Search results for: space planning
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 6720

Search results for: space planning

3810 Random Subspace Ensemble of CMAC Classifiers

Authors: Somaiyeh Dehghan, Mohammad Reza Kheirkhahan Haghighi

Abstract:

The rapid growth of domains that have data with a large number of features, while the number of samples is limited has caused difficulty in constructing strong classifiers. To reduce the dimensionality of the feature space becomes an essential step in classification task. Random subspace method (or attribute bagging) is an ensemble classifier that consists of several classifiers that each base learner in ensemble has subset of features. In the present paper, we introduce Random Subspace Ensemble of CMAC neural network (RSE-CMAC), each of which has training with subset of features. Then we use this model for classification task. For evaluation performance of our model, we compare it with bagging algorithm on 36 UCI datasets. The results reveal that the new model has better performance.

Keywords: classification, random subspace, ensemble, CMAC neural network

Procedia PDF Downloads 327
3809 Through Hope and Struggle: The Meaning of the Gaisce Award for Youth in Irish Prisons

Authors: Silvia Gagliardi, Orlaith Rice

Abstract:

This article provides a qualitative evaluation of 'Gaisce - The President's Award' for youth in Irish prisons. Building on previous research on Gaisce, this article makes space for marginalized voices to provide their own feedback on the program they participate in while in custody. Both strengths and limitations in undertaking a positive youth development program in prison are identified and examined. More research with vulnerable and marginalized participants, such as youth in prison, is recommended as a way to further improve youth development programs and thus enhance the opportunities for self-development and psychological wellbeing for youth, including in custodial settings.

Keywords: Gaisce, president's award, youth development program, youth in custody, hope, psychological wellbeing, Ireland, qualitative research, covid-19

Procedia PDF Downloads 203
3808 The Twin Terminal of Pedestrian Trajectory Based on City Intelligent Model (CIM) 4.0

Authors: Chen Xi, Lao Xuerui, Li Junjie, Jiang Yike, Wang Hanwei, Zeng Zihao

Abstract:

To further promote the development of smart cities, the microscopic "nerve endings" of the City Intelligent Model (CIM) are extended to be more sensitive. In this paper, we develop a pedestrian trajectory twin terminal based on the CIM and CNN technology. It also uses 5G networks, architectural and geoinformatics technologies, convolutional neural networks, combined with deep learning networks for human behaviour recognition models, to provide empirical data such as 'pedestrian flow data and human behavioural characteristics data', and ultimately form spatial performance evaluation criteria and spatial performance warning systems, to make the empirical data accurate and intelligent for prediction and decision making.

Keywords: urban planning, urban governance, CIM, artificial intelligence, convolutional neural network

Procedia PDF Downloads 136
3807 Viability of On-Demand Transportation (ODT) in Oran Wilaya: Geomatics Study

Authors: Nadjet Brahmia

Abstract:

The growing needs of displacements led advanced countries in this field install new specific transport systems, able to palliate any deficiencies, especially when regular public transport does not adequately meet the requests of users. In this context, on-demand transportation (ODT) are very efficient; they rely on techniques based on the location of trip generators which should be assured effectively with the use of operators responsible of the advance reservation, planning and organization, and studying the different ODT criteria (organizational, technical, geographical, etc.). As the advanced countries in the field of transport, some developing countries are involved in the adaptation of the new technologies to reduce the deficit in their communication system. This communication presents the study of an ODT implementation in the west of Algeria, by developing the Geomatics side of the study. This part requires the use of specific systems (such as GIS, RDBMS…), so we developed the process through an application in an environment of mobility by using the computer tools dedicated to the management of the entities related to the transport field.

Keywords: ODT, geomatics, GIS, transport systems

Procedia PDF Downloads 554
3806 Energy Performance of Buildings Due to Downscaled Seasonal Models

Authors: Anastasia K. Eleftheriadou, Athanasios Sfetsos, Nikolaos Gounaris

Abstract:

The present work examines the suitability of a seasonal forecasting model downscaled with a very high spatial resolution in order to assess the energy performance and requirements of buildings. The application of the developed model is applied on Greece for a period and with a forecast horizon of 5 months in the future. Greece, as a country in the middle of a financial crisis and facing serious societal challenges, is also very sensitive to climate changes. The commonly used method for the correlation of climate change with the buildings energy consumption is the concept of Degree Days (DD). This method can be applied to heating and cooling systems for a better management of environmental, economic and energy crisis, and can be used as medium (3-6 months) planning tools in order to predict the building needs and country’s requirements for residential energy use.

Keywords: downscaled seasonal models, degree days, energy performance

Procedia PDF Downloads 447
3805 Practice of Mutual Squiggle Story Making as a Variant of Squiggle Method

Authors: Toshiki Ito

Abstract:

Mutual squiggle story making (MSSM ) is the development of Winnicott’s squiggle method in Japan. In the MSSM Method, a therapist has the client freely divide a piece of drawing paper into six spaces, and both the therapist and client do squiggle in each space. All six pictures finished, the therapist then asks the client to create a story using all the pictures. Making a story has the effect of reintegrating what is projected by consciousness. In this paper, the author presented a case with a junior high school girl using MSSM. And it is considered that the advantage of this technique is that (1) it enables non-verbal communication with children and adults who cannot express their feelings verbally. (2) Through this communication, the psychological content of the client and the characteristics of the client's mind can be understood, and (3) It can be said that mutual rapport is deepened by the supportive reaction of the therapist.

Keywords: MSSM, squiggle, Winnicott, drawing method

Procedia PDF Downloads 192
3804 Research on the Planning and Design of National Park Gateway Communities from the Perspective of Nature Education

Authors: Yulin Liang

Abstract:

Under the background of protecting ecology, natural education is an effective way for people to understand nature. At the same time, it is a new means of sustainable development of eco-tourism, which can improve the functions of China's protected areas and develop new business formats for the development of national parks. This study takes national park gateway communities as the research object and uses literature review, inductive reasoning and other research methods to sort out the development process of natural education in China and the research progress of natural education design in national park gateway communities. Finally, we discuss how gateway communities can use natural education to transform their development methods and provide a theoretical and practical basis for the development of gateway communities in national parks.

Keywords: natural education, gateway communities, national parks, sustainable development

Procedia PDF Downloads 60
3803 Mining Multicity Urban Data for Sustainable Population Relocation

Authors: Xu Du, Aparna S. Varde

Abstract:

In this research, we propose to conduct diagnostic and predictive analysis about the key factors and consequences of urban population relocation. To achieve this goal, urban simulation models extract the urban development trends as land use change patterns from a variety of data sources. The results are treated as part of urban big data with other information such as population change and economic conditions. Multiple data mining methods are deployed on this data to analyze nonlinear relationships between parameters. The result determines the driving force of population relocation with respect to urban sprawl and urban sustainability and their related parameters. Experiments so far reveal that data mining methods discover useful knowledge from the multicity urban data. This work sets the stage for developing a comprehensive urban simulation model for catering to specific questions by targeted users. It contributes towards achieving sustainability as a whole.

Keywords: data mining, environmental modeling, sustainability, urban planning

Procedia PDF Downloads 304
3802 A Semi-Analytical Method for Analysis of the Axially Symmetric Problem on Indentation of a Hot Circular Punch into an Arbitrarily Nonhomogeneous Halfspace

Authors: S. Aizikovich, L. Krenev, Y. Tokovyy, Y. C. Wang

Abstract:

An approximate analytical-numerical solution to the axisymmetric problem on thermo-mechanical indentation of a flat cylindrical punch into an arbitrarily non-homogeneous elastic half-space is constructed by making use of the bilateral asymptotic method. The key point of this method lies in evaluation of the ker¬nels in the obtained integral equations by making use of a numerical technique. Once the structure of the kernel is defined, it then is approximated by an analytical expression of special kind so that the solution of the integral equation can be achieved analytically. This fact allows for construction of the solution in an analytical form, which is convenient for analysis of the mechanical effects concerned with arbitrarily presumed non-homogeneity of the material.

Keywords: contact problem, circular punch, arbitrarily-nonhomogeneous halfspace

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3801 Structural, Electronic and Optical Properties of LiₓNa1-ₓH for Hydrogen Storage

Authors: B. Bahloul

Abstract:

This study investigates the structural, electronic, and optical properties of LiH and NaH compounds, as well as their ternary mixed crystals LiₓNa1-ₓH, adopting a face-centered cubic structure with space group Fm-3m (number 225). The structural and electronic characteristics are examined using density functional theory (DFT), while empirical methods, specifically the modified Moss relation, are employed for analyzing optical properties. The exchange-correlation potential is determined through the generalized gradient approximation (PBEsol-GGA) within the density functional theory (DFT) framework, utilizing the projected augmented wave pseudopotentials (PAW) approach. The Quantum Espresso code is employed for conducting these calculations. The calculated lattice parameters at equilibrium volume and the bulk modulus for x=0 and x=1 exhibit good agreement with existing literature data. Additionally, the LiₓNa1-ₓH alloys are identified as having a direct band gap.

Keywords: DFT, structural, electronic, optical properties

Procedia PDF Downloads 64
3800 Geospatial Modeling Framework for Enhancing Urban Roadway Intersection Safety

Authors: Neeti Nayak, Khalid Duri

Abstract:

Despite the many advances made in transportation planning, the number of injuries and fatalities in the United States which involve motorized vehicles near intersections remain largely unchanged year over year. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for 2018 indicates accidents involving motorized vehicles at traffic intersections accounted for 8,245 deaths and 914,811 injuries. Furthermore, collisions involving pedal cyclists killed 861 people (38% at intersections) and injured 46,295 (68% at intersections), while accidents involving pedestrians claimed 6,247 lives (25% at intersections) and injured 71,887 (56% at intersections)- the highest tallies registered in nearly 20 years. Some of the causes attributed to the rising number of accidents relate to increasing populations and the associated changes in land and traffic usage patterns, insufficient visibility conditions, and inadequate applications of traffic controls. Intersections that were initially designed with a particular land use pattern in mind may be rendered obsolete by subsequent developments. Many accidents involving pedestrians are accounted for by locations which should have been designed for safe crosswalks. Conventional solutions for evaluating intersection safety often require costly deployment of engineering surveys and analysis, which limit the capacity of resource-constrained administrations to satisfy their community’s needs for safe roadways adequately, effectively relegating mitigation efforts for high-risk areas to post-incident responses. This paper demonstrates how geospatial technology can identify high-risk locations and evaluate the viability of specific intersection management techniques. GIS is used to simulate relevant real-world conditions- the presence of traffic controls, zoning records, locations of interest for human activity, design speed of roadways, topographic details and immovable structures. The proposed methodology provides a low-cost mechanism for empowering urban planners to reduce the risks of accidents using 2-dimensional data representing multi-modal street networks, parcels, crosswalks and demographic information alongside 3-dimensional models of buildings, elevation, slope and aspect surfaces to evaluate visibility and lighting conditions and estimate probabilities for jaywalking and risks posed by blind or uncontrolled intersections. The proposed tools were developed using sample areas of Southern California, but the model will scale to other cities which conform to similar transportation standards given the availability of relevant GIS data.

Keywords: crosswalks, cyclist safety, geotechnology, GIS, intersection safety, pedestrian safety, roadway safety, transportation planning, urban design

Procedia PDF Downloads 108
3799 Biodiversity of the National Production through Companion Plants Analysis

Authors: Astrid Rivera, Diego Villatoro

Abstract:

The world population increases at an accelerated pace, and it is essential to find solutions to feed the population. Nevertheless, crop diversity has significantly decreased in the last years, and the increase in food production is not the optimal solution. It is essential to consider the origin of the food, the nutriment contributions, among other dimensions. In this regard, biodiversity plays an indispensable role when designing an effective strategy to face the actual food security problems. Consequently, the purpose of this work is to analyze biodiversity in the Mexican national food production and suggest a proper crop selection based on companion plants, for which empirical and experimental knowledge shows a better scenery than current efforts. As a result, we get a set of crop recommendations to increase production in sustainable and nutritive planning. It is essential to explore more feasible options to advance sustainable development goals beyond an economic aspect.

Keywords: biodiversity, food security, companion plats, nutrition

Procedia PDF Downloads 196
3798 Robust Speed Sensorless Control to Estimated Error for PMa-SynRM

Authors: Kyoung-Jin Joo, In-Gun Kim, Hyun-Seok Hong, Dong-Woo Kang, Ju Lee

Abstract:

Recently, the permanent magnet-assisted synchronous reluctance motor (PMa-SynRM) that can be substituted for the induction motor has been studying because of the needs of the development of the premium high efficiency motor for the minimum energy performance standard (MEPS). PMa-SynRM is required to the speed and position information for motor speed and torque controls. However, to apply the sensors has many problems that are sensor mounting space shortage and additional cost, etc. Therefore, in this paper, speed-sensorless control based on model reference adaptive system (MRAS) is introduced to eliminate the sensor. The sensorless method is constructed in a reference model as standard and an adaptive model as the state observer. The proposed algorithm is verified by the simulation.

Keywords: PMa-SynRM, sensorless control, robust estimation, MRAS method

Procedia PDF Downloads 398
3797 Accelerating the Uptake of Smart City Applications through Cloud Computing

Authors: Panagiotis Tsarchopoulos, Nicos Komninos, Christina Kakderi

Abstract:

Smart cities are high on the political agenda around the globe. However, planning smart cities and deploying applications dealing with the complex problems of the urban environment is a very challenging task that is difficult to be undertaken solely by the cities. We argue that the uptake of smart city strategies is facilitated, first, through the development of smart city application repositories allowing re-use of already developed and tested software, and, second, through cloud computing which disengages city authorities from any resource constraints, technical or financial, and has a higher impact and greater effect at the city level The combination of these two solutions allows city governments and municipalities to select and deploy a large number of applications dedicated to different city functions, which collectively could create a multiplier effect with a greater impact on the urban environment.

Keywords: smart cities, applications, cloud computing, migration to the cloud, application repositories

Procedia PDF Downloads 346
3796 A Study on Kinetic of Nitrous Oxide Catalytic Decomposition over CuO/HZSM-5

Authors: Y. J. Song, Q. S. Xu, X. C. Wang, H. Wang, C. Q. Li

Abstract:

The catalyst of copper oxide loaded on HZSM-5 was developed for nitrous oxide (N₂O) direct decomposition. The kinetic of nitrous oxide decomposition was studied for CuO/HZSM-5 catalyst prepared by incipient wetness impregnation method. The external and internal diffusion of catalytic reaction were considered in the investigation. Experiment results indicated that the external diffusion was basically eliminated when the reaction gas mixture gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) was higher than 9000h⁻¹ and the influence of the internal diffusion was negligible when the particle size of the catalyst CuO/HZSM-5 was small than 40-60 mesh. The experiment results showed that the kinetic of catalytic decomposition of N₂O was a first-order reaction and the activation energy and the pre-factor of the kinetic equation were 115.15kJ/mol and of 1.6×109, respectively.

Keywords: catalytic decomposition, CuO/HZSM-5, kinetic, nitrous oxide

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3795 Examining the Level of Career Maturity on Cultural Aspect among Undergraduate Foreign Students in A Public University in Malaysia

Authors: Mustafa Tekke, Nurullah Kurt

Abstract:

This study examined the level of career maturity of undergraduate foreign students in a public university in Malaysia by examining on cultural aspect by using the Career Maturity Inventory. Two hundred and twenty nine (Male = 106, Female = 123) foreign students studying in various majors completed the Career Maturity Inventory and the scores of the foreign students on the CMI suggested that they had slightly higher levels than the mean level of maturity in career. Result was also supported by testing the feeling about major, consideration of changing major and planning after graduation, which indicated that foreign students had their own career decision making. However, this result should be viewed with caution within ethnic difference.

Keywords: career maturity, foreign students, career decision making, feeling about major, knowledge about major

Procedia PDF Downloads 303
3794 Chemical Bath Deposition Technique (CBD) of Cds Used in Closed Space Sublimation (CSS) of CdTe Solar Cell

Authors: Zafar Mahmood, Fahimullah Babar, Surriyia Naz, Hafiz Ur Rehman

Abstract:

Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) was deposited on a Tec 15 glass substrate with the help of CBD (chemical bath deposition process) and then cadmium telluride CdTe was deposited on CdS with the help of CSS (closed spaced sublimation technique) for the construction of a solar cell. The thicknesses of all the deposited materials were measured with the help of Elipsometry. The IV graphs were drawn in order to observe the current voltage output. The efficiency of the cell was graphed with the fill factor as well (graphs not given here).The efficiency came out to be approximately 16.5 % and the CIGS (copper- indium –gallium- selenide) maximum efficiency is 20 %.The efficiency of a solar cell can further be enhanced by adapting quality materials, good experimental devices and proper procedures. The grain size was analyzed with the help of scanning electron microscope using RBS (Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy).

Keywords: CBD, CdS, CdTe, CSS

Procedia PDF Downloads 359
3793 Water Safety Strategies by Service: A Study of Implementation Studies

Authors: Prince Amartey

Abstract:

Water is critical to public health, quality of life, environmental preservation, economic activity, and long-term growth. In this environment, it is critical to ensure the ongoing improvement of all processes and practices that contribute to the quality and safety of water. Water safety plans (WSPs) developed by water companies are an essential public policy instrument for achieving these objectives. This manuscript examines international evidence of water safety planning adoption and implementation and reports on the current situation in Portugal as part of the necessary adaptation of the national legal framework to the publication of the Directive on water quality for human consumption. The goal is to take lessons from various successful WSP projects throughout the world while writing new legislation in Ghana and elsewhere. According to the findings, four crucial aspects and key factors of success in establishing and implementing WSPs exist commitment from leadership, technical proficiency, administration, and cooperation among agencies.

Keywords: safe drinking, risk, policy, implementation

Procedia PDF Downloads 82
3792 Self-Evaluation of the Foundation English Language Programme at the Center for Preparatory Studies Offered at the Sultan Qaboos University, Oman: Process and Findings

Authors: Meenalochana Inguva

Abstract:

The context: The Center for Preparatory study is one of the strongest and most vibrant academic teaching units of the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). The Foundation Programme English Language (FPEL) is part of a larger foundation programme which was implemented at SQU in fall 2010. The programme has been designed to prepare the students who have been accepted to study in the university in order to achieve the required educational goals (the learning outcomes) that have been designed according to Oman Academic Standards and published by the Omani Authority for Academic Accreditation (OAAA) for the English language component. The curriculum: At the CPS, the English language curriculum is based on the learning outcomes drafted for each level. These learning outcomes guide the students in meeting what is expected of them by the end of each level. These six levels are progressive in nature and are seen as a continuum. The study: A periodic evaluation of language programmes is necessary to improve the quality of the programmes and to meet the set goals of the programmes. An evaluation may be carried out internally or externally depending on the purpose and context. A self-study programme was initiated at the beginning of spring semester 2015 with a team comprising a total of 11 members who worked with-in the assigned course areas (level and programme specific). Only areas specific to FPEL have been included in the study. The study was divided into smaller tasks and members focused on their assigned courses. The self-study primarily focused on analyzing the programme LOs, curriculum planning, materials used and their relevance against the GFP exit standards. The review team also reflected on the assessment methods and procedures followed to reflect on student learning. The team has paid attention to having standard criteria for assessment and transparency in procedures. A special attention was paid to the staging of LOs across levels to determine students’ language and study skills ability to cope with higher level courses. Findings: The findings showed that most of the LOs are met through the materials used for teaching. Students score low on objective tests and high on subjective tests. Motivated students take advantage of academic support activities others do not utilize the student support activities to their advantage. Reading should get more hours. In listening, the format of the listening materials in CT 2 does not match the test format. Some of the course materials need revision. For e.g. APA citation, referencing etc. No specific time is allotted for teaching grammar Conclusion: The findings resulted in taking actions in bridging gaps. It will also help the center to be better prepared for the external review of its FPEL curriculum. It will also provide a useful base to prepare for the self-study portfolio for GFP standards assessment and future audit.

Keywords: curriculum planning, learning outcomes, reflections, self-evaluation

Procedia PDF Downloads 219
3791 Texture-Based Image Forensics from Video Frame

Authors: Li Zhou, Yanmei Fang

Abstract:

With current technology, images and videos can be obtained more easily than ever. It is so easy to manipulate these digital multimedia information when obtained, and that the content or source of the image and video could be easily tampered. In this paper, we propose to identify the image and video frame by the texture-based approach, e.g. Markov Transition Probability (MTP), which is in space domain, DCT domain and DWT domain, respectively. In the experiment, image and video frame database is constructed, and is used to train and test the classifier Support Vector Machine (SVM). Experiment results show that the texture-based approach has good performance. In order to verify the experiment result, and testify the universality and robustness of algorithm, we build a random testing dataset, the random testing result is in keeping with above experiment.

Keywords: multimedia forensics, video frame, LBP, MTP, SVM

Procedia PDF Downloads 422
3790 Foundation of the Information Model for Connected-Cars

Authors: Hae-Won Seo, Yong-Gu Lee

Abstract:

Recent progress in the next generation of automobile technology is geared towards incorporating information technology into cars. Collectively called smart cars are bringing intelligence to cars that provides comfort, convenience and safety. A branch of smart cars is connected-car system. The key concept in connected-cars is the sharing of driving information among cars through decentralized manner enabling collective intelligence. This paper proposes a foundation of the information model that is necessary to define the driving information for smart-cars. Road conditions are modeled through a unique data structure that unambiguously represent the time variant traffics in the streets. Additionally, the modeled data structure is exemplified in a navigational scenario and usage using UML. Optimal driving route searching is also discussed using the proposed data structure in a dynamically changing road conditions.

Keywords: connected-car, data modeling, route planning, navigation system

Procedia PDF Downloads 371
3789 The Effect of Iran's Internet Filtering on Active Digital Marketing Businesses

Authors: Maryam Sheikhzadeh Noshabadi

Abstract:

There is no doubt that the Internet has connected the entire world. As a result of this flexible environment, virtual businesses have grown in importance and become one of the most important types of businesses. Although many governments use the internet and have free access to it, some are not happy with the free space and wide accessibility. As a result of recent events and civil protests in Iran, the country's government leaders have decided to once again cut off and filter its free and global Internet. Several issues were impacted by this decision; this includes the lives of businesses that were formed in virtual spaces platform. In this study, we explored the definitive impact of the Internet in Iran in September 1401, using semi-structured interviews with 20 digital marketing activists. This group was discussed in detail in terms of their financial and psychological damages. As a result of these conditions, this group has experienced a crisis of livelihood.

Keywords: internet, Iran, filtering, digital marketing.

Procedia PDF Downloads 74
3788 3D Printing Technology in Housing Projects Construction

Authors: Mohammed F. Haddad, Mohammad A. Albenayyan

Abstract:

Realistically, 3-D printing as a technology has not yet reached the required maturity level to handle construction housing projects for citizens on a country scale. However, potentially, it has all of the required elements for addressing this issue. There are two main high-level elements of this technology that need to be capitalized on in order for the technology to reach its full potential, technical and logistical. This paper aims to cover how 3-D printing can be a viable technical solution for housing projects and describe the impact of 3-D printing technical features on the logistical aspects of completing a housing project. Additionally, a perspective about 3-D printing in Saudi Arabia will be presented in order to give the reader an idea of where the kingdom stands in the deployment of this technology. Finally, a glimpse will be given regarding the potential utilization of this technology for space applications.

Keywords: large-scale 3-D printing, additive manufacturing, D- shape, contour crafting

Procedia PDF Downloads 125
3787 Development of Polylactic Acid Insert with a Cinnamaldehyde-Betacyclodextrin Complex for Cape Gooseberry (Physalis Peruviana L.) Packed

Authors: Gómez S. Jennifer, Méndez V. Camila, Moncayo M. Diana, Vega M. Lizeth

Abstract:

The cape gooseberry is a climacteric fruit; Colombia is one of the principal exporters in the world. The environmental condition of temperature and relative moisture decreases the titratable acidity and pH. These conditions and fruit maturation result in the fungal proliferation of Botrytis cinerea disease. Plastic packaging for fresh cape gooseberries was used for mechanical damage protection but created a suitable atmosphere for fungal growth. Beta-cyclodextrins are currently implemented as coatings for the encapsulation of hydrophobic compounds, for example, with bioactive compounds from essential oils such as cinnamaldehyde, which has a high antimicrobial capacity. However, it is a volatile substance. In this article, the casting method was used to obtain a polylactic acid (PLA) polymer film containing the beta-cyclodextrin-cinnamaldehyde inclusion complex, generating an insert that allowed the controlled release of the antifungal substance in packed cape gooseberries to decrease contamination by Botrytis cinerea in a latent state during storage. For the encapsulation technique, three ratios for the cinnamaldehyde: beta-cyclodextrin inclusion complex were proposed: (25:75), (40:60), and (50:50). Spectrophotometry, colorimetry in L*a*b* coordinate space and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were made for the complex characterization. Subsequently, two ratios of tween and water (40:60) and (50:50) were used to obtain the polylactic acid (PLA) film. To determine mechanical and physical parameters of colourimetry in L*a*b* coordinate space, atomic force microscopy and stereoscopy were done to determine the transparency and flexibility of the film; for both cases, Statgraphics software was used to determine the best ratio in each of the proposed phases, where for encapsulation it was (50:50) with an encapsulation efficiency of 65,92%, and for casting the ratio (40:60) obtained greater transparency and flexibility that permitted its incorporation into the polymeric packaging. A liberation assay was also developed under ambient temperature conditions to evaluate the concentration of cinnamaldehyde inside the packaging through gas chromatography for three weeks. It was found that the insert had a controlled release. Nevertheless, a higher cinnamaldehyde concentration is needed to obtain the minimum inhibitory concentration for the fungus Botrytis cinerea (0.2g/L). The homogeneity of the cinnamaldehyde gas phase inside the packaging can be improved by considering other insert configurations. This development aims to impact emerging food preservation technologies with the controlled release of antifungals to reduce the affectation of the physico-chemical and sensory properties of the fruit as a result of contamination by microorganisms in the postharvest stage.

Keywords: antifungal, casting, encapsulation, postharvest

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3786 Information in Public Domain: How Far It Measures Government's Accountability

Authors: Sandip Mitra

Abstract:

Studies on Governance and Accountability has often stressed the need to release Data in public domain to increase transparency ,which otherwise act as an evidence of performance. However, inefficient handling, lack of capacity and the dynamics of transfers (especially fund transfers) are important issues which need appropriate attention. E-Governance alone can not serve as a measure of transparency as long as a comprehensive planning is instituted. Studies on Governance and public exposure has often triggered public opinion in favour or against any government. The root of the problem (especially in local governments) lies in the management of the governance. The participation of the people in the local government functioning, the networks within and outside the locality, synergy with various layers of Government are crucial in understanding the activities of any government. Unfortunately, data on such issues are not released in the public domain .If they are at all released , the extraction of information is often hindered for complicated designs. A Study has been undertaken with a few local Governments in India. The data has been analysed to substantiate the views.

Keywords: accountability, e-governance, transparency, local government

Procedia PDF Downloads 429
3785 Investigating Seasonal Changes of Urban Land Cover with High Spatio-Temporal Resolution Satellite Data via Image Fusion

Authors: Hantian Wu, Bo Huang, Yuan Zeng

Abstract:

Divisions between wealthy and poor, private and public landscapes are propagated by the increasing economic inequality of cities. While these are the spatial reflections of larger social issues and problems, urban design can at least employ spatial techniques that promote more inclusive rather than exclusive, overlapping rather than segregated, interlinked rather than disconnected landscapes. Indeed, the type of edge or border between urban landscapes plays a critical role in the way the environment is perceived. China experiences rapid urbanization, which poses unpredictable environmental challenges. The urban green cover and water body are under changes, which highly relevant to resident wealth and happiness. However, very limited knowledge and data on their rapid changes are available. In this regard, enhancing the monitoring of urban landscape with high-frequency method, evaluating and estimating the impacts of the urban landscape changes, and understating the driving forces of urban landscape changes can be a significant contribution for urban planning and studying. High-resolution remote sensing data has been widely applied to urban management in China. The map of urban land use map for the entire China of 2018 with 10 meters resolution has been published. However, this research focuses on the large-scale and high-resolution remote sensing land use but does not precisely focus on the seasonal change of urban covers. High-resolution remote sensing data has a long-operation cycle (e.g., Landsat 8 required 16 days for the same location), which is unable to satisfy the requirement of monitoring urban-landscape changes. On the other hand, aerial-remote or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sensing are limited by the aviation-regulation and cost was hardly widely applied in the mega-cities. Moreover, those data are limited by the climate and weather conditions (e.g., cloud, fog), and those problems make capturing spatial and temporal dynamics is always a challenge for the remote sensing community. Particularly, during the rainy season, no data are available even for Sentinel Satellite data with 5 days interval. Many natural events and/or human activities drive the changes of urban covers. In this case, enhancing the monitoring of urban landscape with high-frequency method, evaluating and estimating the impacts of the urban landscape changes, and understanding the mechanism of urban landscape changes can be a significant contribution for urban planning and studying. This project aims to use the high spatiotemporal fusion of remote sensing data to create short-cycle, high-resolution remote sensing data sets for exploring the high-frequently urban cover changes. This research will enhance the long-term monitoring applicability of high spatiotemporal fusion of remote sensing data for the urban landscape for optimizing the urban management of landscape border to promoting the inclusive of the urban landscape to all communities.

Keywords: urban land cover changes, remote sensing, high spatiotemporal fusion, urban management

Procedia PDF Downloads 123
3784 Required SNR for PPM in Downlink Gamma-Gamma Turbulence Channel

Authors: Selami Şahin

Abstract:

In this paper, in order to achieve sufficient bit error rate (BER) according to zenith angle of the satellite to ground station, SNR requirement is investigated utilizing pulse position modulation (PPM). To realize explicit results, all parameters such as link distance, Rytov variance, scintillation index, wavelength, aperture diameter of the receiver, Fried's parameter and zenith angle have been taken into account. Results indicate that after some parameters are determined since the constraints of the system, to achieve desired BER, required SNR values are in wide range while zenith angle changes from small to large values. Therefore, in order not to utilize high link margin, either SNR should adjust according to zenith angle or link should establish with predetermined intervals of the zenith angle.

Keywords: Free-space optical communication, optical downlink channel, atmospheric turbulence, wireless optical communication

Procedia PDF Downloads 394
3783 Optimization of FGM Sandwich Beams Using Imperialist Competitive Algorithm

Authors: Saeed Kamarian, Mahmoud Shakeri

Abstract:

Sandwich structures are used in a variety of engineering applications including aircraft, construction and transportation where strong, stiff and light structures are required. In this paper, frequency maximization of Functionally Graded Sandwich (FGS) beams resting on Pasternak foundations is investigated. A generalized power-law distribution with four parameters is considered for material distribution through the thicknesses of face layers. Since the search space is large, the optimization processes becomes so complicated and too much time consuming. Thus a novel meta–heuristic called Imperialist Competitive Algorithm (ICA) which is a socio-politically motivated global search strategy is implemented to improve the speed of optimization process. Results show the success of applying ICA for engineering problems especially for design optimization of FGM sandwich beams.

Keywords: sandwich beam, functionally graded materials, optimization, imperialist competitive algorithm

Procedia PDF Downloads 560
3782 Efficient Subgoal Discovery for Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning Using Local Computations

Authors: Adrian Millea

Abstract:

In hierarchical reinforcement learning, one of the main issues encountered is the discovery of subgoal states or options (which are policies reaching subgoal states) by partitioning the environment in a meaningful way. This partitioning usually requires an expensive global clustering operation or eigendecomposition of the Laplacian of the states graph. We propose a local solution to this issue, much more efficient than algorithms using global information, which successfully discovers subgoal states by computing a simple function, which we call heterogeneity for each state as a function of its neighbors. Moreover, we construct a value function using the difference in heterogeneity from one step to the next, as reward, such that we are able to explore the state space much more efficiently than say epsilon-greedy. The same principle can then be applied to higher level of the hierarchy, where now states are subgoals discovered at the level below.

Keywords: exploration, hierarchical reinforcement learning, locality, options, value functions

Procedia PDF Downloads 169
3781 An Automatic Feature Extraction Technique for 2D Punch Shapes

Authors: Awais Ahmad Khan, Emad Abouel Nasr, H. M. A. Hussein, Abdulrahman Al-Ahmari

Abstract:

Sheet-metal parts have been widely applied in electronics, communication and mechanical industries in recent decades; but the advancement in sheet-metal part design and manufacturing is still behind in comparison with the increasing importance of sheet-metal parts in modern industry. This paper presents a methodology for automatic extraction of some common 2D internal sheet metal features. The features used in this study are taken from Unipunch ™ catalogue. The extraction process starts with the data extraction from STEP file using an object oriented approach and with the application of suitable algorithms and rules, all features contained in the catalogue are automatically extracted. Since the extracted features include geometry and engineering information, they will be effective for downstream application such as feature rebuilding and process planning.

Keywords: feature extraction, internal features, punch shapes, sheet metal

Procedia PDF Downloads 609