Internet-based Framework to Support Integration of Customer in the Design of Customizable Products

A necessary element to design and produce customer-centric products is the integration of customers in the design process. Challenges faced during customer integration into the design process include generating models of the customized product, performing analysis of these to determine feasibility, and optimizing to increase the performance. These tasks have to be performed relatively quickly, if not in real time, to provide feedback to the customer. The focus of this article is to present a framework that utilizes CAD, finite element analysis (FEA), and optimization to integrate the customer into the design process via the Internet for delivering user customized products. The design analysis, evaluation, and optimization need to be automated and enhanced to enable operation over the Internet. A product family CAD/FEA template has been developed to perform analysis, along with a general formulation to optimize the customized product. The CAD/FEA template generalizes the geometry building and analysis of each configuration developed using a product platform approach. The proposed setup is demonstrated through the use of a bicycle frame family. In this study, the focus is on the application of optimization and FEA to facilitate the design of customer-centric products.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Case studies of six CBFM-2 water bodies

The case studies report on how CBFM-2 interventions have affected aquatic productivity, income, employment and livelihoods in six case study sites, Beelbhora beel cluster (Kishoreganj), Sholuar beel (Narail), Chapundaha beel (Rangpur), Hamil beel (Tangail), Kutir beel (Kishoreganj) and Dikshi beel (Pabna).

Chickpea production technology

Chickpea ranks third among pulses in global production with its area expanding in Turkey, Canada and Australia. This crop is broad in adaptation and is widely distributed with its production limited by several biotic and abiotic stresses. It fixes atmospheric nitrogen via a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium which benefits both chickpea and its following crops. Moisture availability, temperature and photoperiod suitability determine the sowing time for the best yield. Sowing rates range from 40 to 200 kg/ha and sowing depth from 5 to 8 cm for the best yield. Application of mineral fertilizers results in marginal yield increases as chickpea is equipped for acquisition of several minerals from non-traditional soil sources. Weed management is critical favoring the search for improved control measures and genetic sources of herbicide tolerance.. Future genetic enhancements with greater resistance to key biotic, abiotic stresses and herbicides can further improve the sustainability in chickpea production

DETERMINATION OF DIVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION LEVEL FROM SELECTED AREAS OF RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN

Anthropogenic contaminants arising from both stationary (power plants, industries and residential heating) and mobile sources (road traffic) can harm ambient air quality in urban areas. Depending upon their physical state, these pollutants are classified as liquid and vapor phases and are subsequently transported to the Earth’s surface through dry and wet deposition. After the deposition of these pollutants onto the surface of earth various health effects caused by these pollutants occurred like cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. In this study four different locations/sites were selected from the Rawalpindi city depending upon the population, traffic rush and industries to examine the noise level, concentration of carbon dioxide and heavy metals. Air sampler was used for the collection of air sample to analyze the heavy metal concentration, Quest electronic sound meter for measuring sound level and SIBATA for CO2 measurement. The study findings revealed that noise level was higher at all selected locations as described by WHO limit (70 dB) being highest at Industrial area due to heavy machinery and lowest at green area. Concentration of all four heavy metals were high as compared with the prescribed limits. CO2 level reaches up to 300 ppm because of coal consumption during the winter season. The threshold values of all these selected parameters well above the prescribed limits defined by the authorities so to combat with this situation we should move towards more energy efficient fuels, proper maintenance of vehicles and machineries, traffic management and installation of noise barriers in industries as well as installation of catalytic convertors in vehicles to stop further air pollution

legumes in sustainable cropping systems

The beneficial aspects of legumes in sustainable cropping systems have long been known and extensively documented. Although grain legumes generally contribute less fixed N than pasture legumes, due to removal from the field of grain and stover of grain legumes, there is increasing evidence of their positi"e contribution to N balances and increased yield

Salt sensitivity of the vegetative and reproductive stages in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): Podding is a particularly sensitive stage

Soil salinity is an increasing problem, including in regions of the world where chickpea is cultivated. Salt sensitivity of chickpea was evaluated at both the vegetative and reproductive phase. Root-zone salinity treatments of 0, 20, 40 and 60mM NaCl in aerated nutrient solution were applied to seedlings or to older plants at the time of flower bud initiation. Even the reputedly tolerant cultivar JG11 was sensitive to salinity. Plants exposed to 60mM NaCl since seedlings, died by 52 d without producing any pods; at 40mM NaCl plants died by 75 d with few pods formed; and at 20mM NaCl plants had 78–82% dry mass of controls, with slightly higher flower numbers but 33% less pods. Shoot Cl exceeded shoot Na by 2–5 times in both the vegetative and reproductive phase, and these ions also entered the flowers. Conversion of flowers into pods was sensitive to NaCl. Pollen from salinized plants was viable, but addition of 40mM NaCl to an in vitro medium severely reduced pollen germination and tube growth. Plants recovered when NaCl was removed at flower bud initiation, adding new vegetative growth and forming flowers, pods and seeds. Our results demonstrate that chickpea is sensitive to salinity at both the vegetative and reproductive phase, with pod formation being particularly sensitive. Thus, future evaluations of salt tolerance in chickpea need to be conducted at both the vegetative and reproductive stages

Temperature sensitivity of food legumes: a physiological insight

Of the various environmental stresses that a plant can experience, temperature has the widest and most far-reaching effects on legumes. Temperature extremes, both high (heat stress) and low (cold stress), are injurious to plants at all stages of development, resulting in severe loss of productivity. In response to unfavorable temperatures, plant biomolecules such as stress proteins, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, organic osmolytes and phytohormones come into play, usually, as a part of the plant defense mechanisms. The accumulation of these molecules, which may be useful as metabolic indicators of stress tolerance, depend on the plant species exposed to the temperature stress, its intensity and duration. Some of these molecules such as osmolytes, non-enzymatic antioxidants and phytohormones may be supplied exogenously to improve temperature stress tolerance. Legumes show varying degrees of sensitivity to high and low-temperature stresses, which reduces their potential performance at various developmental stages. To address the ever-fluctuating temperature extremes that various legumes are being constantly exposed, efforts are being made to develop tolerant plant varieties via conventional breeding methods as well as more recent molecular breeding techniques. In this review, we describe the progress made towards the adverse effects of abnormal temperatures on various growth stages in legumes and propose appropriate strategies to resolve these effects