Academic literature on the topic 'Weighted Overlay Analysis'

Strategic decision-making is often based on multiple decision criteria and on the decision-makers’ preferences regarding relative criterion importance. We present version 2 of a map overlay and opacity tool (moot2), which supports the visual exploration of decision-making scenarios. The tool uses a basic function of geographic information systems (GIS): visual map overlay. In this approach, visual overlay serves as a representation of weighted linear combination in multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). Using the tool, we model a global human influence index for the extent of the province of Ontario, Canada. The index is a weighted overlay of six indicators that represent human influence on the land. The semi-transparent overlay of the six indicator layers occurs online in a web browser, making it accessible to distant collaborators in low-technology settings. The software architecture of moot2 includes the OpenLayers JavaScript library to display thematic Web Map Service (WMS) layers, such as the human influence indicators, on top of popular base map services, such as OpenStreetMap or Google Maps. The tool also uses jQuery, a JavaScript library that enables interactions between the user and the map environment. Layer opacity is manipulated by the jQuery Slider, permitting the user to generate on-the-fly weighting schemes for the combination of the human influence indicators. By removing the analytical engine (i.e., GIS), decision-makers can perform rapid MCDA without recalculating composite evaluation scores. The case study demonstrates how visual-spatial MCDA supports the refinement of decision-making parameters such as criterion weights.

Arsenic contamination, a very serious issue, has a detrimental effect on the living being. Arsenic contamination is found in the Gangetic plains, with West Bengal as the most affected state. In the present study, an attempt has been made to use weighted overlay analysis for arsenic hazard zonation based on the factors that influence the groundwater in a terrain. Weighted overlay analysis was done for mapping the arsenic contamination zone by assigning weightage and rating to geomorphology, land use/land cover, soil type, cropping intensity, slope and drainage density in North 24 Parganas. The whole region has been formed by the sedimentation from the river, and soil at the surface contains higher concentration of arsenic. Arsenic may get released from the sediment by various mechanism and transport downward along with the infiltration of rainwater. Thus, arsenic contamination in groundwater is influenced by the arsenic rich sediments, slope, and drainage pattern of the area. The arsenic concentration in collected groundwater samples shows the same result as obtained from the weighted overlay analysis except in the area with deeper water level. Thus, weighted overlay analysis along with water level data can be an effective method for determining the risk of arsenic in an area.

Abstract. In this study, a GIS based approach has been proposed for the flood risk zonation based on a multi-criteria spatial group fuzzy AHP decision making analysis and its integration with fuzzy overlay analysis. For this purpose, 10 layers affecting flood occurrence have been used including: the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), Slope, NDVI, Flow Accumulation (Flow Ac.), HOFD, VOFD, Topographic Position Index (TPI), Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), Curve Number (CN), Modified Fournier Index. Each layer was classified into 5 sub-classes and their preference at its layer was weighted by a group of experts using fuzzy analytical hierarchy processes (GFAHP) method. Finally, the risk map of the studied area with the weight of experts and fuzzy overlay method was product and divided into five categories.

Sesuai dengan rencana tata ruang wilayah Kabupaten Semarang, Kecamatan Sumowono dikembangkan menjadi kawasan pertanian produktif, dengan sistem agropolitan. Penataan ruang dapat dilakukan dengan optimal apabila seluruh bidang tanah pada kawasan tersebut sudah terdaftar, sehingga perencanaan, pemanfaatan dan pengendaliannya dapat dilakukan dengan seksama. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah menentukan prioritas lokasi pendaftaran tanah sistematik lengkap (PTSL) di Kecamatan Sumowono yang terdiri dari 16 desa. Metode yang digunakan adalah gabungan dari metode Analysis Hierarchy Process (AHP) dan Weighted Overlay. AHP digunakan untuk menentukan bobot setiap variabel penentuan prioritas, sedangkan analisis weighted overlay digunakan untuk menentukan prioritas lokasi PTSL dengan mengintegrasikan bobot dengan nilai masing-masing variabel di setiap desa. Hasil AHP menyatakan bahwa bobot tertinggi dalam perencanaan pendaftaran tanah sistematik lengkap adalah jumlah bidang tanah belum terdaftar (30,3%) dan jumlah penduduk bekerja (13,4%). Analisis terakhir menghasilkan tiga tingkat prioritas. Prioritas pertama terdapat pada Desa Candigaron. Prioritas kedua terdiri dari 9 desa: Desa Keseneg, Desa Pledokan, Desa Kemitir, Desa Losari, Desa Sumowono, Desa Jubelan, Desa Lanjan, Desa Ngadikerso, dan Desa Kebonagung. Sedangkan prioritas ketiga terdiri dari 6 desa: Desa Medongan, Desa Kemawi, Desa Piyanggang, Desa Bumen, Desa Trayu, dan Desa Duren.

Vulnerability maps are useful for groundwater protection, water resources development, and land use management. The literature contains various approaches for intrinsic vulnerability assessment, and they mainly depend on hydrogeological settings and anthropogenic impacts. Most methods assign certain ratings and weights to each contributing factor to groundwater vulnerability. Fuzzy logic (FL) is an alternative artificial intelligence tool for overlay analysis, where spatial properties are fuzzified. Unlike the specific rating used in the weighted overlay-based vulnerability mapping methods, FL allows more flexibility through assigning a degree of contribution without specific boundaries for various classes. This study compares the results of DRASTIC vulnerability approach with the FL approach, applying both on Qatar aquifers. The comparison was checked and validated against a numerical model developed for the same study area, and the actual anthropogenic contamination load. Results show some similarities and differences between both approaches. While the coastal areas fall in the same category of high vulnerability in both cases, the FL approach shows greater variability than the DRASTIC approach and better matches with model results and contamination load. FL is probably better suited for vulnerability assessment than the weighted overlay methods.

An inventory of unstable slopes along transportation corridors and performance modeling are important components of geotechnical asset management in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM). Hazards and risk were assessed for 285 unstable slopes along 151 miles of roadway. A multi-criteria model was created to select fourteen sites for two-dimensional probabilistic rockfall simulations and Acid Base Accounting (ABA) tests. Simulations indicate that rock material would likely enter the roadway at all fourteen sites. ABA test results indicate that influence of significant acid-producing potential is generally confined to slaty rocks of the Anakeesta Formation and graphitic schist of the Wehutty Formation. The research illustrates an approach for prioritizing areas for site-specific investigations towards the goal of improving safety in GRSM. These results can help park officials develop mitigation strategies for rockfall, using strategies such as widening ditches and encapsulating acidic rockfall material.

Due to growing population over the past decades, settlements are scattered in sparse as well as dense clusters across Dalarna County. However, irrespective of any physical, social or economic conditions, free public health care must be available at a minimum and equal distance of travel for all citizens of a region. In the current scenario in Dalarna, around 16% of the population travels beyond 10 km to reach their nearest medical facility. The aim of this study is to suggest the most favorable locations for Mobile Hospital services across Dalarna County, based on spatial analysis of accessibility, population coverage, and importantly, in a way that travel distance, is minimized and equal for all. This study makes use of Multi Criteria Analysis methods. The problem of mobile hospital site selection is broken down into criteria, and Analytic Hierarchical Process is used to evaluate weights for each criterion. Then, a weighted overlay results in regions with score-based suitability for a mobile hospital. Maximum population coverage based Location Allocation analysis results in generating a proposed Facility and Demand Coverage output. The results show an increase in coverage of population, while meeting the requirements of criteria in the aim.

Doutoramento em Bioquímica
Os polissacarídeos são os componentes maioritários dos grãos de café verde e torrado e da bebida de café. Os mais abundantes são as galactomananas, seguindo-se as arabinogalactanas. Durante o processo de torra, as galactomananas e arabinogalactanas sofrem modificações estruturais, as quais estão longe de estar completamente elucidadas devido à sua diversidade e à complexidade estrutural dos compostos formados. Durante o processo de torra, as galactomananas e arabinogalactanas reagem com proteínas, ácidos clorogénicos e sacarose, originando compostos castanhos de alto peso molecular contendo nitrogénio, designados de melanoidinas. As melanoidinas do café apresentam diversas atividades biológicas e efeitos benéficos para a saúde. No entanto, a sua estrutura exata e os mecanismos envolvidos na sua formação permanecem desconhecidos, bem como a relação estrutura-atividade biológica. A utilização de sistemas modelo e a análise por espectrometria de massa permitem obter uma visão global e, simultaneamente, detalhada das modificações estruturais nos polissacarídeos do café promovidas pela torra, contribuindo para a elucidação das estruturas e mecanismos de formação das melanoidinas. Com base nesta tese, oligossacarídeos estruturalmente relacionados com a cadeia principal das galactomananas, (β1→4)-Dmanotriose (Man3), e as cadeias laterais das arabinogalactanas, (α1→5)-Larabinotriose (Ara3), isoladamente ou em misturas com ácido 5-Ocafeoilquínico (5-CQA), o ácido clorogénico mais abundante nos grãos de café verde, e péptidos compostos por tirosina e leucina, usados como modelos das proteínas, foram sujeitos a tratamento térmico a seco, mimetizando o processo de torra. A oxidação induzida por radicais hidroxilo (HO•) foi também estudada, uma vez que estes radicais parecem estar envolvidos na modificação dos polissacarídeos durante a torra. A identificação das modificações estruturais induzidas por tratamento térmico e oxidativo dos compostos modelo foi feita por estratégias analíticas baseadas principalmente em espectrometria de massa, mas também em cromatografia líquida. A cromatografia de gás foi usada na análise de açúcares neutros e ligações glicosídicas. Para validar as conclusões obtidas com os compostos modelo, foram também analisadas amostras de polissacarídeos do café obtidas a partir de resíduo de café e café instantâneo. Os resultados obtidos a partir dos oligossacarídeos modelo quando submetidos a tratamento térmico (seco), assim como à oxidação induzida por HO• (em solução), indicam a ocorrência de despolimerização, o que está de acordo com estudos anteriores que reportam a despolimerização das galactomananas e arabinogalactanas do café durante a torra. Foram ainda identificados outros compostos resultantes da quebra do anel de açúcares formados durante o tratamento térmico e oxidativo da Ara3. Por outro lado, o tratamento térmico a seco dos oligossacarídeos modelo (individualmente ou quando misturados) promoveu a formação de oligossacarídeos com um maior grau de polimerização, e também polissacarídeos com novos tipos de ligações glicosídicas, evidenciando a ocorrência de polimerização através reações de transglicosilação não enzimática induzidas por tratamento térmico a seco. As reações de transglicosilação induzidas por tratamento térmico a seco podem ocorrer entre resíduos de açúcares provenientes da mesma origem, mas também de origens diferentes com formação de estruturas híbridas, contendo arabinose e manose como observado nos casos dos compostos modelo usados. Os resultados obtidos a partir de amostras do resíduo de café e de café instantâneo sugerem a presença de polissacarídeos híbridos nestas amostras de café processado, corroborando a ocorrência de transglicosilação durante o processo de torra. Além disso, o estudo de misturas contendo diferentes proporções de cada oligossacarídeo modelo, mimetizando regiões do grão de café com composição distinta em polissacarídeos, sujeitos a diferentes períodos de tratamento térmico, permitiu inferir que diferentes estruturas híbridas e não híbridas podem ser formadas a partir das arabinogalactanas e galactomananas, dependendo da sua distribuição nas paredes celulares do grão e das condições de torra. Estes resultados podem explicar a heterogeneidade de estruturas de melanoidinas formadas durante a torra do café. Os resultados obtidos a partir de misturas modelo contendo um oligossacarídeo (Ara3 ou Man3) e 5-CQA sujeitas a tratamento térmico a seco, assim como de amostras provenientes do resíduo de café, mostraram a formação de compostos híbridos compostos por moléculas de CQA ligadas covalentemente a um número variável de resíduos de açúcar. Além disso, os resultados obtidos a partir da mistura contendo Man3 e 5-CQA mostraram que o CQA atua como catalisador das reações de transglicosilação. Por outro lado, nas misturas modelo contendo um péptido, mesmo contendo também 5-CQA e sujeitas ao mesmo tratamento, observou-se uma diminuição na extensão das reações transglicosilação. Este resultado pode explicar a baixa extensão das reações de transglicosilação não enzimáticas durante a torra nas regiões do grão de café mais ricas em proteínas, apesar dos polissacarídeos serem os componentes maioritários dos grãos de café. A diminuição das reações de transglicosilação na presença de péptidos/proteínas pode dever-se ao facto de os resíduos de açúcares redutores reagirem preferencialmente com os grupos amina de péptidos/proteínas por reação de Maillard, diminuindo o número de resíduos de açúcares redutores disponíveis para as reações de transglicosilação. Além dos compostos já descritos, uma diversidade de outros compostos foram formados a partir dos sistemas modelo, nomeadamente derivados de desidratação formados durante o tratamento térmico a seco. Em conclusão, a tipificação das modificações estruturais promovidas pela torra nos polissacarídeos do café abre o caminho para a compreensão dos mecanismos de formação das melanoidinas e da relação estrutura-atividade destes compostos.
Polysaccharides are the major components of green and roasted coffee beans, and coffee brew. The most abundant ones are galactomannans, followed by arabinogalactans. During the roasting process, galactomannans and arabinogalactans undergo structural modifications that are far to be completely elucidated due to their diversity and complexity of the compounds formed. During the roasting process, galactomannans and arabinogalactans react with proteins, chlorogenic acids, and sucrose, originating high molecular weight brown compounds containing nitrogen, known as melanoidins. Several biological activities and beneficial health effects have been attributed to coffee melanoidins. However, their exact structures and the mechanisms involved in their formation remain unknown, as well as the structure-biological activity relationship. The use of model systems and mass spectrometry analysis allow to obtain an overall view and, simultaneously, detailed, of the structural modifications in coffee polysaccharides promoted by roasting, contributing to the elucidation of the structures and formation mechanisms of melanoidins. Based on this thesis, oligosaccharides structurally related to the backbone of galactomannans, (β1→4)-D-mannotriose, and the side chains of arabinogalactans, (α1→5)-Larabinotriose, alone or in mixtures with 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, the most abundant chlorogenic acid in green coffee beans, and dipeptides composed by tyrosine and leucine, used as models of proteins, were submitted to dry thermal treatments, mimicking the coffee roasting process. The oxidation induced by hydroxyl radicals (HO•) was also studied, since these radicals seem to be involved in the modification of the polysaccharides during roasting. The identification of the structural modifications induced by thermal and oxidative treatment of the model compounds was performed mostly by mass spectrometry-based analytical strategies, but also using liquid chromatography. Gas chromatography was used in the analysis of neutral sugars and glycosidic linkages. To validate the conclusions achieved with the model compounds, coffee polysaccharide samples obtained from spent coffee grounds and instant coffee were also analysed. The results obtained from the model oligosaccharides when submitted to thermal treatment (dry) or oxidation induced by HO• (in solution) indicate the occurrence of depolymerization, which is in line with previous studies reporting the depolymerization of coffee galactomannans and arabinogalactans during roasting. Compounds resulting from sugar ring cleavage were also formed during thermal treatment and oxidative treatment of Ara3. On the other hand, the dry thermal treatment of the model oligosaccharides (alone or when mixed) promoted the formation of oligosaccharides with a higher degree of polymerization, and also polysaccharides with new type of glycosidic linkages, evidencing the occurrence of polymerization via non-enzymatic transglycosylation reactions induced by dry thermal treatment. The transglycosylation reactions induced by dry thermal treatment can occur between sugar residues from the same origin, but also of different origins, with formation of hybrid structures, containing arabinose and mannose in the case of the model compounds used. The results obtained from spent coffee grounds and instant coffee samples suggest the presence of hybrid polysaccharides in these processed coffee samples, corroborating the occurrence of transglycosylation during the roasting process. Furthermore, the study of mixtures containing different proportions of each model oligosaccharide, mimicking coffee bean regions with distinct polysaccharide composition, subjected to different periods of thermal treatment, allowed to infer that different hybrid and non-hybrid structures may be formed from arabinogalactans and galactomannans, depending on their distribution in the bean cell walls and on roasting conditions. These results may explain the heterogeneity of melanoidins structures formed during coffee roasting. The results obtained from model mixtures containing an oligosaccharide (Ara3 or Man3) and 5-CQA and subjected to dry thermal treatment, as well as samples derived from spent coffee grounds, showed the formation of hybrid compounds composed by CQA molecules covalently linked to a variable number of sugar residues. Moreover, the results obtained from the mixture containing Man3 and 5-CQA showed that CQA acts as catalyst of transglycosylation reactions. On the other hand, in the model mixtures containing a peptide, even if containing 5-CQA and subjected to the same treatment, it was observed a decrease in the extent of transglycosylation reactions. This outcome can explain the low extent of non-enzymatic transglycosylation reactions during roasting in coffee bean regions enriched in proteins, although polysaccharides are the major components of the coffee beans. The decrease of transglycosylation reactions in the presence of peptides/proteins can be related with the preferential reactivity of reducing residues with the amino groups of peptides/proteins by Maillard reaction, decreasing the number of reducing residues available to be directly involved in the transglycosylation reactions. In addition to the compounds already described, a diversity of other compounds were formed from model systems, namely dehydrated derivatives formed during dry thermal treatment. In conclusion, the identification of the structural modifications in coffee polysaccharides promoted by roasting pave the way to the understanding of the mechanisms of formation of melanoidins and structure-activity relationship of these compounds.

Fler vegetationsbränder förväntas framöver i Sverige som följd av temperaturökning och förändrat nederbördsmönster. För att distribuera resurser effektivt vid ett släckningsarbete i vegetation kan information som tillgänglighet och brandbenägenhet vara önskvärt. Riskområden för personsäkerhet i samband med släckningsarbete bör granskas för att undvika onödiga risker. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur brandbenägenhet, tillgänglighet och personskaderisk varierade geografiskt inom Arvika kommun. Med rasteranalys och weighted overlay beräknades brandbenägenhet med faktorerna: krontäthet, lutning, lutningsriktning, skogens utvecklingsfas och vegetation. Tillgängligheten beräknades med följande faktorer: avstånd till väg, avstånd till vatten, körtid, lutning, skogens utvecklingsfas och vegetation. Personskaderisken beräknades enligt följande faktorer: elektrifierad järnväg, förorenade områden, kraftledning, lutning och militära områden. Analysen visar att brandbenägenheten är mycket hög i ett fåtal områden, den största delen av studieområdet har brandbenägenhet mellan värde 4,1–6 av 10. Tillgängligheten är hög eller mycket hög i 98 % av studieområdet. Den lägsta tillgängligheten finns i studieområdets norra och södra delar. 92 % av studieområdet har en låg eller mycket låg personskaderisk med värde mellan 1–4 av 10. Brandbenägenhet, tillgänglighet och personskaderisk studerades på platser där bränder rapporterats åren 2008–2019. Bränder mellan år 2008–2017 med avbränd areal större än 1 hektar studerades igen. Den största faktorn för brandbenägenheten är lutningsriktning för dessa platser. Tillgänglighetens viktigaste faktorer är avstånd till väg och vegetation. Personskaderiskens största faktor är förorenade områden där bränderna var rapporterade. Brandbenägenheten inom studieområdet var störst vid lutning mot syd eller sydväst. Plana områden har generellt låg brandbenägenhet. Enligt analysen är tillgängligheten lägst i studieområdets yttre delar, speciellt dem sydligaste och nordligaste delarna. Områden i närhet av brandstationer har generellt en bättre tillgänglighet. Personskaderisken är koncentrerad till elektrifierad järnväg och kraftledning som medför direkt fara. Potentiellt förorenade områden finns spridda i hela studieområdet. Hur dessa påverkar människor är ovisst och varierar beroende på förorening.
In the future, more wildfires are expected in Sweden because of increasing temperature and changing precipitation. To being able to effectively distribute the resources of the firefighters, information about accessibility and fire tendency can come in handy. In order to avoid unnecessary risks, areas with potential hazard for the firefighters should be examined. The purpose of this study is to analyse how fire tendency, accessibility and personal injury risk varies in Arvika municipality, Sweden. Raster analysis and weighted overlay were applied in this study to examine fire tendency using the factors: crown closure, slope, aspect, the stage of stand development and vegetation. Accessibility was calculated including the following factors: distance to roads, distance to water, driving time, slope, the stage of stand development and vegetation. The personal injury risk was calculated by the following factors: electrified railways, polluted areas, power lines, slopes and military areas. The results show a high fire tendency in a few areas. Most of the areas have a fire tendency value between 4. 1–6 out of 10. Areas with a good or very good accessibility covers 98 % of the study area. Only a few spots have a very low accessibility. Areas with a low or very low personal injury risk covers 92 % of the study area. In the next part sites, with wildfires reported too MSB between 2008–2019 were studied. Wildfires larger than 10 000 square meters were studied again. Aspect was considered as a factor with a high impact on fire tendency. The major factor of the accessibility is distance to the road and the vegetation of those places. Polluted areas have the largest risk for extinguishing the fire in those places. Fire tendency shows its peaks in areas with slopes and aspect to the south or southwest thanks to the results. Flat areas receive a low risk of fire tendency. Accessibility is lowest in the outer parts of the study area, especially the southern and northern parts. Areas with risks for firefighter injury are concentrated to electrified railways and power lines, especially those that cross polluted areas. However, not all the polluted areas have been investigated in this study, therefore the effect of the pollution on the people’s health is uncertain.

This study deals with investigating the groundwater quality for irrigation purpose, the vulnerability of the aquifer system to pollution and also the aquifer potential for sustainable water resources development in Kobo Valley development project. The groundwater quality is evaluated up on predicting the best possible distribution of hydrogeochemicals using geostatistical method and comparing them with the water quality guidelines given for the purpose of irrigation. The hydro geochemical parameters considered are SAR, EC, TDS, Cl-, Na+, Ca++, SO4 2- and HCO3 -. The spatial variability map reveals that these parameters falls under safe, moderate and severe or increasing problems. In order to present it clearly, the aggregated Water Quality Index (WQI) map is constructed using Weighted Arithmetic Mean method. It is found that Kobo-Gerbi sub basin is suffered from bad water quality for the irrigation purpose. Waja Golesha sub-basin has moderate and Hormat Golena is the better sub basin in terms of water quality. The groundwater vulnerability assessment of the study area is made using the GOD rating system. It is found that the whole area is experiencing moderate to high risk of vulnerability and it is a good warning for proper management of the resource. The high risks of vulnerability are noticed in Hormat Golena and Waja Golesha sub basins. The aquifer potential of the study area is obtained using weighted overlay analysis and 73.3% of the total area is a good site for future water well development. The rest 26.7% of the area is not considered as a good site for spotting groundwater wells. Most of this area fall under Kobo-Gerbi sub basin.

Eccentric overload in training settings utilizes loads higher than concentric one repetition maximum (1RM). There is no clear definition of eccentric “failure” or 1RM using conventional weights, so eccentric 1RM is estimated to be between 145-190% concentric 1RM. Historically, the highest intensity used for eccentric overload is typically 120% of concentric 1RM despite little research using conventional weights with higher eccentric intensities. The purpose of this study was to conduct an exploratory neuro-mechanical analysis of different intensities of elbow flexors eccentric overload using free weights by examining angular kinematics during contraction. Twenty male participants with weight training experience had unilateral concentration curl isometric peak torque assessed on a Humac Norm Dynamometer and concentric 1RM assessed with dumbbells while biceps brachii electromyography (EMG) and elbow joint angle were recorded. Angles were recorded using a custom made electrogoniometer and elbow joint torque was estimated using inverse dynamics. Participants were randomly assigned in counter balanced order to perform eccentric actions at 120%, 140%, 150%, 160% and 170% concentric 1RM with 4 minutes rest between. Variables included peak torque, angular velocity at peak torque, impulse, power, mean EMG, and EMG normalized to peak. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA or a Friedman test. Angular velocity at peak torque was significantly lower for 120% (65.3 ± 40.8°/s) compared to all other conditions (range: 65.3 ± 40.8 to 162.1 ± 75.2°/s; p<0.01). Peak torque for all conditions (range: 98.2 ± 16.2 to 108.2 ± 21.6 Nm) was significantly higher than isometric peak torque (77.4 ± 16.8Nm; p<0.05). Peak torque at 160% (108.2 ± 21.6Nm) was significantly higher than at 120% (98.2 ± 16.2Nm; p<0.05). Power for 140-170% (range: 166.2 ± 85.7W to 265.8 ± 111.3W) was significantly higher than power at 120% (79.9 ± 66.8W; p<0.05). Impulse was highest at 120% (56.1 ± 54.6Nms) compared to all other conditions (range: 56.2 ± 54.6 to 9.6 ± 3.8Nms; p≤0.05). Impulse at 140% (20.6 ± 11.8Nms) was significantly higher than 170% (9.6 ± 3.8Nms; p<0.05). Isometric mean EMG (0.792 ± 0.285 mV) was significantly higher than all eccentric conditions (range: 0.654 ± 0.313 to 0.533 ± 0.259mV; p<0.05) with no difference between eccentric conditions for mean EMG or EMG normalized to peak. It was concluded that compared to 120%, eccentric overload with intensity ranging from 140-170% concentric 1RM involves minimal increases in peak torque and no change in EMG activation. Intensities above 120% enhance power and decrease impulse. This research has implications on future training prescription of eccentric exercise.

Across his entire career, from the early nansensu films to the late family dramas, Ozu consistently used gags and humor to alleviate the tension of dramatic situations, further enriching their significance. This chapter explores how such Ozuesque gags combine irony and nostalgia in order to balance the overall tone of the narrative, relying on formal strategies such as modularity and repetition. By discussing Wayne C. Booth’s concept of stable irony and other critical sources, the chapter argues that Ozu’s aging (not just running) gags are capable of bringing characters and audiences together because they counterbalance the difficulties of everyday family life and the weight of time. In an attempt to grant a wider comparative analysis, the chapter studies his own gags as well as their influence on contemporary filmmakers like Jim Jarmusch and Aki Kaurismäki, who readapt Ozu’s mixture of playfulness and solitude in their explorations of the contemporary world.

Abstract 'Quality' of greenhouse and hydroponic produce implies suitability for a particular purpose or the degree to which certain set standards are met. Aspects of produce quality may encompass sensory properties (appearance, texture, taste and aroma), nutritive values, chemical constituents, mechanical properties, functional properties and defects. Quality standards and testing methods have been developed for most commercial crops to help ensure consumers receive produce of a suitable standard. These quality standards can range from basic grading for removal of damaged produce and for size, shape, weight and overall appearance, to analytical testing for compositional factors such as acidity, volatiles, dry matter, starch and sugars, toxins, vitamins and minerals, and others. This chapter discusses the components of crop quality, quality improvement, cultural practices to improve greenhouse produce quality (nutrient solution electrical conductivity levels, salinity and deficit irrigation), environmental conditions (including light and temperature) affecting quality of greenhouse crops, role of genetics in the quality of greenhouse-grown produce, microbial quality and food safety. Different quality testing and grading methods are described such as colour analysis, total soluble solids (Brix) testing, sensory evaluation of compositional quality, volatiles testing (aroma), texture and firmness quality assessment.

Abstract 'Quality' of greenhouse and hydroponic produce implies suitability for a particular purpose or the degree to which certain set standards are met. Aspects of produce quality may encompass sensory properties (appearance, texture, taste and aroma), nutritive values, chemical constituents, mechanical properties, functional properties and defects. Quality standards and testing methods have been developed for most commercial crops to help ensure consumers receive produce of a suitable standard. These quality standards can range from basic grading for removal of damaged produce and for size, shape, weight and overall appearance, to analytical testing for compositional factors such as acidity, volatiles, dry matter, starch and sugars, toxins, vitamins and minerals, and others. This chapter discusses the components of crop quality, quality improvement, cultural practices to improve greenhouse produce quality (nutrient solution electrical conductivity levels, salinity and deficit irrigation), environmental conditions (including light and temperature) affecting quality of greenhouse crops, role of genetics in the quality of greenhouse-grown produce, microbial quality and food safety. Different quality testing and grading methods are described such as colour analysis, total soluble solids (Brix) testing, sensory evaluation of compositional quality, volatiles testing (aroma), texture and firmness quality assessment.

Among the various natural disasters, landslides are considered to be one of the serious geological hazards that are triggered due to intensive rainfall, earthquakes, deforestation, mining, floods, etc. Landslides result in devastating impacts causes thousands of deaths and injuries, damage to properties. The changing pattern of landslide hazard zones every year forces the need to safeguard people and properties in the respective areas. Weighted linear combination (WLC) is used to prepare the landslide hazard zonation map in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, India. Nine layers, namely slope, aspect, lineament density, rainfall, distance of roads, elevation, distance from rivers, landuse/landcover, geology, are used in overlay analysis. Supply chain facilities are widely used in the field of transportation of goods to the consumers with the reduction of transportation costs. The implementation of supply chain mechanism along with GIS in disaster management could help to save numerous lives during disaster events.

This chapter examines the relation between various firm-specific variables and the cross-section of equity returns in 26 developed countries. Univariate portfolio analyses using equal-weighted returns show that low beta, book-to-market equity, and momentum analysis are also priced in the cross-section of developed market returns, whereas short-term reversal and downside beta manifest themselves in the opposite direction. Univariate portfolio analysis based on value-weighted returns reveal that the predictive power of book-to-market equity and short-term reversal is driven by small stocks. Multivariate firm-level cross-sectional regression analysis document that momentum, short-term reversal, illiquidity, idiosyncratic volatility, hybrid tail risk, lower partial moment are related to expected stock returns. Overall, the most robust cross-sectional predictor in developed market is found to be return momentum.

Given a protein sequence, the amino acid composition can be determined by counting the number of residues of each type. Then a molecular weight can be calculated by summing the molecular weights of the individual amino acid residues, taking into account the loss of one H2O molecule per peptide bond. Table 1 lists the molecular weights of the twenty amino acids and water. This approach assumes that the protein has not been covalently modified. Because of extensive glycosylation of some proteins, this approach can significantly underestimate the actual molecular weight. With the pKa values of Table 1, it is possible to calculate the theoretical charge of a protein at a given pH by summing the charges of the amino acid side chains and of the amino terminus and carboxyl terminus. By performing this calculation over a pH range, one obtains a theoretical titration curve and an isoelectric point (the pH at which the protein hasanetchargeof zero). This method assumes that all normally titratable groups are accessible to water, and that all side chains have the intrinsic pKa values listed in Table 1. This assumption is not completely correct, and consequently, the theoretical isoelectric point may differ from the experimentally determined value. Figure 1 shows the calculated titration curve for pancreatic ribonuclease: the calculated isoelectric point is 8.2, whereas the measured value is 9.6 (Lehninger, 1977). The calculation of extinction coefficients (Gill and von Hippel, 1989) is performed in much the same way as that of the isoelectric point Individual residues are treated as if they are free amino acids, and the overall extinction coefficient is calculated as the sum of the extinction coefficients of the residues. The same basic assumption is made: Residues are assumed to be in typical environments and not to show unusual absorption due to their local environments. In the case of the extinction coefficient, however, this assumption seems to be generally acceptable; calculated extinction coefficients are typically within a few percent of the experimentally determined value, and errors of more than 15% are rare (Gill and von Hippel, 1989).

Abstract To help the selection of suitable sites for development of offshore wind projects in the US on the coasts of California, Oregon and Hawaii, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) funded this study to assess the potential geo-hazards in this region. First, a comprehensive review of potential threats to the sites based on historic events is provided. The geospatial indexing for the call areas are then calculated based on weights associated with inputs, consisting of: sea floor slope, soil type, and seismicity (peak ground acceleration data of 500 year event). Finally, suitability indices are provided for each region. To perform a suitability analysis using geospatial indexing, all input factors are first standardized into a common scale, then a weighted overlay function is applied. Each of the criteria in the analysis is multiplied by the weights defined based on their importance in the region and then added together and suitability maps for each lease block are developed. Comprehensive maps of geohazards and geological data, suitability index maps and suitability rankings for the area of interest are being generated and presented online. This paper focuses on the floating windfarm call areas offshore California, including Humboldt, Morro Bay and Diablo Canyon, and presents the new approach for evaluating, integrating and indexing geospatial geohazard data for offshore windfarms, and the state-of-the-art suitability analysis approach. This new method can be also beneficial in the other parts of the world (e.g. East Asia), and similar concept can be implemented to evaluate the suitability of sites, based on the hazards in the area of interest.

The present paper introduces a framework for the collaborative determination of design task implementation priorities according to design effort-based calculations. Hierarchical structures are used for representing associative dependencies among primary and dependent tasks. Design effort for task implementation is defined as function of various task-oriented issues such as designers’ experience, designers’ ability to fulfill task-related requirements, etc. Simple metrics are used to form a unified effort index for each individual task. Weighted collaborative determination of implementation effort for individual tasks is also studied. Weights are assigned to individual designers and a simple aggregation technique is used that provides overall values of effort indices for tasks when multiple designers are involved in the design process. A weighted dependency matrix so formed is further transformed through a number of operations based on the connectivity among the tasks and the intensity of effort index values. From the aforementioned matrix, a unique sorted list of primary tasks is produced that ensures that production of design information of maximum importance takes place with least effort during the early design stages and under completely realistic design conditions. A short design example contributes towards a better understanding of the proposed framework.

In the present study, the plastic limit loads of the complex-cracked pipes, which have 360° internal surface crack along the circumference of pipe together with partial through-wall crack, are investigated via detailed 3-dimensional (3-D) finite element (FE) limit analyses. In terms of geometry of the complex-cracked pipe, the Alloys 82/182 butt weld that has welds overlay using the Alloys 52/152 for mitigating primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) in the nuclear pipe is considered. In the present FE limit analyses on complex-cracked pipes with welds overlay, the effect of strength mismatch between Alloys 82/182 and Alloys 52/152, depth of 360° internal surface crack and length of partial through-wall crack on plastic limit loads of complex-cracked pipes is systematically evaluated. As for loading conditions, axial tension, global bending and internal pressure are employed. The resulting FE plastic limit loads of complex-cracked pipes with welds overlay are also compared with the existing solutions, and finally the applicability of simple engineering estimate using the single material property based on the weighted average concept instead of using the properties of Alloys 52/152 and Alloys 82/182 to the prediction of the plastic limit loads of complex-cracked pipes with welds overlay is pursued.

Understanding drill string buckling behavior is a significant challenge to the petroleum industry. In this paper, the explicit finite element method implemented in Abaqus software is employed to study the buckling of drill strings for inclined straight wellbores. Classic solutions for the critical buckling length of self-weighted columns as well as critical buckling load for drill pipe inside inclined wellbores are compared to explicit FEA and accurate results are provided by the finite element based predictions. The effect of different inclination angles and string effective weight due to the buoyancy effect has been studied and the results for sinusoidal and helical buckling are compared to analytical results and experimental data in the literature. The theoretical predictions for different inclination angles agree with the simulations. Theoretical buckling load of inclined drill strings approaches zero by decreasing the effective weight of a floating drill string. However, the results of finite element simulations show that significant buckling load would still exist for very low drill string effective weight. These results are confirmed by experimental results provided by other researchers. Overall, the efficacy of using explicit finite element methods to model drill string buckling behavior is demonstrated.

A technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution is a multi-criteria decision analysis method used for complex assessment of a set of alternatives. It is often combined with the CV (Coefficient of Variance) method to determine the weight of these criteria to objectify achieved results. Using these methods, we have assessed a group of district towns in the Slovak Republic based on 2016 data by using six budgetary criteria, including maximizing and minimizing ones. The main contribution of this article is the complex assessment of a selected set of territorial administration entities, differences in their results and the importance of selecting the right method to determine weights, which has a significant impact on the overall results. It can be said that there were almost no differences in results among the majority of district towns, there were no significant correlations between the results and the criteria, and there were some common characteristics in the three created clusters. The analysis has confirmed that it is necessary to pay special attention to the selection of criteria and of the method used to determine their weight, as these factors have a significant impact on the overall results of analysis.

The structural and molecular weight changes to lubricant picked up following laser heating in heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) were analyzed using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). The intensity of the ion mass fragments depended on the decomposition pathways and changed drastically, as did the average molecular weight of the picked-up lubricant as heating temperature increased. The fragment series formed by the dissociation of end groups with low molecular weights (CH3O+) showed a high intensity at temperatures under 300 °C, whereas at temperatures over 400 °C, the fragments series formed by the dissociation of the end-group component (C5H9O4F2+) increased. Overall, the results presented herein suggest that the chemical and thermal stability of the hydrocarbon terminal ends of lubricants should be improved in order to decrease depletion of the lubricant film and lubricant pickup by laser heating in HAMR.

The body of a passenger car roughly constitutes 25–30% of its overall weight. Any reduction in the weight of the car’s body would not only mean less materials and fuel to be consumed, but also less exhaust emissions to be released and less non-biodegradable materials to be dumped or recycled. However, the automotive industry’s desire for an increasing weight reduction of passenger cars is inevitably limited by other design considerations such as mechanical strength, overall stiffness of the body, durability, safety and corrosion resistance. The problem of weight minimization can be expressed in the form of a constrained, multi-objective optimization problem in which the weight of the body and its fatigue life constitute the conflicting cost functions and values of such critical performance parameters as body’s natural frequency forms the constraint set. The above optimization problem poses a challenge to the designer, as the weight, fatigue life and natural frequency of the geometrically complex body cannot be readily evaluated and a comprehensive numerical model, such as a Finite-Elements (FE) one, has to be employed. This numerical model would nonetheless be highly time-consuming, especially considering the need for re-assessing the model dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of times per iteration of the optimization algorithm. To avoid this, we use a neural approximation of the FE model to reduce the time and computational cost. Results of a finite number of FE simulations are used to train the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) neural network which will then be used as the evaluation engine of the optimization algorithm. An efficient computer code based on the improved Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithms (NSGA II) is used to find the Pareto set of distinct solutions. The designer would then be able to choose from a set of non-dominated, feasible solutions based on economical and/or logistics requirements at an early stage of the design process.

The international literature presents several studies about the economics of Power Plants, however these analyses usually consider only the classical accounts related to Construction, Operation & Maintenance, Fuel and Decommissioning cost. Beside these accounts there are many factors, from now on named External Factors (e.g. social acceptability, Security of Fuel supply, etc.) able to heavily determine the profitability and the feasibility of a certain investment. This paper lists the External Factors and, under this prospective, ranks under different scenarios the following technologies suitable for the base-load: hydro, coal, oil, gas and nuclear. First the paper provides a list of these factors considering the international literature. As second step each factor is analyzed and quantified. Then an overall multi-attribute model, based on the Quality Function Deployment approach, is introduced to obtain a weight for each factor, dividing its impact into three different sustainability dimensions (economic, environmental, social), each weighted according to the investor sensitiveness. Finally the factor weights and their performances are coupled to obtain an overall ranking specific describing the specific environmental coming out by the combination of conditions and investors’ strategies. The results show that hydroelectric plants are usually the best solution, however there is a shortage of new sites for the further deployment of these plants, therefore other plants have to be considered to fulfill the energy growth. Coal and Nuclear could be a good choice even if each type of plant has its strengths and weaknesses. Nuclear technology has good performances on “fuel supply and environmental impact factors”, but his main weak is on the social acceptability. On the opposite the oil and gas -fired plants are always the worst choice. It is important to highlight that some factors are quantified using historical data (for the nuclear sector related to GEN II reactors). This assumption does not bias the analysis since the progress in nuclear energy is present as well as in other technologies. However is clear from the analysis that the innovative passive reactors could overcome other technologies and become the most suitable choice for the base load generation.

The literature that employs Regression Discontinuity Designs (RDD) typically stacks data across time periods and cutoff values. While practical, this procedure omits useful time heterogeneity. In this paper we decompose the RDD treatment effect into its weighted time-value parts. This analysis adds richness to the RDD estimand, where each time-specific component can be different and informative in a manner that is not expressed by the single cutoff or pooled regressions. To illustrate our methodology, we present two empirical examples: one using repeated cross-sectional data and another using time-series. Overall, we show a significant heterogeneity in both cutoff and time-specific effects. From a policy standpoint, this heterogeneity can pick up key differences in treatment across economically relevant episodes. Finally, we propose a new estimator that uses all observations from the original design and which captures the incremental effect of policy given a state variable. We show that this estimator is generally more precise compared to those that exclude observations exposed to other cutoffs or time periods. Our proposed framework is simple and easily replicable and can be applied to any RDD application that carries an explicitly traceable time dimension.

Background. Automated-entry consumer devices that collect and transmit patient-generated health data (PGHD) are being evaluated as potential tools to aid in the management of chronic diseases. The need exists to evaluate the evidence regarding consumer PGHD technologies, particularly for devices that have not gone through Food and Drug Administration evaluation. Purpose. To summarize the research related to automated-entry consumer health technologies that provide PGHD for the prevention or management of 11 chronic diseases. Methods. The project scope was determined through discussions with Key Informants. We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE (via EMBASE.com), In-Process MEDLINE and PubMed unique content (via PubMed.gov), and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for systematic reviews or controlled trials. We also searched ClinicalTrials.gov for ongoing studies. We assessed risk of bias and extracted data on health outcomes, surrogate outcomes, usability, sustainability, cost-effectiveness outcomes (quantifying the tradeoffs between health effects and cost), process outcomes, and other characteristics related to PGHD technologies. For isolated effects on health outcomes, we classified the results in one of four categories: (1) likely no effect, (2) unclear, (3) possible positive effect, or (4) likely positive effect. When we categorized the data as “unclear” based solely on health outcomes, we then examined and classified surrogate outcomes for that particular clinical condition. Findings. We identified 114 unique studies that met inclusion criteria. The largest number of studies addressed patients with hypertension (51 studies) and obesity (43 studies). Eighty-four trials used a single PGHD device, 23 used 2 PGHD devices, and the other 7 used 3 or more PGHD devices. Pedometers, blood pressure (BP) monitors, and scales were commonly used in the same studies. Overall, we found a “possible positive effect” of PGHD interventions on health outcomes for coronary artery disease, heart failure, and asthma. For obesity, we rated the health outcomes as unclear, and the surrogate outcomes (body mass index/weight) as likely no effect. For hypertension, we rated the health outcomes as unclear, and the surrogate outcomes (systolic BP/diastolic BP) as possible positive effect. For cardiac arrhythmias or conduction abnormalities we rated the health outcomes as unclear and the surrogate outcome (time to arrhythmia detection) as likely positive effect. The findings were “unclear” regarding PGHD interventions for diabetes prevention, sleep apnea, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Most studies did not report harms related to PGHD interventions; the relatively few harms reported were minor and transient, with event rates usually comparable to harms in the control groups. Few studies reported cost-effectiveness analyses, and only for PGHD interventions for hypertension, coronary artery disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; the findings were variable across different chronic conditions and devices. Patient adherence to PGHD interventions was highly variable across studies, but patient acceptance/satisfaction and usability was generally fair to good. However, device engineers independently evaluated consumer wearable and handheld BP monitors and considered the user experience to be poor, while their assessment of smartphone-based electrocardiogram monitors found the user experience to be good. Student volunteers involved in device usability testing of the Weight Watchers Online app found it well-designed and relatively easy to use. Implications. Multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have evaluated some PGHD technologies (e.g., pedometers, scales, BP monitors), particularly for obesity and hypertension, but health outcomes were generally underreported. We found evidence suggesting a possible positive effect of PGHD interventions on health outcomes for four chronic conditions. Lack of reporting of health outcomes and insufficient statistical power to assess these outcomes were the main reasons for “unclear” ratings. The majority of studies on PGHD technologies still focus on non-health-related outcomes. Future RCTs should focus on measurement of health outcomes. Furthermore, future RCTs should be designed to isolate the effect of the PGHD intervention from other components in a multicomponent intervention.

Macroeconomic Summary Overall inflation (1.61%) and core inflation (excluding food and regulated items) (1.11%) both declined beyond the technical staff’s expectations in the fourth quarter of 2020. Year-end 2021 forecasts for both indicators were revised downward to 2.3% and 2.1%, respectively. Market inflation expectations also fell over this period and suggested inflation below the 3% target through the end of this year, rising to the target in 2022. Downward pressure on inflation was more significant in the fourth quarter than previously projected, indicating weak demand. Annual deceleration among the main groups of the consumer price index (CPI) was generalized and, except for foods, was greater than projected in the October report. The CPI for goods (excluding foods and regulated items) and the CPI for regulated items were subject to the largest decelerations and forecasting discrepancies. In the first case, this was due in part to a greater-than-expected effect on prices from the government’s “VAT-fee day” amid weak demand, and from the extension of some price relief measures. For regulated items, the deceleration was caused in part by unanticipated declines in some utility prices. Annual change in the CPI for services continued to decline as a result of the performance of those services that were not subject to price relief measures, in particular. Although some of the overall decline in inflation is expected to be temporary and reverse course in the second quarter of 2021, various sources of downward pressure on inflation have become more acute and will likely remain into next year. These include ample excesses in capacity, as suggested by the continued and greater-than-expected deceleration in core inflation indicators and in the CPI for services excluding price relief measures. This dynamic is also suggested by the minimal transmission of accumulated depreciation of the peso on domestic prices. Although excess capacity should fall in 2021, the decline will likely be slower than projected in the October report amid additional restrictions on mobility due to a recent acceleration of growth in COVID-19 cases. An additional factor is that low inflation registered at the end of 2020 will likely be reflected in low price adjustments on certain indexed services with significant weight in the CPI, including real estate rentals and some utilities. These factors should keep inflation below the target and lower than estimates from the previous report on the forecast horizon. Inflation is expected to continue to decline to levels near 1% in March, later increasing to 2.3% at the end of 2021 and 2.7% at year-end 2022 (Graph 1.1). According to the Bank’s most recent survey, market analysts expect inflation of 2.7% and 3.1% in December 2021 and 2022, respectively. Expected inflation derived from government bonds was 2% for year-end 2021, while expected inflation based on bonds one year forward from that date (FBEI 1-1 2022) was 3.2%.