Technological Educational Institute of Western Macedonia

About: Technological Educational Institute of Western Macedonia is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Symplectic geometry & Numerical integration. The organization has 291 authors who have published 522 publications receiving 7682 citations. The organization is also known as: TEI of West Macedonia & TEI of Western Macedonia.

An ANN Approach on the Optimization of the Cutting Parameters During CNC Plasma-Arc Cutting

Abstract: The objective of the present study is to develop an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) in order to predict the bevel angle (response variable) during CNC plasma-arc cutting of St37 mild steel plates. The four (4) input parameters (plate thickness, cutting speed, arc ampere, and torch standoff distance) of the ANN was selected following the results (relative importance) of the Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA) performed based on seven (7) factors (plate thickness, cutting speed, arc ampere, arc voltage, air pressure, pierce height, and torch standoff distance) in a previous study. A multi-parameter optimization was carried out using the robust design. An L18 (21 × 37 ) Taguchi orthogonal array experiment was conducted and the right bevel angle was measured, aiming at the investigation of the influence of plasma-arc cut process parameters on right side bevel angle of St37 mild steel cut surface. The selection of quality characteristics, material, plate thickness and other process parameter levels and experimental limits was based on the experience and current needs of the Greek machining industry. A feed-forward backpropagation (FFBP) neural network was fitted on the experimental data. The results show that accurate predictions of the bevel angle can be achieved inside the experimental region, through the trained FFBP-ANN. The developed ANN model could be further used for the optimization of the cutting parameters during CNC plasma-arc cutting.Copyright © 2010 by ASME

Thermodynamic characterization of poly(2,2,3,3,3‐pentafluoropropyl methacrylate)

Abstract: The thermodynamic characterization of a fluorinated methacrylic homopolymer was conducted by means of inverse gas chromatography (IGC), at infinite dilution. The homopolymer under study, poly(2,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropyl methacrylate) (PPFPMA), was synthesized via a free radical polymerization reaction and was characterized by the employment of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) techniques. The specific retention volume of 15 solvents, used as probes, was used for the assessment of the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter, the weight fraction activity coefficient, the molar heat, energy and entropy of sorption, the partial heat of mixing of the probes, as well as the solubility parameter of the polymer. The results demonstrate that PPFPMA is insoluble in most organic solvents even at increased temperatures, with the exception of solvents like 2-Butanone.

Optimizing the nanofibrous morphology of electrospun poly[(butylene succinate)‐ co‐(butylene adipate)]/clay nanocomposites and revealing the effect of the fibre nano‐dimension on the attained material properties

Abstract: Electrospun mats of biodegradable polymer/clay nanocomposites were prepared in order to investigate the qualitative and quantitative correlations between electrospinning-related parameters and the fibrous morphology of the mats. A full factorial design of experiments was used for that purpose and scanning electron microscopy was employed for dimensional characterization and determination of the chosen responses. Statistical analysis revealed that solution concentration and clay loading of nanocomposite were the most important parameters affecting the morphology of the fibrous webs. This, subsequently, allowed prediction of the domain of these two parameter settings where purely fibrous morphology can be achieved and further allowed optimization of the process in the framework of response surface methodology (RSM). The structure and thermal behaviour of the nanocomposites were also characterized before and after electrospinning using X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. A multi-analyte platform is provided by the combination of RSM results for improving the nanofibrous quality and post-spinning characterization for predicting the overall performance of the electrospun web. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry

The drivers of corporate governance disclosure: the case of Nifty 500 Index

Abstract: Based on agency theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants on the dissemination level of corporate governance disclosure (CGD).,The sample of the study incorporates listed companies in Nifty 500 Index for the period 2009-2014. The Governance Disclosure Score calculated by Bloomberg is used as a proxy for the dissemination level of corporate governance information. In total, eight explanatory variables are uses, namely, board’s size, number of board meetings, CEO duality, presence of women on the board, company’s size, financial performance, Tobin’s Q ratio and financial leverage.,The results of study suggest a need for improvement in CGDs by Indian companies, as they fail to comply the majority of the proposed disclosure items. Furthermore, it is revealed that the number of board director, the value of company, the financial leverage and the presence of women affect negatively the dissemination level of corporate governance information. While, the size of company is the only determinant that positively affects the extent of CGD.,The results are valuable because they reveal the attributes that determines which companies needs less or extra monitoring by shareholders and investors regarding the applied corporate governance practices. In addition, the study can be valuable to policy makers responsible for the regulation of company’s accountability in relation to corporate governance practices.,The study extents previous studies by incorporating for the first time Bloomberg’s rating approach regarding the dissemination level of CGD in Indian context.

Choice of Money Transfer Methods in the Case of Albanian Immigrants in Greece

Abstract: This paper investigates the choice of the method that immigrants use for the transfer of savings to their home country. The paper examines the example of Albanian immigrants in Greece using a sample of permanent and seasonal immigrants. Three methods were proposed to the immigrants: the banking network, money transfer companies and hand carried transfer by their or a relative’s return in Albania. Cost and quickness of transfer were considered as a parameter for the choice. The paper finds that despite the growth of remittances through the official network and the growth of this network in Albania, immigrants prefer to send money through the parallel market by their return or a relative’s in Albania. Within the official market, permanent immigrants are more likely to use the banking network while seasonal immigrants prefer to use the money transfer companies’ network.