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Showing papers by "Islamic Azad University published in 2012"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The issue of difference with the leader of the director, including material that is much discussed in current and most experts believe that leadership is something different from the management, is discussed in this paper.

4,906 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A state-of-the-art literature survey is conducted to taxonomize the research on TOPSIS applications and methodologies and suggests a framework for future attempts in this area for academic researchers and practitioners.
Abstract: Multi-Criteria Decision Aid (MCDA) or Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods have received much attention from researchers and practitioners in evaluating, assessing and ranking alternatives across diverse industries. Among numerous MCDA/MCDM methods developed to solve real-world decision problems, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) continues to work satisfactorily across different application areas. In this paper, we conduct a state-of-the-art literature survey to taxonomize the research on TOPSIS applications and methodologies. The classification scheme for this review contains 266 scholarly papers from 103 journals since the year 2000, separated into nine application areas: (1) Supply Chain Management and Logistics, (2) Design, Engineering and Manufacturing Systems, (3) Business and Marketing Management, (4) Health, Safety and Environment Management, (5) Human Resources Management, (6) Energy Management, (7) Chemical Engineering, (8) Water Resources Management and (9) Other topics. Scholarly papers in the TOPSIS discipline are further interpreted based on (1) publication year, (2) publication journal, (3) authors' nationality and (4) other methods combined or compared with TOPSIS. We end our review paper with recommendations for future research in TOPSIS decision-making that is both forward-looking and practically oriented. This paper provides useful insights into the TOPSIS method and suggests a framework for future attempts in this area for academic researchers and practitioners.

1,571 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of Al2O3-water nanofluid, as working fluid, on the efficiency of a flat-plate solar collector was investigated experimentally.

618 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
01 Mar 2012
TL;DR: This paper presents a novel approach to determining the feasible optimal solution of the ED problems using the recently developed Firefly Algorithm, and shows that the proposed FA is able to find more economical loads than those determined by other methods.
Abstract: The growing costs of fuel and operation of power generating units warrant improvement of optimization methodologies for economic dispatch (ED) problems. The practical ED problems have non-convex objective functions with equality and inequality constraints that make it much harder to find the global optimum using any mathematical algorithms. Modern optimization algorithms are often meta-heuristic, and they are very promising in solving nonlinear programming problems. This paper presents a novel approach to determining the feasible optimal solution of the ED problems using the recently developed Firefly Algorithm (FA). Many nonlinear characteristics of power generators, and their operational constraints, such as generation limitations, prohibited operating zones, ramp rate limits, transmission loss, and nonlinear cost functions, were all contemplated for practical operation. To demonstrate the efficiency and applicability of the proposed method, we study four ED test systems having non-convex solution spaces and compared with some of the most recently published ED solution methods. The results of this study show that the proposed FA is able to find more economical loads than those determined by other methods. This algorithm is considered to be a promising alternative algorithm for solving the ED problems in practical power systems.

578 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the performance of muon reconstruction, identification, and triggering in CMS has been studied using 40 inverse picobarns of data collected in pp collisions at the LHC in 2010.
Abstract: The performance of muon reconstruction, identification, and triggering in CMS has been studied using 40 inverse picobarns of data collected in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV at the LHC in 2010. A few benchmark sets of selection criteria covering a wide range of physics analysis needs have been examined. For all considered selections, the efficiency to reconstruct and identify a muon with a transverse momentum pT larger than a few GeV is above 95% over the whole region of pseudorapidity covered by the CMS muon system, abs(eta)<2.4, while the probability to misidentify a hadron as a muon is well below 1%. The efficiency to trigger on single muons with pT above a few GeV is higher than 90% over the full eta range, and typically substantially better. The overall momentum scale is measured to a precision of 0.2% with muons from Z decays. The transverse momentum resolution varies from 1% to 6% depending on pseudorapidity for muons with pT below 100 GeV and, using cosmic rays, it is shown to be better than 10% in the central region up to pT = 1 TeV. Observed distributions of all quantities are well reproduced by the Monte Carlo simulation.

568 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, nano and micro-composites (A356/Al 2 O 3 ) with different weight percent of particles were fabricated by two melt techniques such as stir-casting and compo-casting.

509 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed a flood model using various flood causative factors using ANN techniques and geographic information system (GIS) to modeling and simulate flood-prone areas in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia.
Abstract: Flooding is one of the most destructive natural hazards that cause damage to both life and property every year, and therefore the development of flood model to determine inundation area in watersheds is important for decision makers. In recent years, data mining approaches such as artificial neural network (ANN) techniques are being increasingly used for flood modeling. Previously, this ANN method was frequently used for hydrological and flood modeling by taking rainfall as input and runoff data as output, usually without taking into consideration of other flood causative factors. The specific objective of this study is to develop a flood model using various flood causative factors using ANN techniques and geographic information system (GIS) to modeling and simulate flood-prone areas in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The ANN model for this study was developed in MATLAB using seven flood causative factors. Relevant thematic layers (including rainfall, slope, elevation, flow accumulation, soil, land use, and geology) are generated using GIS, remote sensing data, and field surveys. In the context of objective weight assignments, the ANN is used to directly produce water levels and then the flood map is constructed in GIS. To measure the performance of the model, four criteria performances, including a coefficient of determination (R 2), the sum squared error, the mean square error, and the root mean square error are used. The verification results showed satisfactory agreement between the predicted and the real hydrological records. The results of this study could be used to help local and national government plan for the future and develop appropriate (to the local environmental conditions) new infrastructure to protect the lives and property of the people of Johor.

480 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: QDs are one of the first nanotechnologies to be integrated with the biological sciences and are widely anticipated to eventually find application in a number of commercial consumer and clinical products.
Abstract: This review introduces quantum dots (QDs) and explores their properties, synthesis, applications, delivery systems in biology, and their toxicity. QDs are one of the first nanotechnologies to be integrated with the biological sciences and are widely anticipated to eventually find application in a number of commercial consumer and clinical products. They exhibit unique luminescence characteristics and electronic properties such as wide and continuous absorption spectra, narrow emission spectra, and high light stability. The application of QDs, as a new technology for biosystems, has been typically studied on mammalian cells. Due to the small structures of QDs, some physical properties such as optical and electron transport characteristics are quite different from those of the bulk materials.

450 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A green chemistry method for synthesized colloidal silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in polymeric media using silver nitrate, polyethylene glycol, and β-D-glucose as a silver precursor, stabilizer, and reducing agent is reported.
Abstract: The roles of green chemistry in nanotechnology and nanoscience fields are very significant in the synthesis of diverse nanomaterials. Herein, we report a green chemistry method for synthesized colloidal silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in polymeric media. The colloidal Ag NPs were synthesized in an aqueous solution using silver nitrate, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and β-D-glucose as a silver precursor, stabilizer, and reducing agent, respectively. The properties of synthesized colloidal Ag NPs were studied at different reaction times. The ultraviolet-visible spectra were in excellent agreement with the obtained nanostructure studies performed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and their size distributions. The Ag NPs were characterized by utilizing X-ray diffraction (XRD), zeta potential measurements and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). The use of green chemistry reagents, such as glucose, provides green and economic features to this work.

434 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of different types and amounts of organic matter (OM) on the soil aggregate stability indices as well as some soil properties were investigated, and the results showed that applying different sources of OM decreased soil bulk density (BD) and increased infiltration rate.

316 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
15 Aug 2012-Talanta
TL;DR: An efficient and cost-effective method for the preconcentration of trace amounts of Pb(II), Cd( II) and Cu(II) in environmental and biological samples using this novel magnetic solid phase is developed and satisfactory results were obtained.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the solutions of fuzzy fractional differential equations (FFDEs) under Riemann-Liouville H-differentiability by fuzzy Laplace transforms are studied.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Silver nanoparticles should be classified according to GHS as "category acute 1" to Daphnia neonates, suggesting that the release of nanosilver into the environment should be carefully considered.
Abstract: Background To better understand the potential ecotoxicological impacts of silver nanoparticles released into freshwater environments, the Daphnia magna 48-hour immobilization test was used.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the suppression of individual nS states in PbPb collisions with respect to their yields in pp data has been measured, and the results demonstrate the sequential suppression of the Υ(nS) states from the dimuon invariant mass spectra.
Abstract: The suppression of the individual Υ(nS) states in PbPb collisions with respect to their yields in pp data has been measured. The PbPb and pp data sets used in the analysis correspond to integrated luminosities of 150 μb^(-1) and 230 nb^(-1), respectively, collected in 2011 by the CMS experiment at the LHC, at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 2.76 TeV. The Υ(nS) yields are measured from the dimuon invariant mass spectra. The suppression of the Υ(nS) yields in PbPb relative to the yields in pp, scaled by the number of nucleon-nucleon collisions, R_(AA), is measured as a function of the collision centrality. Integrated over centrality, the R_(AA) values are 0.56±0.08(stat)±0.07(syst), 0.12±0.04(stat)±0.02(syst), and lower than 0.10 (at 95% confidence level), for the Υ(1S), Υ(2S), and Υ(3S) states, respectively. The results demonstrate the sequential suppression of the Υ(nS) states in PbPb collisions at LHC energies.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Characterizations of silver nanoparticles showed that the particles are crystalline in nature, with a face-centered cubic structure, and the most needed outcome of this work will be the development of value-added products from C. longa for biomedical and nanotechnology-based industries.
Abstract: Green synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles is a vastly developing area of research. Metallic nanoparticles have received great attention from chemists, physicists, biologists, and engineers who wish to use them for the development of a new-generation of nanodevices. In this study, silver nanoparticles were biosynthesized from aqueous silver nitrate through a simple and eco-friendly route using Curcuma longa tuber-powder extracts, which acted as a reductant and stabilizer simultaneously. Characterizations of nanoparticles were done using different methods, which included ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The ultraviolet-visible spectrum of the aqueous medium containing silver nanoparticles showed an absorption peak at around 415 nm. Transmission electron microscopy showed that mean diameter and standard deviation for the formation of silver nanoparticles was 6.30 ± 2.64 nm. Powder X-ray diffraction showed that the particles are crystalline in nature, with a face-centered cubic structure. The most needed outcome of this work will be the development of value-added products from C. longa for biomedical and nanotechnology-based industries.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the interaction of pristine and Sc-doped boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) with the phosgene was investigated using density functional theory calculations in terms of Gibbs free energies, enthalpy changes, geometry, vibrational frequency, work function, and density of state analysis.
Abstract: Exploring a novel sensor for detection of toxic phosgene molecules, interaction of pristine and Sc-doped boron nitride nanotubes (BNNT) with the phosgene was investigated using density functional theory calculations in terms of Gibbs free energies, enthalpy changes, geometry, vibrational frequency, work function, and density of state analysis. It was found that unlike the pristine BNNTs, Sc-doped tubes can effectively interact with the phosgene molecule, so that their electronic properties and work functions are dramatically changed upon exposure to this molecule. We believe that doping the BNNTs with Sc may be a good strategy for improving the sensitivity of these tubes towards phosgene, which cannot be trapped and detected by the pristine BNNT.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the compressive strength, permeability and electric resistivity of concrete samples were studied using polypropylene fibers reinforced concrete properties, and it was concluded that the coral aggregates are not suitable for making concrete or using in concrete structures in the onshore atmosphere.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of pH variation of MWCNT-H 2 O nanofluid on the efficiency of a flat-plate solar collector was investigated experimentally.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the yields of both prompt and non-prompt J/psi, as well as Y(1S) mesons, are measured by the CMS experiment via their dimuon decays in PbPb and pp collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 2.76 TeV.
Abstract: Yields of prompt and non-prompt J/psi, as well as Y(1S) mesons, are measured by the CMS experiment via their dimuon decays in PbPb and pp collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 2.76 TeV for quarkonium rapidity |y|<2.4. Differential cross sections and nuclear modification factors are reported as functions of y and transverse momentum pt, as well as collision centrality. For prompt J/psi with relatively high pt (6.5

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique and an empirical case of a Korean electronics industry were used to measure corporate sustainability management and the combined approach of cross-efficiency and dual-role factors was proposed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of MWCNT nanofluid, as absorbing medium, on the efficiency of a flat-plate solar collector was investigated experimentally, which showed that by increasing the weight fraction from 0.2% to 0.4%, there is a substantial increase in the efficiency.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the potential of support vector machines (SVM), adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), multiple linear regression (MLR) and multiple non-linear regression (MNLR) for estimating ETo were investigated using six input vectors of climatic data in a semi-arid highland environment in Iran.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, nano-sized CuO, Co 3 O 4 and CuCo 2 O 4 powders were prepared via different methods such as co-precipitation, thermal decomposition of oxalate precursor and sol-gel and their catalytic activities towards thermal deformation of ammonium perchlorate.

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jul 2012-Energy
TL;DR: In this paper, a probabilistic approach for the energy and operation management (EOM) of renewable microgrids under uncertain environment is proposed, which consists of 2m point estimate method for covering the existing uncertainties in the MGs and a self-adaptive optimization algorithm based on the gravitational search algorithm (GSA) to determine the optimal energy management of MGs.

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Sep 2012
TL;DR: Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed ECPF performs better than well known protocols (LEACH, HEED, and CHEF) in terms of extending network lifetime and saving energy.
Abstract: Clustering is an effective approach for organizing a network into a connected hierarchy, load balancing, and prolonging the network lifetime. On the other hand, fuzzy logic is capable of wisely blending different parameters. This paper proposes an energy-aware distributed dynamic clustering protocol (ECPF) which applies three techniques: (1) non-probabilistic cluster head (CH) elections, (2) fuzzy logic, and (3) on demand clustering. The remaining energy of the nodes is the primary parameter for electing tentative CHs via a non-probabilistic fashion. A non-probabilistic CH election is implemented by introducing a delay inversely proportional to the residual energy of each node. Therefore, tentative CHs are selected based on their remaining energy. In addition, fuzzy logic is employed to evaluate the fitness (cost) of a node in order to choose a final CH from the set of neighboring tentative CHs. On the other hand, every regular (non CH) node elects to connect to the CH with the least fuzzy cost in its neighborhood. Besides, in ECPF, CH elections are performed sporadically (in contrast to performing it every round). Simulation results demonstrate that our approach performs better than well known protocols (LEACH, HEED, and CHEF) in terms of extending network lifetime and saving energy.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction among high school English teachers and found that there is a positive significant relationship between emotion intelligence and organizational commitment, and that emotional intelligence is correlated with job satisfaction.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction, between emotional intelligence and organizational commitment, and between job satisfaction and organizational commitment among high‐school English teachers. Furthermore, the study aims to examine the role of gender and age in emotional intelligence, job satisfaction and organizational commitment.Design/methodology/approach – The participants were selected by proportional stratified sampling and simple random selection. This study adopted a survey research design that utilized an ex post facto research type in which the researcher used questionnaires to collect data from the respondents.Findings – The results of the study indicate that there is a positive significant relationship between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction, between emotional intelligence and organizational commitment, and between job satisfaction and organizational commitment. It is also found there is no sign...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the possibility of using aluminum nitride nanotubes (AlNNTs) as a potential gas sensor for HCOH detection by performing density functional theory (DFT) calculation.
Abstract: Semiconductive carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have demonstrated great sensitivity toward molecules such as NH3, NO, and NO2. Nevertheless, pristine CNTs cannot be used for detection of some highly toxic molecules such as formaldehyde (HCOH). In the present study, we examined the possibility of using aluminum nitride nanotubes (AlNNTs) as a potential gas sensor for HCOH detection by performing density functional theory (DFT) calculation. It was found that HCOH molecule can be chemisorbed on the surface of AlNNTs with Gibbs free energies of −0.59 to −0.64 eV, at standard temperature and pressure (STP, 1 atm and 298 K). In view of the high change of HOMO/LUMO energy gap of the tube during the chemisorption, it is expected that the process induce a significant change in its electrical conductivity. Hence, the AlNNT can be used as a potential efficient gas sensor for HCOH detection. Furthermore, it was shown that H2O molecules cannot significantly change the electronic properties of AlNNTs.

Journal ArticleDOI
21 Sep 2012
TL;DR: In this paper, a search was made for events containing an energetic jet and an imbalance in transverse momentum using a data sample of pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV.
Abstract: A search has been made for events containing an energetic jet and an imbalance in transverse momentum using a data sample of pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. This signature is common to both dark matter and extra dimensions models. The data were collected by the CMS detector at the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 inverse femtobarns. The number of observed events is consistent with the standard model expectation. Constraints on the dark matter-nucleon scattering cross sections are determined for both spin-independent and spin-dependent interaction models. For the spin-independent model, these are the most constraining limits for a dark matter particle with mass below 3.5 GeV, a region unexplored by direct detection experiments. For the spin-dependent model, these are the most stringent constraints over the 0.1-200 GeV mass range. The constraints on the Arkani-Hamed, Dimopoulos, and Dvali model parameter MD determined as a function of the number of extra dimensions are also an improvement over the previous results.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a continuous graded carbon nanotube-reinforced (CGCNTR) cylindrical panels based on the Eshelby-Mori-Tanaka approach is considered.
Abstract: In this paper, natural frequencies characteristics of a continuously graded carbon nanotube-reinforced (CGCNTR) cylindrical panels based on the Eshelby–Mori–Tanaka approach is considered. The volume fractions of oriented, straight single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction. In this research work, an equivalent continuum model based on the Eshelby–Mori–Tanaka approach is employed to estimate the effective constitutive law of the elastic isotropic medium (matrix) with oriented, straight carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The CGCNTR shell is assumed to be simply supported at one pair of opposite edges and arbitrary boundary conditions at the other edges such that trigonometric functions expansion can be used to satisfy the boundary conditions precisely at simply supported edges. The 2-D generalized differential quadrature method (GDQM) as an efficient and accurate numerical tool is used to discretize the governing equations and to implement the boundary conditions. The novelty of the present work is to exploit Eshelby–Mori–Tanaka approach in order to reveal the impacts of the volume fractions of oriented CNTs, different CNTs distributions, various mid radius-to-thickness ratio, shell angle, length-to-mean radius ratio and different combinations of free, simply supported and clamped boundary conditions on the vibrational characteristics of CGCNTR cylindrical panels. The interesting and new results show that continuously graded oriented CNTs volume fractions can be utilized for the management of vibrational behavior of structures so that the frequency parameters of structures made of such material can be considerably improved than that of the nanocomposites reinforced with uniformly distributed CNTs.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It appears that AM formation enhanced the drought tolerance of pistachio plants, which increased host biomass and plant growth, and the accumulation of osmotic adjustment compounds, nutritional and antioxidant enzyme activity.