Predicting Mechanical Properties of Galvanized Steels: Data Mining Approach

The purpose of this paper is to predict the mechanical properties of galvanized steel, using appropriate data mining techniques such as neural network, support vector machine, regression analysis and regression tree methods. It is found that by using the neural network technique one can get the best result for predicting the mechanical properties of galvanized steel according to the values of input parameters and also considering the effects of annealing temperature and line speed as the controlling parameters

Investigation of electrical properties for cantilever-based piezoelectric energy harvester

In the present era, the renewable sources of energy, e.g., piezoelectric materials are in great demand. They play a vital role in the field of micro-electromechanical systems, e.g., sensors and actuators. The cantilever-based piezoelectric energy harvesters are very popular because of their high performance and utilization. In this research-work, an energy harvester model based on a cantilever beam with bimorph PZT-5A, having a substrate layer of structural steel, was presented. The proposed energy scavenging system, designed in COMSOL Multiphysics, was applied to analyze the electrical output as a function of excitation frequencies, load resistances and accelerations. Analytical modeling was employed to measure the output voltage and power under pre-defined conditions of acceleration and load resistance. Experimentation was also performed to determine the relationship between independent and output parameters. Energy harvester is capable of producing the maximum power of 1.16 mW at a resonant frequency of 71 Hz under 1g acceleration, having load resistance of 12 k Omega. It was observed that acceleration and output power are directly proportional to each other. Moreover, the investigation conveys that the experimental results are in good agreement with the numerical results. The maximum error obtained between the experimental and numerical investigation was found to equal 4.3%

Measurement of NO2 indoor and outdoor concentrations in selected public schools of Lahore using passive sampler

Higher levels of NO2 are a danger to human health especially for children. A seven day study was carried to find out the ambient concentrations of NO2in 27 schools of Lahore with the help of passive samplers. In each school three sites were selected, viz: laboratory, corridor and outdoors. After 7 days exposure the tubes were subjected to spectrophotometric analysis. Results showed that the maximum values measured in laboratory, outdoor and corridors were 376µg/m3 , 222µg/m3 and 77µg/m3 . Minimum values for laboratory, outdoor and corridors were 10µg/m3 , 20µg/m3 and 8µg/m3 . Factors affecting these values were laboratory activities and proximity to main roads. These values were significantly higher than the standard values defined by EPA. Therefore children in schools were at risk of developing health complications

Microbial dynamics during various activities in residential areas of Lahore, Pakistan

Bioaerosols are ubiquitous in the atmosphere with their levels affected by a variety of environmental factors as well as type of activities being carried out at any specific time. The present study investigated how indoor activities influence bioaerosol concentrations in five residential houses of Lahore. Agar coated petri plates were exposed face upwards for twenty minutes in kitchens and living rooms during activity and non-activity periods. The temperature and relative humidity levels were noted as well. The bioaerosol concentrations in kitchens during the activity time ranged between 1022 to 4481 cfu/m3 and in living rooms from 1179 to 3183 cfu/m3 . Lower values were observed during non-activity periods. A paired-t test revealed a significant difference in bacterial loads during activity and non-activity times in both micro-environments (p = 0.038 in kitchen and p = 0.021 in living room). The predominant species identified were Micrococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., and Bacillus spp. which are a common constituent of the indoor environment and are known to be opportunistic pathogens as well

Spectral Efficiency Improvements in HetNets by Exploiting Device-to-Device Communications

Next generation cellular networks require huge capacity, ubiquitous coverage and maximum energy efficiency. In order to meet these targets, Device-to-device (D2D) communication is being considered for future heterogeneous networks (HetNets). In this paper, we consider a three tier hierarchical HetNet by exploiting D2D communication in traditional HetNet. D2D communication is deployed within the HetNet where closely located mobile users are engaged in direct communication without routing the traffic through cellular access network. The proposed configuration mandates to reduce the interference offered by the resultant HetNet by reducing the transmitter-receiver distance and ensuring that the mobile users are transmitting with adaptive power subject to maintaining their desired link quality. In this context, we analyzed and compared the spectral efficiency improvements in hierarchical HetNet against traditional HetNet. Simulation results show that D2D communication offers much higher spectral efficiency as compared to traditional HetNet

What are the educational needs and experiences of asylum-seeking and refugee children, including those who are unaccompanied, with a particular focus on inclusion? - A literature review

In a context of mass displacement and flows of asylum-seeking and refugee peoples across national borders, the need to respond and attend to the education of asylum-seeking and refugee children is urgent and pressing, though it is not without its challenges. This literature review focuses on the educational experiences of asylum seeking and refugee children, including those who are unaccompanied, with a particular focus on inclusion. It seeks to respond to the following three interconnected questions: 1. What does current educational literature tell us about the educational needs and experiences of asylumseeking and refugee children as they relate to inclusion? 2. What does current educational literature tell us about the educational needs and experiences of unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children as they relate to inclusion? 3. What implications and recommendations can be drawn from existing literature? The review has a particular interest in the needs and experiences of unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children, but recognises that though there is a developing literature specifically on unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children (see, for example, Stanley, 2001; Derluyn and Broekaert, 2008; Pastoor, 2015) such needs must be understood and positioned in relation to the wider educational needs and experiences of asylum seeking and refugee children more generally. While other literature reviews on asylum-seeking and refugee children are available (see, for example, Hek, 2005; McBrien, 2005), the present review adds to existing work by: • including an explicit focus on the educational needs and experiences of asylum-seeking and refugee children who are unaccompanied; • providing an up-to-date review of literature which analyses and reports the educational needs and experiences of asylum-seeking and refugee children. The review focuses in particular on post-migration experiences within school settings as they relate to asylum seeking and refugee children’s social inclusion