scholarly journals Model and Algorithm for Dependent Activity Schedule Optimization Combining with BIM

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Guofeng Ma ◽  
Xiaoye Liu
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo Simulation ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Dynamic Control ◽  
Project Duration ◽  
Schedule Optimization ◽  
Activity Schedule ◽  
Dependent Activity ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Reward Amount ◽  
Insight Into

The project duration can be shortened by overlapping construction activities. However, the continuous changing of the environment tends to cause problems such as rework and the failure of the overlapping plan. In order to solve these problems, communication strategies for the overlapping of dependent activities are first introduced and optimized from a revenue perspective. We first consider the different maturities of upstream activity before and after the overlapping, the downstream sensitivity which is decided by involving communication strategies, and the learning and error-correcting ability of workers. Then, the overlap and communication strategies are decided by calculating the maximum revenue using Monte Carlo simulation and MATLAB based on overlap cost, communication cost, rework cost, and reward amount. Finally, the algorithm and BIM are combined to provide a visual overlap plan and dynamic control platform framework. This research is valuable for practitioners as it provides a dynamic overlap plan which can maximize the revenue in changing the environment and ensure the duration of the project. This research also provides researchers a new insight into combining overlap problems and BIM technology.

scholarly journals Modeling In-Match Sports Dynamics Using the Evolving Probability Method

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 4429
Author(s):  
Ana Šarčević ◽  
Damir Pintar ◽  
Mihaela Vranić ◽  
Ante Gojsalić
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo Simulation ◽  
Statistical Models ◽  
Empirical Bayes ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Bayes Estimation ◽  
Probability Method ◽  
Specific Nature ◽  
Sport Event ◽  
Insight Into

The prediction of sport event results has always drawn attention from a vast variety of different groups of people, such as club managers, coaches, betting companies, and the general population. The specific nature of each sport has an important role in the adaption of various predictive techniques founded on different mathematical and statistical models. In this paper, a common approach of modeling sports with a strongly defined structure and a rigid scoring system that relies on an assumption of independent and identical point distributions is challenged. It is demonstrated that such models can be improved by introducing dynamics into the match models in the form of sport momentums. Formal mathematical models for implementing these momentums based on conditional probability and empirical Bayes estimation are proposed, which are ultimately combined through a unifying hybrid approach based on the Monte Carlo simulation. Finally, the method is applied to real-life volleyball data demonstrating noticeable improvements over the previous approaches when it comes to predicting match outcomes. The method can be implemented into an expert system to obtain insight into the performance of players at different stages of the match or to study field scenarios that may arise under different circumstances.

scholarly journals Systemic Lupus Erythematosus before and after COVID-19 Lockdown: How the Perception of Disease Changes through the Lenses of Narrative Medicine

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 726
Author(s):  
Fulvia Ceccarelli ◽  
Venusia Covelli ◽  
Giulio Olivieri ◽  
Francesco Natalucci ◽  
Fabrizio Conti
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Narrative Medicine ◽  
Good Control ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Systemic Lupus ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Text Content ◽  
Insight Into

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic contributes to the burden of living with different diseases, including Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). We described, from a narrative point of view, the experiences and perspectives of Italian SLE adults during the COVID-19 emergency, by distinguishing the illness experience before and after the lockdown. Methods: Fifteen patients were invited to participate. Illness narratives were collected between 22 and 29 March 2020 using a written modality to capture patients’ perspectives before and after the COVID-19 lockdown. We performed a two-fold analysis of collected data by distinguishing three narrative types and a qualitative analysis of content to identify the relevant themes and sub-themes reported. Results: Eight narratives included in the final analysis (mean length 436.9 words) have been written by eight females (mean age 43.3 ± 9.9 years, mean disease duration 13.1 ± 7.4 years). Six patients provided a quest narrative, one a chaos and the remaining one a restitution narrative. By text content analysis, we identified specific themes, temporally distinct before and after the lockdown. Before COVID-19, all the patients referred to a good control of disease, however the unexpected arrival of the COVID-19 emergency broke a balance, and patients perceived the loss of health status control, with anxiety and stress. Conclusions: We provided unique insight into the experiences of people with SLE at the time of COVID-19, underlining the perspective of patients in relation to the pandemic.

scholarly journals Discoloration of Historical Plastic Objects: New Insight into the Degradation of β-Naphthol Pigment Lakes

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 2278
Author(s):  
Anna Micheluz ◽  
Eva Mariasole Angelin ◽  
João Almeida Lopes ◽  
Maria João Melo ◽  
Marisa Pamplona
Keyword(s):  
Light Exposure ◽  
Molecular Structures ◽  
Conservation Science ◽  
Organic Pigment ◽  
Organic Pigments ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Determining Factor ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Historical Samples

Light is a determining factor in the discoloration of plastics, and photodegradation processes can affect the molecular structures of both the polymer and colorants. Limited studies focused on the discoloration of heritage plastics in conservation science. This work investigated the discoloration of red historical polyethylene (PE) objects colored with PR 48:2 and PR 53:1. High-density and low-density PE reference polymers, neat pigment powders, and historical samples were assessed before and after accelerated photoaging. The applied methodology provided insight into the individual light-susceptibility of polyethylenes, organic pigment lakes, and their combined effect in the photoaging of historical plastic formulations. After light exposure, both PE references and historical samples yellowed, PR53:1 faded, and PR 48:2 darkened; however, both organic pigments faded severely in the historical samples. This highlights the role played by the plastic binder likely facilitating the pigment photofading. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry techniques—EGA-MS, PY-GC/MS, and TD-GC/MS—were successfully employed for characterizing the plastic formulations and degradation. The identification of phthalic compounds in both aged β-naphthol powders opens new venues for studies on their degradation. This work’s approach and analytical methods in studying the discoloration of historical plastics are novel, proving their efficacy, reliability, and potentiality.

scholarly journals Changes in the Portfolio Management and Construction under the Pandemic Era

2021 ◽  
Vol 275 ◽  
pp. 01005
Author(s):  
Ruipeng Tan
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo Simulation ◽  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Stock Returns ◽  
Financial Market ◽  
Portfolio Management ◽  
Portfolio Construction ◽  
Sample Data ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Reduce Risk ◽  
The Impact

This paper focuses on comparing portfolio management and construction before and after the coronavirus. First, this paper presents the importance of building up portfolios for investors to diversify their risks. Theories on portfolio management are discussed in this section to show how they have been developed to help on investing and reduce risk. Then, the paper moves on to show the impact of the pandemic on the financial market and portfolio management. Sample data on tech stock returns are collected to perform a Monte Carlo simulation on portfolio construction to find out the efficient portfolio before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. The efficient portfolio is build based on the Markowitz theory to find the combination. Comparisons between these portfolio constructions are made to find out the changes in portfolio management and construction under the pandemic era. In conclusion, this paper presents how pandemic has changed and impacted the investments and lists recommendations on future portfolio management and construction.

scholarly journals Characterization of Chicken Skin Yellowness and Exploration of Genes Involved in Skin Yellowness Deposition in Chicken

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingwen Wu ◽  
Zetong Lin ◽  
Genghua Chen ◽  
Qingbin Luo ◽  
Qinghua Nie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skin Color ◽  
Skin Pigmentation ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Economic Trait ◽  
Chicken Skin ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Skin Coloration ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Selection Of

Skin color is an important economic trait in meat-type chickens. A uniform bright skin color can increase the sales value of chicken. Chickens with bright yellow skin are more popular in China, especially in the broiler market of South China. However, the skin color of chickens can vary because of differences in breeds, diet, health, and individual genetics. To obtain greater insight into the genetic factors associated with the process of skin pigmentation in chickens, we used a colorimeter and high-resolution skin photographs to measure and analyze the skin color of chickens. By analyzing 534 chickens of the same breed, age, and feed condition, we found that the yellowness values of the chickens varied within this population. A significant positive correlation was found between the cloacal skin yellowness values before and after slaughter, and the cloacal skin yellowness value of live chickens was positively correlated with the overall body skin yellowness value. Additionally, chicken skin yellowness exhibited low heritability, ranging from 0.07 to 0.27. Through RNA sequencing, 882 genes were found to be differentially expressed between the skin with the highest and lowest yellowness values. Some of these differentially expressed genes may play an important role in yellow pigment deposition in chicken skin, which included TLR2B, IYD, SMOC1, ALDH1A3, CYP11A1, FHL2, TECRL, ACACB, TYR, PMEL, and GPR143. In addition, we found that the expression and variations of the BCO2 gene, which is referred to as the yellow skin gene, cannot be used to estimate the skin yellowness value of chickens in this population. These data will help to further our understanding of chicken skin yellowness and might contribute to the selection of specific chicken strains with consistent skin coloration.

scholarly journals Effect of Pedestrian Penalty on Pedestrian Behavior in Qatar

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Khaled Ghonim ◽  
Deepti Muley ◽  
Mohamed Kharbeche ◽  
Yousef Mohamed ◽  
Ahmed Madkoor
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Changes ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Crash Data ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Twitter Account ◽  
The Law ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Before And After Study ◽  
Insight Into

Crashes involving pedestrians are a major concern for authorities in many developed and developing countries. To refrain pedestrians from illegal or unsafe road behavior, authorities introduced three pedestrian penalties in the State of Qatar from August 2019. This paper assesses the awareness, perception, and adaptive intentions of the new amendment to the pedestrians’ law. A questionnaire survey, designed in three languages, was distributed online using Qatar University contacts and Twitter account of the General Directorate of Traffic at the Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar. A sample of 521 complete responses was obtained and used for statistical analysis. The results indicated that only 32 % of the respondents were aware of the law amendment before taking this survey. Further, the higher score for perception, adaptive intentions and awareness showed that the respondents were aware of the risks and the law amendment will have a positive effect on their behavior on road as pedestrians. The outcomes of the analysis show the efficacy of the law amendment. However, the actual behavior changes need to be studied by analyzing the pedestrian crash data and conducting a before and after study. Moreover, the study of the effects on pedestrians’ behavior, through empirical observations, is proposed to get insight into actual behaviors after law amendment as a part of future work on the topic.

Superiority of Basel II over Basel I

2014 ◽  
pp. 158-210
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Basel Ii ◽  
Prudential Supervision ◽  
Communicative Practices ◽  
Empirical Risk ◽  
Global Banking ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Supervision Practices ◽  
Risk Managers ◽  
Insight Into

This chapter explores the presumed superiority of Basel II over Basel I, and assess the effectiveness of Basel II in empirical risk management and prudential supervision practices, as reflected in a series of 15 interviews undertaken with bank risk managers, senior analysts, and supervisors from regulatory authorities in Australia shortly before and after the 2008 global banking crisis. This chapter and the next represent an important contribution, as these experts and professional are charged with the implementation of the Basel framework, and so are well qualified to identify both its strengths and its weaknesses. In addition to providing an insider’s insight into the operation of the Basel II system, the interviews also permit an investigation of the degree of congruency in the approach and views of bank practitioners in one hand, and regulators on the other. The tendencies discovered may be at play also distorting communicative practices in risk management and supervision under the Basel III framework.

scholarly journals Insight into Size- and Metal-Dependent Activity and the Mechanism for Steam Methane Re-forming in Nanocatalysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 124 (4) ◽  
pp. 2501-2512
Author(s):  
Yalan Wang ◽  
Ling Xiao ◽  
Yanying Qi ◽  
Jia Yang ◽  
Yi-An Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Steam Methane ◽  
Dependent Activity ◽  
Insight Into

Questionnaires to Inform a Usability Test Conducted on a CALL Dictionary Prototype

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 56-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Josée Hamel
Keyword(s):  
Research And Development ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Usability Test ◽  
Double Function ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Development Context ◽  
Effectiveness And Efficiency ◽  
Insight Into

Questionnaires are often considered a suitable instrument to gather data on language learners’ experiences. To test the usability of an online dictionary prototype, a series of questionnaires were distributed to a class of language learners before and after they completed a language task at the computer using the dictionary prototype. Measures of task effectiveness and efficiency were obtained and correlated with the questionnaires’ results. This study shows how the questionnaire results informed the overall measure of usability and, in particular, addressed user satisfaction, a more subjective yet a central component of this measure. Pre-questionnaires prepared learners for the task, whereas post-questionnaires fostered a reflection about the task process and its outcome. Hence, it is argued that combining observation and questionnaire techniques in that context was effective in providing a fuller insight into the learner-task-tool interaction at the computer. In this CALL research and development context, questionnaires served a double function as an evaluative and a pedagogical instrument.

scholarly journals Effects of Almaty city ecological factors on students blood indices

2020 ◽  
Vol 169 ◽  
pp. 04005
Author(s):  
Tilek Baidaulet ◽  
Alibek Ydyrys ◽  
Moldir Imanaliyeva ◽  
Zifa Askarova ◽  
Gulziya Srailova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Peripheral Blood ◽  
Foreign Students ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Absolute Number ◽  
Physical Workload ◽  
Absolute Amount ◽  
Blood Indices ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Local Students ◽  
Insight Into

This research gives an insight into the main features of the cardiovascular system’s statistical and dynamic, as well as young local and foreign citizens in Almaty city adaptation indices. 1500 analysis of blood indices was carried out before and after the physical workload. Hematological research were carried out based on N. M. Mykolayiv method and included the erythrocytes and leukocytes count in peripheral blood vessel and absolute number of lymphocytes . Foreign students’ absolute amount of leukocytes and erythrocytes in the peripheral blood vessels and the phagocytic activity of neutrophil were different from local students’ indices.

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