Engineering

A custom bench-scale continuous-flow catalytic fast-pyrolysis (CFP) 2 reactor system was implemented for the optimization of ex situ CFP and screening of 3 catalysts to gain insight into commercial scale ex situ CFP processes across various 4 reactor types. Operated in an ex situ configuration, tandem laminar entrained-flow 5 pyrolyzer and vapor-phase upgrading reactors were optimized to successfully 6 demonstrate CFP of pine over two different commercial zeolite catalysts. Mixing-7 enhancers within the vapor-phase upgrader induced laminar flow dynamics with larger 8 Reynold's numbers, thus enhancing heat and mass transfer and in turn CFP 9 conversion. Real-time analysis of products was accomplished via molecular beam mass 10 spectrometry (MBMS), while light gas yield was determined using non-dispersive 11 infrared (NDIR) analysis. The transfer of the pyrolysis vapors to the vapor-phase 12 upgrader was investigated to gain insight into optimal transfer-line conditions for limiting 13 secondary thermal cracking and preserving carbon in the ex situ CFP process. The 14 products were comparable to those previously obtained from fixed bed and fluidized bed 15 reactor systems as well as entrained-flow riser reactor systems (e.g., one-ring 16 aromatics, polyaromatics, and phenolics). Replicate experiments demonstrated a good

A custom bench-scale continuous-flow catalytic fast-pyrolysis (CFP) 2 reactor system was implemented for the optimization of ex situ CFP and screening of 3 catalysts to gain insight into commercial scale ex situ CFP processes across various 4 reactor types. Operated in an ex situ configuration, tandem laminar entrained-flow 5 pyrolyzer and vapor-phase upgrading reactors were optimized to successfully 6 demonstrate CFP of pine over two different commercial zeolite catalysts. Mixing-7 enhancers within the vapor-phase upgrader induced laminar flow dynamics with larger 8 Reynold's numbers, thus enhancing heat and mass transfer and in turn CFP 9 conversion. Real-time analysis of products was accomplished via molecular beam mass 10 spectrometry (MBMS), while light gas yield was determined using non-dispersive 11 infrared (NDIR) analysis. The transfer of the pyrolysis vapors to the vapor-phase 12 upgrader was investigated to gain insight into optimal transfer-line conditions for limiting 13 secondary thermal cracking and preserving carbon in the ex situ CFP process. The 14 products were comparable to those previously obtained from fixed bed and fluidized bed 15 reactor systems as well as entrained-flow riser reactor systems (e.g., one-ring 16 aromatics, polyaromatics, and phenolics). Replicate experiments demonstrated a good

The formulation proposed in Sect. 12.2, though adopted universally (i.e. IRC and other codes), has two significant lacunae in it. 1. It ignores the self-weight of the pier which can have significant contribution to the time period due to its inertial contribution.

A series of Dy-doped Li-Ni ferrites of the following composition Li 0.5 Ni 0.48 Tb 0.02 Dy x Fe 2-x O 4 (0.2≤x≥0) was synthesized by the microemulsion method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that Li 0.5 Ni 0.48 Tb 0.02 Dy x Fe 2-x O 4 nano-crystalline ferrites exhibited the single-phase spinel structure. The lattice parameter was determined by the Nelson-Riley refinement technique and it increased by increasing the Dy contents. The crystallite size was computed from the Debye Scherrer's formula and it was in range from 27 to 40 nm. The thermal decomposition process was studied by the thermogravimetric analysis and the annealing temperature observed was 980 °C. The real and complex parts of dielectric constant decreases very sharply in the lower frequency region, but in the higher frequency region, the real and complex part of dielectric constant show variable values with Dy contents. The dielectric tangent loss (tan δ) decreases exponentially with Dy contents. The magnitude of the ac conductivity decreases in certain frequency region, as the Dy contents are increased. The possible mechanisms contributing to the above behavior are discussed. The results of these nanocrystalline ferrites are very suitable materials for microwave device applications.

It is generally perceived that a substantial number of engineering faculty are still unaware of alternative educational methods, and many who are aware of them choose not to incorporate them into their approach to teaching. There are several likely reasons for this inertia, aside from the inevitable human resistance to change. The primary focus of imparting information is restricted to fulfilling the course requirements and, the upcoming term end examination. It is imperative to adopt a change from teaching to learning paradigm engaging the students in Higher Order Thinking Skills. Knowledge and technological advancements are changing the role of engineering and engineering faculty in the society. Engineering Education reforms need to focus on inductive teaching and stimulated learning. Students should be taught critical thinking skills and creative thinking skills to keep pace with the rapidly changing engineering profession. This paper reports the study done to test and explore the faculty awareness of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in the cognitive domain and Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) and to evaluate question papers set by engineering faculty with respect to HOTS as proposed by Bloom's Taxonomy. Various active learning strategies to enhance critical thinking skills and creative thinking skills of the students are recommended for use by the faculty in their interactions with the students.

Fabrication of Cu/TiO 2 nanocomposite had been successfully performed. A nanocomposite was prepared by the insertion of metal (copper) in the TiO 2 nanoparticles. Cu/TiO 2 nanocomposite was deposited on the FTO glass used the spin coating method. Layers of Cu/TiO 2 nanocomposite were prepared in variations at 1, 2 and 3 layers. Spektrofotometer UV-VIS Lamda 25 was used to determine the optical characteristics and the energy gap of DSSC materials. El kahfi 100/I-V Meter and Keithley 2602A was used to determine the electrical properties of Cu/TiO 2 nanocomposite. UV-VIS result was showed that there increased absorption wavelength of Cu/TiO 2 nanocomposite and were able to decrease the energy gap. El kahfi was showed that the conductivity of the Cu/TiO 2 nanocomposite was 3.71x10 -2 (Ω -1 m -1 ). Keithley was showed that the highest efficiency in the 3 layers of Cu/TiO 2 nanocomposite of 0.011%.

Discussions on socially and culturally dominant values, beliefs and practices pertaining to patient’s health and culture are not isolated but integral to the practice of contemporary clinical medicine. Medical anthropologists play a unique role in redefining and repositioning the application of CAM in biomedical sciences. This article addresses the current state of knowledge regarding the distinction between medical anthropology and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Participant observations of, and in-depth interviews with ten Malaysian Chinese women cancer survivors were carried out to study their CAM use during and after cancer treatment. The results provide insights about the patterns of CAM use as well as the social and cultural factors under-pining the choice of CAM used by cancer survivors before and after treatment. The survivors’ preference for CAM use during cancer diagnosis was found to be influenced by their values, beliefs, and practices with respect to five ...

Perumahan yang sempurna ialah yang dapat memenuhi keperluan penghuni, memberi kesejahteraan kepada isi rumah dan seterusnya memacu kepada peningkatan kualiti hidup. Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) merupakan program pembangunan rumah untuk rakyat di kawasan bandar yang tidak mempunyai kediaman sendiri sama ada untuk disewa atau dimiliki mengikut kawasan. Program ini memberi manfaat kepada penghuni bandar untuk menjalani kehidupan yang selesa seterusnya dapat mencapai kesejahteraan hidup. Namun terdapat tiga isu sosioekonomi dalam pelaksanaan skim PPR ini iaitu perpaduan, sosial dan ekonomi. Justeru, tujuan penulisan artikel ini untuk membincangkan impak sosioekonomi dan politik terhadap Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) Lembah Subang, Selangor. Kajian ini menggunakan metodologi secara kuantitatif melalui penggunaan instrumen borang soal selidik bagi mengumpul data daripada responden. Seramai 360 orang responden terlibat dan rujukan terhadap data sekunder iaitu artikel jurnal, kertas pers...

While most cultures are a heritage of many nations most are alien and are adopted to achieve certain goals. Malawi is endowed with a rich culture but unfortunately reading is not among them. A reading nation is an informed and knowledgeable society that can contribute positively to economic transformation of its country and efforts being made in adopting the culture of reading are a manifestation. It is not surprising that the now so familiar phrase "developing a reading culture" has found itself a place amongst the media's daily vocabulary. The development of this culture should start at an early stage of childhood and nurture it to adulthood and in the process building a literate nation that can transform itself into an informed and knowledgeable society able to play their rightful role in the global village. Poor delivery of information services in the rural areas is, however, contributing highly to lower levels of educational standards and high levels of illiteracy. Further to this, the digital divide between the developed and developing nations is putting the rural masses at a great disadvantage in as far as access to relevant and timely information is concerned. A reading culture if developed at a tender age will ensure that pupils/students are well equipped to excel in their studies thereby improving the standards of education among the rural masses. In addition, deliberate efforts should be made to empower the rural masses with literacy skills that will improve their livelihoods. Innovative solutions should also be explored to provide low-cost means of accessing Information Communications Technologies which creates economic, political and social empowerment for the rural people in the developing world.

No. Alumni Universitas HENDRI WAHYUDI No. Alumni Fakultas BIODATA a)Tempat / tanggal lahir: Bukittinggi / 20 Januari 1987 b) Nama orang tua:H.Hirwandi c) Fakultas : Ekonomi d) Jurusan : Manajemen e) No. Bp :0910525170 f) Tanggal Lulus : 02 Mei 2012 g) Predikat Lulus : Sangat Memuaskan h) IPK : 3,01 i) Lama Studi : 2 Tahun10 Bulan h) Alamat Orang Tua : Jl.Hamka No 30B Bukittinggi. PENGARUH BAURAN PROMOSI PADA KEPUTUSAN PEMBELIAN KONSUMEN MOBIL TOYOTA AUTO 2000 CABANG PADANG Skripsi S1 oleh : Hendri Wahyudi Pembimbing : Alfitman, SE.M.Sc ABSTRAK Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji pengaruh bauran promosi pada keputusan pembelian konsumen mobil Toyota Auto 2000 Cabang Padang. Penelitian ini juga bertujuan untuk mengetahui apakah Penjualan perseorangan (X1), Promosi penjualan (X2), Periklanan (X3) dan Hubungan masyarakat (X4) yang mempengaruhi keputusan pembelian konsumen. Dalam penelitian ini populasi yang diambil adalah 100 orang responden yang pernah mengambil keputusan untuk memb...

Qilei Song1,4, Shuai Cao2, Shan Jiang3, Andrew I. Cooper3, Anthony K. Cheetham2, and Easan Sivaniah1,5 Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FS, UK Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool UK Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan Email: q.song@imperial.ac.uk

Andhra Pradesh has a strong, well qualified, committed and forward looking State Animal Husbandry Department (AHD). The state has a large animal health and production support infrastructure -veterinary dispensaries, hospitals and polyclinics, rural livestock units, AI centres and so on -and individuals -professional veterinarians, para-veterinary and other support staff. Livestock keepers have generally appreciated the support received from the Animal Husbandry Department either in terms of routine animal health and breeding services or emergency response at the time of disease outbreaks. Within the constraints posed by the political environment and the human, physical and financial resources, the department has been doing a commendable job. However, changing market conditions (rapid growth in demand for livestock products, consumer demands for quality and consistency, food safety and environmental regulations, dwindling public resources for service delivery, etc) are putting additional pressures on service delivery systems to become more dynamic and needs-oriented, financially sustainable, and closer to the ground. This report synthesises the studies and consultations undertaken by the CALPI-PPLPI-AHD initiative in support of developing a framework for effective and efficient delivery of livestock services.

E-Government merupakan suatu upaya untuk memanfaatkan teknologi informasi dan komunikasi yang dimaksudkan untuk meningkatkan efisiensi, efektivitas, transparansi dan akuntabilitas penyelenggaraan pemerintah dan pelayanan publik. Pengembangan E-Government di Indonesia semakin bergulir dan berjalan seperti penerapan E-Budgeting, E-Procurement, E-Audit, E-Catalog, E-Payment, E-Controlling bahkan hingga E-Health. Kini proses rekrutmen Aparatur Sipil Negara (ASN) pun bisa dilakukan melalui online untuk memudahkan proses pendaftaran dan memilih instansi. Sejauh ini, masih terdapat beberapa kendala yang dialami para pelamar CPNS dalam penggunaan website SSCN. Oleh karena itu, untuk mengetahui tingkat kesuksesan website SSCN dimata pengguna, maka perlu dilakukan pengukuran kesuksesan website dengan menggunakan model DeLone dan McLean (2003). Data yang didapat kemudian diolah dan didapatkan 201 responden dengan data valid. Diperoleh hasil yang menunjukkan terdapat beberapa variabel berpengar...

En este artículo se presenta el diseño, construcción y funcionamiento de un dispositivo móvil de detección de gases o Nariz electrónica, con capacidad de ser controlado y monitoreado en tiempo real de manera remota vía WiFi. En primer lugar, se presenta los componentes principales de la nariz electrónica, como lo son sensores de gas y las tarjetas controladoras, quienes permiten la comunicación y el monitoreo de forma inalámbrica y en tiempo real. Seguido tenemos el diseño mecánico conformado por servomotores, ruedas y chasis, que permite el acople de la nariz electrónica y le brinda movilidad y soporte. Posteriormente se incluye información referente al contenido de la programación de los diferentes componentes, software utilizado y su funcionamiento. Finalmente se plantea la posibilidad de utilizar este dispositivo como una solución de bajo costo al problema que representa para el hombre la medición de diferentes concentraciones de gases, ya sea en lugares desconocidos o difíciles de acceder y que presenten algún tipo de riesgo a la integridad individual o colectiva.

This paper reviews the literature of Balanced Scorecard (BSC) as a strategic performance measurement tool. The research concerning the effectiveness of BSC indicate that BSC is a useful tool for communicating strategy, strategic learning and developing organizational culture. However, related research also shows that the implementation of BSC is not associated with economic benefit particularly for short-term period. This suggests that the adoption of BSC need a careful inquiry by the organization and the organization should not accept it as a 'generic' solution as a performance measurement tool.

This study aims to examine the relationship between Bond Ranking and Earnings Management. In this study consists of dependent variables, namely earnings management, independent variables of Bond Rating and control variables of company size and company growth. The research population is non-financial companies in Indonesia. Based on the results of purposive sampling obtained 14 companies with 40 samples that met the criteria. In this study conducted using multiple linear regression analysis. The results show that bond ratings are related to earnings management while company size and company growth are not related to earnings management.

This study examines the use of collections and services at IIT Delhi Library. A well structured 190 questionnaires were distributed among IIT Delhi users during the academic session 2008 -09, to find out the user of information resources is being provided by IIT library. The questionnaires were checked and out of 178 filled questionnaires returned, 170 (95.51%) were found fit for analysis and out of which 8 (4.49%) were considered unusable. The present study demonstrates and elaborates the various aspects of use of collections and services, purpose of visit to the library; adequacy of library hours, infrastructure facilities, use and collections of documents that is, internet information resources. The paper also identifies the levels of use of various services provided, access of online databases services, database search techniques, and users' awareness about different types of library network. Highlights satisfactions with overall functions of the library. Suggestions have been given to make the collections and services more beneficial for the academic community of the mentioned Technical Institutes India as well as abroad.

In the present article, we report a study on the mechanical behaviour displayed by hydrogen atoms and pores in silicon nitride (SiN) films. A simple three-phase model is proposed to relate the physical properties (stiffness, film stress, mass density, etc.) of hydrogenated nanoporous SiN thin films to the volume fractions of hydrogen and pores. This model is then applied to experimental data extracted from films deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition, where hydrogen content, stress, and mass densities range widely from 11% to 30%, À2.8 to 1.5 GPa, and 2.0 to 2.8 g/cm 3 , respectively. Starting from the conventional plotting of film's Young's modulus against film porosity, we first propose to correct the conventional calculation of porosity volume fraction with the hydrogen content, thus taking into account both hydrogen mass and concentration. The weight of this hydrogen-correction is found to evolve linearly with hydrogen concentration in tensile films (in accordance with a simple "mass correction" of the film density calculation), but a clear discontinuity is observed toward compressive stresses. Then, the effective volume occupied by hydrogen atoms is calculated taking account of the bond type (N-H or Si-H bonds), thus allowing a precise extraction of the hydrogen volume fraction. These calculations applied to tensile films show that both volume fractions of hydrogen and porosity are similar in magnitude and randomly distributed against Young's modulus. However, the expected linear dependence of the Young's modulus is clearly observed when both volume fractions are added. Finally, we show that the stiffer behaviour of compressive films cannot be only explained on the basis of this (hydrogen þ porosity) volume fraction. Indeed this stiffness difference relies on a dual mechanical behaviour displayed by hydrogen atoms against the film stress state: while they participate to the stiffness in compressive films, hydrogen atoms mainly behave like pores in tensile films where they do not participate to the film stiffness. V

We present a generic mobility and traffic generation framework that can be incorporated into a tool for modeling and simulating large scale ad hoc networks. Three components of this framework, namely a mobility data generator (MDG), a graph structure generator (GSG) and an occlusion modification tool (OMT) allow a variety of mobility models to be incorporated into the tool. The MDG module generates positions of transceivers at specified time instants. The GSG module constructs the graph corresponding to the ad hoc network from the mobility data provided by MDG. The OMT module modifies the connectivity of the graph produced by GSG to allow for occlusion effects. With two other modules, namely an activity data generator (ADG) which generates packet transmission activities for transceivers and a packet activity simulator (PAS) which simulates the movement and interaction of packets among the transceivers, the framework allows the modeling and simulation of ad hoc communication networks. The design of the framework allows a user to incorporate various realistic parameters crucial in the simulation. We illustrate the utility of our framework through a comparative study of three mobility models. Two of these are synthetic models (random waypoint and exponentially correlated mobility) proposed in the literature. The third model is based on an urban population mobility modeling tool (TRANSIMS) developed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. This tool is capable of providing comprehensive information about the demographics, mobility and interactions of members of a large urban population. A comparison of these models is carried out by computing a variety of parameters associated with the graph structures generated by the models. There has recently been interest in the structural properties of graphs that arise in real world systems. We examine two aspects of this for the graphs created by the mobility models: change associated with power control (range of transceivers) and variation in time as transceivers move in space.

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its usc would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, proccss, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or othenvisc dots not neccssarily constitute or imply its endorsement, mxmmendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors exprcssed herein do not nccessarily state or reflcct thosc of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

The purpose of this research is to broaden the understanding of how resilience influences employee career commitment in the world of work mediated by work engagement and moderated by role modelling. A quantitative study using an online questionnaire was conducted on 415 millennial generation respondents who worked in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector in Indonesia. Structural Equation Method (SEM) using AMOS was used to analyze the hypotheses. The analysis's findings indicated that work engagement's mediating effect on resilience to career commitment had a positive and significant effect. Analysis findings also revealed that the role of role modelling as a moderator was able to strengthen the link between ego-resilience and career commitment through work engagement. FMCG companies need to pay attention to and improve employee resilience which in turn will increase employee work engagement, and ultimately affect employee career commitment.

Small and medium enterprises are considered vital in Kenya due to the significant role which they carry out towards the attainment of the big four agendas with respect to the country's vision 2030. Despite this importance, these businesses continue to be financially excluded. Studies relating to digital transformation and financial inclusion are characterized by underlying research gaps cutting across conceptual, contextual to methodological gaps. As such, this study which originates from the Doctoral dissertation of the first author in which the co-authors served as supervisors sought to evaluate the nexus between digital transformation and financial inclusion of small and medium enterprises in Kenya. Diffusion Innovation Theory and Financial Intermediation Theory were utilized and explanatory research design was adopted. The top 100 small medium enterprises in Kenya

The study sought to assess the moderation effect of interest on the relationship CAMEL rating system and financial stability of commercial banks in Kenya. The paper originates from the Doctoral dissertation of the first author in which the co-authors served as supervisors. Causal research design was utilized and a census of forty-one commercial banks in Kenya was undertaken for the period 2013 to 2019. Information asymmetry theory and liquidity shiftability were utilized. Interest rate insignificant moderated the nexus between CAMEL rating variables and financial stability with the exception of asset quality. Interest rate only moderated asset quality and financial stability nexus significantly. It was recommended that the Central Bank of Kenya set interest rates in view of the prevailing economic situation. The study further puts forward the recommendation that commercial banks should strive towards reducing non-performing loans which can be through the setting up of effective cred...

Lo studio analizza, attraverso l’applicazione di noti protocolli mensiocronologici, le tecniche costruttive murarie in tufo grigio, dal XIII al XVI secolo, di alcuni areali della Campania settentrionale, privilegiando la conoscenza di quelle impiegate su larga scala, per identificare gli elementi ricorrenti della produzione architettonica storicizzata, ai fini della sua conservazione e valorizzazione.

State of the art audio source separation models rely on supervised data-driven approaches, which can be expensive in terms of labeling resources. On the other hand, approaches for training these models without any direct supervision are typically high-demanding in terms of memory and time requirements, and remain impractical to be used at inference time. We aim to tackle these limitations by proposing a simple yet effective unsupervised separation algorithm, which operates directly on a latent representation of time-domain signals. Our algorithm relies on deep Bayesian priors in the form of pre-trained autoregressive networks to model the probability distributions of each source. We leverage the low cardinality of the discrete latent space, trained with a novel loss term imposing a precise arithmetic structure on it, to perform exact Bayesian inference without relying on an approximation strategy. We validate our approach on the Slakh dataset [1], demonstrating results in line with state of the art supervised approaches while requiring fewer resources with respect to other unsupervised methods.

The number of devices linked to the Internet is continuously rising along with the development of the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT and the expanding volume of data it communicates place constraints on cloud-based data processing and storage. Both fog and cloud computing allow users to store apps and data, but Fog has a broader geographic reach and is closer to the end user. Managing rapidly changing resource provisioning and allocation of resources in fog computing will create new challenges when developing IoT applications and satisfying user requests. To control resource consumption and Service Level Agreements (SLA), flexible and often autonomous systems must choose the appropriate virtual resources. This work presents a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) based structure for resource provisioning for improving resource management efficiency in IoT ecosystems. A Deep Neural Network (DNN) is used for assessing value functions, and it allows for better compliance to diverse conditions, learning from prior sensible approaches, and acting as a self-learning adaptive system. Using the DRL algorithm and the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO), IoT services can be established by reducing average consumption of energy and latency, cutting expenses, and wisely utilising and allocating resources. Simulations with the iFogSim show that the PPO policy increases utilization, reduces delay rates, and maintains acceptable service quality while reducing energy consumption and increasing utilization under varying loading rates.

A novel optoelectrofulidic system integrated optical image concentration and alignment system, dielectrophoresis phenomenon, microfluidic and friendly real-time control interface is first reported in this article. A new application of photoconductive material oxotitanium phthalocyanine (TiOPc) for microparticle applying has been first described and demonstrated by our research group. Basis on the special character of the photoconductive material, a TiOPc-based optoelectronic tweezers (Ti-OET) is utilized for single and massive cells/particles manipulation. The objects wanted to be manipulated are defined with different behaviors (e.g., press, release, drag and move) using Flash® software when the cursor acts on them. It also reveals the application for biological application to form the cells trapping with three sorts of cells, HMEC-1, HepG2 and HEK293t. Another application of our optoelectrofulidic system is to fabricate a TiOPc-based flow cytometry chip which can be used for sorting the 15μm diameter particles with 105 μm/s velocity. When the 10Vp.p. voltage and 45 kHz AC frequency apply on the top and button ITO electrode, the illuminated light pattern will become a spatially virtual switch inside the microchannel. The dielectrophoresis force between top ITO glass and button photoconductive layer controlled by the friendly interface will concentrate the cells/particles as a straight line and individually direct each one in different paths. In summary, we have established an optoelectronfulidic-based chip and spatially virtual switch system which are applied for cell pattern and particles sorting. In the future, this easy manipulation approach can place the full power of optoelectronfulidic chip into the biological operators' hands.

Magnetic beads are widely utilized for separating biomolecules, DNA and RNA. Traditionally, bulk magnet is utilized for manipulation these particles but when it comes to microscale bulk magnet is not the efficient method. Here, we utilize an organic photoconductive material, TiOPc, to generate light-induced electro-osmosis flow on chip. The fabrication process is convenient to be handled by the researchers and biologists without cleanroom IC fabrication facility. When specifically designed light pattern is projected onto the TiOPc substrate, the conductivity of the organic material layer within the illuminating region increases and the charges are locally assembled on its surface to form a virtual electrode. With an external ac voltage of 5 Vpp at 10 kHz, numerous magnetic beads are attracted from the nonilluminating region toward the center of light-pattern illuminating region. Driven by the moving light image, the grouped magnetic beads can be manipulated and merged in a desired way or direction. The light manipulation process provides a flexible and convenient approach for in vitro control of magnetic beads. We expect that this light-driven technology would display a multifunctional platform for manipulation of microparticles.

Microbubbles have a variety of applications in science and biological technology. Here, we demonstrate the manipulation of the picoliter gas bubble (picobubble) based on the optoelectronic-mechanism. The organic photoconductive material, titanium oxide phthalocyanine (TiOPc), was developed to make the light-sensitive substrate of this optoelectronic chip. The virtual electrodes are formed by projecting the dynamic light pattern onto TiOPc layer for generating the desired nonuniform electric field. The picobubble suspended in silicone oil can be manipulated with the velocity of 40–50 μm/s. The driving force up to 160 pico-Newtons could be generated for manipulating a gas bubble of 300 picoliters.

In this paper, a new design for a coplanar waveguide (CPW) fed, aperture antenna is introduced. This CPW aperture antenna is designed at a central frequency around 10 GHz with an input impedance of approximately 50 R. Numerical simulation is performed for antenna analysis using Momentum from the Advanced Design System (ADS) software package of Agilent Technologies. The bandwidth of this basic Bow-Tie aperture antenna is about 1 GHz and the retum loss of approximately -18 dB. Another advanced design for this basic Bow-Tie aperture antenna shows a bandwidth of 1.3 GHz with a retum loss of -40 dB around 10 GHz. Simulation results for retum IOSS, input impedance and radiation pattem are presented. These characteristies make thsse two antennas suitable for antenna arrays for radar applications.

In the design procedure of a reflectarray antenna system, the aperture efficiency needs to be first analyzed to forecast the system performance. This article investigates the effects of the reflectarray configuration parameters on the antenna aperture efficiency. A general approach is introduced to calculate the spillover efficiency of a reflectarray with arbitrarily shaped aperture and feed scheme. Meanwhile, the illumination efficiency of the reflectarray is analyzed with a unified set of equations. On the basis of these derivations, parametric studies are performed to provide design guidelines for optimizing the aperture efficiency of reflectarray antennas. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 364–372, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24949

We have been distributing a new collection of databases and evaluation tools called CENSREC-4, which is a framework for evaluating distant-talking speech in reverberant environments. The data contained in CENSREC-4 are connected digit utterances as in CENSREC-1. Two subsets are included in the data: ''basic data sets'' and ''extra data sets.'' The basic data sets are used for evaluating the room impulse response-convolved speech data to simulate the various reverberations. The extra data sets consist of simulated data and corresponding real recorded data. Evaluation tools are presently only provided for the basic data sets and will be delivered to the extra data sets in the future. The task of CENSREC-4 with a basic data set appears simple; however, the results of experiments prove that CENSREC-4 provides a challenging reverberation speech-recognition task, in the sense that a traditional technique to improve recognition and a widely used criterion to represent the difficulty of recognition deliver poor performance. Within this context, this common framework can be an important step toward the future evolution of reverberant speech-recognition methodologies.

Voice activity detection (VAD) plays an important role in speech processing including speech recognition, speech enhancement, and speech coding under noisy environments. We have developed an evaluation framework for VAD under noisy environments, named CENSREC-1-C. We designed this framework for simple isolated utterance detection and hence, this framework consists of noisy continuous digit utterances and evaluation tools for VAD results. We define two evaluation measures, one for frame-level detection performance and the other for utterance-level detection performance. We also provide the evaluation results of a power-based VAD method as a reference.

Since 2008 it has been testing at the Autonomous University of Chiapas the clay brick used in buildings of the city of Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico. The study includes the identification of variations on geometry properties, weight, absorption and strength of bricks. Besides the individual properties of brick units, piles of bricks were tested to determinate theirs compression strength. Similarly, compression tests were performed on samples of the mortar. The procedure was performed as indicated by the National Agency for Standardization and Certification of Building and Construction (ONNCCE) and Complementary Technical Norms for Design and Construction of Masonry Structures (2004).semejante ocurre para el mortero estudiado pues su resistencia promedio a compresión es mucho menos que aquella que se menciona en las NTC para Diseño y Construcción de Estructuras de Mampostería (2004). Palabras clave: Resistencia a compresión, mortero, ladrillo de barro. ABSTRACT Since 2008 it has ...

Improving the sensitivity of existing biosensors for highly sensitive detection of magnetic nanoparticles as biomarkers in biological systems is an important and challenging task. Here, we propose a method of combining the magneto-resistance (MR), magneto-reactance (MX), and magneto-impedance (MI) effects to develop an integrated magnetic biosensor with tunable and enhanced sensitivity. A systematic study of the 7 nm Fe3O4 nanoparticle concentration dependence of MR, MX, and MI ratios of a soft ferromagnetic amorphous ribbon shows that these ratios first increase sharply with increase in particle concentration (0–124 nM) and then remain almost unchanged for higher concentrations (124 nM–1240 nM). The MX-based biosensor shows the highest sensitivity. With this biosensor, ∼2.1 × 1011 7 nm Fe3O4 nanoparticles can be detected over a detection area of 2.0 × 105 μm2, which is comparable to a superconducting quantum interference device biosensor that detects the presence of ∼1 × 108 11 nm ...

A magnetoimpedance (MI) biosensor based on Co-based amorphous ribbon was designed and tested to detect functionalized Nanomag-D magnetic beads. While previous studies were focused mainly on exploring the MI change for biosensing, we show that the sensitivity of the biosensor can be enhanced when the change in ac magnetoresistance (MR) or magnetoreactance (MX) is used. The frequency at which the sensitivity of the sensor is optimized can be tuned. This is of potential interest in developing functional biosensors with improved sensitivity and tunable frequency.

This paper presents a novel approach to artificial situation awareness for an autonomous vehicle operating in complex dynamic environments populated by other agents. A key aspect of situation awareness is the use of mental models to predict future states of the environment, allowing safe and rational routing decisions to be made. We present a technique for predicting future discrete state transitions (such as the commencement of a turn) by other agents, based upon an uncertain mental model. Predictions take the form of univariate Gaussian Probability Density Functions which capture the inherent uncertainty in transition time whilst still providing great benefit to a decision making system. The prediction distributions are compared with Monte Carlo simulations and show an excellent correlation over long prediction horizons.

A novel statistical model is presented to quantify situation awareness in the operation of small civilian Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Today, the vast majority of small UAS operation takes place under Visual Line Of Sight (VLOS) of a human operator, who is wholly responsible for the safety of the flight. As operation begins to move to Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS), it is likely that this responsibility will become shared between operator and the increasingly autonomous UAS itself. Before we seek to quantify the safety of such a system, it is beneficial to analyse the safety of existing VLOS operations to provide a target level of safety. Prior to considering any on-board decision making, it is essential to ensure that the artificial situation awareness system of a UAS in BVLOS is at least as good as awareness of a human operator. The paper provides a probabilistic theory and model for the high level abstractions of situation awareness to guide future assessment of BVLOS operations.

Traffic collision avoidance systems (TCAS) are used in order to avoid incidences of mid-air collisions between aircraft. We present a game-theoretic approach of a TCAS designed for autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A variant of the canonical example of game-theoretic learning, fictitious play, is used as a coordination mechanism between the UAVs, that should choose between the alternative altitudes to fly and avoid collision. We present the implementation results of the proposed coordination mechanism in two quad-copters flying in opposite directions.