Smart ambient:a pilot study to contextualise a location-based mobile application to support informal learning from cultural heritage sites

This paper aims to present a pilot study of the development of a Location-Based Mobile application to support informal learning in the cultural heritage domain. In this paper, we introduce a prototype of the Mobile Location Based System. The application is intended for use in outdoor settings and aims to provide the user with automatic notifications of historical information regarding nearby heritage sites. The application presents the information automatically when the device is close to a certain place or statue while people are moving in the vicinity of those places. The study used a scenario-based method to investigate the actors and the suitable context of use. Finally, an evaluation of the prototype's main features was conducted to examine their usefulness

Wind Tunnel Test of Shielded Flat Plant Wind Rotor

A rectangular flat plate rotor was tested inside a wind tunnel. The plate was half shielded by semi - cylindrical cover so that the wind strikes one half of the plate. The power coefficient and output torque were found experimentally for value of the tip speed ratio ranging from zero, when the output is sufficient to stop the turbine, to the maximum free running value when the output torque is zero

A critical analysis of mystery in videogames

Historically, videogame research has focused on how different videogame attributes (like challenge, fantasy, control, goals, etc.) impact the player experience. This type of research is important because it can provide insight into how to design more enjoyable videogames. However, very little exists within the current literature that focuses on mystery and its impact on the player experience. This dissertation is concerned with providing the research community with a better understanding of how mystery manifests in videogames and consequently impacts the player experience, specifically curiosity and motivation. To this end, the research questions are: 1. How do players experience mystery in videogames? 2. How do game designers consider mystery when designing their games? 3. What is the relationship between player-centered and designer-centered views of mystery in videogames? 4. What is the impact of player-centered and designer-centered elements of mystery on player motivation? Such understanding of mystery in videogames is provided in the form of a detailed taxonomy that concentrates on mystery from both the videogame designer and player perspectives. After a thorough review and summary of the related research, this taxonomy was created through two qualitative studies utilizing Grounded Theory. The findings of those studies were validated through an empirical instrument via a third, quantitative study. The conclusions and outcomes of this dissertation provide the gaming community with the knowledge on how to optimize mystery in videogame design which increases player curiosity and motivation. It also offers greater insight to the research community on the impact of mystery, as a videogame attribute, on the player experience. This dissertation describes in detail the methodology and processes of these research studies and how this taxonomy was established, and it explains the impact of this work as well as suggests areas for future work

Modeling, analysis and simulation of a high-efficiency battery control system

This paper explains step-by-step modeling and simulation of the full circuits of a battery control system and connected together starting from the AC input source to the battery control and storage system. The three-phase half-controlled rectifier has been designed to control and convert the AC power into DC power. In addition, two types of direct current converters have been used in this paper which are a buck and bidirectional DC/DC converters. These systems adjust the output voltage to be lower or higher than the input voltage. In the buck converters, the main switch operates in conduction or cut-off mode and is triggered by a Pulse-Width Modulated (PWM) signal. The output and input voltage levels ratio are used to calculate the PWM signal’s duty cycle. Therefore, the duty cycle indicates the operation mode of the converter in steady-state operation. In this study, we analyze and control of a buck converter with the PWM signal. Besides, the bidirectional DC/DC converter has been achieved and optimized by PI control methods to control the battery charging and discharging modes. The simulation has been applied via the Matlab/Simulink environment. The results show the activity of each part of the designed circuits starting from the converters and the battery control system in charge and discharge modes

Predation potential of flower fly Eupeodes nuba (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Syrphidae) on black bean aphid Aphis fabae Scopoli (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and the parasitoids species on its host in the field

The flower fly species, Eupeodes nuba (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Syrphidae) is crucial for agroecosystems as it provides various ecosystem services such as pest control through the use of predatory larvae and crop pollination by adults. In this research, the consumption rate of different instars of Aphis fabae (Scopoli, 1763) by E. nuba larvae has been studied under laboratory conditions at 25±2 °C, 60±10% humidity (RH). Fifty aphids and one larva of flower fly were present in each replicate. The results showed that the maximum number of A. fabae consumed by the larvae of E. nuba was 49.13 individuals at the third instar, followed by 35.73 individuals of aphids at the second instar and 16.26 individuals for the first instar of the predator. The highest daily consumption of aphids occurred during the third instar of the predator. A. fabae was heavily parasitized by different aphid parasitoids, Binodoxys acalephae (Marshall, 1896), Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall, 1896), and Aphelinus asychis (Walker, 1839) on the broad bean. Parasitization rates of these parasitoids increased during the broad bean plant season. The first recording of A. fabae as a new host for A. psychic. The survey of three parasitoids indicated that L. fabarum had the highest population in December, the parasitoid B. acalephae was the highest in January, and the highest population of A. asychis was recorded in February. It seems that biological control can be used as an alternative to chemical pesticides to control A. fabae

HUMAN LAB RATS IN JAMES DASHNER’S THE MAZE RUNNER SERIES (2009 – 2011): HISTORICAL REFERENCES, PRESENT ALLUSIONS, AND DYSTOPIAN FUTURE

Purpose: This study aims to shed the light on allusions to real lab rats in Dashner’s trilogy: The Maze Runner (2009), The Scorch Trails (2010), and The Death Cure (2011).  It also aims to trace the historical documents and chronicles essential to reveal the justifications behind the vague political and scientific crimes.  Methodology: The researchers have used the literary analytical approach to study and analyze selected prominent aspects from each novel; such as the concept of lab rats and genocide crimes in The Maze Runner; references to weather experiments, the climate change conspiracy, gas chambers, and the Holocaust in The Scorch Trails; and finally, the man-made diseases and biological weapons in The Death Cure. Results: The outcomes confirm the necessity of knowing history whether bright or dark as a keyword to understand the present and predict the future. Also, Dashner has based The Maze Runners series on historical references as well as present-day vital scientific issues to predict a catastrophic future if a decision is not made. Young adult is chosen to lead the revolution against human abusing crimes and make a change. Applications: To develop a high understanding of young adult fiction, the researchers recommend those who are interested in literature with the necessity to apply this study to other post-apocalyptic, survival, adventure, science and dystopian series fictions, movies adaptations of related books, and related video games series that addressing young adults’ mind in order to diagnose any dilemma . Novelty/Originality: Hence, this study makes a difference in the sense of exposing the genocide crimes committed by the name of science embedded in Dashner's The Maze Runners series by tracing the historical, social, political, and scientific justifications regarding the concept of human lab rats as one of the worst human abusing experiences still used by tyrant regimes till now in ethnic and sectarian purification

A review article of multi-band, multi-mode microstrip filters for RF, WLAN, WiMAX, and wireless communication by using stepped impedance resonator (SIR)

Filters are the basic part in wired, and wireless telecommunications and radar system circuits and they play an important role in determining the cost and performance of a system. The increasing demand for high performance in the fields of RF, WLAN, WiMAX and other wireless communications led to the great revolution in the advancement of the development of a compact microstrip resonator filter design. All these have made a vital contribution to both the required performance specifications for filters and other commercial requirements in terms of low cost, large storage capacity and high-speed performance. This review paper presents several design examples for multi-band, multi - mode microstrip filter resonators to satisfy RF, WLAN, WiMAX, UWB and other wireless communication frequency bands. To analyse the resonant frequencies odd - mode and even -modes can be used for the symmetrical structure. In general, the multi-mode resonators can be designed by using different methods like cross-coupling resonators Structure, and the allocation of the fundamental resonant frequencies of the resonator as stated by the Chebyshev's insertion loss function

Non-Thermal Processing of a Protein Functional Beverage Using Pulsed Electric Fields: Escherichia coli Inactivation and Effect on Proteins

The application of pulsed electric fields (PEFs) for the inactivation of Escherichia coli, suspended in a protein shake beverage and diluted with sterilized distilled water was carried out. Square bipolar pulses in the range of 25–40 kV/cm electric field intensities were applied at different frequencies (400–900 Hz) to investigate the effect of different PEF conditions on the microbial population and proteins relevant to this functional beverage. The treatment temperature was kept below the lethal temperature of the microorganism under investigation. As power consumption plays an important role in the efficiency of the PEF application, the dissipated power was also estimated. Four log reductions in the E. coli population were obtained with 10 pulses at a 40 kV/cm field intensity and 25 pulses at a 25 kV/cm field intensity. PEF-treated whey-protein concentrates showed less denaturation in proteins than thermally treated concentrates, especially for lower electric field intensities (0% denaturation ± 0.007 at 25 kV/cm and 900 Hz, 4.41% denaturation ± 0.008 at 40 kV/cm and 400 Hz). Soy protein isolates manifested high sensitivity to PEF processing and resulted in denaturation and aggregation in the protein structure.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio