G.F. Asensi, E.M.F. dos Reis, E.M. Del Aguila, D. dos P. Rodrigues, J.T. Silva and V.M.F. Paschoalin
This paper seeks to optimize a multiplex PCR in order to detect the incidence of Salmonella and Escherichia coli (E. coli) in chicken carcasses, eliminating a pre‐culture…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to optimize a multiplex PCR in order to detect the incidence of Salmonella and Escherichia coli (E. coli) in chicken carcasses, eliminating a pre‐culture enrichment step and the pathogen isolation.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 30 chicken rinse carcasses were analysed by standard microbiological methods, and the isolates were identified by biochemical and serological tests. The results were compared with those obtained by a multiplex PCR using validated primers targeting for invA and lamB genes of Salmonella and E. coli, respectively.
Findings
Microbiological analysis showed the prevalence of Salmonella in 14 out of 30 chicken carcasses. The same rinse samples were also analysed by multiplex PCR, which allowed the simultaneous detection of both bacteria directly from the chicken rinse water microbial community.
Originality/value
The optimized mPCR detected enterobacteria directly from the rinse samples, a complex matrix food, in one workday. There was 100 per cent agreement of the conventional microbiological analysis with those results obtained by multiplex PCR.
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Jorge Rafael González-Teodoro, Enrique González Romero-Cadaval, Rafael Asensi, Roberto Prieto and Vladimir Kindl
The purpose of this paper is the presentation of an electrical equivalent circuit for inductive components as well as the methodology for electrical parameter extraction by using…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is the presentation of an electrical equivalent circuit for inductive components as well as the methodology for electrical parameter extraction by using a 3 D finite element analysis (FEA) tool.
Design/methodology/approach
A parameter extraction based on energies has been modified for three dimensions. Some simplifications are needed in a real model to make the 3 D finite element method (FEM) analysis operative for design engineers. Material properties for the components are modified at the pre-modeling step and a corrector factor is used at the post-modeling step to achieve the desired accuracy.
Findings
The current hardware computational limitations do not allow the 3 D FEA for every magnetic component, and due to the component asymmetries, the 2 D analysis are not precise enough. The application of the new methodology for three dimensions to several actual components has shown its usefulness and accuracy. Details concerning model parameters extration are presented with simulation and measurement results at different operation frequencies from 1 kHz to 1 GHz being the range of switching frequencies used by power electronic converters based on Si, SiC or GaN semiconductors.
Practical implications
This new model includes the high-frequency effects (skin effect, proximity effect, interleaving and core gap) and other effects can be only analyzed in 3 D analysis for non-symmetric components. The electrical parameters like resistance and inductance (self and mutual ones) are frequency-dependent; thus, the model represents the frequency behavior of windings in detail. These parameters determine the efficiency for the inductive component and operation capabilities for the power converters (as in the voltage boost factor), which define their success on the market.
Originality/value
The user can develop 3 D finite element method (FEM)-based analyses with geometrical simplifications, reducing the CPU time and extracting electrical parameters. The corrector factor presented in this paper allows obtaining the electrical parameters when 3D FE simulation would have developed without any geometry simplications. The contribution permits that the simulations do not need a high computational resource, and the simulation times are reduced drastically. Also, the reduced CPU time needed per simulation gives a potential tool to optimize the non-symmetric components with 3 D FEM analysis.
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Z. De Grève, O. Deblecker and J. Lobry
The purpose of this paper is to propose a numerical procedure for the extraction of RL equivalent circuits of high frequency multi‐winding transformers with a low computational…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a numerical procedure for the extraction of RL equivalent circuits of high frequency multi‐winding transformers with a low computational time.
Design/methodology/approach
Rigorous RL equivalent circuits of multi‐winding transformers can be obtained by performing open and short‐circuit tests. In this work, the finite element method (FEM) is employed as a virtual laboratory in order to derive such circuits. However, an accurate modeling of skin and proximity effects in the windings requires extremely dense meshes at high frequencies. Therefore, a 2D frequency‐domain homogenization of the windings, which conducts to coarser meshes, is applied in order to decrease the computational burden. The fine and homogenized models are compared in terms of simulation time as well as accuracy.
Findings
A significant decrease in simulation times is observed with the homogenized model (one order of magnitude at high frequencies for 2D models), while keeping acceptable relative error values (below 8 percent in the worst case, taking the fine model as reference). Furthermore, it is shown that the skin effect could contribute in a significant way to the total values of the circuit parameters, especially for high frequencies and for small fill factors. It should therefore not be neglected compared to the proximity effect when gathering such conditions, as commonly assumed in the literature.
Originality/value
Equivalent circuits which capture the skin and proximity effects are obtained at an acceptable computational cost, thanks to the use of homogenization techniques in FE simulations. To the best of the authors knowledge, such a procedure has not yet been published.
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The purpose of this paper is to discuss a numerically efficient simulation method for the study of the high-frequency behaviour of air-cored coils. The self-resonance phenomenon…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss a numerically efficient simulation method for the study of the high-frequency behaviour of air-cored coils. The self-resonance phenomenon of coils can be studied which is important, e.g., in wireless power transfer (WPT).
Design/methodology/approach
A full-wave and a quasi-stationary integral formulation is introduced. The integral equation is solved by using the Method of Moments. The complex impedance of the coil is calculated and studied in a wide frequency band.
Findings
The integral equation method is numerically efficient compared to finite element schemes, making possible its use in design optimisation problems.
Research limitations/implications
The present model can treat homogeneous media only. Future research will focus on the extension of the approach to heterogeneous media.
Practical implications
The method can be used in the design optimisation of WPT systems that apply magnetically coupled resonant coils.
Originality/value
The presented computation scheme is original. Integral equation schemes have not been used for coil modelling before, to the best of the author’s knowledge.
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Parijat Upadhyay and Manojit Chattopadhyay
The purpose of this paper is to make a unified approach in identifying the issues affecting usage intention of mobile-based payment services. The work aims to analyze the reduced…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to make a unified approach in identifying the issues affecting usage intention of mobile-based payment services. The work aims to analyze the reduced factors from data obtained from a survey to highlight the influencers of usage intention mobile-based payment in an integrated manner by incorporating the technical characteristics, technology-specific characteristics, user-specific characteristics and task-specific characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
A nationwide primary survey was conducted using validated questionnaire requesting response for 11 factors obtained from published literature. In all, 196 respondents participated in the survey in India. Valid responses were analyzed using Growing Hierarchical Self-Organizing Map (GHSOM) model. The interactive GHSOM application was applied to automatically determine the filtering rules for clustering.
Findings
The hierarchical structure of clusters as obtained by applying GHSOM is mainly influenced by factors like innovativeness, discomfort, system quality, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, task-fit, connectivity, absorptive capacity and structural assurance.
Research limitations/implications
Increasing trend of online and mobile-based payment has been observed and reported by several studies in India. The frequency of online transactions by women have shown a steady increase over a short period of time. But the survey obtained higher percentage of data from males. Thus future researchers could focus on this aspect to study the influence of this rising trend on adoption of services like mobile-based payment. Trust and existence of physical institutions seem to affect the perception and usage intention. Future researchers may explore the influence of these two issues in situations where there has been some reported cases of breach of trust.
Originality/value
There has been very few studies conducted which reported mobile-based transfer payment adoption issues where-in the transfer mechanism is independent of formal banking. Also no other study adopted the GHSOM approach to analyze the data. The findings would be beneficial for service providers of mobile-based payment services to understand their subscribers and roll out value-added services.
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Dolores Romero López and José Luis Bueren Gómez-Acebo
Studies of Spanish literature during the late nineteenth century and the first one-third of the twentieth century are evolving from research on canonical writers to the study of…
Abstract
Purpose
Studies of Spanish literature during the late nineteenth century and the first one-third of the twentieth century are evolving from research on canonical writers to the study of “odd and forgotten” authors, themes and genres during what is now called the Other Silver Age. This paper aims to focus on the work undertaken in the field of literary translation by the women writers of this period.
Design/methodology/approach
Mnemosyne is an open-access digital library that allows data modeling for specific collections (women translators, science fiction, etc.) in support of research and teaching on Silver Age Spain. The first version of the library is stored on the server at the Universidad Complutense Library, and it is linked to the collections of the digital library HathiTrust and Biblioteca Nacional de España. Behind the scenes of Mnemosyne’s public presence online, the project is developing with the aid of the tool Clavy which is a rich internet application that is able to import, preserve and edit information from big data collections of digital objects so as to build bridges between institutional and digital repositories and create collections of enriched digital content. See:http://repositorios.fdi.ucm.es/mnemosine/queesmnemosine.php
Findings
The Collection Women Translators in Spain (1868-1936) inside Mnemosyne selects, categorizes and makes visible in digital format women translators and literary translations that belong to a forgotten repertoire to allow the historical review of the period. The digital collection of Spanish Women Translators pretends to be a field of international experimentation for the creation of interoperable semantic networks through which a large group of scholars could generate innovative research and theoretical reading models for literary texts. See:http://repositorios.fdi.ucm.es/mnemosine/colecciones.php
Research limitations/implications
Clavy also provides a basic system of data visualization, edition and navigation. There are plans to integrate @Note, a collaborative annotation application, into Clavy. These two computational tools were developed by the software languages research group ILSA[1] at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
Practical implications
Its been followed NEWW Women Writers’ categories concerning biographical categories as successful standard for ensuring interoperability in the near future: children, marital status, social class, religion, profession and other activities, financial aspects, memberships. See:http://repositorios.fdi.ucm.es/mnemosine/ver_documento.php?documento=208369
Social implications
These women also showed their interest in the writings of contemporary women by translating their works into Spanish or glossing foreign ideas about how the modern woman should be, think or behave. This digital collection shows the first steps of the intellectual women in the South of Europe.
Originality/value
To incorporate specially tailored metadata for the women translators’ collection into Mnemosyne, it will be necessary to use of Clavy’s extensibility to account for the particularities of the women translators’ collection. This is where prior knowledge of this literature’s historical and cultural context proves indispensable. In particular, the specific metadata model for the women translators’ collection incorporates elements that reflect the literary, historical and cultural characteristics of the collections.
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Alberto Díaz, Pablo Gervás, Antonio García and Inmaculada Chacón
Through an evaluation of system performance and user satisfaction for the Mercurio system, considers the general applicability and usefulness of different methods of specifying…
Abstract
Through an evaluation of system performance and user satisfaction for the Mercurio system, considers the general applicability and usefulness of different methods of specifying user interest for the general case of digital news services. Outlines the specific characteristics distinguishing such systems from more general information systems and discusses their effect. Proposes an evaluation blueprint for them starting from information retrieval procedures, existing work on search engine evaluation, and a close study of the working principles and the required evaluation according to the particular properties and conditions of the services under consideration. Presents and discusses actual evaluation results for system tests based both on real users and customised test cases. Conclusions cover the nature of the information handling tasks that digital news services are faced with, the relative merits of sections, categories and keywords with respect to this particular set of tasks, and the risks of careless application of recall and precision measures in systems such as these.
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Bhawna Bhawna, Prinka Dogra, Umair Akram and Sanjeev Kumar Sharma
In light of the rapidly evolving global work environment and the unique needs of startups, this study investigates the potential of gamified practices (GP) as a human resource…
Abstract
Purpose
In light of the rapidly evolving global work environment and the unique needs of startups, this study investigates the potential of gamified practices (GP) as a human resource management tool to enhance employer branding (EB).
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from employees in Indian startup companies (N = 1,842) through a structured questionnaire. The study used Smart-PLS for variance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis.
Findings
The results indicate that GP significantly influences IM, which is the internal desire to perform a task due to the enjoyment it brings, and JA, which is the level of independence and freedom given to an employee in their job, as parallel mediators between GP and EB. Further, prior perceptions of the employer brand (PPEB), which refer to the pre-existing beliefs and attitudes employees hold about the employer brand, moderate the relationship between GP and JA, highlighting that individuals with varying PPEB respond differently to JA facilitated through GP.
Practical implications
The study’s findings underscore the importance of tailoring GP experiences to individual needs and prior brand perceptions for optimal results. Furthermore, it highlights GP as a potent tool for shaping positive employer brand perceptions, particularly when it aligns with an organization’s values and offers an engaging, competitive and realistic experience.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the field by addressing the underexplored impact of GP on EB within the dynamic startup ecosystem. It explores the mediating roles of IM and JA and the moderating effect of PPEB, shedding light on the dynamic relationships between gamified practices and EB.
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Esmail Rezaei-Seresht, Aboulfazl Salimi and Behnam Mahdavi
The purpose of this paper is synthesis and evaluation of antioxidant and antibacterial activities of a series of new azo dyes derived from 4-aminostilbene.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is synthesis and evaluation of antioxidant and antibacterial activities of a series of new azo dyes derived from 4-aminostilbene.
Design/methodology/approach
First, the starting material 4-aminostilbene was prepared via two successive Wittig and reduction reactions from 4-nitrobenzyl bromide. The obtained 4-aminostilbene was then reacted with some phenols under the normal azo coupling reaction conditions to give five new azo products. Antioxidant activity of the azo compounds was determined by radical scavenging assay using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. Also, the antimicrobial activity of the compounds against one gram-positive and eight gram-negative strains was evaluated based on the inhibition zone using disc diffusion assay.
Findings
The structures of the azo dyes were identified and characterized by fourier-transform Infrared, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-V) is spectroscopic methods. All the compounds showed higher antioxidant activity than ascorbic acid (Asc) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as positive controls. Moreover, the compounds showed lower antibacterial activity than the standard antibiotic vancomycin.
Research limitations/implications
Excellent antioxidant activity, along with antibacterial activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, was observed for the two synthesized azo dyes.
Originality/value
Five novel azo dyes based on 4-aminostilbene were synthesized. The dyes have a highly p-extended conjugated structure comprising the phenolic and stilbenic segments, and they indicated good antioxidant activity, so that the two dyes (2c and 2d) even showed much more scavenging activity compared to BHT which is used as an antioxidant agent in food industries. These compounds with highest antioxidant activity also inhibited the growth of S. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa.
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Raghavendra Rao N.S. and Chitra A.
The purpose of this study is to extend a sensitivity-based reliability technique for the processors deployed in industrial drive (ID).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to extend a sensitivity-based reliability technique for the processors deployed in industrial drive (ID).
Design/methodology/approach
The processor provides flexible operation, re-configurability, and adaptable compatibility in industrial motor drive system. A sensitivity-based model allows a robust tool for validating the system design. Sensitivity is the probability of a partial failure rate for a distributed variable; sensitivity and failure rates are also complementary. Conversely, traditional power electronic components reliability estimating standards have overlooked it, and it is essential to update them to account for the sensitivity parameter. A new sensitivity-based reliability prediction methodology for a typical 32-bit microprocessor operating at 30ºC deployed in ID is presented to fill this gap. The proposed techniques are compared with the estimated processor reliability values obtained from various reliability standards using the validated advanced logistics development tool. The main contribution of this work is to provide a sensitivity extended reliability method over the conventional method directing toward improving reliability, availability, and maintainability in the design of ID.
Findings
The analysis shows that the sensitivity of the processor’s circuit increases due to increases in complexity of the system by reducing the overall mean time between failure upon comparing among conventional reliability standards.
Originality/value
The significance of this paper lies in the overall, sensitivity-based reliability technique for processors in comparison to the traditional reliability complexity in IDs.