Search results for: risk management.
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 3491

Search results for: risk management.

1181 The Fit Effect Model among Facilitating Factors on Service Innovation Performance

Authors: Yue-Yang Chen, Hui-Ling Huang, Wan-Yu Yu, Chung-Lun Wei

Abstract:

In recent years, though, the concept of fit has been now in widespread used in strategic management research, it is in its infancy for applying fit concept to service innovation issue. Therefore, drawing on the concept of fit, this present research proposed an innovation service fit model within service innovation, market orientation, marketing strategy, and IT adoption are coexisted. The perspective of fit as covariation will be employed to test the hypothesis and identify the effects of fit. We contend that the fit among these four factors will contribution to business performance. Finally, according to the empirical data collected from manufacturing, service, and financial industry in Taiwan, meaningful findings and conclusions will be proposed and discussed.

Keywords: Service innovation, market orientation, IT adoption, marketing strategy, fit

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1180 Small and Silly? or Private Pitfall of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Authors: A. Bencsik, V. Lőre, I. Marosi

Abstract:

Knowledge and these notions have become more and more important and we speak about a knowledge based society today. A lot of small and big companies have reacted upon these new challenges. But there is a deep abyss about knowledge conception and practice between the professional researchers and company - life. The question of this research was: How can small and mediumsized companies be equal to the demands of new economy? Questionnaires were used in this research and a special segment of the native knowledge based on economy was focused on. Researchers would have liked to know what the sources of success are and how they can be in connection with questions of knowledge acquisition, knowledge transfer, knowledge utilization in small and medium-sized companies. These companies know that they have to change their behaviour and thinking, but they are not on the suitable level that they can compete with bigger or multinational companies.

Keywords: Knowledge, management, small and medium-sized companies, study.

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1179 Presenting an Integrated Framework for the Introduction and Evaluation of Social Media in Enterprises

Authors: Gerhard Peter

Abstract:

In this paper, we present an integrated framework that governs the introduction of social media into enterprises and its evaluation. It is argued that the framework should address the following issues: (1) the contribution of social media for increasing efficiency and improving the quality of working life; (2) the level on which this contribution happens (i.e., individual, team, or organisation); (3) a description of the processes for implementing and evaluating social media; and the role of (4) organisational culture and (5) management. We also report the results of a case study where the framework has been employed to introduce a social networking platform at a German enterprise. This paper only considers the internal use of social media.

Keywords: Case study, enterprise 2.0, framework, introducing and evaluating social media, social media.

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1178 Concentration of Nitrogen in a Forested Headwater Stream in Japan

Authors: Sakura Yoshii, Kana Sekiguchi, Akihiro Iijima

Abstract:

The balance between nitrogen loading and runoff in the forested headwater streams of the Kanna River was estimated to elucidate the current status of nitrogen saturation in a forested watershed. NO3-N concentration in the study area was far higher than the average value in Japan. Estimated nitrogen runoff accounted for 55–57% of nitrogen loading; suggesting that the forest-s nitrogen retention capacity is most likely in decline. Since the 1970s, Japan-s forestry industry has been declining due to the decrease in lumber demand and increase in cheap imported materials. Thus, this decline will contribute significantly to further reducing nitrogen saturation in forest ecosystems.

Keywords: Dissolved inorganic nitrogen species, Forest management, Nitrogen Saturation, Watershed.

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1177 Partial Connection Architecture for Mobile Computing

Authors: Phyoung Jung Kim, Seogyun Kim

Abstract:

In mobile computing environments, there are many new non existing problems in the distributed system, which is consisted of stationary hosts because of host mobility, sudden disconnection by handoff in wireless networks, voluntary disconnection for efficient power consumption of a mobile host, etc. To solve the problems, we proposed the architecture of Partial Connection Manager (PCM) in this paper. PCM creates the limited number of mobile agents according to priority, sends them in parallel to servers, and combines the results to process the user request rapidly. In applying the proposed PCM to the mobile market agent service, we understand that the mobile agent technique could be suited for the mobile computing environment and the partial connection problem management.

Keywords: Mobile agent, mobile computing, partial connection

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1176 An Improved Resource Discovery Approach Using P2P Model for Condor: A Grid Middleware

Authors: Anju Sharma, Seema Bawa

Abstract:

Resource Discovery in Grids is critical for efficient resource allocation and management. Heterogeneous nature and dynamic availability of resources make resource discovery a challenging task. As numbers of nodes are increasing from tens to thousands, scalability is essentially desired. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) techniques, on the other hand, provide effective implementation of scalable services and applications. In this paper we propose a model for resource discovery in Condor Middleware by using the four axis framework defined in P2P approach. The proposed model enhances Condor to incorporate functionality of a P2P system, thus aim to make Condor more scalable, flexible, reliable and robust.

Keywords: Condor Middleware, Grid Computing, P2P, Resource Discovery.

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1175 Grid Computing for the Bi-CGSTAB Applied to the Solution of the Modified Helmholtz Equation

Authors: E. N. Mathioudakis, E. P. Papadopoulou

Abstract:

The problem addressed herein is the efficient management of the Grid/Cluster intense computation involved, when the preconditioned Bi-CGSTAB Krylov method is employed for the iterative solution of the large and sparse linear system arising from the discretization of the Modified Helmholtz-Dirichlet problem by the Hermite Collocation method. Taking advantage of the Collocation ma-trix's red-black ordered structure we organize efficiently the whole computation and map it on a pipeline architecture with master-slave communication. Implementation, through MPI programming tools, is realized on a SUN V240 cluster, inter-connected through a 100Mbps and 1Gbps ethernet network,and its performance is presented by speedup measurements included.

Keywords: Collocation, Preconditioned Bi-CGSTAB, MPI, Grid and DSM Systems.

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1174 Image Search by Features of Sorted Gray level Histogram Polynomial Curve

Authors: Awais Adnan, Muhammad Ali, Amir Hanif Dar

Abstract:

Image Searching was always a problem specially when these images are not properly managed or these are distributed over different locations. Currently different techniques are used for image search. On one end, more features of the image are captured and stored to get better results. Storing and management of such features is itself a time consuming job. While on the other extreme if fewer features are stored the accuracy rate is not satisfactory. Same image stored with different visual properties can further reduce the rate of accuracy. In this paper we present a new concept of using polynomials of sorted histogram of the image. This approach need less overhead and can cope with the difference in visual features of image.

Keywords: Sorted Histogram, Polynomial Curves, feature pointsof images, Grayscale, visual properties of image.

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1173 Industry Symbiosis and Waste Glass Upgrading: A Feasibility Study in Liverpool towards Circular Economy

Authors: Han-Mei Chen, Rongxin Zhou, Taige Wang

Abstract:

Glass is widely used in everyday life, from glass bottles for beverages, to architectural glass for various forms of glazing. Although the mainstream of used glass is recycled in the UK, the single-use and then recycling procedure results in a lot of waste as it incorporates intact glass with smashing, re-melting and remanufacturing. These processes bring massive energy consumption with a huge loss of high embodied energy and economic value, compared to re-use which’s towards a ‘zero carbon’ target. As a tourism city, Liverpool has more glass bottle consumption than most less leisure focused cities. It is therefore vital for Liverpool to find an upgrading approach for the single-use glass bottles with a low carbon output. This project aims to assess the feasibility of an industrial symbiosis and upgrading framework of glass and to investigate the ways of achieving them. It is significant to Liverpool’s future industry strategy since it provides an opportunity to target on economy recovery for post-COVID by industry symbiosis and an up-grading waste management in Liverpool to respond to the climate emergency. In addition, it will influence the local government policy for glass bottle reuse and recycling in North West England, and as a good practice to be further recommended to other areas of the UK. First, critical literature review of glass waste strategies has been conducted in the UK, and world-wide industrial symbiosis practices. Second, mapping, data collection and analysis have shown the current life cycle chain and the strong links of glass reuse and upgrading potentials via site visits to 16 local waste recycling centres. The results of this research have demonstrated the understanding the influence of key factors on the development of a circular industrial symbiosis business model for beverage glass bottles. The current waste management procedures of glass bottle industry, its business model, supply chain and the material flow have been reviewed. The various potential opportunities for glass bottle up-valuing have been investigated towards an industrial symbiosis in Liverpool. Finally, an up-valuing business model has been developed for an industrial symbiosis framework of glass in Liverpool. For glass bottles, there are two possibilities: 1) focus on upgrading processes towards re-use rather than single-use and recycling, 2) focus on ‘smart’ re-use and recycling leading to optimised values in other sectors to create a wider industry symbiosis for a multi-level and circular economy.

Keywords: Glass bottles, industry symbiosis, smart reuse, waste upgrading.

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1172 An Improved GA to Address Integrated Formulation of Project Scheduling and Material Ordering with Discount Options

Authors: Babak H. Tabrizi, Seyed Farid Ghaderi

Abstract:

Concurrent planning of the resource constraint project scheduling and material ordering problems have received significant attention within the last decades. Hence, the issue has been investigated here with the aim to minimize total project costs. Furthermore, the presented model considers different discount options in order to approach the real world conditions. The incorporated alternatives consist of all-unit and incremental discount strategies. On the other hand, a modified version of the genetic algorithm is applied in order to solve the model for larger sizes, in particular. Finally, the applicability and efficiency of the given model is tested by different numerical instances.

Keywords: Genetic algorithm, material ordering, project management, project scheduling.

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1171 Energy Resources Management for Sustainable Development in Nigeria Niger Delta Region: Women Issues and the Environment

Authors: Chizoba Chinweze, Gwen Abiola-Oloke, Chike Jideani

Abstract:

There is an urgent need to conserve the biological diversity of the Nigerian Environment for the future and present generation in the face of current energy resources development. This paper gives an in-depth analysis of the impact of oil and gas activities on the biological diversity of the Nigerian Niger Delta area and its consequences on the sustainable development of the host communities as it relates to their social, economic and environmental issues, particularly on the womenfolk who are the key managers of environmental resources. Also reviewed is the frustration of these communities that is reflected in unending conflicts.

Keywords: Biodiversity, energy resources, sustainable development, and women issues.

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1170 3G WCDMA Mobile Network DoS Attack and Detection Technology

Authors: JooHyung Oh, Dongwan Kang, Sekwon Kim, ChaeTae Im

Abstract:

Currently, there has been a 3G mobile networks data traffic explosion due to the large increase in the number of smartphone users. Unlike a traditional wired infrastructure, 3G mobile networks have limited wireless resources and signaling procedures for complex wireless resource management. And mobile network security for various abnormal and malicious traffic technologies was not ready. So Malicious or potentially malicious traffic originating from mobile malware infected smart devices can cause serious problems to the 3G mobile networks, such as DoS and scanning attack in wired networks. This paper describes the DoS security threat in the 3G mobile network and proposes a detection technology.

Keywords: 3G, WCDMA, DoS, Security Threat

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1169 Proposed a Method for Increasing the Delivery Performance in Dynamic Supply Network

Authors: M. Safaei, M. Seifert, K. D. Thoben

Abstract:

Supply network management adopts a systematic and integrative approach to managing the operations and relationships of various parties in a supply network. The objective of the manufactures in their supply network is to reduce inventory costs and increase customer satisfaction levels. One way of doing that is to synchronize delivery performance. A supply network can be described by nodes representing the companies and the links (relationships) between these nodes. Uncertainty in delivery time depends on type of network relationship between suppliers. The problem is to understand how the individual uncertainties influence the total uncertainty of the network and identify those parts of the network, which has the highest potential for improving the total delivery time uncertainty.

Keywords: Delivery time uncertainty, Distribution function, Statistical method, Supply Network.

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1168 Enhancing Security and Privacy Protocols in Telehealth: A Comprehensive Approach across IoT/Fog/Cloud Environments

Authors: Yunyong Guo, Man Wang, Bryan Guo, Nathan Guo

Abstract:

This paper presents an advanced security and privacy model tailored for Telehealth systems, emphasizing end-to-end protection across IoT, Fog, and Cloud components. The proposed model integrates encryption, key management, intrusion detection, and privacy-preserving measures to safeguard patient data. A comprehensive simulation study evaluates the model's effectiveness in scenarios such as unauthorized access, physical breaches, and insider threats. Results indicate notable success in detecting and mitigating threats yet underscore areas for refinement. The study contributes insights into the intricate balance between security and usability in Telehealth environments, setting the stage for continued advancements.

Keywords: Cloud, enhancing security, Fog, IoT, telehealth.

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1167 The Implementation of Good Manufacturing Practice in Polycarbonate Film Industry

Authors: Nisachon Mawai, Jeerapat Ngaoprasertwong

Abstract:

This study reports the implementation of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) in a polycarbonate film processing plant. The implementation of GMP took place with the creation of a multidisciplinary team. It was carried out in four steps: conduct gap assessment, create gap closure plan, close gaps, and follow up the GMP implementation. The basis for the gap assessment is the guideline for GMP for plastic materials and articles intended for Food Contact Material (FCM), which was edited by Plastic Europe. The effective results of the GMP implementation in this study showed 100% completion of gap assessment. The key success factors for implementing GMP in production process are the commitment, intention and support of top management.

Keywords: Implementation, Good Manufacturing Practice, Polycarbonate Film, Food Contact Materials.

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1166 Satisfaction on English Language Learning with Online System

Authors: Suwaree Yordchim, Toby J. Gibbs

Abstract:

The objective is to study the satisfaction on English with an online learning. Online learning system mainly consists of English lessons, exercises, tests, web boards, and supplementary lessons for language practice. The sample groups are 80 Thai students studying English for Business Communication, majoring in Hotel and Lodging Management. The data are analyzed by mean, standard deviation (S.D.) value from the questionnaires. The results were found that the most average of satisfaction on academic aspects are technological searching tool through E-learning system that support the students’ learning (4.51), knowledge evaluation on pre-post learning and teaching (4.45), and change for project selections according to their interest, subject contents including practice in the real situations (4.45), respectively.

Keywords: English Learning, Online System, Satisfaction.

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1165 Improving the Flexibility of Employment in Polish Economic Practice

Authors: A. Bodak, A. Cierniak-Emerych, M. Gableta, A. Pietroń-Pyszczek, K. Piwowar-Sulej

Abstract:

Modern organizations operate under the pressure of dynamic and often unpredictable changes, both in external and internal environment. Market success, in this context, requires a particular competence in the form of flexibility, interpreted here both on the level of individuals and on the level of organization. This paper addresses the changes taking place in the sphere of employment, as observed in economic entities operating on Polish market. Based on own empirical studies, the authors focus on the progressing trend of ‘flexibilization’ of employment, particularly in the context of transformations in organizational structure, designed to facilitate the transition into management by projects and differentiation of labor forms.

Keywords: Flexibility of employment, changes in organizational structure, forms of employment, social effects of flexibility.

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1164 Feasibility Study of a BLDC Motor with Integrated Drive Circuit

Authors: Jun-Hyuk Choi, Joon Sung Park, Jung-Moo Seo, In-Soung Jung

Abstract:

A brushless DC motor with integrated drive circuit for air management system is presented. Using magnetic equivalent circuit model a basic design of the motor is determined, and specific configurations are inspected thanks to finite element analysis. In order to reduce an unbalanced magnetic force in an axial direction, induced forces between a stator core and a permanent magnet are calculated with respect to the relative positions of them. For the high efficiency, and high power density, BLDC motor and drive are developed. Also vibration mode and eccentricity of a rotor are considered at the rated and maximum rotational speed Through the experimental results, a validity of the simulated one is confirmed.

Keywords: blower, BLDC, inverter

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1163 Analysis of Delays during Initial Phase of Construction Projects and Mitigation Measures

Authors: Sunaitan Al Mutairi

Abstract:

A perfect start is a key factor for project completion on time. The study examined the effects of delayed mobilization of resources during the initial phases of the project. This paper mainly highlights the identification and categorization of all delays during the initial construction phase and their root cause analysis with corrective/control measures for the Kuwait Oil Company oil and gas projects. A relatively good percentage of the delays identified during the project execution (Contract award to end of defects liability period) attributed to mobilization/preliminary activity delays. Data analysis demonstrated significant increase in average project delay during the last five years compared to the previous period. Contractors had delays/issues during the initial phase, which resulted in slippages and progressively increased, resulting in time and cost overrun. Delays/issues not mitigated on time during the initial phase had very high impact on project completion. Data analysis of the delays for the past five years was carried out using trend chart, scatter plot, process map, box plot, relative importance index and Pareto chart. Construction of any project inside the Gathering Centers involves complex management skills related to work force, materials, plant, machineries, new technologies etc. Delay affects completion of projects and compromises quality, schedule and budget of project deliverables. Works executed as per plan during the initial phase and start-up duration of the project construction activities resulted in minor slippages/delays in project completion. In addition, there was a good working environment between client and contractor resulting in better project execution and management. Mainly, the contractor was on the front foot in the execution of projects, which had minimum/no delays during the initial and construction period. Hence, having a perfect start during the initial construction phase shall have a positive influence on the project success. Our research paper studies each type of delay with some real example supported by statistic results and suggests mitigation measures. Detailed analysis carried out with all stakeholders based on impact and occurrence of delays to have a practical and effective outcome to mitigate the delays. The key to improvement is to have proper control measures and periodic evaluation/audit to ensure implementation of the mitigation measures. The focus of this research is to reduce the delays encountered during the initial construction phase of the project life cycle.

Keywords: Construction activities delays, delay analysis for construction projects, mobilization delays, oil and gas projects delays.

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1162 Practical Techniques of Improving State Estimator Solution

Authors: Kiamran Radjabli

Abstract:

State Estimator became an intrinsic part of Energy Management Systems (EMS). The SCADA measurements received from the field are processed by the State Estimator in order to accurately determine the actual operating state of the power systems and provide that information to other real-time network applications. All EMS vendors offer a State Estimator functionality in their baseline products. However, setting up and ensuring that State Estimator consistently produces a reliable solution often consumes a substantial engineering effort. This paper provides generic recommendations and describes a simple practical approach to efficient tuning of State Estimator, based on the working experience with major EMS software platforms and consulting projects in many electrical utilities of the USA.

Keywords: Convergence, monitoring, performance, state estimator, troubleshooting, tuning, power systems.

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1161 Design of Cloud Service Brokerage System Intermediating Integrated Services in Multiple Cloud Environment

Authors: Dongjae Kang, Sokho Son, Jinmee Kim

Abstract:

Cloud service brokering is a new service paradigm that provides interoperability and portability of application across multiple Cloud providers. In this paper, we designed Cloud service brokerage system, anyBroker, supporting integrated service provisioning and SLA based service lifecycle management. For the system design, we introduce the system concept and whole architecture, details of main components and use cases of primary operations in the system. These features ease the Cloud service provider and customer’s concern and support new Cloud service open market to increase Cloud service profit and prompt Cloud service echo system in Cloud computing related area.

Keywords: Cloud service brokerage, multiple Clouds, Integrated service provisioning, SLA, network service.

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1160 Information Retrieval in the Semantic LIFE Personal Digital Memory Framework

Authors: Hanh Huu Hoang, Tho Manh Nguyen

Abstract:

Ever increasing capacities of contemporary storage devices inspire the vision to accumulate (personal) information without the need of deleting old data over a long time-span. Hence the target of SemanticLIFE project is to create a Personal Information Management system for a human lifetime data. One of the most important characteristics of the system is its dedication to retrieve information in a very efficient way. By adopting user demands regarding the reduction of ambiguities, our approach aims at a user-oriented and yet powerful enough system with a satisfactory query performance. We introduce the query system of SemanticLIFE, the Virtual Query System, which uses emerging Semantic Web technologies to fulfill users- requirements.

Keywords: Ontology-based Information Retrieval, Digital Memories, SemanticLIFE.

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1159 Port Governance in Santos, Brazil: A Qualitative Approach

Authors: Guilherme B. B. Vieira, Rafael M. da Silva, Eliana T. P. Senna, Luiz A. S. Senna, Francisco J. Kliemann Neto

Abstract:

Given the importance of ports as links in the global supply chains and because they are key elements to induce competitiveness in their hinterlands, the number of studies devoted to port governance, management and operations has increased in the last decades. Some of these studies address the port governance model as an element to improve coordination among the actors of the portlogistics chain and to generate a better port performance. In this context, the present study analyzes the governance of Port of Santos through individual interviews with port managers, based on a conceptual model that considers the key dimensions associated with port governance. The results reinforce the usefulness of the applied model and highlight some existing improvement opportunities in the port studied.

Keywords: Port Governance, Model, Port of Santos, Managers’ Perception.

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1158 Transformation of Linear Economy to Circular Economy in Hong Kong Building and Construction Industry

Authors: Kwok Tak Kit

Abstract:

This research focuses mainly on the transformation of circular economy and specifically on the building and construction industry in Hong Kong. This research is going to investigate the current status of development and transformation of linear economy of Hong Kong into circular economy. The research is based on literature review and different published reports to outline the possibilities for further development and transformation of circular economy in Hong Kong. Different key factors affecting the transformation particularly in building and construction industry are discussed.

Keywords: Circular economy, LEED net zero, carbon emission, waste reduction, waste management.

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1157 Corporate Social Responsibility and Creating Shared Value: Case of Latvia

Authors: Inga Lapiņa, Indra Borkus, Olga Stariņeca

Abstract:

Creating shared value (CSV) is a newly introduced concept whose essence and expressions, relationship to Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and implications for the business and society is now at the core of management and social responsibility debates of the scientific world. The aim of the paper is to gain clearer understanding of the CSR and CSV concepts, their implementation and role in sustainable development of organizations in Latvia. In this paper the authors discuss and compare the two conceptsand, based on the results of Sustainability Index (SI) initiative and analysis of publically available company information, evaluate their implementation in Latvia and draw conclusions on the development trends and potential of these approaches in Latvian market.

Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Creating Shared Value, Sustainability Index.

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1156 A Preliminary X-Ray Study on Human-Hair Microstructures for a Health-State Indicator

Authors: Phannee Saengkaew, Weerasak Ussawawongaraya, Sasiphan Khaweerat, Supagorn Rugmai, Sirisart Ouajai, Jiraporn Luengviriya, Sakuntam Sanorpim, Manop Tirarattanasompot, Somboon Rhianphumikarakit

Abstract:

We present a preliminary x-ray study on human-hair microstructures for a health-state indicator, in particular a cancer case. As an uncomplicated and low-cost method of x-ray technique, the human-hair microstructure was analyzed by wide-angle x-ray diffractions (XRD) and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). The XRD measurements exhibited the simply reflections at the d-spacing of 28 Å, 9.4 Å and 4.4 Å representing to the periodic distance of the protein matrix of the human-hair macrofibrous and the diameter and the repeated spacing of the polypeptide alpha helixes of the photofibrils of the human-hair microfibrous, respectively. When compared to the normal cases, the unhealthy cases including to the breast- and ovarian-cancer cases obtained higher normalized ratios of the x-ray diffracting peaks of 9.4 Å and 4.4 Å. This likely resulted from the varied distributions of microstructures by a molecular alteration. As an elemental analysis by x-ray fluorescence (XRF), the normalized quantitative ratios of zinc(Zn)/calcium(Ca) and iron(Fe)/calcium(Ca) were determined. Analogously, both Zn/Ca and Fe/Ca ratios of the unhealthy cases were obtained higher than both of the normal cases were. Combining the structural analysis by XRD measurements and the elemental analysis by XRF measurements exhibited that the modified fibrous microstructures of hair samples were in relation to their altered elemental compositions. Therefore, these microstructural and elemental analyses of hair samples will be benefit to associate with a diagnosis of cancer and genetic diseases. This functional method would lower a risk of such diseases by the early diagnosis. However, the high-intensity x-ray source, the highresolution x-ray detector, and more hair samples are necessarily desired to develop this x-ray technique and the efficiency would be enhanced by including the skin and fingernail samples with the human-hair analysis.

Keywords: Human-hair analysis, XRD, SAXS, breast cancer, health-state indicator

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1155 Prediction of Seismic Damage Using Scalar Intensity Measures Based On Integration of Spectral Values

Authors: Konstantinos G. Kostinakis, Asimina M. Athanatopoulou

Abstract:

A key issue in seismic risk analysis within the context of Performance-Based Earthquake Engineering is the evaluation of the expected seismic damage of structures under a specific earthquake ground motion. The assessment of the seismic performance strongly depends on the choice of the seismic Intensity Measure (IM), which quantifies the characteristics of a ground motion that are important to the nonlinear structural response. Several conventional IMs of ground motion have been used to estimate their damage potential to structures. Yet, none of them has been proved to be able to predict adequately the seismic damage. Therefore, alternative, scalar intensity measures, which take into account not only ground motion characteristics but also structural information have been proposed. Some of these IMs are based on integration of spectral values over a range of periods, in an attempt to account for the information that the shape of the acceleration, velocity or displacement spectrum provides. The adequacy of a number of these IMs in predicting the structural damage of 3D R/C buildings is investigated in the present paper. The investigated IMs, some of which are structure specific and some are non structure-specific, are defined via integration of spectral values. To achieve this purpose three symmetric in plan R/C buildings are studied. The buildings are subjected to 59 bidirectional earthquake ground motions. The two horizontal accelerograms of each ground motion are applied along the structural axes. The response is determined by nonlinear time history analysis. The structural damage is expressed in terms of the maximum interstory drift as well as the overall structural damage index. The values of the aforementioned seismic damage measures are correlated with seven scalar ground motion IMs. The comparative assessment of the results revealed that the structure-specific IMs present higher correlation with the seismic damage of the three buildings. However, the adequacy of the IMs for estimation of the structural damage depends on the response parameter adopted. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the widely used spectral acceleration at the fundamental period of the structure is a good indicator of the expected earthquake damage level.

Keywords: Damage measures, Bidirectional excitation, Spectral based IMs, R/C buildings.

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1154 A Design-Based Cohesion Metric for Object-Oriented Classes

Authors: Jehad Al Dallal

Abstract:

Class cohesion is an important object-oriented software quality attribute. It indicates how much the members in a class are related. Assessing the class cohesion and improving the class quality accordingly during the object-oriented design phase allows for cheaper management of the later phases. In this paper, the notion of distance between pairs of methods and pairs of attribute types in a class is introduced and used as a basis for introducing a novel class cohesion metric. The metric considers the methodmethod, attribute-attribute, and attribute-method direct interactions. It is shown that the metric gives more sensitive values than other well-known design-based class cohesion metrics.

Keywords: Object-oriented software quality, object-orienteddesign, class cohesion.

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1153 Quality Monitoring and Dynamic Pricing in Cold Chain Management

Authors: Myo Min Aung, Yoon Seok Chang, Woo Ram Kim

Abstract:

This paper presents a cold chain monitoring system which focuses on assessment of quality and dynamic pricing information about food in cold chain. Cold chain is composed of many actors and stages; however it can be seen as a single entity since a breakdown in temperature control at any stage can impact the final quality of the product. In a cold chain, the shelf life, quality, and safety of perishable food throughout the supply chain is greatly impacted by environmental factors especially temperature. In this paper, a prototype application is implemented to retrieve timetemperature history, the current quality and the dynamic price setting according to changing quality impacted by temperature fluctuations in real-time.

Keywords: Cold chain, monitoring, quality, temperature, traceability.

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1152 Hazard Contributing Factors Classification for Petrol Fuel Station

Authors: Mirza Munir Ahmed, S.R.M. Kutty, Mohd Faris Khamidi, Idris Othman, Azmi Mohd Shariff

Abstract:

Petrol Fuel Station (PFS) has potential hazards to the people, asset, environment and reputation of an operating company. Fire hazards, static electricity air pollution evoked by aliphatic and aromatic organic compounds are major causes of accident/incident occurrence at fuel station. Activities such as carelessness, maintenance, housekeeping, slips trips and falls, transportation hazard, major and minor injuries, robbery and snake bites has a potential to create unsafe conditions. The level of risk of these hazards varies according to location and country. The emphasis on safety considerations by the government is variable all around the world. Developed countries safety records are much better as compared to developing countries safety statistics. There is no significant approach available to highlight the unsafe acts and unsafe conditions during operation and maintenance of fuel station. Fuel station is the most commonly available facilities that contain flammable and hazardous materials. Due to continuous operation of fuel station they pose various hazards to people, environment and assets of an organization. To control these hazards, there is a need for specific approach. PFS operation is unique as compared to other businesses. For smooth operations it demands an involvement of operating company, contractor and operator group. This study will focus to address hazard contributing factors that have a potential to make PFS operation risky. One year data collected, 902 activities analyzed, comparisons were made to highlight significant contributing factors. The study will provide help and assistance to PFS outlet marketing companies to make their fuel station operation safer. It will help health safety and environment (HSE) professionals to arrest the gap available related to safety matters at PFS.

Keywords: Accident, Contributing factors, carelessness, fire, explosion, injuries.

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