Efficient Algorithm for Identification and Cache Based Discovery of Cloud Services

Mobile Networks and Applications - Efficient resource identification and discovery is the primary requirements for cloud computing services, as it assists in scheduling and managing of cloud...     

Noise and Acoustic Fatigue Analysis in Valves (Case Study of Noise Analysis and Reduction for a 12″ × 10″ Pressure Safety Valve)

Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention - Safety and instrument engineers regularly analyze the noise in different types of valves to reduce its effect in sectors of the oil and gas industry...     

Human action and event recognition using a novel descriptor based on improved dense trajectories

Multimedia Tools and Applications - We propose a unified method for recognizing human action and human related events in a realistic video. We use an efficient pipeline of (a) a 3D representation...     

A symmetric finite element formulation for the inverse problem of aquifer transmissivity

This paper presents a symmetric isoparametric finite element formulation for the inverse problem of aquifer transmissivity calculation with known piezometric head. An important aspect of the present formulation is that the groundwater flow equation describing the aquifer behavior is transformed into a second-order differential equation by introducing an artificial variable φ. The two-dimensional, line and transition elements derived based on the weak formulation of this transformed equation possess symmetric matrices. In the formulation of the line elements φ and its derivative in η direction are retained as primary variables. This permits modelling of sudden changes in aquifer width. The transition elements provide a natural connecting link between the two-dimensional elements and the line elements. The line elements provide an efficient means of modelling aquifers with unidirectional flow. Numerical examples are given. A comparison of the results obtained here with the Galerkin finite element solution (nonsymmetric formulation) clearly demonstrates the superiority of the formulation presented here.     

The Use of Interval Analysis in Hydrologic Systems

Hydrological data are often highly inaccurate. Interval methods help to estimate inaccuracy caused by data uncertainty, both for forward problems (in which we predict how water will flow in the known medium), and for the inverse problems (in which we observe how water flows and determine the properties of the medium).     

Changes in the environmental pollution in the Calcutta‐Hooghlyside industrial strip of India

Changes in the environmental perception of people of the Calcutta‐Hooghlyside industrial belt are discussed. Residents of the area are becoming increasingly aware of air and water pollution. A positive correlation exists between the frequency of their perception of air and water pollution problems and the actual level of pollution in the area.     

Air stripping of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils: Investigation of mass transfer effects

Bench-scale experiments were carried out to simulate air stripping of soil contaminated with a semi-volatile hydrocarbon, n-octane. The experiments were conducted in an 8-cm diameter glass column, packed with two types of packings: glass beads to represent non-adsorbing materials and soil particles to represent adsorbing materials. Effects of gas superficial velocity, particle size and soil organic matter on the column outlet concentration and temperature profile were studied. Nitrogen adsorption/desorption experiments were performed to establish the desorption characteristics of the soil sample. Additionally, a mathematical model is presented which treats the interphase contaminant transport as a mass transfer rate-limited process. The predictions from the mathematical model are shown to be in good agreement with the experimental results. Most importantly, the numerical results show that, contrary to the common assumption of local equilibrium, the interphase contaminant transport (from the sorbed to the vapour phase and/or from the liquid to the vapour phase) is mass transfer controlled.     

Hepatoprotective effects of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) against carbon tetrachloride induced liver injury in rats

BACKGROUND: Liver injuries induced by carbon tetrachloride are the best‐characterized system of xenobiotic‐induced hepatotoxicity and commonly used model for the screening of hepatoprotective activities of drugs. The present study evaluates the hepatoprotective activity of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.), family Elaeagnaceae, on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)‐induced liver injury in male albino rats. The study was performed on Sprague–Dawley male albino rats weighing about 180–200 g. The animals were pretreated with three different doses of leaf extract (50, 100 and 200 mg kg^?1 body weight) for 5 days. Hepatotoxicity was induced by single oral administration of 1.5 mL CCl₄ kg^?1 body weight on the fifth day. The animals were then sacrificed and assessed for various biochemical parameters. RESULTS: Administration of CCl₄ significantly enhanced glutamate oxaloacetate transferase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transferase (GPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bilirubin, and decreased total protein levels in the serum. Treatment with CCl₄ also significantly decreased reduced glutathione (GSH), and decreased glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activity. CCl₄ treatment also caused a significant increase in hepatic lipid peroxidation as assessed by malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the tissue. Pretreatment of leaf extract at a concentration of 100 and 200 mg kg^?1 body weight significantly (P < 0.05) protected the animals from CCl₄‐induced liver injury. The extract significantly restricted the CCl₄‐induced increase of GOT, GPT, ALP and bilirubin and better maintained protein levels in the serum. Further, it also enhanced GSH and decreased MDA levels. CONCLUSION: The results show that sea buckthorn leaf extract has significant hepatoprotective effects which might be due to its antioxidant activity and can be developed as a nutraceutical or food supplement against liver diseases. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Geometrically nonlinear formulation for the curved shell elements

This paper presents a geometrically nonlinear formulation using total lagrangian approach for the three-dimensional curved shell elements. The basic element geometry is constructed using the coordinates of the middle surface nodes and the mid-surface nodal point normals. The element displacement field is described using three translations of the mid-surface nodes and the two rotations about the local axes. The existing shell element formulations are restricted to small nodal rotations between two successive load increments. The element formulation presented here removes such restrictions. This is accomplished by retaining nonlinear nodal rotation terms in the definition of the displacement field and the consistent derivation of the element properties. The formulation presented here is very general and yet can be made specific by selecting proper nonlinear functions representing the effects of nodal rotations. The element properties are derived and presented in detail. Numerical examples are also presented to demonstrate the behaviour and the accuracy of the elements.