bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards Gas Discrimination and Mapping in Emergency Response Scenarios Using a Mobile Robot with an Electronic Nose
Authors: Fan Han , Hernandez Bennetts Victor , Schaffernicht Erik , Lilienthal Achim J.
Published: February 2019

Emergency personnel, such as firefighters, bomb technicians, and urban search and rescue specialists, can be exposed to a variety of extreme hazards during the response to natural and human-made disasters. In many of these scenarios, a risk factor is the presence of hazardous airborne chemicals. The recent and rapid advances in robotics and sensor technologies allow emergency responders to deal with such hazards from relatively safe distances. Mobile robots with gas-sensing capabilities allow to convey useful information such as the possible source positions of different chemicals in the emergency area. However, common gas sampling procedures for laboratory use are not applicable due to the complexity of the environment and the need for fast deployment and analysis. In addition, conventional gas identification approaches, based on supervised learning, cannot handle situations when the number and identities of the present chemicals are unknown. For the purpose of emergency response, all the information concluded from the gas detection events during the robot exploration should be delivered in real time. To address these challenges, we developed an online gas-sensing system using an electronic nose. Our system can automatically perform unsupervised learning and update the discrimination model as the robot is exploring a given environment. The online gas discrimination results are further integrated with geometrical information to derive a multi-compound gas spatial distribution map. The proposed system is deployed on a robot built to operate in harsh environments for supporting fire brigades, and is validated in several different real-world experiments of discriminating and mapping multiple chemical compounds in an indoor open environment. Our results show that the proposed system achieves high accuracy in gas discrimination in an online, unsupervised, and computationally efficient manner. The subsequently created gas distribution maps accurately indicate the presence of different chemicals in the environment, which is of practical significance for emergency response.
Quantified Activity Measurement for Medical Use in Movement Disorders through IR-UWB Radar Sensor
Authors: Yim Daehyeon , Lee Won , Kim Johanna , Kim Kangryul , Ahn Dong , Lim Young-Hyo , Cho Seok , Park Hyun-Kyung , Cho Sung
Published: February 2019

Movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, tic disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are clinical syndromes with either an excess of movement or a paucity of voluntary and involuntary movements. As the assessment of most movement disorders depends on subjective rating scales and clinical observations, the objective quantification of activity remains a challenging area. The purpose of our study was to verify whether an impulse radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) radar sensor technique is useful for an objective measurement of activity. Thus, we proposed an activity measurement algorithm and quantitative activity indicators for clinical assistance, based on IR-UWB radar sensors. The received signals of the sensor are sufficiently sensitive to measure heart rate, and multiple sensors can be used together to track the positions of people. To measure activity using these two features, we divided movement into two categories. For verification, we divided these into several scenarios, depending on the amount of activity, and compared with an actigraphy sensor to confirm the clinical feasibility of the proposed indicators. The experimental environment is similar to the environment of the comprehensive attention test (CAT), but with the inclusion of the IR-UWB radar. The experiment was carried out, according to a predefined scenario. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed indicators can measure movement quantitatively, and can be used as a quantified index to clinically record and compare patient activity. Therefore, this study suggests the possibility of clinical application of radar sensors for standardized diagnosis.
Energy-Efficient IoT Service Brokering with Quality of Service Support
Authors: Tanganelli Giacomo , Mingozzi Enzo
Published: February 2019

The Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming real, and recent studies highlight that the number of IoT devices will significantly grow in the next decade. Such massive IoT deployments are typically made available to applications as a service by means of IoT platforms, which are aware of the characteristics of the connected IoT devices–usually constrained in terms of computation, storage and energy capabilities–and dispatch application’s service requests to appropriate devices based on their capabilities. In this work, we develop an energy-aware allocation policy that aims at maximizing the lifetime of all the connected IoT devices, whilst guaranteeing that applications’ Quality of Service (QoS) requirements are met. To this aim, we formally define an IoT service allocation problem as a non-linear Generalized Assignment Problem (GAP). We then develop a time-efficient heuristic algorithm to solve the problem, which is shown to find near-optimal solutions by exploiting the availability of equivalent IoT services provided by multiple IoT devices, as expected especially in the case of massive IoT deployments.
PPCS: A Progressive Popularity-Aware Caching Scheme for Edge-Based Cache Redundancy Avoidance in Information-Centric Networks
Authors: Nguyen Quang Ngoc , Liu Jiang , Pan Zhenni , Benkacem Ilias , Tsuda Toshitaka , Taleb Tarik , Shimamoto Shigeru , Sato Takuro
Published: February 2019

This article proposes a novel chunk-based caching scheme known as the Progressive Popularity-Aware Caching Scheme (PPCS) to improve content availability and eliminate the cache redundancy issue of Information-Centric Networking (ICN). Particularly, the proposal considers both entire-object caching and partial-progressive caching for popular and non-popular content objects, respectively. In the case that the content is not popular enough, PPCS first caches initial chunks of the content at the edge node and then progressively continues caching subsequent chunks at upstream Content Nodes (CNs) along the delivery path over time, according to the content popularity and each CN position. Therefore, PPCS efficiently avoids wasting cache space for storing on-path content duplicates and improves cache diversity by allowing no more than one replica of a specified content to be cached. To enable a complete ICN caching solution for communication networks, we also propose an autonomous replacement policy to optimize the cache utilization by maximizing the utility of each CN from caching content items. By simulation, we show that PPCS, utilizing edge-computing for the joint optimization of caching decision and replacement policies, considerably outperforms relevant existing ICN caching strategies in terms of latency (number of hops), cache redundancy, and content availability (hit rate), especially when the CN’s cache size is small.
Seat Occupancy Detection Based on a Low-Power Microcontroller and a Single FSR
Authors: Sifuentes Ernesto , Gonzalez-Landaeta Rafael , Cota-Ruiz Juan , Reverter Ferran
Published: February 2019

This paper proposes a microcontroller-based measurement system to detect and confirm the presence of a subject in a chair. The system relies on a single Force Sensing Resistor (FSR), which is arranged in the seat of the chair, that undergoes a sudden resistance change when a subject/object is seated/placed over the chair. In order to distinguish between a subject and an inanimate object, the system also monitors small-signal variations of the FSR resistance caused by respiration. These resistance variations are then directly measured by a low-cost general-purpose microcontroller unit (MCU) without using either an analogue processing stage or an analogue-to-digital converter. Two versions of such a MCU-based circuit are presented: one to prove the concept of the measurement, and another with a smart wake-up (generated by the sudden resistance change) intended to reduce the energy consumption. The feasibility of the proposed measurement system is experimentally demonstrated with subjects of different weight sitting at different postures, and also with objects of different weight. The MCU-based circuit with a smart wake-up shows a standby current consumption of 800 nA, and requires an energy of 125 µJ to carry out the measurement after the wake-up.
Land Degradation by Soil Erosion in Nepal: A Review
Authors: Chalise Devraj , Kumar Lalit , Kristiansen Paul
Published: February 2019

Land degradation, particularly soil erosion, is currently a major challenge for Nepal. With a high rate of population growth, subsistence-based rural economy, and increasingly intense rainfall events in the monsoon season, Nepal is prone to several forms of land degradation, such as floods, landslides, and soil erosion. To understand the causes, impacts, and possible management options for soil erosion, a review on the causal factors, status, and amelioration measures for land degradation in Nepal was conducted based on recent information available in national and international journals and grey literature. Intense rainfall and conventional tillage practices coupled with poor soil structure and steep slopes are the main drivers of soil erosion. Soil erosion leads to losses in soil and crop productivity, pollution of land and water resources, and a loss of farm income. Strategies to manage erosion include mulching, cover cropping, contour farming, strip cropping, and conservation agriculture practices, along with bioengineering techniques. Land degradation issues are a prime policy focus in Nepal, including national three- and five-year plans. However, these policies have been generally ineffective in reducing soil erosion, landslides, and floods in relation to the set targets. Realistic plans need to be formulated in Nepal focusing more on capacity enhancement and local participation to actively influence land-degradation processes.
Iron and Manganese Biogeochemistry in Forested Coal Mine Spoil
Authors: Herndon Elizabeth , Yarger Brianne , Frederick Hannah , Singer David
Published: February 2019

Abandoned mine lands continue to serve as non-point sources of acid and metal contamination to water bodies long after mining operations have ended. Although soils formed from abandoned mine spoil can support forest vegetation, as observed throughout the Appalachian coal basin, the effects of vegetation on metal cycling in these regions remain poorly characterized. Iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) biogeochemistry were examined at a former coal mine where deciduous trees grow on mine spoil deposited nearly a century ago. Forest vegetation growing on mine spoil effectively removed dissolved Mn from pore water; however, mineral weathering at a reaction front below the rooting zone resulted in high quantities of leached Mn. Iron was taken up in relatively low quantities by vegetation but was more readily mobilized by dissolved organic carbon produced in the surface soil. Dissolved Fe was low below the reaction front, suggesting that iron oxyhydroxide precipitation retains Fe within the system. These results indicate that mine spoil continues to produce Mn contamination, but vegetation can accumulate Mn and mitigate its leaching from shallow soils, potentially also decreasing Mn leaching from deeper soils by reducing infiltration. Vegetation had less impact on Fe mobility, which was retained as Fe oxides following oxidative weathering.
Toward a Sustainable Future: The Case of the Municipality of Milan
Authors: Ivaldi Silvia , Bertè Francesca , Sorgi Sergio , Scaratti Giuseppe
Published: February 2019

In the new framework of the Psychology of sustainability and sustainable development, this paper addresses the issue of building socially sustainable processes to develop a better quality of life in an urban context. The aim is to explore and highlight the connection between the acknowledgment of a pluralistic and multi-stakeholder scenario, the entwined implications for sustainability at different levels (personal, social, organizational), and the enhancement of the participatory process of planning for future accomplishments. A case study supported by the Municipality of Milano (Italy) is analyzed with the aim to understand the key issues to improve the well-being of the citizens. The paper describes the context of the experience, highlighting the Delphi approach adopted and the ways applied to involve citizens in urban development policies. Discussion and conclusions address the lesson learnt from the case study, pointing out how to prompt and nurture sharing and knowing opportunities and the specific conditions that can support plural stakeholders’ engagement in a sustainable urban future.
Research on Reference Indicators for Sustainable Pavement Maintenance Cost Control through Data Mining
Authors: Yang Yonghong , Huang Lan , Wang Jiecong , Xia Yuanbo
Published: February 2019

Maintenance management has become increasingly important in the development of highways and government investment, but the shortage of funds is still a serious problem. When the administrative department reviews expense, the existing evaluation methodology cannot be applied to the current national condition and its calculation process is too complicated. Therefore, in order to improve this situation, this paper analyses various factors affecting maintenance costs, and obtains the quantitative relationship between the six main influencing factors such as traffic volume, using time, location, the number of lanes, overlays, and major rehabilitation. Based on regression analysis, an accuracy-based and cost-oriented control methodology is proposed, which can be dynamically updated according to the market conditions. This method is built on the data of 18 typical highways in Guangdong Province, China. The control reference indicators consist of a set of models and confidence intervals, and the actual cost needs to meet the corresponding requirements. In addition, the expenditure characteristics of rehabilitation and reconstruction in China are summarized. Experiments showed that this methodology can be used to guide cost planning and capital allocation in sustainable maintenance and achieved good results in application, making it worthwhile to promote them in other areas.
A Generalised Bayesian Inference Method for Maritime Surveillance Using Historical Data
Authors: Li Jia , Chu Xiumin , He Wei , Ma Feng , Malekian Reza , Li Zhixiong
Published: February 2019

In practice, maritime monitoring systems rely on manual work to identify the authenticities, risks, behaviours and importance of moving objects, which cannot be obtained directly through sensors, especially from marine radar. This paper proposes a generalised Bayesian inference-based artificial intelligence that is capable of identifying these patterns of moving objects based on their dynamic attributes and historical data. First of all, based on dependable prior data, likelihood information about objects of interest is obtained in terms of dynamic attributes, such as speed, direction and position. Observations on these attributes of a new object can be obtained as pieces of evidence profiled as probability distributions or generally belief distributions if ambiguity appears in the observations. Using likelihood modelling, the observed pieces of evidence are independent of the prior distribution patterns. Subsequently, Dempster’s rule is used to combine the pieces of evidence under consideration of their weight and reliability to identify the moving object. A real world case study of maritime radar surveillance is conducted to validate and prove the efficiency of the proposed approach. Overall, this approach is capable of providing a probabilistic and rigorous recognition result for pattern recognition of moving objects, which is suitable for any other actively detecting applications in transportation systems.
Estimation at Completion Simulation Using the Potential of Soft Computing Models: Case Study of Construction Engineering Projects
Authors: AlHares Enas Fathi Taher , Budayan Cenk
Published: February 2019

“Estimation at completion” (EAC) is a manager’s projection of a project’s total cost at its completion. It is an important tool for monitoring a project’s performance and risk. Executives usually make high-level decisions on a project, but they may have gaps in the technical knowledge which may cause errors in their decisions. In this current study, the authors implemented new coupled intelligence models, namely global harmony search (GHS) and brute force (BF) integrated with extreme learning machine (ELM) for modeling the project construction estimation at completion. GHS and BF were used to abstract the substantial influential attributes toward the EAC dependent variable, whereas the effectiveness of ELM as a novel predictive model for the investigated application was demonstrated. As a benchmark model, a classical artificial neural network (ANN) was developed to validate the new ELM model in terms of the prediction accuracy. The predictive models were applied using historical information related to construction projects gathered from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study investigated the application of the proposed coupled model in determining the EAC and calculated the tendency of a change in the forecast model monitor. The main goal of the investigated model was to produce a reliable trend of EAC estimates which can aid project managers in improving the effectiveness of project costs control. The results demonstrated a noticeable implementation of the GHS-ELM and BF-ELM over the classical and hybridized ANN models.
Distribution of Toxigenic Halomicronema spp. in Adjacent Environments on the Island of Ischia: Comparison of Strains from Thermal Waters and Free Living in Posidonia Oceanica Meadows
Authors: Zupo Valerio , Mutalipassi Mirko , Ruocco Nadia , Glaviano Francesca , Pollio Antonino , Langellotti Antonio Luca , Romano Giovanna , Costantini Maria
Published: February 2019

Organisms adaptable to extreme conditions share the ability to establish protective biofilms or secrete defence toxins. The extracellular substances that are secreted may contain monosaccharides and other toxic compounds, but environmental conditions influence biofilm characteristics. Microorganisms that are present in the same environment achieve similar compositions, regardless of their phylogenetic relationships. Alternatively, cyanobacteria phylogenetically related may live in different environments, but we ignore if their physiological answers may be similar. To test this hypothesis, two strains of cyanobacteria that were both ascribed to the genus Halomicronema were isolated. H. metazoicum was isolated in marine waters off the island of Ischia (Bay of Naples, Italy), free living on leaves of Posidonia oceanica. Halomicronema sp. was isolated in adjacent thermal waters. Thus, two congeneric species adapted to different environments but diffused in the same area were polyphasically characterized by microscopy, molecular, and toxicity analyses. A variable pattern of toxicity was exhibited, in accordance with the constraints imposed by the host environments. Cyanobacteria adapted to extreme environments of thermal waters face a few competitors and exhibit a low toxicity; in contrast, congeneric strains that have adapted to stable and complex environments as seagrass meadows compete with several organisms for space and resources, and they produce toxic compounds that are constitutively secreted in the surrounding waters.
Rift Valley Fever Virus Exposure amongst Farmers, Farm Workers, and Veterinary Professionals in Central South Africa
Authors: Msimang Veerle , Thompson Peter N. , Jansen van Vuren Petrus , Tempia Stefano , Cordel Claudia , Kgaladi Joe , Khosa Jimmy , Burt Felicity J. , Liang Janice , Rostal Melinda K. , Karesh William B. , Paweska Janusz T.
Published: February 2019

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a re-emerging arboviral disease of public health and veterinary importance in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Major RVF epidemics were documented in South Africa in 1950–1951, 1974–1975, and 2010–2011. The number of individuals infected during these outbreaks has, however, not been accurately estimated. A total of 823 people in close occupational contact with livestock were interviewed and sampled over a six-month period in 2015–2016 within a 40,000 km2 study area encompassing parts of the Free State and Northern Cape provinces that were affected during the 2010–2011 outbreak. Seroprevalence of RVF virus (RVFV) was 9.1% (95% Confidence Interval (CI95%): 7.2–11.5%) in people working or residing on livestock or game farms and 8.0% in veterinary professionals. The highest seroprevalence (SP = 15.4%; CI95%: 11.4–20.3%) was detected in older age groups (≥40 years old) that had experienced more than one known large epidemic compared to the younger participants (SP = 4.3%; CI95%: 2.6–7.3%). The highest seroprevalence was in addition found in people who injected animals, collected blood samples (Odds ratio (OR) = 2.3; CI95%: 1.0–5.3), slaughtered animals (OR = 3.9; CI95%: 1.2–12.9) and consumed meat from an animal found dead (OR = 3.1; CI95%: 1.5–6.6), or worked on farms with dams for water storage (OR = 2.7; CI95%: 1.0–6.9). We estimated the number of historical RVFV infections of farm staff in the study area to be most likely 3849 and 95% credible interval between 2635 and 5374 based on seroprevalence of 9.1% and national census data. We conclude that human RVF cases were highly underdiagnosed and heterogeneously distributed. Improving precautions during injection, sample collection, slaughtering, and meat processing for consumption, and using personal protective equipment during outbreaks, could lower the risk of RVFV infection.
Metabolic Reprogramming of the Host Cell by Human Adenovirus Infection
Authors: Prusinkiewicz Martin A. , Mymryk Joe S.
Published: February 2019

Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that alter many cellular processes to create an environment optimal for viral replication. Reprogramming of cellular metabolism is an important, yet underappreciated feature of many viral infections, as this ensures that the energy and substrates required for viral replication are available in abundance. Human adenovirus (HAdV), which is the focus of this review, is a small DNA tumor virus that reprograms cellular metabolism in a variety of ways. It is well known that HAdV infection increases glucose uptake and fermentation to lactate in a manner resembling the Warburg effect observed in many cancer cells. However, HAdV infection induces many other metabolic changes. In this review, we integrate the findings from a variety of proteomic and transcriptomic studies to understand the subtleties of metabolite and metabolic pathway control during HAdV infection. We review how the E4ORF1 protein of HAdV enacts some of these changes and summarize evidence for reprogramming of cellular metabolism by the viral E1A protein. Therapies targeting altered metabolism are emerging as cancer treatments, and similar targeting of aberrant components of virally reprogrammed metabolism could have clinical antiviral applications.
Staufen1 Protein Participates Positively in the Viral RNA Replication of Enterovirus 71
Authors: Chen Young-Mao , Ou Bo-Ting , Chen Chao-Ying , Chan Han-Hsiang , Chen Chih-Jung , Wang Robert YL
Published: February 2019

The double-stranded RNA-binding protein Staufen1 (Stau1) has multiple functions during RNA virus infection. In this study, we investigated the role of Stau1 in viral translation by using a combination of enterovirus 71 (EV-A71) infection, RNA reporter transfection, and in vitro functional and biochemical assays. We demonstrated that Stau1 specifically binds to the 5′-untranslated region of EV-A71 viral RNA. The RNA-binding domain 2-3 of Stau1 is responsible for this binding ability. Subsequently, we created a Stau1 knockout cell line using the CRISPR/Cas9 approach to further characterize the functional role of Stau1’s interaction with viral RNA in the EV-A71-infected cells. Both the viral RNA accumulation and viral protein expression were downregulated in the Stau1 knockout cells compared with the wild-type naïve cells. Moreover, dysregulation of viral RNA translation was observed in the Stau1 knockout cells using ribosome fractionation assay, and a reduced RNA stability of 5′-UTR of the EV-A71 was also identified using an RNA stability assay, which indicated that Stau1 has a role in facilitating viral translation during EV-A71 infection. In conclusion, we determined the functional relevance of Stau1 in the EV-A71 infection cycle and herein describe the mechanism of Stau1 participation in viral RNA translation through its interaction with viral RNA. Our results suggest that Stau1 is an important host factor involved in viral translation and influential early in the EV-A71 replication cycle.
Human Sapovirus among Outpatients with Acute Gastroenteritis in Spain: A One-Year Study
Authors: Varela Miguel F. , Rivadulla Enrique , Lema Alberto , Romalde Jesús L.
Published: February 2019

Viral agents of human gastroenteritis affect people of all ages across the globe. As a mainly self-limiting disease, it is difficult to evaluate the real prevalence of etiological agents circulating in each region. Many of the analyzed outbreaks are caused by viruses of the family Caliciviridae, especially the genus Norovirus (NoV). Most studies have focused on other enteric viruses, leaving sapovirus (SaV) underestimated as an important emerging human threat. This one-year study analyzed clinical samples from hospital outpatients with acute gastroenteritis in Spain, with the aim of revealing the importance of human SaV as an emerging viral pathogen. A total of 2667 stools were tested using reverse transcription (RT)-qPCR to detect and quantify SaV. Sapovirus was detected in all age groups, especially in infants, children, and the elderly. The prevalence was 15.64% (417/2667), and was slightly higher in 0–2- and 3–5-year-olds (19.53% and 17.95%, respectively) and much lower in 13–18-year-olds (9.86%). Positive samples were detected throughout the year, with peaks of detection during autumn and the late winter to early spring months. The mean value for the quantified samples was 6.5 × 105 genome copies per gram of stool (GC/g) (range 2.4 × 103–6.6 × 1011 GC/g). RT-nested PCR and sequencing were used for further genotyping. Genetic characterization showed a predominance of genogroup I (GI), followed by GII and GIV. The detection of multiple genotypes suggests the circulation of different strains without any clear tendency. The results obtained suggest SaV as the second major gastroenteritis agent after NoV in the region.
Fcγ Receptor Type I (CD64)-Mediated Impairment of the Capacity of Dendritic Cells to Activate Specific CD8 T Cells by IgG-opsonized Friend Virus
Authors: Bánki Zoltán , Werner Roland , Riepler Lydia , Rössler Annika , Müllauer Brigitte , Hegen Verena , Bayer Wibke , Verbeek J. Sjef , Dittmer Ulf , Stoiber Heribert
Published: February 2019

Dendritic cells (DCs) express Fcγ receptors (FcγRs) for the binding immune complexes (ICs) consisting of IgG and antigens (Ags). IC–FcγR interactions have been demonstrated to enhance activation and antigen-presenting functions of DCs. Utilizing Friend virus (FV), an oncogenic mouse retrovirus, we investigated the effect of IgG-opsonization of retroviral particles on the infection of DCs and the subsequent presentation of viral antigens by DCs to virus-specific CD8 T cells. We found that opsonization by virus-specific non-neutralizing IgG abrogated DC infection and as a consequence significantly reduced the capacity of DCs to activate virus-specific CD8 T cells. Effects of IgG-opsonization were mediated by the high-affinity FcγR type I, CD64, expressed on DCs. Our results suggest that different opsonization patterns on the retroviral surface modulate infection and antigen-presenting functions of DCs, whereby, in contrast to complement, IgG reduces the capacity of DCs to activate cytotoxic T cell (CTL) responses.
Real-Time Urban Inundation Prediction Combining Hydraulic and Probabilistic Methods
Authors: Kim Hyun Il , Keum Ho Jun , Han Kun Yeun
Published: February 2019

Damage caused by flash floods is increasing due to urbanization and climate change, thus it is important to recognize floods in advance. The current physical hydraulic runoff model has been used to predict inundation in urban areas. Even though the physical calculation process is astute and elaborate, it has several shortcomings in regard to real-time flood prediction. The physical model requires various data, such as rainfall, hydrological parameters, and one-/two-dimensional (1D/2D) urban flood simulations. In addition, it is difficult to secure lead time because of the considerable simulation time required. This study presents an immediate solution to these problems by combining hydraulic and probabilistic methods. The accumulative overflows from manholes and an inundation map were predicted within the study area. That is, the method for predicting manhole overflows and an inundation map from rainfall in an urban area is proposed based on results from hydraulic simulations and uncertainty analysis. The Second Verification Algorithm of Nonlinear Auto-Regressive with eXogenous inputs (SVNARX) model is used to learn the relationship between rainfall and overflow, which is calculated from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). In addition, a Self-Organizing Feature Map (SOFM) is used to suggest the proper inundation area by clustering inundation maps from a 2D flood simulation model based on manhole overflow from SWMM. The results from two artificial neural networks (SVNARX and SOFM) were estimated in parallel and interpolated to provide prediction in a short period of time. Real-time flood prediction with the hydraulic and probabilistic models suggested in this study improves the accuracy of the predicted flood inundation map and secures lead time. Through the presented method, the goodness of fit of the inundation area reached 80.4% compared with the verified 2D inundation model.
INTEGRATED GRAPHICAL DIGITAL MODELS FOR THE MODELING AND ENERGY ANALYSIS OF BUILDINGS IN RELATION WITH ENERGY SAVING AND ECONOMICAL FACTORS
Authors: Cinelis Gintaris , Januškevičius Eugenijus , Kazakevičiūte Gerūta
Published: February 2019

The paper concerns the theoretical and practical problems of computer aided modeling and energy analysis of newly designed and existing buildings and presents the new results of development of the system MEA (Modeling and Energy Analysis). The factors are pointed out determining the development of the program package MEA. The paper describes the functionality of the created and extended program tools, the methods of construction of the integrated geometric models and analysis of the building model and its database, the data structures used in different designing stages, the user interface, the variant design procedures based on heuristic principles. An example of the analysis and the evaluation of the design solutions of the building under renovation based on energy and economical criterions are presented.
MULTIPLE-CRITERIA ANALYSIS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MOTORWAYS
Authors: Peldschus Friedel
Published: February 2019

Several construction variants are discussed for the extension of the motorway network in Thuringia (Germany). The best variant is determined according to several criteria: construction period, costs, durability, environmental protection and economic viability. After the characterisation of the considered construction solutions a numerical comparison is made using the software LEVI 3.0. Thereby the optimal variant is chosen taking into account the mentionned criteria and the solution is explained.
VERBAL ANALYSIS OF CONTRACTS OF ENGINEERING AND DESIGN OF BUILDINGS
Authors: Ustinovičius Leonas , Andruškevičius Algirdas , Kutut Vladislavas , Balcevič Robert , Barvidas Arūnas
Published: February 2019

As Lithuania became a member of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) in 2004 it is obvious that engineering consultancy activity will grow in the country in the nearest future. The constructural contracts which meet the interests of all the sides involved is the core element of every successful constructural project. That is why the advise how to sign an accurate and effective contract is of great importance. International construction contractors are often faced with the situation of working in unfamiliar construction environment. One potential source of risk is the contractual requirements embodied in the general conditions of contracts.Authors aim to analize constructural contracts used by FIDIC members and define the effectiveness of the contracts using the method of verbal analysis.
COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THE LITHUANIAN PUBLIC EXPENDITURE SCALE AND STRUCTURE
Authors: Bivainis Juozas
Published: February 2019

Since the restoration of independence (1990) significant changes were made in all aspects of Lithuania's economy. The achievements of the country in the area of economic development are obvious ‐ the essential preconditions for faster economic growth and approaching to the social‐economical life standards of advanced countries were created during a transition period.

The exceptional role between different factors of social‐economical development of the country is ascribed to public finance. The statistics shows persuasive common world tendency of public expenditure growth. It can be explained in relation to historical changes of the sense, role and principles of management.

The comparison of 1995–2001 year indicators, describing the public expenditure of Lithuania with the other countries including four new residents of the EU (Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Poland), five old ones (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom) and two representatives of CIS (Belorus and Rusia) is resulted by certain main conclusions. The Republic of Lithuania occupies one from below place in a diminution row between twelve countries which were selected for the investigation. It is a characteristic feature of the last investigated year (2001) as well as an average of three investigated years (1995, 1998, 2001). The structure of public expenditure on function section of our country is similar to one of other new members of the EU, Lithuania made steps during 1995–2001 towards the structure of public expenditure on function and economic classifications the countries ‐ old residents. The relative changes of Lithuanian public expenditure in function section were the largest between all the investigated countries, while the change of total public expenditure (% of GDP) was the smallest. The disclosed comparative estimates of public expenditure on these scale and structure and its tendencies can be used as a reference point for creating the fiscal policy, improving public sector management and implementation of national budget reforms. These estimates may also serve as arguments for tax reforms what is a topical issue for the present time.
PROCESSING OF DUROPLASTICS
Authors: Pracht Friedhelm
Published: February 2019

Duroplastics are used in the building technology, as well as in other important technical components. If high stability of the form is demanded in connection with high temperatures, there are still possible fields of application for duroplastics particularly if the main emphasis is on the cost‐performance ratio, compared with thermoplastics which are becoming more and more important today. This article is about duroplastics and their process technology. Some examples of the use of duroplastics are: installation material such as switches and sockets, ashtrays for automobiles and in sanitation: toilet covers.
PECULIARITIES OF MORGAGE VALUATION
Authors: Raslanas Saulius
Published: February 2019

Valuation for mortgage purposes is a very important part of the work of a surveyor in general practice. The property is valued at the date of inspection, but bearing in the future ‐ will the value be maintained and easily realizable. This work considers the important aspects of the approach to such valuation and the factors witch the valuer should take into account. In UK open market valuers use value as the basics of mortgage valuation, but possible diminution of value cannot be ignored. A valuer must inform the lender about special circumstances and the risk and duty of care, of the prospective purchase, which may base his decision to purchase on the valuer's report.

In Germany the lending value is always established on the basis of real value (cost approach and income approach) (.dual pillar principle.), with both values being calculated independently of each other (control function). Depending on the type of property, the Mortgage Lending Value (MLV) will as a rule be derived through cost‐ or the income approach. Mortgage Lending Value, provaided by the European Group of Valuers. Associations (TEGoVA) and the International Valuation Standards Committee (IVSC) are not strongly defined and it is necessary to rate criteria for the determination of the risk profile of property.
EVALUATION OF VILNIUS SUSTAINABILITY FROM SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENGINEERING‐TECHNICAL POINTS OF VIEW USING THE GAME THEORY
Authors: Zavadskas Edmundas Kazimieras , Šaparauskas Jonas , Kaklauskas Artūras , Turskis Zenonas , Vilutiene Tatjana
Published: February 2019

The main purpose of this article is sustainability evaluation of Vilnius development by comparing the selected city's neighbourhoods. Firstly, all neighbourhoods of Vilnius are being grouped according to particular features. For a comprehensive comparative analysis the group of ten neighbourhoods has been chosen. They are “Fabijoniškes”, “Justiniškes”, “Karoliniškes”, “Lazdynai”, “Pašilaičiai”, “Pilaite”, “Šeškine”, “Verkiai, “Viršuliškes” and “Žirmūnai”. A thorough literature analysis was carried out and the system of twelve indicators has been developed. This system characterises business environment (economic indicators), quality of life (social indicators) and infrastructure (engineering‐technical indicators). Values and weights of indicators were set up by questioning experts and analysing various information sources. Due to the complexity of the problem under consideration the game theory has been applied, specifically, Hurwicz, Laplace, Hodges and Lehmen rules. Calculations according to these rules by LEVI 3.0 software have been performed. It is estimated that Virsuliskes neighbourhood is developing in the most sustainable way. and the best opportunities for business and residential property development are there.
KNOWLEDGE BASED DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR BUILDING REFURBISHMENT
Authors: Kaklauskas Artūras , Gulbinas Andrius
Published: February 2019

The need to effectively integrate decision‐making tasks (such as interactive access to data and support for numerical and quantitative modelling techniques) together with the knowledge representation and visualisation tasks and inference procedures that model an expert's thought process has provoked research efforts to integrate decision support systems (DSS) with knowledge and expert systems (ES), neural networks and multimedia towards the formulation of intelligent DSS. We can analyse the intelligent DSS as a network of distributed systems (DSS, ES, neural networks, etc.) each of them facing and solving a specific problem. Under this point of view different systems can be integrated in the integrated system. Knowledge based decision support system for building refurbishment developed in Vilnius Gediminas Technical University is described in the paper in order to describe the above systems integration.
INTELCITY AND MULTIPLE CRITERIA WEB-BASED NEGOTIATION DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR REAL ESTATE
Authors: Kaklauskas Artūras , Urbanavičienė Vita
Published: February 2019

The authors of this paper together with the other VGTU scientists participate in the international project INTELCITIES and present Multiple Criteria Web‐Based Negotiation Decision Support System for Real Estate (NDSSRE). INTELCITIES project is a research and development project that aims to pool advanced knowledge and experience of e‐government, planing systems and citizen participation. NDSS‐RE includes a decision support tool based on the methods of alternative generation and multiple criteria analysis that enable negotiating parties to evaluate their systems of preferences and recognize opportunities for trade‐off between differently valued objectives and joint gains. At present the developed NDSS‐RE allows for the performance of the following functions: search for real estate alternatives; finding out alternatives and making an initial negotiation table; multiple criteria analyses of alternatives; negotiation based on real calculations; determination of the most rational real estate purchase variant on the ground of characteristics describing effectiveness of the analysed alternatives. The third part of the paper deals with traditional negotiation principles and describes negotiation tactics, such as “The Atractive Alternative”, “The Stall and Jolt”, “The Comparative Value”, “The Third Party”, “The No More Money” and “The Walk Away” tactics. More traditional negotiation principles and tactics have been planned to integrate in future concerning the described NDSS‐RE system because the knowledge and implementation of all the above mentioned tactics and principles lead to more successful negotiation for the lowest possible price buying real estate.
IMPROVEMENT AND EVALUATION OF THE BACHELOR'S STUDY PROCESS IN MECHATRONICS SYSTEMS
Authors: Toločka Eligijus , Jančiauskas Bronius , Staškevičius Juozapas Audvydas , Strazdas Rolandas
Published: February 2019

This article analyses mechatronic systems bachelor's study process connected with more correspondent preparation process of engineering professionals in the faculty of Mechanics at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. The analysis and study highlighted the aspects of study process development and its implementation that would enable at the same rate to prepare more qualified bachelors in engineering directions. The authors suggest the improved mechatronic systems bachelor's study process for the aspects of practical implementation. The realization of this improvement also requires the appropriate development of the evaluation of a study process and its effectiveness. And this is what the authors present in the article too. The suggested improvement would not only help to develop contemporary mechatronic systems’ studies but also could be applied for the development of studies in other areas.
EVALUATION OF LONG‐TERM BEHAVIOUR OF COMPOSITE TIMBER‐CONCRETE STRUCTURES ACCORDING TO EC
Authors: Kavaliauskas Saulius , Kvedaras Audronis Kazimieras , Gurkšnys Kestutis
Published: February 2019

The objective of this work is the investigation of long‐term behaviour of composite timber‐concrete beams. Both ultimate and serviceability limit states have to be satisfied according to modern design codes, such as Eurocode 5. Because of the rheological phenomena such as creep, time‐dependent (viscoelastic) creep, mechano‐sorptive (moisture change) creep and shrinkage/swelling that occur in the component materials, stress and strain distribution changes in time. The rheological phenomena have to be taken into account for long term verifications. This paper presents the review of the evaluation of long term behaviour of composite timber‐concrete beams according to European design codes EC5 and EC2.
PROGRAM COMPLEX FOR RESEARCH TEMPERATURE SEGREGATION IN ASPHALT CONCRETE MIXES (ARTICLE IN RUSSIAN)
Authors: Leonovich Ivan I. , Kovalchuk Alexander S. , Pumpur Vladimir A.
Published: February 2019

The problem of temperature segregation which is the reason of the damage of asphalt concrete coverings of highways is described in the article. The description of a mathematical model of the process of heat exchange during transportation is given. The interface of software is described. Preliminary results of the numerical decision of the problem of heat exchange are described.
STEPPED OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHM FOR LIGHT‐WEIGHT ELASTIC‐PLASTIC STRUCTURES CONSIDERING LOAD COMBINATIONS
Authors: Norkus Arnoldas , Karkauskas Romanas
Published: February 2019

The aim of the article is to present a developed algorithm of a stepped structural optimization method in the case of load combinations. The presentation of external loading via load combinations usually is employed in design codes. The pin‐jointed steel structures as light‐weight ones are widely used in actual engineering practice. The employment of dissipative features of material via elastic‐plastic model ensures a significant reduction of structural carrying capacity reserves (essential economic effect) versus the employment of structural response only in the elastic range. The stability, stiffness, constructional requirements and actual functions for cross‐sectional properties of standard profiles are employed in the optimization process aiming to obtain an optimal light‐weight structure which deformed behavior is compatible with codified requirements for such class of engineering structures. FEM mathematical models realizing structural optimization method steps are developed.
THE ANALYSIS OF CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES DIVERSIFICATION ALTERNATIVES
Authors: Šaparauskas Jonas , Vilutienė Tatjana
Published: February 2019

The authors of the paper had analyzed the variety of services, geographical markets, types of objects under implementation and other ratios of activities of seven biggest Lithuanian construction companies in order to determine the optimal level of diversification of construction products, geographical markets and the number of construction related services. The results of the research have shown that it is purposeful to diversify company's activities not only by the type of activities, but also by geographical markets and the purpose of construction production. The combinations of different types of difersification influence the level of turnover growth and the change of over ratios which reflect the efficiency of construction company. As a result the optimal variants of diversification by the type of activities, by the type of construction production and geographical markets were proposed.
Stellar Proper Motions in the Orion Nebula Cluster
Authors: Kim Dongwon , Lu Jessica R. , Konopacky Quinn , Chu Laurie , Toller Elizabeth , Anderson Jay , Theissen Christopher A. , Morris Mark R.
Published: February 2019

The Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) is the nearest site of ongoing massive star formation, which allows us to study the kinematics and dynamics of the region in detail and constrain star formation theories. Using HST ACS/WFPC2/WFC3IR and Keck II NIRC2 data, we have measured the proper motions of 701 stars within an ∼6′ × 6′ field of view around the center of the ONC. We have found more than 10 escaping star candidates, concentrated predominantly at the core of the cluster. The proper motions of the bound stars are consistent with a normal distribution, albeit elongated north–south along the Orion filament, with proper-motion dispersions of

mas yr−1 or intrinsic velocity dispersions of

km s−1 assuming a distance of 400 pc to the ONC. The cluster shows no evidence for tangential-to-radial anisotropy. Our velocity dispersion profile agrees with the prediction from the observed stellar + gas density profile from Da Rio et al., indicating that the ONC is in virial equilibrium. This finding suggests that the cluster was formed with a low star formation efficiency per dynamical timescale based on comparisons with current star formation theories. Our survey also recovered high-velocity IR sources BN, x and n in the BN/KL region. The estimated location of the first two sources ∼500 yr ago agrees with that of the radio source I, consistent with their proposed common origin from a multistellar disintegration. However, source n appears to have a small proper motion and is unlikely to have been involved in the event.