Aspects Of Deployment Research Articles

Performance Analysis of the Limited Bandwidth Allocation Scheme With Excess Distribution

The limited scheme with excess distribution (LS-ED), being a superior grant-sizing protocol in terms of average delay minimization while providing fairness and quality of service (QoS) satisfaction in Ethernet passive optical networks (EPONs), has already been deployed in diverse technologies. An analysis of the protocol is of paramount importance for obtaining deeper insight into several network design and deployment aspects. Thus, the primary objective of this paper is to perform a rigorous mathematical analysis of LS-ED, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, with the help of a discrete time Markov chain (DTMC). Owing to the dependency of the grant size of a particular optical network unit (ONU) on the queue length of other ONUs, the exact queuing analysis of this scheme necessitates solving a Markov model of the same dimension as the number of ONUs, which makes the analysis complicated and mathematically intractable. A lower-dimensional valid approximation model may allow us to perform such an analysis. In this paper, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, we present an analysis of the scheme, wherein the system dynamics are captured from the perspective of the scheduler leading to an approximate model. The model aids in obtaining a closed-form expression for the average cycle time and throughput along with closed-form expressions for average buffer occupancy and average delay at low load. Finally, we provide useful design insights for EPONs employing LS-ED.

A risk assessment of automated treatment planning and recommendations for clinical deployment.

PurposeTo assess the risk of failure of a recently developed automated treatment planning tool, the radiation planning assistant (RPA), and to determine the reduction in these risks with implementation of a quality assurance (QA) program specifically designed for the RPA.MethodsWe used failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) to assess the risk of the RPA. The steps involved in the workflow of planning a four‐field box treatment of cervical cancer with the RPA were identified. Then, the potential failure modes at each step and their causes were identified and scored according to their likelihood of occurrence, severity, and likelihood of going undetected. Additionally, the impact of the components of the QA program on the detectability of the failure modes was assessed. The QA program was designed to supplement a clinic's standard QA processes and consisted of three components: (a) automatic, independent verification of the results of automated planning; (b) automatic comparison of treatment parameters to expected values; and (c) guided manual checks of the treatment plan. A risk priority number (RPN) was calculated for each potential failure mode with and without use of the QA program.ResultsIn the RPA automated treatment planning workflow, we identified 68 potential failure modes with 113 causes. The average RPN was 91 without the QA program and 68 with the QA program (maximum RPNs were 504 and 315, respectively). The reduction in RPN was due to an improvement in the likelihood of detecting failures, resulting in lower detectability scores. The top‐ranked failure modes included incorrect identification of the marked isocenter, inappropriate beam aperture definition, incorrect entry of the prescription into the RPA plan directive, and lack of a comprehensive plan review by the physician.ConclusionsUsing FMEA, we assessed the risks in the clinical deployment of an automated treatment planning workflow and showed that a specialized QA program for the RPA, which included automatic QA techniques, improved the detectability of failures, reducing this risk. However, some residual risks persisted, which were similar to those found in manual treatment planning, and human error remained a major cause of potential failures. Through the risk analysis process, we identified three key aspects of safe deployment of automated planning: (a) user training on potential failure modes; (b) comprehensive manual plan review by physicians and physicists; and (c) automated QA of the treatment plan.

Deployment of acute mechanical circulatory support devices via the axillary artery

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Use of acute mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices for high-risk cardiac intervention, cardiogenic shock, and advanced heart failure is growing. Alternate vascular access options for these devices remains a clinical challenge. Building on experience from trans-aortic valve replacement procedures, the axillary artery is becoming a common access route for acute MCS and represents an important advance in the development of acute MCS technologies.Areas covered: Authors review the clinical data and technical aspect of acute MCS deployment via the axillary artery. Axillary access is particularly useful for patients: 1) with severe peripheral vascular disease, 2) with hostile femoral access due to infection, indwelling endovascular devices, or obesity, and 3) to provide early mobility and ambulation. In this review, we discuss the deployment, technical issues and hemostasis regarding the use of intraaortic balloon pump, specifically, axillary intraaortic balloon pumps, trans-valvular left ventricular Impella pumps and arterial outflow of VA-ECMO.Expert opinion: Vascular comorbidities or device design may limit the traditional iliofemoral access route for acute mechanical circulatory support devices. Large bore access for the deployment of these devices through the axillary artery is feasible and safe when appropriate vascular access and closure techniques are used.

A deep learning approach to anomaly detection in geological carbon sequestration sites using pressure measurements

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been extensively investigated as a potential engineering measure to reduce anthropogenic carbon emission to the atmosphere. Real-time monitoring of the safety and integrity of carbon storage reservoirs is a critical aspect of any commercial-scale CCS deployment. Pressure-based sensing is cost effective, suitable for real-time monitoring, and scalable to large monitoring networks. However, questions remain on how to best harness intelligent information from the high-frequency pressure monitoring sensors to support real-time decisions. This work presents a deep-learning-based framework for analyzing and detecting anomalies in pressure data streams by using a convolutional long short-term memory (ConvLSTM) neural network model, which allows for the fusion of both static and dynamic reservoir data. In ConvLSTM, the convolutional neural network (CNN) is used for spatial pattern mining and the LSTM is used for temporal pattern recognition. The performance of the ConvLSTM model for real-time anomaly detection is demonstrated using a set of pressure monitoring data collected from Cranfield, Mississippi, an active enhanced-oil-recovery field. The anomaly detection model is trained using bottom-hole pressure data acquired from the base experiment (without leak event) and then tested on pressure data collected during a series of controlled CO2 release experiments (with artificially created leak events). Results show that the ConvLSTM neural network model successfully detected anomalies in the pressure time series obtained from the controlled release experiments. Inclusion of static information into the model further improves the robustness of ConvLSTM.

UN Troop Deployment and Preventing Violence Against Civilians in Darfur

ABSTRACTDoes the presence of UN peacekeeping force lower civilian fatalities at the local level? If it does, is it because of their coercive military capacity or for other reasons such as their roles in monitoring and reporting violent atrocities? To explore these questions, I study the deployment of peacekeeping units in Darfur and its impact on violence against civilians. Using original geocoded data of UN deployments before and after the intervention, I examine what aspects of such deployments impact one-sided civilian killings by government and rebel groups. Results indicate that deploying UN peacekeepers in an area restrains belligerent from targeting civilians. However, the military capacity of peacekeepers is not a significant predictor of violence against civilians. While their ability to defend themselves is extremely important for peacekeepers, these findings caution against the militarization trend in UN peacekeeping and seek to reshift focus on other substantive aspects of peacekeeping.

О некоторых аспектах внедрения информационных технологий в судебную систему Российской Федерации

О некоторых аспектах внедрения информационных технологий в судебную систему Российской Федерации

Phase of the menstrual cycle affects engagement of attention with emotional images

Changes that occur during the menstrual cycle affect various aspects of behavior, cognition, and emotion. Here, we focused on potential differences between early follicular and midluteal phases in the way women process images of behaviorally relevant content categories: children, threat, disgust, erotic scenes, low- and high-calorie food. Using eye-tracking, we examined women’s engagement of attention in the key region of each image in a free-viewing condition. Specifically, we tested how quickly attention was attracted to these regions and for how long it was held there. Participants took part in two experimental sessions, one in the early follicular and one in the midluteal phase. The results showed that in the midluteal phase attention was attracted to the key region earlier than in the early follicular phase: the first fixation more often fell within the key region and there were fewer fixations preceding it. While the effect of the phase in terms of the capture of attention did not depend on the image category, the effect regarding the hold of attention was category-specific, concerning the disgust category only. Specifically, in the midluteal phase the duration of the exploration of the key region between reaching it for the first time and first exiting it was shorter, which might be due to heightened sensitivity to disgusting stimuli in this period. Overall, our results indicate the occurrence of changes in attentional processing of emotional scenes related to the menstrual cycle, which seem to differ depending on the aspect of attention deployment: in the midluteal phase the effect of enhancing orienting was general and concerned any important visual information, whereas the effect of the shortened hold of attention appeared to be limited to specific content.

A novel approach to real-time modelling of the district heating substation system using LabVIEW

The mathematical model of heating substation, which is an important part of district heating system, is presented in this paper. The main components of district heating substation system, from the automatic control perspective, that are observed in this paper are heat exchanger and three-way valve. Presented mathematical model is developed so it could operate in real-time, since the crucial aspect of development, deployment and testing of new control techniques and optimization algorithms is their accurate validation on the real system. However, the accessibility to a real system is often not possible. Corresponding to this, an alternative is the existence of the correct mathematical model of a process, with the ability to operate in real-time. First, the presented mathematical model of district heating substation is decomposed to the simpler models of its main elements, in order to provide the analysis of the various parameters on the model performance through numerical simulation. Second, a real-time model is developed in LabVIEW software package and deployed on the embedded controller with a real-time processor as a three-layer application which enables data acquisition and communication with a programmable controller.

Competent educators in every class: The law and the provision of educators

The literature suggests that the quality of the education learners receive in South Africa is well below par, due to, inter alia, the fact that a substantial number of educators in South African schools cannot be characterised as competent, average, good or excellent. A large percentage of educators may be regarded as poor performers and approximately 20 per cent of them do not have the required minimum qualifications for the tasks they have to perform. To explore the challenge facing South Africa, I examine the literature on the relationship between educators and the quality of education, and address the question as to whether legal mechanisms could, at crucial points in a teacher’s career, help ensure that competent educators are attracted to, and employed in the profession. It is common knowledge that the law governs all activities and processes that obtain in education, including those that determine the quality of educators entering the profession. In this article, I examine some of the aspects of the relationship between the law and the quality of educators. I begin with an analysis of key concepts such as ‘education’ and ‘educator/teacher’ and, drawing on the work of renowned meta- analysts who argue convincingly that there is a clear link between educational quality and educator quality, I foreground the need to regulate all aspects of educator deployment optimally, in order to ensure the presence of suitable educators in all classes. I trace the road typically travelled by every educator from pre- recruitment and training, and explore the role the law can play, at a number of crucial waypoints, to help address the less than satisfactory status quo. I consider, inter alia, how education students are recruited, selected, trained, and certified as professional educators. I also scrutinise the role of professional registration, appointments and appointment processes, induction, professional development, and conditions of service of educators. I explore how the law can, at important waypoints in educators’ career, enhance the quality of educators, and argue that the law may be key to ensuring that there are competent educators in every classroom.

Breaking the Limits in Urban Video Monitoring: Massive Crowd Sourced Surveillance over Vehicles

Contemporary urban environments are in prompt need of the means for intelligent decision- making, where a crucial role belongs to smart video surveillance systems. While existing deployments of stationary monitoring cameras already deliver notable societal benefits, the proposed concept of massive video surveillance over connected vehicles that we contribute in this article may further augment these important capabilities. We therefore introduce the envisioned system concept, discuss its implementation, outline the high-level architecture, and identify major data flows, while also offering insights into the corresponding design and deployment aspects. Our conducted case study confirms the potential of the described crowd sourced vehicular system to effectively complement and eventually surpass even the best of today's static video surveillance setups. We expect that our proposal will become of value and integrate seamlessly into the future Internetof- Things landscape, thus enabling a plethora of advanced urban applications.

Analytical Modeling of Wi-Fi and LTE-LAA Coexistence: Throughput and Impact of Energy Detection Threshold

With both small-cell LTE and Wi-Fi networks available as alternatives for deployment in unlicensed bands (notably 5 GHz), the investigation into their coexistence is a topic of active interest, primarily driven by industry groups. 3GPP has recently standardized LTE licensed assisted access (LTE-LAA) that seeks to make LTE more co-existence friendly with Wi-Fi by incorporating similar sensing and back-off features. Nonetheless, the results presented by industry groups offer little consensus on important issues like respective network parameter settings that promote “fair access” as required by 3GPP. Answers to such key system deployment aspects, in turn, require credible analytical models, on which there has been a little progress to date. Accordingly, in one of the first works of its kind, we develop a new framework for estimating the throughput of Wi-Fi and LTE-LAA in coexistence scenarios via suitable modifications to the celebrated Bianchi model. The impact of various network parameters such as energy detection threshold on Wi-Fi and LTE-LAA coexistence is explored as a byproduct and corroborated via a National Instrument experimental test bed that validates the results for LTE-LAA access priority classes 1 and 3.

On Information Quality and Customer Surveys

Customer surveys rely on structured questions used to reflect on reality. Surveys, in general, rely on sample observations derived from a population frame that can be statistically analyzed. Eventually, a survey is judged by the quality of the information it provides. The paper discusses how to apply the information quality (InfoQ) framework to discuss various aspects of customer survey design, deployment and analysis. InfoQ involves 8 dimensions: 1) Data resolution, 2) Data structure, 3) Data integration, 4) Temporal relevance, 5) Chronology of data and goal, 6) Generalizability,7) Operationalization and 8) Communication. The goal is to generate high InfoQ from a customer survey, by properly addressing these dimensions, . Various models like CUB, Bayesian networks, Non-linear PCA and decision trees used in analyzing customer surveys will be presented from an InfoQ perspective. A new concept of InfoQ integrated modeling is proposed that is based on combining analysis using several models for increased InfoQ.

User perspectives on emerging mobility services: Ex post analysis of Kutsuplus pilot

Kutsuplus was a novel, flexible micro transit service (FMTS) operating in Helsinki during 2012 to 2015. The service included a range of new technological development, ranging from routing algorithm to marketing and user interface. However, at the end of 2015, the service ceased due to budgetary constraints. In the context of service discontinuation, and the lack of in-depth understanding of user perspectives about urban FMTS, this paper aims to uncover the perspectives of the users of the service, users that discontinued using the service during its operation, and persons who did not use the service. The methodological approach is based on a questionnaire, with mapping capabilities enabling collection of georeferenced data. Questionnaire results are validated using actual Kutsuplus trip analysis. The results show that Kutsuplus users were a diverse group both when considering socio-economic status and travel behavior. In addition, the results include detailed analysis of stated trip characteristics, including spatial analysis of trip origins and destinations. Furthermore, the results include qualitative analysis of respondents' opinions and recommendations about positive and lacking FMTS features. The paper ends with a summary of positive Kutsuplus features, followed by the discussion of aspects for future deployment, including end-user and service area analysis, marketing strategy, and service usability. Finally, the paper provides recommendations for further research on FMTS.

Parallel word processing in the flanker paradigm has a rightward bias

Reading research is exhibiting growing interest in employing variants of the flanker paradigm to address several questions about reading. The paradigm is particularly suited for investigating parallel word processing, parafoveal-on-foveal influences, and visuospatial attention in a simple but constrained setting. However, this methodological deviation from natural reading warrants careful assessment of the extent to which cognitive processes underlying reading operate similarly in these respective settings. The present study investigated whether readers’ distribution of attention in the flanker paradigm resembles that observed during sentence reading; that is, with a rightward bias. Participants made lexical decisions about foveal target words while we manipulated parafoveal flanking words. In line with prior research, we established a parafoveal-on-foveal repetition effect, and this effect was increased for rightward flankers compared with leftward flankers. In a second experiment, we found that, compared with a no-flanker condition, rightward repetition flankers facilitated target processing, while leftward flankers interfered. Additionally, the repetition effect was larger for rightward than for leftward flankers. From these findings, we infer that attention in the flanker paradigm is indeed biased toward the right, and that the flanker paradigm thus provides an effective analogy to natural reading for investigating the role of visuospatial attention. The enhanced parafoveal-on-foveal effects within the attended region further underline the key role of attention in the spatial integration of orthographic information. Lastly, we conclude that future research employing the flanker paradigm should take the asymmetrical aspect of the attentional deployment into account.

Socio-Economic Aspects of Information Deployment: Causes and Consequences

This paper provides a review of literature discussing the relationship between information communications technology (ICT) and low-income individuals. It seeks to identify ways in which economic class status impacts ICT engagement among low-income individuals, and to assess how class status impacts the attitudes of external interlocutors towards low-income ICT users. The study employs a three-part analysis, comprising a review of the information poverty model of information behavior and its critics, a review of literature discussing the deployment and impacts of information surveillance, and a review of literature assessing libraries as a site for closing information gaps. It presents a body of information which argues that low-income individuals interact with ICT within a complex cultural, legal and economic framework, and presents possibilities for further interdisciplinary investigation of this topic.

The role of ostensive and performative routine aspects in dynamic capability deployment at different organizational levels

This study clarifies how dynamic capabilities work in modifying operational capabilities at different organizational levels. While there is good understanding that routines that make up operational capabilities possess ostensive and performative aspects, whether the same applies to dynamic capabilities is unclear. In addition, there is only a limited understanding of how dynamic capabilities link to operational capabilities in terms of these two routine aspects, in general, and at different organizational levels, in particular. Our findings suggest that ostensive and performative routine aspects explain the way in which dynamic capabilities work in modifying operational capabilities. They also reveal that the pattern of the ostensive or performative routine aspects in dynamic capability deployment at a selected organizational level correspond with that associated with operational capabilities at the same level.

自動走行システムの高度化・普及展開の姿およびその社会的・産業的インパクトに関する検討

自動走行システムの高度化・普及展開の姿およびその社会的・産業的インパクトに関する検討

Impact of Interference Between Neighbouring 5G Micro Operators

Local small cell deployments will become an important part of the future 5G networks, in particular in the higher frequency bands. In order to speed up the wide-spread deployment of such ultra-dense networks, new business and spectrum authorization models are needed. The recently proposed concept of micro operators with local spectrum micro licensing has gained significant interest in research, industry and regulation to complement the traditional models based on networks deployed and operated by the mobile network operators. While assessing the applicability of the proposed micro operator concept, one important aspect is to evaluate the impact of the inter-operator interference on the performance of the victim network when deployed in the same or adjacent channel. To support such interference evaluations between micro operators, this paper proposes a deployment scenario including two neighbouring buildings, propagation models for connections both within a building and between the buildings, and a criteria for the required minimum separation distance based on the observed throughput loss. Finally, system simulations are performed to evaluate the impact of the key deployment aspects on the required minimum separation distance between the micro operators in the 3.5 GHz band. The obtained results indicate that the required minimum separation distances are highly scenario-specific, which needs to be considered in the overall local spectrum micro licensing model development and the setup of appropriate rules to coordinate the interference.

Design, development and deployment of a RSSI based wireless network for post disaster management

The wide spectrum of applications of wireless sensor networks in real time monitoring of disaster prone areas makes it very promising and reliable. The present work focuses on communication link establishment for the first 72 hours just after disaster, highlighting the capability of wireless sensor network especially in disaster prone area. The complete network consisting of 8 wireless nodes with integrated Xbee as a sensor to establish a communication link in between the pursuit team and trapped people. The network is deployed in Dunga Valley of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, a seismic zone with a population of more than 1 lakh. The nodes are capable of recognizing the traveler’s location whenever they are passing by the disaster prone areas. The nodes gather RSSI values along with the estimated distances of the traveler (having anchor node) from the pursuit team (having pursuit node). The system has proven its validity by tracking the trapped people in communication deprived area in Dunga Valley by doing mock drill several times. The paper reports the design of wireless network as well as deployment aspects of the nodes in such disaster prone areas.

Field Deployment of a Rigless Cable-Deployed Electric Submersible Pump Using a Vertical Wellhead

Summary Electric submersible pumps (ESPs) are a widely used artificial-lift technology. Conventional ESP systems provide power with a cable banded to the outside of the tubing. These systems have drawbacks in terms of installation speed and efficiency. To overcome these obstacles, a novel cable-deployed (CD) ESP system developed for use in a production environment with high hydrogen sulfide (H2S) content is presented as a future solution. This paper focuses on the challenges, results, and lessons learned from the first field deployment in the world of a rigless high-H2S CD-ESP system. A metal-jacketed power cable was a key enabler to the CD-ESP system. The metal-jacketed power cable delivers the best protection for an H2S attack and provides a smooth outside diameter that could be gripped on and sealed. The cable had been tested to withstand H2S levels up to 15% in the vapor phase and chloride levels in excess of 150,000 ppm, with an expected service life in excess of 10 years, derived from laboratory testing. To overcome well-control concerns, a vertical cable-hanger spool (VCHS) was developed to enable the ESP cable to be terminated below the master valve. In addition to the surface termination of the cable, the VCHS provided hang-off and production-flow-through capabilities. The CD-ESP system, using a specialized inverted ESP, required close integration between several equipment and service providers during the development of equipment and procedures to ensure success in the installation of the system. The system's initial deployment was in a benign onshore well that offered ample workspace for the various service providers to learn the unique aspects of this rigless deployment. The interface between the service providers at the surface-cable termination was critical to the successful installation. For this trial test, the well completion was changed from 4½-in. tubing to 7-in. tubing to accommodate the CD 562 Series ESP. Lessons learned from this field trial will be incorporated into future trials of the technology. The goal of these future trials will be to deploy the technology in offshore H2S wells where high rig costs can be significantly reduced by using a lower-cost barge coupled with increased speed, efficiency, and ease of CD-ESP deployment.