, energy intensity, energy efficiency, GHG emissions

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Authors: Sender Dovchin

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Moving beyond two main frameworks of interlingual and intralingual discrimination, this paper will address the understanding of translingual discrimination. This concept refers to discrimination based on how one uses certain languages, linguistic and communicative repertoires, which are (il)legitimised by the interactants. Translingual discrimination contributes intensity to transnational migrations processes, where migrants with transitional backgrounds seem to illustrate two main characteristics of marginalizations – “name discrimination” and “accentism”. The lifelong accumulation of these characteristics of translingual discrimination may cause negative emotionality, such as translingual inferiority complexes, to its victims. As a result, these transnational migrants seem to adopt varied coping strategies such as CV-whitening and accent purifications while probing for translingual safe spaces. The presentation concludes with the socio-cultural and pedagogical implications of translingual discrimination in relation to the language usage of transnational migrants.

Keywords: accentism, discrimination, migrants, translingualism

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Authors: Jiajun Lu, Yun Ma

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As a member of the tertiary industry, tourism is an important driving factor for urban economic development. As a well-known tourist city in China, according to statistics, the added value of tourism and related industries in 2022 will reach 106.326 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1.2%, accounting for 3.7% of the city's GDP. However, the overall tourism development level of Chongqing is seriously unbalanced, and the tourism strength of the main urban area is much higher than that of the southeast Chongqing, northeast Chongqing and the surrounding city tourism area, and the overall tourism strength of the other three regions is relatively balanced. Based on the estimation of tourism development level and the geographic detector method, this paper finds that the important factors affecting the tourism development level of non-main urban areas in Chongqing are A-level tourist attractions. Through GIS geospatial analysis technology and SPSS data correlation research method, the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of A-level tourist attractions in Chongqing were quantitatively analyzed by using data such as geospatial data cloud, relevant documents of Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development, planning cloud, and relevant statistical yearbooks. The results show that: (1) The spatial distribution of tourist attractions in non-main urban areas of Chongqing is agglomeration and uneven. (2) The spatial distribution of A-level tourist attractions in non-main urban areas of Chongqing is affected by ecological factors, and the degree of influence is in the order of water factors> topographic factors > green space factors.

Keywords: tourist attractions, geographic detectors, quantitative research, ecological factors, GIS technology, SPSS analysis

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Authors: Mitchell De Sousa

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The city of Buenos Aires and its agglomeration concentrates more than the thirty percent of the Argentine population. Historically, the political governments (essentially during the neoliberal ones) focused all the equipment, investment, progress on the north of the city since it is the place where all the financial, core services, and the main country harbor is. The south part of the town and all the cities around the south portion of it is has been, historically, where are concentrated the more vital unfulfilled needs of this population. The river that cross over the urban agglomeration of Buenos Aires, the Matanza-Riachuelo, has been historically a place of urban segregation since it is located south of the main town. From the post-colonial times, the river has been officially a place that separates the jurisdiction of the city of Buenos Aires with some of the towns that were built around the urban agglomeration. Since its place has never been treated as a whole and has always been treated as a boundary, there is always been a focus for factories to dispose its waste and an attractive place for a large portion of the underclasses to settled down there, occupying illegally the previous terrains that were once from the railway, now abandoned. Regarding those issues and adding a one more problematic one, those who lives beyond the boundary has few access to enter the main capital city. A few bridges connect some portions of it over the Matanza Riachuelo River, which there is also a limited accessibility to the main city from the south. Because of such, the main entrances to the town are always collapsed by all the services that the urban agglomeration offer (from buses to trains and individual cars). Beyond all the enlisted problems, the contamination of the river makes it one of the most contaminated rivers on the entire world. Those who lives in the settlements are in there for themselves, so the fight from them to their right of the city and their claims to the state for intervention in the urban coast is one of the most promising discussions surrounding this place of this urban agglomeration. The study focuses on the perception of those who lives in this boundary through interviews and collective experiences and is a part of a more developed project in the University of Buenos Aires study called ‘Urban landscape and a sustainable study through the interdisciplinary. Urban strategies on city borders’.

Keywords: Buenos Aires, landscape, mobility, popular sectors, urban segregation

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Authors: Ana Paula Lisboa Sohn, Filipa Dionísio Vieria, Nelson Casarotto, Idaulo José Cunha

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This paper aims at identifying and analyzing the knowledge transmission channels in textile and clothing clusters located in Brazil and in Europe. Primary data was obtained through interviews with key individuals. The collection of primary data was carried out based on a questionnaire with ten categories of indicators of knowledge transmission. Secondary data was also collected through a literature review and through international organizations sites. Similarities related to the use of the main transmission channels of knowledge are observed in all cases. The main similarities are: influence of suppliers of machinery, equipment and raw materials; imitation of products and best practices; training promoted by technical institutions and businesses; and cluster companies being open to acquire new knowledge. The main differences lie in the relationship between companies, where in Europe the intensity of this relationship is bigger when compared to Brazil. The differences also occur in importance and frequency of the relationship with the government, with the cultural environment, and with the activities of research and development. It is also found factors that reduce the importance of geographical proximity in transmission of knowledge, and in generating trust and the establishment of collaborative behavior.

Keywords: industrial clusters, interorganizational learning, knowledge transmission channels, textile and clothing industry

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Authors: Elen Gasparyan, Naira Hakobyan

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One of the leading factors determining the effectiveness of work in a modern organization is the motivation of its employees. In the scientific psychological literature, this phenomenon is understood mainly as constructive forms of motivation and the search for ways to increase it. At the same time, the motivation of employees can sometimes lead to a decrease in the productivity of the organization, i.e., destructive motivation is usually not considered from the point of view of various motivational theories. This article provides an analysis of various forms of destructive motivation of employees. These forms include formalism in labor behavior, inadequate assessment of the work done, and an imbalance of personal and organizational interests. The destructive motivation of personnel has certain negative consequences both for the employees themselves and for the entire organization - it leads to a decrease in the rate of production and the quality of products or services, increased conflict in the behavior of employees, etc. Currently, there is an increase in scientific interest in the study of destructive motivation. The subject of psychological research is not only modern socio-psychological processes but also the achievements of scientific thought in the field of theories of motivation and management. This article examines the theoretical approaches of J. S. Adams and Porter-Lawler, provides an analysis of theoretical concepts, and emphasizes the main characteristics of the destructiveness of motivation. Destructive work motivation is presented at the macro, meso, and micro levels. These levels express various directions of development of motivation stimuli, such as social, organizational, and personal ones. At the macro level, the most important characteristics of destructive motivation are the high-income gap between employers and employees, а high degree of unemployment, weak social protection of workers, non-compliance by employers with labor legislation, and emergencies. At the organizational level, the main characteristics are decreasing the diversity of work and insufficient work conditions. At the personal level, the main characteristic of destructive motivation is a discrepancy between personal and organizational interests. A comparative analysis of the theoretical and methodological foundations of the study of motivation makes it possible to identify not only the main characteristics of destructive motivation but also to determine the contours of psychological counseling to reduce destructiveness in the behavior of employees.

Keywords: destructive, motivation, organization, behavior

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Authors: Mohamed Ahmed Aly Hassanien

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This study examines the geographic aspects of Egyptian illegal migration to Europe. It used files of Egyptian government bodies and data obtained from a field study carried out in 2015 on the areas of origin. The study revealed that the phenomenon has passed historically through four phases. Areas of origin are classified geographically into three areas: coastal, river, and interior. The study developed a map for routes of migration which identified the main and secondary routes. The main routes included the Libyan, the Mediterranean and the Arab-Turkish routes. Recently, The Mediterranean route has been the largest and the most dangerous.

Keywords: areas of destination, areas of origin, illegal migration, routes of migration

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Authors: Oscar Maina Irungu

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Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) in Mtwapa Town, Kilifi County are at high risk of HIV infection. Probability sample surveys to determine HIV prevalence among MSM in Mtwapa are needed to inform prevention and care services. Methods: In 2013, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among MSM aged 18-24 years old, using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) in Mtwapa. Consenting MSM were tested for HIV (fingerstick rapid test). Population-based prevalence and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using RDS Analysis Tool (RDSAT). Results: Among 274 MSM, the median age was 20 years (IQR: 19-23 years). Fifty percent of MSM reported not selling sex, while 13.2 % reported sex work as their “main occupation”, and another 28.4 % reported selling sex in the past two months (but not as their main occupation).Overall HIV prevalence was 19.2 % (CI: 12.2-23.6%). HIV prevalence was higher among MSM who reported sex work as their main occupation (28.3%,CI: 12.1-42.3%) or selling sex in the past two months (26.6 %, CI: 17.2-35.7 %),than among MSM who did not sell sex (11.6%,CI: 7.0-18.1%). Conclusion: HIV prevalence among MSM were high than among Kilifi’s general population aged 15-64 years (8.8%; 2010 KAIS) and highest in male sex workers. Health programs need to address concerns and modify services to meet needs of diverse subgroups of MSM. We recommend continued, periodic surveillance to monitor HIV prevalence among MSM in Mtwapa, and expansion to other areas in Kenya.

Keywords: power point, Kenya, homosexuality, sex

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Authors: Ishani Maheshika

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The intermediary role performed by freight forwarders in exportation has become significant in fulfilling businesses’ supply chain needs in this dynamic world. Since the success of exporter’s business is at present, highly reliant on supply chain optimization, cost efficiency, profitability, consistent service and responsiveness, the decision of selecting the most beneficial freight forwarder has become crucial for exporters. Although there are similar foreign researches, prior researches covering Sri Lankan setting are not in existence. Moreover, results vary with time, nature of industry and business environment factors. Therefore, a study from the perspective of Sri Lankan exporters was identified as a requisite to be researched. In order to identify and prioritize key factors which have affected the exporter’s decision in selecting freight forwarders in Sri Lankan context, Sri Lankan export industry was stratified into 22 sectors based on commodity using stratified sampling technique. One exporter from each sector was then selected using judgmental sampling to have a sample of 22. Factors which were identified through a pilot survey, was organized under 6 main criteria. A questionnaire was basically developed as pairwise comparisons using 9-point semantic differential scale and comparisons were done within main criteria and subcriteria. After a pre-testing, interviews and e-mail questionnaire survey were conducted. Data were analyzed using Analytic Hierarchy Process to determine priority vectors of criteria. Customer service was found to be the most important main criterion for Sri Lankan exporters. It was followed by reliability and operational efficiency respectively. The criterion of the least importance is company background and reputation. Whereas small sized exporters pay more attention to rate, reliability is the major concern among medium and large scale exporters. Irrespective of seniority of the exporter, reliability is given the prominence. Responsiveness is the most important sub criterion among Sri Lankan exporters. Consistency of judgments with respect to main criteria was verified through consistency ratio, which was less than 10%. Being more competitive, freight forwarders should come up with customized marketing strategies based on each target group’s requirements and expectations in offering services to retain existing exporters and attract new exporters.

Keywords: analytic hierarchy process, freight forwarders, main criteria, Sri Lankan exporters, subcriteria

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Authors: Wan Jiun Tin

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Neighborhood regeneration has gained its popularity despite market-led urban redevelopment is still the main strategy in most of the countries in Asia. Area-based approach of neighborhood regeneration with the focus on people, place and system which covers the main sustainable aspects shall be studied as part of the solution. Project implementation in small scale without fully depending on the financial support from the government and main stakeholders is the advantage of neighborhood regeneration. This enables the improving and upgrading of living conditions to be ongoing even during the economy downturn. In addition to that, there will be no specific selection on the development areas as the entire nation share the similar opportunity to upgrade and to improve their neighborhood. This is important to narrow the income disparities in urban. The objective of this paper is to review and to summarize the urban regeneration in developed countries with the focus on Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong. The aim is to determine the direction of sustainable urban regeneration in Malaysia for post-Vision 2020 through the introduction of neighborhood regeneration. This paper is conducted via literature review and observations in those selected countries. In conclusion, neighborhood regeneration shall be one of the approach of sustainable urban regeneration in Malaysia. A few criteria have been identified and to be recommended for the adaptation in Malaysia.

Keywords: area-based regeneration, public participation, sustainable urban regeneration, urban redevelopment

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Authors: Emma M. Iglesias

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We have analyzed extreme movements of the main stocks traded in the Eurozone in the 2000-2012 period. Our results can help future very-risk-averse investors to choose their portfolios in the Eurozone for risk management purposes. We find two main results. First, we can clearly classify firms by economic sector according to their different estimated VaR values in five of the seven countries we analyze. In special, we find sectors in general where companies have very high (telecommunications and banking) and very low (petroleum, utilities, energy and consumption) estimated VaR values. Second, we only find differences according to the geographical situation of where the stocks are traded in two countries: (1) all firms in the Irish stock market (the only financially rescued country we analyze) have very high estimated VaR values in all sectors; while (2) in Spain all firms have very low estimated VaR values including in the banking and the telecommunications sectors. All our results are supported when we study also the expected shortfall of the firms.

Keywords: risk management, firms, pareto tail thickness parameter, GARCH-type models, value-at-risk, extreme value theory, heavy tails, stock indexes, eurozone

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Authors: Esubalew Yehualaw Melaku, Tigistu Haile Eritro

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In this study, two basic geophysical methods are applied for mapping the groundwater aquifer system in the Lisana area along the Guder River, northeast of Hosanna town, near the western margin of the Central Main Ethiopian Rift. The main target of the study is to map the potential aquifer zone and investigate the groundwater potential for current and future development of the resource in the Gode area. The geophysical methods employed in this study include, Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) and magnetic survey techniques. Electrical sounding was used to examine and map the depth to the potential aquifer zone of the groundwater and its distribution over the area. On the other hand, a magnetic survey was used to delineate contact between lithologic units and geological structures. The 2D magnetic modeling and the geoelectric sections are used for the identification of weak zones, which control the groundwater flow and storage system. The geophysical survey comprises of twelve VES readings collected by using a Schlumberger array along six profile lines and more than four hundred (400) magnetic readings at about 10m station intervals along four profiles and 20m along three random profiles. The study result revealed that the potential aquifer in the area is obtained at a depth range from 45m to 92m. This is the response of the highly weathered/ fractured ignimbrite and pumice layer with sandy soil, which is the main water-bearing horizon. Overall, in the neighborhood of four VES points, VES- 2, VES- 3, VES-10, and VES-11, shows good water-bearing zones in the study area.

Keywords: vertical electrical sounding, magnetic survey, aquifer, groundwater potential

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Authors: A. Grilec, S. Petrak, M. Mahnic Naglic

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Technological development and the globalization in production and sales of clothing in the last decade have significantly influenced the changes in consumer relationship with the industrial-fashioned apparel and in the way of clothing purchasing. The Internet sale of clothing is in a constant and significant increase in the global market, but the possibilities offered by modern computing technologies in the customization segment are not yet fully involved, especially according to the individual customer requirements and body sizes. Considering the growing trend of online shopping, the main goal of this paper is to investigate the differences in customer perceptions towards online apparel shopping and particularly to discover the main differences in perceptions between customers regarding three different body sizes. In order to complete the research goal, the quantitative study on the sample of 85 Croatian consumers was conducted in 2017 in Zagreb, Croatia. Respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement according to a five-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). To analyze attitudes of respondents, simple and descriptive statistics were used. The main findings highlight the differences in respondent perception of 3D body scanning, using 3D body scanning in Internet shopping, online apparel shopping habits regarding their body sizes.

Keywords: consumer behavior, Internet, 3D body scanning, body types

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Authors: Carolina V. Viegas, Monique Gonçalves, Gisel Chenard Diaz, Yordanka Reyes Cruz, Donato Alexandre Gomes Aranda

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To develop the massive cultivation of microalgae, it is necessary to isolate and characterize the species, improving genetic tools in search of specific characteristics. Therefore, the detection, identification and quantification of the compounds that compose the Scenedesmus sp. were prerequisites to verify the potential of these microalgae. The main objective of this work was to carry out the characterization of Scenedesmus sp. as to the content of ash, carbohydrates, proteins and lipids as well as the determination of the composition of their lipid classes and main fatty acids. The biomass of Scenedesmus sp, showed 15,29 ± 0,23 % of ash and CaO (36,17 %) was the main component of this fraction, The total protein and carbohydrate content of the biomass was 40,74 ± 1,01 % and 23,37 ± 0,95 %, respectively, proving to be a potential source of proteins as well as carbohydrates for the production of ethanol via fermentation, The lipid contents extracted via Bligh & Dyer and in situ saponification were 8,18 ± 0,13 % and 4,11 ± 0,11 %, respectively. In the lipid extracts obtained via Bligh & Dyer, approximately 50 % of the composition of this fraction consists of fatty compounds, while the other half is composed of an unsaponifiable fraction composed mainly of chlorophylls, phytosterols and carotenes. From the lowest yield, it was possible to obtain a selectivity of 92,14 % for fatty components (fatty acids and fatty esters) confirmed through the infrared spectroscopy technique. The presence of polyunsaturated acids (~45 %) in the lipid extracts indicated the potential of this fraction as a source of nutraceuticals. The results indicate that the biomass of Scenedesmus sp, can become a promising potential source for obtaining polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids and proteins as well as the simultaneous obtainment of different compounds of high commercial value.

Keywords: microalgae, Desmodesmus, lipid classes, fatty acid profile, proteins, carbohydrates

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Authors: N. Rashed, Z. Aysha, M. Fakher

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Patient satisfaction is one of the core objectives of health care facilities. It is difficult to evaluate patients response in the emergency setting. The current study aimed to evaluate patients and family aspects of satisfaction in both adult and pediatric emergency departments and their recommendations for improvement. Cross-section survey(Brief Emergency department Patient Satisfaction Scale (BEPSS), was translated and validated, then performed to evaluate patients satisfaction in two governmental hospitals Emergency departments. Three hundred patients and their families were enrolled in the study. The waiting time in the adult Emergency department ranged from (5 minutes to 120 minutes), and most admissions were at the morning shift while at the pediatric hospital the waiting time ranged from 5 minutes to 100 minutes) and most admissions were at the afternoon shift. The results showed that the main domain of satisfaction in BEPSS in the adult emergency department was respecting the patients family while in the pediatric emergency department, the main domain was the nursing care about treatment. The main recommendation of improvement in pediatric Emergency Department was modifying the procedures while in adult Emergency Department was improving the training of physicians.

Keywords: emergency, department-patient, satisfaction-adult-pediatric

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Authors: Eudjen Cinc

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Common Byzantine origins of church music of Serbs and Romanians are certainly not the only reason for great similarities between the ways of singing of the two nations, especially in the region of Banat. If it was so, the differences between the interpretation of church music in this part of Orthodox religion and the one specific for other parts where Serbs or Romanians live could not be explained. What is it that connects church signing of two nations in this peaceful part of Europe to such an extent that it could be considered a comprehensive corpus, different from other 'Serbian' or 'Romanian' regions? This is the main issue dealt with in the text according to examples and comparative processing of material. The main aim of the paper is representation of the new and interesting, while its value lies in its potential to encourage the reader or a future researcher to investigate and search further.

Keywords: folk influences, melody, melodic models, ethnomusicology

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Authors: Dan James

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The Medial Axis of the Main Canyon of Valles Marineris is determined geometrically with maximally inscribed discs aligned with the boundaries or rims of the Main Canyon. Inscribed discs are placed at evenly spaced longitude intervals and, using the radius function, the locus of the centre of all discs is determined, together with disc centre co-ordinates. These centre co-ordinates result in arrays of x, y co-ordinates which are curve fitted to a Sinusoidal function and residuals appropriate for nonlinear regression are evaluated using the R-squared value (R2) and the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE). This evaluation demonstrates that a Sinusoidal Curve closely fits to the co-ordinate data

Keywords: medial axis, MAT, valles marineris, sinusoidal

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Authors: Norhaslina Mat Zian, Hasril Hasini, Nur Irmawati Om

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This study focuses on the flow and combustion behavior inside gas turbine combustor used in thermal power plant. The combustion process takes place using synthetic gas and the baseline solution was made on gas turbine combustor firing natural gas (100% Methane) as the main source of fuel. Attention is given to the effect of the H2/CO ratio on the variation of the flame profile, temperature distribution, and emissions. The H2/CO ratio varies in the range of 10-80 % and the CH4 values are fixed 10% for each case. While keeping constant the mass flow rate and operating pressure, the preliminary result shows that the flow inside the can-combustor is highly swirling which indicates good mixing of fuel and air prior to the entrance of the mixture to the main combustion zone.

Keywords: cfd, combustion, flame, syngas

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Authors: Aymen Arfaoui, Abdelkader Soumaya, Noureddine Ben Ayed

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The Rouas-Ruissateis a part of TunisianAtlas system. Analyze of the collected field data allowed us to propose a new interpretation for the main structural features of thisregion. Tectonic inversions along NE-SW trending fault of Zaghouan and holokinetic movements are the main factors controlling the architecture and geometry of the Jebel Rouas-Ruissate. The presence of breccias, Slumps, and synsedimentaryfaults along NW-SE and N-S trending major faults show that they were active during the Mesozoicextensionalepisodes. During Cenozoic inversion period, this structurewas shaped as imbricatefansformed byNE-SW trending thrust faults. The angularunconformitybetweenupperEocene- Oligocene, and Cretaceousdeposits reveals a compressive Eocene tectonic phase (called Pyrenean phase)occurred duringPaleocene-lower Eocene.The Triassicsaltsacted as a decollementlevel in the NE-SW trendingfault propagation fold model of the Rouas-Ruissate.The inversion of fault-slip data along the main regional fault zones reveals a coexistence of strike-slip and reverse fault stress regimes with NW-SE maximum horizontal stress(SHmax) characterizing the Alpine compressive phase (Upper Tortonian).

Keywords: tunisia, imbricate fans, triassic decollement level, fault propagation fold

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Authors: Marina Kapsali, John S. Anagnostopoulos

Abstract:

On the basis of comparative analysis of alternative “development scenarios” for electricity generation, the main objective of the present study is to investigate the techno-economic viability of high wind energy (WE) use at the local (island) level. An integrated theoretical model is developed based on first principles assuming two main possible scenarios for covering future electrification needs of a medium–sized Greek island, i.e. Lesbos. The first scenario (S1), assumes that the island will keep using oil products as the main source for electricity generation. The second scenario (S2) involves the interconnection of the island with the mainland grid to satisfy part of the electricity demand, while remarkable WE penetration is also achieved. The economic feasibility of the above solutions is investigated in terms of determining their Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for the time-period 2020-2045, including also a sensitivity analysis on the worst/reference/best Cases. According to the results obtained, interconnection of Lesbos Island with the mainland grid (S2) presents considerable economic interest in comparison to autonomous development (S1) with WE having a prominent role to this effect.

Keywords: electricity generation cost, levelized cost of energy, mainland, wind energy surplus

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Authors: Farhat Hajer, Khir Tahar, Ammar Ben Brahim

Abstract:

This work presents a study on the influence of the main operating variables on the gas turbine cycle. A numerical simulation of a gas turbine cycle is performed for a real net power of 100 MW. A calculation code is developed using EES software. The operating variables are taken in conformity with the local environmental conditions adopted by the Tunisian Society of Electricity and Gas. Results show that the increase of ambient temperature leads to an increase of Tpz and NO_x emissions rate and a decrease of cycle efficiency and UHC emissions. The CO emissions decrease with the raise of residence time, while NO_x emissions rate increases and UHC emissions rate decreases. Furthermore, both of cycle efficiency and NOx emissions increase with the increase of the pressure ratio.

Keywords: Carbon monoxide, Efficiency, Emissions, Gas Turbine, Nox, UHC

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Authors: Ahmed A. Lugard, Mohammed A. Aliyu

Abstract:

This paper studied the influence of urban development and its accompanied land surface transformation on sediment concentration of a natural flowing Ginzo river across the city of Katsina. An opposite twin river known as Tille river, which is less urbanized, was used to compare the result of the sediment concentration of the Ginzo River in order to ascertain the consequences of the urban area on impacting the sediment concentration. An instrument called USP 61 point integrating cable way sampler described by Gregory and walling (1973), was used to collect the suspended sediment samples in the wet season months of June, July, August and September. The result obtained in the study shows that only the sample collected at the peripheral site of the city, which is mostly farmland areas resembles the results in the four sites of Tille river, which is the reference stream in the study. It was found to be only + 10% different from one another, while at the other three sites of the Ginzo which are highly urbanized the disparity ranges from 35-45% less than what are obtained at the four sites of Tille River. In the generalized assessment, the t-distribution result applied to the two set of data shows that there is a significant difference between the sediment concentration of urbanized River Ginzo and that of less urbanized River Tille. The study further discovered that the less sediment concentration found in urbanized River Ginzo is attributed to concretization of surfaced, tarred roads, concretized channeling of segments of the river including the river bed and reserved open grassland areas, all within the catchments. The study therefore concludes that urbanization affect not only the hydrology of an urbanized river basin, but also the sediment concentration which is a significant aspect of its geomorphology. This world certainly affects the flood plain of the basin at a certain point which might be a suitable land for cultivation. It is recommended here that further studies on the impact of urbanization on River Basins should focus on all elements of geomorphology as it has been on hydrology. This would make the work rather complete as the two disciplines are inseparable from each other. The authorities concern should also trigger a more proper environmental and land use management policies to arrest the menace of land degradation and related episodic events.

Keywords: environment, infiltration, river, urbanization

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Authors: Yang Zhou, Chen Hao, Ma Xiaoping

Abstract:

This paper briefly mentions the micro controller unit, and then goes into details about the exact regulations for SRM. Firstly, it proposes the main driving state control for motor and the importance of the motor position sensor. For different speed, the controller will choice various styles such as voltage chopper control, angle position control and current chopper control for which owns its advantages and disadvantages. Combining the strengths of the three discrepant methods, the main control chip will intelligently select the best performing control depending on the load and speed demand. Then the exact flow diagram is showed in paper. At last, an experimental platform is established to verify the correctness of the proposed theory.

Keywords: switched reluctance motor, dspic microcontroller, current chopper

Procedia PDF Downloads 425