• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.44 no.6
• /
• pp.867-882
• /
• 2022

Predicting the compressive strength of concrete (CSoC) is of high significance in civil engineering. The CSoC is a highly dependent and non-linear parameter that requires powerful models for its simulation. In this work, two novel optimization techniques, namely evaporation rate-based water cycle algorithm (ER-WCA) and equilibrium optimizer (EO) are employed for optimally finding the parameters of a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural processor. The efficiency of these techniques is examined by comparing the results of the ensembles to a conventionally trained MLP. It was observed that the ER-WCA and EO optimizers can enhance the training accuracy of the MLP by 11.18 and 3.12% (in terms of reducing the root mean square error), respectively. Also, the correlation of the testing results climbed from 78.80% to 82.59 and 80.71%. From there, it can be deduced that both ER-WCA-MLP and EO-MLP can be promising alternatives to the traditional approaches. Moreover, although the ER-WCA enjoys a larger accuracy, the EO was more efficient in terms of complexity, and consequently, time-effectiveness.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.15-31
• /
• 2024

This study explores the failure mechanisms of 'I' shaped non-persistent cracks under uniaxial loads through a combination of experimental tests and numerical simulations. Concrete specimens measuring 200 mm×200 mm×50 mm were manufactured, featuring 'I' shaped non-persistent joints. The number of these joints varied from one to three, with angles set at 0, 30, 60, and 90 degrees. Twelve configurations, differing in the placement of pre-existing joints, were considered, where larger joints measured 80 mm in length and smaller cracks persisted for 20 mm with a 1 mm crack opening. Numerical models were developed for the 12 specimens, and loading in Y-axis direction was 0.05 mm/min, considering a concrete tensile strength of 5 MPa. Results reveal that crack starting was primarily influenced by the slope of joint that lacks persistence in relation to the loading direction and the number of joints. The compressive strength of the samples exhibited variations based on joint layout and failure mode. The study reveals a correlation between the failure behavior of joints and the number of induced tensile fracture, which increased with higher joint angles. Specimen strength increased with decreasing joint angles and numbers. The strength and failure processes exhibited similarities in both laboratory testing and numerical modeling methods.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.50 no.3
• /
• pp.485-496
• /
• 2023

In this study, we aimed to apply multispectral imaging (713 - 920 nm, 10 bands) for maturity classification and recognition of oriental melons grown in hydroponic greenhouses. A total of 20 oriental melons were selected, and time series multispectral imaging of oriental melons was 7 - 9 times for each sample from April 21, 2023, to May 12, 2023. We used several approaches, such as Savitzky-Golay (SG), standard normal variate (SNV), and Combination of SG and SNV (SG + SNV), for pre-processing the multispectral data. As a result, 713 - 759 nm bands were preprocessed with SG for the maturity classification of oriental melons. Additionally, a Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) was used to train the recognition model for oriental melon. R² of recognition model were 0.92, 0.91 for the training and validation sets, respectively, and the F-scores were 96.6 and 79.4% for the training and testing sets, respectively. Therefore, multispectral imaging in the range of 713 - 920 nm can be used to classify oriental melons maturity and recognize their fruits.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.1543-1561
• /
• 2020

Taxonomy of human brain activity is a complicated rather challenging procedure. Due to its multifaceted aspects, including experiment design, stimuli selection and presentation of images other than feature extraction and selection techniques, foster its challenging nature. Although, researchers have focused various methods to create taxonomy of human brain activity, however use of multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) for image recognition to catalog the human brain activities is scarce. Moreover, experiment design is a complex procedure and selection of image type, color and order is challenging too. Thus, this research bridge the gap by using MVPA to create taxonomy of human brain activity for different categories of images, both colored and gray scale. In this regard, experiment is conducted through EEG testing technique, with feature extraction, selection and classification approaches to collect data from prequalified criteria of 25 graduates of University Technology PETRONAS (UTP). These participants are shown both colored and gray scale images to record accuracy and reaction time. The results showed that colored images produces better end result in terms of accuracy and response time using wavelet transform, t-test and support vector machine. This research resulted that MVPA is a better approach for the analysis of EEG data as more useful information can be extracted from the brain using colored images. This research discusses a detail behavior of human brain based on the color and gray scale images for the specific and unique task. This research contributes to further improve the decoding of human brain with increased accuracy. Besides, such experiment settings can be implemented and contribute to other areas of medical, military, business, lie detection and many others.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.249-253
• /
• 2017

This study aimed to compare the automated most-probable-number (MPN) TEMPO BC and the quantitative mannitol-egg yolk-polymyxin (MYP) plate methods for enumeration of Bacillus cereus in food samples known to be frequently contaminated. Food products that were naturally or artificially contaminated with B. cereus were analyzed by both methods. A difference of less than 1 log (CFU/g) between the two methods was noted in 95.3% samples. There were no significant differences in artificially contaminated products between the two methods in terms of $R^2$ values for sauce products, jorim products, fish products, etc. However, a significant difference was noted for sunsik, fermented soybean products, and products. The linear equation of naturally versus artificially contaminated food was $log_{(TEMPO\;BC)}=0.8453{\times}log_{(MYP\;plate\;agar)}+0.1642$. Statistical analysis of the results showed good agreement between the two methods. Due to growing interest in food safety, the use of the TEMPO BC method may increase. In response to this trend, the results from this study will offer valuable comparative data on the feasibility of existing methods and help develop new approaches for food safety testing.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.191-199
• /
• 2000

Genomics is providing targets faster than we can validate them and combinatorial chemistry is providing new chemical entities faster than we can screen them. Historically, the drug discovery cascade has been established as a sequential process initiated with a potency screening against a selected biological target. In this sequential process, pharmacokinetics was often regarded as a low-throughput activity. Typically, limited pharmacokinetics studies would be conducted prior to acceptance of a compound for safety evaluation and, as a result, compounds often failed to reach a clinical testing due to unfavorable pharmacokinetic characteristics. A new paradigm in drug discovery has emerged in which the entire sample collection is rapidly screened using robotized high-throughput assays at the outset of the program. Higher-throughput pharmacokinetics (HTPK) is being achieved through introduction of new techniques, including automation for sample preparation and new experimental approaches. A number of in vitro and in vivo methods are being developed for the HTPK. In vitro studies, in which many cell lines are used to screen absorption and metabolism, are generally faster than in vivo screening, and, in this sense, in vitro screening is often considered as a real HTPK. Despite the elegance of the in vitro models, however, in vivo screenings are always essential for the final confirmation. Among these in vivo methods, cassette dosing technique, is believed the methods that is applicable in the screening of pharmacokinetics of many compounds at a time. The widespread use of liquid chromatography (LC) interfaced to mass spectrometry (MS) or tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) allowed the feasibility of the cassette dosing technique. Another approach to increase the throughput of in vivo screening of pharmacokinetics is to reduce the number of sample analysis. Two common approaches are used for this purpose. First, samples from identical study designs but that contain different drug candidate can be pooled to produce single set of samples, thus, reducing sample to be analyzed. Second, for a single test compound, serial plasma samples can be pooled to produce a single composite sample for analysis. In this review, we validated the issue whether the second method can be applied to practical screening of in vivo pharmacokinetics using data from seven of our previous bioequivalence studies. For a given drug, equally spaced serial plasma samples were pooled to achieve a 'Pooled Concentration' for the drug. An area under the plasma drug concentration-time curve (AUC) was then calculated theoretically using the pooled concentration and the predicted AUC value was statistically compared with the traditionally calculated AUC value. The comparison revealed that the sample pooling method generated reasonably accurate AUC values when compared with those obtained by the traditional approach. It is especially noteworthy that the accuracy was obtained by the analysis of only one sample instead of analyses of a number of samples that necessitates a significant man-power and time. Thus, we propose the sample pooling method as an alternative to in vivo pharmacokinetic approach in the selection potential lead(s) from combinatorial libraries.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.20 no.11
• /
• pp.3538-3548
• /
• 1996

In this study, as a part of basic study for developing the simulation program for the assemssment of reliability of electronic EMC packaging which covers from EMC mixing step to thermal analysis, comparison between a measured and predicted values of material properties of EMC and finitde element analysis of thermal stress are performed. For the experimental testing specimens of fifty, sixty hive and eighty percent filler($13\mu m$, spherical silica) weight fraction are fabricated using tranfer molding. Coefficient of thermal expansion, elastic modulus and thermla conductivity are measured using these specimens and then these measured values are compared with the predicted values by various equations ( such as dilute suspension method. self consistent method, generalized self consistent method, Hashin-Shtrikman's bounds. Shapery's bounds, Nielsen's method and others). Measured values are distributed within the upper and lower bounds of equations. Measured elastic modulus and coefficient of thermal expansion approaches closely the perdicted values with self consisten mehtod and upper bound of Shaperys equation respectively. However small differences of thermal conductivity between the different filler volume fraction are obserbed. FEM analysis indicates that firstly stress is concentrated at the corner section of EMC and secondly EMC with eighty percent filler weight fraction shows less thermal stress when package is cooling down and relatively high thermal stress when package is heating up.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.172-175
• /
• 2012

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the various causes of male infertility using multiple approaches. Methods: Nine-hundred-twenty infertile male patients were analyzed at their first visit with one physician between January 1 and December 31, 2009. All patients were subjected to physical examination and semen analysis and azoospermic patients underwent hormonal testing, chromosomal tests, and testicular biopsy. Semen analysis was based on the definition of the World Health Organization. Results: Among the 920 patients, 555 patients (60.3%) had semen results within the normal range, 269 patients (29.2%) within the abnormal range, and 96 (10.5%) were diagnosed with azoospermia. Varicoceles were diagnosed in 84 of the 555 normal-range patients (15.1%) and in 113 of the 269 abnormal-range patients (42.0%). Of the 96 patients with azoospermia, 24 patients (25%) were diagnosed with obstructive azoospermia, 68 patients (71%) with non-obstructive azoospermia, and 4 patients (4%) with retrograde ejaculation. Conclusion: Various causes of male infertility have been reported and diverse treatment methods can be adopted for each cause. In this regard, research must be conducted on a larger number of patients to accurately assess the various causes of infertility in Korean patients and to investigate various infertility treatment methods.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.134-142
• /
• 2012

The competition to deliver ultra-low emitting vehicles at a reasonable cost is driving the automotive industry to invest significant manpower and test laboratory resources in the design optimization of increasingly complex exhaust after-treatment systems. Optimization can no longer be based on traditional approaches, which are intensive in hardware use and laboratory testing. The CFD is in high demand for the analysis and design in order to reduce developing cost and time consuming in experiments. This paper describes the development of a comprehensive practical model based on experiments for simulating the performance of automotive three-way catalytic converters, which are employed to reduce engine exhaust emissions. An experiment is conducted to measure species concentrations before and after catalytic converter for different loads on engine. The model simulates the emission system behavior by using an exhaust system heat conservation and catalyst chemical kinetic sub-model. CFD simulation is used to study the performance of automotive catalytic converter. The substrate is modeled as a porous media in FLUENT and the standard k-e model is used for turbulence. The flow pattern is changed from axial to radial by changing the substrate model inside the catalytic converter and the flow distribution and the conversion efficiency of CO, HC and NOx are achieved first, and the predictions are in good agreement with the experimental measurements. It is found that the conversion from axial to radial flow makes the catalytic converter more efficient. These studies help to understand better the performance of the catalytic converter in order to optimize the converter design.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.229-251
• /
• 2012

Guided waves have shown a great potential for structural health monitoring (SHM) applications. In contrast to traditional non-destructive testing (NDT) methodologies, a key element of SHM approaches is the high process of automation. The monitoring system should decide autonomously whether the host structure is intact or not. A basic requirement for the realization of such a system is that the sensors are permanently installed on the host structure. Thus, baseline measurements become available that can be used for diagnostic purposes, i.e., damage detection, localization, etc. This paper contributes to guided wave-based inspection in anisotropic materials for SHM purposes. Therefore, computational strategies are described for both, the solution of the complex equations for wave propagation analysis in composite materials based on exact elasticity theory and the popular global matrix method, as well as the underlying equations of two active damage localization algorithms for anisotropic structures. The result of the global matrix method is an angular and frequency dependent wave velocity characteristic that is used subsequently in the localization procedures. Numerical simulations and experimental investigations through time-delay measurements are carried out in order to validate the proposed theoretical model. An exemplary case study including the calculation of dispersion curves and damage localization is conducted on an exemplary unidirectional composite structure where the ultrasonic signals processed in the localization step are simulated with the spectral element method. The proposed study demonstrates the capabilities of the proposed algorithms for accurate damage localization in anisotropic structures.