Load-deflection Analysis of CFRP Strengthened RC Slab Using Focused Feed-forward Time Delay Neural Network

In this paper, the load-deflection analysis of the Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strengthened Reinforced Concrete (RC) slab using Focused Feed-forward Time Delay Neural Network (FFTDNN) is investigated. Six reinforced concrete slabs having dimension 1800×400×120 mm with similar steel bar of 2T10 and strengthened using different length and width of CFRP were tested and compared with similar samples without CFRP. The experimental load-deflection results were uploaded, normalized, and converted to a time sequence parameter in MATLAB software. Loading, time, and the effect of the different CFRP strip lengths on the slab moment of inertia were as neurons in input layer and mid-span deflection was as neuron in output layer. The network was generated using feed-forward network and a tapped delay line at the input layer to memorize the input data while training process. From 122 load-deflection data, 111 data utilized for network generation and 11 data for the network testing. The results of model on the testing stage showed that the generated FFTDNN predicted the load-deflection analysis of the slabs in acceptable technique with a correlation of determination of 0.98. The ratio between predicted deflection by FFTDNN and experimental output was in the range of 0.92 to 1.23

Detection of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense in Glossina fuscipes fuscipes (Diptera: Glossinidae) and Stomoxys flies using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique in southern Sudan

Ethanol-fixed entire bodies of the tsetse fly, Glossina fuscipes fuscipes, and unidentified stable flies, Stomoxys spp., collected from near Juba town, southern Sudan, were  tested for Trypanozoon trypanosomes infections using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique for the first time in Sudan. The crude target DNA sequences were extracted by incubation of entire flies in Nonindet PCR template buffer containing proteinase-K. The DNA amplification sets of conditions were adjusted for each pair of primers employed. The oligonucleotide primers used included TBR1-2, SRAA-E, SRAB537-B538 and TgsGPFOR-REV. The results showed that 74.4% of G. f. fuscipes and 39.36% of Stomoxys spp. were infected with Trypanozoon trypanosomes. Out of the 117 examined G. f. fuscipes, 46.2, 24.8, 35.04, 17.09 and 10.26% were due to T. b. gambiense (TgsGPFOR-REV), T. b. rhodesiense (SRAA-E), T. b. rhodesiense (SRA3537-3538), mixed infection with T. b. gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense and T. b. brucei, respectively. However, infections in Stomoxys spp. of 2.13 and 37.2% were due to T. b. rhodesiense and T. b. brucei, respectively.Key words: Glossina fuscipes fuscipes, T. b. gambiense, T. b. Rhodesiense, vectoral capacity, infection rate, PCR technology

Foreign Direct Investments, Renewable Electricity Output, and Ecological Footprints:Do Financial Globalization Facilitate Renewable Energy Transition and Environmental Welfare in Bangladesh?

Phasing out fossil fuel dependency to adopt renewable energy technologies is pertinent for both ensuring energy security and for safeguarding the well-being of the environment. However, financial constraints often bottleneck the prospects of the developing countries undergoing renewable energy transition to ease the environmental hardships. Against this background, this study makes a novel attempt to evaluate the impacts of FDI inflows on the prospects of undergoing renewable energy transition and attaining environmental sustainability in Bangladesh between 1972 and 2015. Using the autoregressive distributed lags with structural break approach to estimate the short- and long-run elasticities, it is found that FDI inflows enhance the share of renewable electricity output in the total electricity output levels of the country. Besides, FDI inflows are also evidenced to directly hamper environmental quality by boosting the ecological footprints figures. The key findings from the econometric analysis reveal that FDI promotes renewable electricity generation but transforms the nation into a pollution haven. However, although FDI inflows cannot directly reduce the ecological footprints, a joint ecological footprint mitigation impact of FDI inflow and renewable electricity generation in Bangladesh is evidenced. Besides, the findings also verify the authenticity of the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis in Bangladesh’s context. This, economic growth can be referred to as being both the cause and the panacea to the environmental problems faced in Bangladesh. Therefore, these results, in a nutshell, calls for effective measures to be undertaken for attracting the relatively cleaner FDI in Bangladesh whereby the objectives of renewable energy transition and environmental sustainability can be ensured in tandem. In line with these findings, some appropriate financial globalization policies are recommende

Quality control/quality assurance testing for longitudinal joint density and segregation of asphalt mixtures

AbstractLongitudinal joint quality control/assurance is essential to the successful performance of asphalt pavement and it has received considerable amount of attention in recent years. Five paving projects were selected for sampling and evaluation in Iowa. For each project, joint quality is compared with regard to the “center” of the pavement mat (6′ right of joint). Field densities and permeability test were made. Cores were obtained for subsequent lab permeability, density and indirect tensile (IDT) strength testing. Asphalt content and gradations were also obtained to determine the joint segregation.In general, this study found that methods providing the most reliable measurements of joint quality are the AASHTO T166, AASHTO T331 (CoreLok) density tests and the permeability test by Karol-Warner Permeameter. The minimum required joint density for quality control should be around 90.0% and 88.5% of theoretical maximum density based on the AASHTO T166 and AASHTO T331 method respectively. Based on various mix design and longitudinal joint construction methods, the joints show differences in asphalt content and level of segregation. Results of this study indicate that poor quality of longitudinal joint should be a combination of segregation, asphalt content variation and insufficient density

MEHMET AKiF'iN MISIR'DAKi ÇALIŞMALARI VE KÜLTÜREL ÇEVRESi

Bu makale, İstiklal şairi Mehmet Akifin hayatını, seyahatlerini ve özellikle on yılı aşzn Mısır'da geçirdıği yıllannı, Kahire Üniversitesindeki derslerini, sürdürdüğü edebi çalışmalarını ve oradaki kültürel çevrelerle ilişkilerini ele alıyor. Mehmet Akifin hayatının verimli bir dönemini kapsayan Mısır hayatına, gurbetteki şiirlerine yeni bir bakış ve yorum getirmesine katkı sağlaması bekleniyor

Gender diversity of boards and executives on real earnings management in the bull or bear period: Empirical evidence from China

This study investigates whether gender diversity in the roles of executives, boards of supervisors and management impacts real earnings management during the bullish and bearish periods from 2000 to 2017. The sample is separated by bullish (11,616 firm-year observations) and bearish (14,436 firm-year observations) periods. The results suggest that female participation on supervisory boards and executives tend to kerb real earnings management during bearish and bullish periods. Another important finding is that female CEOs are more cautious in real earnings manipulation due to their risk-averse nature during the bearish period, while female CFOs are more likely to constrain real earnings management in the bullish period. This study failed to find the relation of gender diversity on boards of management to real earnings management; however, the study has found that female executives (excluding CEOs and CFOs) who are also directors are more likely to limit earnings manipulation

Application of Computational Intelligence in Visual Quality Optimization Watermarking and Coding Tools to Improve the Medical IoT Platforms Using ECC Cybersecurity Based CoAP Protocol

To ensure copyright protection and authenticate ownership of media or entities, image watermarking techniques are utilized. This technique entails embedding hidden information about an owner in a specific entity to discover any potential ownership issues. In recent years, several authors have proposed various ways to watermarking. In computational intelligence contexts, however, there are not enough research and comparisons of watermarking approaches. Soft computing techniques are now being applied to help watermarking algorithms perform better. This chapter investigates soft computing-based image watermarking for a medical IoT platform that aims to combat the spread of COVID-19, by allowing a large number of people to simultaneously and securely access their private data, such as photos and QR codes in public places such as stadiums, supermarkets, and events with a large number of participants. Therefore, our platform is composed of QR Code, and RFID identification readers to ensure the validity of a health pass as well as an intelligent facial recognition system to verify the pass’s owner. The proposed system uses artificial intelligence, psychovisual coding, CoAP protocol, and security tools such as digital watermarking and ECC encryption to optimize the sending of data captured from citizens wishing to access a given space in terms of execution time, bandwidth, storage space, energy, and memory consumption