The Effect of Sustainable Production on Consumer Buying Behaviour in Apparel Industry

2019 dissertation for MSc. Sustainable production consists of producing things that are supportive towards the environment and does not cause global warming or green depletion. Moreover, sustainable products are those that can be recycled and are bio-degradable. Most of the companies are using organic products in modern days due to the increase in customers demand environmentally sustainable products. It is due to the media exposure about global warming, green depletion. It is also seen that animal welfare rights, including the rising concerns of protecting endangered species, have reduced demands for leather jackets, or shoes made from animal skin. The methods for researching the impact of sustainable production upon buying behaviour of consumers have been determined by maintaining the principle of research onion. Research has been initiated using the inductive approach to analyse multiple impacts of sustainable production upon consumer behaviour. The approach of exploratory research design has been considered to accelerate the research variables of sustainable production and consumer behaviour. Qualitative and quantitative information regarding sustainable production and its corresponding consumer behaviour has been collected from authentic secondary sources like journals and books. The research also concludes that the firms such as Solly and Zodiac, are using the methods of sustainable production by increasing organic products and paper packaging for attracting modern customers. It also gives future scope where more than one industry can be compared, or a specific firm can be chosen for the sake of development

Commutators, Lefschetz fibrations and the signatures of surface bundles

We construct examples of Lefschetz fibrations with prescribed singular fibers. By taking differences of pairs of such fibrations with the same singular fibers, we obtain new examples of surface bundles over surfaces with non-zero signature. From these we derive new upper bounds for the minimal genus of a surface representing a given element in the second homology of a mapping class group.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Topolog

Numerical friction lines for cfd based form factor determination

In this study, frictional resistance coefficients of an infinitely thin 2D plate have been computed at 14 Reynolds numbers (between og10()=6.25 to 9.5) in sets of five geometrically similar structured grids in order to perform reliable grid dependence studies. Additional grid dependency studies have been performed by using 5 sets of grids which have the same number of cells in all directions but varying first cell sizes normal to the flat plate at og10(n)=6.25. Average + values for each grid set for the finest grid varies between 0.0075 and 0.5 (from set 1 to 5 respectively) while none of the simulations exceeded average + value of 1. All simulations were performed with the direct application of the no-slip condition at walls. Therefore, no wall functions were used. Two turbulence models have been used for the investigations: −ω SST and EASM. Extensive grid dependence studies have been performed with two different CFD codes SHIPFLOW and FINE™/MARINE, using the same grids. Special attention was paid to the transition from laminar to turbulent flow at the lowest Reynolds number since laminar part can cover a significant part of the plate. At og10(n)=6.25 for both CFD codes, laminar flow and transition to turbulent flow was distinctive even though no transition models were applied. Significant dependency on + has been observed with FINE™/MARINE on friction resistance coefficient. On the other hand, SHIPFLOW exhibited less sensitivity to the first cell size variation, hence, revealed smaller numerical uncertainties in general. To ensure a numerical uncertainty of frictional resistance component below 1%, average +<0.016 have been used for generating the data points of friction line with SHIPFLOW for each turbulence model. Data points of 14 Reynolds number have been transformed into numerical friction lines by applying curve fits. Obtained friction lines are compared with ITTC57 line, Schoenherr, Hughes, Toki, Katsui, Grigson lines and two numerical friction lines

The influence of post-fixation on visualising vimentin in the retina using immunofluorescence method

Background: Post-fixation of sections is especially required for cryostat sections of fresh frozen tissues. Vimentin is an intermediate filament in both fibrillary and non-fibrillary form, expressed in Müller’s cells and astrocytes of the retina. Our aim was to determine the best post-fixation method for visualising vimentin in archival mouse eyes. Materials and methods: We used an archival mouse eye, slightly pre-fixed with paraformaldehyde and stored at –80°C for 4 years. We tried three fixatives (pa­raformaldehyde [PFA], alcohol/acetic acid [AAA] and methanol) for post-fixation of eye sections. Results: We showed that post-fixation alters the labelling properties of vimentin expressed in the retina. In the sections with no post-fixation, vimentin positivity was observed in and around the nuclei in non-fibrillary form. In PFA post-fixed sections, the vimentin in the retina was not observed as fibrils. Positivity was observed in the nuclei and in perinuclear regions of the cells. In AAA post-fixed sections, positive labelling was observed around the nuclei as fibrils. In methanol post-fixed sections, labelling was observed around the nuclei as fibrils. Conclusions: We conclude that post-fixation with AAA is more convenient for immunofluorescent labelling of vimentin in the retina for slightly PFA pre-fixed and long-term stored retina. (Folia Morphol 2018; 77, 2: 246–252

Noise-based logic: Binary, multi-valued, or fuzzy, with optional superposition of logic states

A new type of deterministic (non-probabilistic) computer logic system inspired by the stochasticity of brain signals is shown. The distinct values are represented by independent stochastic processes: independent voltage (or current) noises. The orthogonality of these processes provides a natural way to construct binary or multi-valued logic circuitry with arbitrary number N of logic values by using analog circuitry. Moreover, the logic values on a single wire can be made a (weighted) superposition of the N distinct logic values. Fuzzy logic is also naturally represented by a two-component superposition within the binary case (N=2). Error propagation and accumulation are suppressed. Other relevant advantages are reduced energy dissipation and leakage current problems, and robustness against circuit noise and background noises such as 1/f, Johnson, shot and crosstalk noise. Variability problems are also nonexistent because the logic value is an AC signal. A similar logic system can be built with orthogonal sinusoidal signals (different frequency or orthogonal phase) however that has an extra 1/N type slowdown compared to the noise-based logic system with increasing number of N furthermore it is less robust against time delay effects than the noise-based counterpart.Comment: Accepted for publication by Physics Letters A, on December 23, 200

Member-Level Redundancy of Built-Up Steel Axially Loaded Members

Full-scale fracture tests were completed determining that mechanically-fastened steel built-up axially-loaded tension members are resistant to running fracture when a single component suddenly fractures. This characteristic of built-up member is referred to as Cross-Boundary Fracture Resistance (CBFR). A comprehensive finite element model-based parametric study was also performed investigating the post-fracture load redistribution behavior of multi-component built-up members. Simplified closed-form solutions were developed for engineering analysis of built-up members to evaluate for internal member redundancy and estimate safe inspection intervals that are based on the fatigue life of the member in the assumed faulted condition

Computation using Noise-based Logic: Efficient String Verification over a Slow Communication Channel

Utilizing the hyperspace of noise-based logic, we show two string verification methods with low communication complexity. One of them is based on continuum noise-based logic. The other one utilizes noise-based logic with random telegraph signals where a mathematical analysis of the error probability is also given. The last operation can also be interpreted as computing universal hash functions with noise-based logic and using them for string comparison. To find out with 10^-25 error probability that two strings with arbitrary length are different (this value is similar to the error probability of an idealistic gate in today's computer) Alice and Bob need to compare only 83 bits of the noise-based hyperspace.Comment: Accepted for publication in European Journal of Physics B (November 10, 2010

Quasi-free Compton Scattering from the Deuteron and Nucleon Polarizabilities

Cross sections for quasi-free Compton scattering from the deuteron were measured for incident energies of 236--260 MeV at the laboratory angle -135 degrees. The recoil nucleons were detected in a liquid-scintillator array situated at 20 degrees. The measured differential cross sections were used, with the calculations of Levchuk et al., to determine the polarizabilities of the bound nucleons. For the bound proton, the extracted values were consistent with the accepted value for the free proton. Combining our results for the bound neutron with those from Rose et al., we obtain one-sigma constraints of alpha_n = 7.6-14.0 and beta_n = 1.2-7.6.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted in PR

Pathogenicity of proteinase 3-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody in granulomatosis with polyangiitis: Implications as biomarker and future therapies

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a rare but serious necrotizing auto-immune vasculitis. GPA is mostly associated with the presence of Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (ANCA) targeting proteinase 3 (PR3-ANCA), a serine protease contained in neutrophil granules but also exposed at the membrane. PR3-ANCAs have a proven fundamental role in GPA: they bind neutrophils allowing their auto-immune activation responsible for vasculitis lesions. PR3-ANCAs bind neutrophil surface on the one hand by their Fab binding PR3 and on the other by their Fc binding Fc gamma receptors. Despite current therapies, GPA is still a serious disease with an important mortality and a high risk of relapse. Furthermore, although PR3-ANCAs are a consistent biomarker for GPA diagnosis, relapse management currently based on their level is inconsistent. Indeed, PR3-ANCA level is not correlated with disease activity in 25% of patients suggesting that not all PR3-ANCAs are pathogenic. Therefore, the development of new biomarkers to evaluate disease activity and predict relapse and new therapies is necessary. Understanding factors influencing PR3-ANCA pathogenicity, i.e. their potential to induce auto-immune activation of neutrophils, offers interesting perspectives in order to improve GPA management. Most relevant factors influencing PR3-ANCA pathogenicity are involved in their interaction with neutrophils: level of PR3 autoantigen at neutrophil surface, epitope of PR3 recognized by PR3-ANCA, isotype and glycosylation of PR3-ANCA. We detailed in this review the advances in understanding these factors influencing PR3-ANCA pathogenicity in order to use them as biomarkers and develop new therapies in GPA as part of a personalized approach

A Simplified Approach for Designing SRMs in Composite Continuous Twin-Tub Girder Bridges

High torsional rigidity and attractive aesthetics in construction of twin-tub girder bridges make them preferable for the design of curved bridges. However, according to the concepts associated with the term “Fracture Critical (FC)” that are in place today, all two-girder bridges are classified as having FC members (FCMs) due to their perceived lack of load path redundancy. For a steel bridge with FCMs, the fracture of any of the FCMs is assumed to result in complete catastrophic failure or significant loss of serviceability; hence, every two years twin-tub girder bridges undergo very expensive hands-on field inspections. This report presents a simplified approach to ensure newly designed twin-tub girder bridges will meet all the requirements defined in the 2018 AASHTO Guide Specifications without performing in-depth FEA. AASHTO-ready proposed specifications are included in Appendix A. It is anticipated that these provisions could be incorporated into the AASHTO LRFD BDS as a new article 6.6.3 Special Provisions for Twin Tub Girder Bridges