Search results for: smart phone devices

Authors: Mirza Mujtaba Baig

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly, and one of the areas in which this field has influenced is automation. The automobile, healthcare, education, and robotic industries deploy AI technologies constantly, and the automation of tasks is beneficial to allow time for knowledge-based tasks and also introduce convenience to everyday human endeavors. The paper reviews the challenges faced with the current implementations of autonomous self-driving cars by exploring the machine learning, robotics, and artificial intelligence techniques employed for the development of this innovation. The controversy surrounding the development and deployment of autonomous machines, e.g., vehicles, begs the need for the exploration of the configuration of the programming modules. This paper seeks to add to the body of knowledge of research assisting researchers in decreasing the inconsistencies in current programming modules. Blockchain is a technology of which applications are mostly found within the domains of financial, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and artificial intelligence. The registering of events in a secured manner as well as applying external algorithms required for the data analytics are especially helpful for integrating, adapting, maintaining, and extending to new domains, especially predictive analytics applications.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, automation, big data, self-driving cars, machine learning, neural networking algorithm, blockchain, business intelligence

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Authors: Justin Tang

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Balance tests are frequently used to diagnose concussions on the sidelines of sporting events. Manual scoring, however, is labor intensive and subjective, and many concussions go undetected. This study institutes a novel approach to conducting the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) more quantitatively using Microsoft’s gaming system Kinect, which uses a contactless sensor and several cameras to receive data and estimate body limb positions. Using a machine learning approach, Visual Gesture Builder, and a deterministic approach, MATLAB, we tested whether the Kinect can differentiate between “correct” and erroneous stances of the BESS. We created the two separate solutions by recording test videos to teach the Kinect correct stances and by developing a code using Java. Twenty-two subjects were asked to perform a series of BESS tests while the Kinect was collecting data. The Kinect recorded the subjects and mapped key joints onto their bodies to obtain angles and measurements that are interpreted by the software. Through VGB and MATLAB, the videos are analyzed to enumerate the number of errors committed during testing. The resulting statistics demonstrate a high correlation between manual scoring and the Kinect approaches, indicating the viability of the use of remote tracking devices in conducting concussion tests.

Keywords: automated, concussion detection, contactless sensors, microsoft kinect

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Authors: Murast Dicleli, Ali SalemMilani

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In this paper, a summary of analytical and experimental studies into the behavior of a new hysteretic damper, designed for seismic protection of structures is presented. The Multi-directional Torsional Hysteretic Damper (MRSD) is a patented invention in which a symmetrical arrangement of identical cylindrical steel cores is so configured as to yield in torsion while the structure experiences planar movements due to earthquake shakings. The new device has certain desirable properties. Notably, it is characterized by a variable and controllable-via-design post-elastic stiffness. The mentioned property is a result of MRSD’s kinematic configuration which produces this geometric hardening, rather than being a secondary large-displacement effect. Additionally, the new system is capable of reaching high force and displacement capacities, shows high levels of damping, and very stable cyclic response. The device has gone through many stages of design refinement, multiple prototype verification tests and development of design guide-lines and computer codes to facilitate its implementation in practice. Practicality of the new device, as offspring of an academic sphere, is assured through extensive collaboration with industry in its final design stages, prototyping and verification test programs.

Keywords: seismic, isolation, damper, adaptive stiffness

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Authors: Walid Tawfik, W. Askam Farooq, Sultan F. Alqhtani

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Quantum dots (QDots) are nanometer-sized crystals, less than 10 nm, comprise a semiconductor or metallic materials and contain from 100 - 100,000 atoms in each crystal. QDots play an important role in many applications; light emitting devices (LEDs), solar cells, drug delivery, and optical computers. In the current research, a fundamental wavelength of Nd:YAG laser was applied to analyse the impurities in homemade cadmium selenide (CdSe) QDots through laser-induced plasma (LIPS) technique. The CdSe QDots were fabricated by using hot-solution decomposition method where a mixture of Cd precursor and trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) is prepared at concentrations of TOPO under controlled temperatures 200-350ºC. By applying laser energy of 15 mJ, at frequency 10 Hz, and delay time 500 ns, LIPS spectra of CdSe QDots samples were observed. The qualitative LIPS analysis for CdSe QDs revealed that the sample contains Cd, Te, Se, H, P, Ar, O, Ni, C, Al and He impurities. These observed results gave precise details of the impurities present in the QDs sample. These impurities are important for future work at which controlling the impurity contents in the QDs samples may improve the physical, optical and electrical properties of the QDs used for solar cell application.

Keywords: cadmium selenide, TOPO, LIPS spectroscopy, quantum dots

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Authors: Manpreet Kaur, Amita Rani, Sanjay Kumar

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The Internet of Things (IoT), a cyber-physical paradigm, allows a large number of devices to connect and send the sensory data in the network simultaneously. This tremendous amount of data generated leads to very high network load consequently resulting in network congestion. It further amounts to frequent loss of useful information and depletion of significant amount of nodes’ energy. Therefore, there is a need to control congestion in IoT so as to prolong network lifetime and improve the quality of service (QoS). Hence, we propose a two-level clustering based routing algorithm considering congestion score and packet priority metrics that focus on minimizing the network congestion. In the proposed Priority based Congestion Control (PBCC) protocol the sensor nodes in IoT network form clusters that reduces the amount of traffic and the nodes are prioritized to emphasize important data. Simultaneously, a congestion score determines the occurrence of congestion at a particular node. The proposed protocol outperforms the existing Packet Discard Network Clustering (PDNC) protocol in terms of buffer size, packet transmission range, network region and number of nodes, under various simulation scenarios.

Keywords: internet of things, cyber-physical systems, congestion control, priority, transmission rate

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Authors: Soon-Gil Yoon, Min-Ju Choi, Sung-Ho Shin, Junghyo Nah, Jin-Seok Choi, Hyun-A Song, Goeun Choi, Jin-Ho Choy

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Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with positively charged brucite-like layers and negatively charged interlayer anions are considered a critical nanoscale building block with potential for application in catalysts, biological sensors, and optical, electrical, and magnetic devices. LDHs also have a great potential as an energy conversion device, a key component in common modern electronics. Although LDHs are theoretically predicted to be centrosymmetric, we report here the first observations of the flexoelectric nature of LDHs and demonstrate their potential as an effective energy conversion material. We clearly show a linear energy conversion relationship between the output powers and curvature radius via bending with both the LDH nanosheets and thin films, revealing a direct evidence for flexoelectric effects. These findings potentially open up avenues to incorporate a flexoelectric coupling phenomenon into centrosymmetric materials such as LDHs and to harvest high-power energy using LDH nanosheets. In the present study, for enhancement of the output power, Zn-Al:LDH nanosheets were composited with piezoelectric CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3) dye films and their enhanced energy harvesting was demonstrated in detail.

Keywords: layered double hydroxides, flexoelectric, piezoelectric, energy harvesting

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Authors: Y. Lu, L. Liu, J. Guo

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Monolayer graphene and dichaclogenide semiconductor materials attract extensive research interest for potential nanoelectronics applications. The ultimate scaling limit of double gate MoS2 Field-Effect-Transistors (FETs) with a monolayer thin body is examined and compared with ultra-thin-body Si FETs by using self-consistent quantum transport simulation in the presence of phonon scattering. Modelling of phonon scattering, quantum mechanical effects, and self-consistent electrostatics allows us to accurately assess the performance potential of monolayer MoS2 FETs. The results revealed that monolayer MoS2 FETs show 52% smaller Drain Induced Barrier Lowering (DIBL) and 13% Smaller Sub-Threshold Swing (SS) than 3 nm-thick-body Si FETs at a channel length of 10 nm with the same gating. With a requirement of SS<100mV/dec, the scaling limit of monolayer MoS2 FETs is assessed to be 5 nm, comparing with 8nm of the ultra-thin-body Si counterparts due to the monolayer thin body and higher effective mass which reduces direct source-to-drain tunnelling. By comparing with the ITRS target for high performance logic devices of 2023; double gate monolayer MoS2 FETs can fulfil the ITRS requirements.

Keywords: nanotransistors, monolayer 2D materials, quantum transport, scaling limit

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Authors: Nafe Moradkhani, Frederick Benaben, Benoit Montreuil, Ali Vatankhah Barenji, Dima Nazzal

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In the context of the global pandemic, the practical management of the 2020 presidential election in the USA was a strong concern. To anticipate and prepare for this election accurately, one of the main challenges was to confront (i) forecasts of voter turnout, (ii) capacities of the facilities and, (iii) potential configuration options of resources. The approach chosen to conduct this anticipative study consists of collecting data about forecasts and using simulation models to work simultaneously on resource allocation and facility configuration of polling places in Fulton County, Georgia’s largest county. A polling place is a dedicated facility where voters cast their ballots in elections using different devices. This article presents the results of the simulations of such places facing pre-identified potential risks. These results are oriented towards the efficiency of these places according to different criteria (health, trust, comfort). Then a dynamic framework is introduced to describe risks as physical forces perturbing the efficiency of the observed system. Finally, the main benefits and contributions resulting from this simulation campaign are presented.

Keywords: performance, decision support, simulation, artificial intelligence, risk management, election, pandemics, information system

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Authors: Enrique Moliner, Alba Lafarga, Isaac Herraiz, Evelina Castellana, Mihaela Mirea

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NENU2PHAR (GA 887474) is an EU-funded project aimed at the development of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) from micro-algae. These biobased and biodegradable polymers are being tested and validated in different high-volume market applications including food packaging, cosmetic packaging, 3D printing filaments, agro-textiles and medical devices, counting on the support of key players like Danone, BEL Group, Sofradim or IFG. At the moment the project has achieved to produce PHAs from micro-algae with a cumulated yield around 17%, i.e. 1 kg PHAs produced from 5.8 kg micro-algae biomass, which in turn capture 11 kg CO₂ for growing up. These algae-based plastics can therefore offer the same environmental benefits than current bio-based plastics (reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and fossil resource depletion), using a 3rd generation biomass feedstock that avoids the competition with food and the environmental impacts of agricultural practices. The project is also dealing with other sustainability aspects like the ecodesign and life cycle assessment of the plastic products targeted, considering not only the use of the biobased plastics but also many other ecodesign strategies. This paper will present the main progresses and results achieved to date in the project.

Keywords: NENU2PHAR, Polyhydroxyalkanoates, micro-algae, biopolymer, ecodesign, life cycle assessment

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Authors: Pablo Raul Yanyachi, Alfredo Mamani Saico, Jorch Mendoza, Wang Xinsheng

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The Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) plays a pivotal role in the operation of nanosatellites such as Cubesats, managing orientation and stability during space missions. Within the ADCS, Reaction Wheels (RW) are electromechanical devices responsible for adjusting and maintaining satellite orientation through the application of kinetic moments. This study focuses on the characterization and analysis of a specific Reaction Wheel integrated into an ADCS prototype developed at the National University of San Agust´ın, Arequipa (UNSA). To achieve this, a single-axis Test Bench was constructed, where the reaction wheel consists of a brushless motor and an inertia flywheel driven by an Electronic Speed Controller (ESC). The research encompasses RW characterization, energy consumption evaluation, dynamic modeling, and control. The results have allowed us to ensure the maneuverability of ADCS prototypes while maintaining energy consumption within acceptable limits. The characterization and linearity analysis provides valuable insights for sizing and optimizing future reaction wheel prototypes for nanosatellites. This contributes to the ongoing development of aerospace technology within the scientific community at UNSA.

Keywords: test bench, nanosatellite, control, reaction wheel

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Authors: Rita Garcia

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Intelligent Programming Tutors, IPTs, are supplemental educational devices that assist in teaching software development. These systems provide customized learning allowing the user to select the presentation pace, pedagogical strategy, and to recall previous and additional teaching materials reinforcing learning objectives. In addition, IPTs automatically records individual’s progress, providing feedback to the instructor and student. These tutoring systems have an advantage over Tutoring Systems because Intelligent Programming Tutors are not limited to one teaching strategy and can adjust when it detects the user struggling with a concept. The Intelligent Programming Tutor is a category of Intelligent Tutoring Systems, ITS. ITS are available for many fields in education, supporting different learning objectives and integrate into other learning tools, improving the student's learning experience. This study provides a comparison of the IPTs currently adopted by the educational community and will focus on the different teaching methodologies and programming languages. The study also includes the ability to integrate the IPT into other educational technologies, such as massive open online courses, MOOCs. The intention of this evaluation is to determine one system that would best serve in a larger ongoing research project and provide findings for other institutions looking to adopt an Intelligent Programming Tutor.

Keywords: computer education tools, integrated software development assistance, intelligent programming tutors, tutoring systems

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Authors: Yung-Shan Lu, Chia-Fone Lee, Shang-Hsuan Li, Chien-Hao Liu

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Recently, various bioelectronic devices have been developed for neurologic disease treatments via electro-stimulations such as cochlear implants and retinal prosthesis. Since the electric signal needs electrodes to be transmitted to an organism, electrodes play an important role of stimulations. The materials of stimulation electrodes affect the efficiency of the delivered currents. The higher the efficiency of the electrodes, the lower the threshold current can be used to stimulate the organism which minimizes the potential damages to the adjacent tissues. In this study, we proposed a biocompatible composite electrode composed of high-charge-capacity iridium oxide (IrOₓ) film for a bone-guide extra-cochlear implant. IrOₓ was exploited to decrease the threshold current due to its high capacitance and low impedance. The IrOₓ electrode was fabricated via microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) photolithography and examined with in-vivo tests with guinea pigs. Based on the measured responses of brain waves to sound, the results demonstrated that IrOₓ electrodes have a lower threshold current compared with the Platinum (Pt) electrodes. The research results are expected to be beneficial for implantable and biocompatible electrodes for electrical stimulations.

Keywords: cochlear implants, electrode, electrical stimulation, iridium oxide

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Authors: Lokes Parvatha Kumaran S., Sakthi Jay Mahenthar C., Sathyaprakash P., Jayakumar V., Shobanadevi A.

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With the evolution of technology, the need to solve complex computational problems like machine learning and deep learning has shot up. But even the most powerful classical supercomputers find it difficult to execute these tasks. With the recent development of quantum computing, researchers and tech-giants strive for new quantum circuits for machine learning tasks, as present works on Quantum Machine Learning (QML) ensure less memory consumption and reduced model parameters. But it is strenuous to simulate classical deep learning models on existing quantum computing platforms due to the inflexibility of deep quantum circuits. As a consequence, it is essential to design viable quantum algorithms for QML for noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices. The proposed work aims to explore Variational Quantum Circuits (VQC) for Deep Reinforcement Learning by remodeling the experience replay and target network into a representation of VQC. In addition, to reduce the number of model parameters, quantum information encoding schemes are used to achieve better results than the classical neural networks. VQCs are employed to approximate the deep Q-value function for decision-making and policy-selection reinforcement learning with experience replay and the target network.

Keywords: quantum computing, quantum machine learning, variational quantum circuit, deep reinforcement learning, quantum information encoding scheme

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Authors: Ishak Kamal Baskhayroun

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This study examines consumer attitudes toward mobile marketing, especially toward SMS marketing. Unlike similar studies, this study does not focus on the young, but includes consumers who are in the 18-70 age range to the field research. According to the results, it has been concluded that most participants think SMS marketing is disturbing. Most important problems with SMS marketing are about getting subscribed to message lists without the permission of the receiver; the high number of messages sent; and the irrelevancy of the message content. The emergence of sponsorship as a new marketing communication tool and a source of competitive advantage in the marketplace has changed the entire marketing communication process. Sponsorship has overtaken other marketing communication tools in terms of growth and expenditure. This paper seeks to evaluate the role of sponsorship in marketing communication tools. The study recommends that proper measures be taken before the company embarks into sponsorship programs. This is necessary because investment in sponsorship does not always guarantee sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace.Mobile phones are one of the direct marketing tools that can be used to reach today’s hard to reach consumers. Mobile phones are very personal devices and they are always carried with the consumer, where ever they go. This creates an opportunity for marketers to create personalized marketing communications messages and send them on the right time and place.

Keywords: employee organizational performance, internal marketing, internal customer, direct marketing, mobile phones mobile marketing, sms advertising, marketing sponsorship, marketing communication theories, marketing communication tools corporate responsibility

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Authors: Giovanni Cicceri, Roberta Maisano, Nathalie Morey, Salvatore Distefano

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The main goal of this paper is to present a solution for a water purification system based on an Environmental Internet of Things (EIoT) platform to monitor and control water quality and machine learning (ML) models to support decision making and speed up the processes of purification of water. A real case study has been implemented by deploying an EIoT platform and a network of devices, called Gramb meters and belonging to the Gramb project, on wastewater purification systems located in Calabria, south of Italy. The data thus collected are used to control the wastewater quality, detect anomalies and predict the behaviour of the purification system. To this extent, three different statistical and machine learning models have been adopted and thus compared: Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) autoencoder, and Facebook Prophet (FP). The results demonstrated that the ML solution (LSTM) out-perform classical statistical approaches (ARIMA, FP), in terms of both accuracy, efficiency and effectiveness in monitoring and controlling the wastewater purification processes.

Keywords: environmental internet of things, EIoT, machine learning, anomaly detection, environment monitoring

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Authors: Amit Kumar, Amanpreet Chander, Ashish Sahani

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This paper presents our recent work on real-time human activity detection based on the media pipe pipeline and machine learning algorithms. The proposed system can detect human activities, including running, jumping, squatting, bending to the left or right, and standing still. This is a robust solution for developing a yoga, dance, metaverse, and fitness application that checks for the correction of the pose without having any additional monitor like a personal trainer. MediaPipe solution offers an open-source cross-platform which utilizes a two-step detector-tracker ML pipeline for live detection of key landmarks on our body which can be used for motion data collection. The prediction of real-time poses uses a variety of machine learning techniques and different types of analysis. Without primarily relying on powerful desktop environments for inference, our method achieves real-time performance on the majority of contemporary mobile phones, desktops/laptops, Python, or even the web. Experimental results show that our method outperforms the existing method in terms of accuracy and real-time capability, achieving an accuracy of 99.92% on testing datasets.

Keywords: human activity detection, media pipe, machine learning, metaverse applications

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Authors: N. K. A. M. Galvão, A. Godoy Jr., A. L. J. Pereira, G. V. Martins, R. S. Pessoa, H. S. Maciel, M. A. Fraga

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Silicon carbide (SiC) is a wide band-gap semiconductor material with very attractive properties, such as high breakdown voltage, chemical inertness, and high thermal and electrical stability, which makes it a promising candidate for several applications, including microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and electronic devices. In MEMS manufacturing, the etching process is an important step. It has been proved that wet etching of SiC is not feasible due to its high bond strength and high chemical inertness. In view of this difficulty, the plasma etching technique has been applied with paramount success. However, in most of these studies, only the determination of the etching rate and/or morphological characterization of SiC, as well as the analysis of the reactive ions present in the plasma, are lowly explored. There is a lack of results in the literature on the chemical and structural properties of SiC after the etching process [4]. In this work, we investigated the etching process of sputtered amorphous SiC thin films on Si substrates in a reactive ion etching (RIE) system using sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas under different RF power. The results of the chemical and structural analyses of the etched films revealed that, for all conditions, a SiC crystallization occurred, in addition to fluoride contamination. In conclusion, we observed that SiC crystallization is a side effect promoted by structural, morphological and chemical changes caused by RIE SF6 etching process.

Keywords: plasma etching, plasma deposition, Silicon Carbide, microelectromechanical systems

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Authors: Ziyuan Wu, Yulong Jia, Xiang Zhang, Wanting Zhou, Lei Li

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The Internet of Things (IoT) is a rapidly evolving field involving a large number of interconnected embedded devices. In the design of embedded System-on-Chip (SoC), the key issues are power consumption, performance, and security. However, the easy-to-implement software and untrustworthy third-party IP cores may threaten the safety of hardware assets. Considering that illegal access and malicious attacks against SoC resources pass through the bus that integrates IPs, we propose a Lightweight Hardware Firewall (LHF) to protect SoC, which monitors and disallows the offending bus transactions based on physical addresses. Furthermore, under the LHF architecture, this paper refines two types of firewalls: Destination Hardware Firewall (DHF) and Source Hardware Firewall (SHF). The former is oriented to fine-grained detection and configuration, whose core technology is based on the method of dynamic grading units. In addition, we design the SHF based on static entries to achieve lightweight. Finally, we evaluate the hardware consumption of the proposed method by both Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and IC. Compared with the exciting efforts, LHF introduces a bus latency of zero clock cycles for every read or write transaction implemented on Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGAs. Meanwhile, the DC synthesis results based on TSMC 90nm show that the area is reduced by about 25% compared with the previous method.

Keywords: IoT, security, SoC, bus architecture, lightweight hardware firewall, FPGA

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Authors: Ng Yen, Shafii Khamis, Rehir Bin Dahalan

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Cyclotrons in the energy range 10-30 MeV are widely used for the production of clincally relevant radiosiotopes used in positron emission tomography (PET) nuclear imaging. Positron emmision tomography is a powerful nuclear imaging tool that produces high quality 3-dimentional images of functional processes of body. The advantage of PET among all other imaging devices is that it allows the study of an impressive array of discrete biochemical and physiologic processes, within a single imaging session. The number of PET scanner increases every year globally due to high clinical demand. However, not all PET centers can afford a cyclotron, due to the expense associated with operation of an in-house cyclotron. Therefore, current research has also focused on the development of parent/daughter generators that can reliably provide PET nuclides. These generators (68Ge/68Ga generator, 62Zn/62Cu, 82Sr/82Rb, etc) can provide even short-lived radionuclides at any time on demand, without the need of an ‘in-house cyclotron’. The parent isotope is produced at a cyclotron/reactor facility, and can be shipped to remote clinical sites (regionally/overseas), where the daughter isotope is eluted, a model similar to the 99Mo/99mTc generator system. The specific aim for this presentation is to talk about the potential for both of the cyclotron and generator-produced PET radiopharmaceuticals used in clinical imaging.

Keywords: positron emission tomography, radiopharmaceutical, cyclotron, generator

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Authors: Mercedes Sepulveda, Saras Henderson, Dana Farrell, Gaby Heuft

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In Australia, there is a significant number of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Grandparent Carers who are sole carers for their grandchildren. Services in the community such as accessible healthcare, financial support, legal aid, and transport to services can assist Grandparent Carers to continue to live in their own home whilst caring for their grandchildren. Community nurses can play a major role by being aware of the needs of these grandparents and link them to services via information and referrals. The CALD Grandparent Carer experiences have only been explored marginally and may be similar to the general Grandparent Carer population, although cultural aspects may add to their difficulties. This Needs-Gap Analysis aimed to uncover ‘hidden issues’ for CALD Grandparent Carers such as service gaps and actions needed to address these issues. The stakeholders selected for this Needs-Gap Analysis were drawn from relevant service providers such as community and aged care services, child and/or grandparents support services and CALD specific services. One hundred relevant service providers were surveyed using six structured questions via face to face, phone interviews, or email correspondence. CALD Grandparents who had a significant or sole role of being a carer for grandchildren were invited to participate through their CALD community leaders. Consultative Forums asking five questions that focused on the caring role, issues encountered, and what needed to be done, were conducted with the African, Asian, Spanish-Speaking, Middle Eastern, European, Pacific Islander and Maori Grandparent Carers living in South-east Queensland, Australia. Data from the service provider survey and the CALD Grandparent Carer forums were content analysed using thematic principles. Our findings highlighted social determinants of health grouped into six themes. These were; 1) service providers and Grandparent Carer perception that there was limited research data on CALD grandparents as carers; 2) inadequate legal and financial support; 3) barriers to accessing information and advice; 4) lack of childcare options in the light of aging and health issues; 5) difficulties around transport; and 6) inadequate technological skills often leading to social isolation for both carer and grandchildren. Our Needs-Gap Analysis provides insight to service providers especially health practitioners such as doctors and community nurses, particularly on the impact of caring for grandchildren on CALD Grandparent Carers. Furthermore, factors such as cultural differences, English language difficulties, and migration experiences also impacted on the way CALD Grandparent Carers are able to cope. The findings of this Need-Gap Analysis signposts some of the ‘ hidden issues’ that CALD Grandparents Carers face and draws together recommendations for the future as put forward by the stakeholders themselves.

Keywords: CALD grandparents, carer needs, community nurses, grandparent carers

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Authors: Sofia Figueroa, Efrain Bernal, Silvia Del Pilar Forero, Humberto Ramirez

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This work shows a detailed review of the scope of global research on the road infrastructure using materials from Construction and Demolition Waste (C&DW), also called RCD. In the first phase of this research, a segment of road was designed using recycled materials such as Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) on the top, the natural coarse base including 30% of RAP and recycled concrete blocks. The second part of this segment was designed using regular materials for each layer of the pavement. Both structures were built next to each other in order to analyze and measure the material properties as well as performance and environmental factors in the pavement under real traffic and weather conditions. Different monitoring devices were installed among the structure, based on the literature revision, such as soil cells, linear potentiometer, moisture sensors, and strain gauges that help us to know the C&DW as a part of the pavement structure. This research includes not only the physical characterization but also the measured parameters in a field such as an asphalt mixture (RAP) strain (ετ), vertical strain (εᵥ) and moisture control in coarse layers (%w), and the applied loads and strain in the subgrade (εᵥ). The results will show us what is happening with these materials in order to obtain not only a sustainable solution but also to know its behavior and lifecycle.

Keywords: sustainable pavements, construction & demolition waste-C&DW, recycled rigid concrete, reclaimed asphalt pavement-rap

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Authors: Behrang Tavousi Tehrani, Mohammad-Zaman Kabir

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Shape memory alloys (SMA) are often implemented in smart structures as the active components. Their ability to recover large displacements has been used in many applications, including structural stability/response enhancement and active structural acoustic control. SMA wires or fibers can be embedded with composite cylinders to increase their critical buckling load, improve their load-deflection behavior, and reduce the radial deflections under various thermo-mechanical loadings. This paper presents a semi-analytical investigation on the non-linear load-deflection response of SMA-reinforced composite circular cylindrical shells. The cylinder shells are under uniform external pressure load. Based on first-order shear deformation shell theory (FSDT), the equilibrium equations of the structure are derived. One-dimensional simplified Brinson’s model is used for determining the SMA recovery force due to its simplicity and accuracy. Airy stress function and Galerkin technique are used to obtain non-linear load-deflection curves. The results are verified by comparing them with those in the literature. Several parametric studies are conducted in order to investigate the effect of SMA volume fraction, SMA pre-strain value, and SMA activation temperature on the response of the structure. It is shown that suitable usage of SMA wires results in a considerable enhancement in the load-deflection response of the shell due to the generation of the SMA tensile recovery force.

Keywords: airy stress function, cylindrical shell, Galerkin technique, load-deflection curve, recovery stress, shape memory alloy

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Authors: Voodi Kalandhar, Veera Reddy, Yuva Tejasree

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Researchers have become interested in multilevel inverters (MLI) because of their potential for medium- and high-power applications. MLIs are becoming more popular as a result of their ability to generate higher voltage levels, minimal power losses, small size, and low price. These inverters used in high voltage and high-power applications because the stress on the switch is low. Even though many traditional topologies, such as the cascaded H-bridge MLI, the flying capacitor MLI, and the diode clamped MLI, exist, they all have some drawbacks. A complicated control system is needed for the flying capacitor MLI to balance the voltage across the capacitor and diode clamped MLI requires more no of diodes when no of levels increases. Even though the cascaded H-Bridge MLI is popular in terms of modularity and simple control, it requires more no of isolated DC source. Therefore, a topology with fewer devices has always been necessary for greater efficiency and reliability. A new single-phase MLI topology has been introduced to minimize the required switch count in the circuit and increase output levels. With 3 dc voltage sources, 8 switches, and 13 levels at the output, this new single- phase MLI topology was developed. To demonstrate the proposed converter's superiority over the other MLI topologies currently in use, a thorough analysis of the proposed topology will be conducted.

Keywords: DC-AC converter, multi-level inverter (MLI), diodes, H-bridge inverter, switches

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Authors: Shila Khayambashi

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For the past few decades, Western researchers studied different youth issues, such as bullying, peer-aggression, depression, self-harm, and suicide, in a formulated and standardized manner. These researchers have grounded their studies upon a series of introduced characteristics and traits, which pragmatically defined the action of the individuals involved in these activities (Olweus, 1994). The phenomena of bullying and peer-aggression have touched the lives of many immigrant youths, as well. However, in the case of these immigrant young adults, the Police investigated, and later dismissed, the victims’ involvement in drugs and gangs’ activities, instead of questioning the possibility of the peer-aggression. This paper argues that neither government officials nor school personnel has ever investigated any cyber-documentation which would clarify these youth’s untimely deaths or search for any indication of peer-aggression at school. Through my ongoing research, I will problematize the Eurocentric definition of bullying and its limitations. I question the assumed universality of these definitions’ characteristics and their lack of minority representation. This research questions explicitly the positionality of the displaced youth within the promised multiculturality of Canada. I will ask: Does one size fit all, considering the bio-psycho-socio-economic differences between the Eastern and the Western worlds? More importantly, how does the epidemy of the communicative devices, like smartphones, and communicative apps, like Twitter and Snapchats, facilitate or hinder peer-aggression for the displaced youths?

Keywords: Bullying , Immigrant youths, Peer aggression, Minority population

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Authors: Andreas Aceranti, Guido Bighiani, Francesca Crotto, Marco Colorato, Stefania Zaghi, Marino Zanetti, Simonetta Vernocchi

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The management of eye parameters such as convergence, accommodation, and miosis is very complex; in fact, both the neurovegetative system and the complex Oculocephalgiria system come into play. We have found the effectiveness of the "highvelocity low amplitude" technique directed on C7-T1 (where the cilio-spinal nucleus of the budge is located) in improving the convergence parameter through the measurement of the point of maximum convergence. With this research, we set out to investigate whether the improvement obtained through the High Velocity Low Amplitude maneuver lasts over time, carrying out a pre-manipulation measurement, one immediately after manipulation and one month after manipulation. We took a population of 30 subjects with both refractive and non-refractive problems. Of the 30 patients tested, 27 gave a positive result after the High Velocity Low Amplitude maneuver, giving an improvement in the point of maximum convergence. After a month, we retested all 27 subjects: some further improved the result, others kept, and three subjects slightly lost the gain obtained. None of the re-tested patients returned to the point of maximum convergence starting pre-manipulation. This result opens the door to a multidisciplinary approach between ophthalmologists and osteopaths with the aim of addressing oculomotricity and convergence deficits that increasingly afflict our society due to the massive use of devices and for the conduct of life in closed and restricted environments.

Keywords: point of maximum convergence, HVLA, improvement in PPC, convergence

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Authors: Sadeq Al Yaari, Fayza Al Hammadi, Nassr Almaflehi, Ayman Al Yaari, Adham Al Yaari, Montaha Al Yaari, Aayah Al Yaari, Sajedah Al Yaari

Abstract:

Background: The language of EFL learners is of special interests to linguists. Little research has been tackled on issues concerning English Discourse Markers (EDMs) among Saudi EFL learners. Aims: Employing a corpus-based descriptive analysis, the current study attempts at detecting EDMs in the talk of Saudi EFL learners, their frequency, use, usage, etc., in comparison to other EFL learners as well as native speakers. Methods: Two hundreds Saudi EFL learners were randomly selected from 20 public and private schools (ten students from each school) across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Subjects were individually recorded while they were studying English in class. Recordings were then linguistically and statistically analyzed by the researchers. Conclusion: Results illustrate that EDMs “and”, “but” and “also” are the most frequent EDMs in the talk of Saudi EFL learners. These devices are randomly used by Saudi EFL learners who mix their use (appropriateness) with usage (correctedness) due to the influence of their L1 (Arabic). In compare to other EFL learners (native and non-native), Saudi EFL learners use less EDMs. These results confirmed the claims that EFL learners use EDMs less than native speakers. This paper, although preliminary in nature, can help arrive a better understanding of using EDMs by Saudi EFL learners. Further, it can also assist in getting appropriate insights into the way how these EDMs are used in Arab Gulf countries. The researchers decided to conduct an in-depth study into the use of EDMs in the oral work of Saudi EFL learners.

Keywords: English discourse markers, Saudi EFL learners, use, usage, frequency, native speakers

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Authors: Maedeh Gharazi

Abstract:

Adults with age 50 and older will include more than 70% of the diabetic populace by the year 2025. More established patients with diabetes are more inclined to have concurrent ceaseless conditions like hypertension, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular sickness that may affect their nutritious necessities. The issue of achievement and support of an ideal body weight in elderly diabetic persons may not be as direct as in other age gatherings, and the risk-benefit ratio may be diverse too. Albeit expanded predominance of overweight and weight in the elderly adds to insulin resistance and hyperglycemia, more seasoned tenants of long haul care offices who experience the ill effects of diabetes have a tendency to be underweight. Both may mean insufficient nutritional status and lead to expanded grimness and mortality. The attendant problems of appetite changes, palatability of food, dietary restrictions, loneliness, and depression may influence the sort and amount of food devoured by elderly persons. Organized screening devices may recognize nutrition related issues that warrant proof based mediations. Despite the fact that glucose control and health concerns are essential calculates diet change in the more established populace, different contemplations incorporate personal satisfaction and individual inclinations. Redoing of nutritious rules to the needs of the more seasoned diabetic patient bodes well.

Keywords: diabetes, nutritious necessities, insulin resistance, glucose control

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Authors: Riad Benelmir, Muhammad Shoaib Ahmed Khan

Abstract:

The socio-economic importance of the olive oil production is significant in the Mediterranean region, both in terms of wealth and tradition. However, the extraction of olive oil generates huge quantities of wastes that may have a great impact on land and water environment because of their high phytotoxicity. Especially olive mill wastewater (OMWW) is one of the major environmental pollutants in olive oil industry. This work projects to design a smart and sustainable integrated thermochemical catalytic processes of residues from olive mills by hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of olive mill wastewater (OMWW) and fast pyrolysis of olive mill wastewater sludge (OMWS). The byproducts resulting from OMWW-HTC treatment are a solid phase enriched in carbon, called biochar and a liquid phase (residual water with less dissolved organic and phenolic compounds). HTC biochar can be tested as a fuel in combustion systems and will also be utilized in high-value applications, such as soil bio-fertilizer and as catalyst or/and catalyst support. The HTC residual water is characterized, treated and used in soil irrigation since the organic and the toxic compounds will be reduced under the permitted limits. This project’s concept includes also the conversion of OMWS to a green diesel through a catalytic pyrolysis process. The green diesel is then used as biofuel in an internal combustion engine (IC-Engine) for automotive application to be used for clean transportation. In this work, a theoretical study is considered for the use of heat from the pyrolysis non-condensable gases in a sorption-refrigeration machine for pyrolysis gases cooling and condensation of bio-oil vapors.

Keywords: biomass, olive oil extraction, adsorption cooling, pyrolisis

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Authors: Dan Yan, Yunuo Zhang, Yuhan Huang, Weijie Ouyang

Abstract:

The cornea serves as a vital protective barrier for the eye; however, it is prone to injury and damage that can disrupt corneal epithelium and nerves, triggering inflammation. Therefore, understanding the biological effects and molecular mechanisms involved in corneal wound healing and identifying drugs targeting these pathways is crucial for researchers in this field. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of progranulin (PGRN) in treating corneal injuries. Our findings demonstrated that PGRN significantly enhanced corneal wound repair by accelerating corneal re-epithelialization and re-innervation. In vitro experiments with cultured epithelial cells and trigeminal ganglion cells further revealed that PGRN stimulated corneal epithelial cell proliferation and promoted axon growth in trigeminal ganglion cells. Through RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis and other experimental techniques, we discovered that PGRN exerted its healing effects by modulating the Wnt signaling pathway, which played a critical role in repairing epithelial cells and promoting axon regeneration in trigeminal neurons. Importantly, our study highlighted the anti-inflammatory properties of PGRN by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway, leading to decreased infiltration of macrophages. In conclusion, our findings underscored the potential of PGRN in facilitating corneal wound healing by promoting corneal epithelial cell proliferation, trigeminal ganglion cell axon regeneration, and suppressing ocular inflammation. These results suggest that PGRN could potentially expedite the healing process and improve visual outcomes in patients with corneal injuries.

Keywords: cornea, wound healing, progranulin, corneal epithelial cells, trigeminal ganglion cells

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Authors: Henrique Fernandes, Sofia Catalucci, Richard Leach, Kapil Sugand

Abstract:

Background: Holograms are 3D images formed by the interference of light beams from a laser or other coherent light source. Pepper’s ghost is a form of hologram conceptualised in the 18th century. This Holographic visualisation with metrology measuring techniques by displaying measurements taken in real-time in holographic form can assist in research and education. New structural designs such as the Plexiglass Stand and the Hologram Box can optimise the holographic experience. Method: The equipment used included: (i) Zeiss’s ATOS Core 300 optical coordinate measuring instrument that scanned real-world objects; (ii) Cloud Compare, open-source software used for point cloud processing; and (iii) Hologram Box, designed and manufactured during this research to provide the blackout environment needed to display 3D point clouds in real-time measurements in holographic format, in addition to a portability aspect to holograms. The equipment was tailored to realise the goal of displaying measurements in an innovative technique and to improve on conventional methods. Three test scans were completed before doing a holographic conversion. Results: The outcome was a precise recreation of the original object in the holographic form presented with dense point clouds and surface density features in a colour map. Conclusion: This work establishes a way to visualise data in a point cloud system. To our understanding, this is a work that has never been attempted. This achievement provides an advancement in holographic visualisation. The Hologram Box could be used as a feedback tool for measurement quality control and verification in future smart factories.

Keywords: holography, 3D scans, hologram box, metrology, point cloud

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