Search results for: work risk
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 5141

Search results for: work risk

3281 Contamination of Organochlorine Pesticides in Nest Soil, Egg, and Blood of the Snail-eating Turtle (Malayemys macrocephala) from the Chao Phraya River Basin, Thailand

Authors: Sarun Keithmaleesatti, Pakorn Varanusupakul, Wattasit Siriwong, Kumthorn Thirakhupt, Mark Robson, Noppadon Kitana

Abstract:

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are known to be persistent and bioaccumulative toxicants that may cause reproductive impairments in wildlife as well as human. The current study uses the snail-eating turtle Malayemys macrocephala, a long-lived animal commonly distribute in rice field habitat in central part of Thailand, as a sentinel to monitor OCP contamination in environment. The nest soil, complete clutch of eggs, and blood of the turtle were collected from agricultural areas in the Chao Phraya River Basin, Thailand during the nesting season of 2007-2008. The novel methods for tissue extraction by an accelerated solvent extractor (ASE, for egg) and liquid-liquid extraction (for blood) have been developed. The nineteen OCP residues were analyzed by gas chromatography with micro-electron captured detector (GC-μECD). The validated methods have met requirements of the AOAC standard. The results indicated that significant amounts of OCPs are still contaminated in nest soil and eggs of the turtle even though the OCPs had been banned in this area for many years. This suggested the potential risk to health of wildlife as well as human in the area.

Keywords: Gas chromatography, persistent organic pollutants, rice field, sentinel species.

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3280 Enhancing Seamless Communication Through a user Co-designed Wearable Device

Authors: A. Marcengo, A. Rapp, E. Guercio

Abstract:

This work aims to describe the process of developing services and applications of seamless communication within a Telecom Italia long-term research project, which takes as central aim the design of a wearable communication device. In particular, the objective was to design a wrist phone integrated into everyday life of people in full transparency. The methodology used to design the wristwatch was developed through several subsequent steps also involving the Personas Layering Framework. The data collected in this phases have been very useful for designing an improved version of the first two concepts of wrist phone going to change aspects related to the four critical points expressed by the users.

Keywords: Design, Interaction, User Centred Design, Wristphone.

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3279 Numerical Analysis of the SIR-SI Differential Equations with Application to Dengue Disease Mapping in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Authors: N. A. Samat, D. F. Percy

Abstract:

The main aim of this study is to describe and introduce a method of numerical analysis in obtaining approximate solutions for the SIR-SI differential equations (susceptible-infectiverecovered for human populations; susceptible-infective for vector populations) that represent a model for dengue disease transmission. Firstly, we describe the ordinary differential equations for the SIR-SI disease transmission models. Then, we introduce the numerical analysis of solutions of this continuous time, discrete space SIR-SI model by simplifying the continuous time scale to a densely populated, discrete time scale. This is followed by the application of this numerical analysis of solutions of the SIR-SI differential equations to the estimation of relative risk using continuous time, discrete space dengue data of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Finally, we present the results of the analysis, comparing and displaying the results in graphs, table and maps. Results of the numerical analysis of solutions that we implemented offers a useful and potentially superior model for estimating relative risks based on continuous time, discrete space data for vector borne infectious diseases specifically for dengue disease. 

Keywords: Dengue disease, disease mapping, numerical analysis, SIR-SI differential equations.

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3278 Characteristics of Turbulent Round Jets in its Potential-Core Region

Authors: S. Sivakumar, Ravikiran Sangras, Vasudevan Raghavan

Abstract:

In this work, stationary hot-wire measurements are carried out to investigate the characteristics of a round free jet in its potential core region (0 ≤ x/d ≤ 10). Measurements are carried out on an incompressible round jet for a range of Reynolds numbers from 4000 to 8000, calculated based on the jet exit mean velocity and the nozzle diameter. The effect of flow velocity on the development characteristics of the jet in the core region is analyzed. Timeaveraged statistics, spectra of velocity and its higher order moments are presented and explained.

Keywords: Contoured nozzle, hot-wire anemometer, Reynolds number, velocity fluctuations, velocity spectra.

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3277 Extended Minimal Controller Synthesis for Voltage-Fed Induction Motor Based on the Hyperstability Theory

Authors: A. Ramdane, F.Naceri, S. Ramdane

Abstract:

in this work, we present a new strategy of direct adaptive control denoted: Extended minimal controller synthesis (EMCS). This algorithm is designed for an induction motor, which includes both electrical and mechanical dynamics under the assumptions of linear magnetic circuits. The main motivation of the EMCS control is to enhance the robustness of the MRAC algorithms, i.e. the rejection of bounded effects of rapidly varying external disturbances.

Keywords: Adaptive Control, Simple model reference adaptive control (SMRAC), Extended Minimal Controller synthesis (EMCS), Induction Motor (IM)

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3276 Contingent Presences in Architecture: Vitruvian Theory as a Beginning

Authors: Zelal Çinar

Abstract:

This paper claims that architecture is a contingent discipline, despite the fact that its contingency has long been denied through a retreat to Vitruvian writing. It is evident that contingency is rejected not only by architecture but also by modernity as a whole. Vitruvius attempted to cover the entire field of architecture in a systematic form in order to bring the whole body of this great discipline to a complete order. The legacy of his theory hitherto lasted not only that it is the only major work on the architecture of Classical Antiquity to have survived, but also that its conformity with the project of modernity. In the scope of the paper, it will be argued that contingency should be taken into account rather than avoided as a potential threat. 

Keywords: Architecture, contingency, modernity, Vitruvius.

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3275 Comparison of Different Types of Sources of Traffic Using SFQ Scheduling Discipline

Authors: Alejandro Gomez Suarez, H. Srikanth Kamath

Abstract:

In this paper, SFQ (Start Time Fair Queuing) algorithm is analyzed when this is applied in computer networks to know what kind of behavior the traffic in the net has when different data sources are managed by the scheduler. Using the NS2 software the computer networks were simulated to be able to get the graphs showing the performance of the scheduler. Different traffic sources were introduced in the scripts, trying to establish the real scenario. Finally the results were that depending on the data source, the traffic can be affected in different levels, when Constant Bite Rate is applied, the scheduler ensures a constant level of data sent and received, but the truth is that in the real life it is impossible to ensure a level that resists the changes in work load.

Keywords: Cbq, Cbr, Nam, Ns2.

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3274 Ethnobotanical Survey of Vegetable Plants Traditionally Used in Kalasin Thailand

Authors: Aree Thongpukdee, Chockpisit Thepsithar, Chuthalak Thammaso

Abstract:

Use of plants grown in local area for edible has a long tradition in different culture. The indigenous knowledge such as usage of plants as vegetables by local people is risk to disappear when no records are done. In order to conserve and transfer this valuable heritage to the new generation, ethnobotanical study should be investigated and documented. The survey of vegetable plants traditionally used was carried out in the year 2012. Information was accumulated via questionnaires and oral interviewing from 100 people living in 36 villages of 9 districts in Amphoe Huai Mek, Kalasin, Thailand. Local plant names, utilized parts and preparation methods of the plants were recorded. Each mentioned plant species were collected and voucher specimens were prepared. A total of 55 vegetable plant species belonging to 34 families and 54 genera were identified. The plant habits were tree, shrub, herb, climber, and shrubby fern at 21.82%, 18.18%, 38.18%, 20.00% and 1.82% respectively. The most encountered vegetable plant families were Leguminosae (20%), Cucurbitaceae (7.27%), Apiaceae (5.45%), whereas families with 3.64% uses were Araceae, Bignoniaceae, Lamiaceae, Passifloraceae, Piperaceae and Solanaceae. The most common consumptions were fresh or brief boiled young shoot or young leaf as side dishes of ‘jaeo, laab, namprik, pon’ or curries. Most locally known vegetables included 45% of the studied plants which grow along road side, backyard garden, hedgerow, open forest and rice field.

Keywords: Ethnobotanical survey, Thailand, vegetable plants.

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3273 Development of a Kinetic Model for the Photodegradation of 4-Chlorophenol using a XeBr Excilamp

Authors: M. Gomez, M. D. Murcia, E. Gomez, J. L. Gomez, N. Christofi

Abstract:

Excilamps are new UV sources with great potential for application in wastewater treatment. In the present work, a XeBr excilamp emitting radiation at 283 nm has been used for the photodegradation of 4-chlorophenol within a range of concentrations from 50 to 500 mg L-1. Total removal of 4-chlorophenol was achieved for all concentrations assayed. The two main photoproduct intermediates formed along the photodegradation process, benzoquinone and hydroquinone, although not being completely removed, remain at very low residual concentrations. Such concentrations are insignificant compared to the 4-chlorophenol initial ones and non-toxic. In order to simulate the process and scaleup, a kinetic model has been developed and validated from the experimental data.

Keywords: 4-chlorophenol, excilamps, kinetic model, photodegradation.

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3272 Flow Regime Characterization in a Diseased Artery Model

Authors: Anis S. Shuib, Peter R. Hoskins, William J. Easson

Abstract:

Cardiovascular disease mostly in the form of atherosclerosis is responsible for 30% of all world deaths amounting to 17 million people per year. Atherosclerosis is due to the formation of plaque. The fatty plaque may be at risk of rupture, leading typically to stroke and heart attack. The plaque is usually associated with a high degree of lumen reduction, called a stenosis. The initiation and progression of the disease is strongly linked to the hemodynamic environment near the vessel wall. The aim of this study is to validate the flow of blood mimic through an arterial stenosis model with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package. In experiment, an axisymmetric model constructed consists of contraction and expansion region that follow a mathematical form of cosine function. A 30% diameter reduction was used in this study. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to characterize the flow. The fluid consists of rigid spherical particles suspended in waterglycerol- NaCl mixture. The particles with 20 μm diameter were selected to follow the flow of fluid. The flow at Re=155, 270 and 390 were investigated. The experimental result is compared with FLUENT simulated flow that account for viscous laminar flow model. The results suggest that laminar flow model was sufficient to predict flow velocity at the inlet but the velocity at stenosis throat at Re =390 was overestimated. Hence, a transition to turbulent regime might have been developed at throat region as the flow rate increases.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Particle-laden flow, Particle imagevelocimetry, Stenosis artery

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3271 Design of Auto Exposure Unit Based On 2-Way Histogram Equalization

Authors: Junghwan Choi, Seongsoo Lee

Abstract:

Histogram equalization is often used in image enhancement, but it can be also used in auto exposure. However, conventional histogram equalization does not work well when many pixels are concentrated in a narrow luminance range.This paper proposes an auto exposure method based on 2-way histogram equalization. Two cumulative distribution functions are used, where one is from dark to bright and the other is from bright to dark. In this paper, the proposed auto exposure method is also designed and implemented for image signal processors with full-HD images.

Keywords: Histogram equalization, Auto exposure, Image signal processor, Low-cost, Full HD Video.

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3270 Design of Low Noise Amplifiers for 10 GHz Application

Authors: Makesh Iyer, T. Shanmuganantham

Abstract:

This work deals with the designing of an efficient low noise amplifier for 10.00 GHz applications. The amplifier is designed using Gallium Arsenide High Electron Mobility Transistor (GaAs HEMT) ATF – 36077 with inductive source degeneration technique which is one of the techniques to improve the stability of the potentially unstable device and make it unconditionally stable. Also, different substrates are used for designing the LNA to identify the suitable substrate that gives optimum results. It is observed that the noise immunity is more in Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) designed using RT Duroid 5880 substrate. This design resulted in noise figure of 0.859 dB and power gain of 15.530 dB. The comparative analysis of the LNA design is discussed in this paper.

Keywords: Low noise amplifier, substrate, distributed components, gain, noise figure.

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3269 2-D Realization of WiMAX Channel Interleaver for Efficient Hardware Implementation

Authors: Rizwan Asghar, Dake Liu

Abstract:

The direct implementation of interleaver functions in WiMAX is not hardware efficient due to presence of complex functions. Also the conventional method i.e. using memories for storing the permutation tables is silicon consuming. This work presents a 2-D transformation for WiMAX channel interleaver functions which reduces the overall hardware complexity to compute the interleaver addresses on the fly. A fully reconfigurable architecture for address generation in WiMAX channel interleaver is presented, which consume 1.1 k-gates in total. It can be configured for any block size and any modulation scheme in WiMAX. The presented architecture can run at a frequency of 200 MHz, thus fully supporting high bandwidth requirements for WiMAX.

Keywords: Interleaver, deinterleaver, WiMAX, 802.16e.

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3268 A Systematic Approach for Finding Hamiltonian Cycles with a Prescribed Edge in Crossed Cubes

Authors: Jheng-Cheng Chen, Chia-Jui Lai, Chang-Hsiung Tsai,

Abstract:

The crossed cube is one of the most notable variations of hypercube, but some properties of the former are superior to those of the latter. For example, the diameter of the crossed cube is almost the half of that of the hypercube. In this paper, we focus on the problem embedding a Hamiltonian cycle through an arbitrary given edge in the crossed cube. We give necessary and sufficient condition for determining whether a given permutation with n elements over Zn generates a Hamiltonian cycle pattern of the crossed cube. Moreover, we obtain a lower bound for the number of different Hamiltonian cycles passing through a given edge in an n-dimensional crossed cube. Our work extends some recently obtained results.

Keywords: Interconnection network, Hamiltonian, crossed cubes, prescribed edge.

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3267 Utilizing 5G Mobile Connection as a Node in Layer 1 Proof of Authority Blockchain Used for Microtransaction

Authors: Frode van der Laak

Abstract:

The paper contributes to the feasibility of using a 5G mobile connection as a node for a Proof of Authority (PoA) blockchain, which is used for microtransactions at the same time. It uses the phone number identity of the users that are linked to the crypto wallet address. It also proposed a consensus protocol based on PoA blockchain; PoA is a permission blockchain where consensus is achieved through a set of designated authority rather than through mining, as is the case with a Proof of Work (PoW) blockchain. This report will first explain the concept of a PoA blockchain and how it works. It will then discuss the potential benefits and challenges of using a 5G mobile connection as a node in such a blockchain, and finally, the main open problem statement and proposed solutions with the requirements.

Keywords: 5G, mobile, connection, node, PoA, blockchain, microtransaction.

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3266 Achieving Implementable Nature-Based Solutions While Reshaping Architectural Education: A Case Study of URBiNAT and BUILD Solutions

Authors: C. Farinea, A. Conserva, F. Demeur

Abstract:

Nature has often been something humans have fought against. However, with the changing climate and urban challenges such as air pollution and food shortages, to name but a few, it has never been more crucial to work with nature to find solutions that can help us to adapt to the current planetary situation and mitigate the challenges that we will continue to face in the future. Nature-based solutions (NBS) have been gaining ground as one strategy that can help to create more sustainable solutions for our planet and simultaneously, provide several ecosystem services. As designers, there are a lot of insights that can be extracted and gained from nature. However, nature is a complex and sometimes difficult to predict system and its implementation in cities requires a multidisciplinary knowledge. To keep up with the solutions and prepare the future generations of architects and designers with the skills to be able to implement NBS, educational systems also have to adapt with the times. Architecture is no longer solely about drawing buildings with beautiful forms. It is no longer discipline bound. With the input from different disciplines, the implementation of NBS can be significantly more successful. Transdisciplinary strategies can encourage architects and designers to think beyond their discipline, and ensure the success and realization of the NBS. The paper will demonstrate how transdisciplinary teaching methodologies, including also taking part in participatory processes with experts intended as gathering local knowledge, can be implemented with architectural master students to achieve implementable NBS. Through two projects co-funded by the European Union, strategies such as participatory co-design and transdisciplinary start-ups were implemented into seminars that focused on the development of NBS with a transdisciplinary approach. Within the “Design with Living Systems” seminar, students took part in participatory co-design strategies with experts to design solutions that will be implemented in Porto as part of a healthy corridor, and that respond to the needs of the users and site. On the other hand, within the “Design for Living Systems” seminar, the transdisciplinary start-up approach created start-ups with students of architecture, business and biology focusing on identifying a problem and designing a NBS as a product. Both seminars proved to be successful in achieving implementable NBS through strategies of transdisciplinary education and gave the students the skill sets to be able to work with nature in their future careers.

Keywords: Architectural higher education, digital fabrication, nature-based solutions, transdisciplinary approaches.

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3265 Research of the Main Indexes of Freshness Anchovy (Engraulis engrasicolus Linnaeus, 1758) and Sardines (Sardina pilchardus Walbaum 1792) of Mediterranean

Authors: G.R.A. Alberio, D. Scalone, G. Spagna

Abstract:

Anchovy (Engraulis Encrasicholus) and sardine (Sardina Pilchardus) are blue fishes linked to our alimentary tradition of Mediterranean. In our work, particularly, we tested for the first time physical and enzymatic methods to verify the freshness of species of blue fish, anchovy and sardine of Mediterranean. In connection with to the lowering of the pH after post-mortem stage we assisted to a increase in proteolytic activity of calpaine and catpsine. Already after 2 h in post-mortem there was a significant increase.

Keywords: Engraulis encrasicholus, Sardina pilchardus, freshness, index rigor.

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3264 A Comparative Study into Observer based Fault Detection and Diagnosis in DC Motors: Part-I

Authors: Padmakumar S., Vivek Agarwal, Kallol Roy

Abstract:

A model based fault detection and diagnosis technique for DC motor is proposed in this paper. Fault detection using Kalman filter and its different variants are compared. Only incipient faults are considered for the study. The Kalman Filter iterations and all the related computations required for fault detection and fault confirmation are presented. A second order linear state space model of DC motor is used for this work. A comparative assessment of the estimates computed from four different observers and their relative performance is evaluated.

Keywords: DC motor model, Fault detection and diagnosis Kalman Filter, Unscented Kalman Filter

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3263 Relationship between Personality Traits and Postural Stability among Czech Military Combat Troops

Authors: K. Rusnakova, D. Gerych, M. Stehlik

Abstract:

Postural stability is a complex process involving actions of biomechanical, motor, sensory and central nervous system components. Numerous joint systems, muscles involved, the complexity of sporting movements and situations require perfect coordination of the body's movement patterns. To adapt to a constantly changing situation in such a dynamic environment as physical performance, optimal input of information from visual, vestibular and somatosensory sensors are needed. Combat soldiers are required to perform physically and mentally demanding tasks in adverse conditions, and poor postural stability has been identified as a risk factor for lower extremity musculoskeletal injury. The aim of this study is to investigate whether some personality traits are related to the performance of static postural stability among soldiers of combat troops. NEO personality inventory (NEO-PI-R) was used to identify personality traits and the Nintendo Wii Balance Board was used to assess static postural stability of soldiers. Postural stability performance was assessed by changes in center of pressure (CoP) and center of gravity (CoG). A posturographic test was performed for 60 s with eyes opened during quiet upright standing. The results showed that facets of neuroticism and conscientiousness personality traits were significantly correlated with measured parameters of CoP and CoG. This study can help for better understanding the relationship between personality traits and static postural stability. The results can be used to optimize the training process at the individual level.

Keywords: Neuroticism, conscientiousness, postural stability, combat troops.

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3262 Detecting the Edge of Multiple Images in Parallel

Authors: Prakash K. Aithal, U. Dinesh Acharya, Rajesh Gopakumar

Abstract:

Edge is variation of brightness in an image. Edge detection is useful in many application areas such as finding forests, rivers from a satellite image, detecting broken bone in a medical image etc. The paper discusses about finding edge of multiple aerial images in parallel. The proposed work tested on 38 images 37 colored and one monochrome image. The time taken to process N images in parallel is equivalent to time taken to process 1 image in sequential. Message Passing Interface (MPI) and Open Computing Language (OpenCL) is used to achieve task and pixel level parallelism respectively.

Keywords: Edge detection, multicore, GPU, openCL, MPI.

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3261 Combined Simulated Annealing and Genetic Algorithm to Solve Optimization Problems

Authors: Younis R. Elhaddad

Abstract:

Combinatorial optimization problems arise in many scientific and practical applications. Therefore many researchers try to find or improve different methods to solve these problems with high quality results and in less time. Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Simulated Annealing (SA) have been used to solve optimization problems. Both GA and SA search a solution space throughout a sequence of iterative states. However, there are also significant differences between them. The GA mechanism is parallel on a set of solutions and exchanges information using the crossover operation. SA works on a single solution at a time. In this work SA and GA are combined using new technique in order to overcome the disadvantages' of both algorithms.

Keywords: Genetic Algorithm, Optimization problems, Simulated Annealing, Traveling Salesman Problem

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3260 Inclusive Housing in Australia – A Voluntary Response

Authors: M. Ward, J. Franz, B. Adkins

Abstract:

The lack of inclusive housing in Australia contributes to the marginalization and exclusion of people with disability and older people from family and community life. The Australian government has handed over the responsibility of increasing the supply of inclusive housing to the housing industry through an agreed national access standard and a voluntary strategy. Voluntary strategies have not been successful in other constituencies and little is known about what would work in Australia today. Findings from a research project into the voluntariness of the housing industry indicate that a reliable and consistent supply is unlikely without an equivalent increase in demand. The strategy has, however, an important role to play in the task of changing housing industry practices towards building more inclusive communities.

Keywords: Australia, housing, inclusion, voluntary, industry

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3259 Identification of Seat Belt Wearing Compliance Associate Factors in Malaysia: Evidence-based Approach

Authors: L. Fauziana, M. F. Siti Atiqah, Z. A. Ahmad Noor Syukri

Abstract:

The aim of the study was to identify seat belt wearing factor among road users in Malaysia. Evidence-based approach through in-depth crash investigation was utilised to determine the intended objectives. The objective was scoped into crashes investigated by Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) involving passenger vehicles within 2007 and 2010. Crash information of a total of 99 crash cases involving 240 vehicles and 864 occupants were obtained during the study period. Statistical test and logistic regression analysis have been performed. Results of the analysis revealed that gender, seat position and age were associated with seat belt wearing compliance in Malaysia. Males are 97.6% more likely to wear seat belt compared to females (95% CI 1.317 to 2.964). By seat position, the finding indicates that frontal occupants were 82 times more likely to be wearing seat belt (95% CI 30.199 to 225.342) as compared to rear occupants. It is also important to note that the odds of seat belt wearing increased by about 2.64% (95% CI 1.0176 to 1.0353) for every one year increase in age. This study is essential in understanding the Malaysian tendency in belting up while being occupied in a vehicle. The factors highlighted in this study should be emphasized in road safety education in order to increase seat belt wearing rate in this country and ultimately in preventing deaths due to road crashes.

Keywords: crash investigation, risk compensation, road safety, seat belt wearing, statistical analysis.

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3258 A Real-Time Simulation Environment for Avionics Software Development and Qualification

Authors: U. Tancredi, D. Accardo, M. Grassi, G. Fasano, A. E. Tirri, A. Vitale, N. Genito, F. Montemari, L. Garbarino

Abstract:

The development of guidance, navigation and control algorithms and avionic procedures requires the disposability of suitable analysis and verification tools, such as simulation environments, which support the design process and allow detecting potential problems prior to the flight test, in order to make new technologies available at reduced cost, time and risk. This paper presents a simulation environment for avionic software development and qualification, especially aimed at equipment for general aviation aircrafts and unmanned aerial systems. The simulation environment includes models for short and medium-range radio-navigation aids, flight assistance systems, and ground control stations. All the software modules are able to simulate the modeled systems both in fast-time and real-time tests, and were implemented following component oriented modeling techniques and requirement based approach. The paper describes the specific models features, the architectures of the implemented software systems and its validation process. Performed validation tests highlighted the capability of the simulation environment to guarantee in real-time the required functionalities and performance of the simulated avionics systems, as well as to reproduce the interaction between these systems, thus permitting a realistic and reliable simulation of a complete mission scenario.

Keywords: ADS-B, avionics, NAVAIDs, real time simulation, TCAS, UAS ground control station.

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3257 On the Operation Mechanism and Device Modeling of AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs)

Authors: Li Yuan, Weizhu Wang, Kean Boon Lee, Haifeng Sun, Susai Lawrence Selvaraj, Shane Todd, Guo-Qiang Lo

Abstract:

In this work, the physical based device model of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) has been established and the corresponding device operation behavior has been investigated also by using Sentaurus TCAD from Synopsys. Advanced AlGaN/GaN hetero-structures with GaN cap layer and AlN spacer have been considered and the GaN cap layer and AlN spacer are found taking important roles on the gate leakage blocking and off-state breakdown voltage enhancement.

Keywords: AlGaN/GaN, HEMT, Physical mechanism, TCAD simulation

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3256 Comparative Study of Universities’ Web Structure Mining

Authors: Z. Abdullah, A. R. Hamdan

Abstract:

This paper is meant to analyze the ranking of University of Malaysia Terengganu, UMT’s website in the World Wide Web. There are only few researches have been done on comparing the ranking of universities’ websites so this research will be able to determine whether the existing UMT’s website is serving its purpose which is to introduce UMT to the world. The ranking is based on hub and authority values which are accordance to the structure of the website. These values are computed using two websearching algorithms, HITS and SALSA. Three other universities’ websites are used as the benchmarks which are UM, Harvard and Stanford. The result is clearly showing that more work has to be done on the existing UMT’s website where important pages according to the benchmarks, do not exist in UMT’s pages. The ranking of UMT’s website will act as a guideline for the web-developer to develop a more efficient website.

Keywords: Algorithm, ranking, website, web structure mining.

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3255 Hybrid Project Management Model Based on Lean and Agile Approach

Authors: F. Z. Eddoug, J. Benhra, R. Benabbou

Abstract:

Excellence and Success are the ultimate goal for any project and in order to achieve it, every project manager looks for the convenient tools and methods. This work proposes a framework that seeks an efficient management of general project through a lean and agile approach. In order to get this objective, the article was divided in two stages, the first one was emphasized on exploring and analyzing the existing project management models and then in the second one the desired framework was created, beginning by focusing on seven existing models and then proposing for each phase of the framework the convenient lean and agile tools.

Keywords: Agility, hybrid project management, lean, scrum.

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3254 Edge Detection in Low Contrast Images

Authors: Koushlendra Kumar Singh, Manish Kumar Bajpai, Rajesh K. Pandey

Abstract:

The edges of low contrast images are not clearly distinguishable to human eye. It is difficult to find the edges and boundaries in it. The present work encompasses a new approach for low contrast images. The Chebyshev polynomial based fractional order filter has been used for filtering operation on an image. The preprocessing has been performed by this filter on the input image. Laplacian of Gaussian method has been applied on preprocessed image for edge detection. The algorithm has been tested on two test images.

Keywords: Chebyshev polynomials, Fractional order differentiator, Laplacian of Gaussian (LoG) method, Low contrast image.

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3253 Latent Factors of Severity in Truck-Involved and Non-Truck-Involved Crashes on Freeways

Authors: Shin-Hyung Cho, Dong-Kyu Kim, Seung-Young Kho

Abstract:

Truck-involved crashes have higher crash severity than non-truck-involved crashes. There have been many studies about the frequency of crashes and the development of severity models, but those studies only analyzed the relationship between observed variables. To identify why more people are injured or killed when trucks are involved in the crash, we must examine to quantify the complex causal relationship between severity of the crash and risk factors by adopting the latent factors of crashes. The aim of this study was to develop a structural equation or model based on truck-involved and non-truck-involved crashes, including five latent variables, i.e. a crash factor, environmental factor, road factor, driver’s factor, and severity factor. To clarify the unique characteristics of truck-involved crashes compared to non-truck-involved crashes, a confirmatory analysis method was used. To develop the model, we extracted crash data from 10,083 crashes on Korean freeways from 2008 through 2014. The results showed that the most significant variable affecting the severity of a crash is the crash factor, which can be expressed by the location, cause, and type of the crash. For non-truck-involved crashes, the crash and environment factors increase severity of the crash; conversely, the road and driver factors tend to reduce severity of the crash. For truck-involved crashes, the driver factor has a significant effect on severity of the crash although its effect is slightly less than the crash factor. The multiple group analysis employed to analyze the differences between the heterogeneous groups of drivers.

Keywords: Crash severity, structural equation modeling, truck-involved crashes, multiple group analysis, crash on freeway.

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3252 Preparation and Characterization of Silk/Diopside Composite Nanofibers via Electrospinning for Tissue Engineering Application

Authors: Abbas Teimouri, Leila Ghorbanian, Iren Dabirian

Abstract:

This work focused on preparation and characterizations of silk fibroin (SF)/nanodiopside nanoceramic via electrospinning process. Nanofibrous scaffolds were characterized by combined techniques of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results confirmed that fabricated SF/diopside scaffolds improved cell attachment and proliferation. The results indicated that the electrospun of SF/nanodiopside nanofibrous scaffolds could be considered as ideal candidates for tissue engineering.

Keywords: Electrospinning, nanofibers, silk fibroin, diopside, composite scaffold.

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