bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Foundation Width on Subgrade Reaction Modulus
Authors: Nagao T.
Published: November 2020

Structures are subjected to vertical and horizontal loads. Vertical subgrade reaction acts on the foundation bottom surface, and in the case of an embedded structure, horizontal subgrade reaction acts on the embedded part. The subgrade reaction is obtained by multiplying the displacement of the foundation by the Subgrade Reaction Modulus (SRM). In practice, SRM is calculated using an equation that incorporates the negative power relationship of the Foundation Width (FW). If the structure is evaluated to be poorly seismic resistant, it is necessary to widen FW. However, when the FW is widened, the design value of SRM decreases. In this case, it is not possible to expect an increase in the subgrade reaction proportional to the increase of FW. Therefore, when the inertia force is very high, the FW has to be very wide. However, underestimating SRM can lead to structural overdesign. In this study, the relationship between SRM and FW, for a structure in which vertical and horizontal load act simultaneously, was analyzed. Compared with the design practice assumptions, the horizontal SRM was found to be highly dependent on FW while the vertical SRM was shown to be less dependent on FW.
Evaluation of Some Rheological Properties of Xanthan Gum
Authors: Phan V. T.
Published: November 2020

The squeeze flow behavior of a shear thinning fluid was studied in this paper using squeeze tack technique. The test material was firstly squeezed out between two parallel circular plates, then it was relaxed for 1.5min and finally was separated at a predefined pulling velocity. From the flow curves obtained in the squeeze tack experiments, the rheological parameters, including yield stress in tension and in squeeze, have been calculated. The results show that the squeeze-tack test can be used for the analysis and evaluation of shear thinning fluids. Although the experimental results may not be considered complete, it can be seen that the stresses and tensile stresses have a linear relationship witch goes through the origin.
Geometry Investigation and Performance Optimization of a Single-Mass Piezoelectric 6-DOF IMU
Authors: Almabrouk H. , Mezghani B. , Agnus G. , Kaziz S. , Bernard Y. , Tounsi F.
Published: November 2020

This paper explores the fundamental steps towards the development of a 6-axis piezoelectric Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). The main specification of the reported device is its ability to concurrently detect 3-axis acceleration and angular velocity using a single mass-based design. This work represents a detailed numerical analysis based on a finite element model. Experimental reported data are exploited to validate the FEM model in terms of acceleration detection which is ensured through the direct piezoelectric effect. The angular rate is detected thanks to the Coriolis effect by ensuring drive and sense modes. Using a Finite Element Analysis (FEA), light was shed on the different basic parameters that influence the sensor performance in order to present an optimized design. A detailed geometrical investigation of factors such as anchor position, optimized locations for sensing electrodes, proof-mass dimensions, PZT thickness, and operating frequency is illustrated. The 6-DOF sensor outputs are extracted in terms of the original and the optimized design. The amelioration rate of sensitivity is found to be up to 165% for linear acceleration, while for angular rate sensing, the lateral sensitivity is ameliorated by about 330% and is multiplied by around ten times in the normal axis. The optimized design exhibits a good acceleration sensitivity of 260mV/g in the lateral axis and 60.7mV/g in the z-axis. For angular rate sensing, the new design is more sensitive along the longitudinal axis than the lateral one. Sensitivity values are found to be 2.65µV/rad/s for both x-and y-axis, and 1.24V/rad/s for the z-axis.
Dealing with the Size Effect in Insulating Liquids. A Volume Effect, an Area Effect or even a Particle Effect?
Authors: Danikas M. , Sarathi R. , Vardakis G. E. , Morsalin S.
Published: November 2020

Insulating liquids play an important role as insulating media in various high voltage applications and infrastructure installations. The dielectric strength of an insulating liquid depends on the experimental conditions (in case of laboratory testing) and/or the service conditions (in case of apparatuses in service). One of the main factors affecting the dielectric strength of insulating liquids is the so-called size effect, i.e. the effect of the size of the electrodes, of the size of the liquid volume under stress and of the gap spacing between the electrodes. All the aforementioned parameters are investigated in the context of the present short review.
Electrical Trees in a Composite Insulating System Consisted of Epoxy Resin and Mica: The Case of Multiple Mica Sheets For Machine Insulation
Authors: Kioussis V. A. , Danikas M. , Christantoni D. D. , Vardakis G. E. , Bairaktari Α.
Published: November 2020

Epoxy resin and mica sheets consist the essential insulation of rotating machine stator bars. Such an insulation, although very resistant to partial discharges, is subjected to considerable electrical stresses and consequently electrical trees may ensue. In this paper, an effort is  made to simulate electrical tree propagation in multiple epoxy resin/mica sheets with the aid of Cellular Automata (CA). An attempt to compare the simulation results with experimental results is also made.
Investigation on the Rheological Behavior of Multigrade Oil under the Effect of Organic and Inorganic Impurities
Authors: Belahcene B. , Mansri A. , Benmoussat A.
Published: November 2020

The lubrication process of mechanical equipment and treatment of assembly metals structures using fluids with efficient rheological properties requires a knowledge of their behavior in the presence and in the absence of organic impurities. The intrinsic physical property of the lubricating fluids has a dependency to the mechanical and physicochemical environment. This paper is focused on the assessment of the behavior of SAE20W40 multigrade oil under normal temperature and pressure, through the addition of water in vapor phase and solid paraffin. Results show that there is a decrease in the dynamic and kinematic viscosity for heterogeneous oils. The rate of degradation is greater in the mixture of water with oil. The addition of paraffin in the mixture caused an increase in viscosity. However, after certain RPM points, it is noted that the data curve became similar to the first mixture. This relaxation phenomenon is caused by the turbulence created by the rotating cylinder in oil. The use of a retentate paraffin shows that the added agent has acted as a surfactant
A Novel 2D Z-Shaped Electromagnetic Bandgap Structure
Authors: Iliev I. , Nedelchev M. , Markov E.
Published: November 2020

This paper researches a novel 2D Z-shaped Electromagnetic Band-Gap (EBG) structure, its dispersion diagram and application field. Based on a transmission line model, the dispersion equation is derived and theoretically investigated. In order to validate theoretical results, a full wave analysis is performed and the electromagnetic properties of the structure are revealed. The theoretical results show good agreement with the full wave simulation results. The frequency response of the structure is compared to the well know structures of Jerusalem cross and patch EBG. The results show the applicability of the proposed 2D Z-shaped EBG in microstrip patch antennas, microstrip filters and high speed switching circuits, where the suppression of parasitic surface wave is required.
Perspectives on a Big Data Application: What Database Engineers and IT Students Need to Know
Authors: Erturk E. , Jyoti K.
Published: November 2020

Cloud Computing and Big Data are important and related current trends in the world of information technology. They will have significant impact on the curricula of computer engineering and information systems at universities and higher education institutions. Learning about big data is useful for both working database professionals and students, in accordance with the increase in jobs requiring these skills. It is also important to address a broad gamut of database engineering skills, i.e. database design, installation, and operation. Therefore the authors have investigated MongoDB, a popular application, both from the perspective of industry retraining for database specialists and for teaching. This paper demonstrates some practical activities that can be done by students at the Eastern Institute of Technology New Zealand. In addition to testing and preparing new content for future students, this paper contributes to the very recent and emerging academic literature in this area. This paper concludes with general recommendations for IT educators, database engineers, and other IT professionals.
FEA Based on 3D Micro-CT Images of Mesoporous Engineered Hydrogels
Authors: Siad L. , Jing J. , Braux J. , Dubus M. , Velard F. , Laurent-Maquin D. , Gangloff S. C. , Kerdjoudj H. , Rahouadj R. , Schmidt J. -F. , Ganghoffer J. -F.
Published: November 2020

The objective of this computational study was to propose a rapid procedure in obtaining an estimation of elastic moduli of solid phases of porous natural-polymeric biomaterials used for bone tissue engineering. This procedure was based on the comparison of experimental results to finite element (FE) responses of parallelepiped so-called representative volume elements (rev) of the material at hand. To address this issue a series of quasi-static unconfined compression tests were designed and performed on three prepared cylindrical biopolymer samples. Subsequently, a computed tomography scan was performed on fabricated specimens and two 3D images were reconstructed. Various parallelepiped revs of different sizes and located at distinct places within both constructs were isolated and then analyzed under unconfined compressive loads using FE modelling. In this preliminary study, for the sake of simplicity, the dried biopolymer solid is assumed to be linear elastic.
Chaotic Behavior in a Flexible Assembly Line of a Manufacturing System
Authors: Sajid M. , Almufadi F. A. , Jahanzaib M.
Published: November 2020

The purpose of the present work is to study the chaotic behavior in a flexible assembly line of a manufacturing system. A flexible assembly line can accommodate a variety of product types. Result analysis is performed to obtain time persistent data. The behavior of the system is observed for Work-In-Process, as assembling systems are sensitive during processing. It is found that the average Lyapunov exponent is positive in the considered case, and thus chaotic behavior may be present in flexible assembly lines.
A Pruning Algorithm Based on Relevancy Index of Hidden Neurons Outputs
Authors: Abid S. , Chtourou M. , Djemel M.
Published: November 2020

Choosing the training algorithm and determining the architecture of artificial neural networks are very important issues with large application. There are no general methods which permit the estimation of the adequate neural networks size. In order to achieve this goal, a pruning algorithm based on the relevancy index of hidden neurons outputs is developed in this paper. The relevancy index depends on the output amplitude of each hidden neuron and estimates his contribution on the learning process. This method is validated with an academic example and it is tested on a wind turbine modeling problem. Compared with two modified versions of Optimal Brain Surgeon (OBS) algorithm, the developed approach gives interesting results.
Entropy Generation Analysis of Natural Convection in Square Enclosures with Two Isoflux Heat Sources
Authors: Nejad S. Z. , Keshtkar M. M.
Published: November 2020

This study investigates entropy generation resulting from natural convective heat transfer in square enclosures with local heating of the bottom and symmetrical cooling of the sidewalls. This analysis tends to optimize heat transfer of two pieces of semiconductor in a square electronic package. In this simulation, heaters are modeled as isoflux heat sources and sidewalls of the enclosure are isothermal heat sinks. The top wall and the non-heated portions of the bottom wall are adiabatic. Flow and temperature fields are obtained by numerical simulation of conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy in laminar, steady and two dimensional flows. With constant heat energy into the cavity, effect of Rayleigh number, heater length, heater strength ratios and heater position is evaluated on flow and temperature fields and local entropy generation. The results show that a minimum entropy generation rate is obtained under the same condition in which a minimum peak heater temperature is obtained.
Application of Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) Method for Studying the Dynamic Behavior of Structures During Earthquakes
Authors: Javanpour M. , Zarfam P.
Published: November 2020

Prediction of existing buildings’ vulnerability by future earthquakes is one of the most essential topics in structural engineering. Modeling steel structures is a giant step in determining the damage caused by the earthquake, as such structures are increasingly being used in constructions. Hence, two same-order steel structures with two types of structural systems were selected (coaxial moment frames and moment frame). In most cases, a specific structure needs to satisfy several functional levels. For this purpose, a method is required to determine the input request to the structures under possible earthquakes. Therefore, the Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) was preferred to the Push-Over non-linear static method for the analysis and design of the considered steel structures, due its accuracy and effect of higher modes at the same time intervals. OpenSees software was used to perform accurate nonlinear analysis of the steel structure. Two parameters (spectral acceleration and maximum ground acceleration) were introduced to the modeled frames to compare the numerical correlations of seismic vulnerability obtained by two statistical methods based on the "log-normal distribution" and "logistics distribution", and finally, the parameters of displacement and drift were assessed after analysis.
A Modified Approach of OPTICS Algorithm for Data Streams
Authors: Shukla M. , Kosta Y. P. , Jayswal M.
Published: November 2020

Data are continuously evolving from a huge variety of applications in huge volume and size. They are fast changing, temporally ordered and thus data mining has become a field of major interest. A mining technique such as clustering is implemented in order to process data streams and generate a set of similar objects as an individual group. Outliers generated in this process are the noisy data points that shows abnormal behavior compared to the normal data points. In order to obtain the clusters of pure quality outliers should be efficiently discovered and discarded. In this paper, a concept of pruning is applied on the stream optics algorithm along with the identification of real outliers, which reduces memory consumption and increases the speed for identifying potential clusters.
Petrophysical Evaluation of the Sarvak Formation Based on Well Logs in Dezful Embayment, Zagros Fold Zone, South West of Iran
Authors: Jooybari A. , Rezaie P.
Published: November 2020

Dezful embayment in the south west of Iran is part of Zagros fold zone which despite the small area includes almost all of Iran oil production. Sarvak Formation with middle cretaceous (Albin-Turunin) is the second biggest reservoir of Zagros basin, after the Asmari formation. In this study, with well logging data of two wells, by Geolog software, the petrophysical parameters of Sarvak Formation in the Dezful embayment was studied using the contingent Probabilistic method. Petrophysical parameters such as determination of porosity, water saturation, shale volume and lithology were calculated using this data and common cross plots. Based on this evaluation and utilizing cross plots result, the lithology of Sarvak formation in this zone was determined to be Limestone with traces of dolomite and shale. According to the calculated petrophysical properties of the reservoir, and for more accurate assessment, Sarvak Formation was divided to 6 sections. Findings of this research show that Sarvak Formation includes good reservoir parameters only in half its sections (sections 4, 2 and 6).
Design of a 2-DOF Control and Disturbance Estimator for a Magnetic Levitation System
Authors: Pati A. , Pal V. C. , Negi R.
Published: November 2020

This work proposes a systematic two-degree freedom control scheme to improve the reference input tracking and load disturbance rejection for an unstable magnetic levitation system. The proposed control strategy is a two-step design process. Firstly, a proportional derivative controller is introduced purposely to get the desired set-point response of the magnetic levitation system and then, an integral square error (ISE) performance specification is used for designing a set-point tracking controller. Secondly, a disturbance estimator is designed using the desired closed loop complimentary sensitivity function for the rejection of load disturbances. This leads to the decoupling of the nominal set-point response from the load disturbance response similar to an open loop control manner. Thus, it is convenient to optimize both controllers simultaneously as well as separately. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategy is validated through simulation.
A Behavioral Maturity Model to Establish Knowledge Management in an Organization
Authors: Fashami C. S. , Babaei M.
Published: November 2020

Modern organizations need intangible assets such as organizational knowledge and human resources to gain competitive advantage in the market. Organizations can provide opportunities for behavioral maturity of managers to establish knowledge management. This study tries to develop a behavioral maturity model for managements to examine effectiveness of knowledge management. The study is conducted in Iran Insurance Company as an empirical case study. Twenty academic and organizational experts are selected for the study. Employees and managers of Iran Insurance Company are used to measure and test conceptual model (behavioral maturity of managers to establish knowledge management). Both interview and questionnaire tools are used to collect data. Fuzzy AHP and PLS methods are used to analyze the collected data. Fuzzy AHP results show that transformational leadership, human and social skills, knowledge orientation, emotional intelligence, trustful climate are identified as highly effective priorities.
The Experiences of some Arab and International Countries in the Application of E-Government
Authors: Meftah Mohamed Almasrite Salma
Published: November 2020

In light of tremendous technological and scientific developments in the field of information and communication technology that led to the spread of the Internet, which helped to enter the world into the information age, the concept of "e-government" emerged recently as a result of the changes and developments witnessed by the world to improve services provided by the government sector, so this study dealt with providing a theoretical framework to identify the concept of e-government, its importance, characteristics, advantages, stages of application and challenges faced, with a review of some Arab and international experiences in the field of application of e-government, which can be followed in Libya. The study relied on the inductive method, and some conclusions were reached which may contribute to the recognition of the importance of applying e-government in organizations and put some recommendations in the same frameworks.
Evaluation of the University Professor Quality from the Student's Point of View: University of Mohammed Khiedr Biskra as a Case Study
Authors: Nasri Somia , Fellak Farida
Published: November 2020

Through this study, we will try to investigate the availability of quality elements in the university professor at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (University of Muhammad Khider). To achieve the study goal, we initially presented the theoretical frameworks associated with assessing the quality of the university professor from the students ’point of view, then we move on to presenting the theoretical model of the research and clarifying its hypotheses. that's what allowed us to design a questionnaire containing 20 questions divided into four axes representing the dimensions of a University professor, in addition to an axis related to the personal data of the interviewee, the questionnaire was distributed to 287 students and the results of the study show the availability of quality dimensions among the professors of the College of Humanities and social sciences, there are also differences in evaluating quality dimensions due to the variable of sex and study level.
The Role of Maintenance in Reducing Costs related to Machine Failure: A Case Study of Saniak Company Setif
Authors: Bouiban Messaoud
Published: November 2020

The objective of this study is to display the role of continuous maintenance of the machines in reducing the various costs associated with machine failure in order to maintain the level of productivity by respecting the delivery times and providing the appropriate quantities, and this is reflected positively on the profitability and reputation of the institution.

The study concluded that the continuous maintenance of machines is considered more than necessary in the institution to reduce the cost of machine failure and their consequences to avoid falling into the problem of lack of productivity on the one hand, and on the other hand, continuous maintenance avoids the institution to bear large sums of money in the purchase of new machines and the risk of loss of customers.
Role of the Board of Directors in Applying the Principles of Family Corporate Governance: Rouiba “NCA” as a Model
Authors: Sayeh Fatima
Published: November 2020

Family corporate governance is receiving a lot of attention, especially after the financial crises in the world. It works to balance and harmonize the interests of all parties related to the organization and shareholders, in addition to tightening control over the management of companies to prevent them from abusing their authority and to provide transparency and re-confidence in accounting information using internal governance mechanisms, the most important of which is the Board of Directors. By conducting a field study at Rouiba, which shows that the Board of Directors has a statistically significant impact on the principles of corporate governance, it plays an important role in improving the effectiveness of governance.
A greedy-tabu approach to the patient bed assignment problem in the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio
Authors: Arguello-Monroya Andrea Carolina , Castellanos-Ramírez Vanessa , González-Neira Eliana María , Otero-Caicedo Ricardo Fernando , Delgadillo-Sánchez Vivian Paola
Published: November 2020

Patient Bed Assignment (PBA) consists of assigning patients to hospital beds according to specific requirements such as patient diagnosis, equipment requirements, age and gender policies, among others. We worked in conjunction with the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio (HUSI) with the goal of designing an application to support decision-making during the bed assignment process. We introduced a mathematical model for the PBA. We used Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to determine the weights attributed to each part of the objective function. Due to the long execution time required, we used a Greedy Algorithm and Tabu Search (TS) to optimize the match between the patient’s requirements and the characteristics of the assigned bed. To test the algorithms, we created 15 test instances of various sizes. The results showed that the gap between the value of the objective function resulting from using the Greedy/TS in comparison with the optimal solution is on average 6.2%. Also, the TS takes 84% less time than the MILP for medium and large instances. We collected data from real life instances and compared the actual method with the designed metaheuristic. On average, the value of the objective function resulting from using the proposed Greedy/Tabu algorithm is 8.6% higher.
Passive Biomonitoring Using Integrated Hepatic Oxidative Stress Biomarkers and Gonadal Histopathology in Oreochromis Niloticus From Lake Manyame, Zimbabwe
Authors: Mlambo Sibonani Sandra , Utete Beaven , Mudziwapasi Reagan , Ncube Tashian Silibaziso , Nyamupingidza Blessing , Mungenge Chipo
Published: November 2020

The aquatic environment is particularly vulnerable to the effects of contaminants as effluents from municipal and industrial wastewater continually add numerous harmful exogenous compounds. Lake Manyame is a peri-urban freshwater reservoir that is subject to municipal and industrial discharge as well as agricultural run-off. Adult Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were sampled from L. Manyame during low-flow and high-flow seasons from selected locations. The samples were processed in the field for histology and biochemical analysis of selected biomarkers of oxidative stress. Induction of reduced glutathione (GSH), carboxylesterase (CES) and malondialdehyde (MDA) was evident at all the sites. There were no significant variations between sites except in the last low flow season and there was an upward trend between the first season and the subsequent sampling periods. Gonadal histology did not show occurrence of any intersex as a sign of endocrine disruption. The prevalence of histological lesions in the gonads was highest in the last sampling seasons, suggesting a progressive deterioration of water quality over time.
‘Tutoring Is Not Proofreading’. Exploring the Perceptions of Writing Tutors at University Writing Centres, Saudi Arabia: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Alowayid Rehab
Published: November 2020

Academic discourse is highly complex and requires writers to follow specific writing conventions. Many Saudi university students have underdeveloped writing skills (Al-Khairy, 2013). One way to assist second language (L2) learners and develop their academic writing skills is through academic language support offered by writing centres. The challenge for writing centre tutors lies in the predominant belief among many L2 students that tutors’ only role is to fix students’ mistakes. Although there has been significant growth in writing centres in Saudi universities, the perceptions of writing tutors concerning tutoring non-native students are still under-researched. This study uses thematic analysis to explore the role of writing tutorials as perceived by writing centre tutors in Saudi settings. Data were obtained using an interpretive inquiry through individual interviews of two tutors. The main findings of the interviews were that tutors perceived proofreading requests, low writing proficiency of tutees and tutees’ understanding of tutors’ role as influencing their tutorial practices. The implementation of this study may help regulate the role of tutors in writing centres in Saudi universities by highlighting new avenues that can improve writing tutorials, especially in Saudi Arabia.
Audit of occupational health and safety in an enterprise of the ceramic sector in the state of Amazonas/Brazil
Authors: Repolho Thaís Mendes , Coelho Moisés Andrade
Published: November 2020

Este trabalho objetiva conduzir uma auditoria de saúde e segurança ocupacional em uma empresa do setor cerâmico no estado do Amazonas. Com relação à abordagem do problema, este estudo caracteriza-se como quantitativo e exploratório no que tange os objetivos. A técnica de pesquisa utilizada foi o estudo de caso em uma empresa do setor cerâmico localizada no estado do Amazonas. Entre os principais resultados estão análise mais aprofundada das atividades desenvolvidas na empresa, identificando os fatores de riscos nos diferentes setores, identificando padrões mais positivos e negativos, podendo assim verificar se estão de acordo com o que está estabelecido. A relevância do estudo reside na aplicação de um instrumento que possibilita identificar os principais fatores de risco relacionados à saúde e segurança ocupacional.
Gerenciamento preditivo da duração de campanhas refratárias em uma indústria siderúrgica
Authors: Baesso Dalila Rodrigues , Bonelli Junior Marco Antonio , Alvarenga Júlio César
Published: November 2020

Quando se trata de processos siderúrgicos, sabe-se que os materiais refratários são responsáveis por parcela significativa dos custos de produção do aço. Por tal motivo, este trabalho objetivou compreender a alta variabilidade e a baixa duração da campanha dos refratários que compõem um processo de lingotamento contínuo em uma aciaria LD de grande porte do estado de Minas Gerais, identificando a relação entre as variáveis intrínsecas ao equipamento de forma que seja possível a realização de estimativas sobre a duração de sua campanha. Para a seleção dos fatores explicativos, foi utilizado uma variação do método de ajuste de modelo por regressão múltipla Stepwise, sendo que, a cada passo do algoritmo citado, um modelo baseado em programação linear é responsável pelos cálculos dos coeficientes lineares de regressão. Ao final, obteve-se um modelo de predição para a duração da campanha contendo 12 fatores explicativos e possuindo 97,66\% de significância estatística.
Green Supply Chain Management e logística reversa: uma análise sistemática dos artigos
Authors: Silva Fernanda Latronico da , Vaz Caroline Rodrigues , Lezana Alvaro Guilhermo Rojas
Published: November 2020

O Green Supply Chain Management baseia-se no reconhecimento de que os efeitos ambientais de uma organização incluem os impactos ambientais de produtos e processos desde a extração das matérias-primas, percorrendo os produtos produzidos, até a disposição final destes bens, incluindo a logística reversa. Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar os artigos mais relevantes inerentes aos temas GSCM e logística reversa, identificando lacunas em relação a essas duas abordagens por meio da análise sistemática dos artigos. Após a análise bibliométrica, foi realizada a análise sistemática que averiguou os tipos de artigos, a unidade de análise dos artigos e as oportunidades de pesquisas. Observou-se que as principais lacunas de pesquisa dizem respeito à eficiência dos processos para diminuir os custos, criar estratégias ambientais a fim de melhorar a imagem da organização, desenvolver medidas de avaliação de desempenho, além de considerar a avaliação do ciclo de vida e questões de sustentabilidade.
Simulação Multiagente para o Apoio às Políticas de Desarmamento
Authors: Ferreira Daniel , Adamatti Diana , Bastos Tatiane
Published: November 2020

O objetivo da presente pesquisa consiste em verificar a eficácia das armas de fogo, fuzil e pistola, em eventos de tiroteios em massa em ambiente fechado e quais os parâmetros que influenciam no número de vítimas, a fim de apoiar a análise e elaboração de políticas públicas. Para isso, realizou-se a Simulação Multiagente através do software NetLogo. Os resultados mostram que o tipo de arma utilizada no evento tem grande influência no número de vítimas. Além disso, também observou-se que a diferença no número de vítimas das duas armas diminui à medida em que se aumenta a quantidade de munição e se diminui a dimensão da porta de saída, devido ao efeito funil.
Algoritmo de Monte Carlo Tree Search para SSPs sob o critério GUBS
Authors: Crispino Gabriel , Freire Valdinei , Valdivia Delgado Karina
Published: November 2020

Em planejamento probabilístico, um problema comum é o de caminho estocastico mais curto (SSP), no qual se deseja encontrar políticas que chegam a uma meta com o menor custo acumulado esperado. A presença de estados a partir dos quais não é possível alcançar uma meta, os dead-ends, torna esse critério indefinido nesses estados. Por isso, existem extensões e novas formulações para esse caso particular, como o critério GUBS. Embora existam algoritmos para solucionar esse critério, todos eles necessitam iterar pelo espaço completo de estados. Tendo isso em vista, no presente trabalho é proposto o UCT-GUBS, um algoritmo online de planejamento baseado no UCT para resolver SSPs sob o criterio GUBS. Os resultados dos experimentos realizados mostram empiricamente que o algoritmo demonstra um compromisso entre custo e probabilidade para a meta conforme a variação dos seus parâmetros, podendo tomar uma decisão em um tempo menor ou maior dependendo do tempo limite passado para o algoritmo, que é uma característica importante do UCT.
Gated Recurrent Unit Networks and Discrete Wavelet Transforms Applied to Forecasting and Trading in the Stock Market
Authors: Biazon Victor , Bianchi Reinaldo
Published: November 2020

Trading in the stock market always comes with the challenge of deciding the best action to take on each time step. The problem is intensified by the theory that it is not possible to predict stock market time series as all information related to the stock price is already contained in it. In this work we propose a novel model called Discrete Wavelet Transform Gated Recurrent Unit Network (DWT-GRU). The model learns from the data to choose between buying, holding and selling, and when to execute them. The proposed model was compared to other recurrent neural networks, with and without wavelets preprocessing, and the buy and hold strategy. The results shown that the DWT-GRU outperformed all the set baselines in the analysed stocks of the Brazilian stock market.
Towards ideal time window for classifying motor imagery in brain-computer interfaces
Authors: Vilas-Boas Vitor Mendes , Jorge Vitor Da Silva , Silva Cleison Daniel
Published: November 2020

Brain-Computer Interfaces (ICM) allow the control of devices by modulating brain activity. Commonly, when based on motor imagery (IM) these systems use the energy (de)synchronization in the electroencephalogram signal (EEG), voluntarily caused by the individual, to identify and classify their motor intention. Therefore, the EEG segment used in the training of the learning algorithms plays a fundamental role in the description of the characteristics and, consequently, in the recognition of patterns in the signal. In this context, the objective of this work is to demonstrate the correlation between the temporal properties of the input EEG segment and the classification performance of a ICM-IM system. An auxiliary sliding window was used in order to obtain the variation of performance in function of the variation in the time and to support the decision making about the appropriate window. Simulations based on public EEG data point to significant variability in the location and width of the ideal window and suggest the need for individualized selection according to the cognitive patterns of each subject.
Forecasting future corn and soybean prices: an analysis of the use of textual information to enrich time-series.
Authors: Dos Reis Filho Ivan José , Correa Guilherme Bittencourt , Freire Guilherme Mendonça , Rezende Solange Oliveira
Published: November 2020

The commodities corn and soybean are products consumed on a large scale in the world. Fluctuations in market prices have far-reaching effects on consumers, farmers, and grain processors. Thus, forecasting the prices of these grains has attracted significant attention from researchers. Forecasting models generally use quantitative time-series data. However, external qualitative factors can influence data in time-series, such as political events, economic crises, and the foreign exchange market. This information is not explicit in the time-series data, and these factors can influence the prediction of the variable values. Textual data extracted from news, forums, and social networks can be a source of knowledge about external factors and potentially useful for time-series forecasting models. Some studies present text mining techniques to combine textual data with time-series. However, the existing representations have some limitations, such as the curse of dimensionality and ineffective attributes. This work applies pre-processing methods in time-series and uses representations combined with textual data to predict the future price of corn and soybeans. The results indicate that the methods used can be an alternative to improve forecasting performance in regression tasks.
Health-care Workforce Training to Effectively Support Family Caregivers of Seniors in Care
Authors: Fisher Rachel , Parmar Jasneet , Duggleby Wendy , Tian Peter George J. , Janzen Wonita , Anderson Sharon , Brémault-Phillips Suzette
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Family caregivers (FCGs) play an integral, yet often invisible, role in the Canadian health-care system. As the population ages, their presence will become even more essential as they help balance demands on the system and enable community dwelling seniors to remain so for as long as possible. To preserve their own well-being and capacity to provide ongoing care, FCGs require support to the meet the challenges of their daily caregiving responsibilities. Supporting FCGs results in better care provision to community-dwelling seniors receiving health-care services, as well as enhancing the quality of life for FCGs. Although FCGs rely upon health-care professionals (HCPs) to provide them with support and services, there is a paucity of research pertaining to the type of health workforce training (HWFT) that HCPs should receive to address FCG needs. Programs that train HCPs to engage with, empower, and support FCGs are required.

Objective

To describe and discuss key findings of a caregiver symposium focused on determining components of HWFT that might better enable HCPs to support FCGs.

Methods

A one-day symposium was held on February 22, 2018 in Edmonton, Alberta, to gather the perspectives of FCGs, HCPs, and stakeholders. Attendees participated in a series of working groups to discuss barriers, facilitators, and recommendations related to HWFT. Proceedings and working group discussions were transcribed, and a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted to identify key themes.

Results

Participants identified the following topic areas as being essential to training HCPs in the provision of support for FCGs: understanding the FCG role, communicating with FCGs, partnering with FCGs, fostering FCG resilience, navigating healthcare systems and accessing resources, and enhancing the culture and context of care.

Conclusions

FCGs require more support than is currently being provided by HCPs. Training programs need to specifically address topics identified by participants. These findings will be used to develop HWFT for HCPs.
Outcomes with Biological Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (bDMARDs) in Older Patients Treated for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Akter Ripa , Maksymowych Walter P. , Martin M. Liam , Hogan David B.
Published: November 2020

Background

Biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) are recommended for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but older patients reportedly experience more adverse events (AEs) and show variable treatment response. The objective of this study was to evaluate AEs and effectiveness of bDMARDs in a cohort of older patients.

Methods

AE and treatment effectiveness (based on DAS28 scores) data from a prospective provincial pharmacovigilance program for the years 2006–2009 in patients 55–64, 65–74, and 75+ years of age were compared. An intention to treat analysis with chisquare and unpaired t-testing for significance was performed.

Results

There were a total of 333 patients (156 were aged 55–64, 125 were 65–74, 52 were 75+). Those 75+ had higher disease activity and worse functional status at baseline. Among those 75+, AEs with bDMARDs were more common and likely to lead to discontinuation of therapy, be graded as severe, and classified as infectious (p < .05). Remission rate among those 75+ was significantly higher than patients 65–74. Etanercept was the most commonly used drug in all age groups.

Conclusion

Patients 75+ treated with bDMARDs are at a significantly greater risk of AEs, including infectious ones. The higher remission found in the oldest age group warrants further study.
Identification de Corbicules (Corbicula sp. Müller, 1774) dans les collections étudiées par le Muséum Henri-Lecoq
Authors: LEMARCHAND Charles
Published: November 2020

Les Corbicules, et notamment la Corbicule asiatique Corbicula fluminea (O. F. Müller, 1774) ont, ces dernières années, très rapidement colonisé plusieurs grands bassins hydrographiques en France (Loire, Garonne, Rhône) et en Europe, comme dans d’autres foyers d’introduction. En 2018, l’étude de collections malacologiques de l’université Clermont Auvergne par l’équipe du Muséum Henri-Lecoq de Clermont Auvergne Métropole a permis d’identifier des Corbicules parmi des spécimens de mollusques issus de divers bassins d’Europe de l’Ouest datant de la fin du XIXe siècle, alors que l’on considérait leur introduction comme beaucoup plus récente. L’intérêt de l’étude des collections naturalistes dans la compréhension de la dynamique des espèces introduites s’en trouve ainsi confirmé.
C&RL Spotlight
Authors: Kaspar Wendi
Published: November 2020

I recently rediscovered this quote from Zora Neale Hurston, and it was if it plucked a string inside of me—there was a huge, resounding (and somewhat anxious) feeling of agreement. There is no doubt that 2020 has been a year of questions, and, in some ways, a year of very hard answers. Answers around who we are as a profession, who we are as citizens of nations, as members of different communities, as participants in society. With the political turmoil, environmental disasters, the social conflict around longstanding inequities, the pandemic and the health concerns, and the resulting economic uncertainties, is it any wonder that we are all feeling off balance—that we are overwhelmed with questions and seeking answers?
Washington Hotline
Authors: Russell Carrie , Maher Kevin
Published: November 2020

GSU wins e-reserves case, but not clarity on digital copyright policyAfter 12 years of litigation, one may have forgotten about Cambridge University Press et al v Patton et al, also known as the Georgia State University (GSU) e-reserves case, where three publishers (Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and Sage) sued GSU over their e-reserves policy. Teaching faculty and students preferred access to materials through digital networks. The further away they moved from course packs, where permission fees had been dutifully collected, the greater the drop in publishers’ revenue. Plaintiffs in the case deemed GSU’s policy too lax and encouraging of an “anything goes if it’s for the classroom” approach to copyright.
Fast Facts
Authors: Pattillo Gary
Published: November 2020

PBS turns 50Disappearing online journalsGen Z less likely to spread misinformationDigital borrowing skyrocketsCiting WikipediaWikimedia page views
The role of computer forensics in the fight against terrorism
Authors: Stevanović Miroslav , Đurđević Dragan
Published: November 2020

In this paper, the authors examine the adequacy of the counter-terrorism concept, which does not envisage institutional responsibility for collecting, processing, and fixing traces of cyber-related terrorist activities. The starting point is the fact that today numerous human activities and communication take place in the cyberspace. Firstly, the focus is on the aspects of terrorism that present a generator of challenges to social stability and, in this context, the elements of the approach adopted by the current National Security Strategy of the Republic of Serbia. In this analysis, adequacy is evaluated from the point of view of functionality. In this sense, it is an attempt to present elements that influence the effectiveness of counter-terrorism in the information age. Related to this is the specification of the role that digital forensics can play in this area. The conclusion is that an effective counter-terrorism strategy must necessarily encompass the institutional incorporation of digital forensics since it alone can contribute to the timely detection or assertion of responsibility for terrorism in a networked computing environment.
INVESTIGATION OF CHARACTERISTICS OF WOVEN REINFORCING FRAMES OF PRESSURE FIRE HOSES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON VALUES OF INTERNAL BURSTING PRESSURES
Authors: Aripbaeva Akerke E. , Mirkhalykov Zhumahan U. , Kaldybaev Rashid T. , Koyfman Oscar I. , Bazarov Yuri M. , Stepanova Svetlana M. , Stepanov Sergey G.
Published: November 2020

The article proposes a technique for experimental studies of contact zones between threads in woven reinforcing frames of pressure fire hoses using a JSM-6490LV scanning electron microscope and statistical methods, on the basis of which the coefficients of vertical crumpling of threads, coefficients characterizing the lengths of contact zones between threads in fractions of the diameters of the warp and weft threads, the account of which is necessary for a more accurate determination of the bursting pressures in the pressure head fire hoses. Burst pressure is regulated by GOST R 51049-97 and is an important strength parameter of a pressure head fire hose, characterizing its ability to resist destruction under the influence of the internal hydraulic pressure of a fire extinguishing fluid. The influence of such parameters of a woven reinforcing frame made of polyester threads based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET), as the breaking force of the weft threads (threads laid along the circumference of the sleeve), the radius of the sleeve, geometric densities along the warp and weft, the coefficients of vertical crumpling, has been studied. and the diameters of the warp and weft threads, the coefficients characterizing the lengths of the contact zones between the threads in fractions of the diameters of the warp and weft threads by the value of the bursting pressure in the latex pressure fire hose manufactured by BEREG, designed for a working pressure of 1.6 MPa. As a result of the study, it was established: the bursting pressure of the pressure head fire hose significantly depends on the geometric densities along the base and weft of the fabric of the reinforcing frame (with an increase (decrease) in geometric densities, the calculated bursting pressure of the hose falls (increases)); the bursting pressure of the sleeve is directly proportional to the bursting force of the weft threads and inversely proportional to the radius of the pressure head fire hose with all its other parameters constant, and the dependence of the bursting pressure on these parameters is significant; with an increase in such parameters of the woven reinforcing frame of the pressure head fire hose as the diameters of the warp and weft threads, their vertical crushing, the length of the contact zones between the threads, the bursting pressure increases, which indicates the need to take these parameters into account in the strength calculation of the woven reinforcing frames of the fire hoses . The results of the study must be taken into account when designing new types of these technical products.