• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.60-65
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• 2014

This article explains the experimental results of ferroelectric polarization switching (FPS) of potassium nitrate ($KNO_3$) with different polymers such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) using simple melt-press techniques. To analyze the ferroelectric polarization switching in potassium nitrate ($KNO_3$) composite films at room temperature, we applied the Ishibashi and Takagi theory (based on Avrami model) to the switching current transient. To investigate the dimensionality of domain growth, the ferroelectric polarization switching current (FPS current) was observed from the square - wave bipolar signals across a resistance of $0.1k{\Omega}$ in series with the composite films. The existence of a switching current transient pulse confirmed the ferroelectricity and indicated the stability of the ferroelectric phase (phase III) of $KNO_3$ at room temperature. Polarization hysteresis (P-E) characteristics supported the prominent features of ferroelectric polarization switching in the composite films at room temperature.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권12호
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• pp.6023-6026
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• 2012

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Malaysia for the year 2001 was 2.8 per 100,000 people. The mortality rate is increasing. A retrospective cohort study measuring the survival of HCC patients who received treatment in Selayang Hospital was conducted from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2006. The main objectives of the study were to measure the survival of the patients and to understand the influencing factors, especially ethnicity. The subjects were newly diagnosed cases of HCC by CT scan and histopathological assessment who underwent futher investigations and treatments in Hospital Selayang (inception cohort). The survival time was measured from the date of diagnosis until the subjects died, or failed to follow-up at the end of the study period (31 December 2007). A total of 299 patients were selected with 95 patients dying, the majority among Chinese (39.1%). Subgroup analysis according to ethnicity proved significantly that Chinese patients who had smaller tumor, less number of nodules, low AFP level, Child Pugh Class A and received surgical treatment had a better median survival rate compared to other ethnic groups. Malay (cHR: 1.3, 95%CI; 0.89-1.85) and Indian (cHR: 1.3, 95%CI; 0.74-2.26) patients had a poor survival compared to Chinese patients, but not in the final model. Therefore ethnicity may play a role in survival of HCC patients, but not as a main hazard prognostic factor.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제4권5호
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• pp.471-487
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• 2013

Performance of a prototype base isolated building located at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IITG) has been studied here. Two numbers of three storeyed single bay RCC framed prototype buildings were constructed for experimental purpose at IITG, one supported on conventional isolated footings and the other on a seismic isolation system, consisting of lead plug bearings. Force balance accelerometers and a 12 channel strong motion recorder have been used for recording building response during seismic events. Floor responses from these buildings show amplification for the conventional building while 60 to 70% reduction has been observed for the isolated building. Numerical models of both the buildings have been created in SAP2000 Nonlinear. Infill walls have been modeled as compression struts and have been incorporated into the 3D models using Gap elements. System identification of the recorded data has been carried out using Parametric State Space Modeling (N4SID) and the numerical models have been updated accordingly. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of base isolation systems in controlling seismic response of isolated buildings thereby leading to increased levels of seismic protection. The numerical models calibrated by relatively low level of earthquake shaking provides the starting point for modeling the non-linear response of the building when subjected to strong shaking.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.204-227
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• 2018

This paper seeks to interrogate the very assumption of "sociality" in social media at a conceptual level and substantiate it with the help of information collected on aged people's use of conventional media $vis-{\grave{a}}-vis$ so called "social media" from the field work. Although global literature has written the obituary of mass media and promoted the "sociality" of social media, one needs to critically engage with such statement. Such statements have been an outcome of the established status of the "post broadcast" model of media where conventional media is in existence for some time and accessible to everyone in society. Further, this paper seeks to explore the interplay of new media in the life of the aged population in select areas of Kolkata city in the state of West Bengal, India. There are few studies on the ageing population's use of new media in the Indian context. While many of the studies reveal the new media literacy among the youth, this is unimportant as both the new media and the youth are relatively young as a field of research in media studies in India. What is missed in the earlier studies is, how new media plays an important function in the life of the aged population. How do older adults engage with the skilling and deskilling process of media literacy in their everyday life? And finally, do new media provide an extension to their on-going social relations? With the help of substantive details, the present study addresses the aforementioned queries.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• 제7권9호
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• pp.191-200
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• 2020

This research paper examines the causal relationship between India's economic growth and sectoral contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and vice versa, in the short-run and long-run, over a 10 years time period. Johansen's method of cointegration is used to study the cointegration between the sectoral contributions to Indian GDP vis-à-vis India's economic growth. Further, the route of interconnection between economic growth and sectoral contribution is tested by using Vector Auto Regression (VAR) model. Special attention was given for investigating impulse responses of economic growth depending on the innovations in sectoral contribution using time-series data from 1960 to 2015. This paper highlighted a dynamic co-relationship among industrial sector contribution and agricultural sector contribution and economic development. In the long run, one percent change in industrial sector contribution causes an increase of 3.42 percent in the economic growth and an increase of 1.12 percent in the primary sector contribution, while in the short run industrial and service sector contributions showed significant impact on economic development and agriculture sector. The changing composition of sector contribution is going to be an important activity for the policymakers to monitor and control where the technology and integration of sectors play a significant role in economic development.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제1권3호
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• pp.193-204
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• 2009

A 10.4-m high highway embankment retained behind mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls is under construction in the northeastern part of the Indian state of Bihar. The structure is constructed with compacted, micaceous, grey, silty sand, reinforced with polyester (PET) geogrids, and faced with reinforced cement concrete fascia panels. The connections between the fascia panels and the geogrids failed on several occasions during the monsoon seasons of 2007 and 2008 following episodes of heavy rainfall, when the embankment was still under construction. However, during these incidents the MSE embankment itself remained by and large stable and the collateral damages were minimal. The observational data during these incidents presented an opportunity to develop and calibrate a simple procedure for estimating rainfall induced pore water pressure development within MSE embankments constructed with backfill materials that do not allow unimpeded seepage. A simple analytical finite element model was developed for the purpose. The modeling results were found to agree with the observational and meteorological records from the site. These results also indicated that the threshold rainwater infiltration flux needed for the development of pore water pressure within an MSE embankment is a monotonically increasing function of the hydraulic conductivity of backfill. Specifically for the MSE embankment upon which this study is based, the analytical results indicated that the instabilities could have been avoided by having in place a chimney drain immediately behind the fascia panels.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제3권2호
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• pp.117-130
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• 2011

The methods of design available for geocell-supported embankments are very few. Two of the earlier methods are considered in this paper and a third method is proposed and compared with them. In the first method called slip line method, plastic bearing failure of the soil was assumed and the additional resistance due to geocell layer is calculated using a non-symmetric slip line field in the soft foundation soil. In the second method based on slope stability analysis, general-purpose slope stability program was used to design the geocell mattress of required strength for embankment. In the third method proposed in this paper, geocell reinforcement is designed based on the plane strain finite element analysis of embankments. The geocell layer is modelled as an equivalent composite layer with modified strength and stiffness values. The strength and dimensions of geocell layer is estimated for the required bearing capacity or permissible deformations. These three design methods are compared through a design example. It is observed that the design method based on finite element simulations is most comprehensive because it addresses the issue of permissible deformations and also gives complete stress, deformation and strain behaviour of the embankment under given loading conditions.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제6권4호
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• pp.319-341
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• 2009

A new formulation based on lumped plasticity and inelastic hinges is presented in this paper for nonlinear analysis of Reinforced Concrete (RC) frame structures. Inelastic hinge behaviour is described using the principles of Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM). Member formulation contains provisions to model stiffness degradation due to cracking of concrete and yielding of reinforcing steel. Depending on its nature, cracking is classified as concentrated or distributed. Concentrated cracking is accounted through a damage variable and its growth is defined based on strain energy principles. Presence of distributed flexural cracks in a member is taken care of by modelling it as non-prismatic. Plasticity theory supported by effective stress concept of CDM is applied to describe the post-yield response. Nonlinear quasi-static analysis is carried out on a RC column and a wide two-storey RC frame to verify the formulation. The column is subjected to constant axial load and monotonic lateral load while the frame is subjected to only lateral load. Computed results are compared with those due to experiments or other numerical methods to validate the performance of the formulation and also to highlight the contribution of distributed cracking on global response.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.19-34
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• 2017

The widespread damage to steel Moment Resisting Frames (MRFs) in past major earthquakes have underscored the need to understand the nonlinear inelastic behaviour of such systems. To assess the seismic performance of steel MRF, it is essential to model the nonlinear force-deformation behaviour of beam to column joints. To determine the extent of inelasticity in a beam to column joint, nonlinear finite element analysis is generally carried out, which is computationally involved and demanding. In order to obviate the need of such elaborate analyses, a simplistic method to predict the force-deformation behaviour is required. In this study, a simple, mechanics driven, hand calculation method is proposed to obtain the forcedeformation behaviour of strong axis beam to column moment joints. The force-deformation behaviour for twenty-five interior and exterior beam to column joints, having column to beam strength ratios ranging from 1.2 to 10.99 and 2.4 to 22, respectively, have been obtained. The force-deformation behaviour predicted using the proposed method is compared with the results of finite element analyses. The results show that the proposed method predicts the force-deformation behaviour fairly accurately, with much lesser computational effort. Further the proposed method has been used to conduct Nonlinear Dynamic Time History Analyses of two benchmark frames; close correspondence of results obtained with published results establishes the usefulness and computational accuracy of the method.

• Journal of Information Processing Systems
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.224-237
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• 2020

Recognition of banknote serial number is one of the important functions for intelligent banknote counter implementation and can be used for various purposes. However, the previous character recognition method is limited to use due to the font type of the banknote serial number, the variation problem by the solid status, and the recognition speed issue. In this paper, we propose an aspect ratio based character region segmentation and a convolutional neural network (CNN) based banknote serial number recognition method. In order to detect the character region, the character area is determined based on the aspect ratio of each character in the serial number candidate area after the banknote area detection and de-skewing process is performed. Then, we designed and compared four types of CNN models and determined the best model for serial number recognition. Experimental results showed that the recognition accuracy of each character was 99.85%. In addition, it was confirmed that the recognition performance is improved as a result of performing data augmentation. The banknote used in the experiment is Indian rupee, which is badly soiled and the font of characters is unusual, therefore it can be regarded to have good performance. Recognition speed was also enough to run in real time on a device that counts 800 banknotes per minute.