Diagnosis of embankment dam distresses using Bayesian networks. Part I. Global-level characteristics based on a dam distress database

2011 ◽  
Vol 48 (11) ◽  
pp. 1630-1644 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.M. Zhang ◽  
Y. Xu ◽  
J.S. Jia ◽  
C. Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Bayesian Networks ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Companion Paper ◽  
General Information ◽  
Dam Safety ◽  
Global Level ◽  
Embankment Dam ◽  
The Public ◽  
Embankment Dams ◽  
Level Performance

Dam safety has drawn increasing attention from the public. To ensure dam safety, it is essential to diagnose any dam distresses and their causes properly. The main objective of this paper is to develop a robust probability-based tool using Bayesian networks for the diagnosis of embankment dam distresses at the global level based on past dam distress data. A database of 993 distressed in-service embankment dams in China has been compiled, including general information on the dams, distresses, and causes. Based on the database, general characteristics of embankment dam distresses are studied using Bayesian networks, which can tackle not only the multiplicity of dam distresses and causes, but also the complex interrelations among them. Common patterns and causes of distresses are identified. The interrelations among the dam distresses and their causes are quantified using conditional probabilities determined based on the historical frequencies from the dam distress database. A sensitivity analysis is also conducted to identify and rank the most important factors that cause the distresses. With the prior information of common characteristics extracted from the database, Bayesian networks are further used to diagnose a specific distressed dam at the local level by combining global-level performance records and project-specific evidence in a systematic structure, which is presented in a companion paper.

Diagnosis of embankment dam distresses using Bayesian networks. Part II. Diagnosis of a specific distressed dam

2011 ◽  
Vol 48 (11) ◽  
pp. 1645-1657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Xu ◽  
L.M. Zhang ◽  
J.S. Jia
Keyword(s):  
Network Analysis ◽  
Bayesian Networks ◽  
Prior Information ◽  
Companion Paper ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Remedial Measures ◽  
Global Level ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Embankment Dam

Based on prior information on common characteristics of dam distresses extracted from the dam distress database described in a companion paper, this paper attempts to extend the technique of Bayesian networks to the diagnosis of a specific distressed dam. The diagnosis is conducted by combining two sources of information, i.e., global-level knowledge from the database and project-specific evidence. Based on results of the diagnosis, key distress factors for a specific dam can be identified and suitable remedial measures can be suggested. Further, the Bayesian network analysis is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the adopted remedial measures. A case study on the diagnosis of a distressed embankment dam, Chenbihe Dam, with seepage problems is presented to illustrate the methodology. In this case study, the observed leakage rates, seepage exit locations, and boundary conditions of the embankment are used as project-specific evidence.

Do You Want to See the Tree? Ignore the Forest

2014 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 205-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Poirel ◽  
Claire Sara Krakowski ◽  
Sabrina Sayah ◽  
Arlette Pineau ◽  
Olivier Houdé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Recognition ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Information ◽  
Visual Environment ◽  
Global Information ◽  
Focus Attention ◽  
Global Level ◽  
Hierarchical Stimuli ◽  
Priming Paradigm ◽  
The One

The visual environment consists of global structures (e.g., a forest) made up of local parts (e.g., trees). When compound stimuli are presented (e.g., large global letters composed of arrangements of small local letters), the global unattended information slows responses to local targets. Using a negative priming paradigm, we investigated whether inhibition is required to process hierarchical stimuli when information at the local level is in conflict with the one at the global level. The results show that when local and global information is in conflict, global information must be inhibited to process local information, but that the reverse is not true. This finding has potential direct implications for brain models of visual recognition, by suggesting that when local information is conflicting with global information, inhibitory control reduces feedback activity from global information (e.g., inhibits the forest) which allows the visual system to process local information (e.g., to focus attention on a particular tree).

Lecturas posibles sobre la construcción del actor económico

2017 ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Nicolás Gómez Núñez
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Endogenous Development ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
The Public ◽  
Basic Ideas

En tres breves capítulos, el artículo pone a disposición las ideas básicas que cruzan la reflexión sobre las actividades económicas que las personas realizan en condiciones de pobreza, destacándose la preocupación sobre si estos desempeños pueden constituirse en alternativas de crecimiento económico a nivel local o si ellas son actores que inciden en las políticas públicas que organizan los supuestos del desarrollo.Palabras clave Actividades Económicas Autogestionadas / Autonomía / Capacitación / Desarrollo Endógeno.Abstract:In three brief chapters, the article displays the basic ideas that intersect the reflection on the economic activities that people perform in conditions of poverty, standing out the concern whether these performances can constitute in alternatives of economic growth at the local level or whether they are activities that affect the public policies which organize the theories of development.Key words Self-managed economic activities / Autonomy / Training / Endogenous Development

scholarly journals Renewable Energy Attitudes and Behaviour of Local Governments in Poland

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 2765
Author(s):  
Joanna Rakowska ◽  
Irena Ozimek
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
The Public ◽  
Energy Behavior ◽  
Public Aid ◽  
Energy Projects

The deployment of renewable energy at the local level can contribute significantly to mitigating climate change, improving energy security and increasing social, economic and environmental benefits. In many countries local authorities play an important role in the local development, but renewable energy deployment is not an obligatory task for them. Hence there are two research questions: (1) Do local governments think investments in renewable energy (RE) are urgent and affordable within the local budgets? (2) How do they react to the public aid co-financing investments in renewable energy? To provide the answer we performed qualitative analysis and non-parametric tests of data from a survey of 252 local authorities, analysis of 292 strategies of local development and datasets of 1170 renewable energy projects co-financed by EU funds under operational programs 2007–2013 and 2014–2020 in Poland. Findings showed that local authorities’ attitudes were rather careful, caused by financial constraints of local budgets and the scope of obligatory tasks, which made renewable energy investments not the most urgent. Public aid was a factor significantly affecting local authorities’ behavior. It triggered local authorities’ renewable energy initiatives, increasing the number and scope of renewable energy investments as well cooperation with other municipalities and local communities. Despite this general trend, there were also considerable regional differences in local authorities’ renewable energy behavior.

scholarly journals The effect of social distancing on the reach of an epidemic in social networks

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Gutin ◽  
Tomohiro Hirano ◽  
Sung-Ha Hwang ◽  
Philip R. Neary ◽  
Alexis Akira Toda
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Monte Carlo Simulation ◽  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Global Level ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
The Public ◽  
Simulation Results

AbstractHow does social distancing affect the reach of an epidemic in social networks? We present Monte Carlo simulation results of a susceptible–infected–removed with social distancing model. The key feature of the model is that individuals are limited in the number of acquaintances that they can interact with, thereby constraining disease transmission to an infectious subnetwork of the original social network. While increased social distancing typically reduces the spread of an infectious disease, the magnitude varies greatly depending on the topology of the network, indicating the need for policies that are network dependent. Our results also reveal the importance of coordinating policies at the ‘global’ level. In particular, the public health benefits from social distancing to a group (e.g. a country) may be completely undone if that group maintains connections with outside groups that are not following suit.

Recent Changes in German Governmental Organization

1945 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-100
Author(s):  
Heinz Guradze
Keyword(s):  
Local Level ◽  
Military Government ◽  
Governmental Organization ◽  
The Public ◽  
The People ◽  
Regional Labor ◽  
Economic Regions ◽  
The Military ◽  
Delegation Of Powers ◽  
Dominant Part

Within the last few years, changes have been carried out in the public administration of Germany which will affect the military government to be established during and after Germany's defeat. Their general trend has been to subordinate state (i.e., Reich, regional, and local) administration to the Party, which has been vested with more and more power. This is of particular interest in the light of the present “total mobilization,” in which the Party plays a dominant part. To some extent, the changes discussed in this note show a definite trend toward decentralization, although there has been no actual delegation of powers to smaller units, since all power remained in the hands of the Party—this being, of course, the reason why the Nazis could afford to “decentralize.” On the local level, the reforms aimed at tying together the loosening bonds between the régime and the people. Only the most recent emergency measures of “total mobilization” are touched on in this note.1. Gauarbeitsaemter. When the Reichsanstalt was created in 1927–28, the Reich was organized in 13 economic regions, each having one regional labor office (Landesarbeitsamt). The idea was to establish large economic districts containing various industries so that a crisis in one industry could be absorbed by the labor market of another within the same district, thus creating “ausgleichsfaehige Bezirke.”

Building Health Communities: Local Health Care Networks in Maryland

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Wachhaus
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Collaborative Networks ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Care Networks ◽  
Local Health Care ◽  
Health Communities ◽  
Treatment Of Obesity

Combatting chronic disease (prevention and treatment of obesity, diabetes, heart health, and stroke) requires action at the local level, both to educate the public and to provide health services. Effective collaboration among local organizations devoted to educating the public about, and treating patients of, these diseases is a key component of successful health care. To better understand local efforts, a social network analysis of five local health care networks spanning eight counties in Maryland was conducted. The purpose of this exploratory research was to discover whether collaborative networks exist at the local level, to map the networks, and to assess their strengths and needs.

SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF KAUNAS AND ITS INFLUENCE ON SECURITY IN PUBLIC SPACES AND GREEN RECREATIONAL AREAS / KAUNO MIESTO ERDVINĖS STRUKTŪROS ĮTAKA SAUGUMUI VIEŠOSIOSE ERDVĖSE IR ŽALIOSIOSE REKREACINĖSE TERITORIJOSE

2013 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 272-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kęstutis Zaleckis ◽  
Irina Matijošaitienė
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Structure ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Space Syntax ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Urban Structure ◽  
Important Conclusion ◽  
Syntax Analysis ◽  
The Public ◽  
Space Syntax Analysis ◽  
Crime Risks

In the article the influence of spatial structure on the safety of citizens in the public spaces is analyzed from the perspective of spatial determinism. The safety in green recreational areas is also discussed. Kaunas is chosen as the research polygon. Axial map of Kaunas was prepared while using both traditional method of space syntax and model of continuity lines. Method of overlapping layers was employed to combine the following data: space syntax analysis, crime, density of population, borders of the neighbourhoods, urban morphotypes, etc. The regularities of relations between spatial structure of Kaunas and higher crime risks were identified. Important conclusion is that the above mentioned regularities are stronger at the local level of urban structure. Santrauka Straipsnyje, žvelgiant iš erdvinio determinizmo pozicijų, analizuojama miesto erdvinės struktūros įtaka gyventojų saugumui viešosiose erdvėse, atskirai skiriant dėmesio ir saugumui žaliosiose rekreacinėse teritorijose. Pasirinkus Kauną kaip tyrimų poligoną, parengtas jo ašinis žemėlapis, taikant tradicinį ir tęstines linijas modeliuojantį erdvės sintaksės metodą. Taikant sluoksnių perdengimų metodą, sugretinus erdvės sintaksės tyrimų rezultatus, informaciją apie nusikalstamumą, gyventojų tankumo žemėlapį, teritorinių miesto vienetų ribas ir užstatymo morfotipus, išryškinti dėsningumai, susiejantys erdvinės miesto struktūros charakteristikas ir didesnę nusikalstamumo riziką. Nustatyti dėsningumai ryškesni kaimynysčių lygmenyje ir ne tokie ryškūs viso miesto lygmenyje.

Perceptions towards the quality of public services in Romania. Poor outcomes of public administration reforms?

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-285
Author(s):  
Claudia Petrescu ◽  
Flavis Mihalache
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Public Management ◽  
Public Services ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Administration Reform

Public services represent an important dimension of quality of society, as they create the contextual conditions for people to further their quality of life. Romanian public administration reform has brought about a constant institutional transformation, which has influenced both the specific features and the quality of the services. This article aims to analyse trends regarding the perceived quality of public services in Romania, in European comparative perspective, using the data of the European Quality of Life Survey (2003–2016). The article aims to understand the low satisfaction with public services in Romania against the background of the public service reform measures taken by government in this period. The article describes the context of Romanian public administration and public service reform, the most important public policy measures adopted and the most important challenges. The lack of vision in the public service reform, the partial introduction of reform elements, the permanent and, sometimes, conflicting changes are issues that may have influenced the way in which the population perceives the quality of public services. The decentralisation process of public services and the insufficient allocation of public funds for delivering such services at local level might have an impact on their quality and quantity perceived by the population. Keywords: public services; public administration reform; citizens’ satisfaction; New Public Management; New Weberianism.

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