Sharif Digital Repository

In this research an intelligent emotional learning controller, Takagi- Sugeno- Kang (TSK) is applied to govern the dynamics of a novel Ionic-Polymer Metal Composite (IPMC) actuated manipulator. Ionic-Polymer Metal Composites are active actuators that show very large deformation in existence of low applied voltage. In this research, a new IPMC actuator is considered and applied to a 2-dof miniature manipulator. This manipulator is designed for miniature tasks. The control system consists of a set of neurofuzzy controller whose parameters are adapted according to the emotional learning rules, and a critic with task to assess the present situation resulted from the applied control action in... 

The tension-only braced frames (TOBFs) are widely used as a lateral force resisting system (LFRS) in low-rise steel buildings due to their simplicity and economic advantage. However, the system has poor seismic energy dissipation capacity and pinched hysteresis behavior caused by early buckling of slender bracing members. The main concern in utilizing the TOBF system is the determination of appropriate performance factors for seismic design. A formalized approach to quantify the seismic performance factor (SPF) based on determining an acceptable margin of safety against collapse is introduced by FEMA P695. The methodology is applied in this paper to assess the SPFs of the TOBF systems. For... 

The social impact of robotics applied to domains such as education, religion, nursing, and therapy across the world depends on the level of technology as well as the culture in which it is used. By studying how robots are used in Iran, a technologically-savvy country with a long history and a rich culture, we explore their possible impact on interrelated areas of religious and ethical features in education in an Islamic society. To accomplish this task, a preliminary exploratory study was conducted using two social robots as teaching assistants in Islamic religion classes for 42 elementary students. More than 90% of the participants in the study absolutely preferred the robot-assisted... 

Facial expression imitation with applications in the design of human robot interaction (HRI) systems is an active area of research. In this study, we propose an approach for real-time imitation of human facial expression by a humanoid social robot 'Alice'. Artificial neural network (ANN) and Kinect sensor are used for recognition and classifying of the facial expressions like happiness, sadness, fear, anger and surprise; with the Alice humanoid robot imitating the comprehended expressions. Results and experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach. © 2016 IEEE  

Thermal degradation behavior of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) nanocomposites, with different nanotubes contents (0.5, 1.5 and 3.5 wt%) prepared via in-situ polymerization technique have been investigated using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). TGA spectra revealed that these nanocomposites had enhanced thermal stability and no significant mass loss (<0.4 wt%) occurred up to 350°C. Thermal degradation of these UHMWPE/MWCNT nanocomposites was investigated in terms of parameters such as the onset temperature of degradation (T 10), the decomposition temperature at 50% wt loss (T 50), the degradation temperature of maximum rate of the... 

It is a great challenge for the universities to present undergraduate students the fundamental knowledge needed to develop intelligent unstable robots. Due to the inherent instability and nonholonomic constraints, the problem of two-wheeled inverted pendulum (TWIP) mobile robot is appealing and challenging case in control and dynamic systems. In this paper, an approach is presented to introduce undergraduate students of the control engineering, the principle of developing a. TWIP mobile robot. For this purpose, a. conceptual design algorithm for TWIP robots is contributed and based on the algorithm and the design criteria, a. prototype of the robot is constructed. In the construction... 

The fabrication of ITO-capped WO3 nanowires associated with their bio-sensing properties in field-effect transistor diagnostics basis as a biosensor has been reported. The bio-sensing property for manipulated nanowires elucidated that the grown nanostructures were very sensitive to protein. The ITO-capped WO3 nanowires biosensor showed an intensive bio-sensing activity against reliable protein. Polylysine strongly charged bio-molecule was applied as model system to demonstrate the implementation of materialized biosensor. The employed sensing mechanism was ‘label-free’ and depended on bio-molecule’s intrinsic charge. For nanowires synthesis, the vapor–liquid–solid mechanism was used.... 

In this paper the field-effect transistor DNA biosensor for detecting hepatitis B virus (HBV) based on indium tin oxide nanowires (ITO NWs) in label free approach has been fabricated. Because of ITO nanowires intensive conductance and functional modified surface, the probe immobilization and target hybridization were increased strongly. The high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) measurement showed that ITO nanowires were crystalline and less than 50 nm in diameter. The single-stranded hepatitis B virus DNA (SS-DNA) was immobilized as probe on the Au-modified nanowires. The DNA targets were measured in a linear concentration range from 1fM to 10 µM. The detection limit of... 

Shear connectors are essential elements in the design of steel-concrete composite systems. These connectors are utilized to prevent the occurrence of potential slips at the interface of steel and concrete. The two types of shear connectors which have been recently employed in construction projects are C- and L-shaped connectors. In the current study, the behavior of C and L-shaped angle shear connectors is investigated experimentally. For this purpose, eight push-out tests were composed and subjected to monotonic loading. The load-slip curves and failure modes have been determined. Also, the shear strength of the connectors has been compared with previously developed relationships. Two... 

An impedimetric human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA biosensor based on gold nanotubes (AuNTs) in label free detection was materialized. The AuNTs decorated nanoporous polycarbonate (AuNTs-PC) template as biosensor electrode was fabricated by electrodeposition method. The single strand DNA (ss-DNA) probe was covalently immobilized onto the AuNTs-PC electrode. The hybridization of target sequences with the ss-DNA probe was observed by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The biosensor showed high selectivity and could differentiate between the complementary, mismatch and non-complementary DNA sequences. The EIS measurements were matched to Randle's equivalent circuit. The... 

An impedimetric human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA biosensor based on gold nanotubes (AuNTs) in label free detection was materialized. The AuNTs decorated nanoporous polycarbonate (AuNTs-PC) template as biosensor electrode was fabricated by electrodeposition method. The single strand DNA (ss-DNA) probe was covalently immobilized onto the AuNTs-PC electrode. The hybridization of target sequences with the ss-DNA probe was observed by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The biosensor showed high selectivity and could differentiate between the complementary, mismatch and non-complementary DNA sequences. The EIS measurements were matched to Randle's equivalent circuit. The... 

There was a mistake in the author mane. The right fifth author is “K. Motaghed A.” There was a mistake in the first keyword. The keyword is “Two-wheeled inverted pendulum(TWIP).” The original article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.3103/S0025654419040162. © 2019, Allerton Press, Inc  

Background: Extensive full-thickness burns require replacement of both epidermis and dermis. In designing skin replacements, the goal has been to re-create this model and make a product which has both essential components. Methods: In the present study, we developed procedures for establishing confluent, stratified layers of cultured human keratinocytes on the surface of modified collagen-chitosan scaffold that contains fibroblasts. The culture methods for propagation of keratinocytes and fibroblasts isolated from human neonatal foreskin were developed. The growth and proliferation of normal human keratinocytes were evaluated in serum-free (keratinocyte growth medium) and our modified... 

Due to variety of industrial dryers and also importance of selecting appropriate dryer to achieve the required quality of product as well as considering economical aspects, using methods and algorithms which take all effective factors into account and present the best selection is regarded by engineers and researchers. In this paper selection of dryer applying fuzzy logic is presented and the advantages of this method are investigated. For this a program is written using MATLAB programming software and its result compared with real cases. It has been found that there is a good agreement between the prepared program results and industrial experiences. Selection of dryer for a specific... 

In this article, indium doped ZnO nanoparticles (alloy nanoparticles) were investigated as inhibitors against algae growth on adobe mud and earthen artworks for surface preservation from destruction caused by micro-organisms under humid conditions, through surface modification and activation run off. Nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated by physical vapor deposition (PVD) growth mechanism. The fabricated NPs were approximately 20 nm in size. The Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus quadricauda were tested by application of indium doped ZnO nanoparticles (In/ZnO NPs) as inhibitors. As concentrations of NPs increased, the negative impacts of NPs on the algal growth were enhanced and physical... 

No-one likes being confined to a hospital bed. Children particularly can feel lonely, bored or frightened in these conditions. Hours feel like days, and they may not be able to fully comprehend why they are there. Among kids hospitalized because of distinct diseases, children with cancer have incomparable status and needs. They experience physical and mental problems caused by cancer and medications. Cancer treatment may cause distress which can lessen the effectiveness of the treatment. Utilizing social robots to interact with children in clinical environments has been verified to both diminish their distress level and enhance the effectiveness of the treatment process. To improve the... 

Corrosion of steel rebars in concrete can reduce the durability of concrete structures in coastal environments. The corrosion rate of these concrete structures can be reduced by using suitable concrete additives and coating on rebars. This paper investigates the corrosion resistance of steel rebars by the addition of pozzolanic materials including fly ash, silica fume, polypropylene fibers, and industrial 2-dimethylaminoethanol (FerroGard 901) inhibitors to the concrete mixture. Three different types of rebars including mild steel rebar st37, and two stainless steel reinforcements, AISI 304 and AISI 316, were used. Various types of primer and coating including alkyd based primer, hot-dip... 

Virtual Reality (VR) technology is a growing technology that has been used in various fields of psychology, education, and therapy. One group of potential users of VR are children with autism who need education and have poor social interactions; this technology could help them improve their social skills through real-world simulation. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of conducting virtual music education programs with automatic assessment system for children with autism at treatment/research centers without the need to purchase a robot, resulting in the possibility of offering schedules on a larger scale and at a lower cost. Intervention sessions were conducted for five children... 

Virtual Reality (VR) technology is a growing technology that has been used in various fields of psychology, education, and therapy. One group of potential users of VR are children with autism who need education and have poor social interactions; this technology could help them improve their social skills through real-world simulation. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of conducting virtual music education programs with automatic assessment system for children with autism at treatment/research centers without the need to purchase a robot, resulting in the possibility of offering schedules on a larger scale and at a lower cost. Intervention sessions were conducted for five children... 

Mechanical shear connectors are commonly used to transfer longitudinal shear forces across the steel-concrete interface in composite beams. Steel pipe as a new shear connector is proposed in this research and its performance to achieve composite strength is investigated. Experimental monotonic push-out tests were carried out for this connector. Then, a nonlinear finite element model of the push-out specimens is developed and verified against test results. Further, the finite element model is used to investigate the effects of pipe thickness, length and diameter on the shear strength of the connectors. The ultimate strengths of these connectors are reported and their respective failure modes...