Sharif Digital Repository

Spinal posture including thorax/pelvis orientations as well as loads on the intervertebral discs are crucial parameters in biomechanical models and ergonomics to evaluate the risk of low back injury. In vivo measurement of spinal posture toward estimation of spine loads requires the common motion capture techniques and laboratory instruments that are costly and time-consuming. Hence, a closed loop algorithm including an artificial neural network (ANN) and fuzzy logic is proposed here to predict the L5–S1 segment loads and thorax/pelvis orientations in various 3D reaching activities. Two parts namely a fuzzy logic strategy and an ANN from this algorithm; the former, developed based on the... 

Injectable hydrogels which mimic the physicochemical and electromechanical properties of cardiac tissue is advantageous for cardiac tissue engineering. Here, a newly-developed in situ forming double-network hydrogel derived from biological macromolecules (oxidized alginate (OA) and myocardial extracellular matrix (ECM)) with improved mechanical properties and electrical conductivity was optimized. 3-(2-aminoethyl amino) propyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS)-functionalized reduced graphene oxide (Amine-rGO) was added to this system with varied concentrations to promote electromechanical properties of the hydrogel. Alginate was partially oxidized with an oxidation degree of 5% and the resulting OA... 

Sensor network deployment is very challenging due to hostile and unpredictable nature of usage environments. In this letter, we propose two methods for the self-deployment of mobile sensors. The first one is a randomized solution that provides both simplicity and applicability to different environments. Inspired by simulated annealing, it improves both speed and energy conservation of the deployment process. The other method is suggested for environments where sensors form a connected graph, initially. At the cost of this extra limitation, we gain considerable improvements. © 2006 IEEE  

In Iran, there are more than 15,000. MW of wind power potential, but only about 90. MW have been installed since 2009. Because fuel costs are the main part of fuel-consumed power generation costs and fossil resource costs are highly subsidized in Iran, renewable energies such as wind power have yet to be fully developed. This analysis sets out to evaluate the total generating costs of wind power and conventional power plants in Iran. A levelized cost approach was conducted that included investment costs, O&M costs, fuel costs and external costs of emissions for each type of technology. Comparison of cost assessments of power generation show that by taking into account global fuel prices and... 

In this paper, a mathematical formulation is first derived for a homogenous fuzzy series–parallel redundancy allocation problem, where both the system and its subsystems can only take two states of complete perfect and complete failure. Identical redundant components are included in order to achieve desirable system reliability. The components of each subsystem characterized by their cost, weight, and reliability, are purchased from the market under all-unit discount and incremental quantity discount strategies. The goal is to find the optimum combination of the number of components for each subsystem that maximizes the system reliability under total fuzzy cost and weight constraints. An... 

Solute transport is one of the major topics in geological studies. Fracture is a significant characteristic of natural porous media, where the solute can transport due to its higher density with respect to the density of fluid. As the solute migrates in the medium, the density of the fluid changes with time. In this paper, the mass transport problem in the fractured porous media is modeled using the extended finite element method (X–FEM). An advection-diffusion equation is adopted to define the transport phenomenon in conjunction with the continuity equation of fluid. Transport regimes including diffusion, dispersion and advection are taken into the computational model. The presence of... 

In this study, a bi-objective multi-state redundancy allocation problem of series-parallel systems consisting of some serial subsystems, each with non-repairable components in parallel, is investigated. Furthermore, due to uncertainty involved, both the performance rates and the availabilities of components are considered fuzzy. In addition, two strategies of all-unit and incremental-quantity discounts are used to purchase the components and that the fuzzy universal generating function (FUGF) is employed to evaluate the system availability. The aim is to find the optimal redundancy so as within limited budget and system weight the maximum system availability is obtained while the total cost... 

In this study, effects of tungsten on wear resistance of high chromium white cast iron with and without tungsten in erosion-corrosion condition have been investigated. At the same time, the comparison between wear resistance of this grade of cast iron and low alloy steels with various contents of Cr which are used in industrial condition (in Sarcheshme Company, the greatest copper production company in the Middle East and with more than 4000 years historical cupper production background) was studied, while, copper concentrates have used for erosion particles. Results show that, because of higher hardness of matrix due to the tungsten, the wear resistance of high chromium cast iron increases.... 

In this paper, a seasonal multi-product multi-period inventory control problem is modeled in which the inventory costs are obtained under inflation and all-unit discount policy. Furthermore, the products are delivered in boxes of known number of items, and in case of shortage, a fraction of demand is considered backorder and a fraction lost sale. Besides, the total storage space and total available budget are limited. The objective is to find the optimal number of boxes of the products in different periods to minimize the total inventory cost (including ordering, holding, shortage, and purchasing costs). Since the integer nonlinear model of the problem is hard to solve using exact methods, a... 

In this study, a bi-objective multi-state redundancy allocation problem of series-parallel systems consisting of some serial subsystems, each with non-repairable components in parallel, is investigated. Furthermore, due to uncertainty involved, both the performance rates and the availabilities of components are considered fuzzy. In addition, two strategies of all-unit and incremental-quantity discounts are used to purchase the components and that the fuzzy universal generating function (FUGF) is employed to evaluate the system availability. The aim is to find the optimal redundancy so as within limited budget and system weight the maximum system availability is obtained while the total cost... 

A mixed binary integer mathematical programming model is developed in this paper for ordering items in multi-item multi-period inventory control systems, in which unit and incremental quantity discounts as well as interest and inflation factors are considered. Although the demand rates are assumed deterministic, they may vary in different periods. The situation considered for the problem at hand is similar to a seasonal inventory control model in which orders and sales happen in a given season. To make the model more realistic, three types of constraints including storage space, budget, and order quantity are simultaneously considered. The goal is to find optimal order quantities of the... 

In this paper, a design of the supply chain distributer-retailer network for a seasonal multiple-product location allocation-inventory control problem in a planning horizon consisting of multiple periods is modeled. The distance between the distributers and retailers are assumed to be Euclidean and square Euclidean while retailers purchase the products from the distributers under all-unit and incremental quantity discount policies. Furthermore, the products are delivered in packets of known size of items and in case of shortage, a fraction of demand is considered backorder and a fraction lost sale. Besides, the distributers store the manufactured products in their warehouses before... 

Genetic algorithm for optimization of beam forming in linear array antenna is used. The goal is to achieve a -30 dB null depth in pattern, with null steering capability over the frequency band. The simulation result is -85 dB that the SuperNEC results accepted this result by -56 dB Null Depth. Software Define Radio (SDR) Technology and digital I/Q modulator are used to implement the system. © 2006 IEEE  

A multi-item multiperiod inventory control model is developed for known-deterministic variable demands under limited available budget. Assuming the order quantity is more than the shortage quantity in each period, the shortage in combination of backorder and lost sale is considered. The orders are placed in batch sizes and the decision variables are assumed integer. Moreover, all unit discounts for a number of products and incremental quantity discount for some other items are considered. While the objectives are to minimize both the total inventory cost and the required storage space, the model is formulated into a fuzzy multicriteria decision making (FMCDM) framework and is shown to be a... 

In this study, crosslinked and non-crosslinked carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) membranes were prepared with different concentrations of polymer. Then, the permeability of pure CO2, N2, and CH4 was measured through these membranes in dry state to investigate the influence of polymer concentration and applied feed pressure on permeability and permselectivity. The permeability of CO2 through membranes was higher than the other gases. A comparison of permeabilities revealed that the permeability of N2, CO2, and CH4 increased on an average of 33, 40 and 20 percent, respectivly, by increasing the feed pressure from 6 to 10... 

In this study chitosan hydrogel beads with porosity ∼ 0.86 and diameter ∼ 2 ± 0.07 mm were prepared from 85 % deacetylated chitosan for removal of Cd2+ ions from aqueous solutions. Chitosan powder was dissolved into dilute acetic acid as solvent and formed into spherical beads using a phase inversion technique. The effect of temperature, initial concentration of Cd2+ ions, and the period of agitation were perused to achieve the best isotherm model. Freundlich model was better fitted than Langmuir model (R2 > 0.99 and R2> 0.93 respectively, at pH of 6.3, and shaker speed of 200 rpm), the constants of Langmuir and Freundlich models were calculated, which RL value and qmax (mg/g wet weight) at... 

This paper proposes a new coil structure for inductive powering to wearable/implantable biomedical devices. This structure is virtually independent from the direction (and alignment) of the receiving coil relative to the transmitting coil. In addition to conducting experimental tests and characterizations, the proposed coil structure (energized by a transmitting coil) has been used to power up a real test system designed for wireless neural recording, operating at 1.2V and drawing 48 mW  

Adult cardiomyocytes are terminally differentiated cells that result in minimal intrinsic potential for the heart to self-regenerate. The introduction of novel approaches in cardiac tissue engineering aims to repair damages from cardiovascular diseases. Recently, conductive biomaterials such as carbon- and gold-based nanomaterials, conductive polymers, and ceramics that have outstanding electrical conductivity, acceptable mechanical properties, and promoted cell-cell signaling transduction have attracted attention for use in cardiac tissue engineering. Nevertheless, comprehensive classification of conductive biomaterials from the perspective of cardiac cell function is a subject for... 

The aim of this research is the study of hexyltriphenylphosphonium bromide (HTPB) ionic liquid as a bifunctional promoter (solvent and catalyst) in the presence of cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate as a single electron oxidant for the Michael reaction at room temperature and solvent-free conditions. A novel, one-pot and environmentally benign the process to achieve the chemoselective of 2-(3-oxo-1,3-diarylpropyl)malononitrile derivatives instead of 2-(1,3-diarylallylidene)malononitriles using a three-component reaction involving acetophenone derivatives, various aromatic aldehydes and malononitrile was developed. This protocol is simple and provides biologically interesting products in good...