bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Automatic scenario generation for efficient solution of robust optimal control problems
Authors: Zagorowska Marta , Falugi Paola , O'Dwyer Edward , Kerrigan Eric C. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractExisting methods for nonlinear robust control often use scenario‐based approaches to formulate the control problem as large nonlinear optimization problems. The optimization problems are challenging to solve due to their size, especially if the control problems include time‐varying uncertainty. This paper draws from local reduction methods used in semi‐infinite optimization to solve robust optimal control problems with parametric and time‐varying uncertainty. By iteratively adding interim worst‐case scenarios to the problem, methods based on local reduction provide a way to manage the total number of scenarios. We show that the local reduction method for optimal control problems consists of solving a series of simplified optimal control problems to find worst‐case constraint violations. In particular, we present examples where local reduction methods find worst‐case scenarios that are not on the boundary of the uncertainty set. We also provide bounds on the error if local solvers are used. The proposed approach is illustrated with two case studies with parametric and additive time‐varying uncertainty. In the first case study, the number of scenarios obtained from local reduction is 101, smaller than in the case when all extreme scenarios are considered. In the second case study, the number of scenarios obtained from the local reduction is two compared to 512 extreme scenarios. Our approach was able to satisfy the constraints both for parametric uncertainty and time‐varying disturbances, whereas approaches from literature either violated the constraints or became computationally expensive.
Resilient adaptive event‐triggered synchronization control of piecewise‐homogeneous Markov jump delayed neural networks under aperiodic DoS attacks
Authors: Zhao Shanshan , Zhang Haiyang , Xiong Lianglin , Wen Shiping , Cao Jinde , Zhang Yi 
Published: October 2023

SummaryUnder the aperiodic Denial‐of‐service (DoS) attacks, this paper studies the resilient adaptive event‐triggered synchronization control problem for a class of Piecewise‐Homogeneous Uncertain Markov Jump Neural Networks (PHUMJNNs) with time‐varying delays. First of all, a new way of carving DoS attacks is given from the defenders' perspective, that is, aperiodic DoS attacks based on fixed detection periods. Then, under such attacks, a new Resilient Adaptive Event‐triggered Communication (RAETC) is designed between sensor and controller, which has a threshold function based on the net change rate and is real‐time updated depending on the present sampling state. Next, a single functional is used in the construction of the Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional, while a new looped functional is introduced that makes full use of the state information of the current instant , the trigger instant and the next trigger instant . Based on the constructed single functional, under the framework of the input delay method and the linear matrix inequality technique, the exponential mean square stabilization criterion of the error system is obtained, which makes the master system and the slave system synchronized. In the end, three simulation examples are used to illustrate the validity of the obtained results.
Enhanced Ponceau‐4R and Brilliant Blue Degradation using Mesoporous TiO2 Nanoparticles with Activated Carbon as Support Material
Authors: Ernawati Lusi , Hing Wong Ngie , Amrullah Apip , Agung Wahyuono Ruri , Yang Kong Zong , Sunarso Jaka 
Published: October 2023

AbstractBiomass wastes are inexpensive and readily available to be converted to activated carbon (AC) support material for photocatalysts. This work first synthesized the AC from tamarind fruit shells and then dispersed TiO2 nanoparticles onto the AC to generate AC/TiO2 composites via the ultrasonic‐assisted sol‐gel method. Most TiO2 nanoparticles were uniformly distributed and deposited onto the AC, forming four stable different AC/TiO2 composites. Compared to the pure TiO2 (i. e., 177.19 m2 g−1), the optimal AC/TiO2 (1 : 5) composite exhibited significantly higher specific surface area (i. e., 281.43 m2 g−1). TiO2 anatase phase in the composite enhanced the photocatalytic activity. AC/TiO2 (1 : 5) also exhibited the Pseudo‐Second‐Order Type 1 model, yielding the best dye degradation kinetic fitting of up to 98.4 % under ultraviolet (UV) light. A possible photocatalytic mechanism of dye degradation was proposed. This work provides insights into synthesizing a TiO2 composite using a low‐cost and readily available AC as a support material to promote the photocatalytic activity.
Selective Single‐step Co‐hydroprocessing of Light Cycle Oil and Waste Cooking Oil Mixtures for Diesel Fuel Production
Authors: Verma Vikas , Mishra Ankit , Khan Azeem , Farooqui Saleem Akhtar , Sinha Anil Kumar 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThis study investigates the co‐hydroprocessing of light cycle oil (LCO) with waste cooking oil (WCO) as a potential strategy to enhance LCO′s qualities and overall performance. The study involves the integration of LCO with WCO in three different ratios, facilitating a combined hydrotreatment process within a fixed bed continuous down‐flow reactor. The findings reveal that incorporating WCO into LCO hydrotreatment enhances LCO′s properties, albeit with a minor reduction in hydrodesulfurization efficacy. WCO demonstrates approximately 10.7 % density and 26 % cetane number improvements compared to the LCO/WCO (70/30) blend at 380 °C. The most significant reduction in di and poly‐aromatic compounds is observed at 340 °C for pure LCO, while WCO inclusion has minimal impact on poly‐aromatic saturation. The yield range for medium distillates across all products is between 87 % and 93 %. The time‐on‐stream study suggests excellent catalyst stability and activity up to 456 h, which is one of the highest lifetimes reported so far. TGA study of the spent catalyst indicates 22 wt % coke deposition complemented by TEM results. FTIR analysis revealed absorptions of alicyclic hydrocarbons‐type compounds deposited over the catalyst surface. This research contributes to the development of innovative catalysts for selectively converting LCO and WCO into diesel‐range hydrocarbons through single‐step process.
3‐Amino‐thiophene‐2‐carbohydrazide Derivatives as Anti Colon Cancer Agents: Synthesis, Characterization, In‐Silico and In‐Vitro Biological Activity Studies
Authors: Şenol Halil , Çakır Furkan 
Published: October 2023

AbstractIn this study, starting from 3‐amino‐thiophene‐2‐carboxylic acid methyl ester, eighteen new arylidenehydrazide derivatives (4–21) were synthesized. To determine cytotoxic activity of target compounds they were tested against human colon cancer and human umbilical vein endothelial cell lines. To determine prospective inhibition mechanism, binding affinity and complex stability molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies were carried out on transforming growth factor beta‐2 (TGFβ2) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) proteins. According to the biological activity studies compounds (E)‐2,4‐dichloro‐N‐(2‐(2‐(4‐fluorobenzylidene)hydrazine‐1‐carbonyl)thiophen‐3‐yl)benzamide (11) was found as the highest selective and active compound. Anti‐cancer activity results compared to reference drugs doxorubicin and gefitinib. Most active compound was found as 7‐fold and 4‐fold more selective than doxorubicin and gefitinib, respectively. The detailed in vitro and in silico biological activity studies revealed that related compound demonstrated strong and selective anti‐colon cancer effect and also it has promising inhibitory effects on TGFβ2 and VEGFR2. As a result, this compound is a promising candidate for further exploration and development in the field of colon cancer treatment.
faas‐sim: A trace‐driven simulation framework for serverless edge computing platforms
Authors: Raith Philipp , Rausch Thomas , Furutanpey Alireza , Dustdar Schahram 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThis paper presentsfaas‐sim, a simulation framework tailored to serverless edge computing platforms. In serverless computing, platform operators are tasked with efficiently managing distributed computing infrastructure completely abstracted from application developers. To that end, platform operators and researchers need tools to design, build, and evaluate resource management techniques that efficiently use of infrastructure while optimizing application performance. This challenge is exacerbated in edge computing scenarios, where, compared to cloud computing, there is a lack of reference architectures, design tools, or standardized benchmarks.faas‐simbridges this gap by providing (a) a generalized model of serverless systems that builds on the function‐as‐a‐service abstraction, (b) a simulator that uses trace data from real‐world edge computing testbeds and representative workloads, and (c) a network topology generator to model and simulate distributed and heterogeneous edge‐cloud systems. We present the conceptual design, implementation, and a thorough evaluation offaas‐sim. By running experiments on both real‐world test beds and replicating them usingfaas‐sim, we show that the simulator provides accurate results and reasonable simulation performance. We have profiled a wide range of edge computing infrastructure and workloads, focusing on typical edge computing scenarios such as edge AI inference or data processing. Moreover, we present several instances where we have successfully usedfaas‐simto either design, optimize, or evaluate serverless edge computing systems.
Identifying metamorphic relations: A data mutation directed approach
Authors: Sun Chang‐ai , Jin Hui , Wu SiYi , Fu An , Wang ZuoYi , Chan Wing Kwong 
Published: October 2023

SummaryMetamorphic testing (MT) is an effective technique to alleviate the test oracle problem. The principle of MT is to detect failures by checking whether some necessary properties, commonly known as metamorphic relations (MRs), of software under test (SUT) hold among multiple executions of source and follow‐up test cases. Since both the generation of follow‐up test cases and test result verification depend on MRs, the identification of MRs plays a key role in MT, which is an important yet difficult task requiring deep domain knowledge of the SUT. Accordingly, techniques that can direct a tester to identify MRs effectively are desirable. In this paper, we propose MT, a data mutation directed approach to identifying MRs. MT guides a tester to identify MRs by providing a set of data mutation operators and template‐style mapping rules, which not only alleviates the difficulties faced in the process of MR identification but also improves the identification effectiveness. We have further developed a tool to implement the proposed approach and conducted an empirical study to evaluate the MR identification effectiveness of MT and the performance of MRs identified by MT with respect to fault detection capability and statement coverage. The empirical results show that MT is able to identify MRs for numeric programs effectively, and the identified MRs have high fault detection capability and statement coverage. The work presented in this paper advances the field of MT by providing a simple yet practical approach to the MR identification problem.
A holistic life cycle design approach to enhance the sustainability of concrete structures
Authors: di Summa Davide , Parpanesi Matteo , Ferrara Liberato , De Belie Nele 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe development of innovative cementitious materials such as Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) requires tailored approaches to assess both the environmental and economic impact of structural applications employing them. For this purpose, in this paper, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Cost (LCC) methodologies are integrated into a Durability Assessment‐Based Design (DAD) workflow which combines structural design algorithms for UHPC with the assessment of the durability performance, with the aim of predicting the evolution of the structural performance all along the service life (SL) in the intended scenarios. As a case study a water tank made of UHPC has been herein selected and compared to a reference made of ordinary reinforced concrete (ORC). While the ORC solution was designed with cantilever cast in situ walls, two different design concepts were assessed for the UHPC basin: one with cast in situ walls and one with precast slabs supported by ORC columns. Moreover, two different mix designs (mainly differing on the alternative presence of silica fume or slag) have been investigated for the UHPC basin and a SL equal to 50 years has been taken into account for each structure. The optimized design, together with the reduced frequency of the maintenance activities for the UHPC structure, allowed by the UHPC superior material and structural durability, resulted into consistent reductions of environmental impacts, up to 76% as for Human Toxicity and Fresh Water Aquatic Ecotoxicity in comparison to the ORC solution. In addition to this, an assessment of the overall construction and maintenance costs that occur during the lifetime of the structures showed a cost reduction higher than 40% for both UHPC solutions, mainly due to a reduction of up to 6% during the construction phase and 91% for the maintenance activities. This also highlights the importance of the correct metrics in evaluating the sustainability of UHPC structural applications, which has to move forward from the units volume or mass of material and its individual constituents to functional units, representative of the benefits of using advanced cement based materials in structurally and environmentally challenging service scenarios.
Pollution index of soils along and against the wind direction within a 40 km distance of Morupule Fly Ash Dumpsite, Botswana
Authors: Gajaje Katumelo , Monnakgotla Omphile , Ultra Venecio U. , Manyiwa Trust 
Published: October 2023

AbstractArsenic, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc concentrations were measured in the leeward and windward directions within 40 km of the Morupule power station to assess the long‐term effects of fly ash deposition on the hazardous metal contamination of soils. Based on the quantities of these metals in the soil, the contamination factor, pollution load index, and potential ecological risk index were calculated to determine the potential of these metals will harm the ecosystem and human health. The results showed that areas (0.1–2 km) nearer to the dumpsite, especially in the leeward direction had higher contamination factors, 3.08–3.51 for Cr, 4.28–5.18 for Cu, and 3.10–3.17 for Pb. On the same distance, along the windward direction, the average contamination factor was 1.17× for Cr, 1.31× for Cu, and 1.7×x for Pb, less than that of the leeward direction. On the other hand, the potential ecological risk index was low for all the toxic metals being less than 40 index value independent of the wind direction. Similarly, the comprehensive ecological risk of various toxic metals indicated that the study area had a low ecological exposure as the index value was below 150. Overall, the toxic metal contamination in the soil due to the contamination factor is moderately polluted to unpolluted, especially on the leeward side, and the ecological risk of contamination is low across the study area, but continuous deposition of fly ash without proper management will increase the ecological risk.
Women's agency in nutrition in the association between women's empowerment in agriculture and food security: A case study from Uganda
Authors: Barak Farzaneh , Efitre Jackson , Odong Robinson , Melgar‐Quiñonez Hugo 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThis study examined the relationship between women's empowerment in agriculture (WEA), women's agency in nutrition, and their food security. It aimed to quantify the moderating effect of women's agency in nutrition on the association between WEA and food security. Data from the NutriFish project, a gender‐ and nutrition‐sensitive agricultural intervention in fishing villages in Uganda, were utilized. The study included 380 primary Ugandan female decision makers in dual adult households. WEA was measured using the Project‐level Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro‐WEAI). Women's agency in nutrition was assessed through measures of agency in regular diet, pregnancy diet, breastfeeding diet, and food purchase. Binary logit regression models were employed to estimate differential associations between WEA and food security, testing three‐way interactions between WEA, agency in regular diet, and food purchase. Results showed that WEA was associated with a 0.18 increase in the predicted probability of food security (p < .01). Women's participation in food purchase decisions strengthened the WEA‐food security association by 0.33 (p < .05). The results suggested that promoting women's food purchase agency can enhance the positive link between WEA and food security. Prioritizing interventions empowering women in food purchase decisions improves food security in gender‐ and nutrition‐sensitive programs.
Aid Relationships and Power Dynamics in the Global Fund Grants
Authors: Isabekova Gulnaz 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThis chapter discusses the types of aid relationships formed between stakeholders involved in the Global Fund grants to the Kyrgyz Republic. Building on the theoretical framework and empirical findings presented in the previous chapters of this book, it shows how power dynamics evolved in the project and how structural factors were conducive to their persistence or alteration. The actors’ roles throughout the project life cycle, their interests, and the ways they created power (based on Haugaard, European Journal of Social Theory, 6(1), 87–113, 2003) and approached their resources were equally relevant to the development of certain power dynamics. These laid the foundation for specific types of aid relationships between aid providers (donor–donor), providers with recipients (donor–recipient state, donor–civil society organization), and aid recipients with each other (recipient state–civil society organization).
The Unsung Virtues of Ambiguity in Subcontracted Work
Authors: Lot Nicolas , Journé Benoît 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAcademic literature deems ambiguity must be eliminated or pushed outside these organizations, since it is considered to weaken risk management. Based on a qualitative study, this chapter demonstrates that ambiguity can offer a powerful means to facilitate coordination between stakeholders involved in preparing and carrying out complex and hazardous activities. This assumes that ambiguity is accepted and managed rather than eliminated. To turn ambiguity into an advantage, it is important to be able to discuss multiple interpretations, choose ‘the best one’ and negotiate or create new ones in order to produce a shared frame of reference that is appropriate to the situation. Management systems can be designed to support these discussions of multiple interpretations ahead of work being carried out. We show that ambiguity is managed ‘cold’, outside the process of action, and during action, depending on the quality of interactions between the relevant stakeholders and the soft skills employed by those involved.
How to Break the Silence of Subcontractors
Authors: Walter Jorge 
Published: October 2023

AbstractResearch on risk management in subcontracting networks has emphasized the analysis of abuses committed and their consequences on the health and safety of workers. In this chapter, we pay special attention to experiments that have attempted—successfully—to mitigate, or even revert said abuses. They have achieved that in a “projects industry”, as it is the case for construction, a subcontracting-intensive activity. Our goal was to find some common traits between the experiments, beyond the different contexts in which they were embedded, to obtain some general guidelines that can be applied in different contexts with identical results. The most important of these guidelines is in the title of the present text: to overcome the silence of workers and managers in contracted companies, building bonds of trust, based on a real delegation of responsibilities and on the active listening of their perspectives and recommendations.
Beyond the Territorial State?
Authors: Mazzoleni Oscar 
Published: October 2023

AbstractWhen a territory is stabilised and acquires an institutional character, it takes the form of a delimited space with fixed boundaries that is controlled by a group of people and has exclusive internal sovereignty and equal external status. The paradigmatic example of an institutionalised territorial space in modern times is the state, as it always presupposes a territory. But how does this relationship develop? This chapter discusses the role of the concept of territory in relation to the state and the historical dynamics shaping this relationship.
Territorial Voting
Authors: Mazzoleni Oscar 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe analysis of voting behaviour is an important component of a territory-oriented research agenda. Starting with an approach based on political cleavages, this chapter tries to demonstrate how centre–periphery and urban–rural divides continue to shape voting patterns in contemporary democracies. Although globalisation and urbanisation have transformed territorial ties in profound ways, recent examples of elections and referendums in Europe and the United States have demonstrated that voting orientations continue to be influenced by the places where people grow up and live.
A Stress-Test for Global Health Multilateralism: The Covid-19 Pandemic as Revealer and Catalyst of Cooperation Challenges
Authors: Guilbaud Auriane 
Published: October 2023

AbstractBecause of its multidimensional nature, its global scale and the magnitude of measures taken by government and international organizations, the Covid-19 pandemic severely challenged global health multilateralism in 2020. It acted both as a revealer of long-term trends in global health cooperation and as a catalyst of the changes that it precipitated. This chapter will show that if the Covid-19 pandemic appeared as a crisis with the potential to reorder global health multilateralism, it did so precisely because it occurred in an environment marked by fault lines and an accumulation of incremental change. Through this perspective, it will provide a broad overview of the dynamics of health multilateralism and help identify the challenges created by this specific crisis. We will first briefly analyze the historical dynamics of global health multilateralism that led to a fragmented system of cooperation on both the organizational and the normative levels. We will then focus on the tensions and challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic, which partly explain why it is often perceived as a major crisis. Finally, we will address new developments in global health multilateralism, and how they relate to previous dynamics.